Vincent, Sound and Kenting

I decided to bring Sound to Kenting are for 2 reasons: number one, a compensation to his summer holiday, kids should spend time somewhere near the nature during the summer, number two, to compensate my last period in Spirox and reconnect to Kenting , Kenting is one of rare places I will repeating visit, to me, it's out of the country - tropical weather, nice people, sun, sea and full of relaxing air.
Sound is too old to travelling with me, yes, the routine and habit develop from a teenage point of view, I might be too old school, so this trip make a " Father and Son " reunion in a compromise manner. so, maybe from next trip, I should either go alone or brought Meiling with me but to do things I really want to do, and can be done alone.
2 days before the scheduled trip. Sound and I have a little bit quarrel, so, I don't know if he will join the crew. finally, we make it up the night before. taking the 11:30 am HRS to Cho Ying - Kaoshung station is the beginning of our journey. just call Vincent for arranging everything - and the risk is -- turn out can be nothing, but this is our plan, as we boarding on the train, Sound asked me : What's the plan for next 3 days, my answer it : No plan, we just follow what Vincent take us. I read the Psychology apply to modern life on the train, Sound working on HTC games and we arrived by 13:06 , Vincent arrange car pick up for us, but I didn't expect it will be a TAXI. the driver asked my where the " B&B " is? well, I have no idea, he have to call the contact and confirm the B&B we are going to stay the first night is : One bite to Apple -- yes, he drove crazy fast and we arrived at the nowhere land in 90 minutes.. Apply ( in short ) located in a country yard, 5 minutes drive to Nan Wan - the surfing paradise, but in the old community, this is one of the few B&B , if you want to tell your friend where you are, the reference point is : Yu Ting Motel...
We arrived 30 minutes earlier than Vincent's expecation, he is doing house keeping still, we push the door in, it's a great place, interior and style well represent who Vincent is, Visual Graphic genius , designer and a great person who think living is much important than working..after he clean up the floor, we sit down and reconnect to what he did for the past 2 years after leaving Yahoo..He go to China and got offer to work in Beijing, but he really love Kenting , so relocate to Kenting for the first 6 months, buying time to persude his parent that this is the life he want to spent and wish to create a business of his own in southern part of Taiwan..for the first 6 months, he tried to identify chance to be owner of B&B, but it didn't turn to reality, so, instead, he co-invest with a legend they called " Second Brother - Er Ger ", they set up a company and build their own tourist yacht. middle size which may accomodate 8 person on board. a great idea to begin, they shiping in the part of the body and re-assemble in Taiwan. however, the operation plan delay for one year, yes, licence and many many beauracy work to handle.. so, he need to survive : for the preparation year, this is what he did : tour guy for HK group.. selling beverage on weekend at his friend mobile pizza trunk.. and recurit from Ann Lee's team for a part time Graphic designer on the coming film " Pi's driffering story " last winter, until this SPRING, the dream of owing a B&B come ture. " Apple " is the firt 4 bad rooms he inheriate and remodels in March and just start to operation this summer.
Vincent's ship should be ready anytime next month, I will be invited and he will need a barter to handle the B&B issue and relocate himslef to the brand new business, sailing and surfing. the is the short story about Vincent in last 2 years and Swallow - the lady next to him is his girl friend. a stylist who crazy about Kenting and wish to become a Wedding Planner in Kenting. they now live together. she works part time at one Main Street vendor at night on every Friday / Saturday / Sunday and Monday.
BTW, the first guest who came to Apple is our So-net colleage - Zuvvone / Ivan / Perry, they not only be the honor guest, but help to finish the detail of the house one night before opening. Zuvvone open a cafe in Tainai, I want to see it, maybe next week.
Our first stop for the trip is to check the currency at Nan Wan Bay - the surfers' heaven, the weather is not good these, this is why Vincent call with a very politely way day before we go. however, we only ( I only ) want to be here, so beat it. yes, the wave / tide is too unstable. I gave up the first evening and then move to the Travel Box for drinks - run by Vincent's friend - Ah Shin - a lady surfer who doing her own things in Kenting. the Beach House owned by Er Ger is next door. I ordered the Latte and Sound have himself bannan / vinilla milk shake. and we talked about surf and life in Kenting, then come a mini-van.. Vincent wave hand to the driver and told us that is the " Pizza Van " and we are going to have dinner there.
The Pizza Van run by another friend of Vincent - Ivan, a surfer himself who was a programmer by professon, give up the 8 years coding life, he begin his dream of a chef and started the mobile pizza van business in Kenting 2 years ago. Vincet recognize his achievement and shared with me that Ivan just bought a house in Hung Chun for 5.3 millions NT and now doing a renovation, it face a big park and gonna be a great house then. the pizza is good, when we sat at the Beach House earlier, there's girl getting off the van - her name is Sarah, another Taipei turn Kenting girl who is helping prepare the pizza stuff earlier... this is the eco system in Kenting - they work for surfing and surfing for life.. I asked Ivan the record for pizza sold one night, he said : 300 , if I times 250 @piece come to 75.000 NT - that's the hi season when the Spring Scream took place., the average is between 80 - 100 per night. if we take 80 for average and times 25 days, the revenue is 500.000 NT. not a bad business.
No plan for the night, we go back straight to Apple and enjoy our first B&B night. the rate for Apple : week day : 2000@room, 8000@house, weekend 2500@room, 10.000@house. we are the only guest there and Vincet offer a 50% discount to us..Wifi and Cable TV set up become standard at B&B, Sound and I watch an old PPS movie, I falling asleep by 11:30 pm.
Day 2.
I woke up as usual, 6:30 am and begin my walking around morning, take the main way south, I came across many different B&B, my conclusion : if you saw a house painting with differt colors or shape, you may take it as a B&B, Vincent told me there are more than 700 B&B in Kenting, if you take average 8 rooms per house, the total supply is more than 5600 rooms. it's a overly supply market but you hardly can get a room duirng peak season or weekend. some of the B&B I visit this morning is too colorful to be maintainance, the colorful piece without proper maintence easly go decay or rotton... this is my intepretation. Vincetn don't want to fall in a stereo style. this is a good approach. with alignment to his yatch business but not to turn the house a deck or dock..take an one hour walk and return home for the breakfast session.
Vincent came for picking up to a greate breakfast place - Orange.. yes, the business is so good and we exchange idea about what kind of food will be welcome here even during the low season? what come to my mind is the grill hamburge. another craze idea. I even encourge Meiling convincing Kirk consider moving to Kenging and begin his new life with sun. beach and maybe significant others.
We check the tide, no good for surfing also, Vincent drove us to a few scenic spot where normally we will not go - Lung Peng is a great place to view the ocean, a slope of ocean and clean sea.. and the shallow basin of grass, so beautiful...we asked Vincet drop us off at the National Auquirum and we may take a rest and having him working on his staff.. stayed for 3 hours, enjoy Starbuck and Vincet came to pick up us by 3:00 pm.
Tide is not good still, we move forward to our second home - Kenting Bay - such a beautiful B&B, open your door, you see the beach in front and a private shore for you. what a nature gift.. we thanks for Vincent's spend time identified such a great resort for us. and we decided to take a rest before dinner.
dinner at mainstreet with Vincent and Swallow. the night event is what Vincent survey for us - the night National Park Eco tour.. after dinner, we went to Travel Box waiting for Yoyo and ? - the 2 bartler from Beach House. 5 of us join the crew for the nature exploration. Sher Ting Park is where we began our venture.. a lot of frog , saw some snake and the beautiful Chi Pen Cha tree flowers.. the little girl who accompany with and walk on the tail of the crew is so knowledgeable, she can explain thing much detail and clear than the old guide. we are lucky to have her behind us.. a great resource indeed, I asked Vincent to keep her contact, she can be a great resouce for us next time.
ECO tour took about 90 minute. went back to Kenting Bay and do nothing.....
Day 3
wake up as usual, enjoy the private beach myself and pick up one shell,, as gift for Meiling.
Returning room and watch PPS film " Things God ? " a great HBO production. Vivien is turly a genuis color hero win our respect even today. I am so inspired. wake Sound up and took our bus back to Cho Ying station, got on 2:30 pm HRS to Tapei, we arrived home by 4:30..