The last week-end in the real world!

Sunday's Australian National Day party was as expected...great fun, great food, great wine, and great friends. It was so great we retired to the ACC (American Club in China) to continue the party. We lasted until the Australian open was done...we were more than done, and Monday morning was a VERY quiet morning at the Ks.

Monday afternoon C and I went down town to the fabric market (so many choices, so little time). I chose 3 yards of pink and lime silk brocade as a table covering for my dorm room. We walked up to the 3rd floor to find a seamstress who would hem it...for US$3.00. We then walked through Di Hua street, a very famous street in Taiwan but especially so for the Chinese New Year holiday. Hectic, pushy, crowded and fun...

Tuesday morning I headed back to the Immigration office to pick up my Alien Residence card. "Please sign here, and write your phone number next to it." Another TM...Taiwan moment...you can't get a phone until you get your ARC. Luckily, I was able to write down the Ks' number!

I went on to the Fulbright office to pick up my monthly "pay check" and get my ticket money for the Hong Kong seminar. 3 other Fulbrighters were there, including one who had arrived that very morning. The office is very helpful, and the FF folks are very friendly. Dr. Chen, who just took over as head of the TW Foundation, gave me three names and three cards for people he knows here at YZU. I will get in touch with them and give them his personal regards when school starts. He told me YZU is one of the top private colleges in Taiwan.

I went to the travel agent to pay for the HK ticket...US$30 in taxi fare today...but worth it all for all the things I got checked off of my list. I started consolidating and moving the piles of dormitory "stuff," as Wednesday is move in day. And now the real story begins...

Just a note...C has asked that I not post any names or pictures of her family. It is for their protection that I will only be using initials when I speak of them in my blog. That is also why some of the pictures were taken off of the website.