I am loving this shot from Harper's Bazaar Spring Fashion Issue (photo by Peter Lindbergh).  I've had a girl crush on SJP since the very first season of Sex in the City and have always been envious of her ability to sprint in 5 inch Monolos.  Her "tips for a chic and gracious life" inspired by Diana Vreeland's "Why don't you...?"column are great. 

"WHY DON’T YOU…?

SARAH JESSICA PARKER shares her tips for a chic and gracious life.

• Try, for every 20 e-mails you send, to write a letter, an old-fashioned letter, and post it. Remember how it felt to receive an actual letter or postcard in the mail?

• Keep a bucket filled with candy. Cheap, good candy. From butterscotch hard candies to Bulls-Eyes to spice drops. Pretty cheap per pound, low calorie, and great late at night while working or staying up too late reading or watching television. It will scratch the itch.

• Use your local library. So few people do anymore. And if you are a parent, introduce your children to their neighborhood library. It will give them a real sense of independence to have their own library card and enjoy borrowing books.

• Empty out your purse twice a week, tossing all coins into a mason jar, an old coffee can, or a strange-shaped and not particularly practical porcelain jar. It’s wonderfully surprising to discover what can accumulate. You can give the money to charity (always feels good), and it’s grand to do in the spring when charities are not on people’s minds.

• Cook or bake something outrageous that you are convinced will be impossible. The advantage of this endeavor is that it can actually get you cooking more meals at home. Once you are triumphant with the absurdly difficult, a meal for yourself or your family will seem like a cakewalk (so to say). And it can be a great money saver.

• Walk more. It simply feels great. And for those who have an “allergy” to working out, it’s a great way to get the blood moving. If you are feeling extra adventurous, try putting some speed into that walk.

• Read the editorial page of your local paper. It introduces you to opinion and can be terrifically provocative and perhaps a great motivating force for you to get involved in your community, regardless of your political ideology.

• Get eight hours of sleep, though I never do."

Read the entire article here.

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I'm getting ready to board the blessed plane that is taking me back to my homeland, but I thought I would post a photo while I wait.  See you soon, USA!

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Yesterday was the big day!  Despite some very scary hospital accommodations, all seems to have gone well and she is recovering normally.  Apparently the meniscus rupture was larger than the doctor had anticipated so the surgery took a little extra time to complete but at the end of the day she was sewn back up with some very fancy artificial tendon from France and all seems well.  I took some very bad photos of the experience with my point-and-shoot…most taken without actually looking through viewfinder so as to avoid appearing completely insane.  I’m almost positive I was unsuccessful in my endeavor, but hey!  People are already staring at the white girls, might as well give them something to talk about.  So far, only one nurse speaks any English so it’s been a real adventure figuring out how to communicate needs and concerns. My little lonely planet phrase book is really falling short.  Did you know that there is no listing for, “My sister is trying to scratch her face off. Can you give her something for the itching?”  Crazy.  

Apparently, staying in a Taiwanese hospital is somewhat akin to a youth hostel.  That is true both in appearance as well as function.  For the most part, there are 3-4 patients to a tiny little room that looks like something you might see in a slasher movie.  You have to order everything you want including sanitized bedding.  That seems like a no brainer to me, really.  At least in the states they just go ahead and charge that $25 Advil dosage to your bill and ask questions later.  Here, nothing is a given.  They may not even HAVE Advil.  You want a pillow?  Some toilet paper?  Water?  Just hop on down to the Seven Eleven and get it yourself.  The folks at Seven Eleven and I have become great friends.  So far, 90% of my meals have been the cold noodles I can buy for a little over a dollar in the little refrigerated section of the convenience store.

So far, Julenna is still feeling pretty nauseated so food isn’t really an option, but apparently she asked the hospital to provide a meal last night so they brought it anyway.  I’m not entirely sure what it was, but I can tell you the smell was horrendous.  I’m fairly certain it came from the restaurant next door to the hospital where I witnessed a dish washing ritual consisting of a bucket, a hose, and the sidewalk.  Ah, good times.  

It’s time for me to head back for another day of F-U-N!  

Talking with the anesthesiologist about his recomendation for a spinal injection.  Miss Newbanks was beside herself after his...um, colorful description of the process.  

Injection Room...otherwise known as the hallway.

Nurses who didn't understand us.  Note the confusion on their faces. 

The lovely hospital communal bathroom.  Awesome, right?

If you're a patient and you want to take a shower, this is the place!

Getting the good drugs.

Coming back to the room

The Dinner.  

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Today was filled with “crash course on Taiwan” types of activities:  A trip to the grocery store, the acquisition of a sim card (harder than it should be), a cursory walk around the neighborhood to check out restaurants…you know, first day stuff. Most of the travel literature I read before coming said things like ‘Oh don’t worry, most people will speak English! You’ll be fine!”  I am here to tell you that those are LIES.  I’m not one of those ugly American travelers that expect everyone in the world to speak English or anything, but HOLY CRAP am I ever in over my head!  So far, I have resorted to drawing circles on a map and handing said map to the cab driver who in turn looks at me with what can only be described as ‘polite confusion.’  I know ABSOLUTELY NO CHINESE.  None.  Not even a little.  Ok, I take that back, I know the word for ‘thank you’ compliments of the Gilmore Girls.  Starting tomorrow I am on my own to do things like get food and purchase supplies.  Also, I must successfully get from the hospital to Julenna’s flat every night and that makes me more than a little nervous, I’m not going to lie.  The one bright ray of hope is that I have managed to successfully secure a sim card, which as of yesterday, did not look like it was going to be a possibility since one must have residency papers to purchase a phone in this country.  So now, when I get lost, I can call someone and tell him or her that I am lost.  Not that anyone I know will actually be able to help me get unlost, but at least I will be able to communicate just how lost I am and that is something.

On a more positive and hopeful note, I had a very impressive lunch today comprised of a ‘hot pot’ and several raw meaty looking products.  It was sort of like fondue with an Asian twist.  The hot pot consisted of a spicy Thai broth on one side and coconut milk on the other and the raw meaty products could be cooked on either side.  I was also introduced to tofu skins.  They have a texture which I can only describe as rubbery bread, but they taste pretty good. Just to make sure everyone knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that I am indeed a tourist, I decided to take photos of everything I ate.  I’m breaking my traveling rules, left and right!  So Internet, without further adieu, I introduce you to My Lunch.

**Disclaimer: All photos taken with crappy point-and-shoot

I'm pretty sure that says 'Coke.'

Raw meaty products + veggies. See those bread-like things? Those are tofu skins.

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