Chinglish: Danger due to Water Deep...

Back at the Market

I haven't hit the night market in a while. But decided to head over the Feng Jia. Every-time I go with new students they want me to eat stinky tofu. Even though I told them I have eaten 5 times already, they are never convinced. So once again I ate the stinky tofu. The photo to the left is a student and our Korean Intern buying some Pig's Blood.

Taichung Science Museum

I don't know why it took me 5 months to get to the science museum which I so after skateboard near, but I finally made it. Yea for Science!

They had many hands on exhibits some which I have seen already in the free museum in Kalamazoo, MI.

Human Pully System

This machine has you pull a bubble up around you. But it isn't easy you have to be good at it if you don't want it to pop*. I enjoyed many fun little activities and the time with the students I won't be seeing for a while.

Little Scouts Adventure

We spent the day with a couple old students for one last time before the headed off to Word Of Life Korea Bible Institute, the next day.

They had a little rock climbing wall up the side of the house. For us to start out the day.

Anyone who can ride the Unicycle to the end of the drive way gets a free one. We could barely ride it using the hand rail.

This is a Chinese Cobra and it is poisonous. It was slinking around in the rafters of the house.

We then headed out to the rivers, climbing rocks, jumping off of cliffs and stretching in the water.

After swimming in the river we headed to a old village that I went to a long time ago, but had no idea were I was the first time. Here is an early blog post of this village.

Thunder Storm overlooking Taichung, Taiwan

Today I got caught in the middle of a very bad thunderstorm. The rain blistered down on us with the wind blowing harshly against our umbrella. Walking home from the bus stop, I did all I could to keep my skateboard dry and my camera. By the time I got home, I was completely wet. It was as if I jumped into a pool with all my clothes on. But the weather was right. I have been wanting to get a photo from the roof of the apartment during a thunderstorm and got the chance when the rain died down a bit.

Taiwan Moon Festival

The Mid-Autumn Festival (中秋節), also known as the Moon Festival or Zhongqiu Festival is a popular harvest festival celebrated by Chinese, Taiwanese, and Vietnamese people. Dating back over 3,000 years to moon worship in China's Shang Dynasty, it was first called Zhongqiu Jie (literally "Mid-Autumn Festival") in the Zhou Dynasty.^[1] In Malaysia, Singapore, and the Philippines, it is also sometimes referred to as the Lantern Festival or Mooncake Festival.                                          

The Mid-Autumn Festival is held on the 15th day of the eighth month in the Chinese calendar, which is in September or early October in the Gregorian calendar. It is a date that parallels the autumnal equinox of the solar calendar, when the moon is at its fullest and roundest. The traditional food of this festival is the mooncake, of which there are many different varieties. The Chinese festival is very traditional and a great way to celebrate.

When an old man begged for food, the monkey gathered fruits from the trees and the otter collected fish, while the jackal wrongfully pilfered a lizard and a pot of milk-curd. The rabbit, who knew only how to gather grass, instead offered its own body, throwing itself into a fire the man had built. The rabbit, however, was not burnt. The old man revealed himself to be Śakra and, touched by the rabbit's virtue, drew the likeness of the rabbit on the moon for all to see. It is said the lunar image is still draped in the smoke that rose when the rabbit cast itself into the fire. (image from wiki)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mid-Autumn_Festival

In my apartment complex, each building organizes their own food and eats together. We showed up a little late and got the left overs. The courtyard was crowded with people who live in the buildings around me listening to music with major echo effect on their voices. The smoke from all the grilling and worship has tainted my laundry hung out on my balcony and also the inside of my home.

Jake picking up the left overs. (Photo Below) We later went on the roof, to eat our moon cakes, looking at the moon, and watching some of our neighbors setting off fireworks. Later they got kicked off the roof for setting the fireworks off up there. Just before we showed up with our fireworks.

Learning Chinese

This is a picture of my Chinese teacher (on the right) with Anne Marie who takes classes with me. (by taking classes together we cut the price in half for each of us). I have classes once a week and try to study on my own every night depending on how busy I am with SYME.

Skating with Andy

Andy Learned how to ollie a 4 stair for the first time. His English has improved a lot since I first met him also. I am going to begin meeting with him once a week to disciple him, teaching him more about God's Word.

Video of Riding a Scooter in Taiwan

Riding a scooter in Taiwan can be pretty crazy at times (though not displayed to much in this video). Scooters don't follow the normal car rules, and many times will go through red lights, weave in and out between cars and speeding by zig zagging around cars.

Modern Toilet

There is a place in Yi Zhong (一中）called Modern Toilet. Known for there decorations of toilets and bath tubs instead of the normal dinning room table and chairs. You sit on these toilets eating over the bathtub. The food dishes served to you resemble other gross things that might be common to be in the toilet. I didn't order any food, so I don't have those photos. But I enjoyed taking a nice look inside the restaurant.

New Apartment

This next term, because of the way things work out with the dorm sizes, Jake and I needed to move (to the 10th floor). We changed the girls dorm to a guys dorm and also got rid of two other dorms. We had to move many beds and other furniture to clean out the old locations.

My new view. Now I can see down the street, before I could only see the courtyard.