Just at dinner tonight, I said to friends, “Now that I’m back in Taipei, I don’t ever want to leave!”
My declaration was met with overwhelming enthusiasm from the dinner party. Naturally, because everyone’s living here by choice. It’s the small things here that make life easier. If i have to choose one thing that I love the most about living in Taipei, it has to be the convenience of the life style. And what’s so convenient about living here? Everything!
Just watching the facebook live broadcast of the Hong Kong protests, Yeah I would want to too.
I’ve been getting a lot of questions from friends, acquaintances, or just followers on the blog about how to relocate the family to Taiwan. To be honest, for me it’s not a question of relocation, it’s more like homecoming. I’m Taiwanese so I didn’t have to worry about getting a work visa or resident visa; I have residency, we have an apartment, I know my way around the city, and have a good network of support as well – I have a guy, or know a guy who knows a guy for every odd type of job there is. So the only big decision was choosing the right school for the kids.
Hi everyone this is my first blog! In this following blog, I will tell you all about my new school because I just moved to Taipei for the first two weeks. My mom told me to blog about it even though I don’t like blogging and I never tried it before.
Anyways, my first fourteen days at this elementary school has been long and hard. They are doing math my level, they are not doing English my level. However,Chinese is a harder level, so I have to keep up on both. What I’m trying to say is that its been hard on the Chinese but easy on the English and normal on the math. In the first day of the second week, I passed the English test, so I have to sit down and read an English book in English class. Talking about books, where I go every recess is to see Ashley (my younger sister) or to the library which is often sometimes where I see her when we are bored, we go into this section in the library where you have to take your socks off, then we have a competition on who can slide on the floor the farthest.
Dear Blog,
I can explain. I know it’s been a while since I blogged or posted anything, but I have a few very good reasons. So, just hear me out…
I gave birth.
Yeah, so shortly after my last post… a month to be exact. I found out that I was pregnant with no. 3. So I was busy being pregnant, working and mothering. And then I gave birth, and life with 3 kids and a full time job was even more hectic.
I change jobs and moved.
I had a career change. I knew I was ready for a change after my last maternity leave. I knew I wanted to work in tech but in what capacity? An opportunity to return to Taipei came up and I jumped at the chance. It meant relocation but we were talking about it for so long, it is finally happening! And so, three years and 1 kid later, I’m back in Taiwan, working in tech, and the kids are settling into a brand new life. All is good except for one minor detail – the husband is not here with us. He’s going to be commuting back to Taiwan on weekends while based in Hong Kong for his job. It sucks I know. But sometimes when life gives you lemons, you make lemonades.
The kids have switched schools
One of the key drivers for moving back to Taiwan is for my children’s education. In Hong Kong, my eldest went to an international school, while the second went to a local school. We wanted a good mix of bilingual education and weren’t getting it from the private school and obviously not the local school. Taiwan seems like a great option. I purposely picked a school in our school district that touts its English education in the curriculum. I’m happy to share that both Max and Ashley will be in the same school, same campus for the first time ever. I purposely enrolled them in the local schools because I truly believe that this is the best way to learn Mandarin, adapt to a new culture and, did I mention the cost? Oh yeah, it’s free. What I’ll be paying for is the after school programs that they will attend after school ends at 1pm for the 1st grader, and 3 for the 4th grader. School starts this Friday. I’m excited. They are scared.
So there you have it! 3 really good reasons for not posting for 3 years. But don’t worry. I will try to post more often now. I’ve even enlisted the help of a 4th grader who will be sharing his journey in a new school with us. In exchange for blogging, he can have some video game time. His sister will get some too, as soon as she learns to write and type.
We want to share this blog with our friends and family from near and afar who want to check in on us once in a while to see how we’re doing. Most importantly, this blog will document the days that we’re not living under the same roof as daddy.
This truly is our love letter to him. Thank you for making the sacrifice for the family.
xoxoxo,
Mommy, no. 1, 2, and 3
九月二十號 台北傍晚時間，美國八卦網站TMZ 給全球媒體投了一個震撼彈！
安潔莉納裘莉向法院申請與布萊德彼特離婚！
其實這陣子來，關於布裘兩人婚姻觸礁的新聞不斷，但是因為沒有一個是值得信賴的媒體報導，所以沒被外界當回事，但是TMZ 的這則報導，有日期，有離婚原因，指證歷歷的，這才引起一陣騷動。果然不到半個小時，經過裘莉的律師證實確有此事，就這樣，布裘戀或者是國外媒體暱稱為『brangelina』的戀情，就這樣走入歷史！
消息一經證實之後，我的e-mail, 臉書上面訊息響個不停，有工作上面的聯繫，更有很多是朋友的詢問，『這是真的嗎？』 『是真的！』我告訴朋友們。
好朋友 B 小姐說：『聽了好令人難過喔！』
是啊，為何我們聽到布裘戀分手，就好像是得知我們身旁好友ㄘㄟˋ了一樣？ 我小孩常跟他們六個小孩一起玩嗎？ （純粹筆者自己幻想），我和老公星期六晚上會跟小布跟裘莉一起來個double date 嗎？ （嘿！Angie! 新生南路上開了家新的日本餐廳，要不要一起去吃吃看…. 好啦，我承認很愛幻想）
這是因為這兩個人一開始的眉來眼去，愛苗滋長的時候，我們都見證了，你看過『史密斯夫妻』 “Mr.& Mrs. Smith” 嗎？小布跟裘莉兩人在銀幕上的化學作用根本不用演的，這兩人在戲中四眼相望時，馬上電力爆棚！
但是問題來了，小布在現實生活中，還有個明星嬌妻，珍妮佛安妮斯頓。 偏偏珍妮佛又是熱門影集『六人行』最紅的一個，原本一對好萊塢金童玉女，看似完美的組合，就這樣硬生生的被裘莉拆散。
這也有點像是學校中的班對，女的美男的帥，前途大被看好，男生卻被一個半途轉來的美麗的新同學給搶走了！
雖然不關你事，但是還是會替女生大抱不平！ 尤其當這個新同學看起來根本就是個狐狸精！
當時美國一個很夯的問題就是逢人就問，你是team aniston，還是team jolie? 我和朋友們大都是team aniston， 因為誰不愛『六人行』當中糊裡糊塗的Rachel?
好了，這對新的明星情侶也總算苦盡甘來，十年來努力扭轉外界對他們的印象，生了一大堆孩子，也收養了不少個，活像個快樂的大家庭，兩年前還舉辦了個溫馨的婚禮，就當粉絲們都獻上祝福，也都公認這對情侶是好萊塢模範夫妻，你們居然要分手？！
粉絲們現在的失落感，都是來自於我們這十多年來對於布裘戀的關心和好奇，把這兩人戀情跟婚姻當成我們茶餘飯後的八卦，也把自己的情感投射在他們身上，更因為他們兩位可能是世界上最有知名度的兩位大明星，從一開始戀愛到最後離婚都這麼有戲劇性，為何粉絲們還要買票進去戲院看他們在『海邊』中，飾演一對頻瀶離婚的夫妻？ 不用啊！ 他們現實生活中的八卦就這麼精彩，讓人看了目不暇給，也來不及接招！
不管接下來的離婚官司是否會越演越烈… 肯定的是，這小布跟裘莉於公於私，都會繼續霸佔新聞頭條，always give us something to talk about…
如果你跟我一樣都是強尼戴普鐵粉的話，這一陣子閱讀關於他的消息，就好像洗三溫暖一樣！
首先，第一個傳出的消息是，強哥終於要跟他年齡相差20多歲的嫩妻，安柏赫德，離婚了。
第一次看到這消息，我高興的從床上跳了起來，原因沒有別的，因為這女的肯定帶賽，把強哥的事業搞的一塌糊塗，還拉著人家錄個跟澳洲道歉的video，真是破壞巨星風采！
然後，看到安柏臉蛋掛彩照片在網上流傳，再看到她一身黑，素臉上法院申請保護令，相信很多粉絲們跟我都一樣，心都碎了！
這是真的嗎？ 我們所愛戴的強哥是個會動粗的男人？！ 再不喜歡嫩妻，我們也不會希望看到她被打，對吧？！ 這照片好像是千真萬確的鐵證，強哥愛家愛老婆的好男人形象也似乎一夕瓦解，而他母親才過世不久，又被老婆拋棄，還有剛上映的電影，也傳出票房慘超滑鐵盧，似乎他的人生頓時烏雲密佈，前途堪憂！
來到香港旅遊，講到美食，很多人都會先想到港式飲茶、叉燒、燒鵝、添好運等等，但其實住在香港這麼久，我最愛的餐廳，是一家躲在熟食市場，毫不起眼的西餐廳！
所謂的熟食市場，就是在菜市場樓上的美食街，可以想像它的用餐環境，所以如果你不介意整個環境十分吵雜，有點像在台灣夜市裡面吃飯，也不care 餐桌下可能堆滿了乾糧雜貨，那歡迎你步入這熟食市場，一探究竟！
雖然不比外頭餐廳來的講究，上環皇后街市場的熟食廣場，真是臥虎藏龍。 兩位原在高級法國餐廳工作的主廚，決定自己出走創業，更出人意表將店開在這，不僅相當顛覆傳統，也為這個空間注入了不同的氣息，他們把攤位取名叫做”ABC Kitchen” 意思是A Better Cooking Kitchen. 開張多年，深受饕客們的喜愛。
吳季剛結婚了！
在Instagram 上貼出與交往多年男友Gustavo，兩人西裝筆挺的在墨西哥接受好友們的祝福，Jason po上一連串歡樂的照片，透過社交媒體，讓眾人都可以感染到他們幸福洋溢的喜悅。
但這個婚禮只有摯友參加，吳家人說，本來想低調一點，沒想到Jason 的婚禮引起這麼大注意，其實他們一家人也早在去年年底一起去了趟峇里島度假，吳季剛男友也出陪同出席，他們也為這對新人獻上祝福。在墨西哥婚禮出席的大都是平輩好友，所以家人沒有去。
正當台灣多數媒體都以大篇幅對於這個同志婚禮做出正面報導，卻還是有平面媒體因為吳家人沒在第一時間回電，而在此大作文章，以吳媽封口作為標題，說之前吳家人不論人在海內外，都很好找，而現在找不到人，電話鈴聲不像人在海外，所以兒子結婚，家人全部封口，這非常耐人尋味，應該是有內情！
看到這種報導，可能一般人應該會有幾種反應：
講真的，大家收看今年的金球獎都是想要知道李奧納多會不會得獎？
果然不負眾望，整個晚上小李鋒頭很健，不僅台上台下，就連要進廣告前時被拍到跟凱特溫絲蕾的一抱都讓大家回味無窮。還沒等到最佳男主角獎頒發前，先來看主持人Ricky Gervais麻辣尺度，狠毒大開一眾名人的玩笑，明星麻吉們聯袂搞笑頒獎，洛基爆冷門得獎，布萊德彼特帥氣登場，Lady Gaga看似做作的哽噎得獎感言，丹佐華盛頓滴的一滴眼淚….
今年的金球獎頒獎典禮整體而言，雖然沒有太多驚喜或是爆笑，也沒有讓人感動落淚的得獎感言，但是一連串令人會心一笑的笑梗跟大明星氣勢撐場，也讓四個小時的頒獎典禮不顯得冗長。
deartaipeilovehongkong.com 