Griffith University

griffith
Originally uploaded by Sala.

I GOT IN!
I'll be home in December and then I'll be heading to Australia for my Masters in Teaching. Lookout Oz here I come! Can you tell I'm excited?

Check out the web page: http://www.gu.edu.au/

John and Zuz and Baby Ben

John and Zuz and Baby
Originally uploaded by Sala.

Well Katie finally had her baby, 2 weeks over due and a C-section later, I now have a little baby cousin. Ben was born on Tuesday Sept 22,04 at 1PM, weighing 9 lbs and 13 oz.
Uncle John and Aunt Zuzanna are thrilled, of course, and Daddy Fancis Ive been told is doing fine with his new dutties of fatherhood.
Katie is doing great too, happy to not be pregrant anymore Im sure.
I just wish I could have been there. I cant wait to meet the little man.

Katie and Baby Ben

Katie and Baby
Originally uploaded by Sala.

EltonJ

EltonJ
Originally uploaded by Sala.

Well Jordan and I went to the Elton John concert this week. It was a blast, mind you in was in an outdoor stadium and it was on and off pouring the whole night. Plus the stadium is right by the domestic airport so every few minutes a plane would fly over us. But one time the plane flew by at the most perfect time. Right when Elton belted out the words “Rocket Man” a plane thundered by. Everyone including Elton laughed while he tried to continue singing with a smile on his face. For an old guy he still has the magic on stage. His voice sounds just like his cd’s. He sang a lot of songs I didn’t know but at least he sang my favourite as an encore, your song.

John

John
Originally uploaded by Sala.

When Elton landed in Taipei at midnight he was swarmed by the Taiwanese media with cameras and microphones. He swore at them and called them "vile pigs". It was a nice entrance to say the least. At the concert he brought up the incident saying that his outburst at the airport was not directed at the Taiwanese people. He explained that they had been very wonderful and helpful but the Taiwanese media was the rudest group of people he had encountered in 60 countries and that they are a disgrace to Taiwan. He went on to say he meant every foul word he had shouted at them, and the Taiwanese people should not put up with this.
I must say with my experience with the media and all the footage you see on the news, they are crazy, drama hungry and rude. I’m glad Elton said something, maybe now they will chill out a bit!

Bomb threat?

Okay so here's a strange thing. This afternoon at 2pm a HUGE siren went off all over Taipei. Everyone has to stay inside and not go out on the street for 30 minutes. There are cops all over the roads pulling over cars and making them wait on the side of the road and getting people to go inside. I doesn't matter where but you must be indoors. The siren was deafening. This is taken very seriously. But its all just for practice! Just in case someone, I wont say who "cough, CHINA, cough" wants to bomb us one day we are prepared on what to do. Run indoors, and stop your car in the middle of the street.

This is only the second time in my almost 3 years here, this has ever happened. Its so strange to get a knock of reality in this black hole of time called Taiwan. I mean the thought that the Taiwanese people have been going through these bomb practices for their whole lives, always preparing for the possibility, its crazy.

Another weird and wonderful thing in Taiwan. Even a mundane day has a spark of excitement...And a really loud siren!

Welcome!

Well to start off: Welcome! This will now be my email, blog, pictures, keeping you up-to-date, life info page.
Hopfully I'll be able to keep this going and I wont fall behind.
Let's see if I can catch you up to date as it is. I am still suffering in Taipei working hard all the time :) But I am also waiting for the results of my application for my masters. Hopefully if this goes through I will be home for Christmas and then off to the land of Oz by January. But we'll just have to wait and see.
Taipei has been hit my Typhoons lately. Nothing too big since our last one, but none the less lots of rain! Today its actually a nice hot sunny day. The first one in a long time.
This week Jordan and I went to go and see the Elton John concert. All the advertisments all over the city said Wednesday September 15. So we treked on up to the outdoor statium and waited....and waited...until i gave in and finally looked at the tickets. Yep I had the wrong day. I guess Elton had other plans and couldnt make it. So we have to hold in our excitement -wink, wink- for another week.
This weekend should be pretty calm with dinner and a house party in the plans. Tis all for now.....

Jordan and Me

Jordan and Me
Originally uploaded by Sala.

sunset downtown

sunset downtown
Originally uploaded by Sala.

downtown right at my work. Some sunsets in the city are beautiful because of all the smog!

mrt downtown

mrt downtown
Originally uploaded by Sala.

A couple of blocks from my house. Right downtown in the thick of it all.

Pictures

The pictures are old, but they are of important people to me here in Taiwan. I just wanted to put them here so you knew who I was talking about in my messages.

The vacation

The vacation
Originally uploaded by Sala.

Laura, Faye and I having fun in Thailand. The best travel buddies.

The Taipei Girls

The Taipei Girls
Originally uploaded by Sala.

True Friends. Sarah Mac, me, Tory and Faye.

CKS

CKS
Originally uploaded by Sala.

This is one of my fav places in Taipei. Its so beautiful at night. A huge park with ponds and goldfish to feed.