following an unknown path

apricot chicken delight

The first half of this semester was hard.  Weird schedule, lots of new pressures and responsibilities, and a lack of energy.

Unfortunately lack of energy is a vicious cycle--no energy to cook good stuff = eating out; eating out = not always eating the best foods; not eating healthy = no energy. 

So, during the midterm week, when I wasn't grading tests or catching up on laundry.  I searched for some recipes to turn into the 30 meals project that Carrie, my RA in college (well, and my college roommate's sister-in-law) told me about on this post. (BTW, thanks Carrie!!)

My requirements were that the recipes:

• could be made in less than 20 min,
  
• needed to be low-carbish,
  
• needed to delight mine and my husband's taste buds, and
  
• could be made with things easily found in Taiwan.

Finding meals that meet all four requirements was no small task!

Although Lawrance is generally easy going and not too picky about food, finding things we both love to eat often has proved to be a challenge. 

So, my first recipe test was something I found at Cooking During Stolen Moments: Apricot Chicken.

It was SO easy and best of all packed full of flavor!!  

I kinda went a bit overboard using freshly cracked black pepper and might have used extra garlic--so our's was not only tangy, but spicy too--she does say to season to taste. :)

This is probably the least low-carb recipe I collected since it uses apricot jam, but it is definitely something I'll be making again before too long. 

Side-note to anyone in Taiwan wanting to give this a try: I used half of a jar of Carrefour brand apricot jam (french name on bottle) to cover 6 chicken breast quarters.

living my dream (aka: doing my man's laundry)

Summer vacation is not here for me quite yet.  Grades are due this Friday.  And, Lawrance just started working full time two weeks ago (YAY!!  PTL for his new promotion from part-time teacher to director of the English program!!) .

Everyone keeps asking me what I'm doing for my summer break.  I reply "just being a housewife." 

Without exception every Taiwanese friend, student, and stranger I've had this conversation with then expresses their sympathies for me, trying to cheer me up.

What they don't realize is that I need no cheering up.  I am SO looking forward to the month of July where I get to be a full time housewife for the first time in my life.  I've already enjoyed these past two weeks of laundry and washing dishes . . . it's so much easier and more enjoyable when I can do it during my day as time allows and as my work for the day rather than as a chore I must squeeze in before going to work.

They don't get it.

 I don't know.  Maybe you won't either . . . maybe you think, "silly girl, wait to you've done ten (twenty, thirty) years of your man's dirty laundry--then we'll talk about the 'joy' you have then."

They also worry about me being lonely being home alone all day.  How could I possibly look forward to being home alone all day with nothing to do but take care of the home? 

Depending on the situation and/or depth of the relationship, I will remind them that not too long ago I was living alone all day everyday.  Now, I have someone to anticipate coming home to me.  Now, I get to eagerly wait for him to call me and return back to me.  It's WAY better than living alone 24/7. 

 And, crazy as it may sound, it is way more fun to clear the table, change the sheets, dust the furniture, or what-have-you when I know I am blessing someone else.  When it was just me living here . . . OH it was SO miserable "keeping house." 

I hated it with a passion. 

I secretly wondered if I'd even make a good wife.  My married friends were able to manage their households of 3 or 4 or 5 . . . . and me?  well, I was struggling with my little household of 1.  :( 

I know I wouldn't score perfectly in housekeeping 101 (I thank God my hubby is so patient and understanding), but I do know (again, crazy as it may sound) keeping house is a lot more fun and rewarding and joyful when I'm not the only one making the messes. ;)

So, yes, I totally look forward to a "boring" summer of being a stay-at-home wife.  I'll be honest: it almost feels as if I get to "play" at being a house keeping wife.  I'm all giddy and happy about it.  Is it weird that I feel that way?

And, actually, it feels like I'm getting to live my dream.  For the latter half of my 20's I dreamed about being married . . . I longed to have someone's socks to wash and underwear to fold.  

Speaking of . . . I think there's a basket a clean laundry awaiting me in the other room right now as I speak!

apartment tour: our living room

In my opinion, our living room is comfy.  We've not finished decorating it yet.  We have a few more pillows to add.  And, the things along the wall with the TV aren't permanent.

We are blessed by having a huge window in our living room.  And, it has a "window seat"/ledge.  Of course it is too scary to actually sit on since we live on the 7th floor and it is ALL WINDOW. :)  So, we keep wedding photos on it.

 If you were to sit on it and look out across our home, this is what you'd see.

We keep two baskets by the front door.  One for guest slippers and one for Gilby's toys (which he has too many of and needs to declutter).

In between the living room and dinning area is a "little hallway" to the bedroom.  Next to the front door in this little hallway is our shoe cabinet.  And. here it is open and closed.

Here is a close up of the things hanging on the walls in our living room in addition to our new wall hanging that is. 

And that's all for now.  We have a guest bedroom, a study, and a hall bathroom too, but they are still in need of a bit of "spring cleaning" that will hopefully take place this summer.  So, that would make it summer cleaning, but that just sounds so totally wrong!  Anywho, thanks for coming along this week and touring our home from afar!  :D

apartment tour: our master bathroom

Like I mentioned yesterday, I totally love our tiny tropical master bathroom.

All our monkey stuff came from my bridal shower in the States--from my aunts.  

When one of my aunts asked me about the back story of the monkeys my simple answer was "I took my kid brother to help me register. :)

I later double checked with Law about the monkeys and he LOVED them too.  

So . . . as a result, this room saw the largest transformation due to marriage. :)

It truly is tiny. :) (The photo's kinda blurry. oops.)

Some of the really cute monkey stuff. :)

When I visited Japan, every home I stayed in had a calendar hanging across from the toilet.    I have NO clue if it was just coincidence or if it is an actual Japanese cultural thing.

However, I kinda liked the idea. So, every time you hear nature's call you can review your monthly appointments. :)

Can you see why I love it?  Isn't it SO cute?? :) 

Tomorrow, the last day of our apartment tour, I'll show you around our living room.

apartment tour: our master bedroom

We've not hung anything on our bedroom walls yet . . . it is on my to do list . . . maybe this summer.

The doorway to our bedroom is kinda unique.  It opens right up into the bathroom and to the left is the bedroom.

My bedroom used to be light tan and blue.  In order to keep most of the decorations that I have (lamps, wall hangings, flowers) but make it a bit more masculine, we decided to juts change the bed linens.  When I was back in the States, I fall in love with this duvet cover that added a dark brown.  So, my best friend gave us the duvet cover as a wedding gift.

Our closets.  Unlike in America, they are not built in.  Here is a little confession . . . I take up two and a hallf, Lawrance only takes up half of one . . . poor guy.  However, he does get twice as much dresser drawer space--so maybe it's fair after all. Nah . . . it's probably not! :)

Here is totally boring photo . . . but this is what you can see from the bed.  It is our dresser and make up table.  Along with our laundry baskets.  I'm not sure where I got the idea from, but we sort our dirty laundry as we throw them into the right hamper--lights, darks, and towels/sheets.  (I don't like the baskets out in the open, but it is practical and there is no where else for them to go.)

And, that's it for our very simple master bedroom. :)  Tomorrow, I'll show you our tiny tropical master bathroom that I just LOVE! :)

apartment tour: our kitchen

Welcome to our tiny kitchen.  It is literally about 2-3 foot wide to about 7-8 foot long.  We can stand side by side, but passing each other to get back and forth is not easy.

It didn't take long for me to begin to despise what I once appreciated . . . kitchen counter space!!! 

At first I was SO happy with the counter top space.  Very quickly I began to complain again that they were too small.

If you are standing at the door way to the kitchen, this is what you will see:

Stepping past the new fridge, you'll see the sink with the dish dryer over it.  Of course if you want see exactly this view, you're going to have to step outside onto our porch. 

Turning around to the left, you'll see this on the right:

and this on the left.  It is our "pantry."  And, yes, it is all totally open--no pantries are needed when you shop fresh at the market daily (which I don't, so hence the need for a pantry).

At the end of the kitchen, if you turn around, you'll see this.

Right behind our sink are double glass doors leading to our laundry porch.
  

And if you come back to the kitchen doorway and look the other way, you'll see where we eat. That's our bedroom door in the background.

This photo taken from our bedroom doorway shows the kitchen/dinning room table and cabinet where we store all the dry baking goods and Lawrance's snacks as well as keep our rice cooker, little oven, and cookbooks.

There are some random facts about our kitchen here.   And, if there's anything else you wanna know, just ask. :)

Up tomorrow is a look at our master bedroom.  See you then!

apartment tour: from the front door

My mom and sister have both been asking for photos of our apartment.  So, I took a few.  And thought I'd share them this week.

Standing from the front door here is what you can see . . .

Looking right:

Looking a little less right:

Looking straight ahead:

Looking kinda left:

And, looking very left:

Coming up next . . . our kitchen.

And, here is what our apartment looks like empty; taken two years ago before moving in.

my first birthday married

I made the traditional birthday cake for my mom's side of the family.  It is a peppermint cake.  It is really easy--add a few drops of green food coloring and a 1 teaspoon of peppermint oil to "white" or plain cake batter.  Layer with chocolate frosting and crushed peppermints.  DELICIOUS!!!

But . . .  there was one huge disappointment . . . the "peppermints" I bought here in Taiwan had some extra "flavor" (menthol).  That's just not right on a birthday cake!! :)

My birthday present was the purse sitting behind the flowers . . . I got to pick  it out. 

And, on the Saturday before my birthday, Lawrance came home with the flowers.  At that time all the lilies were closed.  It was fun watching them one by one throughout the week.  He is SO thoughtful!! :)

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And, Lawrance took me out to a stake place called "Tasty."  They have a set meal that is 7 courses--for most of the courses you get to choose between 2 or 3 items.  It was very nice! 

I think they have some of the best wait staff in Taiwan. 

Not all of the courses and also not in the correct order, but to give you the basic idea . . .

Maybe not the best dessert they have but definitely the coolest (as in most unique) is a fried chocolate wanton that you break and pour over vanilla ice cream.  Then you get to eat the rest of the fried chocolate wanton.

a wonderful wedding gift

We got some amazingly creative wedding gifts that I will share details of with you a bit later.  Today, I just wanna celebrate our biggest gift of all. . . . a new fridge!! :)

Many friends and family (on both sides of the ocean) graciously gave us cash as a wedding gift.  It is the traditional wedding gift in Taiwan, but not so in America.  However, we are very thankful for all our American friends and family understanding that many traditional wedding gifts from a registry in America would have been quite impractical. (Nevertheless we did register for a few items for our home, and I know my mom and sister would love to see what they look like in place, so I'll do that a bit later too.)

Boy, I am gabby today!! :)  Guess I must be excited. ;)

So . . . now . . . . for the grand revealing . . . .our beautiful new fridge that arrived yesterday: 

Although it fits perfectly in the "fridge spot," from this photo it seems to dwarf our entire kitchen! :) 

The fridge part is on top (which I LOVE).  I love being able to stare directly into the fridge part.  Before we had a freezer top fridge, so I had to lean over and down to look into it.

Then below the two door fridge, there are two sections that pull out.  The middle section is for fresh fruit and veggies (a huge crisper, I guess).  And the bottom is the freezer.

So, instead of shelves, it is kinda like a top loading deep freeze--just pile and stack.  I really like it.

Here are some shots I took last night of the inside of our new fridge--this might be the only time I ever show you the inside . . . so make sure you take advantage of this once in a lifetime opportunity. ;)  (Clicking the photos will take you to their flickr page.)

 

                   

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And, here are a few photos taken before new fridge's arrival:
   

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And, here is how the little black fridge became black . . .

This fridge was nearly 20 years old.  It was given to me when I first moved to Taiwan.  Some missionaries on the island were leaving to go back to the States and were giving it away. 

Some other missionaries that knew I was coming took it and kept it for a few months, then when I arrived they gave it to me. 

I love the way the missionaries I've met here take care of one another and bless each other by sharing not only material stuff but of their time and care too.  God is good.

We loved little black, but he was not working quite as hard as he once was. Sometimes he would forget to work at all, and at other times he would work so hard EVERYthing--even the eggs in the fridge door--would be frozen! 

He did quit working all together back in 2006, but then he came back on.  I know it sounds weird or insanely selfish to some that God would care about insignificant me and my stupid old fridge, but I honestly believe that God caused it to work again.  He cared for the widow and her son by causing her oil to run over; he cared for me by allowing a broken machine to keep running for three more years.  He is a God who cares about us and meets our physical needs.  What a great God we serve!!

our wedding reception in the states

Our Taiwanese marriage covenant ceremony is less than 19 days away. So, I thought I should finish up writing about our American wedding before the Taiwanese one happens.

Therefore this week will be full of posts about the various special moments from our American wedding reception. 

We had a blast, and we enjoyed every minute.  

Also, I just wanted to offer . . . if you have any questions about the reception or wedding in America or about the upcoming Taiwanese ceremony and banquet ask those questions here on this post, and I will try to answer them either later this week or next week.

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Here is a tiny preview of what's to come this week . . .

Don't you just LOVE all that color?  We wanted it to be a joyful, happy celebration . . . and that's what we got!! :)

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I only have three "regrets" in regards to the reception . . .

(1) we didn't get a chance to tell everyone thank you for coming.  We ended up leaving earlier than planned because most of the guests needed to drive an hour or more to get home, and they were wanting to get home before it got too late. So, we didn't get a chance to get to every table to say thanks.

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(2) we never played our "game" that my PawPaw made for me.  We didn't have a DJ, and I didn't exactly give the best directions to the person I asked to help with the game, so it just never happened.  And, it just makes me kinda sad that my grandfather spent time and money to make this awesome game that never got to be played. 

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(3) and, last but not least, I wish our "guest book" (photo mat) had been either announced or in a better location, not even half of the guests signed it. :(  I made my dad and brother sign it later after we got back from the honeymoon.

a great surprise

I found these in my desk chair on Friday . . .

I was so totally surprised that I actually cried. 

He choose purple flowers because our Taiwanese marriage covenant ceremony is using the color purple.  And, he knows I don't care for roses. :)

Perfect! 

And, he left them in the perfect place too.  There could have been no better place where he could have left them for me to discover. :)

Thank you, Honey!!! :)

red bombs

Tuesday night we folded, stuffed, and addressed all the Taiwanese wedding invitations.  We are still missing a few addresses . . . but this is one major "to do" that we got done. :)  YAY!!!

Our invitations to the Taiwanese ceremony and banquet are traditional Taiwanese in style . . . and yes, they are red with gold lettering.  Lawrance's parents picked them out.

The inside wording follows the traditional form and announces that an oldest son will be marrying an oldest daughter.  And, we chose to go with Chinese only for these invites.

Oh, yeah, and, like most Taiwanese wedding invitations, they are scented too. 

In Taiwan, wedding invitations are known as "red bombs" because receiving one means you must now "pay money" (wedding gifts are not given, but red envelopes with cash inside are given ).  I think it is kinda sad that, like children, wedding celebrations are considered a burden and not a blessing.  Don't get me wrong, Taiwanese people love weddings . . . but to have the first gut reaction to be "oh no, a red bomb" . . . well, that's just sad.

Anywho, I guess this week are bombing close friends and family in Taiwan.

putting on "the dress" and other bridal details

Finding a modest wedding dress is NOT easy!!  There are many more choices online than there are in the stores. . . but after just a few hours of trying on dresses, I realized how VERY important it is to actually try on the dress.  Especially when the wedding day is less than 60 days away. :D

So, what I ended up with is perhaps not one I would have picked had I had more time to be selective (picky), but I learned to love it and am happy with this choice.  And, I was also very grateful that it fit without alterations; the only alterations needed were to add the bustle to the train.  Oh, yes, and we added cap sleeves that I taped with body tape to my shoulders to keep in place and give just a little more coverage.

Lawrance was totally unfamiliar with the "can't see the dress before the wedding" tradition in America . . . and not very happy about it either. He kept begging to see the dress.  The dress hung in a bag on my bedroom door for a week before the wedding . . . he was very tempted to unzip the bag and take a peak. 

But somethings are worth waiting for. Later, he told me that he thought the wedding dress is like wrapping paper on a present.

The Dress:

Mom and Sarah helping me get dressed:

Mom reassuring me (I love the look on her face here):

Everyone helping out:

I also took a few bridal shots before the wedding since I hadn't done that earlier:

Some of the bridal details . . .
The pearl earrings I wore were the same ones one my mother wore on her wedding day.  My paternal grandmother had given them to her upon my parents' engagement. 

The necklace, was my "something borrowed," it also belongs to my mom.  My dad gave it to her this past Christmas.  I liked that it was simple and elegant. Just a single drop pearl on a 

The strand of tiny pearls around my wrist was my "something old."  My mom had a broken pearl necklace that had belonged to her paternal grandmother (my great grandmother).  Lawrance and I restranded the smallest of the pearls into a bracelet. I was so afraid it might break (they holes were very tiny so we had to use really skinny string) and that 60 precious little pearls would spill everywhere.  But, it didn't.

And, my shoes . . . cuz I wanted to go barefoot but that didn't please the groom . . . I compromised and wore sandals that I found at walmart for next to nothing . . . and that Lawrance absolutely loved. :)  So, all was good there.

And the lace on the dress . . . that was probably my favorite part of the whole dress . . . the train was lace!!

Yay!!  all ready . . . now let's get this party started!!   Bring on the groom . . .

a random meme

A month ago (I'm just a little behind), I was tagged by both Deborah and Lindsey--one loves missions and used to be an MK teacher and the other is a new-to-the-field missionary in the Ukraine! 

This meme is to share 7 random facts about myself to my bloggy friends.  Well, I feel like I've shared so many random things about my life in the last two and a half years there is little left to disclose to the public.  So, here are 7 random facts about me, that I've shared before but perhaps you didn't catch or don't remember.

1. Even though I now call Taiwan home and love living here very much, when I first came to Taiwan in 1997, I didn't really like it very much due to some intense culture shock.

2. I love green tea flavored stuff (for the most part)!!  I've even had the world's best green tea ice cream in the world's tallest building.

3. I am incredibly logical--sometimes this annoys the people who love me most especially since I also tend to be very stubborn firm in my beliefs.

4. I am a self-confessed bibliophile--not just a reader, a book-lover.

5. I've never had a "first kiss" (or a second one for that matter) . . . well, at least not yet.

6. If I'm going to enjoy an Oreo, I prefer it frozen and then dipped in milk. (I started keeping Oreos in the freezer as a way to keep the ants away, and now there is no turning back.  They are best frozen, I promise.)

7. I love oatmeal. It makes me happy. I could eat it for any meal of the day or for breakfast every day of the week for months at a time.  But I don't like it plain--I like it with cinnamon and either with raisins or peanut butter . . . or baked!

Just in case these 7 were too normal or things you already knew and remembered about me . . . here are 8 more random things about me and 8 random facts about my kitchen.

I'm tagging: Sandy, Cahleen, Char, Jen, Michelle, Tabetha, and Sarah
But, of course yall are under no obligation to post if you don't wanna. :)

Here are the "rules" for this meme:
1. Link your tagger and list these rules on your blog.
2. Share 7 facts about yourself on your blog, some random, some weird.
3. Tag 7 people at the end of your post by leaving their names as well as links to their blogs.
4. Let them know they are tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.

the sweet note

I mentioned awhile back my birthday ended on a sweet note.  Well . . . here is the sweet note:


I was given birthday flowers. Aren't they beautiful!?!?!

The rose buds kept opening up all week long.  It was so neat.  And, those little "firecracker flowers" (as Ashley called them) were so fun.  I'd never seen anything like them.  Anyone know what they really are called in English?

fun with my camera on a stick

I've been using the xshot (a telescoping camera extension thingee) all of you helped me to win quite a bit recently.  I keep it and my camera always in my purse. 

Whenever I get it out to use, my friends are amazed and very intrigued.  It makes picture taking fun.  It has also attracted quite a few funny looks from passersby.

I use it in two basic ways.  One, we either are just totally random, set the timer, push the shutter button, extend the camera and wait.  Or in the other way, I will use it more like a tripod--let my friend hold it while I set the timer and make sure everyone is inside, then press the shutter button and run to get inside the photo too.

The only complaint I have with my xshot is that sometimes the telescoping parts get stuck inside the other telescoping parts.  Maybe I should try some WD-40 on it. 

Anyway, just thought I'd say thank you once again to all of you who helped me to win this really cool gadget.  I enjoy being able to use it. :)

Below are a few of the photos I've taken using my nifty little xshot.

the truth about straightening curly hair

On the 17th of Jan, I straightened my hair.  So, I've lived with straight hair for a little over a month now.

So, I thought it about time to answer some of the questions I've been asked about straightening curly hair for all you curious minds out there. :)

How long will it last?
Well, hair wants to be straight.  So, unlike a perm, straightening hair will stay straight. In other words, it won't "relax."  The only way I get my curls back is for them to grow back.

Did you do it yourself, or did you have it done?
I went to a salon near my home.  She first relaxed the curl.  That wasn't enough, so she relaxed it again.  Then she straightened with it with an iron, and then applied the perming solution.  The whole process took over four hours.

If you don't dry your hair, will it dry straight?
Yes.  I did this one day just to answer your question.  It still dries very straight, which is weird for me.   But, if I happen to stick it behind my ear then that little piece of hair will dry with a bend in it.

How does it look after you wake up. Is it frizzy at all?
Nope.  I can brush it and go. 

Which one is harder to take care of--curly hair or straight hair?
By far straight hair is much more inconvenient.  There seems to be less to do with board straight hair.  Pony tails and clips just fall right out (my hair is really thin).  So, for now it is either all down or in a headband.  Also, it must be combed and brushed on a regular basis, and you have to take the time to dry it.   With curly hair, it is wash, comb and go.  Don't touch again till you are putting it up or washing it again. And when the wind blows?  Curly hair doesn't fly into your face, straight hair does.

Do people think you look more Asian now?
I have had a few people make comments along the lines that straight hair does make me look more Asian. However, the most common reaction though from among my Taiwanese coworkers and friends is that now I am more "lady like." Before, apparently my curls made me more 活潑 ("wa paoh" or "hou po), which is defined as "lively; vigorous; vivacious; vivid; agile; animated; brisk; breezy; bright; cheery; spry."  The other comment is that I now look much younger.  Hmm . . . younger and more lady like?  Ok.  Whatever floats your boat.

Would you do it again?
As in, if you could do it all over again, would you?  Probably yes.  I've enjoyed the change.  As in, will you keep straightening it?  No.  I like my curls and want them back.  They are an intricate part of who I am.

Other things I've noticed: Gray Hair
For the first week, I saw gray hairs every where.  Here's my theory on why: First, gray hair has a different texture, so it needed more relaxant than the brown ones, so they were a little curly still.  Second, they weren't as long as the majority of brown hairs, so they were easier to stand out.  Third, with curly hair, hairs hang out together with friends in ringlets.  This allowed the gray hairs to hide themselves amongst their younger friends. (I was going to prove my point with a picture, but decided it wasn't the best idea after all.  So, just use your imagination, ok?)

Other things I've noticed: Greasy
My sister used to complain about greasy hair . . . as a curly girl, I just didn't get it.  Now I do.  Oil from your scalp likes to coat your hair.  But, oil has a hard time running down curly locks.  This is reason number one why moisturizing well is a priority for anyone with natural curly hair.  So, just like I never blew my hair dry before straightening it, I also never had "grease hair" before either. 

Other things I've noticed: Using a Curling Iron
I've used a curling iron on my new straight hair to add in some big curls.  Before long the curls had fallen out.  It was a weird feeling to watch curls not be able to stay in my hair.  I like the big curls and have considered possibly perming my hair as my roots get longer. (Even in this picture, you can see them starting to fall out.)

Things I worried about: My Roots
Yeah, my hair is starting to grow out.  I currently have about half an inch to an inch of wiry roots.  It is not as bad as I thought it would be, but it does make my hair look a little frizzy around the part line.  Still a concern of mine; still not sure what I'm gonna do when it turns to two, three, or four inches of "wire."

Things I worried about: Missing my Curls
Yes, I miss them.  But, it took about three weeks before I missed them.  And, I only miss them when I see pictures of my curly-haired self with a good hair cut.  I sigh and then think, "how long till that can come back?"

What I like Most about My Straight Hair:
I love the length.  More than it being straight, I love that it is long.

So, that's it for now--my "one month later update."  Any thing else you wanna know about straightening curly hair? 

the move to tainan

Here is all my stuff packed up before the move:

I kept asking myself where did ALL this stuff come from while I was packing.  It is amazing how fast we accumulate stuff!!

The mover guys wrapped some of my furniture in plastic before putting it on the truck.  They said this would help protect it.

Then, they loaded up the truck. 

The one picture I don't have but would love to show you is how they moved all this stuff.  They hoisted it onto their backs and carried on their backs.  It's an amazing thing to watch.

~*~*~*~

Ok, so moving day was Aug 15th.  And, besides just not having time to write about it and not having the battery charger for my camera. . . it took me this long to write about it because it was a HARD day.  And, I refused to write about it when the hurt was still fresh.  I needed some perspective first.

I don't think a single piece of furniture escaped from the move unharmed.  Each piece had a bump or scratch somewhere.  The dinning table and chairs got the worst of it and the scratches are obvious, but the rest of the scratches are now minimal and you'd have to know where to look. 

I kept telling myself over and over the day of and week after the move "hold loosely to the things of this world."

Even though I was warned, I was still caught in a scam.  Not going to go into details, but do want to say, if you are moving in Taiwan and using a moving company . . . go only with a company that someone personally used and now recommends.

Oh, and it started to rain because a typhoon was coming in.  So, there was lots of wet stuff and soggy boxes to take care of.  Just more stress to deal with.

Moving day was just one long exhausting day--physically and emotionally!  And, I'm glad it is now just history. :)

my amazon wishlist

Care to guess how many items are on my amazon wishlist?

Here are some hints:

The list is mostly books, but there are a few DVDs and board/card games on there as well. 

The books range from children's books, to books for professional development (EFL teaching), non-fiction Christian books, cookbooks, novels--both classics and new, and other non-fiction books about things I am (or have been) interested in.

The item on my wishlist the longest was added on September 3, 2000.

whatever my God ordains is right

Whatever my God ordains is right
In His love I am abiding
I will be still in all He does
And follow where He is guiding
He is my God, though dark my road
He holds me that I shall not fall
And so to Him I leave it all

Whatever my God ordains is right 
He never will deceive me
He leads me by the proper path
I know He will not leave me
I take content, what He has sent
His hand can turn my griefs away
And patiently I wait His day

. . . read the rest

This beautiful seventeenth-century hymn is on Sovereign Grace's latest CD: In a Little While, a father and son project.  I love the gentle melody and simple but powerful truth of this song! Plus it matches my path theme. ;) 

I've listened to it over and over.  What a great addition to my "Trusting God Playlist" (which started after reading about Carolyn McCulley's list)!

You can listen to a minute long clip of the song online.

To give credit where credit is due: the original was written in German by Samuel Rodigast in 1676. Catherine Winkworth translated it to English in 1863.  Then, Mark Altrogge updated the English for the CD and wrote new music for the song.

random facts about my kitchen

Proverbs31 from Bringing Good Home has tagged me in a meme and since this is a four-day weekend for us here in Taiwan, I have time to actually do it. :)

Even though it is a rather simple meme--list 8 random things about your kitchen and/or cooking--I still couldn't follow directions.  I listed 11.

1. I love cooking with a wok and couldn't imagine kitchen life without one. 

2. I am very (VERY) excited about my new kitchen.  It actually has some counter space.  My former kitchen's counter space was only large enough to hold a small dish drying rack.

3. My dishes are black. All my glasses and most of my cooking utensils are red.  I covered my previous kitchen cabinets with black contact paper and painted my fridge black too. My red and black scheme don't quite work in my new white and blue kitchen.

4. I don't have a dishwasher.  And, I hate washing dishes.  Not a good combo.  I do, however, have a dish dryer--a built-in, over the sink, dish drying tray that will blow/heat my dishes dry.

5. I love my Chinese knives.  Chop! Chop! Chop!  They are wonderful.

6. I am swapping cooking lessons with my neighbor/friend.  She teaches me to make Chinese food, and I am teaching her some American dishes.  This weekend, I was teaching her how to make french toast and fry bacon.  I told her I would also show her how to make grilled cheese sandwiches, mashed potatoes, and omelets.  Her response: "Oh!  Goody!  I just love knowing how to cook exotic foods!"  Who knew that mashed potatoes and grilled cheese sandwiches were exotic! :)

7.The burners on my two-burner stove are shaped to hold a wok.  So, when I do use a skillet, it has a hard time staying balanced on the burner. 

8. The flame that comes out of my gas stove is HUGE.  I love it.

9. My oven sits on top of my fridge.  Ovens are not common here, so my little oven which holds one pan at a time is a luxury item.  I once baked 156 mini-cupcakes 12 at a time in my beloved little oven.

10. I can cook with chopsticks (which is totally not impressive if you live in Asia).

11. Another main difference between American kitchens and Taiwanese kitchens is the height of the counters.  They are much (MUCH) lower here (it makes sense that shorter people need lower counters).  I find myself leaning over a lot in the kitchen--especially when washing dishes.  So, if I have quite a few things to wash, I bring in a stool and sit down to wash them.

I am not tagging anyone specifically, but I'd love to hear about other people's "international kitchens"--either Americans living abroad or non-American kitchens.  But those with American kitchens in America are still welcome too. :)

If you do play along, leave your link, and I'll add it to this post.