tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-41379243275418858512024-03-14T00:09:34.741-05:00Missions Ramblingsram·ble [ram-buhl] A verb, ram·bled, ram·bling, noun
verb (used without object)
1. To take a course with many turns or windings, as a stream or path.
2. To grow in a random, unsystematic fashion
3. To talk or write in a discursive, aimless way (usually followed by on )Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07956523303590393347noreply@blogger.comBlogger39125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4137924327541885851.post-1733223659587299672017-10-23T11:00:00.000-05:002017-10-23T11:00:07.848-05:00Who Would Have Thought<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-etpwZ98tvio/WeVjruO1WZI/AAAAAAAABxE/45AU6oAJ8b8yOStUjndFfh44ppJI6z6xwCLcBGAs/s1600/logo.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="179" data-original-width="615" height="186" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-etpwZ98tvio/WeVjruO1WZI/AAAAAAAABxE/45AU6oAJ8b8yOStUjndFfh44ppJI6z6xwCLcBGAs/s640/logo.png" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
So like I said last week... (If you didn't catch that, check it out here: <a href="https://mustions-ramble-taiwan.blogspot.com/2017/10/one-night-at-concert.html">Once Night at a Concert</a>)<br />
<br />
I was surprised when my indoorsy, not-handyman jumped at the idea to go to Mexico to build houses and do street ministry. Who would have thought that God had already been doing a work in his heart and all he needed was the right opportunity?<br />
<br />
God did. God knew. Time and time again it amazes me that God knows it all before I ever act upon the opportunities in my life. So...Needless to say we were both excited, but we figured we should slow our roll and pray and make sure this was God, and that's exactly what we did. We took about five days to dedicate ourselves to prayer and to discerning whether or not THIS opportunity was the one God had been placing in Jimmy's heart.<br />
<br />
The more we prayed and the more times we pestered Sharon Agee (Adam Agee's wife and fellow mission trip coordinator), the more it was confirmed that THIS was it! God willing, we were going to Baja, Mexico in 2018!<br />
<br />
The first step was to pay our down payment/registrations. Again, we saw the hand of God in the timing. As many of you may or may not know, Jimmy has been contracting with the <a href="https://charlesgoodnight.org/gem-theatre/" target="_blank">Gem Theatre</a> here in Claude, Texas, to direct the 2017-2018 play season. We received the check we needed from them just when we needed to pay our registrations. Now it is official. We have reserved spaces on the <a href="http://www.godsnotdeadmissions.com/" target="_blank">God's Not Dead Missions</a> trip to Baja. Next time, I plan on sharing a bit about some of our wonderful local teammates. Now on to Duolingo...but more on that later ;)<br />
<br />
I will do my best to post weekly updates that will share more of our story and where we are in the process of fundraising and preparation. Visit our <a href="https://www.gofundme.com/gods-not-dead-missions-baja-mxco">Mustion Mission Trip to Mexico GoFundMe Page</a> to donate toward our total expenses for the trip.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07956523303590393347noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4137924327541885851.post-50971659342665780092017-10-16T11:00:00.000-05:002017-10-16T11:00:13.817-05:00One Night at a Concert<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-fDQVdS4DPSA/WeGVYdw9z6I/AAAAAAAABws/Mu4_QGfTm3gDq5lEG5DoEKCf3AhKWC93gCLcBGAs/s1600/17BCNO_Amarillo_624x232.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="232" data-original-width="624" height="235" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-fDQVdS4DPSA/WeGVYdw9z6I/AAAAAAAABws/Mu4_QGfTm3gDq5lEG5DoEKCf3AhKWC93gCLcBGAs/s640/17BCNO_Amarillo_624x232.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
If you've ever been in high school then you have probably heard the "One night at Band Camp..." joke. Usually the punch line is cheesy and moderately inappropriate. However, this story really does start "One night at a concert...", and it's not a joke at all.<br />
<br />
I don't know if you have ever heard of the <a href="https://www.premierproductions.com/tour/big-church-night-out-newsboys" target="_blank">Big Church Night Out</a> concert tour or not, but it came through Amarillo, Texas, at the beginning of October. If you know anything about us, you probably know that we are almost always relying on the grace of God to pay our bills. So although I had planned to go, the funds were low...again...and it didn't look like it was going to happen. That's when my friend called and asked if I would like to go with her because she had received two tickets for er birthday and didn't want to go alone. That was the first act of God.<br />
<br />
So the big night came. We enjoyed an amazing dinner at the local Indian place and headed off to enjoy Blanca, Seventh Time Down, Adam Agee, Sidewalk Prophets, Derek Minor, and the Newsboys (of course). The night also encompassed a fair amount of praise and worship and was truly an amazing experience. Toward the end of the night, Adam Agee introduced the mission trip which God had called him to start three years ago called <a href="http://www.godsnotdeadmissions.com/" target="_blank">God's Not Dead Missions (GNDM)</a>.They specialize in taking teams to the Baja region of Mexico and building houses.<br />
<br />
My friend (Tiffany) and I were both excited by Adam's presentation of the trip, and we talked about it throughout the rest of the night and on the ride home. Once I got out of her car and bid her goodnight, I didn't really think much more of the trip until I casually mentioned it to Jimmy. Surprisingly, he was all about it! Evidently, Jimmy had been praying about the desire to go on an international mission trip next summer, and he either hadn't told me about it or I had forgotten (both being equally possible).<br />
<br />
So we started praying...<br />
<br />
Long story short-er, we decided that after about a week of prayer that God was calling us to take part in the 2018 GNDM trip. So stay tuned for more information, and in the meantime, check out our <a href="https://www.gofundme.com/gods-not-dead-missions-baja-mxco" target="_blank">FUNDRAISING PAGE</a> on GoFundMe.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07956523303590393347noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4137924327541885851.post-45441397582837784472014-09-29T07:00:00.000-05:002014-09-29T07:00:01.173-05:00Apple Pie and Other Fall Fun<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-eiHJ8LBJ6ac/VCkut5iozAI/AAAAAAAABpw/tLmeb7oi-Zw/s1600/DSCN0488.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-eiHJ8LBJ6ac/VCkut5iozAI/AAAAAAAABpw/tLmeb7oi-Zw/s1600/DSCN0488.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
Last week, the Wizards (my class) learned about Fall. Most of them had no clue what Fall was/is or even what a season is so I thought I needed to break them in right ;)<br />
<br />
September 22nd was the first official day of Fall. We briefly talked about the four seasons and the holidays celebrated during fall. We talked about harvesting crops including pumpkins and apples. We also watched videos of the leaves changing in North America (I haven't seen as much color variety here).<br />
<br />
But what could say "Fall" better than APPLE PIE! So I decided that as a class, we should make our very own apple pies.<br />
<br />
One of my co-teachers helped me film a video of making the pie filling. This video served the triple purpose of being educational, saving time, and allowing my students to have something to occupy them while I cleaned the classroom and the pies baked. If your interested in watching the video, you can do so below. Otherwise just skip right along to the pictures!<br />
<br />
<center>
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/Z_LS4dXOWhM" width="560"></iframe></center>
<br />
<br />
So I made the pie crust and the pie filling at home, but my students really did assemble the hand pies by themselves (ok they had some minor help but mostly by themselves). Then we baked the pies right in the classroom! I hope you enjoy all of our pictures.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--axwLLAv3PA/VCkplRzyehI/AAAAAAAABng/KadSSScmAtM/s1600/DSCN0467.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--axwLLAv3PA/VCkplRzyehI/AAAAAAAABng/KadSSScmAtM/s1600/DSCN0467.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The other teachers kept saying how good the classroom and hallway smelled while we were baking :)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-oqenGtj8do8/VCkplapn4OI/AAAAAAAABno/SX5An25vGpk/s1600/DSCN0468.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-oqenGtj8do8/VCkplapn4OI/AAAAAAAABno/SX5An25vGpk/s1600/DSCN0468.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is the pie I made earlier in the day so they could see what a full size apple pie looks like.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-q1xIEpnzF9E/VCkplo81z5I/AAAAAAAABnk/BnaO6kaf-lM/s1600/DSCN0471.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-q1xIEpnzF9E/VCkplo81z5I/AAAAAAAABnk/BnaO6kaf-lM/s1600/DSCN0471.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kH_neREqEkc/VCkpnlwsH5I/AAAAAAAABn4/RvqWBrXvRtA/s1600/DSCN0473.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kH_neREqEkc/VCkpnlwsH5I/AAAAAAAABn4/RvqWBrXvRtA/s1600/DSCN0473.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-XC9BglMw2kU/VCkpozhKHeI/AAAAAAAABoA/kepBuHPggS8/s1600/DSCN0475.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-XC9BglMw2kU/VCkpozhKHeI/AAAAAAAABoA/kepBuHPggS8/s1600/DSCN0475.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I made paper with circles printed on them and covered them with plastic wrap so the students could use them as a guide for shaping their pie crust.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-XnJcqy9ICLc/VCkpowoubvI/AAAAAAAABoE/Di7d6_NNCiY/s1600/DSCN0479.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-XnJcqy9ICLc/VCkpowoubvI/AAAAAAAABoE/Di7d6_NNCiY/s1600/DSCN0479.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Xcie3gIP8y8/VCkppo5ETnI/AAAAAAAABoQ/g7YLkxZ46u8/s1600/DSCN0482.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Xcie3gIP8y8/VCkppo5ETnI/AAAAAAAABoQ/g7YLkxZ46u8/s1600/DSCN0482.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jPFZtY_85X0/VCkprCP8WuI/AAAAAAAABoY/Bw0SMK4ExTM/s1600/DSCN0484.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jPFZtY_85X0/VCkprCP8WuI/AAAAAAAABoY/Bw0SMK4ExTM/s1600/DSCN0484.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-euL5zpBnPS8/VCkpr_ZCGGI/AAAAAAAABog/lO_EnghGIfo/s1600/DSCN0485.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-euL5zpBnPS8/VCkpr_ZCGGI/AAAAAAAABog/lO_EnghGIfo/s1600/DSCN0485.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Demonstrating how much filling to put into the pie and how to fold it over.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-TU8rwfqxX9I/VCkpseQFSqI/AAAAAAAABok/DLKCArEdsY0/s1600/DSCN0486.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-TU8rwfqxX9I/VCkpseQFSqI/AAAAAAAABok/DLKCArEdsY0/s1600/DSCN0486.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-a0oOYlYPCpo/VCkptAP-Y0I/AAAAAAAABow/nMDrmD9rfVc/s1600/DSCN0490.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-a0oOYlYPCpo/VCkptAP-Y0I/AAAAAAAABow/nMDrmD9rfVc/s1600/DSCN0490.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-w4TkSrygo4k/VCkpu0ufWcI/AAAAAAAABo4/iADSTC5gBFQ/s1600/DSCN0494.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-w4TkSrygo4k/VCkpu0ufWcI/AAAAAAAABo4/iADSTC5gBFQ/s1600/DSCN0494.JPG" height="400" width="300" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-QSd7q-AiLO8/VCkpvChbioI/AAAAAAAABo8/LsjZDBSXBKg/s1600/DSCN0496.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-QSd7q-AiLO8/VCkpvChbioI/AAAAAAAABo8/LsjZDBSXBKg/s1600/DSCN0496.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-CTXK-PfPe-M/VCkpv7MBRxI/AAAAAAAABpI/tBgOyqUJvVA/s1600/DSCN0499.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-CTXK-PfPe-M/VCkpv7MBRxI/AAAAAAAABpI/tBgOyqUJvVA/s1600/DSCN0499.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I helped the students seal the pies--mostly because I didn't have enough forks at home for everyone to use one.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-YPark2lPPNw/VCkpxEu0edI/AAAAAAAABpQ/7smvlptNDgc/s1600/DSCN0500.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-YPark2lPPNw/VCkpxEu0edI/AAAAAAAABpQ/7smvlptNDgc/s1600/DSCN0500.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5DM7QakUPNI/VCkpx76JZ9I/AAAAAAAABpU/aLVeRtt3ztA/s1600/DSCN0502.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5DM7QakUPNI/VCkpx76JZ9I/AAAAAAAABpU/aLVeRtt3ztA/s1600/DSCN0502.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-o2EpMt0r6mQ/VCkpybTWppI/AAAAAAAABpc/5SBfXcMTF6c/s1600/DSCN0505.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-o2EpMt0r6mQ/VCkpybTWppI/AAAAAAAABpc/5SBfXcMTF6c/s1600/DSCN0505.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is the finished pie. My kids love taking their treats home and sharing with their families.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b><span style="color: lime;">Here are the recipes for the pie crust and pie filling if you are interested in trying them:</span></b><br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>Pie Filling - <a href="http://allrecipes.com/recipe/apple-pie-filling/detail.aspx" target="_blank">http://allrecipes.com/recipe/apple-pie-filling/detail.aspx</a></li>
<li>Pie Crust - <a href="http://allrecipes.com/recipe/ruths-grandmas-pie-crust/detail.aspx" target="_blank">http://allrecipes.com/recipe/ruths-grandmas-pie-crust/detail.aspx</a></li>
<li>Pie Assembly* - <a href="http://allrecipes.com/recipe/apple-hand-pies/detail.aspx" target="_blank">http://allrecipes.com/recipe/apple-hand-pies/detail.aspx</a></li>
</ul>
<br />
*I only used this recipe for temperature and time information.<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07956523303590393347noreply@blogger.com0Taichung City, Taiwan24.1547304 120.6807983999999623.227979899999998 119.38990489999996 25.0814809 121.97169189999995tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4137924327541885851.post-22297688452371526882014-09-22T08:00:00.000-05:002014-09-22T08:12:50.493-05:00Mustions Go to the Cultural Creativity Tourism Night Market<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-0c_wndQij_M/VCAZ7AhYLeI/AAAAAAAABj0/Jzq7XYgqK5I/s1600/IMG_2421.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-0c_wndQij_M/VCAZ7AhYLeI/AAAAAAAABj0/Jzq7XYgqK5I/s1600/IMG_2421.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a>On Saturday night, Jimmy and I went and visited the new night market in town. We had heard this night market was supposed to be big, clean, and full of fun games and foods to try.
<br />
<br />
The claims were NOT exaggerated! It was much like a large carnival. There were all kinds of games, prizes, food, and drinks (but bring your own water!). There was something for every age group.
<br />
<br />
What you won't find at this night market includes: small, dark alleys crammed with shops, shoulder to shoulder crowds, scads of phone cover stalls, or the like.
<br />
<br />
We enjoyed ourselves immensely! We played a few games. Jimmy won a BIG prize with one win (you can keep your dinky Six Flags prizes) and I won three bottles of soda in one game of ring toss. I ate snails. Jimmy had popcorn chicken and a giant corn dog. Noelle...fell asleep ;) Oh well, so much for something for everyone.
<br />
<br />
Anyway, we will definitely go there again! I hope you enjoy our pics and maybe you can have your own fun experience soon!
<br />
<br />
The night market is near the intersection of Zhongqing and Jing Mao 5th Roads in the Beitun District.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-odqQ_Pmkve4/VCAZ7KeLfsI/AAAAAAAABjs/4Guck5iafsI/s1600/IMG_2422.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-odqQ_Pmkve4/VCAZ7KeLfsI/AAAAAAAABjs/4Guck5iafsI/s1600/IMG_2422.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-AJ3-FJ10KYA/VCAZ7F1d36I/AAAAAAAABjk/u8PahdzfjoI/s1600/IMG_2423.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-AJ3-FJ10KYA/VCAZ7F1d36I/AAAAAAAABjk/u8PahdzfjoI/s1600/IMG_2423.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-e-xOG2UdbOM/VCAZ8iapqbI/AAAAAAAABkE/hhIsho8PgOk/s1600/IMG_2424.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-e-xOG2UdbOM/VCAZ8iapqbI/AAAAAAAABkE/hhIsho8PgOk/s1600/IMG_2424.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--3u2n-n1y54/VCAZ84BmfUI/AAAAAAAABkA/6sUAoThkK58/s1600/IMG_2425.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--3u2n-n1y54/VCAZ84BmfUI/AAAAAAAABkA/6sUAoThkK58/s1600/IMG_2425.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2lPm5JI2zn0/VCAZ9d2TJkI/AAAAAAAABj8/edwQsU5MQmw/s1600/IMG_2426.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2lPm5JI2zn0/VCAZ9d2TJkI/AAAAAAAABj8/edwQsU5MQmw/s1600/IMG_2426.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--F-0UnmwSPE/VCAZ-9usR3I/AAAAAAAABkQ/pAGSjCSg2to/s1600/IMG_2427.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--F-0UnmwSPE/VCAZ-9usR3I/AAAAAAAABkQ/pAGSjCSg2to/s1600/IMG_2427.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">YES! That is alligator!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--KDyQwGVj-w/VCAZ_TcShFI/AAAAAAAABkY/aGDNYbtSeT8/s1600/IMG_2428.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--KDyQwGVj-w/VCAZ_TcShFI/AAAAAAAABkY/aGDNYbtSeT8/s1600/IMG_2428.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">These are the snails I tried.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xH-VRUkb4Ns/VCAZ_4WsgFI/AAAAAAAABkc/QdGGfxCvkds/s1600/IMG_2429.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xH-VRUkb4Ns/VCAZ_4WsgFI/AAAAAAAABkc/QdGGfxCvkds/s1600/IMG_2429.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-65rkcuKjISc/VCAaAUcpyNI/AAAAAAAABko/c7Ew23bpeBU/s1600/IMG_2430.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-65rkcuKjISc/VCAaAUcpyNI/AAAAAAAABko/c7Ew23bpeBU/s1600/IMG_2430.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-x8amhjE_f24/VCAaA_XrG2I/AAAAAAAABks/c1IUCOwqrgI/s1600/IMG_2431.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-x8amhjE_f24/VCAaA_XrG2I/AAAAAAAABks/c1IUCOwqrgI/s1600/IMG_2431.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-VFkoEGW_UwI/VCAaBVHJm3I/AAAAAAAABkw/FegjkF21nJA/s1600/IMG_2432.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-VFkoEGW_UwI/VCAaBVHJm3I/AAAAAAAABkw/FegjkF21nJA/s1600/IMG_2432.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">They were yummy!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1pNiyEn4QkM/VCAaCNNH5NI/AAAAAAAABlE/kXSD4xXlL4E/s1600/IMG_2433.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /> <img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1pNiyEn4QkM/VCAaCNNH5NI/AAAAAAAABlE/kXSD4xXlL4E/s1600/IMG_2433.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-30Y-miu77z4/VCAaCpWJs3I/AAAAAAAABlM/cPW4ChkJTqM/s1600/IMG_2434.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-30Y-miu77z4/VCAaCpWJs3I/AAAAAAAABlM/cPW4ChkJTqM/s1600/IMG_2434.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ykLtUML83Lc/VCAaC0v25AI/AAAAAAAABlI/uK_81hqmq7A/s1600/IMG_2435.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ykLtUML83Lc/VCAaC0v25AI/AAAAAAAABlI/uK_81hqmq7A/s1600/IMG_2435.JPG" height="640" width="480" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YdmXxBHrFQ0/VCAaDtHmR2I/AAAAAAAABlc/VwR7NCBEYHg/s1600/IMG_2436.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YdmXxBHrFQ0/VCAaDtHmR2I/AAAAAAAABlc/VwR7NCBEYHg/s1600/IMG_2436.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-yG_46DnZksE/VCAaED-IBWI/AAAAAAAABlk/C6decVEfU6I/s1600/IMG_2437.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-yG_46DnZksE/VCAaED-IBWI/AAAAAAAABlk/C6decVEfU6I/s1600/IMG_2437.JPG" height="640" width="480" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-H-jim9N38Tc/VCAaEQBivtI/AAAAAAAABlg/yRExeZYPQQ4/s1600/IMG_2438.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-H-jim9N38Tc/VCAaEQBivtI/AAAAAAAABlg/yRExeZYPQQ4/s1600/IMG_2438.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-eXfD5kNFWQI/VCAaFvLe_ZI/AAAAAAAABl8/UWBTsVYEi0A/s1600/IMG_2439.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-eXfD5kNFWQI/VCAaFvLe_ZI/AAAAAAAABl8/UWBTsVYEi0A/s1600/IMG_2439.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cP4p4U9TKnM/VCAaF5HaXkI/AAAAAAAABl0/HmCpQsFUQjc/s1600/IMG_2440.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cP4p4U9TKnM/VCAaF5HaXkI/AAAAAAAABl0/HmCpQsFUQjc/s1600/IMG_2440.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jimmy channeling his inner Katniss.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-g_c19VgqzYk/VCAaGcBbQDI/AAAAAAAABl4/ce9GMgZJvsk/s1600/IMG_2441.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-g_c19VgqzYk/VCAaGcBbQDI/AAAAAAAABl4/ce9GMgZJvsk/s1600/IMG_2441.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Oanvrz44yY4/VCAaHXcKDpI/AAAAAAAABmE/DDiVyrUqguY/s1600/IMG_2442.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Oanvrz44yY4/VCAaHXcKDpI/AAAAAAAABmE/DDiVyrUqguY/s1600/IMG_2442.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-qmZEhc4FvyM/VCAaIAuIUGI/AAAAAAAABmc/yEOP8sKEBIs/s1600/IMG_2443.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-qmZEhc4FvyM/VCAaIAuIUGI/AAAAAAAABmc/yEOP8sKEBIs/s1600/IMG_2443.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is the giant ring toss. The rings are about the size of a child's bracelet and you win what you ring.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5Nf_88XRWLg/VCAaIWm3n8I/AAAAAAAABmU/9Y_2H-eXQ0Q/s1600/IMG_2444.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5Nf_88XRWLg/VCAaIWm3n8I/AAAAAAAABmU/9Y_2H-eXQ0Q/s1600/IMG_2444.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-LUGidKhre6k/VCAaI7uPSYI/AAAAAAAABmY/0Kf1zwdUC80/s1600/IMG_2445.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-LUGidKhre6k/VCAaI7uPSYI/AAAAAAAABmY/0Kf1zwdUC80/s1600/IMG_2445.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0bpqzpNUsDY/VCAaKPLF4GI/AAAAAAAABmk/HLouim_2SW4/s1600/IMG_2446.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0bpqzpNUsDY/VCAaKPLF4GI/AAAAAAAABmk/HLouim_2SW4/s1600/IMG_2446.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-rc9Plf1Cdbk/VCAaKvfMBfI/AAAAAAAABms/V1eAf46UPbM/s1600/IMG_2447.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-rc9Plf1Cdbk/VCAaKvfMBfI/AAAAAAAABms/V1eAf46UPbM/s1600/IMG_2447.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07956523303590393347noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4137924327541885851.post-12895414480254260782014-09-15T07:00:00.000-05:002014-09-19T05:55:04.169-05:00Nothing Cures the Blues Like Cotton Candy!<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7SgzhyGKg9g/VBeAhVUjomI/AAAAAAAABjE/42rMxgvveqM/s1600/IMG_2407.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7SgzhyGKg9g/VBeAhVUjomI/AAAAAAAABjE/42rMxgvveqM/s1600/IMG_2407.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Noelle all decked out for our walk in her new<br />
giraffe outfit and giraffe hat. Looking so cute!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Today is Monday. The Taiwanese people are super into the idea of the “Monday Blues” – I guess they really don’t like their jobs or they just really love their weekends… Anyway, today I had a rough day. I was running behind, Jimmy’s scooter broke, the electric bill was worse than I feared, and my cell phone (which I paid to have fixed on Saturday) started messing up AGAIN! Needless to say, I needed a pick me up!<br />
<br />
So after work Noelle and I decided to go for a walk. We walked to the cell phone repair shop…which was CLOSED. **sigh** (Evidently he is always closed on Mondays there just wasn't a sign -- in English that mentioned that fact. **grumble**grumble** Another reason why we have to start learning Chinese--FAST!)<br />
<br />
HOWEVER, I was SUPER excited to see that the cotton candy artist was still there! I ordered a giant cotton candy mushroom for 60NT (approx. $2USD) and filmed him making this yummy creation. Not only was it fun to watch and looked great, it also tasted delicious! Yum. Yum! It was just what I needed to make me feel better!<br />
<br />
Here's a picture of the guy's cotton candy stand. The man was nice, but didn't seem to speak much English. So if you venture out in this direction be prepared to point and do charades (hopefully that won't be necessary!). Also, as promised the video is also posted below.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Rq8BCyhc7AQ/VBfSh0pLQaI/AAAAAAAABjU/NMsru3jdTFk/s1600/10606471_10152580968698941_6646946542977075166_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Rq8BCyhc7AQ/VBfSh0pLQaI/AAAAAAAABjU/NMsru3jdTFk/s1600/10606471_10152580968698941_6646946542977075166_n.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is the cotton candy guy's stand. He has a variety of different designs he can make. It's really, really cool!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<h2 style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: lime;">I hope you enjoy!</span></h2>
<br />
<center>
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/5b6wqKU9lvg" width="560"></iframe></center>
<br />
<br />
I am including a map that shows approximately where the cotton candy man is. Please keep in mind that these stands change frequently so I cannot guarantee he will be there if you go. He is inside the New City shopping area near the first escalator on the left (next to the Mexican restaurant).<br />
<br />
<center>
<iframe frameborder="0" height="450" src="https://www.google.com/maps/embed?pb=!1m18!1m12!1m3!1d910.1319051243189!2d120.68671999999998!3d24.1532221!2m3!1f0!2f0!3f0!3m2!1i1024!2i768!4f13.1!3m3!1m2!1s0x34693d67afd8b23b%3A0xb2165586ab120dc7!2sNo.+70-2%2C+Jinxin+St%2C+North+District%2C+Taichung+City%2C+404!5e0!3m2!1sen!2stw!4v1410825884597" style="border: 0;" width="600"></iframe></center>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07956523303590393347noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4137924327541885851.post-13827683404353371332014-09-12T07:30:00.000-05:002014-09-12T19:32:27.185-05:00A Walk Around the Neighborhood<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rUK1x12kLyM/VBLiIaZxoGI/AAAAAAAABi0/sJYQFYAanRA/s1600/IMG_2328.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rUK1x12kLyM/VBLiIaZxoGI/AAAAAAAABi0/sJYQFYAanRA/s1600/IMG_2328.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
After I got home from work and picked up the baby on Friday, Noelle and I went for a walk around our neighborhood. We thought it might be fun for everyone to be able to see a candid look at what life is like where we live. So we gave the stroller a "Bill Miller Special" (after a few attempts and failed ended up using a bungee to strap the iPad to the stroller at Noelle's level) and headed out on our adventure!<br />
<br />
The video is shown at 8x actual speed. It's still a little long and I apologize in advance if some of the amateur camera work makes you dizzy and/or seasick (Be forewarned!). Some of the sights you can glimpse in the video include our nanny's apartment building, my favorite tea shop, the food street next to us, the discount movie theater, and the local baby store. I hope you enjoy #NoelleCam!
<br />
<br />
<center>
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="413" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/HocH47J5KLY" width="550"></iframe></center>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07956523303590393347noreply@blogger.com0Taichung City, Taiwan24.1547304 120.6807983999999623.227979899999998 119.38990489999996 25.0814809 121.97169189999995tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4137924327541885851.post-65925864820623444182014-09-08T08:33:00.000-05:002014-09-08T08:33:12.209-05:00Celebrating Moon Festival<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-uRFNCZuqP5k/VA2sOHG__pI/AAAAAAAABgE/yoJddpYorRk/s1600/10465420_817636951600560_6226293622249739189_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-uRFNCZuqP5k/VA2sOHG__pI/AAAAAAAABgE/yoJddpYorRk/s1600/10465420_817636951600560_6226293622249739189_o.jpg" height="200" width="113" /></a></div>
This weekend we celebrated Moon Festival! You may be wondering "what's a moon festival?" so please allow me to fill you in.<br />
<br />
Moon Festival or more properly Mid-Autumn Festival (中秋節) is one of the two biggest festivals in Asian culture. It is a time for family, thankfulness, and prayers. Some say it is the Asian equivalent to Thanksgiving in America. Moon Festival is a lunar holiday which is held each year on the fifteenth day of the eighth lunar month during a full moon.<br />
<br />
There are many different stories and traditions which surround Moon Festival. I am going to focus on the ones we participated in this year.<br />
<br />
<h2>
Traditional Stories:</h2>
In my class, we watched the story of The Ten Suns. It was one of the easier stories for my young students to understand. If you would like to hear more of the traditional stories you can visit my <a href="http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLQqo-IjuAindSZhorHPSjjk2jbVINGnYp" target="_blank">Moon Festival Playlist</a> on <a href="http://youtube.com/">Youtube.com</a>.<br />
<br />
<center>
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/DEzgAiIV0zM" width="560"></iframe></center>
<br />
<h2>
Pomelos:</h2>
Other popular Moon Festival traditions center around the Pomelo. Pomelos are a citrus fruit which can range in size from a grapefruit to as large as a human head! The majority of Pomelos are harvested around Moon Festival and are very, very common. This is part of the reason that they are used to symbolize good luck/good fortune, bountifulness, family/fertility, and more. According to <a href="http://www.chinapost.com.tw/travel/taiwan-east/hualien/2005/09/22/69028/Mid-Autumn-Festival.htm" target="_blank">China Post</a>, this is how you know you are picking a good pomelo: <i><span style="color: lime;">"Old farmers say choosing a delicious pomelo is like finding a good wife - it should be cute, not too big, have an oval face and round bottom."</span></i>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-z6QcyIclP-g/VA2skciKE-I/AAAAAAAABgM/PWqP8cp_jXI/s1600/905862_817637031600552_8921913432839958713_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-z6QcyIclP-g/VA2skciKE-I/AAAAAAAABgM/PWqP8cp_jXI/s1600/905862_817637031600552_8921913432839958713_o.jpg" height="181" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RoOlcFPoA3Q/VA2srcC_LUI/AAAAAAAABgU/fM2ViUvNf7g/s1600/10549241_817637304933858_2293932913622102146_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RoOlcFPoA3Q/VA2srcC_LUI/AAAAAAAABgU/fM2ViUvNf7g/s1600/10549241_817637304933858_2293932913622102146_o.jpg" height="320" width="181" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
Two of the most common pomelo traditions are decorating the pomelos with faces and wearing the pomelo rind as a hat. The pomelo hats are so much fun that we did this in class and I did it at home with Noelle!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-b9CoZd7EHTU/VA2uIea5vvI/AAAAAAAABg0/MbZP2_RQY5Y/s1600/photo%2B1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-b9CoZd7EHTU/VA2uIea5vvI/AAAAAAAABg0/MbZP2_RQY5Y/s1600/photo%2B1.JPG" height="320" width="238" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-VAIamyYFONk/VA2uIoKf8dI/AAAAAAAABg4/E5h-CQ6tAjg/s1600/photo%2B2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-VAIamyYFONk/VA2uIoKf8dI/AAAAAAAABg4/E5h-CQ6tAjg/s1600/photo%2B2.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1sXjjo-y8cE/VA2s3MT85bI/AAAAAAAABgg/5AS27kwFseM/s1600/10548335_817636984933890_5794113073600190030_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1sXjjo-y8cE/VA2s3MT85bI/AAAAAAAABgg/5AS27kwFseM/s1600/10548335_817636984933890_5794113073600190030_o.jpg" height="320" width="181" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-kBiHCTsFzi8/VA2s3JL89NI/AAAAAAAABgc/1Peyi51sd_c/s1600/10549187_817636821600573_4336856396887009107_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-kBiHCTsFzi8/VA2s3JL89NI/AAAAAAAABgc/1Peyi51sd_c/s1600/10549187_817636821600573_4336856396887009107_o.jpg" height="320" width="181" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-q3AdTnz7lJg/VA2s3FRV5qI/AAAAAAAABgk/LXmuez6XuAs/s1600/10551463_817636668267255_6545436612552891323_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-q3AdTnz7lJg/VA2s3FRV5qI/AAAAAAAABgk/LXmuez6XuAs/s1600/10551463_817636668267255_6545436612552891323_o.jpg" height="320" width="181" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<h2>
Mooncakes:</h2>
Mooncakes are very common gifts to give and receive during Moon Festival. They symbolize family unity and togetherness. Traditionally, mooncakes were made by you in your home and then given to friends. This tradition has given way to commercialism and most mooncakes are now purchased but the meaning is still the same.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WjCMdKu8k6g/VA2uj4dOV9I/AAAAAAAABhE/xWwdAkk3WbQ/s1600/Coco01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WjCMdKu8k6g/VA2uj4dOV9I/AAAAAAAABhE/xWwdAkk3WbQ/s1600/Coco01.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
My students and I made a very simplified version of mooncakes (more like cookies) in class this week. It was a fun activity for them, and according to one of the Taiwanese teachers it is a unique experience that they may never have again. If you watch the <a href="http://youtu.be/AWhrznjfeJI" target="_blank">making of a traditional mooncake video</a> on my <a href="http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLQqo-IjuAindSZhorHPSjjk2jbVINGnYp" target="_blank">playlist</a>, you will know why we did a simplified version in my kindergarten class! If you are interested in making mooncakes with your children, you can <a href="http://www.dltk-holidays.com/china/easy_chinese_mooncakes.htm" target="_blank">find the recipe</a> we used on <a href="http://www.dltk-holidays.com/china/easy_chinese_mooncakes.htm" target="_blank">DLTK</a>.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jIAy_imBONc/VA2u02O_R-I/AAAAAAAABhQ/YshjjzoWqXo/s1600/Nina02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jIAy_imBONc/VA2u02O_R-I/AAAAAAAABhQ/YshjjzoWqXo/s1600/Nina02.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-yQi-7Fc_D9Q/VA2u0vevxyI/AAAAAAAABhM/HxAyadR_-sU/s1600/Mooncakes03.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-yQi-7Fc_D9Q/VA2u0vevxyI/AAAAAAAABhM/HxAyadR_-sU/s1600/Mooncakes03.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<h2>
Lanterns:</h2>
Lanterns play a minor role in Moon Festival versus their major role during Lantern Festival. However, you can see lanterns and lantern parades during Moon Festival. One of the traditions is to write a riddle on a paper lantern, go around, and try to have people solve your riddle. My class made lanterns but skipped the riddles :)<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-GEptnDkxFm4/VA2vPTziD5I/AAAAAAAABhc/1WsEJKT6A2A/s1600/IMG_2364.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-GEptnDkxFm4/VA2vPTziD5I/AAAAAAAABhc/1WsEJKT6A2A/s1600/IMG_2364.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-hVRv34DdBDs/VA2vPgc0q6I/AAAAAAAABhk/kzz79G0Yc-Q/s1600/IMG_2375.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-hVRv34DdBDs/VA2vPgc0q6I/AAAAAAAABhk/kzz79G0Yc-Q/s1600/IMG_2375.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-b-yyJUzSt4E/VA2vPXqzdTI/AAAAAAAABhg/OXNc1RVBOj0/s1600/IMG_2378.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-b-yyJUzSt4E/VA2vPXqzdTI/AAAAAAAABhg/OXNc1RVBOj0/s1600/IMG_2378.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<h2>
BBQ!:</h2>
Moon Festival is a major BBQ holiday in Taiwan! Families and friends get together, eat, and enjoy one another's company. It's not like BBQ in the United States but it is definitely delicious--plus it's lots of fun! This is our family's favorite part of Moon Festival because we love nothing more than spending time with all the friends we have made and love here in Taiwan.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-rBaMu4b20wE/VA2vhr8Qk4I/AAAAAAAABh0/EcVg6mFbz34/s1600/IMG_3913.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-rBaMu4b20wE/VA2vhr8Qk4I/AAAAAAAABh0/EcVg6mFbz34/s1600/IMG_3913.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-nYPEzDrXcgA/VA2viEx_ZII/AAAAAAAABiI/M1sKvyBFti8/s1600/IMG_3914.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-nYPEzDrXcgA/VA2viEx_ZII/AAAAAAAABiI/M1sKvyBFti8/s1600/IMG_3914.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ZoJ8_VCtZCo/VA2viIr1GsI/AAAAAAAABiA/4G1oIVmWAbg/s1600/IMG_3915.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ZoJ8_VCtZCo/VA2viIr1GsI/AAAAAAAABiA/4G1oIVmWAbg/s1600/IMG_3915.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-pvyhhTFRLEs/VA2viFbT-JI/AAAAAAAABh8/dUR6-jfDDb4/s1600/IMG_3917.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-pvyhhTFRLEs/VA2viFbT-JI/AAAAAAAABh8/dUR6-jfDDb4/s1600/IMG_3917.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8ZMpiagdBfI/VA2vjrPsVbI/AAAAAAAABiQ/F9Q7iQkb2EA/s1600/IMG_3918.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8ZMpiagdBfI/VA2vjrPsVbI/AAAAAAAABiQ/F9Q7iQkb2EA/s1600/IMG_3918.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5CQ-KWRGfac/VA2vj5jwEdI/AAAAAAAABiY/jQEe4RoD2Fw/s1600/IMG_3919.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5CQ-KWRGfac/VA2vj5jwEdI/AAAAAAAABiY/jQEe4RoD2Fw/s1600/IMG_3919.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<b>What I'm Thankful for this Moon Festival:</b><br />
This is a tradition that I have carried over from my family back home. I wanted to stop for a moment and remember to be thankful on a holiday that was originally designated to that purpose. So before digging in I want to share what I am thankful for this year...<br />
<br />
<b>#1 My Family</b> - Jimmy and I are so blessed to have Noelle. We waited for her and prayed for her for a long, long time before she actually came into our lives. Now we don't know what we would do without her. We are also thankful for our family back home who support us as we live and teach in Taiwan.<br />
<br />
<b>#2 New Opportunities</b> - Jimmy and I both started at a new school this fall. So far we love it! It's nice to see Jimmy actually be happy at his school and not miserable. It's really nice that he has finally found a good fit.<br />
<br />
<b>#3 A Bright Future</b> - We don't know what the future holds for us but we know it is full of endless possibilities and we look forward to each and every one of them!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-lamdXTQrmVY/VA0DThBfKgI/AAAAAAAABf0/Sq5IuSFvghI/s1600/2017-happy-moon-festival.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-lamdXTQrmVY/VA0DThBfKgI/AAAAAAAABf0/Sq5IuSFvghI/s1600/2017-happy-moon-festival.jpg" height="404" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07956523303590393347noreply@blogger.com0Taichung City, Taiwan24.1547304 120.6807983999999623.227979899999998 119.38990489999996 25.0814809 121.97169189999995tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4137924327541885851.post-89191305421516151632014-09-04T06:00:00.000-05:002014-09-04T13:27:32.333-05:00What's a Bǎomǔ?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-86iQl90BWfM/VAhISZcx28I/AAAAAAAABfU/NNo9xRq5ViM/s1600/IMG_1739.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-86iQl90BWfM/VAhISZcx28I/AAAAAAAABfU/NNo9xRq5ViM/s1600/IMG_1739.JPG" height="320" width="240"></a></div>
I've gotten this question a lot lately... "What did you do with the baby when you went back to work?"<br>
<br>
The awesome thing was I got to leave Noelle with Grandma (my mom) for the first seven weeks that I went back to work! It was such a blessing to know that someone I love and trust was watching over my sweet eight week old baby girl. As mom got closer and closer to going home, Jimmy and I had to buckle down and decide what we were going to do.<br>
<br>
<i>What do you do for infant care in Taiwan?</i><br>
<br>
If we were Taiwanese, we would probably have family members available to take care of her. However, we are foreigners in a strange land. We have no family here permanently. So what were our options?<br>
<br>
<b>Number 1: Baby Center</b><br>
A baby center is similar to daycare in the USA. They often have a lot of babies, a lot of sickness, and rarely speak English. On the plus side, the workers do activities with the babies. They send you pictures of things your baby is doing or has done. They fill out a communication book for you so you know how your baby's day was. If you are really, really fortunate there might even be another foreign baby there.<br>
<br>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-U4UXjlz7U4w/VAhI8A2RTlI/AAAAAAAABfc/xD2YBANRrFw/s1600/IMG_2237.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-U4UXjlz7U4w/VAhI8A2RTlI/AAAAAAAABfc/xD2YBANRrFw/s1600/IMG_2237.JPG" height="320" width="240"></a></div>
<br>
<b>Number 2: Bǎomǔ (保姆) / Nanny</b><br>
So what's a bǎomǔ? Basically a bǎomǔ is a nanny or a private childcare provider. You can find one that will either come to your home and only care for your child (uber expensive) or for about the same price as the baby center you can send your child to their home where they care for a few children. Just like any child care provider, a nanny can be good or bad. The nannies here almost never speak English. Also, you should make sure to use a registered nanny so they have some accountability on their standards and the number of children they are able to care for at one time. On the plus side, a registered nanny will often fill out a communication book for you. Their schedule is more flexible when it comes to pick up and drop off times. They might live really close to you, and they also do activities with your child!<br>
<br>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Rw2pH4pdJ4Y/VAhJSMRTZ6I/AAAAAAAABfk/-9MkBjmwbQM/s1600/IMG_2239.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Rw2pH4pdJ4Y/VAhJSMRTZ6I/AAAAAAAABfk/-9MkBjmwbQM/s1600/IMG_2239.JPG" height="320" width="240"></a></div>
<br>
After lots of research, interviews, and visiting baby centers, we decided that a bǎomǔ would be the best for us and for Noelle. We love Mrs.Wu! She is a really sweet Taiwanese lady who lives right around the corner from us. She doesn't speak much English but she is teaching us lots of new Chinese words and she goes the extra mile to make sure she gets important information translated for us so that we can understand it. Noelle is one of three kids she looks after and they all play well together. If you are considering your childcare options in Taiwan, do what works for you and your baby. But we love our Bǎomǔ!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07956523303590393347noreply@blogger.com0Taichung City, Taiwan24.1547304 120.6807983999999623.227979899999998 119.38990489999996 25.0814809 121.97169189999995tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4137924327541885851.post-53251027908684876612014-08-25T06:30:00.000-05:002014-08-25T06:30:00.095-05:00Well, Taiwan. It's been a Year!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-cnmX3md5yac/U_kPhLWpg_I/AAAAAAAABaE/uS0wF751J5M/s1600/taichung.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-cnmX3md5yac/U_kPhLWpg_I/AAAAAAAABaE/uS0wF751J5M/s1600/taichung.jpg" height="266" width="400" /></a></div>
It's officially been a over a year since we moved to Taichung, Taiwan. There are so many things that we have seen, done, and experienced! Some of them have been amazing--like having a baby--and others have been depressing--like having a horrible boss, but they have all been a part of our ramblings.<br />
<br />
<h2>
<b>In the last year we have...</b></h2>
<h3>
Had a baby.</h3>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-yqEbFClaxII/U_kRJiUOzdI/AAAAAAAABaQ/uTbT-tUVIJE/s1600/IMG_2036.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-yqEbFClaxII/U_kRJiUOzdI/AAAAAAAABaQ/uTbT-tUVIJE/s1600/IMG_2036.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
Noelle is the most amazing addition to our lives! We tried and tried to get pregnant in the USA and our first week in Taiwan, we unknowingly made a baby. Go figure!<br />
<br />
<h3>
Moved to a new country.</h3>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Ox5nnN91g5k/U_kS00wZdPI/AAAAAAAABac/xFhfKNmTxoQ/s1600/taichung2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Ox5nnN91g5k/U_kS00wZdPI/AAAAAAAABac/xFhfKNmTxoQ/s1600/taichung2.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
Ok so this one was obvious. We moved to Taiwan. Rented a new to us apartment in a new neighborhood. We were surrounded by strange and unfamiliar people and culture. We had to learn a new money system and had no clue what people were saying to us.<br />
<br />
<h3>
Started new jobs.</h3>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-VJtyc_PdKHw/U_kTOnfXUzI/AAAAAAAABak/rjdbYVkzaRY/s1600/IMG_0727.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-VJtyc_PdKHw/U_kTOnfXUzI/AAAAAAAABak/rjdbYVkzaRY/s1600/IMG_0727.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
When we first came to Taiwan, we didn't have jobs. It was highly recommended to us that we would find the best jobs for us by looking for them once we had arrived and were settled. For me, this was true. I worked at an awesome school with good management and super co-workers! For Jimmy, he had a really bad experience at the first bushiban where he worked and ended up changing jobs at semester. His second job was better but still not great.<br />
<br />
<h3>
Made new friends.</h3>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kBiBfVIWnFg/U_kTdIGX2NI/AAAAAAAABas/xjRFLU0pLaI/s1600/IMG_0530.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kBiBfVIWnFg/U_kTdIGX2NI/AAAAAAAABas/xjRFLU0pLaI/s1600/IMG_0530.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
We have met so many amazing people in the last year that I can't even list them all! Taiwan is full of people from all over the world and we now have the most diverse group of friends we could ever imagine! We love them all and we look forward to meeting many more people in the next year.<br />
<br />
<h3>
Re-learned how to drive.</h3>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-pQPncrsI5iE/U_kUEylDJVI/AAAAAAAABa0/KQI1pb2GH_k/s1600/IMG_1868.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-pQPncrsI5iE/U_kUEylDJVI/AAAAAAAABa0/KQI1pb2GH_k/s1600/IMG_1868.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
Yes, it's been over a year since either of us has driven a car! Our main modes of transport here are the buses, taxis, or our scooters.We were totally intimidated by the traffic at first, and there are times (like when it's rainy) that driving can still be really, really stressful. Overall we enjoy it and their actually is a flow to all this madness--even if it can be a little like playing Frogger!<br />
<br />
<h2>
So what's next for year two...</h2>
<h3>
Starting Chinese lessons.</h3>
Although we have learned some "survival" Chinese in our day to day lives and work, we haven't actually had any Chinese lessons yet. That's all changed now. On Sunday, we officially started studying Mandarin with our Chinese tutor. We are looking forward to learning more words and phrases soon!<br />
<br />
<h3>
Working at new schools.</h3>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-kkhTgF_q27E/U_kU6AsQ8WI/AAAAAAAABa8/GU3V1kFX93M/s1600/Nanmen%2BPenguins.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-kkhTgF_q27E/U_kU6AsQ8WI/AAAAAAAABa8/GU3V1kFX93M/s1600/Nanmen%2BPenguins.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
As I said, I loved my school but I was offered a really sweet new contract with a new school. After some prayer and discussion, Jimmy and I decided that I should make a switch. Jimmy has also been offered a contract with a new school which we believe will be even better than the last school so we have both started new jobs.<br />
<br />
<h3>
Traveling to new places.</h3>
Now that Noelle is here and we are more financially stable, we are looking forward to a little travelling. I was able to go on some adventures while my parents were here visiting us but now we are planning some family outings too!<br />
<br />
<h3>
Making new friends.</h3>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-drCHXyfI2Qw/U_kVOKsxHnI/AAAAAAAABbE/_9vkWSZbuuo/s1600/Lunch%2Bwith%2BAngel.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-drCHXyfI2Qw/U_kVOKsxHnI/AAAAAAAABbE/_9vkWSZbuuo/s1600/Lunch%2Bwith%2BAngel.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
We hope to continue to make new friends and meet lots more interesting people. We have already started down that road with all our new co-workers!<br />
<br />
Well, I guess that's about it for now. Year two in Taiwan has gotten off to a great start and we hope to share lots more joy with you!<br />
<br />
Until next time,<br />
Jimmy, Christiana, and Noelle out!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07956523303590393347noreply@blogger.com0Taichung City, Taiwan24.2332076 120.9417367999999423.3064571 119.65084329999995 25.1599581 122.23263029999994tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4137924327541885851.post-19573001215963295352014-01-27T07:30:00.000-06:002014-01-27T07:43:32.481-06:002014 Just Getting Settled<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-QCCHJ9oGJzM/UuZiYsUts_I/AAAAAAAABYU/CikveS7J6oA/s1600/1560439_10152101895018941_507439946_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Jimmy and Christiana" border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-QCCHJ9oGJzM/UuZiYsUts_I/AAAAAAAABYU/CikveS7J6oA/s1600/1560439_10152101895018941_507439946_n.jpg" height="240" title="Jimmy and Christiana 2014" width="320" /></a></div>
Sorry for the silence. Don't call it a comeback! Here is another blog. Man almost to 6 months in Taiwan. Wow, crazy how time flies. But looking back at the past six months words that pop in my mind are those such as: Difficult, Crazy, Awesome, Hectic, Scary, Exciting, Amazing....pretty much all emotions you can think of. We now partake into the new year, literally, about to celebrate our first Chinese New Years!! Our plan? SLEEP. HAHAHA! But seriously it just now seems that life is getting settled down after six months. For they way my mind works its best to take it one by one.<br />
<br />
<b>Jobs:</b> We are both employed full time at great, secure schools. After spending the first 4 months in a crazy CRAM school (after school program that CRAM english into children's brains) I have got a job as a reading teacher at Washington Elementary School. A private school in the same company that Christiana works for. So its very secure, pays well and all I teach is reading which is by far my best and favorite subject. Financially this comes at a great time as the baby approaches. We are both very thankful for God's favor in providing for us.
<br />
<br />
<b>Friends:</b> We are so beyond blessed with the people that we have met here in Taiwan. Some amazing people. We fill like we have a great support system of those that will offer advice and help when we need it. Christiana has some great co workers that have looked out for her since day one. I have gotten to know them too and they are some great people. I am so amazed still that our paths cross with so many people. Truly blessing.<br />
<br />
<b>Church:</b> We have finally landed at a church that we feel comfortable and enjoy. The Community Church of Taichung is a English speaking church that meets on the campus of Morrison Christian Academy. We felt very comfortable the first time we there. We are excited to see what God does while we are at CCT. If you want to check them out feel free <a href="https://www.blogger.com/www.cct-taiwan.org">www.cct-taiwan.org</a>.<br />
<br />
<b>Family:</b> I can't even begin to describe to you how much closer Christiana and I feel after this move. Really you have only each other to lean on here. There is no family near by. I feel like I could not have done this adventure with anyone else. She is amazing. I joke that life is just now settling down and it will all change again in 3 months when Baby Mustion arrives. Giving birth is crazy enough, even more crazy when its in a whole different country. But God has provided a great doctor and great support from other foreigners here on the Island that have given birth here.<br />
<br />
The past 18 months. weight loss surgery, move to Taiwan, get pregnant. Unreal. What does the next 18 months hold in store?Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07956523303590393347noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4137924327541885851.post-41227618637311247762014-01-01T05:08:00.000-06:002014-01-01T05:08:35.192-06:00Baby! Baby! Baby! Oh!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DqvaudFOg3k/UsP11_sMOqI/AAAAAAAABXg/kSZu2oZrOMw/s1600/1404591_10151953473523941_1155209009_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DqvaudFOg3k/UsP11_sMOqI/AAAAAAAABXg/kSZu2oZrOMw/s400/1404591_10151953473523941_1155209009_o.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
COMING SOON!!! In approximately 113 days, Christiana and I will be welcoming our baby girl into this world. We are excited beyond words for this exciting adventure in 2014! Things here progressing smoothly with both the pregnancy and the ministry God has called us to here in Taiwan.<br />
<br />
However, none of this would be possible without your friendships, continued prayers, and the support we have received from all of you! Thank you so much for helping us embark on this life changing calling in 2013 and for continuing to follow us into 2013. We appreciate you!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-JewVtpvdTeM/UsP1-cb3MdI/AAAAAAAABXo/vJIPdcbm2HE/s1600/1368987_10151918409845789_1589766992_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-JewVtpvdTeM/UsP1-cb3MdI/AAAAAAAABXo/vJIPdcbm2HE/s320/1368987_10151918409845789_1589766992_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
Some of you have asked how you can help with the baby since we are far, far away. Obviously, we won't have the opportunity to have a traditional baby shower. If you could pray for Christiana's spirits to be lifted about this that would be great. We have been waiting so long for God to bless us with a child and we have so looked forward to sharing the baby with all of our friends and family that being far from home and not being able to celebrate the baby in some of the more traditional ways has been hard for Christiana.<br />
<br />
So that's what this post is mostly about.<br />
<br />
We are so thankful for the overwhelming love we have received from you all. We hope you have been enjoying our baby posts and pictures on Facebook and that you feel like you are a part of Baby Girl's coming. Can't wait for April!<br />
<br />
Anyway, if you would like to send actual gifts we have registered at Babies R Us, Walmart, and Amazon. If gifts are ordered online they will be sent to Christiana's mom (Janice) and she will send them in a few large packages. Or if you would like to send items directly to us or Chrisitiana's mom just email or message us for the address you need. <b>Please keep in mind that shipping things here is VERY EXPENSIVE so we do ask that you not order any large items for her mom to ship.</b><br />
<br />
If you would rather send a financial gift there are a couple of options. #1 We have Ikea here and we can use gift cards purchased in the US. #2 We can use prepaid Mastercard or Visa giftcards also. #3 you can send money to Christiana's mom (please email or Facebook us for the address). Or #4 You can send money through Paypal. If you choose to send money it can also be used to help ship other gifts too.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-nmzj5yn2has/UsP2I3wI6JI/AAAAAAAABXw/eaHawzFyI4Y/s1600/1559728_10152051195628941_1050129357_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-nmzj5yn2has/UsP2I3wI6JI/AAAAAAAABXw/eaHawzFyI4Y/s320/1559728_10152051195628941_1050129357_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pic from our 23 Week Ultrasound</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Thank you all again for all you have already done for our family. We are excited to welcome Baby Girl in April/May and we are beyond blessed by anything you may choose to do to help us celebrate this pure blessing in our lives. Please check below for direct links to our registries.<br />
<br />
Jimmy!<br />
<br />
<table>
<tbody>
<tr><td>Amazon.com</td><td><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/registry/baby/3GV11PHW8G7GC">http://www.amazon.com/gp/registry/baby/3GV11PHW8G7GC</a></td></tr>
<tr><td>Walmart.com</td><td><a href="http://www.walmart.com/giftregistry/gr_detail.do?registryId=26773403111">http://www.walmart.com/giftregistry/gr_detail.do?registryId=26773403111</a></td><td>Or find us in-store by name</td></tr>
<tr><td>Babiesrus.com</td><td><a href="http://www.toysrus.com/registry/search/index.jsp?_flowExecutionKey=_cCC895451-0205-C73A-BE05-07FB6A294F23_kE44B822C-1B1A-135E-6B38-9093BEE8141F&overrideStore=TRUS">Registry #: 51175993</a></td><td>Or find us in-store by name</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07956523303590393347noreply@blogger.com0Taichung City, Taiwan24.2332076 120.9417367999999423.3064571 119.65084329999995 25.1599581 122.23263029999994tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4137924327541885851.post-43948228860262905022013-12-06T05:20:00.000-06:002014-01-09T05:24:43.796-06:00Halfway There! Pregnancy Week 20<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HvbbLkcs3XA/Us6G7IbLG_I/AAAAAAAABYA/apaOYym5LzE/s1600/keep-calm-it-s-a-girl-45.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HvbbLkcs3XA/Us6G7IbLG_I/AAAAAAAABYA/apaOYym5LzE/s1600/keep-calm-it-s-a-girl-45.png" height="320" width="274" /></a></div>
Hello, friends! Thanks for coming back to visit us on Taiwan Ramblings. It's been a while since we last posted and a lot has been going on here. I hope you have been following us on Facebook! This post is about one of the biggest things happening in our lives right now--Mustion Baby Girl!<br />
<br />
Today we hit the halfway point in this pregnancy and we are SUPER excited about welcoming Baby Girl to our family in April/May! So in honor of this pregnancy milestone, I recorded a vlog for you talking about some of the things I like about being pregnant in Taiwan, some of the interesting Chinese/Taiwanese pregnancy traditions and taboos, and some of the things I don't like or will miss about not being pregnant in the USA.<br />
<br />
Please bear with me and my pregnancy brain as this vlog got a little longer than I intended but I hope you will enjoy!<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="480" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/7h9wFVMvXCo" width="640"></iframe><br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07956523303590393347noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4137924327541885851.post-68783492972413992142013-11-13T07:30:00.000-06:002013-12-06T05:18:58.077-06:00Meet the People of Taiwan #1Meet Jamie and Alian aka Linus.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-eb-IAQOazao/UoNZfVpn9gI/AAAAAAAABWk/8FJUTAruAzo/s1600/14482_10151658102023423_1991527473_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-eb-IAQOazao/UoNZfVpn9gI/AAAAAAAABWk/8FJUTAruAzo/s1600/14482_10151658102023423_1991527473_n.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jamie and Linus with Kendall and Megan at LAX Burger.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
I would like to take time throughout this journey and blog and introduce to some of the awesome and amazing people that God has given us the privilege of meeting. I mean privilege in the highest honor. Some of the greatest and nicest people we have ever had in our lives we have met in the past three months of Taiwan. If you read my previous blog (of course you did!) then you understand the fact that we feel none of these meetings are by accident. Enough. More about Jamie and Linus.<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>THE STORY:</b><br />
When we moved to Taiwan we had nothing. People are always leaving and selling off all their belongings. One day we found a post about a couple leaving the country and selling off stuff we needed. Plates, silverware, q tips etc. Their name were Kendall and Megan (another great couple) we messaged back and forth and set up a time to come and get the stuff. I inquired about places to eat by them so we could eat before we met them. That is when LAX BURGER entered our lives. L.A.X. Burger like the airport code for LA. LAX Burger is owned by Jamie and Alian aka Linus. Seriously one of the best burgers I have ever eaten in my life.
<br />
<br />
<b>THE PEOPLE:</b><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-zag_MeJT-Ng/UoNZzWpZoLI/AAAAAAAABWw/W72QpmJ8Esg/s1600/1374602_10151925494490789_868145508_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-zag_MeJT-Ng/UoNZzWpZoLI/AAAAAAAABWw/W72QpmJ8Esg/s1600/1374602_10151925494490789_868145508_n.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WJoAuTxA7o4/UoNZzTuhEFI/AAAAAAAABW0/8kg7yU8qacI/s1600/1370222_10151881717205789_1742235141_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WJoAuTxA7o4/UoNZzTuhEFI/AAAAAAAABW0/8kg7yU8qacI/s1600/1370222_10151881717205789_1742235141_n.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jimmy and Lily at Lily's birthday BBQ.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
Jamie and Linus are a young couple. Both 30 yrs old. Boyfriend and Girlfriend. Two great and wonderful people. Jamie, her mother (my taiwan mother), Jamie's sister, Linus and Lily (Linus' niece) all live above LAX. They are a close knit family that have had a rough past year. Jamie's father passed away, and they moved locations because of it. Jamie and Linus have taken in Lily to live them and help her get back on the right path. She has been getting trouble at her old school so they put her to work all summer and then kept her. Lily is still trying their patience. Pray for that. We do daily. But what a wonderful thing they are doing.
<br />
<br />
<b>THE MEMORIES:</b><br />
OK. The food at LAX is great. I love it. We go once if not twice a week. SO that will always be with me.
<br />
<br />
Jamie and Linus invited us to our first Taiwanese BBQ. It was a great night of getting to know more locals and experience the great tradition.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9OHUJQ3Iwlc/UoNaG6mM6PI/AAAAAAAABW8/5yY9J4bs6Bo/s1600/1375371_10151881715825789_1532223607_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9OHUJQ3Iwlc/UoNaG6mM6PI/AAAAAAAABW8/5yY9J4bs6Bo/s640/1375371_10151881715825789_1532223607_o.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-mx1PXa4iDC0/UoNaHGM0MoI/AAAAAAAABXI/XMaYyvSdv8A/s1600/1353077_10151881715480789_535489000_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-mx1PXa4iDC0/UoNaHGM0MoI/AAAAAAAABXI/XMaYyvSdv8A/s640/1353077_10151881715480789_535489000_o.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
We went to dinner one night with Jamie, Linus and Lily. Man it was fun. ITs great to go out with Taiwanese people. They love to each get a different meal and pass them around letting everyone try the dishes. While us americans horde our beloved meal. In fact this would be a great way to enjoy Lambers or Dennys. Especially Dennys. Mmmmm Dennys. Whoa got distracted there.
<br />
<br />
Emergency Room. Not a fun place to visit in the US. Imagine not knowing the language and going to the ER? but Jamie came right over to help us translate and take care of us. Amazing. She is such wonderful person.
<br />
<br />
<b>WRAP UP:</b><br />
We both love Jamie and Linus to death. We love their family. We love their food. We love that God as brought them into our lives. We hope that we will build many more memories with them both here and in the states. If you are living in Taichung or ever visit Taichung please take the time to come and not only eat at LAX but get to know this awesome owners and family. They are just so-so....kidding! They are great!
<br />
<br />
<b>How to pray for Jamie and Linus:</b><br />
<ul>
<li>Pray for them taking care of Lily</li>
<li>Pray for success of their business</li>
<li>Pray for Spiritual health.</li></ul>
<br />
<br />
Bye for now,
<br />
<br />
JimmyAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07956523303590393347noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4137924327541885851.post-1109222831383162492013-10-29T07:01:00.000-05:002013-10-29T07:01:20.088-05:00Paid (by the hour) in full!I have a new perspective on work life. Where to start? Last week I had a bad Sinus infection. One of those knock you down fever, sinuses, cough, sore throat, tired, achy basically everything from the Nyquil commercial. But unlike any previous time in the past 15 yrs I didn't have the option of a "sick day" Having a job that pays hourly is a new thing to me. Therefore I have such a new found respect for the hourly worker. It hit me on Wednesday: We are having a baby, we have to pay for visa papers, if I don't work I don't get paid.<br />
<br />
So i get up. Fever is 101. Ok, Ok! I get it. Don't go to a school with a bunch of little children when you have a fever. But that is not very Taiwanese of me now is it? Besides those little carrier monkeys are the reason for the sickness anyway! So like I said, 101 fever. I walk to the bus in a daze. I ride the bus in a daze. I ride the train in a daze. I teach my classes (Wednesday of all days is my longest and hardest days), I go home in a daze. Go to sleep. It was not exactly fun.<br />
<br />
So I learned this. Man, how I have taken my nice little salary jobs for granted. I haven't had an hourly wage job since Johnston's Paint Store in Boonville, MO the summer of '94. Always had the luxury off sick days, vacation days, etc. If anyone who is reading this knows me very well they will know how much of a baby I am when I am sick. I did enjoy it. But it granted me a new respect and perspective on the working life of many people. I also realize now why so many Taiwanese people fall asleep on public transportation. If I was so afraid of missing my stop I would have joined them in dreamland on the way there and home.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07956523303590393347noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4137924327541885851.post-26590147170133337632013-10-07T07:00:00.000-05:002013-10-10T01:12:00.629-05:00FOCUS #2 Pt 1: Building Relationships and Learning the Culture<span style="color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Building relationships. The core to any ministry whether is pastoring, music, missions, students is building relationships. Which happens to be one of my best (and sometimes worse) strengths. I "dont know a stranger" I "am friends with everyone" I "am too trusting". Christiana on the other hand is "takes longer to open up". So its no surprise that we have been able to build some close relationships already while here in Taichung.</span><br />
<span style="color: white;"><br style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /></span>
<span style="color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Acts 8 tells the story of Phillip. Who God used to meet with and talk to a Ethiopian. Never more in my life has this story been more real or meant more to me. Verse 27 starts with Phillip got up and went. He had no clue why The Lord sent him south. He just went. There he was at the perfect place at the perfect time. The Lord used him for a purpose. It was no accident.</span><br />
<span style="color: white;"><br style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /></span>
<span style="color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">The people that The Lord have brought into our lives. The relationships we have built (which locals and foreigners) are of no accident. It cant be. A year ago I never thought I would ever even leave the country. So we are taking it very serious and very purposeful the people that God brings into our path. Everyone from the guy we buy tea from (Jon) to the security guard at our building (Mr. Wan!). There are no accident.</span><br />
<span style="color: white;"><br style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /></span>
<span style="color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">So as we continue to get to know people. We continue to pray for them. We love them and they return to the love. We love going to LAX Burger not just because the burgers are great because they are! But because we love and adore Jamie, Linus and Lily. We are there as their friends and we love them. It goes both ways. When I was in the ER, Jamie came up and took care of us. We desperately needed someone who spoke Chinese. Call me Phillip.</span><br />
<span style="color: white;"><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">- Jimmy -</span></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07956523303590393347noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4137924327541885851.post-39746412067338203082013-09-30T07:00:00.000-05:002013-10-10T01:11:32.385-05:00FOCUS #1: Getting settled and finding work<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-DFNSnqLhSfw/Ukgq-v2zAnI/AAAAAAAABV8/A1-bJ7mutgI/s1600/focus1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: white;"><img border="0" height="265" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-DFNSnqLhSfw/Ukgq-v2zAnI/AAAAAAAABV8/A1-bJ7mutgI/s400/focus1.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div>
<span style="color: white;"><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">As I type focus number 1 is going good. Christiana and I have both found jobs that fit our schedule and its going good. I know that a lot of people were nervous because we came over with no jobs. Just to stress again. All the people that we talked about this venture stated that is way better and easier to find job (at a good school) once you are here. The alternative is signing a contract with a big school and being stuck in a bad situation. It was a leap of faith. God provided. It is still an adjustment to be a english teacher but the kids are great.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: white;"><br style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /></span>
<span style="color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Getting settled? I pose the question: What does settled mean? We have a place to live, to work, made some friends, have cell phones. So if that is the case then yes, we are settled. If settled is feeling comfortable, relaxed, knowledgable, and routine? Then No way are we "settled". When you rely on taxis, walking and buses to go everywhere you never really know how you got there. Right now i am typing this in one of our favorite new places, L.A.X Burger, and i couldnt even tell you how to get here or get back to our house. LOL. But we like it here. We are friends with the owners and we feel comfortable here. Oh and the burgers are flippin awesome.</span><br />
<span style="color: white;"><br style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /></span>
<span style="color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">So as far as FOCUS 1 goes. We have jobs. We are on the way to being settled. This is one of the main reasons we committed to staying 2 yrs. I feel we wont even really feel settled until the first year is done! So continue to pray for us. We are trying hard to adjust (i am having trouble with the local food, surprise i know) and trying to find our place in this lovely, hot, crazy, busy, noisy, fun, interesting, place. For someone who has never been out of the country its like jumping into the deep end of the pool having just learn to swim. But its a great adventure!</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07956523303590393347noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4137924327541885851.post-11063233069915800442013-09-25T19:21:00.001-05:002013-09-25T19:21:40.641-05:00WHAT IS THE FOCUS?<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">We have in our new home of Taiwan for 2 months now! I cant believe it. Going from the mindset of thinking there is no way I could ever live in a foreign country (pre surgery) to actually living, working and acclimating to a different land is still mind blowing. Very thankful to The Lord and everyone who helped us get here. Blessed we truly are (a little yoda for ya)</span><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br><br>So what is the focus of these past two months? Well coming in we knew that three was a three part focus for the first 6 months. I will write about each one in depth a little later but now I can give you a quick overview of what we are up to. <br><br><b>1. Getting settled and finding work</b>. <br>HA? Are we settled? Settled in the sense of having a place to live, cell phones and jobs. Settled in the sense of relaxed and comfortable. Not quite there yet. We both have jobs which we are extremely grateful. There are pros and cons to each of our schools and work but overall we are pleased. Still yet to get paid but still pleased. We are slowly still learning our way around Taichung. We know at least around neighborhood now. I think. <br><br><b>2. Building relationships and learning culture. </b><br>This is my favorite part about the move here. We have met the most amazing people. Not just locals but amazing helpful foreigners that dont know us at all but have lent an helpful ear and hand to us. This is the most important aspect to me. I am people person and i think its very important that when we do find or start a ministry we have already built a support system. We have found people here that we already feel will be life long friends. Just stunning and amazing that God brought us here. <br><br><b>3. Find a ministry.</b> <br>After 13yrs of working in the local church it is very freeing and scary to be wide open in what God wants and can do. Seriously, just going to church as a regular church attender is a very foreign experience (ha, see what I did there!). So we feel that God is going to show exactly where and what to do. Is it a drama ministry? Is it concert ministry? Youth? Children? Teaching a bible study? Dont know that is the scary and great part about it. <br><br>So that is and was the main focus of the past two months. Please continue to pray for us. <br><br>Jimmy and Christiana</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07956523303590393347noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4137924327541885851.post-61768402648418996052013-09-08T03:02:00.001-05:002013-09-08T03:02:43.602-05:00First Week of SchoolHello! The first week of teaching has command gone and things continue to progress here in Taiwan. Today I have some pictures for you and a little update about each of our schools.<div><br></div><div><b>Jimmy's School</b></div><div>Jimmy is teaching at a buxiban (after school program) in a suburb of Taichung called Fungyuen (which we lovingly refer to as Funyun). He has several different age groups over the span of his classes and so far he especially enjoys his second grade class. Jimmy is working on getting to know all his students and his co-teachers, Sugar and Albee. He is doing very well at the school but it can be overwhelming at times. Pray for Jimmy that he will continue to build relationships, have safe travels everyday, and have fun teaching English at his school.</div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-atWCBowFfo4/UiwvCTgJVUI/AAAAAAAABVU/kgyP4glS-GQ/s640/blogger-image--2050108105.jpg" imageanchor="1"><span style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-atWCBowFfo4/UiwvCTgJVUI/AAAAAAAABVU/kgyP4glS-GQ/s640/blogger-image--2050108105.jpg"></span></a><div class="separator" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; clear: both; "><span style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-jcPN5K5wqQw/UiwvEcv3qUI/AAAAAAAABVc/5JLzBi3g474/s640/blogger-image-1032108462.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-jcPN5K5wqQw/UiwvEcv3qUI/AAAAAAAABVc/5JLzBi3g474/s640/blogger-image-1032108462.jpg"></a></span><div class="separator" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; clear: both; "><span style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-jcPN5K5wqQw/UiwvEcv3qUI/AAAAAAAABVc/5JLzBi3g474/s640/blogger-image-1032108462.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-VAfcUZYu21U/Uiwu3SxGsjI/AAAAAAAABU8/KFK_CjuIPPM/s640/blogger-image--2109487927.jpg"></a></span></div><div class="separator" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; clear: both; "><b><br></b></div><div class="separator" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; clear: both; "><b>Christiana's School</b></div><div class="separator" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; clear: both; ">This was also my first week of teaching. I am working for a well established, private school brand. I am enjoying my young learners but I sometimes feel out of my depth because of their limited English and high energy. At first I was intimidated because the school oversold my teaching experience to the students' parents to compensate for the teacher they had to fire after only one month (long story), but now I feel like I am starting to settle in. Pray for me that I will have patience and lots of love for my students and that I will continue to improve in my classroom management techniques. I am very thankful for my co-teacher, Connie, who is a certified Taiwanese teacher. I hope to learn a lot from here and to build a strong bond with her. She is very sweet.</div><div class="separator" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; clear: both; "><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-xPbNMQ_1c7w/Uiwu7-Voj_I/AAAAAAAABVM/l5fQ9i_F6Us/s640/blogger-image--2083913589.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-xPbNMQ_1c7w/Uiwu7-Voj_I/AAAAAAAABVM/l5fQ9i_F6Us/s640/blogger-image--2083913589.jpg"></a><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-xPbNMQ_1c7w/Uiwu7-Voj_I/AAAAAAAABVM/l5fQ9i_F6Us/s640/blogger-image--2083913589.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-gGCAwX_GLjc/UiwvIqaeoWI/AAAAAAAABVk/DzYjVr-L6m8/s640/blogger-image--98297033.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-gGCAwX_GLjc/UiwvIqaeoWI/AAAAAAAABVk/DzYjVr-L6m8/s640/blogger-image--98297033.jpg"></a><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-gGCAwX_GLjc/UiwvIqaeoWI/AAAAAAAABVk/DzYjVr-L6m8/s640/blogger-image--98297033.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-ljDTmaqjqNo/Uiwu4tM6GvI/AAAAAAAABVE/_SlSYkAdC5M/s640/blogger-image--322256028.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-ljDTmaqjqNo/Uiwu4tM6GvI/AAAAAAAABVE/_SlSYkAdC5M/s640/blogger-image--322256028.jpg"></a></div></div></div><br></div></div></div></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07956523303590393347noreply@blogger.com0Taichung City West District Office No. 11號, Jīnshān Road, Xi District24.141623 120.670674tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4137924327541885851.post-72230464436935379662013-08-29T06:59:00.001-05:002013-08-29T06:59:33.320-05:00Our First Month<div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-Y5vJwJNhce0/Uh83otKKJ0I/AAAAAAAABUs/LwC-dtwQfTs/s640/blogger-image--1360497924.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-Y5vJwJNhce0/Uh83otKKJ0I/AAAAAAAABUs/LwC-dtwQfTs/s640/blogger-image--1360497924.jpg"></a></div><br></div>Things have been crazy her in Taiwan over out first month! It's been one wild ride of trying to get in and settled, make friends, and find jobs. Still I don't think there is much I would consider changing.<div><br></div><div>One of the most interesting cultural things we have encountered so far is Ghost Month. Typically no one moves in or out of their place but we did (silly Westerners). So there are no doubt neighbors around us who believe e moved the ghosts in with us. If that wasn't enough, I often forget to bring the laundry in off the line on our balcony before dark so once again I am bringing ghosts in who have gotten into our clothes. We have also seen many people burning paper money to support the needs of their loved ones in the after life. I know there have also been parades and fireworks because I have heard them but haven't seen them myself.</div><div><br></div><div>Also, Jimmy and I have both been successful in finding jobs this month. We start classes on Sept. 2nd. We are both excited and nervous. Jimmy is working in a cram school (buxiban) and I am working in a private elementary school. We are both still in the process of getting our paperwork processed so pray that goes through smoothly.</div><div><br></div><div>We have also been blessed to start making some pretty amazing friends here too. Some of them are expats like us but many of them are Taiwanese. We have enjoyed spending time with Jamie, Lily, Simon Lewis, and Jamie's mom at L.A.X Burger (Jamie's Restaurant). We have also gotten to know Jessie, a sweet server at one of our other favorite restaurants. Keep Jessie's family in your prayers as her father is very ill. One of our new friends was an unexpected house guest. We always want our house to be open and used for God's glory so when Kyle asked if Jed could come and stay with us while he looked for a job we said of course! I think it was probably harder for him than it was for us since Kyle and Jimmy were always ready with some brotherly ribbing. Still he survived and has just started his school year in Taipei.</div><div><br></div><div>Well, I guess that's really all for now. Please keep us in your prayers as we continue to seek out a church where we feel we can worship and ministries we can partner in. We also want to get a routine schedule hammered out so we can start adding in some language learning activities. So many things to do! Thank you for all the prayers and support which have already been offered up on our behalf. We couldn't have made it through without your support!</div><div><br></div><div>Grace and Peace,</div><div><br></div><div>Christiana</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07956523303590393347noreply@blogger.com0Taichung City West District Office No. 11號, Jīnshān Road, Xi District24.141742 120.670738tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4137924327541885851.post-87393268693070568082013-08-06T18:56:00.000-05:002013-08-06T19:03:57.212-05:00Hitting the Ground Running<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/NZX3S2k-S10?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<br />
We've been in Taichung (our new city) since Friday. This vlog is a general update of what we have been doing the past few days.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07956523303590393347noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4137924327541885851.post-56940184715038361332013-08-02T23:05:00.001-05:002013-08-03T00:29:37.270-05:00Welcome to Taiwan<div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-qli2rtDvXTo/UfyVLR2Z9vI/AAAAAAAABTw/x9CSRkNm4Pw/s640/blogger-image--1074777081.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-qli2rtDvXTo/UfyVLR2Z9vI/AAAAAAAABTw/x9CSRkNm4Pw/s640/blogger-image--1074777081.jpg"></a></div><br></div>The last few days have been a crazy fun adventure in our new home--Taiwan. <div><br></div><div>We landed safely in Taipei on July 30th. There were so many times on our trip that we were truly blessed. When we arrived at the airport, the airline charged us much less in baggage fees than we anticipated. They also needed more carry-on room on the plane so we were able to voluntarily gate check one of our bags for free. This meant less baggage to drag through all the airports.</div><div><br></div><div>On our flights we had at least 1-2 empty seats beside us at all times (including the 13.5 hr Atlanta to Tokyo flight). So we were able to spread out and not be cramped. We had excellent flight attendants and the in flight entertainment was good too.</div><div><br></div><div>When we arrived in Taipei, we made it through customs quickly and without issue. We each received a 90 day visa for free. When we picked up our bags in baggage claim, they were all there. PTL! We were a little worried about our gate checked bag but it turned out it was the very last bag on the belt so there was nothing to fear.</div><div><br></div><div>After departing customs, we found our driver waiting for us as planned. He didn't speak English but he was very nice and we had directions prepared in Chinese to give him. He found our hotel without issue and we were able to check in with the owner, Sam. Sam spoke English well, and made sure we were all settled and had everything we needed.</div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-qqpw75JPEpQ/UfyVMTO9ATI/AAAAAAAABT4/v4WiyLqGVNc/s640/blogger-image-726171944.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-qqpw75JPEpQ/UfyVMTO9ATI/AAAAAAAABT4/v4WiyLqGVNc/s640/blogger-image-726171944.jpg"></a></div></div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-yavfL1vMOD4/UfyVP-Rnc4I/AAAAAAAABUQ/s8NFPZyYkEQ/s640/blogger-image--925058325.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-yavfL1vMOD4/UfyVP-Rnc4I/AAAAAAAABUQ/s8NFPZyYkEQ/s640/blogger-image--925058325.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div>Our stay in Taipei (2 days) was fun. We went around and did some tourist-y things. We had fun and were able to make it back to our hotel each night.</div><div><br></div><div>On Friday morning, the same driver who picked us up at the airport came back to drive us and our bags to Taichung. The drive was beautiful and took a little over two hours. Upon arrival we were able to check into our temporary housing. This was a little challenging as they didn't speak much English but we managed.</div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-tMXq0UIs1LQ/UfyVNvRurzI/AAAAAAAABUA/__vkRM1dI1A/s640/blogger-image-2121635628.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-tMXq0UIs1LQ/UfyVNvRurzI/AAAAAAAABUA/__vkRM1dI1A/s640/blogger-image-2121635628.jpg"></a></div></div><div><br></div><div>The last two days we have been busy running around Taichung with our new found friends Kyle and Jenny Mulaney who have been invaluable in setting up our new apartment. I don't know how we could have done all this without them!</div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-s1WppG0cVJM/UfyVOzXFD2I/AAAAAAAABUI/tBS1IYI8h4g/s640/blogger-image--1101544216.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-s1WppG0cVJM/UfyVOzXFD2I/AAAAAAAABUI/tBS1IYI8h4g/s640/blogger-image--1101544216.jpg"></a></div></div><div><br></div><div>Now as we sitting here waiting for the phone/Internet guy to come, I am writing to you. Thank you, God for our new friends. Thank you for everything we have been able to get accomplished in the past two days and the chance to relax in Taipei. PTL for our save travel and for all our baggage arriving in one piece. Hopefully I will be able to upload pictures soon so you can see what we have been doing.</div><div><br></div><div>Grace and peace,</div><div><br></div><div>Christiana</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07956523303590393347noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4137924327541885851.post-7984750101898216312013-07-26T06:00:00.000-05:002013-07-26T07:14:41.625-05:00Time with Tate #9 How Can We Keep in Touch<h2 style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: lime; font-size: x-large;">
3 DAYS!</span></h2>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-640JXt2KqYo/UeFzm7V0PzI/AAAAAAAABQQ/myWBQWUpy9g/s1600/TwT.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-640JXt2KqYo/UeFzm7V0PzI/AAAAAAAABQQ/myWBQWUpy9g/s640/TwT.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
Jimmy and Tate talk about getting in touch. We do have a Skype phone number, Skype, Facetime, Facebook, and Email. It should be fairly easy to stay in touch with us. If you need our Skype number please email us at iwantthemustions[at]yahoo.com and we can send it to you.
<br /><br />
The Skype number allows you to call our USA based number from your landline or cell phone with no international fees. It is a local Fulton # so if you are lucky enough to be in that area code then you don't even have to use an area code. We also have a voicemail through Skype. When you leave us a voicemail Skype sends us an email letting us know you called and let us a voicemail so we know to check it and get back to you. Right now the voicemail does have a generic answering voice so don't be alarmed if you get the computer voice. Also, keep in mind that when you call us in Taiwan we are 12 (Spring & Summer) to 13 (Fall & Winter) hours ahead of you depending on daylight savings time.
<br /><br />
Grace and Peace,<br />
<br />
Christiana<br />
<br />
<center>
<iframe width="640" height="360" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/vJp-OE-AXZQ" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></center>
<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07956523303590393347noreply@blogger.com0St. Joseph, MO 64507, USA39.7305994 -94.73810129999998339.5352034 -95.060824799999978 39.925995400000005 -94.415377799999987tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4137924327541885851.post-29450232018705508782013-07-24T06:00:00.000-05:002013-07-26T07:08:14.390-05:00Time with Tate #8 Can People Send You Care Packages<h2 style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: lime; font-size: x-large;">
5 DAYS!</span></h2>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-640JXt2KqYo/UeFzm7V0PzI/AAAAAAAABQQ/myWBQWUpy9g/s1600/TwT.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-640JXt2KqYo/UeFzm7V0PzI/AAAAAAAABQQ/myWBQWUpy9g/s640/TwT.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
Jimmy and Tate talk about people sending care packages to us in Taiwan. We have gotten this question from a few people already. Yes, you can send care packages! Although we know not everyone can afford to send one we truly do appreciate receiving them. We have a whole page on our blog called <a href="http://mustions-ramble-taiwan.blogspot.com/p/show-you-care.html">Show You Care</a> where you can view the most up to date list of the things we need and instructions on how to send them.<br /><br />
Make sure to check back regularly!
<br />
Grace and Peace,<br />
<br />
Christiana<br />
<br />
<center>
<iframe width="640" height="360" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/o1KzcER4OSk" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></center>
<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07956523303590393347noreply@blogger.com0St. Joseph, MO 64507, USA39.7305994 -94.73810129999998339.5352034 -95.060824799999978 39.925995400000005 -94.415377799999987tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4137924327541885851.post-68292816490065492782013-07-23T06:00:00.000-05:002013-07-23T07:19:02.346-05:00Time with Tate #7 What About Healthcare<h2 style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: lime; font-size: x-large;">
Six More Days</span></h2>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-640JXt2KqYo/UeFzm7V0PzI/AAAAAAAABQQ/myWBQWUpy9g/s1600/TwT.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-640JXt2KqYo/UeFzm7V0PzI/AAAAAAAABQQ/myWBQWUpy9g/s640/TwT.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
Jimmy and Tate talk about what health care is like in Taiwan.<br />
<br />
Grace and Peace,<br />
<br />
Christiana<br />
<br />
<center>
<iframe width="640" height="360" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/kYhFxC-zODk" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></center><br />
To learn more about Jimmy's weight loss surgery visit <a href="http://jimmys-gastric-sleeve.blogspot.com">Jimmy Goes Gastric</a>.
<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07956523303590393347noreply@blogger.com0St. Joseph, MO 64507, USA39.7305994 -94.73810129999998339.5352034 -95.060824799999978 39.925995400000005 -94.415377799999987tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4137924327541885851.post-58699841452334906862013-07-22T06:00:00.000-05:002013-07-24T07:19:23.654-05:00Time with Tate #6 Will You Stand Out<h2 style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: lime; font-size: x-large;">
One Week from Today We Leave America!</span></h2>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-640JXt2KqYo/UeFzm7V0PzI/AAAAAAAABQQ/myWBQWUpy9g/s1600/TwT.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-640JXt2KqYo/UeFzm7V0PzI/AAAAAAAABQQ/myWBQWUpy9g/s640/TwT.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
Jimmy and Tate talk about whether or not Jimmy will stand out from the crowd while we are in Taiwan.<br />
<br />
Grace and Peace,<br />
<br />
Christiana<br />
<br />
<center>
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/j-Cb4Gmaczg" width="640"></iframe></center>
<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07956523303590393347noreply@blogger.com0St. Joseph, MO 64507, USA39.7305994 -94.73810129999998339.5352034 -95.060824799999978 39.925995400000005 -94.415377799999987