Suddenly I See

Night markets are lovely! Now that I've ceased to be terrified of them, shopping here is a lot of fun. I bought T-shirts! On the street! That fit! The crush of humanity, pirated goods, and funky smells is not longer distressing foreign, but an exhilirating exotic scene.

I'd put something about teaching and the kids here, but I don't want to jinx anything. Tomorrow is a two-hour rehearsal for the Spectacular with the youngest kids.

I've even made peace with the food here. I think it is largely due to the new school cook, Jane, who is FAR better than the previous cook. She makes me noodles and feeds me pineapple. She cooks everything in soy sauce, ginger, and garlic. She asked the kids how to say ginger in English because she only speaks Chinese and wanted to explain the dishes to us gringos. It's a shame it's happened so late in our stay.

I'll miss Taiwan.

Come Hell or High Water, Or Piglet Starts Bailing

Well, the torrential rains have come again. I've been soaked to the bone twice in the last three days. Paul, meanwhile, has yet to get wet. Such are the horrible whims of the rain gods. At least, they've been pumping the canal behind the apartment. They do it pretty regularly during the rainy season, but the water level seems to rise surprisingly quickly. Still, they left all of the equipment set up tonight, which does not suggest optimism for a sunny day tomorrow. It's a real shame too, because I've finally gotten around to planning a beach vacation--a proper one, at Kending, too. I hope the weather dries out a bit by next Sunday because I can think of nothing crueller than my hard-earned beach relaxation being marred by rain.

Mission: Save Jennifer, Paul if Possible

Your mission, should you choose to accept, is to think of a way to save Jennifer and Paul, if possible, from an lengthy overnight layover at LAX. Hop to it.

Happy Anniversary to Us

Happy anniversary to us. Can you believe it's already been four years? I can't. But then, I can't believe my husband is much closer to thirty than twenty. (Paul's a tender 27 in a mere four months.) We had a nice time. We went out to a fancy restaurant and I spent a small fortune on shoes. Paul gave me a lovely Buddhist triptych and an icon. He said I could put them up in my future office, which I thought was awfully sweet. He got Rainbow Six: Las Vegas 2 which, as I can personally attest to, has been thoroughly enjoyed.

Since we live our lives (profound, I know), we can't really think of a moment that encapsulates the essence of us. If you can--or have a favorite memory of us in general--it would be ever so nice if you would post it in the comments section. It's always fun to see yourself through other people's eyes. Oh, and just for Paul's dad, you can't post the singing in the car bit. You'll have to think of (or invent) a new memory.

55 Days, 1 Hour, 4 Minutes

Wow! Can you believe I've made a hundred posts? It's crazy. Also crazy: we arrive in Salt Lake in 55 days, 1 hour and 4 minutes. That's July 3 at 10:25 a.m. for those of you that prefer to simply be told. (How's that for a flagrant disregard of split infinitives?) Showers of roses, chocolate, etc. are welcome, but actual showers of warm water would be the most appreciated. Plan accordingly.

Everyone Else's Brother is in Jail

I've mentioned Audra's brother from time to time, but since the apartment has an ongoing best worst brother contest, I thought I'd fill you in on the other contenders. Audra's brother, of course, continues to avoid the long arm of the law. Last we heard he was in Yunnan, China or possible Thailand being a model. He was being seriously challenged by Katerina's brother for the best worst brother. Katerina's brother is currently sitting his local jail after having been arrested for drug running. Oops. Apparently, Jersey cops just won't look the other way if you have several kilos of cocaine in the backseat. The DA, on the other hand, is willing to cut you a deal for 6 months in jail, plus three years' probation. He seemed to feel any jail time was a grave injustice, but eventually every sane person convinced him that having a joint of marijuana and having several kilos of cocaine in your car were really not the same category of offense. Personally, I wonder what happened to the house his parents bought him, but on the bright side, they are getting plenty of quality time with their granddaughter!

The winner is Ellie's brother, who is unlikely to dethroned. At least, I hope not, because we're getting to a level of crime that is no longer humorous in any light. Ellie's brother is also currently sitting in his local jail, awaiting trail for sexual assault. Katerina was discussing her brother's woes when Ellie mentioned that her brother too was in jail, only for sexual assault instead of drug running. As I stood there rather stunned--really, what is the appropriate response that case--I said, "Well, maybe it's one of those things where they level the highest charge with the intent to strike a better plea bargain." "There are two girls." "Oh." We decided this was perhaps the reason Ellie's mother was sending her an unusual high amount of care packages full of jelly beans. She does love jelly beans, but five pounds a month? No one likes jelly beans that much.

Francophones of the World, Unite!

Once again, our courageous Belgian comrade Ellie flew across the Taiwan Strait to renew her visa in Hong Kong. This time, instead of hooking up with friendly South Africans, she acted as an interpreter for a Guinean and 13 Algerians (all men). Alas for poor Ellie, the consulate denied her visa without comment. They also denied visas to the 13 Algerians. They told them to try again another day. But Ellie was in no mood for this, what with having to teach the next day. She refused to leave the consulate until they at least told her why her visa was denied. Then she and the Algerians (who were now sticking together) sat down on floor. That's right, they dusted off that old gem, the sit-in. Then the security guards came. And still they sat. Then the cleaners came and started buffing the floors around them. Finally, the consulate caved and agreed to allow them to appeal the denials via interviews. Ellie was told why her visa was denied (why would any one need six months to explore Taiwan?) and wove a very plausible story explaining it. She went off on her interviewer about the level and type of documentation needed as well. (Ellie's exceeded the requirements and when the interviewer said it was more than necessary, Ellie bluntly stated that must mean she met the required level.) In the end, Ellie got her 60-day visa (which she will overstay by 5 days), but her "boys"--as she referred to them--only got 14-day visas. All of this took place after the consulate closed, so by the end of things, Ellie and the Algerians had 90 minutes to make it to the airport and board the plane. They did make it though.

You'd think that would be enough, but no, Ellie missed her bus to the HSR train station by 10 minutes. It was the last one. Now, Ellie is not familiar at all with Taipei and speaks virtually no Chinese. Nevertheless, she is resourceful and opted to go out to the taxi area and just yell out the name of our city until she found a taker. It only cost her US$27, which is an amazing deal for 3 hr. cab ride. She snuck into the apartment so quietly that I was still awake at 5:00 am thinking she hadn't made it home. Little did I know how close it had come to that.