Exploring Taipei with Vivian: Ghost Festival observances, milk tea on every corner. Not pictured: more shoes than I could ever possibly need; the 24-hour bookstore.
The 2 Dans (G and J) and I decided to do as the locals do and make photo stickers (complete with extra decorations). Later I enjoyed a lovely evening at a mountain tea garden with Jennifer, Dan J and Vivian; I believe the blue-shirted local who crashed our picture was the owner's son, who demonstrated the "V" photo pose ubiquitous in Taiwan.
I also had the pleasure of spending time with some wonderful
locals: my mom's childhood friend and my friend Amy's cousin
Pei-Wen. After a sweltering day driving around the northern Taiwanese
coast, we happily gobbled up the mango, red-bean and avocado
concoctions at Pei-Wen's cousin's bing stand -- the best in
Taipei! Yum!! (Note recurrence of "V" hand gesture! You see!)