11/25/2009

Dec 4 and 5 - German Christmas Market at the Grand Hyatt

This is the first year the Hyatt has run an event like this for Christmas. I will be there with my friend Jennifer Chau, selling her beautiful handcrafted jewelry and custom-made gift baskets. If you go to this event, please come and make yourself known.


From the organiser:
"I am very excited to inform you about Grand Hyatt's first Christmas market. Whoever has been in Germany knows a visit to a christmas market is a must to feel the unique seasonal ambience. The market will not just offer you lots of delicious food and sweets from the German Executive chef, but also offer a variety of little stands where you can buy beautiful christmas decoration from Germany like nutcrackers & smokers, toys and unique handicraft items as gifts for your families. A series of children activities, including story-telling, santa claus, kids entertainer, board games and doing handcraft with the kids will also will be highlights of the Christmas Market.

Date: December 4 & 5
Time: 2.00pm to 9.00pm (opening at 12:00 noon on Saturday)
Venue: Grand Hyatt Taipei, Grand Residence II&III
Tickets are available for NT$650 per adult or NT$325 for children under 12
family tickets are available at NT$1800 for two adults and two children under 12
Enroll also early for the children's Gingerbread House Cooking session for additional NT$550 per person as it is only limited to 10 people per session.
For more information or to make a reservation please contact the Grand Hyatt on 02-2720 1200 ext 3198 or visit the website: http://www.grandhyatttaipei.com.tw/"

11/22/2009

Kaohsiung Children's Museum of Art

This museum is situated in Kaohsiung's Museum of Fine Art (高雄市立美術館).

Exhibit "Faces 100--Play Tricks with the Face" runs through until August 23, 2010.  This exhibit encourages children to do further studies of the face, and learn about the connection between emotions and expression.  Masks, dramatic theater, and  hands-on experiences work together to teach youngsters about the magic of the face.

Exhibition Venue: Gallery 101, Children's Museum of Art
Address:  80 Meishuguan Road, Gushan District, Kaohsiung City, Taiwan (R.O.C.)
Tel: (07)555-0331
Hours: Everyday, 9am-4:30pm
Website: http://english.kmfa.gov.tw/DesktopKMFA2.aspx?tabindex=6&tabid=6

[Nov 28, 2009] Taipei European School Christmas Bazaar

Taipei European School's primary campus is holding it's annual Christmas Bazaar on Nov 28.  There will be games, food, drinks, and lots of Christmas goodies for sale.

The school's events are really nice for families.  The whole campus is open for the children to enjoy. It's a nice, safe environment where parents can relax.  I took my two young children to the last event they had, and we had a great time.

There is a public car park right next to the school. 
Time: 10am-4pm
Address: 727 Wen Lin Road, Shilin District, Taipei City

You can see photos of the campus at the TES Website: http://www.taipeieuropeanschool.com/tbs/

11/09/2009

Nov 22 (Sunday) City Playgroup Charity Rummage Sale

I am personally involved in this event. It covers, REDUCE, REUSE, RECYLE and SHARE very well.

Get ready to rummage, at the 2009 Fall/Winter Charity Rummage Sale on
Sunday, November 22, 2009, at 1F #80 Tianxiang Road in Taipei City, 10 AM
to 1 PM. (台北市中山區天祥路80號1F)*

This has become a semi-annual event organized by Parent
Pages & Taipei City Playgroup. Twice a year, we encourage members of
both communities to declutter their homes of children's outgrown
clothes, toys, books, shoes, videos, and other baby/child/maternity
gear, as well as solicit donations of the same from our friends.
We've received some incredibly generous donations, including infant
and toddler car seats, strollers, highchairs, playpens, maternity
clothes, baby carriers, and more!

What's the cost of admission? It's FREE!

Is the money donated to charity? Yes! This rummage sale, we will donate the proceeds to Garden of Hope.**

What about all the things that are left over? All unsold goods will
be donated to charity too! They are picked up at the end of the day, for distribution to aboriginal families in need.

Can I get a table to sell things myself? We have a small number of
"private tables" available. (NT500/table,
all proceeds donated to the same charity). It’s “first-in-first-served” so email us at crescentcitytaiwan at gmail dot com to see if there are any available.

How can I help? First, you can donate some of your child's outgrown
clothing, toys and other gear! Consider keeping a box or bag handy,
and throughout the day as you pick up and put away toys, books,
laundry, declutter all the outgrown items. Don't wait--put it right
into the box! (Or you'll forget!!) See just how much you can
declutter up until the week of the sale, then give us a call to
arrange pick-up.

Second, consider volunteering. You can help us sort the night before
the sale (about 7:00 - 9:00 pm), sort and price the morning of the
sale (7:00 - 9:30 am), or (wo)man one of our tables for an hour.

Finally, come to the sale! Even if rummage sales don't interest you,
consider coming to meet some new friends, and buy a snack from the
lemonade stand (staffed by some of our playgroup children),.

Can someone pick up my donation(s)? We have volunteers willing to
receive your donations or pick them up.

Taipei City - Colleen (0958-191-910)
Jingmei/Muzha/Xindian - Katrina (0928-059-020)
Nankang/Hsinyi/Neihu – Tracy (0920-097-111)

Can I deliver my donation(s)? We usually don't receive donations at
the venue until the day before the sale, however, if you are leaving
Taiwan and have something you would really like to donate ahead of
time, we might be able to make special arrangements. Please contact
one of the coordinators to discuss this.

What condition should my donations be in? All clothing should be in
either like-new or gently-worn condition. All clothing should also be
clean and free of rips or permanent stains. Check books to be sure
there aren't any pages missing or torn. Check toys with multiple
pieces to see that they're complete, or at least with enough pieces
that a child can still get enjoyment from it--obviously, this doesn't
apply to puzzles.

What about things like pajamas, onesies, burp cloths, and bibs that
might have milkstains? These are okay as long as they're not ripped.

Still have questions? Join the discussion at the Family Forum! [url]www.parentpages.net[/url]


*Google map link: [url]http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=zh-TW&sourceid=gmail&q=tian+xiang+road+no.+80+taipei+city+map&lr=&um=1&ie=UTF-8&hq=&hnear=104+Taiwan%E5%8F%B0%E5%8C%97%E5%B8%82%E4%B8%AD%E5%B1%B1%E5%8D%80%E5%A4%A9%E7%A5%A5%E8%B7%AF&ei=eQv5Sob7FoeekQWPqtzBCw&sa=X&oi=geocode_result&ct=title&resnum=1&ved=0CAsQ8gEwAA[/url]

**The Garden of Hope (GOH) works to help children and women victim of violence and prostitution. Established in Taipei in 1988, GOH started out by setting up a halfway house for girls victim of prostitution, the first non-government run halfway house in Taiwan. Later on, in order to tackle the more deep rooted causes of child prostitution, GOH confronted the sex industry as a whole by starting the Anti-Child Prostitution Social Movement (1993). Now, while still working to prevent child prostitution and help its victims, GOH also assists women and children victim of sexual abuse and domestic violence by offering emergency shelter, legal counseling and psychological counseling. The Garden of Hope is active in Taipei, Taichung and Kaohsiung.
Website: [url]www.goh.org.tw[/url]

11/05/2009

Fares Academy for Martial Arts - Children (and Adult) Classes

This school is based in Teinmu, next to TAS.  Two things about their website caught my eye.  The first was the obvious dedication to the school and what they offer Tony has.  The second was the fact they offer free classes to low-income families.  In a place where so many are pushing to make money out of children's after-school activities, this gesture stood out to me.

I have never been to the school, so please go and check it out for yourself.

http://www.antoinefares.com/EN/academy.html


●Tian-Mu Dojo

No. 736-1, 2F, Zhong Shan North Road, Section 6, Taipei
(Next to Pizza Hut. One minute walk from Taipei American School)

Antoine Fares - Chief Instructor

Mobile: 0922-131649
Email: ajfares@hotmail.com

11/04/2009

Fun Formosa - sport, dance, and more

Based near Gongguan MRT station, Fun Formosa offers activities in English.  Most of the teachers are expats.  The cost of the activities is very reasonable, and the whole program is designed to let children really enjoy themselves.  At the time of writing, they seemed to be updating their site.

http://www.funformosa.com/

Soccer, ballet, basketball, gymnastics are some of the activities offered.  Here is information for the latest soccer session, from their site:

Fall 2009 Soccer Signup
We are pleased to announce that Fun Formosa Soccer is starting up again this month!
Times: 9:30-10:30 for ages 5-6 (Kindergarten and Grade 1) and 10:00-11:30 for ages 7-10 (grades 2-4)
Dates: Saturdays on 10/24, 10/31, 11/7, 11/14, 11/21, 12/5, 12/12
Location: Gong Guan Elementary School Field
Cost: Ages 5-6: NT$1500, Ages 7-10: NT$ 2000. T-shirts separate: NT$250 per shirt.
Players will need to bring their own balls, water, and sunscreen to every session.

Sign up: http://spreadsheets.google.com/viewform?formkey=dDBRSktGX1h3V2NUeTRRTXpvR0x1T0E6MA

Nov 28, 2009: Light Up the Night Outdoor Concert

From the official site of The National Theater Concert Hall:

"Christmas is just around the corner. This year the "Light Up the Night" program has invited the Keng-Hau & Geng-Hwa Chang installation arists to construct an enormous girl-like installations. The giant little girl decorating the Christmas tree, with her disproportional size, is in fact a gift to the public that crystallizes the moment of the pursuit of happiness and hope. The live performances will include Christmas Carols by the choir, the mime show, "Hip Hop Storm" teamed by Alun and various street dancers and live music by the fusion jazz band DOMs. We invite you all to form the warmest and wildest memories under the early winter sky."

There is no time listed for this event.  It could be "cool" for older children.

Transport and other information: http://www.ntch.edu.tw/englishAudience/showFaq

National Theater Family Show List Online

This is a direct link to the National Theater's information on upcoming events for the family.  You will have "refresh" the link if you enter from my link below:

http://www.ntch.edu.tw/englishProgram/showByCategory?categoryName=program_family

2009 Taipei Fireworks Festival

Taipei Dadaocheng Fireworks Festival at Dadaocheng Wharf starts at 3:00 p.m,November 7, between Water Gate No. 3 to 5. The fireworks display will be held from 8:30 to 9:00 p.m.

There will be street performers, concerts, DIY activities, an art exhibition and more.

Transport information (from official site):
Festival Shuttles

Time: 15:00~22:30
Fare: 1-section city bus fare
1. From Shuanglian MRT Station go to the Minsheng W. Road intersection (Dadaocheng Wharf) stop, near Water Gate No. 5.
2. From Taipei Main Station (East Gate 3) go to the Chung Shing Hospital stop, near Water Gate No. 3.
3. From Zhongshan MRT Station go to the intersection of Nanjing W. Rd. and Tacheng St., near Water Gate No. 4.
※ The Danshui MRT Line will also increase train frequency before and after the event.
※ Traffic controls will be in place on the day of the event. It is suggested that event-goers take public transit for transportation convenience and safety.

Dadaocheng Wharf, Yanping Riverside Park

English website link:
http://eng.taiwan.net.tw/m1.aspx?sNo=0015370