First Christmas in Taipei

Since Halloween, I’ve been dreading Christmas.  It seems odd, as this is typically my FAVORITE time of the year, but honestly, I’ve not been looking forward to it.  My experience of Taipei thus far has been a positive one, and I’ve felt more or less ‘at home’.  Knowing that I’ve never experienced a Christmas away from my family, AND my family makes Christmas a BIG deal, I was really fearful that homesickness would set in, ruining my positive experience.

Terry has been awesome at doing whatever he can to ensure that we are comfortable and settling in.  To help get us in the holiday spirit, he ensured that we were well stocked with Christmas music, which he faithfully played every morning and evening…in fact, I am now glad that Christmas is over so that I don’t have to listen to it any longerJ. 

At the very last minute prior to our departure, I grabbed a small box of decorations and a small box of ornaments from our Christmas stash and added them to our few precious things which we shipped over to Taipei.  I’m very glad I did as the few decorations we put up really livened up the place and had me feeling a bit more optimistic about this holiday.  To round things out, we took a trip down ‘holiday alley’, which is an area of Taipei where many wholesalers sell their wares to the Taiwanese public (read…cheap ‘Made in Taiwan’ goods).  We were able to purchase our X-mas tree, lights, about 4 strands of garland, and various Xmas wreaths and other decorations for a whopping $60 in total.  One of the benefits of having a small apartment is that it is quite easy to decorate, and a little goes a long way, and the few purchases we made truly made the place simply magical and beautiful!  With all the decorations up, it started to look and feel a lot more like Christmas.

Brianna in particular had a few moments of touch and go as she was missing many of the holiday festivities we participate in back in the USA.  To help battle it, I allowed the girls to invite 3 friends each and we had a mini-Christmas party, complete with cookie decorating, candy-making and a gift exchange.  The girls had a great time and Brianna seemed much happier after that J.

Elaine and Brianna both had class Christmas programs as the European school celebrates Christmas.  For Elaine, her program consisted of a few group songs sang amongst the pre-school, kindergarden, and 1^st grades; as well as each class singing 2 songs separately.  Elaine was even playing the tambourine in one of them…quite the sight.  Brianna’s program was put on by the 2-6 grade classes.  It was also 1 hour and 45 minutes!!!  Some of you were able to catch it live as it was broadcast on the web.  Some of the skits were quite entertaining and funny and some were…well, let’s just say that it was a VERY LONG show!  The super odd thing about it is that it ended with a Nativity scene complete with Mary, Joseph and baby Jesus.  Mary even explains how difficult it was travelling while she was pregnant.  I think this was the first time I’ve ever experienced a nativity scene outside of church.  It was a rather odd sight to see; however, it seemed that none of the folks there seemed to mind, and like much here in Taipei, I simply ‘went with the flow’.

The week before Christmas was probably my favorite time here.  I was surprised by how much Taipei gets into Christmas.  There are lights, trees, Christmas carols and other decorations everywhere.  Even the bus drivers were wearing Santa hats and red suits.  Brianna’s excitement about Christmas approaching was contagious.  Each day the week of Christmas I had to go to Chinese class and Terry stayed home with the girls (he had a one-week mandatory shut-down).  When I came home, I was treated to home-made ornaments Brianna had made for Santa Claus as a gift, pictures of wreaths and other Christmas items which Elaine used to decorate her room, a sign which said ‘Landing Strip for Santa Here’, and other fun surprises.  We took a few days to complete our shopping, which consisted of taking the girls to the Taipei Main Station underground mall to shop for each other.  They really loved picking out gifts for each other then coming home and wrapping their gifts.  I was very happy to see them bonding in a more meaningful way.  It seems that the holiday season was in full swing!

As if we didn’t have enough to look forward to, it seemed almost every day we were greeted by a package lovingly sent by our family in the USA.  The girls were beside themselves with excitement as they brought the packages upstairs and began to guess what was in each one.

Christmas morning was LOTS of fun for us.  Terry and I were prepared to be very tired as we had gone to bed very late Christmas Eve; however, to our surprise, the girls slept in until 7:45!  We were delighted!  The girls were patient enough to wait until Terry and I grabbed some coffee and put the Christmas music on.  They then dug into their presents with fervor.  Just watching their excitement and sincere appreciation for the beautiful gifts they received REALLY helped me get over my fears of homesickness.  I really felt at home with them and was relieved to see how thankful they were for their gifts.

The toughest part about Christmas was the afternoon.  I cannot remember a Christmas which was not crazy busy.  My personal experience of Christmas Day is one where we are frantically running from one family’s home to another, trying to rest along the way and ensure that everyone is happy.  This Christmas, we had no where to go and no family to see…in fact, Terry and I let the girls stay home by themselves, and he and I escaped to the gym for a few hours.  We then went to the traditional market and picked up a few things…it seemed like any other day.  That was tough for me as I was really missing the hustle and bustle.  It seemed….well…ordinary.  Thankfully, we had planned a very special evening which made up for whatever I had been feeling.

In the evening, we all dressed up in our fanciest Christmas clothes and hopped on a bus to downtown Taipei to the Grand Hyatt, where we had dinner reservations.  The Grand Hyatt, for those of you who are unfamiliar with Taipei, is one of Taipei’s nicest hotels and is quite formal.  We were NOT disappointed.  Not only was the décor very traditional and beautiful, but the food was fabulous!  We dined at the Café, which had a buffet serving American food as well as Chinese food.  The girls were just as excited as Terry and I were.  While we ate, we were treated to a quartet singing Christmas Carols (which I must say did get me very misty…I am REALLY missing singing, especially this time of year) as well as Santa Claus, who came with gifts for the kids.  We even received a photo of the kids with Santa…granted, this Santa looked VERY different from the ones back at home, but hey…at least we did not break the tradition of the kids’ picture with Santa!  After dinner, we went into the lobby, where a full choir was singing Christmas Carols.  It was quite a lovely sound and yes, as much as I tried to hide it, I did get very misty-eyed as I really did miss my family, the music, singing, and well…let’s just say that music moves me in a way that nothing else can.  I had been fighting the many ups and downs of the holiday season and given that it is such an emotional time of year, I found that music really brought out many emotions in me…and not all of them sad J.

We rounded the night off with a walk around Taipei 101 area, which was just lovely (sorry, I can't get the picture to rotate!).  There were lights and trees and people everywhere.  It was very magical and everyone seemed to have a good time.

I will tell you that there were moments (mostly when I heard people singing Christmas carols) when I was homesick and emotional; however, given how much I had feared the holiday season, my expectations were exceeded.  I have been grateful that Taipei does get into Christmas and VERY grateful for modern technology which allowed us to see most of our relatives and talk with them for quite a while on Christmas.

I will also confess that given the choice, I would prefer to spend Christmas in the USA with our families.  That being said; however, practically speaking that will not always be possible.  Our family created some fun new traditions which made our first intimate Christmas very memorable.  We were able to spend some quiet time together simply appreciating one another and the many blessings we bring into each other’s lives in a very deep way.  While I do look forward to the day when we will celebrate this special holiday with our extended family, I at least know now that spending Christmas in Taipei is not something I need to fear any longer.  For that, I am very grateful.

I hope that you all had a wonderful holiday filled with many memories and spirit.  

Our First Thanksgiving

We are fortunate to have met some pretty amazing people here in Taipei. Among those are the Hodowany’s, Judy and John, and their two kids Audrey and Kyle, who were introduced to us by a mutual friend (THANKS Carl!).

Judy is the epitome of Taiwan hospitality. During my first month here Judy not only introduced me to her hair dresser, but made my first appointment, AND went with me to ensure that it went ok (check out the pics of me later…it looks fine to me!!). She also took quite a bit of time to show me around the university district and all of the universities which offer Chinese Language Classes. Judy was well aware that enrolling in Chinese class ASAP was paramount as it is all-too-easy to get caught up with distractions. Any time I needed help (calling a restaurant for a reservation, checking out information on a website), there was Judy playing translator and tour guide. I owe quite a bit of my early successes to her!

John to me sets the bar. John is a Caucasian man who has been living in Taipei for the past 4 years. In those four years, he has managed to not only conquer the Chinese language, but he reads, writes….hell, he even implemented SAP at his workplace in Chinese! John is now running a Taiwanese business...awe inspiring to say the least! I can honestly say that he is the smartest person I know…and is quite humble about it too, which makes it really hard to not like the guy!

Knowing that none of our schedules would allow for Thanksgiving off (as the British/European school would obviously not celebrate it, and neither did HP Taipei nor my Chinese class), we thought it would be nice to have a Thanksgiving meal the weekend prior to Thanksgiving. As Thanksgiving is about friends and fellowship, we invited the Hodowany’s to come to our small place for a ‘Taiwanese’ Thanksgiving.

Believe it or not, one may find turkeys here in Taipei; however, given the size of our kitchen and the lack of a real oven, we opted to purchase two small roasted chickens from our local Carrefour (think French Safeway). I made mashed potatoes and gravy (which definitely was NOT my best…just hard to do gravy w/o the turkey drippings!), candied carrots (no one in our family cares for candied yams for some odd reason!) and baked brie. The Hodowany’s brought stuffing (which was quite tasty despite being cooked on the stove…again, no ovens people!!!), salad, and a DELICIOUS home-made cranberry sauce (which my girls ate ravenously for breakfast each morning after!!!). I knew I invited the right people when Judy mentioned to me that she found apple pie and pumpkin pie…just like home!!! I pulled out all the stops after dinner when I brought out the mulling spices and made spiced cider.

Terry made the afternoon complete with a football game he had downloaded earlier…while it wasn’t the Cowboys, we all enjoyed watching a bit of the Patriots and the Colts (DAMN what a game!!!).

We ate with abandon and once we realized we simply could eat no more, we went outside and enjoyed the park…partially to work off our meal and partially to allow the kids to work off some energy…being cooped up in our small apartment can take a toll!

The afternoon and evening went very smoothly and we found ourselves enjoying our friends’ company more and more…I was quite sad when the evening came to an end.

I can say that Thanksgiving was a bit different…there was no turkey, the gravy and stuffing tasted ‘close’ but not the same…BUT…the feeling of Thanksgiving…the friends, family, sharing a great meal..ALL of the real essential elements were there. While we did miss our family a bit, we all were so very thankful to share a great day with friends. When the evening eventually came to a close, Terry and I both reflected on the many things we have to be thankful for.

We are thankful for the obvious…we are thankful for this amazing experience and opportunity we have, but there’s so much more. We are thankful that the girls are adapting and are accepting of this opportunity in which they were given no choice. I am thankful for new friends who are gracious enough to share their precious time with us. I am thankful that the apartment we chose to live in just happens to be in the ‘perfect’ spot…a great neighborhood with great people and convenient transportation! I am thankful that everyone around me is patient as I try to learn this language. I am thankful that Terry is supportive and is able to provide this opportunity for us. I am eternally grateful for the support and fellowship of my friends back in the USA who write to me frequently and share with me so that I don’t feel so homesick, particularly at this time of year.

I am thankful to you all who read this blog. I have been surprised at how much I enjoy writing, and I simply giggle with delight at each comment you provide.

Blessings to you all this holiday season. Truly there is much to be thankful for!

Green Island

Given that I am not working for an income during our tenure in Taiwan, I have been designated ‘vacation planner’ as one of my ‘job titles’. It sounds easy enough until YOU try navigating your way around mostly Chinese web sites trying to translate!

So, I’m faced with finding places for us to go; however, our choices are somewhat limited. You see, we must stay in Taiwan for 4 months before qualifying for National Health Insurance, which is Taiwan’s subsidized health care system. OK, so someplace in Taiwan it is!!!

This being the week of Christmas seems like the perfect time to take a vacation. Only one problem….while everyone else is enjoying some well-deserved time off, I have Chinese school. Yes, in fact, class is in session even on Christmas day, sadly. So, I must skip school that day to spend it w/the family…but I digress…back to vacation!

After lots of internet surfing and asking around to various people here in Taipei, I booked us 4 days and 3 nights on Green Island, a small island off the south-east coast of Taiwan, in Taitung County. The travel agent I spoke with assured me that while it is low-season on Green Island, the average temperature is somewhere around 16-20 degrees (which is about 68-75 degrees). So, not knowing what to expect, I booked the trip, which included hotel, snorkeling, scooter rental, and a trip to a natural salt-water hot spring (one of only 3 in the world).

As few as 2 weeks ago, it was about 75-78 degrees in Taipei, so I felt we would be ok UNTIL….about 3 days before we left, the weather dropped significantly. On the day we left, the high was about 62 degrees. Always the optimist, I was not swayed as the southern part of Taiwan is typically warmer than the northern part. So, not knowing what to expect, we hopped on a train for the next 5 ½ hours down to Taitung where we would spend one night as the ferry to Green Island wouldn’t leave until Saturday morning. Our hotel was definitely very ‘local’….not quite as nice as a Motel 6, but it was clean, and it was only for one night, so I thought, why not?

Oh yes, I forgot to mention one key piece of information…it is quite common and expected that Taiwanese homes and hotels do NOT have heaters, as it doesn’t typically get that cold. To battle the cold weather, people either pile on the blankets else they purchase portable heaters.

Saturday morning, quite tired from getting to bed late Friday night, we boarded the ferry to Green Island. I had heard that the ferry could be rough, so we all took some Dramamine prior to leaving. I knew it was a bad sign when we noticed plastic baggies by every window. Terry looked at me nervously after we boarded and said ‘better sit towards the back…the security guard told me that is the best place to avoid motion sickness…she also said that today was an especially rough day’…an ominous statement indeed. To say that the ferry ride was rough is an understatement. Not one of us 4 took our eyes off the window during the entire 45 minute ride as the boat continued to get knocked around on the way over. Elaine giggled with glee over the process, and I was alright until the last 15 minutes, when my head finally began to feel a bit woozy. We were one of the lucky ones…many people got a LOT of use out of the plastic baggies J.

Upon arriving on Green Island, we were transported to our hotel, ‘Jack’s Boutique Hotel’, a charming name indeed. From the outside; however, it looked very ‘local’. A girlfriend of mine who recommended Green Island as a destination had mentioned that the accommodations at most places weren’t very luxurious; however, I was a bit surprised at how ‘local’ the place was! On the inside, the hotel looked like a surf shack, and it was about as nice as the hotel in Taitung. However, the hotel owners were quite nice and the place was clean, and given the price we paid….it wasn’t so bad. The only thing which I REALLY did not like was that the floors were all concrete tiles and with the weather being cold, the room was pretty chilly. Oh yes, and as part of our ‘service package’, we were expected to make up our own room…I don’t think I’ve ever stayed in a place where the beds weren’t made, but there’s a first for everything!

Given our bumpy boat ride over and the weather, I braced myself for a lot of complaining and whining. The girls were definitely not in the best of moods; however, after a hot meal and with some coaxing from Terry (who can help but be happy when Terry’s entertaining???), everyone got in the spirit. Our package included the use of 2 scooters, which everyone found WAY cool to ride on. Armed and ready to go, we went off to explore the island. First stop…salt water hot springs.

The hot springs on Green Island are one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever seen. The hot springs reside in a park built by Green Island which embraces the natural beauty of the coast line with the hot springs. The park is built right on the coast line and some of the hot spring pools are literally right on the beach…although they were closed when we went due to the high winds and cold weather. Outside in the elements, the park has a number of cooler pools with showers and gorgeous sitting areas surrounding the area, with one VERY VERY hot spring in the middle (it was too hot for any of us to try…even with the weather as cold as it was!). The park had one closed-in building which contained a hot spring pool where we all decided to congregate. It reminded me of an indoor pool you’d see in Hokaido (not that I’ve ever been) or in Tahoe. It was absolutely breath-taking. We all warmed up quickly, except Elaine who took about 45 minutes to get used to the temperature! I wound up holding her most of the time so that she wouldn’t get too cold. When she finally was able to get in, most of us were ready to go, but such is life, eh? With more relaxed attitudes and warm bodies, we rode our scooters into town to a place called ‘Crazy Fried’, which had a nice, bright cheery décor. We were greeted by a very friendly woman who promised us a great meal. We were not disappointed.

We warmed up with a hot bowl of rice soup, but the best part by far was the pork braised with basil…the best I’ve had since coming to Taiwan!! It was THAT good. Brianna ate about ½ the plate I think! We also had some ahi sashimi, of which Elaine ate ½. I guess the girls were hungry after all. We lounged for quite some time, chatting w/the owner about Green Island. We found that apparently, we picked the coldest weekend to come, as the owner said she’s never experienced such cold weather in all her 5 years here.

After discovering that there is NO night life on Green Island, we bought some UNO cards and some candy at 7-11 and went back to the room to goof off. Terry fell asleep fast, as he did not nap that afternoon when the rest of us did. The girls and I played cards for a few hours then watched movies until we were tired enough to sleep. We were hoping for a break in the weather, as apparently the best snorkeling time is at 8am. With the alarm set for 7am, I went to sleep with high hopes for a warm morning.

The next morning, I got up quickly and went out for a cup of coffee to see how warm the weather was. After riding my scooter the short distance to the 7-11, I realized that snorkeling in 60-degree WINDY weather was NOT the way to start the day. So, we opted for a nice breakfast and a scooter ride around the island instead. I tell you…riding these scooters around the island was the BEST part. The ride around the island is only about 1 hour, and the entire road is along the coast line. The island is lined with giant volcanic rocks and dramatic cliffs with the bluest ocean I’ve ever seen. We stopped quite frequently to take in the views, check out some cool caves, and just enjoy ourselves. Check out the climb in this picture. That tiny orange dot is me with the girls...climbing the 'Little Great Wall' out to the cliffs overlooking the island. The view was amazing!!

While the weather is less than perfect, it’s not as cold as I was expecting. With long pants and warm coats, we were all quite comfortable riding around in the elements. Yes, it was very windy, but the trade-off was that there were no cars or scooters on the road. We felt as if we had the whole place to ourselves. The food was fabulous and the girls had plenty of time to rest and watch their movies. As you can see, I’ve benefitted as well as I FINALLY have time to update my blog!!!

While I cannot say it’s the BEST vacation we’ve ever had, I will say that the Island is absolutely worth coming to. The place is very local, quite charming in its unspoiled way, and relaxing. Given the fast pace that life has taken since I’ve started Chinese class, this way definitely the break we all needed.

For the rest of the pics (taken w/Terry's fancy new camera), check out Terry's web album at:

http://picasaweb.google.com/tmohr2/GreenIsland#