Being Grateful in Hong Kong

Myron and I celebrated Thanksgiving this year in Hong Kong.  We have much to be grateful for- top of the list: our families, our friends, and each other.  Also, who can not be grateful for celebrating Thanksgiving in one of the most modern, interesting, and fun cities in the world? 
We had a wonderful time in Hong Kong.  I will let the pictures largely speak for themselves, but I was impressed both by how modern Hong Kong is, as well as how beautiful.  I have always found cities to be beautiful in their own right, but who can argue with the view of boats on the harbor, the skyscrapers in the near background and the hills surrounding the city- stunning! 

  When we arrived in the afternoon, we sat out by the harbor at our hotel room and enjoyed a happy hour.  We were so excited to have bread with olive oil- something we have not had for the last 4 months- and sometimes it is just those very simple things that make one feel so grateful and happy to be alive.  Sitting out on the harbor, with a glass of wine, bread and olive oil, and a shrimp appetizer- we were happy!    We were staying on the Kowloon side, so we needed to take a ferry over to the Hong Kong side, so that we could take the tram up to Victoria Peak.   Once at the top, we had a great view of the city at night, and had a wonderful and romantic Thanksgiving dinner.  

The next day, a highlight was having afternoon tea at the Peninsula.  My friend Leah had given me the book 1,000 Things to Do Before You Die and having afternoon tea at the Peninsula was an affordable Hong Kong-do-before-you-die activity.  It was really fun- very festive as the Peninsula was decorated for the holidays. 
 

 Later, after more shopping and walking around, we went on a junk tour in the harbor during the evening light show and ate at the most wonderful sushi restaurant "Nobu"- the black cod still brings tears of joy to my eyes as I think about it.  

Finally, on our last day, we headed out to Lantou Island to see the Big Buddha.  We took a gondola up to see Big Buddha, which was pretty awesome, but it was also a 7 hour experience, which was not so awesome.  I think I would advise others to get to Big Buddha a different way.  

I'm turning Taiwanese, Yes, I'm turning Taiwanese, Yes, I really think so....

Hmmm...... well, today I set out to get my hair dyed.  It was an experience.   After 4 hours and 10 minutes, it was official.  My hair was jet black. 
I had selected what seemed to me to be a nice brownish reddish color, but somehow my hair ended up jet black.  It is really quite a shock actually.  I am not sure if this picture does true justice to the current color of my hair. 
I guess this is what happens when you have someone dye your hair who really doesn't speak English.  The hair stylists were a bit overwhelmed by my hair.    I think because it is so thick.  I say hair stylists because about 4 different men worked on my hair, sometimes 3 of them at a time.  The process was really long.  First, they washed my hair.  Then it was a tangled mess and they don't seem to have detangler.  So it took 3 guys to comb my hair out. Then they dyed it.  Then I sat under the heater for 30 minutes.  Then they washed my hair again and massaged my scalp.  Then they put something on my hair- who knows what?- and then they put me back under the heater for another 30 minutes.  Then they washed my hair again.  Then I got a back massage.  Then they cut and styled my hair.   I thought perhaps when they dried my hair it would dry more of a brownish color- but nope, jet black, my friends, jet black.  Myron laughed for a good 5 minutes when I got home.   They tell me it will magically turn brown again in the next 5 washes-  we shall see... 
Oh, the adventures big and small of living abroad. 

A Tribute to My Husband on His Birthday

I love you for a thousand reasons- big and small.  I love you because you are a really good man.  You are strong and adventurous, but also gentle and loving.  I love it when you really smile and your whole face lights up.  I love it when you watch the Jon Stewart Daily Show and you tilt your face to the side and raise your eyebrows at what he says.  I love it when something strikes you as really funny and you giggle.  I love you for the strengths that you have that help to make up for some of my weaknesses- your ability to be on time, your ability to navigate and read a map, your ability to learn and speak a language.  I love you for the little thoughtful, loving actions that you take on a daily basis- opening the taxi cab door for me, putting the water kettle on to heat the tea, carrying my computer in your bag, making french toast on the weekends.  I love you for your ability to really listen to what I am saying.  I love how much you have been working on trying to just listen without always having to solve my problems.  I love that you have seen me in some of my very worst moments, and yet, your love never seems to waver.  I love your patience- oh my goodness, your patience, sometimes I think you should be knighted for your patience.  I love you for your mellow and laid back attitude.  I love you for your sense of humor.  I love you for heading out on this adventure with me to Taiwan and for being such a solid support through such a big change.  I love that you are my best friend.  
Myron, I'm so very grateful that 32 years ago today you were born, and that nearly 3 years ago, we both went speed-dating, and that that first 5 minutes together turned into a lifetime together.  
Happy Birthday, love! 

Kenting

Last weekend, we headed down to Kenting for a quick get away, and quickly realized that we would need much more time to discover all that Kenting has to offer. 
We were looking for relaxation and found it as soon as we checked into our hotel.  Our room had a balcony that overlooked the ocean.  The sound of the waves crashing into the shore was so soothing, that we ended up sitting out on our balcony reading, for far longer than we had planned on. 
Here was our view:

We were also very impressed with the National Park Area in Kenting and enjoyed a hike that led us through banyan groves, forests, and into caves. 

The park was beautiful and the weather was perfect for a hike.  Unfortunately, since we only had about 24 hours down in Kenting, this was about all we had time for on this journey down there.  However, it did get us very excited to take my parents, sister and brother-in-law down to Kenting at Christmas time for further exploration. 

Fall is Here

It seems that finally fall has come here- without the pomp and circumstance of leaves changing, cider drinking, pumpkin carving, and pie eating- but nonetheless- the cooler weather seems to have finally arrived this week. 
Myron and I have been very busy and this month seems to have passed us by in a blur of activity.  One weekend was spent with me grading the entirety of the weekend (though no matter how much I grade, there is still more to grade).  Other weekends, we have spent exploring more of what Kaohsiung has to offer.

We went on a short ferry ride to Cinjin Island- a small island right off of Kaohsiung.  Here, we rented bikes and rode around the island- stopping off to see the lighthouse, an old Matsu temple, and the beach. 
We also celebrated Canadian Thanksgiving at a bar here that serves largely western-style food.   I don't normally even really like Thanksgiving food, but I tell you what- turkey, gravy, and stuffing never tasted quite so good to me. 
Watching the Jon Stewart Daily Show (hooray for the rally, wish we could be there), it seems that the US is in the midst of elections and election ads.  Here in Taiwan, it is also election time- and the current mayor seems to have set up her campaign headquarters right where we live.  Here is a picture that we took a couple weekends ago, of a rally in the park right by where we live. 

Last weekend, we also got massages, which was a nice treat.   People told us that we needed to tell the women to use a light pressure, which we did.  I can't imagine what their normal pressure feels like-  we both felt like we had been beat up afterwards.  I still enjoyed it, though, and would go back.  I felt like she really got out a bunch of my knots and a bunch of lactic acid.

Perhaps the most exciting event of this last month, though, occurred last Sunday, when Kaohsiung celebrated the Kaohsiung Wannian Folklore Festival.   The government invited us (us being employees of KAS), free of charge,  on an afternoon and evening of festivities. 
The event was held at Lotus Lake, probably one of the more photographed areas of Koahsiung, as it is a lake with about 20 temples around it. 
We got a short tour of Lotus Lake, with a focus on the dragon/ lion temples.

At this festival, the fire lion is the mascot.  After we visited the temples, and learned more about the temples, we got to make a wish.  Everyone who attends the festival gets to make wishes, that the fire lion will make come true. 
Here Myron is  hanging up our wishes:

Next, we went on a boat ride around the lake

Then they treated us to a big traditional Chinese dinner. 
Finally, it was time for the big festival.  From the brochure they gave us, we found out that they make the fire lion from "a bamboo frame, wrapped in firecrackers" with a paper head.

The "burning of the fire lion is one of the religious rituals celebrating God of Medicine's birthday.  Legend has it writing your wishes on a piece of paper and burning it with the Fire Lion will bring good luck and make your dreams come true". 
We had front row seats for the burning of the fire dragon.  Before they burned the dragon, there were many presentations- all involving fire- such as boys throwing fire sticks and fire swords.  Though it was cool to be so close to the action, one gentlemen ended up getting burned.  One boy throwing the fire sword, set his hair on fire.  It was all a bit crazy, and yet awesome at the same time. 

The mayor showed up and I got to shake her hand- that was very exciting.  And then finally, it was time to burn the fire dragon and our wishes so that they could come true. 

The dragon went up in flames and fireworks went off.  It was a pyromaniacs dream come true!

The Hawaii of Taiwan over the Moon Festival

The Moon Festival in Taiwan is their fall celebration.  There is a folk tale that goes along with the celebration, concerning the lady in the moon.  My students tried to share the folk tale with me, but it appears as with so many folk tales, there are a variety of translations- the basic story is that a woman is married to a man, who has been given two pills, each of which offer eternal life.  This is where the story differs- some tell the story that the woman saved the day by taking both pills herself, because the man was a tyrant.  Instead of giving her everlasting life, however, since she took both pills, they allow her to fly to the moon for the rest of eternity.  Some tell the story that the woman was a deviant who stole both pills and thus, she ends up on the moon.  Somehow, rabbits also feature in the folktale and end up on the moon as well.
However, in practice, the moon festival actually ends up being a celebration of the end of the hot weather (though we have yet to see this), and to spend time BBQ-ing with family and friends. It is also a time to give each other moon-cakes (spherical cakes- in honor of the moon- filled with a wide-range of things, from red bean paste to eggs to ice cream).  In our case, it was vacation time.  HOORAY! 

We headed off to Penghu for some much needed R and R.  Penghu is an island off the coast of Taiwan and is described by Lonely Planet as the "Hawaii of Taiwan".  

Penghu is known for its temples, of which there are many.  The temples often have very elaborate designs.  I was particularly impressed with the carvings inside one temple, as seen below:

We spent a lot of time on Penghu's many beaches.   The beaches are pristine, and at least when we were here, largely unoccupied. You felt as if you had the whole beach to yourself.  One of the best parts of spending time at the beach was the shell hunting. Here is a picture of me- very sun-burned, with a piece of coral that Myron found.

We got around the island by renting scooters.  I must admit that it was very exhilarating, riding around on scooters.  Even though Myron is pictured here, I too had my own scooter. 

We stopped at an aquarium, which actually had some very impressive exhibits.  We both enjoyed the sea turtles the most.

 Penghu is also known for its various basalt formations, the most famous of which is found on Tong-pan island.  We took a boat over to this small island, where you can walk around a path to see the basalt formations. 

Overall, we enjoyed this island and found it to be a very beautiful and fun island to explore. 

We had a fun time and would certainly recommend a visit to Penghu by anyone visiting the Taiwan area. 

We were also very happy to celebrate our first moon festival and our first vacation.

Homesick

So, I haven't been writing in my blog and I am afraid that I have a confession to make- it is official- I am homesick.  Before we left for Taiwan, several people explained that when you move abroad there are different stages that you move between.  First, you start out in the honeymoon period, where everything seems wonderful, new, and exciting.  You feel like you are on vacation.   This lasted for me about the first 6- 7 weeks of our move here. 
Then, you head into more of a transitional period, where you start to miss things from home and question why people do the things that they do in this new country that you have moved to and you begin to miss the people, customs, and culture from home.  You feel overwhelmed.
I am afraid, folks, this is where I find myself.
I miss so many things from home- big and small.
Big things that I miss- the people- namely most of you who actually read this blog- I miss you.  I miss your sense of humor the most, and all of the fun things that we did during any given week- such as talking over a glass of good wine, coffee, or dinner, or catching the latest play at the DCPA, or getting a pedicure, or trying a new, fun activity. I miss being able to call you during the week, instead of just on the weekends.  I miss being able to talk through all the little events in our lives, instead of trying to summarize the big events when we do talk.  
I miss the change in seasons- big time.  I am typing this out on my patio and sweating.  Everything is still very green.  I know that I will appreciate still wearing tank tops and shorts in January, but I miss the leaves changing colors and the desire for hot cider and pumpkin carving and corn mazes and Halloween costumes.  I miss the crispness in the air during the fall. 
I miss dish washers and even more than that- I miss clothes dryers- oh, what a glorious invention!  Strangely, we only have a dish dryer and a clothes washer. 
I miss Starbuck's Chai tea lattes- so very, very, very much- I can 't even begin to explain just how much.
I miss really great Mexican food- and especially, most especially avocados.  What I wouldn't give for some good gaucamole, some really good nachos, and a margarita. 
It helps to know that this is only a phase, that this too will pass.  
It helps to know that others who move abroad have gone through the same experiences.
And it helps to know that soon enough, (okay- in like 8 months, but who's counting?) I will be drinking Starbuck's chai latte for breakfast, heading out on a hike in the beautiful Colorado Rockies, drinking wine on the porch of the Creekside Cellars, and then going out to dinner at any number of Mexican restaurants in the Denver area where I can eat gauc and drink margs. 
In the meantime, I will work on moving into the next phase of becoming more open and accepting of my new home. 

The Last 2 Weekends In Pictures

It's Sunday morning and typhoon Fanapi is causing a storm to rage outside our window.  Here is a satellite image of the typhoon, courtesy of
http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/imagerecords/45000/45860/Fanapi_amo_2010260_lrg.jpg

So I need to do some grading and work, and it doesn't look like Myron and I will be heading outside today, but since I don't feel like working yet, I thought I would share some pictures of our last 2 weekends. 
Two weekends ago, we rented bikes and rode along the Love River.

We really enjoyed the ride- though it was drizzling a bit- it kept the temperature perfect.

The Love River was cleaned up in Kaohsiung for the 2009 World Games- that is also when they put in the bicycle stands for people to get around the city. 

We ended up finding an Outback Steakhouse- which had a real American brunch- with eggs and toasts and bacon- I had this wonderful French toast- Yum!  I never thought I would actually be so excited to find an Outback Steakhouse- but biking and brunch was a perfect way to spend a Sunday morning. 
Then last weekend we headed up to Taipei. 
We stayed at The Grand Hotel, which was just stunning- I guess even people who aren't staying here will come to get their picture taken in front of the hotel. 

 We really enjoyed our room and especially the balcony that we had that overlooked the city:

After we checked into our hotel, we went to one of the best restaurants that we have eaten at thus far- it is a famous dumpling restaurant called  Daitaifung and everything that we ate was delicious.  In Taiwan, one of their specialties is these dumplings that have soup inside of them.  This may or may not be correct but from what I have gathered- you are supposed to eat them with a soup spoon and use your chopsticks to poke a hole in them to let the soup out into your spoon, then you eat the whole bite.  Delicious! 

Amongst other things, I also fell in love with their dumplings that were stuffed with red bean paste for dessert- may sound weird but it was so delicious that I am still dreaming of it.  

We were traveling with colleagues that we work with: 

After we finished eating, we went to the National Palace museum which according to Lonely Planet, "is home to what could quite easily be termed the world's largest and finest collection of Chinese art".  I personally was most impressed by the walnut shell that was carved into the most intricate boat with  people inside of it.  How did they do that?  The picture to the left is of me standing outside of the museum.

Then we went to see Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial Hall, which is surrounded by a lovely park.
 

After eating supper at a pizza place- what can I say- we crave Western food, we went to the Chinese Opera, which was quite an experience.  First of all, they let you watch the actors getting ready and putting their makeup on.  And then they let you try on the costumes as well:

Finally, you watch the Opera, which consists of very shrill singing to the background music of discordant instruments.  A Broadway experience it was not- though we did get to watch a troop of Chinese acrobats beforehand who were rather stunning- this one woman could spin a table around on her feet.  Anyway, overall, it was quite a bizarre time, but still fun- definitely memorable. 
 

Sunday morning, we headed home- excited to come back to visit Taipei again.