TaiDong Day 5

Ah, our last day here was not really a day - more like get up late, take a nice hot spring bath, eat breakfast and then saunter out of our last hostel at around 10 am for the 5 hour trek back home. Along the way, we stopped at a small shoulder to get one last glimpse of the ocean.

I had to go down and touch the ocean to say 'thanx' so that is what I did. I jumped the barrier and made my way down. And of course, I picked up some nice rocks for my 'collection' (if you are a guy you understand; if not, well, let's just say they will be useful for something....)

That is our trip! Hope to see you soon and take you down here ourselves!

(And yes, Jo is pregnant, but being the great husband I am,
I have decided to try to experience her situation as best I can and
put on a few pounds....only for a short time, of course....)

TaiDong Day 4 - The Cow Ranch Day

Jo asked me if I wanted to go to a ranch today and while I 'really' wanted to relax and do nothing, it is not wise to say no to a pregnant woman in her 6th month (hormonal imbalance, I think it is called). So we headed out to the Chu Lu Cow Ranch on the outskirts of TaiDong. I was pleasantly surprised when we got there.

The drive up was great and super fresh. I know some of you do not or can not appreciate this, but even though Taichung is not the dirtiest place, coming out to a really clean place puts things in perspective.

This is part of the field where the cows were 'supposed' to be. We did not see any yet.

Ah, there's one. I mean, what is a cow ranch without cows?

And of course some horses.
This guy was just hanging out strapped to a carriage. I felt bad I did not have anything to give him.

There were a lot of gardens around here and they did look nice. I grabbed the camera back from her and got some of Jo acting as a flower. If you have good eyes, you can spot the other cows somewhere around here...

So we had a good and short time walking around here. There were some real cows that we could buy food for and feed them, but Jo was not into that. I guess we will have to wait until the Lil One is bigger (since Dad really wanted to feed the cows)....

TaiDong Day 3

Even though I would have been content to continue doing nothing for another 48 hours - hell make that 48 years, Jo's plan was not to be stopped and we changed to another hostel closer to the mountains and hot springs - something that Jo absolutely loves.

And we are talking about real hot springs out of the earth and sitting in pools trying not to cook your skin or internal organs too much. Also, the hostels that are around here are famous for having the hot water piped into the bathroom itself, so for the next few days, we had wonderful hot spring baths - sometimes 3 times a day.....

But first we had to earn it.

We ended up going to a famous forest park at the end of a small road and it was very quiet and serene - mostly since we chose to come on the weekday, which is the smartest thing to do here since the weekend seems like a fairground coupled with thousands of people pretending to like to walk around the forest trails in high heels and suits.


We had to carry an umbrella since it was misting, but that made things even better. A good 3 hour walk in the woods. Kind of like my old days in the Bear Pit when I was young (I would spend hours in those woods).


We saw lots of spiders which were quite beautiful. Jo took these since she still does not fully trust me with taking good pics....


This one had brilliant green markings.


This beetle did not have brilliant green markings, but that is ok....

TaiDong Day 2

Day 2 was my favorite, since as Jo laments, we did absolutely nothing for 24 hours. There are a plethera of hostels catering to many kinds of tourists and our friend mentioned that we would like the one we would stay at today. So we drove up back roads and got lost about 10 times, but finally managed to find the little hostel. However, no one was home, so we called the guy who rents it out and he said: Just go right in - it is not locked! Only you guys are there tonight!.

Jo was shocked since there really IS another kind of feeling here with less crowded places and a more laid back attitude. Simple, honest and trusting. In a city, forget it. By the way, we are really thinking to move to Hua Lien or Tai Dong at some point in the future just for that reason: the city, forget it.

Anyway, we finally found the place and 3 dogs greeted us.

This place was really out in the middle of nowhere - and we loved it. You could see the ocean from the porch and staggering mountains at the back.

So we did what anyone in their right mind would do - as little as possible. After awhile, even Jo settled down and started to relax! (this lasted only a few hours since she wanted to walk around some paths in the mountains. Me? I just stayed and kept reading my book).

You bugger! I get up for 10 minutes to make some coffee and you steal my seat! Out! Out!
(he ignored me.....)

This is our room - sorry if it makes you jealous! It was very clean, rustic and simple, but had all we needed to spend those 24 hours in bliss.

Well, maybe with the baby kicking A LOT, Jo was not that blissful, but we did relax as much as possible.

Happy Birthday Mr. Ol' Fogie & TaiDong Trip Day 1

Image Link

It was my birthday again this past week and I am now pushing the upper limits of how far 30 - something will go. So, I might as well come right out and sayit: I am 38 years young and damn happy.

Hell, I used to think 30 - somethings were on the verge of geriatric bedding, dentures and diapers. I felt a tinge of pity when I heard that someone was 30 - something, when I was in my 20's. Now, I hear that and think how young and foolish those whipper-snappers are.....sigh, I am gearing up to be a nice ol' curmudgeon.

But, I must say, I feel great and my life is pretty much almost exactly how I imagine it to be and want (all those Secret musings and thoughts do work, by the way). I have a wife that I love (and who is smarter than me), I have work that is interesting and fulfilling, I have a dog that listens to me (sometimes) and is loyal (most times), and last but not least, I have a smart, handsome and kick ass son on the way and that is so cool.

So indeed, I had a great birthday this year.

We decided that a great present would be to go out and travel one last time before the baby comes and wrecks havoc into our structured lives......but I digress.

We picked a superb spot - and one that I have not been to in Taiwan yet in all my 15 years here (I can explain why some other time). Anyway, I was so excited that we were going to TaiDong, which is on the Eastern part of the island, and coincedentally, the most beautiful part. This was perfect for us since TaiDong sits on the beautiful Pacific coastline backed by beautiful mountains about 2 stones throws away. Just friggin' beautiful.

Have I mentioned it is beautiful, yet?

The mountains and ocean also serves to appease us both as well, since Jo is the Mountain person and I am the Ocean person. In Chinese thought we can seperate most people into 2 kinds - those that like the mountains or the ocean more. If you like the mountains, you are peaceful and kind. If you like the ocean more, you are creative and wise. Anyway, whether that is BS or not, we BOTH had a great time there doing pretty much nothing but soaking up the ocean vibes and mountain air. Just beautiful....

Anyway, here are some pictures that can document our vacay. We spent 5 days in and about TaiDong and we are so happy we did.

TaiDong (which means The Eastern Area of Taiwan) is a very small town by Taiwanese standards. It is on the south eastern part of the island and is mostly populated by Aboriginals - but as with any modern society, that part of the culture is diminishing (too bad). It sits pretty much right on the coast, nestled up against some pretty hefty mountains (so it can not physically contain so many people, which is good, since there is much less pollution).
This pic was a 2 min walk from our first hostel, where we could see the ocean from our window,
but decided to get a closer look.


This is what greeted us, but we also found a small path down. Jo, being the mountaineer, wanted to go and worried Daddy was just being a puss when he wondered aloud if it was too sttep for her to go down. "Too steep!? I carry 25 poounds on my back on much harder trails, I can carry the Lil' One down this" were her words.....


And she did.


At least I am getting better taking pictures...


I had to do some climbing.


Jo noticed this rock and pointed it out. We both thought the same thing: Rhino!


It was getting later, so we decided to go back up. When we got up, Jo gave the ubiquitous "two fingered" salute for our son since that was the first time he heard the waves (except when mommy burps or farts)..... By the way, Jo is 6 months pregnant in this photo and while most people say her 'mound' looks too small, they sometimes forget that Jo is SUPER skinny and the 'watermelon' is getting much bigger now.....


A last look at the sunset before we made our way back to the hostel, where we promptly ate, washed and zonked out. A good start!

Some Mocha Pics

I have not posted pics of Mocha in awhile and thought it might be a good time to do so.

So enjoy.....

I am not really sure why he feels comfortable like this, but I am sure the little step up acts like a pillow. I have no idea what he is thinking when we took this one....


I think he is just lazy. Here he is by our main door, watching out hoping to go upstairs (or get some rest, or eat anything). Oh, by the way, huskies are the worst guard dogs since they get excited and happy to see new people...


Jo hates this pose when Mocha does it, but I think it is hilarious. I can't imagine this is too comfy,
but then again, I am not Mocha....


Finally a more normal sleeping position, near "His" area.


You know, Mocha, you are getting a bit big for horsey rides!

Whoops, I think he does not agree....

Updates

We have been busy and lazy in alternating spurts (as usual).

Here are some updates, tidbits and things that have happened or will happen....

• We had a very nice Chinese New Year vacation and rested as much as possible. We even won some cash in the annual Mah Jiang tourney
• Mom hit the big 60 this past Feb 1st and we celebrated and congratulated here (these days, 60 does not seem that old at all!)
• Our business is picking up and we seem to be moving faster now in terms of how many people know about our Money Management course for Kids.
• My friend and previous tenant of our upstairs apartment moved out and after careful consideration, we decided to convert the upstairs apartment into a classroom so I can teach there myself - which should prove to be a better money maker than the landlord/tenant situation - plus we now have 4 more rooms 'added' on to our house.
• Mommy (as opposed to Mom) did the amniosis test for the Lil' Guy and all seems fine, so we are relieved about that. Her belly has been growing steadily and we are still waiting for the first kicks or movements.
• We are planning to take a vacation - prolly one of our last for awhile - to go to TaiDong, which is on the eastern side of the islands for 5 days at the end of the month for my birthday.
• My birthday will mark my 'almost 40' marker and that is a shocker, since I used to think that was so old, but now realize it is all in the eye of the beholder - hell, I still feel 29!
• Of course, we have been planning and getting ready for baby to pop out and all the stuff that comes with him. We have been reading some books and talking to parent-friends and are getting geared up for this whole new adventure.

So that is the news so far. We are doing great and are happy and hopefully so is Mocha and Babe.

More info will come later (as always).

Jeff, Jo and Babe

Start of a New Chinese Year

It is Chinese New Year time again.

I usually am lucky to brag that by living in Taiwan, I can get two vacations: one for Western Xmas and another for Chinese New Year.

This year, our Xmas was much less cheerful than we planned and we did not get any vacation, except if you sarcastically count the 2 weeks in the hospital - which I am sure you will not.....

.....so we are happy to finally have a 9 day break starting last night after my story class.

We plan to go to TPE to see Jo's mom for 2 days and then we will go south for 2 days to visit Jo's friend who lives by the ocean for some good seafood. Then, I will be amazed if I go farther than the local 7-11 for the remaining of the holiday. At a time when the entire population of Taiwan is on the move, my philosophy is "home is where everything is."

Plus, I have some serious gaming to do....

Have a Happy Cow New Year!

Jeff & Jo

ps. image link

Happy New Year 2009!

Happy New Year 2009!

We are very happy for many things in our life and want to wish all of you a great 2009 (and many more).

We finally made it home in time for the New Year, but since Jo was tired, right after the countdown (which we did in our heads since we were in bed at that point), we fell asleep and woke up very late the next day.

It was the first comfortable sleep of the new year and we both had earned it!

Best wishes to all!

Jeff & Jo

ps. This was the sight of Taipei 101's (tallest building) 2009 countdown.

Xmas Lung

Well, well....where to begin?

I suppose we should backtrack a little and wish you all (all 2 of you who read this thing) a Merry Christmas. Our Xmas was interesting this year and it was not what we had planned.

We had planned to go back to Gettysburg for 2 weeks over the holidays to relax and enjoy the winterness of things, plus have time to be with family. Sounds nice and normal, right?

We had planned to leave on Friday, Dec 19th and were getting all set: changing class times, prepping tickets and gifts, taking care of Mocha, and making sure things would not be too out of whack in our house when we returned.

Well, as we say in our intro, there are detours along the way that we deal with. Here is the detour that we experienced:

On Sunday, Dec 14th, Jo was feeling worse and worse after trying to go to bed. She could not sleep and it hurt to breathe. We both thought it was due to her volatile first trimester, so we just tried to deal with it, but it was obvious that she was in pain. The next day, she felt a little better but we decided to see a Chinese medical doctor to make sure things were ok (Jo does not like to visit Western doctors, especially in Taiwan). After listening to Jo's pulse for a few seconds, the doctor basically said: "Your lung is not working right and if it is as bad as I think, you will need to go to the hospital." We were shocked by the seriousness of the statement and of his accuracy from just pulse reading. Jo quickly asked if he thought she could still go to the US in a few days and he said that if it was too serious, then that would be crazy.

So we made an appointment for Dec 16th to see a Western doctor at the China Medical University Hospital, where coincedentally, my previous student is now the director of the hospital. We naively thought we would be in and out of there in a few hours with nothing to fear since we were getting excited to leave for the US in 3 days.

We were told to get some xrays and did, even though we were worried about the fetus and when we saw the picture, our hearts sank while our mouths gaped open. We were supposed to be looking at Jo's left lung that would take up most of the xray picture, but what we saw was this tiny deflated balloon-like mass on the bottom of her lung cavity. Her lung had collapsed so no wonder she had trouble breathing. We stood shocked even after the doctor said we had to go to the emergency room right then to take care of this or else it would become even more serious.

We wandered in a daze to the ER and she was put on a stretcher and brought in for the other docs to look at. I was with her the whole time and scared *&^less while she was in pain and frightened as well.

They decided to to an operation right then to put a tube in her lung cavity to suck the air out that was pressing down on the collapsed lung. This procedure is fairly simple but Jo reminded everyone that she is pregnant and thus they did not administer too much anysthetic for her, which made the process agonizing. After this we were rushed to a proper bed in the hospital and were left trying to recover.

(Afterward we found out that this is called Spontaneous Pnumothorax, which usually happens in tall, thin, young, otherwise healthy and active men. Basically, a bubble forms between the lung and the lung membrane and pops, which deflates the lung. We think Jo had it since her morning sickness was also terrible with a lot of puking, so that may have created air bubbles and popped one. But no one really knows. We were just lucky that we did NOT get on a plane and have this happen in the air or in the US - without medical coverage. So in that way, we lucked out.)

Let me reiterate again: Jo is a tough cookie.

So after enduring 4 days of waiting to see if the air would be sucked out, another set of xrays showed that it did not work and that they would try another tube in another place to see if that would work. They did mention that they could just do surgery to help the lung, but again, we said we would try to do that since surgery and babies are not a good combination.

So he had another tube inserted in her lung cavity - this time a bigger one, and we waited for the results there as well. After a few days, we were again naively optimistic since we were constantly told that it was no big deal and that even though this was a shock, it should be relatively easy to fix - just rest and let the tube work. You can see this coming, right? After another xray, we were again disappointed to learn that her lung was only less than half reinflated, which was not good. There was something wrong and the doctor recommended surgery at this point.

After some discussion, we decided to have it done and on Christmas morning, Jo underwent an hour long surgery to manually pull the lung tissue back to its original place. So, we say that Jo got an Xmas lung this Christmas.

Everything went fine and we then had to wait 6 days in the hospital to rest and recover, so we ended up gettin gout of the hospital on Dec 31st, just in time for New Years. We did NOT want to have to spend any more time in that place!

So now, we are both relaxing and recooperating from the ordeal. Jo is feeling much better and able to finally move about much more (she was pretty much confined to the bed for the entire stay - mostly because it hurt so much to move around - it took her about 30 min to go from her bed to the bathroom about 5 feet away). It almost feels like we are back to normal, so that is great.

We would like to thank everyone who called, emailed or came by the hospital for your thoughts and prayers and really do appreciate it. There were indeed some rough times and knowing you were thinking of us helped.

So we are back now and going to have a great New Year of 2009.

Hope you do, too.

Jeff & Jo

Lil' Bean and Mom Updates

I have a feeling that the next year's worth of posts will have varying degrees of this title, but that is something that we have to live with I guess. The miracle of birth and all that.....anyway, I will try my best to think of some catchy titles...

Well, This is our Lil' Bean at 6 weeks. Mom is now at week 10 so he/she/it should look a wee bit bigger now. We actually saw the bean at 9 weeks, but we will have to get the pictures the next time we go there (which is when we get back from America - in early Jan).

As for mom, things are not that easy. Now, I have heard from my buddies, who are mostly fathers as well, that their wives breezed through the early months without the seriousness of morning sickness that Jo is going through. However, Jo did have fair warning, tho since her sister and cousin both had a pretty bad first three months. So we are dealing with this as best we can.

Jo, who normally gets stir crazy after staying inside for more than 20 minutes has had to deal with not going out for days on end since she is dizzy and needing to move slowly like an old lady. Plus, even though she has not seen The Exorcist, she is doing her best to audition for the upcoming movie from all the the projectile vomiting she has been doing. If she was able to eat or at least taste food, that would have some consolation, but recently Jo's taste buds have hibernated, leaving her with no feeling for most food other than cardboard flavored dough thingies. Thus, her normally ubiquitous taste buds (she eats anything) has revolted telling her everything is crap.

We do have good days and those are the days that we are optimistic and happy. And then....

...there are bad days, where she is weak and pissed off at her condition. I mean, she is in great shape. She is bummed since she thought she would be spared this, but I guess not. So, I have been spending my free time being with her and trying my best to consol her as I leave each day and she can only read for brief periods and watch movies on her laptop. So for her, it is almost like jail.

And that is why it is great we are heading out back to the States to stay with the Folks for a change of view and a change of pace.

And I should point out that Jo is being a trooper through all this and is one of the toughest and bravest people I know.

Jeff

Election Night News!

On Election night this year, Nov. 4th, 2008, I witnessed something spectacular and awe inspiring happen. Even though I should not gloat, it was all because of me and what I did and I will humbly nod my head in satisfaction. I worked for months - no years - to hear this news and when we did, it was like a breath of fresh air. We did it! And we are so happy!

Obama as president? Nah, that was gunna happen anyway - that is TEENY news to the OTHER news I learned on election night: Jo and I are parents!

Yup, we learned that night after some weird episodes where Jo felt strange and we decided to take a test to see what was up. It initially came back as negative, and we were quietly saddened (since we would love kids). But then, about 2 hours later, when I was in class, Jo calls to say she has some great news! I will apologize here for assuming that it had something to do with our business or that my later class was canceled, but it was not the case - the test became a positive a little whiel later and Jo went to a clinic to confirm. It was true - right on election night, so we found out that not only Obama will be our next president (which brightens my day), but that we will be parents (which brightens our life).

We are ciked.

We had thought about keeping it silent for awhile, since many things can happen in this early stage, but we said - ah, what the heck, and started to tell our close family. We did not really advertise it either, even though I have been dazed and smiley for awhile...so now is as good a time as any to announce. And thanks to Matt (my cuz) for making the catalyst for this....

Jo is in her 6th week and so it looks like the babe(s) will be a summer baby. But I am sure that I will be posting a lot about this here, so just check back if you want. It will be an interesting 9 months, with a lot of Chinese traditions and habits, as well as just learning to cope with an eating and pooping machine. In addition, there is the hormonal wife, naive (but proud and ready) husband and fluffy dog. So it will be interesting to say the least.

I have to go now and cater to my glowing.....ah, no, that is puking wife.

Toodles,

Jeff, Jo, Mocha, and ?

Jo's Terrible Disease

I am home resting on this beautiful Sunday.

Oh, wait, I should say recovering since I was jarred out of bed this morning by a Taiwanese religious parade that inexplicably stopped on our narrow street for about 20 minutes blaring about 10 different kinds of music. This was at 9:00 am.

Oh well.

In fact, this post is about another serious matter: Jo's disease. I have tried to keep it quiet since it bothers me so much to talk about it, but I feel that now that she is getting therapy, and I am home alone today, I can go into it.


You see, Jo has a disease called Healthititus. It sounds terrible but there are cures and we are looking into them. She is actually away for 3 days spurred on by her delerium that she thinks hiking for 12-14 hours a day up large mountains with almost half her weight on her back is pleasant and fun. Yes, I know, I know; it is a sad state to be in. Usually, this type of activity is saved for grunts going or returning from front lines, torturing hapless sherpas or escaping from nuclear fall out. But we are dealing with it.

I have been patiently trying to explain that 'no, I do not think I will like to strap 80 pounds on my back, hike up steep mountains for 12 hours, toss and turn while trying to rest, do that 2-4 more days, come back and then have to go back to work with a smile on my face,' but her sickness is such that she does not hear this and continually asks.

If you or a loved one has this terrible sickness, there are a few signs to watch out for: a deepening need to go to the gym for more times a week than a hand has fingers, needing a microscope to figure out which cells have increased their weight density and then complain about a perceived rise in fat (which is delusionary), and most striking - the sad pitying eyes when they look at you (a normal person) since what they are really seeing is a blob of flesh that makes grunting noises when slinking around.

And the side effects should also be pointed out: a body that looks like it was carved out of stone, a youthful smile (when the person is not looking at you), and basically a reverse aging procedure that the older this person gets, the younger they look.

If that is not downright scary, I dunno what is. I just thank god that I don't have this terrible disease and I sincerely hope that you do not either.

Keep us in your prayers' we will get through this!

Jeff & Jo

Happy 2nd Anniversary!!

Happy 2nd Anniversary to Jo and I!

To ease any confusion, we technically have 2 dates for our anniversary(s): Oct 11th, which is the official date of our marriage ceremony, and Feb 3rd, which is when we actually celebrated it with others.

We decided that to make things easier on us (or people who already have bad memories), the Oct 11th date is to buy a mutual gift that we both can enjoy together. This will most likely be a nice wine or a mini vaycay where we both can relax. On the Feb. 3rd date, that is when we will have a traditional anniversary dinner or lunch at one of our favorite restaurants here (or where ever we are in the future).

This past anniversary was mellow and relaxed. We did in fact go out to eat, but then came home and relaxed with some more expensive wine that we bought. Then, in typical geek parlance, we spent the (beginning) of the night asking each other brain teasers from a game that I have called Mind Trap. If that is not geekhood, I do not know what is.

Ah, love....

Anyway, we are surprised that another year has snuck up on us! It seems like we just met a few months ago.....

Here's to many more,

Jeff & Jo

Follow Us!

Oh, I might as well mention that I updated the side of our blog a bit more.

Now Blogger has a program that lets us see who is checking us out or following us. I hope those of you who are following can sign up your name. The link is on the right, under the blog archive section. Looks like this:

Family, Friends, Fans and Followers - Sign up! (1)

Follow this blog

Stop following

1 Follower View All Manage

If you don't want to, that is fine too, but I thought it might be interesting for us to know just who is following us.

Cheers,

Jeff & Jo

Don't Vote

I have purposely stayed away from any political discussions in this blog, since this is not really about my weird opinions or thoughts, but about what is happening in our lives here. However, Jo and I have been having some interesting discussions about the upcoming presidential election in the US and how it will affect our lives, if at all.

Indeed in the long view, it will not really affect things too much (we hope), but by being out of the US, I am able to get a glimpse of many others' opinions who are not US citizens and it really has been interesting to hear a lot of the insights.

That said, I have been becoming much more interested in the election and politics; more than ever before. I am not sure if this has to do with my age or my beliefs or the state of the world / country or what, however, I have become quite excited at the prospect of a change in government (regardless of if it will really do anything practical), and have even let myself get inspired more than usual.

Thus, I have already voted. Since I am out of the country, I have to send in the ballot earlier, so I made sure to do this 2 weeks ago. Sad to say, I did not vote in the Bush/Gore debalicle, but I was determined to this time around.

Anyway, I hope you are planning to vote as well. I have noticed that voting in the US is up from 60%, so that is great. It is still a terrible number to be so low, but I guess that is what feeling inspired will do to you.

There is a video that I thought was interesting as well called: Don't Vote. You may have seen it. If not, check it out!

Also, I have to add this Tina Fey as Palin clip (what was McCain thinking?)

Anyway, here's to November 4th!

Jeff & Jo

Good Etiquette for Mocha

With the cooler weather - well, semi-cooler - Mocha's genes have decided to tell his hair to come out again in the part 2 of shedding for the year. At least we were expecting it, unlike last year when we were dazzled that a 10 pound dog could shed about 500 pounds of hair - even though were were told that Huskies particularly shed a lot.

So we are trying to keep things as clean as we can and have decided that the best plan so far is to keep his hair short and to teach him basic etiquette skills like the following:

1) Don't shake til told:




2) Relax and enjoy your bi-weekly or tri-weekly bath:





3) Floss after playing with Dad:




4) Are you sure you got all around? You missed a spot......:




Don't worry Mocha, Dad does not like to floss, either!