Bye-bye, Taiwan

Jeremy and I are leaving today.

Yesterday we went downtown, all four of us, just to give the boys a change of scenery and a chance to move around. It was raining, so we walked around the computer market, Nova, and then the underground mall around Taipei Main Station. The boys had some fun and Trina found a store that sells traditional Chinese clothing. In the end, she bought a couple things for her and a matching outfit for each of the boys. But she was looking and trying things on for about half an hour, which is much too long for Jeremy and Michael. The owner of the store was very kind and gave Michael a snack of seaweed, which he really liked. I'm sure he didn't know what it was. Fortunately, she also had a broom and dustpan, which kept Jeremy occupied. It also entertained all the passersby, to see him hard at work. I joked with the owner that she would have to charge us a little more for the seaweed, then take a little off for Jeremy's work. After that, we went out to dim sum with Joseph and May and their family.

This morning, I thought it best to prepare Michael for our departure. I told him, "You have a long day at school today, so you'll be eating lunch with your friends." That was fine with him. Then I said, "Daddy and Jeremy are leaving to go back to Canada today." "Then Mommy will pick me up from school," he said. Trina reassured me that she'll miss me. Jeremy and I spent the day packing and resting for the long trip. When I picked Michael up from school for dinner, he made up for his previous stoicism. He burst into tears and said, "I'm gonna miss you, Daddy." I'm going to miss Michael and Trina, too. Our flight isn't until 11:00pm, so we'll fly all night, then get in to Calgary just after midnight. Trina and Michael will be home in another month.