Today at noon, with 20 additional relatives and friends, some whom he has known for more than 70 years, Tai yeh-yeh celebrated his 90th birthday in a private room in restaurant Bi Fong Tang on the 10th floor of the Living Mall, just across the street from where he lives. I wonder what type of life experiences Tai yeh-yeh must have had being born at the end of one great war, having served in World War II, having fought the communists and then being forced to flee your homeland to an island with the resulting split up of your family for decades? But he lived his years well, and has been blessed with good health. The rest of our family would be so fortunate to also live that long with such good quality of life.

Top: At the entrance to our room, with the sign announcing that this is the Hsu celebration. 2nd: Tai yeh-yeh starts a toast, one of many. 3rd: Toward the end of the meal, a special 90th birthday cake is wheeled in and Tai yeh-yeh cuts the cake to the applause of guests. The three seated guests are old classmates he has known since his Shanghai days in the 1930′s – all about the same age as Tai yeh-yeh. 4th: Here I go again, playing with his cane, a symbol of growing older, but with a smile that really means to convey my respect for him. Bottom: My family together showing the 4 generations of Hsus: Tai yeh-yeh, Yeh-yeh, Daddy, and me!

Top: Brushing my teeth, getting ready for Tai yeh-yeh’s big day! 2nd: Tai yeh-yeh with my granduncle Jerry, grandaunt Sunny, and Yeh-yeh. Did you know that this is the first time the four of them have been together in one setting together, ever? 3rd: Yes, I know, another picture of us eating dinner together. This is what we do here. Bottom: Showing off some of his birthday gifts. This one comes from his grandson Uncle Vernon and Aunty Joan, original paintings created by Aunty Joan herself.

I’m thankful for the following: 1) My Tai yeh-yeh, especially that he has such good health and turns 90 years tomorrow! 2) Family and that we can all enjoy dinner together; 3) Noodles!

Eating in Asia is a great experience, and I am finally able to enjoy some of the cuisine that Taiwan has to offer. Mommy & I are still on a dairy-free, soy-free diet because of allergies, but otherwise I have enjoyed pretty much the same foods my parents eat. No more eating only commercially-prepared stage two baby food like the last time I was here! We typically eat a Taiwanese breakfast that Daddy gets a block away from our condo. For lunch, we eat out on the town, and then in the evening we head to Tai yeh-yeh’s home for dinner. I admit that we’ve also been snacking – there are just so many cafés and beverage stalls in town that one can’t help but enjoy sampling those as well.

Top: A huge variety of beverages are sold at stalls throughout the city, including fruit juices and fruit and milk teas. As a master straw sucker, I am seen here with Mommy enjoying a sweet and sour drink made from preserved plums. 2nd: Steamed vegetarian dumplings served as a restaurant specializing in entrees with a unique tea flavor or made from tea leaves. 3rd: The Taiwanese version of shaved ice, halo-halo, ice kacang, or whatever else you want to call it, packed with green and red beans, boiled peanuts and black jelly. The ice is packed below. 4th: How can you travel to Taiwan and not use chopsticks? Taking a mouthful of white turnip cake, a traditional Chinese breakfast and dim sum dish. Bottom: I am stuffing myself with food at Tai yeh-yeh’s home, with entrees that we bought from the Nan Men (South Gate) market.

Chrysanthemums have been cultivated by the Chinese for millenia. Not only are they prized for their aesthetics, these flowers serve medicinal and culinary purposes, most commonly used in teas these days. Tuesday’s chilly and overcast weather did not deter us from taking a bus to the Taipei suburb of Shihlin to visit the chrysanthemum gardens, which was previously the residence of Chinese leader Chiang Kai-shek. Master horticulturalists have transformed various chrysanthemum types into a myriad of shapes, such as dragons and Christmas trees .There is supposedly another bonus to this activity: my parents theorize that having me roam around the gardens allows me to expend more of that toddler energy and sleep better at nights. We’ll see if they are right.

Late afternoon we made the usual daily 4km trip to visit Tai yeh-yeh, except there were two differences. First, instead of taking a taxi we took a bus, and two, instead just Tai yeh-yeh welcoming us, we arrived to a full condo. All my granduncles and grandaunts had arrived, as two of them from Texas just arrived today via Shanghai and Macau. As you recall we’re all here to celebrate Tai yeh-yeh’s 90th birthday on Saturday. The only ones missing from tonight’s dinner are Yeh-yeh and Nai-nai; they arrive later this week from Singapore. Looks like for the rest of this week I will have lots of kisses and attention beyond the ordinary.

Top: Goo-por (Grandaunty) Sunny teaches me the names of birds in Chinese. 2nd: Uh-oh, here I go again, messing around with things such as Tai yeh-yeh’s cane. Fortunately he doesn’t seem to mind. 3rd: At a Beijing restaurant called “Xi Lai Suen” on East Nanjing Road. Clockwise, from me: GU Danny and GA Sunny, from Danshui, a suburb of Taipei; Tai yeh-yeh; GU Jerry and GA Sherry, from Dallas TX; GU Linda, who is Sherry’s sister and a professional violinist, from Macau; and finally Aunty Shirley, GU Linda’s daughter, who is a college student here in Taipei. Bottom: Tai yeh-yeh and GU Jerry enjoy a laugh together.

Apart from a small trip to SOGO department store mid-morning, most of the day was spent mostly at our condo. Perhaps you’d call it a lazy Monday, but for us it was hardly that. Mommy did laundry and cooked rice porridge for me, while Daddy tried to keep me entertained. But don’t think for a minute I didn’t do my portion of the work around here. I even have photo documentation!

Top: See? I’m helping to earn my keep! Middle: In trying to mop the kitchen, I got stuck. But flying away on a broom isn’t going to help the floors get cleaned any faster. Bottom: I AM helping; I’m warming up his shoe so Daddy can put his foot in and feel warm and comfy!