Taiwan Diet - The Pot Noodle

Another week has passed and I think it is time to discuss something that is consumed a lot and is found along a whole row at Carrefour - THE POT NOODLE. We seem to have these at least 3 times a week. Can anyone please let me know what the MSG is doing to my body !
I had good intentions of starting a little fitness work in the gym this week - shockingly it never happened!!
Friday saw me fly out of here to Pattaya for the weekend. I had no trouble in getting to the airport and checking in. The flight arrived early and I made good time to Pattaya - the sex capital of the world. Nothing could have prepared me for what I encountered. No pictures as I was too bemused by what was there. I remain in 2 minds about Thailand generally. The reputation that goes before Pattaya is nothing in comparison to the reality that is Pattaya. It was great to see friends such as Rich Metten, Bruce, Colin and Bob and Suzy who unfortunately were there for a funeral. A little communication problem probably saved me from a very drunken afternoon on the Saturday.
The kiss and ride policy that is found in airports and stations leaves a lot to the imagination. What it is exactly, I am not sure. If I wasn't married, I may be tempted to find out !!! - It sounds good anyway.
Work this week has seen us all pass another exam - just 2 to go. The course has some interesting bits in it including today a bit about what happens if a toilet becomes unavailable !!! Opening day has been put back until the end of the month.
The rumour is that AG is going to be back on Train Control, now his 5th job since arriving (his charity work has curtailed in recent times also) ! Mr. S continues to struggle with bureaucracy and beer, as he tries to get his passport before he goes back to France on the 27th Dec.
Last sports bit - a mixed time for the injury hit mighty reds (but a lot better 7 days than my friends from N. London) and please please England try and bowl a bit better in the second test (20 run outs is highly unlikely !) - save me from the Aussies please.
As shifts approach soon, the blog is likely to be updated 'only once' a week - please be patient !

Carrefour removals and soddin' Taiwan power !!

So The weekend was yet again hectic. Saturday I went to Taipei to watch the English beat S.Africa in a tight game 23 - 21. This was in the Tavern pub where there are 40 odd screens to watch sport. Normally I would say this would be my paradise but strangely I didn't like it in there - too loud, too many different sports on at once, too Man Utd ! I left a little earlier than expected and returned to Jonghli. Sunday was always going to be a busy day - moving into my apartment.
Yes that is a shopping trolley from Carrefour which proved very helpful in helping move my boxes from AGs pad (across the courtyard) to mine !
Whilst in Carrefour I made a purchase - a set of clippers ! Great idea... not! Sunday evening I took them to my head - now there is one thing about clippers and that is once you've started ....... you have to finish. The picture above shows the end result - and trust me there really isn't much further to go.This was primarily due to the power being so weak, the clippers could not cope with the thickness of my hair. I must thank AG for his help on Monday morning (yes, I did start on Sunday !!!) - I would have looked a bigger prat than usual without you.
A little mention for Mr. S whom unfortunately lost his bag with all documents in it - he wasn't paying attention when his mind veered, whilst chatting to a local (female, surprise, surprise). He now has the hassle of sorting everything out - oh my god (spoken in that mellow Franglais accent that only the French and Peter Sellers can do !) - Mr.S is very good at doing flowcharts about everyone here in Taiwan - please go easy on me - yeah, right ........
You see above AGs' 3rd of 4 professions in Taiwan. He originally came here as a train controller.Then he saw pictures of street dogs and went on to become a charity worker (very good at it and has a persuasive technique, apparantly !), then barber (very reasonable rates) and has now found himself in Power Control. Stick to trains there is more money in it. About work : The course goes on .......................................................................................................zzzzzz!
I am off to Thailand tomorrow for the weekend.I am looking forward to that as I had a bit of a tough time this week. I think I had a little homesickness without realising it and blew a couple of things out of proportion. Thanks to you Aussies (Steve, Matt) , the guys at the Amazon (The Rivers' new name) Ginger, Kim, Vincent etc and of course AG for pulling me through !
The Taiwan 'lack of' Power Company got me again with my European printer as well. Plugged it in and nothing ! My hotel voucher is now stuck in system.
One quick last word for the mighty LFC who won last night - oh and please England play better on days 2,3,4 and 5 of the 1st test. It is going to get quite unbearable here if you don't!!!

2 types of sleepers on this line !!!

The time 12:30:30 and already a local is asleep. This is a typical lunchtime scene in Taiwan. A little snoring and 59 minutes later and the local is awake, diligently working without as much as a coffee or tea. The awake Taiwanese partake in a lunchbox - a foul melange of cold meat, rice and anything else they fancy and of course a yakult - which is given to try and neutralise the bad festering bacteria from the box itself ! AG swears at the lunch box and by the yoghurt drink ! Sunday we went to Danshui, found at the mouth of the river Danshui. A very nice place but packed with people. we negotiated the bus out and the boat back from Fishermans wharf - was entertaining except for the 20 mins we spent waiting to dock. We travelled to and from Taipei by bus - sufficient to say I will take the train in future !
I must mention at this point Mr. Snake (Chris) who has escaped the blog thus far. He is a very nice chap (for a frenchman !) and has helped us settle into the OCC and in particular the social scene that is Jonghli. With a fin on his back as he approaches a local feline specimen, he is known as Mr. Shark(Mr.S) on my mobile. In all seriousness, many thanks Mr S. for helping me adjust to ex-pat life in Taiwan !
Monday saw us in the classroom and Tuesday an exam - less than 80% and we could be heading home. We passed, so we are stuck in Taiwan for another week. Before the exam we had a go in the Shinkansen simulator, but I will tell you more in the weekend blog. Plenty to look forward to in the next 10 days or so - moving into my flat on Sunday and then on the 24th a little 2 day jaunt to see Bruce, Colin and Bob in Thailand.

Just one more !

Yet another one of AG (and mine let the truth be told) favourite sayings as we are contemplating departing 'The River'. This is a dangerous pub, but popular with the ex-pats locals alike. Pictured above are a startled AG and lardish DR on the Shinkansen , a ceremony at the station and two THSR train crew (all pictures gratefully received from NT - Louise !). Today I will reveal the start of the course has been hard work, due to the fact that the content isn't very exciting for an experienced railway person (no longer the boil in the bag signaller !). So we have been taught about interlockings, how the clocks work, how the radio works, how PA announcements work etc. You are brought back down to earth and wake up, though, when Pol (the trainer) goes into the bit about natural disaster warning systems. Strangely in Ashford we never had such amusing toys as Earthquake alarms, Landslide,Rockfall, Flood and Typhoon (wind velocity) alarm - they have wind alarms on CTRL, but really ! We also have an intrusion alarm, which is serious, as they expect flying vehicles on the line ! Speaking of Typhoons - I must thank Chris Williams (CW) ,an aussie, for this great tip : If you get caught up in a typhoon, just fill the bath with water, fill the fridge with lager and watch the objects go past your window (if you are high enough up !). All spoken in that delightful aussie twang of course. I am hoping for an improvement in English cricket fortunes or else it could get a little unbearable here! Some bad news from my beloved LFC - Sissoko broke his shoulder in the Carling Cup - please get well soon Momo. Finally and a long way from least some good news to end with- Congratulations to Simon (my brother-in-law) and his wife Madie on the birth of their daughter Emily Rose. Well Done you two and keep the photos coming. Cheers for now, a pub called 'The River' seems to be calling my name ..................

Bloody Marvellous

AGs favourite saying - he is trying to teach the Taiwanese this expression (In a welsh accent of course)!!!
Saturday night was spent at a local party (our kamp receptionist Arder invited us- worrying !) discovering what happens and how big ones stomach needs to be out here (no problem for me, then !). Arder (the harder) laid on an 8 - 10 course meal (I lost count) and at least 24 cans of beer & 2 bottles of wine to show us some taiwanese hospitality. Worrying were the photographs in his bathroom !
It was very kind of him and AG and myself enjoyed the evening - they have a very bizarre habit of saying 'cheers' every 30 seconds. A quick mention also for 'Lulu help me' who insisted on playing drinking games with Arder. She is a tiny little thing but could really knock them back!
The pictures are of Taipei 101 which was visited on Sunday. I am pictured on the observation deck - 91st floor ! It is an incredible piece of engineering and is currently the tallest building in the world. It stands over 500m into the air and has the fastest elevator in the world transporting visitors to the 89th floor (It takes 36 seconds). If you find yourself in Taipei you MUST visit this skyscraper (It has a great food mall in the basement also). We have now survived the local trains - excellent mode of transport here - and look forward to the week ahead, which includes starting our rules and regs course.

Horses for courses

Sunday was a quiet day for recuperation and bask in the glory of a Liverpool victory over Aston Villa.
Monday however arrived with an early start as we were off to Taichung (the 3rd city on the island) for a 2 day Cat D course. Great excitement as we were going on the train with quite a good group of Aussies - Peter, Rade and Steve the eccentric but hilarious facility controller. The train itself (pictured entering Taichung station) is very smooth and seems very quick as you dart over viaducts and through tunnels. Infact 300km of it's 345 km entirety is either on viaduct or in tunnel. Day 1 of the course went well and it was off to the hotel. We stayed in the aptly named Splendor hotel. I was slightly concerned when I was placed on the 26th floor knowing that Taiwan is one of the most earthquake friendly zones in the world (View from my room above) ! We all passed on the Tuesday
and it was back to the business hotel for yet another early start for what proved to be a dreadful Cat. B course. However I did get the opportunity to go into the magnificent Taipei 101 building (also pictured). Rain seems to be setting in but it is still 20 degrees. We finished a little early which allowed me to sort the new computer out so skype is available with me for all interested and also a little more basking as the mighty LFC cruise into the next round of the Champions league with a 3-0 drubbing of Bordeaux.