Stranger than fiction

that I came back to Taiwan... but to Japan? Who knew? Thanks to my dad, we were able to add a Japanese flair to our agenda.

We visited Nara/ Kyoto/ Osaka for 5 days. Luckily, the schedule was pretty flexible. The first half of the tour was filled with temples, while the second half was filled with other sights and sounds. Did I mention the dark chocolate fountain at the buffet or the green tea ice cream cone everywhere? You betcha they were good. Don't forget about the bitter cold we experienced. I think the temperature was something like 7 degrees. At one time, it even hailed. Good thing I brought along ammunition from Taiwan (i.e. gloves, thermo tops, etc). Believe it or not, I was still cold even though I looked like a snowman.

BTW, did I mention Taiwan was colder than I expected? Thanks to my poor planning efforts, I spent most of my money on buying warm clothes and the Japan trip. O! and I have been climbing the stairs to do some sort of workout to offset my potbelly. Not to mention that I was never a fan of the stairmaster in the gym.

After the Japan whirlwind, I returned to Taiwan for my cousin's wedding - the main event for my Taiwan stay. Actually, it was the main reason why my mom and all her brothers and sisters came back from US, Germany and Japan. It was a 12 hour + day. Thanks to my aunt's great planning, we were able to travel from one place to next without a problem. I was even plied with caffeine and internet access... my favorite. Did I mention I got to wear my favorite heels? I am sure even Carrie would have approved of them. Thank god I brought a a pair of backups... as it was a cold and rainy day.

It was not all fun and games. I had to share a room with a fellow tour mate in Japan, and I have been sleeping on the floor of my parents' room for over a week now. At one point, I was so frustrated that I wanted to come back early. But my mom begged me to stay. I don't think she has ever begged me for anything before. So I stayed.

Thanks to my bf, I was able to go on this trip. However, we both agreed that we will never part for so long again... how we ever managed to make it through my consulting years, we have no idea.

I have one more week in la la land before I return with heavy heart and severe case of jet lag, and I can hardly wait.

BTW, happy 2009!