violin interlude

isn't it nice when you can say 'let's go to the hot springs tomorrow' and a group of people says 'that sounds like fun, i'm in.' this morning jon, dawn, chris, danielle and i set off for wulai. today was gray and a little chillier than it has been lately, and it was a perfect day to sit in boiling hot water for a few hours.
jon had never been and he agreed that the mushrooms wrapped in bacon and grilled are by far the best food in taiwan. man those things are so tasty.

there were a lot more people this time than last because yesterday was a big holiday. there were probably 100 people or more crowded along a 50 yard strip of river. we were the only foreigners there, which drew enough attention, but when dawn, danielle and i peeled off our clothes and were tiptoe-ing along the rocks in our teeny bikinis, it created a noticeable scene. especially because all of the taiwanese people were in jeans and black t shirts.
i bought some handmade indian shoes that i had been pining after ever since i saw them when we went to wulai the first time. right now they're really stiff and sharp around the edges, but assuming i can stand the breaking-in process, i think they could be really nice. they take 'pointy toed' to a whole new level.
danielle and i went to a big reflexology spa in taoyuan when we got home from taipei. she had gone a few times before and i was grateful to have someone who knew what was going on. she requested her usual guy (#5) and i had #13. first they soak your feet in a little spa thing with jets while they work the knots out of your shoulders and back. i usually ask for light pressure, but since i couldn't communicate with the guy, i just let him do his thing. i don't think i have any knots anymore.

after that, you sit in a comfy chair and they massage your feet and legs for 45min. it was lovely. painful at times and tickley, but really good. i could do that once a month. it costs as much as an hour of work.

when we got home, danielle made me a cup of tea with her fancy tea leaves. you can keep reusing them and they just sink to the bottom when it's ready. yum.

something to think about:
You have won a prize. Either you can spend a year in Europe with a monthly stipend of $2,000 or spend ten minutes on the moon, but not both. Which option do you select?