This island is called Cheung Chau

I'm finally here, after the headaches with the Taipei Tax Office, the anxiety of getting all the money I was owed from my previous employer (details later), the endless packing - you never know how much crap you have until you've got to move it all, the farewell lunches and dinners, the good luck hugs, the exhaustion of hauling one huge 32 kg suitcase, my PC, a guitar, and my important documents, 5 pieces of luggage in all through the airport to the MTR to the ferry to the pink house on the hill with two dogs containing one servant from the Philippines named Brenda, a woman in her 60's, I call her Auntie Nai, and last but not least her husband (also her cousin once removed) who also happens to be my Dad's long time friend from when they were schoolmates in elementary school and hence the reason why I am here.

The first night, Sunday, was to put it lightly, not so good. There was a bit of a misunderstanding. I thought I was to give them a call from the ferry pier on Cheung Chau which I did once I got there so Brenda could help me with my luggage. When he answered the phone, a man picked up with a stern voice.

"Wei."
"Hi, this is Linda."
"Where are you?"
"I'm at the ferry."
"Which side?In Hong Kong or on Cheung Chau?"
"On Cheung Chau."
"Why didn't you call us from the airport? We have been waiting so long for you!"
"Oh, I thought I had to call from the ferry so the servant could help me carry my luggage."
"No! I told you to call from the airport with free phones there."
"Oh, I'm sorry, I don't remember you telling me that."
"Your father has told me you have traveled to many places and you don't know this?!"
"I'm sorry, I thought -"
"Anyway, do you still remember the way to our house?"
"Uh, yea I think so. I thought someone could help me with my bags because I have a lot."
"Well, our servant has gone to sleep already."
"Oh, I see..."
"... Well, maybe I can wake her up. She goes to sleep early because she gets up early."
"... Okay, thanks. So I'll just wait here?"
"You know Sunday is her day off."
"Oh, I'm sorry."
"Okay you wait there."

Not that I'm complaining because he is offering room and board for no cost whatsoever but is it just me or do you also think it was strange that he did not offer to help with my bags as well? Brenda and I were both drenched in sweat after hauling the bags up to the house. And it's not like they were waiting at the airport for me with nothing to do; they were in the comfort of their own home. They could have simply watched a movie while they were waiting for me. So when I got there, he called up my father and yet again berated me scoldings.
"You made everybody so upset. You should know these things." Yada Yada Yada

So I took a shower and went to bed but didn't sleep a wink that night.

The next morning I got up with, perhaps, the worst migraine headache I'd ever had. The migraine lasted two days but subsided the second. I suspect the major reason is that I was getting over a stomach bug but the above could have had something to do with it.

I got up around 9 am and no one was around. I searched the fridge for something to eat but only found raw meat, Chinese vegetables, lots of processed sliced cheese, some cake, ice cream and well nothing suitable for breakfast, not even any milk. I found a cold fried egg and a piece of ham in a dish near the stove so I scarfed that down thinking nobody was around. Then Auntie Nai appeared.
"You get up early!"
"Oh, sorry. I didn't think anyone was -"
"Where is Brenda?! She has been gone for over an hour."
"Um, I don't know..."
"Do you want some (white) bread?"
"Oh, no thank you."
...
"You should have some bread."
"Oh, that's okay, I'm fine."
"Why not!?"
"I'm full already."

I didn't see Uncle Nai at all that first day on the island so I spend most of the day taking short cat naps and walking around the bustling little fishing village.