Happy New Year!

I'm already looking back at 2015 as a banner year for us. We've progressed towards our goal of knowing a second language, we've traveled, we've grown closer, and we're happier. Plus, nothing bad happened. Even with Mike working in a difficult, demanding, and frustrating position, we were still able to enjoy a fairly large chunk of our 2015 (though I'm sure I've enjoyed it more as a lady of leisure than poor Mikey has). Thus, a banner year.

Thanks to our efforts this year, when we leave Taiwan next month, we'll be leaving with a (very) basic, yet fundamental, knowledge of the Chinese language. Though immersion doesn't work as I thought it would, it does work and our time here has provided me with a better understanding of the language than 3 years of high school French or 5+ years of college extension courses in Spanish did. Hopefully we continue our language education in DC but, if nothing else, I hope we don't lose what we have. I like knowing a second language. （我們不知道很多中文但是我們在進步。)

Tokyo

Additionally, despite not having anything similar to Europe's cheap airfares, we've still managed to travel this year on pace with our time spent in the UK. For example, our first full year in the UK saw us visit cities in France, Spain, Sweden, Germany, and Italy. Five international trips total. Similarly, our first full year in Taiwan saw us visit cities in Vietnam, Japan, and Thailand, in addition to both Macau and Hong Kong. So, though our expectations for travel weren't as high as they were in the UK, we were still able to match that pace. And, because our trips weren't aligned around weekends and school calendars, we were able to dive deeper in each location than most of our European trips allowed. Thus, we've concluded, we're definitely getting better at this.

Other things that made 2015 enjoyable were the new friends we made, seeing more of Taiwan, and getting healthier. Towards the latter point, both Mike & I are in better shape now than we were a year ago. Hopefully this trend continues in 2016. I'd love to be in better shape in my 40's than I was in my 30's.

Our 2016 will be starting out much like our 2013 but, because we're older and wiser, we're better positioned this time for any challenges. Hopefully DC doesn't test our preparedness too thoroughly though. No one wants a repeat of our NYC experience.

In 2016, we're looking forward to making DC our new home and starting our next adventure. We're also looking forward to living near close friends again as well as making some new ones. In short, we hope our 2016 brings us more of what we experienced in 2015, less the professional dislike poor Mikey had to contend with, and we hope your 2016 is full of happiness, love, and adventure too. Happy new year! 新年快樂！

Counting Flowers on the Wall

Come January 2016, we're moving back to the States. Mike's last day as an English teacher will be in early January and then we're relocating to Washington DC. That means I'm officially in my last couple months as a lady of leisure and I'm taking full advantage of it. I'm staying up late, lying in, killing my days with nothing but game playing and movie watching. Basically, "playing solitaire 'til dawn" (but electronically, so my deck is not missing a card).

I did have every intention of maintaining my healthy living regimen during this time but we had a guest in town for two weeks (!) which threw me off my routine. She left early last week and I took that week to ensconce myself in the pleasure of solitude without commitments. But, I did truly have every intention of restarting my healthy living routine this week. And then I stood on the scale. More than three weeks of inactivity, drinking, and poor diet have caused me to lose more weight than I've lost in the preceding three months of focused intent. If ever there was a reason to continue a poor lifestyle that, my friends, would be it.

Pai, Thailand

So, I'm luxuriating. This is where a pool would be nice. But, no pool. So, I just sit on the couch, in a/c, multi-tasking with tablet games, computer games, and movies. Sometimes I get bored, but then I realize I have the luxury of boredom and just embrace it. Who knows when my next opportunity for wasting this much time will be. If DC's anything like New York, which we don't believe it will be but we're mentally preparing for that rough of a transition, then I have a good four months of job searching and financial stress to look forward to in the new year. Thus, I'm taking this opportunity to luxuriate in my boredom.

Chiang Mai zoo

Though we are mentally preparing for a rough transition, we're leaning heavily on our past experiences to help us predict the situation and mitigate any potential issues. Happily, so far, all indications are that this move to Washington DC might be more akin to our experience in London, which was a dream, than to our experience in NYC, which wasn't.

Having friends in and near DC will undoubtedly help with our transition. The job market appears more welcoming too. Plus, there aren't any songs about "if you can make it there, you can make it anywhere," which is probably the most reassuring. Additionally, we found a furnished, temporary home with ease, which, besides employment, is usually the most daunting task. So, though we're mentally preparing for a rough transition, so far all signs are allowing us to hope for a smooth one.

Hong Kong

In travel news, Mike & I spent a week in mid-September traveling in northern Thailand. We spent the bulk of our time in Chiang Mai but we also ventured towards the Myanmar border, stopping in Pai and Mae Hong Son. We've also just returned from a few days in Hong Kong, the city I originally wanted to move to prior to coming to Taiwan. I still love that city but living in Taiwan has cured me of any desire to live there, though I wouldn't mind if it still happened (it probably won't).

Wong Tai Sin Temple, Hong Kong

Besides a trip down to Kenting (Taiwan) in December and a day's layover in Shanghai in January, on our way back to the States, our travel in this area is nearly finished for the foreseeable future. Once we move to DC we probably won't be planning any Asian vacations for a while. Still, though we're returning to our home country, it'll be our first time living below the Mason-Dixon and, though DC itself may not be considered a southern city, our proximity to that area will undoubtedly bring us some new experiences and adventures.

Mid-Year Updates

Tokyo

The months since my last post have flown by. But, slowly. Time moves slowly here. Perhaps it's due to the newness of everyday encounters? Or, maybe my lack of any routine occupation?

I read somewhere about a trick for slowing down time because, as adults, time seems to move quickly but, as kids, time was seemingly endless. For example, as a kid the three months of summer vacation lasted For. Ever. But, as an adult, a year can pass seemingly unnoticed. The article's conclusion was that in order to slow time down one needs to adopt a child's perspective.

Most things children experience are new. Thus, the newness of everything creates a memory or experience which, in turn, simulates more time. As an adult these new memories or experiences occur less often, making each day blend into the next, simulating less time. Therefore, one must experience new things, or old things in a new way, in order to seemingly slow time down. Accordingly, because our lives abroad, especially in a Chinese speaking country, provides ample opportunities for experiencing new things, or old things in a new way, time moves slowly for us. An illustration of this would be the fact that it's only been 5 years since we left Seattle yet it seems like much longer because of all the things we've experienced in the interim. Conversely, because our 11-years spent in Seattle were routine, that time seems to have flown by.

With friends in Tokyo

But, I digress. My last update was regarding March and here we sit in June. Since that last update we've celebrated our birthday month (April), started Chinese lessons with a private tutor, been to Tokyo, and had a friend from London visit. I also wrote a short story and submitted it to two competitions and started a language exchange with a friend while Mike applied for an artist's residency program housed in Kaohsiung's Pier-2 Art Center. I find out in August how my short story fared and Mike should find out shortly as to how his application fared.

We were looking forward to a couple more international trips in the coming months but while buying tickets for a trip in November I was rejected because my passport expires in January 2016. Apparently, one needs at least 6 months validity on their passport in order to purchase international flights. So, instead of visiting new countries, we'll be waiting for a new passport for me (4-8 weeks). Definitely not as cool.

Surrounded by locals at a bar in Tokyo

Since I'm without a passport for the next few weeks, we hope to focus our travel time on Taiwan, which we have neglected since our arrival last year. Our deterrent has been that, much like the UK, intra-island travel is often more expensive than traveling abroad. But, with no other choice available, this might be the impetus we needed to stay on the island, but get out of Kaohsiung.

With June nearly half over, and my first year as a lady of leisure coming to an end, I'm in the process of assessing the status of my goals and, sadly, my Chinese skills are not where I had hoped they would be at this point. Though I'm able to maintain a simple conversation and read simple sentences, my writing skills are definitely lacking. Moving forward I'll be focusing more on those but, otherwise, I'll just continue as I have and hope I reach the tipping point soon, when learning becomes easier.

Shrimping with visiting friends in Kaohsiung

My writing goals have mostly been achieved, though I'm disappointed that the act of writing doesn't come easier for me. It's an absolute effort to write every day and often times I don't. Because I am inherently lazy. But, despite my laziness, I have completed a novel-length manuscript, which I'm currently editing, and a short story, as previously mentioned. I haven't been published yet but I have an article I'm kicking around in my head and I hope to get that to someone before the end of July for possible publication, meeting my goal. I've also been paid during the year, though not for my writing.

Looking forward, I'm not sure how much longer I'll be a lady of leisure. I'm beginning to miss working, especially for a cause, and Mike is beginning to loathe teaching. Both of these developments portend a shorter stay in Taiwan than originally anticipated. We're withholding any final decisions until later this year but, assuming an end is nigh, I hope to use my remaining months as a lady of leisure to finish my writing projects, accomplish my goals, and lounge by a pool, preferably with a drink in my hand at all times. 乾杯 (gan1bei1 / cheers) to that!

March

Compared to our February, which, besides a trip to Vietnam, was fairly uneventful, our March was rather busy. In addition to traveling to Macau for a long weekend we had a fairly full social calendar here at home.

BBQ'ing like a local

First we went north to Cingpu (青埔) MRT station, an area of Kaohsiung we've never visited, to experience BBQ'ing like a local. The custom here is to rent an area at a private park (I don't believe public parks have BBQ'ing facilities) where you can also purchase food sets, allowing you to arrive with nothing more than yourself and some beverages. The BBQ is built into the table, Korean BBQ style, rather than a stand alone unit. Our area had three picnic tables with this setup.

This BBQ was our first event with Conversation Kaohsiung, a Meetup group populated mostly by locals, most of whom have lived abroad and most of whom also speak English. We had been trepidatious at first, expecting only to be there for a couple of hours, just to try it out, but when the party was wrapping up we realized more than five hours had passed. Time had just flown by.

Enjoying ourselves so much, we joined that same group the following weekend for a trip to the Kaohsiung Fine Arts museum to see the recently opened Kusama Yayoi exhibition. Though Mike's brother lives near this museum, and we've been to the surrounding park many times, we've never actually ventured inside the museum. We didn't even know that it was free (though special exhibitions have an entry fee).

The exhibition was enjoyable, though incredibly crowded at times. The museum itself is fairly large and the other exhibitions, which we quickly explored before returning to our group, appeared very interesting and are worth another trip. We look forward to returning, adding this free diversion to our list of things to do when bored.

March was definitely our month for culture because, in addition to the above, we ended the month with a play at the Pier-2 Art Center. We saw "It's Dark Outside" which was absolutely magical. Imported from Australia for the Kaohsiung Spring Festival the play had no dialogue, relying instead on a combination of live-action, animation, music, and puppetry to tell the story of an elderly man with Alzheimer's. Not relying on language as communication, it was perfect for a multicultural audience. Additionally, the unique storytelling was viscerally affecting. It was a beautiful interpretation of a tragic disease and an excellent way to spend an evening.

Mike's new bike

In addition to the above events, we also bought a secondhand bike for Mike to use for his commutes. It was super cheap at only about US $24 and has reduced Mike's commute time by 80%. An excellent investment!

In other news, the weather is beginning to turn again and we've already had to turn the A/C on a few nights this month. Hot water is no longer needed for showers as the cold water is lukewarm since the outdoor tank is heated naturally by the blistering ambient temperature. Luckily, the weather appears to be turning slowly, one day hitting 32 another day only reaching 26, allowing us to savor these last few days of comfortable temperatures.

After experiencing a winter here, we were hoping to have acclimated by now but that doesn't appear to be the case. Consequently, when our lease expires at the end of July, we're hoping to move to a flat with less stairs (we're on the 6th floor of a walkup), better A/C (right now only our bedroom is air-conditioned), and a pool. (As a lady of leisure, I demand a pool.) All things that should help us cope with the heat and continue enjoying our time here without constantly commenting on the weather. Because weather commentary is boring. And we refuse to be boring.

Happy New Year (Again)!

Beach at Cijin Island

January found us exploring our city a bit more, finally taking the ferry over to Cijin Island, a popular day trip destination, where we discovered a lovely beach and lively market area. We also spent some time around the downtown area where Kaohsiung's tallest building (85 Sky Tower) is located and also where the fancy new library is.

Fengshan Canal Path

We explored our immediate neighborhood a bit too, meandering along a lovely canal path which took us to the Fengshan train station and an MRT station as well as an historic fort.

Our January was both a great way to begin the new year as well as a great way to end it. As this area of the world begins preparing for the solar new year (Feb 19), it feels a bit like we get a do-over on our new year's resolutions. Good thing too, since we've already failed at most of them.

For our first legit Chinese New Year, rather than ensconcing ourselves in it here in Taiwan, we're going to be celebrating Tết in Vietnam. When we get back, hopefully we'll be attacking the Year of the Goat with a renewed vigor.

Additionally, my third #100days as a Lady of Leisure begins tomorrow, placing me well beyond the halfway point of my first year on sabbatical. During these next #100days I hope to continue pursuing my original goals for this period - Mandarin, Writing, Being Published, Being Paid - but, I also hope to re-attempt previously failed and discarded goals, like running. This past August I had hoped to make running a habit. Presently, not only is it not a habit but all attempts at fitness, including yoga, have been abandoned. I'd like to remedy this.

New Year's Day bike ride

Finally, I'd just like to say that Taiwan is amazing. We are constantly awed by the kindness of the locals and the culture, which is warm, friendly, and inviting. And, though Kaohsiung itself is a lovely city, it's when we venture outwith that we're reminded of how beautiful this country is. We hope to begin regular explorations soon, with our sights set on Tainan and Xiao LiuQiu for our first couple trips.

Happy New Year everyone! 新年快樂！

Second #100days

Kaohsiung City

I can't believe it's already been 100 days. On one hand, it feels like we just got here. On the other hand, it feels like it's been forever since we were in New York City. I can't even believe that was just earlier this year. Craziness!

We finally got up to Monkey Mountain this month, for a nice hike and to see our new city. Happily, the monkeys weren't as scary as last time but we weren't carrying anything to entice them this time either. Because we learn from past mistakes.

Of course, it did take Mike's school organizing a day out to entice us across town for an 8am start time, necessary to avoid the heat. We had to get up at 5am to catch an early bus. Fortunately, it was well worth it. Of course, we promptly took a 3 hour nap upon returning home that afternoon. Because that's how we roll.

Monkey Mountain namesake

We also finally got out to Fengshan Night Market, our closest one. It was really fun and super cheap. Among other amazing deals were eight oysters for $100NT and pancake sandwiches, filled with red bean or something similar to creamed corn (but I'm pretty sure wasn't), for $5NT each. Plus, being located on a lovely canal, it was very scenic.

Fengshan Night Market

We also finally made it out to Lotus Pond. It's even lovelier than we remembered and we're so happy that we happened to time our visit for sunset. The place is gorgeous at any time of day but sunset was particularly magical.

In other news, yoga here is really expensive. Actually, most things ex-pat are really expensive. So, I asked Mike to ask his Chinese co-teacher where she goes for yoga, since locals wouldn't pay these inflated ex-pat prices. Turns out her studio is right next to my house and is less than half what the whiteys are paying. Who cares if the entire class is given in Chinese? I usually have to follow the teacher anyway, since I'm not sure what Warrior 2, etc. is without a little visual assistance. Also, I'm learning a lot of new Chinese words and phrases. For instance, my teacher usually says 'fu bu' while signaling for me to use my stomach muscles. "Fu bu! Fu bu!" I think it means "suck in your belly!" I love yoga here!

Lotus Pond

As to my goals, my book is now over 26,000 words and I have just enrolled in National Novel Writing Month, a motivational competition to get you to write at least 1600 words per day, or 50,000 words total, in November. If I complete this challenge, my 75-100K word book will be complete and I can use the month of December for editing before submitting by the end of year deadline. Right now, that's my main goal for my second #100days. And to continue my 中文 studies.

I'm really enjoying learning a new language in this immersive environment. I'm disappointed with how long it's taking me to pick up on certain things but, hopefully, by the end of my second #100days, I'm able to order easily from McDonald's and understand what the person at the grocery store checkout says to me. Little wins.

Soft Landing

National Theater, Taipei

When last I wrote, Mike & I were still in New York City, at the beginning of our last month as residents. Today I write from our new home in the Fengshan District of Kaohsiung in Taiwan. As of today I can happily report that this move has indeed been the best one yet. There have been a few hiccups along the way and we're still waiting on a few things before it's all over but, overall and as of now, it has gone rather smoothly and, in some instances, better than expected. Mike's cohort of teachers have all marveled at the 'soft landing' we've all had and I can't help but adopt that terminology because it is so apt. Soft landing. Indeed.

Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall, Taipei

As you may or may not know, with this move abroad I have begun a new career as a lady of leisure. And, while that sounds rather luxurious, please let me dispel those false ideas. While it's true my day begins when I leisurely wake up in the morning (rather than with an alarm clock) and consists mainly of busying myself with reading or writing or shopping, please note that I am indeed very busy. Yesterday, for instance, I had a very full day of exercise and laundry. See. Very busy.

Honestly though, I do hope to accomplish a few things during this year off of mine. I do have goals.

1. I would like to speak, read, and write Mandarin (at least conversationally).
2. I would like to write something, from start to finish (I'm leaning towards a short story).
3. I would like to be published (probably just an article or op-ed).
4. I would like to be paid (hopefully for something I've written but I'm keeping my options open).

Additionally, I've divided this year into #100days segments. During my first #100days I'm focusing on making running a habit. Since July 18 I have already amassed 22.29 miles and, surprisingly, I already look forward to running every day. Today, for example, is another lovely rain and thunderstorm (these are happening often) which is preventing me from my morning run and throwing my day off completely. I probably won't run today due to this weather which means I'll be very anxious to run tomorrow. Who knew that would be possible?

Ex. 1: evidence of heat and humidity

Speaking of weather, Taiwan is currently enjoying its typhoon season. While in Taipei last month we witnessed a 'typhoon day' which is equivalent in our experience to a 'snow day'; businesses were closed, people stayed home, streets were deserted. It was pretty cool, the novelty part (not the perceived danger part). Today, I believe, we are experiencing remnants of a passing tropical storm, which poses no danger but does provide lovely rain and thunder to ease the stifling heat and humidity. FYI, it is HOT here in Taiwan. If ever I have complained about heat in the past, please know that I have never experienced this level of heat before and all past experience which yielded said complaints pale in comparison. In other words, please transpose all former complaints of heat and humidity to my current situation and replace in former scenarios with adjectives such as lovely and enjoyable. Except for El Salvador. That experience would probably be on par with Taiwan. And Manila. Sweet Jesus it was hot there.

Teacher Mike

I'm also happy to report that Mike is enjoying his new job as English teacher. He officially started yesterday with his very own class of kindergarteners. He's going to start picking up a few other classes, with older students, throughout this month but he'll be teaching kindergarten every morning Monday through Friday. He was concerned, and is still a bit concerned about the other classes, but if you know Mike you know he will excel, as he does. Excel and thrive. Because he's awesome.

Birthday Month

my birthday balloons

Even though both Mike & I celebrate our birthdays in April, the entire month used to be just for me. Mike would get his day but I would have the whole month for my celebrations. In recent years, for some reason, I've become much more generous and have begun ceding more and more of my month to Mike for his celebrations. This year I gave him the whole latter half. You're welcome, Mike. And happy birthday.

Even with only half of the month dedicated to me, I still had a great time! Celebrity sightings, dinners out, a boozy brunch, the zoo, bowling, a cruise; it was a near constant celebration.

Cruising NYC

Mike's half was fairly celebratory as well, though we both got sick this week and have kind of sputtered to a rather unimpressive end. Still, I bet if you ask him he'll tell you he had a pretty great time.

Now that birthday month is over, and we're fully ensconced in May, we are officially less than a month away from our big move. We've given our landlord notice and I've given my employer notice, we've bought all our tickets, made arrangements with family and friends, and are now getting ready to start purging our possessions. Soon we'll be on our way and this whole experience will be in the past tense.

Happy at the zoo

Before we go, however, there are a few things we'd still like to do while based in New York. Because we've lived the last year with this mindset however, our list of items still unaccomplished is fairly short. Still, we've kept our May rather empty to allow for last minute additions and adventures. The list so far:

1. Run around the reservoir in Central Park.
2. Day trip to Montauk. (Where Revenge takes place and, also, just to see the Hamptons.)
3. Ride the Cyclone at Coney Island.

If we're able to accomplish these before we leave then this will continue to be the best move experience we've had since we originally moved to Seattle in 1999. After recent move experiences, that's not a bad position to be in at all.

Brutal Cold, Old Friends, Travel, and Taiwan

Viejo San Juan, PR

We've been very busy over the last few weeks. Looking back, I can't believe everything we've done since my last post. But, even with this buzz of activity, this winter is just not progressing at all. Honestly, we had thought the brutal cold would be balanced out by the presence of the sun, since the darkness is what bothered us most about Seattle's winters, but we were wrong. Brutal cold is just as bad as darkness and New York's polar vortex is tied with Seattle's dark and dreary winters for most unbearable in our book.

Freedom Trail, Boston

Happily, we were able to escape from New York a couple of times over the last few weeks, to help take our minds off of our misery. Over Presidents' Day weekend we took the bus up to Boston, where it was indeed somewhat colder but, for some reason, so much more bearable. We now have a crush on Boston and continue to love all things Massachusetts.

More recently, however, we got to spend a whole, blissful week in Puerto Rico. Thanks to my friend at Valise Magazine, who clued me in to a glitch on the Delta site (which had a very short window), we were able to score two first-class tickets for only $85/pp.

Playa Azul, Luquillo, PR

This was our first proper holiday since Playa del Carmen in 2008 and it was sorely needed. Plus, not only was it a sun and sand vacation, which by itself would've been sufficient to lift our spirits, but we got to hang with old friends from Utah, which honestly made our holiday exponentially better. These old friends, family really, gave us excellent insights and were very generous with their time. We've been home now for just over a week and I'm still emitting a vacation bliss glow. (Though before looking at the calendar, I thought it'd been at least two weeks since we returned. God damn you, slow moving winter.)

Lunch with Kraig

Other activities which have helped take our mind off of this brutal winter included two visits from Seattle friends. We had one friend in town for the Super Bowl and one in town for business. Both are close friends who we've missed dearly and it was great to spend a couple hours with each of them.

Probably the biggest thing to happen over these last few weeks is that Mike scored himself a job teaching English for Hess in Taiwan. He's signed a one-year contract and we've already booked our tickets. We'll be leaving NYC on May 31, travelling to other parts of the US, El Salvador, and the Philippines, before arriving in Taipei in early July.

Drinks with Jason

This move to Taiwan is shaping up to be our best move yet. Not only do we have savings enough to allow for some much needed travel before Mike begins an intense year of teaching and to help get us on our feet upon arrival, but the fact that Mike will have an income immediately is immensely helpful and eliminates so much stress from the whole process. Additionally, Mike's new employer will also be helping a bit with the relocation details, including visas and apartment searches. Seriously, best move ever.

Though this winter has been moving at a snail's pace, we can definitely see the light at the end of the tunnel and know that spring will be here faster than we think and, shortly thereafter, our new adventure will commence. New York has been a bitch but she's soon to be in our rearview mirror and the way our next relocation is currently shaping up makes me think we might be doing something right this time.

New York State of Mind

As Mike begins applying for jobs abroad and we begin planning our escape from New York I can't help but reminisce about our move to New York and the plans we had for this place. We've been here over a year now and, in our current state of disenchantment, it's hard to recall our excitement at the prospect of calling this city home but, even with the sadness we had about leaving London, we were genuinely excited about moving to New York City.

I remember being so excited about our move here that I would force my officemates to listen to optimistic New York tunes on our shared Spotify playlist ad nauseam. After one too many Alicia Keys' "Empire State of Mind" plays my buddy introduced me to LCD Soundsystem's "New York, I Love You But You're Bringing Me Down" to balance out the vibe. Perhaps I should have adopted his perspective then because, while I still enjoy the occasional "New York, New York," I'm finding my current empire state of mind is more LCD Soundsystem than Alicia Keys; more Ray LaMontagne's "New York City's Killing Me" than Frank Sinatra.

We had grand plans for this move, believing New York was going to be our permanent home. We were going to be so happy here. We were going to put down roots, become members at a few of the museums, volunteer at a few others, make amazing friends. Mike was going to be an artist. I was going to work at the Clinton Foundation or United Nations. After a few years, maybe Mike would open up his own gallery.

Perhaps, amidst all our hopes and dreams, we briefly considered that New York City might not work out but we never fathomed that our perception of New York City could be so wrong. I guess, "if you can make it here, you can make it anywhere" is actually less optimistic than we had perceived. Damn you and your catchy tunes, Frank Sinatra. Damn you.

Happy New Year! (or, F U 2013)

2013 was a rough year for us. Although no one died and we've still got our health, we did encounter a few too many challenges for our comfort. Without question, part of the problem, like when we moved to Dundee, were our high expectations. We thought we knew what we were getting into (e.g. moving to a city we'd been to before, back in the USA) and would be safe expecting a certain level of comfort and familiarity. We were wrong.

Happily (you have no idea), we not only survived the trials of 2013 but prospered, even enjoying a good portion of it - admittedly, most of which was during the latter half - and are ending it in a much better position than when it began. As a consequence of our rough beginning though, we find ourselves a bit less confident of our decision making skills but a bit more self-assured of our resilience.

As we begin to map out our ideal 2014, we're hoping to apply the lessons we've learned over these past years to the obstacles and challenges which will inevitably befall us. Especially with a big move planned for July, we must remember these lessons so as to avoid landing in the same difficult spot yet again (fool me once, shame on you...). With that in mind, in addition to the traditional health and happiness that we always hope for ourselves, we're adding the secular sentiments within the Serenity Prayer to our annual refrain.

...serenity to accept the things I cannot change;
Courage to change the things I can;
and wisdom to know the difference

In particular, the serenity and wisdom would be nice traits to acquire. And, though you might think we have courage in abundance, this year really beat it down and we now find ourselves lacking it in certain situations. Hopefully it regenerates because we'll need every bit of it if we have to make some hard choices this year (e.g. where to live).

Due to our rough year, we haven't had the opportunity to see many family or friends this year, though we're closer to most than we've been in a long while. Hopefully 2014 will bring more opportunities to see those we love. In the interim, we hope your 2013 was a good one and we wish you a happy and healthy (and serene, courageous and wise) 2014.

Happy Holidays!

Snow on the morning commute

As we begin our 2013 Christmas celebrations here in New York City, I can't help but be reminded of our recent Christmases. Last year we celebrated in London; 2011 we were in Rome; 2010 we were in Paris; and, in 2009, when this trend of travelling over the holidays began, we celebrated with family in Kaohsiung. This year, similar to last year, we find ourselves staying in the city where we live, which isn't a bad thing but not as exciting as previous years.

Although not necessarily our first choice, New York City has been really great during this time of year. First of all, the city is deserted, making normal tasks a bit more pleasant. Like today, for instance, I was almost the only person on the bus during my morning commute.

Secondly, the weather has been all over the place, hitting all the extremes, providing a bit of excitement on a day to day basis. Although today it appears to be back to normal, hovering in the 30s (F), this past week was more like a Roman holiday, even hitting 70 degrees over the weekend. Two weeks ago we were way below zero and had a pretty heavy snow storm, which we didn't really get to take advantage of because we were both sick.

Christmas trees are being sold in pop-up shops on almost every corner, providing a pleasant pine scent and special festive note, allowing us to feel festive even without decorations of our own. And, surprisingly, if we avoid certain areas of the city (between Park and 6th Avenues in the 50s), we're not even overwhelmed by the worst part of the season, consumers and holiday tourists.

As we prepare to begin our Christmas celebrations by brewing vin chaud and wandering the country's number one neighborhood for holiday lights, we wanted to take a moment to wish everyone a very merry Christmas and a happy holiday season. Although we probably won't be celebrating Christmas in the traditional New York way - with a movie and Chinese food - we do plan on wandering the city, taking pictures at the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree, meandering through Central Park, viewing the window displays at Saks Fifth Avenue and Barney's, and otherwise just absorbing our surroundings. Even if this isn't our last Christmas in New York, it's definitely our first and we're looking forward to making it a memorable one. We hope you have a memorable and joyous holiday season too.

Waning Days of Summer

Yankee Stadium

I remember Labor Day being only a symbolic end to summer, as schools tend to start just after (or just before) and as all calendars are beholden to those of the schools'.  Apparently though, in New York City, and perhaps the whole of the Northeast, Labor Day has proven to be the actual end of summer.  Seriously. Almost to the day our weather started to change and everyone suddenly started sporting scarves, sweaters and jackets.  I didn't lose faith though. I knew summer would return.  It couldn't be over just like that, without a long and drawn out farewell. Right?  Well, I am happy to report, as I write this in the first days of October while we're basking in 80 degree days, my faith was not misplaced.  Summer has returned.

One of the highlights of our September was getting to go to our first Yankees game (vs. White Sox). Mike got some free tickets so we grabbed a couple of friends and proceeded to have a riotous good time watching the Yankees clinch it in the 9th. What a great night!

Fête Paradiso

Another highlight was finally getting a chance to hit Fête Paradiso on Governors Island.  We've been meaning to get out there since it opened earlier this summer but I'm glad we waited until one of its last weekends.  We wound up going on a lovely day and, most importantly, missing the crowds.  We were able to ride a few rides, play (and win) a few games, and enjoy some good music.  It was an event not to be missed and entirely worth the trip out.

Some other highlights included getting to see two of Mike's cousins, in town for a short visit, and venturing over to Jersey for the first time since we moved here in January.  Who knew Hoboken was so freaking cute?  On a separate trip, we ventured farther inland, surviving a night out in Newark.  It's so easy to get to Jersey, only a PATH ride away and only $2.50 each way, I'm not sure why it took us so long.

Kayaking on the Hudson

September finally saw us out on the water too, kayaking the Hudson for free thanks to the Downtown Boathouse.  We also ventured to north Manhattan for New York City's only renaissance festival, which was a freaking blast!  And, to round out our lovely month of awesome, I won a kickass camping chair from REI, bringing our total furniture count up to 5 pieces.

Although we can't prolong the inevitable coming of fall, we're not letting its slow arrival deter us from enjoying these waning days of summer.  Knowing the weather's about to turn gives us extra incentive to make the most out of these days.

June

Our first mini-break (with a friend)

We've had a very eventful June.  Mike got a job and then quit the job (the same job), we started volunteer teaching our Adult ESL classes for Columbia University's Community Impact, we went on our first mini-break, we were almost killed during Tropical Storm Andrea, we moved to East Harlem and we celebrated 14 years of wedded togetherness. See. Very eventful.

We didn't do much to celebrate our wedding anniversary.  We don't really celebrate it.  We do celebrate the day we met, which happens on July 3rd, though.  The day we wed is arbitrary but the day we met, that was destiny.  Still, we did enjoy a lovely Vietnamese meal of Bun Xuong Nuong to mark the occasion.

Friday at Governors Ball

Tropical Storm Andrea kicked our asses.  We didn't hear any music at the Governors Ball Music Festival on Randall's Island due to the pounding rain and gale force winds but we still had a good time volunteering at the Doing Art Together booth and we'd probably do it again.  Maybe.

After the hardest apartment search ever, we finally found a place to call home.  It's a railroad apartment in East Harlem, "El Barrio", at 1st & 106th, on the 4th floor of a walk-up.  We've now spent just over a week there and our first impressions are that it's much more "neighborhoody" than our old place (sidewalk BBQs, evening conversations lingering outside open shops) with a ton less tourists.  It's also an easier commute to my job at East 43rd and much closer to Central Park (where I've always wanted to go running).

Our new apartment

We went on an evening passeggiata in our new neighborhood the other night but were diverted by our first "salvaging" opportunity.  We wound up grabbing a lovely desk and two chairs off the sidewalk, all solid wood and quality pieces.  Now we have four pieces of furniture to help our new place feel like home (we bought an air mattress earlier).  Hot tip: the end of the month (aka moving day) is a great time for salvaging.

The first half of 2013 has proven to be much more challenging than we had ever anticipated.  But, now that we have a permanent place to call home, maybe other things will begin to fall in to place as well?  Wouldn't that be nice?

Awesome April

Three whole months after arriving, could it be that our lives in New York City can finally begin?  After failing twice to secure a real job at the Ford Foundation, I was fortunate at least to have made a positive impression during my attempts and was offered a long-term temp assignment within the Democratic Participation unit.  Monday was my first day and it already feels like home.

In addition to having my dream job, my commute is quintessential New York.  I get to ride the 4 or 5 express from Union Square to Grand Central where I exit the subway station through the Chrysler Building.  Seriously.  How cool is that?

Mike also received some good news of his own this past week.  After a pretty rough job search he finally scored with what could possibly be his dream job.  These are early days and he's still within the trial period but to even get the opportunity to audition, especially after these last few demoralizing months, is just amazing for him.

Now, before we can truly begin to celebrate our new life in NYC, there is the small matter of finding a new place to live.  The lease on our furnished basement studio on West 15th is ending in June.  We would love (LOVE!) a one bedroom in the East Village or Lower East Side but we don't know how feasible that is.  Apparently, getting an apartment in New York is a competitive enterprise and we're not really prepared to compete.  We've got bad credit, no savings, poor employment history, and equally dubious address history.  Yeah, we're screwed.  So, until we can beef up our game, we may have to settle for something less desirable and who knows where that will be?  Otherwise, our rebuilding year is looking pretty close to officially beginning and we're getting pretty excited about our future again.

One observation to note, since returning from abroad we've both recognized that we now consider ourselves adults (though we technically became adults nearly two decades ago).  During our time abroad we somehow managed to shed our adolescent need to eschew convention.  These last three months have especially made our new adult statuses apparent and we now find ourselves ready to wear blazers, work late hours and toe lines.  Although we still have fires in our bellies (and reserve the right to rebel against the establishment), we're much more welcoming of, and grateful for, the opportunities we have and we're not going to discard them quite as thoughtlessly as we once did.  Perhaps that's one of the lessons one is supposed to imbibe from the college experience?

We're NYC Residents! What?!

Central Park

We made it!  We're back in the States and we're loving every minute of it!

Our journey started on 2 January, around 6:40am.  We took all our worldly belongings to St Pancras train station for the Eurostar to Brussels where we would be spending our last night in Europe.

Our last visit to Brussels, back in June, did not leave us with a favorable impression.  We actually hated it.  But, third time's the charm and, after spending another day and night there, we now have a much more favorable opinion.  However, our recommendation would be to not spend more than a day there.

Our new home

Early on the 3rd we made our way to Brussels Midi station for our train to Dusseldorf Airport where we would be catching our Air Berlin flight to JFK.  Our flight was pleasant enough and we arrived in our new city around 4:45pm.  We took a taxi into midtown Manhattan, seamlessly checked into our apartment, and were home by 7pm.

Our studio apartment is located in the basement of a brownstone in the Meatpacking District / Chelsea neighborhood of Manhattan.  Our neighborhood park is The High Line, definitely one of our favorites.  We love our new neighborhood.

My lunch spot

We had the weekend to wander as tourists before hitting the job hunt on Monday morning.  True to form, I had a job by Wednesday.  My office is in Rockefeller Center.  I walk past the Today show filming on the street every morning.  My lunch spot is the sunny bench overlooking the ice rink.  I'm loving NYC!

Happy New Year!

NYE 2011

Last year at this time we were watching the last sunset of 2011 over the Mediterranean in Rome.  This year we'll be bidding 2012 adieu from a friend's abode in London.  Though we're thankful for many things from this past year our new friends may be our most cherished.  After two rather solitary years in Dundee, we are both now very aware of just how valuable friends are and we're grateful to have made such good ones in our short time here in London.

Best holiday ever.

Overall, though 2012 was a bitch at times, it has been a good year.  With all the challenges and obstacles and shit 2012 threw at us, it also gave us some of the best days of our lives.

We didn't get to travel as much as in 2011 but we still got a good deal of sightseeing in.  As stated, we started 2012 in Rome but also got to visit Brussels, Warsaw, and Budapest, in addition to further explorations of both Scotland and England.

The highlight of our year, without a doubt, was our summer trip to Baltimore to see our friends get married.  Surrounded by love and great friends in a gorgeous setting for an entire weekend?  Absolute heaven.  We also had the pleasure of T-Bird's company in Amsterdam for almost a full week (which makes Amsterdam our favourite European trip) and a surprise visit from Paul here in London for a few days.

Other highlights from this year include Mike graduating with his BA Fine Arts and our move to London, finally ending the torture that was Dundee.  Yes, some shit happened in 2012 but a whole lot of good stuff happened too and no one died.  Thus, 2012 was a good year.

We're starting 2013 off with a life change.  We move to New York City on 3 Jan where we hope to settle for the next few years.  After 2.5 years of transient living, we're really looking forward to some permanence and stability.  Hopefully we'll find that in NYC.

We hope your 2012 was a good year and we wish you all a happy and healthy 2013.  Cheers!

Merry Christmas Everyone!

Merry Christmas
(I'm a tree, Mike's a cracker)

This year, for the first time since 2008, Mike & I are spending Christmas at home.  Honestly, I'd much prefer our original plan for this Christmas, which was a month long trip from Budapest to Berlin via Vienna and Prague, but that plan was scrapped soon after learning our visas were being revoked back in May.

It is no secret Mike & I like to travel during Christmas.  But, since we're moving back across the pond next week (already?!), we decided to save the money and spend Christmas in London, which is still a holiday of sorts but more like just spending it at home.  We'll still get to look back at this Christmas as the Christmas we spent in London though, which is still pretty cool.

London, however, is perhaps the worst place to celebrate Christmas that I've ever been in my life.  Seriously.  Even Christmas in Taiwan, where they don't really celebrate it, was more Christmasy than London.  Perhaps because the little bits of Christmas we encountered in Taiwan (e.g. bartenders wearing Santa hats) were unexpected, thus making them awesome.  Here, the UK forces Christmas on you, dictating how you should spend it.  All public transportation shuts down because you're supposed to be with family.  But, what if you don't have family, you ask?  People don't ask questions like that here.  What if you have to work, you ask?  No one has to work (yes, they do).  Apparently, the UK, during Christmas, becomes a one-size fits all place and everyone here doesn't need to get anywhere on Christmas, everyone has family, and everyone wants house guests from Christmas Eve through Boxing Day.

A common justification for this Christmas behaviour is that the UK is a Christian country (Queen Elizabeth is also head of the Church of England).  But, we've been to both Paris and Rome during Christmas and were able to buy things and get around just fine (and you really can't get more Christian than Rome).  If this Christmas behaviour has anything to do with religion, it's not due to Christianity because not all Christians are giant assholes.  The Catholics in France and Italy are normal.  It's the Anglicans who are the dicks.

Fortunately, both Mike & I are sick and the weather sucks so we're not terribly irritated that we're not able to do anything today.  However, if we had travelled to the UK for Christmas we'd be super irate.  As it is, we're tucked in on the futon with our mulled wine watching Christmas movies (Elf, It's a Wonderful Life, Bad Santa, A Charlie Brown Christmas).  Mike's making a delicious (and special) meal of roast chicken, gravy, and mashed potatoes and, because there are no pumpkin pies here, we've got apple with brandy cream.

We wish everyone a merry Christmas and we hope you're getting to spend it as you enjoy (rather than as 'The Man' dictates).

Updates and Exhibitions

Mike's first London exhibition begins on Thursday.  Espacio Gallery is a lovely gallery on Bethnal Green Road owned by a cooperative of 100 artists.  The show will be much smaller than that though, only showcasing a few artists.  Mike will have three pieces on display.  We're pretty excited.

The dude who hit me in the head with a bottle was arrested last week.  He goes to court today to enter his plea.  I know this because the British Transport Police have been calling me regularly with updates.  What I don't know, because I haven't thought to ask, is what he's being charged with.  I'll ask that next time I talk with them, which should be next week.

We finalised our New York City flat.  We'll be staying in a studio located in the basement of a brownstone in the Meatpacking District on West 15th Street.  You have no idea how unbelievably awesome we think that is.  We had been resigned to a lovely place in Harlem but we would've preferred a shit hole in lower Manhattan.  Luckily, a shit hole we did find.  We'll be sacrificing comfort for location, at least for our first three months.  After that, if we haven't found jobs yet, we'll probably be homeless in Bushwick.  Ah, sweet adventure.