join me as I discover Taiwan!
17 Sep 2012 1 Comment
in Taiwan, Weather Tags: Typhoon
It actually fizzled out, headed away from us, and then changed direction, swooping back by to dump a boatload of rain on us – but not enough wind to qualify for a typhoon day off! Oh well, there’s always next year….
Since then I have been so swamped at work, but never fear, I’ve had some fun adventures I’ll share with you shortly.
07 Aug 2012 1 Comment
in Taiwan, Travel, Weather Tags: California Pizza Kitchen, movies, Red Robot Labs, Saola, Typhoon, Vieshow, W hotel
We knew it was coming. It was all over the news. By Wednesday afternoon we were told that if she struck, we’d have a day off work on Thursday. At 1755 they told us to vacate the building. I had tickets to see Dark Knight at the Viewshow (vee-shoe) near Taipei City Hall that evening and I wasn’t going to let a little thing like a typhoon stop me! It started to rain as I left work so I took a taxi to the theater complex and met a friend for dinner – California Pizza Kitchen, go figure! After the movie (just as dark as the title implies) I thought I’d find a cab home. Guess everyone else had that same thought as we all got pounded by driving rain and strong winds. I finally gave up on the umbrella and sloshed my way over to the W hotel, to wait in line with everyone else waiting for a cab. By the time I arrived I was literally soaking wet. It was pretty hilarious, although the girls in short skirts and heels couldn’t understand why I was laughing (partly at their weather-inappropriate get ups and partly at my own dripping wet state).
One cool thing about waiting in lines in Taipei: you always meet the most interesting people! This time, I met three people from Hong Kong who told me they were “criminals”! Actually they work for Red Robot Labs on a game called “Life is Crime”! Now I’m literally (and virtually) a “typhoon gurl”!
Taipei Typhoon Gurl
05 Aug 2012 1 Comment
in Daily Life, Travel Tags: Cidao, Queen, rose, tattoo, tribute
In remembrance of my dear friend Ambrose, I decided to have a local artist create a more lasting momento: a tattoo.
I threw a “Tattoo and Pizza Party” and friends from work brought salad, chicken (for the meat eaters), and cheesecake (I provided the pizza). Afterwards, we walked over to the tattoo parlor adjacent to the Tong Hua night market where “Queen” sketched up some ideas that would fit my current body art (and would complement it and not be readily visible when I wear a t-shirt). After agreeing on a design, a Taiwanese co-worker haggled with Queen over the price. The final cost: 3000NT (<100USD). I love the result; see for yourself!
2 hours later…
29 Jul 2012 4 Comments
in Taipei, Travel Tags: river tracing, river trekking, rock slide, Wulai
I feel lucky to be alive! This experience in under 10 words: sheer terror punctuated with moments of fun!
Our work group decided to do a team building, and (unfortunately) didn’t do much research after someone suggested something called “river tracing”. A few people asked questions: is there much hiking involved? No. Do you have to know how to swim? No. Any snakes? No. All of these turned out to be incorrect.
Let me clearly say: this is an activity for those who love extreme sports and are addicted to the attendant adrenaline rush!
Knowing what I know now (having experienced this first hand), I’d tell you: Do not attempt this activity if you are:
We were to meet at the Xindian MRT at 8am on a Friday. 8am? Xindian is an hour away by bus + MRT ride so I got only a few hours of sleep before having to get up and out the door. After a harrowing taxi ride from the station into the Wulai canyons, we stopped at a hotel where we put our bags in lockers and met our guides (2 guides to 12 Trenders).
We were given a helmet, a life vest, some neoprene booties, and woven gloves, and told: test each rock before you step on it; if it’s slippery, find another rock to step on. Uh….okay. Sounds reasonable. Perhaps the guides thought we were all well-versed in river trekking and that no additional safety precautions or information about what we were up against was needed…and off we went.
Beginning of the trek
30 minutes of hiking later, we came upon the low bank of a a river, with an 8′ waterfalled dam and shorter rock barrier. We were instructed to fall off the rock barrier backwards. The water was cool, but not too bad. Then we had to find a way to the top of the dam and jump off into a “deep area” below. This was a bit harder and by the time everyone was done, we were soaking wet and ready to start the trek.
For the next few hours, we pushed our way upstream, through running water that was often chest height (for me) or higher. Over rocks. Through rocks. Several other groups passed us by, evidently in a hurry to get somewhere; we never saw them again. We saw myriad exotic butterflies, a water snake, huge water spiders and praying mantis, small fish, tadpoles. I got my foot stuck one and twisted it getting it free. I slipped and fell into a shallower area, onto some rocks, once. Finally, it was lunch time. There we were, wet, bedraggled, hungry, huddled like sea lions sunning ourselves on rocks. Our guides, who make many such trips every week, broke out a camp stove and fixed a gourmet meal of….yup, ramen noodles (with canned fish for most, and plain for us vegetarians). It was served in a small tin cup. (Luckily I had brought an energy bar + drink + orange for later.) After lunch some people went back into the water. I sat and talked a bit with the guides. They siad that once, their boss took a group out past dark and the police had to come and give them flashlights to get out of the canyon. Eek. It must have been somewhere around 2pm when we left the lunch (rock) site and got back in the water. The guides said that the exit from the river was “100 yards” ahead. Okay, I thought I can do that. Then, we came upon a rock slide. Of course everyone had to try it out (I went twice but managed to bruise my one kidney) even if it meant climbing back up a huge boulder with the use of a rope. Lots of pictures were taken and then we headed for….not really sure except I thought it was the end of our odessey. Wrong.
At the bottom of the rock slide
The river bank butted up against the mountains. And I asked how we were getting out since I saw no trail. “Up” said the guides. You’ve got to be kidding! So, soaking wet, we began our ascent on a barely visible (and super slippery) path. Several times I thought I was going to have an asthma attack, I was breathing so hard and wheezing. There was nowhere to stop (I had people ahead and people behind me). Thankfully, everyone stopped until I could catch my breath and then, up again. Finally, after what seemed like an hour but was probably *only* 30 minutes, we emerged onto a paved area and rested. We all decided to let the person having the most difficult time with this activity choose the next one.
I thought we were nearly done. Wrong again! The next few hours is a blur but I remember walking up another steep incline and then down. Imagine an 18″ dirt path, littered with smooth stones and a 200’+ cliff with no barrier on one side and the mountain on the other. There was NO ROOM for error here! Then came the “stairs” (old railroad ties holding up dirt, still on a steep incline). My hips hurt, my knees were killing me, I was hot and thirsty, but we still had a ways to go. Finally we made it to a paved path (hallelujah!). Again the guides told us it would be another “10 minutes” back to the hotel. 30 minutes of walking mostly uphill again, we got to the hotel. Some were so exhausted they had no energy for a (cold) shower. I was covered with dirt and leaves and brine from the river and had to get clean. Then, another crazy taxi ride downhill to the MRT. Onto the MRT and a bus and then in search of dinner near my apartment. Afterwards, those last 8 flights of stairs up to my place were torture. I hurt so bad, was sunburned; I slept all the way through Saturday.
Was the teambuilding activity a success? I think everyone is glad to have survived. I wonder if any of the younger, fitter members will do this again? I can say for certain: for me, once is more than enough!
24 Jun 2012 4 Comments
in Daily Life, Travel Tags: 7-11, customer service, MRT, UniGlo
I’ve officially been in Taiwan for one year! In that time, I have had many adventures, made some new friends – and here’s what I’ve learned:
13 Jun 2012 2 Comments
in Daily Life, Taiwan Tags: earthquake, flood, Typhoon
This week started off with a bang – literally! At 5am I was awoken by the building shaking and swaying and the sounds of, well of a 6.0 earthquake! http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/recenteqsww/Quakes/usb000absf.php
It lasted about a minute but seemed longer. And all week, we’ve had after-shocks and a few more tremblers. (You haven’t lived until you’ve experienced a ‘quake on the top floor of a 20-story building.) I’m told this is normal for this region: I’ve experienced more earth-shaking in this past week than in the past year! Maybe there’s an earthquake “season”?
Then of course, on Monday, at 2am, the torrential rains started. And I mean TORRENTIAL! So much so that suddenly, my outside wall was leaking water – and “little Lake Tong Hua” was forming in my bedrooms. Needless to say, it was not a restful night. Between the sheets of driving rain and the howling wind, they cancelled work – of course only after I’d arrived. LOL
13 Jun 2012 Leave a comment
in Culture, Taiwan Tags: graffiti
when you think of graffiti, you probably think of young thug taggers doing their dirty deeds on freeway overpasses while no one is looking. well, think again! in Taipei, art is everywhere and graffiti takes a decidedly upbeat turn. check out what i saw recently on a boarded up street-level business:
Let’s all shine!
it made me smile when i realized that the positive message applies to us all!
13 Jun 2012 Leave a comment
in Culture, Daily Life, Taiwan Tags: art, folk art, hope, minature art, painted rocks, plenty, rice, rocks, stones
outside Eslite (the 24-hour one, on Dunhua) there are always vendors (unofficial and ones that are licensed), their wares spread out on blankets. usually it’s just umbrellas and sunglasses (probably from China) and clothing only a tiny person could fit into. this one time though, i saw something that made me stop and look. rocks. painted rocks to be more precise, a wizened old man selling them. several people stood around looking at them (and i was tired and wanted to buy book 2 in the Hunger Games series) so i hurried on past, thinking he’d still be there when i came out. (he wasn’t.) darn!
then, to my great surprise and joy – he was there again this week (when a co-worker and i came out of Eslite after getting some vegetarian dinner at the downstairs buffet).
after a brief conversation we learned that the artist had once been a social worker and teacher and, while looking for something to paint that couldn’t be crushed by little hands, came up with the idea of painting rocks with icons and patterns that have special meanings. I chose white dandelions on a white background signifying hope (and who can’t use that these days?). So enchanted with my little purchase, I went back a few days later and found “Uncle” Stone again and this time selected a classic design of rice, which is intended to mean “having plenty”. (well we’ve sure had plenty of earthquakes this week!)
Plenty of Hope
23 May 2012 Leave a comment
in Daily Life, Taipei, Travel Tags: income tax, taxes
Every year in May, everyone living and working in Taiwan makes their way to the closest district tax office (no appointment needed and most work places give you half-a-day off for this purpose).
I went before lunch time; walking the Daan MRT, changing trains at Zhongxiao Fuxing, and getting out at 4 stops later at Ximen. I exited at exit 6, walked 10 minutes (not sure which direction) and there was the tax administration building.
The tax office in Ximen
As you walk in, the signs are very clearly marked, so that foreigners know where to go, and in a large room, several friendly interns looked at the forms mailed out by the government months ago and helped me fill out a one-sided form. Then, they bundled everything up neatly and pointed me towards a bank of desks where I had to wait about 20 minutes until my number was called. The senior clerk then checked the work of the interns, making additional computations in red on the form, and asked me to produce my passport and work contract. Oops, no one told me I would need those. So, back home again, got the items and back to the tax office. Another short wait and, voila! My taxes are done and I’m getting a refund. Yeah! Simple and sane. Wow, what a concept.
21 May 2012 2 Comments
in China, Daily Life, Nanjing, Travel Tags: BlueSky, breakfast, hotel, Jinling, logan berries, metro, Nanjing, RMB, smog, veggie burger
I know I need to grab breakfast before taking a cab to work (I’ll figure out how to get there more economically later on). The buffet at the Jinling Hotel is, like everything else in China seems to be, BIG. Every type of bread, butter jam (but no peanut butter). So many vegetables (raw and cooked), fruits (no surprises, darn it, I wanted to try something new.). I am shown to my seat and they cover up my purse when I get up to make my food selections. I am addressed in English and wonder what would happen if I answered in German. They ask what I’d like to drink and I speak in Chinese (I have one cup tea.) The tea is waiting for me when I get back with my salad, veggie juice (!), and fixin’s for a croissant veggie sandwich to take to work for lunch.
Then, I’m off. I get the address written in Chinese and show it to the cab driver. He deliberates for a while and then we join the throngs on the road. The super modern streets and highways are crowded. I have no clue where we’re going. I know the office is in something called the “Soho International Plaza”. The driver is obviously lost and I’m not able to help. I’m also not able to use my phone to call anyone… by sheer luck, I see our company logo on a sign and point excitedly to it. To the driver’s credit, he didn’t charge me the full fare. That 25 min. ride cost me 30RMB. I check in with the receptionist (who, I later find out was the one who made most of my in-China travel arrangements) who makes some phone calls. I am met by the tech doc manager who shows me to my seat. NOTE: the building is very modern and new, like so much of Nanjing. It’s a 4-floor square, built around a courtyard. Flower, bushes, and trees abound – as does the dust and, sorry to say, SMOG. My throat is already burning, reminding me of growing up in soCal. How do folks here deal with this?
Our office in Nanjing
A few short minutes later, I’m plugged into the corporate network and answering emails and setting up appointments for the week. ( I am here to work, after all.)
My development group takes me out to lunch. Unlike Taipei, most people here have cars. Nice, new ones! They know I don’t eat meat and kindly find a place that serves literally at least 20 different types of mushrooms! See? More BIG options!
At the end of the day one of my China colleagues (another American) lends me his subway card, prints out a map (there are currently 2 lines in Nanjing, with at least one more, to the airport) planned. The metro station is clearly marked and he shows me how to use the card. All metro signs are in English and Chinese, making it easy to figure out when the next train will arrive. The subway tunnel is clean. The subway cars are clean. People openly stare at us foreigners.
check out the artwork on the walls
On the way out to an expat bar owned by an Aussie, I purchase what look like logan berries (5RMB) – and although I have been warned about street food, I find they are really quite delicious. At BlueSky I have a veggie burger, fries, and we play pool.
We climb into a cab; I go back to the hotel and then he’s onto apartment, across the street from the office. At the Jinling my room is immaculate and the bottled water I requested is waiting for me. Yeah! It’s been a long day but I am excited to try my luck at taking the subway on my own.
Year of the Dragon!
Asia's best kept secret... 