A scene in Tokyo

In July, I made a trip to Tokyo with my family. We spent three days to see this big and busy city. This photo was taken during a visit to Meiji Jingu, which is one of the most famous and historical important temples in Tokyo. Many visitors like to sit on the benches for a rest after touring in the temple. 

Making Millet Mochi-搗小米

Last month I went with a local hiking group to visit Smangus (司馬庫斯) 和 Cinsbu (鎮西堡). Both are located in the mountain areas of Hsinchu County. Although we came from Hsinchu City, both locations are in the deep inside of the mountains. It took two to three hours to get there.

We first arrived at Cinsbu and visited giant trees that are more than a  thousands year. We then stayed there one night. The hostel's owner arranged a nice performance, including singing Atayal (泰雅族) songs, dancing and making Millet Mochi, to entertain us. Traditionally, they make Millet Mochi for the celebration of important holidays and events.

In the next day, we were supposed to get up very earlier and head to Smangus. However, a landslide occurred and blocked the road for the exit of Cinsbu because of several days' nonstop raining. We weren't able to leave Cinsbu until the road was clear. Also, Smangus has strict hours to allow visitors to enter and leave the village for the traffic control reason. We were not able to reach this most remote village in Taiwan in the hours that we were allowed to enter, so when the road was clear, we headed back to the city. 

Drying Clothes-曬衣服

In Taiwan, some people would hang their clothes outside, when they don't have any place in the house to dry them. Even though the weather is quite humid here, people tend to dry their clothes outside or at the balcony because most families don't have a dryer at home. 

Wedding Dance-喜宴

I went to a friend's engagement party, in which a group of friends danced with the groom.

Cat Village-猴硐的貓

A Japanese friend that I met in Jordan likes cats a lot. She likes to photograph them and always carries cat food with her to feed street cats. Recently she came from Japan with her sister to spend a few days in Taipei. I brought them to this small cat village, Houtong, where cats can been seen in every corner of the village. 

College Friends-同學會

Several college friends reunited at the university where we were graduated more than twenty-five years ago. After lunch, we took a walk in the campus and hiked in the trails behind it. It's always great to meet old friends and look back at the time that we spent together. 

Believers in Lung-Shan Temple-龍山寺信徒

Lung-Shan Temple is a famous religious spot in Taipei. I paid a visit there with my sisters and mother a week ago. As usual, a lot of local folks came to pray for blessing or fortune, and many foreigners visited this historical temple as well. Many sat at the hallways to rest while believers recited Buddhist scripture.