It has been a long time, but let’s not dwell on that. Let’s just start again. There is so much I have wanted to say, but I have not been good about committing to writing it down. Being stuck on a plane with no movie seems to be a great excuse to start again. So many trips dating back to June, that I have been meaning to share. I will get to them eventually.

When one lives abroad you begin to reflect on how life changes and what becomes normal. We have lived in Taiwan for almost 2 years and there is a lot about life that is normal. I often forget that there are Chinese subtitles at the bottom of the movies we see because they are still in English. The point of moving abroad is to experience another way of life, expand your horizons and grow as an individual. That being said, it is clear no matter where you are in the world there is a lot we as humans share in common. You just have to be flexible or elastic if you want to survive. I say elastic because you do not necessarily have to change, but you have to be willing to stretch and try new things. Hopefully, my metaphor is making sense.

In some ways teaching at an international school you are in a bubble. I can get through an entire day and not have to speak Mandarin if I don’t want to. Which in itself is not wrong, but taking the time to make an effort really pay dividends to understanding those around you. For example, there are very few questions here that are yes and no questions like we have in English. You answer these questions with the affirmative verb or negative, I want/don’t want or like/don’t like. We are taking a conversation class at one of the local universities. It is amazing how much more I can say now that I have added a few essential verbs to my vocabulary. I forget that the students seamlessly switch from Mandarin to English and every now and then I understand what they are talking about!

We have had the privilege of many visitors this year and they are quick to point out what’s weird about life here. I mean I guess… Almost immediately after stepping off the train my sister commented that it smelled like pho. Pho, really? It had never occurred to me, or did it? I don’t remember. I do not have some great bulleted list to share with you about being an expat, but if there is any advice for those looking to move abroad or even just do some traveling I would stay don’t have expectations. Those that have expectations to what life is supposed to be like here, seem to be the most unhappy or disappointed. Beyond Taiwan, I think it is a good principle to take to heart. Just because you think something should be addressed a certain way embrace the fact that it will inevitably be different. There are many funny stories from expats about the way things are done here that are a little different.

For example, our water heater needed to be replaced, so they sent someone out to replace it. The only problem is that it needs to be plugged in to an outlet. It is located outside in a closet on the outdoor balcony where no outlets exist. Instead of doing any kind of electrical solution, they stretched a extension cord from where the fridge is plugged in (inside the apartment) out the kitchen window to the balcony closet where the water heater is! Now, the kitchen window remains forever cracked open in order to have hot water. I could complain that now we cannot run the dryer and oven at the same time without blowing the fuse for the entire right side of the apartment (water heater and fridge included), but I figure it is part of the Taiwan life experience.

When we left Seattle a friend of ours told me to post everything on instagram because even if I found it normal it might be new or different from life in Seattle. I reflect on this comment often and in an attempt to honor that request, here are a few of my new “normals”.

• Eating scallion egg pancakes with warm soy milk for breakfast. It is one of my favorite school cafeteria breakfast items. The cook he speaks some English, but now I can do all my ordering in Mandarin. Impressive? Not really, but definitely a new normal. I have never been a huge fan of American breakfast, but here there is something about a savory egg pancake with tuna or a rice flour radish cake that I really enjoy.
• Walking to school, which honestly I love there is something so enjoyable in walking to and from school even in the crazy 90% humidity, or crazy downpours. One week the baby frogs seemed to have magically appeared and as I walked to school there were literally thousands of mini frogs jumping around as I walked my usual path to school. I walk near the local man made lake everyday. It is reminiscent of Green Lake and a peaceful way to begin and end my day. Definitely an improvement from sitting in 520 bridge traffic on the way home.
• Carrying cash. When you are used to a plastic card based culture and then you move to a country where very few people take credit/debit cards it is a different way of thinking. But now, I always have cash. No wonder there are so many options for coin purses, you definitely use them here. D even bought himself a leather coin pouch (very manly mind you :P) because the use of actual money is a necessity.
• Scooting. I have a special place in my heart for the scooter. I will be the first to tell you that I did not think I was going to be a fan. It makes you shop differently, there is not a lot that you can put in the seat compartment or balance near your feet(although you would be surprised what people carry), so it is a different mentality. Not to mention that Sesame loves to sit in my lap, which is pretty adorable and crazy all at the same time. Who would have imagined that I have a scooter dog? Now, I am a firm believer that driving a scooter is really the only way to do Taiwan.

I hope to get around to finishing some of my other half written entries before we visit the states this summer. Bye bye for now!