I have been hesitant to post our Magic Bus trip...I screamed and shouted "No blood for Oil" last September in a massive demonstration in Washington,D.C. It is a bit hyprocritical of me to post pictures of ah, excess, and wasted fuel. "Do I contradict myself? Very well then. I contradict myself. ( I am large, I contain multitudes)." Yes I always use that Walt Whitman quote to assuage my GUILT.
Other than those valid twinges of guilt, we had a great time - all SEVEN of us: me, Sujoy (hubby), Anjoli(darling daughter), Thomas the Train and Alice in Wonderland (our friends here in Taiwan who are also Sujoy's colleagues - Lyn gave them new last names), and our friends from the states Lyn and Chris (who are bro and sis) along with a wonderful driver Mr. Huang, boarded this lovely monster and headed to the east coast of Taiwan:
That's Alice (she's got a little pup in the oven. It's the year of the Dog - get it??) and Sujoy
We were pretty excited about the karaoke equipment and disco lights. Once we (the Americans that is) tried to sing...we soon realized that we are not really meant for this popular Asian past time. Alice has a lovely voice. Here she is singing along to a pretty Taiwanese song. The video had nothing at all to do with the ballad. It was of a couple getting drunk on sake. I've posted a picture of the guy's chest (!). He drew a face on it. But, these things happen when you have too many drinkies...
But the REAL show stopper was Thomas. Oh MAN! This guy is smooth! He has the most gorgeous voice. Why is he wasting his talent as an engineer???!! Well, at least he seranades his wife. Aw....such a happy couple.
More pics...
Much more interesting pics coming...and I REALLY DO care about pollution. I am not an air-conditioned gypsy. (Ok, maybe I am...).
16 comments:
I fear I've become an airconditioned patrician. . .but new car gets 40 miles per gallon (yea!) Oh. . .how oil sucks right now.
Miss you! I do adore your photos. I'll send some of the great filmic adventure next weekend.
~L
Well, I have five kids so I am an oil waster on a daily basis. Best I can hope is that one of them will figure out a way to make it better...the way it's looking now that's a long shot, but we can hope. Have a great weekend!
xx
Ali
Hi Laura!
Oh get out of here with your 2006 Honda! hee hee.
40 mpg - that's great.
I miss you too - bow coops!! We'll be back end of July. (Sooner than planned! I have a way of getting what I want, you may have noticed).
Hello Ali!
So nice to see you here again.
Oh you don't waste oil...5 kids...you're excused!
Yeah Anjoli went through her, "I want to win the Nobel Prize for discovering a new fuel phase." I'm sad it was just a phase...you have a better chance than me!
Yeah - too bad the bus didn't run on recycled vegetable oil. There's plenty of that here! They fry EVERYTHING... chicken claws, duck butts (really), squid lips...
Waste not want not!
Sue!
Hi! So great to be back! I've found the camera, and if we have batteries for it, I'm going to take a bunch of pictures today.
I saw your picture of the high-heeled sneakers, a few posts ago. It's amusing as I have some high-heeled chucks, I'll have to put up a picture of those at some point.
Andrew is now turning all the lights on in the house, and asking about where to put the didgeridoo (yup, I have one). I'd better off, but I'll be back later!
(Hopefully with pictures...)
Jack
Jack!
That was quick! Oh I'm so happy to see your pretty face here again after so long...
I missed ya.
I'm figured out why I'm a raving lunatic lately, btw.
I have mild adrenal fatigue. ta da!
Who needs doctors when you have the internet?
Can't wait to see your pics!
xxsue
I am an airconditioned nut. But does the fact that I have major and i mean MAJOR allergies count? The C in the car helps with the filtering of the air so I don't sneeze while driving LOL. I am however all for the open windows in the house and car when I can stand it. I LOVE fresh air....even in the scortching heat!
That pic on that guys belly is the damn funniest thing! LOL karoke on the bus! RIGHT ON!
Hi Molly!
Oh well I was just goofing/ quoting Pete Townshend from "Goin' Mobile" ("I don't care about pollution, I'm an air-conditioned gypsy...that's NOT a solution...watch the taxman and the police miss me I'm MOBILE wee!!...").
We have FOUR air conditioners in our apartment here! It's steambath city. And I'm with ya on the allergies - there's TONS of mold here because of the rain and I have wicked bad mold allergies, so they do help.
But I recycle like a mad woman really, I do!
:)
Hi,
Love the pics and post, watch the police and the taxman miss me, I was mobile this weekend.
We own two gas guzzling machines. But, where I live I need a SUV, so, I feel the guilt too, and like Molly, I have terrible allergies and I can't have the windows opened too long.
What a blast you are having. How long are your friends staying?
I was so surprised to read Rachel's blog post, that she will be reading Taylor's report. So COOL. I am going to get those pics downloaded soon, when I can find my disk!!!
Well, as i've been gone for a couple of days, i've got to get outside to clean up the poop in the backyard......very glamourous aren't I???
xx
Sue
OH! Look at all of the great photos! Thanks for sharing Sue=) I hope that you are well dear! Oh I too do not use the air in my car..I wonder if my pits stink when in the summer sometimes because of it? Well no matter, we are being thoughtful!! I can't wait to see more photos...wow that vehicle is amazing, I want to ride!
xxTaushaxx
I love bus rides! But a bus ride with karaoke beats everything else!
Don't feel guilty about the pollution, unfortunately it's what we all do.
Solutions anyone?
Got to rush to get ready for work!
xoxoxo
M
Hi Sue!
"The Magic Bus"journey sounds & looks joyful!Your sweet Angel Anjoli's smile aslo makes me HAPPY♪
Karaoke and SAKE are very familiar to me.lol.I love to sing "I Can See For Miles" by karaoke.
Good to hear you love The Who cartoons.Thanks.
You should learn Chinese!
We use Chinese characters in Japan
as well as China and Taiwan.
They are really interesting.
Thanks for encouraging me.You and other bloggers comments are showing me how to post in English.
多謝！！
Tomoko xx
Goin' mobile with karaoke, yeeehah! Truth be told, I'm not sure I could gather enough courage to sing karaoke.
I agree that the world's, and especially the western world's, dependency on oil is worrying, not only because of the pollution and the concern that the oil resources will run dry eventually, but also (especially) because of the wars waged for the black gold (however much the politicians pretend the motivation to be the advancing of peace and democracy).
Sue,
Go back to my blog. I left you a comment. You will love it!
xx
Ali
Hi Sue,
Thanks for saying hi on my blog. I think the idea of karaoke and magic bussing is ideal!
My soon to be in-laws have a magic bus of their own. They are retired and travel across North America and they get 5 miles per gallon on their bus. I think it takes a few hundred dollars for them to fill up their tank, but they are enjoying life travelling.
Great photos- everyone looks so happy.
Cheers,
AM
Hi Sue
That is some Magic Bus alright!
Your life there in Asia sounds so exotic & far removed from what we live here. But the bus does look familiar...
I live in a tourist area & we see many of them, especially during the summer months. I don't know how many of them contain karaoke equipment & disco lights...
The Asians love our area. Often enough a busload of them comes from Banff to our wee town to enjoy the famous Chinese food restaurant just down the road. A Chinese family owns & runs it & it's the BEST.
As far as being "gasly" economical, I can say that we do our best. Living in a rural area, we need our van & our truck in order to get to & from town. I just try to get as much done in one trip.
I love the photos - thanks!
Take care.
Love
Dale
Susie: Hi! My friends left a LONG time ago...I've been slacking on my blog...having fun visiting lots of other blogs though!
I'm missing ITA, aren't you?
Tausha: Good on ya for not using AC in your car. I don't have one here...and I try to walk as much as possible.
I'm emailing you today. I need your help w/Myspace!
Marietta: Yes, well, I loved this bus trip! I felt like a rock star...except there was no bar on board...:)
Hi Tomoko! Aw, what a sweet comment.My daughter is always full of joy (despite having a neurotic mother! poor baby).
Oh well, you know, we may settle in Taipei for awhile, so I may end up TRYING to learn the Chinese script. But I have to learn how to SPEAK it and be UNDERSTOOD first! I love the characters though - they're so beautiful.
Yes your English is superb, really!
Maria: Hello! So well put, as always. Well, it was a once in a lifetime trip. I started to read Brave New World again (after 25 years!) and could definately relate to the opening paragraph:"Chronic remorse, as all the moralists are agreed, is a most undesirable sentiment. If you have behaved badly, repent, make what amends you can and address yourself to the task of behaving better next time. On no account brood over your wrongdoing. Rolling in the muck is not the best way of getting clean." amen!
Hello Anne-Marie! Oh no 5 mpg?? Well, it's good that they are enjoying themselves. Someday we'll all have hybrid and/or electric engines in our vehicles...I hope.
Yes we were all so happy on the trip- it was so relaxing- even though it rained 99% of the time. The scenery was heavenly. I'm having a hard time trying to choose the BEST photos for more posts, because I love them all.
Dale: Howdy! You're in an area I want to visit so badly! I have never been to the Pacific Northwest or B.C. Yeah it's mini Bejing in Vancouver I hear!
Thanks everyone for your lovely comments. I'm sorry for being so slow about posting what we actually SAW. I'll post later on today!
-Suexx
Post a Comment