The Kindness of strangers- 2nd two weeks

 

I travel on the shuttle bus almost every day to get to the train station in Zongsye. I have been surprised at how many people have talked to me in english.

One woman told me her daughter worked in America and while visiting  her and she had picked up a little English . When she finished speaking to me I said my name is Helen , she responded with I am 82 :)

Another woman got on the bus and sat by me her husband sat behind her.  She had just come back to Taiwan after 45 years in Chicago . She told me she was 87 but her husband was old at 93.   She was here to sell her apartment in Fontainebleau Apartments now that she was sure they would not come back to live.She told be it was going to be her sons 60th birthday this year and I told her I was her for my son's 50th birthday.

Almost everything I told both of these woman they told the driver; who nodded and smiled at me.

I met a school boy on the bus who asked me in perfect english where I was from; he was interested to hear I was from Scotland; He was Dutch and spoke amazing English and Dutch and Chinese.

Sometimes it is only me on the bus and the driver now knows who I am and says " hi " and "bye" 

We have a security gate at the entrance to the apartments; the guards now knows who I am and gives me a wave when they see me at the shuttle bus stop.

If I come home in an Uber; he does not lift the gate till they look to see who is on the cab. If he recognises you the cab gets passed through.

The other night it was a new man and he asked the driver where I lived; he had no english and I had less Taiwanese.  Luckily the Uber driver understood a little and helped me to say which block I lived in.

I have it written down now.

When I go shopping particularly into small shops or market stalls. People are curious about me they ask about me very often add a little gift when giving me my receipt; of sweets; nuts, crisps. I feel sure this is a genuine delight in meeting folk who have come here and enjoy it. Perhaps a recognition of age too.

When I was going around with Philip I noticed how curious people were about him I thought because he is so tall, But now that I am going out and about on my own I am now the focus of attention.  It is quite disconcerting and of course totally understandable. I was on the MRT for ten stops the other day and a child in a pushchair stared at me the whole way; I smiled at him and waved a little but no reaction he simply continued to stare. 

The week running up to the 50th celebrations; I wanted to travel a bit further. There is a Mangrove Ecology Trail a few stops away on the MRT, 

 I was really looking forward to the walk. I got off at Hongshulin Station the second last stop before Tamsui the end of the line. . Teresa had told me there was a wee museum to see first then the walk.

I showed a picture of where I wanted to go at the station information desk.He called a woman over who had prety good english.She said that she  was very sorry it had been closed since April for some repairs. 

I spent two hours walking around Hongshulin in pouring rain with my brand new umbrella up the whole time. I bought the umbrella in the Family Mart before I got on the train( just in case) it this tropical climate rain is a fact of life. I love it because it is very hot and the rain is quite soothing; a strange sensation walking around in thunder and rain is summer clothes and sandals. Everyone has umbrellas with them at all times as far as I can see.  All the shops have a place outside to leave your umbrella, so sensible and your brolly or gamp is always there when you return. 

Another thing I like is in any restaurant; they give you a box at your feet at your table for handbags etc. These two things make life a little easier for everyone.

In Hongshulin I came across some very amazing beautiful expensive apartment blocks with beautiful entrances and well dressed concierges.  I thought they were hotels at first ,sometimes they are alongside quite old run down shops with little homes above them.

I saw one little  street with garage for repairing motorbikes where men in oily clothes handled oily rags; side by side with someone making street food.

A little furtherI saw  an unexpected beautifully kept park ,then a cordoned off area with trees which looked like they were in a hospital ;each tree surrounded by canes and what looked like bandages on them.

I stopped to look in an estate agent window out of curiosity. With in minutes a very well dressed young man came out to say hello in perfect english.He give me his card; I said the apartments looked quite inexpensive; he said they are very expensive. I mistook millions for thousands. He was very interested in me and what I was doing there in spite of knowing I would not be interested in buying an apartment.

I found a little gift shop  near there and bought myself some pads and pens for my morning pages, gratitude and peace journals.

My feet were starting to feel a bit sore so I went back towards the MRT when I had a coffee in a Statbucks and a delicious lemon tart. I past a lovely looking cafe but as I was a bit wet and bedraggled I decided Starbucks was a better option. When I got back in to the station I saw a sign in english and Chinese and realised it was the museum that was closed not the park . Still ! I had a very interesting afternoon and still have the mangrove ecology trail to look forward to.

I realised quite quickly on arrival in Taipei that my summer clothes in UK and not really great for summer clothes here in Taiwan. 

I wanted to wear something nice yet cool for my mum and son meal with Philip on his 50th birthday. I set off one day to Zhuwei which I am starting to feel at home in. It is my closest place for a supermarket , a street market  and banks etc; I had a feeling I would find a wee clothes shop there. I stopped off at seven eleven for an iced black coffee. Usually pointing at the picture helps but this time after pointing the young man asked more questions which I did not understand Once again I was helped by a woman in the Q. I wanted a medium sized cup of  cold black coffee ( I now know what to have on my google translation.) When I left the shop I found a place to sort out my bag and put me purse away , a very lovely woman said "where are you from,I saw you in seven eleven." I told her, she told me she was Taiwanese but had lived for years in Cambodia. she came back during Covid. She asked if I was a Hess teacher, which took me aback as Philip works for Hess. Both her daughters learned their English many years ago. She was shocked I was here for my son's 50th birthday; People here think I am much younger than I am; Conversely I think older woman here are younger .I think because they all have jet black hair. I have been told everyone dyes their hair here.

I found a little dress shop and went in hoping body language would help me get what I wanted.

I saw a few things I liked and asked for them in a different colour by pointing at a colour in my skirt.

She said no, but she showed me a few things I liked and would fit  me which is amazing as the Taiwanese woman are very small.

I tried them on and yes they were a great fit but most importantly felt cool. I bought a skirt and top which went together; I really would just have had the top. I also bought some trousers but not for here for home.

I got the money mixed up; I thought I had spent £400 which for me is excessive, but it was the day before the birthday celebration so I shut my eyes and paid, When I for home it was of course 4,000 TWD which is about £100; I was SO happy.

I was going to buy a shopping trolly in the first few days of arriving at the Mountain House; Trersa said to leave it with her she would find the best deal and get me one which was easy to use on stairs; excellent idea which I would not have thought about.We have a good few stairs to get up to the foyer then a few more to get the the lift. When it arrived I could not put it together and there were no instructions with it Trs contacted the night time concierge  I was told to leave it at my door and he would put it together for me. ( no charge)

When I came back from my shopping spree there was my lovely Taiwanese Trolly with its three small wheels on each side designed to work on stairs.

 

 

It came at the prefect time. I not only  had to pack my small case to go to Philip's for the weekend of celebrations; but I had to take so many gifts for Philip from back home.

I got almost everything in the two pieces apart for a picture from Andrew and Lucy. I was like a Christmas tree setting off in my Uber with the case, trolly. art and a backpack.

I was to meet Philip on May 22nd at his favourite Italian Restaurant at 6.30.The Uber driver was really good and helped me with all the bags.He had good english ; when we got to the restaurant I had a message to say Philip was running a little late .He offered to stay with me till Philip arrived. I said I would be fine; he took all my stuff across a busy road then came back for me. I am so touched by the kindness shown to me.

While I was in the Uber Andrew contacted me to say he was downloading the video to youtube that he had made for Philips birthday ; it arrived just in the nick of time. 

I liked the Italian Restaurant it was cool ( literally ) and had a nice Italian feel about it which was remarkable because all the staff were Taiwanese.

When Philip arrived it was exciting to see him on his birthday for the first time in 10 years. He was very excited too; he had had a really lovely day his co workers and his students all made a fuss of him with gifts, messages, cards and pizza.

He said I looked nice, my new outfit was a hit :) 

We had a great catch up , lovely food, I had seafood pasta with pesto, delicious and unusual. Philip had Pizza of course. Philip had two beers and I had two small glasses if wine. I gave him a badge which said 50 Fucking Hell . 

We then got an Uber back to their apartment. Teressa finished work opened some win and we did gifts, of wish thee were many. We then watched Andrew's Lightman Video which was wonderful. I felt I was with all the family as we flitted from Cambridge to London to HongKong and back to Manchester and Liverpool. We watched it projected on the a big with wall everyone was life size.

Andrew somehow managed to make it look like the beginning of a Star Wars film but all the words were about Philip .

On 23rd P&T had to work and I had a restful day; the excitement of the birthday and  the build up to it left me quite shattered. I was there, I got all the gifts in tact; I spent Philips birthday with him first time since his 40th. I needed to rest and recover before the next round of celebrations. Trs and I met Philip that evening at Raohe St Night Market; a place I love. it is filled with so many different kinds of food drinks clothes jewellery and on and on. There is an air of excitement in that place; I watch all the night market stall holders working making hot food in very hight tempreatures , they do this night after night; often there are families sitting around the stalls; I think it is really a way of life, the stall holders  must all know each other. The colours, sounds  and smells assault your senses.

Before we went into the market we went into the big temple at one end of the market.

I love this temple I have visited it before.We bought some incense sticks and waited in line to place them in the plinth with sand in. We made our requests to the various Buddha's.

I placed some coins in one little room off the main temple and Teresa told me what to say and do , then I took a coin out of some water and that is going to bless me with lots of money; seemingly this coin will attract money; like the Jewish money magnet I think.

We had a wander around the market and I bought some colourful baggy trousers for myself. I also bought black silk like loose cool trews for Philip.

It was a great night out altogether.

Saturday was the big event , the riverboat cruise. Trs had put so much into this day, organised the boat, the food, the cakes she did not seem to stop planning and organising. it was worth it because it all went so well.

I contributed the cost  balloons and the photographer for the cruise. 

We all met by the river some people I knew from the BBQ at Philips when his friends gave him gifts; others were all new people to me.

Philip's theme for the dress for  day was, Rolling Stones, 420 , purple Star Wars. I was very impressed everyone joined in one way and another; in my case 420 hair slides, and purple hair slides.

Everyone looked wonderful and they were all ready for a party.Tere was a free bar on the boat which supplied among other things amazing cocktails. Luckily for me they had iced tea and sparkling water.

One of Philip's friends Ste was the DJ, happily he played some Neil Diamond for me and Don't You Forget About Me too...It was great to join in those singing  as so many songs  I did not know but quite liked.

We had heard it was going to rain so Philip told everyone to bring Brollys which they did ; most folk when it did rain stood on deck anyway without the umbrellas.Teressa's food was lovely she had something for everyone.The Starwars Cake was a big success with Philip and tasted great too.

When the cruise was over we arrived at Pier 5 where some people headed home and a lot stayed on for the delicious street food in that area. That was when the umbrellas came into their own. It poured down and yet it was very warm everyone had their umbrellas up until they found seats undercover.

 I felt very cherished that day. All twenty of Philip's friends came and talked to me, were interested in me being a Counsellor, amazed at my age amazed i still worked.They told me their stories and invited me to BBQs , Book Clubs  and Karaoke which I know is popular here i n Taiwan .Yet so far  and this is my third trip here I have not made it to one.I am hope for it this trip.

It was a lively festive fun day with a variety of entertainment a fabulous variety of people all with one thing in common. They all love Philip . Many folk said they could see where Philip got his zest for life from when they met me; I have to say it was a very lovely thing to hear. I knew Taiwan folk honoured their elders; but these were all young folk from all over taking a real interest in me. Some want to read my book some want to meet me again during this trip; some are of course lost souls attracted to " the counsellor" " the mother" bit by no means all of them.