What I remembered about the Main Taipei Library was how the librarian really wants you to be very quiet. This was a big contrast to our local libraries here, where you can speak in a normal voice. It did not make me want to go back often, the feeling that you really need to be conscious about being quiet.
Itinerary: Library, Vegetarian dinner
Today was a rest day where we pretty much spent it like how we spend out days back home. The kids went to bed really late and woke up really late (9am). I woke up early to catch up on my computer and make phone calls to the US. Skype is great!
The kids got a hot chocolate and scrambled eggs breakfast. And then had brunch yet again when my aunt got up and cooked up porridge brunch breakfast. They had whole bowls too.
I have to say, my aunt makes great food that reminds me of my mom and the kids have loved everything they cook. They’d eat/drink things that they wouldn’t touch when I cook it.
After breakfast, they horsed around while I caught up some more on my computer before I decided they were making a rukus and we all walked to the Taipei library. We went to the kids floor (B1) and got many books on insects.
Thumper wanted to find out why it itches when mosquitos bite. I finally figured out where all the picture books are. Though the library is also a Dewey system, everything is by numbers, even fiction. So picture books are in the 800 section.
We also browsed the fourth floor for English books since I havn’t read a book in so long. But Astroboy wanted to go out and was making too much noise in the quiet library. So down we went again. But we stayed a long time outside of the library checking out their automatic checkout machine. I even checked out a few books from it. I really like the concept even though you can’t quite browse the books.
When we got home, my aunt so nicely let me take a 2 hour nap while they entertain the children. After I got up, we got ready to go out for dinner at this really nice vegetarian restaurant. We had a set 7-8 course meal.
The kids didn’t care for much of the appetizer and soup, but really loved their main course when it came out. It was a calzone stuffed with cheese, mushroom, and broccoli, showing their American roots: everything with cheese apparently tastes good.
Oh, and Astroboy liked the rosemary breadsticks. Of course, they loved their dessert, which was this vanilla ice cream wrapped in a hard chocolate shell. The waiter melted the top half on the spot with a small blow torch.
After we came home, I rushed the kids to bed as they hadn’t taken a nap. And they fell asleep at 9pm, a first this week. Hoping we’ll get back to a more regular schedule today.
