currently: october edition

the life updates have been piling up as I've been working on other things - so here's a few paragraphs on what's been happening around here lately, and a few topics I've been pondering.

[and also, some old fall-ish photos. because I'm too lazy to shoot new ones today, and it's totally still summer weather in Taiwan.]

writing

while I've been infrequently blogging, I've still been writing every day. I'm not quite ready to publicly share details yet, but I've been working on a new project. over the summer I decided to put my travel memoir on hold. almost immediately after making that decision, I had what might be a brilliant idea for a fiction story. it's not really a genre I thought I would write in, but I am so intrigued by this idea that I'm just going to go with it and see where it takes me. I've been researching and reading classic literature of this genre, dreaming up plot points and character attributes, and trying to settle on the rules of my universe. it feels really good to be so excited about a project again.

staycationing

this weekend was a national holiday in Taiwan, which means Husband had a 4 day weekend. it also means that plane tickets leaving the country were way overpriced. SO we decided to book ourselves a staycation at a nice hotel downtown. though we got off to a rough start [forgetting to bring ID so we could check in, oops] we got sorted eventually and had a nice relaxing time. the weather was too rainy for the pool, but I can't really be mad when I got to drink a free glass of Veuve Clicquot while seeing Taipei from 31 floors up.

reminiscing

I recently dug back four years to share the horrifying story of our accidental stay in a love motel. October 12th is the four year anniversary of another event I never really wrote about - our scooter crash. I considered posting about that, but it's still pretty traumatic. I couldn't really walk for about 6 weeks after. pretty much spent my time sinking into a depression on our couch. and though I was lucky and did not break or tear anything, I bruised my knee so deeply that I was not able to straighten my leg fully for six months. I'm getting heart flutters and sweaty just thinking about this, sooooo maybe we will save the story for next year.

healing

at the end of our Vietnam trip I ended up at a pharmacy and was given a course of antibiotics to take. after finishing the medication, my body has suffered a variety of digestive issues and gastrointestinal distress. it's not fun to talk about, and it's not fun to experience. for the past 2 months I have been struggling with this. the gastroenterologists that I've seen think it's complications and damage from the antibiotics, and perhaps with all my special food allergies my system is just more sensitive than most. tomorrow I am heading to a third doctor for another opinion, and hopefully a solution. any prayers or good thoughts you could send my way would be greatly appreciated. I feel much better than a month ago, but there are still good days and bad days.

voting

... or trying to. I registered and requested for my absentee ballot what feels like ages ago. Luke received his in the mail last week, but mine has yet to appear. to be honest, I just want to vote and be done with everything. watching debates and seeing headlines from the campaign has been blood-boiling and nausea-inducing. and I'm sure many of you feel the same way. in fact, I know a lot of people who have decided to just ignore it all and just not vote. as an American citizen, it is of course your choice whether to take advantage of the right to vote. personally - I don't like my choices but I still feel responsible for making one. SHE is not my ideal candidate, but she is experienced and qualified. HE, on the other hand, horrifies me. with every incident that surfaces - the sexism, the racism, the intolerance, the arrogance, the fearmongering - more and more I feel I cannot stand idly by and let these attitudes take over my country. if the worst happens, at least I'll know it wasn't because I didn't do my part.

I will at least say that one positive aspect of this whole circus has been that many important issues have been brought to light for discussion. my hope is that we all examine and improve in the ways we treat our fellow humans, acknowledge the flaws in our educational and government systems, and have intelligent discussions on how we can work together to change them. I'd like to think that someday soon we can be both a more equal and a kinder nation.

catching 'em all

maybe I've finally reached that age where I just don't care enough to be embarrassed about the things that excite me? because catching a Pikachu while at a tea house in Juifen was one of the most awesome moments for me in the past few weeks. right up there with FINALLY evolving a Dragonite and catching a wild Blastoise. so far I've collected 114 species of Pokémon, and am almost to level 25. it helps that I live in a city full of pokéstops and walk just about everywhere. and now that Luke has started playing, we've been getting out for long walks together to hunt Pokémon. a lot of people think the game is silly, but especially with all my health issues lately, it's been great to have an exciting reason to go outside and be active.

planning

to share more about our summer travels - my Vietnam itinerary and packing list are almost there. also to possibly join in NaNoWriMo next month. potentially moving apartments [since our roof is still leaking.] making a list of things to do while my Mother-in-law visits over Christmas holiday. figuring out next summer's travels. and scheming to fit in another trip sometime before then if the budget allows.

phew! what all have you been up to lately?

currently

grab yourself a cup of coffee, it's time for another life-catch-up session. here's what I'm currently up to...

adventuring: all over Taiwan. Husband's cousin and one of my NJ friends are here visiting this week, and we've been trying to show them everything Taiwan has to offer. we've already devoured some xiao long bao and taken them for a ride to Maokong on the Hello Kitty gondola, and this weekend we will be traveling to Taroko Gorge for some hiking.

loving: that the weather is starting to cool off [at least a little] here and the grocery stores have imported some tiny pumpkins. obviously, I had to buy one for the apartment. it's kind of turned into a tradition these past few years.

editing: photos from Hong Kong, photos from Taroko, photos from this summer... ok I still have a HUGE backlog of pictures. I've been doing my best to not take SO many this week, but it's difficult when faced with mountain views and colorful dragons.

struggling: with scooter issues. our scooter decided that it was going to break down this weekend while we were all the way downtown and it was pouring rain. we took a cab home, and Husband and I went back the next day and thankfully found a shop nearby that could fix it. [until the next day, when the scooter we were borrowing from a friend broke down on our way to the train station.]

lifting: Husband and I have been keeping up with our weight lifting, and I was really impressed that I increased my max deadlift by 10kg in one month.

creeped: by the old man at a nearby temple who made the cut-throat gesture at us while we were visiting the other day. I have no idea if we did something wrong or offensive [we weren't even taking pictures] but the four of us walked away as quickly as possible.

geeking: over the blog I designed for Husband. if you're a teacher, or have interest in world history and geography, you might want to check it out.

reading: Interview with the Vampire by Anne Rice. I've mentioned before the shelf over at out school full of books left by past teachers... this was one I grabbed because I had heard of it and never read it. how do I say this? it was more depressing, and less sexy, than I had expected. not that it was bad. it was just different from most of the other vampire-related things I have read.

grateful: for the comments you all left on my posts about blogging with heart and my solo travels in Hong Kong. have I mentioned lately that I love you guys?

currently

let's take a time out and chat about what's been going on lately around here, behind the blog. currently, I am...

sipping: NOT a pumpkin spice latte. fall has definitely not arrived in Taiwan yet. it's feels like 95F out most days. and, well... Taiwan doesn't believe in the power of the PSL so I won't be having one anyway [or a peppermint mocha this winter. humph.] regular coffee it is.

watching: True Detective. holy cow this show was good, in a really dark and twisty down-in-the-bayou way.

exploring: local cafes and coffee shops. a friend and I visited the Casa de Socrates [seriously, I love the names of things here] cafe on the nearby college campus. the shelves were stacked with books, and they had four cats... two of which were kittens. I don't think I need to say I'll be going back.

geeking: over my football cake pops being featured on the New England Patriots website. if you're a little confused [or a new reader] I used to have a baking blog and make adorable things like cake pops all the time, before I became gluten intolerant and moved to a kitchen that only has a toaster oven. when I created these cake pops in 2010 I had no idea they would turn out to be such a hit [even almost 5 years later.]

editing: my book manuscript. I don't mean with a real, professional editor. just the edits I marked up myself. but once that's done I'll be [hopefully] ready to put it in the hands of a select few trusted individuals for some feedback before I send it to a real editor.

listening to: Jungle. some friends of ours showed us their amazing videos this weekend and I can't. stop. seriously, these guys have got some moves. on roller skates, no less.

anticipating: my friend and cousin-in-law's visit in a few weeks. I love playing tour guide around Taiwan, and I'm excited to and share our home with them. and eat xiao long bao, obviously.

teaching: my Build Your Own Blog class at Husband's school. I have 8 students, all with very different ideas, and I'm excited to help them put their own blogs together. getting into the teacher mindset is a little weird for me, but I'm hoping it gets easier as the semester goes on.

bugging out: over bugs. we found another cockroach in the apartment. lucky number ten was actually a live one. Husband had to squish it for me. and then the next day I discovered a spider, who escaped my efforts to end him. oh, the joys of living in a tropical climate... time to get sprayed again.

planning: our trip to New Zealand next year. I am so excited. like, fireworks-cartwheel-homerun excited. we are still in the early stages of figuring out where all to go, what to see when we get there, and how to travel between. I think we are going to be using a blend of car rentals, camping gear, trains, and camper vans. if you've been to NZ and have any suggestions, hook me up with some links below!

currently

it's been a while since I've done a "currently" type post, but I'm taking a break from travel stories to share a few updates on everyday life. [or as everyday as things have been lately.]

creating: things with stamps. not that I really need more crafty things... but I picked up these tiny letter stamps the other day. the stationary store here is one of my major weaknesses. at least I didn't buy any more washi tape?

considering: a blog redesign. ok, I'm pretty much always considering a blog redesign. but lately I've been thinking it's time to either suck it up and learn how to do some proper coding, or bite the bullet and shell out some cash for a professional. recommendations on designers [or coding tutorials] are welcome.

recovering: from a "get your foot stuck in some rocks while crossing a stream and fall in" incident. my brother and I went hiking by Wulai Falls yesterday and in our quest to adventure my clumsiness got the better of me. my foot has a lovely bruise developing, but thankfully the rest of me [and my camera] escaped unharmed.

packing: for my flight back to America next week. last summer before flying back I was sick, so just grabbed clothes and shoved them in a bag. there was no planning, and when I arrived and unpacked I found my summer wardrobe quite impractical. but this year I have a list! I may not get everything together to do a "3 months traveling the USA" version of my "10 days in Bali" packing post, but I'm confident that the right things will at least make it into my bag this time.

sweating: every day, all the time. summer is here in full force. it's been hot and humid... so much that even the tigers were swimming when we visited the zoo. I'm definitely looking forward to the cooler temperatures of a Michigan summer!

reading: Game of Thrones. I read books 1-4 back in 2008, but I had pretty much forgotten everything that happened after the Red Wedding. I've caught back up and passed most of what is happening on the show this season now, though I'm saving book 5 for the flight back to the US. usually I'm a huge fan of books over movies/shows, but HBO has really done a great job of editing and streamlining the story. they cut out a lot of extraneous things and give you more of what you want [in my opinion]

adventuring: all over Taiwan. last weekend we went to a baseball game in Taichung, have been in or through Taipei at least twice this week, and have been exploring Hsinchu as well. I love having visitors and getting to play tourist. a part of me is definitely ready for a break from Taiwan, but traveling around and seeing all the sights reminds me that despite all the challenges I really do love it here.

planning: for upcoming posts. I have plenty of Disney and then the non-Disney of Tokyo left to share, as well as Taroko Gorge and our current Taiwan travels. it seems to me that I always encounter a stretch of time where I travel a lot, and the posts end up stretch out over the following months. hopefully you won't be too confused as I post about Japan and Taiwan while back in the states!

craving: some Din Tai Fung soup dumplings. thankfully I'll be able to indulge my craving in a few hours, as we have plans to take my brother there tonight. DTF is on our "must-do" list with visitors, and I need to get my fill before leaving for summer.

what are you up to currently?

the cup of coffee that fueled the writing of today’s post was sponsored by Amy. she drinks her coffee americano style, extra hot, with steamed soy and a bit of honey and blogs about gluten free cooking, marriage, and life in Alaska over at Lovely Does It.

earthquakes, gatsby, pizza, and other things

welcome to this week's edition of rambling long list of seven things, accompanied today by some recent shots from a mini-hike in Hsinchu's botanical gardens [which are mostly trails through a hilly forest.]

1. I subbed for 10th and 12th grade English last week, and I was actually quite excited that the 10th graders are reading The Great Gatsby. it was one of my favorite pieces I have ever been required to read, and one of the very few I have gone back and read again voluntarily. part of me wishes I still had my old notes and could see what my thoughts were on the story at 16. the novel definitely has a different meaning for me now, though that's one of the best things about great literature... you can read it over and over and still discover something new about the story and yourself.

2. I am also really pumped for the movie coming out in a few months- I think Leo will make a perfect Gatsby. absolutely perfect. [side note- the generational gap becomes obvious to me when the kids in class refer to him as "that guy from Inception" and all I can think is "never let go, Jack!" it's probably also telling that watching the older Gatsby was my first exposure to Robert Redford. oh, the formative teenage years...] I really hope they release this one to Taiwan because after reading the book I am dying to see the new movie.

3. another note on teaching... I know that it's not a career I want to pursue full-time, but subbing really isn't that bad. yes, waking up early sucks. yes, sometimes I feel like a glorified babysitter. but some of the kids are starting to interact with me, say hello, ask me questions. and that's a good feeling. plus, it melts my heart every time those 3rd grade girls yell "Mrs Walker!" and run over to hug me when they see me walk by.

4. we had an earthquake the other day, and I didn't notice. it was a 6.1 [not exactly small] and the school enacted their earthquake protocol and announced that everyone should evacuate. well, except for the students taking the national standardized test. apparently the quake hit just before the start of 3rd period, but I didn't notice anything. thankfully they made an announcement. and my students knew what they were doing. maybe there's something wrong with my internal balance... or maybe I just didn't have enough coffee that morning?

5. even though I haven't been posting about it, I've been keeping up with my happiness project. I've decided to make it more of a journey and less of a to-do list. this month I am focusing on photography: trying new things, finally sharing the 52 weeks project I've been working on, and shooting + posting a daily instagram [or #dailygram as I've started calling it] I think it will be good to have a little fun with my photography, especially given the mountain of vacation photos still waiting to be edited. I do promise that eventually you will see the rest of Thailand and the Philippines.... eventually.

6. I've been trying out the different blog readers I posted about here to determine a google reader replacement. and I find that feedly is the closest to a google reader setup, though it takes a while to figure out which views make the most sense. [hint: "latest" looks most like the standard reader feed.] I also found it easy to sort my blogs into different categories, based on what I read most or food vs beauty etc. I have to say I really love the idea of hellocotton. it's great for discovering new blogs you might be interested in. but they just announced they are shutting down. wah, wah. bloglovin? it's just not for me. I'm probably going to use google reader until it dies, and then switch to feedly full-time.

7. today I bought yeast, and this coming weekend I am going to attempt a gluten-free pizza dough. ambitious, but I'm excited to try. pizza seems to be the one glutinous thing I just can't resist. back in the states, there was a great pizza place that offered gf [Buddy's!] and Whole Foods offered a decent frozen go-to we could always keep on hand [against the grain] but here in Taiwan I have not seen any gluten-free alternative. so I am going to try a dough, and if it works then when Husband says "pizza?" it won't mean my choices are salad or stomachache.

currently

// first shot on my new camera [taken by accident]

loving: my new Canon EOS M [and of course my husband that bought her for me]. imagine the lovechild of a 3-way between an SLR, powershot, and and iPhone...and that's the M. I'm still getting used to having all the controls through the rear touchscreen [hence the accidental photos via touch shutter release] but it's a pretty incredible piece of machinery. Husband actually knew about the EOS M before I did, and was plotting to get it for my birthday. I discovered it a few weeks ago and have been doing research and was planning for it to be my next big camera purchase, eventually. so the other day we were in an electronics store and I wanted to check out the camera case, and it turns out to be on sale. and in one of those moments, Husband turns to me and says "well, I was going to wait until your birthday, but if I can save $200 by buying it now..." did I mention I love him?

sweating: I've been trying to get back into a routine post-vacation. mondays are for circuits. and I'm trying to spend 1 or 2 days on the elliptical, and 1 or 2 days walking around outside. [that way I get some fresh air and to explore]. but saturday I went for my first real run since the scooter crash. I ran a mile. a mile! and I had no knee pain while running. I'm also super excited because I can finally start using the running watch I bought last fall [but never had the chance to use.]

cooking up: crock pot black beans, fish + chips, home made peanut butter, egg muffins. figuring out how to make these things in my teeny tiny kitchen with nothing but a toaster oven and a magic bullet blender makes me feel like a domestic goddess. not that any of the recipes are overly complicated. but the victory comes in finding a way to make it work with what we have, even if the result is a little unexpected. [the egg muffins I made today puffed up like souffles... and then deflated.]

watching: less. that's right, Husband and I are trying to cut back on the amount of tv + movies we watch. we may or may not be those people who will buy a tv season on iTunes and sit down and watch the whole thing in one afternoon. so we've started limiting the days of the week that we turn on the tv. and also limiting the number of episodes we watch in one sitting- most recently, Game of Thrones and X Files. this means we've been reading more, and getting outside more. both very good things.

planning: a weekend trip to Hong Kong at the end of March. which is... in 3 weeks. how did that happen? we are also working on travel plans for this summer. trying to coordinate schedules. for both visitors and visits. I swear I've spent 6 hours scouring the internet for flight options for one trip. which means I run away from my computer in frustration when I get a chance instead of blogging or editing vacation photos... you get the point. but I'm hoping things will get wrapped up soon, so once summer hits we can just sit back and enjoy. it's going to be a good one.

["currently" post inspired by Danielle at Sometimes Sweet] 

currently [on the vine]

my first #vine video: hanging up instant photos from vacation.#instax #stopmotion vine.co/v/b1BVEEhMl25
— Jamie Walker (@jamiethewalker) January 31, 2013

obsessed with: the vine app. it's like instagram for video. on a 6 second loop. I'm already plotting a million little things to film, but above was my first attempt [the only way I could get the video to embed was by using the tweet] I just wish I would have had this for Thailand... but expect a few posts from the Philippines. currently only available for iPhone, but you can follow me @jamiethewalker or just search for Jamie Walker. warning though- it's addicting.

reading: The Hollows series by Kim Harrison. one of my best friends always gives me a book for Christmas, and this year she sent me the first in this series. it's paranormal/fantasy/mystery/suspense stuff, set in an alternate reality where many of the earth's humans were wiped out by a biochemical weapons experiment gone wrong. paranormal creatures [known as Inderlanders] such as witches, vampires, pixies, fairies, wereanimals and the like decided to come out of the closet after they realized they were immune to the virus [and now outnumbered the humans.] it's a really interesting premise, and a very well-constructed universe. also interesting plot and quick reading for beach/travel time.

watching: the layover. Anthony Bourdain can be a little abrasive for some people, but I like him. and just about every episode of this show I watch makes me want to visit the featured city. definitely check out the episode on Taipei... he goes to Din Tai Fung for soup dumplings [as seen here and here]. the episode on Philly is also incredible. and makes me miss Philly. and the food.

making me smile: being featured as a recommended read on skin & blister! this time of year I always get a lot of emails for permission to link up with my football cake pops post [which also makes me happy, and has gained this blog a few followers] but having someone recommend my personal blog gives me the warm fuzzies. be sure to check out Anna's blog if you are looking for some new reads!

waiting: for the car to come pick us up to head for the airport in about 15 minutes. we are going to be traveling overnight to get to the Philippines, including a 3 to 6am layover in the Manila airport. not really looking forward to that part of the trip, but it's going to be gorgeous once we get there.

["currently" post inspired by Danielle at Sometimes Sweet]

currently

editing: photos from our trip to the Pu Tian temple and statue garden, random adventures around Hsinchu, and from our Chinese class party. hoping to get it all done before chinese new year break, since I'm sure to amass more pictures while on vacation.

eating: curry fans is our latest restaurant obsession. can you call twice in 4 days an obsession? after a cold and windy scoot around town, walking in and being handed a hot bowl of flavorful broth is like a sip of heaven. their thai beef pumpkin curry is perfection in a bowl. just incredible. I can't seem to find a website, but expect a post on this place in the future. I also made my own refried black beans for the very first time... amazing. we're never buying canned beans again.

sweating: my first run! [well, kindof.] now that I'm done with subbing, I've been getting back to the gym. I've graduated myself from the bike to the elliptical, and earlier this week I warmed up with a jog around the indoor track. it felt wonderful to run. next trip, I did two laps. my knee had been pretty achey from all the rain and cold, but I'm trying to build up some endurance in anticipation of our vacation. I plan to spend a lot of time on the beach, but I'd like to be able to suffer through a hike or two and some sightseeing.

decorating: I finally finished painting the third canvas that I bought way back when. I've been trying to figure out what will match our living room and decided to copy the pattern on our chair. the colors aren't exact, but it turned out really well. the first canvas was this DIY tape project. the second canvas... I'm going to repaint because it did not turn out right. I've also been working on a Valentine's revamp of my bunting banner, and started a display for my mini instax photos.

anticipating: our trip to thailand! we leave in 10 days, and just finished booking our hotel in bangkok and flight down to krabi. I'm already starting to get panicky about packing... I've never been on a trip like this... or had only a backpack to travel with. I'm trying to remind myself that barely 6 months ago I packed MY ENTIRE LIFE into 3 suitcases and moved to the other side of the world, so 10 days out of a pack in Thailand should be a piece of [gluten-free] cake. regardless of what will or won't fit in my bag, it's going to be an incredible trip. temples, markets, longtail boats, beaches, waterfalls, tasty food, good company, and more stamps in my passport. and most importantly, some time to relax.

reading: I recently downloaded a bunch of classic novels, and I'm debating between starting Wuthering Heights [have not read in a decade] and Little Women [never read]. in the meantime, I've been catching up on blogs. the internet has been full of awesome inspiration since the new year, so I'll leave you with a list of posts that have really resonated with me:

rejecting negativity [wonderforest]
adapt, quit, or evolve [a beautiful mess]
"finding yourself" [the daybook]
taking care of yourself [maiedae]
fear + blogging [our city lights]
relationship challenge [the happiness project]
28 questions to ask yourself [tiny buddha]
this is your year [the atelier]

["currently" post inspired by Danielle at Sometimes Sweet]

currently

editing: pictures from our trip to Taichung last weekend. Husband and I took the train down for the afternoon and had a nice little adventure date. I haven't been out of the house much [other than running errands and subbing] since the crash, but hopefully there will be more adventures soon. also some crafty stuff, and nails.

subbing: 8th grade literature and social studies. one of our friends had to fly home to the states on short notice because her dad is sick, so I'm teaching her classes for the next two weeks or so. we made some rough plans before she left, but on the first day I realized a story we planned for one day would take up a week. which is actually a good thing. so I had to sort of re-plan some things, and I'm going to be putting a test together for next week. I know it's not near the work "real" teachers do, but it's crazy.

fostering: oh yeah, we are also watching our friend's foster dog while they are away. after 2 days... I'm pretty sure I'm still a cat person. dogs are a lot of work with all the walking [though it does get me out in the fresh air and sunshine for some exercise... ok maybe it's not so bad.] Husband grew up with a dog, but where he could just open the back door and let the dog run free for exercise and bathroom breaks. I think it's a different experience for him too. though this weekend he plans to give the dog a bath. that should be exciting.

missing: easily available, ready made gluten-free goods. in particular: buddy's pineapple/pepperoni/onion/hot pepper pizza and new planet off the grid pale ale. and my dishwasher. the charm of washing everything by hand and neatly stacking it to dry is starting to wear off. [now that I'm "working" again I miss he little things that used to make our life convenient.]

feeling: borderline sick. I've had general feelings of icky-ness for the past week or so, sinus pressure and sniffles mostly and some low fever. I usually get sick when the weather changes, and all the scooting around in the chilly rainy weather seems to have done me in. I spent monday on a self-imposed sick day with lots of tea + rest, and hope to catch up on more this weekend.

reading: I finally finished the happiness project! and now I'm reading trashy romance novels I downloaded for free on my kindle app. [most of which are better written than the 50 shades of grey series, so stop judging me.] I also downloaded some classics on my list to read... but I like to alternate my reading material between "serious literature" and light and fluffy.

loving: our new space heater. totally worth the downpour I got caught in last friday on my scoot over to get it. Husband and I had been sleeping with every. single. blanket. we have in the house to keep warm at night, but now our room is a toasty little haven. the best part is that it's portable... it may or may not be under my desk keeping my toes warm right now.

the next few weeks will probably be sparse on posting, until I'm done subbing + dog-sitting. feel free to link your "currently" post below or share what's going on in your life.

xo

["currently" post inspired by Danielle at Sometimes Sweet]

currently

drinking: not coffee, as you might expect from the photo above. though I had a few cups of joe to get me through subbing today, class is over and it's time for some wine. [I had to open a bottle anyway for the stew I threw in the crock pot this morning... can't let it go to waste!] this is going to be a long installation of "currently" so you may want to grab a beverage yourself.

teaching: I've been doing a lot of subbing lately- 4 days in the past 2 weeks, including today. some classes are easier to cover than others, but all the kids are very well behaved. other than having to wake up at 6am, and a broken projector [which meant I had to hand-write power point slides on the chalkboard] I haven't had any issues. it's actually kind of neat... kids have started to recognize me and wave in the halls or on campus. I'm still not going to take it on as a career, but subbing is a relatively painless way to pick up some cash.

editing: pictures from the family shoot I did a few weeks ago. I'm making good progress, but there's a lot of photomerging involved since it's near impossible to get 4 kids under the age of 8 smiling and looking at the camera all for one shot. along with that, a bunch of random things you've been seeing / will be seeing [mstly thing I'm crossing off my 13 by 2013 list]. I find it helps to take a break every now and then from editing a large chunk of photos and work on something else for a bit.

reading: the happiness project. still. for some reason, I can fly through fiction books in a few hours but it takes me a while to read non-fiction. part of the slowness may be all the notes I'm taking, though - I've been scrawling away in my moleskine with my favorite sharpie writer. I'm almost to the point where I left off last time I read it, and I'm finding even more in this book that resonates with me. I think I'm going to end up doing a project of my own... obviously I love planning those kinds of things and who wouldn't want to be happier?

sweating: I made my triumphant [?] return to the gym this past weekend. I've been going to yoga, but this was my first "workout" since the scooter crash. I biked for 20 minutes with varied resistance. yeah, not that exciting. but 2 weeks ago I was still having trouble with stairs... so it's progress. I'll give the bike a few weeks, maybe try the elliptical out, and hopefully be able to hit the pavement for a run by the end of the year.

polishing: there has been a severe lack of nail art around here lately. the last design I did was actually quite awesome- I painted a leopard animal print. you can get a peek at it here [if you follow me on instagram, you saw a lot more!] but I never took any pictures with my DSLR. wah wah. and then my last 2 manicures were thwarted by chalkboard paint and a pair of chopsticks. so today after school I did a basic two tone. maybe you'll see that soon, or maybe something else, but rest assured I will keep painting my nails and [at least attempt] to blog the designs.

obsessing: over my new chalkboard wall in my office. our main chalkboard wall in the dining room is used for a giant calendar and shopping lists and reminders, so it's great to have a space of my own where I can scribble out ideas and inspiration. yes, my life is now permeated with chalk dust... but being married to a teacher makes that not far from the usual.

and, well, that's the end of my wine and that's the end of this post!

["currently" post inspired by Danielle at Sometimes Sweet] 

currently

sipping: on a hot tea ^ that husband brought me from starbucks. I'm starting to come down with the cold he had last week, so I'm trying to take it easy today. [side note: yes, I painted those leopard print nails myself. and yes, I am mildly obsessed with them.]

brunching: I went to a brunch yesterday and met a bunch of wonderful expat ladies who live in Hsinchu [including another Spartan!] we drank mimosas and played games and ate a TON of delicious food. and the best part- I came home to an apartment cleaned by Husband. I didn't realize how much I needed a "day off" to relax and have some fun!

earning: over the next few weeks I'm going to be making some money [yay!] by substitute teaching and shooting some family photos. obviously I'm more excited about the photography... but subbing jobs are easier to get right now. there's also a tutoring plot in the works. money isn't everything, but it is something. 

anticipating: election day. [no, seriously.] being abroad has given me the benefit of not having to be smothered in political ads, and so my anticipation is not just for it all to be over and done with. I plan to spend my Wednesday morning [Tuesday evening in the states] watching the election coverage. I don't really like talking politics, and I don't want to debate them here. I have friends and family on either side of the aisle. whether I agree with them or not, they have the right to make their own choices. regardless of who YOU are voting for, check out the Huffington Post electoral map. the cartogram view is awesome, and you can even make your own map based on your predictions by using various maps from history as templates [including the fictional Bartlet v Ritchie 2002 map.]

tweaking: the new blog design. [for those of you viewing in a reader, you may want to stop by and check it out]. the 3-column thing still weirds me out a bit, and it feels a little crowded, but I'm trying to give it some time. I suppose I need to do a separate 13 by 13 post on it... but I may wait a week to see if I'm going to make any more changes first.

reading: the happiness project. again. I started this book back in January and stopped somewhere around chapter 6. I'm not sure if I was just not ready for it, or maybe the whole holy-crap-we-are-moving-to-Taiwan thing distracted me. anyway. I'm starting it over, taking copious notes, and hoping it sticks this time.

wish-listing: this floral print bikini from JCrew. we've already booked a week in Boracay, Philippines and are working on plans for a trip to Krabi, Thailand with some of our friends for Chinese New Year. when I cleaned out my wardrobe before moving here [a truly traumatic experience] I pitched all but 2 of my swimsuits. I think I may have to treat myself with some of my photo shoot and substitute earnings, especially since JCrew has free international shipping through the end of the year...

["currently" post inspired by Danielle at Sometimes Sweet] 

currently

recovering: from a little spill on [or would what be off?] the scooter that Husband and I took friday night. mostly just scrapes and bruises, save my left knee. it's bruised and swollen and doesn't want to be straightened all the way or take too much weight. it's improved since the crash, but I'm going to be taking it easy for a while. the heels of my hands [which inconveniently rest on my computer while typing] are fairly sore too, so it may be a slow news week around here folks!

reading: the sound and the fury. still. I'm finding the stream-of-consciousness writing to be very... dense. and the plot difficult to discern [though I believe that was intentional] I have to admit in my "recovery" I picked up something a little lighter to read so my brain didn't have to work so hard. but I know I'll get through it eventually.

watching: West Wing season 5 and Game of Thrones season 1. I've been switching back and forth every few episodes to keep things interesting while I'm interred on the couch. WW season 5 isn't my favorite, but that's where I'm at in my current re-watch of the series. [for some reason I don't like skipping ahead]

editing: pictures from our Yehliu trip. and a few other things, though it's slow going [again] due to the hand/keyboard situation.

contemplating: a blog redesign. if you haven't picked up on it by now, I tend to get antsy every few months and want to try out some new font or clip art or photoshop trick and change things up around here. I'm trying to restrain myself and plan carefully so the next design can have a little more longevity. maybe it's my forced inactivity that has me itching for a change. then again... variety is the spice of life, right?

loving: my new chalkboard wall! with the help of a friendly English-familiar local, I avoided purchasing toxic paint with which I intended to DIY some chalkboard paint. it was pure luck that I found the local Home Depot - ish store carried actual chalkboard paint. I got one coat up before the scooter spill, and hoping later this week I'll be mobile enough to finish painting and start chalking!

well, that's all the news that's fit to type. feel free to share what's going on with you "currently",  as I could use some fresh entertainment :) happy monday and enjoy your week!

["currently" post inspired by Danielle at Sometimes Sweet] 

currently

editing: I finally finished the pictures from summer vacation, so now I'm on to pictures from this weekend - including the above. a friend was in town and we took a long walk through the science park, down guang fu, and went to eat at a famous dumpling restaurant. more to come.

sweating: yoga class. some of the teachers arranged for a yoga teacher to come in once a week to give a class. I'm so glad I signed up! it's definitely a workout, but I love how strong and limber it makes me feel. I also signed up to run a half marathon in December, and I think the class will really help with flexibility and strength building.

creating: sunday I went to an event called "drink + draw" which is a small drawing class held at a local tea house / bar called Titty Tea. [not joking.] we all took turns drawing each other, and I discovered that sitting still and not laughing while everyone is staring at you is harder than it looks!

learning: Mandarin. [at least a little] I started Rosetta Stone last week and right now all I can remember is "water", but it's one more word than I knew before. hopefully I can work doing the activities more frequently and they will start to stick.

trying: substitute teaching! I taught 5 english lit classes for a friend today, and it sure was interesting to be on the other side of the desk. I started the first class of the day completely drenched in sweat [have I mentioned my fear of public speaking?] but the kids were very well behaved. I might be brave enough to try subbing again, but I am SO not entering a career as a teacher. I'll leave that to Husband and all the other incredible teacher friends and relatives of mine.

reading: I'm still working on writing at the kitchen table [a biography on Elizabeth David] but Husband brought me home the sound and the fury which might be my next read. I remember it was an option for my AP english class final project, but I opted for wuthering heights instead.

...speaking of Husband, I should tell you that he has started his own blog. I also should tell you to go check it out for a peek at his side of our life here :)

feel free to share what's going on currently in your neck of the woods... happy monday!

["currently" post inspired by Danielle at Sometimes Sweet]

currently

making: a bright necklace to wear [DIY post coming soon though it was crazy easy.] I hit the jackpot at the craft store last week and have enough goodies to keep me occupied for a month. I've been playing with my paints still, and planning to cover one wall of my office with art.

polishing: I tried out a watercolor manicure and kindof fell in love. the perfectionist in me wanted to stop halfway through, but I'm glad I stuck it out. [that's another post coming, too!]

sweating: Husband and I signed up for memberships at the local gym. unfortunately, as we discovered at 6am this morning, the weight room doesn't open until 10. what the heck? we worked out anyway... some of the teachers here are running a 1/2 marathon in december and I'm 85% sure I'm going to sign up, so I need to get my butt in gear.

reading: writing at the kitchen table, a biography on Elizabeth David. Husband bought it for me for my birthday in April and I'm just getting around to reading it. [which, by my usual standards, is fairly quick for reading a book someone gives me]

loving: the break in the weather. it's only dropped from high low 90s to high 80s, but the humidity is down around 60%. and it feels AMAAAAAZING! Husband and I scooted around yesterday and it was so nice... I even sat on the roof and read for an hour or two. really really hoping this weather sticks around. it's not midwest autumn, but it's almost as good!

eating: a group of us tried out an Indian place on friday night. the owner said he knew our friend Peter and so he cooked us a FEAST. [turns out our friend Peter is not his friend Peter, but the food was still delicious!] on sunday Husband and I tried out "the deli" and I drowned my football sorrows in a big bowl of mexican layer dip. I have pretty high standards for mexican food, but this place got bonus points for frying their own chips.

organizing: I'm trying to find a good way to plan meals and workouts so I can get myself on a schedule [that still leaves time for laundry and dishes and blogging and crafting]. I wish I could find chalkboard paint here because I would totally turn a wall into my weekly planner. I've heard you can DIY chalkboard paint but not sure I can get supplies for that here. ideas/suggestions welcome.

that's about it for now... heading to Costco [which also doesn't open until 10 - seriously?] and then throwing together some beef stew in the crockpot for dinner. happy monday!

["currently" post inspired by Danielle at Sometimes Sweet]