About Me

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Yilan, Taiwan
I just returned back to the States after 11 years in Taiwan with my daughter. Taiwan is an excellent base for us explore Asia, while living in relative (gun free) safety, while benefiting from a cheap and efficient national health care system. The people are amazing too. I have Taiwanese friendships that are 20 years old and I'm always making new ones! My coworker here in CO is from Taiwan.

Saturday, February 19, 2011

The health store of my mind

I dont know much, but one thing I do know is high quality health care products, and what is not available in Tainan. My mom was a health nut extremist who always shopped in health food stores, I used to work in one when I was an undergrad (then came Whole Foods who put us out of business), my dear friend worked at Vitamin Cottage and this knowledge has just accumulated over the years.

Now Foods brand products are available here but not all. There is acidopholis but no Gabba. I dont know maybe they have it at the Taiwan distributor, but I dont see it on the shelves and their website is all in Mandarin. Now Foods definately has some nice clays (just add water) for the face which would be a toxic free alternative to the masks available here. There is omega fish oils, but not the best brand for it. There is Burt's Bee's (thank God). Once Cosmed carried Dr. Bonners for like 6 months and then poof no more.

If I could supply the local health food stores in Tainan, or have my own, this is a list of essentials based on what I have on my own shelves in my home which I managed to stuff in my suitcase. :

1. Gluten-free products. A gluten-free lifsetyle is not really possible here, which is a shame. Well it is in theory, you can eat brown rice or millet everyday and soba noodles (read the labels the buckwheat is often mixed with wheat flour), but doesnt sound fun to me. I miss having brown rice flour, buckwheat flour, rye flour, amaranth flakes, quinoa italien noodles, sorgum flour and just the dirth of grain variety that is available at home. The grocery store in Mitzikoshi does sell some Bob's Redmill hot cereal products, but thats about it. I would definately import a variety of gluten free flours and bake to my hearts content. The grocery store at Mitzokoshi used to sell German black rye bread, but not lately.

2. Dr. Bonners. I cant imagine a world without this, whether camping or traveling, such a versatile, good for the earth product.

3. The crystal body deodorant. Toxic free and effective. The rock lasts years, and they have a spray one too.

4. Aruvedic medicine and Himalayan Herbals. I discovered this on my travels in India and when I returned to the States to give birth,  I noticed the health food stores were starting to carry miniscule amounts of their selection. Add to this, Chyawanprash and Dabur products, Auromere products and the magical plant Neem, neem oil, neem toothpaste, shampoo, it can also be taken internally.

5. Teas.  Seems redundant, Taiwan being an Oolong drinking culture. But women here (as anywhere) are suckers for weight loss products and thats why I bought a 2 pound bag of pure South American Yerba Mate. Sure it tastes like crap, its extremely bitter, but I noticed Carrefore starting to carry Yerba Mate blends (cut the bitterness with some sweetness.) Again seems redundant as Oolong also helps metabolize fat  and alkalize the blood, but Im a sucker for purity. Pure BrazilianYerba Mate from Nativa Herbs. Zhena's Gypsy Teas need to be here because they come in cool, colorful tins and other than being organic and a fair trade product have some tasty blends. Black teas. There is not alot to choose from in Taiwan, Yellow Label, yuck, lots of tea from Sri Lanka (which is not bad I just am an Assam girl).  From my recent Borneo holiday I discovered Sabah Tea, and my all time preference is Taylors of Harrogate Yorkshire Gold.

6. Minerals like Colloidal Silver, Dead Sea Mineral products, and the wonderful Ionic Tonic.

7. It would be great to offer the people of Tainan, Colonics and Mayan Uterine Massage. My Taiwanese friend told me it was near impossible to find enemas here, so maybe start out with providing home enema products before the full on Colonics.

8. Yoga classes, real, unadulturated yoga classes, with real ujaii breathing, w/o balls, tai chi, pilates, starting out with sun salutations, followed by 2 legged, then 1 legged poses, floor poses and a coherent closing sequence. (This subjectdeserves its own post).

I  could sit here and write about this all day, but got to get back to making breakfast, maybe a bike ride w/Z.

Tuesday, February 15, 2011

The land below the wind



During Chinese New Year, Z and I spent 12 nights and 13 days in Sabah, Malaysian Borneo.  It was all such a gift, such a blessing to get away from familiar Taiwan for a while, to spend some time just with Z, to share the magical adventure of experiencing a new, unfamiliar, country together. People were wonderful, from helpful locals, to lovely travelers offering advice and encouragement. Its such a confirmation to hear mere strangers verbalize out loud what I have been thinking to myself in private about the hopeful confidence I have that me and Z do and will have a good life. This trip also reconfirmed for me that I am a creative person and the past few years I have undervalued that significant part of myself and of the creative process which is Holy.






To travel is like having an enhanced, supra-condensed form of everyday life. There are moments of being alone and moments of sweet companionship, everything is magnified. Every conversation, every moment of doing nothing, lying in a hammock, or on some ferry or shared taxi, life seems to be pointing something at me, a destination, a new dream, direction. One veil is lifted from my eyes, one moment at a time. I am given vision, my past, with all its hurts and disappointments, the stark reality of where I am Now, standing on the cusp of what will be and its all working in the background for me, for my good. During one of my first nights in Kota Kinabalu, I had one of those dreams. Sometimes I dream of people I have psychic connections with. Usually its my mom or a brother, an old friend or lover, and I truly believe we contact each other, like an intergalactic, space-time telepathic Skype, they receive me and have the same dream time in their time. This time, I contacted Z’s father and I told him, “listen I guess I’ve been alone these 5 years because secretly I’ve been waiting for you to come around. She has been asking about you and you ought to contact her, you know where to find me. As for me, I’m not waiting around for you anymore.” A lot of psychic baggage was lifted off my shoulders.

Sometimes these cosmic messages get lost in the everyday grind of routine. Its hard to be in a place of undeniable vulnerability when every moment of every day is accounted for, even moments of rest are penciled in. My blood needs to be stirred, I need to be launched out of my comfort zone, maybe I need a little bit of danger, definitely high adventure and I am then so aware of how I am loved, loved by God, the Universe, THE higher power, Christ consciousness, whatever you call It. At these moments when He has my absolute attention (I say ‘He’ because I am in this divine relationship, the Beloved) and I say, “God you have my attention, I am listening”, and then I am wooed, the Universe literally sings me a love song.  Not just any love song, but a particular song that once had a special significance to me that I forgot about throughout the years (in this case a song from my Barcelona days that I never told a soul about). And then it becomes more meaningful and personal. Like when we were abandoned by our dodgy driver in Kota Belud, we are saved by angels or stuck in Sipilok from the absence of local transport, we were blessed with personal encounters with endangered animals (in this case an orangutan). What are the “chances” of seeing the rare Rafflesia flower in bloom? So casually my beautifully made, indigenous driver pulls over and the flowers were not even intentioned destination, just by chance, on the way to something also equally wonderful.

There is no good or bad luck, when I am ready to take the chance to buy that ticket, to take the journey, I am truly transported, divinely escorted. In the case of my Borneo experience, my cup truly ran over and I didn’t need to do anything but be there in the position of receiving. It all increased my faith that Z and I are loved and looked after, no need to worry about absolutely anything.

How am I integrating this into my daily life now that I have returned to work, to cleaning my house and rushing to get to work on time? I am not stressing on my floors, no more everyday, 2 times a day, the laundry can wait, and so what if I am late! And if I don’t make it into the gym at lunch, I will survive. In fact I’ve returned with this determination, actually this victory of mind over portion control, in fact I am already always satisfied, satiated. I don’t mind being single nor am I worried about Z being “fatherless”. Her father is Divine and He has given her this ability to re-translate, to be the Alchemist who transforms lead into pure gold. Before the trip I was already content, but I returned with a deeper understanding of content-ness, a fresh experience of Grace that is priceless. So now you see why my trip was such a gift.