Two and a half months later I find myself back at my old job writing press releases, plus an added job of grading papers. And of course this is in addition to the rest of it.

My ability to spend time learning Chinese and really dig into my thesis topic with time to spare went out the window and now I’m wondering what to cut. Oi vei!

Next year is looking so sweet.

The wedding turned out great. Emily spear-headed the programs, favors, and kicked butt in general being the sister leading up to the big event. She was literally awesome and I’m not just saying that because I’m her husband. I was a gofer. I think the job suited me. My favorite jobs were the ones to help Chris. Being a recent groom myself I remembered a few things that, if remembered, add a lot to the day. It was also great to see and hang out with extended family all the way up from TN and FL in addition to the usual suspects. We are so blessed to have such wonderful families and it’s so wonderful to be able to be with them.

After the wedding day we had a great time at church and then a few days down visiting with my family. I can’t say how great it was to hang with my littlest sister, even if it was just a few days. Emily and I were even able to go to The Strutt for open mic night and hear the ghost of Johnny Cash. It was rad!

I must also mention the goodness of beer in the USA as compared to Taiwan. While in Michigan I was able to enjoy Bell’s Two Hearted (Thank you Chris) and Short’s Huma Lupa Licious (Thank you Dan). Is it wrong for me to enjoy good beer so much that I include it in blog posts but leave out how good it was to have ‘future plans’ conversations with my dad, mom, and sister? Anyways, those are two great beers and I thoroughly enjoyed each sip! If you have never had a good IPA then I suggest these two.

So Wednesday we went to DTW to fly away. No problems. We sat next to Brent, a very interesting and interested guy. We had quite a good conversation on our flight to DFW and I hope he enjoyed it as much as we did. It’s not everyday that you sit next to the guy who wrote the code for Alltel’s cellular instant-messaging service.

Dallas is where the trouble started. We took off okay but Emily and I both started to feel gross as we flew to LAX. When we landed we were tired and pretty much zombies. However, we woke up as we walked to the international terminal. Why it was freezing in SoCal but not in Michigan is something we should all be pondering. We got all checked in and to our gate. However, it was freezing there too as one of the other departure gates had their door to the outside open forever. I’m sure the two of us freezing, gross, and zombie-like, sitting and waiting for our departure time made for the ideal picture. Unfortunately we didn’t take any.

Now is where the story gets strange. The “boarding” started for our Malaysian Airlines flight. We walk out the boarding door onto the tarmac level and got put onto a bus. Bear in mind it’s the middle of the night and we had already been flying for five hours. They drove us along the tarmac way out into the fields of the airport and pulled up at this little “one-gate” terminal building. Our airplane was parked at it and all the normal service vehicles were scurrying around it. We walked into the the building at the ground level and trudge up the ramp, which accounts for the entire building, up to the airplane walkway thing. We boarded and it started to feel like a normal flight. It was so weird though. We were already really whacked out and then we rode a bus into the fields of LAX to an airplane parked at a tiny little building? I wish there was a function to get incredulity written into these words. If I was a conspiracy theorist I would start thinking they were loading the plane with weird, secret stuff and wanted to do it way far away from the normal planes or something.

So we settled in for the fifteen hour flight and Emily and I both pretty much just zonk out. I woke up as the steward was serving a meal. He kindly asked me which choice I’d like and I just stared up at him in a daze not comprehending what was happening or what I should do. After waiting a moment he moved on and I went back to sleep without a meal. Emily never even stirred. And then, the turbulence. Oi vei it was the worst turbulence I’ve ever experienced on a flight. It would come on and the captain would hastily squawk over the PA for the “cabin crew to be seated” and then the plane would start doing crazy stuff. It felt like we were diving sometimes and other times like we were being pushed back and forth by giants. At one point Emily and I heard something crash in the galley. And it would only stop for a little bit and then come on again. It seemed to go on like that forever and I became glad I hadn’t eaten dinner. Nausea with an empty stomach is better than with a full one right. During the turbulence it also got extremely warm in the plane. I would be all bundled up in my blanket and hat and sweatshirt and then shed them all during those bouts of craziness. Finally, it let up and Emily and I were able to enjoy the next meal and a few movies before landing at TPE.

Our friend, Wally, was so kind to pick us up. He drove Emily to her school for her test (yes, Emily went to class for a test straight from over 20 hours of transport) and then took me to our apartment in Taipei. We were so grateful.

Now? Now we have to deal with jet lag and homework before classes on Tuesday. It’s good to be home.

One of our roommates, Phil, recently went to Hong Kong on a visa run. While there he met a Hong Kongese dude named Jacky. Jacky showed Phil a good time and took him around and stuff. Earlier this week Jacky called Phil and told him, “hey, I’m coming to Taiwan for the weekend.” So Thursday night Jacky showed up at our house and Phil has been taking him out and showing him around Taipei with Jacky sleeping on our couch in between.

Earlier this evening Jacky cooked us dinner…he used to be a chef, but the head chef in the posh restaurant he worked at didn’t allow the use of any machines – so Jacky hurt his arm whisking egg whites all day, every day…now he works at some internet company or something (actually I’m not exactly sure). So anyways it wasn’t only us at dinner. Phil invited this girl he’s been out with a few times. Jacky invited this other Taiwanese girl he had met in Hong Kong (him being the out-going, fun-loving guy he is) and she brought along her sister. Plus, Jacky invited these three South African guys he had also met and shown good times to in Hong Kong, but who live here in Taiwan. Rachel, our friend, also happened to be here this evening as well.

So now the scene is set. A Hong Kongese guy, who happens to be here at our house for the weekend and used to be a professional chef is cooking dinner for us: an American couple (Emily and I), Rachel our American friend, Phil our American roommate, three Taiwanese girls, and three South African guys here at our house in Taipei. He cooked us Foie Gras on top of vinegar-pickled apple slices as the main course alongside a Greek salad. Next came scallops and sea bass covered in garlic mayonnaise sauce, followed by pasta with white sauce and bacon. And lastly, eaten slowly and with savor, a cheese platter of bleu, brie, and camenbert cheeses eaten on top of slightly fried french bread slices. Can anyone say yum?

I wasn’t sure how I’d like duck liver but now I have to say I have drank the cool-aid and am a big Foie Gras fan. Thank you Jacky!

What a great life it is to be a foreigner. Where else do I get to be a minority and reap the benefits of minority fellowship with a whole bunch of other foreigners displaced and in need of community?