It has been awhile since I've put photos onto my blog from a "real" computer. I have to today because I have so many that I want to share. Loading photos here is tricky - you have to think backwards because it puts your first choice last, your last first, etc. Today I wasn't thinking clearly enough for the mental gymnastics of photo placement and, honestly, I don't have the patience to rearrange them. So instead of trying to tie things up into a nice little package with a flowing narrative, I'm just going to dump all of the pictures out and explain as I go. And you'll just have to deal with it. More likely I'LL have to deal with it because it will annoy me this way.

On Saturday we took Ethan to The Grand Hotel for his birthday. We were there a few weeks ago for dinner, remember? At that time Ethan had REALLY wanted to spend the night. He seems to be developing a love for design and he thought this place was so cool. We decided rather than try to do a party we would take him to the hotel and let him shop for Taiwan souvenirs. He LOVED it. He loved staying in the hotel. He loved buying his own souvenirs. Afterward he said he'd had a GREAT time, and Ethan never says that, so I'm happy.

This is in the lobby of the hotel. It is real live orchids!

I've said before that the kids have gotten tired of me and my camera. Often when I try to take pictures of them I get faces like these:

This is the entrance to the hotel as seen from our balcony: a beautiful gate, nice gardens and loads of white steps approach the front door.

This is one of the 9 restaurants in the hotel. We didn't eat here, which is probably too bad, since this is where they serve pastries! Eric took this picture because I said that before we leave Taiwan I want to buy some chairs like these. The wood is beautiful and the cushions are so thick that they are surprisingly comfortable.

Another view of the front gate from our balcony. I used part of the balcony as a frame and was very please with the way this came out.

A few pictures showing some of the detail of the balconies. They are absolutely beautiful, and huge!

There were views in many directions since the balcony was so huge.

Every hotel these days has a little fabric thing laid across the foot of the bed. Most of them look the same, at least in American hotels. They have the same fabric thing in The Grand Hotel, but theirs is made of a beautiful, embroidered -- brocade? Not sure what you call the fabric.

It seems strange to me, the different variety of trees that grow here. There are pine trees:

and palm trees:
It just doesn't seem to me like they could both thrive in the same climate!

This next picture shows an interesting fact about Taiwan. Notice how the stair on the right are beautiful and white, while the stairs on the left look filthy dirty. You can also see at the bottom right of the picture a blue machine - a power washer. Obviously the right staircase has been cleaned but not yet the left. Everything here gets awful looking very quickly. It must be a combination of humidity and pollution.

Here is the full front of the hotel. No, I did not cut Ethan's head off. The little poop - who makes mean faces when I try to take a picture of him - was jumping up and down to bug me while I tried to take a picture!
Saturday evening we went to the pool. We had already forgotten that in Taiwan pools you MUST wear a swim cap. We, being American, hate that rule and immediately abandoned it when we got our own pool. Anna happened to have one with her, having been at a friends house earlier in the day. (SHE remembered!) Ethan was able to borrow a cap from the lifeguard. Eric and I just sat on lounge chairs, which was exactly what I wanted anyhow. The sky was breathtakingly beautiful at sunset.
I cannot look at the above picture without thinking "The heavens declare the glory of God!"

This building houses a poolside restaurant. We were going to eat there, but it was closed for a private party.
So instead, Ethan's choice, we went to the dumpling restaurant! I only took 2 pictures and they aren't good, but you can perhaps get a LITTLE peak. Dumplings are one Taiwanese food that our entire family can eat.

We also had a pot of Oolong tea. The kids even take a bit of it. I have a feeling the taste will grow on them. It has grown on me and will be a taste I will definitely take away from Taiwan.