This years holiday was quite lengthy clocking in at 9.5 days. It was busy and restful. The busy part mostly getting out and doing some photo shoots and processing and uploading those images. Please note some of these below.

Such beautiful flowers. I found out later that these are grown from government provided seed. Farmers can also claim a stipend for growing them, this way the government ensures that farmers will rest the field from rice planting and not deplete the soil of it's nutrients. These will be ground into mulch for the next rice planting. Beautiful ephemera.

Pauper or king is irrelevant, it's how you carry yourself. This guy seems to be very at peace in his element and clearly he's on his throne.

 What is crazy? Absurd? Macabre? These are all relative concepts like: pristine, demure,rational... This lady was into selling her blessings out by the Matsu Temple in Fengyuan, Taiwan. She was certainly a  bella figura that day.

Red lanterns always draw my eye like floating candy apples suspended in the air. This was one of the better groupings I've captured so far (in the main entrance tot he Matsu Temple in Fengyuan). Matsu is the local goddess of mercy and the patron saint of fishermen in Taiwan and southern Fujian, China.

Jean Marais-better known as: Moshang, the Sound Jeweler is a figment of both his and my imaginations. However his chillout music isn't fictional. It is real and quite soothing on the ears. Jean likes some of my photos so I got the idea to do a photo shoot with him. The rest of the images are here. This shot taken at the Martyr's Shrine in Taichung.

I continue to love Lukang and visit it and share it with friends and visitors whenever I can. This time it was with John (pictured in his 6'9" self walking away)and Carrie, and David and Katherine. There are always plenty of people around and the place is just such a great backdrop and oozing with Taiwanese history and culture. Were those folks along the wall the ultimate in nonchalance or what?

This lady was all decked out in her New Year's hawtness. She seemed very enrapt in her conversation, oblivious to the whole world walking past her. Detachment is an artform...

Festival of Lights (Diwali)
 
Festival of lights round the corner
Very thought of it peps up the fervor
Everywhere ambiance is full of glitter
Victory of good over evil is the day’s flavor 

Children of *Sivakasi huddled in dark environ
Squadrons of masters in rapt supervision
Speed of the nimble fingers the criterion
Sparkling crackers packed with sweat of the human

Spare a thought for these less-privileged
Score a win over the oppression unbridled
Arouse public opinion on their miseries untold
Amelioration at once the hour’s need indeed

Festival of lights round the corner
Very thought of it peps up the fervor
Everywhere ambiance is full of glitter
Victory of good over evil is the day’s flavor

*Sivakasi (Tamil: ச ி வ க ா ச ி is a city and a municipality in Virudhunagar district in the State of Tamil Nadu, South India, India.The town is famous all over India for its fireworks and matches factories. 

Rangarajan Kazhiyur Mannar

This is the last in the series of 3 photo essays centered around my friends-the Saito family. This portion is from our trip to Lukang-the 2nd commercial center of Taiwan after Tainan and marking Taiwan's commercial development gradually migrating north. Founder of Acer Stanley Shih is from Lukang as well as the powerful Koo family.

At entrance to the main Matsu temple. The center of old Lukang. It is neighbored by all kinds of food stands selling local area treats, primarily oysters and oyster based dishes.

One of the many are stands selling seafood treats. This one owned by my friends the Lin family. The Saitos loved the simple yet flavorful dishes and were amazed that the 5 of us could eat so well for $20. More rounds of "oishis" FTW!

How many cameras can you spot in this picture? This is the courtyard to a shop of the historic "9-Turn Alley" a series of shops in Ching Dynasty period houses. The Alley winds at every corner to keep the nearby sea winds from blowing freely down them causing cold drafts and making a windy mess.

Here some of the local Lukang oyster ladies out in force shucking away...

We visited on a Sunday-usually a busy day since many tourists have free time to come to Lukang and visit. This Sunday was also in the middle of Ghost Month so temple activity at a peak level.

Every angle of temple is alive with activity and movement. Here the Keyhole gateway allows us to focus on one portion of that.

This is a pretty enamel painting of the home town on Matsu-the female deity and patron saint of fisherman. She was from the town of Meizhou in Fujian,China.

This is a long view of the Koo family mansion. It is now a museum. They have several out buildings and a beautiful garden surrounding the mansion. It was constructed in early 20th century Japanese occupation-style. Supposedly the Koo patriarch made good friends with the new Japanese rulers of the day. He also helped them find the rightful owners to much property which coincidentally was himself. There were no land deeds under the traditional Taiwanese agrarian system.

Some kids and moms have a traditional Chinese-style top throwing contest.

Nice garden cottage now serves as administrative office for the museum. Quite peaceful and nice here.

The balance of the Lukang set can be viewed here.