In between we'd managed to finish off all sorts of odds and ends at work as well as beginning to shut down our lives here for a couple of months, including getting various supplies in for the cats, and organizing carers, and rents, and money, and cars, and .... !
On top of all this, of course, are the ubiquitous farewell dinners, drinks, get-togethers and gatherings. One such we attended on Sunday afternoon when we were invited to the precipitous slopes above Damshui to my long time colleague Annie's house for a farewell BBQ. Coincidentally, her husband Jim has been retired for 13 years and Cass actually replaced him in his middle school English position. Annie has worked at the school for more than 25 years, so she is a real veteran, despite the fact she's only 55. She has decided that she wants to get out and travel the world a bit while Jim is still capable of doing it!
Anyway, they are perched on the top of the mountain overlooking the river and ocean and are in the top floor apartment of a ten storey building, so the views were not for the vertigo sufferer or the faint of heart! We had a convivial time, enjoyed their pita pockets and BBQ chicken skewers and patties and some falafel for Cass. We wandered down the hill afterwards to walk off our big dinner before travelling back on the MRT.
I'd been kept up to date by Wal during the leadup and aftermath of the delivery, and despite some concerns for baby Logan regarding possible infections and a bit of a battering which he sustained in the long labour and ultimate "removal", all signs are pointing to a full recovery for him. Annie has also survived fairly much intact even though she suffered through a very protracted and awkard delivery. Wal's quote to me on the phone sums it up in classic Aussie understatement: "It wasn't pretty, Dave!"
We were honoured to be the first visitors to visit apart from Annie's family so we scootered up to Veteran's General Hospital on Monday evening after an early tea. We'd told them to only invite us when they felt they were ready, but I suspect they wanted to have a chat with someone for an hour or two, so they invited us over. We were there in visiting time for the baby so, as you can see with the photo above, we were able to hold one day old Logan after "gowning up". He's a cute little champion and because he is just so new, all his features are just that much more delicate. Looks are a little deceiving, however, as he wriggled and squirmed with some strength which surprised both of us.
It's interesting to track some of the peculiarly Taiwanese customs regarding newborns and their parents. Unlike back home, it's common practice to stay in hospital for at least three days, even if everything is absolutely fine. Afterwards, many parents elect to book in to a "baby hotel", usually for a further 3-4 weeks. These establishments are fully staffed with teams of nurses who care for the babies and gives the mums and dads time to adjust to being parents. They bring the babies to you for as much time or as little as you want/need, and assist the new parents with establishing feeding routines, getting habits formed and generally being 24 hour supports. The accommodation is for both parents(as well as food for Annie) and is much like a generous hotel room. The whole thing sounds like such a great idea to us (and Wal and Annie!)
Annie is already being fed "new mother super foods", following Chinese traditions where foods are specially selected for health recovery for mothers and able to optimize the health benefits of feeding for the babies. Another quirky custom Annie told us last night: apparently most babies have their heads shaved after a month or two and the hair is made into a calligraphy brush! No, I don't know why!
So, we've had all sorts of excitement in our final week here before summer break. School is in its mad final flurry, we're checking off lists of jobs to do, and now, eagerly awaiting boarding various planes to wing our way back to Australia. For my tiny crew of faithful readers, the blog will be in limbo for a few months, but there will be more Taipei Life from early August onwards. Photos: New chairs, catchup with old mate Trev back from NZ for a few week's holiday, and shots of the proud parents and trepidatious visitors with a tiny Logan. See ya!