My Uncle Allen

I have a lot of respect for my uncle Allen. Growing up, he has been a male role model for me, in addition to my father. He is my mother's youngest brother and have been spoiling my brother and I since we were toddlers. Uncle Allen doesn't have any children of his own, but I know my brother and I will take care of him when he gets old. To me, uncle Allen is a fun, witty yet hardworking and practical man. He is extremely street-smart and has a lot of friends in different walks of life. Though life has been throwing him some hardship throughout the years, he still holds an incredibly positive attitude.

Everytime I go back to Taiwan, he always makes time from his busy schedule to spend with me for at least a few times. He often treats us to nice meals, and takes us to visit my mother. This time he took us to a nice Japanese restaurant, where we had an amazing 10-course meal. I have to say it's the best Japanese meal I've had so far!

辣子雞丁 & 螞蟻上樹

My new dish~

Re-Visiting Taipei's Beauty

We rented a car service and spent one full day visiting some of the places on the outskirts of Taipei. I haven't been to a couple of these places since elementary school, so it was exciting for me. After visiting the graves of Jeff's grandparents and cousin, we went from Yangming Mountain to Jing-Shan to Yeh-Liu to Shan-Chi to Dan-Shui. I also got a chance to have some fresh coconut water and traditional local Taiwan dishes.

It was such a treat to re-visit the beauty of Taipei county. One of the reasons why Taiwan attracts so many tourists every year is its variety of natural scenery. There are beautiful mountains, amazing coastlines, lovely rivers and lakes, beautiful tea plantations. It's a small island, but Taiwan has it all!

The Be All and End All

This year's Chicago International Film Festival was on October 8-22. Along with Jenn and John, we had a chance to enjoy a very good film. It was a UK film directed by Bruce Webb -- The Be All and End All.

It's a story about two teen-age best mates. After Robbie was diagnosed with a fatal heart disease, Ziggy was doing everything he can to fulfill Robbie's final wish -- "you've got to get a girl to shag me!" Just like any great film, The Be All and End All made me laugh out loud and dissolve in tears. In its own humorous and heartfelt way, this film also reminded me what it means to be a friend.

Taipei's Hottest Buffet

My friend, Gina, took us to Taipei's hottest buffet, Brasserie in the Grand Formosa Regent, for lunch. I was amazed at the variety of food and cuisine available at this stylish restaurant. From sashimi to roast beef, from traditional Taiwanese to Italian, from seafood to hotpot, they have everything you can think of. The dessert bar must have more than 20 different pastries, cakes, cookies, ice creams.

I was not surprised this is one of the most popular spots in Taipei right now. While we were walking out at 2:45 pm on a weekday, the length of the line waiting to get in for the afternoon tea time was unbelievable!

Gina became a good friend of mine while I was working in Taipei after college. We live close by and met when waiting for the community bus one morning. Jeff asked who started talking first, and I said it was Gina, but now as I think harder, it might be me asking her whether the bus will take us down to the train station..ha. I remember we chatted during our entire bus and train ride that day.

I'm so glad that we stayed in touch even after I left Taiwan. Gina has always been my role model - energetic, keeps learning new things, optimistic during life's most difficult times, and overcome obsticles with faith and great personal strength. I know I just saw you in Taipei, Gina, but I can't wait to lunch with you again already!

大山無價

I've heard great things about this restaurant, so we decided to have a family meal there on Sunday night.

Located in the beautiful mountains of Taipei county, 大山無價 is famous for its heavenly scenery and surroundings (we could see it better if we went during the day), the rare ingredients used in the dishes, the creative courses, the exquisite presentation, and the enjoyment of "slow dining".

There were a total of 13 courses over a 2.5 hour dining experience. There's no menu, and all of courses were prepared by the famous chef that are primarily influenced by Japanese cuisine. I was impressed by the presentation and the interesting combination of ingredients in each dish.

The truth is I'm glad that I tried this place, but honestly, I didn't love it. I was also surprised that the service was not as good as I've heard. It is questionable whether I'd go back.

No Place Compares to...

Taiwan!

It was a perfect 10-day visit to my hometown, one of the most beautiful places on earth! The air was dewy sweet, the people were warm and passionate, the food is everything I've been dreaming about, and the family that always holds the special place in my heart.

One of the main reasons for our visit this time was to celebrate Jeff's grandma's 90th birthday. Many of Jeff's family also went back from the U.S., including his uncles, aunts, cousins. It was really great to meet some of them for the first time!

Waiting for us after we landed late on Saturday night were local foods and fruits prepared by Jeff's mom....yes, how lucky we are! And that was the beginning of our feast for the next 10 days.