Day 1 am

22 Jun 2011 Leave a comment

by twgurl54 in Uncategorized Tags:

It’s amazing how good 6 hours of sleep in a HORIZONTAL position feels! After unpacking last night, I sleep like a log! 0630 comes way too early but yet, I was up and headed down to my first Taiwanese breakfast: rice with corn, olives, and tuna – yum! Lots of fried things (tofu, “wheat cake”, something that looked good but I have no clue what it was). They serve a green salad for breakfast, along with fish, an assortment of side dishes (I recognized seaweed) that looked interesting. NOTE: must try new country’s breakfast foods! Thank goodness I’d packed some oatmeal. And I’m eating chocolate like there’s no tomorrow! I worked out in the “gym” (free weights and some cardio equipment). It took me a minute to figure how to get to floor 13, where the gym is located; the elevator only goes up to 12! (Kinda like how I’m feeling this morning.) There’s a rooftop garden even (see below). Wishing I had grabbed my camera from my bag and taken pics on the way from the airport to the hotel last night….oh well. Time to get ready for my first day of WORK!!

Another view from the roof of the Fullerton

Taipei as seen from rooftop garden

 

Non-Citizen

22 Jun 2011 Leave a comment

by twgurl54 in Taiwan, Travel Tags: , , ,

I’ve arrived! Dog-tired but safely ensconsed in the Taipei Fullerton South. As you might imagine, it was difficult to say goodbye to my folks, not knowing if/when I’ll see them again. (I never was good at goodbyes!)

Props to the LA-based SuperShuttle for getting me to the airport on-time (read: hours early)! Being early for my flight turned into a blessing because the line was already forming for China Airlines check-in when I pulled up and I only had to wait 10 minutes before check-in began and was able to get an exit row seat!  I knew my bags were overweight and was prepared to pay the fee at the counter. What I wasn’t prepared for was the weight limit for carry-on! Luckily the limit for carry-ons had only recently changed so the CI counter rep offered to check my carry on at no additional cost! (Try that on any other international carrier.) NOTE: Luckily there are all sorts of SmartCarts along the Bradley International terminal arrivals lane ($5.00USD non-refundable) so I did not have to lug my heavy bags anywhere!

Although I booked my flight through Delta, the carrier (CI) check-in (at LAX) is located several terminals away from the Delta Sky Room. It was another beautiful day in southern California so I walked….and enjoyed the sunshine.

Our flight was delayed but we were eventually ushered onto the 747-400 carrying us across the ocean. I found my “window” seat (38A) did not have a window but by leaning forward, I was able to watch the buildings of Los Angeles get smaller and smaller…

I have nothing but compliments for the CI crew – their attention to detail (the flight attendants actually cleaned the lavatories every hour, themselves!) and willingness to accomodate (and remember) requests was amazing. I hadn’t requested a vegetarian meal in time but they still managed to find an extra dinner and breakfast for me. (I have no idea what I ate but it was delicious and apparently not meat!)

The flight was uneventful. My seatmates all spoke Chinese so I was able to practice a bit with them. (Today’s word is hen hao which means “very good”.)

Arriving in Taipei, I wondering what the immigration and customs procedures would consist of. Would my luggage actually make it intact? Would I have to declare something? Actually, the process was simple: queue up to show your passport/visa, take the escalator down to the (very well marked) baggage carousel, pick up the (free) baggage cart and wait, wait, wait. Side note: why is the worst part of any flight the endless waiting for one’s luggage?

I found ALL my luggage intact and was able to find the rental car counter, my driver, and eventually (after a lovely 20 minute drive), my hotel. Now, SLEEP!

Take off!

21 Jun 2011 Leave a comment

by twgurl54 in Uncategorized Tags: ,

Yesterday was my last full day in the States! Seeing my children and grandchildren the past few days was wonderful!

I puttered around with my parents and attempted to handle last-minute details: talking with the customs broker in SFO, arranging a shuttle to LAX, printing out hotel and work information (in case my driver doesn’t speak English). After dinner, my Mom helped me pack – she somehow managed to shoehorn all my stuff from three suitcases into two! I tried checking in online with China Airlines but was missing a code on my Delta itinerary (I’d booked my flights through Delta; CI is one of their partners.) The Delta representative tried to explain how my itinerary says Delta but the flight is operated by CI – all I care about is that I have a seat on a plane (please, please, please let them change it to one with more leg room!) headed to Taipei and that it arrives safely!

After packing, I weighed the suitcases – ouch! One is just under 50 lbs and one is definitely OVER! The airline representative told me that 51-70 lbs over will cost an additional 50.00. Heck, I should try to shove more into my Samsonites…

I think I’m prepared….but who knows! I’ve got all my paperwork in order and hopefully I’ll be able to make it through Taiwanese customs with all my items intact! It’s a sobering feeling knowing that all support systems I’ve relied on in the past will be…in the past! I’ve still got my wits and sense of humor – and really, isn’t this the essense of adventure? I explained to the ‘rents that it’s like one of those cooking shows: you have a basket in front of you and are required to create a meal. You won’t know what ingredients you’ll be using until the basket is opened. So that’s me: getting ready to open the basket and make something wonderful out of whatever is inside.

T minus 3

19 Jun 2011 Leave a comment

by twgurl54 in Uncategorized Tags: , , , , , , ,

Great news (for me, at least): BOTH of my suitcases arrived in Los Angeles – ahead of schedule! Thanks FedEx and the Ship-it Shop (love that name!) in Summerville SC.

I’m in SFO visiting with my youngest, having left SLC after seeing my older two children and four (count ’em, four) grandchildren!  I sat on the SLC > SFO flight next to a Chinese gentleman who, along with his wife, was taking his only child (a son) to college.  He spoke fairly good English and was very excited to learn that I love Chinese food. We talked a bit about Wei Wei and how the Chinese government is making small strides towards recognizing basic civil rights. One hopes that is true.

I received all sorts of great travel tips from my youngest (who is fluent in Mandarin) along with guidance on how to pronounce and use basic words. My goal is to learn one new word a day. She will also be sending me more “insider” information on Taipei from one of her teachers, who is a native.

NOTE: one thing I learned today (not related to the Chinese language) is that Netflix blocks all foreign IP addresses. In order to access your Netflix account overseas one needs to download a “hotspot shield”: http://download.cnet.com/hotspot-shield/ . I’ll let you know how that works out.

Next stop: soCal, my jumping off point for Taiwan and a visit with my parents! I have a lot of last-minute items to take care of before I’m out of cell phone range.

T minus 5

17 Jun 2011 Leave a comment

by twgurl54 in Uncategorized Tags: , , ,

My bags are packed, which is a minor miracle considering I left SC Tuesday afternoon, scheduled to fly out of ATL Wednesday evening. I managed to keep them both under 50 lbs; the items must last at least 6 weeks until the boxes I hastily packed Wednesday morning, arrive. I decided to mail my suitcases to SoCal (I fly out of LAX) so as not to have to lug them through the various stops I’m making to visit family before leaving this continent. I hope they make it to CA before I leave.

When I arrive in Taipei, I’m to collect my luggage (sure hope I have luggage to collect!) and make my way to the car rental counter where my “driver” (sure hope he/she speaks or understands English!) is to take me to the Fullerton. My flight is 16+ hours, non-stop on China Airlines (sure hope I can get an aisle, bulkhead, or emergency row seat!). The flight arrives at 8:20pm and I’m curious as to how long it takes to make it through customs. (The last time I had to pass through customs was last year in Belize and that was a breeze. The time before that, when I returned from Germany, took literally hours despite having nothing to declare!) Wish me luck….I’ll let you know what happens.

 

 

 

T minus 8

14 Jun 2011 Leave a comment

by twgurl54 in Taiwan, Travel Tags: , ,

The theory of getting ready for an international move and the reality are really NOT the same! All those little details that seem to escape mention in most travel blogs become abundantly obvious as the days before take off dwindle!

Last week’s big stressor, the visa! Did I send the right information? Would it be approved? Would VisaHQ get it out the door on time? Would Fed Ex actually deliver it? I’m happy to report that a visa was issued (though not the type I’d applied for….hmmm, will have to figure that out in-country) and sent back on schedule. The only glitch being that I had stepped out to verify international wire transfer protocols with my bank when the guy in blue/orange arrived. (Of course!) So I headed to the North Charleston “World Service Center” (a counter manned by a very patient guy and miles of warehouse space). Thanks to good timing and a new car locking mechanism I met the hunkiest Brit on my way out the door (visa in hand). A gurl can look, can’t she?

Packing, packing, and more packing. A word of advice: read the airline’s fine print on the size and weight of allowable luggage (checked and carry on). I bought one of those handy gadgets that clip onto a suitcase handle and within seconds was pleased to realize I’d actually packed LESS than 20 kg (50 lbs) allowed by China Airlines. Whew! Guess I’ll have to figure out how to shoehorn more footwear into them. Now I just have to worry about whether my vitamin supplements and powdered protein drinks will make it through customs.

And the packing continues…

T minus 14 – planning and packing

08 Jun 2011 Leave a comment

by twgurl54 in Uncategorized Tags: , , ,

OMG, only two weeks before I leave for Taiwan and I’m waiting for my work visa to be issued  by the embassy in Washington DC. If I think about it too much, I’ll stress myself out! I applied at VisaHQ.com (“one-stop shopping for all your visa needs”), included all requisite documents (application, 2 passport photos, passport, offer letter, work permit, and application fee)  so everything should go smoothly, right?. But what if it doesn’t? I can’t think about that now because…

I have two weeks to go before departure and WAY TOO MUCH TO DO!  

Having never lived in the far East, I have no idea what will be available locally. Should I pack everything I think I might need for the next 6 months or just pack a few weeks worth of clothing, accessories, and toiletries until my packages – I still need to contact the custom’s broker – arrive? I know my new work environment has a casual dress policy so I know I don’t need any suits or heels. But honestly one never knows….maybe I should take a dress or saree (or two) just in case.

 I’m 5’11” so I’ve gone a bit overboard on jeans in “Long” and “Tall” sizes. How many pairs of pants will I really end up needing? I’m assuming that nothing will be available on the economy in my size so I plan, write lists, shop, re-write lists, and SHOP. I know I can only take two 50-lb suitcases on the plane so planning is crucial. Or maybe I’m just getting worked up about nothing. Oh, and did I mention that I’m teaching myself how to blog? (The writing is easy; the mechanics of the blog itself are foreign to me!)

 Note to self: get used to feeling like a stranger in a strange land. I wish “grokking” were actually possible!

Hello world!

07 Jun 2011 4 Comments

by twgurl54 in Uncategorized Tags: , ,

Join me on my adventure as I travel to a land once known as “Formosa”.  It still exists today, though it’s known by a different name: Taiwan.

When I began entertaining thoughts of living and working in Taiwan, I looked online for recent information on the local culture and came up blank. I checked out Craigslist Taiwan (yes, there really is such a thing) and several expat sites. I scoured travel blogs and online travel magazines and found a nugget or two here and there. Whatever the reason for this dearth of information (perhaps those living in  Taiwan want to keep their lovely island home a secret?), it has prompted me to create this blog.

Hang on, as I prepare to have my life turned upside down – and dare to share the ensuing wild ride with you. 

I have a million questions. 

If you have answers, or just want to relate any Taiwan travel stories, tips, tricks, or “gotchas” about living in Taiwan, or heck, even a restaurant recommendation – don’t hesitate to holler! At the fuzzy front end of this voyage of discovery, I’ll take any and all information (related to Taiwan) you’re willing to pass along.

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As for me, I will take the road less travelled…