Home

I got to spend 36 hours at home. Lucky me. It wasn't enough time to do everything I wanted. But I did get to see a few friends (and a few babies) outside of running a dozen errands.

I miss everyone at home - perhaps because I know I'll be a long time gone this time.

I also miss some of the food. I had my fill of some things you just can't get in Taipei. Geoff and I overdid it on the bagels in Toronto - I think I had 7 bagels within a 24 hour period. I'm bagelled out now. We also went to Whole Foods in Greenlake for the Build Your Own Sandwiches.
Whole Foods Market
Roosevelt Square
1026 NE 64th St
Seattle, WA USA

This is Geoff's choosing: eggplant, basil, grilled peppers, tomato, red onions, grilled chicken, smoked mozzarella on sourdough with a sun dried tomato spread. Almost as good as my focaccia with hummus, tomatoes, mixed greens, grilled onions, fresh basil, fresh mozzarella, and tomatoes.




We also went to Northlake Tavern, where the pizzas are loaded with so many toppings that a Large can weigh 6 pounds! Geoff wanted a good beer and I decided it was time to be gluttonous - American style! We stuffed ourselves silly with 4 kinds of pizzas.
Northlake Tavern
660 NE Northlake Way
Seattle, WA 98105
(206) 633-5317



I also had time to go to Chocolati's to pick up some of my favorite chocolates - I like going to the warehouse store on Aurora because the woman that works there is always nice to chat with. But you can also go to the Main Library downtown, the newer location in Wallingford (near the QFC) and the old location just north of Green Lake. Thanks to Amy and Matt for introducing these chocolates to me many birthdays ago. My favorite flavors are the Cinnamon Aztec and the Mint Espresso Dome.

Chocolati
7708 Aurora Ave N
Seattle, Washington 98103
(206) 784-5212
Note: The storefront is easy to miss - it's just south of Than Brothers Pho, which has excellent Pho and free cream puffs.

I also had a good Indian lunch at Mayuri. They have a nice spread for a buffet lunch - though I prefer the dinners where you can get both North Indian and South Indian dishes.

Mayuri
15400 NE 20th St. #6
Bellevue, WA 98007
425.641.4442
Note: Next door to a Trader Joe's. Don't confuse this Mayuri with the other Mayuri locations that are a grocery store and a video store in another part of the Eastside.

Karla with Atticus who is looking much more like Peter these days. Missing: picture of Natalie with Sonja and Mike - thank you Kellens for storing my stuff! And to Emery for also taking care of some of my things.

Thanks Mia for driving down from Canada!

Angie next to Nikolas, who fell asleep in my arms

Tucker and Angie - Thank you Angie for storing my stuff and driving it all the way down to Seattle




And Thanks to all the Trouts who made it out on such short notice - it was great to see all of you.



And big THANKS to Amanda and Frenchy for housing us, lending me their car, and playing foosball and DDR with me. I hope you both make it to Taiwan!

Meandering

I'm in Toronto now. Long story, but got a free flight and took advantage of it. I spent the day yesterday meandering around the city, seeing Kensington Market, walking up and down Spadina Ave through Chinatown, seeing Queen Street W (a lot like Robson in Vancouver), and then up Yonge. Some of the sidewalks are still covered with ice from last week's snowfall. It is bitterly cold and I wish I had a decent hat. However, it is nice to feel crisp air and see snow covered ground again. It's been a long time.



With such short notice, I've been trying to think of all the things I need to cram into this short North American trip. One thing is food - fresh vegetables, yogurt, real bread. But when it came down to it, I spotted a dumpling house in Chinatown and made a beeline for it for lunch. I guess I really am meant to be in Taiwan. I also bought some chestnuts and cooked them last night. My dad always cooked them growing up so I didn't really know what I was doing. I boiled them for 5 minutes and had a taste - definitely not done yet. I left them on for about an hour and then they seemed closer to how my dad prepares them. Delicious along with good memories of home.

Today, Geoff flew in and we spent some time with a good friend of his, Kim. Talking to her was like looking three years into my future. She spent several years in Taiwan, moving there to play (like me), teaching English, before deciding to pursue an Education degree and teach back home. She talked about the challenges of moving back after so many years abroad and her career change decision. Listening, it felt like I could be in the same boat a few years from now. Not to say that I will for sure, but it's one of those paths that is still wide open.

I've been staying at Noah's place - which is a pretty sweet pad with a view of a park across the street. One of his good friend's picked me up at the airport, along with his wife and their dog. He mentioned thinking NA was all the same - but I find it very different from Seattle. Everything is much more spaced out here - streets, sidewalks, buildings. I like the cozy feeling of Seattle - a more residential feel.

Today, another one of his close friends, Cathy, picked us up at a station to drive over to Riverdale Park to play some ultimate. I had fun picking up with the team. However, I was expecting indoor ultimate in the 0 degree weather. Instead it was outdoor! Luckily, Cathy came prepared and brought me all sorts of warm clothes AND cleats. It was all going well until the sun started to set. Then it was right in my eyes and I started to get a migraine. I'd already gotten one earlier this year at CalStates, playing with Gretchen. It wasn't as bad - I couldn't tell if it was just normal sun glare making my vision go or something more serious. I played it safe and rested in Cathy's car the rest of the game (it was 10-4 when I left, and 14-5 when she came back).

Anywho, I slept off the migraine (which didn't go full blown) and so after that 5 hour nap find myself wide awake at 2 am.