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Not
all the encounter with kids have been bad.
Last
weekend was a much better weekend.
Another
Taiwanese friend and a former colleague called
me
that she is back from Germany and in the country
with
her 6 year old daughter Nadia to see her parents
for
a while. She is married to a very good German
friend
and former colleague, Ralf that I worked with
in
Taiwan and in Germany. I have followed the
daughter
from the time she came into the world and
through
the years via photos whenever Ralf visited me
and
by way of the Internet. It will be so nice to
see
them again and their daughter in flesh so I very
happily
accepted their request to stay with
her
parents and have dinner with them over Saturday
evening.
After
my recent holiday in NZ where I drove 4-5000 km,
renting
a car and driving 300 km via freeway up to
ChongLi
to see them was like taking a few steps out of
the
backyard. Tinkerbell came with me and my wife
of
course. After the earlier horrendous weekend, I
needed
to build up my brownie points with Tink again.
But
of course, it was not just a straight drive. I
took
the opportunity to check out a few other places I
have
been to many years ago. I was curious as to the
impact
of the 921 major earthquake of 7.6 Richter
scale
in 1999. One of my favourite highway, the
Central
Cross Island highway, was cut when the side of
the
mountain came down. That road remained cut and I
was
turned back.
I
got lost approaching their parent's house in ChongLi
and
reached there in the evening. Another former
colleague
was there. We were pleased to
renew
old bonds forged by working together in
exciting
environment and with shit up and beyond the
eyeballs.
Great
as it was to see my friends again, seeing their
daughter
gave me the most pleasure. Nadia was such a
sweet
looking girl to start with, but when she took
pleasure
at something and slowly smiled, she lit up
the
world all around her. Susan, her mom spoke to her
only
in Chinese and Nadia will reply back to her in
such
fluent Chinese that I can blush if I am not that
thick
skinned. I mentally told myself that I need to
tell
people my Chinese language ability is that of a 5
or
4 year old instead of the 6 year old that I was
fond
of telling people before.
Then
when her dad talked to her in German, she will
reply
in German, a language I gave up trying to learn
even
when I worked and lived in
Bavaria
for a while. She was delighted and fascinated
by
Tinkerbell. I asked her in Chinese what is parrot
called
in German.
She
told me 'papagei'.
The
house had a big living room. Normally the harness
would
have been left on Tinkerbell although that will
be
taken off when we retire back in the hotel room.
Seeing
the house had mosquito screen on all windows
and
as Tink was in the harness the whole day, I
removed
the harness with a tinge of anxiety but to
Tink's
great pleasure. The presence of 5
other
people and Nadia inhibited Tink from flying
about
and Tink was content just to remain on my
shoulder
to stretch and preen.
When
Susan's mom invited us all for dinner, I
apologetically
told them Tinkerbell needed to join us
too.
To my big relief, Tink remained on my shoulder
and
delicately ate the little morsels that I had to
offer
her. Susan's parents are Khek and Khek cuisine
prepared
by her mom was just unbelievably delicious.
Whenever
I took from a dish that I did not
offer
to Tink, she would walk her way down to my arm
and
try to steal a bite. Tink was very well behaved
and
with a "No! back to shoulder", Tink walked up my
sleeve
and got back to the shoulder. It was as if
Tink
knew. At home when we eat and did not offer her,
Tink
will fly and try to balance on the edge of the
plate
to help herself.
With
the dinner over, we went back to the living room
to
enjoy the wonderful mulberry wine made by Susan's
father.
There was this hint of cinnamon and spices
but
he told me none ever were added to the mulberry
and
grapes he used. Tinkerbell was placed back to the
basket
perch where she preened herself while we
chatted
in little groups with tongues loosen by
wine.
After
half an hour or so, Tinkerbell must have
thought
she preened and stretched enough. I heard a
flapping
of wings and turned my head to see Tinkerbell
taking
off the basket perch.
It
was a big living room with high ceiling. The 9 of
us
and Nadia ceased all conversations. Trepidation
filled
my heart. Paintings and vases lined the walls.
I
wondered if I have to demean myself in front of
everyone
in begging and wheedling Tink to come to me
later
on.
10
pairs of eyes watched Tinkerbell as she very slowly
flew
around the room following the wall. She paused
and
hovered at the corners before continuing her
flight.
Now and then, she paused and hovered eyeing
ledges
that I never noticed and I bet others never
noticed
either. She paused again at the space
connecting
the living room to the stair case
and
the dinning room but continued in her circuit
around
the room.
She
then turned and headed to me landing very softly
on
my shoulder and gave my ear a nibble. I gave a
inner
sigh of relief.
The
silence broke. They all chuckled at what they
just
witnessed and at the pleasure so obvious on my
face.
Susan's father told me Tinkerbell was like my
daughter.
I agreed with him and told him I saw her
that
way too and that she would not have allowed me to
have
dinner without her. I asked Tink to step up and
as
my hand moved towards the basket perch, she saved
me
the trouble by flying over back to her perch.
That
was not planned, and in not being planned, I
felt
so much nicer in the way it so serendipitily
happened
She
remained on her basket perch until I move away.
Ever
time I moved 5-6 meters from her, she lifted
herself
and flew to my shoulder. Joy's
movements
were ignored by Tink.
That
folks, was a much better evening than the week
before.
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From: shan lung
<shanlung9@y...>
Date: Wed Apr 14, 2004 8:17 pm
Subject: Papagei continued
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Papagei at ChongLi
http://community.webshots.com/album/134196716UeOdwC
Tinkerbell
flyabout was not captured. All of us were
stunned
and open-mouth for that first few seconds to
think
of picking up a camera. Then when we thought of
it,
the digital cameras required a couple of seconds
to
warm up which by then, the show was over and we
went
back to more important business of drinking and
talking
and drinking.
We
stayed over at Susan’s house for the night.
Unfortunately
for Tinkerbell, she was stuffed back
into
the carrier as the bedroom we used had too many
curtains
and stuff to let her roam about the room.
If
it had been a hotel room, Tink would be kept in the
bathroom.
But Tink is also allowed to sleep with us
in
the hotel room now and then. That really depend on
the
state of the room.
The
next morning, after exercising Tink in the garden
and
breakfast, we left them early as they had to go
to
a wedding.
After
driving 300++ km all the way up to ChongLi, we
were
not going to go back to Chiayi just yet.
Another
of the reason for going to ChongLi was that
one
of my best Taiwanese friend ChengHung was living
in
that town. I known him through one of those quirk
of
fate, almost as if we were destined to meet. It was
way
back in 1990 when I was first in Taiwan and as
advisor
to the construction of the mass rapid transit
system
for Taipei City.
A
crash of my PC HD over a year ago wiped out so many
pictures
I have taken of my travels in remote areas of
China
and Tibet and elsewhere where even Coca Cola
cannot
be bought for love or money. Much of my
earlier
letters and diaries were lobotomized away as
well.
But
there are still some fragments remaining and one
just
fragment covered the time when I first met
ChengHung.
Perhaps if you are interested, you can
read
what occurred about 15 years ago. I think I
wrote
better in those days even if I do not talk about
fids.
That diary entry was written immediately on my
return
from that trip. I mentioned him as the Lone
Ranger
in the diary.
http://www.geocities.com/shanlung9/taroko90dec.htm
We
did a lot of mountain climbing and going about
Taiwan
together after that. I flew back into Taiwan
for
his wedding 10 years ago and we drop by to see
each
other whenever we were in the same neck of the
woods.
We
were delighted to see each other again as the last
major
meeting up was about 8 months ago. I have yet
to
finish that part of Tink’s saga (1/2 written) to
send
it up as well.
He
took us for lunch at this quaint restaurant. It
was
an old typical Chinese farmhouse converted to a
restaurant
with great dishes. Those dishes were not
as
colorful and flamboyant as the dishes you saw at
that
Rhino beetle farm saga. No ducks tongue
marinated
in special sauces and no crispy yummy
crickets
fried in batter to entice the taste buds of
you
folks. Just good solid food that even you folks
will
enjoy if you do not ask too many questions.
You
do see with a harness, Tinkerbell get to go to
many
places.
After
that, he mentioned that he like to take us for a
walk
up the mountain nearby that overlooked the ShiMen
reservoir.
I nearly gave him a worried look as his
stamina
and leg muscles have been the order that
masochists
doing triathlon dreamed about. That last
major
meeting was to go for a 2 day trek up 4000 meter
Jade
Mountain that I begged off from though I, Joy and
Tink
did see him and others off at the start. Why not
?
Especially when the start-off point was a hotspring
town
surrounded by beautiful mountains. But now his
wife
LingLing and kids which include a toddler were
with
us too. I felt with some confidence I could
match
their pace. A bit painful now when not that
long
ago, I thought nothing of treks of 30 km a day
together
with changes in elevation of 4-5000 meters
carrying
backpack of 25-30kg.
So
many people go to this path for walks that small
stalls
sprung up by the side to separate fools, wise
men
and all those in between from their money for
walking
sticks, titbits and geegaws. Added a colorful
start
too to the beginning of the trek too.
It
was a nice short 30 minutes walk in the woods with
Tink
on my shoulder. Her leash had about 2-3 meters
of
freeway . The only reason why I limit it to 2-3
meters
is that longer line tend to entangle or get
caught
up. She remained on my shoulder as in most
other
cases when she goes out with me. In the many
times
she came out and on my shoulder, only on very
few
occasions did she tried to fly away. Once was
when
I stumbled and another time, we were at where she
spooked
during the free flight and I suspected the
airport
nearby to be responsible. In any case, that
was
nearly a year ago when she was first brought out
in
harness.
That
was such a civilized ‘mountain climbing’ that I
hardly
have a thirst when we reached the little coffee
house
at the end of the path. That was set on a ridge
overlooking
the ShiMen reservoir down below.
Remembering
my role as a roving parrot ambassador,
Tink
was put through her recall paces to the delight
of
others. And I do my best in answering if she talk
and
the physical and emotional needs that hopefully
they
will remember.
We
then headed back to Chiayi. We stopped at one of
the
rest stops on the freeway to give the 3 of us a
break
from the car. Most of the other drivers seemed
to
be in such hurry that parks attached to those rest
stops
were deserted. Not that I mind it terribly as
Tink
could have a nice fly with less people or no one
else
looking on.
Papagei
at ChongLi
http://community.webshots.com/album/134196716UeOdwC
=====
With
warmest regards
Shanlung
Joy
- wife, Tinkerbell - CAG & surrogate daughter
earlier
emails and photo links on Tink -
http://www.geocities.com/shanlung9
(with
long overdue update done! 25Feb04)
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