Farewell to Taitung, March 3, 2011

     With all of the business finished in Taitung for Nathan's Visa, we had half of the day before our flight back to Taipei to explore the area and take in all the little details about Nathan's homeland. San San and Jeremiah picked us up at the Naruwan after check out and took us out and about. As the social worker at AGCI says, we wore Nathan all over the town!

    We were taken to a tea shop, very popular places in Taiwan. Instead of our smoothie shops, they use tea to make different drinks. Greg had a tea, milk drink with pudding chunks at the bottom. My tea had little blue/black balls in it at the bottom. San San and Jeremiah had a big laugh when I asked "What is it?" They said "Just try it." and I asked, "Is it fish eggs?" San San said it was tapioca, and I told her it didn't look like the tapioca I have had! I finally tried it and it was very good. I'm still hoping it was some sort of tapioca!  

      After tea, our first stop was to the beach. They realized that we don't see the ocean a lot in Ohio, and we were able to take some beautiful pictures. Taiwan can be hit hard by earthquakes and typhoons, and so the water levels have varied through the years, creating a beautiful landscape of coral and driftwood. There is also some volcanic activity, which has made for dark grey sand. It was neat to see, and Nathan just hung on daddy the whole time.

       Then we were off the to the market. We just kept snapping pictures of all the amazing fresh fruits, vegetables, and yes, meat and seafood. Nothing is wasted when it comes to meat/fish here. So, I'll try not to post the REALLY interesting stuff. This is also where you bargain for the price. San San did all the negotiating for us. Budda fruit are really special in Taiwan. We were able to buy 3 for 100 New Taiwanese dollars, which is about 3 dollars in the U.S.  My favorite place was the candy shop. I have a bag of candy waiting for David, Rosie, Michael, Sam, Colby, Shayne and Hailey. They just have to promise to "Try it." as San San would say!

      Nathan was fantastic again, falling asleep along the way. Daddy really enjoyed getting to cuddle with him in the Ergo as well.

       Next stop, the hospital where Nathan was born. It is more of a clinic. We were so lucky to get to meet one of the doctors who had cared for Nathan's birth mother. He actually stopped working with a patient to meet us and talk with us. A nurse did the same. We were amazed that he would take time to see us. In the US, we would have been billed for that for sure!

          Afterwards, it was off to lunch before heading to the airport. We had a great meal here. Greg had 3 pot chicken. I was wanting a more stable meal, so I was thrilled to see shrimp fried rice. By this point, we're both very good with chop sticks.

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         The restroom is a different story. We read about the toilets in some parts of Taiwan. For gentelmen, there's really no difference. Well, except for that the cleaning ladies really don't care whether you're in there or not. Greg came out with a funny look on his face and said a woman was cleaning away while he, well, you know. Most of the places I've had to "go" in have had regular toilets. There was one occasion though when I just had to go, and when I walked into the restroom I was faced with this dilemma.

      No, this picture is not positioned wrong. This is a little tunnel on the FLOOR.  Hmmmm.  What would you do? 

        It was time for our flight back to Taipei. We were sad to leave Nathan's homeland. Everyone in Taitung has been so kind to us. They try to speak English to talk to us, and they do everything they can to make us feel welcome. Their smiles alone are welcoming. They are kind, hardworking, generous people who live simple lives and just enjoy each day.

       When we arrived at the airport, we had special guests. The nannies at Hannah's Hope wanted to say goodbye one more time to Nathan. It is a testament for just how wonderful these women are to the babies. Nathan is so healthy and happy because of them. He's been so loved. This is not normal in international adoption, and we've found a special place in our hearts for Hannah's Hope and the people there. We will not forget them. They rushed to the car when I stepped out holding Nathan and just smothered him with their last goodbyes. They were in tears and so were we. As we ascended into the air, both of us couldn't help feeling as though a part of our heart was still in Taitung.

     

       On to our fantastic evening. We were so excited when we were able to contact the family of a little boy who kept showing up in Nathan's pictures. I had asked our case manage about the little boy, and found out his name was Will. I was able to email Will's family. They sent us an email saying we might cross paths in Taiwan. Sure enough, their  last night here was our first night back in Taipei as we wait for the Visa appointment. They were staying at the same hotel we are, the Rido in Taipei. We were so anxious to see whether the boys recognized each other. Will was the lively boy we saw in the videos and pictures and Nathan was the same chilled out, calm little guy. Since Will's adoptive dad is Taiwanese, he was able to order us a great meal. We enjoyed sharing our journeys and agreed we will meet in Nashville once a year to let the boys see each other. They are from Alabama and we will certainly keep in touch. Both boys had their heads shaved. Look at how much Nathan has compared to Will!  So cute!

     It was the end of another great day. Tomorrow... we'll hopefully make Nathan a U.S citizen!