Today in Taipei we are reminded of the traditions and superstitions of the people we now live among.

The Ghost Festival also known as the Hungry Ghost Festival is a traditional Chinese festival and holiday celebrated by Chinese in many countries. In the Chinese calendar (a lunisolar calendar), the Ghost Festival is on the 15th night of the seventh lunar month (14th in southern China).

Read more HERE

Because of the smoke from the burning of Ghost Money the air was hard to breathe & ashes filled the air.

People gathered on the sidewalks to make offerings to ghosts of ancestors.

We have talked before about the Taipei summer heat. But I have to believe things really are bigger, louder, faster, & HOTTER in Texas!
I suppose there is no escaping the heat . . .

For the rest of the world, that’s 44 degrees Celsius!

Below is a link to a blog / website by a Canadian who lives in Taiwan. He received permission from the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Ottawa, Canada to publish some really nice photos from around Taiwan. We live on a beautiful island. Click the link and enjoy!

Taiwan Beauty Photo Gallery! 15 Colorful Landscape Pictures!.

The Saturday before Easter a new church was born in Taipei. Its name is:

The last Saturday of May (Memorial Day Weekend) we had a church-wide fellowship cook out supper. Hamburgers, hotdogs, and (almost) all the trimmings. Good food, fellowship, music, and preaching. Here are a few pictures click one to see it larger:

See all our online photos here

At Flickr there are some photos that are hidden from the public – ask to be a friend.

Weird,

After having lived in this city for almost 10 years and seeing how crowded it is, I’m more than a little surprised that the government would propose such a program.

Taiwan is taking drastic action to address its record low birth rate by paying couples to have babies.

The cost of having a baby is putting couples off in Taiwan

The government in the capital Taipei said it would give 20,000 Taiwan dollars (£429) for every newborn from 2011, plus monthly subsidies to lower-income families with children under five.

“We hope the comprehensive plan will let young people feel more relaxed about having children,” Taipei mayor Hau Lung-bin said.

“As a mayor, my top priority is to tackle the issues of low birth rates and an ageing population,” he added.

Birth rates in Taipei were at an all-time low in 2009 with fewer than 20,000 babies born.

The drop of 40% from a decade ago is attributed to financial concerns, especially the rising cost of childcare.

This incentive is the latest in a series of proposals to encourage births and the programme is expected to cost three billion Taiwan dollars annually.

The city government is concerned that a decrease in population will lead to serious social and economic problems in the future.

The island’s birth rate stood at 8.29 per 1,000 people last year, according to official figures.

That compares with a global average of more than 20 births per 1,000 people, according to the United Nations.

Taipei Government To Pay Couples To Have Babies As Birth Rate Reaches Record Low | World News | Sky News.

Sorry for the lack of communication lately.

Saturday the weather was warmer than it has been lately. Fran and I decided to take advantage and go for a bike ride. We put the bicycles on the subway and took them to an area just north of downtown. When we got unloaded we explored our way back home. It was a fun but tiring day!

Here are a few selected pictures.

Today (Sunday) will be the last day of the week-long lunar new year celebration across China, Taiwan, and much of Asia. Everyone will return to work tomorrow. We have also enjoyed a much slower week than normal and it felt good! In case you missed it, 2010 is the year of the Tiger.

The Chinese zodiac is a 12 year cycle.

To view an awesome photo collection of the new year’s celebration and events click HERE

Just now realizing that I  haven’t made the obligatory happy new year post.

From our house to yours – HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

Weekend before last, our Sunday night Bible Study group went on an outing. It was the last gathering that Rachel would be able to attend before moving back to the US. We decided to have dinner together then send off a lantern into the heavens – sort of symbolic of sending off Rachel. There is a suburb named PingXi that is famous for the sky lanterns – especially during lantern festival. That was where we went. It was fun! See the pictures HERE.

Tonight at around 9pm we had to put the movie we were watching on hold and go stand in a doorway. The apartment was shaking so bad, and it did it for so long, we weren’t sure if it would remain standing. It was pretty scary. the AP said:

A large earthquake struck Taiwan on Saturday, rattling buildings in the capital of Taipei.
The U.S. Geological Survey said the 6.4-magnitude quake was centered off the eastern coast of Taiwan, about 16 miles (25 kilometers) from Hualien. It struck at a depth of 28 miles (45 kilometers). The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center did not immediately issue any warning.
Local TV reports said four minor casualties were reported in the capital. The reports said Taipei’s subways and the island’s high speed railroad were suspended.
There was some damage to property in a community near the quake’s epicenter.
Earthquakes frequently rattle Taiwan but most are minor and cause little or no damage.

USGS says 6.4, Taiwan says 6.8, whatever it was at the epicenter, it was strong in our apartment!