300 posts! – that makes almost 100 posts on the dot per year, which is quite good, I think!

Speaking of which…

Jade and I went for a quick day trip to get out of Taipei, and with no particular direction in mind we headed towards Beipu, near Hsinchu. I was semi-expecting another Taiwanese tourist honeypot, but I was pleasantly surprised by some frankly excellent food and charming pre-Japanese architecture. I didn’t even mind the drizzle – it cooled the place down (apparently we hit 37 degrees C last week, which is insane) and dispersed the hungry tourists.

At the bus stop in one of the local towns

Take a seat

I am forever charmed by the little logos and emblems of Taiwanese municipal services – here’s the Hsinchu bus service

Positive Thinking – An old guy checks the scene in Beipu

Windows

Shutters on a garage

A water well – ‘shui jing’ – with the symbol for water above and well below