Day to Day Life

These pictures are taken to give you a "picture" of a fairly typical Saturday when we are home. The first picture is of three of the four boys that I tutor arriving at the door at 8 AM. We are making hats to wear in a play that they will perform for their parents in two weeks.

The next picture is of the building guard, one of three, that sits at the entrance as you come and go.

We are headed to RT, a store something like WalMart to buy groceries. We first board the 202 bus to get there. Rog and Jane and the bus are in the photo.

We arrive at RT. Mike is hurrying on and then realizes that I've stopped to take a pictures.

We have what we call a "green market" about a 2 mile walk from here. When we got there many of the outside booths were taken down but I got a few pictures. Things are sold in bags and bunches and there are rows and rows of vegetables. In the back of the vegetables there are fish tanks and butchers with their meat hanging. We love to buy our eggs from this little lady and our vegetable lady lights up with a grin every time we walk in. We talk with our fingers and they tell us our totals with calculators but it is so much more interesting and fun than a regular grocery store.

One of the interesting things about China is the variety of places that you will find groups of people sitting or standing, in cold and heat playing cards. These men are in front of a bakery near the green market.

Final Thoughts

We got back to Taipei around 7:00 and the Horners were working in the Temple. We decided to walk to Subway and have a sandwich and then walk around the area a bit. As we were walking we saw a Birkenstock of Germany store. We went in and they were able to order the shoe that I have tried for three years to get. The Horners got home soon after we did and we had a nice visit before going to bed.

On Thursday morning we walked over to a breakfast place and had a burrito type egg and cheese dish and a soy broth. I really liked the egg dish. We went to Costco and got things to bring back with us, walked over and got my shoes and went to a bakery and had a great relaxing day and then got to go to the Temple for a session that evening.

Friday morning we got to do do another Temple session before we left to come home. One of the three ladies that I did the work for lived in 0697 and another 13?? (can't remember the year.) My heart was so touched thinking how long those people may have waited for the blessing of Temple work. I have a personal confirmation that everyone who has ever lived on the earth or who ever will live on the earth must be given the opportunity to accept our Savior and be baptized into His kingdom. The choice is theirs to accept or reject that priceless blessing but the opportunity must be provided. It felt awesome to provide that opportunity to someone who lived so long ago.

I was reminded this week that we make covenants in the Temple and we keep covenants in the home. What a challenge to do so for all of us.

We came home after a wonderful week of luxury living with wonderful friends and fabulous food to a rather empty and simple apartment with no hot water any time of day. On this, the 6th day, we did have it for one hour this morning but I didn't realize it would be off again so still will do a sponge bath. Classes have started and I love being with my students again. I love the people that would be reading this blog!

Japanese Temple

The last place we visited before getting back on the train for Taipei was a Japanese Temple. There was the strongest Japanese influence in Hualien City that we felt on the island. It had a much quieter and more peaceful feeling than the Buddist and Taoist temples that we have
visited. I was taken by the orchids that are all over the island. I did take a few pictures of them there.

Liyu Lake

We next visited Liyu Lake which is entirely feed by underground springs. We were nearing the populated area here.

Aboriginal Lunch

We had lunch at a stand run by some of the aborigines. We had s sweet rice mixed with some sticky fruit that was stuffed into a section of bamboo. To eat it you pound the bamboo on the ground and crack it open. The most tasty dish was a cabbage folded into an omelet-like egg
and covered with a very tasty sauce. The soup had noodles that tasted like Ramen noodles but the broth was made with chicken feet (which I thankfully didn't see). This was the spot that had the bamboo squathouse.

Tongmen and the Muguya George

We spent most of the rest of the day in an area called Tongmen and the Muguya George. He had to have our passport numbers and state that we were teachers on a document and stop at two checkpoints to take us in. It is an area with many hydroelectric power plants with amazing
tunnels, ledges, colors of water, waterfalls and a few buildings here and there. I'll just download some of the pictures. We had to wear hardhats in one area because of the rock danger.

Buddist Temple

Next we visited a Buddist Temple. Although we have visited many temples this was the first one where we have seen groups actually worshipping. They were playing some rather active, current sounding music as they bowed and did other movements.

LDS Chapel

Wednesday morning we had a unique breakfast served at the hostel that was really pretty good. Bro. Chen had told her no coffee or tea so she brought out milk and prepackaged sandwiches that were filled with who knows what but were fine. Next she brought out some little ears
of corn that were about 4" long. The were yellow or white with purple spots and were very tasty with nothing on them. Then she let me try some papaya from her tree. Adjoining her property is a private preschool owned by an LDS lady who graduated from BYU. They called
her and she came over to visit for a minute.

Really my only negative experience in Taiwan was the attraction that the black flies had for my legs. Their bites itch to the point that you want to gouge yourself and the pain continues until you get something on it. The sister got me some repellent from her school to prevent more bites but I really didn't find anything that took the itching away much.

The first place that he took us this morning was to the LDS chapel in town. This picture doesn't do it justice. It is lovely and has a full sized chapel and cultural hall. There are two wards that meet there.

Dinner & A Show

After about an hour break he came back for us and dropped us off at Pizza Hut where where we gorged ourselves with almost regular pizza and chocolate brownies. Then he picked us back up and drove us to an area designed for tourists to spend $$$ on lovely marble, stone and other gifts. We bought nothing. They had a talent show with eight aborigine college age dancers. It could easily have been the PCC in music, costume and dance.

Hostel

After a very long and wonderful day Bro. Chen drove us to our hostel. I was a bit concerned that we would be sharing a squat toilet and be dressing and sleeping in a large dorm room but I was delighted with this place and the lovely lady who owned it. We had a room on the second floor. We didn't take any pictures but this is a photo of the business card she gave us. There were 5 rooms on the floor and each had it's own bath. One was for Japanese guests with a bed on the floor and sliding doors. Two had two beds each and two had a queen bed in each of them. The floors were raised about 3 inches and laminate. I was surprised to find a bath mat but no towels. When Mike went to ask he was given two thin packages with disposable towels made of somethings like the colored disposable dishrags in the states.

7 Moon Beach

After we left Taoroko Nat'l Park he drove us to the beach of the Pacific ocean . This spot is called 7 Moon Beach because of the seven that it forms visually.

Taroko National Park

Taroko National Park. The different colors of the water, the rock overhangs and the huge marble mountain made it a spectacular place.