My wedding march

This is my wedding march, dated Nov 20, 1996. Lots of unforgettable memories since then. My love to her never ends although bumpy from time to time.

Famous Jailhouse Cake Recipe

A friend of mine went to "country club" for two years because of US DoJ prosecuted what his employer asked him to do and an US court sentenced him into country club. 

He is free now and shared me this cake recipe for their friends' birthdays when he was in.

INGREDIENT AND PROCEDURE

1 bag of chocolate chip cookies (CRUSHED)

1 can of soda (any flavor except diet) 

Add cinnamon sugar to taste.

Smash 1 or 2 bananas to paste.

MIX ALL ABOVE INTO A BATTER.

MICROWAVE FOR 9 MINUTES.

LET IT COOL & SET FOR 20 MINUTES OR MORE.

FROSTING

1 bag cookies & cream patties or any chocolate bar (2 bars per cake).

Melt the candy bar until desired texture is reached (microwave in 10 second intervals until completely melted).

APPLY FROSTING AFTER CAKE HAS COOLED OFF.

Tour Solo de Taiwan en Scooter, 2018 (Part 2)

My 2nd night in Taitung was quite packed with many nice activities. First of all, to have my scooter well washed. So dirty through roads under constructions and bugs on wind shield.

My scooter after a good wash.

Tatung Night Market, on Zhengqi Road (正氣路), 10-minute walking distance from my hotel. I hate to admit that there are too many same cuisines you can find in other night markets all over Taiwan, although they are still well made. Hardly find something that's one of a kind in a specific location.

South side of Taitung Night Market

So I took a very simple dinner at a diner that local residents visits, north side of night market. The dinner costs me ~NT$100, about USD3.3, really nice.

My dinner at Taitung.

Still, a little treat to my self with a deep-fried stinky tofu. This stinky tofu shop  is nice, near Taitung Bus Terminal. Super crispy and unexpected tender inside. Tofu being stinky in a smooth initial with herbal post-flavor. Its house-made chili sauce brings up stimulation while not burning in my mouth.

Stinky tofu, distinctly nice as you can handle its smell.

Strolling along Tie-Hua Village. Its signature lanterns collection has been beautifully illuminating the park in former Taitung railroad station. Pubs and restaurants along where the platform was. Too bad nothing attractive to me with a fully loaded belly. 

Lanterns in Tie-Hua Village.

A retro-Japanese style restaurant, serving ice creams.

After 1.5-hour walking around numerous streets and alleys in the lovely small town at southeast Taiwan, I eventually got some spare space for a bowl of "Douhua", soft tofu in light syrup, served chill, in a 25-Celsius night time, before Christmas time. 

A little bit thankful to global warming for a short moment, inappropriate but thankful. 

Soft tofu in light syrup at Bao-Sang Douhua Store.

Sake-boiled clams

Inspired by "Shinya Shokudo" (Midnight Diner), a Japanese drama telling stories happened around a tiny restaurant that opens in midnight.

Thanks to my wife's talent, she makes it her own way:

Dry fry chopped garlic and ginger in a pre-heated Tajine Pot, till the aroma floats into nose.
Spread 600-900 grams of clam into pot and give them a few slightly stirs.
Pour 300cc (or more) of Japanese Sake for its sweetness. Chinese rice cooking wine will bring differently bitter taste.
Simmer for 90 seconds till all clams cheerily open up.
Fire off. Toss a handful of chopped scallion and a pinch of chopped chili.
Try soaking a spoonful of steamed rice into sake soup to enrich and warm your stomach, that'll be truly super.

This is Sake-boiled clams. Nice.

"Shinya Shokudo" poster

Source: IMDB

Tour Solo de Taiwan en Scooter, 2018 (Part 1)

My first around-island ride surprised some people around me, till now. My guess goes to a typical connection on age and should-do. That means I am not supposed to have such an tour at my age, my guess.

After concluding this ride, like enjoying the same cuisine for four days, I hesitated in riding my scooter again for days. But it leaves very soon and I took another shorter trip along northern coast.

Unlike driving or riding on a bus or a train, riding is a consistent dialog with the journey itself. Every arm twisting, body leaning, stomach emptiness, and calls of nature talk to direction, speed and destination.

A short break at Fangshan, Pintung county, 37-km north of famous Kenting National Part, at the south-end of Taiwan.

These talk to me in my journey: view, sunshine, moonshine, clouds, stars, ocean, breeze, gusty wind, rain, smell, road curve, bumps, potholes, dogs, cats, people and vehicles on the same / opposite / side ways, the dishes and bowl filled with expected (or unexpected) cuisines in front of me, a short chat with gas station staff, a hot shower, a cozy bed. So many talks perceived, but no need to answer all of them.


Any tour is unique because of un-duplicate-able combination of talks, interactions, dialogue, and most of time, monologue to oneself.

Breakfast I had in 2018/12/20 at Gushan District, Kaohsiung, fried noodle and won-ton soup.
The lady in far end serves nice & genuine Taiwanese cuisines at the stand. She comes from Vietnam.

A highly excited puppy met in Shuangliu, Pintung County. On the way to Taitung.

South-end of paved Route 26, Daren Township, Taitung County.

No pavement after this point, Route 26.
Further heading south, it leads to Alanyi historic trail (阿塱壹古道), the last undeveloped & preserved coastline in Taiwan.

Every twist of throttle leads to a fulfillment, a surprise, a mystery, a place new to me or I wanna revisit, an exhalation, a part of memory recalled or created, or just simply being wild for a while. Every brake squeezed, no matter light or strong, leads to next throttle twisting.

Guzhuang station. No passenger service after Oct 1, 2017.
Dawu Township, Taitung County.

26.9-km to Fangshan station located west. The longest between-station distance in Taiwan Railway.

Coastal highways are must in route selection. Some spots unusual to me are selected within my stay in Taitung county. Being mid-of-almost-nowhere is what I look for in this tiny island.

1. Alanyi historic trial entry at south end of Route 26.
2. No passenger-service Guzhuang station.

Leaving mid-of-nowhere and back on coast line to Taitung.
Highway 9, the longest highway in Taiwan, stretching along east side. 

I put 600 km on my scooter for first two days, covering 5-km/h slow moving in urban rush hour, 120-km cruising on Highway 61, and 60~90-km/h on many other routes. Variant speed brings variant fun.

Breakfast My Dad Made - Dry Vermicelli

The breakfast my dad made for me much more than any others in my impression, especially in winter time.

Toss an egg into the pot when half-handful vermicelli is half cooked in slightly boiled water.

Lay a few drops of sesame oil, soy sauce and yellow rice wine at bottom of a 10-oz bowl.

Let oil, sauce, and wine flavor unleashed by topping steamy and silky vermicelli, then semi-done egg. 

Sprinkle chopped shallots and cooked bok choy, my favorite always.

That's truly my "best part of waking up", allow me to quote Folgers coffee slogan.

Never enjoyed breakfast he made for me for 23 years. No one well duplicates his recipe.

Chinese version here.Chinese Version Here

Beef Pho in Da Nang, Vietnam

My first experience of Beef Pho was in San Jose, CA many years ago. I visited Da Nang, Vietnam in late October, 2015 joining a sales conference. The hotel serves Beef Pho at its buffet restaurant.

I got noodle soup and beef in a bowl from chef; then have it garnished like this. Looks good and tastes great. Had another bowl after this.