New Pictures.
Posted on August 24th, 2008 by admin
Check out our new pictures here at Picassa
http://picasaweb.google.com/trekkingaround/20080820TaipeiTaiwan
Arriving in Taiwan
Posted on August 21st, 2008 by admin
Welcome To Taiwan
We arrived today in the morning, but we did not have much time to really observe. We were hustled to our hostel for a little food and some rest. The jet lag was not terrible but it just put you in an exhausted fog. Our host/employer showed up at 2 pm and took us on the bus to the hospital for some routine checkups, an ex-ray for pneumonia, and some blood tests. It was an easy ordeal.
From there we got our first look at our schools. Bryan’s school was first. We got to meet some of the children and Bryan was introduced as Teacher Bryan. They all said hello and introduced themselves. They are all quite cute.
Bryan will be teaching in the Green class, mostly 6 year olds. They are a fun bunch and as of today Bryan only has 6 students signed up, 4 girls and 2 boys. The library is small but very nice, there is a work room, a computer room, and a teachers’ lounge. It is a small school, but there is plenty to do.
Karen's School, Jump Start Gu Tang
We then went to Karen’s school. Her school is older, with much more activity. The school is smaller in size but bigger in the amount of students. Karen has been assigned the school where all the other experts are. We think that this is more or less their flagship school. Karen has 16 students in her class, the maximum number. The school manager as they are called was very good, very energetic, and very enthusiastic about her school.
Both school managers were women, as were the Chinese teachers. We each got one Chinese teacher assigned to our rooms to be with us. The school managers were very eager to have us and Bryan has been invited to observe the school at any time, we will be going back tomorrow to check things out.
Taipei 101 Early in the Morning
Our First Leg
Posted on August 20th, 2008 by admin
Our First Leg
Our trip is to go from ROC to NYC JFK to TPE (Rochester Airport to New York City John Fitzgerald Kennedy Airport to Taipei Taiwan International Airport). We left Rochester at 4:30pm and arrived at JFK 5 hours before our flight is to leave for Taiwan. So early in fact that China Airlines is not even open for check-in. So what do we do? Go eat and drink, but one drink is all we can afford in NYC!
JFK International Terminal
It is difficult to say goodbye to people you love even if it is just temporary. It is probably the reason that many of us do not take the first step. The reason that many of us never leave home, never move very far from where we were born. There is a lot to be said about those individuals and families who stick close together building their lives around one another. We on the other hand feel that we can have the best of both worlds. We can live in the States near our families (at times) and enjoy the comforts that only home can provide. We can also travel to our hearts content feeling the freedom the world has to offer.
There is a certain exhilaration breaking free from the constraints of home, cities, and only one particular area. It is scary, it is fun, and it is true freedom. If one can choose anything that they want in a free country like America, but choose to deny opportunities due to the fear of leaving, are they truly free? Or does freedom come from the knowledge that one can chase any dream knowing that one can always return to a loving, supportive family.
We are so thankful to all our friends and family who have taken part in our new adventure. Gracias to all whom have given the best present of all, their unconditional support of our decision. Merci Beacoup for your selfless love of letting us go and moving on with your lives without us near. We are delighted to share our life changing experience with each of you!
I Love New York Shop
Leaving Nashville
Posted on August 1st, 2008 by Bryan
We left Nashville on June 12, 2008. It was a very sad day especially for me. Nashville was a new beginning of sorts for me and I love the city. As a matter of fact we both love the city and will miss it dearly.
But there comes a time to move on and our time has come. We have exactly 19 days until we leave for Taiwan. We will be there for just over a year until our visas run out. But we will not be completely tied to Taiwan, we plan on making many side trips along the way so stay tuned, you never know what you might see from us.
It is quite liberating reducing everything that two 35 year olds have down to one 10 foot moving truck (large van it actually was). We have it all in a room at Karen’s mothers house.
Reducing your stuff gives you freedom. It gives you the freedom to move around, the freedom to have fun, the freedom from undue expenses. It is amazing how little I miss our stuff. When you leave this world what do you get to take with you? Nothing? I disagree. I think that you get to take your memories. So what do we get to remember? Stuff or places, people, and things.
It was very difficult to me but in the coming months, years, and life come to our site often and see what we do, have done, and are planning to do.
To Nashville we will miss our friends, we had a lot of fun, and we will be back to visit, OFTEN. It is a great town!
Arriving in New York
Posted on July 22nd, 2008 by admin
We are staying just outside Rochester New York in the North West corner of New York State. It is home for Karen and will be our launching spot for our big trip to Taiwan.
The Finger Lakes area as it is known is a great place to be, it is absolutely beautiful with deep clear fresh water lakes, rolling country, and over 100 wineries. It could not be a better place to start our trip, but we have a lot to do before we get going.
Summer Itinerary
- Travel to Michigan to visit Bryan’s Family
- Travel to Vermont to visit more of Bryan’s Family
- Visit everyone we can in the New York area for Karen
- Travel Back to Michigan for one last Visit
- Travel to Virginia for Karen’s Brother
- Finally leave for the far East
Whew it will be a lot of traveling, but it will be well worth it. So stay tuned it will be a fun time
Air Conditioning
Posted on July 9th, 2008 by admin
Check the air conditioner filters; they should be changed or cleaned monthly to help your air conditioner reach its peak operating efficiency.
Motor Oil
Posted on May 19th, 2008 by admin
Drop off your used Motor Oil at your local service station or car repair center. Used motor oil can be recycled, refined, and used again.
What is a Tree Worth?
Posted on April 25th, 2008 by Bryan
What does one tree mean? It may mean a lot more than you think. If you plant one tree 
for Arbor Day then:
- One LARGE tree absorbs 10 lbs of air pollutants, including 4 lbs of ozone and 3 lbs of particulates.
- Intake of NOx by the tree is equivalent to NOx emitted by a typical car driven 3,600 miles.
- In one year the average tree inhales 26 pounds of carbon dioxide, the amount emitted by a car on an 11,000 mile trip.
- This same tree will in turn exhale enough oxygen to keep a family of 4 breathing for a year.
What would happen if we stop deforestation?
- Deforestation accounts for roughly 20 percent of global carbon emissions - and more than 30 percent of emissions from developing countries. Halting deforestation over the next 50 years would protect important habitat while also providing around 15 percent of the carbon-emissions reductions needed to stabilize global temperatures.
- It takes just over 275 square feet of trees to produce enough oxygen for one person.
- It takes 6 square feet of trees to compensate for carbon dioxide produced from automobile fuel for each mile driven.
- Forests are of immense importance in soil stabilization and erosion control, especially in mountainous and hilly regions; they also protect and conserve water supplies and prevent floods.
Sources:
Arbor Day Foundation (http://www.arborday.org/index.cfm)
Encyclopedia Britannica (http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-61051/tree)
Tree Canada (http://www.tcf-fca.ca/calculator/index.htm)
Did you Celebrate Earth Day?
Posted on April 23rd, 2008 by Bryan
What did you do to celebrate Earth Day? Some of our favorite sites dressed up a little. Here are our favorite Earth day icons.
Google
Yahoo
AOL
FOX
So why didn’t everyone do it?
Although many know about Earth Day most still don’t really know what it is about. We have done our part, now it is your time to do yours. Celebrate Earth Day, celebrate the Earth. Celebrate what it means to live, and interact with nature. What can you do?
Do you clean with environmentally friendly products? Do you recycle? Do you walk when you can, take the stairs when you can?
It is not a matter of something that we need to do, it is a matter of something that we have to do. It is not a chore, nor a problem. Enjoy it, Celebrate it, Have Fun with Nature! Together small differences make a huge impact.
The Earth Thanks You.
What are Carbon Footprints?
Posted on April 22nd, 2008 by Bryan
So now you know your eco footprint (if not see our article here) but what in the world is a Carbon Footprint, and is it any different?
Simply stated a carbon footprint is the amount of CO2 you release into the air in a given year. CO2 for many years has been blamed for a number of global warming issues including green house gasses.
To see yours you can take either of these quizzes
So what does it all mean? Well simply stated it depends on the types of fuel you use. Using fossil fuel of any type gives of a lot more CO2 than other types of energy. Fossil fuels can be either Oil or Coal based. Burning of organic fuels gives off CO2 but in lesser amounts. There are a lot of alternative ways of heating your home including feedstock pellets. These are pellets that can be burned in a heating stove made from the by products of food and paper production. They are very efficient.
Here are some steps that you can take to help reduce your Carbon Footprint
- Home - electric appliances are much more efficient and give off much less CO2 than do gas appliances. The reason for this is that whatever your local electric plant does to generate electricity it is cheaper to do in mass quantity than if you use gas in your home. Gas products are of course made from oil and although the oil is still relatively cheep it is not as efficient or environmentally friendly as electric appliances. It can also not be said enough that running a fan in the summer with the air conditioning turned 3 degrees higher can save money and greatly reduce your energy consumption. There is no need to try to keep your house at 70 degrees when it is 95 outside. The same can be said with heating. Turn your thermometer down a few degrees in the winter and wear a seater. This will give you a large overall savings and reduce your footprint.
- Transportation - Alternative energy cars help a lot. See our article on the best fuel for you to get more information about them. Using a motorcycle, a scooter, a bicycle, or simply walking can reduce your carbon footprint by as much as half. Carpooling and taking public transportation is another great way to reduce your footprint. Check with your local transportation agency, they may already be running buses on biodiesel.
- Waste - This is also a big one. All those factories that make all those things that we love to throw away release CO2 into the air. But not all of them do so in the same quantity. You will see more factories with green or energy star ratings for better CO2 emission rates. Use this as your basis for what you buy. Then don’t throw it away, reuse, recycle, and give away unwanted items when possible.
Still not enough for you. There are several companies available now who will purchase Carbon offsetting energy, or simply offset your CO2 emissions with plants and trees. You can check them out below.
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