February Recap

Where we live: apartment in Tainan

Favourite thing to eat:

Dave:  cho fan (fried rice preferably with lamb)

Steph: I don’t know if it’s my favourite, but I did eat four different types of rice in one day- that’s every meal plus a snack!! I do love fried rice though!!

Greatest accomplishment/ Coolest thing this month:

Dave: I’m getting better at understanding the Chinese my coworkers say to me in the kitchen!

Steph: I had a breakthrough about WHY I was teaching, and what kind of people I’m essentially training my students to be. It was pretty eye-opening to think about the qualities in myself I’m passing on, and which I’d rather not. I do feel like moving here was exactly what we needed (God DOES know our every need, even when we don’t!!) even though there are a great many things we’re missing out on back home (we’ve definitely reached the stage of life where a great many of our friends are in the graduation-marriage-baby stage!!), but the growth and amazing experiences we’re having over here are just as valuable. I feel like I could probably write a whole blog post about this so I’ll cut myself off here!

Basically never stop learning- being stagnant is terrible!!

Favourite place you’ve visited:

Dave: Xindin county (outside Taipei city). We hiked a VERY large mountain (or two) and the view was unbelievable!

Steph: The lantern festival in Pingxi was pretty cool (even though it RAINED and RAINED and RAINED on us!!), but we also saw the most amazing view of Taipei from Matt’s mountain the next day, and found a beach close-ish to home  when we arrived back in Tainan.

Thing you’re looking forward to most:

A visit from our besties!!

Favourite thing to watch: Streamed tv shows from back home (like Grey’s and Masterchef)

Easiest thing to get used to:

Dave:  I’ve really learned to love milk tea- in any colour! It’s refreshing in the hot kitchen, and is slightly better than coffee. (Steph’s obsession has only increased since we moved here….)

Steph:  I realized this month I’m not only used to, but actually prefer room-temperature water! I’m not so sure I’ll ever have a taste for warm water though!

Something you’ve learned:

Dave: How stinky tofu is made (hint: it’s a chemical reaction!).

Also, a little TMI, stinky tofu was originally made with horse urine!

Steph: Finding something you love and are passionate about, whether it’s a hobby, your job, or an organization and progressing in it is amazing. Everytime I learn a new technique with my watercolours I get such a sense of pride- and I can learn everything at my own pace, and if I DON’T want to do something, that’s okay too!!

A lovely Sunday afternoon stroll behind the Confucius temple.

The salt fields were pretty darn sweet!

Travel essentials; a book, sunglasses, a drink, an ipod and funny camera settings.

Our valentine's photo.

Pingxi lantern festival.

Writing lantern wishes.

Xindian scenic area.

Umm, guys? I think we found our summer home.

101.

This guy followed us part way up the mountain!

The view from the top.

Nothing quite like the mountains of Taipei.

Oh rice fields. The best part of the HSR ride.

Homemade water globe to teach about snow. The kids (and my coworkers) looooooved it. I shake it once in awhile when I need a minute to calm down.

After break I came back to this on my whiteboard. They KNOW they're not allowed to touch it, but I let the rules slide this one time.

Chinese lessons and starfruit. A great way to spend a Saturday afternoon!

Taro, mango and pineapple ice cream with shaved peanut brittle. Oh my goodness delish.

Coffin bread- a Tainan delicacy. It was good, but Dave and I have some great ideas to Westernize the idea when we get back home!

"And at last I see the light"~ The Pingxi Sky Lantern Festival

I'm going to be totally upfront. I am SO disappointed with some of these photos. 

It was crowded, rainy, and gross out. 

I had to turn my on-camera flash on for a couple photos. 

I had to give my camera to someone who didn't speak English (that I know of) so we could have a photo with out lantern and it's terrible.

But you know what?

At least I have them. 

Chase Jarvis said "the best camera is the one you have with you." Being in Taiwan, I've had to take that to heart as often I don't have our DSLR with us, only a cell phone. But it doesn't mean the photo never turns out! It's all in the way you take it. A hard lesson for a photographer to learn, but a necessary one. Perfection isn't always achievable, nor should it be.

So even with all the rain, the crowds and the danger to my camera, I loved it. The lanterns were amazing, and the hour long bus ride up (and down) the mountain was worth it. 

And so, without further ado, the lanterns!!

First glimpse. I was a little stoked.

Lantern festival symbolizes the end of Chinese New Year. Kinda like Western New Year is the end of the holidays after Christmas for us.

I did tell you it was crowded. I've never been touched by so many people in such a short period of time before.

Here I just cozied up to the nearest person with an umbrella. I think I shot over his wife's head, so it worked out well for me!

We have liftoff!

Some say the story behind the Sky Lantern Festival is the god of Fire threatened to burn down a town, so the people set off fireworks to make it sound like the town was already on fire, and lit sky lanterns so it would look like it was already on fire.

"According to the elders of Pingxi, the Sky Lantern Festival originated in the Xing Dynasty, more than two thousand years ago. At that time, bands of outlaws frequently raided the lowland villages, forcing residents to seek refuge in the lush, verdant mountains. Village watchmen used  “fire balloons” as signals to inform the refugees that their houses were safe once again. When those hiding in the hills saw the celestial flares, they knew it was time to go home." (from the Pingxi Sky Lantern Festival website)

In Tainan (where we live) people celebrate with the Yanshui Fireworks display or 'beehive of fireworks.' People dress in many layers of clothing, wear helmets and then stand together as fireworks are shot off 'at' them. This festival has been compared to the running of the bulls in Spain. Some say the tradition started to ward off sickness and disease in a town.

Sometimes this happens...

"And at last I see the light..." Sorry. Couldn't resist.

The American Discovery Channel's program 'Fantastic Festivals of the World' has highlighted Taiwan's Lantern Festival as one of the best festivals in the world.

Each year thousands of lanterns are sent up into the sky. They're usually made with a bamboo or wire frame, and thin oiled paper (often rice paper). Although Taiwan is one of the most popular sky lantern festivals, the Phillipines actually holds the record for most lanterns released at once with 15, 185 lanterns flown simultaneously.

Okay, okay I'll stop. They were just so lovely!!

And sometimes this happens... (don't worry, there was a guy standing around with a hose to put out lanterns before they caught the trees on fire!)

Dave wrote wishes for a house, music, Chinese lessons, food, and babies...

...and mine were pretty similar! I wrote 'Canada' in Chinese as well!!
(for those of you wondering, it was wishes for babies in 2016, not 2014. Sorry!!)

Matt took a turn too. He even transcribed music he had written!!

Getting it set up to light.

Yes, these lanterns are HUGE!

Sending it up!

Bye bye lantern!!

By this point my shoes just sloshed and squished when I walked. Eww. But we're still on the adventure! And because it was so cold out, Ford was even giving people hot ginger tea! It was a little too strong for me, but Dave loved it!

THERE are the fireworks!!

Such a cute little street filled with food and touristy things. I love parts of Taiwan like this.

 And there you have it!

Would I go back again? Definitely. Would I wear rubber boots? Absolutely!!

And because I just couldn't resist...