My Father’s Old House…

There is a certain wistful nostalgia that we have when we think of our childhood homes. My father is certainly not immune to this. He was downright grumpy with me upon my first visit to his house because my appreciation was considerably dampened by the mosquitos feasting on me and the lack of a flushing toilet… However, upon a quick visit, I realized what my father loved about his home. He told stories about the Japanese coming to my grandmother during the war and asking for the steel embedded in the window frames. On the last trip we went on when she was still alive, she was quite happily content, sitting on the front porch.

Here are some photos of the front yard with the flora and fauna.

Interesting long-rooted vine.

This is a water plant of some kind.

Within each of these buds, a red tongued blossom is waiting…

Doesn’t this look soft?!

Down in the depths of the old well, the ferns grow. No worries, I didn’t lose my balance to get this shot!

HsingKang Candy

Is my favorite part of visiting Hsingkang– it’s sticky, chewy, and yummy.  I recommend the kind with the peanut bits inside.  They’re wrapped in rice paper film inside of the plastic wrapper, because they are THAT sticky.

Visiting the temple

Proxy pilgrims are the dummies inside the cart– they are sent by people who can’t come themselves to tour the country and visit gods in different temples. They are wearing the shadows of the lanterns leading to the temple.

The market outside the temple.

Chatting in front of the temple by the fireworks cage.

Once we got inside, and asked if it was okay for me to be a shutterbug inside the temple, I kind of went a little nuts…

Performing Arts High School in Shingkang

My father and my uncle by marriage on my mom’s side both come from the quiet town of Hsingkang or Shingkang.  It’s a tiny town that is accessible by a tiny crowded bus from Chiayi.  My dad’s cousin’s daughter who became an English teacher was very kind to let me join her.  Her family rescued us from a stay in my father’s old house (which is picturesque but lacks modern plumbing and air conditioning, while hosting a number of happy mosquitos) long long ago.

I walked back with her and her mother to their home and we passed through the newly-built arts high school.  Apparently it displaced some rice fields in the process of its creation.

Lucky kids– it looks really state of the art, and I love walkways of windows.  I think this one is headed to the dorms.

Wax or Rose Apple Tree

This tree had a combination of bud, blossoms, and fruit.  Liem boo or Lien Woo was one of my first delighted discoveries in Taiwan.

The flowers remind me of sea anemone with their outstretched stamens.

Not quite red enough yet to be fully sweet.

The whole tree sits next to a basketball court where people were playing in their bare feet.