Tired but Happy
I haven't been "around" (in a blogger kinda sense) 'cause we've been unbelievably busy at work and with all the moving and wedding planning stuff. The wedding invitations are out, and I just completed a list of things to give to Amy. Oh, we finally decided to have the wedding at the restaurant because we're only inviting about 26 people to the dinner anyway. More people (like all 107 of them) will join us at the dance club we're going to after the dinner later that night. I'm really excited. We're totally gonna rock out!!!! What's a wedding celebration without dancing, eh?!
Bill and I planned more than enough food for our 26 guests. Lots and lots of nachos, burritos, enchiladas, tacos, rice, beans, and veggies. Naturally, our alcohol bill is significantly larger than the food bill. We'll have pitchers of Margaritas and Sangria, plus close to two dozens of Corona for those beer lovers.
The new apartment is very slowly coming together, looking more like our home now than two days ago. The three of us are still getting used to the unfamiliar noises at night, but we slept better last night than the night before. This morning the telephone company guy came over and hooked us up to the Internet, so I decided to write a few words for those of you who might have been wondering what's going on.
We still need to go back to the old apartment to wrap things up later this week. We plan to make Sunday the big moving day. Once we have all our stuff in the new apartment, we can do some serious rearranging and decorating to make it really homey. Can't wait to get some more plants for our beautiful and spacious patio.
Okay, I gotta go upstairs and go to bed. Just wanted to check in. We'll take pictures of the new place once we've completely moved in. Those of you who are on Facebook, check your Facebook account 'cause we've sent you the invitations as well.
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
"You know how you can make me really happy?" Bill asked
Bill finally came home from Hong Kong around 9:30pm. After he ate, he went on the computer to catch up on what he had missed in the last 4 days. Then came the question in the title. Confused, I turned to look at him, and all I saw was the Martha Stewart's buttermilk pancake recipe Julie had posted on her blog. Next to it was Bill's big smile.
Now we have to figure out where we can buy buttermilk in Taipei. People have posted substitutes, but Bill insisted that they wouldn't work in buttermilk pancakes. Apparently you can make your own buttermilk too. However, when they say you can add vinegar to whole milk, do they mean the vinegar we find in Asia or other kinds of vinegar?
Bill finally came home from Hong Kong around 9:30pm. After he ate, he went on the computer to catch up on what he had missed in the last 4 days. Then came the question in the title. Confused, I turned to look at him, and all I saw was the Martha Stewart's buttermilk pancake recipe Julie had posted on her blog. Next to it was Bill's big smile.
Now we have to figure out where we can buy buttermilk in Taipei. People have posted substitutes, but Bill insisted that they wouldn't work in buttermilk pancakes. Apparently you can make your own buttermilk too. However, when they say you can add vinegar to whole milk, do they mean the vinegar we find in Asia or other kinds of vinegar?
Monday, November 17, 2008
Wedding Ideas
Bill and I had planned to sit down and go over details for the wedding after he came back from Hong Kong. However, due to some visa mix-up, he had to stay there for two more days, so I started calling around yesterday to find a place for our dinner party.
There's no way we could do our wedding the Taiwanese style (check out Ang Lee's early movie "The Wedding Banquet" to see why). We really want the venue to be intimate and meaningful. The first place that came to mind was our favorite Mexican restaurant in Taipei. Though some may think it's a bit unconventional, we thought it'd be fun and relaxed. The restaurant is a mom-n-pop operation. While Amy cooks, her husband is in charge of the bar, and Elisabeth (their 12-year-old daughter) brings food and chitchats with hungry customers. The family has known us for a couple of years, and they absolutely adore Bill. Besides, if he had his way, Bill would have Mexican food almost every night of the week.... okay... maybe not EVERY night. Some nights he'd have a pizza.
Ben the Best Man is excited, and he thinks it's very fitting.
So I called Amy yesterday evening. When she heard that we're getting married, she jokingly said, "I thought this day would never come". She was thrilled that we wanted to do it at her place. She gave me some suggestions as for what kind of food we could have and told me that her restaurant can seat 26 people comfortably. However, I came up with close to 20 of my friends on the list, and I was being very selective. Bill has a longer list for sure... (this is when suspense music comes on, and the camera freezes on my "what do we do" look).
We could ask Amy to remove the tables in her restaurant and have it cocktail party style. Then I had a wonderful idea: Why not have Amy cater the food and have the party in our new apartment? I know... we'd have to come up with a way to keep the food warm, and our oven is not big enough for those stainless steel containers they use in school cafeterias. On the other hand, we do have an oven and a microwave oven. People could put food on their plate and heat it up in the microwave oven if necessary. We could put candles on the patio, so people can go in and out. Let's hope it doesn't rain, and we'll deal with it if it does.
I'm brilliant.
Bill and I had planned to sit down and go over details for the wedding after he came back from Hong Kong. However, due to some visa mix-up, he had to stay there for two more days, so I started calling around yesterday to find a place for our dinner party.
There's no way we could do our wedding the Taiwanese style (check out Ang Lee's early movie "The Wedding Banquet" to see why). We really want the venue to be intimate and meaningful. The first place that came to mind was our favorite Mexican restaurant in Taipei. Though some may think it's a bit unconventional, we thought it'd be fun and relaxed. The restaurant is a mom-n-pop operation. While Amy cooks, her husband is in charge of the bar, and Elisabeth (their 12-year-old daughter) brings food and chitchats with hungry customers. The family has known us for a couple of years, and they absolutely adore Bill. Besides, if he had his way, Bill would have Mexican food almost every night of the week.... okay... maybe not EVERY night. Some nights he'd have a pizza.
Ben the Best Man is excited, and he thinks it's very fitting.
So I called Amy yesterday evening. When she heard that we're getting married, she jokingly said, "I thought this day would never come". She was thrilled that we wanted to do it at her place. She gave me some suggestions as for what kind of food we could have and told me that her restaurant can seat 26 people comfortably. However, I came up with close to 20 of my friends on the list, and I was being very selective. Bill has a longer list for sure... (this is when suspense music comes on, and the camera freezes on my "what do we do" look).
We could ask Amy to remove the tables in her restaurant and have it cocktail party style. Then I had a wonderful idea: Why not have Amy cater the food and have the party in our new apartment? I know... we'd have to come up with a way to keep the food warm, and our oven is not big enough for those stainless steel containers they use in school cafeterias. On the other hand, we do have an oven and a microwave oven. People could put food on their plate and heat it up in the microwave oven if necessary. We could put candles on the patio, so people can go in and out. Let's hope it doesn't rain, and we'll deal with it if it does.
I'm brilliant.
Saturday, November 15, 2008
Home Alone
I remember those afternoons when I was home alone after school when I was 9 or 10. I'd heat up the food my mom had prepared for me in the morning. Then I climbed onto the shelf to get a volume of my favorite picture books, lay them all out on the floor, and read while I ate. I drew, I painted, and I wrote. I made up stories, tried on my mom's clothes, and sometimes I'd go to the living room and bang around the piano for a while, imagining myself performing in a big concert hall in a foreign country. Most of the time, though, I wrapped myself in the center of a world the size of an arm-length radius made of all my favorite things. I spent a lot of time in my head when I was young.
When Bill left for Hong Kong for the weekend, I went into my own world and I was gone for 24 hours. I can't remember exactly what I did. What I found after I came to my senses this morning was that it was evident I tried to establish a life on the couch. The coffee table is jammed with "stuff": an empty sports drink bottle, an empty water glass, my medicine, a bottle of Folic Acid, 3 DVDs that I rented yesterday, all the remote controls and Wii controllers, Nuenue's brush, my cell phone. and my Nintendo DS. One sock that I took off during my sleep was receovered under the couch (I woke up in bed with the other one on my foot this morning), and my glasses were dangerously lying on the floor by a leg of the couch.
Even Nuenue was fed up with the mess. He spent half an hour in front of the window this morning, weighing his options for a better home.
I remember those afternoons when I was home alone after school when I was 9 or 10. I'd heat up the food my mom had prepared for me in the morning. Then I climbed onto the shelf to get a volume of my favorite picture books, lay them all out on the floor, and read while I ate. I drew, I painted, and I wrote. I made up stories, tried on my mom's clothes, and sometimes I'd go to the living room and bang around the piano for a while, imagining myself performing in a big concert hall in a foreign country. Most of the time, though, I wrapped myself in the center of a world the size of an arm-length radius made of all my favorite things. I spent a lot of time in my head when I was young.
When Bill left for Hong Kong for the weekend, I went into my own world and I was gone for 24 hours. I can't remember exactly what I did. What I found after I came to my senses this morning was that it was evident I tried to establish a life on the couch. The coffee table is jammed with "stuff": an empty sports drink bottle, an empty water glass, my medicine, a bottle of Folic Acid, 3 DVDs that I rented yesterday, all the remote controls and Wii controllers, Nuenue's brush, my cell phone. and my Nintendo DS. One sock that I took off during my sleep was receovered under the couch (I woke up in bed with the other one on my foot this morning), and my glasses were dangerously lying on the floor by a leg of the couch.
Even Nuenue was fed up with the mess. He spent half an hour in front of the window this morning, weighing his options for a better home.
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
(music in the background)
Welcome to BKTW News with Nuenue Fluffypants.
Breaking News tonight: a 2-bedroom apartment with a patio and a fireplace in Taipei. Is it a myth or reality? In other news, who are the Top 100 Doctors in Taiwan, the Next Step in Kate's In-Vitro Treatment, and Can You Hear the Wedding Bell?
Here's Nuenue Fluffypants.
(music fade out)
Good evening.
After months and months of searching, Bill and Kate have finally found their ideal apartment in the jungle of Taipei. Last weekend, Bill saw a picture of a fireplace in an apartment online. Curious, the couple went to check it out. The loft-style rooftop suite is located in a quiet apartment complex across the street from NTU campus, really close to Bill's and Kate's work. The elevator took them to the 6th floor, and once they got to the 7th floor, the first thing they saw was a stone lantern and a matching plant holder at the door to the apartment. Above the stone lantern hung a bamboo sieve on the wall. There was also a 5-foot tall bamboo shelf and a Chinese-style dark wood cabinet for shoes and coats. Kate went straight for the patio once she got inside the apartment. There are 2 glass sliding doors, one in the living room and one in the kitchen, leading out to the patio. This makes the first level of the apartment bright and open. There is a fireplace in the living room, but the landlord said it was built mostly as decoration. The kitchen has a white wooden bench on one side and a heavy wood dining table on the other side. There is not much counter space, but the breakfast bar opposite to the sink could be used as a work table for food preparation. The bathroom and a second room are also on this level. Bill thinks the second room would be perfect as a movie room. The bedroom and a dressing room are up in the attic. There are some jigsaw play mats on the floor, which suggests that the previous tangents might have used the dressing room as children's play room.
The apartment is almost fully furnished, and the landlord is having the air-conditioners checked out and cleaned. Bill and Kate are currently working out some details, and they plan to move in some time next week. Our news team will also be there to update you on the latest progress.
Up next, how do you know where to find good doctors? Also, what does she have to do in the next step of the preparation for In-Vitro? Our medical reporter Kate Chang has the answer.
One of the common fears that most patients face is having a doctor who strives for mediocrity or has bad bedside manners. Most patients in Taiwan either take their chance or rely on word-of-mouth when it comes to looking for a doctor they can trust. Now, patients can find what you're looking for in this month's Business Weekly Magazine. The magazine company asked the public to go on their website to vote for their own best doctor(s). Each person could only vote for the same doctor once and up to three doctors. Kate went to Eslite Bookstore last week and was ecstatic to find that her doctor, Dr. Liu at TriService Hospital, is among the Top 100 Doctors in Taiwan.
Gotta send him a card.
In addition, after 2 months of healthy diet and regular exercise, Kate is ready to receive medication as a part of the preparation process for In-Vitro, which is tentatively scheduled for February 2009. Dr. Motormouth prescribed Actos, an insulin sensitizer, for a month and asked Kate to go back for an ultrasound on the 13th day of her cycle to monitor ovulation. The doctor also requested that Kate replace her gym-and-the-pool combo with a more efficient workout method such as a combination of spinning and yoga. Kate's going to try out her first spinning class this Sunday.
If everything goes well, Kate's left ovary will be on a month-long vacation in December with the help of birth control pills. Injections to stimulate egg production will start in January.
Back to you Nuenue.
Thank you, Kate. Before we wrap up the news program tonight, BKTW News team has an announcement to make. Bill and Kate have set the date to tie the knot on Friday, December 5th. Bill's best friend in Taiwan, Mr. Benjamin Andrews, and Kate's mom are going to be the witnesses at the civil ceremony in the morning, followed by an intimate dinner party in the evening. Bill and Kate will send out invitations with details via email.
Thank you for joining us. I'm Nuenue Fluffypants. Good night.
(music starts)
Welcome to BKTW News with Nuenue Fluffypants.
Breaking News tonight: a 2-bedroom apartment with a patio and a fireplace in Taipei. Is it a myth or reality? In other news, who are the Top 100 Doctors in Taiwan, the Next Step in Kate's In-Vitro Treatment, and Can You Hear the Wedding Bell?
Here's Nuenue Fluffypants.
(music fade out)
Good evening.
After months and months of searching, Bill and Kate have finally found their ideal apartment in the jungle of Taipei. Last weekend, Bill saw a picture of a fireplace in an apartment online. Curious, the couple went to check it out. The loft-style rooftop suite is located in a quiet apartment complex across the street from NTU campus, really close to Bill's and Kate's work. The elevator took them to the 6th floor, and once they got to the 7th floor, the first thing they saw was a stone lantern and a matching plant holder at the door to the apartment. Above the stone lantern hung a bamboo sieve on the wall. There was also a 5-foot tall bamboo shelf and a Chinese-style dark wood cabinet for shoes and coats. Kate went straight for the patio once she got inside the apartment. There are 2 glass sliding doors, one in the living room and one in the kitchen, leading out to the patio. This makes the first level of the apartment bright and open. There is a fireplace in the living room, but the landlord said it was built mostly as decoration. The kitchen has a white wooden bench on one side and a heavy wood dining table on the other side. There is not much counter space, but the breakfast bar opposite to the sink could be used as a work table for food preparation. The bathroom and a second room are also on this level. Bill thinks the second room would be perfect as a movie room. The bedroom and a dressing room are up in the attic. There are some jigsaw play mats on the floor, which suggests that the previous tangents might have used the dressing room as children's play room.
The apartment is almost fully furnished, and the landlord is having the air-conditioners checked out and cleaned. Bill and Kate are currently working out some details, and they plan to move in some time next week. Our news team will also be there to update you on the latest progress.
Up next, how do you know where to find good doctors? Also, what does she have to do in the next step of the preparation for In-Vitro? Our medical reporter Kate Chang has the answer.
One of the common fears that most patients face is having a doctor who strives for mediocrity or has bad bedside manners. Most patients in Taiwan either take their chance or rely on word-of-mouth when it comes to looking for a doctor they can trust. Now, patients can find what you're looking for in this month's Business Weekly Magazine. The magazine company asked the public to go on their website to vote for their own best doctor(s). Each person could only vote for the same doctor once and up to three doctors. Kate went to Eslite Bookstore last week and was ecstatic to find that her doctor, Dr. Liu at TriService Hospital, is among the Top 100 Doctors in Taiwan.
Gotta send him a card.
In addition, after 2 months of healthy diet and regular exercise, Kate is ready to receive medication as a part of the preparation process for In-Vitro, which is tentatively scheduled for February 2009. Dr. Motormouth prescribed Actos, an insulin sensitizer, for a month and asked Kate to go back for an ultrasound on the 13th day of her cycle to monitor ovulation. The doctor also requested that Kate replace her gym-and-the-pool combo with a more efficient workout method such as a combination of spinning and yoga. Kate's going to try out her first spinning class this Sunday.
If everything goes well, Kate's left ovary will be on a month-long vacation in December with the help of birth control pills. Injections to stimulate egg production will start in January.
Back to you Nuenue.
Thank you, Kate. Before we wrap up the news program tonight, BKTW News team has an announcement to make. Bill and Kate have set the date to tie the knot on Friday, December 5th. Bill's best friend in Taiwan, Mr. Benjamin Andrews, and Kate's mom are going to be the witnesses at the civil ceremony in the morning, followed by an intimate dinner party in the evening. Bill and Kate will send out invitations with details via email.
Thank you for joining us. I'm Nuenue Fluffypants. Good night.
(music starts)
Saturday, November 8, 2008
The Land of Superstition
Personally, I could care less about what people think of Geminis 'cause I think horoscope is largely generalization and contributes nothing more than to encourage stereotyping. It's, however, an effective ice-breaker at parties or an excuse (i.e., "Sorry I'm late again. What can I say? I'm a Gemini." ) if you have very tolerant and understanding friends. My "personality" as depicted by some "fortune tellers" based on the star sign under which my mother happened to go into labor is not something I firmly believe, nor would I let it bother me when other people react unfavorably.
However, I hesitate every time someone asks what my horoscope sign is. It's because I've come to realize how influential horoscope signs are in Asia. Aside from the numerous TV shows analyzing and predicting the characteristics and future prospects of every single sign, horoscope signs are also used in the selection process in the work force even before you have the chance to make a personal impression. The manager of a prestigious company in Taiwan openly admitted on TV that she would not hire people under certain horoscope signs because those signs conflict with her own. After all, why would you hire highly capable individuals who may not get along with you? In Taiwan, one's date of birth, along with a recent photograph of oneself, is one of the essential pieces of information one must include in one's resume so that hiring managers of either gender can objectively select the most capable and qualified candidate for the job.
The good thing about the school I work at is that the management doesn't give a rat's ass about these things. Otherwise, I might not have gotten the job in the first place. I, as I discovered, have got a pretty bad astrological combination as far as the Taiwanese are concerned. Apparently us Geminis have got a bad rap in this part of the world. We're unpredictable, flirtatious, unfaithful, and cunning. However, we're also slim-figured, physically attractive, smart, and charismatic. In other words, Geminis have got everything everyone hates. Gemini males are believed to be cheaters; Gemini women are often the reason your husband is cheating on you. Lucky for me, there are always a few students who try and throw me a rope to salvation in every class by asking what my Chinese horoscope sign is. Well, that's when the dark spiral takes hold and sucks me into eternal doomage. I'm a rat.
Personally, I could care less about what people think of Geminis 'cause I think horoscope is largely generalization and contributes nothing more than to encourage stereotyping. It's, however, an effective ice-breaker at parties or an excuse (i.e., "Sorry I'm late again. What can I say? I'm a Gemini." ) if you have very tolerant and understanding friends. My "personality" as depicted by some "fortune tellers" based on the star sign under which my mother happened to go into labor is not something I firmly believe, nor would I let it bother me when other people react unfavorably.
However, I hesitate every time someone asks what my horoscope sign is. It's because I've come to realize how influential horoscope signs are in Asia. Aside from the numerous TV shows analyzing and predicting the characteristics and future prospects of every single sign, horoscope signs are also used in the selection process in the work force even before you have the chance to make a personal impression. The manager of a prestigious company in Taiwan openly admitted on TV that she would not hire people under certain horoscope signs because those signs conflict with her own. After all, why would you hire highly capable individuals who may not get along with you? In Taiwan, one's date of birth, along with a recent photograph of oneself, is one of the essential pieces of information one must include in one's resume so that hiring managers of either gender can objectively select the most capable and qualified candidate for the job.
The good thing about the school I work at is that the management doesn't give a rat's ass about these things. Otherwise, I might not have gotten the job in the first place. I, as I discovered, have got a pretty bad astrological combination as far as the Taiwanese are concerned. Apparently us Geminis have got a bad rap in this part of the world. We're unpredictable, flirtatious, unfaithful, and cunning. However, we're also slim-figured, physically attractive, smart, and charismatic. In other words, Geminis have got everything everyone hates. Gemini males are believed to be cheaters; Gemini women are often the reason your husband is cheating on you. Lucky for me, there are always a few students who try and throw me a rope to salvation in every class by asking what my Chinese horoscope sign is. Well, that's when the dark spiral takes hold and sucks me into eternal doomage. I'm a rat.
Saturday, November 1, 2008
Halloween in Taipei 2008
We left the house at 10 pm and headed to Jack's place.
Jack was a friendly Taiwanese cop who loves beetle nuts & Red Bull
Dorion was the Housing Bubbles... though he lost his bubble maker at the onset of the evening.
Noah, as you can see, was a cowboy.
Chen and her boyfriend. Chen called herself "the Revenge of the Obasans", and her boyfriend was a hippie.
From Jack's, we headed out to Paris Night Club. People stared and pointed at us along the way. Brian, the only "normally-dressed" person in the bunch, nodded at the observers and explained in Chinese, "Happy Halloween".
These are some of the famous people we partied with:
Here are some creative ones:
Clown on Vacation
Sean, founder of the Urban Nomad Film Festival, deserves a vacation too.
We weren't quite sure what they were. I think they were angel and devil in disguise. That's why the angel girl was in black, where as the devil girl was in white.
Others thought they were the evil swans.
Regardless, the two girls were really cute together.
Dorion, as mentioned earlier, was the housing bubbles.
Sharon was the piggy bank lady. She also works in a bank in real life.
Your Mama, featured by Mr. Ryan O'Malley.
Ryan O'Malley as himself & a friend (I forgot to ask his name... Then again, it was 5 in the morning... I probably wouldn't have remembered it even if he'd told me).
Elaine & Drew
Drew's original costume was a "Tai-ke", working class cigarette-smoking, beetle-nut-chewing Taiwanese man who often dresses in a white wife beater, an obnoxiously colorful shirt, pants, and flip-flops.
This was Drew's second look - an otaku
The happiest and proudest person that night was, of course, no one else but...
The Devil
This Taiwanese kid immediately dropped to his knees and started bowing as soon as he saw The Devil. He was ecstatically happy when we asked him to take a picture with The Devil.
This Halloween Taipei 2008 report is brought to you by
Charles Lee Ray, aka Chucky the Good Guy Doll
and his Bride, Tiffany
We were gonna be the Chess King and Queen. We even got the costumes reserved until we changed our minds in the late afternoon of October 30th. Bill and I finally got everything for our costumes in the morning of the 31st.
Though not 100% perfect, we were very happy and had a lot of fun as psychotic serial killers.
We left the house at 10 pm and headed to Jack's place.
Jack was a friendly Taiwanese cop who loves beetle nuts & Red Bull
Dorion was the Housing Bubbles... though he lost his bubble maker at the onset of the evening.
Noah, as you can see, was a cowboy.
Chen and her boyfriend. Chen called herself "the Revenge of the Obasans", and her boyfriend was a hippie.
From Jack's, we headed out to Paris Night Club. People stared and pointed at us along the way. Brian, the only "normally-dressed" person in the bunch, nodded at the observers and explained in Chinese, "Happy Halloween".
These are some of the famous people we partied with:
Here are some creative ones:
Clown on Vacation
Sean, founder of the Urban Nomad Film Festival, deserves a vacation too.
We weren't quite sure what they were. I think they were angel and devil in disguise. That's why the angel girl was in black, where as the devil girl was in white.
Others thought they were the evil swans.
Regardless, the two girls were really cute together.
Dorion, as mentioned earlier, was the housing bubbles.
Sharon was the piggy bank lady. She also works in a bank in real life.
Your Mama, featured by Mr. Ryan O'Malley.
Ryan O'Malley as himself & a friend (I forgot to ask his name... Then again, it was 5 in the morning... I probably wouldn't have remembered it even if he'd told me).
Elaine & DrewDrew's original costume was a "Tai-ke", working class cigarette-smoking, beetle-nut-chewing Taiwanese man who often dresses in a white wife beater, an obnoxiously colorful shirt, pants, and flip-flops.
This was Drew's second look - an otaku
The happiest and proudest person that night was, of course, no one else but...
The Devil
This Taiwanese kid immediately dropped to his knees and started bowing as soon as he saw The Devil. He was ecstatically happy when we asked him to take a picture with The Devil.
This Halloween Taipei 2008 report is brought to you by
Charles Lee Ray, aka Chucky the Good Guy Doll
and his Bride, Tiffany
We were gonna be the Chess King and Queen. We even got the costumes reserved until we changed our minds in the late afternoon of October 30th. Bill and I finally got everything for our costumes in the morning of the 31st.
Though not 100% perfect, we were very happy and had a lot of fun as psychotic serial killers.
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