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 we did! Stayed on the 8th floor at St. James’ Church, guests of Rev. Charles Chen and MaryJo and their family.  Hospitality of the highest degree.  Even spent the afternoon at Ji-Ji in Nantou County, famous for its railway station which was destroyed in the 1999 earthquake and has since been rebuilt….

Yummy yummy food food food, we ate and ate all the holiday!

In between-times, visited all my friends from past and present.  Great to see everyone! One of the highlights was joining up with my former fellow-student Fr. Joy for a special lunch with our former Chinese teacher and her daughter. Hadn’t see each other for years and years!  Another was meeting up with Rosie and her family, she had come to St. James with CMS for 6 months to replace me in 2001 while I went on home leave to the UK.  She’s still here in Taichung all these years later, married to a very handsome husband and with a gorgeous little girl and a baby on the way!  She came to the English service at St. James’ Church where I was doing the sermon….

Ah yes, and not forgetting 2 lovely families both surnamed Lai, plus church members and colleagues, past and present….

Ah, so many friends, so little time – see you all next time!

And eventually back to Taipei – spent yesterday on an outing with the SJU staff fellowship to Taipei Zoo (no time to see the panda cub, but we did see big daddy!) and MaoKong Cable Car, lunch (with a very descriptive English menu!), tea plantations and cherry blossom….

Thanking God for His many many blessings over the New Year, including sunshine ~ Happy Year of the Horse everyone!