Well, as if it hasn’t been crazy enough recently what with all our computer sickie problems and moving my blog to a new home and Paul having to rush back to England to say goodbye to his daddy…now my humans are going away overseas for a long holiday!
Yup – they are going to the place where Hsin-Yi was born – it is a tiny island in the sea next to China, called Taiwan – also known as ‘Ilha Formosa’ (“Beautiful Island”) which is what the Portuguese breed of humans called it when they found it a long, long time ago.
The people who live on Taiwan are mostly Chinese – like Hsin-Yi – their great, great, great, great-grandparents were Fishing Humans and Farming Humans who came from South China a long time ago to live in Taiwan. But there are also a small group of Aboriginals who came from Polynesia even longer before that, to live in Taiwan…in fact, some of the Aboriginals from Taiwan then went sailing again and found another beautiful island in the Pacific Ocean called New Zealand and they became the Maori people of NZ!
(Maybe this is why Hsin-Yi instantly fell in love with NZ when she went there – ‘coz it is a little volcanic island just like Taiwan…and even the Maori people were originally from Taiwan!)
Although Hsin-Yi is “Chinese” - to be Taiwanese Chinese is very different from being Chinese from China or Singapore or Hong Kong…and Hsin-Yi is very proud to be Taiwanese!
There is probably no other place in the world where you can find so much squashed into such a little island (it is about 1/7 th the size of the UK). You can climb huge mountains covered in clouds in the morning and surf on the beach in the afternoon; sit in a natural hot spring one day or trek through bamboo forests the next…it is full of such different, beautiful places. Taiwan is also famous for having some of the best food in Asia (you can find restaurants from all the different provinces in China, just in 1 city!) and some of the most amazing carvings and statues and paintings in the museums, which were all rescued from China when the Communist Humans were destroying everything during a scary time called the Cultural Revolution. Most of all, the Taiwanese people are known for being very friendly and helpful – and always smiling! 
Here is a little movie from the Taiwan Tourism Board to show you what a beautiful place Taiwan is:
.
My humans are SO excited about going to Taiwan as they haven’t been back there in a long, long time…in fact, Paul hasn’t been back to Taiwan since their wedding, over 10yrs ago!
They will be meeting Hsin-Yi’s mummy there and stuffing their faces spending some time with her – and then they are all going together to Shanghai to see the Expo, and also meet Hsin-Yi’s brother there. It’s going to be a big family reunion! Hsin-Yi is also very excited about seeing her best friend from school who lives in Taiwan now.
As for me? Well, I’m going to stay with my lovely pet-sitter and her Great Dane, Harley! Remember Harley? He was the gentleman who let me sleep on his bed when I was staying at his house last time – hee! hee! But Hsin-Yi said I can take my own giant beanbag bed this time so I won’t hog poor Harley’s bed! 
Me hogging Harley's bed!
I am so happy my humans have found my lovely pet-sitter because now I get to stay with a family in a “home” while my humans are away (instead of in a kennel-jail!) and they take me out for walks every evening together with Harley. They even come to my house to pick me up and drop me off again – aren’t they amazing?
My personal Great Dane chauffeur service!
So by the time you’re reading this, my humans will already be on the Big Flying Machine and I will probably be having a snooze with Harley. But don’t worry – I won’t be leaving my blog silent for the next few weeks while my humans are on holiday – what if you all forget about me? 
– I have made Hsin-Yi help me do some posts that I can show you while she’s away – like “Here’s one I made earlier!” 
But I won’t be able to come round and visit my blog friends at all for the next few weeks until my humans get back from holiday – so please forgive me – and please don’t forget about me – okay?
I am sure they are going to have a great trip and a pawesome time there!
And you too with your friend, Honey!
Take care
Kisses and hugs
Lorenza
We hope woo have fun AND the your pawrents have a safe trip with lots of fun too!
My Unkhle Steve who khurrently is living in Northern China lived in Kaohsiung when he first was transferred to Taiwan -
Hugz&Khysses,
Khyra
Oh, we hope your humans have a wonderful time on their trip and you have a great time with your friend Charlie’s family. See you when you all get home.
I hope Hsin-Yi and Paul have a wonderful time & I’m very glad you don’t have to go to the kennel-jail.
We would never forget about you, dear Honey!
How could we EVER forget about you?!? As big as you are, we can see you from here, so we’ll be keeping an eye on you! Heehee! (Well, someone’s got to make sure that poor Charlie gets his own bed! *grin*) I hope your parents have a great time -- we know you’ll be partying it up!
*kissey face*
-Fiona and Abby the Mutant Alien Pod Puppy
Oh Honey we will miss you so!
Have a good time with Charlie and I hope Hsin-Yi and Paul enjoy their trip too!
Brodie The Yellow Lab
ohh..Hsin-Yi is making my mommy so jealous now. Both of my parents are Taiwanese but only Mommy grew up there and my grandpa and grandma on mommy’s side are still in taiwan too. Mommy went to taiwan about once every two years but every time she visited, she was surprised how different (for the better) it was compared the previous visit. (paul will be really surprised if his last visit was more than 10 years ago!) oh Hsin-Yi is definitely right about the yummy food in taiwan. There is so many good eats there…mom and dad said they had at least one “pearl milk tea” everyday when they were there. They are so jealous that Hsin-Yi and Paul get to go to the Expo in Shanghei. mom & dad are going to taiwan in spring next year and also shanghei to visit mom’s brother (my uncle allen) but they will miss the Expo. We hope Hsin-Yi and paul have a great time and tell us about their trip!
So glad that you get to stay with Charlie and feel just like home. we hope we don’t need to wait too long before we hear your updates at Charlie’s.
wags,
Preston
Wow! I’m so glad you explained more about Il Formosa and Aboriginal. I’ve learned that part of Loki’s heritage is likely to be Formosan doggie, a doggie breed that the Aboriginal folk used for hunting! how cool is that? Once they said the “dingo” was a breed of domestic dog that aboriginal’s used for hunting in Australia. Now we have one from Taiwan.
Mr. WD has been to Taiwan like a gazillion million gillion times. For a few years, he even left a bicycle there so he could ride it on the weekends in the mountains! I went one time as well with him. I couldn’t agree more about the people. They are the kindest, nicest people I’ve met anywhere.
Have fun reunioning!
wags, wiggles, woos,
wild dingo
Hi Honey,
I know, humans have this urgent need to go away once a year… they call it holiday… I do not understand what they find in those big fly machines….
My human says that us doggies do not understand… she says it is like going to a new place with lots and lots of new smells and peemails…
Anyway, I am so happy you managed to find a friendly place to stay during their holidays! I am happy you will stay with Charlie, this will you will not get bored waiting for your humans to get back. It will be quite a nice time for you also!
eh eh eh
PS: less training at least since Hsin-Yi is away
My human is looking for the news that your human will bring back from Taiwan: she did not know too much of Taiwan and she spent a bit of time researching on Hsin-Yi’s country. She would love to taste the taiwanese cousine!
Take care!
Lucille & Nicoletta
Hope your humans have a great time. Our hu-dad has never been to Taiwan, (closest was Hong Kong), but his dad was based in Taiwan for a while back in the early 1960′s and speaks very fondly of his memories there. Mostly, our hu-granddad remembers his time off-base walking through small villages and meeting some very friendly people.
Honey -- Hope Hsin-Yi and Paul have a wonderful trip and a great time in Taiwan and then in China! You have fun with Charlie and be a good girl!
Everyone gets a vacation! How fun! We hope you all have fun!!
Have a good time with Charlie, Honey! And a very safe, happy trip to your humans!!!
Love,
Ammy
Honey, I could never forget about you!
Hsin-Yi, thanks for the information about Taiwan. An ex-boyfriend of mine lives there now and sends pictures from time to time. Right now he’s in India working for a few months and then I suppose he’ll head back to Taiwan. He seems to really love it there. He’s originally from Seattle, WA.
I hope you have a wonderful vacation. I’m looking forward to lots of pictures when you get back!
Hope your mom and dad have a good time on their trip!
We hope your humans have a wonderful time in Taiwan. Our Mom hopes one day to visit there too with our sister-in-law and brother. She is Taiwanese too. We hear it is every bit as beautiful as Hsin-Yi describes. Have lots of fun with Charlie.
Woos ~ Phantom, Thunder, and Ciara
It’s wonderful that you have new friends with whom you can stay while your people are away. I hope Hsin-Yi and Paul have a wonderful time with her family.
Drools,
Thor
I can’t wait to hear all about their trip!
WE won’ts forget about you Honey! I hope your hoomans enjoy their holiday!
woof -- Tucker
Honey,
It’s Boxen and Bella’s mom. Sorry we have not said hi in forever but we have been very busy. We wanted to say hi and tell your mom that we have a great series of books for her to read if she has not already. They are “the cat who…” series and the Miss Murphy series. “The cat who…” series is about a man with two siamese cats and is written by Lillian Jackson Braun. There are lots of them to read in the series and mom has them all if your mom wants to borrow them. the other series is the Miss Murphy series and it is about two cats and a Corgie that take care of their mom and help her solve mysteries. Mom has all of those too. The Author of that series is Rita Mae Brown. Tell your mom to let us know if she wants us to send them to her. It would be better than her having to buy them all.
Snuggles
Boxen and Bella
Oh we would never forget you Honey! I hope you don’t miss your hoomans too terribly. I know I would be very lonely without my hoomans. Enjoy your vacation with your dane friend.
AARF Kasha the Dainty Great Dane
you will have a great time honey! (get it? Great?)
You are very brave I would miss my humans tooooooo much if they went away and left me with someone I do not REALLY know!
but their friend natashja house sits their house and when my humans went to america they left me with her and I really like her and she really likes me aswell!
itis also really good because she comes and takes care of the house and me aswell and then I do not have to go away from my territory!
but I think if that lady who doggie sits you then maybe I would like her too?
Maybe I could have a tester stay…
well I hope your humans have a great time in taiwan and you have a great time with your Doggie sitter!…
woofs and slobbers
earnest the big-ish great dane
We could never forget you.
Honey we could never forget you!! I hope you have a lovely time at your pet-sitters
It is great that you are able to stay in a great environment like that instead of those yucky kennels which can be awfully stressy. We we be on the look out for your next post and I hope your humans have a wonderful time on their trip 
Zeppelin
I loved learning about Tiawan! Hope your humans have a wonderful trip. You’ll be fine Honey, Charlie looks very sweet
<3 Miss Kodee @Bark'n About