Merry Christmas! While I intended to get this blog started sooner, well, we've been busy! We have a lot to share from our first quarter in Taichung, but today we'll give you the quick update on making it to our first Christmas here.
Merry Christmas, from the most festive kids we know
On July 29, 2023, the Baek Bees left Portland to begin a new chapter of our lives...in Taichung, Taiwan! Kelley received a well deserved opportunity to lead teams based in Taiwan and Korea, so over the course of the summer, we prepared, and at the end of July, hopped on a plane with some suitcases and flew 12 hours to Taiwan!
Ava and her band, "The Luggage", ready to launch!
Since arriving, it's been a whirlwind of changes to get settled into our new lives. We lived in a nice hotel for almost 2 months while we looked at and decided on a home for the next 3-4 years, the kids started at a new school, and Kelley has been learning the ropes and settling into her new role. Throw in Chinese classes and exploring our new home, and it's been a busy few months! We'll share more about what we've been up to later.
There are many times you are reminded that Taiwan is in fact a tropical island. The warmth, humidity and mosquitos(!) lull you into a routine. While the temperatures are just now getting to sweatshirt and jacket weather, there's zero percent chance of snow, so seeing Christmas decorations with palm trees and everything still being green takes a little getting used to. Most stores have decorations, and the mega malls stage an arms race for biggest Christmas decorations, like this full blown elf hut, complete with chimney.
I'm pretty sure I was allowed to go back there. Mostly sure.
While we couldn't walk down the street and get a fresh pine tree like years past, we have applied our new found creativity to trying to recreate as much of the Christmas vibe the kids had in Portland here. Artificial trees are the norm here (not exactly coniferous tree weather) and are rather convenient, aside from the initial floof-ing of the branches. We left our ornaments and more personal effects in storage, but we got a small tree, lights, and a starter kit of ornaments and it really lit the Christmas spirit fire! Most importantly, Morris the Elf managed to find us after the move and reported to duty on time, even if he gets himself into shenanigans.
Teamwork makes the tree-topping dream work!
And just like that, we have Christmas!
Why, Morris? Why?
After Christmas, we're heading to Tainan for a quick family trip to recharge. Winter breaks here are split between Christmas and Lunar New Year, with the new year celebrations being bigger and more important. School break is only a week over Christmas, but then they get THREE weeks off for New Year! Our goal is to do a trip each break and see as much of Asia as we can while we are here so we'll be adding trips to as many school breaks as possible from here on out!
We'll jump into other aspects of life in coming posts - Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from sunny Taiwan!
~ bzz ~
Thanks. I'm beginning to feel less and less tech savvy if I ever was in the first place. I sent you a text of Merry Xmas and Happy New Year (on Feb. 10, The year of the Dragon) Apparently I will keep up with your doings in Taiwan on your blog. Notice it has a chat function. Nice feature but no one is available to chat right now. Given it's 5 pm EST here that sort of makes sense. I need to set up a world clock on my Mac and cell rather than counting hour differences with my fingers. Anyway we will need in-depth reporting, pictures and videos on what a Chinese New Year celebration is like.