Our Favorite New Treat

This is Jim's (our) new favorite treat. It is a  flavored shaved ice with fresh fruit toppings. Pictured is our favorite one. It is Mango flavored shaved ice, topped with fresh strawberries, kiwi, and mango's and then to top it all off they add one scoop of real mango ice cream. It is awesome!  Before we came to Taiwan a friend in the neighborhood told us his favorite thing about Taiwan was the flavored ice so we looked for it when we got here. We have tried several different variations and places that sell this treat but this one is by far the best we have found! It is a place called Smoothies and it is right across the street from our MRT stop. In fact our bus stop is right in front of the restaurant. Jim has been known to hear it calling his name when ever we get close. So if that happens we always have to listen and go in to answer the call.

I Love You!

I left the apartment before Jim left to go to work today to go to the orphanage.  When I got home I found Love Notes All over the apartment!!! I found them on the mirrors, on the toilet paper and in the fridge. It was so cute. I Love you too!!!

Who Told Thee Thou Was Naked?

Jim was having fun one day on our hike. I guess he feels like Taiwan is like the Garden of Eden.

Another Girls Day..

Glass Art Museum in Bali




Camille and Michele at the Archeology Muesum

 



In Danshui we happened on a 100 year celebration. We were there to see a Dragon Boat coming into port after rowing for 10 days. There were 18 men on the boat and they had left Orchid Island 10 days before and were just getting to Danshui. There were tons of people there to greet them including the news media. They had 2 drum corps and traditional dancers there to greet them too. We were very lucky to just happen on the whole thing. Some of the men on the boat were very old. You could tell that they had done this to make themselves and their family proud. You could also tell it was a great honor for them to be the ones to up hold the tradition. The men in the boat were wearing the same outfits as the last picture of the little boys. Remember I said some of the men were very old.  Yeah, just picture it.




Right after the men got the Dragon Boat ashore it started rain HARD! We started walking back to the MRT but it was raining so hard we were getting soaked even with an umbrella. We ducked into a little restaurant to eat some lunch and hopefully wait out the rain. It was Japanese food. I got some kind of Pork and Kimshi with rice. It was really good. By the time we got through eating it wasn't raining so we started walking back and it started raining just as hard as before. We were slipping in our shoes but kept walking back. We were even singing "Singing in the Rain". Overall it was a great day full of beauty and fun!



My Birthday

I had a quiet Birthday this year. Jim was working so I just stayed home and hung around the pool swimming and reading and relaxing. It was a total Vickie kind of day. I got phone calls from my boys and from other family members and friends. (one of which told me some really great news. She is pregnant!) I received emails and birthday wishes posted on face book. I  got to talk to Jim on the web cam 2 times. AND I get to come home for a visit at the end of the month. So I have something really great to look forward to. Overall it was a very relaxing awesome day!

Finding cool places..

Every place that is shady or cool you will find kids dancing and getting together and just hanging out with each other. This picture was taken in the lower floor of the MRT Station.  We have also seen them outside under viaducts and out side of the monuments in the shady areas. Adults also gather in these same places to practice ballroom dancing, martial arts and play board games.    

I am a Taiwan Tour Guide

This is Stan and Angel. They are new to Taiwan and Jim asked me to show them around and help them get a MRT pass and help them learn how to use it. We did some site seeing and they took me to lunch. Stan is very picky about food and didn't want to try several restaurants. After a while I was able to talk him into trying something new.  FINALLY he decided to try Shabu Shabu. In the restaurant you are each given a big pot of boiling broth and then you add a variety of meats and vegetables to your pot and let it boil then take it out and eat it with rice and dipping sauces. You don't have to add anything you are not willing to try. They both LOVED IT! The only weird thing is that there were tons of these little tiny fish everywhere in the mixture. Stan kept telling me they must be crawling into the pot from under the seats. We figured out they were in the broth because we had ordered seafood so it came with a seafood broth. That was new for me to eat a whole fish head and all. We think they were dried fish in the broth then when the broth boiled they plumped up. That was weird for me but both of them love fish so they were good with it. At the end of the meal we had ice cream. They had found out it was my birthday the next day so they sang to me. The waiter was also singing and I kept thinking about the movie The Christmas Story when the Chinese waiters sang Christmas songs. I had three different accents singing happy birthday at once. I just laughed and loved it. I wish I could have recorded that for you to hear. It was priceless!

Jim at the Pool Relaxing....

Construction workers next door to our apartment taking a little break. ( notice the beer!!)

Jim forgot he was swimming and not at work and started watching the Non-working going on next door.



Still watching...



He obviously had to get a closer look. I was laughing so hard by this time. Jim doesn't know how to sit and relax so I sent him to Kentucky Fried Chicken for lunch.

This is the Taiwan version of mashed potatoes and gravy. In Taiwan they use spaghetti sauce instead of gravy. Jim said it is not too bad. The spicy chicken is great however!



He finally made it into the pool.





Me too....