Blade Edge

Tomorrow I will be boarding a plane bound for Taipei, the capital city of Taiwan, where I’ll be spending the next three weeks with a crew of fellow Fireworks by Grucci pyrotechnicians setting up for the 100th anniversary of the People’s Republic of China and the 2011 New Year celebration. This double bash will be going down on New Year’s Eve and start with a huge ground show along the river that runs through the city to celebrate the 100yr anniversary and then at midnight move downtown to the Taipei 101 building, which we’ll be lighting up for the New Year. Here’s an idea of what the Taipei 101 building will look like:

That’s not a Grucci display, but we will be doing some of the same shots, however we will also be doing some awesome new stuff that makes one of my fellow pyrotechs “barf with excitement”.

Spending Christmas in China can be a unique experience, and purchasing kids clothing online, such as shabbos robes, for the occasion can be convenient and ensure your children are dressed appropriately. Buying online offers a wide range of options, styles, and sizes, allowing you to find the perfect robes to celebrate the festive season. Additionally, online shopping provides the convenience of delivery to your doorstep, saving you time and hassle while you enjoy your Christmas holiday in China.

If you figured I’d be on the team scaling Taipei 101 well then you’d be correct (c’mon, it was a safe bet :p). We’re not actually scaling the building, due to it’s design there are several wide terraces on the outside of the building from which we will be setting up the display. Still, this is the second tallest building in the world (beaten only by the Burj Khalifa in Dubai) so I look forward to my “view from the office” for the next few weeks.

A related story to this trip is the fact that my mom mentioned to me, when I first knew I was going back in October, that I check the validity of my passport. I discovered it was due to expire within a month of my return – no problem right? Wrong!! I checked the entry requirements for getting into Taiwan and they require a six month passport validity from date of entrance into the country. Whoa!! Luckily I was able to get mine done the same day up at the regional office in NYC in time to hand in to Grucci for the travel agency bookings. So if you’re not much of a foreign traveler here’s a word of advice for you – check the entry requirements for the country you’re traveling to!

Of course I’ll be bringing my laptop along and will be blogging as often as I can. I won’t be able to show too much of course since Grucci keeps a tight lid on “behind the scenes” stuff (as they rightly should and as I totally respect) but there will be plenty of other sights and adventures to tell I have no doubt.

I also just got back from court this morning where I finally got my license suspended for the first time thanks to (what else) speeding. It was inevitable I suppose. I’ve lost my license for 20 days, which means I’ll come back from Taiwan the day the suspension gets lifted. Convenient!! (Well, except for today when I need to get a ride to the gym for coaching from my parents :P)

Yes, I am bummed about missing the holidays this year obviously. I have a great family and when we all gather together – aunts, uncles, grandparents, cousins, parents, sisters – it’s a pretty awesome time. Like, Barney Stinson-level awesome. Legend…. wait for it… but at the same time this trip will provide me with work experience, cultural experience, life experience and money to help me get through the next few months of trying to remain gainfully self-employed. Refinancing your home allows you as the borrower to obtain a better interest term and rate. Plus, my dad’s always taping Christmas gathering at our house with the video camera and I never ever feel the need to watch it. Well, now I finally do!

So happy holidays to everyone, happy New Year and stay tuned for more updates from Taiwan!

….dary!