week 87_Remember to Keep In Touch

During our visit home to the US ~ I somehow *accidentally* managed to leave my Blackberry in the good old US of A. It's true, it really was an accident... but in the end, let's just say I wasn't all that upset :)


Lucky me, by the time I returned to Taipei, I was eligible to upgrade to a new phone so I set myself up with an iPhone 4S. Hallelujah! Despite the slower pace of my blogging lately, believe it or not ~ I am actually more connected now than ever before!


Nowadays, it is not only easy to keep in touch across the distance. Some might say it is a little bit too easy... Instead of knowing which solution to choose, I'm constantly faced with new "great ways to keep in touch" with friends and family overseas. How to choose???!

[On a side note, one of the phone companies 

here uses a song in ALL of their commercials 

and advertising that goes like this...

"Don't forget to keep in touch,

Remember to keep in touch,

Keep in touch,

Oh, Keep in touch..."

Get the idea? Yeah... It's a bit much!]

My new iPhone is equipped with typical smart phone features of course (phone call ability, text messaging, and email synchronization, Facebook)... in addition to... iMessage, FaceTime, Skype, WhatsApp and as many game apps as I am willing to download! 


What does that all mean? 


iMessage: iMessage is a "text" message service for all iPhone using the newest operating system. It allows iPhones to message each other using the Internet instead of traditional SMS/text, therefore ::: free text messages to other people using a compatible iPhone. Like my sister!


FaceTime: FaceTime is a video chat program that is compatible with Apple products, again for me as an iPhone user, and a Mac owner. The program is free (or can be downloaded for less than $5 USD, no monthly fees) and works over the Internet. For those without unlimited Internet service on their phone, you can also use it over wifi. This comes in handy when talking to other Apple owners. Like my brother, sister-in-law, and adorable niece Zoe!


Skype: Skype is a video chat program for any computer user (not limited to Apple products) and can be downloaded for free. Skype users can make free voice and or video calls to each other over an Internet connection (when both users are logged into the program), or for a minimal fee, users can pay to call anyone not using Skype. For example ~ my husband and I pay $6 USD for unlimited calling to any US phone number. This means, when I am anywhere with my iPhone and Skype I can call anyone back in the States at my convenience... Like my Mom, Dad, and best girlfriends!


WhatsApp: The final communication program mentioned (that I actually have not yet downloaded) operates similar to the iMessage - it allows users to "text" message each other without being charged for the texts - even internationally. As someone who rarely needs to text, with the exception of messages to my husband and sister who both use iPhones, I have not downloaded the program, but I have heard of it many times. So for all of you passionate text-ers out there, if you can get your friends to use the same app, you can all chat for free as often as you'd like.


I like to think that I have always made the effort to keep in touch despite the distance (Who else do you know based in Taipei that talks to multiple people in the US every single day?!) I've always loved emailing, Facebook-ing, and keeping up with the people who are important to me in any way I can... but my iPhone certainly does make that even easier.


For those of you on the other side ~ I'd love to know how much it costs for you to buy an unlimited Skype package to call Taiwan??? After all, if my phone rings... there's a 90% chance it's my Husband <3. [PS... If that doesn't work for you, getting personal emails and Facebook messages still makes my day every time!] :)

weeks 84.85.86... Stateside Visit

From business trips (with visits on the side to OK/TX), personal leave time, and family visitors here in Taipei, I'd have to say I'm way ahead of the typical international family member when it comes to keeping in touch [not to mention Skype, emails, Facebook, and good old fashioned phone calls :) ]

This trip home ~ as anyone living abroad can probably relate to ~ was absolutely PACKED with friend and family time, leaving limited time to ourselves to take care of our own list of personal errands and agendas... Nevertheless, it was great to see everyone --- especially knowing that we will not be returning to visit again over the next 6 or so months. This trip also solidified (at least in my mind) that our next vacation needs to be a true vacation, on a beach somewhere, relaxing :) [Sorry family!] It will be awhile before that trip happens.

#1 purpose for the visit home? To see this fabulous young lady graduate from Oklahoma State!

Yay!

I waited to post to the blog, because I wanted to include some travel photos ~ however, on my trips to the US (when I turn my international cell phone off, and generally rely on family members to share their photos with me...) the pictures always seem to be lost in a dark hole somewhere... and it is hard for me to get ahold of them [ahem, family].

In addition to visiting friends and family, we were extremely excited to visit our favorite pooch! [Who wouldn't be?!] and so happy to see how settled he is in his new home. Don't be fooled by the ferocious growling - these two pooches are BFF now for sure. A few days playing with the dogs, and we have reinfested our wardrobes with black and white dog hair - I have the feeling we will be seeing that for awhile :)

Lastly, I'd be lying if I didn't confess that food is the 3rd most missed item on our list! We can't help but miss the terribly (bad for you) delicious foods from the States! So where does an Okie or Texas gal eat during the visit home...?

Panera Bread

Donut Shops (various... multiple!)

Jamba Juice

Einstein Bros. Bagels

Hibashi

Boston Market

Gloria's

Chelino's

Mattito's

Chic-Fil-A

Taco Bueno

Waffle House

McAllister's Deli

[The wish list was longer, but we ran out of time!]

Not to mention the home-cooked meals either! BBQ, potato salad, cole slaw, cobbler, chips and ranch dip (yum!), cookie cake, cake, and so much more!

Oh Mexican food, how I miss you!

Too bad I was not able to enjoy that delicious margarita during the visit [pic is of my hubby's drink], but even still I managed to put on 4 pounds during my 10 day visit! I've already shed it upon returning to Taiwan. I think I just need more queso in my life here...

week 83_the Life of Convenience

Living in Taipei is living in the land of convenience. Not only is there a convenience store on every street corner (thank you 7-Eleven, Family Mart, Hi Life, and OK Mart!) but there is also abundant street food, drinks, and even individuals peddling tissues and such at every turn.


Being pregnant, whereby my own inner Hobbit has revealed itself.... 

Baby: But what about breakfast?

Me: You've already had it.

Baby: We've had one, yes. But what about second breakfast? [..........]

Baby: What about elevensies? Luncheon? Afternoon tea? Dinner? Supper? You know about them, don't you?

So, it comes as great relief to me that our life in the city is so accommodating to my ever-changing (and fairly demanding) needs these days! 

We recently made a glorious investment and purchased an in home water dispenser! Although the Taipei government has officially declared Taipei's tap water "safe to drink" for years now - and I would really like to believe them - even the locals will not drink the tap water without boiling it. People inform us that it would make us sick, and a friend's vet advised them not to feed the tap water to their cats for fear of infection! So alas, for more than a year and a half now we have been purchasing bottles of water from the corner convenience stores and bringing them home on an almost daily basis. Even Brita filters or similar leave me hesitant to trust the tap... (Not so different from Dallas I guess!)

Water delivered to our door!

Thanks to a friend, we found a company in Taipei that vends water AND has English speaking customer service staff ~ hallelujah. You can check them out here: http://www.maxpure.com.tw/ It seems silly to know now how many plastic bottles we could have avoided recycling, and my sweet husband no longer has to fetch me water in the middle of the night when my preggo belly starts aching [I finish off those smaller bottles pretty quickly these days ;) ]!

Oh yes ~ COLD water please :)

We may have been the only new customer all year to request a dispenser with a COLD water option ~~~ One major cultural difference here is the tendency to drink room temperature (warm) or even scalding hot water... It's extremely common, and considered to be healthier for your body when the temperature of the water is the temperature inside you. Nevertheless we paid the few extra bucks (and slightly larger size) to make sure we will be able to enjoy a nice cool drink on the VERY hot summer days to come!

[I'm sure this is not as exciting to you dear readers, but it is a major upgrade in my daily routine]

Aside from that, I've just been especially grateful for the street food vendors lately. Trucks with fresh fruit, steaming sweet potatoes, and peanuts abound in every neighborhood and they give me great healthy options to snack on when my pregnancy (aka Hobbit) stomach starts growling.

fresh pineapple ~ whole or diced

Pineapple must be in season because I've been seeing them everywhere, and this truck parks on my street every evening. There's nothing quite like being able to swing by the truck a block from your house and pick up fresh ~tropically delicious~ pineapple (or watermelon, or whatever fancies me and is available that particular day)...

The many joys of pregnancy have not made my life any easier thus far, but I am especially pleased to live somewhere so terribly convenient. (And healthy!)

week 82 bunny cake & Easter eggs

Easter may have already come and gone, but not without a few American traditions on this side of the pond.

My Bunny Cake

My poor little improvised bunny cake (made in a small counter top toaster oven, using a half-sized rectangular pan...) burnt terribly on the bottom, and I ended up just cutting that part of the cake off and dousing the remainders in icing and coconut bunny fur!

My family's Bunny Cake

If you can't tell... this is what the bunny cake is supposed to look like! I think theirs turned out better than mine... :) {That's my sis and cousin picture with cake above} But at least we all seemed to have fun making our bunny cakes, as usual! I also died Easter eggs with an egg dye kit my mother-in-law recently brought to me from the US. At first I wasn't sure I needed the dye kit, but by the time Sunday came around I was in the holiday spirit, and so glad I had all the tools to make my own little kitchen festive. I'm not sure that an egg dying kit could be purchased anywhere in Taiwan... seems like it might be on the list of few things that are truly unavailable here. I've had fun toting my Easter eggs to work each morning for breakfast or snack - and I've gotten some fun questions. Do they taste different? Is it colored all the way through? Are they stuffed with something other than an egg? Is the dye safe to eat? To which I mostly replied no, no, no, and I hope so! 

Admittedly, there was no mention of this holiday in Taiwan, but I remembered, chatted with family, and made the Sunday festive in my own way ~ including brunch with a friend at the American Club.