Just Add Hot Water

For the last several days I have been so sick I could barely leave the house. I didn’t believe my mom that it’s really cold here so we didn’t pack many warm clothes. Well it only gets down to about 50 at night, but the houses don’t really have heaters, so it’s 50 degrees in a house made of tile and marble and concrete. It got cold, and I got sick.

Best way to stay warm in Taiwan, wear three pairs of socks to protect your feet from the icy marble floors. Then put on your house slippers. No shoes in the house obviously. Drink lots of tea, and when done with the tea, fill the bottles up with HOT HOT water from the tap (you can adjust the temperature on your tankless water heater instantly to get boiling water) and then put the hot water bottles under the blankets with you as you are curled up in bed miserably sick, or keep a hot water bottle in your lap while you are bundled up in a long robe. Drink hot tea. When sick add this thick honey herbal stuff to hot water and drink gallons of that. Carry an umbrella with you when outside and try to stay dry. Go out for Vietnamese PHO Soup. Hot breakfasts with piping hot bowls of Soy Milk are good. Instant hot cereals, and noodle bowls can be picked up at any 7-11, or Welcome or OK Market. Scarfs help too.

Well I’d like to give the medicine tea credit for helping me feel better, but I actually think it’s the prescription Sudafed that I discovered I brought from the US just last night. Finally my head seems to be returning to it’s usual size and shape.

One afternoon Jeremy and I went out shopping in search of some warmer long sleeve shirts. We went up ZongShan N Rd, to the Japanese district to seek out some clothes. We came across some super cute stuff. Hello Kitty, My Neighbor Totoro, and tons of faux-american rip off brands. I got a Totoro long sleeve for about $6 US! Prices vary widely though. Along Tien Mu N Rd, a sweater could set you back between $10, or $850! Everything was cute and stylish in this part of town. We are now accepting orders for cute stuff! I hope to come back with a totally new wardrobe after a year…probably 90% socks, legwarmers and accessories.

Most difficult thing to find in the whole city – watches! Since our cell phones don’t work here…how do you tell the time? It was getting to be a problem, having bus schedules but no way to tell what time we arrived at the bus stop. After having no luck at any of the small convenience shops my mom showed us around to the big department stores yesterday. We went to the CC, which was all electronics stuff, the SOGO which was high end clothing and gourmet foods, and finally found some stuff at the Carafour which is kind of like a Costco. We got some trash bins, a dish drainer, groceries and a SECOND HEATER for our little house up the Mountain.

We are all settled in up here now in our little place. It’s much more comfortable today. Oooh and Jeremy got a Snuggie. We couldn’t find a thick men’s robe, but they do have Snuggies here too. And there was much rejoicing…

Out shopping in Tien Mu. I love this city!

Here's where the vampires hang out...

Um...no idea what's in this box. But it's very clean.

Oooh yeah. Now accepting orders. Derby girls!? These are too cute to wear under...

And the cutest socks in the world.

This was just the entrance. Hello Kitty as far as the eye could see...

A temple along ZhongShan Bei Lu

Merry Christmas from the Mos Burger. My mom eats here all the time. No idea what they serve...something that looks kinda like a burger...but it's not.

Long sleeve tees found! This is about $10 US.

Cute sign in front of a clothing boutique in Japan-Town.

Someone was sleeping on the job. They'll never notice...

A hot bowl of Pho soup to warm the soul.

Jeremy chowing down at the Pho restaurant.

The view outside my mom's apt downtown. I worked at my laptop here as the sun came up. Hot cup of medicine tea at my side, but who can complain with this view?!

And doing the dishes isn't so bad either. You can see it's pouring rain out, but still beautiful.

Fancy cakes and candies at a shop downtown somewhere...

Treking around in the rain yesterday. Happy not to be riding a scooter!

We met my mom here at the Shilin MRT stop.

BEST THING EVER! Hot canned drinks at the 7-11. After hours of shopping in the drizzling rain, I thoroughly enjoyed a hot can of malt Ovaltine! Yummers

Oooh slurpies! Not today though...

Some of our neighborhood up the mountain at Ping Deng Li.

Down the road from our house to the nearest town.

A gust of wind turns my umbrella inside out as we are huddled up waiting for the bus to town.

The menu for this restaurant by Shilin. They actually had a really good vegetarian club sandwich here complete with avocado and fake lunch meat.


Jeremy's computer all set up at our place up the mountain. Now we are ready to rock! (Note new snuggie slung over the back of the chair.)