The AIT

Whew! It has been difficult finding time to update the blog. Kai is keeping me pretty busy. For the first two days Kai was a quiet, non-fussy baby. You wouldn't know he needed a diaper change or was hungry or anything. However, last night he learned something: if he cries, he gets his way! So he has been crying all morning everytime he doesn't get his way. Believe it or not I was actually grateful to hear him wail in the middle of the night! The cycle of the baby experienceing a need, crying and then having his needs met in response to his cries, are essential components of the attachment cycle.

Yesterday was a big day. We stopped by Florida Bakery on Chung Shan N. Rd., Sec. 3 and got some pastries and croissants. Very good. I definitely recommend it if you are like me and just want a little something for breakfast. There is a Seven Eleven next door to it if you need some place to pick up bottled Coke or water. (beware the pastry items at 7-11 . . . I just picked up one that I thought looked like a Danish and it was some type of pork pastry).

Speaking of Taiwanese food, the steamed pork filled buns are SOOOO delicious. (are they dim sum?) If you see these round white buns in a bamboo steamer, get one, they are good. I am going to figure out how to make them when I get home.

After our bakery visit we took a cab to the AIT, America's non-embassy in Taiwan. We saw the big, blue signs with AIT and arrows pointing to its location so it easy to find. It would be easy to take the MRT. The Daan Park stop on the brown line is just a block or so up from the AIT. I will tell you more about the MRT in a moment. The AIT visit was easy. We were surprised that Kai already has a passport! It was an easy process. We will return today to pick up his visa. We will have an IR-3 visa so Kai will be an automatic citizen.

Taking the MRT is surprisingly easy. When you walk into a station you will see a bank of ticket machines with a fare map aove each one. The fare map shows the fare for each stop. A taiwanese lady was helpful in keeping us from adding the fare of each stop along the way to our destination. You simply look at the stop you are going to and the number on that stop is your fare for the one-way trip. It is usually between 20 to 25 NT. Then you put in the change to get your ticket. Run the ticket through the slots on the turnstiles with the green arrows (the red X's mean they are exit turnstiles). Then just follow the signs to the metros. The MRT is just like the metro in St. Louis.

Once you are on the train you can count the stops to your desitnation or just watch the screens over the doors which will show the stops written in English. You do not have to get a new ticket if you change MRT lines. Once you get to your destination you just run your ticket back through the turnstiles to exit. We are planning a trip up north using the MRT this afternoon and I will tell you all about it if it works out. It is a lot less expensive than a guided tour.

If you stay at the Grand Hotel there is shuttle that runs a loop every 20 minutes that includes a stop at Yuanshan MRT terminal. There is also a path from a hotel on the Northwest side of the hotel from the Jianten terminal.

After the AIT we took the MRT to the Chiang Kai Shek Memorial park and saw the stunning Chiang Kai Shek Memorial, the National Concert Hall and National Theatre. There is also a little garden area with a pond side walking path and Chinese style footbridge. The ponds have beautiful, brightly colored fish. Allison, there is a festival that is in the Chiang Kai Shek Memorial park next week, maybe you would like to check that out while you are here.

Kai is continuing to do well. He is getting attached and really loving being the center of attention.

Connie