Freeway

On our return after our first trip to Costco by our car....we lost our way by taking a quicker right turn and ended on a Free Way...Oh Boy....Both Sedj and me were really desparate and scared...as they were no road signs in the vicinity and we were continuing to drive.....further and further... and finally pulled over to the slow lane and stopped....so that we can read the map....

To our amazement.....there was a knock immediately at out window....by a police man...and we told him we need to get back to city....

Thank God for this angel....and the police man could actually communicate a little bit English....
he told us we have even gone further beyond the geography of Taipei which our map covered and we need to drive another 20 odd kms to see an exit to get back to a road which will take us to city....so what should have been a 5 km ride became over 60 kms for one wrong turn we attempted....

But we still thank God he could get us safely back and we didnt drive all the 300 km stretch of Taiwan ...and also we had a full fuel tank.....

Thats our first tryst with freeways in Taiwan....

Shopping

We still end up going to Costco....for shopping...it was one of those warehouses which was unseen in Singapore.....

We head for Costco and love shopping there...You almost feel you are in US shopping except for the Chinese Labels around....

Club

We have become members at the American Club of China at Taipei...
Its interesting to see how different nationalities mingle around... so they can find companionship in a foreign land...

Great place to spend time on weekends...

Indian Cooking

I have been cooking like I never did before...

I can make Appams and stew.


I have never tried Dosa even they come out perfectly and my husband and kids eat them for breakfast....on weekends...

Even my Chappati is getting better day by day ...my daughter prfers that for lunch instead of her food from her multi cuisine cafeteria...

Great Going so far in the cooking arena

Church

Yes ! We found a church....We have started attending Taipei International Church....The Pastor has been kind ....enough to call us and drop us an email.

Another sister from Church helped me to find a part time helper ......God's people really helps.

Our daughters are participating in their annual Christmas event....and we hope to join in their Thanksgining Dinner.

Taipei Living

October 16th - October 31st 2006..... Taipei City..

16th October....

We arrived at Taipei about 6 PM....with mixed feeling....after checking in at Sherwood....Sedj had to report to office for an important meeting...
We ate at McDonalds and slept...

17th October...

10 AM First Interview....For the kids at an school identified....earlier.....Interview ,Tests and assessment took most morning.....were offered admission but decided to hold on...

watched TV and lazed around...

18th October.....

Next Interview at TAS.....for Tanya.....after a 90 minute assesement we were told to wait for a day for final results....By evening we were infomed she can begin school on 23rd....we went to an Italian restaurant and lo! kids loved the pizza it was a welcome break after the burgers...

19th October...

We move to our home in Taipei...a nice furnished apartment ....so strolled along with our 12 odd pieces of baggage....and entered our new home....
And just kept the bags down and had to rush to TAS for Parent Student registraion process...and cooked some food after buying some essentials...and guess what I had no salt...in the house...went to the childrens playground and discovered we have a Singaporean neighbour...learned to use the washing machine where every button indicator is written in Chinese...

The house faces National Palace Museum....and has about 5 balconies....has mountain view on couple of them and a flowing stream ont he other....its quite picturesque....so dont wait let me know when you are coming and we will be happy to host you...
20th October.....

Went for the mandatory medical check up which took all morning. In the afternoon,managed to get net connectivity although telephone was still giving some issue....went to the night market and shopped for some containers to put the few cooking ingredients I had bought...great place to shop but not the best of the things to do with sleepy kids...

21st October

Really just unpacked all 12 baggages and went to our first Carrefour shopping....
Sedj managed to find a badminton partner...and I became perfect in cooking rice in rice cooker...

22nd October....

Sunday....
Havent figured out a church to go to....but we had to take a mission to find curd.....we tried several plain /soft yoghurts and they all turned out to be sweet....and atlast found normal curd at Jasons Market Place...

23rd October...

The marathon begins...
Wake up at 5:30 ....bath /brush /breakfast... and Tanya is off to school at7 AM....I havent done that since my school/college days....Now the search for Rionas school began....Called the British school and gave in their forms and told them need admission asap...

24th October....

Had Rionas Interview and bought her uniforms ...and we are all set to start her school on Thursday..I met one of the assistant teachers while walking out of school, who was kind enough to show me where the MRT station is . So I bought the Easy Cards...and had my first MRT Ride and the bus ride...
So I figured out how to get to their school by MRT and bus...

25th October...

Went back to the first school and declined admission and had to pay evaluation fees...and as we strolled along discovered.. a wet market....so made fish curry with some masalas I had brought....Tanya loves them and her food was taken care off...

26th October....

Tanya has 2 days off...and Riona is off to her first day at school...
And the SHIPMENT arrives....166 boxes/packets in all....and it was getting to me the thought of unpacking it all.... movers unpacked about 130 and I said leave the rest for me to open...

27th October...

With Tanya at home still getting to unpack and put the kitchen in place....and the freezer was switched on to store groceries for a year...If anyone had any ideas to store rice please do let me know.....in extremly humid climate do let me know...Made my first call to my parents and to an Indian friend here..so they know,we are live and kicking still...bought potatoes...and they turn out to be sweet...still wondering if I can get the normal ones..

28th October....

Saturday.....Sedj was out all morning in a meeting so we went for the Internationl food fair at TAS....The Indian stall had samosas...chicken and rice...lot of crowd and kids had a pony ride and cotton candy....and hmm all was going welll....something had to go wrong ,,,I lost the access card and the house key...and I believe in the house...searched all day long...just couldn't find it....

29th October....

Sunday had a very quiet one,...watching tv and still clearing up things...

30th October,,,

First day of peace...both kids back to school...and I can start to think...and the car arrives...

31st October...

Riona gets to school by the car..and Sedj survived finding way to his office....its left hand drive....traffic is not as smooth as Singapore....
Tanya had a gala Halloween party at school and the life moves on I have opened the 166th box also though much of finding a place for everything still remains...

I wrote this note also to thank all of you have been enquiring how we are coping and doing...
By God's grace we have done ok so far....there are yet some more things to settle down... and I must say I survived... without even any part time help....after about 10 years.....

Keep emailing....and all are welcome for a trip to Taiwan...my phone still doesnt work...

And for those who read so far....I must tell you a joke Sedj saw on a TV Advertisement ....its about English Classes

It goes..
Learn to speak English so that you dont look at the ceiling when your boss asks you "Whats up" in the morning....

It was really a funny I thought..If you didnt catch it ..read again...