Satisfied

I'm not afraid to admit that occasionally I have wished for a longer torso or bigger eyes.

Or that I could be a more talented musician or athlete.

We all do it.

There's always something we would like to change about our looks or personalities.

Surprisingly, I have never once wished I was taller.

Basically, I am glad to be me!

 I do know this for sure, I am happy to be a female, especially while living in Taiwan.

Strange comment, I know, but keep reading. You'll understand soon enough.

Recently, during our holiday travels, this point was made evident time and time again.

Americans, like Carl and me, appreciate our privacy. Our personal space....

especially while going to the bathroom.

Luckily for me, Taiwanese women expect the same.

Not so for men.

Poor Carl.

Men here in Taiwan are not given the same privacy. Often the urinals of the men's room are located where they are easily visible to anyone walking by. I have discovered, through experience, of course, to keep my eyes straight ahead as I walk past the men's room. You never know who or what you might see! This is one time I am thankful for the lack of peripheral vision. 

More often than not, there is a window or opening to the outside. 

The road was only a few feet from that window!

The afternoon market in the village near  the school has bathroom facilities at the rear of their parking lot. While living in our previous apartment, we would walk right by this building when returning from the market. One day, I noticed a man. He was inside, but there was an opening two-thirds of the way up the wall. All I could see was his shoulders and up. It took me several seconds to realize what he was doing! 

 Sometimes they are not even given a room, such as the public restroom in our Kenting accommodations. The men's facilities were right out in the hallway along with the sink.

Thats the door to the woman's bathroom!

Or what about this?

I think that privacy side board is in the wrong side!

These were by the parking lot at the beach, right along the path down to the water!

No privacy at all!

Yep. So glad to be a woman!

A Long Way From Walmart

Sunday.

The first day of the week.

The last bit of peace and restfulness before the rush of a new week.

The day to be thinking, "What do I need this week in terms of fruits and vegetables?"

In the Dingus household, that means a trip to Shui Nan market. Typically, Carl does all the shopping. (That's why his Chinese is so much better than mine.) But, on Sundays, he lets me go with him.

These shopping trips are not like the ones we did in Ohio.

The parking lot is slightly different than that of our American Walmart.

No wide aisles, or shopping cart etiquette exists in Shui Nan. Shoppers, vendors, strollers, bikes, and scooters all share the same space.

However, while Shui Nan market may not have all the amenities of Walmart, it has something even better- an abundance of fresh fruits and vegetables.

Corn- but not as yummy as fresh Ohio summer corn!

Some familiar choices.

Dragon Fruit

Some not.

Carl is the best fruit buyer I know.

Fresh Ginger

A variety of mushrooms

Carl has developed relationships with several vendors. This is his go to place for eggs, not because they are the best quality eggs, but because the grandmotherly vendor has taken the time and effort to get to know him. Last week, I was able to meet her. Another family member was attending the wares today, or I would've taken a picture of her as well.

Some vegetables we enjoyed in America are harder to get here or are only sold during their growing season. Zucchini typically does not grow well in Taiwan, so has been difficult to get. I have seen it more in the past year, so that seems to be changing. Fresh spinach is a winter crop, so I am trying to enjoy it now.

On the other hand, red peppers, which I love, were only 10NT each today, which is roughly 35 cents. I never bought them in Ohio until they dropped to $1 each. While living in Taiwan, there is absolutely no excuse to eat and enjoy fresh produce daily!

Like Walmart, you can buy a variety of things at Shui Nan: precooked food, meat, fish, clothes, shoes, cooking utensils, knives, noodles, pots and pans. The list goes on and on. There are many things for sale that I am simply clueless to their name and purpose!

After our shopping, everything was loaded onto the scooter.

Our next stop brought me closer to my food shopping roots. We stopped at PX Mart (or more commonly referred to as the Red and Blue Store) to buy bread, milk, and orange juice. 

Here there is designated aisle space. 

And carts.

And shelved merchandise.

And some more familiar items.

However, after our hour at Shui Nan market, it is almost too clean, too quiet, too easy. 

At Shui Nan, I get jostled, bumped, and knocked around.

I inhale tons of exhaust fumes as the scooters and pedestrians jockey for position.

I understand very little of what is spoken and am able to read zero of the signs.

But, it is all worth it for the yummy, sun kissed fruits and vegetables.

Come visit us in Taiwan and you, too, can fall in love with Taiwanese morning markets.

Thumbs Up

I count myself a blessed individual.

I had amazing parents who loved me, nurtured me, and modeled a grace filled redemptive life.

God also blessed me with an equally amazing husband who loves me despite all my faults and weaknesses. 

I don't have the words to explain the blessings I receive from Nick, Ben, Abbi, and Jacob.

Its easy to call out those big blessings in our lives, but what about the little ones? Sometimes we forget to think about them and be thankful for them.

Today, I would like to share a blessing I receive in my job.

  An amazing school is comprised of more than just the classroom teachers. It takes an entire staff to create a successful, nurturing environment.

An integral part of this environment is our library and its staff.

They serve both the faculty and the students faithfully and joyfully.

Last Friday, Susan Strange, who teaches library skills, as well as fosters a love of reading and literature, visited  my room. She came to share the book A Fine Dessert. She accomplished not just reading the story to my students, but also give them a hands on, as well as taste bud experience.

In the story, the characters create a dessert called Blackberry Fool.

With just a few ingredients, this was the perfect classroom recipe.

Heavy cream, sugar, and blackberries. She used blueberries instead due to availability and cost.

While Susan read the story, I took over as the main whipper. 

Unlike the characters in the story, I was able to whip the heavy cream using an electric blender.  

Thank you, Benjamin Franklin!

After a little mixing and a generous amount of whipping, the students got the chance to swirl the whipped cream and berries.

Afterward, since it was lunch time, the bowls had a time out in the refrigerator. 

Several classes later, my students were reunited with their masterpieces. Unfortunately, I had a meeting so I didn't get to see them consume their masterpieces.

At the end of the day, I found a bowl waiting for me on my desk. It was delicious!

I appreciate Susan so much for going beyond the expected.

She and our other librarians make my job as a teacher easier.

And for that, I am blessed. 

Thumbs up to the MCA librarian staff!

In Search Of...

A waterfall.

Waterfalls are not that hard to find in Taiwan. There's simply so many.

So how difficult could it be?

I think the answer to that depends on your method of getting to one. When you rely on Google maps, expect an adventure.

Especially when you are on a scooter!

And even better if you are with a group of friends who are also on scooters!

After several days of spring cleaning (me- ceiling fans and blinds) and working (Carl- ordering textbooks for next school year), the opportunity came to get out of the apartment. Our week long Chinese New Year break was about half way over, and most Taiwanese were either back to work or traveling the main freeways on their way back from relatives. The perfect time to get into the interior of Taiwan- mountains and waterfalls!

This, of course for us, almost always involves scooters!

While reaching your destination is a good thing, it is the journey that often creates the best memories!

Along the way, we visited a slanted house. Once a normal, countryside home, this structure is in its present condition due to the 1999 earthquake. While a few cracks were visible, the house is mostly intact, yet unlivable.

The owner of the house told us about another family member whose house slid all the way down a mountain during the earthquake with three people inside. Miraculously, they survived.

Our journey took us through small mountain villages.

Mountain side roads. 

Some were more like paths than roads.

But as long as there are views like these, I don't care what the road looks like.

In fact, on these kind of adventures, you never know what you might see.

Or sometimes you run into something you would rather not see.

Obviously that's all the farther we were able to travel on that particular road. There was no way to get past that fella. His bark may have been worse than his bite, but I for one was not about to find out!

No adventure is complete without some delicious food.

As to that elusive waterfall?

We never found it. 

But, it wasn't a for lack of trying!