There are endless temples and pagodas in Taiwan. BUT this one is special.
Sun Moon Lake Wen Wu Temple (Chinese: 日月潭文武廟; pinyin: Rìyuètán Wénwǔ Miào) was rebuilt again in 1969, increasing its size and constructing it in the Chinese palace style. …
The first hall, located on the second floor of the front hall, is a shrine devoted to the First Ancestor Kaiji and the God of Literature. The central hall is devoted to Lord Guan, the Martial God, and another Martial God, Lord Yue. The rear hall is dedicated to Confucius.
More interesting than both, for me, is this quirky candy / ice cream shop called Miyahara. A historic building transformed into a luxurious dessert and souvenir store with a Harry Potter-esque interior.
Though an urban sprawl, here and there are some interesting architectural treats.
Train station, for example.
SOME green space. Not as much as I would like.
There are some interesting attractions outside the city, but I found public transportation not nearly as convenient as in Taipei.
I’m a huge fan of author Ken Follett‘s historical fiction. Especially his Kingsbridge series, starting with The Pillars of the Earth (1989).
I was excited to see he published a 2025 book set in the Neolithic period when the Stonehenge was created.
Circle of Days is set in prehistory 2500 BCE, where people are divided into tribes, their names in accordance to their roles such as miners, herders, woodlanders, and farmers.
The people meet each season at the wooden Monument for religious rites and festivities, led by priestesses.
In Flanders fields the poppies blow Between the crosses, row on row, That mark our place; and in the sky The larks, still bravely singing, fly Scarce heard amid the guns below.
We are the Dead. Short days ago We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow, Loved, and were loved, and now we lie In Flanders Fields.
Take up our quarrel with the foe: To you from failing hands we throw The torch; be yours to hold it high. If ye break faith with us who die We shall not sleep, though poppies grow In Flanders fields.
– John McCrae, 1915
Though thankfully I was never in a war, this is an important day for me. I remember.
Remembrance Day (Australia, Canada, Colombia, UK and Ireland), also known as Poppy Day (South Africa and Malta), and Armistice Day (UK, New Zealand and many other Commonwealth countries; and the original name of the holiday internationally) is a day to commemorate the sacrifice of veterans and civilians in World War I and other wars. It is observed on November 11 to recall the end of World War I on that date in 1918.
Like pretty much every Canadian, I was a huge fan of SCTV, the low budget, super hilarious, Canadian television sketch comedy show about a fictional TV station.
Many of those comics went on to have great careers, including John Candy.
John Candy: I Like Me is the 2025 documentary on Prime about his all too short life. He died age-43 while filming a movie in Mexico.
I saw most of his TV bits and films, but — looking back — it’s Planes, Trains and Automobiles (1987) that I remember best.
Some feel that Uncle Buck (1989) was even better at portraying John the man.
So far, after a couple of months, dozens of good hostels, best for me has been Meander 1948 in Taipei.
Turns out Taiwan’s in East Asian, not S.E. Asia — but BEST on my S.E. Asia trip 2025. 😀
BEST is the superb location, walking distance from Taipei Main Station, the biggest transportation hub in the country.
There are 100 restaurants within a 10-minute walk. And you get a voucher / day for any 8 of those restaurants ➙ much better than the free breakfast buffet at most hostels.
Most hostels don’t have enough common area. Meander 1948 is better. I can work on my laptop anytime I want.
Excellent staff. Special events scheduled for any guest who wants to sign-up.
Super clean and efficient. Hot showers with good water pressure.
Very large and quiet pod-style dorm beds.
FREE coffee 24 hours / day!
There are several Meander hostels. This one is designated 1948 because it’s housed in an historical building from 1948.
This is not the least expensive hostel, by any means. Over 7 nights I paid an average of USD $28 / night. High for S.E. Asia. Location, location, location saved me time and money getting to where I wanted to go with a (fairly expensive) transit pass.
Jiufen Old Street is the main attraction, a narrow, winding alleyway with shops, teahouses, and restaurants that offer tourists something of a view of traditional Taiwanese life.
It was positively packed when I arrived at dusk.
Happily, I found a restaurant balcony providing a view of the chaos below. 😀
The lanterns are evocative.
There is an incredible variety of foods to try in the night market.
Old street closes early when the ice-cream mini-trucks arrive. Actually, small garbage trucks play music, trying to get tourists to get out of the way.
In 2017, Witherspoon started Reese’s Book Club. Quite influential.
When she finally got around to writing her own novel, she reached out first to Harlan Coben (not James Patterson 😀).
A good call. Coben is a master of the plot twist.
Gone Before Goodbye (2025) is best on audio as Reese is the voice of Army combat surgeon Maggie McCabe.
Upside down after a devastating series of tragedies leads to her medical license being revoked, Maggie has lost her purpose, but not her nerve or her passion.
At her lowest point, she is thrown a lifeline by a former colleague, an elite plastic surgeon whose anonymous clientele demand the best care money can buy, as well as absolute discretion. …
Needing the money, she reluctantly flies to Russia to do plastic surgery on a reclusive Oligarch.
It’s a fast paced thriller.
Try not to pay too much attention to the plot. 😀
Porkchop is easily the most interesting character.
I did find the emerging medical technology and technical details of trauma surgery quite interesting. They certainly had good researchers.
One of the better books in the long, long series. An unusually strong premise.
Below the Belt (2017) is #40 in a series of guilty pleasure reads. We enjoy the life of the rich and powerful vicariously.
An impressive gentleman, Nelson Knott, launches a 3rd political party in the USA.
But he’s hiding some secrets. Backed by dirty scoundrels.
Somehow Stone Barrington finds himself in the middle of it.
Former Russian CIA mole Ed Rawls, a hilarious old curmudgeon, happens to live near Stone. He entrusts Stone to hang on to the locked case that has dirt on Knott.
Rick McCharles 