Robin Smith from 4C Design in Glasgow visited for an evening – an old friend off my university course, PDE at the Glasgow School of Art. He was doing business in Taichung and swung by on his way home. It was a real pleasure to see him and we had some good fun.

He had visited Taipei before, visiting Tim (also from Glasgow) when he was designing here. I persuaded him to wear his kilt and we headed off to Shilin night market. We got some good food (although we got shouted at for not finishing i!t – food is seen as more precious here) and had plenty of photos taken of us, or at least Robin, as young girls came bouncing up to have their tourist photos taken with him.

The Glen of Tranquility

Many people were pretty amazed by the kilt, but I think there are so many whities in Taipei these days that they are less fazed. Still, cool to have these girls running up to us! No complaints.

Markus had his Betel Nut party which was great fun. Plenty of fun and drinking and Robin got a great reception. Markus had done an amazing job of decking the place out and had put little packages of presents in Betel Nut packages – very cute. Our Taiwanese colleagues were on good form, though they really regard Betel chewing as a lower class activity – only Fukan admitted that his dad ate them. I think there is a real desire to move up the class structure, in the same way as 1950s Britain, perhaps.

In typical Weegie-style Robin challenged Mike and his friend to a Ryder Cup of drinking – USA V EU, downing pints in a small boat race. Anke started our team off, but did not realise we had started so we had alot of ground to make up! Luckily, she did her job, Robin did a strong middle leg and I managed to deliver a victory, with enough time to see the Americans choke on their juice. What can I say? Those years of training have paid off.

Fallout

Yi-Ju and I rocking out with face paints

Anke ‘Betel Pimp’ Schabuschabu, Jonathan ‘Coughing Tiger’ Biddle, Mike ‘The Lethal Grin’, and Lars ‘Strike a Pose’ Torkhul

I can see you!

Robin and I went out later on the hunt for a late bar or club, but we got dumped in the middle of nowhere by an embarrassed cabbie, then we could not get into Luxy (though it was 4:30 in the morning!). Here is me with my street drinking Bar Beer.