Saturday, December 16, 2006
Hey everyone –
I hope this installment finds you well, or at least healthier than I've been. I’ve had a recurring and extremely tenacious flu for the last couple of weeks, which hasn’t been fun. But I’d rather it happen in bad weather than good (so I don’t feel grumpy for sitting around indoors all day) and lucky for me, winter has arrived. The past two weeks have been warm but very rainy, and this weekend was suddenly dry, windy and chilly (highs in the mid-fifties, Fahrenheit). I had to pull out my sweaters earlier than usual because I’ve been sick, but everyone else on the island has started bundling up like they’re heading to the North Pole. You haven't seen so many fuzzy hats, scarves, mittens, and down jackets this far away from a ski resort! As a native of the Winter Wonderland, I believe I can say that it’s quite endearing.
Since I haven’t been able to hit the gym or the swimming pool recently, I’ve had to find other ways to get out of my house. Lately, I’ve been packing up my laptop and heading over to Starbucks on the harbor. I’m not a fan of that company, but it is the best coffee shop in town. The second floor is all windows, affording a very nice view of the ships and downtown Keelung (or, if you look out the other side, the train station and all the taxis fighting for curb space). It’s a good place to think and be anonymous. I’ve been working very hard on my novel, and I get more accomplished there than I do at home. The drawback is that it’s quite popular, and if I don’t get there early enough in the day, I don’t get a table near an outlet (outlets are abysmally sparse in Taiwan) and so I can only stay there as long as my computer battery will let me. ¶ 6:40 PM
I hope this installment finds you well, or at least healthier than I've been. I’ve had a recurring and extremely tenacious flu for the last couple of weeks, which hasn’t been fun. But I’d rather it happen in bad weather than good (so I don’t feel grumpy for sitting around indoors all day) and lucky for me, winter has arrived. The past two weeks have been warm but very rainy, and this weekend was suddenly dry, windy and chilly (highs in the mid-fifties, Fahrenheit). I had to pull out my sweaters earlier than usual because I’ve been sick, but everyone else on the island has started bundling up like they’re heading to the North Pole. You haven't seen so many fuzzy hats, scarves, mittens, and down jackets this far away from a ski resort! As a native of the Winter Wonderland, I believe I can say that it’s quite endearing.
Since I haven’t been able to hit the gym or the swimming pool recently, I’ve had to find other ways to get out of my house. Lately, I’ve been packing up my laptop and heading over to Starbucks on the harbor. I’m not a fan of that company, but it is the best coffee shop in town. The second floor is all windows, affording a very nice view of the ships and downtown Keelung (or, if you look out the other side, the train station and all the taxis fighting for curb space). It’s a good place to think and be anonymous. I’ve been working very hard on my novel, and I get more accomplished there than I do at home. The drawback is that it’s quite popular, and if I don’t get there early enough in the day, I don’t get a table near an outlet (outlets are abysmally sparse in Taiwan) and so I can only stay there as long as my computer battery will let me. ¶ 6:40 PM
