remembering a great woman...

My husband's grandmother died at 82 this week, November 7, 2006 at 10:40 pm. She will be terribly missed. She bore nine children and lived her life in the Southern mountains in Pingtung, Taiwan. She could only speak her native language [Paywan] and the Japanese language that she picked up during the time when the Japanese occupied Taiwan.

My husband and I were never able to communicate with her. I remember the very first time I met her...we couldn't communicate so she sang me a song instead and gave me an Aboriginal name.

It doesn't seem fair for her to suffer with physical illness before she died because throughout her life, she only ate tofu and wild vegetables from the mountains where she lived. She didn't smoke or drink like the rest of the native population. She first had problems with her eyes and the doctors did a surgery. Before she even recovered from her eye surgery, she started having pains and the doctors found stones in her kidney, resulting in yet another surgery to take the stones out. Sadly, she never recovered from the kidney stone surgery and she was hospitalized for about a month and then went into a coma. She was in a coma for twelve days before she finally died. I just wished she didn't have to suffer so much pain.

leaving Taiwan...

goodbye Taiwan...hellow US of A! Finally leaving this place after 5 years of sucking air pollution and fighting the traffic. I'd hate to leave my husband behind but I fear if I stayed here any longer I'll die!! Just waiting for the semester to end and Vegas, here I come!

Great experience teaching and met lots of good people (mostly students)--even tried some funny and funky foods but I don't think I'll miss it at all. Sadly, because my husband is Taiwanese, coming back is inevitable but not having a permanent address in country is enough for me--a holiday or two a year is enough for me.

I'm ready for some long drives going from state to state. I need a REAL hot dog sandwich and don't forget Taco Bell! Don't think I'll give that up for a stinky tofu. Maybe I'll miss 7-11...NOT!

rainy monday...

what a dreadful rainy monday in Taiwan. I can't seem to get motivated and I think my class can tell--they all seemed to have fallen asleep on me.

Teaching is not my forte but I can do it...there are days, however, when I just don't feel I can spend another minute in a classroom.

i'm back...

I have been so busy with my classes and my numerous projects that I've neglected my blog. I've finished a whole semester and now begining a new one as well as traveled to the Philippines since my last entry.

Philippines was great! I had a great time visiting places I used to frequent when I was 6 years ago. One thing I made sure I did while there was to visit my favorite restaurants--wonderful Filipino food! I didn't realize how much I missed the food! I had so much fun, I even purchased land there! I'm planning on having a house built next year on my next visit so I can have sort of like a vacation home.

After more than three years living in Taiwan, I learned to really like the place--especially being so close to the Philippines making the airfare so cheap. The big plus is, it only takes 1 hour and 20 minutes to fly from Taiwan to Manila. The biggest reason why I seldom visit the Philippines is not because I didn't like it but because it takes two days flight from Florida! I really don't like long flights!

on losing weight...

I decided this week to start losing weight--I've been neglecting myself and haven't been paying attention to my body. None of my clothes fits me anymore and I refuse to buy new ones. Since the induced menopause during my chemotherapy treatment, my body just isn't the same anymore. I seem to have gained a lot of weight and couldn't get rid of it. I've decided to do something and work harder on taking care of myself to stay healthy and hopefully live longer.

I began my diet program by quitting coffee (diuretics) and limiting myself to warm water with lemon juice and honey. It was very difficult on Monday (1st day) but I'm feeling much better now. I noticed that I've been drinking a lot of water, which is what I really need to clean out my digestive system. I've also decided to skip lunch for the first two weeks and have a light dinner with only 1 cup of rice. As for exercise, I'm planning on buying a treadmill and walk at least 1 hour 3X a day. Taiwan is just not a good place for walking outdoors (high levels of air pollution) and the gyms are just too expensive.

I really don't know how this is all going to end up but I will try my best to keep it up until I reach my goal.

the blues...

It's been a while since I felt down...today, I feel I'm missing something but I'm not sure what it is exactly. Although, I've spent years studying psychology, I still cannot understand how I feel sometimes. Today, for instance, I'm not sure if I have the blues or if I'm homesick. Taiwan just do not have what I need to live a full life...I miss the beautiful beaches of Hawaii and the cool breeze in the mountains. I miss my Sundays spent having a wonderful breakfast at the Wai'Oli Tea Room on Manoa Valley. I miss swimming with the most beautiful fishes in the South Shore's Hanauma Bay. I miss the beautiful rainbows...

Waking up in Taiwan is like waking up in the middle of a construction zone. The noise both from the neighbors and the cars and scooters is unbearable!

I have 2 more years before I can get out of here...I'm really not sure I can make it.

Manoa Falls

it all looks good in the pictures...

When you surf through the Taiwan website, everything looks so nice and beautiful...in the pictures that is. I'm not sure why, when I go to these places, they didn't look as appealing as they did in the pictures posted on the website. I think there's something wrong with my eyesight, because when I was looking at these supposed "beautiful" tourist areas, these two words always comes out of my mouth, "what the..."? For instance, I saw a beautiful picture advertising a place in Taiwan where they grow tea, so I dragged my husband, who was reluctant to go, to drive 5 hours to see this place. When we got there, all I could say was..."what the..." Driving through this small village, you will notice a lot of dilapidated buildings and houses (could be left over from the big earthquake). Occassinally, you will see what looks like tea shops but they also look like somebody's private homes so we didn't stop. Finally, we found a tea plantation (little farm with a little shack where the tea was processed...or something) but there was nobody there. Needless to say, we didn't find what we hoped to find--but at least I got to see what a tea plant looks like.

Oh well, I'm not giving up. I'm sure I'll find something...after all, we're talking about "Il Formosa," meaning, "A Beautiful Island," there's gotta be something out there!

summertime in Taiwan

This is my 3rd or 4th summer in Taiwan and this year, I think, could be the hottest! It's been raining consecutively for the past month and now that it finally stopped, the heat seem to seep out from the pavement. Hawaii was never this uncomfortably hot--at least you get some fresh air blowing in from somewhere...in Taiwan, all you get is the stench coming from the sewers below you and the fume from mopeds and cars. The best thing to do in Taiwan during the summer is to stay home with the AC running or leave the country to clean out your lungs for at least two weeks or more (if you can afford it). There's Kenting you say, well if your idea of fun is paying big bucks for substandard hotels,(5 stars), just to see a beach you couldn't swim in, Kenting would be right place for you. As for me, I would rather pay the round trip ticket to the Philippines (2 hours away) and stay in a luxurious hotel (paying 1/4 of the price) and have some great Filipino food accompanied with excellent customer service, not to mention the beautiful beaches! Consider driving 5-6 hours fighting traffic,tolerating bad driving behaviors, and paying toll fees every 100 km (it seems)only to find that there's no parking for your car. Or you can fly for 2 (or less) hours direct from Kaohsiung to Subic Bay, Philippines, and be greeted by wonderful staff eager to serve you and provide you the best for your money...which would you choose?

saved by the ....

I was about to give up and give the ol' computer the famous fist when my husband came home and translated for me the characters on the screen. Now, I just have to remember which buttons does what and I'll be on my way back to blogging world! For now, I will have to fight the traffic and dodge the rain and get some groceries--my maid is complaining of hunger already.

I think it's finally working...

I have to admit--the biggest problem I'm having with this thing is that my browser shows everything in Chinese and I'm clicking buttons blindly! I need to try and figure out how to change this in English so that I can begin again...

If at first you don't succeed, try, try again ....I'm sure

Again and again...

I've been working on this blog all morning and couldn't get it to work...