Month: February 2014

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2014 新北市平溪天燈節 Pingxi Sky Lantern Festival ~ Truly Awesome!

Catherine Lee

Truly awe-inspiring, honest!  Definitely a sight to behold…. Yes it was raining, the beautiful hot and sunny weather of last week having been replaced by a cold front of drizzle and cold, but nothing dampened our spirits on Saturday night at the Pingxi Junior High School as hundreds of lanterns were sent heavenwards.  Truly an awesome sight! Pingxi is an old coal-mining town in the mountains up beyond Taipei and famous for its annual sky lantern festival, made even more famous in recent years by several international media outlets, including CNN, who have proclaimed it a must-see event…. People can … Continue reading 2014 新北市平溪天燈節 Pingxi Sky Lantern Festival ~ Truly Awesome!

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Yuan Zai 圓仔 Baby Panda ~ so gorgeous (and awake!)

Catherine Lee

Taipei Zoo’s baby panda Yuan Zai 圓仔 is charming the whole country, but she doesn’t half like to sleep ha ha!  Queues and queues of people (limited to 19,200 per day) have lined up to see her for 10 minutes of viewing time during the Chinese New Year holiday as she made her public debut, and there she is (or not, if she’s often hiding) fast asleep…. Taipei Metro kindly shows the current panda viewing times and available tickets on electronic noticeboards on some of its platforms around the city – and so there it was that I came to be in … Continue reading Yuan Zai 圓仔 Baby Panda ~ so gorgeous (and awake!)

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Chinese New Year 2014!

Catherine Lee

And what a New Year it was!  The best weather ever ever ever, certainly ever since I ever remember – it was wonderful!  Praise God YES! Started with the New Year’s Eve Banquet just up the road at Shuang-Lian Senior Care Centre, invited by my good friends Rev. and Mrs. Hsu.  Definitely the in-place to be on the night!  Over 100 tables, over 1,000 people, whole families of 4 generations, delicious food and red envelopes for all the residents – fun! Then on New Year’s Day (Friday) to Taichung by High-Speed Rail – not easy to get a ticket, but … Continue reading Chinese New Year 2014!