Ivo at the Taipei Zoo

I have to admit - we had impossibly high expectations about how great the zoo would be. Due to the heat, we had counted on taking it slow and easy - figuring on many rest stops, ice-creams, drinks and lengthy stays within each of the indoor exhibition halls. We planned to get familiar with the gift shop - buying souvenirs including, but not limited to, t-shirts and toys.

Well, the zoo is only half open on Mondays. Only one indoor exhibition hall was open, the nocturnal animal house, who, despite the signs saying their schedules are "artificially inverted" mostly slept. This inverted day/night proclamation was extra ridiculous because while we humans were made to walk through dark hallways - the animals' habitats were well-lit. Just whose schedule was inverted?

None of the gift shops was open. People were visible within, presumably doing accounting work...something seated, anyway. Half of the concessions were open. I got the definite impression that this Monday closure thing was a surprise to most of the Taiwanese too, seeing families eagerly approach glass doors offering clear, well-lit views of the bounty within, only to have access denied when trying the doors.

Kevin mentioned to someone who had approached him to chat our surprise and disappointment. He opined that this info ought to be on the otherwise excellent website ("open all year except on Chinese New Year's Eve") only to be chastised that "everyone knows the zoo is like this on Mondays" and furthermore, he should have asked his Taiwanese friends. All three of us mentioned to a combined total of hundreds (mostly students, but still...) of Taiwanese people that we were going to the zoo - and none of us heard peep about Mondays.

Bizarrely, we ran into friends from Chang Hua and their two daughters. They were letting their kids run off energy having spent the morning at AIT renewing their elder daughter's passport. Both Kaia and Ivo were wilted and limp by this time. When I said how we would have lasted longer if the indoor stuff was open, the husband said, "what, you're not getting your 60nt worth?" It wasn't really cute. Yea, the zoo entrance is a bargain - but had we known Monday was "half-assed day" at the zoo, we would chosen another day to come up on the bus and stay in a hotel... I'm not quite sure why - maybe just crankiness - but I wanted to punch him in the face.

Ivo's expecting a sibling

We've just started talking about it. Baby coming 2/22. Starting to feel more real... And Ivo isn't in the know, yet.

Ivo at the end of August

It's ten to 8am, Thursday, August 31st. Ivo and I are up - a little early for him - but seems to be becoming normal for me. All summer, I've been waking up around 5am - usually sleeping another hour or so from 7-8/9. This am, I read, I computered, I read, I gave up and got up. We use ac - so it's not a matter of discomfort. There's the trip to the bathroom and the nursing and the sunrising...

It's been a great August. Jam packed with fun stuff. We are not sad, tho, to be inching closer to cooler weather - even if September is probably not gonna be much relief... It's still September!

So here's a brief recap of our last week.

Saturday - went to gym and Soho street, park. The highlight was holding Ivo who hugged both Ryan and me - each with one arm, pushing on us together, all of us hugging...It was so cute sweet and fun!

Sunday - we had a great time playing and swimming at the gym with Dylan, Heather and Ciro. Then we came home and packed for our trip to Taipei, featuring the zoo. We took the bus up with Kevin and Kaia. The traffic was horrible and we were so glad we weren't driving! The hotel was fun and we ate Burger King - which is a special treat - otherwise occuring only at airports...

More on the zoo next. Here are some shots of Ivo and Dylan in the locker room, pre-swim. They were both quite interested in shutting all locker doors - even those only slightly ajar. They hadn't seen each other for weeks and when they did - began screaming at each other in glee.

Ivo on the 10 quay rides

The first 2 pics are self explanatory. The last one is Ivo riding and singing "e i e i o" - It's one of his favorite songs. He also sings teletubbies, twinkle and some stuff he makes up.

Ivo's parents

Soon enough, Ivo will save us from having to take photos of ourselves... but until then this is what we've got!

Ivo shows his fangs

2 things to point out in this shot.

1. Ivo knew his pic was being taken and this is the face he made. Does he think this is a smile? In any event, this is the first time he's ever posed!

2. If you look closely you can see Ivo's upper incisors cuttings thru - especially on his left side. Ouch!

Ivo rejects turkey rice dinner

It's almost as if he knows about tryptophan... He wouldn't eat anything but the pickled bright yellow radish and plain white rice. Ou original dumpling dinner destination was closed so we (finally) tried the turkey rice place on Jian Ming and Bo Guan. It was good! I haven't had turkey since thanksgiving in high school or something... I'm not sure... But, for you vegetarians out there - it's way different from chicken! I had no idea!

They also serve fried eggs - alas, they weren't turkey eggs...

Ivo effected and ahead of the curve

Here are a couple doctored Ivo at the computer shots plus the original. Imagine how cool it would look if the two bw pics were facing eachother... I couldn't make that happen today... so enjoy it otherwise!

Ivo and I had a great day yesterday. Had breakfast withSho and Brendan at a coffee shop just behind chung ming elementary - The menu has changed since I was last there - but it was great! Fresh juice for only 20nt! We had a plate with scrambled eggs, french toast, hotdog (!), piece of roasted pork, side of fruit salad for only 75nt - it was so yummy... I don't know if it's cool to start going there everyday... Well, i think I know it's not cool - and that I'll eat there til I can't stand the sight/smell of it... I tend to do that with the food I like here...

Today is my first day of vacation - I'm off til 4 Sept!!! Yippee!!!

Ivo in mid-air slight effects

This is another semi-doctored pic... Ivo jumping off short bamboo stool inot papa's arms!

things ivo does as of recently, fake sneeze, command people over chinese-style "lai, lai" and downward hand gesture, say "no no no" after he's done something unpopular - like drawing on the tatamis...

Ivo and me

I just discovered that Nero has a pretty fun picture viewer which lets you apply some basic effects...

I took this pic of Ivo and me yesterday 8/22.

Ivo at a swimming party

Yesterday. 20 August, Ivo attended Gwen's 4th birthday!!!! She had a pool party in Chang Hua at the pool we used to go to when we lived there - so it was a little like a reunion. The owner used to greet me as "Mrs. Xiao Jie" - but it's been years and she didn't recognize me.

Nate and Jessie threw a wonderful party - and it wasn't even crowded! Ivo loved it! He went under water several times - and while it wasn't his favorite - he didn't freak out or refuse to go back into the water. He kicks like crazy and giggles in gales.

Above is a story about a Taiwanese girl who has just been adopted by a family from Pennsylvania. It's got a sweet picture on the front page of today's China Post.

It's wonderful. And so great to be reminded that there are such big givers on a planet full of takers and have-nots...

In an unrelated story with parallels of adoption and Taiwan-US relations, Wang Chien Ming has announced that he will no longer give interviews to Taiwanese media of any kind either in Taiwan or in the States due to media harrassment of his family in Taiwan.

Ivo wonders about...

On Ivo's way back from Hong Kong, he sat by a white woman reading a book called "We Need to Talk about Kevin". The name struck us all as funny - almost coulda been, "There's something wrong with Kevin". We'd never heard of it - and were only interested in it for it's title. It looked and felt like some kind of memoir-y/advice book... Some almost-true account of raising a troubled or otherwise special-needy kid named Kevin. So now that we keep seeing the book translated into Chinese - I'm wondering what it's about. Turns out it fiction! Here's a review.

The author won the 2005 Orange Prize which is a British literary award given annually to a woman author. I still have no interest in reading the book - but am interested in the social and cultural implications of such a popular crossover. When I thought it was empathetic pop psychology, it seemed a little sickening to me. Now that I know it's fiction from the point of view of the mother of a teenage serial killer, it's a whole different kind of sickening.

Another couple points of interest. The author, Lionel Shriver, changed her name from Margaret Ann as a teenager - because "I thought I would prefer to be a boy." Upon completing her novel, she and her husband claim to have decided not to have children!

Ivo on 18 August

Today is Friday and Ivo and I are gearing up to run errands.

The hot days of summer have arrived - oppressing us andmaking us cranky.

We are hoping to go to the gym after errands - unusual for us not to go workout first... But that's the kind of day this is.

Tons of laundry to prepare and take in - thank goodness we don't have to wash/fold it ourselves... Something tells me Ivo wouldn't be good at that!

Last night, Ryan Ivo and I went to Caves to play and ate at Mos Burger - a japanese fast food chain with excellent hygiene and ac...

Ivo awaiting garbage and other fun stuff

These pics are from 10 Aug - Peter came to visit for the 2nd year in a row! We went to eat at a beer and seafood place on the corner called 8 drunken fairies. We had kung pao chicken, fried rice, and hong xiao tofu. All w/o seafood! The restaurant has a bunch of fish tanks out front with live prawns, turtles, eels, fish-i-don't-know-what-they-are, several kinds of snails... But, really good chicken!

I had a bit of trouble last night posting so if some pics are duplicated - sorry sorry - technical difficulties.

Also when I came to the honeybees site - it wasn't showing any post after 10 august... but earlier it had. I've tinkered around and have done all I can do for the moment.

We took the car to get tuned up in prep for the govt inspection this week. Hopefully, we'll be able to get it back this afternoon with nothing major needing repair. But since we are without car, Ivo and I will be taking a taxi to work! We're excited! We'll probably take one from work to the mechanics too - unless the mechanic comes to get us - which is quite possible.

There are 2 more weeks of summer school and then a week off before the fall semester. I really really wanna go to Kenting for a couple days and stay at a hotel with a pool! Rayne and Jessie recommended a place - but I can't find it online so I have to wait for more info from them...

Ivo and the dinosaurs

Last week, we went to the science museum and got a great deal on membership. This week, when asked if he wanted to see the dinosaurs, Ivo replied, "rrrrrrrroooar!"

Ivo at Caves Book Store

Just a quick couple of Ivo pics...
Ivo loves to go to Caves, read a few books and play with some kids. It's a great place to hang out in the ac.

Ivo on Thursday

Vintage Ivo - it's a pic from August 2005!

Back to the present, Ivo and I are sitting in the computer/play room - gearing up for our day.

The plan is to catch the garbage truck - anywhere from 11am -12:30pm - depending on weather and the volume of Taichung city crap. It's also recycling day - so it's a big one. Taiwan has a fairly strict garbage separation regiment - complete with heavy fines for infractions. It's a pain in the neck. And while I'm in favor of recycling, there are just tooooo many categories; plastic, metal, styrophoam, 2 kinds of paper, appliances, toys, wood. It's like you have to hand each separate piece of garbage to the attendent one by one... Food garbage is separately collected and fed to the nation's pigs. This didn't bother me so much when I was a vegetarian... but now it seems kinda gross. Also, some food waste like corn cob, isn't considered acceptable for the pigs. I don't know why - According to the movies, pigs can devour whole humans...

Anyway, it's August so garbage is grosser than usual. Everything is grosser in august!

After the big excitement of garbage - we're gonna go to Mitsukoshi to play and eat lunch before school. and most exciting, by the time we get home from work, Peter, from NB, alberta, halifax... will have arrived! Yay!

Yesterday, I was looking at a site, The Shape of a Mother, with a great message but... You know how it can be hard to put yr ideals/beliefs into practice/action? It's quite a bit more grim than the Dove ads that purport to show real women's bodies... Sure, right, very helpful... Well, the gap between pics on the mothers' bodies site and the dove ladies is huge and in this chasm I feel really nervous and anxious. I just had no idea skin could do what these mothers are showing... I find the pics and stories compelling but hardly empowering... Maybe these pics could be shown to girls to help them prioritize birth control...

Ivo Aug '06 chatter

Watch the video

Ivo parties...

Ivo, the reason, Ivo, that I've been titling, Ivo, all posts "ivo..." is because I'm sort of trying to, Ivo, get this blog to be in the top ten, Ivo, when you google "ivo" - I haven't checked for awhile - but if you search Blogger for "ivo" - we come up in the first few.

I wrote a paper on Blogs for a class I hated - Understanding Cultural Differences - with Dr. Louis C. D'Aquila. My research on blogs was interesting and fun - and probably out of date by now! But one thing I learned from the Handbook for Bloggers is to include yr subject in the first sentence and the title for better "searchability".

Ivo celebrates our anniversary

8/8 was also our aniversary. Our 8th together and 2nd married! Yay!

Ivo made us a cake.