Taiwan: Family

Most of my extended family lives in Taiwan, and it was great to see everyone during our visit. We didn't get to see one of my cousins, and forgot to take a photo with one aunt, but we got almost everyone in. 

This is my grandmother. She is a talented seamstress, and makes clothing that looks like it is sold at a department store. She has now taken up knitting. 

My granddad is in his 80s, and he continues to ride around on his scooter. Motorbike. Moped? I'm not sure what to call these things:

Anyway, go grandpa!

My cousin and Aaron on an outing in Miaoli.

My uncles enjoying a delicious vegetarian hot pot meal.

My aunt, an amateur yogi. She is an inspiration to me, as I would also love to spent time each day practicing yoga.

My grandparents- the morning we left Miaoli.

We also spent that morning visiting with my aunt and uncle on my dad's side of the family.

We met up with our cousin in Taipei for the most AMAZING Thai food ever. It could have been the air conditioning and the endless amount of ice water that kept refilling in front of my eyes that made the food taste better...but we loved it regardless. 

My uncle and Aaron, after a hike in Jiufen.

Aunt Tammy, who is one of my mom's closest friends from high school. She is a retired English teacher.

Uncle and Aaron in a park in Yilan.

Posing with our youngest cousins, who are so sweet and the most talented musicians. 

Next up: A recap of our first day in Taiwan. Miaoli and Hsingchu adventures.

Taiwan: The Journey

Traveling to and from Taiwan is no easy feat, but it seems much more doable as an adult. When I was younger, the trip seemed endless. After working 12 hour shifts and night shifts, being on a plane for 13 hours isn't so bad. I got to watch movies, eat junk food and drink soda. What is there to complain about? :) The only thing that bothered me was developing body aches from not moving much for hours at a time. On the way back, it was much better, because I reminded myself to shift around fairly often and do some periodic stretching.

I am very thankful that Aaron and I took the leap and made the trip. It was time. It had been 5 years since I had visited Taiwan, and 10 years for Aaron. We decided pretty late (less than 2 months before our departure date) that we were going to go, so the trip came up pretty quickly.

 Aaron flew from Lake Charles, LA to Dallas the night before we departed, and we traveled together to Asia. Here is a brief breakdown of our journey.

30 minutes: My condo to the airport.

2 hours: Relaxing in the United lounge (someone -me- insisted that we show up eons before our flight).

3 hours: Dallas to San Francisco

2 hours: Layover in San Francisco. Barely enough time to get lunch!

12 hours: San Francisco to Taipei

Arrival in Taiwan. Hallelujah! 

Pro Tips:
1. In any long flight, it is important think about where you are going, and what time zone your destination is in. We knew Taiwan was 13 hours ahead of Dallas. That meant ideally, we needed to sleep about half of our flight to get some rest, but not sleep too much so that we wouldn't be tired enough to go back to bed when we arrived (we got there at 7pm).

2. Bring your toiletries with you in your carry on. Nothing is more refreshing than having clean teeth and a clean face before settling in to watch yet another Harry Potter movie on the airplane. Use bottled water to brush your teeth. I do not recommend drinking or even swishing with the airplane water. Also, bring face wipes/make up removing wipes for your face.

3. Bring snacks. Some airlines do not serve free snacks anymore.

4. Bring a sweater. Temperatures can get chilly on planes. 

5. Bring your own headphones. Your own stuff is always cleaner.

6. EVA airlines now offers direct flights from Houston to Taipei. Wahoo! Talk about convenient!

7. Taoyuan International Airport will soon open a subway stop in the airport that connects to Taipei City.

Next up: A post all about my family in Taiwan. Stay tuned!

Taiwan: Intro

Hi friends! Aaron and I went on a great adventure to Taiwan last week. I can't wait to tell you all about our family, the food we ate, and all of the new memories we created. We had 7 full days in Taiwan. Traveling to and from Taiwan took about a day each way. We made pretty good use of our week, as we balanced time with family, hanging out in the city, and going on several hikes.

Quick facts:

Photo cred: acunsurba.blog.com

• Taiwan is located in Asia--east of China, south of Japan and Korea, and north of the Philippines. 
• My parents were born and raised in Taiwan. They met and got married in Taiwan.
• East Taiwan is mostly mountainous. 

Jiufen, Taiwan

• Its climate is described as tropical. We were thankful to miss any major rain storms during our visit. 

Observations we took away from our week in Taiwan:

• Driving, walking, and biking in the city is similar to playing Mario Kart, but you only have one life. 
• There are motorcycles everywhere. 
• There is no such thing as yielding to pedestrians. 
• People do not use hand signals when biking.
• Forget saying "to your left." 
• Ride and walk at your own risk. 

Riding around National Taiwan University's campus. 

• Summers are hot and humid. We were not even visiting during the hottest time of the year. 
• Central air conditioning does not exist in most homes. There is usually an AC unit in each room. 

Yes, that's sweat. Yes, we just climbed a mountain!

• People on this side of the world are on their phones 24/7. Just like us. 

My sweet uncles (mom's brothers).

•  Technology isn't all bad. Face timing is fun! 

                                       

•  Taiwan has the BEST food. Also some weird food....

I think I am picking out something I didn't like in the soup and giving it to my uncle. 

• We saw a myriad of signs like this all over the city. 

The signs displayed things from special parking spots for ladies, designated waiting areas for women waiting for the subway at night, to being cautious when stepping over a mirrored floor at Taipei 101. 

I will be sharing more stories and pictures in the coming weeks. I am currently jet-lagged and willing myself to get back on a regular sleep schedule.  Happy Summer, ya'll! 

Train x 4

Train is one of my favorite bands, and Drops of Jupiter is my all time favorite song. Heather, her mom, and I began our tradition of going to Train concerts many years ago. Last weekend was the 4th time we have seen them live. It is always a quick trip, but we have vowed to maybe make the next get together a little longer. We usually meet in Houston for lunch, go shopping in The Woodlands, relax, get ready for the concert, and make our way over to the venue. We always eat a yummy breakfast  (one that makes up for breakfast and dinner from the night before, because we seem to skip dinner due to the large lunch) the next day before we part ways. This year, Matt Nathanson and The Fray opened for Train, but in the past, we have seen Maroon 5, The Script, and Gavin Degraw (among others). I noticed that Train has two back up singers/dancers performing with them, and I'm pretty sure I would be great at that. I can dance to the beat, shake a tambourine, and be buddies with Pat & Jimmy. I could still be a nurse practitioner during the months when we're not on tour. It would be a win win for all.

May 30, 2015

Can't wait for our next concert. I'll start working on my dance moves and tambourine shaking now.