Back in Taiwan

[mresseguie]

Hey, all.

  I've been largely inactive here for nearly a year, I think. 11 months ago, I became a grandpa. Since my grandson was born, he and his parents stayed with my wife and me for 9 of those months. I always assumed I would like any grandkids who came into this world, but I am absolutely smitten by my adorable grandson. I want to be around him all the time, which is different from what I had imagined. I had thought my wife and I would visit him for a few days 2 to 4 times per year, and do our own thing the rest of the time. That's what my parents were like - they typically visited for a few days at a time before returning to their regular lives.

  As mentioned above, we're back in Taiwan, and will remain here until mid-July. My mother-in-law is definitely not doing well. At the rate she's failing, I wouldn't be surprised if she's gone before year's end.  

  We spent 8 days in Kyoto and Osaka doing the tourist thing. It's amazing how many foreigners are wandering around the area seeing the sights and spending money. Talk about boosting the economy. While we were in Osaka, I got permission from my boss to spend an afternoon wandering around the audio shops. The two shops that I really wanted to spend time in were closed on Wednesday. Apparently 'closed on Wednesdays' is a thing in some Japanese retailers. The two small audio shops that I was really looking forward to were closed.  Two other shops appear to have gone out of business. Of 5 shops I had identified as interesting, only one was open. That was a big electronics store with some decent gear on the fifth floor, but their listening room was crap. I bought 5 Jazz CDs and called it a day.

  There's a good chance we'll sell our home in Oregon next year, which means I'll have to sell some of my small horde of audio gear. I may be offering up a couple DACs (Holo Audio Spring3 KTE; SW1X DAC III) and maybe a pair of speakers (not my Daedalus Apollos!). If anyone is seriously interested in the Holo DAC, let me know before July 15th. It's here in Taiwan, so I will bring it back in a suitcase. It gets used for just 3 to 6 months each year and is boxed up the rest of the time.

That's all for now. I can probably post some recent photos from Japan or Taiwan if you're interested. 

[Nick B]

Hi Michael,

It's good to hear from you again. Very sorry to hear about your mother-in-law, but happy to hear that your grandchild has brought much joy into your life.

My wife and I took care of my mother when her health was failing. Those were some difficult days, but that's what family is all about. I wish you and your wife the best in that regard.

If you sell your home in Oregon, would you expect to come back to the West Coast after your mother-in-law passes?

I would enjoy seeing some photos if you have some time to post. With the new software and allowances made for more photo types and larger files, it's much easier to post photos nowadays.

Nick