And you think I love shoes.....

I have made some wonderful friends here in Taiwan. However, when we left the Philippines, I often wondered if my new friends would know me like the ones I left behind.

I received the following photo's from a new, wonderful friend last week. I felt all warm and fuzzy because I knew she really knew what I was into - shoes!

So, for those of you who know me, you think I love shoes? Well, obviously not as much as the following shoe owners.

Enjoy or just wince in pain:







Friends who know how much you love shoes? Irreplaceable!

Three Beautiful Things

I have not written a single post since January. Since moving to Taiwan in July 2007, I have had countless shoes to blog about. There is a great shop called "Big Shoe" which does shoes my size not to mention that Marks and Sparks does great boots which also fit!

So, tonight, with time on my hands for the first time in months, I decided to revisit some of my favourite blog sites. Of all of these, the one that continually warms my heart is Three Beautfiul Things.

Visit the writer at http://threebeautifulthings.blogspot.com/ and like me, you will think of the three beautiful things for the day:

1. The feeling of coming home from the gym to a clean house, courtesy of my amazing amah.

2. Walking the dog at dusk and watching her tail wag everytime she sniffs something new.

3. A cold, crisp glass of NZ Sauvignon Blanc while I watch the sun set.

Year of the Shoe

February 7 will bring in the new Chinese New Year.

In Taipei, this is an incredible sight to behold. More on that later - tomorrow we take 200 Grade Six students to Di Hua Street which is a veritable 'Year of the Rat' treasure chest prior to the Lunar New Year.

However, after searching a number of CNY superstitions on the internet, I finally discovered the reason NOT to celebrate this Chinese tradition:

"Make sure you avoid rough seas in the new year by not buying shoes over the holiday period. In Cantonese, shoes are a homonym for 'rough'."

Hmmm.....makes absolutely no sense to me!

Liked this one much more:

"The celebration actually starts on New Year's Eve with the reunion dinner. By New Year’s Eve, you should have done the following:

Buy the following:

- a new set of clothes and shoes for children, preferably something red or orange.

While I am still loving the shoe boot trend (not quite a shoe, nearly a boot) I think these would do the trick:



Gong Xi Fa Cai!

Shoes.....on your Christmas tree?

I have been meaning to post these two little beauties for quite some time.....





Yes, a great friend of mine found these in a store here in Taipei. She took me back there and I bought a plethora (love that word!) more but these two definitely summed up a Shoe Diva's Christmas!

DogsHead Dog

Yes, I have a dog.

A big dog.

A big, black, hair-shedding, energetic, lovely Labrador.

With extreme energy levels in this new temperate climate.

Allow me to take you on my dog's favourite walk here in Taipei. Funnily enough, it is called DogsHead.

We leave the apartment - that's me, fifth floor. Did I mention......no elevator?



We wind our way through dwellings and alley ways to hit the base of the trail:





The stairs begin.....



And the photo's say the rest.....







Needless to say, my dog loves Dogshead.

Yes, all of this, on our back doorstep.



Jealous?

And now we bring you.....seasons!

I had a sudden desire to post. Why? Well, for the last ten year, Fungus and I have lived on the equator or pretty darn close to it. Trust me, it is hard to remain eternally fashionable with sweat constantly running down your back.

Taipei, on the other hand, has seasons! It is unbelieveable! I can actually wear some of the things I drool over in English mags. As I sit here writing on my new lenovo X60 tablet (had to drop that in there - hah!) I am actually wearing jeans, slippers and a gorgeous new grey jumper from Banana Republic. And I am still a little chilly!

Watch closely - I plan to blog about all my new boots soon.....things are looking up!

Shoulda, woulda, coulda.....

When it comes to rugby, I've got all my bases covered. My Dad is from New Zealand and my Mum is from Fiji. I waited for this World Cup with bated breath. You see, I really love my rugby.

So much so, it has taken me this long to even contemplate posting about New Zealand's sudden and unexpected departure from their quest for the cup. Viva la France? You must be joking.

Yes, things got interesting. I lost my voice cheering for Fiji during their triumphant win over Wales. I had friends over to watch the English give it to the Aussies. We all woke up excitedly to watch the NZ-France match. I went back to bed with the heaviest of hearts. Gutted. That is all I can say.

So then, Fiji took on South Africa. What a game! Without a doubt, Fiji played tremendously and won the hearts of rugby lovers world wide. They definitely take my vote for team of the tournament.

Suddenly, they were all out. New Zealand - gone. Fiji - game over.

I took heart in the fact that England were in the final even though the whole time I was thinking, "How the f**k did England make it to the finals................again?" Luckily, just about every Englishman I know was thinking the exact same thing.

Now it's all over. Well done to South Africa. Lekker bro.

Maybe I should switch to watching soccer.




Nah. Still love my rugby. New Zealand - 2011. Go the Blacks!

Shoe Life Part 2

So.....I have a roof top as big as my apartment. Huge bonus here in Taipei as the roof is only for me and the dog - no sharing with other tenants.......all ours.

Bear in mind that this is still a work in progress. I have yet to purchase the plants and other trimmings to tame this concrete jungle. At the moment, it is still a lovely place to sit, sip wine and drink in the mountain views.

As you enter the door:



You should have seen the state this room was in when I moved in - it took about six hours in total to get the floor clean!





Roof top design (again, a work in progress):





The gecko wall - those who have visited me in Malaysia will recognise some familiar pieces:



But the best for last..........the view! At night, there are a trail of red Chinese lanterns winding all the way up which is a delight to see:




BBQ heaven - now, when exactly did you say you were arriving?

Shoe Life Part One

I realised today that I have been working overseas for ten years! Ten years! Sometimes I can't believe it myself. After all this time though, one thing remains true. In order to stay sane, you really need to make your home your haven.

Never did I learn that more than my time in the Philippines - yes, you really need a place where you can close your door, sigh and really feel like you are home.

Life in Taipei is certainly different than my previous expat life of big homes, swimming pools and an ample back yard. Taipei is all about apartment living. Fortunately, there are lots of green parks and river walkways for the dog to run along and clean, tree lined streets.

I currently live down a small alley, last apartment building, fifth floor.....no elevator. The view at the top is worth it. You'll see why if you revisit my blog and see Part 2. For now, let me introduce my new home, nay, haven here in the city that never seems to sleep.

When you arrive and get through the steel reinforced door which is typical of Taipei apartments, this is what you will see:



Allow me to continue - I am very proud of my vision for this previously tiled area and it was late one Sunday night that I laid the decking and organised this beautiful little space:



I even have a herb and chilli garden - yes, those are the Yangmingshan mountains in the backdrop!



The living room is straight off the front deck - one of the reasons I wanted the deck to be special, like an extension of the living room:




Walk through the opening on the left and you will find I even have space for a dining room for those roast dinners:



Go off to the right and this is my study - very white and grey I know, but I love it!



Off my study is Gucci's personal deck. Here she has a life changing 'Pet Loo" (has been a god send for apartment dwelling) and some newly installed wooden decking:



Go back out the door and enter my teeny tiny kitchen - compact but great fixtures:



I was told that it is a total coup to find a nicely finished kitchen with Western stove, dishwasher and microwave - got them all!



Cross back through the dining room and living room and you will find the room you will stay in, if any of you trek this way for a visit:




Your bathroom for the duration of your stay:



These are not the best shots of my HUGE bedroom but it will give you an idea of my sleeping space:




Herein ends the tour of our new Taipei haven. Stay tuned for Part 2 - the rooftop and my spectacular views! Thanks for dropping by for a visit......here's hoping I can show you this in real time in the very near future.