We're back in Taiwan after a two-week visit to the United States to see my family. I'm feeling the effects of the jet lag (we got home from the airport last night/this morning at 1:30, and I didn't get to bed until around 3:30), which makes coherent writing a challenge at this moment. However, I can say that it was great to see and spend time with my family again. For my daughter, it was a chance to enjoy time with her grandparents after more than a year apart, as well as a chance to get herself immersed in an English-speaking environment. It was also nice to get away from the noise, dirt and all-around ugliness that characterizes daily life in Taiwan, but all good things must come to an end, and so I'm back, and not looking forward to returning to a life of cram schools and scooter trips. Sigh...
A few photographs of our time in Washington:
The day we landed at Sea-Tac Airport was also the date of Amber's third birthday. The following day, we had a little party to celebrate the event. What's the point of having grandparents if they can't spoil you with lots of presents?
Despite the generally chilly weather in the Seattle area, we tried to get Amber outside as much as possible. The cold didn't seem to bother her much (Amber's first question after we arrived in the US was "What happened to the trees?", referring to the lack of leaves).
In addition to her grandparents, there were other members of the family for Amber to catch up with, such as her cousin James, uncle Joe, aunt Karen, cousin Jamie and Jamie's husband Tyler.
On one brilliant day, the three of us plus my dad took the car ferry from Bremerton to Seattle, then drove up to the Snoqualmie Pass (3022 ft./921 m). The temperature there may have been only 19F (-7C), but it didn't feel very cold, and Amber got to experience snow for the first time.
There was also some snow in Bremerton on a couple of occasions, though that didn't stop the birds from searching for food in the backyard.
Snowy Scene
On another day, Pamela, Amber and I rode the ferry again to Seattle, where we visited Pike Place Market and the Uwajimaya supermarket and Kinokuniya Bookstore in the International District.
One particularly chilly afternoon was spent at the Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium in Tacoma. Amber, nonetheless, got a kick out of seeing all the different animals (the puffins were her favorite), while her parents enjoyed the clear view of Mount Rainier off in the distance.
I took Amber out for a walk on a local trail...
...while Pamela joined us the next morning for a stroll along another trail in the area.
A last look at Mt. Rainier from the airport
成田国際空港で
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