SuKiYa (4/30)

I admit that I've been lazy in writing the journal lately.

I got up as usual at around eight this morning. Browsing a few short videos on FB, then got on Bus 918 to visit Brother Jimmy. I was lucky Bus 982 arrived timely, so that I didn't wait at the Taipei Hospital Station at all. 

I arrived at WuGu at around 10 o'clock when Brother Jimmy was at HighLife by himself. One of the residents at WuGu helped me inform Brother Jimmy of my arrival at WuGu.

Brother Jimmy came back to WuGu at 10:30. I helped him do the foot massage for 10 minutes. Brother Jimmy agreed to exercise with me for 15 minutes. He rode the bicycle, I tried the elliptical trainer.

I made a line friend with Resident JiaWen today, I also taught her the meaning of Ed Sheeran's Shape of You.

At 12 noon, Brother Jimmy, QiuYe and I took Bus 982 to XingFu station, and had lunch at SukiYa. Three of us ordered three kinds of set menus.

I took Bus 918 in front of SuKiYa, arrived home at 2:30, took a nap till 4 o'clock. My husband gave me a plate of apples and pineapples upon my request. 

The 15th set of Invisalign

TaoYuan Armed Forces Hospital II

TaoYuan Armed Forces Hospital I

Kura Sushi (3/30)

It was 3:30 when I thought about documenting the lovely one hour lunch time with Brother Jimmy at Okura Sushi today.

After the online English conversation class with 623 classmates from 10:30 till 11:00, sharing thoughts about the education, I rode the bicycle to CiJi Hospital with a box of peeled honeydew melon, and got on Bus 918 shortly. I arrived at XingFu Station before 12 noon. I walked to Okura Sushi to reserve a table for Brother Jimmy and me between 12:10 and 12:20.

Brother Jimmy invited his friend QiuYe to join our lunch gathering at Okura Sushi. We entered the conveyor belt sushi shop at 12:30, and we were given one hour to finish our meal. QiuYe had a great appetite. She devoured at least five plates of sushi in less than 10 minutes. Brother Jimmy seemed to have a good time with his partner eating sushi insatiably. They also finished togther the box of peeled honeydew melon. 

Upon the request of QiuYe, I ordered via shop's ipod an ice cream as a dessert for her. I am happy for Brother Jimmy that he has a friend to keep him company at WuGu. Three of us ate a total of  NT$670. QiuYe agreed to walk with Jimmy for a few blocks after lunch. We agreed to try the beef bowl for lunch at SuKuYa next Tuesday noon. 

In the afternoon, I watched 2024 DVD "It ends with us", talking about a woman who overcame a traumatic childhood to embark on a new life in Boston and chased a lifelong dream of opening her own business. A chance meeting with charming neurosurgeon Ryle Kincaid sparks an intense connection, but as the two fall deeply in love, Lily begins to see sides of Ryle that remind her of her parents’ relationship. When Lily’s first love, Atlas Corrigan, suddenly reenters her life, her relationship with Ryle is upended, and Lily realizes she must learn to rely on her own strength to make an impossible choice for her future.

An Old Couple

It's 8:30 in the evening, I began to write the blog.

I got up before 8 o'clock, got ready for the Japanese class from 8:15 till 9:00. We studied simple and basic Japanese conversation.

I steamed butternut pumpkin from 10:30, rested in bed from 11:30 till 12 noon, listening to the radio.

At noon, we had butternut pumpkin for lunch.

I arrived at Wheatland Care Center at 1:30, and played with elderlies for two hours till 3:30. Take a nap immediately after I arrived home, and rested till 5 o'clcok. I asked my huband to peel the honeydew medlon for me.

I watched two Japanese DVDs today, 2023 "朝が来ると、虚しくなる", and 2024 "異國日記". 

At dinner, my huband and I joked about us being an old couple 

looking at each other, and not get tired of seeing each other only

in the eyes.

The Love Letter

It rained in the morning, I felt extremely lucky that Brother Jimmy and I spent a few happy and sunny hours together yesterday.

I wrote on this blog at one o'clock this afternoon. I got up at 8 o'clock, went to the food vendor in the neighborhood, bought 4 big tomatos, 3 cucumbers, 1 cabbage, a huge butternut pumpkin, three ambrosia apples. I also bought a bag of thick rice vermicelli and a bag of frozen Taiwanese scallion pancakes from a shop on Chili Street. I called my husband to come down to help me carry two heavy shopping bags upstairs.

I took a rest for an hour listening to the radio in bed from 11 till 12. After lunch, I turned on the computer to check the emails and wrote the blog. Just when I was hesitated if I should go to the sports center, I checked Bus 909 schedule online. I found no reason not to go to the sports center to exercise. The bus was free, the sports center was free.

While waiting for Bus 909 on DaFeng Road, I found there were only three swallow chicks fighting for food from their parents. The fourth tiny one must have died. The first clutch of four chicks fledged successfully. The second clutch started with four eggs. I wonder if they are siblings? 

I googled on the internet and found out that swallows stay with the same mate every year. Swallows are known for forming strong bonds during the breeding season, often pairing up with one mate. Swallows typically return to the same breeding areas each year. The site fidelity plays a role in their mating decisions. Female swallows may be more inclined to switch partners after a challenging breeding season.

I took charge of online Toastmaster Magazine reading from 9:15 till 10:00 this evening. I chose the article "foster belonging and inclusion in your club" from the July issue 2025. Four group members participated in the reading. https://www.toastmasters.org/magazine/magazine-issues/2025/july/foster-belonging-and-inclusion-in-your-club

I watched a 2021 French DVD "The Love Letter" in the evening. As the relationship between Jonas and Léa went sour, Jonas paid Léa a visit to tell her he's still in love with her. Despite the passion that remains between the two, Léa rejected Jonas. And Jonas headed to the café opposite to write her a long letter. The movie was about the events happened in just one day. I didn't watch till the end, because I found it boring! 

Tuesday Lunch Gathering (2/30)

At 8 o'clock in the evening, I began to write the journal. It's been a wonderful day.

I arrived at WuGu at 10:30 with a box of peeled honeydew melon. Bother Jimmy was dozing all by himself in the dark hall on the second floor. I watched Brother Jimmy savor the honeydew melon. Then we went downstairs to chat in the lobby till 12 noon (2/30), I also took some time massage Brother Jimmy's feet.

I convinced Brother Jimmy with success to have lunch with me. We got on Bus 982 at 12:05 and got off at XingFu Station. Bother Jimmy ordered a big mac set menu, I ordered a double layers chicken burger. Later on we shared a McFlurry together. We chatted till 2 o'clock. Brother Jimmy looked contented, took Bus 982 back to WuGu, I took the MRT yellow line to Dapingling. As soon as I got home, I took a nap till 5 o'clock.

My husband made a glass of dragonfruit milk juice upon my request. I enjoyed the new recipe very much. After I cleaned my teeth alighment, I took Bus Green 13 to the JinXin Library to collect three books I requested online, and borrowed 12 newly arrived DVDs. 

In the evening, I watched the 2023 Korean DVD "Strike Dolphin", talking about a 35-year-old woman with a troubled childhood, living with her mother and younger brother in a small seaside village where she works for the local newsletter. When her mother announces plans to sell their house and her brother insists on moving to Seoul, she struggles to accept the changes but discovers solace at a bowling alley.

Even I could only understand a few conversation lines in Korean, I found it entertaining to see the life in a small Korean seaside village, and how family members, strangers, and friends struggled to run their everyday lives.

Typhoon Danas Landed from BuDai Harbor in ChiaYi

I didn't write the journal until 8:15 this evening, after having dinner and taking the meditation.

Monday is full of activities. From 8:30 till 9:30, the online NHK easy Japanese news reading about the riverside Kabuki Procession in Osaka on the first of July to announce the coming Summer Kabuki performance from July the 5th till the 24th. 

Even I have a big Kaburi dictionary on the bookself, I have never seen a Kakuki show in Japan. If I had a chance, I won't mind seeing the Kabuki Procession with famous Kabuki actors on the Gondora drifting along the two and a half kilometers river to the Kabuki Hall.

I took Bus Brown 2 from XinDian to WanFang Hospital in the rain. The bus stopped in the middle of the heavy traffic intersection because there was a crash between a bus and a taxi. I got off the bus. On my way to WenShan Sports Center, I bought a bowl of steamed glutinous rice for lunch for NT50 dollars. I also bought a butter melon bread for dessert.

My friend and I met up at the Ikari Cafe' at the lobby of WenShan Sports Center at 12:45. He ordered a cup of latte upon my request, we shared the pancake with honey and chocolate ice cream. We practiced speaking Korean for two hours. Then he went upstairs to exercise, I took Bus Green 2 back to XinDian, took a nap till 4:30.     

In the afternoon, I watched a DVD, a 2023 Japanese movie “Moon”, by Rie Miyazawa. The once a famous writer couldn’t write anymore. She started to work at a facility for the severely disabled which is located in the deep forest. She witnessed the residents at the facility being treated carelessly or even violently by others workers. I dared not finish watching the DVD based on the social incidence in Japan.  

At night, I learned from the news that the eye of Typhoon Danas made landfall in ChiaYi County's Budai Township late at night. It was the first time PuZi experience such a huge typhoon in 120 years. 

Typhoon Danas 2025

It's almost 9 o'clok in the evening, I decided to write on this blog.

After breakfast, I walked to the food vendor in the neighbor to buy vegetables and fruits. I bought 4 zucchinis, 2 tomotos, 2 corns, 4 potatos, 2 dragonfruits, 3 honeydew melons, two bags of white mushroom. I asked my husband to come downstairs to help me carry all of them up to the 4th floor.

At noon, we had a big pot of corn, tomato, potato, cabbage, port rib soup, and a big pan of fried zucchini, white mushrooms, salmon, bread for lunch. My husband joked about my upsurging appetitie.

In the afternoon, I asked my husband to make dragonfruit milk juice for me after I got up from the siesta. It tasted really sweet and delicious.

At night, we had salmon fried rice for dinner, with eggs, white mushroom, onion. I had two bowls of delicious salmon fried rice. 

Because of Typhoon Danas, it will be raining the whole week next week, the temperature would drop to around 30 degrees celcius.

The First Weekend in July (1/30)

I decided to see Brother Jimmy in person either at WuGu or XinChuang Sports Center whenever I have time, with an aim we meet 30 times face-to-face the second half of year 2025 (1/30).

I like morning hours, reading on the front veranda, having breakfast slowly, taking medication, cleaning the teeth alighment. My teeth didn't feel as painful the third day with the new alignment. Life is about adjustment, take it easy, and let the nature take it course.

I got on Bus 918 at CiJi Station at 10:00, arrived at Taipei Hospital at 10:25. The next Bus 982 wouldn't arrive in 35 minutes, so I walked to the Taipei Hospital to use the toilet. Then I stayed around to listen to GuZheng performance for 10 minutes. While waiting for the traffic light, I saw a purple pouch on the street, I took it to the shop nearby. I was advised to take it to the police station, or leave where it was.

I arrived at WuGu at 11:11, I was told that Brother Jimmy was at the Hi-Life Convenient Store. I stayed at WuGu to mingle with the residents and watched TV till 11:30 the lunch time. I ate one spare lunch box. It gave me a chance to know more about the daily activities of WuGu Center. 

After lunch, I joined Brother Jimmy at Hi-Life at 12:10 in a sudden rain. I saw Lady C was sitting with Brother Jimmy. C is 38 years old with two married older sisters. Then we invited Boy B to join us. B was 32 years old, married. His 5 year old daughter is with a foster family. B's father passed away, and called Brother Jimmy "Daddy". Upon B's request, I paied for three kinds of frozen food he chose at the HiLife. Bother Jimmy also enjoyed the warmed up frozen food. I am happy that Brother Jimmy is surrounded by many caring and friendly resdients at WuGu. I got on Bus 982 at 13:05, transferred to Bus 918 at XinPu station, arrived in XinDian at 14:20, took a rest till 15:00.

In the afternoon, I saw a DVD about a romantic tale when Yuri, a high school student, has a disagreement with her mother and decides to flee, ultimately seeking refuge for the night in an abandoned World War II bomb shelter. Upon awakening, she discovers that her surroundings have transformed into a bygone era. The romance between the high school student and Kamikaze team member later motivates the student to go to college to become a teacher.