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.

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?

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.

Dog Diva

You know your shoe existence is getting bad when the only person getting new shoes in your house.....is the dog. After our fifth visit to IKEA to buy my new desk, Dave's new desk, shelving for the roof top study and more wine glasses (we only bought two with us because we always break them), we stumbled across a pet section in IKEA here! Yes, they luuurrrvvvveee their animals in Taipei.

Gucci is now the proud owner of a fancy pink boot, straight out of the 60's:



.....and a sports shoe (not sure what this is reminiscent of):



Not only does she have new shoes, but Gucci gets to go to the dog spa once a week for a full grooming. The only problem is, the lovely Taiwanese women who groom her have a little problem with the big, black, slobbery female Labrador who does not look like a girl. The solution?





I don't think I have laughed so hard in a very long time. This is the dog who runs up the Yangmingshan mountains and rolls in the mud on a daily basis. Gorgeous!

Expat Rant

So.....my hard drive is out of commission (mother board needs replacing - sounds like something out of Star Trek to me), one shipment is off to Aotearoa this week, one to Taiwan next week, moving out of the house, starting a new job.........ye gods! This is beginning to sound like an expat rant!

I do have the following things to blog about:
new jewellry (gorgeous!)
new dresses (yes, it is the season of the dress and Shoe Diva has embraced it with open arms)
new shoes (oh so adorable patent peep toes and platforms that will make your calves quiver)

But alas, not today. Still figuring out how best to get my photo's from my comp. to Fungus' laptop.

Never fear, I will be back. Just waiting for the mother board to pick me up and beam me out of technophobe land.

Teaching in Tondo

Some of you know that I am a teacher. Some of you think I am just an expat with too many shoes and too much time on her hands. Come August, after my illustrious year of sabbatical, I go back to the international classroom in Taiwan.

However, despite swearing off teaching FOREVER after leaving Malaysia, I discovered that the Australia New Zealand Association here in Manila was in need of volunteers to teach street children in the worst slum in this city - Tondo. After visiting with the children one day, I was hooked and volunteered my time to help some of the older students.

Many of my students do attend school. They always bathe before we have class. They are happy, cheerful and so enthusiastic to learn. All of this yet they live just above the poverty line every day of their lives. The difference with these students is that they really see education as a way of getting out of the poverty cycle and that is what inspires me to work with them every week.

My students range from ages 20 - 13. They want to improve their English so they have a better chance at jobs where good spoken English is a prerequisite. An example of this is getting work in a department store, grocery store or even their local Seven-Eleven. Many would love to be a barista in a coffee shop like Starbucks but for that, in the Philippines, you must be a college graduate!

Some days, like last week, only seven students may show up. Other days I will have twenty students in attendance. But despite numbers, I diligently plan something which will target their spoken English in the same way I would teach a class of privileged international students. I buy all the felt tip markers, pencils, pens, glue sticks, folders and paper that they will need. I spend hours cutting out things for interactive team work, I adapt activities to relate to the kinds of lives my students survive every day. That can be the hardest part for me sometimes and I have had lessons fall flat as I realise that my students have absolutely no idea what I am talking about.

Every day of lessons, we start with a recap of what we did last week. We go over new vocabulary we will encounter. We begin each lesson with a prayer as all my students are devout Roman Catholics who view religion as the cornerstone of their lives.

After we work, I always make sure I bring 'merienda' with me and then we share afternoon tea - drinks, biscuits, savoury snacks and fresh fruit. I always buy for about 40 students as some of the children who turn up usually only eat once a day and I like to think that they can take something home with them.

An amazing 'Sisters for Charity' orphanange are kind enough to let me use an area of their premises to teach the students - in that way, the children are safe. Given the reputation of Paroso and Tondo, it also means that I am safe too.

Following are some photos of my 'classroom', teaching technology, the students themselves and views just outside of the orphanage. Just for something a little different from shoes..........

Club MWAH!

Picture the scene if you will:

The theme is 'Brazil'.
There is an open bar.
Girls love a theme.
We are at a "trans-gender" bar and cabaret show in the heart of Metro Manila.


CARNAGE.


Enjoy.....