trip to pingtung

daoist temple

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hi all,

last night we were invited to have dinner for new years with johns friend and his family, it was very good and interesting.  the food was excellent and served in little bowls on rice.  one tradition is that you never drink alone so when you want to take a drink you must raise your glass so other join you.  it is considered bad luck to drink alone.  another tradition is to bring money in a red envelope on new years to the hosts so john and May each gave them 1000NT(80 dollars).  the grandfather then gave each of us a red envelope with 200NT which is about 8 dollars cnd.  this is meant to bring wealth and prosperity. 

today we rode the scooter to pingtung, another city near by.  on the way we drove past rice paddies and fields of pinapples which grow in the ground, i would have thought that they grow on trees, who knew.  we also visited many temples where people bring offerings of fruit to the gods and burn paper money which is meant to take money up to their dead ancesters.  i have many pics of this but unable to  download them now but will when I am able to.

inside the temple

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tomorrow we are off to the music festival, will update you on this when we get back the next day...........taiwan is interesting but being away from canada makes you appreciate what we have more and more........bye for now!