Rob S. 

Post snorkelling sunset shot. 

We did some good snorkeling around the massive rock behind us, named 'Sail Rock'. Quite a variety of fish were seen, and I was quite impressed. It cost a mere NT150 to hire all the equipment (R30 for SA readers) 

Rob S pulling into a nice tube. This beach was literally 4 meters from our tent, but was 'private' so we weren't allowed to use it. About 10 minutes after we took this shot, some security guard kicked us off the beach. Annoying and stupid. Beaches should never be 'private' as far as I'm concerned. 

A rock. 

The classic 'footprints' shot. Would have been perfect with a setting sun and some heavily italicised text. 

The infamous 'betel nut'. I had to try it, just once. Not sure if I like it or not... Need to try it again. For those not in the know, betel nut is a type of palm fruit that Taiwanese guys like to chew in a similar way to tobacco. It's usually wrapped in a leaf with of lime smeared on it. Chewing it is meant to give you a buzz. It's not a polite habit, becase when you chew it, your saliva goes a really disgusting red-brown colour and your teeth get stained an unsightly red hue. It also causes you to spit everywhere, especially in the street. Oh, well, when in Rome... 

The 2 Robs with 'Old Faithfull'. The car is a Nissan Sunny from who knows how many years ago. It worked perfectly. 

Kenting

Just got back from my first official holiday this year with Rob Harding and Rob Sparrow. Here are some pics.

You've got to love Taiwanese innovation and lack of respect for global corporations. I'm sure Epson's ink cartridge division would freak if they saw this photo. What a great and logical modification. 

This is for my fellow blogger Davida (http://www.blogger.com/profile/4294326) who loves this dog. Her name is Roxy, and she's hyperactive (but cute!). 

Sorry about the wavyness (is that a word) of this panorama. It was taken in the middle of 'People's Park', in a busy, really nice part of Taichung, not far from where I work. Click on the image to enlarge it and get a good look. 

Drinking on the job. It was totally unintentional, I promise! I bought this fizzy sour apple flavoured drink an hour or two before my class the other day. After I had finished it, I noticed the 4% alchohol label. Didn't affect me at all, but I'll have to be more carefull about what I buy next time! 

Well apparantly it's autumn. The trees seem to think so, anyway, but I'm not fooled because it's still 29 celcius on most days. 

So, call me a nerd. All my money, neatly arranged into 13 envelopes. Taiwan is a pretty cash based society and all my salary is given to me in banknotes and coins. Envelopes are the way to go for those with self control problems!!! Simply work out your living expenses for a week and put that money into an envelope. When the money is gone, you have a problem until the next week rolls around. It's a good technique that helps keep your spending in check! 

We had a good time :) 

There were some English songs in the catalogue too. 

Our KTV session was interrupted by a brief fireworks display. 

KTV (Kareoke TV) is probably one of the most popular pastimes here in Taiwan. I had a great time with some friends at the Hotel's KTV facilities. 

Our fancy hotel. 

Bumper cars. A bit tame, but still fun :) 

This was totally unitentional but worked out quite nicely. My camera set the aperture and shutter speed and as I took the photo, a whole lot of lights came on, totally overexposong the picture. Weird but nice I thought. This is Craig in the foreground going up an elevator. 

Another Craig and Jo siloette picture (please visit their blog, even if it's just to see their great pic). This one was taken against a series of walls covered with an obscene number of christmas lights. It created quite a nice effect, but was a bit of a waste of electricity. 

This is an absolutely massive ferris wheel, probably rivaling the Millenium Wheel in Greenwich (although I've never been there). Each car holds 4 people and it takes 20 minutes to complete one rotation. You get a fantastic view of the entire park while you are on the ride. 

These three basins are conveniently placed at the exit of one of the rides. They are for um, relieving your stomach, should you have a tendancy towards motion sickness. Kind of funny... 

So here's the first picture from my adventures at Janfusin Fancy world. This was an awesome roller coaster, probably the best I've ever been on.