Welcoming Nicky and Harriet to Taiwan ~ YES!

And not a dull moment since they arrived either ~ the two of them are just so hilarious, it’s non-stop entertainment all day long! Harriet was here in Taiwan with her dad, Mike 2 years ago (see that blog post here) just after finishing her GCSE’s, and now she’s just done her A Levels and waiting for results, so hey, what a great opportunity to come back ‘n visit Taiwan!  And this time she’s come with her mum, Nicky ~ all the way from one of my great CMS link churches, St. John’s, Neville’s Cross, Durham, UK. So we’ve been everywhere … Continue reading Welcoming Nicky and Harriet to Taiwan ~ YES!

Tamsui 淡水 in June!

The best month of the year in Tamsui is definitely June ~ forget yesterday’s torrential rains and focus instead on today’s blue skies, blue sea and all the flowers, and especially at Dr. George L. Mackay‘s old clinic (now museum and coffee shop) and the old church – peeping through the gap in the buildings below. Tamsui is oozing with history, every old building tells a story. And these buildings and the Mackay statue are just a small part, there’s plenty more to see! So do come and visit and check it all out for yourself! Continue reading Tamsui 淡水 in June!

The Grand Opening of the brand new Advent Church Center @ St. John’s University, Taiwan! 聖約翰科技大學 長齡生命關懷中心 落成感恩禮拜 YES!

Thanks be to God ~ YES!  And this is it ~ our brand new Advent Church Center in the sun yesterday! Thanks be to hundreds of people who contributed their money, time and resources ~ YES! And thanks be to everyone who came along to participate in the grand opening events ~ note the plural, we’ve had 2, yes TWO grand openings, one for the church and community on Sunday June 5…. and one for St. John’s University (SJU) yesterday, Tuesday June 7…. And guess what?  There’s another grand opening celebration still being planned, for the SJU alumni, who’ve been … Continue reading The Grand Opening of the brand new Advent Church Center @ St. John’s University, Taiwan! 聖約翰科技大學 長齡生命關懷中心 落成感恩禮拜 YES!

Tamsui Sports Centre ~ Very Near, Very New and Very Very Nice!

Yes, about a year ago, the brand new Tamsui Sports Centre, TSSC 新北市淡水國民運動中心 (Chinese website here), opened up in the northern area of Tamsui 淡水, just 10 minutes down the road from St. John’s University.  It’s a booming part of town – the new town area, surrounded by dozens and dozens of brand new high-rise apartment buildings, new elementary school and government offices, and even a Carrefour Supermarket with restaurants attached; and all on the main bus route from SJU to Tamsui…. And most importantly it has a 50m swimming pool at B1 Level, which is open for public swimming from 6:00am to … Continue reading Tamsui Sports Centre ~ Very Near, Very New and Very Very Nice!

The Rock Cafe 磐石咖啡館: You just must GO!

If you’re anywhere in the Tamsui (Danshui) 淡水 area of Taipei, and you haven’t been to the Rock Cafe, then you have to go.  Honestly, GO!  It’s such a great place! The Rock is a outreach ministry of YWAM Taipei offering ‘English. Coffee. Truth.’ A great combination!  It’s really the top 2 floors above some shops in the main night shopping street of Tamsui, and is open every weekday evening for free English conversation, helped along with free coffee, and staffed by YWAM workers and volunteers, young people from all over the world. Last night we took our St. John’s University … Continue reading The Rock Cafe 磐石咖啡館: You just must GO!

Hadid wins bridge design contest – Taipei Times

We’re getting a new bridge ~ and this’ll be it! Sinotech Engineering Consultants and German firm Leonhardt, Andra und Partner have won an international design competition to build the Tamkang Bridge (淡江大橋) over the Tamsui River (淡水河) in New Taipei City with a design by Zaha Hadid Architects, the Directorate-General of Highways said yesterday….. Plan your trip to come and visit, and read the rest of the article here…. Hadid wins bridge design contest – Taipei Times. Continue reading Hadid wins bridge design contest – Taipei Times