The Adventures of CY and JB

Monday, April 7, 2008

A friend of ours came in for the Tomb Sweeping holiday to visit his family. We met up for dinner and strolled around Taipei. We are at a Japanese Garden at the top of the department store SOGO.

We stopped for dessert at a place that specializes in sweet tofu. You get the tofu, the white softness, and you can add different things to it. Two of the bowls are taro, one is peanut, and Jonathan went for the combination bowl. Yummy!

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Living/Tawain/Travel/Minnesota/ Noticings

Taiwan Noticings 11/14/07

Dogs are everywhere. Right now the apartment's dog, little white is barking her head off. She is soon going to get the other dogs of the neighborhood excited and it will be a barking fest. Something you get use to. Dogs walking around. They each look a little different but a lot of them a skinny versions of black labs. They are kind of referred to as Taiwan dogs.

She is still barking.

Taiwan Noticings 11/20/07

Jonathan came home today with a Cosco size box of Honey Nut Cherrios. He was noticed by all the, teachers, students, and parents. Very prized food possession.

Taiwan Noticings 11/24/07

So back to the dogs. We finally got to see the school dog that is so famous at NEHS. The dog who is missing an ear. He was napping and sun bathing today by the guard house at the front of our school. We'll call him....one ear.

Taiwan Noticings 11/28/07

It has been rainy and cold. I think it feels colder because it is damp all the time. The temperture is about 60F but it feels much cooler. The rain is coming from one typhoon and a tropical storm that were hanging around the edges of the island yesterday and today.

The cold...I mean kind of 12/08/07

Taiwan has a unique winter. I will not say that it is at all the same as Minnesota. But it is cold in a unique way. The temperture maintains at about 50-60F but the moisture in the air in combination with buildings that have no insulation and just cement makes it colder then we think it really should be. I am wearing a wool turtleneck sweater right and jeans and feel comfortable. Strange. Ahh..but it is green and lush looking outside. That I do like. I am still a Minnesotan, talking about the darn weather.

The hot...I mean the blazing kind 12/16/07

We took a trip down south today to a city named Chiya. It was about 2hr and 30min train ride south. The temperture difference seemed to be about 15 degrees and the sun was intense. We were peeling off our sweat shirts and wishing we put sunscreen on. Temperture changes here are only a train ride away.

The cold...I mean not really but to us yes. 01/31/07

Taitong is usually really warm. It stays in the 70's-80's through the winters. But this weekend it got down to the 50's. We were shocked and cold. We put every possible piece of clothing on to stay warm. The Minnesotans are getting too use to the semi-tropical climate.

Language is so interesting... 02/07/08

We have been traveling the last 2 weeks or so and have had a chance to experience the role of language. Not only our own in another context but also other languages besides Chinese and Taiwanese.
1. Damn there are some loud languages out there and Chinese is one of them. Thai is a very quiet language and culturally it is look down upon when people raise their voices even when they are angry. So it is rare to hear loud talking.
2. English is the great neutralizer. It is the language that is used when two people don't speak each others home language. Also hand gestures are very helpful.

02/21/08

Today marks the end of Chinese New Year's. The moon is full and the last of the fireworks are sounding through the nightime landscape. There was a lantern party at the lake by our house for families. Lantern Festival reminds me a lot of the Winter Carnival Torch light parade, or Holidazzle. Things that sparkle in the night during winter. Cool!

02/27/08

The cold has returned. We are averaging about 4-5 layers. Oh heated buildings how we miss you! We have been trying to figure out a curious thing that happens when it is cold out here in Taiwan. When it is cold people like to open the windows. Now that really counters what I would do which is keep it closed, cover it in 3M shrink wrap and throw a curtain over it. I definately would not open it. Oh and when it is hot out folks keep the windows closed. I think we are missing some understanding because we are from a different culture.

03/09/08 Being spoken to

One of the fun thing about walking around Hsinchu with Jonathan is that he attracts people...specifically Taiwanese youth. He has this amazing ability to stand there and people just want to speak at him. We were walking down the street in front of the University Ching-Hua and a young man, we'll call him Cool in the Gang, was standing by the curb with his scooter and yelled "Hip-Hop!!!" Then Cool in the Gang a block later rode past on his scooter and yelled"Whattttttssss Up!!!!" mixed in with maybe some rap lyrics. It is always funny, happens frequently, and never fails to make us smile.

03/15/08 South American Food

We found a resturant in Hsinchu that serves South American food. We decided to check in out on Friday with a friend we had met in Boracy. Jonathan had fish empanadas and I had seafood noodles. One of the unique things about eating out in Taiwan is that there are always set meals. Soup, main dish, tea/coffee, and dessert for about 200NT ($6.00). We probally won't be back again for food but maybe for tea. The owner lived outside of Santiago Chile for 10 years and is fluent in Spanish, English, Chinese, and Taiwanese. So, So, So jealous!

03/22/08 Seeing With New Eyes

A good friend of ours is in town and we are both so excited. It as been so great to see where we live with new eyes again. Through him we see all the things that we have forgotten with our daily lives. Listening to his noticings of Taiwan has been great. Two that have stuck are: 1. hot cans off coffee you can get at 7-11 along with sushi squares 2. Hot Pot is awesome

04/02/08 Stones

It is pretty common here to find parks that have an area that is full of round stones sticking out like a mini mountain range. There is a huge belief in health and healing through foot massage and this is the way to do it on the cheap. We tried it once at the park in the temple near our school. There was a ring of stones making a path around a swing. We took it slow, walked with caution, and made the "Ohh! Ouch! This is Good For Me Right?!" face. Man did we feel parts of our feet that we never knew exsisted.

The rainy season has arrived in all it's slippity sloppity glory. It is a constant rain with breaks of sprinkles. Drains overflow in mini-waterfalls, roofs are leaking in our school, and there are wet footprints on every floor surface. The army of worms, snails, and frogs have appeared. Today we had a small break for a few hours. There was even a slight hope for sunshine. The glimmer teased and then disappeared.

You have to dress and prepare for the rain. I wear flip-flops to walk to work and roll up my pants to my knees. Then change into dry shoes when I get to school. I thought of when I did this in Minnesota but with snowboots. We asked each other yesterday the weather questions: Which do you prefer to deal with rain or snow? I anwered snow because it is just cold but you don't really get wet from it because you can brush it off. Jonathan answered rain because it doesn't build up and it doesn't have to be plowed. Which do you prefer?

04/07/08 Slipping Inside

A parent said to me today, "There is no spring in Taiwan, just rain and then heat." We got that this weekend. After almost a week of rain, a blast of heat came on Saturday, high eighties. Which was great to help things dry out. But there is a strange thawing process that is happening. The humidity index has tripled because of evaporation and add the heat of the sun in less then 24 hours and everything in our apartment is sweating. The floors, walls, fridge, bathroom, windows, just the whole apartment. Then it kind of just smells like basement and nothing is drying unless we put it directly in the sun or the dryer. We totally live on an island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean.

04/09/08 Kids totally think adults are out to lunch

On Tuesday some of my students after clean-up time, we do our own cleaning because there is no janitoral staff for the classrooms, where sitting on the floor getting ready for story time when I heard them talking about Yoda.

I turned to them and said "Are you talking about thee Yoda?"

They looked at me with wonderment and said "Yeah we are. Do you even know who Yoda is?"

I replied "Umm Yeah of course."

They then proceeded to grill me, "Then what does he look like?"

I then answered "He is about yeah tall, green, has wrinkles everywhere, and knows how to use the force for good."

They were satisfied with the answer and added "And Yoda talks like this 'Use the force Luke.' "

I knodded in agreement and said "Pretty good impersonation."

04/12/08 Another One Says "No"

Prime Minister of England Gordan Brown has publicly said that he will not go to the opening Ceremony of the summer games. He will go to the closing because it is tradition for the next host country to attend.

04/29/08 Pinapple

Taiwan produces the most amazing pinapple. The core is edible, it is sweet, and always in season. I guess there is quite a few variety grown on the island. But there is one we have been eating that tastes like sunshine mixed with honey. It is golden goodness.

05/10/08 Taiwan Zoo

We went to the Taiwan Zoo. It is set on the side of a mountain. One of the cool things in Taiwan is that place like the zoo are very affordable so that everyone can go. It is also really easy to get there by public transportation. We took a train to the top of the hill and worked our way down. Some hightlights where: the birds, elephants, brown and ringtailed lemurs, the monkeys (we saw a baby chimp!), and the Emperor Penguins.

We have also had rain all of this week. The frogs and snails are mating like crazy. I think my students have "collected" at least 30 snails of all shapes and sizes. And they are creative, they keep them in plastic eye glass cases. The trees are bursting with leaves and the canopy gets thicker around our apartment windows.

May 21, 2008 Chinese Yo-Yos

Today we saw the most amazing performance at school. A school group from Hsinchu county came and did a Chinese Yo-Yo show. The other name is Diablo Yo-Yo. At one point there was a team of 8 girls that did amazing throws, twists, and used an extra long string. Very cool. The kids loved it. I don't think I have heard my class so quiet in along time. We they did talk is was "Wow!" "How did they do that?" "Cool!" Great fun for all.

June 1, 2008

There was a massive thunderstorm in Hsinchu Friday night. Thunder sounds really different here. I think it is because of the way the sound travels within and between the mountains and ocean. It sounds like a construction site verses that loud thunderous crisp and deep sound we hear in Minnesota. Buckets of rain feel within a course of 30 minutes. Guang-fu Rd is the main road and only has 3 lanes going in each direction had one lane that converted into a river. Scooters, cars, and people where stopped in their tracks. Our cab driver commented on two cars that where literally "soaking". The water was up to their door handles. We are thinking about all the natural disasters that are effecting people around the world: China, Burma, and Hugo Minnesota.

June 28, 2008 Making the Big Move

We have been crazy busy the last few weeks. Getting ready for the end of the year and then there is the act of moving our lives back to Minnesota. There is a lot of things to put in order that are common no matter where you live: bills, forwarding addresses, boxing all your crap up, etc. But moving from Taiwan has held some unique experiences when it comes to moving.

1. Shipping boxes home. We have shipped about 12 boxes home. We had the challenge of "How do we get these to the post office? SCOOTER!" We scootered most of our boxes. I think Jonathan at one point got 3 on a scooter in one run.

2. Washing stuff. Taiwan has really, really, really high in humdity. It is mold's best friend here. We have had to do a lot of laundry of any clothing we sent home.

3. Stamping. We work in a Taiwan public school that has a HUGE Chinese government system. We had to walk around to 10 different "departments" to get a stamp that approved of us leaving. I met people that I had never seen before and finally figured out who that guy was that I always see walking around, "Ahhh he works here."

4. Getting ready to miss the street dogs. And lastly it is gonna take all of our will power not to take a street dog home. We have 5 that live outside in front of our building that we have grown fond of: little white, bear dog, little black, and cop dog.

July 1, 2008

We are really close to the Tropic of Cancer. So the sun comes up around 4:30am and is pretty high in the sky at 7:30. Then it kinda just stays there until 4 and starts to head towards the west and sets around 7pm. Your life totally changes around this schedule. The heat is so strong from 11am-4pm that folks stay inside. But before 11am and after 4pm the lake by our house is teaming with people.

August 17, 2008

Northren Minnesota is such a lovely place. We went up there a few weeks ago and fell in love with it all over again. Finally got to spend some time in Duluth and watched an enourmous ship from Canada come into the harbor. If you haven't been in awhile and want to little trip away from the city and have some gas money to burn, northren Minnesota is the place to go. (Oh and go to Betty's Pies just past Two Harbors. The pies baked and cream will blow you away.)

August 24, 2008

Visiting the big city of San Francisco made me realize that I miss living near a bigger city that Minnepolis. I think we got used to a couple quick trips per months to Taipei. I am not sure what I miss about the big city...Maybe I will figure that out later.

September 7, 2008

Man it got cold this week. I am a little concerned about making it through our first winter back. I know we will be re-introduced to the cold gradually....but I am cold already. And I think we reach the low that it got to in Taiwan on Tuesday night. About 50F. Of course minus the humunity.

September 25, 2008

So I have been really puzzled by this Palin person who doesn't talk about anything related to what a vice-president would do. I heard her from a clip with Katie Couric (SP?) and wouldn't answer a thing when asked multiple times "So what would you do if you were in office to reform the financial system?" Yikes! Maybe we'll get to hear something during the V.P. debates , of couse barring that the McC-whatevers don't want to postpone that too because of the financial crisis that has been going on for almost two years.

10/14/08

Oh we are just weeks away from the vote. I am nervous, scared, excited, and just a little stressed out. Get registered, vote early in the morning, make sure everyone you know who can vote will do so.

10/25/08

I don't know much about the bailout bill except that it got the red light then a green light and I am really not sure where all the $700billion is going...until I read this:

$758 million: tax break for plug-in car buyers
$148 million: tariff relief for wool importers
$478 million: tax breaks for film and tv production in depressed areas
$100 million: tax breaks for motor-sport-racing facilities, including NASCAR and
$192 million: tax rebates for rum from Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. (Time Oct.2008)

Feel secure that money is being spent to make J.Crew sweaters, watch depressing camrea shots, heat and cool NASCAR, and making mojitos and bundt cake.

November 6, 2008

I knew that Obama had won when at 1am I heard the shrieks and screams of people on our street. It usually means drunken suburb folk but this time it was screams of elation and joy for this monumental moment. I screamed when I heard the official word on the radio Wed. morning and was in near tears when I watched Obama's speech.

November 15, 2008

We have been talking a lot about the way we eat lately thanks to Michael Pollen's new book: In Defense of Food. Our stomachs have gone back and forth between two diets for quite a few years now: asian and western. We love the consistency of being able to buy food we know and love and cooking it, but really miss the variety of leafy greens and tropical fruits in Asia. We really want a deep freezer. That is a great invention idea. Someone get on that idea, a mini-deep freezer for folks who live in apts. Here are some food algorithm tips from Michael Pollen that I thought were worth thinking about:
1. Pay more, Eat Less
2. Eat meals
3. Do all your eating at a table
4. Try not to eat alone
5. Eat slowly
6. Cook and if you can, plant a garden

12/09/08

The snow was beautiful yesterday. Large fluffy flakes falling from the sky. I love the way children react to that kind of snow. Their eyes light up and their neck tips back and they look straight to the clouds. The magical clouds that shower the white stuff all over the state. Sledding anyone?

02/11/09

We have been on a cooking kick. We are in need of some new ways to eat food as we enter the duldrums of winter. I can't wait for spring to add new locally grown vegtables to our kitchen. I wish Minnesota could grow pinapple and mangos. Anyone thinking of doing that in a greenhouse?

04/02/09 Buy Local

Local, local, local. We can't change the world everyday but hey we can do some here and there. I was reading an article in my neighborhood paper about shopping at local businesses. Everyone in the whole world right now is feeling the stress of the money. How people are using it is changing and hopefully a change to living within one's means. On that note, the article talked about how for everyday $1.00 spent with local indepent businesses about 75% stays in the local economy. Don't quote me on that number, I am depending on my memory from two months ago, but you get the picture. So buy local and independent to keep those dollars moving around in Minnesota.

The Adventures of CY and JB

Monday, April 7, 2008

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