My uncle, aunt and cousin have graciously put up with my living in their apartment for the past week and a half. Last week we sat down to dinner with three kinds of pressed tofu. Amaaazing...

Perfect (and endless) dumplings at Raohe Street Night Market.

A dumpling store in Taipei. The sign on top literally says "Exclusively Potstickers." (Okay, the sign below it says they also sell two kinds of noodles, but that makes it even better.)

Over the weekend another aunt and uncle took me on a day trip to northeast Taiwan. We encountered an incredibly friendly bull-headed shrike that my uncle claims was hiding from the rain. I can't decide whether I'm more surprised by its tameness or the bizarreness of the lighting. Clouds + flash = 2-D?

Offerings at Lungshan Temple's 270th anniversary. I think the ceremony blended Taoist in addition to Buddhist customs, hence the unexpected meat dishes. They really didn't skimp, did they.

Clearly I need to take pictures of things that are not birds or food. Stay tuned, and happy holidays!