A Little Slice...

...of Taiwanese life.

It's Wednesday evening here across the globe. At home, EST, it's Wednesday.
 And, your time is 5:30am. 

We are finishing our day and you are just beginning yours. Weird!

This living overseas thing is h.a.r.d.
We didn't realize how much of an adjustment it would be. 

Today we went to the hospital to see a doctor for my hypothyroidism.

 Bev, the U.S. born missionary who is now a legal resident of Taiwan, was our guide.
It was an adventure.

 And, the process was much like the U.S., but totally different too. Huh.

 Don't try to figure out the logic there.

Yesterday was a different kind of adventure. 

Ted took us to an amazing place on earth...Taroko Gorge.
 We traveled by train south about 1 hour. 

Then we rented a car and drove to the Gorge. It was filled with tourists. 

We even saw a few Caucasian people!

 Anytime we saw someone on the train or in the Gorge we smiled and said hello to one
 another like we were long lost friends. It was a bit ridiculous, but also wonderful.

 It is hard to be the minority is a sea of lovely Asian people! 

So, there are pictures to follow. 

We are in the middle of week 3 in *Luo-Dung, Taiwan.

 We are over the initial homesick hurdle most much of the time. 

In the States, we have seen either side of our families very often in the past 3 years. 

We miss them fiercely. 

A couple of equally strange and wonderful things about life here:

1. The multitudes of children and babies are a breath of fresh air & kids are kids everywhere.

2.  The smells that assault the senses are a mix of the above: strange and wonderful.

3. The drainage is different - no TP in the toilets. Wha? That's right. TP = trash cans. Ewww for this lady.

4. The rain hardly slants. It's just steady and straight down.

5. The impatients (flowers) grow wild everywhere...in rocks, on the side of streets, etc. 

6. Poinsettias can be 8 + feet tall!

7. Everyone speaks Chinese. 

(Does this surprise you?) 

8. The Taiwanese people that we have met are warm and kind.

9.  My husband is a fearless driver. (I think in part thanks to his northern upbringing!) He zips around scooters, watches out for pedestrians and doesn't break a sweat. It's pretty amazing. We are blessed to drive a somewhat really older vehicle that we have named, "Bessie the Blue Bomb." 

(We added the Bessie part b/c at times she doesn't want to move.)

10. When the sun shines the whole place lights up. 

Luo-Dung* village (our town)

Plum Blossom Lake, 2 blocks from our apartment

In front of the train station in Luo-Dung*

An old historic church. 

A devout Christian Taiwanese lady led many people to the Lord during 

the Japanese* occupation in the late 1800's. 

The people met inside this very small cave. Together, we all sang "Then Sings My Soul." Precious.

Finishing lunch and pineapple for dessert in a beautiful pagoda near a waterfall.

I didn't want a photo of the 3 Buddhist* statues. But, I though the incense

 and the orchids were picture -worthy :)

The heights were astounding. We've seen the Smokies and the Rockies. 

Nothing compares to the mountains on this little island the size of Indiana.

Charley and the rest of the group walked across a swinging bridge over the Gorge. 

It was something out of a movie. Seriously high. 

I have more pix, but they kept loading sideways. So, I'm going to work on them and post them later gaters.