August 4, 2013
Testing, testing, 1234…
December 7, 2008
I’m not posting anymore blogs on this site for now until I go on another trip, which will be who knows when? But until then, please visit http://www.emisworld.com. I have a new blog posted for December 7.
November 30, 2008
We are at the Taoyuan Airport now, heading back on China Airlines flight to LAX, then switching to a Delta redeye flight back home to Orlando. I’d post some pictures but we have only a few minutes to catch our flight. See you at www.emisworld.com when I return!
November 30, 2008
Saturday, 29 November.
Today at noon, with 20 additional relatives and friends, some whom he has known for more than 70 years, Tai yeh-yeh celebrated his 90th birthday in a private room in restaurant Bi Fong Tang on the 10th floor of the Living Mall, just across the street from where he lives. I wonder what type of life experiences Tai yeh-yeh must have had being born at the end of one great war, having served in World War II, having fought the communists and then being forced to flee your homeland to an island with the resulting split up of your family for decades? But he lived his years well, and has been blessed with good health. The rest of our family would be so fortunate to also live that long with such good quality of life.
Top: At the entrance to our room, with the sign announcing that this is the Hsu celebration. 2nd: Tai yeh-yeh starts a toast, one of many. 3rd: Toward the end of the meal, a special 90th birthday cake is wheeled in and Tai yeh-yeh cuts the cake to the applause of guests. The three seated guests are old classmates he has known since his Shanghai days in the 1930’s – all about the same age as Tai yeh-yeh. 4th: Here I go again, playing with his cane, a symbol of growing older, but with a smile that really means to convey my respect for him. Bottom: My family together showing the 4 generations of Hsus: Tai yeh-yeh, Yeh-yeh, Daddy, and me!
November 29, 2008
According to the Chinese Calendar, Tai yeh-yeh’s birthday is the first day of the 11th month, which corresponds to November 28th of the western calendar this year (he was actually born December 22, 1919). The celebration consists of two parts: a smaller dinner for family the day of his birthday at his favorite Shanghainese restaurant, followed by a larger gathering at his favorite Cantonese restaurant on Saturday. Today was also special in that Nai-nai and Yeh-yeh arrived from Singapore, so all of Tai yeh-yeh’s children are here together.
Top: Brushing my teeth, getting ready for Tai yeh-yeh’s big day! 2nd: Tai yeh-yeh with my granduncle Jerry, grandaunt Sunny, and Yeh-yeh. Did you know that this is the first time the four of them have been together in one setting together, ever? 3rd: Yes, I know, another picture of us eating dinner together. This is what we do here. Bottom: Showing off some of his birthday gifts. This one comes from his grandson Uncle Vernon and Aunty Joan, original paintings created by Aunty Joan herself.
November 28, 2008
This was a very different Thanksgiving than I had last year. Here in Taiwan, it was just another day with business as usual. Instead of watching football and eating home-cooked turkey, we watching Taiwan political news and having dinner at a small mom & pop restaurant with dumplings and beef noodle soup. Yet we celebrated one main element of Thanksgiving, and that was the family being together.
I’m thankful for the following: 1) My Tai yeh-yeh, especially that he has such good health and turns 90 years tomorrow! 2) Family and that we can all enjoy dinner together; 3) Noodles!
November 27, 2008
Wednesday, 26 November.
Eating in Asia is a great experience, and I am finally able to enjoy some of the cuisine that Taiwan has to offer. Mommy & I are still on a dairy-free, soy-free diet because of allergies, but otherwise I have enjoyed pretty much the same foods my parents eat. No more eating only commercially-prepared stage two baby food like the last time I was here! We typically eat a Taiwanese breakfast that Daddy gets a block away from our condo. For lunch, we eat out on the town, and then in the evening we head to Tai yeh-yeh’s home for dinner. I admit that we’ve also been snacking – there are just so many cafés and beverage stalls in town that one can’t help but enjoy sampling those as well.
Top: A huge variety of beverages are sold at stalls throughout the city, including fruit juices and fruit and milk teas. As a master straw sucker, I am seen here with Mommy enjoying a sweet and sour drink made from preserved plums. 2nd: Steamed vegetarian dumplings served as a restaurant specializing in entrees with a unique tea flavor or made from tea leaves. 3rd: The Taiwanese version of shaved ice, halo-halo, ice kacang, or whatever else you want to call it, packed with green and red beans, boiled peanuts and black jelly. The ice is packed below. 4th: How can you travel to Taiwan and not use chopsticks? Taking a mouthful of white turnip cake, a traditional Chinese breakfast and dim sum dish. Bottom: I am stuffing myself with food at Tai yeh-yeh’s home, with entrees that we bought from the Nan Men (South Gate) market.
November 26, 2008
Tuesday, 25 November.
Chrysanthemums have been cultivated by the Chinese for millenia. Not only are they prized for their aesthetics, these flowers serve medicinal and culinary purposes, most commonly used in teas these days. Tuesday’s chilly and overcast weather did not deter us from taking a bus to the Taipei suburb of Shihlin to visit the chrysanthemum gardens, which was previously the residence of Chinese leader Chiang Kai-shek. Master horticulturalists have transformed various chrysanthemum types into a myriad of shapes, such as dragons and Christmas trees .There is supposedly another bonus to this activity: my parents theorize that having me roam around the gardens allows me to expend more of that toddler energy and sleep better at nights. We’ll see if they are right.
November 25, 2008
Monday, 24 November.
Late afternoon we made the usual daily 4km trip to visit Tai yeh-yeh, except there were two differences. First, instead of taking a taxi we took a bus, and two, instead just Tai yeh-yeh welcoming us, we arrived to a full condo. All my granduncles and grandaunts had arrived, as two of them from Texas just arrived today via Shanghai and Macau. As you recall we’re all here to celebrate Tai yeh-yeh’s 90th birthday on Saturday. The only ones missing from tonight’s dinner are Yeh-yeh and Nai-nai; they arrive later this week from Singapore. Looks like for the rest of this week I will have lots of kisses and attention beyond the ordinary.
Top: Goo-por (Grandaunty) Sunny teaches me the names of birds in Chinese. 2nd: Uh-oh, here I go again, messing around with things such as Tai yeh-yeh’s cane. Fortunately he doesn’t seem to mind. 3rd: At a Beijing restaurant called “Xi Lai Suen” on East Nanjing Road. Clockwise, from me: GU Danny and GA Sunny, from Danshui, a suburb of Taipei; Tai yeh-yeh; GU Jerry and GA Sherry, from Dallas TX; GU Linda, who is Sherry’s sister and a professional violinist, from Macau; and finally Aunty Shirley, GU Linda’s daughter, who is a college student here in Taipei. Bottom: Tai yeh-yeh and GU Jerry enjoy a laugh together.
Emi's World - Travel Edition 
