Flight Report - Taipei to Bangalore

I went on a business trip earlier this month to Bangalore, India.  It was my first trip to India and first business trip in almost 2 1/2 years due to cost cutting at work.  I love airports, airplanes, and pretty much anything else that has to do with transportation and travel so was happy to find out my flight would be on Singapore Airlines with a connection at Singapore's Changi Airport.  Singapore Airlines is one of the top airlines in the world and the country's airport is one of the top airports in the world; I could easily spend hours if not days exploring the place, eating the foods, and going window shopping. Unfortunately, my layover was only two hours long so I had to make the best of it. Anyway, for those who like this kind of thing, here's my trip report in (as Tina would put it) excruciating detail ....


Taoyuan Aiport


The trip began at 10am on Sunday morning when my sedan driver came to pick me up for the trip to the Taoyuan Airport (formerly known as Chiang Kai Shek International Airport).  I would have preferred taking the High Speed Rail but, with a suitcase, it was more expedient to hire a driver as I wouldn't have to transfer from taxi to train to shuttle bus. Plus it was only NT700 (a little over US$23) and they threw in an (older) Mercedes S class car too! Tina and kids joined me on the ride as they were going to church so the driver dropped them off there before heading on the freeway.  Two hours later I was dropped off at the airport (Terminal 2). I had already completed the check-in process two days earlier online so merely had to drop off my bags, get through immigration and security, and find some lunch.

There, surprisingly, aren't a whole lot of dining options at the airport.  I saw a Burger King in the public area, a noodle place past security, and a cafe. I chose the cafe as it had a view of the runway and I really didn't want any Chinese food. Lunch was thus a semi-decent spaghetti with meat sauce and a Diet Coke.


TPE to SIN


Feeling much better after lunch, I headed to the gate. I had noticed quite a large number of Mainland Chinese visitors throughout the airport and it had shocked me to hear boarding announcements for flights to Beijing and Guangzhou. Growing up in Taiwan in the mid-Eighties it was just about forbidden to talk about the People's Republic of China. I'm glad to see things have changed but it is still a shock.

The flight to Singapore was on an Airbus A330-300 in a two-class configuration.  I was looking forward to this flight and this bird is one of Singapore Airline's newer planes and has an upgraded entertainment system. Upon boarding, I was surprised that the seats felt a bit cramped. According to the Seat Guru website, seat pitch on the A330 is 32" and width is 19" which is pretty standard. I was somewhat spoiled as my flight into Taiwan was on a Malaysian Airlines Boeing 777 with a pitch of 34" (plus we got a bulkhead seat for the baby crib).  I wish I had a ruler as it sure didn't feel like 19". The seats are in a 2-4-2 configuration which I like as I got a window seat. The AV system is pretty darn cool.  There's a huge 10.4" screen, tons of audio and video on demand, and, if that's not enough, ports for you to connect your own DVD player or an iPod!  This last feature pretty much pushed over the edge to buy an iPod Touch.  I asked for a special iPod cable upon boarding (free but first come first serve) which plugs into the bottom of the iPod and then you insert the other side into the round port next to the screen. I did that, turned on the AV system, and got ... bupkuss.  Nothing. Nada. Hmmm ... I checked the configuration and manual and everything looked right.  None of the video on demand programs were working either. Bummer. 


Dinner was being served so I ate the Asian chicken selection (not much worth writing about here) but I did enjoy the after dinner dessert of a small strawberry Hagen-Daz ice cream. I also told the purser about my issue and he promptly reset the system on my seat.  (Geek alert - My screenshot of the bootup system shows they are running on a Linux platform.)

After the reset, everything ran fine.  I watched a few short videos on the iPod and then started to watch "Inception" on AVOD.  The screen, while nice and large, is a bit lacking in terms of brightness and contrast. The video system is relatively low res (I guess that's how they manage to have over 100 films onboard) so it's a bit jerky too. Still, there's more than enough entertainment for a 4 hours flight and I was only halfway through the movie before we had to shut things down for approach.  I posted a video on YouTube of the landing which can be found here. (Sorry for the vertical orientation ... I'm still figuring out my iPod .)


Singapore Changi Airport

Many others have written about this airport so I won't spend too much time here.  Suffice to say this is one of the best airports in world. Where else can you find a fern forest, a butterfly room, and a swimming pool in transit? My stop here was brief as I only had 90 min to make my flight to Bangalore. Landing at Terminal 2, I quickly made my way to the AirTrain to go to the new Terminal 3 (T3).  T3 is relatively new and I hadn't been before. It's impressive.  Lots of light, lots of room, and plenty of shopping and dining. Dining was my main objective here and I found the 24 hour food court located above the main shopping plaza.  My objective?  Hainan chicken rice and chili crab which I found at the Prima Taste restaurant.  I quickly got both 'to go' and headed back to T2 to find my flight to India. Changi is a bit odd in that security (X-rays and metal detectors) are installed at each gate instead of centrally located. The security staff made me dump my newly purchased and unopened can of Diet Coke (bummer!) and almost made me throw my contact lens solution away. At the gate, I suddenly felt a bit out of my comfort zone as I was one of a handful of non-Indians boarding the flight. There were a few other Asians and a smattering of Western business types but everyone else was an Indian business person or their family. Boarding was quick and efficient (and SQ Boeing 777-200) and I was off to India.




SIN to BLR


Though it has the same seat pitch this older 777 supposedly has narrower seats (17.5").  I think someone at seatguru.com messed up as this seats definitely felt wider and more comfortable. The's much more overhead space on the 777 as the overhead bins retract into the ceiling. Score one for Boeing!  As this was an older plane, the AVOD system had not been upgraded. The movie selection was the same though so I finished watching Inception while digging to my chili crab and the vegetarian selection on the flight. The bumpy flight as well as the sudden infusion of spices into my system made me feel a bit queasy so I skipped the ice cream (Nestle drumstick) and tried to get some sleep.  The rest of the flight (4 hours) was uneventful and we had a smooth landing in India.


Bengaluru International Airport


My seat mate happened to work for HP in India and was a local Bengalorian (sp?).  He gave me a bit insight into the city (exponential growth in the last 15 years!  Real estate up 20x!) as well as the brand new airport we were landing at.  The old airport was close to downtown but the new airport is a 1 - 2 hour drive depending on traffic. It was quite nice and clean though it was your typical metal structure with high ceilings and lots of windows.  Immigration and customs took a few more steps than usual as you had to go through a security X ray before you picked up your bags. (Little did I know that security / X rays are a big deal at all the major hotels and shopping malls ... I guess terrorism does that to you.)  I met up with my coworker and we made our way outside to the surprisingly cool night air to find our driver.  One of the local managers had arranged for a 'rental car'.  What I didn't know is that all 'rental cars' in India come with a driver for free. This is a good thing as the drive from the airport to downtown was pretty harrowing. (Imagine six to seven lanes of cars on a three lane expressway driving down a break neck speed while weaving in and out of each other.)  Traffic in Taiwan is pretty down staid and orderly compared to this!  That said, our driver knew what he was doing, the car was small but very clean, and we were at the Leela Palace Hotel in under an hour. We were greeted by a security check (mirrors checking underneath our ride) and then a lobby with a huge Christmas tree and Christmas carols. Check-in involved one of the hotel staff personally escorting me to my room to make sure I did not get lost. (This was a recurring theme ... Service levels were high ... Almost too high.)  And there I was in India after a 14 hour trip from home.  After a hot bath and some CNN I was down for the night.


Steve

Taichung Christian Church

Kids enjoy worshipping with flags

We are attending Taichung Christian church on Sundays. Here is their website: http://www.taichungchristianchurch.com/aboutus_whoweare.html and a picture of us right before service. Today we prayed for each other's families and leaders went around and prayed for each family individually.  We have met many kind people, including a deaf couple who came to sit with us at lunch. We were able to communicate and really enjoyed meeting them. The Holy Spirit is moving here and we are glad to be a part of this church. God's  message to me was to prepare myself to serve Him and to always respond to His work in my life.

--Tina

Visiting the Taichung Rainforest

Today didn't go according to plan.  We actually didn't really have a plan getting up but Tina suggested we head over to the Art Museum so that she can spend time with Moses and I can take Seraphine to the kiddie play room.  We rushed through our morning routine and got out the door by 9:00 as we wanted to be there early before the crowds formed.  The first clue should have been how empty the parking garage was but we ignored that in our haste to enter the museum.  The second clue was that there seemed to be as many people walking away from the museum as there were going towards it but it didn't really register at the time. When we finally got to the door, we noticed the automated doors would not open. Clue three.  As we looked around for an explanation, a small sign posted next to the door said, in effect, "Closed. We will open at 1pm due to the elections." Elections!  We had completely forgotten that November 27 was Election Day here!  After months of blaring loudspeakers, fire crakers, and rallies the Election was here and the campaigning was finally over.  Oh well. It's a small price to pay for the democratic process. 


I suggested we head over to Park Lane (a small mall operated by the Eslite Group).  When we finally got there, I noticed how empty the parking lot was.  Hmmm .... We took the elevator down to the first floor and , behold, the mall was closed too.  Not for election purposes though. It turns out the mall doesn't open until 11am and we were there at 9:30.  Ok ... How about a walk around the park next to the mall? That lasted about five minutes until Moses complained of being bored.  We then thought we'd check out the "One" building, the tallest building in Taichung.  There's a restaurant on the 46F called "Top of the One" that should have a nice view. No luck ... The place was closed as well.  However, a nice bellhop by the name of Sid suggested we visit the Science Museum and even called them to make sure they were open. So off to the Science Museum we went. After parking we strolled around the grounds and found a little snack shop selling soft serve cones.  Three cones among the four of us made us feel better.  It was too late to go into the museum as it was already 11:15 by now and we were suppose to head back for lunch so we made a trip across to the street to the 'Botantical Garden'.  It turns out this is a large greenhouse structure enclosing a miniature rainforest!  There were hills, 'hiking' paths, a waterfall, and even a fish tank containing some large sturgeon like fish and a separate one with piranhas. (Probably not a good idea to mix the two species.)  At NT20 to enter, this place is a total bargain and a nice little retreat from the concrete/asphalt urban landscape.  We'll be back and will remember to bring our camera next time!


Steve

Two Month Now - Feeling Settled

A slightly dated post as we're nearing the 3 month mark but here it is ...


I can't believe it's been two months since we've come to Taiwan.  Sometimes it feels like we just came yesterday and other times I feel like we've been here forever.  I feel like a lot of the original 'novelty' has worn off (7-11!  the night market! I can't believe they have ____ here!) which is not a bad thing.  We're really getting into a routine which kind of goes like this:


Weekdays: Kids wake up before dawn and get Tina up. She feeds and dresses the kids while I sleep in as I usually have a late night call the before.  We both take Moses to school and let Seraphine play in the school playground.  I then eat breakfast before heading downstairs for work.  Tina takes Seraphine out somewhere as she/they will go stir crazy if not.  Seraphine usually naps by 11:30am.  We have lunch and then Tina takes a nap. I'll watch TV and then go back to work.  Tina and Seraphine go out again in the afternoon and pick Moses up at 4pm.  I head back home around five and we have dinner as a large extended family.  Tina and I then give the kids a bath and go through their night-time routine. Kids in bed by eight.  Tina and I get a little bit of time together before I head back to the office for some late night calls.  Repeat.


Weekends: Night routine is usually the same but we try to meet with friends or go out on Saturdays.  Sundays are worship in the AM and then some family time in the PM.


All in all it's not too different from our routine back home except for my late night calls for work as that's the best time to reach people back in the USA.


Steve

Made a New Friend

In the States I had many friends. Here in Taichung I have but a few but I am learning to really cherish these friendships.  Last Friday I met a mom (Apple)at the playground of Moses' school who has a daughter Seraphine's age. After quite a lengthy chat, she invited me out for a playdate.

Today we met up again and we went to the Science Museum together. She drove me to the museum and home again, paid for my entrance ticket, and even invited me out biking with her family sometime. Apparently there is a scenic bike route where you can rent electric bikes with baby baskets. Our daughter are quite similar in personality and even share the word "an" in the second half of their Chinese names. Anyway, as any foreigner can tell you, it gets lonely sometimes and we so much appreciate it when someone takes time to befriend you.

Apple reminds me so much of my friend, Pearl, who also treats me with such hospitality. Coming to Taiwan, I've really been able to slow down. Life is simpler. I have time to make new friends and hang out with them. I don't drive very often so I'm not rushing here and there all the time. I am not in a million small groups with countless meetings to attend and don't attend birthday parties every weekend. I don't have to shop or cook meals and plan for meals. I exercise regularly twice a week. I don't have to clean my big house or worry about how to decorate it and needing to decorate it.  Life is simpler. And for now, I like it this way.

Shopping for Clothes

This is a favorite activity for me, for it is so much more affordable than in the US!

In the States when shopping for clothes for myself I have two basic criteria aside from an agreeable style: good price (under $30) and XS in size. Both can easily be found in Taichung.  Of course quality is not always the best, but as a stay at home mom my clothes are casual anyway. What I am most happy about is how easy it is to find clothes that fit for a reasonable price.

There is a tiny shop next to the baby store down the street which is sort of an outlet. It sells clothing from all types of brands that are perhaps a little out of season. At first look it's like a store in the market which sells Taiwanese clothes which would look odd if I were to wear them in the States. But if you look closely you can find a few things that are basic and certainly wearable, cute even. The woman who owns the shop is very nice and very pressures me to buy things. So far I have found three shirts and one skirt, all for $190NT each (about $6). When I bought three items at one time, she rounded the figure down to $500NT from close to $600NT and did alterations for free. The other places I have shopped at are NET (I found many summer bargains for $200-$300 NT) and Giordano which are like Gap but cheaper and an online store called Lativ (which has really good quality clothes at Old Navy prices). For kids clothes we go to the market where there are many things for $100 NT or www.lativ.com.tw. Steve shops at Carrefour and Costco.  Our clothes are certainly not designer but we have more than we need.

With cooler weather approaching, I do need a pair of closed toe shoes....

--Tina

How's the Chinese Coming Along?

What's funny is all the stares I get constantly. They think it's odd or that it's amazing that my English is so good and that I am making the effort to speak English to my children so they can learn English! They think I am doing this deliberately to help my kids get a leg up on the English. When I get the stares I remember that it is time to switch to Chinese.  I have to remind myself I am supposed to be teaching them Chinese! Woops, I forgot! (Then perhaps the stares are because my Chinese has such a strong ABC accent they start to wonder where I am from. Where are you from, they politely ask.)

My latest strategy is to speak Taiwanese to Seraphine because she will never learn this in Chinese school and to speak simple Mandarin with lots of vocabulary explanations in English to Moses so he can learn new words. I am not pushing the Chinese too much, I just want him to have fun here in Taiwan, get close to his grandparents, learn about God and another culture. He is in Chinese school 8 hours a day five days a week. That's enough, I think.  He may not speak a lot of Chinese, but what he does say comes out perfectly!

So how is the Mandarin coming along for Moses? He understands most of what is being said in class and can communicate with his teachers. He can say many phrases quite naturally and with perfect pronunciation such as "Mom, I'm bored," "More please," "I am sleepy," "My socks got wet." It's amazing how it comes out naturally. But he is still shy to speak to his classmates, which probably means he does not talk much during the day. He is naturally shy so making friends and having rapport with classmates is still a challenge, though with boys it seems like running around is fun enough. He was just starting to enjoy making friends and having play dates when we were in the States. He must feel lonely sometimes here.

 I am beginning to realize that 9 months is a very short time in which to pick up Chinese and that this will be a great foundation for his brain structures but I cannot expect him to be speaking fluently in this short period of time. Alas, I think another year would be what he needs to actually start talking and having conversations and enjoy friendships in school. Friends to hang out with after school and on weekends would probably be best. English or Chinese-speaking. I'll keep working on it.