Diary of a CEO

This Chinese New Year

Just return home from past Chinese New Year holiday, I was not planned to go for holiday this year, however, due to ( a wild guest ) wife's busy in preparing New Year Eve dinner, she had a mood to go somewhere after the heavy house work load. so, I tried to book Fancy World Amusement Park for the new year, as this is a last minutes booking, I failed to make any reservation for the holiday, instead, managed to book a room at the Lake-Villa Motel ( yes, this is the first time we - both me and my family staying in a motel ) in Doulieu. so.. we keep our new year holiday alive for only staying over night.

In order to avoid traffic, we woke up early , said about 5:30 am on the 28th and leave for the highway by 6:15 am, this is a very smart plan, we didn't face any traffic jam and arrived at our first stop - The White Horse Temple by 10:00 am. I told me wife couple times that I want to be in the temple, but didn't fulfill this wish, we made it on the very crowded Chinese New Year holiday, Lama wasn't there, so the peaceful murmuring of worship harmony is not presented in front of us, it took 20 minutes to complete the WISH. our next stop is to see the near by temple, WOW, it's a market in Chinese New Year, the kids were so exciting, the vendors line and circle around the temple, this is a traditional gathering in Chinese New Year, a very warm flavorof New Year, we enjoy it very much before our first meal at Lin Nai spare - rib restaurant. the one I miss for years.

Checking in the Motel by 1:30 pm, kids know almost everything about the adult world, I first instinct when getting the room is trying to remove the condom and check all the adult channel on TV, well, they place the condom next to the bed where my daughter and son occupied the bad before me and told me this is a " love hotel ", I am not embarrassing to discuss the subject with them and this is a great opportunity to exchange the sex education. we take an one hour nap and going south. I told them to check the Lantern Festival location - Cha Yi.

Browsing on web help me to find San-Chai Garden ( Three Talents Garden ) in DaBai village, a place between Dauliu and Cha Yi but I never been before, the road sign leave us circle for a while, I almost give up this adventure, by the time I am going to drop this idea, I found the road sign shows DaBai, asking from the neighbors in DaBai, we found Yi-Lan village in Dabai and discovered a long lost ancient Chinese Garden in a small village. this ancient garden belongs to the first village officer back in many years ago, he made this garden an " out of the world " hideaway, tall trees, mellow and old houses, although some of the stone and woods were gone, but you can tell how glory it was at the garden, people sit by the stone chair under the shadow of bamboo, river flows below them and the wind whispering at their ears -- yes, I am not kidding, you can see all the scene at the San Chai Garden. from the web, I learned it was named top 5 garden in Taiwan, there should be someone ( either public or private ) to recover and repair what's been damaged and turn it into a culture heritage for generation next. really. and I hope I can do something about it also.

Cha Yi trip wasn't a good one, Sound burst out of temple, so we move back to Dauliu, the motel offers free supper, we stay until it serve then go to bad.

Next morning, wake up and pay visit to my father at his villa at Lin Nai - we didn't inform him earlier and I don't want to stay too long, we stayed for about 30 minutes, a very lonely old man living alone in a mountain was not too humanity. but this is what he choose, he had a home in Taipei, family who bring him no burden. a house near Taipei and another family in Hunan Province; I don't know why he choose to be alone in a place without telephone, no emergency rescue and work like a farmer with less care about his heart problem, I don't know. we leave, I am not feel pity even thought I can sense he wish our family to stay longer.

We pick National Highway North home, without taking the Free way, as we wish to explore more about what we don't know. " Purple South Temple " ( Chez Nan Temeple ) in Thuchang ( Bamboo mountain ) is the first spectacular, a small temple develop to a huge commercial zone, with a landmark of a 6 stars toilet - we experience it and credit it the same as we see from the tour guide. the second surprise is a temple near Chan Hua , in Fan Yuang Bao-Chung Temple is a great explore for us, in the country yard, you can hardly believe there's a 400 years old temple with thousand of fans gathering for the good fortune in New Year time, the civil power and the Temple centric community shows a very strong tie which we didn't aware before. image how I spent my Chinese New Year before - go aboard of finding a 5 star resort to kill time, knowing nothing about the real ordinary people's way of living.

Bamboo Culture Garden is another attraction we visit, similar to Hwataoyao, nice people , working so hard to make the Culture Creative Industry a reality.

take Free Way number 3 from Ching Sui - we get off and find the rest area for pee, you know, Ching Sui rest area is now the top 10 scene , I am not kidding. we back on the road by 5:40 pm and return home by 7:40 pm, no traffic at all, thanks for my wife who drove all the way and we had a great discovery of Central Taiwan, a good taste of new learning.

I am ready for backing to business, we close no deal before Chinese New Year, this is no fun at all.

posted by Roger @ 2/19/2007 11:28:00 下午