Welcome, Family!

Looking back now that we have been in Taiwan for 6 months and are feeling stable and if not at home, at least very comfortable, I've realized that there was a huge learning curve that had to be embarked upon before we got to where we are now. It's satisfying to think about those first few months and think about the many things that we had to experience and learn from to get us where we're at. Yes, there were many things to learn in those first few months, but the most important one ended up being ceasing to ask "why." Those questions that once seemed so pressing and vital have now been replaced with blind submission. Questions like...

"Why are all the buildings only made of cement?"
"Why is that person coming straight at me, driving on the wrong side of the road?"
"Why do I see at least ten (not an exaggeration) people run a red light on any given day?"
"Why is it so stinking hard to find a public trash can?"
"Why are pig intestines and chicken feet considered edible?"
"Why are all the sidewalks blocked by scooters/businesses/big hunks of concrete, thus making them virtually unwalkable?"
"Why are there so many, um, potent smells?"
"Why buy a car when you can fit five people (once again, no exaggeration) on a scooter?"

The list could go on and on and there could be another why list, full of positive questions, but for the purpose of this post we'll keep things negative (for now). : )

It was with these questions in our minds, that we eagerly awaited the arrival of my parents and my brother, Jeff. Jeff would visit for two weeks and my parents for one during the week that we had off for Chinese New Year. We were anxious, wondering how my family would react to the treacherous life we lead in Taiwan.

I think that we've tried to show you some of the more beautiful things that Taiwan has to offer through this blog, but it has to be said that on a day-to-day, living-life basis, Taiwan has some major and minor obstacles to deal with. We had happily dealt with most of them, put them behind us but now would be entertaining family from the outside. We had sent out the emails detailing all the funny/strange/annoying things they were apt to encounter in Taiwan. So, the crash course was given, the luggage packed, the acidophilus taken and there was nothing left but to pick them up at the airport.

Jeff arrived first and my parents a couple of days after. Some friends of ours graciously offered their apartment to my parents as they would be gone over the holiday. This was quite a nice thing as 5 people in our tiny apartment was just not going to happen...and if it had, it wouldn't have been good.

We were still working that week which allowed them time to get acclimated and for my brother to develop the flu. Come Saturday, we were done with work and my brother was feeling a bit better so it was time to head out! We had planned a long weekend in Hualien as we wanted to show them Taroko Gorge which we had been to recently. Since we already have posts on most of the places we went, I won't add too many more pictures to this post.

Here we are at the High Speed Rail, awaiting the arrival of our train to take us north. I have to say that my dad with an enormous backpack over a suit (he had managed to arrange a work meeting in Taipei) was quite the funny sight.
Once we arrived in Taipei, my dad set out for his meeting and Luke, my mom, Jeff and I hopped on the MRT (Taipei's subway) and headed for Taipei 101.

Here's Jeff, pretending to be a tour guide and Luke and me with our friend, the Damper Baby.
Next, we checked out Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall. He was one of the founding fathers of Taiwan and they had some pretty lanterns displayed for Chinese New Year and also some kids practicing a dance routine.
That night we caught an evening train to Hualien, settled in to our hotel and my parents and brother encountered their very first Hunt for Food in Taiwan Experience. The place we had picked out to go that we had been to before was no longer open, so it was to the streets we went, walking up and down, dodging smells, cars, noises, people and after considerable searching happened upon a sit-down restaurant (I think my parents were very relieved) with food that was good enough and music that was good if not a bit on the loud side. Hey, we'll take what we can get and not complain. : )

After dinner we took a more leisurely walk back to our hotel and called it a day. The next day we had plans to rent a car and check out Taroko Gorge. We had just been there about a month before but still, it was breathtaking. I hoped that my parents and brother would be impressed. We had a great time going through the gorge, taking pictures and just enjoying the general splendor of the place.

This first picture is one that my brother took. It's actually three pictures, spliced together. Note the tiny people in red, standing by the guardrail near the middle on the left-hand side. The cliffs continue for about another 1,000 feet past the top of the picture. Crazy, eh?
Here's one of my mom and dad...precious.
And, here is my brother, taking a picture withe some Taiwanese people. They asked him to be in the picture with him. This actually happens a lot here...more than you would think. You kind of feel like a rock star sometimes, I'm not gonna lie. ; )
Here is another of my parents in front of a waterfall that we hiked to.
Here is the view from that bridge.
Just to get some sense of scale...
The view in the other direction....
Here is one of my mom and me. Do you think we look alike, because pretty much everybody does.
After we got back from the gorge, we decided to drive north on the highway to some cliffs that overlooked the ocean. We didn't know what we would see, but certainly not this. That's the thing about Taiwan...it can be insanely ugly one minute and stunningly beautiful the next. We didn't retouch the color one iota...this really was the color of the water. It was awesome!
Back in town, the hunt for food commenced once again. This time, we settled on good 'ol McDonald's. Sounds like a cop-out, right? Trust me...it's not. My parents and brother can attest to this. ; )

The next morning was gorgeous. Here is a picture from the roof of our hotel, looking out over Hualien towards the mountains.
After breakfast, we were off to nearby Liyu Lake, our last stop in Hualien before it was time to head back.
After Liyu Lake, we hopped on the train and started the journey back home. Before getting back to Jubei, we decided to stop in Taipei and show my family Guandu Temple. If you remember, we did a post on this a while back. It was the first official day of Chinese New Year and when we got there the temple complex was packed with people, lit up by spotlights and wrapped in the smoke of thousands of incense sticks burning. It seriously looked like something from a movie. While it was a bit overwhelming, it was totally worth it. My mom loved all the intricate detailing and artwork. She was amazed that all of it had been made and survived since the 17th century. The first picture, I can't take credit for. My brother took it. Nice one!

After Guandu, we made it on to the train and back to Jubei safe and sound. We spent the next couple of days scootering around Jubei and Hsinchu, actually looking quite Taiwanese with three to a scooter (Luke, myself and my mom).
My dad was especially proud that he was able to navigate the narrow roads, pedestrians and crazy traffic.

They left after a week with feelings all around that their visit went by a bit too quick. I think they were sad to leave us, but probably happy to get back to familiar and uncomplicated surroundings.

Jeff was to stay another week, so we took him on some day trips, putting three to the scooter yet again. The most notable of these trips was up to Neiwan, a town on the river about 40 minutes east of Jubei. We had a great time exploring the roads and river around there.

Here's one of the boys....
And of course, no blog would be complete without at least one picture of shoes.
We were so happy to discover Neiwan as it's close and a great place that we can come back to in the summer and swim and hang out by the river on weekends when we want to get out of town.

For the last picture....yay, pretty cherry blossoms! Spring is coming!
Jeff left a couple days after this and all of a sudden, our place felt big and a bit empty. Getting to spend so much time with family did indeed make us a bit homesick and anxious to get back.

After they had returned to the states, I asked my family for some thoughts/reflections on their trip that I could include in this blog:

My dad enjoyed learning how to get around in a different country and getting used to the different culture. He also enjoyed the friendly people of Taiwan and the scenery. Also, being a "kinesthetic" type, he enjoyed getting around on the rail system, driving the rental car and scooter in Taiwan traffic and the early morning bike rides that he would take around Hualien.

My mom said that she was amazed by all the artwork and intricate detailing in the temples. It is everywhere and to think that some of it was made and has survived from as far back as the 17th century, boggles the mind.

Jeff was amazed at how despite the noise and frantic pace of life there, people are genuinely nice and will take their time to help you. He discovered this when he ventured out one day on his own up to Jiufen while we were working. He was also interested by the contrasts. As one example, the ugliness of the buildings and trash vs. the beautiful scenery.

I am happy that my parents and brother were able to experience much of Taiwan in such a short period of time. This reminds us that we still have so much to experience and have been really happy and thankful that we have been able to soak up so much in such a short time. We are eagerly looking forward to see what the next 6 months will bring!