Day 1 pm

23 Jun 2011 Leave a comment

by twgurl54 in Taiwan, Travel Tags: ,

Taipei 101 from my hotel room

No jet lag….yet! My taxi driver dropped me off several blocks from my building but no matter, it was a beautiful day in Taipei: a slight breeze offsetting the rising heat and humidity. My head is spinning with all the new input I received today. I met many of my new team members and began the on-boarding process, complete with gifts!  What a happy change from a previous job incarnation! At lunchtime, my new boss took me to a great little restaurant and ordered for me. I had a cabbage salad, another consisting of lettuce, tomatoes, asparagus, and cucumber, and “hot pot” – tofu, assorted veggies, and rice noodles swimming in a bubbling broth – yum! The green tea was delish, as was the tea served with lime (!) at the end of the meal. Maybe I was just HUNGRY but everything tasted fresh. After lunch, I had to have photos made (for the national insurance and ARC cards). The shop must have Photoshopped the pics because they look good! lol Midafternoon break consisted of a quick trip to a local tea shop (I ordered passion fruit tea). Why does everything taste so good here??! More friendly co-workers introduced themselves. Got some great advice on looking for local housing: by translating a real estate site from Chinese-to-English (using Google’s free Chrome product) I can find better deals. I hit the wall about 1830 and made it back to the hotel just as it was getting dark. I was told that sunset is typically around the same time every day – good to know! I also learned that I can see Taipei 101 from my hotel window.

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!

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…

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