2016-12-25

That's a smart bird: Saw park visitors came to feed fish, waited right next to them until it spotted an acceptable...


That's a smart bird: Saw park visitors came to feed fish, waited right next to them until it spotted an acceptable lunch...

Christmas a la Taiwan


Christmas a la Taiwan

We do the same we did on other occasions, but this time we will wear Santa hats... Well, at least my students sang some real, more contemporary songs (Slade, Merry Christmas, and Paul McCartney, Wonderful Christmas time). The temperature was 27C max today...

Oh, merry Christmas if you celebrate it, otherwise just a pleasant day!

2016-12-21

Distributing the prey


Distributing the prey

After the (second) Christmas lunch with its desserts is over, everyone grabs as much gingerbread as they can before heading home.

Looks like I got them well addicted when they were my students...

2016-12-10

Into the great wide open"

Into the great wide open"

A short film starring Johnny Depp, Gabrielle Anwar and Faye Dunaway. Soundtrack by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers.

https://youtu.be/xqmFxgEGKH0
https://youtu.be/xqmFxgEGKH0

2016-12-06

Let's eat something typical Swedish - pardon, Swdish today, something like.


Let's eat something typical Swedish - pardon, Swdish today, something like... Yes, curry! Enough of Indian meatballs, let's have some Swdish curry chicken leg!

Nikolaus


Nikolaus

For German children a kind of small Christmas took place in the morning today. 12/06 is "Nikolaus day". On the evening of 12/05 German children will suddenly show a deep interest in getting all their shoes cleaned, then put them clearly visible, like on parade.

If they were nice, Nikolaus will put something into their shoes when he comes at night. For people who don't have access to children's shoes at the right time there are these "Nikolaus boots" which can be filled and later given away, these are even available here in Taiwan. (But definitely not with Nikolaus in mind.)

The boot in the photo was meant for my daughter, but this year she is even less allowed than last year to take anything from me, so I'll keep it for next year and probably someone else.

A last photo before the distribution starts: 12 Stollen, 12kg gingerbread.


A last photo before the distribution starts: 12 Stollen, 12kg gingerbread.

I would have liked to make some other cookies too, but I couldn't think of any the kitchen and I were in the mood for, so this year may be a bit boring...

2016-12-05

OK, the tree has been up for a week now.


OK, the tree has been up for a week now. After four casualties among the decorations during the first two days it seems the tigers lost interest. The lowest level of branches is also rather bare now, that too may have helped.

Let's see if the tree makes it to Christmas or if Garfield tries to climb...

2016-12-04

Potato roses, second test run


Potato roses, second test run

The original instructions used bacon to hold the roses together. I don't have bacon, so I tried cheese to see how that works.

Well. It works well.