Typhoon Fanapi destruction down the road.
Moon Festival BBQ.
Clockwise from top right- pork and sausage, lettuce, corn on the cob in foil, fish balls, slice of a pomelo.
Show Hwa manning her bbq station with a smile.
Lu Dong Market.
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Doctors,Bike Rides, & Ice Cream
Today was a bit of a change of pace. Four of the babies had doctor's appointments this morning to get some vaccinations. Gabrielle went with the babies, Anna, and Bev into town while Rebecca and I stayed at the Home with Show Hwa (the Taiwanese lady who also helps take care of the babies during the day) and the five babies who didn't have to go to the doctor's. The house moms ended up taking Eugene and Elijah to the big kids' side to play, so we were only left with three (Kwen, Ava, and David)- one for each of us. Surprisingly, having fewer babies made the morning go by very quickly, opposite of what I would have thought. It was also bath day here, which is a wonderful day because all the babies smell clean again. It makes holding them that much more enjoyable!
In the afternoon, while the babies were napping, Gabrielle and I rode our bikes into town. We knew pretty much where we were going, but the risk of getting lost made the adventure just a little bit more fun! (No need to worry, mom! My directional skills are much better when I am in a foreign country!) We found our way to the Seven Eleven and the Family Mart thanks to the hand drawn map from Rebecca. We bought oreos and one of my favorite ice cream treats from the last time I was in Taiwan- a waffle cone in the actual shape of a waffle filled with ice cream and caramel. Delicious! We looked like the American pigs walking up to the counter, but it was worth it.
On our ride back we stopped at the dried fruit stand and bought some dried mangos. Too bad we didn't have Bev or Rebecca with us because apparently you can sample almost everything in the store and get free drinks and cookies. Gabrielle and I didn't know, so we missed out on the freebies. We'll have to go back and check it out again.
Tonight's dinner was my favorite so far. We had rice, chicken, taro root balls, cabbage, and chicken foot soup. The meat here is sometimes hard to eat because they leave the bones, fat, and grissel on everything and you just have to pick around at it, but tonight was one of the easier times to actually get some meat. The taro root balls were really good. They had some sort of breading around them and were kind of sweet. With the soups, you can never really be sure what's in them, but Bev has been encouraging me to try them all. I have been pleasantly surprised. The chicken foot soup has- yep, you guessed it- a whole CHICKEN FOOT in it, skin, nails and all! The kids fight over who gets to eat the foot. They offered it to me, but I told them I had tried it last time I was here and once was enough for me! Apparently, they say if you eat the chicken's foot it makes you run faster and if you at the head it makes you smarter. I don't think I'll be minding to be a bit slow from now on!
After dinner I stayed for devotions. I am trying to be around Chinese as much as possible. Even if I can't understand a word they are saying, I think it will help me be able to recognize and speak the tones better.
After we put the babies to sleep, us girls had a movie night. We watched Arsenic & Old Lace. Good movie with great girls!
Interesting fact of the day: If someone in a car or on a scooter hits a pedestrian in the street, they have to pay a fine. It is less expensive to pay for a funeral than to pay for hitting someone in the cross walk, so if you are walking and get hit, move out of the way because they will often try to run you over again so that they only have to pay for the funeral. How thrifty.
In the afternoon, while the babies were napping, Gabrielle and I rode our bikes into town. We knew pretty much where we were going, but the risk of getting lost made the adventure just a little bit more fun! (No need to worry, mom! My directional skills are much better when I am in a foreign country!) We found our way to the Seven Eleven and the Family Mart thanks to the hand drawn map from Rebecca. We bought oreos and one of my favorite ice cream treats from the last time I was in Taiwan- a waffle cone in the actual shape of a waffle filled with ice cream and caramel. Delicious! We looked like the American pigs walking up to the counter, but it was worth it.
On our ride back we stopped at the dried fruit stand and bought some dried mangos. Too bad we didn't have Bev or Rebecca with us because apparently you can sample almost everything in the store and get free drinks and cookies. Gabrielle and I didn't know, so we missed out on the freebies. We'll have to go back and check it out again.
Tonight's dinner was my favorite so far. We had rice, chicken, taro root balls, cabbage, and chicken foot soup. The meat here is sometimes hard to eat because they leave the bones, fat, and grissel on everything and you just have to pick around at it, but tonight was one of the easier times to actually get some meat. The taro root balls were really good. They had some sort of breading around them and were kind of sweet. With the soups, you can never really be sure what's in them, but Bev has been encouraging me to try them all. I have been pleasantly surprised. The chicken foot soup has- yep, you guessed it- a whole CHICKEN FOOT in it, skin, nails and all! The kids fight over who gets to eat the foot. They offered it to me, but I told them I had tried it last time I was here and once was enough for me! Apparently, they say if you eat the chicken's foot it makes you run faster and if you at the head it makes you smarter. I don't think I'll be minding to be a bit slow from now on!
After dinner I stayed for devotions. I am trying to be around Chinese as much as possible. Even if I can't understand a word they are saying, I think it will help me be able to recognize and speak the tones better.
After we put the babies to sleep, us girls had a movie night. We watched Arsenic & Old Lace. Good movie with great girls!
Interesting fact of the day: If someone in a car or on a scooter hits a pedestrian in the street, they have to pay a fine. It is less expensive to pay for a funeral than to pay for hitting someone in the cross walk, so if you are walking and get hit, move out of the way because they will often try to run you over again so that they only have to pay for the funeral. How thrifty.
Sunday, September 26, 2010
Pictures
Bev and Rebecca with the babies.
Part of the triathlon route.
Participants preparing for the first leg of the race.
Vendor selling pomelos near the lake.
Triathloners.
Saturday, September 25, 2010
"Zao An", Taiwan! (Good Morning, Taiwan!)
"Good Morning", Taiwan!
I decided to start this blog so you all could see what I am up to every day. It is easier for me to write a little each day instead of really long update emails. Also, this way you can follow me as much or as little as you would like. I am assuming most of you don't know Chinese, so you can make up your own pronunciation of the title of my blog! :)
Saturdays seem like the longest days here because we have a full day of taking care of babies plus church at night. Ted leads the English service on Saturday nights for all of the volunteers. We sit in the front room of the baby side of the orphanage and sing hymns, take communion together, as well as hear him teach a little bit.
One funny thing from today- We saw a guy walking his CAT with a collar on a leash today. so strange.
New food for the day- Some type of sesame roll with kind of a flaky crust. Apparently they are famous in Taipei. It was really good!
Favorite moment #1- Listening to my ipod with Ing Ju, the cutest five year old girl! She's the youngest on the older kids side of the orphanage and adorable, so she kind of runs the house. :)
Favorite moment #2- Taking a bike ride and exploring some of the back streets around the orphanage with Rebecca and Gabrielle.
I will post some pictures from Moon Festival and the triathlon soon.
Good night! Wan An!
I decided to start this blog so you all could see what I am up to every day. It is easier for me to write a little each day instead of really long update emails. Also, this way you can follow me as much or as little as you would like. I am assuming most of you don't know Chinese, so you can make up your own pronunciation of the title of my blog! :)
Saturdays seem like the longest days here because we have a full day of taking care of babies plus church at night. Ted leads the English service on Saturday nights for all of the volunteers. We sit in the front room of the baby side of the orphanage and sing hymns, take communion together, as well as hear him teach a little bit.
One funny thing from today- We saw a guy walking his CAT with a collar on a leash today. so strange.
New food for the day- Some type of sesame roll with kind of a flaky crust. Apparently they are famous in Taipei. It was really good!
Favorite moment #1- Listening to my ipod with Ing Ju, the cutest five year old girl! She's the youngest on the older kids side of the orphanage and adorable, so she kind of runs the house. :)
Favorite moment #2- Taking a bike ride and exploring some of the back streets around the orphanage with Rebecca and Gabrielle.
I will post some pictures from Moon Festival and the triathlon soon.
Good night! Wan An!
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