Welcome to the Castle on Waterview Street


Dear Samantha: 
     Ni-hao-ma? That is how we say "hello" on our island, Taiwan, in our city, Taichung, and around our castle on Waterview Street. One day, when you are older, you may visit us here and I want to show you around so you feel comfortable when you arrive. I am your mommy's father; you can call me Grandpa David or Grandpa for short.
     Let me tell you something about our castle. Our castle is a big house with many people living in it. Some of the people have names and others names I do not know. I know the people with names but the people whose names I do not know I know when I see them. Our castle has a name, too. It is called Renoir Castle. I do not know why it is called Renoir Castle so do not ask me why. How do I know that it is that name? Because it says so on the side of the castle. 
     Renoir Castle was made by some men and women that I do not know. They made it over many days, many years ago, long before anyone lived here, but it was here when we came to live here, that is why we came to live here. 
Renoir Castle has 7 floors. The men and women who made the castle were going to make 12 floors but they did not have enough sand or glass so they only made 7 floors. There is a basement under the ground. Some of the people that live here put their cars in the basement when the cars rest. Each car has a  bed; one bed on top and one bed on the bottom. 
     I sleep on the 4th floor with my wife. Her name is Forest Phoenix but you can call her Leona; that is what I call her but the other people in Renoir Castle say Lin Shih-Huang; that means Forest Phoenix. Forest Phoenix is my wife but she is not your grandma, but that is another story your mommy will tell you one day.
     Look at the picture below. Can you see the door to the castle? Next to the door, on the right, stays a man who says "Ni-hao-ma?" when you come to the castle. Do you remember what "Ni-hao-ma" means? Of course you do! Doorman helps Leona take care of the castle. Do you remember who Leona is? Of course you do! 
     Look at the picture above. Can you see the store on the left? The man in that store, is named Motorhead. Motorhead puts new shoes on cars. Do you know what those shoes are called? They are called tires. If you can count 4 floors up from Motorhead's tire store, you can see the patio outside the place where Grandpa David and Leona live. Do you know who plays there? I will tell you: 5 cats play there. In the next story I will tell you about our 5 cats: Nala, Tanuki, Cookie Dough, Latte, and Bobbie, but now it is time to go to bed. Wan-on! That means "Good night" on our island. 

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