There is a Christmas in Taiwan!

Yesterday was kind of a rough day. Rachel and I gave our Christmas presents to our AK class because Jack is on a trip with his family so yesterday was his last day in class. Tiffany burst out in tears because she knows that we are leaving, and then Jack gave us Christmas presents and I started crying. Because Tiffany was crying and I was thinking about Friday and that I wasn't going to see Jack anymore and it was all very upsetting. But the day did improve. Rachel and I went to say Merry Christmas to the scooter people after she got out of class. See, every Sunday we have to walk past the train station to catch our bus to church. There is a parking garage of sorts for scooters next to the train station and there are three different people who work there. Every time we walk past they say hello and smile at us and they have become our sort of pals. So for our sort of pals we took fresh fruit and a Christmas card. And they speak no English other than "hello" and we speak no Chinese that would have been helpful in the situation. And it was grand and we were slightly cheered from our saddening AK happenings. And then on our way home we found this:

A Taiwanese Christmas tree! Hooray! And Look!

CHRISTMAS ORNAMENTS!!!! Baaaaaaaaahhh! This made us very happy. Also, I watched the Christmas Devotional yesterday, which is a happy thing too :)

Today I taught my second graders for the last time and my younger writing class :'(  I think tomorrow will be the most distressing though...

Oh! Also! Do you remember my Taiwanese-y backpack that was briefly mentioned awhile back? You know, the one I broke with my over-the-top karate chop? I got it fixed! Yay! I asked Charlene (one of the super awesome girls that works as a secretary here) if she knew of any place that I could get it fixed. She didn't. BUT, someone else downstairs did! And she only speaks Chinese so she explained to Charlene where this cobbler shop was whilst drawing a very obscure and unhelpful map that included a lot of circles and squiggly lines. And I'm sure it would have worked out nicely had I been able to understand her Chinese, but something got lost in translation when Charlene re-explained to me. There was some confusion of directions and something about turning left somewhere around the morning market. And well...I wandered down four different streets and found a bunch of alteration shops and some expensive pomegranates, but no cobbler shop. And I was frustrated and just wanted to be home where I could ask people for help and figure out where to get this stupid bag fixed and I finally decided to walk back to the place where I had parked my bike and just go home. Well, on the way back a girl saw me walking back down the street and asked me if I was lost. And then she walked me all the way to the cobbler's shop and helped me get my bag fixed! Because people are just awesome like that here. Girl who helped me, you will never ever see this blog or me again, but I love you!

Merry Christmas!

A Note

First of all, how am I going to say good-bye to faces like this one?

The other day I spent the better part of a Saturday sobbing. I am going to miss these kids so much. There are three days left of teaching and nine until I get on a plane to go home. I have a multitude of mixed feelings over this fact. On the leaving side I am very sad. I don't like good-byes and I certainly don't understand why the word good is in them. I love how willing everyone here is to help and how people actually smile back at me here. Also it is upsetting to know that I will not have celebrity status when I go home :) But, on the coming home side of things, it will be nice to not be stared at all the time, to be able to have complete conversations with strangers, and to not face death every time I set foot outside the school. I am happy to be seeing my families and my friends. And I will not be sleeping on something akin to a box spring! Hooray!

Also, I am going to miss everything being covered in cartoons and such. Everything here is cute! Well, not everything. But all their little nick-knacks and art supplies and bags and, and all that crap that you don't actually need, but want to buy because it's so stinkin' adorable. Plus, the money here is pretty. I will miss the pretty money.

As much as I don't want to leave, I really just want to get it over with. My stuff is packed, my lesson plans are submitted, my last primary lesson is taught, most everything on my to-do list is accomplished and I just want to go!

Okay, i am done with my blabbering.

Peace out my little lemmings (random reference for Heather)

I give you pure joy

A few months ago I came across a photo of strawberry milk whoopie pies. With sprinkles. Their magnificence was so utterly devastating that I almost cried. I know that I am prone to exaggeration, but I swear this is not one of those cases. My eyes were watering and my insides were bursting with joy. I was very nearly brought to tears. Here is the photo. Please revel in it's beauty:

I'm sure you didn't appreciate that as much as I did, but I feel that I have done my part in trying to make your world a little brighter.

Now, I would like to tell you about something that makes me at least one hundred times happier than those whoopie pies. So happy that I feel I might explode into a perfect cloud of sparkly dust. It is something so sweet and wonderful and amazing that I feel the need to share it with everyone possible. It's sweeter than puppies and baby eyelashes and rainbows and perfectly wrapped presents all folded into one sugary sweet ball of perfection. "What," I'm sure you are wondering, "could be so wonderful that it outranks babies and puppies?" Well, I am here to tell you: zombie love. But not just any zombie love. Zombie love in musical form with adorable little zombie figures.

Isn't it so wonderful that it makes you want to weep with joy? If you don't have the impulse to dance and hug everyone in the whole world and eat strawberry milk whoopie pies to celebrate the joy you feel inside, then I think it's probably because you're jealous of a love that is deeper than Edward and Bella's.

p.s. Here is the link if you want it to fill up your whole screen. Something I strongly recommend.
The Zombie Song

p.s.s I need to thank Rachel for introducing me to this wonderful music.

p.s.s.s. You can download this song for free here.

Tile floors are more comfortable than my Taiwan bed

Hello my fine friends! Long time no post, right? I'm sure you have missed me and have been wondering whether I was still alive or if I had finally found a fatal bicycle accident to involve myself in. Wellllll, lucky for you I have spent the last hour and a half trying out every possible sleeping position on my floor and the bed and found none of them fit for use. Therefore, I am here to tell you some fine tales. And maybe share a photo with you.

There definitely hasn't been a lack of events to post on lately. The predicament is that I finally caught onto the pinterest craze and have been sucked into the virtual world of glowstick lanterns and horses with pretty manes. Also, I have started actually completing the to do lists I come up with.  But who cares right?! On toward story number one...

A few weeks ago I hopped on a train with a pretty pack of girls from the place of Berhan and we headed off to Taichung to see the jade market and visit the art museum. From the train station we had to catch a bus. So we figured out what bus we needed to take and lucky us! It rolled up just as we found out! Great! Grand! Good! MAGNIFICENT! We hurriedly made our way toward it. Only too bad for us. Because it turns out everybody loves that bus and wanted some time with it. So the bussy guy told us "No way Jose are you fitting on this bus! Go back to the curb and wait for the next one." At least I assume it was something like that. I can't be sure because I don't actually speak Chinese which is what the words a comin' out of his mouth were in the form of. Anywho, being the obedient girl I am, and not wanting to try to force myself onto a bus full of sweaty, stinky people, I turned around to go back to the curb. And then I got run over. Not a joke. I for reals got run over people! And this was like a month ago! HOW DID I FORGET TO TELL ANYONE THIS!!! Actually, not only did I forget to tell anyone, I completely forgot that it had happened until Rachel alluded to it on the way home from church yesterday. So the best part about this story is really that I somehow forgot that I got run over. But, back to the actual story: a taxi came a rollin' down the street and landed smack dab on my foot. Because he actually stopped whilst the tire was still squarely on my foot bones and cons. And then I sort of just stared at my foot and Sara looked for a second and then was like "It's on your foot...IT'S ON HER FOOT!" And then I looked up at the driver and gave him a really confused look and then back at my foot with the same look. And I tried to pull it out. But it turns out taxis are kind of heavy, so it was pretty stuck. And Sara made that driver move his car. And everybody was a little bit worried and I told them "I'm okay, it was just a car." Which may not seem like a really rational thing, but it's true. Also, did I mention that the bus station was packed and I had a really large, avid audience? Because people stare at us white girls all the time. So I'm pretty sure most of them caught the whole thing. And then they all watched me walk back to the curb. It was great. It probably would have been a whole lot more embarrassing, except I was super tired so I wasn't all there.

The rest of the day was pretty great. We saw a hilariously inappropriate Buddha teapot and a really beautiful art installation. Plus someone, whose name I will omit, fell up the stairs at the museum, which was pretty entertaining. And then we sung in Chinese for a church meeting and had a few different conversations about squirrels. And the effects of koolaid on stomach lining. Also, due to my lack of sleep I became very...happy? Loopy? Energetic? Crazy. And on the way home we encountered a group of teenagers who looked like hooligans and I told Rachel that we could take 'em, and drove home the point by doing a finely executed karate chop. So finely executed, in fact, that it busted the strap of my brand new Taiwanese-y backpack. Which was equally depressing and hilarious at the same time.

And now my friends, it is 12:08 and I must needs try to sleep again. So I am not obliged to give you a photo at this time. Come and see me again on Wednesday and I'll see what I can to for you.

To My Mother

Hey mom! Look! It's Hannah Montana! I haven't seen Justin Bieber or Selena Gomez around yet. Actually, I have forgotten what they look like, so maybe I have seen them and just not known it...

Clarity and Contemplation

I have spent a lot of time this past month or so paying better attention to my inner dialog. I'll tell you what, it's been pretty chaotic inside here. I've had a lot to deal with spiritually and emotionally lately and I have therefore been putting a lot of contemplation, prayer, and study into the decisions and trials I am facing currently. And you know what? I have had a break through of sorts. What I mean by this isn't that I have learned anything completely new, it's just that being able to sort through everything inside of me created a chance for a lot of important pieces to come together and create something new right in the center of me. And now I feel all bright and airy inside. Like I'm filled with sunshine. And I like that. I am reveling in the peace and clarity that is there. No problems have been magically solved, but I have gained a whole new perspective on them and it makes them seem so much less...daunting. They are still mountains, but instead of a walk along a rocky crag where I feel sure that I will fall to my death at any moment, it will be more like a difficult hike up a breathtakingly beautiful path. And I may even be looking forward to them.

Kenting and Country Music

This past weekend was moon festival, which I would love to tell you all about. Only not really because I don't know much about it and I spent it celebrating the beach and learning that Taiwan is way cooler than I originally thought. I ate popcorn chicken. Yes people, popcorn chicken. It was like I was halfway home. Even though I don't think I have actually ever eaten popcorn chicken in the U.S. I also received blessings from the sun in the way of a lesson called "Be smart and wear sunscreen or be cooked like a pig at a Hawaiian luau." I am not the smartest all of the time. But I am not the only one who got taught a lesson.

I also got to hang out with some of the most awesome girls out there. I didn't think I could love them more than I already did. I was wrong. Because I do. End. Of. Story.

Oh, and did I mention that I got to speed around on the back of a scooter? I did. And it was FREAKING FANTASTIC.

Other things included in my weekend: new music I love, the most awesome night market I have met yet, a delicious Subway sandwich, lots of laughter, cotton candy, sandals, a three hour train ride without a seat, late night orange juice from 7eleven, a corndog with french fries in the batter, a crazy, but awesome, Canadian hostel owner, and a very awkward/hilarious happening that involved a German, an open bathroom door and a near heart attack.

Here are some pictorial representations of my amazing weekend:

Baisha beach

We had a hard time jumping all at the same time.

LOVE Heather's expression. What is she doing? I have no idea, but I'm glad I captured it :)

Kendra and Kylie

Sara and Jessica...admiring the scenery?

Cute Nica in her cute hat that I want. Only I don't think I could work it like she does.

Heather and Sara are thugs. And they're gonna come after me for posting this photo.

Sara chowing down on her amazing, delicious, magnificent french fry hotdog, and probably wishing I took less pleasure in capturing moments like this.

Terri, the most awesome person ever. She is probably in the top 5 nicest people I know.

Rock. Sharp rock.

Heather is an amazing dancer and I am jealous of her skills.

I would like to point out that there are three whole photos of me in this post, all none too flattering. Be proud of me. Three. Whole. Photos. Really, you need to be proud.

Mustachustache

Probably my favorite photo from this week :)

Psst...

I'm still alive over here. I don't have any new Taiwan photos for you. 

But here are some lovely UTAH photos.

I want to go home...

I've Missed You

So, probably I am the biggest slacker the world has ever seen. I apologize that I haven't posted in so long. I would list some excuses, but none of them are very good so I don't think I will. But I have been in a bad mood lately so maybe it's better that I haven't written anything in awhile.

Remember how I used to love Sundays? And how I used to love going to church? Because it was my break from everything else? Well, I kind of dread Sundays now. For because I got called as a primary teacher. And maybe I acted like a total brat that whole day. Maybe I stomped around and even growled a little bit (or perhaps a lot). And probably I was as close as I could get to crying and/or screaming. And possibly I felt like breaking things. Because now I get to prepare a lesson for every day of the week and I get to be around kids that make me want to pull my hair out EVERY FREAKING DAY OF THE WEEK. Obviously not all of them make me feel that way. Some of them are really cute, but you know, there are still those few who, when I even think about having to be around them, make me want to curl up in the fetal position and sob. I have thought, and it has been pointed out, that one day I will probably have my own kids and I won't get a break from them. Only there is a difference, because those who have pointed it out to me mean it as in "you are getting good practice!" but I think of it as "I shouldn't have to do it NOW. These aren't my kids. I don't have to love them." Also, can I just say that there may be a few adults who I would like to strangle for having completely ruined their children. Like, really, if I ever get the chance I just might do it.

Here are the girls in my primary class. They all look like angels. Looks can be deceiving. I dare you to guess which one makes me really hate life.

Yesterday I made myself be more positive because Thursday was not a pleasant day. I really, really, really wanted to go home, and that was all I could think about. I kept wishing very hard that it would be December 23rd. That attitude on top of my Thursday schedule made for a not good day. So yesterday was much better. I actually wrote in my journal "Today I loved teaching AK." I don't think that has happened before. I usually dread AK more than anything. But we have 16 kids in there now. It does take a lot of energy to keep them under reasonable control, but it is so much more fun with so many of them.

Front to back: Kyran, Oscar, Derrick (they are definitely some of my favorites)

Coco. She's really quiet, but really smart. And she's one of the few that actually answers me when I say hi. She's really cute.

Jack and I. He wanted to make silly faces. Pretty epic photo if I do say so.

The other day I made playdough for our activity so that they could take it home. The blue was a little bit sticky. I turned around and the child who has had the biggest part in my dreading going to AK every day had squished it all over his hands and his desk. Mind you, he is seven and he knows better. I told him to go and wash it off and if he did it again I would take away his playdough and he couldn't keep it. Well, he went and washed his hands, came back, and squished it all over. I was like "okay, you don't get to keep the blue," and he was like "I don't want the blue!" Brat. Of course he wanted the blue, it's his favorite color of everything. When it was time to go home he was really mad at me because I wouldn't give him the blue playdough. Evil. Child.
But playdough was still really fun! I found a really awesome low salt recipe, so it was really smooth. It looked pretty. I kind of wanted to keep it all for myself...or eat it, but I refrained :)

Daniel

Immy

The other night I walked to the bakery with Kendra and Rachel and on our way home we walked past a pet shop. But not just any pet shop! This pet shop had bunnies and squirrels and raccoons! The squirrel was by the window and it kept licking the bars of its cage. I really want a pet raccoon now.

Awesome? Yes, I think so.

This is the story of how I [almost] died...

Movie reference! Ten points if you can name the movie. Twenty if you are the first. You might be thinking "Pft, 20 points? Who cares?" Well, I'm just saying that you should care. See, I am going to have some pretty cool stuff by the time I croak. And probably I'll be rich too, so you might want to get in on my will, right? Welllll...I might have a nifty little notebook. And in this nifty little notebook I might have my favorite people listed. And I might just keep track of how pleased I am with those people by using a points system. You know, that just might be how the booty is divvied up when I kick the bucket. A little something for you to ponder. But, I digress. Back to what this post was meant to be on:

^ my bike                                              

When you look at these you may think of environmentally friendly transportation, or a good work out, a leisurely Sunday ride, or perhaps even Lance Armstrong. There was a time when the sight of a bicycle conjured up these same magical images in my own mind. But those days have come to an end. I am here to tell you that these...these...things, are really instruments of death.
You may be laughing at me right now, but I assure you that I bring this subject up in all seriousness. I'm pretty sure the Fates have decided that I will suffer death-by-bicycle. I have stared death in the face approximately 62 times in the last week. If you are wondering, it's a little less scary after the 11th time, and after the  23rd time it just becomes downright hilarious.
Okay, so maybe that is a gross exaggeration, but I really do think danger follows me when I am on a bike. Have I told you about the Tunnel of Death? Well, there is a Tunnel of Death here. I think that most of us here in the teacher dorms at Berhan find this tunnel to be appropriately named. To get to the other side of the train tracks you must ride your bike through the Tunnel of Death. This tunnel is very narrow. There is part of this tunnel where you are temporarily unable to see very well at all. And best of all, you often must ride your bike through this skinny, dark tunnel with a line of scooters in front of and behind you. And the noise from the scooters echos. And you really do have the feeling that you might die at any second. There is a separate tunnel for cars and yet another tunnel for foot traffic. So obviously you do not walk through the actual Tunnel of Death, right? RIGHT? I would say it is pretty obvious. Well, there seems to be at least one suicidal/homicidal person in Feng Yuan who does not seem to understand this, because she happened to be walking through the Tunnel of Death when Rachel, Kaylee and I  were riding through on our bikes. And then, in the darkest part of the tunnel, she decided to stop in front of my bike. Really? REALLY?! Who is that stupid? Well, unfortunately no one got hurt. It would have been more exciting. But I did hit my brakes hard and the back of my bike slid forward so it was horizontal and blocking the tunnel. And it made a really cool screeching sound. It kind of made me feel like a stunt woman. Fortunately for me, and Miss Airhead (who just kept walking and acted like nothing even happened), there were no scooters this time.
The same night we were riding through on the way home. This time I had a cake roll...thing in my basket. It had been a lovely evening and I had nearly forgotten about my previous tunnel experience. Kendra and Rachel entered the Tunnel of Death before me. I saw a scooter coming so I stopped and let it go in first, but then I had to hurry so that I could catch up to the other girls at the other end. So, I was speeding and bouncing along (I forgot to mention previously that The Tunnel is also poorly paved) and the cake roll thing was bouncing around violently in my basket, and I kept thinking, "it's going to fall out, it's going to fall out" but I couldn't do anything about it because I was bouncing and speeding enough that I needed to have both of my hands on the handlebars and you DO NOT slow down in the Tunnel of Death. If you do that the name automatically changes to the Tunnel of Certain and Inescapable Death. I was nearly to the intersection on the other side of the deathly tunnel and just as I thought, "maybe it won't fall out" I hit a really uneven piece of pavement and the beautiful, yellow cake roll thing flew like a kamikaze angel right into the middle of the street. At the intersection (what is it with me and intersections?). I was going so fast that, even though it flew forward, I passed it before it hit the ground. And then I screamed. Really loudly. It's a reflex. It's just what I do. And it's ridiculous. Anyway, it got Kendra and Rachel's attention. I slammed on the breaks again, half flew, half leaped off my bike, dropped it, and sprinted to the cake before the light changed. Like saving that cake was the most important thing I would ever do. I sustained minor injuries...to my pride. Also my hand was bleeding. Okay, so it was just an itty bitty scratch.
Anyway it was all rather exciting. And I feel that I have adequately proved my point about the dangers of bicycles, even though those are only two of my many bike stories.

I've Got a Dream

For those of you who don't know (and I think that a lot of you do), Tangled is my favorite movie ever. As in I could watch it everyday for the rest of my life and not get sick of it. At least I am 98% sure of that. It is super cute and colorful and funny, but what really sealed the deal and made it my all time favorite was the lantern scene.
A couple of years ago I stumbled upon a youtube video of a Chinese lantern festival and thought I just might die. It was so incredibly beautiful. Hello, can you think of anything more magical than thousands of lanterns lighting up an inky night sky? I'm not sure I can. Seeing those lanterns in person became the first item on my bucket list.
Guess what? There is a little town in Northern Taiwan, called Pingshi, that holds this festival.
Guess what else? It's during Chinese new year. A month and a half or so after I am supposed to come home. 

I keep telling myself, "Only if I stay six months. I could stay a year." Sometimes things like this pop up and make it so hard to do what I know I should :(

I Want More Taipei! (Taipei part 2)

After everyone was done at the temple Saturday we all got back on the bus we had rented just for our branch and went to Taipei 101! Some of us went up to buy tickets to ride up to the observatory (because, just in case you didn't know, Taipei 101 is the second tallest building in the world). Only a few from our group decided to wait in line to go up to the observatory, and I was not one of them. The rest of us had a really good time exploring the mall that took up the bottom five stories of the building though! Okay, so I actually didn't appreciate the mall experience so much, but hanging out with Heather, Kylie, Sara, and Veronica was tons of fun! AND Kylie and I got Cold Stone from the food court. Soooo good. I have never appreciated real ice cream so much. I haven't been much of an ice  cream fan since I first tasted aggie icecream because nothing measures up to it. However, in search of familiar foods I have tasted several different brands of ice cream here and....well, just...wow. Taiwanese ice cream really sucks. Cold stone was heavenly. I am so glad we decided to get some. I was so focused on consuming its goodness that I didn't take a photo, but we all know what ice cream looks like so its no loss.

This is part of our group.
Jessica Stoker, Veronica, Kendra, Heather, Sara, who you can't really see, Kylie, Jessica, and half of Kaylee

Taipei 101 from the bottom:

 

Me with my gross, frizzy, air-dried chlorine hair, but next to a really cool and colorful picture of Taipei 101 at night! (thanks for the shirt Susie :) I'll make sure I bring you home another cute shirt to replace it).

 

A display at Tiffany's. This mall only has really pricey stores, like Prada and Mui Mui, and Fendi. You know all that over priced stuff :) I thought this display would have been really cute...if the note weren't so fake, haha, but the little picture was adorable!

We also found the world's most ridiculous (and possibly most hilarious) mannequin:

 

LOVE it! They have really funny mannequins over here actually. There are these amazing light-up ones which they like to put lingerie on. Oh! I've also seen a couple maternity ones (as in, light-up maternity mannequins). Wearing maternity lingerie of course. So strange. This place really entertains me. 

Part of the mall:

Outside Taipei 101:

Heather, Kylie, and Sara:

Kylie with Brother and Sister Liston:

 

The Liston's are awesome. Our branch temple trip consisted of them, the ILP teachers, and President Baclayon. We got on the bus and were like "this is it?" Haha, we do make up almost a third of the branch though. Last night I asked Jenny what the branch does when we're all gone on a trip because we fill half of the branch callings and Jenny is relief society president and Jessica is primary president. Apparently they combine all of their meetings and just hold church for two hours. I thought that was kind of funny.

We met up with the Liston's and President Baclayon at the church building for the Chinese-speaking ward in Feng Yuan to get on the bus. I had assumed that we would be walking, but we ended up riding bikes. I was wearing a pencil skirt. Hmm, let me tell you, that was a real adventure. For one, it was rather hard to get on my bike in the first place, then we had to stop at an intersection and I had a hard time getting going because of my stupid skirt so I lost control of my bike, ran into Jessica's bike, then lost my shoe, which Kaylee accidentally ran over, then had to make a circle in the middle of the intersection to get it back, had a hard time getting my shoe on, had a hard time getting back on my bike and moving, was screaming and laughing the whole time, and then looked over to see a guy at one of the food stalls on the street laughing at me too and realized how comical the whole thing must have been. I'm pretty sure by the time I leave here I will be know as the crazy foreigner girl. Knowing myself well enough I can tell you that this definitely won't be the last time something like that happens. Then  on the way home my tights got caught on the gears. I was like "Aaaaaaaah! I'm gonna die! I'm gonna die! Pedal backwards, pedal backwards, don't fall over, pedal backwards, don't crash into Heather, PEDAL BACKWARDS!" Don't worry, this isn't a posthumous post. I survived. I even managed a perfect dismount when we arrived home. I do now have a gigantic hole in my tights unfortunately. You may go here, to Kendra's blog, to see a photo of me on a bike in a skirt, pre-accident. Don't worry, no adult content ;P

We've been doing "family" dinners together every Sunday, taking turns cooking, and the Liston's set up family home evening for us too. It's awesome. I love these girls. They are beautiful inside and out, and funny to boot. I'm so glad I that I have six months to get to know them.