I put some new pictures up today. Added a new page to my site. Almost Christmas again, wooooo eagerly waiting for the big day. Mind you I already got my gift early.......I bought it, didn't wrap it and used it right away.... But you have to wait until Christmas to find out what it is.

I always used to be a little offended when i seen people use the word Xmas, I believed the the saying its no good because it was just another way to secularize the special time and take Christ out of Christmas. But I feel better about it now, as...

Wiki says,

Christmas is sometimes shortened to Xmas, an abbreviation that has a long history.^[4] In early Greek versions of the New Testament, the letter Χ (chi), is the first letter of Christ (Χριστός). Since the mid-sixteenth century Χ, or the similar Roman letter X, was used as an abbreviation for Christ.

Ok so I have no kids yet, I have a little (scrap that.. ) HAD a little spare money so I found a vent for my artistic frustration.

I admit Ive been stuck by the photography bug.
It has taken me a couple of months to fully admit it, just to make sure its not a fad or anything.

Ive been studying...yes studying Photoshop CS, and numerous books on photography. Ive been taking an average of 300-500 pictures a week. sounds like a lot i know but with my new camera i can shoot off 5 pictures int the time I used to get one. I'm also learning about the camera in a more serious way.

You wont see a dump-truck load of pictures anytime soon, as i am learning, but some make their way here.

feel free to give me constructive criticism.

A Touching Moment

I came across this scene yesterday, that gave me a warm feeling inside. A father, his 2 sons were out for a bike ride. The street is wide enough for one car to pass between the others parked on either side. The 8yr old and his 5 yr old brother were following dad.

Father in the lead with the older son following and the little guy with training wheels trailing closely behind. The older brother loses his balance and begins to weave. Wobbling but misses the cars closely parked on either side of the street. He has a nasty spill and starts crying. Father ahead stops his bike on the side and rushes back. I watch the 5 yr old brother. He rushes ahead. I think what is this kid doing is he gonna rush ahead to play??
But no he puts his bicycle on the side and rushes back to the situation. Because he knows these streets his instincts kick in. He stands with his back to his brother and father and .........directs traffic!!!
The young boy know his brother is a little hurt, but dad is there. What important now is traffic. As i drive by he he stands with iron determination and with his best police man face and arm gestures he directs all traffic with military precision.

This was a true story on 11/11 06, one block from home.

Another day another dollar, or so the saying goes. Whats new with us? Hmm not sure, got a laptop, been working a few extra hours and been learning about photography. WInter is coming and summer is finaly over. In Canada, everone lives for summer, in Taiwan its spring and fall. Fall more so simply because its not as rainy and humid, and the temp goes into the unbearable numbers.

Beginning to plan for Chinese New year, and Christmas. No gonna let any secrets out on here yet, so stay tuned.

Had a hoot in Hong Kong

So we went to Hong Kong and had a blast. Awesome scenery, shopping, food, everything was good. The air was typical HK air...which is basicly 90% pollution with some oxygen to let the people live for a short while. But all in all not that much worse than Taiwan.

Nearly lost my wife today... I got a new scooter this week, which I've been gunning for, for over a year. Coincidently It was also my birthday. And coincidently I had my first Saturday off in over 5 months. So we set forth a plan to venture into Taipei for a meal, and a little shopping. We start out at 11am, as its around an hour's drive. We were meandering on in I was in the lead. It had rained the night before and was a little misty still. We are traveling in as I said I am in the lead and she is a couple hundred feet behind, we are in a more rural part between Taoyuan and Banchio on the way to Taipei. I look ahead and see the light changing to red and I hear a screeching sound, a little faint but clear enough. I thought it was a blue truck in the left of the two lane ahead of me stopping for the light. Then I hear a 'whump' I thought oh oh he hit the car ahead of him, but as I approach I am looking for damage. Nope none?!? Hmm must have been his load shifting, oh well another unhappy customer is all, what do they care. So I pull over and stop as I look back and see my wife a little farther back than I remembered. Her story explains the sounds very different from my thoughts.

She says " DID YOU SEE THAT?"

I say what the truck??

She says "That car behind me..I saw it in my side mirror and it swerved into the wall and flew up into the air".
I said jokingly "did it come down?" As I thought she was exaggerating a bit.

She says " It flew up into the air , I saw a scooter behind me, then I saw the car come crashing down and roll one and a half times and come sliding towards me. Debris was flying in past my scooter from behind as I hit the gas to get out of the way. I didn't see that other scooter anymore. Ivy only seen cars flip like that in the movies"

It was a bigger car like a 4 door Nissan Cefiro. The roof had completely collapsed. The speed limit there is either 50 or 60, and for this car to flip and fly like that one can only assume it was going much faster than the limit.

She said "It came from nowhere and a couple of seconds later it was sliding toward me faster than I could get away!" I look at her for a second and I begin to think 'holy crap your lucky'

I appreciated her life and mine a whole lot more now. What an eye opener.

It can all be over in the blink of an eye.

I went on a spontanous scooter ride the other day. It was very rewarding, both for my scooter and I. I got to see some of the most beautiful scenery in Taiwan I have ever sseen. And my scooter got revenge by making my lardy butt very sore. I need a new seat. Any way this first one is a nice watefall I found. This is a close up of the botton 1/2. MMM nice I m gonna so swimming one day.
And below is a section of the road i'm not sure i was supposed to be on. It had a number of avalanches like this little one. But there was lost of passable road. So no probelm.
I love the small unexpected things about Taiwan. Pick a direction and ride...mmmm nice. 

My furkids

The happy one below is 'Fuzz', and the little one with the girlfriend is 'Mifu'.

Good little dogs.

Fuzz got his name based on two things. 1) When he was young he kept chasing fuzz balls around and we would say don't eat that fuzz!, and he would stop and look at us. It was the only keyword he really responded to. 2) fuzz is a slang for police, and he is black and white running around making noise.

Although now he is quite quiet.

Mifu was an addition to this as mini-fuzz...mifu.
They are Chihuahua's, and they are brothers from consecutive litters.

The clear blue sky graces us again. One of the rare days after a typhoon, when the pollution has not yet returned. NICE.

I've been dreaming of business ideas. Not dreaming like a dreamer, but the crazy actual details of how and where and what. The details of workable plans. Although my sleep is not all that high quality, I do enjoy these dreams. The hope of possibilities so far unseen.

So I am a rich man now.... Or i would be if i had money.

The old adage 'it takes money to make money' screams at me louder than ever.

We are taught that the love of money is bad. I agree. Why love money? What money can do, allow you to do, for yourself and others, is what excites me.

You cant get there by being afraid of risk.

The bible says in The Parable of the Ten Minas Luke 19

21"Then another servant came and said, 'Sir, here is your mina; I have kept it laid away in a piece of cloth. 21I was afraid of you, because you are a hard man. You take out what you did not put in and reap what you did not sow.'

22"His master replied, 'I will judge you by your own words, you wicked servant! You knew, did you, that I am a hard man, taking out what I did not put in, and reaping what I did not sow? 23Why then didn't you put my money on deposit, so that when I came back, I could have collected it with interest?'

24"Then he said to those standing by, 'Take his mina away from him and give it to the one who has ten minas.'

25" 'Sir,' they said, 'he already has ten!'

26"He replied, 'I tell you that to everyone who has, more will be given, but as for the one who has nothing, even what he has will be taken away."

This tells me that one needs to be smart, do your homework, and then ACT!

I shoulda, coulda, and woulda, makes me end up with nothing.
Its foolish to rely on anyone else, whether it be the government, parents, or children. My responsibility is my own.

Perhaps i will take a risk and it will backfire. But an educated risk, failing will make me happier than a safe savings not being sufficient.

If there was a real safe savings plan that was sufficient there would be no money problems in the world.

There go my ramblings of the day.

SO here I am again. MY experience today was one of wet weather, and dreary clouds.

Rain again. I dont say that too loudly because the next to come is extreme heat. I can live with rain compared to the heat.

This guy came to say hello, So I said hi, and he told me about his home.

He said its a cool hole not far from here, and his cousin Guido was visiting hime from the other hill.

I said cool, and I asked him if I could take his picture. He said no problem. I snapped a few, and said thanks.

He gave me a 'tally ho' and off he went.

The end of another adventure in Randyland.

So this is my newest addition to my collection of things from the east. A Jade Fortune Ball. It is made from one piece of Jade, and has 5 Balls in side each other, with a solid jade pebble in the center. There are carvings of twin dragons on the outside. It comes with a matching stand. It stands about 6 inches high. I did some serious haggling on this piece, when i was in Hong Kong last weekend. I think its pretty cool.

火車..That is Fire car

Oh you say... what's a fire car?


well think what happens if you put fire in a cart.

The cart burns. MMM

so what if its in a container...the fire that is

ok then add water

fire goes out

NO dont add the water to the fire ...add it in a pipe inside it gets hot boils and turns to steam.
AHHH

so a hot pipe in a fire in a container..

Now I understand
no...you dont get it yet

oh

where does the steam go?

i der know

right.......... Exactly!

huh

Its gotta go somewhere so it goes forward...
?ok? how does it go forward?

Quit wasting time with stupid questions ...its obvious! put some wheels on it

now it goes faster

KEEP IT IN CONTROL

where is it going?
...i dont know

Exactly...so make it go only in a line.
ok....

What do you got?
mmm..a car with fire and water made into steam....

Right... a Fire Car....or TRAIN

火車 Hoa Chr Hoa = fire Chr = Car Hoa...like hoa that goes really fast Chr ...like 'TSURE does go fast eh!

"I'll take the FireCar this morning Mabel", i says, she looks at me disapprovingly...'bout time you got off your ..... and so i closed the door, and walked to work cuz i was talking for to long.

So I started this blog as a way to rant, rave talk chat, share and express myself. I like comments. They let me know that someone else is looking at the site.

Topic of the day. A New Job.

SO I started a new job. You know that first day of the new job. The first real working day, where you cant sleep well the night before, a little nervous. I had that. But mixed in the feeling is one of this job is at my level. I really don't have to stress out for it because i understand what it takes.
Oh don't get me wrong I will have some learning to do. But it will be in small doses.
Its nice moving from a place where the students have intrinsic motivation instead of extrinsic. I like being able to discuss world issues. As I already know how to explain why we pronounce the as "thee" sometimes and "thuh" other times. I can explain the difference between transitive and intransitive verbs. Heck i can tell you the etymology of many words, dating back to the Romans or the Germanic empire.

I have discussed new technologies coming to computers from the head of R &D in a major microchip maker. I have done business with someone in Paris for a Taiwanaese metal manufacturing company. Ive learned about importing to Taiwan, Chinese culture, and why the fourth floor in all buildings is cheaper. (ps I live on the 4th floor).

Ive made my scooter tires smoke from a burnout, Ive carried a computer desk on my scooter, and I've sang "I'm a little tea pot" in a room full of people at the top of my lungs.

And yet.....I was looking for something to do. Oh well. No more teapot crap, trading my lack of dignity for a tie. Same mediocre pay (actually its not that bad), but a little more dignity. I like that.

The flower has opened people.

Just a flower...oh well I guess I get to keep that 100 dollars in gold bars...... all for me!!! 

So now I have a bunch of these in my house. When will the madness stop!
100 dollars* to the first person who tells me what it is! *currency yet to be decided. 

So Ive been drinking C and been thinking, you know I not really all that creative. So should i keep drinking it? I dont get it. 

So you can only afford the salad bar. Well get what you paid for. Start with a nice bowl.

"sorry sir one trip only" the waitress whines,


So I says to Maybel I says, "I'll show her one trip only"


mmm carrots dual purpose, both good for your eyes and good for your wallet. A nice base.
L A Y E R S


Just one trip! no problem.

This is my daily view as I go to my various work places. A crazy mess of scooters, cars, amd stupid cement trucks n taxis. It looks worse than it is. Mind you, now I think that rush hour back home is only the time it takes me to rush home. Life is a challenge. So far Im winning, cuz Im not dead.


Below is my precious over priced, spud. You see it was just another day in the life of an underground vegetable, when it was ripped from its dirty home and put in my kitchen. Then it was transformed by virtue of a peeler, into a half naked potato.

Oh the X rated potato... you should have see what it looked like with no clothes at all....

But she eventually got into hot water.

Just seeemed to fall apart after that.

Was beaten, whipped, but eventually just turned to mush.

Burning to desire the truth. Burning to know the End. Burning brightly for only a short while. Burning until the end. Burning with anger. Burning with passion. Burning with rage. Burning to know the difference. Burning from rejection. Burning into insignifiicance. Burning out. Burnt.

Life feels like this at the moment. It was aimed up and ever higher. Now a quick down turn. A little bummed, however its about to bloom, so not all hope is lost.
 

One life to live and its a third over. Hmm. I thought I was working to get ahead. Nope not ahead, just digging a different hole. Maybe that hole will lead somewhere. Maybe i will just dig to granite and give up. We will see ...all in time.

Stare into the sun,
for we are already blind.

Blinded from birth
by those around us.

Us who seek the truth
yet can not find it.

It waits to be found,
ever failing.

Failing to find,
so we sit and stare. 

One cocktail weenie on a black plate. That's what was going round n round at the restaurant. Tell me why does this seem odd. Then the squid came. A mussel snapped at me. And I ate cabbage. What a wonderfully odd place I live in. The tofu was like a dry sponge, and the mushrooms were slippery and gooey.

I cooked the food in a pot of boiling water.

This was a great meal.

I am definitely going back.

There that's one way to describe the meal I had.

Here is another.

The young lady welcomed us whole heartedly as we entered through the automatic sliding door. Ushering us to our seats and pulling them out for us one by one. We sat down and feasted our eyes on the multitude of choices before us. We got a sense of what the establishment was all about. Following the lead of other patrons, we went to condiment table number one. The choices of crisp light green cabbage and the contrasting dark green lettuce. IN addition to the whole bright yellow corn on the cob, bright green broccoli, along with various delectable mushrooms and various seafood treats.
I filled up our main dish with choice treasures, and headed back to my very own personal pot of boiling water.
Then I carried my smaller bowl to the second counter. Choosing between 15 different things such as kimchi, tofu, crushed tomatoes, green onions, garlic, spicy red pepper, various pastes and sauces. This is used to dip and thus flavor your food prior to eating.
Meat passes infront of you on a conveyor belt system perpetually being restocked. Fresh meat including cut beef, pork, mutton, chicken, and seafood including shrimp, clams, octopus, squid, and crab. As well various kind of minced seafood creations pass by. Following that are a few kinds of desserts, including red bean soup, tapioca coconut pudding, and various glutinous delicacies.
Pop, juice, coffee, tea, hot chocolate, icecream are also included. All for approx $6.98 Canadian dollars including tax.
Eat all you want stay as long as you want.

That was lunch.

Ok want some more! ..Here we go

In my world I see what isn't there. NO IM not crazy.....Well ok maybe BUT....Only in my own way, and its ok. I see things like the missing hole in a donut. Clever invention...Otherwise its just a sugary bun.

what is real....This could be a black and white thing. Such as it is absolutely true and valid that I am sitting in front of a desk. While it is true you don't know that. So is it real for you. Is it even real for me. While it is now, it may not be later, so my black can fade. Plus it is not in my world. Randyland is invading this desks space. SO is it real. Seems real...Seems like its made of wood. hmmm nope wrong its just pressed paper. Looks brown.....Then again it is every other color and all I see is the color of rejection. All colors except brown are being absorbed....So what color is it?

No black and white.

everything can change

I ask myself are my parents real? Well I think they are people and yes they seem real, however to much dismay of many others , and somewhere in the world some one is probably finding this out now.....Oh sorry we didn't tell you your adopted. Now that's not my case ...As far as I know. But once again that's outside of my world. It can affect my world if I let it but doesn't have to.

I like to ramble.

Oh.. Do you want the real scoop on Randyland??
Here is my theory's and views....
Although the world doesn't revolve around me...I am impacted by the world. Although I am not passive in the world, I am contained in Randyland. It is my world. I control it. It is my space, and I am the main person in it. It is my bubble. The rest of the world is blurry, and my world is clear. I understand my world, but the outside is yet to be understood.

I think I understand only what I am allowed to understand. In my world there is NO black and white. Never was and never will be. Everything in life is shades of grey. With color added merely for entertainment.

Meaning I have opinions and I have personal rules, morals, and ideas about God and life. However, all rules can be bent broken or manipulated, as time sees fit.
An example. 2000 years ago the world was flat, women were a lesser subservient being, and there was no mainstream Christian belief system influencing the world.

And another more modern example of my shades of grey. Question. Would you allow someone to kill a child in front of you? Assuming your sane you say no never. But.... And there is always a 'but' If you had a simple choice,you can allow one child to be killed or you can allow 10 children to be killed....Your choice....And that just it.

There is never an absolute answer to things.

feel free to challenge this.

Is participating in terrorism wrong? ......Depends on who you are and what you were brought up to believe, not to mention how your life has been affected by the actions of others.

There can be very dark shades ...Don't get me wrong, but I think its never absolute.

Another day in Randyland

So here goesday one in blogland. If your wondering about me,I will tell you here. I am a Canadian guy married and living in taiwan. I have been working as an english teacher for the last few years. Although i love being here, i am tired of teaching kids.

**BTW spare me any comments on spelling, grammar etc, as on here i dont really care.