2005 Shaffer Family picture
31 December 2005
05 September 2005
We do have our trashcan on the front porch and Mon-Tues, Thurs-Sat at 9 pm we hear an "ice cream truck" which is really just the opposite. The friendly music is the trash truck announcing its arrival and there is a 5-minute window of time in which someone has to haul the trash to the corner! We sure miss the curbside pickup in the US where we put the trash in at our convenience and they pick it up at theirs! We often are out and about when the truck comes so we have piles of garbage to deal with! Yuck!
The kitchen situation
Windy says:
Here you will see a similar situation to that which we had in Cedar city, the kitchen can not contain it's contents. This time we don't just have the micorwace, toaster, cutting board and knives in the dining room, this time we have the fridge too! After much seraching I finally found convection oven that was worth buying. It was a mere $2,000 NT (about $60 US) and holds a whole dozen muffins at one time. Exciting stuff... well after being oven-less for 3 months about anything looks good and I can fit 2 bread pans side by side so I can bake half a batch at a time!
Here you will see a similar situation to that which we had in Cedar city, the kitchen can not contain it's contents. This time we don't just have the micorwace, toaster, cutting board and knives in the dining room, this time we have the fridge too! After much seraching I finally found convection oven that was worth buying. It was a mere $2,000 NT (about $60 US) and holds a whole dozen muffins at one time. Exciting stuff... well after being oven-less for 3 months about anything looks good and I can fit 2 bread pans side by side so I can bake half a batch at a time!
Utilities
Windy says:
We have 2 AC units to cool our 5 rooms and it sure makes a tremendous difference. The water and electric bills show up every other month so we pay about $120 USD in electricity for 2 months and about $15 USD for water. Our phone bill is charged per outgoing minute and the reates change depending on what company you call. Our land line with DSL and an ISP runs about $35 USD a month. We were paying almost that just for our ISP back home.
We have 2 AC units to cool our 5 rooms and it sure makes a tremendous difference. The water and electric bills show up every other month so we pay about $120 USD in electricity for 2 months and about $15 USD for water. Our phone bill is charged per outgoing minute and the reates change depending on what company you call. Our land line with DSL and an ISP runs about $35 USD a month. We were paying almost that just for our ISP back home.
27 August 2005
26 August 2005
We now have all of our paper work and are in Taiwan with resident visas and our "Alien Registration Cards" (ARCs). What an expensive thing it is to move internationally. We have spent almost twice as much on the paperwork as we did on our plane tickets to get over here. Green cards (Alien Resident Certificates) in hand we applied for our own cell phone numbers so we can share the kindness of the friend who obtained us the first number to help the next new family have a phone until their ARCs are processed.
Taiwan is hot and humid in the summer and we are very grateful for the invention and common usage of air conditioners. We purchased a used de-humidifier and that little machine pulls over a gallon of water out of the air every 24 hours! What a change from the dryness of Southern Utah!
We finally made it to the top of the Taipei 101 building and the view was wonderful. We arrived at dusk so we did not see the expansive view of day, but were impressed with the city lights.
Ben's job is excessively busy since their school year started on August 1st and they only had 1 day to prepare for students.
We have been blessed with many friends and are doing very well with the food and culture so far. Lucky for us many people know some English and vendors are easy enough to communicate with regarding prices via hand signs or calculators.
Elnorra is growing up and is starting solid foods as you will see with our posed picture with a banana. She still is not sure if she likes the new taste and texture so we only feed her a little and she is still primarily breast fed.
On August 1st we had the delight of being able to attend the dedication of our church building by the Prophet, President Gordon B. Hinckley. Ben was in an upper room of the building and I was in a different chapel in Taipei watching a satellite broadcast with Elnorra (who was quite content and quiet during the talks, but cried only during the actual dedication, figures...) It was a wonderful thing being in Taiwan and having the prophet visit. The building we attend church in is on the same block as the temple and was only completed in February. Since we moved in late May we didn't realize that the building was so new for a while, it seems like "home" to us.
Taiwan is hot and humid in the summer and we are very grateful for the invention and common usage of air conditioners. We purchased a used de-humidifier and that little machine pulls over a gallon of water out of the air every 24 hours! What a change from the dryness of Southern Utah!
We finally made it to the top of the Taipei 101 building and the view was wonderful. We arrived at dusk so we did not see the expansive view of day, but were impressed with the city lights.
Ben's job is excessively busy since their school year started on August 1st and they only had 1 day to prepare for students.
We have been blessed with many friends and are doing very well with the food and culture so far. Lucky for us many people know some English and vendors are easy enough to communicate with regarding prices via hand signs or calculators.
Elnorra is growing up and is starting solid foods as you will see with our posed picture with a banana. She still is not sure if she likes the new taste and texture so we only feed her a little and she is still primarily breast fed.
On August 1st we had the delight of being able to attend the dedication of our church building by the Prophet, President Gordon B. Hinckley. Ben was in an upper room of the building and I was in a different chapel in Taipei watching a satellite broadcast with Elnorra (who was quite content and quiet during the talks, but cried only during the actual dedication, figures...) It was a wonderful thing being in Taiwan and having the prophet visit. The building we attend church in is on the same block as the temple and was only completed in February. Since we moved in late May we didn't realize that the building was so new for a while, it seems like "home" to us.
Windy says: We finally made it to the top of the Taipei 101 at dusk on a clear day so we were only able to enjoy the "night lights". Fortunately our little digital camera was nice to us and will give you a good representation to what we saw. Our apartment is located near the base of the hill where the lights begin to snake their way up the "mountain" in the picture with "apt view" in the title.
18 August 2005
18 July 2005
Ben says:
Dear all,
We safely traversed the Pacific Ocean and made an international move from Cedar City, UT, USA to Taipei, Taiwan on the 27th of May, 2005. We're are sorry for the belated nature of this e-mail; moving to a different country and starting from scratch is a lot of work! I was grateful to graduate from Southern Utah University in May with a degree in History and Political Science. Windy and I were blessed with the birth of a baby in February; a girl we have named Elnorra. Currently I am teaching at an English kindergarten in Taipei. The kids are cute and smart and I enjoy my work. An international move is a new thing for both of us and it has had its
moments of humor and alarm. In general it has been wonderful to be in Taiwan. For the most part the food is wonderful. Almost without exception the people are more than welcoming, almost divinely kind and attentive. The city is in most places beautiful and well ordered and the art splendid. I am enjoying my students most of whom are Chinese. I suppose it is worth mentioning that Taiwan is more or less a Chinese country as an island close to mainland China and the residence of China's pre communism government, which fled here during the communist revolution. Mandarin Chinese is the official language. The customs and the vast majority of the population are Chinese and the war that was once fought against the communists is still fought politically about whether Taiwan is indeed part of China or not and if so who should control it; the communists or the democracy. Gratefully the democracy is currently in power.
Life has been fun in Taiwan most things are the same and there is an almost ubiquitous presence of English as well as Chinese here in the city. Taipei is a very international city; on our side of the hall in our apartment we have South Africans, Russians, Taiwanese (indigenous peoples like native Americans would be in the US), Chinese (of course), and us Americans. We are becoming quite comfortable and Windy is enjoying being a stay at home mother immensely. It is a relief for me to be able to support my family now that I have graduated.
Currently we are experiencing a typhoon, and it has been more relaxing than frightening. The government declared that everything should close late Sunday evening (17 July) and that everything stays closed until such time as it is safe to be out of doors. Therefore we have stayed inside all day and finished reading Harry Potter year 6 which was released Saturday. The wind seemed only to reach an average Cedar City type of speed. I assume that for being a level 5 typhoon either it was much worse in other parts of town or it lost its steam before hitting land.
Your Friend, Son, Brother, Acquaintance, perhaps a stranger, but you found our blog!
Benjamin Shaffer
Windy says:
Dear friends and family,
Our Taiwan adventure has been fun and only a bit stressful. It all started about 3 years ago when Ben said he wanted to teach English in a foreign country when he was done with college. I am a stay in one place and put the roots down deep kind of person so I first ignored the idea of leaving the country. As time wore on and Ben did not drop the subject I told him that I would be willing (not excited, but willing) to go. Since Ben's sister-in-law is from Taiwan I thought I would be able to use the language and culture I would learn to understand and communicate with her better. I still would not have chosen this as a path myself but I found as the reality started to come forth and plans were actually being made that I was quite
excited to be going on an international adventure.
We express our deepest gratitude to all our friends and acquaintances that assisted us in any way to leave the USA. It was not a small task to close the business, obtain and fill a storage shed, delegate "vacation homes" for our more valuable or useful possessions and move out of our rental house.
The 2 hours we were in LAX waiting for our airplane made the stress and delayed deadlines of the past 2 months worthwhile. We had arrived at the airport, checked in our baggage (yes, my tuba HAD to come), paid for babe-in-arms ticket but NOT the foreshadowed cost for an extra piece of luggage (hey, we are MOVING here) and the oversized tuba (thank you China Air). We had a nice flight and Elnorra did better than expected on the 13-hour flight and we did not have the other passengers want to throw us out the window (we assume).
Our first experience with food in Taiwan was classic: we went down to the local 7-11 and bought microwavable food. 7-11s are alive and healthy hear and they really are convenience stores, you can use the ATM, make copies, buy trash bags, pay your utility bills, purchase phone cards with good rates, and even buy more pre-paid cell phone minutes and pick up a snack at the same time! We still eat out more often than not because 1, it can be cheap (about $3 USD for dinner for 2) and usually good and 2, the kitchen situation (see below).
Less than a week after arrival we had obtained an apartment. 3 bed 2 bath for $16,000 NT a month (about $520 US). We are told that the price is quite good and the health benefits of living on the 5th floor with no elevator are already showing. The viewing of the apartment was our first real culture shock as you may see in the attached pictures. We had anticipated sleeping on the floor for a month or two until we were a bit more financially stable, the problem is we assumed that there would be a thing called carpet... well we all know where assumptions can lead...to surprise and disappointment. We are grateful for the furnature left behind by the previous tenants, a couch, a mock closet and a desk, and fortunately (so we thought) a bed. We were initially grateful for the bed until the FLEAS attacked! We had our exceptionally nice landlord haul off the flea-ridden beds and odd furnature we did not want (by the way, trash service is paid for by purchasing official garbage bags you buy at the 7-11 and large loads have to be picked up by hiring an official truck.) We are now on a borrowed air mattress until further notice. The kitchen was also a great shock even after we were told to be grateful to have a kitchen at all. A dorm fridge, a 2 burner super power gas range, which has taken almost as many burnt offerings as successful meals. Shelves? Counters? Storage space? Not included. We have 3 bedrooms and 2, count them, 2 bathrooms or should I say shower stalls with toilets and sinks in them, as they are tile top to bottom and have mobile shower heads.
We had a delightful trip to COSTCO where we successfully used our membership card from the states and after panicking at the ATM obtained enough NT (new Taiwanese dollars worth about $0.032 US each) to pay in cash and then our second culture shock came when they said they wanted $3,000 NT to deliver the large items in 2 days. Almost a hundred US dollars to deliver a small clothes dryer (80% humidity on a regular basis and dryers are not standard!)a do-it-yourself wire shelving unit for the kitchen, a reverse osmosis water filter, a tub of laundry soap, a box of A4 (not 8 ½" x 11") paper. What a change not to walk out to our faithful minivan, fold down a seat (only if needed) and just drive home.
Ben discovered rare gem for me when he came across the monthly newsletter for the National Concert Hall and found out about a big tuba concert BEFORE it happened. I was grateful to attend the concert on July 2nd and felt just a tad justified in hauling my tuba all the way over here even though I still have only played a few notes on it.
Now down to the most valuable part: friends! We have been very blessed to find many friends very quickly and have been helped tremendously by many to set up our new home. A co-worked of Ben's, Liz, helped us rent the apartment (she lives on the 2nd floor) and has helped in a bunch of little ways to make our set up much easier and she is quite fun to chat with. A friend from church, Lahapa, who I spent most of my second week with hanging out, starting by her generosity to help us obtain a cell phone so we would have some mode of modern communication and turning into a fast and valued friendship. Another friend from church needed to move into a smaller apartment so we are mutually benefiting by the loan/storage of some of the larger furnature. We now have the use of nice bookshelves with glass doors, a more comfortable couch, and a couple of tables that double for food consumption, junk collecting and eventually scrapbooking.
In my not so spare time I am attempting to make the house a home and maintain a slightly higher standard of cleanliness to satisfy my external appearance of work as a full-time homemaker... but what really happens is that I still don't get to have the house anywhere near spotless, or any of my valued projects (like sending this e-mail within a week of arriving) done in my initial time frame because time with my ever-growing child is more important!
We are all well, happy and enjoying our Taiwanese adventure. We plan on being here for 2 years and have a spare room so if you happen to be in our new neck of the world please let us know, we will even help bring your luggage up all 11 sets of stairs to our 5th floor apartment. :}
We would love to hear about you and your families so please write back when you can.
Love and hugs,
Windy
Dear all,
We safely traversed the Pacific Ocean and made an international move from Cedar City, UT, USA to Taipei, Taiwan on the 27th of May, 2005. We're are sorry for the belated nature of this e-mail; moving to a different country and starting from scratch is a lot of work! I was grateful to graduate from Southern Utah University in May with a degree in History and Political Science. Windy and I were blessed with the birth of a baby in February; a girl we have named Elnorra. Currently I am teaching at an English kindergarten in Taipei. The kids are cute and smart and I enjoy my work. An international move is a new thing for both of us and it has had its
moments of humor and alarm. In general it has been wonderful to be in Taiwan. For the most part the food is wonderful. Almost without exception the people are more than welcoming, almost divinely kind and attentive. The city is in most places beautiful and well ordered and the art splendid. I am enjoying my students most of whom are Chinese. I suppose it is worth mentioning that Taiwan is more or less a Chinese country as an island close to mainland China and the residence of China's pre communism government, which fled here during the communist revolution. Mandarin Chinese is the official language. The customs and the vast majority of the population are Chinese and the war that was once fought against the communists is still fought politically about whether Taiwan is indeed part of China or not and if so who should control it; the communists or the democracy. Gratefully the democracy is currently in power.
Life has been fun in Taiwan most things are the same and there is an almost ubiquitous presence of English as well as Chinese here in the city. Taipei is a very international city; on our side of the hall in our apartment we have South Africans, Russians, Taiwanese (indigenous peoples like native Americans would be in the US), Chinese (of course), and us Americans. We are becoming quite comfortable and Windy is enjoying being a stay at home mother immensely. It is a relief for me to be able to support my family now that I have graduated.
Currently we are experiencing a typhoon, and it has been more relaxing than frightening. The government declared that everything should close late Sunday evening (17 July) and that everything stays closed until such time as it is safe to be out of doors. Therefore we have stayed inside all day and finished reading Harry Potter year 6 which was released Saturday. The wind seemed only to reach an average Cedar City type of speed. I assume that for being a level 5 typhoon either it was much worse in other parts of town or it lost its steam before hitting land.
Your Friend, Son, Brother, Acquaintance, perhaps a stranger, but you found our blog!
Benjamin Shaffer
Windy says:
Dear friends and family,
Our Taiwan adventure has been fun and only a bit stressful. It all started about 3 years ago when Ben said he wanted to teach English in a foreign country when he was done with college. I am a stay in one place and put the roots down deep kind of person so I first ignored the idea of leaving the country. As time wore on and Ben did not drop the subject I told him that I would be willing (not excited, but willing) to go. Since Ben's sister-in-law is from Taiwan I thought I would be able to use the language and culture I would learn to understand and communicate with her better. I still would not have chosen this as a path myself but I found as the reality started to come forth and plans were actually being made that I was quite
excited to be going on an international adventure.
We express our deepest gratitude to all our friends and acquaintances that assisted us in any way to leave the USA. It was not a small task to close the business, obtain and fill a storage shed, delegate "vacation homes" for our more valuable or useful possessions and move out of our rental house.
The 2 hours we were in LAX waiting for our airplane made the stress and delayed deadlines of the past 2 months worthwhile. We had arrived at the airport, checked in our baggage (yes, my tuba HAD to come), paid for babe-in-arms ticket but NOT the foreshadowed cost for an extra piece of luggage (hey, we are MOVING here) and the oversized tuba (thank you China Air). We had a nice flight and Elnorra did better than expected on the 13-hour flight and we did not have the other passengers want to throw us out the window (we assume).
Our first experience with food in Taiwan was classic: we went down to the local 7-11 and bought microwavable food. 7-11s are alive and healthy hear and they really are convenience stores, you can use the ATM, make copies, buy trash bags, pay your utility bills, purchase phone cards with good rates, and even buy more pre-paid cell phone minutes and pick up a snack at the same time! We still eat out more often than not because 1, it can be cheap (about $3 USD for dinner for 2) and usually good and 2, the kitchen situation (see below).
Less than a week after arrival we had obtained an apartment. 3 bed 2 bath for $16,000 NT a month (about $520 US). We are told that the price is quite good and the health benefits of living on the 5th floor with no elevator are already showing. The viewing of the apartment was our first real culture shock as you may see in the attached pictures. We had anticipated sleeping on the floor for a month or two until we were a bit more financially stable, the problem is we assumed that there would be a thing called carpet... well we all know where assumptions can lead...to surprise and disappointment. We are grateful for the furnature left behind by the previous tenants, a couch, a mock closet and a desk, and fortunately (so we thought) a bed. We were initially grateful for the bed until the FLEAS attacked! We had our exceptionally nice landlord haul off the flea-ridden beds and odd furnature we did not want (by the way, trash service is paid for by purchasing official garbage bags you buy at the 7-11 and large loads have to be picked up by hiring an official truck.) We are now on a borrowed air mattress until further notice. The kitchen was also a great shock even after we were told to be grateful to have a kitchen at all. A dorm fridge, a 2 burner super power gas range, which has taken almost as many burnt offerings as successful meals. Shelves? Counters? Storage space? Not included. We have 3 bedrooms and 2, count them, 2 bathrooms or should I say shower stalls with toilets and sinks in them, as they are tile top to bottom and have mobile shower heads.
We had a delightful trip to COSTCO where we successfully used our membership card from the states and after panicking at the ATM obtained enough NT (new Taiwanese dollars worth about $0.032 US each) to pay in cash and then our second culture shock came when they said they wanted $3,000 NT to deliver the large items in 2 days. Almost a hundred US dollars to deliver a small clothes dryer (80% humidity on a regular basis and dryers are not standard!)a do-it-yourself wire shelving unit for the kitchen, a reverse osmosis water filter, a tub of laundry soap, a box of A4 (not 8 ½" x 11") paper. What a change not to walk out to our faithful minivan, fold down a seat (only if needed) and just drive home.
Ben discovered rare gem for me when he came across the monthly newsletter for the National Concert Hall and found out about a big tuba concert BEFORE it happened. I was grateful to attend the concert on July 2nd and felt just a tad justified in hauling my tuba all the way over here even though I still have only played a few notes on it.
Now down to the most valuable part: friends! We have been very blessed to find many friends very quickly and have been helped tremendously by many to set up our new home. A co-worked of Ben's, Liz, helped us rent the apartment (she lives on the 2nd floor) and has helped in a bunch of little ways to make our set up much easier and she is quite fun to chat with. A friend from church, Lahapa, who I spent most of my second week with hanging out, starting by her generosity to help us obtain a cell phone so we would have some mode of modern communication and turning into a fast and valued friendship. Another friend from church needed to move into a smaller apartment so we are mutually benefiting by the loan/storage of some of the larger furnature. We now have the use of nice bookshelves with glass doors, a more comfortable couch, and a couple of tables that double for food consumption, junk collecting and eventually scrapbooking.
In my not so spare time I am attempting to make the house a home and maintain a slightly higher standard of cleanliness to satisfy my external appearance of work as a full-time homemaker... but what really happens is that I still don't get to have the house anywhere near spotless, or any of my valued projects (like sending this e-mail within a week of arriving) done in my initial time frame because time with my ever-growing child is more important!
We are all well, happy and enjoying our Taiwanese adventure. We plan on being here for 2 years and have a spare room so if you happen to be in our new neck of the world please let us know, we will even help bring your luggage up all 11 sets of stairs to our 5th floor apartment. :}
We would love to hear about you and your families so please write back when you can.
Love and hugs,
Windy
Ben says:
Here we are with our luggage before setting off. A heavy amount to pack for a trip but remarkably light for moving. As we attempted to unpack we found it hard to know what to do with our stuff when we had little furniture, and in the work to clean the baby fell asleep and this was the only place to put her. Elnorra looks quite comfortable and she was so cute we had to take a picture. The last picture is an example of the way things are both different and the same here as in the U.S. This picture is taken feet from my work, which is also housed in a skyscraper. In fact it is more worth noticing if a building is shorter than 5 stories than taller. Taipei, I have heard, has the second highest population density in the world behind Bangladesh. Taipei is divided into twelve districts and the one in which we live, the Da-An district, has a population density of 27,576 persons per square kilometer. I remind you that a kilometer is smaller than a mile making it by my crude approximation almost 40,000 people per square mile. Yet I still don't feel particularly crowded! The busses and subway usually have plenty of room and there are still parks and trees... Really I must say that Taipei far from seeming crowded and dirty, as I have heard it called seems beautiful and clean with plenty of room as well as seeming unlimited commerce. The mountain park behind my house with its winding stairs and pagodas is an example!
Here we are with our luggage before setting off. A heavy amount to pack for a trip but remarkably light for moving. As we attempted to unpack we found it hard to know what to do with our stuff when we had little furniture, and in the work to clean the baby fell asleep and this was the only place to put her. Elnorra looks quite comfortable and she was so cute we had to take a picture. The last picture is an example of the way things are both different and the same here as in the U.S. This picture is taken feet from my work, which is also housed in a skyscraper. In fact it is more worth noticing if a building is shorter than 5 stories than taller. Taipei, I have heard, has the second highest population density in the world behind Bangladesh. Taipei is divided into twelve districts and the one in which we live, the Da-An district, has a population density of 27,576 persons per square kilometer. I remind you that a kilometer is smaller than a mile making it by my crude approximation almost 40,000 people per square mile. Yet I still don't feel particularly crowded! The busses and subway usually have plenty of room and there are still parks and trees... Really I must say that Taipei far from seeming crowded and dirty, as I have heard it called seems beautiful and clean with plenty of room as well as seeming unlimited commerce. The mountain park behind my house with its winding stairs and pagodas is an example!
Ben says:
These pictures are at the Chiang Kai-Shek memorial. Chaing Kai-Shek was the leader of the anti communist forces in the Chinese communist revolution that fled to Taiwan and established its current government. He lived in hard times of war and discontent but he saved huge amounts of Chinese history from destruction at the hands of the communists. He also saved a lot of Chinese culture by establishing Taiwan as a place to remain Chinese in religion and language as they have not abandoned traditional Chinese religions or use the "Simplified" Chinese language. He also put Taiwan on the path that has made it a major center for global trade and commerce, as well as the world’s largest source of computer technology. His memorial contains beautiful art, the national theater and concert hall, twin buildings one of which I have included a photo, separated by a courtyard. It is a major center for community gatherings and classes on everything from Tai Chi to modern hip hop dance. It seems that anyone is welcome to use the space at any time and the community does. There is an impressive feeling of community and welcome there. I also love the beautiful gardens with its bridges and giant carp. There is a full schedule of performances from musicians and thespians from all over the world. Windy had the opportunity to attend a tuba concert at the national concert hall while I watched the baby, and I attended a choir concert while Windy watched the baby. I was also able to hear the organ which is housed in the concert hall, it is one of the largest in the world and by the look of it one of the most impressive. As you can see I like the place and it is a vibrant place, to be visited again and any time there is a good show or something you want to learn about Taiwan.
These pictures are at the Chiang Kai-Shek memorial. Chaing Kai-Shek was the leader of the anti communist forces in the Chinese communist revolution that fled to Taiwan and established its current government. He lived in hard times of war and discontent but he saved huge amounts of Chinese history from destruction at the hands of the communists. He also saved a lot of Chinese culture by establishing Taiwan as a place to remain Chinese in religion and language as they have not abandoned traditional Chinese religions or use the "Simplified" Chinese language. He also put Taiwan on the path that has made it a major center for global trade and commerce, as well as the world’s largest source of computer technology. His memorial contains beautiful art, the national theater and concert hall, twin buildings one of which I have included a photo, separated by a courtyard. It is a major center for community gatherings and classes on everything from Tai Chi to modern hip hop dance. It seems that anyone is welcome to use the space at any time and the community does. There is an impressive feeling of community and welcome there. I also love the beautiful gardens with its bridges and giant carp. There is a full schedule of performances from musicians and thespians from all over the world. Windy had the opportunity to attend a tuba concert at the national concert hall while I watched the baby, and I attended a choir concert while Windy watched the baby. I was also able to hear the organ which is housed in the concert hall, it is one of the largest in the world and by the look of it one of the most impressive. As you can see I like the place and it is a vibrant place, to be visited again and any time there is a good show or something you want to learn about Taiwan.
Ben says:
Here are some of the signs of nature that we have enjoyed here. Our new Landlord is an excellent man and after visiting with him a few times he offered to take us one weekend to his mountain villa so that his wife could meet Elnorra. Here are a few of the pictures we took that actually came out. We attempted to take many more of the spiders of strange Asian varieties we had never seen but they did not come out. We did however get this beautiful shot of an orb weaver at the Shang Kai-Shek memorial. I should be able to send pictures of my mountain park to you too soon if anyone is interested. It was misty but beautiful in the mountains and it was amazing to see all the butterflies. Taiwan is also called the butterfly kingdom. This is because not only are there many butterflies in Taiwan but there are many varieties that are born, mate and die only in Taiwan and yet fly as far as the Philippines and Korea. We could not catch any on film because they actually move much faster and land less often than the butterflies in the U.S. I should say simply we had a wonderful time and it was so beautiful to me that it seemed like a dream. Especially when we visited our friend's neighbor who had a traditional Japanese home with a spectacular view. It was perched at the top of hand made stone steps that were made by them, and a spring flowing pure in a stone basin... magnificent.
Here are some of the signs of nature that we have enjoyed here. Our new Landlord is an excellent man and after visiting with him a few times he offered to take us one weekend to his mountain villa so that his wife could meet Elnorra. Here are a few of the pictures we took that actually came out. We attempted to take many more of the spiders of strange Asian varieties we had never seen but they did not come out. We did however get this beautiful shot of an orb weaver at the Shang Kai-Shek memorial. I should be able to send pictures of my mountain park to you too soon if anyone is interested. It was misty but beautiful in the mountains and it was amazing to see all the butterflies. Taiwan is also called the butterfly kingdom. This is because not only are there many butterflies in Taiwan but there are many varieties that are born, mate and die only in Taiwan and yet fly as far as the Philippines and Korea. We could not catch any on film because they actually move much faster and land less often than the butterflies in the U.S. I should say simply we had a wonderful time and it was so beautiful to me that it seemed like a dream. Especially when we visited our friend's neighbor who had a traditional Japanese home with a spectacular view. It was perched at the top of hand made stone steps that were made by them, and a spring flowing pure in a stone basin... magnificent.
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