A day of meetings!
We finally got to have a sit down with Robert and Mary-Ann, who are the owners and directors of BASE. They gave us the rules and provides us with some lessons in etiquette; and they also shared some amazing stories – tba. We received access to bikes, and welcome gift totes!
From there we branched off – back to the adjacent village of Cao Chung Di to get some lunch. Half went to Cao Chung Di Club, and the rest of us hit-up a Korean noodle spot. Robin Kang excitedly shared her experiences of working at a Korean restaurant in Brooklyn, as well as things she has learned from her husband’s family (who are Korean).
Dashing off from lunch we hurried over to Fodder Factory, again. This time it was for a warm (exclusive) welcome to the space. The owner had prepared lemon water for us, and the venue was cool. We scattered around at the three tables and bar, and ordered a couple more beverages. Jason pulled shots for our iced coffee, himself, and graciously made sure we were all comfortable. Once we were settled he coached us through 2 crash courses in the basics of Mandarin greetings and transactions. A lot of laughter ensued, but also a lot of encouragement and kind direction.
Once our lesson was complete, they opened up the restaurant for dinner, and we had another round of drinks and another “family” style meeting. Some decided to wind down with a blind-massage (an initiative made by the government to employ the blind founded several parlors of it’s ilk) some stayed to eat dinner at Fodder, and a couple grabbed something like a fresh gyro wrap on the street.
Tomorrow we move into STAR CITY from our hotel/hostel. We also plan to tour the 798 more fully and figure out the bike trail route between BASE and STAR.
More Adventures to come!