Jordan

 

Breath-taking sceneries occupied my time in Jordan.  Petra is a must-go and I highly recommend it if you have a chance to visit. 

Trying out the new Dubai metro

Clean, beautiful station was the first impression I had for the Dubai Metro.  Not bad at all.

I went up and down the escalator just to be silly

Posing with Susan's mom visiting from the U.K.

We had to walk a long way to the nearest station..among the construction sites, which are typical in Dubai, or the U.A.E.

Ticket stands

Beautiful station

Susan, my reliable friend studying the direction while I goofed around

Fancy decors

The bathroom inside of the station

Me, little me, finally riding the crowded metro. Where did all these people come from?

Collecting friends

Cool friends in the U.A.E.

I will never forget how exciting it was to meet people that shared part of my life in the UAE and befriended me so much. 

Friends who offered to listen to me, check on me when I was not so happy.

Friends that I met unexpectedly in the weirest circumstances; and those who opened up themselves to show unconditional support to me.  I may not see them again for a long time, but the memories will remain freshly endearing in my heart. 

Time for some photos

These were taken on the first day I arrived at the new staff orientation.  It was the second week of August and I sneaked out to take photos.  My friends thought I was crazy to go out in the brazing heat doing this. 

The Taiwanese flag is included in the disply.  Rare but exciting.   

Life can be strange

It has been more than a month since I arrived in the U.A.E. I have only been recently connected to the Internet at home, and still have not subscribed to TV service which apparently is hard to get, along with many other services. It has been challenging to put life together in a new culture. So when my colleagues told me about the recent typhoone damages in Taiwan, it sounded like someone else's story. It was surreal. I coul not believe the world had been turned upside down for many of my country men and women only a week after I left the country.

I felt like a rebel, and guilty, for not being helpful when this happened recently. It has been a pattern of my absense from major disasters in Taiwan. I was not home in the SARS attack couple of years ago, and I wasn't there when a major earthquake happened in a September.

God bless Taiwan and the rest of the world.

Sentiments

Flowers make people happy

especially when they are free
and received unexpectedly

But they don't last...just like people, things and life..
They wither, in a day or two..so will my memory..with these and more..
Goodbye..
Thanks for being with me..may your values be recognized and cherished wherever you go

Downsizing

Downsizing my clothes,
Downsizing my belongings,
Downsizing my needs, and
Downsizing my life.