Catch-up

Hi all, so I will do a quick recap of the past few days so that I can catch you up to what's going on here in Taiwan.

Yesterday, I spent the morning looking for souvenirs in the area around LongShan Temple. I did not find a single thing! It was still interesting to walk around the the shops and various food stands. They were selling all kinds of crazy things, fish, whole chickens, raw meat, you name it. For lunch, I met Nick and his friends and then I went off in search of some new shoes. It rained off and on all day yesterday and I was slipping and sliding all over the place in my sandles that have zero tread. I bought 2 pairs of sandals for under $40, one of which favor Birkenstocks. That's what I call a bargain. No need to worry about me falling and busting my butt now!

The last two days had been very ho hum in the food department. We had a coupon for a free pizza at the place we went to a few days ago. Being the cheapskates that we are (plus I was getting hungry and grouchy) we went back there and enjoyed a delicious pizza. Yum.....
We went back to the hotel and watched the new movie Iron Man. "But Kelly, Iron Man isn't out on video yet! How could you have possibly seen it already???" Welcome to Asia, the land of pirated movies and software! Nick mentioned to one of his lab mates that he would like to find a place to rent videos, and instead his lab mate gave him some movies he had on his computer, most of which are still in theaters. They're great as long as you don't mind the chinese subtitles and the ocassional theater goer passing in front of the camera to go to the bathroom.

Now on to Friday, our last full day in Taipei...Nick's last day in the lab went pretty well. He has really enjoyed working in this lab. Everyone in the lab has been incredibly nice and helpful, and he accomplished quite a bit for such a short amount of time. Tonight, Nick and I went out to dinner with about 15 people from the lab. We went to a very popular Japanese style restaurant and the food was great. It is without a doubt the best meal we have enjoyed together in Taipei. The meal had about 7 courses, and it only cost about 15 USD per person.

Getting to dinner, however, was a horrendous experience! I left the hotel early like a good girl to give myself plenty of time to meet Nick and his lab mates outside of their bulding at National Taiwan University. Well, I got on the right bus but it was going the wrong direction! I had plenty of time to get to the university so I figured I would just stay on the bus until it looped back around. Fast forward one hour, and I saw Taipei 101 out the window and I realized I was no where close to where I needed to be! So, I jumped out of the bus and ran from cab to cab looking for a person that spoke some English. Finally, I found one and he took me to meet Nick. I was 45 minutes late! I wanted to cry, but everyone was so nice about it that I didn't feel too bad. And of course my handsome and strapping husband was not the least bit upset or bothered by it.

Tomorrow we leave the bright lights of the big city behind and go to a new place on the southeast coast called Hualien. We are excited to see a new place, but we are a little worried to go to town out in the country. English will be much more rare, and the food will be even more strange. Send cookies!

Actually from 7/16/08

First, sorry to all of our loyal blog readers out there. The internet at the hotel has been down (disaster!!), so I have been unable to post. This is what we did on Wednesday. Now that I am behind, I may never catch up!

To make up for my laziness yesterday, I spent the day sightseeing all over the city. My first stop was the Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial Hall. Chiang Kai-Shek was once Taiwan’s dictator. The memorial houses a museum with exhibits dedicated to his life. It was interesting to see these things, although I’m not sure that this guy was very nice. The city is slowly trying to change the name of the memorial to National Taiwan Democracy Monument, and in a few places I saw that signs had been changed to reflect this. Unfortunately, my camera battery went dead as soon as I got here! So I’ll have Nick post some pics from the internet and a link to its website.
My second stop was in Ximen for some lunch. Ximen reminds me of Times Square – minus the prostitutes. It has lots of shopping and large movie theater. They are heavily advertising the new Bat Man movie. Nick and I may go and see it tomorrow (it’s in English with Chinese subtitles). I walked around many of the various shops and I was hoping to find a Chinese restaurant with an English menu. I guess I was looking in all the wrong places, because I didn’t find one. I ended up at KFC, which was a terrible idea. I became pretty sick afterwards, and I will NOT be eating KFC again while here!

In the afternoon, I went to the National Palace Museum. There was a 50% discount if you used your student ID, so I convinced the lady that my Indiana Driver’s License was one.

Wednesday night, Nick and I rode the MRT to someplace called Miramar Entertainment, which has a mall and movie theater and some other random stuff. The main attraction is a huge Ferris wheel, the second largest in Asia. It is so big, in fact, that it takes 17 minutes to go around it once! Ok, don’t get too excited, it moves pretty slowly. Anyway, it gave us some beautiful views of Taipei at night and it was very romantic!

Next, we bopped over to the Shilin night market, the biggest and most famous in Taipei. There is tons of stuff to see there and a lot of food, some of it is delicious looking while some of it is…well, interesting. We came across a booth selling a toy that we thought would be wonderful for Nick’s nephews, but the proprietor (along with about half of the others on the street) suddenly started wheeling away her cart, and politely said, “I’m sorry, I have to hide from the police.” A person next to us explained that some of the sellers are illegal and they have to hide when the police periodically come through. We tried to find the booth again after the police left, but no luck :).

Taipei 101

I have to admit that I was very lazy this morning. I talked to Mom and Dad and then spent the rest of the morning finishing the book that I started yesterday. Since the beginning of summer, my reading had been pretty limited to anything with "nurse practitioner review" in the title. After last Monday though, I vowed to not pick up a textbook again - well at least for another week. The cardiology office where I'm going to work was gracious enough to lend me a few books so that I could do some "light" reading. Let's just say that I need to cover at least 15 chapters or so, and actually retain much of this information. I better start tomorrow.

Ok, so about our day. Well, we had quite a crowd at lunch today, all total there were about eight of us. Sunny, Nick's lab partner for the week, gave me a crash course on cooking real Chinese fried rice. I took notes and will make it for everyone when we get back :) I decided to have it with shrimp for lunch, and it was very good. Oh yeah, Sunny is her English name that she has chosen for herself, it is unrelated to her "real" name. I guess it's common for Chinese people to choose an English name to make it easier on us "foreigners".

After lunch, I caught a bus back to our hotel. This was much easier than taking the MRT and even better that it dropped me off right in front of the university entrance. On the way back I found a bookstore and was able to buy "The Herald Tribune". It's the global edication of The New York Times. It was very expensive though - a little over $3.00 US for a newspaper. I have to say that I will be getting my news from the internet from now on. The newspaper was the highlight of my afternoon, along with a nap. Ok, so maybe I was very lazy today. I did exercise this afternoon though. I found that about 25% of the track is in the shade after 4 pm, this made my jog a little better than yesterday's. I was able to run longer, but it still was not a pleasant experience.

Tonight, Nick and I visited Taipei 101 - the tallest building in the world (at least until Dubai trumps it). Construction began in 1997 and it was completed in 2003. It also has the world's fastest elevator. From the ground level to the 89th floor only takes 40 seconds - pretty cool huh?!? The lower 5 levels consist of some pretty swank stores - Gucci, Coach, Tiffany's, and I think I spotted a Louis Vuitton too. We had a great time walking around the observation deck and seeing the city at night. The lights were beautiful! Afterwards, we grabbed some dinner at the food court. We will post pics soon, but let's just say my meal was not that good. I thought everything tasted good when fried, but I was very wrong. I was able to eat my two fried shrimp and some rice. Luckily, there was a Subway and I got to have a coke zero :)
We had a wonderful evening!

Nick has a presentaiton tomorrow and he just told that if I wanted to write anymore, I had to go to the commons room. Since I'm in my pajamas, I don't think that's such a good idea. Until tomorrow... Oh wait, I found some granola bars!!! Yea!!!! They were like almost $4.00 US, but who cares?!?

"Just Another Manic Monday" (Kelly)

This morning started off very hot. I haven't ran since I've been here, and I figured that it was about time for me to get back to the grind. The university where we are staying has a very nice outdoor track, yes I did say outdoor. I thought that maybe if I got over there by 9 am or so, I'd have a decent chance of beating the heat. Boy was I wrong! I got in almost 3 miles and then decided that it wouldn't be good to collapse of heatstroke in a place where little English is spoken.

We had an awesome lunch in a small restaurant close to National Taiwan University - where Nick's lab is located. Nick's new friends have totally spoiled us this week. They read the menus to us and then do the ordering as well. It's very nice because we are able to try lots of new things. Today we had noodles and dumplings. They were both delicious. I do not understand why the majority of Asians are thin, because their diet is loaded with carbs! Perhaps it's bec ause they do not eat near the portions that we do in America. After lunch, I took the MRT to SoGo department store. This place was massive, with many floors of clothing and housewares. I have never seen such a shoe and clothing selection! I resisted the temptation to buy anything. I spent the remainder of the day browsing through stores in Taipei Key Mall. This is an underground shopping area near one of the main MRT stations. It consists mainly of cheap clothes, shoes, and electronic gadgets. After having my fair share of exercise for the day, I headed back to the room around 4:30. I did some laundry and caught up on some reading.

Nick and I found an awesome restaurant tonight located near the Shida night market. It was an Italian restaurant that had amazing pizza. We had a ham and mushroom combination that was served on a cracker thin crust. It was fabulous though, and we agreed that it was some of the best thin crust we have ever tasted. Even better was that they served us iced tea that actually tasted pretty good. Yea for the needed caffeine!

We have just finished up the laundry and are ready to get some sleep. I think that I may be getting somewhat use to the hard bed. However, if you could come up with a way to send me some granola bars and vegetables I would be forever grateful. Miss and love you all!!!

Kelly

Jade, Big Macs, and Fireworks

We had a very exciting day! This morning, we ventured over to the Holiday Jade Market here in Taipei. This is supposedly the largest jade and semi-precious stone market in Asia, and it is only open on Saturdays and Sundays. If you are in search of a bracelet, necklace, or any other type of jewelry, this is definitely the place to be. We wheeled and dealed and walked away with a few souvenir items. These of which will remain unknown, because they are probably the gifts of many of our blog readers :) After the market, we set out in search of lunch. We just happened to come across a McDonald's and chose this over the all Chinese menu of its competitors. Although I will have to say that this is not something I plan to do on a regular basis, I thoroughly enjoyed my chicken nuggests and french fries. The menu was quite different from what we were used to, no grilled chicken sandwiches or salads were in sight. Ironically, this was the first time that Nick's ever had a Big Mac. Evidentally he went straight from the Happy Meal to the Double Quarter Pounder. We were finally able to have a soft drink for lunch too, something that I have missed very much.

After lunch, we walked over to the Holiday Flower Market. This area was overflowing with gorgeous flowers and plants. There was also an overwhelming number of bonsai trees. Some were small and cute, while others were large and beautiful. Nick wishes that we could smuggle one back home, but I assured him that I didn't think we could get past customs.

After the flower market, we walked (notice how that word is used rather often) to the Chinese Handicraft Mart. This was four floors of jewelry, ceramics, and other collectable items. Nick and I fell for this tourist trap, and we purchased a few interesting things.

Tonight, we were hoping for a rather relaxed evening; however, Yan Kei and three others from Nick's lab offered to take us to see some fireworks and then to the night market for dinner. Of course we could not turn down this kind offer, so we set off with them in hopes that we would not go too long without dinner. From what we gathered from Yan Kei, the music and fireworks were in honor of a new movie opening in Taiwan, Red Cliff. The fireworks were definitely some of the best that I had ever witnessed, and they used some very unique features that we had not seen before. The fireworks were set off on the riverfront, and we were very close to them. I have a feeling that this would be illegal in America. At times, it felt as if they were exploding directly above us. A bridge spanning the wideth of the river was used as an integral part in the show. Fireworks were shot off from its sides into the air, and at other times, they cascaded from it like a water fall. Small objects were also placed into the water that shot off fireworks and looked like sprinklers. It was a fantastic show, and we were glad for the experience. After the show, we went to the Jingmei night market. There were many different types of food and clothing for sale. Much of the food I did not find appealing, but I was able to find a few things that I liked. I had a Chinese dumpling filled with cabbage and bits of pork that was very tasty. I also had a chicken and onion sandwich that I labeled as "very American". For dessert, Nick and I split a pancake sandwich filled with a small amount of chocolate. This was my favorite, and I wished that I didn't have to share!

I have to say that although today was very busy, we had lots of fun! I plan to have a leisurely morning tomorrow. Maybe hit the gym and do some laundry? Dirty clothes pile up fast in this hot, humid weather!

From Danshui to Maokong (Nick)

Today we decided to check out two places on opposite ends of Taipei: Danshui all the way to the North and Maokong to the south. Danshui take almost an hour to get to by the metro, but it has a lot of things to see. It is known especially as a romantic place for couples to stroll around while watching the sunset. Unfortunately, Kelly and I were there around midday, so no sunset just heat. We checked out a Dutch fort from the 1600s and the former British consulate. The highlight of Danshui was our trip to fisherman's wharf. We crossed a footbridge there called Valentine's Bridge, which would have been a great place to see the sunset (once again, just the heat).

After Danshui, we decided the best way to spend the rest of the afternoon was to go back to the hotel and sleep. Definitely the best afternoon activity during the summer in Taipei. After grabbing some dinner, we made our way up to the maokong tea plantations in the hills above Taipei. They don't grow much tea anymore, but it is a very popular place to hang out in tea houses and take in the nice views of the city below. We got there by a gondola which goes through the taipei zoo. Going through the zoo at night, with all of the large trees in the zoo and the occasional wild animal call, it felt like we were traveling through a jungle. After getting to the top, we strolled around and looked out at Taipei lit up at night.

We left for home around 10 pm, and Kelly could barely make it home she was so tired. If I hadn't woken her up she probably would still be on the metro. I think that would have been hilarious, but she doesn't have much of a sense of humor about stuff like that :)

Earthquake rocks Taipei!!! (Kelly)

As I sat in bed this morning being lazy and reading Harry Potter, I felt a sort of rumbling beneath me. The bed shook slightly, and at first I wondered whether or not this could be an earthquake. I assured myself that it was not, and that they must be doing some sort of maintenance work on the floor below us. The sensation quickly subsided and continued on with my reading. However, I was wrong; at lunch, I was informed that it was indeed an earthquake. No need for alarm though folks, evidently that is a common occurrence here in the city.

So a little about my day...

For lunch, I took the MRT (subway) to meet Nick and two others from the lab. The nearest MRT station is about a 10 minute walk, but it sure beats walking in the heat. Today it was very hot and humid. It takes me about 30-35 minutes to ride the MRT and walk the rest of the way to Nick's lab. When I did arrive at Nick's lab though, I was definitely sweating quite profusely. A couple from his lab joined us for lunch and we went to a small restaurant that is known for their beef needles. Basically, this is a bowl of broth with noodles and hunks of beef. I had some difficulty getting the hang of using my chopsticks to eat the noodles with 2 pairs of Taiwanese eyes on me. By the end of the meal I feel that I had semi-conquered this feat. At least I ate enough to be satisifed. On the way home from lunch a small rain storm erupted. It was pouring! Luckily I had an umbrella and made it safely back to our hotel. This was only after I slipped about 10 times and almost landed on my bottom. The walkways here are made of tiles that are very, very slick when wet - especially if you're wearing flip flops that have the tread of a pancake. I spent the rest of the day reading and cleaning our small room. I did not dare to venture out again due to the weather.

Nick arrived home around 6, and thankfully, the rain had cleared. We ventured out to a food court in search of dinner. I was already very hungry, and after walking at least 2 miles, I was ready to find something that I thought looked edible. We settled on chicken and rice and some various unknown side dishes. I ate the chicken and some rice and gave Nick the unknowns :) After dinner, we went to Longshan Temple. This was quite an experience, and one that I don't care to do again. This is one of the most famous temples here in the city. The structure was beautiful and looked exactly like something you'd see in a book. There were many people inside lighting incense and making their offerings. These offerings are food, for the most part, with some flowers as well. I think that there were about 7 different gods that one could pray to, dependent upon the nature of your request. I have to say that I find this to be an uncomfortable experience, but I am glad that I was able to it. This combined with the strong incense smell was enough for me. After viewing this temple and reading about the many others that are located throughout the city, I can see why Taiwan is in the 10/40 window. If you're interested in this, you can check out this website http://1040window.org/what_is.htm



After what seemed to be a very long day and miles of walking, we finally made it back to our hotel. I hope that you found our day interesting. Coming up this weekend, I think Nick will do some blogging :)

- Kelly