lately

it's recently become one of my favourite trends to have a full weekend, filled up with different activities. this usually entails heading out on friday nights for some after work drinks to shake off the shackles of the work week. it also usually involves not eating dinner which means getting nice and tipsy before stumbling home at a sensible time. saturday morning is my favourite moment of the week when i wake up around 8:00 a.m. and know that i have the whole day ahead of me to do whatever i want. i start off having a skyping with my parents, doing some housework, going for a run and then grabbing some starbucks all before noon. the rest of the day is spent having a nice lunch, maybe some photos, maybe some shopping and most definitely a nap. saturday nights as of late have been fairly low key....dinner with friends has been a major theme, or maybe chilling at home with beebs. this routine on sunday isn't all that different, but usually just hanging around the house and enjoying some hobbies.
this trend is a far cry from how i used to spent my weekends in taipei. after spending most of the evening in some smoky club and getting home around dawn, i might see the sun again around 3 or 4 in the afternoon. i would just start feeling well enough around 8, just in time to be able to do it all over again. this in turn would mess up my sleep patterns for the rest of the week and felt tired because work was 'getting in the way.' finally, i would be beyond thrilled that the weekend was here just so i could have a repeat of the same weekend again.
while i sometimes get nostalgic for those fun times, because they were fun, i'm well-pleased with the direction my weekends have been taking. they are just a lot more fulfilling this way and i get to do all the stuff i think about doing during the week. i feel more rested, sharper and more productive. i have even got my creative juices flowing once again and have some great ideas for some positive social outings. among my ideas was starting a cooking collective with some friends. one person acts as a host, chooses a theme and then delegates which dishes the other members should bring. we're going to meet about every 3 weeks or so to keep the pressure of a weekly event off. elisha and i hosted first meeting which was a greek theme and it went very well. have the date for the next one set and really looking forward to it. another one of my ideas was actually prompted by a friend who has recently gotten into photography. i've been a bit slack with photos over the last 6 months or so and have decided that it's time to get back on the horse. i realize that it's really just because i don't really have the technical expertise. so, i've decided to invite a few people and form a photography group. we're going to hold loosely-based meetings, choose an abstract theme or basis for the pictures, then go off together and shoot. want to try and keep the group small but hopefully we can get together and really start to learn.
aside from developing some new skills, i've also decided that it's time to develop some professional relationships. so, in the new year i am going to try and launch a group for professional networking here in taipei...the idea is going to be that people can meet, develop some business relationships, or speak with colleagues and contemporaries to grow and develop new skills. might start with a blog or a facebook page featuring a members directory, member/business/service of the month and also host in-person events like a mixer monthly or bi-monthly. i really feel like it would be a great way to meet some different people and also help to get my business off the ground.
so, that's what i've been up to lately and it feels great.

social networking

i think i may have a problem. i think i am addicted to social networking sites and i don't really care that i am. on average, i likely check facebook about 7-10 times per day...now, it's easier for me because i sit in front of a non-firewalled computer for 8 hours on a working day and use fb to take a break from tedious editing, or to vent about tedious co-workers. it's not that i really see this as a problem...modern gadgetry and the internet enable us, nay, encourage us to be plugged in at all times. while some seem to run away from tech, i embrace our new world order. my personal relationships don't suffer as a result of time spent on social networks, in fact they flourish. professionally, i don't have any difficulty meeting deadlines and accomplish more than any other colleague in the office. so what the what then?

i think the only area of social networking that i have the tiniest issue with is that every one of my 308 friends on fb, my 74 friends on myspace, and my 23 twitter followers (still growing) are aware of how much i use fb, twitter, etc.

i decided it was time to reevaluate my 'friends' list and purge those who i haven't spoken to in person, or really communicated with since first adding them to the list. i started to work through the list, trying to be diligent and cutthroat in my decisions. a former co-worker here, a high school friend there, an friend of a friend, someone who passed away and still has a fb account (a little creepy as its been updated recently) i was relentless, hacking and slashing through the list to clear the clutter from my pages. i compiled my list of 'removes' but just as i was about to start deleting them, i started to think about where i knew this person from and memories flashed in my mind. i moved to the next person, but the same happened again and again as i read through the list. if i cut them, this would be final. this would be the last time i contacted them, knew what they were up to, saw what they looked like, and a lot of other things that social networks allow us to do. in essence, i was saying goodbye. was i ready for such a bold move? i think i've reached a point in life that i will never know more people than i do now, sort of a relationship plateau. it's not that i won't meet more people, but you do start to lose people you know as you age (depressing as that is) i know i could always add them again, but how would i explain that?

yeah, sorry, i cut you out of my life but i've changed my mind. please add me again! cheers. ryan

in the end, i didn't have the heart to cut these people out...at some point and time, these people were part of my life. whether it be a reason, a season, or a lifetime i stand by the people i know and if they get to see what i'm up to 7-10 times per day, it's only because i'm actually interested in how and what they are doing as well. overall, the list is pretty selective as i've never been a friend collector (some of my friends have 4,000+ "friends" on their lists) i mean, if i didn't talk to you in high school or when we worked together, do you honestly think i would want to know what you are up to now?

someday i might be able to harden my heart and cut out the riff raff, but today is not that day. for now, i'm just going to enjoy social networking for what it is; a means to creep on everyone i know and shamelessly self-promote every part of my life in excruciating detail. ahhh...sharing is fun.

also known as

every couple out there has some pet name that they call each other. some of these pet names are the generic 'sweetie' or 'honey'. these are g-rated and often said in public, no matter the company. then, there are those pet names which are just between the couple. this can be specific to a person, or possibly a body part. the list of names are many and unique and couldn't possibly be listed here. however, i do have a few names to share with you.
when you've been together with someone as long as i've been with elisha, using the same petname over and over is a little tedious. mine have changed for elisha about as often as i can think of them...sometimes they stick, sometimes they are just a fad.
so here is a compendium of aliases for my beloved...

elisha weishar aka eliska veizer aka faloola aka leeshie loo aka leeloo aka kitten kaboo aka kitten aka papillon aka princess stinkington aka shitska malitska aka jiminy jillickers aka baby bird aka bitch bird aka bossy bird aka b-bird aka beebs aka creamy butters aka....

i'm drawing a blank but i know there have been many, many more. and this isn't a one-sided deal, either...she's come up with her share for me...here are a few i can think of off the top of my head...
hunners, sweeters, shitters (?) furry bear, and...and...that's all i can think of for now. ok, so i'm a little more imaginative with my pet names, but she has come up with some that suit pretty well. anyway, it's all in good fun tho i'm not that crazy about 'shitters'.

halloweeny

just a quick update that monster massive was awesome! had a great time, great music and spent it with some great people in great costumes. everything was...great. my only complaint was that it was over too soon. oh well, will definitely be going back next year for more fun and games.
not much else going on...going out for a quick birthday drink for a friend this evening and then spending the rest of the weekend laying low due to low funds and low energy. thought i was getting paid on monday, but turns out my math still sucks and i figured out the wrong day, so have to wait til wednesday now. not that payday is much of a joyous occassion this time 'round...there's the pesky international flight to pay for amongst a few other things such as local bills...once, just once, i would really like my money to actually be my money. it seems every time it looks as though i'll be getting ahead for the month, something comes up like a trip back to canada, or halloween, or birthdays and there just isn't enough cash to go around. i remember the days when i could go out and blow 10,000NT and not bat an eye but these days are becoming a hazy dream. i hate having the responsibles all the time, but i guess that's part of adulthood.
anyway, didn't want this to become a rant about money, so i'll sign off for now. longer post to follow on the weekend.

mending fences and building bridges

my last post i briefly touched on a situation between myself and a couple of friends which has been ongoing for some time. just to update, i finally had the 'talk' with these friends. again, i think it's only right that i don't go into great detail or name the friends, but the current situation really went back a lot further than i thought. about the time when i left taiwan. so, basically three years of shit had to brought kicking and screaming into the present in order to forge ahead into the future. it was a long conversation, full of tears and anger, but everything that needed to be said was said and i feel better for doing it. it also made me realize just how my decisions at the time really laid the foundation for friendship this time around...it's also made me realize that i may preach openness when it comes to communication, but i don't always practice it.
in the end, we all felt better for getting things off our chest and have decided that it's time to make a new start. reset. clean slate. friendship isn't always the dizzying highs and if there are problems, we need to communicate them to each other. it's going to time and effort, but the rewards in the end are nothing short of untold riches...and i feel damn good about that.
the party this weekend was great. i was a little worried about the guest list. i know the invitees, but there has always been a buffer friend between us so it always feels a little weird hanging out for the first time. honestly, the awkwardness evaporated in about ten seconds and it was just a good time. everyone kept commenting on how nice it was to hang out with some different people and what a good job leesh and i did in bringing together an excellent group. so, a huge success and now i have built or at least strengthened all these new relationships.
feels great to be sailing on the 'friend' ship once more.

fall update

another month has passed and once again, i've neglected my blog. i've simply run out of excuses when it comes to updating and the real truth is, there really isn't all that much to report. however, this tiny voice inside me is urging me to post and post i shall to silence the wee bastard. and away we go...
i have been laying low over the last month. it's been another month of saving cash, well maybe not saving, but not spending. whichever way you want to slice it, i haven't been out and it's actually felt pretty good. more energy, mental clarity and more drive to do things. it kind of came at a good time as well because there really hasn't been much going on...just the time of year when school is back in full swing and halloween parties are still a long way off.
having the last month off from the social scene has also given me some time to re evaluate the people who i spend time with. without going into too much detail, there are some issues surrounding a couple individuals that need to be dealt with, but then i thought that i need to stop wasting time and energy thinking about these people all the time. i accommodate waaaaaay too much and the results end up with me being cranky and drained emotionally. i always start with ways to change my behaviour, 'cos every problem has two sides to it. when it comes to friendship, i give one hundred percent but ask for that in return. is that too much to ask? i'm finding out that for some, it is too much. so, i'm turning over a new leaf and doing what i want to do from now on...invites will always be extended but come or don't....i don't need to beg.
enough about that...what else, what else...our long and treacherous love affair with honda canada is at an end. we officially no longer lease our car and it feels great. a whole year has gone by with making payments and insurance on a car that we neither need nor use. frees up a ton of money which can now be used to shore up the savings account. add that on top of my increased salary at my job and we be rolling in it.
speaking of work, i've now a month under my belt and feeling more settled and relaxed. the first two weeks were disorganized and me trying to find my bearings. then it got better and this week was great. i'm working on some really exciting projects and using my creativity at full volume...feels fantastic. it's a little hard to believe that i work for the same company because the departments are like night and day. the pace, the stress, the boss...she is a normal, human being with thoughts and dreams and just plain cool. it's so nice to work for someone that i understand and can respect.
up and coming is our long overdue housewarming party next saturday which promises to be a lot of fun. we're keeping it casual....just good company, good conversation and good times are the major themes of the night. as such, we're trying to put the finishing touches on the apartment....some art, fixtures, etc to get the place shipshape. halloween is also just around the bend and looks like we'll be attending monster massive which looks incredible....benny benassi is coming to town for it so it will be a deadly night of music. not too sure what i plan on being for halloween yet, but i am taking into consideration where i will be and what i will be getting up to. it needs to be simple, movable and no accessories this year. just a costume, some makeup and nothing more. skeleton is looking more and more appealing.
also purchased our flights home for christmas so very excited for that. only have about nine days at home, but it's cool...going to be nice to soak in all the holiday season spirit and see our families. the only crap part is that we will have to fly out on january first late in the evening in order to make it back in time for work. oh well, we might have a...ahem...delayed flight along the way? yeah. that'll do.
think that does it for now...will update again postparty.

back at it

my new job starts next week and i have to say that i am really looking forward to getting started. it's going to be nice to be doing something that i'm good at, get paid well to do it and flex some creative muscles again. it has been a long year teaching, which i honestly think i am not bad at, but it's really not for me. when i stop to consider the things i enjoy about teaching, it's actually the planning and finding new methods to teach so i guess my new job is going to be a perfect fit. one other positive thing that has come out of my retirement from teaching is that my previous employer wants to utilize my ideas so they've asked if i would be interested in doing a seminar/workshop in january. in essence, give some suggestions and share ideas with other teachers who were once my colleagues. it sounds like a very exciting opportunity and i am considering it heavily...could be the start of a side project or something...that's why i love taiwan...so many opportunities are out there.

speaking of opportunities i actually got one of my designs printed and out there. a couple of my friends are in a burlesque troupe here in taiwan and they were in need so i took a crack at it. came up with a simple, retro pinup girl which fit the bill. it wasn't anything too fancy but i was really happy with the way it came out. so, i didn't ask for payment this time but have gotten some recognition and hopefully it will start to snowball from here. i really enjoy the challenge and creative process so fingers crossed that it turns into more. i'm still considering getting some courses under my belt, not only for qualification purposes but also so i have a better understanding of creative mumbo jumbo. i keep saying that i will take these courses, but keep putting it off as there is always something else that needs to come first. c'est la vie.

as for putting things off, elisha and i decided that it's high time we start to make our house a 'home'. got the ball rolling yesterday by making a list of all the things we could add, improve upon, or repurpose in our place. most of the changes are cosmetic, displaying some photos and art as well as changing things around a bit. we've also decided to slip cover our peeling leather sofa and replace a couple pieces of furniture to give us more space. after making some decisions i mocked up how things might look with photoshop and i gotta say, the place is going to look suave. the idea is to get everything in place before we have our housewarming party which has been put off again and again. the main theme is to blow our friends minds when they walk in the door. dreams of grandeur? perhaps but sometimes dreams have to be lived. on the serious, it's going to be nice to have some peeps around to relax and make them green with envy over our totally rad apartment...lol.

not too much on the social scene this weekend...going to a friends' tonight for beer, pizza and garden while introducing a pair of potential roommates. i mentioned in my last post that a friend had recently returned to taiwan after a four year hiatus, well she is need of accommodation. she is currently schlepping it from somewhere in the mountains of xindian all the way to xinyi/dunhua and that is quite a hike. my other friends' place is a mere three blocks from her job and it just so happens that one of the ladies if heading out on a backpacking adventure for a few months so it's perfect timing. it's not permanent, but it will allow my recently arrived friend to find her feet, save some money and then find something. gotta love it when things like this happen and you can help out two quality people at the same time.

think that about does it...going to try and update more often once i'm back on a regular work sched...until next time.

staycation +

just wanted to update about what's been going on lately. been back to work now for a full week, but prior to that got to enjoy a two-week break from the grind. we decided this year to just stay put and take in the city...lounge in her parks, eat in her restaurants and explore the hidden corners and well-known favourites. so that's exactly what we did. slept in every morning, took in different areas of the city, napped, swam, went to the beach, and even went for a bike ride. all in all, it was a great two weeks off and nice to be one of those people i envy when taking the bus to work. you know those people, the kind you think to yourself how come they get to hang out in that cafe? well, i was that guy for two weeks. of course, it would have been fine to get away for a couple of weeks to some tropical locale, but honestly it was great to reconnect with taipei rather than racing through the day and regular routines.
now it's back to work and of course, feels like i never left. the good news is that my summer schedule is ending after this week which means a shift back to reality once more. i've really enjoyed the hours this summer but i also enjoy my usual schedule. just more results from students and more that i can do with them...overall, just being more effective.
in other news, we've had a friend both leave and another come back into our lives. kind of juicy news for the friend who left so i'll start there. this couple we have known here (foreigners) have been together for about 8 years and got engaged soon after we arrived. they ended up having a wedding ceremony and we meant to be heading home to the states to get married this week. turns out, the wedding is off and one of the couple has left taiwan for good to return to the states. it was shocking to hear at first, but after some consideration it wasn't too big of a surprise. even though i didn't know them all that well, there were certain telltale signs that things weren't really working out between them...what i mean to say is that they were growing apart and seemed to be leading very independant lives. anyway, that's even red hot gossip and i do feel pretty bad for the both of them. but time as they say, heals all wounds.
on a much better note, a good friend of ours has returned to taiwan once again. steph arrived on thursday night and we basically picked up right we were left off. hung out on friday night with some drinks in the park and caught up in the four years that we've been apart. we have her back for a year and it's nice to round out the social circle a little more.

things are looking up

summer has arrived! the day is longer, the weather much warmer and the whole city just seems to be soaking in the summer. along with the change in the weather has also come changes in schedule and lifestyle. i'm now working the summer camp which means getting up early 5 days a week, but also means that i finish up by 4:30. so, instead of seeing the sun in short bursts i now get a full two hours after work. feels great and of course, the upcoming money won't also be too bad.
i've also started to go to the gym this week. been blasting my delts, quads and all the rest in an effort to try and shed a few pounds. just completed day 3 and so far, so good. i have also combined this gym routine with some better dietary choices...the increase in energy is already starting to work, but this could just be a case of mind over matter. whatev, as long as it works, i'm down with it. working out has also given me reason to not think about the lack of money in july due to our recent move. really takes the edge off of worrying when you're literally sweating buckets instead of figuratively.
speaking of money, something quite interesting happened last night, or at least drew to a close. my story starts back about 3 months ago when i started receiving nasty correspondence and voicemails regarding an unpaid student loan. i finally decided to call and sort things out and was told i had to pay back $1200 dating from a loan taken out in 1996! it smelled fishy right from the start, especially since all my loans were supposed to be officially paid in full january 2008. i sort of let things slide over the last couple of months as i really didn't see the need to start paying back something which was already a decade past due. however, revenue canada didn't see it my way and has been harassing me ever since.
last night, i decided it was time to look into this a little more. i called back the number left on VM and they asked about payment dates and the rest, but when i responded by asking for supporting documents to verify that this loan was still outstanding, i was directed to another service. i posed the same questions to their representative who probed a little deeper. to make a long story short, she contacted the issuing bank and it turns out that the loan has in fact, been paid and that i am in the clear. i'm still a little in shock about it but it still feels good to know that i was right.
i don't know, but maybe, just maybe these small changes i'm making in my life are starting to pay off. maybe it's the exercise, or the extra working hours i've put in. maybe it's the fact i'm showering before bed but whatever it is, i just hope that it continues 'cos things are most definitely looking up.

fast forward

i came to a realization the other day that almost everything i do, i do quickly. i speak quickly, walk quickly, type quickly, brush my teeth quickly, cook everything on high, eat within about 15 minutes, and devour everything i read. when i make decisions, i make them quickly. when i am trying to be creative, i do it quickly. when i learn something new, i don't want to put in the time, i just want to be good at it now. it's also never a case of what i'm doing now, it's what's next.

so, what's all the rush about?

i've decided i need to learn how to slow down. the main question is, how do i break 33 years of fast habits? i figure the best way is to start simply. i've really decided to slow down my walking as a starting point. it feels weird to walk at half my pace but i am slowly getting used to it. i think the biggest reason i walk so quickly here is to get out of the crowds and the heat, but if you walk slowly, the crowds and heat aren't so bad. i've also tried to slow down the way i talk and take my time to enunciate my words...especially when teaching. again, it feels strange to speak slowly and honestly, i feel like i've suffered a head injury. of course, i can only speak slowly for a short time before my brain is screaming at my mouth to keep up.

i have to be honest and say that i've never really understood how slow people can be...well, so slow. it's almost agonizing to me when people can't meet deadlines, walk too slowly, or can't be some where on time. in fact, it's an absolute mystery to me. i think it might be the way my brain is wired or something...not that i think better thinks, just that i think more? not too mention my energy levels which at time seem boundless. because of this, living fast just seems like an efficient use of my energy. isn't faster better in a lot of ways? it makes me on time, lets me get more done and enjoy things a lot quicker. all in all, i've always thought of doing things quickly as the best way. but maybe, just maybe i'm the one who is wrong.

there is an idea which is gaining in popularity called the 'slow movement'. followers of this credo believe that a return to a slower-paced way of life is the way to solve a lot of problems socially and health-wise. the slow movement states that people have lost their connection to the natural rhythms of the world. it also states that technology may not have actually improved our lives as intended, but just helped to increase the tempo of modern lives. essentially, the slow movement is a way of returning to simpler way of life, through less reliance on material goods and money, while also focusing on important things such as family and personal relationships.  this is known as 'downshifting.'

while this may sound great to some in principle, i'm not so sure living this lifestyle would work for everyone. my opinion is that if everyone were to adopt this movement as their own, what would happen to society? there would be a major shift from community to individual. it sounds more like a cult of 'me' and that can't be a good thing, can it? still, there is something to be said for this idea of slowing down but a fine balance needs to be found. like anything in life moderation is key. moving at full throttle through life comes in handy, but i just need to take some time stop to smell the roses too.

changes pt.II

all moved in! feels great to finally be here...the place is already more than i expected. i guess all the blood, sweat and tears that went into finding the apartment really has paid off. i can't explain it, but this place just feels like a better 'fit' than our last place. my only complaint is that we haven't been able to take advantage of the pool just yet, but that's the weather's fault. of course, today it's finally stopped raining and it's sunny, but the pool is closed on monday's. oh well, lots of time to get my swim on.

alongside the move and all these other changes are some personal one's as well. i've decided that it's time to really start taking better care of myself physically. we have a gym downstairs and i've already begun on the path to good health. been looking into workout routines and that starts today after work.i've also decided that i'm going to start cooking more, getting back into eating healthier and knowing what i'm putting into my body. this means giving up fast food and actually going grocery shopping. that part of the plan started on saturday...i already feel better but this might just be in my head.

i'm also going to ease up on the drinking as that has been the major theme over the last couple months on the weekends. just feeling lazy and feel like i'm missing out on life sometimes when i spend half of my sunday sleeping it off. of course, it's fun to go out on the social scene, but it's definitely time to change things up with some more activities other than raising a glass to my mouth several times.

on a different note, i've also decided it's time to challenge myself. i need to learn some more chinese, get back into photo/design and get serious about some career goals. i've got a lot of hours this summer, but when it's done i need to get some more writing happening, or go back to school part-time. it's not that i hate teaching, but i have to say that i really don't like teaching children at buxiban. just not my style and i find myself dreading work. it's been the same story before, only this time as it's my 2nd time doing it, a lot of the old irritations have reared their heads a lot sooner. for my sanity and what's left of my patience, i need to get out of teaching children and start doing what i want to do.

on a wholly different note (and just to see if i could do it) i've given up facebook for seven days. what's the big deal you may ask? well, i realized the other day just how much i actually log on to facebook and am trying to remind myself what the world was like beforehand. i'm on day 3 and not suffering any major withdrawal symptoms which tells me that i really don't have a problem....however, it is amazing how much facebook has become a part of my daily routine. when stopped at a traffic light, my first instinct is to go for my mobile and see what's happening in my news feed. i still have 4 days left and really have no worries about keeping my promise to myself. plus, i always have twitter to tide me over.

changes

i just realized that i haven't posted the fact that we found an apartment (after having posted a full blog devoted to the subject) yes, we found a place and are all set to move in on june 1st which is exactly 5 days from now. i have been trying really hard to put it out of my head over the last month in order to not get too excited, but now that it is nearly here i can almost taste it. the new pad is awesome...still modern/loft design with lots of natural light, a larger kitchen, living room, den and a second floor that we can actually walk around in. the building is pretty convenient and is in the xinyi district, just a stones' throw to 101 and its environs. the building also has all the mod con's of a newer building...rooftop garden, lots of common areas, free WIFI, gym and get this...a pool! just in time for summer...it's kismet, i tells ya, kismet.

alongside the move are other changes, but mostly to other people i know. it seems the world has caught baby fever recently. i'm not talking about myself and elisha, but our best friends back home have announced to the world that they are expecting! tremendous news to say the least...but of course, on cue with any change that happens it my brain begins to sift through my priorities and take stock. i've just celebrated my 33rd birthday and have crossed a lot of milestones such as the great institution of marriage, traveling, etc, but what about the great leap forward into parenthood?

elisha and i have discussed this a lot more recently (thanks in large part to all you baby makers out there...keep it in your pants!...jk) but we always seem to come back to the same point: we're not sure. some people just seem to know that they want to be parents, but what about the rest of us? is it selfish that i like my life the way it is? if i decide not to have any children, will i regret it? it's not really the sort of thing you can take a gamble on, nor stop doing easily if it's not what you hoped it would be. i guess the main question is, how do you know?

i suppose the answer must be as simple as that if i don't know as of now, that must mean that i'm not ready. however, i've often heard men become father's when they see their child for the first time, while women experience this during pregnancy. following that logic, what if we become pregnant and 9 months later i still don't feel it? what then? i may be just spitballing here, but i feel really lost about this decision and the fact that i think about it more frequently than ever means what exactly? is it a genuine feeling fostering in me, or am i just hearing the tick-tock of the 'biological clock'? these are the questions which keep me up at night.

perhaps i'm just overthinking things, trying to analyze all the angles before making a decision which is completely unlike me. i usually jump in feet first and sort out the details later. the real difference this time is that it's not just about me this time, but about creating a new life and the decisions that have to be made for it. i've never had that responsibility before and it scares the crap out of me.

wow...big thinks to be thought. in the meantime, i think i'll just take in the wine bbq this weekend and concentrate on the move and leave the seriousness for a later date. and on that note, i'll post some pics and write again apres les move...

on being 33

it's amazing to me just how fast these birthdays keep coming. yet another year, gone and passed. another year of changes, another year of experiences (some good and some bad) but the world has made another 365-day pass around the sun and so have i.
celebrated this year in style by getting everyone dressed up and having some classy cocktails @ peoples bar. it was nice to see everyone dressed in their finest. afterward, hit up the loft for some dancing but was home in time to see the sun rise over our rooftop. as i sat on the roof greeting the dawn, i realized just how awesome some things get with age. i honestly feel more assured than i ever have in my life, even much more than last year. i'm happier with myself, what i'm doing and who i'm doing it with. overall being 33 isn't that much different, but if this is what it means to get older i can't wait to see what the future has in store.
thanks to everyone for the birthday wishes!

real estate

home is where you hang your hat. home is where the heart is. there's no place like home. right now, i'd settle for just the 'home' part and little else...spring has sprung and so has my yearly itch to move onto something new. to scratch this itch i've decided it's time for a new pad...been scoping out things for about a month now and have some interesting experiences to share about my personal search for that perfect place.

by last count, i've now seen over 25 apartments in various parts of daan and xinyi districts, but i have to tell you it feels like much, much more. but, from those i've already seen it looks as tho i will be looking at many, many more...it's always a case of one of the following factors; location, living room, bedroom, or other general bizarre design. my criteria for a new place is that it is a) bigger b) within the above described areas c) furnished d)modern. now, i know that there is something out there that fits both my criteria and my budget, but the search is exhausting. i have used almost every available free minute to find that perfect place and have thus far turned up empty handed.

there was one, which i hate to mention because it was the one. it was in xinyi district, modern, furnished, with enough room to live and even entertain. so, we began to negotiate with the landlord who then after a week decides that he would rather sell it than rent it any longer. since then, i think i might have be jinxed against finding something i really like, perhaps simply due to the fact that nothing quite seems to measure up against the one.

when i stop to consider, i believe i have lived in 11 different apartments. each time i have moved, it has always been according to something that wasn't right about the place...storage, location, roommates, noise...each move had a method to the madness. this time, it's really about the size...i love the look of the place, the building, the price, the amenities, and the location. the rooftop garden in particular is something i am going to miss, but i can't exactly live up there, now can i? that's the reason i'm being so picky about the next place. i really want it to be a place that meets all the criteria and (heaven forbid) i might actually be able to stay put for longer than a year.

there are a couple of current contenders. in fact, i'm going to have a second look at four of them this evening so fingers crossed that a decision can be made. i still have to say that i'm not all that sold on any of them...something just keeps telling me to hold on for another week, 'cos i just know that the ink won't even be dry on the lease when the dream apartment will present itself.

also, there are the financial part of things to take into consideration as well.  3 months rent has to be paid on any rental here in taiwan...2 months deposit, and the first month. as we have an agent working for us, there is also a half-months's rent in commission to be paid. on top of all that, we would be signing out of our lease early which means that there will be a penalty. even though it's not that much, it still adds onto the total cost of moving which i put around $100000NT by the time it's said and done. we will be able to minus our current deposit from that total, as well as the first months' rent which would we have to pay anyway, but stiill makes a shortfall or $30000 or thereabouts. this is also why i want to be certain.

i've also been looking at apartments online through various websites. some of the places are really nice, but it's either a case of them being snatched up or no reply from the landlord. and of course, there is also the communication barrier which agents make so much easier to break through. still, i think i might keep trying that route for the moment.

in the meantime, let's hope we find a place to call our own soon enough.

quick update

i've come to realize that i actually suck at blogging. i used to use my old blog as a sounding board for my adventures, but i just don't seem to have the need to use this one for the same purposes. be that as it may, i still taste the sharp tang of guilt in my mouth whenever i go to long without an update, so here goes...

of course, lots happening and due to non-posting regularly, i can't recall it all. work has been steady (more or less) but i just found out this week that my adult class is going to have to cancel due to corporate merging. sucks, not only for the money but because i actually enjoy this part of my teaching. it's nice to have a class where i have absolute creative control and we can just have a chat about anything really. it's sad to see them go but at least i made some friends (and some business contacts) out of the deal.

my other teaching job just sucks at the moment. i've also come to know that if i ever want to have kids of my own someday, i need to stop teaching children. it isn't all of them, but the few ruin it for the many. while i am working on getting out of teaching children, i need to be a bit more proactive about that and git er' done.

socially, march was a bit of a dry month. not for lack of activities, but we were still paying for our....ahem, lame staycation. how is that you can have almost no fun and still spend an ass load of cash? anyway, we did go out last weekend for this free house party...cheap shots, dancing, followed up by eggs benedict at n.y. bagels at 4 in the morning, with a side of expat gossip. tasty.

ok, now that i've successfully gotten this blog out of me i think will be able to write something a little bit more meaningful next time i post...at least, that's that plan. today, i've got a bunch of tests to write for my freelance job and 4 apartment viewings to get to before lunch. if we did learn one thing from our holiday here in taiwan, it was that we need a bigger apartment. while that may be months away, i think it's fun to sneak a peek and see what's out there.

scary note: on our walk home from dinner last night, i saw someone get hit by a car for the first time. now, given the state of traffic in taipei one would think one would see this all the time, but mostly, it's a lot of near misses and cuss words. last night, this was full-blown...middle-aged dude got hit by car turning a corner (to catch a light) and rolled onto the hood, then was thrown onto the street. i'd say that car was doing about 25km/h and (thankfully) the man wasn't hurt, just stunned. yours truly was first on the scene and called 911 (or, 119 as it's locally known). still, it's the sort of thing you hear of and not truly see...it always happens to a friend of a friend....guess i've now become that guy.

year of the tiger

the last month has been a busy one. houseguests, winter camps, holidays, and general changes in schedule have all played their part in keeping me occupied.

jobs have come and gone in the last month as well. for the last 5 months, i have duly given up my saturdays working for a school which didn't agree with me in any way, shape, or form. in the spirit of good taste, i'll refrain from naming names, but let me give you a little background. this was a school that offered a "class" (and i use the term loosely, here) on saturdays for students who were in middle school and too busy to attend regularly-scheduled english classes. The curriculum was pretty much an outline of the grammar points, reading and writing assignments. There weren't any clear guidelines for project expectations, little in the way of testing, and absolutely no rubrics for marking students. Basically, they let you do what you want. Sounds great, doesn't it? A teacher's dream...the opportunity to open your students young minds and show them the possibilities of the world around them. While good on paper, this wasn't the case in practice...as the students only show up for 3 hours a week, parents expected bang for buck...meaning, i needed to cram in as much as i could and ensure that the students would retain it all. chronic absenteeism combined with adolescent angst and just a soupcon of general class-on-saturday malaise all made for me having my job cut out for me. The best part of the job was that all a parent had to do was air a grievance and it would squarely fall on my shoulders as my ineptitude. Heaver forbid that the school was poorly managed, the curriculum practically nonexistent and the majority of the students underachievers who never put in the work. I would leave this job every Saturday feeling angry at the school, feeling i was a bad teacher and hating my students. I would gripe and bitch to my wife during my lunch time phone call, and then again for at least an hour following dismissal as i shook off the day. Still, I went each and every Saturday to face the music and at least tried my best, even though I voiced plans to get out this situation.

It seems that the universe heard me and decided to sort me out.Winter camp was fast approaching and about a month before it came, I let the school know I was interested in having some hours in the morning. I was put off time and time again, until the last day of the semester came. Classes went as scheduled and immediately following my last class, the head teacher asked if he could talk to me. He said the school was happy with my teaching, but a big part of the job was retention and none of my students had enroled in the upcoming semester. AS such, the school had decided that the cost of my work permit outweighed my teaching skills, so they were going to let me go and cancel my work permit by the end of February. I was shocked, but told him I wasn't surprised and left without another word.

I mulled what he had said over in my head, and honestly I was depressed about it. I couldn't help but feel that what he really meant by retention could be nothing other than my teaching. I mean, retaining students would have to mean that I was a fun, interesting teacher who taught them something, wouldn't it? How could one thing not be related to the other? I continued to brood on these ideas until I found out from a co-worker that the school had axed most of the licensed teachers in favour of hiring illegal teachers, in order to save a few bucks. Needless to say, I was pissed but it just seemed to be the final piece of the horrible puzzle that is that school. They just cemented what I always thought they were...a business first and school second. I briefly considered calling immigration or firebombing the place, but thought of the karmic backlash i would inevitably have to deal with, so i opted to be dignified and do nothing.

Thus, ended my career with that hellhole. The upside is that I have my weekends back and no longer complain (as often) The ironic part is that I turned down a writing job as I had just got my schedule and money the way I wanted, only to be let go of another job a few days later. Sigh.  It's not all bad though...the magazine and I have worked out some freelancing work which should keep in the black until something else comes along. My other school has also increased my working hours, so I'm well-pleased about that (as is my bank account) Between the freelancing and the other school, plus my privates, I will hardly even notice the loss of income from the saturday job. Kind of nice to know that this won't affect me all that much and I'm working less...up yours, LC.

Enough about work. February also saw us with our first houseguest in Taiwan. elisha's brother shawn decided to come and spend his vacation with us here during chinese new year. The first week was spent seeing sights and taking in markets in Taipei. The weather was great, unseasonably warm and we all hoped that it would be a trend which would continue through the 2nd week. Unfortunately, after wings @ hooters on thursday night, the weather got really cold and the rains started. This was the trend that would continue. Temperatures plummeted to 9 degrees and a relentless rain kept us in indoors between Tuesday and Friday. Finally, the rain yielded and we were able to have some beers and a house party for Shawn's last night. It was a whirlwind two weeks, but funny enough, the time trapped in the apartment keeping warm and dry went faster than anything else. I enjoyed myself and hope that he did as well.

so, it's now the year of the tiger and time to get serious about a few things again here in taiwan...chiefly among them is to get back into saving mode...had some fun spending cash, but our trip back to the old country is coming up faster than you can say international flight. just need to be a smidge more careful about how and where i spend my hard-earned cash...also need to get back into doing some design and chinese classes. leaving taipei made me realize how little chinese i actually speak...i felt like reminding some of the people i needed to speak to whilst away, "no, i ask the questions and you use the response from page 147 in the textbook."

Gonxi fa cai!

2010...so far

happy new year! time to start off the new year with a quick recap of what's being happening in my life. NYE was a lot of fun...at first, it seemed as tho it might fizzle out before the fireworks. i tried (in vain) to make some plans to include the majority, but in true NYE-style the many waited til the last minute and then decided on something else. so, we still had a few people over to watch the fireworks from our roof and then headed out to a friend's party at the sunworld dynasty hotel for a long-awaited night out. good times! great music, great venue, hung out with great people both old and new and just generally schmoozed the night away. a much needed and much appreciated start to the new year.

the new year hasn't been all fun and games so far however. after our nice, 4-day rest and recoup, it was back the grind. year-end reports were due, planning, and all the necessary things which eat away at our free time but pay the bills...thursday was my regular, mid-week respite and by afternoon i started to feel a little achey. by dinner time, i was cold one minute, hot the next and sore all over. by bedtime, i was running to the bathroom every 20 minutes and shortly after going to sleep, i was running to empty my stomach's contents. fun, fun. took friday and saturday off work to rest up and finally had something substantial to eat by dinner on saturday night. today, feeling a bit better but still fragile. hopefully one more night's sleep will put this flu to bed.

this last week also marked a very sad start to the new year...got a call on friday morning that grandma weishar had passed away suddenly. the details aren't important, but this spry, brilliant, lovable little lady has been taken away and we are all feeling the loss. it goes without saying that she will be sadly missed by those who knew her, but it always makes being away from home that much more difficult...you don't really get the same opportunity to say goodbye, or grieve, or comfort, or remember the good times with those who remain. but, that's something we have had to go through a couple of times. i wish i could say it gets easier. i also wish i could say i wouldn't have to go through it again, but i know what the truth is. it's not really a matter of living abroad...living here wouldn't have stopped things from happening...it's a matter of getting older and dealing with mortality. and that's something that will likely never get any easier.