week 47_Lazy Summer Days

You may have noticed that the blogs recently have had less exploration of Taiwan, and more of my day to day routine... and I think it's just summer time laziness! After all, we may not be "out of school" for the summer, but we do get to wear flip-flops [yes, sometimes I even wear fancy flip-flops to the office... it's casual!], moan, groan about the heat, and lounge by the pool whenever we find the time! So honestly, that's where most of my free time has gone lately... to the pool. Or alternatively very-air-conditioned spaces!

For our anniversary, we enjoyed some delicious Haagen-Daz ice cream!
[I think many of you know my husband & I met
when we worked at an ice cream shop together!... many years ago! ]

Now that I have been here for almost a year (yes, wow - already? I know!). I have experienced each of the seasons in Taipei. For me, December has been been my favorite month so far, hands down. The weather was absolutely lovely, sunshiny every day, chilly but not cold, and of course it was Christmas time for me so I had holiday goodies and traveling to look forward to!

Looking up from the roof of our building while lounging by the pool
[There is a large metal sculpture on the roof of our building
It reminds me of a boat... this would be the bow]

The summer months have really not been so bad. The big blue skies and bright rays of sunshine streaming in the office windows, the afternoon rains cool things off for the evenings... and everyone here talks about how unbearably hot the summer season is! Ha. I guess they've never been to Texas or Oklahoma. I've heard from friends, family, and Facebook that TX & OK have had 100+ degree weather for something like 40 days in a row now!?! The weather in Taipei is usually in the mid to upper 90's when it's hot. 

And sometimes, the husband & I go for a dip in the pool to cool off :) The swimming pool on the roof of our apartment building is nice. We are high enough up to look down on the rooftops of other residential buildings. There aren't many residences able to look down on us while we are up there. And more importantly, we seem to be the only residents who care to go swimming - so it is pretty much our own private pool! 

Sunflowers from my Family :)

Summer means different things in different places I suppose! The sunflowers are a nice example - Don't they look so bright and cheery?! When I think of a Texas summer, I think about snow cones, pool parties, sitting on the patio at a restaurant if there's a breeze, summer clothes, taking the Classic car for a spin... and so on. In Taipei it seems to mean weekend road trips to the beach (I need to get on that already!), umbrellas for the afternoon showers, short shorts, cold noodles, icy desserts... late summer season could mean typhoons...

Tea Time treat -
Ice piled with Red Beans, Cold Noodles, Taro,
and something made from soy beans that is not tofu.
[Terrible description, I know! Forgive me!]
It actually tastes yummy!

I am SOOO looking forward to slightly cooler weather so that we can get out and explore the island more again! :)