Kris's Birthday

Kris, this is for you. The videos and pictures of your birthday so long ago. Finally.

You know me, consistently late. Part of my curse and charm.

Transition Blog

Ok, since I am no longer in Taiwan I decided to create a
new blog.


Since I don't know where I am going next I figured the title was appropriate.

Pictures

So I just got an email from Kris with all his pictures from his year in Taiwan. I am so happy since I haven't seen most of them before (and some of them are flattering of me). He reminded me that I still haven't done anything with my photos, so this weekend will be spent working on putting them on shutterfly.

I promise.

But I thought I give you guys a look of me relaxed (since people in Taiwan never really saw that quite often). Yay for no puffy, tired eyes.
Dad and I

Flying Home

So flying is not that easy, no matter how many times you do it. I started to get worried last night when I found out there were two possible planes that I could be getting on. Anyone who flies knows that having all the information ahead time is very important because there are countless other things that could go wrong. The last thing you want is to not even know where to go in the terminal to check in.

I called the NWA reservation line twice last night. The first time I talked to the rudest helper I have ever encountered. Then I called mom and had her calmed me down. I called again and got a nice, competent helper who made m worries go away.

The next issue would be bags. Living somewhere you will obviously amass countless things. I had pottery, shoes, bags, clothes, notebooks, lesson plans, books, etc. I mailed to this date 16 boxes home. Lets just say that I got to know the postman very well. But still after all of that, I needed an extra suitcase and with the fuel prices going up, they are cutting weight from 70 pounds per bag to 50 pounds per bag. You may be saying “50 pounds is a lot.” Nope. Not at all. Take into account that the suitcase alone weighs anywhere from 5-10 pounds. You need clothes, toiletries (since you can’t take them on the plane anymore), shoes, bags, etc. All these things weigh a ton.

I had a packing party at my house last week to get everything packed. The packing party is very beneficial because while I panic, other people pack. If it was just me I would panic first, then pack (making the packing take forever). When I got the airport, I found that all but one of my bags was overweight. So I took them to the side and switched some things around while calling mom to ask what a kilo was in pounds. I switched one successfully, but the other suitcase actually gained weight after I took clothes out. Only Julia. So I moved some more clothes to my carryon. Now I have several outfits in case something happens on the plane or my luggage gets lost.

They also put me on standby for another airlines promising me an upgrade on that flight. I took it because it only left 5 minutes after my original plane. They gave me a voucher for food, but didn’t take my luggage making it impossible for me to go upstairs to get food. Instead, I went down stairs, paid with my own money, and had the best cheesecake I have ever tasted in an airport and most of Taipei. After all of that I ended up on my original flight with an exit row seat. Anyone with long legs understands the power of the exit seat.

The airport in Tokyo is beautiful. I checked in again at the NWA desk which is conveniently by the gate I departed. The first guy was confused by my EVA air receipts and tickets. I told him, in a very strong voice, NWA made me go on that flight. Then I got up to the desk and breezed right on through (I don’t think I would have kept my voice in a civilized manner if the girl at the desk acted all confused). After all of this I will never use different carriers again no matter what.

I luckily got an exit row seat for this flight. My legs were thankful for that seat. The flight itself was 11 hours and 45 minutes, but it left an hour late. I was worried when we were getting closer to Detroit that I was going to be pushing it time wise. I got through customs quickly, but my bags took almost 30 minutes to come out. I orginially had 2 1/2 hours, but now I only had an 1 1/2 hour total to do customs, pick up bags, recheck bags, security, and then get to the gate. The woman rechecking my bag said my favorite line ever, “You could possibly make your flight.” With that in mind, I ran as fast as I could to the gate. I felt like I was in a movie. I did make it , a bit out of breath, but the flight attendant gave me a glass of water (since I was sitting in first class).

My last flight was very short compared to the other flights, only 1 1/2 hours. The added bonus was that I was put in first class (ain’t no shame). The flight was smooth and worry-free. The way all flights should be. It was a nice was to end my life in Taiwan.

Home

I have finally made it home. It was a bit of an ordeal. I will write about it later. 

For anyone who knows me, knows that I can shop anywhere, anytime. So far I have a new dress (so cute), a purse, a raincoat, and new shoes. Here's a look at the new shoes.

Student Video

The boy in the video is Scott, one of my students. I taught him in G5 and G6. The song is about listening to your mother by Jay Chou.

Last Week

This is my last week in Taiwan, maybe forever. Exciting! I can't wait to be home and open a refrigerator and make a sandwich or eat eggs (you all know the only thing I make here is oatmeal). I will miss some things like shopping at all times during the day and night, getting in a taxi whenever I feel like it, traveling on the bus or MRT (makes me feel so city-like), etc. I will miss the conveniences the most.

Things I will not miss:
1. crazy bus drivers
2. girls wearing high heel shoes that are too high and big for them (really annoying since they tend to walk into you because their shoes are too high and big for them)
3. people staring at me like I have 2 heads
4. Taiwanese rain
5. people trying to run me over

I am looking forward to saying goodbye to everything and everyone. Its been an interesting two years.

As so many people say here (although I think it is weird and it reminds me of someone I don't care to see for the rest of my life), Cheers. :)

Basking in Labels

Sex and the City: The Movie has finally come out in Taiwan. YES!!!!!!!!! Christa and I pre-ordered our tickets and went on opening night. It was a great movie. Kristen Davis is a great actress. She made me cry the most. The best part of the movie besides the fashion was the girl sitting two rows behind us. She was crying the whole time.

After the movie the need to shop was overwhelming. I suggest that you not watch this movie in a city that promotes fashion and is also so close to the stores that were in the movie. Our first stop was 9 West. I bought a new bag (it was on sale for 60 usd! and these shoes:

They are FABULOUS!

After that we went to Coach (didn't buy anything, my bank account continues to thank me) and Marks and Spencer (I did buy a fab pair of sunglasses and a new shirt that is quite interesting).