stinking cab rides!!!

Bad cab experience #1:

Tuesday morning I caught a cab to the discovery center of Taipei to meet some friends. Nathan had coached me on the address, and the driver even spoke a little bit of english. But he didn't seem to know where it was, so he took the notebook where I had the address written: "DISCOVERY CENTER OF TAIPEI: #1 Shur Fu Rd. (West gate, City Hall 1-4F)" He was still confused and kept saying "Shur Fu Road, Shur Fu Road?" like he was trying to recall it from memory. So he went into my apartment to ask the front desk girl, who came out and asked me where I was going. I told her and she also drew a blank. So I said "The address says west gate, city hall. Isn't city hall over near the Taipei 101 area?" I guess the only thing they heard was 'Taipei 101' because they started talking excitedly in chinese, and the driver got in and took me to.....Taipei 101. I said "I'm not going to Taipei 101. I need Shur Fu Road. Is this Shur Fu Road?" He was so confused, and kept repeating 'Shur Fu Road. Shur Fu Road." like he had never heard it before. I had decided to get out and get a different cab, but he said "Please, just wait minute." He pulled out a cell phone and had me talk to a lady who asked me if I was going to the world trade tower. I said no, I'm going to #1 Shur Fu Road. She asked if I was going somewhere near Taipei 101. Then she asked me which section I was going to (what's a section, anyways?) I said "I am from America. I don't know my way around Taipai. I have an address. I am going to #1 Shur Fu Road. I don't know where it is, all I have is the address." She said "Okay, I will tell the driver to take you to #1 Shur Fu Road." Great. So the driver got back on the phone, and listens for a minute, and then I saw a big light bulb pop up over his head. "OOOHHHH! Shur Fu Road!!!!! OOOOHHH, yes, yes, Shur Fu Road!!!" I need to point out that there was NOTHING in the tone or the way he said it that was ANY different than the way he had said it before, OR the way that I had said it!!! So he finally took me to Shur Fu road before I strangled him. It cost me 210 NT to get there, and only 90 NT to get home. Maybe he did it on purpose???

Bad Cab Experience #2:

This one happened the night of bad cab experience #1. I was on my way to young womens, and this time Nate had written the address down in chinese for the driver. So I showed it to him, and he started blabbering on in Chinese, making all kinds of hand gestures. I later figured out that he was telling me that he doesn't go that far, and I needed to get out of his cab. But not understanding a word of it, I just sat there, thinking why is he talking, and not driving? Finally, he leaned back and opened the door. This is when I realized he was kicking me out.

Bad Cab Experience #3: GRAND PRIZE WINNER

So last night we had the first grade open house at Evan's school. It started at 7pm, so I got a cab and went to pick up the babysitter, who lives not too far from our house, but her parents don't let her take public transportation alone. I was elated that my cab driver spoke pretty good english, and we talked the whole way there. I told him we were were going to pick up my babysitter to take her back to Dunhua, so that my husband and I could go to TAS for an appointment with my son's teacher. He started asking me where TAS was. I said, "it's in Tianmu, but don't worry about that, you are not taking us there. You are just taking me to pick up my babysitter. And then we are taking her back to Dunhua." He said, "Yes, yes, yes," as if he understood. I was very clear on this because, I thought to myself, wouldn't it be bad if he started driving us to Tianmu? (foreshadowing) So we pick up the babysitter, no problem, and her and I are in the backseat talking. Suddenly I look up and realize with horror that we are on the freeway! I said "Wait! Where are you going?!?!?" and he said "To pick up your son at TAS." So I explained that we needed to go back to Dunhua, because this is my BABYSITTER in the car with me, and my HUSBAND is going with me to TAS. Right at that moment, we came to a dead stop in traffic on the freeway. It was 20 minutes until 7pm, and we were halfway to Tianmu. So I called Nate from the babysitter's cell phone, (I don't even have a cell phone!) and long story short, I took the babysitter with me to Evan's first grade open house.

My two front teeth...

Evan finally lost his other front tooth...He pulled this one out during recess at school. The tooth fairy found him sleeping in the box we make him sleep in...actually, it is a box we kept after the move here. He HAS a bed, he just likes to sleep in the box. We don't make him....really!

Ashton being Ashton

We went to a place called Tom Dragon, an inside (out of the heat) playground for kids, and at first Ashton was freaked out by the ball pit, but as you can see from the video, he warmed up to it in no time. The tilty bridge, however, was another story.

This is Ashton laying on top of the glass-covered cofee table in our apartment

Evan's first day of school

This is Evan's bus to school. If you look closely, Evan is smiling out from the top window.

Evan and Ms. Hobbs, his first grade teacher

The first day of school was an orientation with the kids and the parents. Ms. Hobbs showed us around the school and, no, I wasn't the only one taking picures!

The kids got to practice going through the lunch line and carrying their trays in the lunchroom

squatters

This is a squatter. Most public places like malls and department stores have regular toilets, but a lot of places just have this. This one is in one of the night markets...and it is bring your own t.p.

And this is the alleyway you go down to get to the squatter. It might look dark and dangerous by American standards, and it is definitely gross by any standards, but it is just another alleyway in Taiwan.

The Taipei Temple

This is the Taipei temple. As you can see, it is very small. We go to church in a building right next to it, just to the right of where we are standing. There is one english speaking ward on the island, and it is really really small. We don't even fill half of the chapel on Sunday, but the members are all really great. We love it!

home sweet home...for now

This is the living room in our temporary apartment in Taipei. As you can see, it is quite empty since we haven't gotten our shipment of household stuff yet. But it has a nice view.

This is looking back the other way, into the entry and the dining room. The door on the right leads into the kitchen.

The kitchen

The master bedroom

Evan and Ashton's room

The boys

North Ogden goodbye party

Tonghua night market

This is just one of the many night markets in Taiwan. This one is known for selling clothing. It is really close to our apartment here in Taipei, so we go there often.

I think all night markets are known for food, especially the famous 'stinky tofu' which yes, is really stinky. I kept thinking, "Why did Nate take his shoes off?" then realized the stench was coming from our food. Despite what the 'bizarre foods' guy says, it really does taste as bad as it smells.

Here is some more night market food. From this stand we ate the chicken hearts and chicken butt. Not bad, if you don't think about it while you chew.

This is a 'bing' stand. I think it is the chinese version of a slushee, you choose 3 or 4 items, and they put your selections in crushed ice. The selection varies from bean to fruit and our favorite are the little chewy jelly-like balls that squish nicely in your mouth. And yes, I'm sure they aren't fish eyes.

This is a video of Evan and Leone fishing for shrimp at the night market. Nate was trying to take a picture, but he had the camera on video, and he couldn't figure out why it wasn't taking a picture; he had no idea he was filming. You can hear the annoyance in his voice as he tried to figure out the camera. Anyways, we caught some shrimp and they barbequed them up right there, poor little shrimp.

Nothing 'shrimpy' about this shrimp!

Exciting news-Evan lost a tooth

Evan pulled his OWN tooth yesterday, just to say he did it himself. It took several hours of wiggling and pulling, but he finally got it! He says the only thing is, now it is hard for him to say the word "three"

Chiang Kai-Shek

See, even in the big city of Taipei there is beauty all around.

Ashton's Birthday!

Taipei 101-the tallest building in the world!

You can see our apartment building!

Washing machine blues

With all of Nate's chinese background, he remains unable to translate the buttons on our washing machine. Apparently one of those buttons says 'eternal wash cycle' because the thing washed and rinsed for a day and a half before we finally shut it off. We had to wring them out by hand to put them in the dryer.

Taiwan sunset

Now THAT'S a Taiwan sunset!!
This is the view from our apartment. It's prettier at night when you can't see how run down the buildings are

The Far Eastern Towers

This is a big open square near our house. The tall towers in the background is a hotel called the Far Eastern. You can see it in the picture from the top of Taipei 101. The little building way behind where Nate is standing is where the morning market is. That's the place to buy fresh fruit and vegetables but not so much the place for fresh meat, if you know what I mean.....