Gypsy Mom

Warning: Rambling Post

2012-01-20T09:45:00.002+08:00

This is where I will be soon:

That's my backyard, in Virginia. Well, sort of.

I had a whole photo-essay planned out in my head. I would post "this" photo from Taiwan and say "this", then I would post "that" photo from Virginia and say "that".

But my photos are in complete disarray. On the computer - in disarray. How can that be???? I was looking for a photo from winter of 2009. It seems logical to me that it would be in the 2009 folder, but it's not. But I know it is SOMEWHERE, because my screen saver scrolls through my thousands of photos, and I've seen it. I tried looking in the folder labeled (by the computer) 2002. There are photos there from 2009, and 2007 and probably 1972, but not the photo I am looking for. I tried scrolling through ALL of my photos, but I gave up. I don't have time for this. I'm supposed to be packing. Because, the point is, I am leaving tomorrow. I am heading home to Virginia to begin making preparations for moving home. YES!!!! We will be moving home this summer. We are more than ready.

When I am supposed to pack my mind wanders here, there and everywhere. I can write novels (in my mind) and organize the cupboards. But I have a difficult time filling the empty suitcases. Instead I write all sorts of crazy stuff here, and then I delete it. And believe me, if you knew what I just deleted you would be SO grateful. I also eat. I just finished lunch. It's 10:40 a.m.!

I guess I'll spare you any more of my mindless ramblings and go stare at my empty suitcases. But first, I'll post a random photo. No, I guess I won't. Because every time I push the "add photo" button the "save now" button flickers and I am not brought to the screen where I can choose a photo. Sort of like my brain - I push the "add contents" (to the suitcase) button and the "feed stomach" button flickers instead.

Monkey See...

2012-01-18T09:32:00.006+08:00

I came up with a silly little poem while looking at these pictures:

Monkey see,

Monkey do,

Monkey steal your food from you.

Monkey look,

Monkey sneer,

Monkey scare us out of here.

Monkeys are another thing Bali is known for. In Ubud you will find Monkey Forest Road and Monkey Temple. They have a monkey god. (They have lots and lots of gods, although they will tell you there is only one god. Their explanation begins to sound a bit like the Christian Trinity, but then very much different.)

I always thought I liked monkeys. In any zoo they are my favorite thing. I love watching them swing and climb at lightening speed. Unfortunately, once I got up close and personal with them the city girl in me came roaring to the fore and I found out I am quite terrified of monkeys. One monkey seemed to take a particular dislike to Anna and a couple of times it sneered and snarled so badly at her that I thought we were in for some serious trouble.

This line of thinking brought me to this:

I'm (sort of) Eva Gabor. Minus the glamor.

Rice Trekking

2012-01-17T08:13:00.004+08:00

One of our pre-planned activities was to go on a trek through rice paddies. I actually planned for us to do it while we were in east Bali, but while we were in central Bali one of the employees where we were staying offered to take us on a trek. I am so glad I accepted, because things in east Bali didn't go as planned. That's a story for a different day.

Anna and I accepted the offer. Too bad for Ethan and Eric; they missed their only chance.

The second segment of our trip was spent at an extraordinary villa in central Bali, just outside of Ubud. I will show you our accommodations in detail another time. For today's purposes, here is one view from one of the 2nd floor balconies:

We were surrounded by rice paddies. Many accommodations in and around Ubud are on the edge of rice paddies, it is very much a part of the Bali experience.

Here is Anna with our guide for the day, Puta.

I have only recently begun to appreciate the fact that kids look at things differently than adults. Anna notices a lot of details that I would completely overlook. For instance, Anna noticed that there were always a lot of ducks around the rice paddies - a fact that had completely escaped me!

Anna asked Puta if there was a reason for all of the ducks and he told her that yes, they are here because they eat many of the insects that would otherwise eat the rice. An interesting bit of information that I would have missed were it not for Anna! No chemicals to keep bugs away, just ducks.

Throughout the rice paddies there are many of these little structures. They are simply rest areas for the rice workers. Very necessary, as Bali is hot and humid and the work is hard.

The rice paddies are beautiful and very peaceful.

There does not seem to be one season for planting rice. It appears to be a continual process. As we walked along we saw pretty much the entire cycle, beginning with the planting. Here is a box of rice about to be planted:

Every bit of it is planted by hand. This has got to be incredibly difficult. My back would be killing me after planting about 10 plants, I think.

They don't use any modern machinery. The hand operated (though gasoline powered) "tractor" that this man was using was the most modern thing we saw.

As the rice is harvested it is all carried out by hand.

Or by head, actually. In Bali you see everything being carried on the head. I have other pictures of this which I will share another day.

Our trek was not only through rice fields. Puta led us through some jungle and down a steep path.
At the bottom of the path was an area where the local people bathe. There is a river, and they have built this little area at the edge of the river.
Just beyond the bathing area some of the water was diverted to this concrete area. This really sparked Anna's imagination. She thought it would be great fun to slide down this. Whether or not kids do that, I don't know. But no doubt that is what Anna would do, if she had the chance.

Next Puta took us into the local village. I have not yet decided if I will post pictures of that. It was interesting, but also involved one thing that made me truly angry. So, we'll see.

2012-01-16T14:35:00.003+08:00

Blogging...blah! Seems no one has time for it any more. This is going to be brief.

As usual, I have probably hundreds of photos from our vacation. And as usual, I will put the tiniest fraction of them here for you to see. For today, just 6 photos from the very beginning of our vacation.

We went first to Lovina,a town on the northern edge of the island. The only reason for going there was to see dolphins. We got up before the sun (a major feat for us on any given day, much less on a vacation day!) and met our "guide" (boat driver?) on the beach.

We were not exactly alone out there.

There were a LOT of other boats doing the same thing. Fortunately, there were also a lot of dolphins.

I do realize that I should insert a lot of awesome dolphin pictures here, but the truth is I didn't get great pictures of dolphins. They're kinda fast, you know? And you never knew where they were going to show up. They did put on a spectacular show for us - they jumped (singly and in tandem, mothers and little babies), twirled and I swear one even cartwheeled. But I cannot prove any of it.

Since I couldn't get great pictures I decided to document other things. Sadly, this was an all too common sight:

Yep, there was a lot of trash floating in the ocean.

And there was this boat driver / guide who we all thought was cool looking. (The kids call him Sensai. I don't know how you spell that and I don't really know who it is. Someone from Star Wars or Clone Wars I guess. If you're into those movies/shows you'll probably know who this looks like.)

And, okay, this is completely out of order. It's the sunrise as we were leaving the beach. But I think it's pretty and I'm too lazy to put it in the correct spot.

I have lots of other adventures to share: rice paddy trekking, "tree top adventure", elephant riding, snorkeling, etc. I'll try to get to those pictures one of these days. Really.

Greetings from Bali

2011-12-20T10:16:00.001+08:00

Waiting for Christmas

2011-12-16T13:52:00.003+08:00

My kids, like most children, are dying for Christmas to get here. Today they had a half day of school and "winter break" has begun. Because we will be spending Christmas on a wonderful tropical island and will NOT be hauling Christmas presents back and forth, it has been agreed that the children can each open 3 presents tonight. The excitement, coupled with a rather late night last night, has taken it's toll on Ethan.

I was doing some work on the computer and playing some soft background Christmas music. When I finished I turned around and found this:

So sweet. That dog is HYPER, but she will lay quietly with her boy when he wants to sleep.

Actually, both dogs are with him.

The second dog is not hyper, but she is silly. This is how she settles in for a nap!

Merry Christmas!

Blog Surfing

2011-11-26T09:13:00.002+08:00

From time to time I go blog surfing - I click "next blog" at the top of mine to see where Blogger brings me. It seems to categorize and lump blogs together, and I find it funny to see whose blogs are thought to belong in the same category as mine. I have found some that I love and now read regularly, some that bore me, and some that have frightened and/or shocked me. Today's find goes into a new category which I have titled "I'm so glad I didn't get invited to THEIR house for Thanksgiving!"

Here is how it began:

"This year _____ and I hosted Thanksgiving at our house and it was so much fun! We had green bean almondine, whole wheat couscous with cranberries and pecans, and wine..."

There were pictures and then more menu offerings, including fake turkey - I assume some vegetable mush smashed together to mimic turkey.

Yuck! I wonder what blogger thought I had in common with THAT woman!?

Longing for Home?

2011-11-21T08:06:00.004+08:00

I spend a lot of time now longing for home, dreaming of restaurants and grocery stores and driving on uncrowded streets. But then I go to church, and almost every Sunday after church I think something along the lines of "maybe I want to stay in Taiwan". Our church here is very small and, I suppose because many of us are ex-pats, it feels like a family, only perhaps better.

Yesterday 6 people were baptized and I cried as each one of them gave their testimony. There was the 7 year old girl who decided to ask Jesus into her heart as she was walking down the hall in school - she recited John 3:16 from memory. There was our dear friend Ray who was raised in a Christian home (rare in Taiwan!) but didn't want to be baptized until he felt a passion. He says that passion recently came, not in the form of some huge spiritual feeling but through the relationships with church members. One of the Philipina ladies who accepted Jesus when she was 15 but then walked away and lived in all sorts of sin. She was recently convicted of how wrong she was living, rededicated her heart to Jesus and wanted to be baptized to show the world that she is starting over. And the Taiwanese husband of a friend; he has been depressed most of his life, wondering what the purpose was. He felt peace every time he listened to our pastor preach the words of Jesus, and so he has found peace through salvation. And a young Taiwanese woman who was touched by the love shown her by her life group hosts. And then the one that really got to me - the young man who looks so strong and tough. He was in the pastor's office late Saturday night talking. He knew a successful man who had died and, as he watched the man's sons fighting over the inheritance, he thought "I don't want to be like that" and there had to be more to life than that. So he was searching for the "something more" and he was asking the pastor questions. On Saturday night his questions were answered and he surrendered his life to Jesus. Sunday morning he was baptized. Wow! It is so amazing to watch peoples lives changed. It is such a privilege to be in this country with the pervasive dark spiritual forces wreaking havoc in the lives of so many people - and to see people walk out of that darkness into the light of Jesus. This is something I never witnessed in America.

And so I wonder if I will really want to leave when the time comes.

Field Day

2011-11-14T09:52:00.009+08:00

Recently both of my kids had their annual "Field Day" at school. I'll share a few pictures, Academy Awards style.

BEST EFFORT

The highlight of every field day is the tug-of-war. This year neither of my kids were on a winning team. For Ethan's team, I think you can see why - the girls were just having too much fun!

Anna looked to be working pretty hard, but due to lack of technique or strength they still came up short.

(I learned a lesson about technique that day when I joined in for the parent/teacher tug-of-war. My team had several people who counted out loud: "1,2,3, PULL, 1,2,3, PULL. We won.)

FAVORITE PICTURE

Ethan is getting pretty big and solid.

Anna in action. (When I look closely at her face I still see the sweet face she had when she was 2.)

BEST PICTURE THE KIDS WILL HATE ME FOR POSTING

Anna's feet have always turned in but - !!! How does she do that?

What's wrong with this picture?
(Did you see it? Ethan has finished his swing but the ball is still on the tee! In case you haven't guessed, my kids don't play sports.)

FAVORITE PICTURE WITH FRIENDS

I love the look of intensity on the girls faces.

Ethan and his very best friend. The tallest kid in the class and the shortest. It cracks everyone up.

BEST "OOPS" PICTURE

A friend bumped me as I took this picture. I'm have no idea why that caused this effect, but I love the picture!
And this, I realize is blurry. However, I love the bright colors - red, green, yellow and blue - so for me it's a keeper.

That's it for excitement around here.

I find it hard to believe it is nearly Thanksgiving. I think the reason is the climate. Since it doesn't get cold and snowy it still feels like summer. Holidays feel very strange to me. Perhaps because we're in a foreign country, perhaps because I'm not with family, probably both. So I am just going about daily life with little or no thought given to the impending holidays. Do I need to think/plan/decorate?

Edits

2011-11-01T19:29:00.002+08:00

Hi there. If you have read my post about our night on the town you may have noticed some glaring typographical errors. I cannot fix them due to technical difficulties. Sorry. I guess I had better proof read more closely in the future!

A (Family) Night on the Town

2011-10-28T13:41:00.014+08:00

On a recent Friday night we hit the town -- family style.

First we went out for dinner at one of the few American restaurants in Taipei. I have been trying to take my camera everywhere to capture every day moments. The kids don't much like me taking their picture all the time, so I let them have a turn at it sometimes.

This is how Anna "drinks" lemonade:

Ethan, after eating ribs, in a rare moment of cooperating for a picture.

This was our waiter. He was crazy to the point of being annoying. He wrote our order on his arm. We wonder what that looks like at the end of a busy night? When we were almost ready to leave he came and asked if he could sing us a song that he wrote. Okay, sure. It was ridiculous and I think he had better keep his day job. Afterward he agreed to pose for a picture (no surprise really, he was not short on ego!) I wish I had taken it instead when he was singing, but I think I was too much in shock to reach for the camera.

(By the way, the waiter's glasses were fake. You see that a lot here. A LOT. People wear frames with no lenses. Sure, because it makes them look...? We don't get it.)

After dinner we went across the street to a mini night market. (For those who don't live in Taiwan, a night market is a common thing. Many neighborhoods have certain areas where vendors come out of the woodwork about 4:00 and set up booths selling all kinds of cheap junk. And always there is food. Stinky tofu and squid on a stick and such.

There were some bouncing things. My kids are ALMOST too old for that stuff, but not quite too old yet, and so we let them burn off some energy.

They climbed up loads of times.

They slid down in all sorts of positions.

This one I thought for sure was going to result in a broken neck. Thankfully the only injury was a "rug burn".

I snuck a few pictures of other people's kids because I thought they were so cute. This first little girl was really adorable as she toddled around. I had my camera aimed at her for awhile but either she had her back to me or someone would step in between us.

Another very sweet, slightly older, little girl.

When I got bored I took dozens of pictures of the Miramar Ferris Wheel, trying to capture all of the different light combinations.

Since none of us are brave enough for the street food, we headed back to the mall for dessert. This is one restaurant we will actually MISS when we move back to the States: Haagen Dazs. I am not much of an ice cream fan, but it is impossible not to love Haavc gen Dazs. Here in Taiwan they not only sell the scrumptious creations, they do so in fabulously beautiful restaurants.

The restaurants all have these luxurious lounge chairs:

They have beautiful light fixtures.

A cool, sweet ending to a sweaty, fun evening.

The Little Details

2011-10-13T08:11:00.012+08:00

This will be my last post about Bali. (At least until the next vacation!)

I took a lot of pictures of the little details. I am not sure if I was so entranced by Bali that even the little details seemed wonderful or if all of the wonderful little details were part of what entranced me, but either way I came away with the idea that Bali is the best place on the planet.

There was the tray of chocolate covered treats, along with a welcome note and a bottle of wine that was waiting for us in our room when we arrived.

We chose to enjoy the treats that evening in the outdoor living room.

The wine was chilling in a wooden bucket. I loved the bucket.

It became sort of a joke between Eric and I that I wanted to bring home everything from the villa. (I actually did purchase some of the bathroom accessories! After returning home I said I should have purchased the pillow because it was heavenly. Since returning home I have purchased THREE different pillows hoping to find something I like as well. Nothing I have tried yet compares to that pillow! I did NOT ask if I could purchase the wine bucket. Sometimes I regret that.)

Our first morning I woke obscenely early so got my camera and went outside. I captured this picture of our plunge pool. I love the colors.

Thatched roof detail.

Remember the outdoor shower that I loved so very much?

I am showing it again not because the memory of it causes me to melt (it does, and it is wonderful!) but by way of explaining the next picture. It is a close up of the shower wall.

I actually took SEVERAL pictures of the rock wall. Can you believe it? Truly I think Bali put me in an artistic state of mind. I contemplated the different colors in the stone, the abstract pattern in which it was laid and the slight variations in texture. I took pictures so that I could look at them and be inspired to... do what I am not sure! And no, I wasn't smoking anything funny. (Never have.)

For somewhat the same reasons, I took this close-up picture of the dining room buffet. Unless you get close you don't see the layers of finish, it just looks like a honey-colored wood. Only on close inspection did I see that there was some green underneath the stain. I suppose when next I refinish a piece of furniture I will incorporate this technique, which was the reason for the photograph. (Except I don't refinish furniture either.)

A very comfortable, weather-resistant living room chair.

The living room daybed...

...which was layered with beautiful pillows.

(I took photos of many of the pillows individually, but I don't want to bore anyone into a stupor.)

This was a garden light along the courtyard path. Isn't it cute and different?

This is the courtyard path, looking back to the entrance gate.

Here is our gate from the inside:

Just inside the gate is a light switch, set into a concrete stone! I didn't actually mean to photograph the light switch. I was interested in the fact that the wall sort of looked like it was crumbling. I imagine this was done on purpose to give the illusion of being in a grand old property. It works for me since I love OLD things.

Finally, remember I said in the past that I have a new love of doors and gates? Well, I think the doors into every villa were unique; just one more detail to enthrall me. And despite the fact that my kids complained about the number of photographs I took of DOORS, I feel like I did not begin to take enough.

(Yes, I know this last one is a repeat. One in daylight and one at night. I guess I thought it was particularly pretty. I do love the scroll design.
As we were preparing to leave Eric found a couple of postcards in the desk drawer - pictures from the resort. Guess what was pictured? The doors! It is just so amazing to me that this thing which I love was such a feature of the resort. We had no idea about that when we booked the place. We truly had no idea how spectacular the resort was. Yes, the pictures looked REALLY nice, but experience has told us that photographers are quite good at finding a sliver of "nice" and snapping it for the web designer to post on the property's website. Generally we get to a place and are disappointed by something. But this time Eric said the pictures didn't even begin to show how truly beautiful everything was. So true.

Beyond the Villa

2011-10-12T07:38:00.008+08:00

We did venture outside of our villa a few times. Around every corner there was something new to take my breath away. This is one of the pathways between villas. A bit of an upgrade from your standard hotel hallway!

There are active volcanoes on Bali, so I am guessing these retaining walls were built using lava rock from around the island.

Around one corner, a lovely little waterfall.

Flowers around every corner.

This flower I have never seen anyplace else. I don't think it shows in the photo, but in real life the flowers looked almost like they were made out of wax.

Bali is predominantly Hindu, a fact which sort of surprises me since most of Indonesia is Muslim. There are Hindu temples everywhere. As a side note, I have to say that the Hindu temples are nowhere near as ornate as the Buddhist temples which we see all over Taiwan. The Hindu temples seem to be mostly a pile of rocks. I began to identify them by a two-tiered golden umbrella-type thing that seemed to always be attached.

There is a temple within the grounds of the resort and it happened to be very near to our villa. One evening I heard a lot of racket coming from the direction of the temple so went to see what the cause of the racket was. (I'm sorry to describe it in less than flattering terms, but I find that the "music" associated with both Hindu and Buddhist religions is very distasteful. It is a cacophony of strange and discordant instruments which seem to all be playing whatever strikes their fancy rather than everyone playing notes that blend together into a beautiful song.) On this particular evening there were temple dancers putting on a show for the guests. I found the costumes to be beautiful.

The dances themselves were not particularly appealing to me, especially the dance performed by the male. It was full of frenzied shaking which, sorry - just being honest here, seemed demonic to me and was therefore not the least bit enjoyable to watch. Nevertheless, interesting to see this bit of another culture.

I still have a few more photos to share. For now I will leave you with a preview of the centerpiece of our NEXT vacation in Bali. Yes, we are returning in December with the kids! The house beyond the pool will be our base camp for exactly half of our time. Eric and I visited and were treated to a lovely lunch by the owners of this little gem. I don't expect the next trip to be as indulgent as the last, but it should be fantastic in it's own way.

Homesick

2011-10-12T04:42:00.002+08:00

I'm tired of air conditioners that break at 2:00 a.m. Filled with ice, they sound like a jack hammer in the middle of the room. (Pick whichever room you like. There is no central ventilation system here, each room has it's own air conditioner.)

I'm tired of not being able to have fresh air in the house - EVER - because the screens fit so poorly that they are useless. I suppose they keep out birds, but bugs and lizards are free to come and go as they please.

I'm tired of dreading every necessary outing because it will involve trying to make my point to someone who doesn't understand me - either linguistically or culturally.

I'm tired of... I'm just tired of Taiwan. I have struggled since my return from The States over 2 months ago. I thought it would pass and I would readjust and everything would be okay, but it's not. I want to go home, wherever that is.

AMAZING, AMAZING, AMAZING!

2011-10-03T07:24:00.008+08:00

If you have been checking for pictures, I apologize for the long wait. I tried to post last week but had so many problems that I had to delete the whole thing and start over. Hopefully it will go better today.

I will start by just giving a little tour of our villa. It was AMAZING! I cannot say that enough times or strongly enough. Just absolutely out-of-this-world perfect-for-our-taste AMAZING.

Here, the entrance to our villa:

The AMAZINGLY cool wooden doors open into a private little courtyard. I will show detailed pictures of this area in another post.

As you turn from the doors this is the view that greets you:

AMAZING!!!

This is what the ceilings look like:

There were 3 of those ceilings just in our villa: one over the bedroom, one over the bathroom and one over the living/dining area. They look to be all handmade. Eric said he couldn't find a nail or screw anywhere. The craftsmanship is AMAZING.

This is the bed as it is during the daytime:

And this is the bed at night:

Housekeeping comes in each evening to turn down the bed. They also spread the lovely and probably useful mosquito netting around the bed, light some incense to keep the bugs away and turn on lights.

There is a dressing room between the bedroom and bathroom. Do you see the beautiful wood slat doors? On one side of the dressing room is a chest and windows looking into another private courtyard. The other side is closets. Beyond is the start of the bathroom, which is, yes, AMAZING.

You have to look in the above picture to see the bathtub because I didn't take a picture of it. It was beautiful. Next to the tub was a marble top table will all of these wonderful amenities:

There were bath salts, bath gel, some other oil which I mistook for bubble bath (it didn't bubble), a candle and incense. I've never liked incense before but after my experience in Bali I bought a bunch of it to bring home. It now seems blissful, peaceful, AMAZING to me. (Eric says it makes him think of pot-smokers. I told him he would just have to get over that because I don't have that association and I am going to burn incense and dream of Bali! He is okay with that.)

Nothing was presented in a "tacky" plastic bottle. Everything was in ceramic jars, properly labeled.

And although I did not take a picture of the whole bathtub, I did take a close-up of one of the pillows in the tub. There were two. What a wonderful idea! So very relaxing. Each pillow was adorned with a fresh Frangiapani flower. The flowers are everywhere in Bali and they have the most AMAZING scent. Very strong and very beautiful.

If you didn't want to take a bath you could take a shower in this beautiful, modern, clean shower with one of those huge rainwater shower heads.

Lovely as that shower was, we never used it. Instead we used this AMAZING OUTDOOR shower. The memory of this makes me melt. I want to go back to Bali just for this shower. I never would have dreamed I would love it; in fact, I never would have dreamed I would even have TOLERATED an outdoor shower. But this was the most peaceful thing I have ever experienced. Words cannot convey how beautiful the setting was, how wonderful the sound of water pouring out of the bamboo faucet. I hope heaven has showers like this. It must, because this was just absolutely heavenly.

When I left the shower, it was to lounge on the daybed in the living room (pictures in another post) looking through the dining room at this view:

Each day we had a new selection of fresh fruit left on our dining room table.

This isn't the clearest picture, but I love it. See that picture on the wall? It is actually a mirror reflecting flowers on the wall of the bedroom portion of the villa. Another amazing memory for me.

Chaises on our patio. We napped here one day.

Beautiful doors from our bedroom onto the patio. Inside the glass doors you can see a separate set of wood slat doors. They are covered on the outside with screen so that, at night, you could close just the wooden doors, keep the bugs at bay and listen to the surf at night. I'm melting again with the memory.

And finally, because I love little details, a close-up of the door hardware. I loved this place so much that even the door hardware seemed amazingly beautiful to me.I have more pictures - a few of things beyond the villa - that I hope to share soon.

I want to live in Bali. In this villa. Forever. It was simply AMAZING.

Checking In

2011-09-22T14:44:00.002+08:00

Sorry I've been so quiet. I've been busy getting back into a school routine with the kids. There have been some extra challenges with that this year but hopefully it will all be smoothed out soon. I've also been battling some pain for about a month which was only yesterday diagnosed as pleurisy. I'm now on antibiotics so hopefully that, too, will be better soon.

Tomorrow Eric and I are leaving for a 5 day trip, get this: WITHOUT THE KIDS!! We are going to Bali and we are going in style. I am a little nervous about flying in light of the pleurisy, but hopefully all will be fine and sometime next week I will post some wonderful pictures.

Gates

2011-09-09T15:01:00.009+08:00

Since moving to Taiwan I have seen a lot of cool gates and doors. I thought I would assemble the pictures here. Some are super cool, some are not. Several of the pictures have appeared in this blog before but not all.

I will begin with the grandest door I have ever seen. It is at the National Martyr's Shrine.

We go from very grand to very humble, though this is by no means the humblest. This is an ordinary door seen all around Taiwan.

Next, what I think is a rather pretty wooden door.

This next one is sort of a gate. It rolls down at the entrance to a shop in Danshui. It has been painted with a romantic sunset scene. I think they are stretching things a bit if they want you to believe this is a typical scene. To me nothing in Taiwan is ever this placid. But who knows, maybe if you're in Danshui at sunset... I doubt it.

The next is one of my personal favorites, which is why it gets two photographs. If I could take these doors home I would. I just love the wood carving.

Fairly grand:

Incredibly humble:

And many covering pretty much the entire gambit in between:

Most of these pictures were taken in Taiwan, although a couple are in Indonesia and one is in America. I thought I might have a contest and see if anyone could guess which one is in America. But what is a contest without a prize? I looked around to see if I have any cool Taiwanese thing that I could give away but I do not. Bummer, that would have been fun!

Not the Best Day

2011-09-07T20:51:00.002+08:00

Soooo... we seem to have snakes. In our house. A short time ago we found the 2nd baby snake in 2 days in our house. I was not too terribly bothered when we found one, but two has me thinking that there must be a mother some place. Just when I thought I was getting used to things creeping around my house in Taiwan...now things are slithering around! At the moment I am feeling like this year cannot pass quickly enough. I am SO ready to go back to the States where I do not have to be constantly on guard against things creeping, crawling, flying, jumping or SLITHERING through the room!

For My Mom

2011-08-29T15:50:00.003+08:00

Never more these floors her feet will grace.
Never more I'll greet her smiling face.
Never more she'll say "Well let's just pray".
Never more I'll tell her of my day.

Days go by, then months, now soon a year.
Not a day I don't wish she was here.

Jesus whispers to my soul "Be still."
"Twas time that she came home, it was My will."
Angry, lonely, scared, I fight His word.
"Perhaps", I think, "that isn't what I heard."

Deep inside I want to cry and rage.
Alone. Not on some type of stage.
God! Can you not see me? Don't you care?
Don't you know I need her here, not there?

If I could have her back for just one day
what is it I would want the most to say?

I'd say, of course, I love her. But what then?
What about my kids, now eight and ten?
What of all their days would I first share?
Would I say her loss I cannot bear?

But no! A day would never be enough!
I'd waste it, as before, and speak of fluff.

I need to have her here each time I cry.
I need her wisdom when I wonder "why?"
I need her understanding, miss her voice.
And yet, as days go by, I have no choice.

I must go on without her. I must try.
I'll give myself some time to sit and cry.
I have no answers, nothing yet but doubt
that I can rise above this, work it out.

Perhaps it helps to take up pad and pen.
I'll write my Mom a letter now and then.
I'll tell her all the things I long to say;
and maybe, when I put the pen away
I'll send the note to heaven with a kiss;
though yet her smile and voice I'll always miss.

Lotus Ponds

2011-08-29T05:52:00.011+08:00

The kids and I had been home in the States just a few days when I suddenly remembered the lotus ponds at the Taipei Botanical Garden were supposed to be in bloom. My friend Sandra had told me they bloom in June and July. July was almost over so I rushed us out the door - I did not want to miss this!

Before we get to pictures of the actual flowers, I want to try to give some perspective on how large the plants and flowers are.

And I'm throwing this picture in just because. Because he doesn't like his picture taken, because I love taking his picture, because there are 3 pictures of his sister AND because if you look at the picture full screen you can actually see sweat under his eyes! It was a HOT day. HOT!!!!

I almost (almost!) like the flowers better after the petals fall off. I think the part that remains is so cool!

I even thought the decomposing leaves were pretty.

But of course, the piece de resistance is the flower.

I am a little amazed by the fact that this beautiful garden is set within the heart of Taipei. It is sort of a hidden gem. Sandra told me there are seldom any tourists there. The park is really tucked away and I don't know if you would see it if you were just passing by. My guess is that is purposeful on the part of the people of Taipei - maybe not, but I can imagine them wanting to keep this island of serenity for themselves.

Eluanbi Lighthouse

2011-08-25T07:33:00.006+08:00

Perhaps you already know that Taiwan was formerly called Formosa. I didn't know that until I was moving here. Formosa means "beautiful island". Living daily in the grit that is Taipei, I often forget that this truly is a beautiful island. So it was good to get away from the city and see some of the beauty.

We attend church with a fascinating 92 year old Chinese gentleman. He was captain of a ship in his younger days, speaks perfect English, carries himself with dignity and is always smiling. When Eric told Mr. Dawson that we were taking a trip to Kenting, Mr. Dawson said we should not miss the lighthouse. And because it was Mr. Dawson who said so, we were sure to make the trek.

The grounds surrounding the lighthouse are superbly manicured, and the vistas are spectacular.

I think I should use this picture for our Christmas cards, although now that I'm putting it here perhaps everyone who gets a card from me will already have seen the picture.

On the trail up TO the lighthouse there were several vendors selling trinkets. I was a little disappointed in that as I thought they rather spoiled the serene beauty of the place. Interestingly, on the way down the vendors were gone. I don't know if they were chased out or if, more likely, it had simply become too hot for them.

While us Americans took pictures of each other in very stiff poses, the Taiwanese had more fun with their pictures.

The lighthouse must have been a military fortress at one time. The surrounding wall was full of these openings (are they called gun turrets? I cannot remember!!) I tried and tried and tried to take a picture through the opening to the beautiful ocean beyond. But because I do not know how to set my camera manually I was completely unsuccessful.

(This is why I am hoping to take a photography class. I was all prepared to sign up for Karen Russell's online class but, due to the time difference and my forgetfulness, I blew the sign up deadline. Her classes fill up in about 2 minutes!)

I assume this was housing for the men who manned the guns at the lighthouse. They were not open to tour, but I think they are pretty.

I thought this staircase was interesting. For quick escape?

And I love, love, LOVED these arches and their view to the sea. Wouldn't this be a spectacular backdrop for wedding or graduation photos? Or if I could paint, I would paint this scene. Just beautiful.

I will leave you with one last beautiful scene. The mountains in the background are beautiful. We thought the one was rather funny - it went to a perfect peak, just the way a child would draw it!

Kenting Vacation

2011-08-19T11:38:00.004+08:00

Here are some of my photos from our recent trip to Kenting, Taiwan. First, my two favorites:
The water looks pretty dirty. I am not sure if it was or if the waves were just churning up a lot of sand. I prefer to think it was the churning. I think there is a strong chance that was the case, as the beach was actually closed to swimming this day due to a strong undercurrent.
There were hammocks strung up along the beach. One night after sunset everyone in both of our families (our and our friends) lazed in the hammocks. That was one of the most wonderful parts of our vacation for me. At one point Anna laid with me in a hammock and told me about how much she loved her family and why. It was a special time.
Though several years apart in age, Anna and our friend's daughter seem to be very much alike in personalities and interests. They both loved playing in the sand and waves.

The obligatory crashing waves picture:
I think the only pictures I have left to share are those from the lighthouse. After that I will be out of pictures to share! (Unless I post some more flower pictures. I generally have lots of those!)

Three P's

2011-08-17T07:48:00.005+08:00

Here's a look at what I've been doing lately:

Partying -

Painting -

(before...)

(...and after)

and parting (no "y"). The kids started school last week.

Oh and, by the way, can I just say I really love my daughter's shoes?

I want them! She's not quite to my size yet, but soon.

The Old Man and the Sea

2011-08-15T08:35:00.011+08:00

While the kids and I were in the States, Eric fulfilled a long-held dream of being certified for scuba-diving. He did it with a friend whose family was also in the States. Anxious to put their new training to use, the men planned a vacation for our families wherein they could dive and we could play at a beach. So about a week after I returned we set out for Southern Taiwan. Kenting, to be exact.

We did spend a lot of time playing at the beach and I will post beach pictures soon. But we also went on one little adventure and I decided to start with that because it seems I go from beach to beach to beach and I want to show that I don't JUST sit on beaches.

We set out for a lighthouse. (I am also not showing those pictures today.) On the path toward the lighthouse there was a sign that said "Path to Beach". No, we did not go to another beach instead of the lighthouse! But we did take the path AFTER seeing the lighthouse. The path led through the jungle that is everywhere in Taiwan.

When the jungle gave way to beach this is the scene that greeted us:

Very beautiful, don't you think? This was not my typical sandy beach. Some of our party decided this was lava rock. It was full of sharp edges once you got out a little ways.

Between the jungle and the sharp edges my boy let me take his picture.

As I took pictures the others scampered on ahead of me.

I tried to keep up, in between taking pictures, but the scampering became more difficult due to the jagged edges, the fact that I was wearing fashionable sandals which were not meant for rock climbing. and the fact that I was trying to protect my camera.

Our friends little girl was having a bit of trouble scampering with the crowd too, and so her Daddy came back to help her. So sweet...

As the others scampered ahead of me they found all sorts of interesting things. My daughter spotted a Lion Fish in a small pool of water and everyone excitedly gathered around to see it. I had never even heard of a Lion Fish before but everyone else seemed to know what it was. I wanted to see it but (ahem) no one came to help ME down the rocks!

Eventually I did make it to the pool and I did see the Lion Fish very briefly before it disappeared into a rock. Sorry, no picture of the fish, just the pool.

And by the time I got to the pool everyone else was on to other adventures. I hung around the pool hoping the fish would reappear and taking a few pictures.

Meanwhile, the others found an old fisherman working away. You cannot see it, but behind this rock there was another pool of water. As the man caught fish he would carry them to this pool where he left them. I imagine at the end of his day he gathered all of the fish from the pool and took them home or to a market.

The man didn't seem to mind that all of the foreigners were congregating around his catch. In fact he held some of the fish up for them to see. I'm told they had very sharp teeth.

I never did make it to that pool. I was willing to make the journey, but it was blasting hot that day and after their visit with the fisherman everyone decided they needed to get out of the heat. It was a wise decision. The return trip was uphill and I honestly didn't know if I was going to make it. Hot, hot, hot! But worth it. It was a fun adventure.

A Rip Roaring (Springs) Birthday

2011-08-11T09:33:00.005+08:00

Once again Anna's birthday occurred while we were in the States. We spent the day at Roaring Springs water park and we all had a fabulous time. Anna said it was the best birthday ever, which honestly surprised me because she has historically had some really big parties.

I have to say, we did Roaring Springs in style. We rented a "cabana" for the day (pictured below.) The cabana is really just a small walled off space surrounded by others but the service you receive when you reserve a cabana is awesome - it really made our day perfect. Any time you want ANYTHING to eat or drink you just put a little flag up. Cabana staff appears very quickly, takes your order and fetches the food from wherever in the park. I had arranged ahead of time for a birthday cake. The water park gets the cakes from one of THE best bakeries in Boise so it was fabulous tasting. And it was kept for us in a refrigerator near our cabana so that when it was time for cake we just asked the staff and they promptly brought it to us.

Here is our birthday girl:

Roaring Springs is a very large water park with lots and lots of rides. Unfortunately I only photographed one of them!

We all had more than our fair share of sugar that day: birthday cake, soda, Dippin' Dots ice cream (which I LOVE), and the kids had some Fun Dip. Abby (AKA Most Favorite Cousin in the world) isn't really a kid anymore, but she made the party alot of fun and she is still young enough to indulge in Fun Dip, and not ashamed to prove it.

Odds and Ends from America

2011-08-10T09:42:00.004+08:00

I am almost done posting pictures from America. One more post after this and I think I will be finished.

This was the first sunset I saw upon arriving. Amazing, gorgeous sunsets are a fairly common occurrence in Idaho.

A few days after arriving I attended a baby shower in Oregon, at the home of a friend of my mother-in-law. This is the view out the friend's front window.

Of course I always think a view is even better if it has some flowers in the foreground.

Anna reunited with one of her favorite cousins, Darby. I wish I'd had a camera at the ready when they first saw each other. A video camera, actually. They ran toward each other calling "Anna!", "Darby!", hugged and immediately seemed to begin talking wherever they had last left off. They hadn't seen each other for 3 years, so I was shocked at how they just fell into step with each other.

Inside the friend's home I was lucky enough to get a tour of the home. Each and every room was stunning and I took many pictures. I don't suppose it would be appropriate for me to post pictures of another persons home on my blog and so I won't, except this one. The woman is a crafter and I just about hyper-ventilated when I saw her craft room. It was, for me, the epitome of a PERFECT craft room, right down to the last detail - purple counter tops! I could go on and on about the many perfect details, many of which I photographed, but I doubt people who read this blog would be interested so I'll spare you.

One more post to do from America, and then I'll have to start catching up with all of the happenings since returning to Taiwan! School starts tomorrow so I should have time. On the other hand, I am supposed to be getting my very own car any day now, so I may not be sitting around home too much!

July 4th, 2011

2011-08-05T21:28:00.010+08:00

Yeah, so I'm a little late. It's been a busy month!

I was in the States for the 4th of July again, and this time I spent it in a very small town; a real slice of Americana I would say.

We started the day attending a parade. Anna had spent the previous week at her cousins house and they attended "Horse Camp" together. Now the word was they were going to be on a float in the parade. Here is the backdrop for the parade, it doesn't get much more beautiful than this:

I don't know this little boy. I had to take his picture because he was just so completely cute, and so representative of the part of the country I was in. (I was WAY out west in cowboy country.)

This, believe it or not, is typical main street where I was at:

And THIS was the parade queen!

I really laughed at the fact that that sweet old lady was the queen. Small town America...

This is the float my daughter was on. I never saw her! She was on the other side and I missed her. I cannot believe she was on a float in a parade and I missed her!

This gets my vote for cutest float. This whole day just seemed like a page from a long ago time. No glitz, no glamour, just really cute, regular people. (And a goat or two.)

I found my daughter after the parade was over. Thankfully she didn't seem too miffed that I had missed her.

After the parade there were portraits:

(Is she not just the cutest little thing? And then, look at this adorable little guy!)

There were picnics:

There were sparklers which, of course, the boys had to have fights with:

and the girls (at least MY girl) had to dance with.
There were also some bigger home fireworks which the boys had fun watching.

After all of that we watched the town's fireworks, then headed to a motel before driving home the next day. I'm not sure I could live in a small town but they sure are fun to visit, especially on holidays.

Horsin' Around

2011-07-28T18:16:00.005+08:00

I am not a horsey person, but while visiting my brother-in-law's house I had to take pictures of his horses. The setting is SOOOOOOOOOOO beautiful, (I've posted pictures of my sister-in-law's garden here before) the lighting seemed perfect and the horses running in the pasture looked like pictures I've seen on calendars so I had to take some pictures. I thought the pictures were great but was sad to see they are somewhat blurry. Less than picture perfect. Oh well...

Here, for those of you who love horses (I know there is at least ONE of you!) are some horsey pictures. Enjoy!

Multnomah Falls

2011-07-27T09:46:00.005+08:00

When you drive from Boise, Idaho to Cannon Beach, Oregon you pass by Multnomah Falls. In the past that's what I've always done - passed by. I don't know why I never stopped. But this time I decided I wanted to stop, and so we did.

As you approach from a distance you see this one, high waterfall.

As you get closer you see that there are actually two waterfalls.

You can walk 5 minutes to the bridge between the two falls, which we did. You can also take a longer hike to the very top of the falls. We didn't do that, but if I ever go back I would like to take that hike.

Please excuse the next picture. I just like taking close up pictures of flowers and such. The purpose of this was to show the moss growing on the trees. It is so moist here that all of the trees are covered in moss.

This was taken from the bridge looking back toward the Columbia River. Such a beautiful area.
And this was taken looking straight down from the bridge, at the smaller waterfall.
At the bottom of the first waterfall there is a beautiful pool. This picture does not show the pool too well, but notice the huge boulder. My Dad read that a boulder had somewhat recently fallen from the top cliff into this pool. I am pretty sure this was the one. It was HUGE. Can you imagine being there when that fell? I imagine the sound was thunderous and I would expect the earth shook a bit.

This was a very pleasant side trip; one that I would definitely recommend if you're ever in the area.

Up a Mountain and back

2011-07-26T20:23:00.006+08:00

One day while visiting my Dad we went for a drive up a mountain to an area with a beautiful view. My husband introduced me to this spot on our second date, and we returned to it several times over the years. I hoped to spend some time looking at the view and drinking in the quiet sounds of bugs and birds. The view was beautiful but...

..as evidenced by the next picture, it was still cold up on the mountain. It was nearly July and there was still SNOW up there! And it was raining, only lightly, but still...! Between the cold and the rain neither of us felt like lingering. I did whip out my phone and take a video, not for the pictures as much as for the sound. Oh how I love the sounds of silence!

I took some pictures on the way back down which I share for the benefit of any readers who have never been to Idaho. It is high mountain desert - very unlike my current home in Taiwan!

Looking out over the valley where my children were born (called "The Treasure Valley" in Idaho.)

Of course, along the way I found some flowers! There was a large mass of wild roses growing right up next to the road. I had to get out of the car and take close ups. I cannot help myself. And the sound there was wonderful also. The bush was buzzing from the many honeybees who were feasting on it's nectar.

I also took some close up pictures of sagebrush, in case anyone is interested. From a distance they are scrubby, unattractive things but up close I think they are rather pretty. I especially love the color.

Once down the mountain I suggested we stop for a particularly yummy treat.A potato of course! (This is Idaho, after all.) But this is not your ordinary potato. NO! This is an ICE CREAM potato! Yummmm...

It came from The Westside Drive-In which is a wonderful place full of nostalgia and which seems to be representative of Idaho as it used to be.

The Westside Drive-In is somewhat famous. Well, at least they had a moment of fame. They were once featured on "Diners, Drive-ins and Dives" and they have this picture to prove it.

I didn't see the show. Ok, I've never watched the show at all. It's on the Food Network after all and I have never been interested in cooking, much less watching shows about cooking. My point is, since I didn't see the show I cannot say with certainty whether Westside was classified as a Diner, a Drive-in or a Dive. But this famous guy was in Boise, Idaho at the Westside Drive-In and, in Idaho, that's pretty big news!

I came home from my trip with close to 500 pictures. Don't worry, I won't post them all! But I will post more as time allows.

We are leaving again this weekend. Going on vacation, from vacation, during summer vacation. My life is tough.

Why?

2011-07-25T14:12:00.009+08:00

Why do I love Cannon Beach? I'm not sure I know.

Anyone who's been there knows it is home to this famous monolith, Haystack Rock.

As far as weather, it is not my normal cup of tea.

And yet, this resort beckons me back time and again.

Perhaps it is the rugged landscape.

The wildlife is interesting. Seagulls were chasing an invading Puffin.
(Oh there once was a puffin just the shape of a muffin... Anyone know that poem?)

Maybe it is the fact that everyone lets go of their cares when they are on the beach.

It could be the peaceful evenings.

I did thoroughly enjoy the beach bonfires. We cooked hot dogs and smores. When it began to mist the kids and my Dad went inside but I couldn't force myself to leave. As it turned out the mist only lasted a few minutes so I was able to sit out for quite awhile. It was so peaceful.

Of course, part of the reason I love Cannon Beach could be the fact that there are flowers everywhere as you walk about the town.

It could be the houses, so many of which are quaint cottages which would look strange anywhere other than at the beach.

I think it is all this and more. For me, Cannon Beach holds some sort of mystique which I have never experienced anyplace else. My time there definitely calmed my soul.

Notes on Returning "Home"

2011-06-23T14:56:00.003+08:00

It feels so good to be back in America. It is a feeling I don't understand. I have left and returned 4 times in the last year and each time that my plane set down on U.S. soil I felt a physical sense of well-being. Strange, I think.

It is picture-perfect in Idaho. Clear blue skies which seem clearer and bluer coming from Taiwan. It was 95 degrees yesterday, and that feels oh-so-much cooler than Taiwan due to the incredibly low humidity.

As I was riding to my Dad's house I could smell Russian Olive trees. I have always loved their scent but never been as keenly aware of it as I was yesterday. It is as though all of my senses are reawakened now that I am home. Or perhaps it is just the lack of the overwhelming smell of stinky tofu.

Going to the grocery store yesterday was even amazing. It reminded me of stories I've heard of people who grow up in extremely poor countries such as Africa where they eat one thing day after day, year after year. I've heard that when they walk into an American grocery store they are overwhelmed by the plethora of choices. While certainly nowhere near that extreme experience, I nevertheless was in awe of all of the things I could choose to buy. I was hard pressed not to fill 3 shopping carts full of all of the things I've missed since moving to Taiwan. Thankfully, Anna was with me and she kept me on track for the most part.

Speaking of Anna and the grocery store, I realized while there how much she has grown and matured. She was actually helpful. And cheerful. It was wonderful. I told her how much I appreciated her help and the checkout lady also told her how helpful she was. Nice for her to hear it from both of us, I think.

Recovering from jet lag seems to be a particularly challenging obstacle this time. If, as in the past, it was just me it would be okay because I am quite good at functioning with little to no sleep. But the kids are really putting a new wrinkle in the process for me. We all fell asleep early last evening (Anna at 6:00, Ethan and I about 8:00) and we were all awake by 11:30 - p.m.! We all got up and ate something and now the kids are playing in the back room - as far from Grandpa as I can get them. Every few minutes I remind them to PLEASE be as quiet as possible. For once I am hoping that my Dad's hearing is poor.

No pictures today...

2011-06-21T00:45:00.003+08:00

...just boring words! Here are my random thoughts:

In less than 24 hours the kids and I will be on an airplane headed to the States. We have what I hope will be an excellent packing strategy: we are each filling 1 small suitcase which is being packed into a larger suitcase. This means we can fill 3 large suitcases full of stuff to bring back to Taiwan. I hope that will be enough space - seriously! While we are in the States Anna will have her birthday (I plan to buy all of her gifts while there.). Ethan has outgrown ALL of his clothes so needs a whole new wardrobe, I will be resupplying my craft room and picking up a few new bits of clothing, etc., etc.

I have been eagerly awaiting the arrival in Taiwan of a sort of old friend. Our husbands work together, our families moved to Virginia within 1 day of each other and they were supposed to be moving here tomorrow. However, last week my friend discovered she has breast cancer so the move is cancelled. I have to say I am sad for me. She is one of those people everybody loves - full of life. I was looking forward to spending time with her again. But of course that is all very selfish. Of course I am more sad for my friend who is facing some major stuff. Scary times.

The weather has been perfect here lately. Well, perfect if you love to spend your days in the pool, which I do. It is hot and sunny. The air mattresses are being put to good use, and the squirt guns are getting a bit of use too!

The gardener was here today and he made me very happy. Most of the flowers I've planted have been languishing and I had all but given up on them. The gardener speaks only about 5 words of English, but today he managed to communicate to me that: 1) next time I buy flowers I should let him plant them, 2) some of my flowers were not getting enough sun. If I would give him permission to cut off a couple of tree branches they would get sun. "More beautiful", he said. No problem! Cut away. He pulled weeds, pruned everything I've planted, and watered. I THOUGHT he was pruning and throwing his cuttings, which made me happy. But when he left and I went out to look around I was shocked to see that he had planted MANY of his cuttings, including 2 pieces of a rose bush. I cannot wait to see if these things will grow. My expectation is that they will, I mean, he makes his living as a gardener so he probably knows what he is doing. I cannot wait to see what happens! And then...I found that he added in some news plants! Things I hadn't bought. I don't know what they are or where they came from, but I am reasonably sure they will flower. I told Eric the gardener is my new best friend. Then I changed my mind and said I may have to marry the gardener. That is how happy all of this made me! Ok, so I won't marry him, but...WOW!

Tomorrow Eric is taking the kids and the dogs to the beach. I asked Jacqueline not to come. I plan (hope) to sleep during the day. I have been 100% unsuccessful sleeping on airplanes in the past so this time my plan is not to try to sleep. I will sleep first. We are leaving late at night so the kids ought to sleep. I have downloaded some new movies onto my iPad which I plan to watch while the kids sleep. Eric even bought me BOSE noise canceling headphones for this purpose! (The cheap headphones I used in the past were useless in the airplane. The roar of the engines made it impossible to hear the movies.).

So I think I'm set. I hope so! Haven't packed the gizmo which allows me to load photos from my camera to my iPad for blogging purposes. I would do that right now but it's 1:22 a.m. And Eric is sleeping and he probably wouldn't appreciate me turning on lights and rummaging around for gizmos.. Hopefully I remember to rummage tomorrow.

In Which We Search for Dragon Boats

2011-06-12T08:08:00.009+08:00

Last weekend was Dragon Boat Festival in Taiwan. I thought we ought to watch a Dragon Boat race since it is part of the culture here. I asked a local where we should go to see the races and I thought she told me to go to Danshui. And so we did.

We rode the MRT...

...to Danshui, the end of the line. It was a beautiful, hot, sunny day. (Unlike my previous visit which was cold and cloudy.)

Not knowing anything about where dragon boat races would be we decided to just walk into the main tourist area. Our plan was to enjoy our time and browse Danshui and if we found the races that would be a great bonus. (Good plan!)

We saw these set up next to the river. We hoped they had something to do with Dragon Boat Races, but we didn't know what they were.

We saw this, which has nothing to do with anything. At least nothing to do with anything related to Dragon Boat races. But I thought it was a little quirky that a picture of a British Royal Wedding was on display in the heart of Asia. And I, of course, was enthralled by the wedding, so it was necessary to take a picture.

But back to our quest.

We saw this figure all over town. I would guess he represents some god. He was handing out cookies with one hand and holding out a basket in the other. You were supposed to take the cookie and put coins in the basket. We politely declined. I am sure the funds would go toward building a new temple and we don't care to contribute to that.

We saw a cage full of Angry Birds.
The kids played carnival games.

(The first 2 blocks of the tourist area next to the river are reminiscent of a carnival or fair in America. Every stall houses either a game or a food vendor. In America the people in the game booths call out to you to come play their game while the food vendors quietly serve their food to throngs of people. Here the game booth employees were rather quiet but the food vendors all had microphones and loudspeakers and they all yelled incessantly.)

In a quieter, prettier part of town we saw a "round-about". I had to have pictures for my Dad because he loves round-abouts. Dad, you need to come to Taiwan! You could drive on a round-about!!

Back in the carnival area Eric and I decided to try a bit of something. Lots of vendors sold squid on a stick (I am not kidding) and we were obviously not about to try that. But when we saw a potato chip on a stick we thought we would give it a try.

I didn't like it. It was flavored with garlic powder and, though I am a huge fan of garlic and a fan of potato chips, for some reason the two together did not taste good to me.

We went on to a lovely riverside restaurant.

I had a coffee and ice cream beverage, the kids had ice cream sundaes and Eric had a meal. After my experience the previous weekend in Yingge I decided not to waste my money on a meal. I tried a bite of Eric's chicken dish and knew I had made the right decision.

We never did see anything hinting at Dragon Boat races.

After returning home I saw on Facebook that friends had attended races in other parts of Taipei and they posted pictures. The boats were nothing like the elaborate things I had envisioned. I am glad we spent our day wandering Danshui rather than watching a race someplace. We had a really nice day.

A Sunny Day in Yingge

2011-06-10T16:31:00.006+08:00

I've been to Yingge 4 or 5 times in the past year. The first 3 or 4 times it was raining and cold. But on our last trip the sun was shining which made everything about the day seem wonderful.

I've probably posted a picture of this street before, but I needed another picture with BLUE SKIES!

This visit was the first time we were able to get into a restaurant we had been wanting to try. This interesting pond is at the entrance.

Everything inside was lovely, although I'm afraid I didn't capture the beauty very well. I took this photo of a curtain partition.

And I tried to photograph the table because it was so unique. It had ceramic inset at various places across the top. Fitting, since Yingge is where you go to purchase ceramics. In the middle of the table there was a large inset ceramic piece which looked rather like it should hold a tissue box.

But inside there was a a bit of water and a "frog" to display flowers.

I photographed nearly all of our food because the presentation was beautiful. As is typical in Taiwan, you get a "set" meal which includes a few courses and a drink. Our appetizers were mozzarella and tomato. Since I usually detest tomatoes I didn't expect to like it. However I decided to try it because I am usually unable to eat meat here due to the difference in preparation from what I am used to in America. To my surprise I thought it tasted quite good. I was so pleased with myself for actually eating tomatoes!

Each beverage was served on an individual little tray. Coke came in these very rustic glasses:

We let the kids order banana splits because we knew they wouldn't like any of the regular meals. They were very fancy!

We also ordered a fruit platter for the kids so that they would have something besides ice cream. Doesn't it look amazing? I thought of my Mom, who loved fruit salad for lunch. She would have loved this.

As it turned out it was a good thing I enjoyed the mozzarella and tomato because, as usual, I was unable to eat the main course. The presentation was, again, lovely, but the shrimp was cooked whole. Trying to be brave, I thought I would just cut off the head, peel and eat the body and everything would be fine. But somehow when I cut the head of I saw inside of it and... ugh. I forced myself to eat the body of one shrimp but that was all I could do. I was done.

I honestly did not mind that I was unable to eat. Everything was so beautiful that I was happy just to soak in the beauty. I would go again, although I would stick to fruit and ice cream next time!

Kids

2011-06-08T21:45:00.002+08:00

I am trying to catch up with photos (again) but blogger is having issues with loading my photos. So here is all I have managed to load for tonight:

Over the weekend we got the kids some new "China jammies". As I've said before, they don't like having their pictures taken anymore. First I got this with grudging smiles.

Then when I asked for poses like they used to do, with Anna's arm around Ethan, they got crazy and this is what I got:

I'll try to post more interesting pictures soon.

Flower Market

2011-05-16T12:36:00.012+08:00

The kids are off school today and Eric took the day off. The intention was for the family to visit WuLai, which I saw a couple of weeks ago. However, because it is this kind of day today:

we decided to wait until another time.

Instead, Eric and I got up fairly early (actually I got up REALLY early - 5:00 on a day off - yuck!) and we went to the flower market. (Yes, again.) I remembered my camera this time so I can give you a bit of a tour.

This is the front of the market. Every 6 feet or so is a separate vendor's stall. You cannot tell from the picture, but also every 6 feet or so there is an aisle leading inside. Each aisle is intersected by many other aisles. It goes on and on and on. I love this place.

I tried to take a picture to show the aisles, but it is fairly dark inside the market so you cannot see much.

There are many vendors selling bamboo tied up with red ribbon. I am sure it has some special significance to the Taiwanese people but I don't know what it is. Sorry! Sometime if I remember I will ask a local friend to see if I can discover the story.

There are lots of places that sell various containers, garden implements and other things necessary for growing or selling flowers. There are booths of ribbon and trinkets to stick in a vase with flowers. This market is actually a wholesale market. I do not know why the public is allowed in, but I'm sure glad we are!

There are many types of flowering outdoor plants for sale.

I haven't been there regularly enough to know how often things change, but I have been there enough to know that what is available does change. On my first trip there were several vendors selling Cosmos. I delightedly bought half a dozen of them and promptly planted them in my yard. However, that was in our brand new puppy days and the puppies ate every last Cosmos. "No problem," I thought, "I'll just buy more". Alas, I have never found more Cosmos to purchase.

On my second trip I was shocked to find Petunias. I didn't expect what I think of as an American flower in Taiwan. They have never been my favorite flower because they seem so common. When I was a child it seemed every home had Petunias in their front garden. Nevertheless, they do come in beautiful colors so I bought several. Since they don't have the ultra-fabulous Wave Petunias here I thought I would buy more on my next trip and boost the color quotient. Nope, they are gone.

What they currently have a lot of is flowering bushes. I don't want those since I don't live here permanently. (Actually I don't live anywhere permanently, but that's another story.)

It's impossible to be too disappointed though, because there are always plenty of beautiful things to choose from.

There are always orchids. Lots and lots and LOTS of orchids. They seem to grow like weeds in Taiwan. We actually bought 3 on this trip, to use as a centerpiece. It is difficult to choose which ones to purchase because there are so many beautiful varieties.

Just across from the market is this greenhouse which looks to be a stopping off point for all of the orchids. I assume they are kept here between field and flower stall.

Yesterday there were a lot of hydrangeas. I have planted two already. They were also purchased in the new-puppy days and the puppies did eat them, however they began again from the ground up and I am hoping they will be left alone this time. I love hydrangeas. They just might be my new favorite flower.

My original hope, long ago, the first reason I went to the flower market, was to purchase cut flowers. But the second I arrived and saw all of the things that could be planted outside I shifted focus and have been buying and planting, buying and planting. But today I finally decided it was time for some cut flowers to put inside the house. Once again, the task is daunting because there are so many, many beautiful choices.

In addition there are a myriad of options for greenery with which to make a beautiful arrangement. I am no good at arranging flowers so I pass on the greens and just stick some flowers in a container. But I am thinking I should look for a class while I am living here, because it seems to be one of many arts that the Taiwanese people are exceptionally good at.

And if I could find a way to incorporate these puffy things into a flower arrangement I would be thrilled.

The... Beach?

2011-05-15T22:23:00.003+08:00

Last Sunday we went to the beach. Except, it didn't look much like a beach.

Beautiful in a way, just not the sort of look that inspires you to lay out your mat and work on your tan. Not the sort of look that makes you want to splash in the waves.

It was good for catching puffer fish, which is what the locals were doing. Anna immediately made friends and joined in the fun. (The next day Ethan read a book to me which said that puffer fish are poisonous!)

Anna likes to cover herself in sand at the beach.

Ethan does not.

We took the dogs to the beach for the first time ever. Actually, our dog trainer invited us to accompany him and his wife and 1 dog. It was one part training exercise and one part socializing with new friends.

Jade is at the end of the leash in the next picture. She actually swam in the ocean!

We actually know that the beach doesn't always look like this. Or, it DIDN'T always look like this. We were there last year and it was not covered in seaweed. Hopefully it was just some seasonal thing and will be cleared up in the summer. However, I do think the seaweed covered rocks make pretty pictures.

Catching Up with This and That

2011-05-11T08:01:00.005+08:00

I take so many pictures that I mean to post but instead leave languishing on my hard drive. Here are just a few from the past month. (They are all in backward order because I forgot, again, that I have to load everything last to first and I'm too lazy to rearrange them - it's an ordeal.)

We had a birthday dinner for one of our good Taiwanese friends, Ray. He has become very special to us. When Eric was hospitalized Ray was the first person to visit and he was there several times. He brought lots of food, he interpreted for us, he visited with Eric and much more. Besides that, he is a really intelligent guy (currently he is defending his - thesis? - for his Doctorate), he is super friendly to our kids, loves our dogs, etc. etc. We love Ray.

Easter morning, I actually remembered to have the kids dress nice and take pictures. Believe it or not that is not a fact to be taken lightly as I was badly "in a funk".

They of course wanted to include Jasper in the pictures. She was in her Easter best - she had a new haircut!

And both of the kids were baptized on Easter! (This is where the backwards picture order matters - you see them coming out of the water and THEN dry.)

I had my last Bible Study Fellowship meeting of the year, after which I had some of the group to my house for a fellowship lunch. This is about half of the group:

I took a picture of some of the food they brought. I don't know what any of it is called, but I actually ate some of it!!!!

One of the things I ate was Tofu. (The dark brown cubes pictures above. They didn't call it Tofu but I don't remember what they called it.) I didn't love it but I didn't hate it. I hope I can say this so you understand: it tasted like Taiwan smells. Does that make sense? Whatever the flavor was, I often smell it as I walk along the streets of Taipei.

I also ate the green bean-looking things. They were actually peas, I think. It was the comedic moment of the day. I began cutting a pea in half with my knife and fork (it was very tough) and one of the ladies said "No Laura, we don't cut it" but I began my defense with "I always cut everything". "No NO! You don't eat the outside!! Just the inside!" They all laughed at me because I had been about to eat the whole thing.

About half of the group could not come that day. I think those who could not come worried about offending me, which is sad because I don't get offended that easily. One woman, with great apologies, gave me this gift before she left:

I photographed it because it represents one of the unique things about Taiwan, or Taiwanese people. Presentation is everything. Nothing is ever plain. The woman bought a box of chocolates and I suppose the store gave it to her in a brown paper bag. My guess is she would have been embarrassed to give it to me in that plain bag, so she managed to tear the bag up and tie it into a bow!

Finally, I was in the front yard one morning and thought the view was beautiful so I tried to capture it. The clouds were below us, and just the top of the Taipei 101 tower was peaking out of the clouds:

I, of course, have many, MANY flower pictures which I am dying to post. Maybe someday soon...

WuLai

2011-05-06T13:01:00.017+08:00

Last week I visited WuLai, which is a beautiful aboriginal village. To get there we rode the MRT to the end of the line and then took a 40 minute bus ride up curvy mountain roads. If I was new here the bus ride would have been a frightening adventure but I've gotten used to crazy rides.

The bus drops you off near this red suspension bridge. It is for pedestrian traffic only. We were on a short time schedule so didn't get to try it, but I would like to take my family back one day and MAYBE go up there. I like the idea in theory, but my fear of heights might kick in. Beautiful though, don't you think?

Not far from the bridge is the ubiquitous temple.

Throughout the day I noticed many crosses. A rather unusual sight in Taiwan. I asked Sylvia, our Taiwanese friend, if there was a strong Christian presence in this area and she told us that yes, some of the first missionaries to Taiwan bypassed the cities and went to the mountains, to the aboriginal people. The percentage of Christians is higher among the aboriginals than amongst the rest of the Taiwan population.

Sylvia translated this sign for us but I cannot remember exactly. It was something like Jesus loves you and is the Saviour of the world. How cool!

I could take this picture on practically any street in Taiwan, but since I took it in WuLai I will include it here. This is called "Pearl Tea". It is tea with tapioca in it. I am constantly told that American's love it. I have not tried it of course! I only know of one American who tried it and he was a little freaked out by the tapioca. Of course he was 11 so he is probably not a good judge, but I eat sort of like an 11 year old so neither am I!

Honestly I took the next picture just because I thought the stuff looked so cool - black and white. Sylvia told me is it something like mushrooms - basically some type of fungus. The locals steep it in water and drink it. It is supposed to work miracles in your body.

Ditto the next picture - miraculous if you drink it. The locals say that about everything.

We walked past this 3D painting on the side of a building. I loved it.

A larger than life statue that I loved. I guess I like folk art.

Next we had to climb many stairs...

...and take a "logging train" a little further up the mountain. The scenery was BEAUTIFUL!

The train was a tiny bit like an amusement park ride. As we neared the end of the ride and I saw the destination station ahead the train very suddenly veered to the right and entered a tunnel. The point of the turn was simply to turn the train around so that it would be ready to return to the starting point.

On the wall near the tunnel there was a large mural - a sort of advertisement for the train. More folk art I suppose.

Now we found ourselves in the main tourist trap area. As I was admiring some girls in beautiful costumes, a woman came out of a shop and asked if we would like to watch a show with native costumes, dances and explanations of the native handcrafts. We all decided it would be fun.

The dancers all had many bells on their costumes and I really enjoyed the sound. Overall I enjoyed the performance. although I told my friends no American man would be caught dead in the outfit the lone man was wearing. (He is the one in the pink skirt!)

There was no translation so I'm not sure what was happening in the next 2 pictures, however my feeling was it was a depiction of a marriage ceremony. If I am correct, then I think I married some Chinese man because after this dance I was pulled out of the audience (of about 15 people) along with a Chinese man, dressed in some sort of head dress and made to dance around and eventually do what you see these dancers doing.

When the performance was over we were shown to the restrooms. Instead of signs that said "Men" and "Women" these figures were over the doors!

Next we were encouraged to visit the shop where women were weaving some traditional cloths. They were later sewn into placemats and table runners which they were hoping we would buy. It wasn't extremely high pressure, but they were really encouraging us to buy something. Since I didn't want to purchase anything I said perhaps next time I would bring more cash. Normally vendors in Taiwan work on a cash only basis. But the woman quickly told me they take credit cards!

Finally we went to view a waterfall in the distance. It was pretty but not amazingly so; therefore I am including this picture which focuses on the old fence rather than the waterfall in the background. I liked the fence!

On our way back down we stopped at a charming outdoor coffeehouse.

The coffeehouse appeared to have a resident cat.

I had an iced coffee with caramel and ice cream in it! A lovely surprise.

Finally, a picture of our small group back at the waterfall:

This was the most enjoyable day I've had in a long, long time. I hope you enjoy the photo tour!

Favorite Neighborhood

2011-04-18T16:31:00.003+08:00

Oops... Never got around to posting all of my pictures from my newest neighborhood discovery.

I'm back on the PC so can combine the remaining pictures into 1 post.

This is a candy store called Bon Bon. The interior looked like pictures in a magazine - beautifully designed. It included a small dining area that served desserts. I will have to go back and sample something sometime, and perhaps take pictures inside.

The scooters sort of make this look like a biker bar!

This is the Italian restaurant where we had dinner. It was quite good. This picture does not do justice to how beautiful it was. They have outdoor tables draped in beautiful, sumptuous linens with chandeliers hanging over them. We ate inside which was also lovely.

This "Just In" - ha ha, the name of the place is Just In. It is a wine and tapas bar. I looked at the menu and it was a little too gourmet for me, but it was also a lovely place.

Another lovely little store selling candles and other accessories. I love the window display and would seriously love to buy the table. (You can see it a little closer in the next picture.)

This was the street scene from outside of the candle shop. All of the greenery drew me down the street. Very atypical in Taipei. The Italian restaurant we ate at is down the street a bit on the right.

The atmosphere of the neighborhood caused me to think this van was cute. If it was on one of the grittier streets I probably would have thought it was ugly!

2011-04-18T16:06:00.001+08:00

Over the weekend I discovered a wonderful little neighborhood in Taipei. It is full of boutiques and restaurants that look sort of European. It will take me 2 or 3 posts to show the photos because I'm doing it from my iPad which recently will not allow me to transfer more than 3 Or 4 photos at a time.

Mud Pie

2011-04-15T09:39:00.005+08:00

Some months ago I posted about planting flowers. I was going to repost one of the pictures but I cannot find it. How fitting... The point of posting the picture of the flowers I planted earlier was to say that they are all gone. They didn't last long. The puppies ate them. Grrr...

We have a dog trainer now, his name is Evan. He is moderately successful. Actually I think he is amazing with the dogs. If he could just train the OWNERS then our problems would be over. So I got brave, or desperate, and bought some new flowers. Before I got them planted Evan used the potted flowers for training. By the end of the day's lesson Jade (aka main problem puppy) wouldn't go anywhere near the flowers, not for love nor money (or treats!)

I have now made 2 trips to the flower market. Many more trips will be in my future I hope. Earlier this week I bought 7 pots of impatiens to plant in our rock wall. Needing some way to anchor the plants into the rock I decided to make some old fashioned mud pie. What fun! I felt like a kid again! (And felt rather guilty that I was doing this while the kids were at school. They would have loved mixing mud pie! Next time...) I laid down a foundation of mud...

...then placed the flowers and stuffed more mud around them.

I hope it lasts, because I really love the look!

As you can see, there are still a lot of blank spaces in the wall. Need...more...flowers!

I also potted some roses, geraniums and daisy-things. I will have to take close up pictures of the roses because they are BEAUTIFUL. First I will have to locate my "real" camera.

So this is part of why I'm not writing much. Life has been catching up with me lately and I am choosing to spend my free time planting, making cards, and painting a bit at our church rather than blogging. Sorry!

A Few Pictures from Singapore

2011-03-29T07:26:00.005+08:00

It's already been 2 weeks since my trip to Singapore. A few days after returning to Taiwan I got sick and I am still fighting it. Fever, horribly sore throat and now maybe a sinus infection. Jacqueline says it's because Singapore was hot and Taiwan is cold. Could be. But today she also tells me that there is a throat infection going around caused by eating sweets. Hmmm... I choose not to believe that. But if it were true I would certainly be a prime candidate for catching something from eating too many sweets! Jacqueline tells me lots of things about illnesses and most of it sounds like Chinese superstition to me. But she is never sick so maybe she is right! Last week when my throat hurt so bad she told me I should cut an onion in half and put it in my bedroom, then it would absorb the virus. Sounds crazy to me but of course I didn't try it and I continue to be sick. She (and every other Asian person) also tells me that I should not drink ice water. Asians do not drink cold beverages, only room temperature or hot. We Americans like our drinks cold! In fact, that is one thing we have learned to say in Chinese quite well: "Bing shui" or "ice water" because if you don't say BING you get warm water - yuck. Well, as usual I have to start out by apologizing for the pictures I am going to share. When I went to Singapore I elected not to bring my good camera. I was trying to travel light and I didn't anticipate sight-seeing, just lots of girl talk. I kicked myself for that decision many times as I took crummy pictures with my camera. So here they are: The view out my hotel window. We stayed out of the main downtown area so this doesn't look like much. The downtown area is filled with architecturally interesting high-rise buildings. I tried to capture some with my camera but it just wasn't good enough. (kick, kick.) Here we are still a bit at the outskirts of town, at a quaint waterfront area.

I loved this statue in front of The Fullerton Hotel. The hotel itself looked quite amazing - it reminded me a bit of Buckingham Palace. I don't remember checking rates there but if I ever return to Singapore I will have to see if it's in the budget. (Likely it's not.)

We rode a cable car to Sentosa Island where we spent one day. This rope bridge leads to...

...the southern most point of continental Asia. (Note the camera in my girlfriends hand. She brought a good camera! Kick, kick.)

On both of my trips to Singapore I have been astounded by the number of ships in the vicinity. It is like a ship parking lot. When you fly in you see ships for miles - not just one here and there but loads of them everywhere you look. We climbed a 4 story observation tower in Sentosa and could see some of the ships.

Late in the day we found some beach bars where we sat for an hour or so, until they kicked us out.

We strolled through a whimsical park on our way to dinner.

Then, as I flew home, the sky was so amazing that I just had to try to capture it with my camera phone.

Nothing else exciting to report for now.

I'm Not in Kansas Anymore.

2011-03-12T15:24:00.004+08:00

Last night I went to the home of some friends to meet a couple who are missionaries in a country which is completely closed to the gospel. I felt honored to meet them. Their story is fascinating. I will not share it here in order not to expose them.

Just a few hours before meeting the missionaries I heard word of the earthquake in Japan. Upon arriving at the friends home the TV was tuned to a news channel where we all kept an eye on the developing story of the tsunami. As the meeting began the TV was turned off and we prayed for the people in Japan. It felt a little surreal to me... I was in a foreign country meeting missionaries to a closed country and praying for people enduring unimaginable circumstances in one of our "neighboring" countries.

Also during the evening I had a conversation with a new friend from Haiti. She told me of her brother who was trapped for several hours in rubble following the Haitian earthquake. He was rescued by a friend who dug with whatever he could find. This felt even more surreal... I was in a foreign country meeting missionaries to a closed country, praying for people enduring unimaginable circumstances in one of our "neighboring" countries and talking with someone whose immediate family survived the last big earthquake.

I'm a long way from Kansas.

Just this week...

2011-03-05T13:25:00.010+08:00

...I have toured half of Taiwan. Or at least it feels that way!

I have a new friend from Bible Study who has offered to show me Taiwan from an insider's point of view. In addition, another Taiwanese friend - who currently lives in America which is where I met her but is MORE currently visiting her husband here in Taiwan - (got that?) is showing me around. I am exhausted, but it's a better sort of exhaustion than that which I felt 2 weeks ago.

My pictures are in backward order because I am trying to hurry.

Yesterday Gloria (my new/old Taiwanese/American friend) took me to Danshui. Then, just as were were stepping off the MRT preparing to go our separate ways, Eric called to say he would be home to get the kids from the bus so I didn't have to hurry home. Accordingly, we shopped a Shilin Street (day) market AND the Shilin night market. I left home at 8 a.m. and returned at 10 p.m. with extremely tired feet and legs. We had been walking almost that entire time!

We also did the tiniest bit of shopping in Danshui, at the end of our tour. Here is the street in Danshui.

We stopped for lunch at a restaurant whose owner is a friend of Gloria's. The interior was decorated very nicely. It is 3 stories and has a nice view of the river. Gloria was determined to get me to try Taiwan food. Because I trust her I did try several things throughout the day. At the restaurant I had some beef and rice (safe) and I tried a couple bites of things out of a pot of stuff that was brought to our table. There were shrimp which I normally love. However, in Asia shrimp are cooked straight from the water with nothing removed. I told Gloria I cannot eat something that is looking at me so I refused to try the shrimp. I also refused to try the clams. I tried a bit of a dumpling and some other noodles but because they had been in the mix of this pot I didn't like the flavor. There were also meatballs (different from American meatballs) tofu and egg dumplings in the pot. Sorry but I didn't try any of it. The flavor was too off-putting to me. Nevertheless, the place was beautiful and I would probably go back.
A bit of the boardwalk in Danshui. (Just FYI, we were technically in Bali, not Danshui. But it was Bali, Taiwan not Bali, Indonesia. The latter would have been much warmer!) The boardwalk was lovely. Well-maintained. Unfortunately it was quite cold and windy, but that meant we had the place almost to ourselves!
A lovely Catholic church in Danshui. Excuse the darkness of these pictures - I forgot to bring my good camera so all were taken on my phone.
Another lovely restaurant in Danshui. This would be a wonderful place to sit on a hot summer afternoon. It is right on the riverfront.
Gloria...
I will need to go back on a nice day with my good camera. Danshui was a lovely area. The river is wide and empties to the ocean. There are many mountains around and also a lot of very modern, tall buildings. It reminded me a bit of Seattle!
Earlier in the week and closer to home I was documenting the fact that spring has arrived. These flowers are at the entrance to our church.

Last weekend we had 3 days of sunshine and temps in the low 80's - heaven in my book. The kids wanted to get in the pool. I initially said no because the water is still freezing, but then I thought if they were crazy enough to want to get in the water it wouldn't hurt anything so I said yes. In fact they were NOT crazy enough to want to get in the water but they thought they could get ON the water. (Ethan fell in 3 times.)
On Tuesday I accompanied Sandra to the Botanical Gardens. There wasn't much to see in the way of gardens. The area has large ponds which fill with Lotus flowers in June and July. I will go back then, I hope, to take pictures. However, there are many other wonderful things to see in and around the Botanical Gardens. One thing which wowed me was an old style Chinese house. Sandra told me that she grew up in something similar to this and as we walked through she shared a few of her childhood memories. Priceless tour - not something you could get from any paid tour!

My excuse for poor photos THIS time is that Sandra is giving me whirlwind overview tours so doesn't stop long for me to take pictures. The idea is that if I like something I can go back on my own and explore further. I will definitely be going back here. There is much to explore.

This is inside a beautiful and very large room of the house. In the far back of the picture are door which enter into the homes courtyard. As I understand it, various family members would have lived in separate rooms on either side of the courtyard. The parents and/or grandparents lived at the far side - across from the courtyard entrance. Maybe, HOPEFULLY, I will post take some nice pictures someday and post them with a more complete explanation.
A pretty little waterfall within the Botanical Gardens.
Part of the walkway through the gardens. Sandra said tourists never go to this park - only locals. It is wonderfully peaceful.
There were a few Iris near the edge of the ponds.
There is also an art museum. These paintings are hung OUTSIDE. I loved looking at them, although I had to hurry past most.
We did linger in front of this painting because, similar to the building we toured this depicts the way Chinese lived in the past. Sandra took quite a bit of time explaining it all to me.
This is the South Gate of Taiwan, erected during the time of Chiang Kai Shek for protection. Originally there were soldiers with guns up there, ready to shoot any attackers. Now it is surrounded on all sides by very busy streets.
And this is Sandra, my new friend. I have been greatly blessed by wonderful friends this week - old and new.
Just a few more "spring shots" - all taken at our home.

Happy Spring!

From someone far wiser than I...

2011-02-17T07:32:00.002+08:00

I am copying a section from a blog I read. (You can find it here.) I am so amazed by this fact that I have to share it. I think I will print it out also and share it with every Christian I know - it is so wonderful and amazing to me!

Here it is:

The Silversmith

There was a group of women in a Bible study on the Book of Malachi. In Chapter 3 verse 3 it says: ‘He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver’. This puzzled the women and one of them offered to find out all about the process of refining silver and report back to the group next time. She tracked down a silversmith and made an appointment to visit his workshop to watch him at his craft. She didn’t mention the reason for her interest.

She watched as the silversmith held a piece of silver in a flame and let it heat up. He explained that to refine silver one needed to hold the metal right in the centre of the fire where it was hottest so as to burn away all impurities. The woman thought of God holding us in such a hotspot from time to time but wondered again at the words of the verse ‘He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver’. When she asked the silversmith if he really had to stay sitting there in front of the fire the whole time the silver was being refined, he answered that yes, he not only must sit there holding the silver steady but he needed to keep his eyes on it every second it was in there. For if the silver was left a moment too long in the heat it would be destroyed.

The woman asked one final question. ‘How do you know when the silver is fully pure?’ He smiled at her. ‘That’s easy! It’s refined when I can see my reflection in it like a mirror.’

I feel like I have been in the fire for several years now. It is comforting to know The Refiner is holding me there - watching carefully to be sure I don't burn. It is also frightening to know He will keep me in the fire until I reflect His image, because I feel like that will never happen. I am too rebellious, too selfish, too much fighting the process. Oh that I could just give in and let The Refiner make me into something beautiful.

2011-02-12T22:44:00.003+08:00

If you ever look at my list of blogs I must read, then you might notice I have added one. It is called There is Sand in My Latte and it is written by someone who I think is a friend of one of my sisters-in-law. It is, in my opinion, one of the best written blogs I have ever come across. Take a look and see if you agree.

In other news, I assume anyone reading my blog knows me and therefore already knows this, but just in case I missed telling you... Eric was hospitalized for 4 days this week. We will be visiting doctors next week as we try to determine the exact cause of his problem. I haven't written much and don't anticipate writing much in the near future. I am worn out from dealing with crisis upon crisis.

Check back from time to time. Someday hopefully I will have something interesting to say again.

Misty Morning

2011-02-04T13:27:00.002+08:00

Often in the morning it is clear here, then a fog begins to roll up the mountain.
For some reason I think it is pretty. Generally there is too much going on for me to take time to snap photographs, but this week I found time.

It would be nice if there was some sun streaming through the mist. Perhaps some day I'll capture that.

This has been a wonderful week. The kids were on vacation for Chinese New Year and we have been lazy. I am really enjoying lazy, it's my favorite speed.

"The Cone of Shame"

2011-02-02T11:20:00.003+08:00

Eric and the kids saw the movie "UP" when it was in theaters and ever since they have laughed about a line in which a dog says he is wearing "the cone of shame".

Yesterday both of our dogs visited the vet and were spayed. When we picked them up we all began laughing and said "The cone of shame"! We're mean, I know. But they do look funny.

Isn't this funny? It looks like Jasper is sticking her tongue out at me because she doesn't like being photographed wearing the cone of shame! (In reality, that is one of Jasper's funny traits - she sticks her tongue out a lot.)

It seems Jade might be genuinely embarrassed by the cone. Every time I try to take her picture she turns away or walks away.

At least the cones are pretty colors!

Although I feel bad for the dogs because they don't feel good right now, I have to confess I am enjoying the fact that they are not feeling good enough to jump all over me. We have hired a dog trainer so are working to eliminate the jumping, but it's not been accomplished yet. So, for now, I am enjoying it.

2011-01-28T07:22:00.004+08:00

Next week Taiwan celebrates Chinese New Year. Our kids have the week off of school. Public schools have already been closed for at least a week - they get 2 or 3 weeks for the holiday. Businesses close for a week. It's a BIG deal.

Each year the 4th graders at TAS hold a flea market. All of the money they collect goes into "Red Envelopes" which are given to children living at St. Anne's Home for disabled children. Red Envelopes are a gift traditionally given for Chinese New Year. TAS chooses 2 children from each 4th grade class to accompany the administrator who is delivering the gift.

Anna told me last week that she hoped she would not be chosen because she is uncomfortable around disabled children. But then on Wednesday night, at the end of devotions, when I asked if anyone had prayer requests Anna said she would like to ask God to help her be chosen as one of the accompanying children. A surprising change of heart! So we prayed about that.

Yesterday her teacher sent me an e-mail saying that Anna was one of the children chosen! Today is the day they will deliver the gifts.

The event is not so important to me. The fact that my daughter has seen, again, that God hears her prayers and answers is HUGE.

Thank you God. Again.

A Boy and His (Wonder) Dog

2011-01-21T10:06:00.003+08:00

Last Sunday I walked into the living room and found this:

I love it. I am of the opinion that a boy should have a dog. Ethan was thrilled to get his very own dog. There have been many less than thrilling times since, as this dog has a penchant for biting. Still, she is a very loving dog and I was thrilled to see her cuddled with Ethan, who was asleep.

A dog trainer is coming to our house today to meet the dogs, "interview them" my contact said! I cannot say that (or type it) with a straight face. Will he ask the dogs questions? Will he understand when they answer in dog-speak? For the record, I am told he will train them in English. A definite bonus for us!

This dog definitely needs a trainer. She is very smart but I do not have any idea how to train her so it's time for a professional. I am convinced she will be worth it. Jasper will be trained at the same time, but I don't know how well she will do. She is a very cute little fur ball and much loved by Anna but, smart? Not so much. Nevertheless I think things will work out because Jasper follows Jade like a shadow so if Jade behaves I am convinced Jasper will too.

One more thing about Jade: I think she is part Asian Palm Civet. She climbs trees! Evidence:

She did this 2 days this week while the kids were waiting for the school bus. She is looking over a 6 foot wall at us! Because I am not entirely sure that she is smart enough not to try to jump over, I am now making sure she is in the house when we go to catch the bus. Wouldn't want the boy to lose his dog.

And about the underlined text - sorry. I cannot figure out where the code is that made that happen; hence, I cannot remove it.

Taipei Flora Festival

2011-01-16T15:51:00.003+08:00

While Eric was on vacation we went to the Taipei Flora Festival. I was hoping for the best and expecting the worst. I think what I found was somewhere in between.

Upon entering we joined a long line of people waiting for we knew not what. We entered a stadium type venue and saw this:

It wasn't my worst fear. My worst fear was that the festival would consist of cartoon characters shaped from flowers. But at the same time I was disappointed. I hoped for fields of flowers which I could walk through. However since we had just entered there was hope that things would be better. So we quickly exited the stadium and walked toward the next area, where we found this:

The flowers on the walls were pretty but I was still disappointed in the presentation.

On a side note: notice the outfit on the girl in the next picture. It seems to be rather typical of how girls in their late teens / early twenties dress here and I think it is kind of funny. Shorts, tights and winter boots!

Things got better once we moved past the wall display. There seemed to be acres of rolling floral displays in red and white. At first the red flowers were begonias, not my favorite, and the white were Sweet William. Just a little further along the path the red turned to poinsettias and things were looking better.

This view from a bridge gives a little idea of the scale of things.

I have to confess, we didn't take full advantage of the festival. We had an appointment we had to get to so we missed much. But we did find a house that I would live in if I could.

The house was my style, old and "cottagy". Better than the house were the gardens around it. There was a sign saying they have been working on these gardens for 7 years.

At the back of the house was this beautiful solarium.

This is pretty much all I saw of the festival. There is much more but I was not impressed enough to want to go back.

I'm trying something new...

2011-01-03T14:50:00.002+08:00

Please be patient while I try to redesign this blog. It took me 2 hours to get the new header. I'm trying to redo the whole thing but it's not going so well!

Bintan Resort - Fun at the Pool (s)

2011-01-02T19:43:00.007+08:00

Finally I am getting around to sharing some vacation photos!

Our resort had 2 fabulous pools. This one had a swim up bar which I never visited. I have never done that, and I always want to! Just never felt like it when we were there. But isn't this pool lovely?

The other pool was more kid-friendly. It had nice, gentle slides...

and giant beach balls that you got inside of and then you could "walk on the water".

And the natives were friendly...

...or not! This was a monitor lizard that wandered into the pool. Every time it tried to get out some dork would squirt it with a water gun or otherwise harass the thing, so it stayed in the pool for about 30 minutes. One time it's proposed exit site was very near me so I got to observe it fairly close. It kept sticking it's tongue out - and it was forked. Eerie! Tip to tail it was about 5 feet long!

Next to the pool there were 4 trampolines and 2 of them were set up for "bungee bouncing". The kids both tried it. Other peoples kids did somersaults and flips whilst bouncing, but mine aren't terribly brave. (I cannot imagine why not!!!)
Anna liked it, but she didn't love it and she didn't want to go much higher than this.

Ethan of course had to be better than his sister, so he got awfully high.

I wasn't even interested in being strapped in. This entertainment was more my speed:

More photos soon...

My Memorable Moments of 2010

2011-01-01T16:16:00.007+08:00

In the past year I have taken more than 1000 pictures. I decided to try to choose 1 from each month to represent my year. To my great surprise, I have no pictures from the months of January or February, so I will cheat and include a couple of extras from other months.

My 2010 memories:

January: Mom told me she hoped 2010 would be a better year for me than 2009 had been. (It wasn't. It was probably worse.)

February: Though it didn't seem particularly significant at the time, it would be my Mom's last birthday.

March: We had my Taiwanese friend Gloria and her son Jason to our house for dinner. Little did we know we would soon be in Taiwan ourselves!
April: This month was full beyond belief! I entertained my mother-in-law and her best friend. Eric saw them for 1 day before he had to leave for Taiwan!
The kids and I joined Eric for 4 months in Taiwan. Here the kids and Eric are pictured with Susan, our realtor, who was this day giving us a sightseeing tour but would soon play a more significant role in our lives.

At the end of the month I flew back to Boise where I saw my Mom for the last time in person. (I am so grateful for Skype. It allowed me to see Mom many more times via computer.)

Children and grandchildren flew in from all over. Here I am with my brother and our niece, Sara.

The last picture of me with my Mom.
May: We celebrated my Dad's 80th birthday.

June: We decided to stay in Taiwan for 2 years, and Susan helped us find a house with our very own swimming pool.
July: We celebrated Anna's birthday - Eric via Skype.
August: The cousins moved in as we moved out!
September: We said good-bye to my Mom. The lasting memory everyone has of Mom is "I am Blessed."
October: After the craziness of the preceding months it was inexplicably comforting to spend an evening with friends, talking and drinking wine on the patio of our new home in Taiwan. Landon Jensen and Chris Murphy were visiting from Boise and I think this is one of my best memories of the year!
November: Two new puppies in one day. I guess life wasn't crazy enough!
December: The kids got to participate in a play at church. This scene mirrored real-life, as Ethan (aka Michael) teased Anna (aka Jane).
Best Wishes for a better year...

Love in Christ,

Laura

Working backwards.

2010-12-26T16:56:00.009+08:00

I Am skipping ahead to nearly the end of our trip due to boring technical reasons. I hope to backtrack to other pictures soon.

Our intention on the vacation was to spend the entire time relaxing on the beach. I seem not to be able to relax right now for some reason, and I began to get frustrated by the idea that there was an island to be explored and we were just sitting in one spot. So one day we hired a driver to take us to a small town not too far from our resort. It wasn't much to see; it was not touristy or quaint, but I really enjoy seeing how real people live.

Bintan is part of Indonesia, which is predominantly Muslim. Although these girls look too old to me to be in school, they were in the same uniform as many others so they must still be students. I love the pretty lace under their headscarves.

Likewise, these guys look too old for school. I thought they were policemen but maybe they are high school students. They were acting a little too silly to be policemen.

We drove past what our driver told us was a Muslim wedding. I was fascinated and wished we could stop. But if we stopped every time I wanted, well, we would probably still be there! I had to take a lot of pictures from the (very rapidly) moving van. I spotted these women and children leaving the wedding. Many of the guests were attired in bright outfits. These were more subdued.

While walking we passed a construction site and I just had to take pictures because their methods were so rudimentary. These guys filled their bucket with sand at the street then carried it to the cement mixer. I guess I can understand not having cement trucks on the island (sort of!) but what about a wheel barrow?

Generally the people were friendly. We were sort of nervous because we had no idea how safe the town was, but a lot of people said hi. As in Taiwan, they don't speak English but they do know hello and seemed excited to see white people with whom they could use their English vocabulary. There was one family we walked past and they were pointing at us and trying to get their little girl (about 2 or 3 years old) to say hi. She was too afraid of the scary, strange looking people and hid behind a cart.

I am getting more sensitive about taking pictures of people so I generally ask if they mind. These people were also excited and pointing at us so I asked (through gestures) if I could take their picture. When they said yes I first snapped everyone, then I tried to get just the 2 young girls. I wasn't quick enough though, and the older girl shyly moved behind one of the older women. They tried to coax her out but she refused. So I took only the little girl. She was precious. I would have liked a better photo but I was afraid she was going to bolt like the older girl so I just took the one.

A somewhat typical house in the town:

I saw 2 churches with crosses, which surprised me. I assume they are Christian churches and the area seemed full of Muslims so I cannot imagine there are enough Christians to fill TWO churches!

This was one of the nicest houses we saw:

Windows on a different house:

I took the above picture to show the window detail. I looked closely and the cutouts above the windows did not have screens, so all manner of critters would have free access into the homes!

I LOVE this column!

I guess you could call this the suburbs!

As we were driving back there were some incredible beach vistas and I was wanting so badly to stop. I didn't say anything, but Eric read my mind and asked the driver to stop so I could take some pictures. He pulled off at a public beach. It was lined with these little huts. I assume each group that visits the beach lays claim to a hut for the day. Rather a good idea I think, although they sort of remind me of something from Gilligan's Island.

This is my favorite picture from the trip:

Back in the car, I snapped this as we passed by:

This picture doesn't belong with the rest, but I accidentally included it and I have to leave it here, with the story. It was an advertisement inside the ferry boat and I thought it was very ironically funny. On the ferry ride from Singapore to Bintan many passengers were making use of the barf bags, so I thought it was funny that the food service area on the ferry was called the BRF Deli. I laugh every time I see this picture. Sick humor, I know.

Well That Didn't Go So Well

2010-12-25T21:28:00.002+08:00

Here is a brief synopsis of our Christamas:
we bought kids gifts
kids wrote letters to Santa with long lists of requests
none of their requests were part of our earlier buying
we drove ourselves mental trying to find something, ANYTHING, from their lists
We failed (except my brother and sister-in-law did take time from their busy lives to shop for one
Desperate request and ship it to us in time for Christmas)
We gave the kids perfectly wonderful, albeit not requested, gifts
I found Ethan in tears. He told me he wondered what he had done wrong to cause Santa to not give him
Anything from his list 2 years in a row
I told Eric we HAD to tell the kids the truth about Santa because I couldn't have Ethan thinking
He was doing something bad and not able to figure out what it was
Eric broke the news to the kids
Ethan cried worse. He is, in his words, so disappointed to know that we lied to them for 7 and 9 years.

Tomorrow has to be better.

Checking In

2010-12-21T23:39:00.002+08:00

To those of you who check to see if I'm still around - I am! I brought my camera and my iPad on vacation and I even remembered my camera connector kit. Unfortunately I forgot the USB cord for my camera so no pictures! I can load from my phone and perhaps I will tomorrow, but those aren't the best pictures. So here I am, reduced to words with no pictures!

We flew to Singapore last Friday. We had to leave home at 5:00 a.m., so I ordered everyone to take a nap upon arrival so that we could look at Christmas lights that night without any meltdowns. The evening was fairly uneventful; at least nothing blog-worthy happened.

On Saturday we went to Universal Studios. Our last visit to an amusement park was 2 years ago. At that time Anna proved quite fearful of rides while Ethan rode one sort of scary ride repeatedly. Upon entering Universal Studios Ethan chose to head straight for one of their scariest rides - "Revenge of the Mummy". I thought Anna's fears might have subsided in 2 years so we all headed for it. However, Anna had seen the ride advertised and the closer we got the louder she whined and the stronger she pulled back. Eventually I realized forcing her onto the ride would do more harm than good so she and I got out of line and waited for the boys. I must admit, I threw something of a hissy-fit. I was MAD that she chickened out and I let her know it. When Eric and Ethan emerged neither of them looked too great. I guess the ride was too much for Ethan and he almost cried. (But only almost! He's getting braver and/or tougher with age.) Eric said Anna had made the right choice and she gloated. She was right, I was wrong. I hate it when that happens! That ride ruined much of the day for Ethan. He refused to try a ride that he should have loved. He and Anna rode one tame ride 3 times and I have pictures of them looking completely joyful on it. That was the highlight of the day.

We tried a new strategy with the kids to try to reduce the begging for useless junk: at the beginning of the day we gave them each a sum of money and told them they could buy whatever they wanted. It worked well with Anna; she was able to say no to some junk when she realized it would take all of her money. The strategy didn't exactly backfir with Ethan, but he couldn't find anything to buy. I hadn't noticed before how everything seems to be geared towards girls. Ethan was very disappointed that he couldn't find anything to buy. He and Eric left the park early while Anna and I stayed for several more hours. She and I had a good time together eating cotton candy and riding a few rides.

To be continued...

It's Beginning to Look a LITTLE like Christmas

2010-12-13T10:15:00.004+08:00

I hear from my family across the U.S. that it's beginning to look a LOT like Christmas. Minnesota has had a good old fashioned blizzard. (The roof of the Metrodome collapsed from the weight of the snow!) My Dad reports more snow than ever before in his 15 years in Idaho, and rather unusually cold.

But in Taiwan I am having a hard time remembering that Christmas is coming. The weather here could not be more perfect. We have had several weeks of temperatures in the 70's and beautiful sunny skies. I love it! I have to remind myself that Christmas is coming because I need to get some gifts for the kids!

We did buy a Christmas tree. I call it Taiwan Tacky style.

And I did remember to hang Christmas stockings. Three of them I made and, since we had company yesterday, I wanted them out being seen rather than tucked away in a cabinet.

And, oh yeah, I put a couple of decorations on the mantel along with the TWO Christmas cards we've received. (BTW, they are from total strangers - internet friends. Get with the program friends and family! Oh wait, I didn't send you any either.)

Today I get to laze around the house. The next 3 days are BUSY and then on Friday we fly out early in the morning. I'll post when I can.

The Market

2010-12-09T21:44:00.005+08:00

Recently I went on a field trip with Ethan's class. We toured the neighborhood around the school. One area we went through was the market. It was small but fascinating.

I will warn you that there are some pictures that will gross some people out. I will start with some NOT gross pictures so that you can choose not to scroll down. (Really there is nothing horribly gross, but for those of us who are picky eaters they are pretty bad.)

First, some of the vendors.

This man was happy to have his picture taken.

This man didn't look happy about anything.
And this woman, I don't know if she was annoyed that I thought her everyday life was photo-worthy or if she was shy, but she happened to turn toward me as I lifted my camera and her head snapped away so quickly that this is all I got.
And now for the local delicacies. I wouldn't eat this for all the tea in China, but I do like it's color.

Part of me thinks they just put this out for effect, but we were not in a tourist area so more likely they actually eat this. Honestly, I don't want to know.

That's it, gross part over. On to something pretty.

I went back looking for this store the following Sunday because I wanted to buy some baskets. The shop was closed.

There were some pretty vegetables. I don't eat eggplant but, again, I love it's color.

I don't know what this is and I'm pretty sure I don't want to eat it (although if the choice was this or the octopus or bird head I would easily choose this) but I think it looks very interesting.

Back to fish. These are far more normal but I'm still not interested in eating them.

Another happy vendor. He was proudly showing off his fish for me. If I was going to buy fish I would have bought them from him.

Bon apetite!

2010-12-08T07:43:00.010+08:00

While the kids were on Thanksgiving vacation we visited a park that I've been wanting to see ever since we moved in August. We drive by it frequently on the way home and I knew I could get to it easily by bus. The fact that there is an art supply store just across from the entrance made me think it must be very picturesque. I was not disappointed. It did have many picturesque Asian vignettes. I was a little disappointed in the fact that it was not as peaceful as I expected, owing to the fact that it is surrounded on all sides by busy Taiwan streets. Oh well, in the pictures you cannot hear the traffic, so enjoy!

The park entrance. I suppose the name is over the arch but of course I cannot read it.

The park begins with paths leading in several directions.

Many paths lead to bridges which cross a pond and lead to various structures.

The path the kids chose led to this cave. Sorry, I told them, I am NOT going in there. They went in without me. Very quickly Ethan came back to say it is just a short path with another opening into the park and it is NOT scary and I must go in with him. I took a deep breath and plunged in. He was right. It wasn't too bad.

This was on the other side of the cave-path. It is the restrooms! Quite pretty.

Much of the park is made up of covered or shaded walkways. It was an extremely pleasant day so I preferred the sun, but in the hot, humid summer I am sure these shaded areas are a blessing.
Over a bridge and up some stairs to another cave. I refused to go in that one. I'm sure it was fine, but caves are not my thing and there were too many beautiful things outside to look at, I didn't want to waste my time in a dingy cave.

Around the back of the cave there were scenes like this:

And as I was walking around the cave I found this one leaf which was turning color.

There are a lot of arches and circular entrances and windows in Chinese architecture. I suppose it has some significance. If I had to guess I would say it has something to do with keeping evil spirits out since their culture is so permeated with that. I haven't asked anyone about it yet, but I will.

This walkway was painted gold with red and green accents. Those are the colors you see most often. Nothing is done just because they like it; every choice has a purpose. If I remember correctly red and gold symbolize royalty or wealth. I think purple is used for funerals so you don't see purple in decorating here. Too bad, it's my favorite color!

It would be difficult for me to pick one favorite feature of the park as there were many beautiful areas. But if I had to choose just one I think it would be this arched bridge. It seems to me very representative of Asian landscapes.

If only I knew how to paint...

Time for Flowers!

2010-12-07T01:52:00.006+08:00

I think it's been too long since I did a flower post! So here we go...

First, you will not believe what I found growing in my yard last week:

Yep, right there in the corner of my yard, this scraggly-good-for-nothing bush turned out to be a poinsettia!

Good thing I didn't tear it out! Because I have decided to tear out a bunch of overgrown junk and replace it with some MUCH NEEDED flowers.

There was a lot of stuff along the driveway that looked like this:

As I began tearing it out I found it was all planted in pots, now broken, and stuck in the ground. Or maybe the pots were set on the ground and the ground overtook them. Seriously, you never know around here! Here is the result of my demolition:

See, the thing is, last week I FINALLY made it to the wholesale flower market - a place I had wanted to visit since before I ever came over the first time. And if I thought I had died and gone to heaven at the FABRIC market, well... That was NOTHING in my book compared to the flower market.

I was limited in my purchasing by the fact that I was intending to take the MRT home. (Except I discovered that I had forgotten my MRT pass at home so I had to take a taxi.) Also I was not sure how much anything would cost and I didn't want to break the bank. It being a wholesale market, or perhaps because it's Taiwan, I don't know, anyhow there were no prices that I could see so I didn't know what I was getting into until I went to pay. I had chosen 10 or 12 small pots of flowers and approached the lady to pay. There I found that the price was 7 for NT$100 (or about US$3!!!!) So I chose a few more to get my purchase up to 14 plants and spent about $6!

Oh my, I think I could almost hyperventilate just thinking about it, even now. I want to go back with a TRUCK and fill it with flowers!

These beauties were (sadly!) not part of my flower market finds. I had purchased them some days earlier at a flower store where I am certain I paid way too much. I saw identical plants at the market and was going to punish myself by finding out how much too much I had paid. Alas, the proprietor of the stall was busy talking with a paying customer so I did not glean the information. But you know, I have quite a large garden so it is not out of the question that I could acquire more!

The next pictures are not from my garden, but from another park I visited. I will post park pictures next (maybe) but for now here are the flowers I found in the park:

(Yeah, I was kind of desperate for flower pictures. Generally speaking it seems like Taiwanese are not too interested in flowers. They seem to only use flowers that grow on bushes or trees which are alright, but I like garden flowers that grow in abundance and produce a profusion of color. Thus far I haven't seen that here.)

At my home there are 2 bushy areas that look to me like they ought to produce these flowers but, thus far at least, they are flowerless. Perhaps if I find some at the flower market...

Busy

2010-12-03T07:38:00.002+08:00

My days are so busy. There are a thousand blog-worthy things that happen almost every day. But at the end of the day, when the kids are in bed and the chaos has calmed, I cannot remember any of it. There are strange people on buses and friendly people too. There are beautiful landscapes and bizarre. There are puppies who make me cheer and puppies who make me growl (or weep!) there are kids and friends and far away family things. As I go through my days I write SO MUCH in my head, but I have trouble finding the time to get it down, on paper or on a keyboard. Soon, I hope, before it is all forgotten.

I Don't Like Spiders and Snakes...

2010-11-29T15:54:00.001+08:00

I wish I had an amazing zoom lens on my camera so that I could take a picture of the spider on the other side of our wall which looks just like this one. "Our" spider is positioned in such a way that I could get a full-on view of it, if only I had the right lens. Since I do not, I searched the web for a picture and found one on this blog: http://michaelturton.wordpress.com/category/spiders/. (sorry, I tried to make it a link but the iPad won't cooperate.) I was hoping to find information about it but this is all I found, and the blogger didn't identify the spider. Let me tell you though, it is HUGE. The side facing us (not sure if it's underside or top) is black with yellow dots down the edges. It has enormous jointed legs. Cool, but creepy.

Another Pendulum Moment

2010-11-28T22:52:00.004+08:00

A tree in our yard is currently producing some beautiful white flowers. I had to show them to you.

Just after being entrance by the beautiful flower I looked more closely at the tree and found this:

If you spray caterpillars with Raid they ooze goo and fall off the branch. You wanted to know that, didn't you?!

Tick tock.

People in the Park

2010-11-25T11:16:00.005+08:00

The first time we visited the park in Yangmingshan we were practically alone. It was a weekday. It was entirely different last weekend. There were people everywhere!

I must start with the pictures of my family. Sorry.

The first visit I did not allow my kids in the water. The second time other kids were doing it so...

Eric, who insisted he was not grumpy, with the pups:

All throughout the park there were people. Most of them had tea sets and were drinking tea. I wanted to photograph that, however, when I gestured to one couple to ask if I could take their picture they shook their heads no.

Sorry I am not doing a good job of narrating these pictures. Kids are home...constant interruptions. I hope you can see my point - people everywhere!

A Walk through the Park

2010-11-24T14:17:00.012+08:00

On Sunday we went back to the park we had visited a few weeks ago, and this time I brought my good camera. I think I will use 2 posts to share some of my MANY pictures. This post will be mostly nature with a bit of architecture thrown in. Later I will show some of the people.

There was a cool bridge which zig-zagged and had these cool posts at either end.

Once again I was surprised to find homes within a public park. I thought this one was so pretty. I took 2 or 3 pictures and would have taken more except the owner walked up so I suddenly felt like I was trespassing.
As with many things around here, the benches look a little neglected. (I prefer to think of them as shabby chic.)

Of course I found flowers!

Such beautiful flowers, and at the same time fall foliage.
I was in love with the moss and took many pictures of it. I do not remember it being gold colored when we first visited. Perhaps it turns color in autumn just like tree leaves?
All of these pictures were taken on the same day. Funny, isn't it, how the scenery goes from spring to fall then back to spring?

I took several pictures of this leaf for 2 reasons: 1) it is just pretty; and 2) it surprised me to see this fade from green to yellow then orange then red. I have a stamp pad that does that and whenever I've used it I've not liked it much, thinking it wasn't "natural". Now I know differently!

Busy...

2010-11-22T23:10:00.003+08:00

Today I uploaded - or downloaded or something - 356 pictures. Honestly thought I would post some but Eric was home sick today so I didn't get much done. Spent my evening booking a family vacation. I am nervous hoping I didn't mess anything up. I used a travel agent for the flights and she was actually only able to get us 3 seats, but she says she will get the 4th "not problem". Sure hope so!

I will be busy for the next 2 days so doubt I will be able to share pictures for awhile.

Quick note as I ride the MRT...

2010-11-19T11:22:00.002+08:00

I'm beginning to like some of the smells in Taipei. Today I was walking happily along on my first solo adventure in a long time. The sun was shining on me and I was enjoying everything. As I approached the first food vendor along my route I inhaled deeply, anticipating the scent of something yummy. Instead, I was hit with the noxious aroma of Stinky Tofu. It hits you like a brick wall. And it lingers in your nose. Not what I was hoping for!