Hello Children (say it like Chef, it sounds better),
Grab a handfull of Halloween candy from the bucket and/or get something to slake your thirst from the liquor cabinet (you all know the good stuff is in the back…). Well, after weeks of going round and round with my company’s local HR/Expat group and our Taipei office who’s dealing with a consulting firm, all our visa issues are settled and we’ll be in country next week. Holy crap what a PITA the last month has been. Nothing like getting US corporate lawyers involved with an international consulting firm in an effort to define the relatively simple requirements placed forth by a convoluted bureaucracy to make one’s personal a professional life one big cluster. Now that that’s all over with, maybe my hair will stop falling out.
I haven’t been posting much lately due to lack of time, but not from lacking interest. I did forget to let y’all know how our scouting trip went back in September and that’s just inexcusable on my part. Apologies to all Forumosans who’ve helped me along the way.
Suffice to say, the Mrs. and I loved Taipei and our excitement has rubbed off on our two young daughters. While our visit last month was fairly sheltered (we were chaperoned by someone most of the time), we did get out on our own here and there and were able to take a cab, buy groceries, get money from an ATM, get lunch in department store basement food courts and get quite a few smiles from people out in public. The decision to take the assigment was solidified within the first full day we were there.
I’ll have a few days to get settled next week, then I’m on a plane to Seoul for a week of business meetings. The Mrs. will get the apartment dialed in while I’m gone. Once we’re settled, we’ll come out and say hi at some of the gatherings/get togethers/shindigs.
See you soon,
Rob.
NP - NCAA Football, Oklahoma vs Oklahoma St., 4th Q (pretty good game)
Yes. It would’ve been better to hire local staff here (we Forumosans are a very resourceful folk ) and smoothed over the BS.
[quote=“rtc_id”]See you soon,
Rob.[/quote]
Look forward to it. Hope to see you at our next Forumosa Happy Hour at Ray’s TaipeiSportsBar, November 10. If we meet, you have a choice between Jack’s or The Balvenie 15yr old that has my name on it.
[quote=“Yellow Cartman”][quote=“rtc_id”]See you soon,
Rob.[/quote]
Look forward to it. Hope to see you at our next Forumosa Happy Hour at Ray’s TaipeiSportsBar, November 10. If we meet, you have a choice between Jack’s or The Balvenie 15yr old that has my name on it.
Happy trails,
=YC[/quote]
YC,
I may be out of town on the 10th (they’re putting me right to work as soon as I step off the plane). If not, I’ll stop in. Balvenie? Sounds good.
BTW, what’s the rule on kids in bars? In Okinawa, it’s not a problem. Some of my kin folk own neighborhood watering holes and when I was a young pup, I spent many an evening behind the bar playing with action figures and toy cars. Nobody bats an eye. The reason I ask is that until we get firmly settled, the kids will be in tow everywhere we ride.
I’d better get back to packing…
Later,
Rob
NP - The Lady Wore Red, Queensryche, Eponymous (I wonder what my local counterparts in the office will think of 80’s hair metal? Probably the the same as my US counterparts :loco:
) and smoothed over the BS.