Crazy New Year’s Day at Sun Moon Lake — Part 2: Cable Car and Lake Views

January 2, 2011 — Crazy New Year’s Day at Sun Moon Lake, Part 2: Cable Car and Lake Views
Canon EOS 500D 18–55mm F3.5–5.6

Picking up from “Crazy New Year’s Day at Sun Moon Lake — Part 1: Sunrise,” the other big reason for this trip was to show everyone the Sun Moon Lake Ropeway.

While the rest of us were catching up on sleep, everyone who had stayed in bed that morning finally appeared ^^"

Family members gathering outdoors at Sun Moon Lake — The late sleepers finally appeared, ready to join the day’s outing.

Lisa and Belle’s poses had been getting stiffer and stiffer. Then I remembered photography teacher Herman’s “Five Quick Ways to Guide a Model’s Poses,” so naturally we had to try it right away ^.^

First: Headache!!

Lisa or Belle posing with a hand to her head — Pose number one: the headache.

Toothache!!

Shoulder ache!!

A girl posing with a hand on her shoulder — Pose number three: the shoulder ache.

Hmm… apparently I had not absorbed the teacher’s wisdom after all. ~.~

Better go back to looking at the scenery.

Chaowu Trail

Time for us to make finger stars too ^.^

Family members arranging their fingers into a star — Everyone reached in to make a finger star by the lake.

My poor wife had spent the morning looking after the little one who slept in…

The author’s wife posing beside Sun Moon Lake — After looking after the late sleeper all morning, my wife finally got a breather.

Hey… hey, wait… kiddo, how did you end up running off by yourself? >.<'"

Lisa and her cousin Ray turned the glow sticks they had picked up at the New Year’s Eve celebration into swords. One Wudang swordsman plus one Emei heroine could only mean one thing: a duel. ~.~

Lisa posing beside her cousin Ray — Lisa and her cousin Ray together by the lake.

Two children staging a martial-arts duel with glow sticks — The Wudang swordsman and Emei heroine began their duel.

Soon we were back at Chiang Kai-shek Pier. Walking beside the lake in the winter sunshine felt warm and wonderfully comfortable ^.^

Chiang Kai-shek Pier and Sun Moon Lake in winter sunlight — Winter sunshine warmed the pier and our walk beside the lake.

You two!! Still not finished fighting?!

My Glamorous Mother

The author’s mother posing at Sun Moon Lake — Enter my glamorous mother.

Guess how old she was. Never mind her mournful complaint the day before that I never took her overseas—forty years earlier, when overseas travel from Taiwan was still restricted, she had already traveled around the world. She had even visited Egypt, Norway, and New Zealand, places I still had not seen myself @.@

My glamorous mother was already in her seventies ^.^

Finally, the Cable Car

Time to set off～～

The family preparing to board the Sun Moon Lake Ropeway — At last it was cable-car time, and everyone was ready to go.

Everybody, group together ^.^

As the cable car climbed, the lake, mountains, and buildings along the shore slipped beneath us. The same crowd that had been running around the pier was now squeezed into one cabin, taking in the view.

Sun Moon Lake and the surrounding mountains seen from the cable car — As the cable car climbed, Sun Moon Lake opened up below us.

Once we reached the entrance to the Formosan Aboriginal Culture Village, of course we were tempted to squeeze in one more activity!!

The family near the entrance to the Formosan Aboriginal Culture Village — At the village entrance, we were tempted to squeeze in one more adventure.

But honestly, we were exhausted. The highest guiding principle of any outing is knowing when to stop while you’re ahead!!

All right, time to go home～～～

What?! Already??

Oh～～～headache!!

A child reprising the headache pose with a hand to the head — Told it was time to leave, the first response was: headache!!

Then came toothache and shoulder ache all over again. Going home so soon? One final pose: Oh… heartache!!

A child posing with a hand over the chest to show heartache — Going home so soon called for one final pose: heartache!!

Ha～～well done, everyone!! Back on the bus～～

At 2:30 p.m. on January 2, 2011, our crazy New Year’s half-day trip to Sun Moon Lake came to an end, and we headed home ^.^

Ending

A classmate had posted this passage on Facebook the day before:

My dreams are meaningless, my plans are dust, and my goals are impossible.
Everything is worthless—unless we act.
I will act now!!!
—Og Mandino, The Greatest Salesman in the World