We've been having a great time in Taiwan. It's been fun having Richard drive us around, having all sorts of new experiences with Noah, and eating tons of delicious food!
There have been so many things that have made me laugh this past week as I watch Noah in a completely new environment, so different from what he's used to. Sure, he's been to Taiwan before, but this is the first time he's talking us through all his impressions...and I realized that he's just a boy from a small town who is getting a full dose of city life while we're here. Some things that have made me laugh:
- Noah's used to visiting villages where he has no problem seeing roosters, pigs, or other animals. But when we went to a friend's house, he was super scared of a caged house bunny. Also, when we got to Costco and rode on the people mover escalator (while he was in the shopping cart), he started crying hysterically. A few years ago when I was traveling, I saw a person from the village frightened to step on an escalator...I think my son has now become that person.
- Noah loves having Richard drive us around, but he's still occasionally asking for an "uncle" to drive the car (he's used to taxi drivers or hired drivers driving us around)!
- When we boarded the plane, the flight attendants gave Noah some freebie toys. He immediately said, "Happy Day!" which is his version of thinking it was his birthday since he was getting presents!
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| Noah enjoying his free toys on the plane |
A few other random pictures and thoughts:
Noah loves egg custard tarts (aka dan tats), and before we came to Taiwan, we were in a city that has some of the best dan tats I've ever had. They've raised the price, but at least this time, I didn't have to wait in line for 45 minutes for them like I have in the past! (Side note for A, L & S - the bakery is making it with the good crust again!) When I was a kid, I used to dig out all the custard filling, put it in a cup, and give it to my dad...since I only liked and ate the crust. Noah, on the other hand, eats his dan tats with a spoon, scooping out all the filling, then says, "all done" once he's finished the filling without even touching the crust!
Here's a picture of Noah enjoying some popcorn chicken, one of Richard's favorite street foods here in Taiwan.
One of my favorite things to do when we're here is to visit Costco (isn't it funny what reminds us of American life?)...we've already been twice in the past week! The first time, I went food/fruit-crazy and bought bagels, strawberries, cherries, blueberries, and grapes. The second time, I "caved" and bought Noah a new toy and book...and we also enjoyed dinner. Costco hot dogs never tasted so good! In case you're wondering, the food court menu is generally the same (although I missed my almond chocolate covered ice cream bar), but here you can get clam chowder and mango shaved ice with ice cream.
I've often told people that in terms of food, Taiwan mixes the best of China and America because you can eat cheap Chinese food or comfortable American food. For lunch today, we had a bento box of pork chop over rice with vegetables and soy sauce egg...it cost less than $2USD. Then for dinner, Richard's parents treated us to a fancy American steakhouse for some amazing steak that really satisfied our beef craving!
Anyhow, we're here for another week. While I'm sure we'll be busy with haircuts and dentist/doctor appointments, we're also looking forward to children exhibits, shopping, and more eating. =)