Big Brother

Saturday was family day for us. This is Steve's Big Brother, actually cousin, but cousins and actual brothers and sisters are no different in Taiwanese/Chinese culture. To Tilly they are 'Ah Bei & Ah Mmm'. Big Brother is an amazing cook. We love to have dinner with them. Big Brother's name in Chinese is Chiang Ming Xing - ming xing is the word for Superstar. Chiang Super Star.

二姑姑

The above is 'er gu-gu' which means second aunty but with the more complex meaning of father's older sister. As daddy has two older sisters and this one is the youngest of those older sisters, she gets 'second' attached to aunty.

We love our 'er gu gu', both the gu-gu's of course. But don't get to see 'er gu-gu' that much. She runs a dumpling stall in Taipei County and she's a sweetie. Photos taken from Steven's i-phone so not excellent.

Sea Snail anyone?

Looking for that special something to really tip your wife over the edge? Grab a bag of these babies, switch on the baseball and suck away! Steve loves these little things - I personally can't think of much worse. It's more the sound of the sucking to get what little meat is in there that really does me in. What they did to deserve swimming in that bath of hot chillies I'll never know! For a very literal translation, no hot, small hot and big hot. Steve got a bag of the small hot. The occassion is October 10 National Day, at the Kite Flying Festival. Any event comes with the ubiquitous street stall foods. Such as these little puppies...

Twirly wirly dagwood dogs, or hotdogs. Whatever you'd like to call them. Not very "traditional", but fun none the less. Quite artistic I thought!

Kite Flying Performance

Taipei County Shihmen International Kite Festival

Taipei City Zoo

a rare chance to go on an outing with daddy! the humidity was almost unbearable. two typhoons are heading this way, I guess that doesn't help.