Solar Tree Time: Taichung Day 3 (Shuinan and grave visit)

First thing today is the Family Grave visit. As there's a typhoon on the way, best to do it in case the weather is unviable. So early in the morning (like 9am) 二叔 took me out to Dadu-san. It wasn't as far as I thought it was from 二叔's house. We passed an technological/industrual area that included the Semiconductor factory (or one of them), and Giant (the bike manufacturer). There's a golf course next to Dadu-san which apparently was bought by TSMC for semiconductors and they're gonna build more factories there. Wow. That's a lot of space. Apparently it's not even enough?? ????

Up we go the mountain. We arrived at the grave but didn't put on any incense. I let 爺爺奶奶 know I was here, and 二叔 added in to help me find a partner to marry.... think that's a hard ask, bro. I also let 姥爺姥姥 know that I was here to see them. I teared up a little, and when I looked at 姥姥's photo it was like she was smiling extra at me. I mean, she's already smiling in the photo but it was like, even more. We had a look around and sat a bit. They had put some paper money under a ball of earth on top of the gravestone, and the little temple house in the middle. They had put some new grass over where the burial mound was when they put 奶奶 inside. There's quite a few dragonflies of all sizes and colour? flying around. I spotted at least 3, and 2 butterflies. One was a big one that was black n iridescent blue, and one was a small yellow one with a black dot near the tip of the wing. Looking into the distance down the mountain you can see a factory that was producing heaps of smoke, near the big bridge structure we passed on our way here. I wonder what that is. We stayed about 30 mins and then left. I let 爺爺奶奶 and 姥姥姥爺 know that we were going, I'll come back next time I have a chance. I did 爺爺奶奶 first, and then 姥姥姥爺 which I teared up before speaking and it was a bit hard to get the words out. I feel like 姥姥 probably came down to visit.

On 爺爺奶奶's side there are some small pomengranate bushes. 奶奶 liked them.

二叔 drove the car down to the carpark, and then went into the main tower to visit and check out the plaque spaces. We had a look around (there's crystal and normal), and enquired at the desk. I wonder where 大舅二舅 is... A shame I don't know how to visit them...

Then headed back around 10:40am, and 二叔 will drop me off near 三舅媽's stall, at the Dapeng primary school. I arrived at around 11am and said hi!! The stall was still a little busy. 三舅媽 was at the back cooking the special chilli condiment, and I gave her her souvenirs and she tried to give me $3000! I was like no! I don't know how much it was, since parents went to buy it. She then went outside to check how busy it is. Told me to sit and she fed me.

Honey was there~ she had a super short haircut and some moles (?) that were of old age. She was also a little shaky. Ohh~ so cute. But she is very well behaved. She kept looking at me and sniffing my food but she won't try to steal it. Too bad sis, I can't be irresponsible and feed you. You can't have chilli.

Plenty of people would stop by and look at Honey. A man stopped on their scooter (wearing a surgical) and asked about Honey. I said she's the 老闆娘 pet, very well behaved. He said something else but I couldn't hear properly. And then he left.

The food is so good~~ this is the flavour I miss... mmmm~~~

三舅 spoke to me and asked how long I will be here~ he seemed more willing to talk today! Very happy.

After food I went to the back and watched 三舅媽 cook the chilli condiment. She uses all oil, peppercorn 花椒 first to get the taste out, remove, and then ginger. And then garlic, black bean? whole bag of minced chilli, pepper, and then peppercorn powder. Takes about an hour. Asked me to go out and ask 三舅 for the big container of salt. I went out and called 三舅 3 times after he finished an order, he wasn't used to me calling him. xD And showed me where the salt was. 三舅媽 added like 5 big tablespoons of salt. Then just simmer it on low heat... smells so good.... and talked about how people would essentially steal the chilli and take it home in their own container.

Plenty of other stallholders would walk past and talk to 三舅媽 and ask who I was. One lady talked about how the vaccine screwed up people's immune systems and I tried really hard to refute that without being too rude. orz It's so bad the misinformation... the convo stemmed from telling 三舅媽 to go to NZ and have a good holiday.

Around 12:40pm now, and they gotta tidy up. I bid goodbye to both 三舅媽 and waved bye to 三舅.

The house next to the skywalk still has the old tiles... hasn't changed! And their gate is still the same!

I headed to 大展文具 and had a good browse. Ah~ the old man isn't here today but the young one was. I bought some stickers, craft knife blades, shoe glue (I hope this one works in place of Daiso one), stickers, some zipper pouches, and a few permanent markers, and a 3M hook. Total was $529 after discount~

Sadly they didn't have a postage stamp collection book.

Made my way back to our old house and neighbourhood and the gammy shop just outside. On my way I took photos of some of the older houses, and noted the empty spaces and carparks where old Juanchun housing used to be.

Then I walked into the street where the 7-11 is now, and the house with the finely trimmed bushes had added eyes and a tongue on one of the bushes for a dragon. So cute. A lot of the houses along this street has been rennovated on the outside, and the old Budhhist hall is currenty under construction and you can see the skeleton of the house. I headed to the 福德官 and noticed that they have built a new house for the deities now??? Oh wow. Man it's nice but it's changing so much I hardly recognise it anymore. I sat for a bit, as they have moved the bench from next to the sink to further up where the tree used to be.

There used to be a gammy shop on this corner. Juanchun house.

The carpark used to be all Juanchun housing.

This is still the same but they did the carport up!

Can you spot the dragon? There are two! The house owner was sitting in their yard... a little awks if they noticed me lol.

The dragon with eyes and tongue

They moved the benches here

I feel like the roof is new too

Same furnance, at least.

Some new banyan trees, might be the ones that took root from the original one.

New house for the deities.

I put the $5 I found on the bus station seat into the donations box. Sorry not much! But it's a suitable occassion to donate that.

Then I made my way towards our old house. The warehouse on the corner had their back doors open and two ladies were busy sewing bedsheets. Oh, I guess this place is still in business! A couple of houses on this row and their exterior redone. Then through and onto my street... it hasn't changed too much. The 阿嫲 next door still has heaps of recyclables heaped out front. Ooh~~ she must still be around!! Didn't see her though. Looked at our old house.... car is out but a moped is in. Gates are still the same. :')

Alleyway after just leaving the 福德官

The old water tower is still here!

Looking towards where you'd go for the rice paddies, hasn't changed too much

My street....

My old house....

Tiling is still the same!

I kept walking and the little flowerbed where I used to eat the red four-petal flowers were overgrown and mini trucks were parked in front, so I couldn't see. I walked up to the end of the street and looked at the store that used to be Mike Conbini. The tiles are teh same but the windows have been replaced. And the roast meats bentou place is now on the corner.

House just across at the intersection. Still the same!

Same house as above. I wonder if the house across the road still has their fish pond?

The gammy shop... is open!! Ahhh!!! Lovely!!! But the boss kept walking out so it was super hard to get a photo under the shade without being weird. I bought a chilled Supau ($20) and had a look at the sweets shelf. They didn't have the lemon flavour Vita C so I got a plum flavour ($10). And saw a rock candy on the shelf too, so grabbed that ($15). Total was $55. Thank you boss. I looked to the side of the table and they don't have eggs there anymore.

I left without walking further into the shop, and looked at the breakfast shop. Their stuff is still outside, as their sign, so I guess they are still in business!

Old hydrant near my old house

What I bought from the gammy shop

That odd structure that kinda looks like a bunker, is still there!

I rememeber playing with some other neighbourhood kid in this area. They had those chair swings then. And some normal swings. Told me a ghost story of how the normal swing chains twisted and kept twisting, and then beheaded someone and their ghost haunts this place.

Back of where the old 涼麵 noodle stall/juanchun house used to be. The houses have been demolished but people have still put up a shop front. You can see the brick wall remaining from that in between the two shops.

Time to go home now. I walked my way back towards the market and then walked down the main street, and went past 三舅媽's stall again. Her moped was still there, but the stall has been closed. The Ubike station was empty, but thankfully there were 3 bikes around the corner. Borrowed the bike and made my way towards the big Central Park.

I took a detour and cycled up the path that 二叔 mentioned there is a small part of the airport runway left. But I didn't see it at all. I got to the end and came to the road, and cycled back in the direction. Man I should have really sunscreened today. Got to the Ubike station and parked. Went home. And ate myself a whole pomelo.... mmmm.