Xin Nian Kuali Le!
Happy Chinese New Year!
New clothes.
Red envelopes.
Fireworks.
Family.
Food.
Travel.
Vacation.
This is the biggest, most celebrated holiday here in Taiwan. Filled to the brim with traditions and expectations, the celebration touches every aspect of daily life.
Of course, that means different things to different people.
For us, it meant a week of rest.
We learned our lesson a couple years ago- never, ever travel during the official government mandated Chinese New Year Holiday. This being a family oriented holiday, EVERYONE travels to spend time with their extended families. Imagine 23 million people in the state of Vermont trying to all travel at the same time. That in itself isn't an accurate comparison considering the interior of Taiwan is extremely mountainous with limited access. Needless to say, if you don't have to be on the roads or the railways, then stay as far away from them as possible.
For many citizens, this is the only holiday they have throughout the year, so besides spending time with their families, they visit the many amazing, picturesque locations throughout the island. National parks and hiking venues are typically elbow to elbow room only.
Most businesses, including the thousands of small family run restaurants and shops, are closed for the full four day holiday. We were out on the scooter New Year's Eve and just about everything was closed. Our bustling city felt and looked like a ghost town. The vegetable lady in the afternoon market informed us that she would not be open for business for six days. That doesn't sound long, but considering she is open seven days a week, it's a well deserved break for her and her family.
The holiday came at a good time for me. The nasty flu bug found me the week before Chinese New Year. Not being very good at writing sub plans, I avoid having to do that activity as much as possible. I ended up missing the last three days of school and as we near the end of the break, I still don't feel one hundred percent. So when I say I rested, that's exactly what I did.
Unfortunately, I missed all the festivities at school.
Chinese New Year Song
New clothes.
Red envelopes.
Fireworks.
Family.
Food.
Travel.
Vacation.
This is the biggest, most celebrated holiday here in Taiwan. Filled to the brim with traditions and expectations, the celebration touches every aspect of daily life.
Of course, that means different things to different people.
For us, it meant a week of rest.
We learned our lesson a couple years ago- never, ever travel during the official government mandated Chinese New Year Holiday. This being a family oriented holiday, EVERYONE travels to spend time with their extended families. Imagine 23 million people in the state of Vermont trying to all travel at the same time. That in itself isn't an accurate comparison considering the interior of Taiwan is extremely mountainous with limited access. Needless to say, if you don't have to be on the roads or the railways, then stay as far away from them as possible.
For many citizens, this is the only holiday they have throughout the year, so besides spending time with their families, they visit the many amazing, picturesque locations throughout the island. National parks and hiking venues are typically elbow to elbow room only.
Most businesses, including the thousands of small family run restaurants and shops, are closed for the full four day holiday. We were out on the scooter New Year's Eve and just about everything was closed. Our bustling city felt and looked like a ghost town. The vegetable lady in the afternoon market informed us that she would not be open for business for six days. That doesn't sound long, but considering she is open seven days a week, it's a well deserved break for her and her family.
The holiday came at a good time for me. The nasty flu bug found me the week before Chinese New Year. Not being very good at writing sub plans, I avoid having to do that activity as much as possible. I ended up missing the last three days of school and as we near the end of the break, I still don't feel one hundred percent. So when I say I rested, that's exactly what I did.
Unfortunately, I missed all the festivities at school.
Chinese New Year Song
During this week of illness, two other significant things happened. One positive; one negative.
Carl came home.
That, obviously, was the good thing that happened. He returned just in time to help nurse me back to health. The days I was sick prior to his return were the quietest three days of my life. Jake was at school so I had no one to talk to!
As many of you are aware, Taiwan experienced a series of strong jolts and hundred of after shocks.The epicenter was on the east coast of the island, less than 100 hundred miles from where we live. Close enough to feel the larger of the quakes, but far enough away that no damage or evacuations took place.
Two of the biggest earthquakes occurred at night. After living in Taiwan six years, I have discovered the easiest place to detect or feel an earthquake is when in bed. Needless to say, I felt the first one Sunday evening and the biggest on Tuesday. Also the higher up you live, the more swaying you feel. While we are not too high, the sixth floor is enough to magnify even the smaller ones at times.
Having the flu, I was in bed for the three days that followed, so I felt a lot of the aftershocks. At first they were coming every twenty minutes. As the time progressed, the regularity of them became less frequent.
Our mission headquarters is in Hualien, the city closest to the epicenter. Several of our families live in the building. Recently built, it is designed to withstand earthquakes up to a 9. It is in the middle of most of the earthquake damage.
Several of the damaged buildings were visible from their apartments.
This damaged road is less than a half mile from the building. Several perished in the earthquake and survivors waited long hours to be rescued from the rubble. Please pray for the families that lost loved ones, as well as those whose homes were destroyed.
It was just two years ago during the Chinese New Year holiday that an earthquake shook the southern part of Taiwan, causing a building to collapse. It was later discovered the building had been built with inferior materials.
Tomorrow is the last day of both the holiday, as well as our break from school. The beginning of 2018 has been slightly rough. Lucky for us, we get a do over!
Blessed be the year of the dog!
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