January 23, 2009

• We're Here!

  Hi, guys! I'll post more later, and with pictures, but I just wanted to let you all know that Jack and I arrived safely. The flight couldn't have been more successful. Jack slept for about 11 hours of the 14-hour flight. It really helped that we had a whole row to ourselves. Jack sprawled out and could turn over in his sleep. He was just out like a light! When he was awake, he watched cartoons on the seatback TV screens and ate his special kids breakfast of pancakes, mini weiners and tater tots.  The flight was only about half full, so that was nice, too.

  I have to say that if you must fly 14 hours, an international airline is the way to go! I got two hot meals, including a Chinese breakfast of porridge with yummy shrimp, edamame and pickled vegetables. For dinner right after takeoff, I chose a chicken with rice dish, which also included steamed vegetables and a square of the best cheesecake ever (complete with a dusting of orange zest). Yum!

  Jack and I are loving it here, despite missing Johnny a lot. I'd say that Jack asks for his "baba" about every two hours. But, my parents' condo is awesome, filled with floor-to-ceiling windows that fascinate Jack, and we've already had lots of yummy food (including freshly baked egg custard tarts filled with sweet potato at the local KFC, of all places). I'll be sure to post more soon! For now I should shower and get ready for our day here.

  Oh, and another thing ... after a fun but tiring outing yesterday, running errands around Taipei, I have to say that I doubly appreciate all the childcentric amenities in the U.S. For example, very, very few restaurants and food courts here have high chairs, and getting around with a stroller is difficult, especially if you don't have a car and need to fold up the stroller to get into a cab. It's one thing if you do have your own car (then again, driving here is kind of worse than driving in Manhattan!), but quite another if you don't. And even when you're pushing around a child in a stroller, a lot of stores don't have ramps, they have stairs in front. I never think twice about just loading Jack and his gear into my car, and take it for granted that wherever we go, there will be ramps for the stroller, or an elevator, or (if it's a restaurant) high chairs. It's a great thing that my mom really knows where she's going, and that she's an extra set of hands to lug around all of Jack's stuff!  I'll also never complain again about the trek from our apartment complex parking spot up to our apartment.

  Have a good weekend, everyone!

  • 6:27 pm
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