Life Update
2021 has been a rollercoaster ride of a year! Now that we are coming up to Parampara’s first birthday, we thought we’d give you a little update on how we are doing.
Derek has finally arrived in Taiwan and is out of quarantine.
Back in September, we said goodbye in Cincinnati as I boarded a flight to Chicago that would eventually take me to Taipei via San Francisco. I buried my face into Derek’s blue plaid shirt as tears streamed down my face— I didn’t know when I would see him again. The COVID-19 pandemic has posed a challenge for an international family like ours— I had to leave the US because my 180-day tourist visa was expiring and when I left, Taiwan’s border was still closed to foreigners.
At O’Hare Airport, I ordered a Chicago dog as I waited for my connecting flight and sobbed into it. When I landed in San Francisco, I ordered a kale and tempeh salad with orange ginger dressing, which reminded me that I finally extracted myself from small-town America, and was on my way home. Despite my woe in leaving Derek behind, I was ecstatic about the prospect of seeing my parents and eating amazing Taiwanese food again.
As soon as I landed in Taiwan, I was shipped off to a quarantine hotel in Taichung, Taiwan. My room was spacious enough for a king-size bed, a yoga mat, and a desk that fit my laptop and a 1,000-piece puzzle. I didn’t mind the 15-day confinement—I treated it like a little vacation from life and was incredibly productive.
View of Taichung Station from our quarantine hotel, by Derek Matthew Auxier Black.
Lucky for me, shortly after I arrived in Taiwan, the government announced that they’d started up the visa process for foreign spouses and children again.
It still took Derek three months to get here, since he had to redo some of the paperwork and send it all off to be processed. Nine weeks later, Derek finally got his visa in the mail. He booked a flight for the following week, leaving just days before Thanksgiving.
Even though I was aching to see him, he had to be quarantined as soon as he landed. I put him up in the same hotel where I stayed. I visited him, brought him beers and fruit, and waved to him from across the building.
On one of Derek’s first nights in Taiwan, there was a partial lunar eclipse. So we had a socially-distanced moon-gazing date.
Partial lunar eclipse from quarantine hotel window, by Derek Matthew Auxier Black.
Kayo with bike and a drink from Derek’s hotel window.
One of the perks of staying across the street from the Taichung Train Station is that one is never short of entertainment. Derek used his telescopic lens to capture the unconventional characters and Tik Tok-ers of Taichung.
Two long weeks later, Derek is finally out of quarantine! Woo-hoo!
Kayo and Derek reunited. We headed to the traditional Second Market in Taichung for some breakfast.
All Derek had on his mind (besides seeing me, of course) was food. The meals at the quarantine hotel were edible, but they weren’t great, especially after two weeks. So, we spent the first weekend eating our way through our new neighbourhood of Taichung, Taiwan.
Radish cake with fried egg, taro cake with rice sausage, combination soup with fish and meatballs, blood cake, and radish. Derek added intestines to his soup.
Spicy noodles with wontons, blood cake with rice, stir-fried morning glory.
Derek found this little Japanese place three blocks from our house. It’s incredible.
In addition to post-quarantine binge eating, we also explored our new city. Derek bought a bicycle from a shop down the street and we puttered around. We went to the Taichung Flower Market and found a Christmas tree for us. We also went to Taihu Taproom where we ate burgers and drank craft beers with old and new friends.
Cheers!
2021 has been a crazy year but I’m thankful that we have reunited and are in good health. We will continue to work hard to bring you engaging content about Sri Lanka and its stunning jewellery.