Happy New Year! It’s been awhile, so thought I should recap our first holiday season in Taiwan.
Thanksgiving was pretty low-key, but it always has been. Even while in SF, we’d just have dinner with our families. Thanksgiving in Taiwan is non-existent, so we spent the day at home just like any other day.
Christmas in Taiwan was interesting. There were many festive decorations and activities leading up to Christmas, but students (and workers) do not get any time off. Yes, the boys had school on Christmas Day! 😮 They were initially shocked but like everything else, they shrugged it off and went to school as usual. I’m constantly amazed at their ability to just roll with the punches.
Our school put together a little market on Christmas Day for students. There were booths from various countries – Japan, Germany, New Zealand, etc. – that offered activities or food commonly seen in that country during the holidays. I really like how our school is always mindful of other cultures.
Baba and I volunteered at the event and were assigned the snowball throwing booth. We basically had to run after balls and restack the snowball targets for 3 hours straight. 😂 Thankfully, a couple of kids later helped out and gave us old folks a break.
I opted not to get Christmas decorations this year. Decorations are quite pricey in Taiwan, and we have no space to store them. But the boys wrote letters to Santa (in Chinese because they believe the Taiwan Santa can only understand Chinese), and “Santa” brought gifts for them this year. C also bought O a stuffed dolphin for Christmas using his own money, which was really sweet.
Since we live very close to Taipei 101, our neighborhood was really festive on NYE. Apparently people park their cars in the area the night before, and start camping out in the morning for a good viewing spot of the fireworks show.
We met up with friends to explore the surrounding night market (built just for NYE), and then went home at around 9:30 to rest because there’s no way we can stay up the whole night!
At 11:30, we woke the boys up and went up to our building’s rooftop for a fantastic view of Taipei 101. By this time, there were a lot of people sitting on the streets waiting. And the fireworks did not disappoint! The firework show lasted five minutes and every moment was SPECTACULAR.
Baba and I don’t even remember the last time we stayed up for NYE countdown. When we did, it was probably spent at home watching the Times Square ball drop on TV. But ever since having kids, we just slept through NYE. This was the boys’ first time staying up for NYE countdown, and it was certainly a special one.
As we stood on our roof watching the fireworks, I couldn’t believe my luck. Here I was, spending new year’s with my loves in Taiwan, and living the life I always dreamed of. The boys are thriving in school and Baba is loving life here. Just a few years ago, I would’ve never thought this life was possible but here we are.
Wishing everyone a happy, healthy and unforgettable 2024! Cheers!
Hongs Abroad 