Sportsday at Mingdao (Future Heir) Bilingual School - Taichung, Dec 2009

What will surely end up being the coldest of 2009 was the day selected for Ailey's shool sportsday. Really not all that cold with the temp in the low 50s but unusual and unexpected for Taiwan. The humidity, still coming in around 60-80%, is the real issue - the damp cold just seeps through everything, which is easy since there is no heating.

Teacher Amy gives the kids a pep talk.






The "Hawai'ian" Team


The "Korean" Team


Team "Chinese Dragon"


The "Spanish" Team. Fantastic stereotyping today with this team dressed at matadors. I've spared you the image of Team "Africa" with blackface...




The "Scuba" Team



















The "Rocker" team


Santa presided over the festivities.


Bullhorns and Leis


Some of Ailey's classmates


The "Spanish" team


The "Korea" team


Ailey's English class teachers, Jenny and Scott (with kids from her English class)




Team "Surfs Up" enters the stadium.






The glorious banner of Team "Surfs Up"




Team photos










The Big Race. Ailey got a bit of a lurchy start (everyone else false started according to her) but she caught up with 'em in the end.

A Holiday Card Retrospective...

2009























2008

2007

2006

2005

2004























2003

If anyone has the two missing cards, please scan and email them to me so I can include...

Miscellaneous activities - Taichung, November/December 2009

Homemade Spa Treatment


























Docter Johnson - a sign of what lies ahead? Maybe not, her handwriting is too legible.

















JinJu NaiCai or "pearl milk tea" but more affectionately titled "pollywog tea" due to the color and texture of the pearls. This stuff rocks regardless of what you call it!























Ailey's new bike, perhaps purchased more on color than anything else. Still a little big for her, we're borrowing a neighbors smaller bike while she gets her cycle legs back (its been perhaps a year since she last rode).


Ailey practicing her Chinese. A subtle little subliminal message is included...can you find it?









We recently hosted a housewarming party that quickly spiraled into the depths of debauchery...yes, whipping cream straight from the can. The horror, the horror...













Spent a day at the Formosan Aboriginal Culture Village with Ailey and her friend Portia. Prety cool place where you can explore the history and culture of Taiwan's indigenous tribes (polynesian) and enjoy some crazy rides at the amusement park.


Ailey and Portia in the gondola.

Ailey misbehaved while we were there and got a 5 minute time out.


Mihwa's was 20 minutes as she clearly needed an "attitude adjustment".




Interesting wood carvings from some old support beams.

Taichung - November 2009

Mingdao school is having the kids memorize a story and perform it as part of a school wide competition. These pictures and video is from round one. Ailey was the only kid that didnt bring props or a costume. If it were a Chinese speaking competition, we'd put a little more effort into it...

Phuket, Thailand - October 2009



Ailey discovers self portraits...




Amazing sunsets...




A panoramic shot worth clicking to enlarge.


Ailey ate ribs for lunch 5 days in a row, topping the old record of 4 set by her cousin Alex in 2002.




A little tennis action. Throwing balls to Ailey for half the time, trying to return balls to Mihwa without getting scolded the other half.


big mudbugs.


Outside Lotus restaurant, the hawkers sell makeshift hot air balloons which makes for a pretty sight as multitudes of them drift up into the night sky.



The waterslide NEVER gets old...




Ailey did batik every day, culminating in this monstrous masterpiece which we hope to frame and prominently display in our apartment if we can convince Ailey not to use it as a sarong. She spent at least 3 hours every day working very cautiously and intently on her batik and really started to master the fade and shadowing.








The tuktuk ride home from Lotus, always a fun trip.








Lots of fresh fruit - coconut, mango, long-an, Singha, etc...




Ailey represents her grandpa's Cardinals in the pool.


Unfortunately, Ailey picked up a hitch hiker on our way out of Thailand and ended up spending 4 days in the hospital back home to cure her of what presently appears to be salmonella poisoning. She was a trooper through it all though, recovered quickly and was even asking to do her homework after teacher Amy and teacher Jenny came to visit.






Homework with an IV in your writing hand is no fun.



Removing the IV...