it's coming to get me

Do you see that little island located just above the letter "n" in the word "Hong Kong".  Yeah, that's Taiwan.  You see that circular red object bigger than the entire island on which I live? That's Typhoon Muifa.  hmmmm.  Should be an interesting weekend.

Jeff's plane from Malaysia is suppose to land on Saturday right along with my new friend Muifa.  I'm suppose to go to the airport (which is located about an hour outside the city) to pick Jeff up in our car.  Here's a picture of our car: (It's about 10lbs bigger than a golf cart).

Golf Cart versus Typhoon- which do you think would win?

A Day In The Life

Space

One of the things that I have become mostly accustomed to but I also miss dearly is space. When an entire country is crammed into a small sliver of an island, open range becomes a rarity. There are a few unique and beautiful getaways just minutes from our door that we frequently try to take advantage of. However, overall in the day-to-day existence of things I am usually in someone else's way or they are in mine. Rarely do I go through the course of a routine day and not bump into, step in front of or about get run over by someone.

It reminds me of the old Star Trek intro "Space: The Final Frontier" except I could say "Space: The Elusive Frontier."

Talk later!

Xin Nian Kuai Le

Today is the eve of Chinese New Year's Eve.  Tomorrow begins the largest holiday celebration for Taiwanese and Chinese alike.  Most people will have one week off to return to their hometowns and enjoy all their favorite Chinese New Year fare such as octopus arms, squid hot pot, and a fish egg concoction called a "mullet."

In China, most factories are shut down for several days which can cause a backlog of all those wonderfully inexpensive "made in China" products that we love to hate.  This is also many workers only chance to reunite with their children who are oftentimes left in the care of grandparents in the countryside. .Additionally, as jobs become more readily available in those rural areas, fewer workers will return to the long hours at the port city factories.

During this week, children will receive lots of candy and usually new clothes but their favorite gift is the "hong bao" - a bright red envelope filled with cash that most adults give to each of their under 18 relatives.

Tomorrow night, firecrackers with fill the damp night air with boisterous music as well-wishers rejoice in the coming "Year of the Rabbit" and say goodbye to "The Year of the Tiger."  This year will most likely see an influx in births and marriages that were put off last year because a Tiger year is not fortuitous for either event.

For Jeff and I work will continue much as usual with the exception of several days vacation from language school.  Chloe has been out of school the entirety of last week and her break will continue through this week and next.  It has been a nice break for her since she attended school on Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Eve and New Years Eve and has not had a break since school began last September. The local schools are very serious about their attendance days.  In fact, she is suppose to attend school next Saturday to account for one of the days in the winter break that was not accounted for in the school year.  I think she might miss that day.

So, until next year "Women Zhu Ni Xin Nian Kuai Le" (We wish you a Happy New Year).

Q: How Do You Eat Pumpkin Pie Using Chopsticks?

A:

(as witnessed at a Thanksgiving feast in Taipei, Taiwan)