DAY 2 - Peng-Hu Vacation
Did you know that squids squirt ink? I didn’t, but I found out the hard way. This happened at the end of the day but is too good not to share. We went night fishing in the evening. We rode a boat out to another boat and they showed us how to use the fishing poles (which I only sort of understood since it was in Chinese) and let us lose. Yvonne and I were by each other. She loves squid and was anxious to catch one. She did eventually. I thought “Oh good. Now she is happy. I don’t have to catch one and I’ll be happy.”
But it wasn’t meant to be. About 5 minutes later, I felt a tug on my line. Yvonne got really excited and kept telling me to bring it up faster. I was nervous. I didn’t know what to do once it was out of the water! My one and only fishing experience was years ago, and I was so young my family did most of it for me. So I bring the squid up and suddenly I feel wetness. I yelped and Yvonne told me to bring it into the ship. Then she looked at me and said “You got inked!” I still had a squid on the end of my pole and was quite concerned about that. I did look down and saw 2 big black spots on my shirt. What the? Yvonne snapped some quick pictures.
I still didn’t know what to do with the squid! Luckily, some lady came over and helped me out. She took it off the hook and picked it up off the floor and stuck it in a bucket. I was just like “ah.” It was too close for me. I’d rather watch them and not touch them. So yeah, I got inked by a blasted squid! I can’t figure out why I got the mean one! It’s not like it knew I’m a white girl (we blame tons of stuff on this fact) although Yvonne’s thinks I had a different color line. Ha ha. I don’t know, but it wasn’t pleasant. And they then told me it doesn’t come out. Lame! I like that shirt.
We finished up then went to the top deck to eat our catch. It wasn’t bad. I tried squid before and didn’t like it. Now I think it was the seasoning that ruined it. We had it with noodles and it was tasty. Yum. I also tasted the squid raw – it was too chewy. I like it better boiled.
Now back to the beginning of the day. We got up early and met at the travel agency, then rode a bus, a boat and another bus and arrived at a beach. Time for water activities! They had everything we needed – toys, life jackets, and helmets.
At first, I didn’t get in because I was feeling sick (oh yeah, I got sick Friday morning and was the entire trip. Not so fun). But eventually the draw of the water and thrill of adventure pulled me in. I grabbed a jacket and helmet and rode a tube. The water was very salty. And I rode on the back of a wave runner (Funny thing – in Chinese they are called scooters on water. Caused a little confusion when Yvonne and I were talking the other day.) and got dumped in the water. Not so fun, but funny. Yvonne got it on tape too. Ha ha.
Our next adventure was snorkeling. I wasn’t so sure since I already had a headache from my icky sinuses. But I’m so glad I did it. They had a nifty boat thing where you just hold on and let the boat move you. I liked not having to do any work :) While looking around the ocean, I thought of Finding Nemo. I want to watch the show now. You should too and then you’ll have some idea of what it felt like. Snorkeling is interesting because you can’t breathe through your nose and your mouth and throat get really dry.
Yvonne and I were the only 2 lucky ones that got to see a really big fish. The island’s industry is dependent on fishing so lots of the fish are disappearing.
We returned to the island we were staying on and went to find some lunch. We had cactus noodles and they were super good! Oh yum. It was also a first experience because we sat on cushions on the floor. Cool! The made me try this dish that was a cube of tofu wrapped in lettuce and dipped in a sauce. Not so good. I don’t like tofu. And Yvonne was acting like a mom and telling me to finish eating my food. They give me too much and expect me to clear my plate. Ha!
Charlene gave me a gift before we started eating – a set of metal chopsticks. They are in a little case and have a stand so I don’t have to put them on the table. They are sweet. I’ve decided they will go everywhere I go. Well, maybe not on garbage runs. Jason said she was treating me really well because he has known her for a long time and she has never given him a gift. He he. What can I say? It’s the white skin. Oh, I don’t have to participate in conversations much over here. Why not? Because they happen in Chinese. And I still can’t speak it (although I can now say 1-10). I was telling my mom it will be weird to come home and have to contribute to a conversation. It’s easier to just sit and think.
After lunch, we decided to return to our hotels and take naps. I was very happy they decided on this since I was sick, sunburned and tired. Don’t know how long we slept, but it was great. Then we went off on our night fishing adventure, and I’ve already told you all about that. :)
Thursday, August 14, 2008
Scooter Rider
DAY 1 - Peng-Hu Vacation
This lovely day actually started at 8:30 p.m. when we left our apartment. After a scooter ride on a rainy night (2 problems there – water and darkness), we arrived at the port. We were early. Great. So we walked around and found a café. We both had chocolate au laits – mine was cold and Yvonne’s was hot.
We boarded the boat around 10:30 and it left around 11:30. We had bunk beds so we brushed our teeth and went to sleep. It was mostly a steady ride. Except for the very beginning – we hit some big waves. The ship was tipping a lot. I was happy to be lying down! Then I didn’t fall all over the place. Sleeping was quite nice, but there were 2 girls in one of the other beds and they were talking and kept moving the curtain. It was irritating!
I guess I should describe the room. It was very small with 2 bunk beds. And there were 4 shelves between and a cupboard with life jackets (good thing). We each had a light above our bed and curtains to give us some privacy. There was no door. And I could stretch out and touch both ends of the bed :) I’m just not made for this country!
So, we arrived at 6 a.m. and disembarked. Then we walked around the town for awhile. I wishing for a taxi since my bag was heavy. Oh well. It was good exercise. We stopped and saw a very old temple and we took a few pictures. None of the stores were open so shopping wasn’t an option. We found our hotel and luckily they let us check in right then. I don’t know what we would have done otherwise!
The two of us plopped down on our single beds and were dead to the world until 8:30. It was lovely to sleep some more since we only slept for a short time on the ship. Time to explore the town!! We walked to a street right by our hotel and found some breakfast. I called it the breakfast street – it had a bunch of shops that served breakfast.
We did more walking and shopping. I remembered packing my sunglasses but couldn’t find them. So I “had” to buy some. :) We also bought some slippers (Yvonne’s name for flip-flops). We got a good deal – buy one get one free.
Our next stop was a travel agency place where we waited for the other people in our group. There were 6 of us altogether. Jason (went to Kenting), Sam, Charlene, and I can’t remember the other girl’s name (it was a hard one!) were the 4 people that completed our group. We rented scooters from the travel agency and filled them with gas. It was lunch time and we went driving around looking for a well-known place. And we didn’t find it. We went to a different place. Yvonne and I just chuckled at how we were driving around in circles.
And at lunch I got to taste 2 new things! Yeah. Yvonne has decided not to tell me what it is until after I’ve eaten it (smart). She actually took a video of it, but I couldn’t get it to load on the blog. So I tried this red cube which Jason said is his favorite. I didn’t like it. After I swallow they tell me it is pig’s blood. Yes, pig’s blood. EW! Why would anyone want to eat that? Ugh, gross. The other thing I ate was pig intestine. I think that is worse than pig stomach. That is the piping used to take out the trash. I sure hope they scrubbed it well. It didn’t taste too bad; it was just very chewy.
The rest of the day was one long scooter ride. We covered the 4 islands that are all connected by roads. And I was dumb enough to not put sunscreen on my thighs (I was wearing short swimming shorts). Man were they red by the time we were done! Boo hoo. That necessitated the purchase of aloe vera. We stopped at 2 different banyan trees. They are cool trees that grow huge and put down roots to support their weight. The 2 other girls read the sign and discovered one tree was 300 years old, and they said that is older than the U.S.! And Yvonne translated for me. It was pretty funny.
We also had some cactus ice cream. Well, it comes from the fruit made by a certain cactus. It’s good! We also drove across a bridge that is VERY long. They aren’t sure if it still holds the record for the longest bridge across the ocean, but it did at one time. Our last stop was a cool for that used to be used to defend the island. I got to climb all over and that made me happy. Jason found a way to get on top of the fort. But you had to lift yourself onto a set of stairs set high in the wall (about the height of the middle of my back). All the other girls had problems and used the boys’ help. I turned around and boosted myself right up :) I think they may have been jealous. We also stopped at a traditional village that has been kept up as it was long ago. I was feeling my sunburn by then and wasn’t too interested. Oh yeah, we also had aloe vera ice cream. Funky, huh?
I think that about sums up the first day. It isn’t too interesting, but there was a bit of a time delay. The scooter rides were great, 1 because I didn’t have to drive 2 because the wind flew by me and cooled me off and 3 because I got to look around and see the beautiful scenery.
This lovely day actually started at 8:30 p.m. when we left our apartment. After a scooter ride on a rainy night (2 problems there – water and darkness), we arrived at the port. We were early. Great. So we walked around and found a café. We both had chocolate au laits – mine was cold and Yvonne’s was hot.
We boarded the boat around 10:30 and it left around 11:30. We had bunk beds so we brushed our teeth and went to sleep. It was mostly a steady ride. Except for the very beginning – we hit some big waves. The ship was tipping a lot. I was happy to be lying down! Then I didn’t fall all over the place. Sleeping was quite nice, but there were 2 girls in one of the other beds and they were talking and kept moving the curtain. It was irritating!
I guess I should describe the room. It was very small with 2 bunk beds. And there were 4 shelves between and a cupboard with life jackets (good thing). We each had a light above our bed and curtains to give us some privacy. There was no door. And I could stretch out and touch both ends of the bed :) I’m just not made for this country!
So, we arrived at 6 a.m. and disembarked. Then we walked around the town for awhile. I wishing for a taxi since my bag was heavy. Oh well. It was good exercise. We stopped and saw a very old temple and we took a few pictures. None of the stores were open so shopping wasn’t an option. We found our hotel and luckily they let us check in right then. I don’t know what we would have done otherwise!
The two of us plopped down on our single beds and were dead to the world until 8:30. It was lovely to sleep some more since we only slept for a short time on the ship. Time to explore the town!! We walked to a street right by our hotel and found some breakfast. I called it the breakfast street – it had a bunch of shops that served breakfast.
We did more walking and shopping. I remembered packing my sunglasses but couldn’t find them. So I “had” to buy some. :) We also bought some slippers (Yvonne’s name for flip-flops). We got a good deal – buy one get one free.
Our next stop was a travel agency place where we waited for the other people in our group. There were 6 of us altogether. Jason (went to Kenting), Sam, Charlene, and I can’t remember the other girl’s name (it was a hard one!) were the 4 people that completed our group. We rented scooters from the travel agency and filled them with gas. It was lunch time and we went driving around looking for a well-known place. And we didn’t find it. We went to a different place. Yvonne and I just chuckled at how we were driving around in circles.
And at lunch I got to taste 2 new things! Yeah. Yvonne has decided not to tell me what it is until after I’ve eaten it (smart). She actually took a video of it, but I couldn’t get it to load on the blog. So I tried this red cube which Jason said is his favorite. I didn’t like it. After I swallow they tell me it is pig’s blood. Yes, pig’s blood. EW! Why would anyone want to eat that? Ugh, gross. The other thing I ate was pig intestine. I think that is worse than pig stomach. That is the piping used to take out the trash. I sure hope they scrubbed it well. It didn’t taste too bad; it was just very chewy.
The rest of the day was one long scooter ride. We covered the 4 islands that are all connected by roads. And I was dumb enough to not put sunscreen on my thighs (I was wearing short swimming shorts). Man were they red by the time we were done! Boo hoo. That necessitated the purchase of aloe vera. We stopped at 2 different banyan trees. They are cool trees that grow huge and put down roots to support their weight. The 2 other girls read the sign and discovered one tree was 300 years old, and they said that is older than the U.S.! And Yvonne translated for me. It was pretty funny.
We also had some cactus ice cream. Well, it comes from the fruit made by a certain cactus. It’s good! We also drove across a bridge that is VERY long. They aren’t sure if it still holds the record for the longest bridge across the ocean, but it did at one time. Our last stop was a cool for that used to be used to defend the island. I got to climb all over and that made me happy. Jason found a way to get on top of the fort. But you had to lift yourself onto a set of stairs set high in the wall (about the height of the middle of my back). All the other girls had problems and used the boys’ help. I turned around and boosted myself right up :) I think they may have been jealous. We also stopped at a traditional village that has been kept up as it was long ago. I was feeling my sunburn by then and wasn’t too interested. Oh yeah, we also had aloe vera ice cream. Funky, huh?
I think that about sums up the first day. It isn’t too interesting, but there was a bit of a time delay. The scooter rides were great, 1 because I didn’t have to drive 2 because the wind flew by me and cooled me off and 3 because I got to look around and see the beautiful scenery.
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
Did You Miss Me?
Hello my devoted, wonderful readers. I have a question:
Did you miss me?
It looks like at least 1 person did. Thanks, Tiff!
I am back from a wonderful vacation on the beautiful group of islands known as Peng-Hu. I am now addicted to the beach. I couldn't really understand people's fascination until after this vacation. It is so nice to run into the ocean after getting sweaty walking around. And it's great fun to make little villages in the sand.
Oh and I tried some new foods. My roommate got smart and doesn't tell me what it is until after I eat it. One thing was just icky. I really don't understand why people would eat it!! I also developed a new skill on this vacation. . .but the result wasn't quite what I expected :) Funny how that happens.
I am apologizing in advance for the length of these posts. I'm guessing there are some readers who will not want just the highlights. Consider that it was a 4-day vacation, and they were long days (15 to 17 hours) and I can make an entry about nothing long. So sorry! You can skim or skip. It's totally up to you. I took about 116 pictures too. I'll try to post no more than 40 (I hope I can do that).
So I'm back and ready to share my thoughts and adventures with you! (But it may take a day or two to get it all typed and posted.)
Did you miss me?
It looks like at least 1 person did. Thanks, Tiff!
I am back from a wonderful vacation on the beautiful group of islands known as Peng-Hu. I am now addicted to the beach. I couldn't really understand people's fascination until after this vacation. It is so nice to run into the ocean after getting sweaty walking around. And it's great fun to make little villages in the sand.
Oh and I tried some new foods. My roommate got smart and doesn't tell me what it is until after I eat it. One thing was just icky. I really don't understand why people would eat it!! I also developed a new skill on this vacation. . .but the result wasn't quite what I expected :) Funny how that happens.
I am apologizing in advance for the length of these posts. I'm guessing there are some readers who will not want just the highlights. Consider that it was a 4-day vacation, and they were long days (15 to 17 hours) and I can make an entry about nothing long. So sorry! You can skim or skip. It's totally up to you. I took about 116 pictures too. I'll try to post no more than 40 (I hope I can do that).
So I'm back and ready to share my thoughts and adventures with you! (But it may take a day or two to get it all typed and posted.)
Thursday, August 7, 2008
Yvonne's Class
I created quite the stir when I walked in the door behind Yvonne. We agreed I would watch her 1st two classes. They are different from what I’ll teach – vocational students while I will have comprehensive students. The difference is my students will be aiming for higher education and hers are learning a skill in order to enter the workforce.
I hadn’t even considered the response to my presence. During student teaching I would simply sit in the back of the room. There would be some questioning stares, but nothing like this. You would think it’s something special – an American in the class. Oh wait, it is.
I started out at a student’s desk, but Yvonne had me come to the front when she introduced me to the class. They bombarded me with questions (after figuring out how to say them in English) and then had me sit front and center. Lovely.
They asked all kinds of questions, including “Will you marry me?” So there! I’ve had a marriage proposal. :) I just laughed, and maybe shook my head no. They asked how I like Taiwan, how old I am (I wouldn’t tell) and if I like Taiwanese boys. (Resulted in another chuckle from me and a resigned nod.)
One girl wanted my nose, another wanted my legs, and another loved my eyes. She stared at me for a good 5 minutes. It was weird. One boy in the back was staring and smiled each time I looked his way. He was the one who proposed, I think.
They also asked how tall I am. Then they had Yvonne and I stand next to each other. I was obviously taller (nearly a full head and she had heels on). Then they had a kid in the class come to the front. As he walked up I could see he was the winner. He stood next to me and I looked up. (You know, that may be the first time I’ve done that since arriving here :) The class clapped and cheered. I suppose because one of their own was the victor. But it was an unfair competition. What can I do to change my actual height? (Besides wearing tall shoes.)
Today is Valentine’s Day so 2 boys sang to me (separately & different songs). It was funny. Wish I could have captured the Kodak moment. One student explained his friend wanted to drink coffee with me. Result: another chuckle and head shake. And the girl obsessed with my eyes gave me a chocolate. Ferrero Rocher is their symbol for Valentine’s and they give them away. I ate it on my way home. It was tasty.
Overall it was enjoyable. Yvonne was happy because they spoke English with new motivation. Even during the break they sat and asked me questions.
The room was air conditioned which was nice. But after 2 hours of just sitting I was cold. And now the normal air feels really sticky. Ick.
I sort of wish I could have recorded the whole experience. I would set 1 camera in the corner for a full-class hot and then put one on my head so it shows what I saw. That would be great!
I hadn’t even considered the response to my presence. During student teaching I would simply sit in the back of the room. There would be some questioning stares, but nothing like this. You would think it’s something special – an American in the class. Oh wait, it is.
I started out at a student’s desk, but Yvonne had me come to the front when she introduced me to the class. They bombarded me with questions (after figuring out how to say them in English) and then had me sit front and center. Lovely.
They asked all kinds of questions, including “Will you marry me?” So there! I’ve had a marriage proposal. :) I just laughed, and maybe shook my head no. They asked how I like Taiwan, how old I am (I wouldn’t tell) and if I like Taiwanese boys. (Resulted in another chuckle from me and a resigned nod.)
One girl wanted my nose, another wanted my legs, and another loved my eyes. She stared at me for a good 5 minutes. It was weird. One boy in the back was staring and smiled each time I looked his way. He was the one who proposed, I think.
They also asked how tall I am. Then they had Yvonne and I stand next to each other. I was obviously taller (nearly a full head and she had heels on). Then they had a kid in the class come to the front. As he walked up I could see he was the winner. He stood next to me and I looked up. (You know, that may be the first time I’ve done that since arriving here :) The class clapped and cheered. I suppose because one of their own was the victor. But it was an unfair competition. What can I do to change my actual height? (Besides wearing tall shoes.)
Today is Valentine’s Day so 2 boys sang to me (separately & different songs). It was funny. Wish I could have captured the Kodak moment. One student explained his friend wanted to drink coffee with me. Result: another chuckle and head shake. And the girl obsessed with my eyes gave me a chocolate. Ferrero Rocher is their symbol for Valentine’s and they give them away. I ate it on my way home. It was tasty.
Overall it was enjoyable. Yvonne was happy because they spoke English with new motivation. Even during the break they sat and asked me questions.
The room was air conditioned which was nice. But after 2 hours of just sitting I was cold. And now the normal air feels really sticky. Ick.
I sort of wish I could have recorded the whole experience. I would set 1 camera in the corner for a full-class hot and then put one on my head so it shows what I saw. That would be great!
Wednesday, August 6, 2008
Solitary Rambles
I did it!! I went to the post office and mailed some things all by myself. It wasn’t bad, really. But for some reason I worked myself up until I was apprehensive for the outing. I nearly knocked on my roommate’s door and begged her to come with me. I was stopped by the fact that she may be taking a nap since she was up early today.
And I’ve decided I really like having a scooter. It’s a great feeling to know that I can transport myself. Okay, so I can’t go very far from home. But I know how to get to the convenience store, hyper mart, post office, stationery store, the market, and I could get to McDonald’s if I really wanted to.
I need to make a visit to the stationery store but didn’t want to risk too much on my first trip out :) Plus it’s further than the post office. I’ll save that for another day (perhaps tomorrow).
This morning I went on a walk to Watson’s personal store. I discovered there is one in my neighborhood. Yvonne and I walked to a cafeteria-style food place for lunch yesterday and I noticed the store next door was Watson’s. I spent nearly an hour on my trip today. It has 3 floors and I was just taking my sweet time. I’m pretty sure I got more stares, but I’m getting more used to it now.
I’ve decided walks on my own aren’t nearly as fun. I feel more vulnerable without Yvonne there. Mostly because she could talk to people on my behalf, if necessary. If it is me alone I would use my now-customary gesture – a shrug. Funny how often I’ve done that lately. I even did it at the post office when he asked me a question. The gentleman was very nice. Showed me the cost on a calculator and then put the postage on for me (last time I had to put it on and drop the letters in the box outside).
So yeah for me! I did it. And good thing too. Two of the letters were written last week . . . he he. The only problem on this outing: putting my helmet on messed up the nice French twist I had put my hair in. And I was so proud of myself for that twist! Saw the instructions in a magazine I was browsing (thank you Mom) and decided to give it a try. Surprisingly it worked. Which reminds me that I need to learn how to use my traditional Chinese hair-thing. So many things to do!
And I’ve decided I really like having a scooter. It’s a great feeling to know that I can transport myself. Okay, so I can’t go very far from home. But I know how to get to the convenience store, hyper mart, post office, stationery store, the market, and I could get to McDonald’s if I really wanted to.
I need to make a visit to the stationery store but didn’t want to risk too much on my first trip out :) Plus it’s further than the post office. I’ll save that for another day (perhaps tomorrow).
This morning I went on a walk to Watson’s personal store. I discovered there is one in my neighborhood. Yvonne and I walked to a cafeteria-style food place for lunch yesterday and I noticed the store next door was Watson’s. I spent nearly an hour on my trip today. It has 3 floors and I was just taking my sweet time. I’m pretty sure I got more stares, but I’m getting more used to it now.
I’ve decided walks on my own aren’t nearly as fun. I feel more vulnerable without Yvonne there. Mostly because she could talk to people on my behalf, if necessary. If it is me alone I would use my now-customary gesture – a shrug. Funny how often I’ve done that lately. I even did it at the post office when he asked me a question. The gentleman was very nice. Showed me the cost on a calculator and then put the postage on for me (last time I had to put it on and drop the letters in the box outside).
So yeah for me! I did it. And good thing too. Two of the letters were written last week . . . he he. The only problem on this outing: putting my helmet on messed up the nice French twist I had put my hair in. And I was so proud of myself for that twist! Saw the instructions in a magazine I was browsing (thank you Mom) and decided to give it a try. Surprisingly it worked. Which reminds me that I need to learn how to use my traditional Chinese hair-thing. So many things to do!
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
Exercise
Yvonne joined a gym yesterday. It is located in Dream Mall. She received vouchers to let her friends try it out for a week. So today I went along with her. We left the house at 3:20. Yvonne was worried it would rain so we drove her car. (I was happy I didn’t have to drive my scooter.) Just above her parking spot at the school, there is a dragon-eyes fruit tree. It is a fruit she really likes and she had told me previously that she wanted to cut down the fruit. Well today someone was there doing that! She was excited and we stopped and ate some. (Although I was still full from our lunch.)
Then we headed out. The gym was pretty nice. Yvonne told me not to look at the shopping while we waited for the elevators. That is one concern she has – the gym is in a mall so it may be costly to her wallet each time she visits. The gym was pretty nice. I used the short bike, treadmill, and elliptical while Yvonne worked with a personal trainer. I had just started on the taller bike when she came over and said our Latino dance class started without us. We watched for a little bit, then snuck into the back filled with apprehension. It did not look like a beginner class!
I told my Mom we would attend this class and said we should video it. Yvonne said the same thing as we struggled to copy the moves of the instructor and other students. We had missed the first chunk of the dance. And we didn’t catch on that well. It was even more embarrassing because the back of the room is right where people look into the room. Ah well. Maybe some of them chuckled. We ended up sneaking back out. We liked the music though. I starting moving to a song during a break and Yvonne said “freestyle!” Ha ha, no.
The next class we attended was body balance. Again I was apprehensive. I know my balance isn’t that great. I fall over even when standing on level ground. (Still not sure how I do that.) That class was actually awesome! I am considering joining just so I can attend that class regularly. It was a mix of yoga, pilates, and a Taiwanese exercise called Tai-je (the spelling is probably way off). We had mellow music and did a bunch of stretches. I watched the instructor carefully since I couldn’t understand the noises issuing from his mouth (side note: I can’t even tell the words apart! I just hear weird sounds, with tones). And at the end we had some time for relaxation and meditation. I felt so good after that!! (Of course I lost my balance once or twice. . . what did you expect?)
We left the gym after 4 hours of working out. Where could we go next? Costco, of course. It is just around the corner and Yvonne really likes their chicken. We were both very hungry so we bought slices of pizza (that were HUGE) and soft drinks. I finished the pizza, but barely. I didn’t have time to finish the soda. I wanted to take it shopping, but that isn’t allowed. Laughter moment: while we were sitting and eating our pizza, a little Taiwanese girl in a stroller totally stared at me as she was pushed past. I busted up laughing and said, “Even the babies stare at me!” Yvonne laughed too. Golly. I never liked being the center of attention. (Upon reflection I realize she may have been staring at the huge chunk of pizza in my hand. Hm…)
This trip to Costco was very abnormal (although it was only my 2nd time) because we did not purchase any food. They were out of the chicken, and everything else is just too much for us. And we could have shared it! It was sad. I did see some things that made me happy – Nesquik, Cheese & Crackers, and cheese. And we didn’t come out with empty hands. I purchased a nice soft shell jacket for the cold weather and some exercise pants (my b-ball shorts just weren’t working today) and together we bought a pack of 4 water bottles. Here’s a scene that happened often: either of us saying I want one of these only to discover they are sold in packs of 2, 4, or 10. So much for that idea! On the water bottles, I said she could have 2 and I would take 2. So now I have an orange and a blue water bottle. They’re pretty really. And they came with little clips so I can hook them to things (I really like that feature).
Well, that’s pretty much it for this day. We arrived home at 10 p.m. (a long outing!) and were both saying how tired we were. One more exciting thing happened as we walked past the guard’s desk – mail! Yvonne received a package and I received two. Thank you, Mom and family! The thing that cracked me up this time: a box of Mac ‘n’ Cheese. You’re a goof, Mom! And I love it. So I really need to get to sleep now.
(Penghu trip is on since the typhoon won’t be hitting us. I’ll have more good adventures to share next week!)
One of the signs for the gym.
What a beautiful sight.
Another beautiful sight. Just around the corner from Costco.
Then we headed out. The gym was pretty nice. Yvonne told me not to look at the shopping while we waited for the elevators. That is one concern she has – the gym is in a mall so it may be costly to her wallet each time she visits. The gym was pretty nice. I used the short bike, treadmill, and elliptical while Yvonne worked with a personal trainer. I had just started on the taller bike when she came over and said our Latino dance class started without us. We watched for a little bit, then snuck into the back filled with apprehension. It did not look like a beginner class!
I told my Mom we would attend this class and said we should video it. Yvonne said the same thing as we struggled to copy the moves of the instructor and other students. We had missed the first chunk of the dance. And we didn’t catch on that well. It was even more embarrassing because the back of the room is right where people look into the room. Ah well. Maybe some of them chuckled. We ended up sneaking back out. We liked the music though. I starting moving to a song during a break and Yvonne said “freestyle!” Ha ha, no.
The next class we attended was body balance. Again I was apprehensive. I know my balance isn’t that great. I fall over even when standing on level ground. (Still not sure how I do that.) That class was actually awesome! I am considering joining just so I can attend that class regularly. It was a mix of yoga, pilates, and a Taiwanese exercise called Tai-je (the spelling is probably way off). We had mellow music and did a bunch of stretches. I watched the instructor carefully since I couldn’t understand the noises issuing from his mouth (side note: I can’t even tell the words apart! I just hear weird sounds, with tones). And at the end we had some time for relaxation and meditation. I felt so good after that!! (Of course I lost my balance once or twice. . . what did you expect?)
We left the gym after 4 hours of working out. Where could we go next? Costco, of course. It is just around the corner and Yvonne really likes their chicken. We were both very hungry so we bought slices of pizza (that were HUGE) and soft drinks. I finished the pizza, but barely. I didn’t have time to finish the soda. I wanted to take it shopping, but that isn’t allowed. Laughter moment: while we were sitting and eating our pizza, a little Taiwanese girl in a stroller totally stared at me as she was pushed past. I busted up laughing and said, “Even the babies stare at me!” Yvonne laughed too. Golly. I never liked being the center of attention. (Upon reflection I realize she may have been staring at the huge chunk of pizza in my hand. Hm…)
This trip to Costco was very abnormal (although it was only my 2nd time) because we did not purchase any food. They were out of the chicken, and everything else is just too much for us. And we could have shared it! It was sad. I did see some things that made me happy – Nesquik, Cheese & Crackers, and cheese. And we didn’t come out with empty hands. I purchased a nice soft shell jacket for the cold weather and some exercise pants (my b-ball shorts just weren’t working today) and together we bought a pack of 4 water bottles. Here’s a scene that happened often: either of us saying I want one of these only to discover they are sold in packs of 2, 4, or 10. So much for that idea! On the water bottles, I said she could have 2 and I would take 2. So now I have an orange and a blue water bottle. They’re pretty really. And they came with little clips so I can hook them to things (I really like that feature).
Well, that’s pretty much it for this day. We arrived home at 10 p.m. (a long outing!) and were both saying how tired we were. One more exciting thing happened as we walked past the guard’s desk – mail! Yvonne received a package and I received two. Thank you, Mom and family! The thing that cracked me up this time: a box of Mac ‘n’ Cheese. You’re a goof, Mom! And I love it. So I really need to get to sleep now.
(Penghu trip is on since the typhoon won’t be hitting us. I’ll have more good adventures to share next week!)
One of the signs for the gym.
What a beautiful sight.
Another beautiful sight. Just around the corner from Costco.
Sunday, August 3, 2008
Kenting
DAY 1 (Sat)
We left this morning at 10:00 a.m. and drove for 2 hours to the south of Taiwan. Our first order of business after arriving in Kenting was lunch. We went into town looking for it. Yvonne said she could always eat Thai food and the rest of us didn’t mind. So we had Thai food. It was a meal set for 4, but we had extra food. And I took a whole shrimp, pulled off the head, peeled off the shell, and ate it. Yeah!
Then we stopped in at the youth hotel where we would stay. We couldn’t check in yet but we used the bathroom to put on our swim stuff. Time to hit the beach! Jason had a 3-hour surfing lesson, so we girls got to chill on our own. We walked down to the beach (stopping to buy water, goggles and beach towels) and paid for an umbrella to have a little shade. Only 10 dollars and they didn’t say anything about a time limit. Plus they gave us 4 little chairs. Totally worth it.
The water was extremely salty. Ick. We had all purchased swim goggles, but they were poor quality. Yvonne broke 3 of the nose connector pieces and I broke 2. Maggie didn’t break any. Amazing! I spent the last half hour just sitting in a chair watching our things. And my mind wandered and I thought about all kinds of things. It was nice to be on the beach having played in the water and sun, but now sitting in the shade relaxing. I was content.
We went into town for the night. That’s where everything happens. Yvonne promised I would see other foreigners. I even told her that afternoon I hadn’t seen any white people. I saw a few at the markets. It was cool. They block off one lane on each side of the street and people just walk there. Vendors set up little shops in front of the “day” shops. There was food and all kinds of things for sale. I even say plastic food that looked totally real.
Yvonne’s goal was to buy some more swim shorts. She was successful :) Jason had an ink tattoo painted on his arm. Maggie and I just walked and looked. We each bought some postcards. And we had dinner there. Yvonne bought a squid and made me try some. It was okay- pretty chewy. The idea probably turns me off more than the taste. It took me awhile to find some food. I didn’t know what I wanted! I had some meat and sausage that was cooked in the aboriginal way – on slabs of rock. It was pretty good. And then I had watermelon juice. I was pretty full, but couldn’t resist buying Japanese mini-pancake treats. They are tasty. Funny how even the pancakes are different here.
I’m not sure how long we were in town. Maybe 5 hours. Maggie and I were tired by the end. We went back to the youth hotel and we were the first ones back in our room. Yvonne said we were too early! It was a room with 10 beds, but 11 people slept there. One couple shared a single bed. I was surprised. The drawback: only 1 bathroom. I was glad I had already experienced youth hotels on my British Literary Tour 2 years ago. Then I could get used to the idea when everyone in the room was part of my group.
Maggie and I shared a double bed while Yvonne and Jason were on the bunk beds. They were made out of bamboo and creaked whenever someone moved. I heard a bit of snoring in the night, but just rolled over. I was tired enough to fall back asleep.
DAY 2 (Sun)
I woke up to Yvonne saying, “Am, it’s 8.” I said, “And…you want me to get up?” She replied, “Yes, it’s time to go.” So we got up and got ready. The girls borrowed Jason’s car and headed off to hike. Jason had a chance to practice surfing without the instructor. Yvonne was happy I went on the hike because I got all the mosquito bites and she didn’t get any. (Unhappy smile)
The scenery was beautiful and I had fun. I got to climb on rocks (the other 2 stayed behind, boring) then I played with some bubbles 2 boys were blowing. And then, I found a tree branch that worked as a swing. It was sweet. It was also hot. Near the top, we found a hole formed by rocks and the breeze was fabulous. We stayed there for awhile. And that’s where I climbed. Yvonne was like my mother and telling me to be careful. My thought: yeah, yeah.
Another thing we saw on the hike was huge spiders. And I mean huge! I couldn’t get a picture of them because my camera focused on all the trees around it. And then when I loaded my pictures on the computer, I found one that turned out! Yes. This is for you Tiff & Shantaye; and all you other spider-lovers.
Our lunch was a fabulous American meal at Smokey Joe’s Café. I laughed because I’ve never been to one in the U.S. Go figure. It was pretty darn good. We all ordered a dish and then shared. The eating instruments on the table made me so happy – plates and forks. YES! Jason ordered a Caesar salad, Maggie ordered pasta with salmon, Yvonne ordered BBQ chicken with French fries (another happy thing), and I ordered a burrito with BBQ pork. And we even had dessert. Custard for Yvonne and a brownie w/ice cream for Jason, Maggie and I. Here we were disappointed for the brownie was more of a cake. :( Maggie and I had both been excited for a real brownie.
Our next stop was the beach. Again. Oh yeah. More sun, water, and sand. This time we played volleyball. My arms are still a little sore. Yvonne and Jason were good, but Maggie and I struggled. Oh well! It made us chuckle. I got a faceful of sand when I hit the ball into the wind. It was unpleasant. A funny thing happened: 2 girls wanted a picture with Jason and I. Ha ha! What a story for friends – a white girl and a cute guy. Good times.
I didn’t bother buying another pair of goggles. I just didn’t wear my contacts. My eyes hurt a little but it was fun. Maggie still had her goggles from the day before. And Yvonne had some with her prescription (didn’t even know they made those!). FYI-it was the Pacific Ocean we were playing in.
Then we went back to the youth hotel and used their shower (although we had already checked out). Yvonne and I were using the one outside and just rinsing off. But she decided to get her shampoo and actually wash. She put shampoo in my hair after I was done rinsing, so I went and took a real shower. The stinker. This vacation was good because I feel like we are friends now. We learned more about each other and laughed together.
Well, that’s my 2-day vacation in a nutshell. It was fun, hot, and beautiful. Here are some pictures. (Next weekend we are planning to go to Penghu but there may be a typhoon coming. I hope it doesn’t cancel the vacation!!)
We left this morning at 10:00 a.m. and drove for 2 hours to the south of Taiwan. Our first order of business after arriving in Kenting was lunch. We went into town looking for it. Yvonne said she could always eat Thai food and the rest of us didn’t mind. So we had Thai food. It was a meal set for 4, but we had extra food. And I took a whole shrimp, pulled off the head, peeled off the shell, and ate it. Yeah!
Then we stopped in at the youth hotel where we would stay. We couldn’t check in yet but we used the bathroom to put on our swim stuff. Time to hit the beach! Jason had a 3-hour surfing lesson, so we girls got to chill on our own. We walked down to the beach (stopping to buy water, goggles and beach towels) and paid for an umbrella to have a little shade. Only 10 dollars and they didn’t say anything about a time limit. Plus they gave us 4 little chairs. Totally worth it.
The water was extremely salty. Ick. We had all purchased swim goggles, but they were poor quality. Yvonne broke 3 of the nose connector pieces and I broke 2. Maggie didn’t break any. Amazing! I spent the last half hour just sitting in a chair watching our things. And my mind wandered and I thought about all kinds of things. It was nice to be on the beach having played in the water and sun, but now sitting in the shade relaxing. I was content.
We went into town for the night. That’s where everything happens. Yvonne promised I would see other foreigners. I even told her that afternoon I hadn’t seen any white people. I saw a few at the markets. It was cool. They block off one lane on each side of the street and people just walk there. Vendors set up little shops in front of the “day” shops. There was food and all kinds of things for sale. I even say plastic food that looked totally real.
Yvonne’s goal was to buy some more swim shorts. She was successful :) Jason had an ink tattoo painted on his arm. Maggie and I just walked and looked. We each bought some postcards. And we had dinner there. Yvonne bought a squid and made me try some. It was okay- pretty chewy. The idea probably turns me off more than the taste. It took me awhile to find some food. I didn’t know what I wanted! I had some meat and sausage that was cooked in the aboriginal way – on slabs of rock. It was pretty good. And then I had watermelon juice. I was pretty full, but couldn’t resist buying Japanese mini-pancake treats. They are tasty. Funny how even the pancakes are different here.
I’m not sure how long we were in town. Maybe 5 hours. Maggie and I were tired by the end. We went back to the youth hotel and we were the first ones back in our room. Yvonne said we were too early! It was a room with 10 beds, but 11 people slept there. One couple shared a single bed. I was surprised. The drawback: only 1 bathroom. I was glad I had already experienced youth hotels on my British Literary Tour 2 years ago. Then I could get used to the idea when everyone in the room was part of my group.
Maggie and I shared a double bed while Yvonne and Jason were on the bunk beds. They were made out of bamboo and creaked whenever someone moved. I heard a bit of snoring in the night, but just rolled over. I was tired enough to fall back asleep.
DAY 2 (Sun)
I woke up to Yvonne saying, “Am, it’s 8.” I said, “And…you want me to get up?” She replied, “Yes, it’s time to go.” So we got up and got ready. The girls borrowed Jason’s car and headed off to hike. Jason had a chance to practice surfing without the instructor. Yvonne was happy I went on the hike because I got all the mosquito bites and she didn’t get any. (Unhappy smile)
The scenery was beautiful and I had fun. I got to climb on rocks (the other 2 stayed behind, boring) then I played with some bubbles 2 boys were blowing. And then, I found a tree branch that worked as a swing. It was sweet. It was also hot. Near the top, we found a hole formed by rocks and the breeze was fabulous. We stayed there for awhile. And that’s where I climbed. Yvonne was like my mother and telling me to be careful. My thought: yeah, yeah.
Another thing we saw on the hike was huge spiders. And I mean huge! I couldn’t get a picture of them because my camera focused on all the trees around it. And then when I loaded my pictures on the computer, I found one that turned out! Yes. This is for you Tiff & Shantaye; and all you other spider-lovers.
Our lunch was a fabulous American meal at Smokey Joe’s Café. I laughed because I’ve never been to one in the U.S. Go figure. It was pretty darn good. We all ordered a dish and then shared. The eating instruments on the table made me so happy – plates and forks. YES! Jason ordered a Caesar salad, Maggie ordered pasta with salmon, Yvonne ordered BBQ chicken with French fries (another happy thing), and I ordered a burrito with BBQ pork. And we even had dessert. Custard for Yvonne and a brownie w/ice cream for Jason, Maggie and I. Here we were disappointed for the brownie was more of a cake. :( Maggie and I had both been excited for a real brownie.
Our next stop was the beach. Again. Oh yeah. More sun, water, and sand. This time we played volleyball. My arms are still a little sore. Yvonne and Jason were good, but Maggie and I struggled. Oh well! It made us chuckle. I got a faceful of sand when I hit the ball into the wind. It was unpleasant. A funny thing happened: 2 girls wanted a picture with Jason and I. Ha ha! What a story for friends – a white girl and a cute guy. Good times.
I didn’t bother buying another pair of goggles. I just didn’t wear my contacts. My eyes hurt a little but it was fun. Maggie still had her goggles from the day before. And Yvonne had some with her prescription (didn’t even know they made those!). FYI-it was the Pacific Ocean we were playing in.
Then we went back to the youth hotel and used their shower (although we had already checked out). Yvonne and I were using the one outside and just rinsing off. But she decided to get her shampoo and actually wash. She put shampoo in my hair after I was done rinsing, so I went and took a real shower. The stinker. This vacation was good because I feel like we are friends now. We learned more about each other and laughed together.
Well, that’s my 2-day vacation in a nutshell. It was fun, hot, and beautiful. Here are some pictures. (Next weekend we are planning to go to Penghu but there may be a typhoon coming. I hope it doesn’t cancel the vacation!!)
Kenting Pictures
Me on the tree swing. Sweet, huh? (Forgot about it so it's out of order.)
We bought a bag of these at the side of the road on our drive down. You peel off a piece in the middle then push the two horns together and down. The fruit (?) inside is white and has a potato texture.
A famous landmark of Kending, according to Yvonne.
Me by the sign that says Kenting. We went inside there for our hike.
The pink building with all the surf boards is our youth hotel.
One of the dogs at our hotel. Look closely at his eyes.
The beach!
It was pretty crowded. And I took the picture so you could see their buidlings. Even if there are a bunch together they are all that width (see the white bldg in background?).
Self-portrait at the beach.
A worker on the beach. She'll set up your umbrella for you. It looks like a hot outfit! But it keeps the sun off, and that's what they want.
The common area. The door with the leaf leads to the room I slept in.
The bamboo bunk beds.
My bed (I slept on the right side).
Our first treat that night - coconut milk. It was good.
Cooking squid.
Yvonne with her squid.
Me with a piece of squid. Laugh to keep from crying and not eating it. . .
My dinner cooking.
These are real!
I thought this was so crazy. But Jason & Maggie said they aren't real. The food just looks like frog eggs. . . sad.
It just doesn't capture it right! That's one problem with cameras.
Yvonne & Maggie hiking.
We stopped for a moment and I looked up to behold this. I'm glad it didn't fall!
Look, I was there.
Go figure I'm on the upper part of the ground. I'm already taller than both of them!
Our "cool" spot. The breeze was fabulous.
See that tip coming from the bottom? My rock.
Climbing out to my rock. Photographer - Yvonne
Sitting on a rock (it hurt my bum).
Maggie climbing.
The path.
Spider! Isn't it big?!
I'm excited to be at Smokey Joe's.
The groupies. Jason, Maggie, Me, Yvonne (taking her glasses off as the picture was taken. ha ha)Saturday, August 2, 2008
Gold Hair
I was talking with Grace yesterday and she informed me of something that made me excited. Family, did you know I’m rich?! Yes, I am. I have a head of gold hair. Not blonde. He he. Grace was talking about hair color and said people here want the gold hair. I stopped her and said, “Gold, not blonde?” And then we chuckled together.
Grace also informed me that the nice school buses are rented for students that have to travel a long way. The local school buses are more like our yellow ones. I was only partially right, sorry.
I attended a concert yesterday (I would say it was more of a show than a concert). It was put on by Clayton Productions from SLC. Steve has connections with everyone, it seems! He asked them to come and they did. They will be performing in Taipei too. It was good. And I was very excited to see white people. Yeah!! Here’s something crazy – one of the guys looked a lot like someone I knew in high school. Dave Egbert. (And it took me forever to remember his last name.) I was kind of far from the stage so I’m not exactly sure.
The Taiwanese students seemed to really enjoy it. I wonder how much of it they understood since it was in English. Hm. I actually took a picture of the sea of black heads. It’s still funny to me how they all have the same hair color. (FYI- this took place before the conversation with Grace.)
Today I played ping pong (or table tennis) with my friends again. It was fun. And a bit tiring. They are pretty tough coaches. They keep telling me how to hold the paddle and hit the ball. It’s good. Better to learn it right the first time than have to re-learn and change bad habits. I’m totally up for a game with you, Grandma! I am doing pretty well considering I just learned all the rules. Emily and I did play 2 games. She won in both :(
One last thing from today: Scott talked to me and wants to give me a church calling. Ha ha! I wonder what it will be, since I can’t speak Chinese. He wanted to meet with me this Sunday, but I’ll be playing on a beach. Yeah, that’s right, Kending trip is back on. Yeah! We leave tomorrow morning. I should probably go pack. I’ll have pictures and details on Monday.
A sea of black heads.
Grace also informed me that the nice school buses are rented for students that have to travel a long way. The local school buses are more like our yellow ones. I was only partially right, sorry.
I attended a concert yesterday (I would say it was more of a show than a concert). It was put on by Clayton Productions from SLC. Steve has connections with everyone, it seems! He asked them to come and they did. They will be performing in Taipei too. It was good. And I was very excited to see white people. Yeah!! Here’s something crazy – one of the guys looked a lot like someone I knew in high school. Dave Egbert. (And it took me forever to remember his last name.) I was kind of far from the stage so I’m not exactly sure.
The Taiwanese students seemed to really enjoy it. I wonder how much of it they understood since it was in English. Hm. I actually took a picture of the sea of black heads. It’s still funny to me how they all have the same hair color. (FYI- this took place before the conversation with Grace.)
Today I played ping pong (or table tennis) with my friends again. It was fun. And a bit tiring. They are pretty tough coaches. They keep telling me how to hold the paddle and hit the ball. It’s good. Better to learn it right the first time than have to re-learn and change bad habits. I’m totally up for a game with you, Grandma! I am doing pretty well considering I just learned all the rules. Emily and I did play 2 games. She won in both :(
One last thing from today: Scott talked to me and wants to give me a church calling. Ha ha! I wonder what it will be, since I can’t speak Chinese. He wanted to meet with me this Sunday, but I’ll be playing on a beach. Yeah, that’s right, Kending trip is back on. Yeah! We leave tomorrow morning. I should probably go pack. I’ll have pictures and details on Monday.
A sea of black heads.
Thursday, July 31, 2008
Crackers, School Buses and Laughter
I’ve discovered that crackers don’t have the same crunch here as they do in Utah. It’s sad really. I love the crunchy stuff the best. You sink your teeth in and feel it break apart and hear the satisfying “crunch” sound. Not so in Taiwan. I sink my teeth into my graham crackers shipped directly from Utah and my teeth sort of sink through. What is this? Almost like they’ve been soaked in milk for a few minutes. But they haven’t! I just pulled it out of the package.
And here is my theory about why crackers have no crunch (which totally goes against the definition of cracker, doesn’t it?!) – it’s too humid here. There is so much moisture in the air that it even affects the food. The poor little crackers are overwhelmed with moisture (2 H’s and 1 O) as they scream pitifully, “No, not moisture! We’re crackers and have to be dry.” (Alright, I’m getting carried away. I’ll blame the late hour, though it isn’t that late.)
Seriously, the food tastes different and I think I have a good reason to explain why the crackers are crunchless. Truly, I am saddened by this phenomenon. Must I wait 11 months before having another true cracker experience?? How sad.
I don’t think I’ve shared this tidbit about life in Taiwan, yet. The students here ride in style. No lame yellow school buses with cheap brown plasti-leather seats. Oh no. We have true tour buses with reclining seats and cup holders. Oh and padded, individual chairs. Are you American kids jealous?! I would be. Oh wait, I sort of am. They can probably watch movies and TV shows as they travel to and from school! How is this fair? Oh yeah, one thing my Dad taught me: life isn’t fair (and anyone who tries to tell you so is selling you something. Is that from a movie?)
Isn’t laughter a great thing? I know I’ve watched too many movies on the 5 English channels we have because I can tell you how the commercials go. I can even sing some of the jingles. Here’s a sad thing: the commercials aren’t in English! Anyway, there is this one commercial that makes me laugh every time it comes on. That’s why I like it so much. I know what is coming, but it’s still funny! I don’t think I could do it justice with merely words. Trust me, it’s funny. (But maybe in a silly way. Hm, maybe you wouldn’t find it funny.)
I went to the market again this evening. With my roommate. First of all, I love how she drives her scooter. Definitely a Taiwanese! She just weaves around people and I’m left in the dust. But it’s alright – the market isn’t too far and I could get home. SO, at the market today I decided pictures alone won’t do it justice. I’m sorry but you have to come here and experience. A true market experience touches all the senses!
Especially smell. If you can’t experience the smells, there isn’t much point. Thus I didn’t take any pictures tonight. It seemed wrong. You need to come yourself – see all the parts of the chicken and smell the “rawness” of it. Realize that you are staring at a fish head that was just lopped off with a knife. And walk on uneven ground through little puddles. (of what?) On a personal note (though this is all personal) I think chicken feet are very ugly things.
Oh yes! I saw something supremely interesting at the market. I believe it was a cooked duck head and neck. But I’m not certain on that. It sure looked like it, with the face and beak (or is it a bill?). Anywho, I got a treat at the market tonight. My roommate went for a steamed bun for dinner so she was explaining what all of them were. And the lady gave me one as a treat. For free! It was very nice, and tasty. They mix brown sugar with the flour and there was some brown sugar on the inside. (Is it odd that I think their brown sugar tastes different?) I bought 2 regular buns with green onions, my roommate’s favorite.
Tonight I discovered a new use for a rice cooker – a microwave. That is what my roommate uses to reheat the steam buns. Who would’ve thought?! She explained how she does it and I’ll have to give it a try.
Alright, final thing from my market experience. On the drive home I had an internal debate raging. Should I drive my scooter home, park and then walk back to the store for a jug of water? Yvonne had told me I could bring it home with my scooter, but I was nervous. I always just walk there and carry the thing home (and it’s heavy!). The final decision: try it! So I turned left and parked my scooter outside the store. I walked in and purchased my jug of water. And I walked back outside and put it in the middle of the, um, foot space. I was still nervous, but determined. And it worked!! I made it home with no problems. It actually wasn’t a big deal. I think it may have even inspired more laughter :D I’m feeling more and more Asian as the time passes.
This is the one picture I took. My roommate calls them "Buddha's head" and I have no idea of the true English name. It's a veggie. . . or a fruit.
And here is my theory about why crackers have no crunch (which totally goes against the definition of cracker, doesn’t it?!) – it’s too humid here. There is so much moisture in the air that it even affects the food. The poor little crackers are overwhelmed with moisture (2 H’s and 1 O) as they scream pitifully, “No, not moisture! We’re crackers and have to be dry.” (Alright, I’m getting carried away. I’ll blame the late hour, though it isn’t that late.)
Seriously, the food tastes different and I think I have a good reason to explain why the crackers are crunchless. Truly, I am saddened by this phenomenon. Must I wait 11 months before having another true cracker experience?? How sad.
I don’t think I’ve shared this tidbit about life in Taiwan, yet. The students here ride in style. No lame yellow school buses with cheap brown plasti-leather seats. Oh no. We have true tour buses with reclining seats and cup holders. Oh and padded, individual chairs. Are you American kids jealous?! I would be. Oh wait, I sort of am. They can probably watch movies and TV shows as they travel to and from school! How is this fair? Oh yeah, one thing my Dad taught me: life isn’t fair (and anyone who tries to tell you so is selling you something. Is that from a movie?)
Isn’t laughter a great thing? I know I’ve watched too many movies on the 5 English channels we have because I can tell you how the commercials go. I can even sing some of the jingles. Here’s a sad thing: the commercials aren’t in English! Anyway, there is this one commercial that makes me laugh every time it comes on. That’s why I like it so much. I know what is coming, but it’s still funny! I don’t think I could do it justice with merely words. Trust me, it’s funny. (But maybe in a silly way. Hm, maybe you wouldn’t find it funny.)
I went to the market again this evening. With my roommate. First of all, I love how she drives her scooter. Definitely a Taiwanese! She just weaves around people and I’m left in the dust. But it’s alright – the market isn’t too far and I could get home. SO, at the market today I decided pictures alone won’t do it justice. I’m sorry but you have to come here and experience. A true market experience touches all the senses!
Especially smell. If you can’t experience the smells, there isn’t much point. Thus I didn’t take any pictures tonight. It seemed wrong. You need to come yourself – see all the parts of the chicken and smell the “rawness” of it. Realize that you are staring at a fish head that was just lopped off with a knife. And walk on uneven ground through little puddles. (of what?) On a personal note (though this is all personal) I think chicken feet are very ugly things.
Oh yes! I saw something supremely interesting at the market. I believe it was a cooked duck head and neck. But I’m not certain on that. It sure looked like it, with the face and beak (or is it a bill?). Anywho, I got a treat at the market tonight. My roommate went for a steamed bun for dinner so she was explaining what all of them were. And the lady gave me one as a treat. For free! It was very nice, and tasty. They mix brown sugar with the flour and there was some brown sugar on the inside. (Is it odd that I think their brown sugar tastes different?) I bought 2 regular buns with green onions, my roommate’s favorite.
Tonight I discovered a new use for a rice cooker – a microwave. That is what my roommate uses to reheat the steam buns. Who would’ve thought?! She explained how she does it and I’ll have to give it a try.
Alright, final thing from my market experience. On the drive home I had an internal debate raging. Should I drive my scooter home, park and then walk back to the store for a jug of water? Yvonne had told me I could bring it home with my scooter, but I was nervous. I always just walk there and carry the thing home (and it’s heavy!). The final decision: try it! So I turned left and parked my scooter outside the store. I walked in and purchased my jug of water. And I walked back outside and put it in the middle of the, um, foot space. I was still nervous, but determined. And it worked!! I made it home with no problems. It actually wasn’t a big deal. I think it may have even inspired more laughter :D I’m feeling more and more Asian as the time passes.
This is the one picture I took. My roommate calls them "Buddha's head" and I have no idea of the true English name. It's a veggie. . . or a fruit.
I Wish I Could Speak Chinese
I really do, I wish I could speak Chinese. And the reason today: I want to know what people are saying as I walk by. I see them look at me, then they smile, then look at each other and start making all these noises. I want to know if they’re talking about me!
I’ve resolved not to let these encounters bother me. That would just be “borrowed trouble” (read that in a book and liked it). And since they happen a few times each day I would spend the majority of my time being bugged.
But still, I wish I could speak Chinese. And then I could surprise people like my Dad does in Thailand. I would respond to their statement with fluent Chinese. *sigh* Someday I may be able to stumble through some Chinese phrases :)
I’ve resolved not to let these encounters bother me. That would just be “borrowed trouble” (read that in a book and liked it). And since they happen a few times each day I would spend the majority of my time being bugged.
But still, I wish I could speak Chinese. And then I could surprise people like my Dad does in Thailand. I would respond to their statement with fluent Chinese. *sigh* Someday I may be able to stumble through some Chinese phrases :)
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
Table Tennis
The highlight of today was playing table tennis (or ping pong) with my friend Emily. (She’s the one who took me on Saturday’s outing.) There are 5 tables on campus and she brought 2 friends with her. They were teaching me how to hold the paddle, hit the ball and the proper stance. And she was teaching me more Chinese words. I almost have the numbers 1-10 down. But I don’t think I could do them individually or out of order :)
So we played table tennis for over an hour. I was so hot and sweaty by the end. Ick. You would think it isn’t that much work so you wouldn’t have a problem. You would be wrong! But it is fun and I have just enough competitive spirit to keep trying. And we have plans to play again on Friday :D
P.S. the Kending trip might be back on. Who knows.
So we played table tennis for over an hour. I was so hot and sweaty by the end. Ick. You would think it isn’t that much work so you wouldn’t have a problem. You would be wrong! But it is fun and I have just enough competitive spirit to keep trying. And we have plans to play again on Friday :D
P.S. the Kending trip might be back on. Who knows.
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
My Taiwan Father
I heard this noise while sitting in my living room and it took me a moment to realize that was my cell phone ringing (it helps that it is an English song playing. Makes it stand out when I'm constantly hearing Chinese and Taiwanese).
I quickly went to my room and grabbed the phone. A call, how exciting! That doesn't happen too often. Only a number appeared on the screen so it was likely someone I didn't know (not a big surprise).
I answered and was told that David Lin was speaking to me. Why that's my Taiwan father! He is an agent for my pops and we met together with another gentleman and his wife when my Dad was still in the country.
He called to check up on me. He was reminded by the pictures my Dad sent (thanks, Dad!) and said he had just returned from a vacation to Canada. Well, I was geniunely surprised, but pleased, to hear from him. He asked how I was doing, if I had adjusted to the food. And he offered his help again. So nice!
He also invited me to stay with him when I visit Taipei. He has a guest bedroom and English-speaking friends. What more could a girl want?!
Here's some sad news: Yvonne's friends called tonight and cancelled our outing to Kending. Boo hoo. I was just saying I was excited to watch surfing since I never have before. Oh well. Maybe I'll call David tomorrow and tell him I'm coming to Taipei . . . not a bad idea actually.
One last tidbit for today's entry: I picked up a new ingredient to diversify my menu. Yeah! It's tuna spread in a can. Here's what made me laugh - they put pieces of carrots and corn in their tuna spread. It's pretty good though. And tuna is good for mental health. So I'm feeling all cool. I'm learning and adapting in this foreign country.
David is on the far left. My Dad asked him to be my "Taiwan father" and he agreed.
I quickly went to my room and grabbed the phone. A call, how exciting! That doesn't happen too often. Only a number appeared on the screen so it was likely someone I didn't know (not a big surprise).
I answered and was told that David Lin was speaking to me. Why that's my Taiwan father! He is an agent for my pops and we met together with another gentleman and his wife when my Dad was still in the country.
He called to check up on me. He was reminded by the pictures my Dad sent (thanks, Dad!) and said he had just returned from a vacation to Canada. Well, I was geniunely surprised, but pleased, to hear from him. He asked how I was doing, if I had adjusted to the food. And he offered his help again. So nice!
He also invited me to stay with him when I visit Taipei. He has a guest bedroom and English-speaking friends. What more could a girl want?!
Here's some sad news: Yvonne's friends called tonight and cancelled our outing to Kending. Boo hoo. I was just saying I was excited to watch surfing since I never have before. Oh well. Maybe I'll call David tomorrow and tell him I'm coming to Taipei . . . not a bad idea actually.
One last tidbit for today's entry: I picked up a new ingredient to diversify my menu. Yeah! It's tuna spread in a can. Here's what made me laugh - they put pieces of carrots and corn in their tuna spread. It's pretty good though. And tuna is good for mental health. So I'm feeling all cool. I'm learning and adapting in this foreign country.
David is on the far left. My Dad asked him to be my "Taiwan father" and he agreed.
Monday, July 28, 2008
Rainy Monday
Today has been another mellow day. But it’s okay. I was talking with my friend Emily on IM and she said the government cancelled work because of the typhoon. So she was at home, not at the school. It has been raining all day long. And maybe most of the night. That is when I first heard it start. And it is kind of foggy. I can’t see too far out my window.
I’m sure glad I live in an area that is on higher ground! I haven’t heard of any problems with flooding in Daliao. But Fongshan (the nearest city) had problems last time a typhoon hit. And I think this one is worse. It’s definitely raining more than last time.
Alright, I’ve been typing for my blog for the last few hours and I’m pooped. Time to find some lunch and get away from my laptop. It’s good that I have readers but it’s also stressful. Makes it so I have to be consistent. Oh well. It’s a good form of journaling.
I am told I will be very busy come September. So my posts may be much shorter then. But we still have 2 planned adventures before that! Kending this weekend and Penghu next weekend. So glad I’m here :D
I’m sure glad I live in an area that is on higher ground! I haven’t heard of any problems with flooding in Daliao. But Fongshan (the nearest city) had problems last time a typhoon hit. And I think this one is worse. It’s definitely raining more than last time.
Alright, I’ve been typing for my blog for the last few hours and I’m pooped. Time to find some lunch and get away from my laptop. It’s good that I have readers but it’s also stressful. Makes it so I have to be consistent. Oh well. It’s a good form of journaling.
I am told I will be very busy come September. So my posts may be much shorter then. But we still have 2 planned adventures before that! Kending this weekend and Penghu next weekend. So glad I’m here :D
Sunday, July 27, 2008
Passengers
Passengers in cars are very different from passengers on scooters. This morning at 7:30, Sophia drove up on her scooter to take me to church. She said she needed my help since her sister came home from school in Taipei and they didn’t have a bike to get her to church. I said “sure, I’ll do my best.” But I thought “Ah! I’m not ready to have a passenger. Yikes. Glad I said prayers this morning for safety on my scooter.” And I probably said quite a few more before I drove here.
So we went to Sophia’s house and she dropped me off in her living room, then left to pick up Maria and take her to church. Well I was at her house for nearly 40 minutes. One of her sisters doesn’t like to go to church so is really slow. The mom and other sister just had to wait. And so did I today. Didn’t make me extremely happy, but I couldn’t do anything. Mama (who showed me how to get to church that 1st Sunday) gave me breakfast. I was full since I’d had cereal already. She doesn’t speak English and I don’t speak Chinese so I had no way to tell her that. And she was being a great hostess. {I now understand how my Dad could say he was full but keep eating. Sometimes you just have to do that.} I don’t know how to describe what I ate. It was a vegetable soup, I guess. Cold. And she added some powdered flavoring. I was nervous it would be spicy, but it was actually sweet. Not sure on the flavoring but I think I’ve had it before. So I quickly ate that thinking we would be leaving soon. Then she had me eat some mango. Ah! Now I was really full. But it was delicious. Fruit is so yummy. And it is moisture, which I really need since I still sweat a lot and lose water.
Alright. So we left after 8:30 (when church starts) and we survived the trip. When my passenger first got on it took me a minute to balance out the scooter. It’s just so different when someone else is on the back. And I’ve decided these scooters weren’t designed for Americans. My legs are too long so my knees hit the front of the bike. Even when I don’t have someone riding. So annoying! I think if I got in a head-on accident, my knees would feel the brunt of it. (Don’t worry, I’ll do my best to make sure that doesn’t happen.)
Church was really good although we were 45 minutes late. I felt like someone should tell that girl the world doesn’t revolve around here and hurry it up! But it’s probably a touchy issue. Mama and the other daughters kept apologizing for the wait. So interesting. That would never be allowed in my house :) (Chuckle)
Today was ward conference and they split the ward into 2. The bishop was released (he’d served for 6 years) and 2 new ones were called. My friends, Scott & Sarah, were also released as Young Men and Young Women’s Presidents. And Scott is my new bishop! Kind of funny. My boss is in the Stake Presidency and the 2nd in command is my bishop. He looked pretty nervous when he bore his testimony. He said it felt much like the 1st time. I think being bishop once would help you feel more prepared to do it again. Guess it didn’t work that way for him.
I am now in the Daliao ward and we meet at 1:30 p.m. Yeah, won’t have to get up so early for church. And there is no chance to attend the English Sunday School. Oh well. I’d decided to stick with the ward that I am supposed to be in. It’s easier to get to church with the people who live near me. Scott’s girls were a little sad with the division. Now his daughters are the 2 of 3 young women in the ward. But they said mutual will still be combined so that’s good.
On the way home, I had a passenger again. I’m getting better at driving the scooter. And I feel truly experienced now that I’ve survived with a passenger. I saw something that made me laugh. 2 scooters going down the road. The guy on one had his foot on the muffler of the other scooter. Ha ha. I don’t know what was up, but it sure made me laugh. It would be hard to drive so you stayed that way.
Well, this is long enough for now. I feel like I deserve a certificate saying I’ve passed the tests to be a scooter driver in this country. I’ve driven to and from church 3 times, to a night market, to the stationary store, to the markets, to and from a high school in the nearest city 4 times. And I’ve gone to and from church with someone on the back. Yeah!
So we went to Sophia’s house and she dropped me off in her living room, then left to pick up Maria and take her to church. Well I was at her house for nearly 40 minutes. One of her sisters doesn’t like to go to church so is really slow. The mom and other sister just had to wait. And so did I today. Didn’t make me extremely happy, but I couldn’t do anything. Mama (who showed me how to get to church that 1st Sunday) gave me breakfast. I was full since I’d had cereal already. She doesn’t speak English and I don’t speak Chinese so I had no way to tell her that. And she was being a great hostess. {I now understand how my Dad could say he was full but keep eating. Sometimes you just have to do that.} I don’t know how to describe what I ate. It was a vegetable soup, I guess. Cold. And she added some powdered flavoring. I was nervous it would be spicy, but it was actually sweet. Not sure on the flavoring but I think I’ve had it before. So I quickly ate that thinking we would be leaving soon. Then she had me eat some mango. Ah! Now I was really full. But it was delicious. Fruit is so yummy. And it is moisture, which I really need since I still sweat a lot and lose water.
Alright. So we left after 8:30 (when church starts) and we survived the trip. When my passenger first got on it took me a minute to balance out the scooter. It’s just so different when someone else is on the back. And I’ve decided these scooters weren’t designed for Americans. My legs are too long so my knees hit the front of the bike. Even when I don’t have someone riding. So annoying! I think if I got in a head-on accident, my knees would feel the brunt of it. (Don’t worry, I’ll do my best to make sure that doesn’t happen.)
Church was really good although we were 45 minutes late. I felt like someone should tell that girl the world doesn’t revolve around here and hurry it up! But it’s probably a touchy issue. Mama and the other daughters kept apologizing for the wait. So interesting. That would never be allowed in my house :) (Chuckle)
Today was ward conference and they split the ward into 2. The bishop was released (he’d served for 6 years) and 2 new ones were called. My friends, Scott & Sarah, were also released as Young Men and Young Women’s Presidents. And Scott is my new bishop! Kind of funny. My boss is in the Stake Presidency and the 2nd in command is my bishop. He looked pretty nervous when he bore his testimony. He said it felt much like the 1st time. I think being bishop once would help you feel more prepared to do it again. Guess it didn’t work that way for him.
I am now in the Daliao ward and we meet at 1:30 p.m. Yeah, won’t have to get up so early for church. And there is no chance to attend the English Sunday School. Oh well. I’d decided to stick with the ward that I am supposed to be in. It’s easier to get to church with the people who live near me. Scott’s girls were a little sad with the division. Now his daughters are the 2 of 3 young women in the ward. But they said mutual will still be combined so that’s good.
On the way home, I had a passenger again. I’m getting better at driving the scooter. And I feel truly experienced now that I’ve survived with a passenger. I saw something that made me laugh. 2 scooters going down the road. The guy on one had his foot on the muffler of the other scooter. Ha ha. I don’t know what was up, but it sure made me laugh. It would be hard to drive so you stayed that way.
Well, this is long enough for now. I feel like I deserve a certificate saying I’ve passed the tests to be a scooter driver in this country. I’ve driven to and from church 3 times, to a night market, to the stationary store, to the markets, to and from a high school in the nearest city 4 times. And I’ve gone to and from church with someone on the back. Yeah!
Saturday, July 26, 2008
Seeing the Country
Well. It has been a great day. My Mom said it sounds like they are taking care of me. And they surely are! I met Emily (a co-worker who works in the personnel office) at the faculty birthday lunch. She was nice and stayed until I had finished. She called me up on Thursday and invited me on an outing planned for Saturday. Although I couldn’t understand where we were going, I said yes. I’m here to explore this country. :D
I asked Scott and Sarah and they said it is a beautiful place; where they spent their honeymoon in fact. I still didn’t know where we were going. But I was game. I talked with Yvonne and she told me what to bring (a day pack with sunscreen, umbrella, etc.) and said we would be walking. She even showed me a few pictures from when she was there.
So Saturday morning at 7 a.m. I show up at the school and Emily is there waiting. We got onto a nice bus and off we went. We stopped and picked up people at different places. We also stopped at 2 “rest stations” where we used the toilet and walked around a bit. Emily was my buddy and so was Claire. Claire’s mom works for the school. Claire just graduated from junior high school. Between her and Emily, I was able to understand all they wanted to tell me. Emily says her English is poor and she only knows a little. But she knows quite a bit. More than my Chinese!
Emily actually helped me work on my Chinese. I learned the word for “egg.” And I can’t even remember the rest at this very moment. The pressure is driving everything from my mind. Ah! Emily was a good tour guide. She pointed out things as they passed by my window. And she would say the Chinese word and look at me to repeat it. I just wish more of it would stick in my head. The school took good care of us. Gave us water and nectarines and tea and newspapers. The principal was on the trip so you could say it was an outing for important people. I met some other important people. One lady was friendly and bought me some treats. At the very end of the trip I found out it was the principal’s wife. Oh!
On our bus ride, Emily showed me how to write my Chinese name. It didn’t look very nice since we were in a car. And it’s just a bunch of brush strokes that look like mini pictures to me. So fascinating how they use characters. It’s also fascinating that they use chopsticks. (And now I do too.) Who decided to take 2 sticks and hold them a certain way? You know, it’s hard to pick up rice sometimes. Emily told me it was okay to pick up my bowl and hold it to my mouth while pushing the rice into my mouth. Good thing. Didn’t know how I was going to get those last few pieces.
Claire actually got in trouble twice for not holding her bowl in her hand. The first time, I noticed and quickly picked my bowl up and said, “I didn’t know!” And I chuckled because it would be totally improper back home to hold the bowl in one hand and move it close to your mouth like they do. Yeah for different cultures! I just hope I don’t have too hard a time relearning things when I get home.
I am happy to report that I tried everything Emily & Claire handed to me. And they gave me lots. At the rest stations we walked around. Each time there was a food sample, it was handed to me. And I stuck it into my mouth. I’m not even sure of some of the things I tried. Dinner was interesting. More on that later.
Our destination was Sitou Forest. (I’m thinking it is a national forest.) We walked with the group to a famous bridge. We had to wait in line, because not too many people could be on it at once. It made me chuckle. And we talked about knowing how to swim. Emily and I knew, and Claire had just barely learned how. Good thing! But we didn’t have any problems. Another bridge we went over was more wobbly. I kind of enjoyed it, but thought of those that would have been scared.
So after we got off the famous bridge, I saw a sign that said “Sky Walk 2200 m”. It sounded awesome to me (Yvonne had shown me pictures and it looked neat. You walk on bridges at the level of the tops of the trees) and I told the girls that. Emily looked at her watch and said if we hurried we could do it. And hurry we did! We were all quite tired. I just checked google and 2200 m is 1.36 miles. We were fast walking it. Oh and it was uphill. Boy oh boy! There were times when I considered turning back. But I was determined to stick it out and see this site.
Eventually we all made it there. We waited in another line as they monitored how many people were on the walk at a time. Emily stayed behind with my camera so I could get a picture on the bridge. Well, we walk on and I realize we are going the opposite way of where I would pose for Emily. But there was nothing I could do. It was a one-way bridge. So we just wandered and I borrowed Claire’s camera. She doesn’t like heights and once I said, “Cool, look down.” And then said, “Wait! Don’t! I’ll look down. You just look up.” One time she even told me to look forward. I just chuckled and kept looking around. You’ve got to enjoy all the views!
We were just arriving at the picture spot when I hear Emily calling my name. I didn’t see here on the trail. She was actually behind us on the sky walk. She thought we had gotten lost so came to find us. Ha ha. She took some pictures then got off the sky walk and took a picture of me on it. Yeah for memories in the form of pictures. I already have a bunch and I don’t want to think of how much it will cost to print them all. Ugh.
So, did we make it to our destination on time? We went so fast and were all sweating and tired once we made it to the sky walk. Yeah, we were on time. In fact, we had extra time!! Kind of frustrating. As we descended from the sky walk, we saw the principal going up. So we could have taken it slower. Oh well. I felt a great sense of accomplishment once we reached the sky walk.
We went to another site in the forest. The gingko plantation. They had some cool-looking leaves that Emily showed us. And we took time to sit on a bench and relax. The amazing thing is that we only covered a small portion of the site. Emily said it’s best to have 1 day at that forest. Then you don’t have to hurry like we did. :) It was very beautiful. Tons of green stuff. It actually reminded me of Costa Rica. Too bad we didn’t see it from a zip line!
We had lunch at a restaurant just outside the forest. This is where I first learned about holding the bowl in my hand. Everyone gets a small bowl of rice and takes a little from the main dishes, which are sitting on a lazy susan in the middle of the table. A type of family style. The only thing I recognized was the fish. And it was the whole darn thing! Eyeballs to tail. Wait, I recognized the cabbage too. I love how they eat cabbage a lot here! It’s so tasty. And once you eat all the rice in your bowl, you put some soup in. And the final thing you eat is a little fruit. It’s their form of dessert, you could say.
Alrighty, time to head back. Oh – we left the school at 7 a.m. and arrived at the forest around 10 a.m. then we had lunch at 12:30. The schedule said our next stop was a coffee break. Hmm. Emily knew I was like Steve and Scott and didn’t drink coffee. She and Claire took care of me. I actually discovered tons of things that were made with coffee. It was very interesting. I would consider eating something then Emily would say, “It has coffee. You can’t have.” I did get an ice cream treat at this stop. It was peanut flavor. And they don’t lick ice cream, they bite it. That was a little cold.
We also had time to walk around and look at local shops. More stuff to try and look at. The principal’s wife bought us a lemon jelly treat. I kept saying I didn’t want one (My last experience with such a treat was still fresh in my mind. That bitter stuff from the YSA activity. Ick.) but they bought me one. The principal’s wife said it is her favorite and she knows how to make it. I watched them make it and it was fascinating. I have pictures. Another cool thing was watching a man sculpt cups. I could have watched him for hours. It was so cool! It’s amazing how people can use pottery wheels and clay to make things used by you and me.
Now I’ll share my dinner experience. Things were going okay. I was eating everything they put into my bowl (again I don’t know what half of it was). And then Emily was pointing to this mini octopus thing (or maybe it was squid, they eat a lot of that here) and indicating I should try it. I made a scared face and another coworker started laughing. But I said I would try it and Emily put it in my bowl. It was so unpleasant looking! It took me a moment to work up the nerve to eat it. I tried to bite it, but couldn’t. Claire said I should eat it in one bite. That meant I had to eat the whole thing. Uh . . . But I did it! And I had to take a picture to show everyone what I ate. It tasted okay. The overall idea is unpleasant though. I would prefer not to eat that again.
They brought out some soup and fired up the flame to boil it. And, like usual, they put a bunch in my bowl. I asked what it was and understood it was pig. So I started eating it. I asked again what it was and they said pig stomach. Gross! It was slimy and very chewy. No thanks. I had to finish my bowl of it though. I’m kind of amazed that people at the table had seconds. They asked me and I responded with a definite no. But I tried to be polite. I ate the first helping, does that count for something?!
Emily was very helpful at dinner. I saw shrimp and thought with relief that I like shrimp. The only problem was it was the ENTIRE shrimp. I don’t know how to eat that! Last time I had this problem, I told my Dad to fix it. Emily pulled it apart and made it into something that I could eat. Thank you! And yet, at the end of the meal Emily was a stinker. She told me I had to finish the fish dish. Ha! They gave us so much food. We were both full before we even started dinner. I’m pretty sure I gave her the evil eye. Then I said put more rice in my bowl. If I’m going to eat more fish, I need more rice. She laughed and dished up more rice. Then Claire cut the fish and put pieces in my bowl. I quickly finished all those and adamantly refused any more food. It was luckily time to go.
The only other thing I can mention is that we watched a movie on the bus. I think it was in Japanese with Chinese subtitles. Even though I could only watch and listen to the music, I got caught up in the show. They paused it for a stop and I was bummed. I wanted to know what happened! Everyone else did too since there was a collective groan of complaint when it stopped playing.
SO, to sum up: I got to explore more of this beautiful country. And I got to do it in style. With a bunch of important people from the school. And it was cheap! Only 900NT ($30 U.S.) They gave us snacks, lunch and dinner. Man. It was a great deal. And I had fun! I made 2 new friends and got to know them better. As we left the school I told Emily thank you. She said thank you with a shrug and said, “We’re friends.” I said yes! And thought, man I’m a lucky girl. Wow. This entry is super long. But it was a full day! I was gone for 13.5 hours. Hope you got to experience a little more of Taiwan with me!
I asked Scott and Sarah and they said it is a beautiful place; where they spent their honeymoon in fact. I still didn’t know where we were going. But I was game. I talked with Yvonne and she told me what to bring (a day pack with sunscreen, umbrella, etc.) and said we would be walking. She even showed me a few pictures from when she was there.
So Saturday morning at 7 a.m. I show up at the school and Emily is there waiting. We got onto a nice bus and off we went. We stopped and picked up people at different places. We also stopped at 2 “rest stations” where we used the toilet and walked around a bit. Emily was my buddy and so was Claire. Claire’s mom works for the school. Claire just graduated from junior high school. Between her and Emily, I was able to understand all they wanted to tell me. Emily says her English is poor and she only knows a little. But she knows quite a bit. More than my Chinese!
Emily actually helped me work on my Chinese. I learned the word for “egg.” And I can’t even remember the rest at this very moment. The pressure is driving everything from my mind. Ah! Emily was a good tour guide. She pointed out things as they passed by my window. And she would say the Chinese word and look at me to repeat it. I just wish more of it would stick in my head. The school took good care of us. Gave us water and nectarines and tea and newspapers. The principal was on the trip so you could say it was an outing for important people. I met some other important people. One lady was friendly and bought me some treats. At the very end of the trip I found out it was the principal’s wife. Oh!
On our bus ride, Emily showed me how to write my Chinese name. It didn’t look very nice since we were in a car. And it’s just a bunch of brush strokes that look like mini pictures to me. So fascinating how they use characters. It’s also fascinating that they use chopsticks. (And now I do too.) Who decided to take 2 sticks and hold them a certain way? You know, it’s hard to pick up rice sometimes. Emily told me it was okay to pick up my bowl and hold it to my mouth while pushing the rice into my mouth. Good thing. Didn’t know how I was going to get those last few pieces.
Claire actually got in trouble twice for not holding her bowl in her hand. The first time, I noticed and quickly picked my bowl up and said, “I didn’t know!” And I chuckled because it would be totally improper back home to hold the bowl in one hand and move it close to your mouth like they do. Yeah for different cultures! I just hope I don’t have too hard a time relearning things when I get home.
I am happy to report that I tried everything Emily & Claire handed to me. And they gave me lots. At the rest stations we walked around. Each time there was a food sample, it was handed to me. And I stuck it into my mouth. I’m not even sure of some of the things I tried. Dinner was interesting. More on that later.
Our destination was Sitou Forest. (I’m thinking it is a national forest.) We walked with the group to a famous bridge. We had to wait in line, because not too many people could be on it at once. It made me chuckle. And we talked about knowing how to swim. Emily and I knew, and Claire had just barely learned how. Good thing! But we didn’t have any problems. Another bridge we went over was more wobbly. I kind of enjoyed it, but thought of those that would have been scared.
So after we got off the famous bridge, I saw a sign that said “Sky Walk 2200 m”. It sounded awesome to me (Yvonne had shown me pictures and it looked neat. You walk on bridges at the level of the tops of the trees) and I told the girls that. Emily looked at her watch and said if we hurried we could do it. And hurry we did! We were all quite tired. I just checked google and 2200 m is 1.36 miles. We were fast walking it. Oh and it was uphill. Boy oh boy! There were times when I considered turning back. But I was determined to stick it out and see this site.
Eventually we all made it there. We waited in another line as they monitored how many people were on the walk at a time. Emily stayed behind with my camera so I could get a picture on the bridge. Well, we walk on and I realize we are going the opposite way of where I would pose for Emily. But there was nothing I could do. It was a one-way bridge. So we just wandered and I borrowed Claire’s camera. She doesn’t like heights and once I said, “Cool, look down.” And then said, “Wait! Don’t! I’ll look down. You just look up.” One time she even told me to look forward. I just chuckled and kept looking around. You’ve got to enjoy all the views!
We were just arriving at the picture spot when I hear Emily calling my name. I didn’t see here on the trail. She was actually behind us on the sky walk. She thought we had gotten lost so came to find us. Ha ha. She took some pictures then got off the sky walk and took a picture of me on it. Yeah for memories in the form of pictures. I already have a bunch and I don’t want to think of how much it will cost to print them all. Ugh.
So, did we make it to our destination on time? We went so fast and were all sweating and tired once we made it to the sky walk. Yeah, we were on time. In fact, we had extra time!! Kind of frustrating. As we descended from the sky walk, we saw the principal going up. So we could have taken it slower. Oh well. I felt a great sense of accomplishment once we reached the sky walk.
We went to another site in the forest. The gingko plantation. They had some cool-looking leaves that Emily showed us. And we took time to sit on a bench and relax. The amazing thing is that we only covered a small portion of the site. Emily said it’s best to have 1 day at that forest. Then you don’t have to hurry like we did. :) It was very beautiful. Tons of green stuff. It actually reminded me of Costa Rica. Too bad we didn’t see it from a zip line!
We had lunch at a restaurant just outside the forest. This is where I first learned about holding the bowl in my hand. Everyone gets a small bowl of rice and takes a little from the main dishes, which are sitting on a lazy susan in the middle of the table. A type of family style. The only thing I recognized was the fish. And it was the whole darn thing! Eyeballs to tail. Wait, I recognized the cabbage too. I love how they eat cabbage a lot here! It’s so tasty. And once you eat all the rice in your bowl, you put some soup in. And the final thing you eat is a little fruit. It’s their form of dessert, you could say.
Alrighty, time to head back. Oh – we left the school at 7 a.m. and arrived at the forest around 10 a.m. then we had lunch at 12:30. The schedule said our next stop was a coffee break. Hmm. Emily knew I was like Steve and Scott and didn’t drink coffee. She and Claire took care of me. I actually discovered tons of things that were made with coffee. It was very interesting. I would consider eating something then Emily would say, “It has coffee. You can’t have.” I did get an ice cream treat at this stop. It was peanut flavor. And they don’t lick ice cream, they bite it. That was a little cold.
We also had time to walk around and look at local shops. More stuff to try and look at. The principal’s wife bought us a lemon jelly treat. I kept saying I didn’t want one (My last experience with such a treat was still fresh in my mind. That bitter stuff from the YSA activity. Ick.) but they bought me one. The principal’s wife said it is her favorite and she knows how to make it. I watched them make it and it was fascinating. I have pictures. Another cool thing was watching a man sculpt cups. I could have watched him for hours. It was so cool! It’s amazing how people can use pottery wheels and clay to make things used by you and me.
Now I’ll share my dinner experience. Things were going okay. I was eating everything they put into my bowl (again I don’t know what half of it was). And then Emily was pointing to this mini octopus thing (or maybe it was squid, they eat a lot of that here) and indicating I should try it. I made a scared face and another coworker started laughing. But I said I would try it and Emily put it in my bowl. It was so unpleasant looking! It took me a moment to work up the nerve to eat it. I tried to bite it, but couldn’t. Claire said I should eat it in one bite. That meant I had to eat the whole thing. Uh . . . But I did it! And I had to take a picture to show everyone what I ate. It tasted okay. The overall idea is unpleasant though. I would prefer not to eat that again.
They brought out some soup and fired up the flame to boil it. And, like usual, they put a bunch in my bowl. I asked what it was and understood it was pig. So I started eating it. I asked again what it was and they said pig stomach. Gross! It was slimy and very chewy. No thanks. I had to finish my bowl of it though. I’m kind of amazed that people at the table had seconds. They asked me and I responded with a definite no. But I tried to be polite. I ate the first helping, does that count for something?!
Emily was very helpful at dinner. I saw shrimp and thought with relief that I like shrimp. The only problem was it was the ENTIRE shrimp. I don’t know how to eat that! Last time I had this problem, I told my Dad to fix it. Emily pulled it apart and made it into something that I could eat. Thank you! And yet, at the end of the meal Emily was a stinker. She told me I had to finish the fish dish. Ha! They gave us so much food. We were both full before we even started dinner. I’m pretty sure I gave her the evil eye. Then I said put more rice in my bowl. If I’m going to eat more fish, I need more rice. She laughed and dished up more rice. Then Claire cut the fish and put pieces in my bowl. I quickly finished all those and adamantly refused any more food. It was luckily time to go.
The only other thing I can mention is that we watched a movie on the bus. I think it was in Japanese with Chinese subtitles. Even though I could only watch and listen to the music, I got caught up in the show. They paused it for a stop and I was bummed. I wanted to know what happened! Everyone else did too since there was a collective groan of complaint when it stopped playing.
SO, to sum up: I got to explore more of this beautiful country. And I got to do it in style. With a bunch of important people from the school. And it was cheap! Only 900NT ($30 U.S.) They gave us snacks, lunch and dinner. Man. It was a great deal. And I had fun! I made 2 new friends and got to know them better. As we left the school I told Emily thank you. She said thank you with a shrug and said, “We’re friends.” I said yes! And thought, man I’m a lucky girl. Wow. This entry is super long. But it was a full day! I was gone for 13.5 hours. Hope you got to experience a little more of Taiwan with me!
Pictures
It's true. I'm here and I have picture evidence.
The scenery is wonderful!
The famous bridge.
The bridge is made of bamboo. Isn't my foot cute? (It was an accident. I kept walking as I took the picture and this was the result.)
My friends: Claire & Emily.
Claire & I.
Beautiful scenery.
The sky walk! Finally. We were so tired once we got there.
View from the sky walk.
Claire & I on the sky walk.
Me on the Sky Walk.
The Sky Walk from below.
The view from the path. This is what it looked like the whole time, pretty much.
I love the sound of water.
So pretty!
Scenery. Not sure what the little building is about, but it looked cool.
Um, more scenery. I thought it would be cool to frame the shot with the fence.
The tree with the cool leaves.
The special leaves. They do have a cool pattern.
A pretty view with a traditional Chinese building.
Step 1: scrape the outside off this fruit.
Step 2: the bag in his left hand has the scrapings. Then he puts it in the water and works it with his hands. They said it eventually hardens and turns into the jelly stuff. Crazy.
The finished product (with a little flavoring). The clearish shapes are the jelly.
The potter (is that what they're called?).
The finished product. I watched him make the cup on the far left.
This amazing picture was made with a needle and thread. Crazy, huh? I thought it was a painting. 
Just looking at these makes me feel icky. Ew. Anyone else want some?
The pig stomach soup. I still don't understand why someone would make such a thing. But I ate it!!
My name in Chinese. Emily's writing is on top and mine is on bottom. It looks funny, but I think I could do better with a stable surface.
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