More Fruit Finds

The one that looks like a banana is just bigger around and yellower inside (very good). The striped one was like a peach/melon taste (Loved it will have to get more). I haven't tried the round white one yet. The Nectarine's were a little old but still good. The Mango was awesome! I get a pineapple and oranges and wax apples every time a go.  I tried to google the fruit to find out what they are called but I only found a few. So if anyone knows the names of them let me know. This is so fun!

Girls Day Out!



Miyuki and Michele



Real Mexican Food in Taiwan (the best we have found)



Shopping and Shopping and Shopping



Beautiful Sites to See!



 I have some very fun Friends here in Taiwan. They have taken me all over this place and shown me  fun places to go. With Jim working so much I have relied on these wonderful ladies quite a bit. With out them and others I would still be sitting on the couch eating peanut butter sandwiches all day. They have taken me under their wing and helped me transition to this strange new life in Asia. 

Northern Taiwan Beaches



Baishawan Beach

 Jim and I wanted to find a beach closer to our home in Taipei. We figured that there had to be beaches on the Northern side of the island and there are! We went to 2 of them this last weekend while he was home. I don't know the name of the first one we went to because it was so fun getting there. We had directions from the Internet to get to the beach. Let's just say they were NOT good directions. We got on a bus that ended up going to the bus barn. The we had to find someone who spoke English to help us find our way back OR to the beach. We ended up back on the street at the bus stop with someone we thought was helping us until HE got on a bus and drove off. Then I went into a store to find someone who spoke English. (no Luck) Then Jim went into the bank to find someone. He found someone who told him how to get back to the MRT but not the beach. We were standing there looking lost when the first bus driver came back around and stopped pulled over and wrote down the bus number we needed to get on.  Right then the bus was coming up the road so he stopped yelled at that  other bus driver to make sure he picked us up.  Finally we were on the right bus. ( we hoped) This bus kept going and going and we had no idea when to get off so we just kept riding and riding (we were not seeing any beaches anyway). Finally we saw a beach and got off the bus. We had gotten off to soon for the  beach we were looking for but we at least found A beach. So the next day we went back got on the right bus and got out at the right place for the beach we sat out to find the day before.  We felt really good about that. Every time we go looking for someplace new it is an adventure and not necessarily a good adventure.  Jim says life is an adventure and it sure is.

Amazing Taiwan Fruit



My Favorite Fruit Stand



YELLOW WATERMELON



The little green one is good but I dont know what it is.



The fruit here is amazing!  I am really enjoying it. We have a lady up the road from us that sells the best fruit around. She didn't want me to take a picture of her just her fruit but I did anyway. I don't even know what I am buying. I just pick up one or two of each kind of fruit and buy it.  Then after I wash it I finally cut it open to find out what it tastes like. I bought a big watermelon on the way home from the beach one day and cut it open and it was Yellow inside. It tastes like wonderful watermelon but it is yellow. The pineapple is great and so is the star fruit and passion fruit. I have eaten a little green fruit that is the size of a lemon, the color of a granny smith apple, with a pit inside.  They are really good but I don't know what they are called. I did buy one tomato that was not good so it ended up in the garbage. I get a good vegetable once in a while but I haven't had good luck with that yet. I see lots of veggies but I am not sure what I am supposed to do with them. So most of the time I just stick with the things I know.  I know one thing for sure. When I come home I will really miss this wonderful fruit.

Inside the Apartment

Upstairs





 Downstairs Yup that's it! Very Small

  

Our City Home

The Building



By the front door

 

One of the pools



Jetted  Chairs also heated in the winter



Torture Chamber



I Made It ....

Today I made it to the ROCK with out stopping to rest. I started up the road and there were 3 hikers in front of me. They stopped at the bottom of  the trail and I passed them and kept going because I normally make it further than that before I stop and gasp for air. Then I was determined not to let them catch up to me. For sure I couldn't let them to pass me.  I became very competitive with these people who didn't even know me or know that I was racing them. (Jim has rubbed off on me for sure) So I turn up the IPod and kept going. I was feeling good so I pushed on. I couldn't believe I was getting that far. Then I knew I could do it. I even danced a jig when I got there. No one was there to see it however!! Now what? Do I ever go again? Do I try to do it faster?  Will I make a new goal? Right now I am just tired and happy.

Orphanage

I have started a new adventure in Taiwan. I am now a volunteer at a baby orphanage. I went for the first time yesterday and I almost cried to see all these babies that had been given up for adoption. Some have problems and other are perfect little ones that for one reason or another have no one. When I heard about the program and I felt like that would be something I could do with my extra time. I am not allowed to take pictures or even give out the address of the place but it is a Christan run home that houses  up to 30 babies at a time. They range anywhere from newborn to age two. The lady said they are always full and need lots of help especially with the older more active babies. There are 4 different areas. Each with different age group of children. One room is just for the terminally ill or handicap children. I couldn't go in there too long this first time because I was tearing up to bad. I decided to help with one year old babies. We just played until one of the nurses came to get one of them and took them either to eat or put them in bed for a nap. These children are on a strict schedule. They eat and sleep at exactly the same time everyday. After all the the older children had gone to sleep I went upstairs to the newborn room. They are perfect beautiful children with tons and tons of long dark hair. Really cute! There I found the nurse feeding one baby while bouncing 2 others in chairs with her feet. I took one little boy and got him to sleep then moved to another. They really need the help there and I loved it. I cant wait to go back!