It's Time!

Here in Taiwan 2/28 is a holiday. So, I called and made an appointment for our annual family portrait.  This year's theme is "Memories" and our verse is Eph. 2: 10


Here are some of the pictures we took with our camera --

Our photographer was super nice. We had three different backgrounds and he had us do so many poses. It's going to be very difficult to choose this year.

Can you guess why the theme is called "Memories"?

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Hairspray and Other Fun Things

What a fun day!  The kids are home on Thursday.  And we did NOT get much homeschooling done.  My nephew had his final rehearsal for the musical he is in and my sweet sister brought the computer there and skyped us. So, with her computer propped on a chair and us in the living room of our home here in Taipei, we were able to watch the entire show.  The reception was not too clear, but we enjoyed it immensely.
                This is Kurtis, my nephew, dressed in this colorful tan jacket. He plays the father of Tracy.

After watching the show, we had lunch.  Since the weather was so great, we decided to go out to play basketball at the River Park. The kids played basketball and I went for a run.



This evening while the kids were at their cram schools, I ran errands.

What a fun day!

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Our "New" Hairstyle!

Here are the pictures of the haircutting "result".

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Hair Cuts

After looking at my sister in law's great haircut -- nice, short and face framing style -- I went into our bathroom and cut my hair. The result was quite to my liking! 

This evening, my son approached me and asked, "Mom, do you have time to give me a haircut?"  So, I did.  He looks great. It takes longer to cut my son's hair because he is very particular.  I have tried taking him to a hairstylist, but he doesn't like it. The few times that we have gone, he has been quite disappointed -- mostly because they cut it way too short.  I wish this computer has a camera as I was hoping to post a few pictures.  Maybe this weekend!

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Computer Gone Haywire

My ASUS has gone haywire. Presently, I am using the MAC notebook from my dear sister, Annie. With this recent computer mishap, I might finally become a Mac user!!!  I might even venture out and get an iPhone or an iPad.  I might join the i-generation!

I must say -- this "old" Mac works quite nicely!  The keyboard, the screen... Hum???  I really might like this better...

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II Cor. 12: 7-10

This morning my main text was II Cor. 12: 7-10.



I asked those in the congregation to consider five key questions --

Who wrote this passage?
What do we know about this person? (See Acts 7: 57-8:3, 9:1-16; Phil. 3:4-6)
What did he understand about prayer?  (See Rom. 8:26-28)
What did he understand about God?  (See Eph. 3:20-21)
What was he going through in this passage?

Then I brought out three main points about God's grace --

God's grace is purposeful in our weaknesses -- We must Trust Him.
God's grace is perfected in our weaknesses -- We must Surrender to Him.
God's grace results in glorify God -- We must Rejoice in Him.

As we listened to a song by Selah, entitled, All My Praise, I invited everyone to consider in what present situations do we need to experience God's grace.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=83aQC5ko_94

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House Hunting

A dear couple has been in search of a place to buy.  Recently, I found a 4th floor apartment right near my house. In fact, I can stick my head out of the windows in my living room, call out her name and she can hear me from the back balcony of this place.  So, we went to look at it yesterday. 

It is on the 4th floor with a 5th floor add-on. So, there is a 'climb'.  The place will need some remodeling as the kitchen and the bathrooms will need some work.  But the place has lots of windows so it's nice and bright.  It is spacious with a total of 5 bedrooms.  There is no management fee.

The selling price is way too much.  It's almost 15 million NT$!!!! We are all praying.  Should they make an offer?  How much?

I sure would love for this couple to live near us.

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Back to School Night

What a night! 

Isaiah is the first group of students who will use the "new" way of entering high school.  And after what I heard tonight, it is totally confusing!

75,000 students will be trying to get into high school in the greater Taipei area, but there are only 19,180 spaces. This total includes vocational high school and high school.  That means only 26% of those taking the tests will get into a high school. 

I got home and talked with Alan for over three hours.

Our conclusion -- God will have to do a mighty miracle to open the way for Isaiah.

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Running in the Cold

Most of last week the weather was cold and rainy.  My body was still recovering and I didn't want to wear down my immune system.

Today, it was cold but it was not raining. So, after dropping off the kids, I decided it was time that I went for my prayer-run.  I didn't feel like going out there.  In fact,  I had on three thick layers.  When I first started, the cold air made it hard to breathe. But once I warmed up, it became quite pleasant to be out there.  I saw many of the familiar faces of people who often run pass me.  By the fifth kilometers, I had to stop to take off one layer.  The rest of the run was much faster than I had imagined. I even sprinted the last two kilometers. 

Being out there today helped me to realize a simple principle --

Sometimes, when you don't feel like doing something, it doesn't mean you should give up and not do it.  When you press through, you might end up enjoying the whole thing a lot more than when you first started it.  We shouldn't live by our feelings.  We shouldn't live by what is easy.  When I pressed my body to go out there and even when at first it was hard to breathe, at the end, I felt as if I could have kept running. When I came back into the warmth of our home, I was so glad that I went out there in the cold to run and pray.



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New Semester

I've been preparing for the start of this new school semester, trying to make things different. 

Tonight, we're going to play cards and gamble... I wanted to celebrate "Chinese New Year" with them as I am sure they are not ready to get back to "work". 

And the weather had been so nice, but TODAY, the weather changed drastically and the temperature dropped and the skies are gray...

I will ride my scooter and hopefully, none of my handouts will get wet.

And I hope my students will enjoy the start of this new semester and all the things I have planned! 

I know I am going to...



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Becoming More Savvy at Online Shopping

Last Saturday, I ventured out into the land of on-line shopping. 

Those of you who have been reading my blog postings, you know that we have been in search of a perfect sofa. Much of the research has been done via the internet.  I finally found our sofa and bought it on line!  The price was right and the people who delivered it were super nice and efficient.  And when I found a flaw and called them about it, they promptly got back to me and are in the process of arranging the delivery of a replacement...

My next purchase was a refrigerator. I was lured by the offer of a 1000NT$ Shopping Coupon. That brought the total price of the frig much lower than all the ones I had found.  I quickly ordered it --
ON LINE. My second purchase!

After my second bold purchase, I decided to call customer service, because I was on the verge of buying a washing machine and couldn't understand a few things about what was being advertised.  I soon realized that I should have done this earlier.

Here is what I have learned --

1.  Shopping coupons aren't what they seem to be.  Yes, they offer you 1000NT$, but you can only use 200NT$ each time.  So, you have 5 coupons for 200NT$.  BUT -- you can only use it for items that are more than 2000NT$.  That's not all.  You can only use the coupons for appliances AND you have only 10 days to use all five coupons. That means, I would have to buy five more appliances in the space of 10 short days and each appliance has to be more than 2000NT$.  So, the purchase of the refrigerator wasn't as great of a deal as I had initially imagined.

2.  Specially priced items aren't what they seem to be.  You have to read the fine prints on these items. Most of them are displayed items or items that have been returned. Yes, they supposedly work just fine but there might be a few scratches or "bumps and bruises" on the exterior of the machine.  These items also do not come with free installation.  You have to know how to install the item. They only deliver it to your step. You have to do the rest.

3.  On line prices might not be as low as they seem to be. I realized that it is very important to do an extensive price comparison before buying something on line. With the sofa, we had gone to several shops and then went on line. I had done the same with the refrigerator. In my excitement, I was going to buy a washer, but I hadn't done the thorough research.  Last night, I decided to go and see different models of washer at one of the stores near our house. It was an eye opener as there are some good deals, maybe even better than what I found on line. 

So, I have not purchase the washer or the dryer for the Danhsui house.  I am going to slow down and do some more research.  The refrigerator will be delivered on Friday, 2/21. The "coupon" that lured me into buying it in the first place can't be used until 3/25! 

I am becoming more savvy at online shopping.  By the way, did I mention the groceries I bought online?

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Border Tragedy

Since I had a free moment this afternoon, I went and read a few headlines in the local newspaper via the internet.

One particular item caught my attention.

On the border of Egypt and Israel in a small seaside town of Taba, a bomb was planted on a tourist bus that killed four and wounded all 33 people on board with 13 in serious condition.  The bus was filled with Christians from South Korea who had just been to Saint Catherine's Monastery in Mt. Sinai.  This group of Christians probably had climbed Mount Sinai in the wee hours and were heading back to Israel, going from the wilderness into the Promised Land.  I read that the trip was to mark the 60th anniversary of a church located near Seoul and many members had saved up for quite a while just to go and visit these well known Biblical sights.  According to the news report, the bus made an unscheduled stop at a café and that might be when the bomb was planted.

In 2008, when we went around the world, we had climbed Mt. Sinai and caught a small shuttle bus from Saint Catherine's Monastery to Taba.  Our kids almost died of dehydration and we rested in Taba before taking another small van to the border where we walked across into Israel.  When I saw the footages of this tragedy, I can recall exactly where the bus was parked when the bomb exploded.

I don't know those who were on that bus, but how I grieve with their families and friends.  Yes, the four who were killed have entered into the eternal Promised Land and are now with their Heavenly Father.  Yet, I am sure there will be many tears and questions for those in their church back in Korea.  How can those who love the LORD experience such a tragedy?  I don't have any answers.  I pray that God would minister to those whose hearts are hurting. I pray that God would minister to those whose body is in need of healing.  I pray that God would shine through this time of mourning... and in ways I cannot see possible, may He turn this mourning into glory to His Name.

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Getting Things Done!

Things are finally getting done.

We ordered the couch and it arrived today.

Last night we had the handy man here to install a new hot water heater.  We were getting about two minutes of hot water and then the water would turn cold. I had hoped to get it replaced before our trip to the States and receive 3000NT$ as subsidy for the new machine.  But, the job turned out to be more complicated as a hole had to be cut into our back window. So, we couldn't get anyone here.  (Before Chinese New Year, every body wants to buy a new sofa or get their house remodeled or updated.  It was very difficult to hire a handy man.)  Anyhow,  he came at 8:00 and was finished by 9:30. It cost more than I had expected, but still, compare to the States, it was very reasonable.  It's so nice to have a hot shower especially since the weather has been quite cold.

Classes start back tomorrow and I need to get my syllabus printed out. 

And yes, the list of things that I need to get done remains to be quite long.


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The Sofa

Well, we did it.

We bought our sofa.



This looks much grander than the real thing...

The sofa can become a sofa bed -- A double bed and a small twin!

The size is right as the handles on both sides can be removed!

Now, here is the kicker -- the price was originally NT$24,900 (830US$). It was reduced to NT$18,900 (630US$), but for a limited time, which was when I got on the internet this morning, the price was only NT$9,900 (330US$), including the cost of getting it to our house!

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Headaches and High Blood Pressure

Since coming back to Taipei, we've all had a slight headache. Maybe because it has been so cold in Taipei.  Or maybe we are all jet lagged.  After some rest, the kids and I have felt much better.  But Alan's headache just didn't go away and in fact, got worst.  So, today he went to see the doctor. His blood pressure was a bit high so the doctor gave him 7 days of medication to see if it would help his headache.  His heart beat was too fast and they asked him to fast for 12 hours and will do a blood sample tomorrow morning.  He has tried going to the pool to work off the headache. He has tried going for a run to sweat off the headache.  For me, I have not gone for any kind of a run in 7 days.  Either my body was feeling exhausted and I didn't want to overwork my body or there just wasn't time.

We are all going to bed early tonight and hopefully, we will all stay asleep. 

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The On-going Search for the SOFA

 Three different choices... three different measurements... three different prices... three different colors... three different companies...

What to do? 


Alan is trying to use the maps to "map out" what each one will look like in our living room.  By the time he had all three set out on the floor, he sat down and was in a state of confusion.  We looked at each other, I busted out in laughter, went and grabbed the camera, and took the picture.


Whatever we end up getting, it won't be here before the first week of March... We haven't ordered it yet... so... who knows when we will have the SOFA... The search goes on...

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I'm Back

I mean that in more ways than one --

I'm back in Taipei.

I'm back to blogging daily!

The last week in the States did indeed fly by.  On Feb. 9th, my dearest sister, Annie, drove us to LAX only to find out that our flight had been delayed due to the biggest snow storm in the past 45 years in Tokyo. Both airports were completely shut down and they gave people sleeping bags as all flights were cancelled.  It was 8:30 in the morning and the flight won't be departing until 1:30p.m.  So, they gave us meal coupons -- 25US$ per person.  Now, how in the world would we be able to eat 100US$ worth of food?  So, we had a brilliant idea. We'd go in and buy 50US$ worth of food and give it to Annie to bring back to enjoy. And we'd use the rest for our own meals.  I bought Panda Express and a vegetarian omelet plus pancake.  I went out and handed her the food and went back in through the long security line.  Unfortunately, the good food gave my sweet elderly Daddy George diarrhea!!! 

Now, back to the journey... we had no idea what would happen in Tokyo. Would we be asked to stay overnight?  We spent the food vouchers and boarded the plane. It was a long flight.  I still cannot sleep well on these flights.  The food is great. The entertainment was mostly repeats.  I wish they'd put more TV shows or had more TV selections, such as home improvement programs.  We landed in Tokyo and there were people with signs everywhere.  Our connecting flight was pushed back and we had one hour to catch it. Off we went to gate 59A and got there just before boarding time.  We arrived back at the Taoyuan International Airport at 10:40, went through custom and got our luggage. We caught the 11:40 bus back to Taipei.  At 12:45 we were standing in front of the Song Shan Airport in a slight rain, getting two taxis to get us back home. We stepped into our front door by 1:10a.m.  It would be a little more than 24 hours since we were in LAX.

We left things as is -- too tired to try to unpack. We found our toothbrushes and PJs and head off to bed.  At 7a.m. I woke up to call the school. The kids weren't going today. They needed the rest. So, we stayed home, unpacked and I went out to run errands and buy some groceries. It was freezing outside with a slight sprinkle.  I think I over-exhausted myself.  By Wednesday morning, after my time with the LORD, I came down with severe flu symptoms -- pounding headache, achy body, chills. I could not lift my head as the pounding was just horrible.  I stayed in bed and prayed.

God is faithful.  He healed me.

So, it's already Thursday, Feb. 13th, Taipei time. I got up at 3:30 in the morning and now sits in front of the computer, blogging again.

I'm back!

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One More Week ONLY

It is hard to believe that I have only one more week and we will be heading back to Taipei.  I am presently down in San Diego.  Last night we had a great get together with our HOP Family!  Jenny's son made beef noodles. I wish my stomach was bigger so that I can eat three bowls.  In the morning, I had lunch with my three best friends and the hours went by so fast.

What will this last week be like?

Getting together with people!

Helping out as much as possible!

Packing up the stuff!

Needless to say, the days will fly by all too quickly!

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