Asian Airlines

I have been a long time frequent flyer with American Airlines.  I learned years ago that it was better to consolidate my travel through one airline alliance to achieve elite status and build up a bank of miles.  American Airlines has served me reasonably well within the U.S. and I prefer them over the other domestic choices.  From O’Hare I can easily get to most any place I want, with numerous departure and arrival times, and competitive prices.  I have earned Platinum status allowing me easier upgrades, early boarding, access to airline lounges when traveling internationally, elite status security screening and other perks that I have become accustomed.

Over the past few years, I have also discovered that the Asian airlines were far superior to the North American and European airlines.   I have flown Cathay Pacific, Japan Airlines, EVA Air, China Airlines, Air China, China Eastern, China Southern, Dragonair and probably others I can’t think of.  The Asian airlines have a significant advantage based on personalized service and often newer aircraft.

For trips between the U.S. and Asia I prefer Cathay Pacific and Japan Airlines.  They fly 777-300ER aircraft or equivalents.  These aircraft have coach seats that lower and recline under the seat ahead rather than allowing the person in front of you to recline into your face.  All of the aircraft have personal entertainment centers which the U.S. airlines have too.  The differentiators are the flight attendants, and the food and beverage service.

On the U.S. airlines, a glass of wine comes from a small airline bottle that you must pay for and is pretty bad wine.  On the Asian airlines, they serve reasonably good wine from a 750 ml bottle, and give you all you care for at no cost.  The U.S. airlines have trimmed back the flight service over the years while the Asian airlines have twice the crew size.  The Asian flight attendants are young and eager to make sure your trip is enjoyable.  There have been trips I have taken on U.S. based airlines that seemed the rough flight attendants thought I worked for them.  I’m not sure how to say it without coming across totally sexist, however I prefer to be taken care of by a crew of young, attractive, smiling Asian flight attendants rather than Americans.

The meals are good on these airlines.  The food is typically Asian fare, which I enjoy, and it seems fresh, tasty and served with better utensils than other airlines.  Even short haul domestic routes serve meals, which the U.S. airlines abandoned many years ago.  The free meal on Asian short hauls are far better than the snacks and sandwiches available for a fee on U.S. carriers.  On long haul flights, you can get a cup of noodles or other Asian snacks in between meals and it is served with a smile.  Imagine asking a U.S. flight attendant for an unscheduled snack?

Years ago when I traveled to Germany frequently, I would sit in the lobby of the Frankfurt Airport Sheraton and watch the flight crews from Singapore Airlines walk over the connecting bridge.  Everyone was beautiful and seemed happy.  I told myself that someday I would travel on Singapore Air.  To date I have not, however I think the Asian airlines that I do travel with, probably come close to what I had envisioned long ago.  I enjoy Asia for many reasons and certainly the air travel is one of them.

Christmas

It has been a very dramatic year for my wife and me.  I will be celebrating Christmas with my family at our U.S. home on Sunday.  Unfortunately, my new family (wife and daughters) could not make the trip with me and remain in Taiwan.  We will Skype with my wife on Christmas night to wish her our best.  I hope in the future, we can all be together for the holidays. 

For a number of years, it has been tradition to get together at our house.  I prepare a traditional dinner of standing beef rib roast, potatoes, soup, vegetables and much more.  Last year I cooked lamb instead of beef, and I could tell it was not as popular as the beef roast.  I love all foods, so it is often difficult to think in terms of favorite dishes.  This year I will make and bake dinner rolls from scratch.  We bought a bread machine for our home in Taiwan, and I have discovered how easy it is to make fresh bread.  I will roast more than 20 pounds (9 kg) of beef and will host 18 family members.

The Christmas tree is topped with a very special angel.  Before my Mother passed away more than 16 years ago, she asked my sister-in-law to do something with her wedding dress.  Since my Mother had five sons and no daughters, there was nobody to pass the dress to.  My sister-in-law is talented and turned the dress into the angel tree toppers for my brothers and me.  She even found doll heads with red hair to match my Mother’s.  It was a fantastic use of the dress and I am always reminded of my Mother at this time of year.

I was surprised to see how much the Taiwanese have embraced Christmas.  The stores sell trees and ornaments. Office buildings are decorated with colored lights.  People exchange gifts.  My wife will be attending a neighborhood party Christmas Eve.  Our neighbor married an American man; I don’t know if she is hosting the party for him or whether she celebrated before meeting him.  I used to think of Christmas as a Christian holiday.  While it clearly is, it is interesting to see people of other faiths, or limited faith, embrace the wholesomeness and warmth of this holiday.   Next month I will celebrate the Chinese New Year with my new family and friends.  Both the Chinese New Year and Christmas cause families to reunite for at least one time per year.  In both cultures, people put their work aside and travel great distances, to enjoy their family and friends.

I wish all of my family and friends the happiest of holidays.

The Kingdom of Fruits

Taiwan is known as the Kingdom of Fruits. More fruit is eaten per capita than most any other country, and it is readily available, inexpensive and diverse in selection.  Taiwan has long been situated on important sea trade routes, allowing the trade of fruit and the introduction of new fruit to flourish.  In addition, Taiwan is located in a subtropical zone, with high mountains running through the center of the island, providing a climate for both cool weather and tropical fruits.  Cooler climate fruit such as persimmons, wax apples, Asian pears, strawberries, melons and nectarines coexist with such tropical fruits as bananas, lychees, mangoes, papaya, guava and pineapples.

I grew up in the U.S. eating the traditional fruits typically found in the grocery stores; bananas, apples, pears, strawberries and blueberries.  While the fruit was better when in season, it was typically sold out of season after enduring weeks of transportation or months of cold storage.  I had been accustomed to bland fruit with limited selection.

All of this has changed with my new life in Taiwan.  I enjoy fruit shopping, which we do several times per week.  Fruit smoothies never tasted so good.  Many of the fruits are unrecognizable in their English translation.  Fruit is often wrapped and presented individually as if it were ready for gift giving.  Taiwanese take their fruit seriously.

My favorite new fruit is Buddha’s head.  When this fruit was first cracked opened, I commented that it looked like Buddha’s brain.  I apologize to my Taiwanese friends about the sacrilegious comment about the prophet.  The fruit is incredibly sweet and the white, soft inside eaten with a spoon.  The last two pictures are Buddha’s head.

Life should be lived expecting the unexpected and with enjoyment of new experiences.  I never expected to enjoy fruit as much as I now do.

Night Markets

The night markets of Taiwan are famous for their street food.  The Chinese have night markets, similar to Persian bazaars and Singapore’s Hawker markets.  The night markets sell various goods such as clothing, purses, and counterfeit goods.  However the most attractive aspect of the night markets to the Chinese are the food stands.  I believe no culture is more food centric than the Chinese and this is not meant to disrespect the Italians and French, and their cuisines.  It seems that everything important to the Chinese somehow involves sharing food.  The Chinese night markets exist in Hong Kong, Macau, mainland China, but the best markets exist in Taiwan.

Every major urban area of Taiwan has at least one night market.  Taipei has over 20 separate and distinct markets.  The night market is an organized series of stands that are permanently set-up on the sidewalks and streets of a neighborhood.  The food stands typically specialize in only one or several food items.  The food items are referred to as xiaochi, which is a small serving size snack, similar to tapas or small plate items served elsewhere in the world.  A xiaochi serving will usually cost about $1 USD, or slightly more.  The Chinese move from stand to stand eating as many small servings as they can and rarely spend more than $10 USD for the equivalent of an 8-10 course meal.  Stinky tofu is probably the most famous item and the benchmark food for a night market.  Yes, stinky tofu is very smelly.

The Taiwanese take visitors to their favorite night market; this is an important part of their urban life and something they are proud to share.   I’m surprised Anthony Bourdain has not filmed an episode for one of his shows in Taiwan.  The followers of Tony know that he has a love of street food.  The definition of street food should be Taiwan night market xiaochi.  My blog has a number of followers.  I don’t know who the individual followers are, but the blog statistics include readers, in the U.S., Taiwan, Canada, Germany, China, Latvia, Russia, the Czech Republic, etc.  Tony Bourdain has a blog that I read, but I am guessing he isn’t following mine.  So, I have sent an invitation to Tony via the Travel Channel website, encouraging him to visit Taipei.

Attached are some food market pictures.  The food items often served include congealed blood pudding on a stick, small sausage wrapped in a big sausage and further wrapped in garlic and basil, soup with cuttlefish covered in a fish paste, oyster vermicelli, eel noodles and much more.  I love Taiwan food and my Taiwanese friends have declared that I am officially Taiwanese, after watching me eat.

We’re Married

My Fiancée and I were married.  The process of marriage in Taiwan is somewhat similar to a civil marriage in the U.S., however with less emphasis on the declaration of marriage and more on the legal aspect of registering the new member of the household.  Each household has a head of household, which is my wife, and other registered household members that include the daughters and me.  Our marriage status, date and location of birth, education level, etc. are important parts of the household registration record. 

Before we could be married and my name added to the household, I needed a Chinese name for legal purposes. My wife recently spent time with her family in China and they brainstormed ideas for the name.  The name can be a phonetic version of my English name using Chinese words, or it can be a combination of the literal translation of the English name to Chinese, or it can be a combination of pleasing sounding Chinese words that together have no real meaning, but sound nice.  My name (at least I think) is a hybrid of the above.  After my name was chosen by my wife’s family, we allowed a friend and her children, as well as our daughters, further refined the name.  My Chinese name is 白廷孟.  The Pinyin pronunciation is Bai Ting Meng.  Bai means white or pure (no laughing please).  Ting means court of an emperor and Meng means oldest brother or powerful, great and eminent.  A number of legal documents had to be signed by me in my Chinese name, which I practiced writing in advance.  The number and order of the strokes used to create Chinese characters is as important as how it appears when completed. 

Legal documents are usually prepared using your personal chop.  A chop is similar to a rubber stamp that has been created with your name, usually in some artistic fashion.  The chop is your legal identity and important to safeguard.  We went to the local maker of chops and had him prepare mine out of wood, on the spot. I am continually amazed at how efficient and immediate the Chinese culture is; we often walk into a provider of services with no appointment and expect they will perform quickly.  A picture of my chop being created by the chopmaker is included.

For my permanent residence visa, I need to have a physical examination certificate.  We went to the local hospital and without an appointment, I received immediate service.  They drew blood to check for STDs, gave me a chest x-ray looking for tuberculosis and the physician looked carefully at my forearms for needle tracks.  I’m pretty sure I passed the examination.  Anyone planning to relocate to Taiwan should know that drug trafficking is punishable by death; so please think twice.

After all of these activities were completed, we drove into the mountains for relaxation at a spa featuring hot springs.  The spa is Japanese style that requires nudity in the separate male and female sections, and a swimsuit and hat for the coed areas.  I was momentarily confused when moving between the areas, however nobody was embarrassed.   It was a cool evening and the hot springs were a perfect way to spend our first day of marriage.  Afterwards, we returned home to prepare a simple meal of fish and fruit, accompanied by wine.  I told my new sister-in-law that I was turning her sister into a significant wine drinker.  She didn’t seem too concerned and responded that my wife was in good hands with me.

Everything in my second life has gone extremely well so far and I am happy with the dramatic decisions I have made.

Thanksgiving in Taiwan

When I left for Taiwan, I thought about what it would be like to experience my first Thanksgiving outside of the U.S.  The holiday has always meant the traditional things to me; surrounding myself with family, good food and of course football.  Fortunately with Slingbox, I knew I would not miss my football, but I resigned myself to not having my family or experiencing turkey and all of the fixings.

My kids and grandkids held a “Fakesgiving” celebration last Saturday; I assume to be able to have a sibling celebration and be able to attend spouses’ family celebrations on Thanksgiving Day.  They Skyped me and I was able to see most everyone enjoying the festivities.  That meant a lot to me. 

We went to Costco twice this past week and I look at the large turkeys in the meat bunkers, clearly targeting ex-pats or Taiwanese that have lived in the U.S. at some point and wishing to enjoy a traditional Thanksgiving meal.  It didn’t appear that all of the components for dinner were available, however if you have turkey, you can always improvise.  We don’t have an oven in our house, so cooking a turkey was not possible.   I could grill it, however we have been unable to locate a grill in the stores; it is not a typical appliance in Taiwan and seasonal at best.  So I assumed no turkey for dinner this year.

My Fiancée told me several days ago that some colleagues at the work were planning to have a Thanksgiving get together.  Knowing that an American was here, they kindly invited us.  Originally the meal was planned for 5-6 people.  Within 2 days, the number of people attending increased.  By the time the Thanksgiving meal occurred, there were over 40 attendees, with everyone bringing a dish.  We brought pumpkin pie and tiramisu.  One of the organizers found a local restaurant that cooks turkeys twice per year.  Another person brought mash potatoes and gravy; the gravy had a distinct Asian flavor, using sweet and sour ingredients.  Most people brought traditional Asian dishes, including duck, kimchee, and pizza.  The spread was impressive and we drank Japanese, Taiwanese and Chinese beer.  The turkey was cooked to perfection and it was the first time I ate a Thanksgiving meal with chopsticks.

The people attending work in various different scientific research and academic arms of the institute.  Many of the scientists had spent time in the U.S. during their post-doctorate studies. Most people recognized the names of the participants through e-mail and the institute’s newspaper; however a number of people met face to face for the first time.  The primary organizer took time to introduce everyone visiting from outside of Taiwan and then asked everyone to stand up and introduce themselves.   The introductions turned into speeches about the meaning of Thanksgiving and the thankfulness of meeting these good people and sharing a meal.  While I didn’t understand most of what was said, I could tell everyone was moved by the evening.  I gave my speech in English and it was well received.

I was able to watch my football, see some of my family through Skype, eat a great meal and most importantly, share Thanksgiving with new friends that truly appreciate the meaning of the holiday.  I was reminded of my childhood when my Mother would often invite people to our family Thanksgiving meal, which were separated from their families due to work, military and school obligations.

I hope everyone following my blog had a great Thanksgiving.

   

Chinese Massage

As a child growing up during the cold war era, I was always under the impression that the Chinese were the masters of torture.  The Chinese children grew up thinking the Americans were barbarians.  Years later, after Dick Cheney reinforced the use of torture as a primary U.S. intelligence tool, I think we know which culture got it right.  Or maybe not…

Less than 12 hours after arriving in Taiwan, I was taken for a Chinese massage.  When someone hears Chinese massage, they can have different views.  At the lowest level, massage parlors are prostitution centers.  Massages at reputable hotel spas can come with or without happy endings.  The massage I was treated to is called Tui Na.  This therapy is part of traditional Chinese medicinal practices.  Tui Na utilizes Taoism and martial art principals to bring the body into balance.  There are eight principals of traditional Chinese medicine with the emphasis on getting the Qi (energy) flowing throughout the body.  Tui Na dates back over 3,800 years to the Shang dynasty.

The massage therapy involves manipulation similar to a chiropractor in the U.S.  It also involves deep muscle kneading and pressing, and a technique called cupping to remove toxins from the body.

After 30 minutes of deep and painful massaging of the muscles, with the therapist using hands, elbows, forehead and other body parts, I was already in pain.  Then the spine and joint manipulation began.  Large hammers came out of hiding and soon I felt the thumping on my back, neck and butt.   Suction cups were placed on my back with a significant vacuum drawn, to cup the skin of my back and draw the toxins.  This left large bruise circles that reminded me of crop circles in the English countryside.   At this point the therapist asked me if Asian women were more delicate than American women-my response was certainly not when giving a massage.  The therapist explained that my body was pretty healthy, which made me wonder why I needed to go through so much pain, if everything was good.  The next day I was sore, so I remain confused why a healthy body needs the therapy to feel better.

I’m now not sure whether Dick Cheney or the Chinese are better at torture.

My Wine

My winemaking journey completed a major milestone.  15 years ago I dreamed of making my own wine.  We had taken a number of wine destination vacations and the thought of looking out our window at a vineyard, making critically acclaimed wine, and living the life of a winemaker in a known wine region sounded romantic.   As I later realized, romantic is often trumped by practical.

In late 2005 I entered the Viticulture and Enology program at the University of California Davis.  This is the school that has educated many of the best winemakers from around the world.  Good wine is difficult to make, even when you start with premium grapes and use sound winemaking techniques.  There is a great deal of bad wine produced, often by people that don’t fully know what they are doing.  Having the education before I began making wine was an absolute for me.  In my U.C. Davis class, I was the only student out of more than 30 that was not a current winemaker at that time.  This reinforced my belief that education was necessary and seeing existing winemakers obtain the same education that I was seeking proved that.  In December 2008 I completed the program.

2009 was my first vintage of Napa Valley Rutherford AVA Cabernet Sauvignon.  To learn more about why I chose this varietal and AVA, please visit my website.  If you don’t know the name of my winery, just Google my full name followed by winemaker and you should see it.

Today my 2009 vintage is delivered and safely in storage.  A friend of mine used her logistics expertise to help arrange the transportation from the bottling plant and saved some shipping costs; I will make sure she receives a bottle of my first vintage in gratitude. It will take at least 5 more years of aging in the bottle, before the wine begins to achieve its potential.  That doesn’t mean I won’t drink some now.

Australia’s most famous wine, and one of my favorites, is Penfolds Grange.  This wine was first made by Max Schubert in 1951 and six years later, after a number of negative reviews, Penfolds told Max to stop making Grange.  Max continued making it, hiding the barrels in the vast winery.  Several years later, an original 1951 was tasted again, and with additional maturation, was now a spectacular wine.  Penfolds told Max to restart production of Grange and he answered that he had never stopped.  The story illustrates that good wine takes time.  I was fortunate to visit the Penfolds Grange winery earlier this year.

My dream of 15 years was reshaped by the knowledge I gained and the practical side of my investment focus.  The only asset that is important to own is the wine.  Vineyards take 4 to 5 years after planting, fertilizing, pruning and constant care, before the first grapes are harvested.  There are great growers of grapes in Napa Valley; I don’t need to grow my own.  I also don’t need to own a processing facility that is used for 3 weeks each year.  There is capacity that already exists.  I don’t need to own barrel aging caves or bottling equipment.  All I really want to own is the wine.

Today I can hold a bottle of my wine and remind myself of the journey taken.

Preparation for the Move to Taiwan

I have been busy over the past few weeks preparing for the move to Taiwan.  The physical move will take place in two steps; I will leave next week to spend one month there, returning home for one month during the holidays, followed by the permanent move in mid-January.  The physical move requires that I plan what clothes and personal items I need to take in my luggage on each trip.  I could pay significant money to have more items shipped from the U.S. to Taiwan; however I like to believe that I have simplified my life enough to make the move with only several suite cases filled with my stuff.  Also, I need to take my golf clubs, camera equipment, computer and wine enjoyment apparatus.  These things make me happy.

My Fiancée’s neighbors own their businesses and appear to have ample free time to golf.  They are anxious to get me out to their clubs and gamble.  The Chinese love to gamble.  I enjoy their company and wine cellars, and look forward to reciprocating the hospitality they have shown so far.  However, gambling on my golf game will not be part of the reciprocation.  The only thing in golf that is important to me, is hitting my drives as far as I can.  Nothing else matters and nothing else should.  I will bring the golf clubs on my first trip over.  On my second trip, I am meeting my Fiancée in Kyoto Japan for a vacation, before going to Taiwan.  Hauling my clubs around the air and train terminals of Japan won’t work out too well, so the clubs definitely go on the first trip.  The only problem is my flight from Hong Kong to Taiwan is on a small regional carrier that doesn’t appear to provide any concessions to their baggage rules for golf clubs.  I am choosing to take my chances and pull out my platinum frequent flyer card for a sister airline, if a problem arises.

My camera equipment goes wherever I do.  I purchased my Nikon SLR more than 5 years ago, adding lenses as I went.  Admittedly I am not a very good photographer, compared to the serious hobbyists, however I am getting better and it provides enjoyment for me.  I will write more on my photography in the future.

My latest computer was purchased with the move and extensive travel in mind.  It is a very small netbook, with beefed up memory, hard drive and a full 64 bit operating system, which is hard to get on netbooks.  It is so small and light, yet fully useful; I don’t understand why someone prefers a tablet over this product.  At my Fiancée’s urging, I have purchased Slingbox.  I setup the hardware at the U.S. home utilizing a standard HD cable box with DVR, and download the software on my netbook.   I can watch my full array of cable channels anywhere in the world that I have internet access.   I can upstream to a large HDTV with HDMI and utilize the DVR function.  I have been testing it for a week and it really works out great.  This was one of the most concerning challenges I faced; how do I watch my beloved football team in real time.

In addition to the physical move of stuff, there are many other considerations.  While I don’t have many bills to pay, and I pay everything I can electronically, remaining in touch with all service providers while my U.S. mail is held at the post office was a concern.   I have all of the providers setup in my netbook Outlook with usernames and encrypted passwords.  I believe I can manage the U.S. house from the other side of the world.  I have a very good lawn care provider that has been cutting my grass since July and he will also take care of snow removal.  He sends his invoices via e-mail and I trigger my bank to pay him.  Various other services will be handled the same way.

Obtaining all of the documents to prepare our income taxes early next year, without the benefit of the U.S. mail had to be thought through.  Most everything is available on line.

I had a security system installed to detect entry, low temperature and smoke.  In addition, I have neighbors and family watching the house when we are not there.   I was concerned about my cleaning lady accessing the house and correctly disarming and arming the system as she came and went.  She struggled to open the garage door with the four digit pin on the keypad.   This has resolved itself; she had been charging me for more hours than she worked, and we agreed to end her service.  I need to get someone in occasionally to clean and I will work to figure that out when I return next month.

I have been dumping houseplants, though the best ones are available to good homes.  I have a friend coming over to hopefully take a few.  The vegetable garden has been rototilled and replaced with wildflowers that should provide color next summer.

Many people deal with having multiple houses and the issues I described.   There are many other things that I have managed recently to make the move effective.  I believe I am ready and have found some level of liberation that I am able to travel the world, live anywhere and yet still run my life.  Simplicity, a good netbook computer, and my wine enjoyment apparatus are important to this liberation. 

Marriage in Taiwan for a Foreigner

I have put an extensive amount of time into researching the requirements for a foreigner to marry a Taiwanese citizen in Taiwan.  The process is confusing and the information available on line and through official Taiwan sources is conflicting.  In part the issues are language and translation related, but more likely cultural.   I cannot use my western mind to comprehend an eastern view towards marriage.  We think we largely have it figured out and we are targeting a December marriage.  I thought I would share some of the information I collected so far.

Some of the issues revolve around several topics, with each having specific requirements to be completed within a specified time window, in either the U.S. or Taiwan. These topics include visa type and timing, my health, my criminality, my current marital status and my bank account.

My marital status is widower/single and I am available for marriage.  This seems pretty clean and should represent no problem, except Taiwan requires that I prove I am single.  That is not as easy as it may sound.  I can prove I was previously married; I have a marriage certificate.  I cannot easily prove I am single, because my local jurisdiction does not hand out single certificates.  It is similar to proving that I have not eaten avocados during the past month, which for the record, I have.  Fortunately the Taiwan government has a solution.  I can go the U.S. consulate in Taipei and have a completed Affidavit Regarding Marital Status notarized and of course exchange money.  This is not logical to my western mind, since a married person can go pay money to “prove” they are single.

My Fiancée told me that I need a criminal record to get married.   Again this is not logical to my western mind and fortunately or unfortunately based on the statement she made, I came close to successfully having a criminal record in my youth.  She then corrected herself and said I need to have proof that I have no criminal record.  That makes more sense to me.  After some phone calls and internet searching, I found out that my state justice department provides a notarized criminal background check, once I complete a form, obtain full fingerprints from my local police department and forward money and forms to begin the process.  I mailed everything to the state on Thursday afternoon.  Not surprising, my state which is populated by very efficient people of northern European descent, completed the background check and I received the certificate on Saturday in the mail.  That is crazy efficient.  Now my Fiancée is slightly disappointed that she is not marrying a bad boy, like she desires.  To offset my perfectly clean record, I am growing a beard and taking up cigarette smoking.  I also need a criminal background check conducted in Taiwan; hopefully my time there so far doesn’t disqualify me for marriage.

I can write about visas for many pages.  The short story is that I need to have a free 30 day landing visa when I arrive.  I will leave on the 29^th day, so all is good.  This is the only thing in the process that I pay no money and it is obviously an oversight by the Taiwan government.   I can obtain a visitor’s visa for $140 USD plus forms, pictures, trips to Chicago and other hassles.  The visitor visa is good for 60 days.  The key to each visa type is the application for an Alien Residency Certificate or ARC.  You cannot get an ARC on a landing visa, but if you use the visitor visa, it must be done within 15 days or arrival.   I cannot apply for the ARC until I have a marriage certificate and I am added to the local household, which requires notarized forms and the exchange of money. 

The health certificate actually makes sense to me.  I need to obtain a completed and notarized form that states I have no STDs, tuberculosis and other issues.  I didn’t realize TB was still an issue, but I’m pretty sure I will be able to obtain the certificate.  I can have my local doctor complete the form or have it done in Taiwan.  I will use a doctor in Taiwan, so I don’t have to have the U.S. form translated, notarized and exchange money.  I will be required to have the form notarized in Taiwan, and exchange money, but I can avoid the translation. 

I need to prove I have a bank account with a minimum level of money.   No problem, except I must have this translated, notarized and exchange money.  The purpose of this bank account information is to prove I have enough money to pay for everything else in the marriage process.

While looking on line for information, I found one man’s blog titled Taiwan Marriage for Foreigners.  He is an American from NY and is wife is Taiwanese.  I found his story slightly useful and comforting.  I also used the Taiwan National Immigration Agency website.  This was not very useful or comforting. The website included little cartoon figures; Asians love cartoon figures.  I assumed the FAQ section of this website would deal with some of the most relevant issues foreigners would face.  Included in their top ten FAQs are some cut and pastes:

A pregnant foreign caretaker gives birth during the validity of work in the R.O.C. and the biological father of the child…    I wasn’t sure if this referenced a Taiwanese man impregnating his hired help from a foreign country.

A foreign spouse married to 2 nationals with household registered in the Taiwan Areas separately has applied for residence of relations for 2 times and…    Since Taiwan doesn’t allow polygamy, I was confused by this.  Also, reference my comments on proving that I am single above.

What I haven’t mentioned is that all of these requirements have expiration dates.  Some certificates are good for 90 days and others have 15 day lead times.  Coupled with 15 day within landing requirements on 30 day visas, and the Chinese desire to marry on a lucky day, such as the 8^th, planning a Chinese marriage is difficult.  I haven’t even mentioned planning wedding receptions in three different countries.

Everything is coming into focus.  My Fiancée is stressed by the process, but I know she loves me, since we are still moving forward.

My Fiancée

My Fiancée is a unique woman that I met through an online dating service.  I have known 5 couples that are happily married after meeting online, so I had a high level of confidence it would work.  My Fiancée was skeptical, since she is mainland Chinese living in Taiwan, and it is rarely used there.

She is a highly intelligent woman that has a passion for many of the same things as me: travel, good literature, the arts, reading about and discussing world events, food, family and friends.  Did I mention travel?  She is the first woman I have dated that is better traveled than me.  She is a very good mother to two teenage daughters that are both well adjusted, normal, educated girls. 

My Fiancée is very attractive.  I am attracted to dark hair, dark eyed, thin women and have always been partial to Asians. She has a good sense of humor and we can make each other laugh easily.   We talk every day, often twice for a long time.  Rarely do we run out of topics to talk about.  Despite the distance, we have spent a great deal of time together this year in Taiwan, Switzerland, Italy, Canada and the U.S.

She is a very successful scientist working in a specific subset of cell biology.  Her research is used in medical and pharmaceutical applications.  She received her PhD and conducted most of her post-doctoral work at the best universities in the U.S.  As an academic, she prefers research over teaching, and runs an impressive lab at one of the large health research institutes in Taiwan.

I have fallen in love with this woman.

So what do I bring to the relationship?   I hope there is a fair amount; however I believe I bring a calming influence to her life.  She is highly achievement oriented and this causes her to become stressed easily.  She wants to publish papers with greater impact and be published in the highest level journals, have more discoveries and she wants her daughters to be top of their class academically.   She wants to be a tiger mom, but then feels guilty about the balance of time prioritization between her research, helping her daughters study, exercise and relaxation.   I think she can have it all, but she needs my help to see that.

My past employer conducted emotional intelligence testing through a psychologist and I ranked very high for stress tolerance.  The psychologist said my score was as high as he had seen and this was a good attribute for a business leader.  I was initially skeptical of this test when I saw my social responsibility score was slightly below average.  I recycle, give charitable contributions to social causes and have somewhat liberal political views.  But after I thought about it more, I am the man that is trying to eat as much of the delicious and overfished Chilean Sea Bass as I can, before it goes extinct.  So I do believe in the test scores and know that my stress management skills will be a highly positive attribute for our marriage.

I am confident that I am right for her and absolutely know that she is right for me.

The Grouse Hunt Post Mortem

The grouse hunt went largely as expected with two exceptions.  The weather was nice until a little rain on Sunday morning, which makes packing up camp a little sloppy.  Thursday night the temperature reached the low-20s, which is perfect sleeping weather if you have a good sleeping bag.  The food we cooked was great and the bonding amongst friends and family was very memorable. 

12 people were expected to participate this year and a 13^th joined us for the day.  One of our friends that participated in past years unexpectedly joined us for the day on Friday.  He had some heart stents installed two days earlier and had two more planned for early this week, limiting how much time he could spend.  It was enjoyable talking to him about travels past and future, his children and extended family from foreign exchange programs.  I last saw him two years ago at O’Hare airport; he was leaving with his wife for Brazil and I was heading to Las Vegas.  I explained my plan to move to Taiwan and he recently hosted two foreign exchange students from Taipei.  Hopefully I will see him in Taiwan soon.

My Fiancée was concerned that I would be eaten by a bear.  She asked that I pitch my tent in the center of the others, so the bear would eat someone else first and allow me to escape. I assured her that my plan to avoid becoming bear food was better than hers; I would smother everyone else’s tent with food.  Her unreasonable fear of bears came from watching a TV show where a Russian woman was being eaten by several bears, but still had the presence of mind to call her Mother and describe what was happening.  I actually have a bear story from a grouse hunt many years ago, but it is not important now.

Bears don’t represent too much of a danger and actually the hunt and camping can be fairly safe.  However we did have a near tragedy occur Saturday night.  One of the younger members of our group fell off the 50-60 foot cliff into the river below.  Along the way, it appears he hit a tree, causing a lacerated liver.  He was found face down in the river.  The group acted quickly and with appropriate measures, given we didn’t know the extent of his injuries.  One of the younger members is an EMT for a fire department and ambulance service.  A cot was used to bring him back up the cliff in the dark and then he was taken to the local hospital.  They were unable to treat him and moved him to a larger hospital one hour away.  He remained hospitalized for two nights and released in relatively good shape.

He was incredibly lucky to have the limited injuries, given the steep fall. Before the accident, I spent time with him talking about authors, books we have read, philosophy, winemaking and many other subjects.  I am always amazed at his intellect, kindness and liberal view of life.  I am incredibly thankful that he will be okay and look forward to talking with him again to bring closure to some unfinished discussions and open some new ones.

The Grouse Hunt

Tomorrow I will travel to the north woods for the annual grouse hunt with my friends.  Often when I tell someone that I am going on a grouse hunt, I receive a humorous look and response that suggests the grouse hunt is viewed similarly to the snipe hunt.  Other than both the Common Snipe and Ruffed Grouse are real birds, there is no similarity. 

The Ruffed Grouse is a tasty small game bird that can be either plentiful in numbers or scarce, depending on the approximate ten year cycle that causes their population to fluctuate.  Regardless of the population, they are difficult to hunt due to their flight pattern and thick habitat they reside in.   The grouse hunt is actually 10% hunting and 90% male bonding.

Our hunt began in the mid-1970s with a core group of friends from grade school and high school.   Many people have dropped in and out over the past 35+ years, but the core group remains intact.  Our group now includes our adult children and for one year, included some daughters. 

The hunt happens every year in late October and involves camping in some of the most pristine forest in the north.  Our general proximity hasn’t changed, and we have stayed at the current location for over 20 years.  This spot sits 50 feet above a small waterfall and rapids, on a picturesque river that is featured in a regional beer commercial.  To access this spot, you must drive your truck off the paved road for more than two miles.  We have many stories about stuck four wheel drive vehicles.

The hunt lasts four days and includes a routine of cooking, beer drinking, listening to football games and repeating the same stories over and over, while sitting around a bonfire until 3:00 a.m.  It never gets old.  In 35 years, I have missed the grouse hunt only twice.  My youngest son, and his best friend who is like a son to me, will be there.

When the hunt first began, food was not important to the group.  Peanut butter sandwiches were normal fare.  A number of years ago, I cooked a whole pig, which the group enjoyed.  I don’t want to suggest that this was a turning point, but great food has been cooked and served since.  Two years ago, my son prepared a chef inspired meal, under the light of gas lamps in a cooking tent.  People sat in chairs around the tent watching him cook.  It reminded me of the Iron Chef Kitchen Stadium on TV, except located in the forest.

Since I will be moving to Taiwan to join my Fiancée, I have suggested this may be my last grouse hunt.  She does not like to hear about “last” anything, but I think that is reality.  I will savor this last hunt with my friends and family, but I am looking forward to joining my Fiancée soon.  I have always said that I want to live my life without any regrets, and so far I can truthfully say that.  I won’t regret ending my grouse hunts, and I will tell the many stories from these hunts, for the rest of my life.

My First Day of Retirement

Today is the first day of my retirement.  I decided to retire in April 2011 and almost six months later, it came true.  I am only 54 years old, so retirement is typically something a person in my position wouldn't consider.  I have worked full time for 37 years, without even a one week break.  I have worked for 28 years at my last employer, and decided to retire from my executive position.  Financial planners would look at my situation and tell me to work another 8 years.  So why retire now?

The reasons for retirement are many and I won't discuss all of them.  Essentially I have come to appreciate that life can be short and I need to enjoy every moment of my life, as if I won't be able to much longer.  Don't misunderstand, I fully expect to live a long and healthy life, however I have chosen to live with a sense of immediacy and urgency.  My late wife of 28 years died three years ago, following a courageous three year battle with cancer.  Watching her fight to witness one more event, cherish another travel adventure and live one more day enjoying nature in our backyard, made me realize that a healthy person should live the same way.  I could not wait eight more years to retire.

Since my late wife passed away, I have traveled often.  I traveled often before she died, however the frequency of travel increased tremendously.  In the last two years, I traveled to the Dominican Republic, Germany, England, Dublin, Rome, Montreal and many other locations within the U.S. and abroad, by myself.  I don't mind traveling by myself, in fact there are advantages, however I prefer traveling with people close to me.

I have traveled to Costa Rica with good friends, to Australia to visit another close friend, to Tuscany to stay in a beautiful home in the mountains with more good friends, etc.  I have also enjoyed trips to California, Mexico, D.C., Texas, Nevada, Florida and many other locations in North America to see my family and friends.

Since I met my Fiancee, we have traveled in Asia, Switzerland, Italy, Canada and within the U.S.  Our travel destination list is extensive and we have barely begun.  It is difficult to maintain a busy executive career while attempting to increase an already extensive travel schedule.  I had no alternative but to retire.

After deciding to retire, my girlfriend and I became engaged.  She lives in Taiwan, while I live in the upper midwest of the U.S.  I will describe her more in the future.  The distance is incredible to many, but so close to us.  We both travel often and well, and have seen each other extensively since we first met.  The decision to retire, followed by the decision to remarry, has created the theme of this blog, My Second Life.

The purpose of this blog is to inform my family and friends of my rationale for what I do and keep them abreast of where I am, and what I have done.  I am planning to move to Taiwan to be with my Fiancee full time, very shortly.

I hope you check back occasionally to see what I am up to.

Winemakertjb