A Night at the Grand and other meanderings

This info is to go with the Grand Hotel pictures posted below. I know Sturgeon Bay HS is in financial straits but on this one the contrast is just too great to not mention. Unlike some Board members at SBHS who feel they can raise their professional rates but God forbid that a teacher claim the right to participate in any wealth expansion, the board of TAS decided that it needed to have a social event to try to bridge some past major decisions that resulted in a toxic environment. In the fall, the board hosted a major food and drink and music and pool and conversation and wine and food and wine and social event at the American Club.

Did I mention food and wine? This latest event was held at the Grand Hotel which is the most prominent social landmark in the city of Taipei. Google the descriptions and/or look at the pictures but let me tell you it was GRAND. Truly the event was to facilitate healing and communication between the board and teachers. The school provided tour coach buses to take folks to the hotel. The food was past OH MY GOD!!! But really only *** in quality. They had (ahem) chicken velvet corn soup, roast prime rib, a table with Mexican seafood salad, tomatoes and mozzarella with balsamic, assorted veggie salads, sashimi with salmon, shark, wahoo, crab, mussels, oysters, clams and sauces, aspic of eel with egg, assorted sushi, beef with mustard sauce, house made pate, smoked barbequed eel. THEN at another table, they had chicken in lemongrass, tongue in wine sauce, stuffed crab au gratin, short ribs Asian style, a table with shrimp and “stuff” to be placed in lettuce cups, ANOTHER table with lemon snapper, fried rice, blah blah blah (I stopped after 20 items) .

THEN THE DESSERT TABLE with 4 long tables of fattening delicacies of tarts, pies, puddings (including MANGO) fresh fruit including pineapple, dragon fruit, star fruit, Asian pears, etc etc etc and , and and and THEN there was the open wine and beer bar AND the life music band… and great conversation with many folks who are too busy to get together during the school day.

Speaking of which, I got the calendar for next year and started entering the dates and (I am soooo ashamed) when it came to the school start date, I truly uttered the phrase “ COOL” as I anticipated the restart of school. Doctor, take my temperature!

On A days I am finished with classes at 10:30 so I have more freedom. I do not finish until 5 ish with class prep and stuff but I do go roam around the neighborhood for lunch. Today I stopped at a ????place and pointed to a roast pork chop, and some green vegetable (spinach like with stalks) and yellow mass (bamboo shoots) and an eggy looking thingy (scrambled eggs with scallions) and they also threw in a plastic mini bottle of something (acidophilus yogurt and a citrus juice) that was really good. I am sad that Carol has an allergy to seafood because that cuts off some of the spontaneity that I can have on my bi-daily quests. On the other hand she is doing well are is able to enjoy Indian food anytime, Thai food with caution, Shi Lankan food with many vegetarian entrees and many Chinese dishes. And then there are the bakerys..which one has the best western style bread. There is Wendell’s who makes fabulous European style breads, the French patisserie whose spinach buns are steamed then baked, and Johan bakery in the bottom of the Shin Kong Mitsukosi department store that has the world’s best cheese and ham French bread and a flatbread loaded with black sesame and Indian seeds. The choices are TOO many.

And lurking behind all this foody discussion is still the specter of DANIEL THE TRAINER! I wake up in pain almost every day from the beating I get from my friend Daniel at the fitness center. I do love it even though all my new cloths that I bought when we moved here are about 4 inches too big. (Yes I am bragging a little) I had an interesting discussion with him the other day. He may go into the Taiwan military system in a year or two. I asked him, since he is part of the KMT or party of Chaing Kai Shek and the rulers since the 40’s who do NOT believe in Taiwan as a separate country….”Could you fire a gun a soldier from mainland china?” For purpose of security I will not offer his response but think about the dilemma he and many other native Taiwanese face in defending their country against their “brothers”.

On a different note, check out www. YouTube.com and search on TIEN MOU specifically 88hawai for a scooter trip to TAS that almost comes into our apartment. Also he takes a trip to Danshui (remember squid on a stick). There is lots of info for you if you want to look at it.

There is so much more to talk about but I will close before I bore you all. We are way too over stimulated and very busy with way too many activities. We look forward to a visit from our first stateside guests and the tough decisions about where to go and what to show them. (You too could put us in this position)

Keep well and think of us