I don't have much time . . . but I did just want to shout from the mountain tops that my sister gave birth to a BEAUTIFUL 12 pound 4 oz baby boy on Thursday, August 27!! He shares his birthday with two of his great-grandmothers!!
Welcome to the world Clayton Joe!!
I'm in love with this newest little guy!!!
I can't wait to snuggle with him . . . I just hope he hasn't lost his precious baby smell by the time I get to hold him!!
One of our favorite restaurants is called DuDu Cafe. It is a family style restaurant that serves food that is most similar to Chinese dishes you might find in the States.
Here's what we had. . .
{bamboo shoot, served cold}
{cashew chicken}
{kung pao chicken}
{pumpkin seafood soup}
{beef with green peppers}
Now do you see why we like it? DELICIOUS!!!
We typically sent in the front, so when we sat in the back (yes, there are only five pews and three rows) I noticed something unusual for Taiwan--lots of men. More men than women in fact on this particular Sunday.
Lord, bring more Taiwanese MEN unto Yourself!!! Raise them up as leaders of their families and of this nation. Lord, please let what was true for the jailer Acts 16:33-34 be true for men throughout Taiwan "he was baptized at once, he and all his family. . . . And he rejoiced along with his entire household that he had believed in God."
Sarah Beth, an MK in Peru, asked on my last post:
That's interesting. Who ends up eating the food? In Peru we have something very similar. They put tons of food on top of the graves of their family members and leave it for several hours. But when midnight comes, the family eats the food! I wonder about the logic... what is it like there??
Something similar happens here. The food and drink offerings are made first before the paper money is burned. In order to offer the ghosts (at ghost month), ancestors (during ancestor worship), and idols (at temples and Chinese New Year), incense sticks are stuck into the foods or food packaging.
After a set amount of time--it varies from family to family and holiday to holiday and probably other factors too--the offering table is taken down and the food brought inside.
The family will then eat the food. Many college students have told me waiting for the tables to come down at Chinese New Year (after midnight) so that could eat the goodies was one of their favorite parts of the yearly holiday.
I have been told that the "spirit of the food" is eaten, they are after all feeding spirits. Some have told me that because the spirit of the food has been eaten the food tastes bland and stale. Others have told me that because the spirit of the food has been eaten the food tastes better, as if it has been blessed. And, then others admit to the food not being that much different at all.
The offering tables are set up differently from area to area and family to family, just like every American family decorates their Christmas tree differently. But there are also differences in setting up an offering table to idols, ancestors, or ghosts.
At Ghost Month, often a basin of water and a hand towel can be found on or near the offering table so that their "honorable guests" can wash their hands before partaking of the meal being given to them. These two flickr photos (here and here) show ghost month tables with the typical basins with hand towel out front.
Not to be confusing, but I don't have any Ghost Month photos easily accessible. What I do have is photos I took last November outside of my school. I noticed everyone was setting up tables with drinks as the main offering. (I have no idea who or what was being worshiped.) And, at many tables instead of the traditional little red wine cups, there were bottles of coke and tea boxes.
{seven traditional little cups with rice wine}
{seven cans of beer from a restaurant}
{seven lemon tea boxes from a resturant}
{seven bottles of coke}
{coffee boxes from a grocery store}
Today is the start of Ghost Month, so this weekend when Law and I walked into Carrefour we saw lots of snacks on sale. Piles and piles of snack food. At first I was like "why?" Then it dawned on me--offerings for the ghosts.
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People are setting up tables like this with snacks and drinks and fruits in order to worship their ancestors.
I didn't get to go back to the good ole USA this summer. :(
I miss home. I miss my parents. I miss my brother and sister. I miss my grandparents.
And, I'm sad that I don't get to be there in a few days when my sister gives birth to my second nephew!
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And, I'm sad I don't get to be there when my brother starts the new football season.
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And, I'm sad I don't get to be there to play with this cuttie pie who has changed SO much since I last saw him!!
Yep, I'm missing home . . . big time this week.
Many (if not most) Taiwanese believe that it is best to die at home. If someone does not die at home it is believed that their souls may roam the earth restlessly, haunting people.
It is also believed that each person has three spirits and seven souls. Every seven days a soul leaves. Thus, traditionally the mourning period used to be 49 days. This gives each soul a chance to escape from the earthly body. At the burial, when the body is cremated, loved ones will cry and scream and plead for the spirits and souls to please, please leave the body before it is burned.
Spirit money and clothing will be burned as a gift for the deceased and food given as an offering so that the loved one will not starve or go without in the after life.
But, if there is no body and/or the body is not at home, when the souls leave the body the souls will wander, becoming ghosts.
This weekend was the "first 7th day" since the big typhoon washed away homes and lives. Therefour, it is believed that souls are beginning to roam, and people who've lost loved ones are pleading with them to go home.Here is a CNN video that explains:
This is only more troublesome because Ghost Month is upon us. Ghost month is the seventh lunar calender month when it is believed that the gates of hell open and all the lost souls have one month to roam the earth and be fed (since they did not die at home and were not able to be given a proper burial, there is no one to worship them, so it is believed that they go hungry in the afterlife).
All I can say is please pray.
Pray for the Lord's mercy on the Taiwanese. Oh, how they need to be set free by Truth Himself. Pray that as believers we never forget the reality of lostness and never lose a sense of urgency to proclaim truth every chance we have. Oh, Father, let us not become lazy and complacent.
If time allows me, I plan to discuss further Taiwanese funeral traditions and Ghost Month in the coming week or two. Anything specific you want to know?
PS: I feel for the child in the video who is being lied to by the others about the whereabouts of his parents. I know they believe they are doing what is best for him, but in my mind it can only be making matters worse for him.
As we watch the news this morning, we are learning of more and more damage and destruction the typhoon and the after rains of the typhoon have caused--mostly in the south.
The entire township of JiaShen in Kaohsiung County has been pummeled by mudslides and flooding. Over 1000 people in this township are unreachable--no contact can be made to determine whether or not they are alright.
**UPDATED 1:00 PM Monday** Some people from JiaShen have been located. They are distraught because on one hand they are safe, on the other hand their homes are gone and family members and friends left behind.
In addition, the TV news stations are reporting 20 dead and 30 missing throughout Taiwan.
Further, the train on the west coast couldn't go further south than ChiaYi because of all the flooding in the south. And, here in Tainan, the city has currently stopped providing water.
**UPDATED 1:00 PM Monday** We've been told our water will be off until the 12th.
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Here are some scenes from the typhoon:
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We are safe and dry. Those we know and love are safe. But, my heart is hurting for Taiwan right now. I picture my friends in Meinong dealing with the flooding once again--they've had a rough go of it in the past few years. My heart aches for the entire township that is missing and unreachable. On our knees for Taiwan. Lord have mercy.
Today is Father's Day in Taiwan. Here's why:
Daddy in Chinese is "BaBa."
Eight in Chinese is also "Ba." So, August 8th is "BaBa."
So, Father's Day in Taiwan is August 8th.
Actually, many people here are surprised to hear that Father's Day in America is not August 8th but rather in June.
Today is also the 2nd typhoon day in a row. Typhoon 莫拉克 has been perhaps the biggest typhoon I've ever experienced. Officially 6 have died and over 20,000 have been evacuated.
We've had heavy rain and wind for two days in a row now. It was dumping 3-6 feet of rain per hour. And, according to Taiwan's Central Weather Bureau, "the storm was packing maximum sustained winds of 144kph."
Signs, plants, and mopeds have been down all over our city, streetlights aren't working, tree limbs are in the streets, and intersections are flooded.
We took Lawrance's parents out to lunch despite the typhoon, but other than that, we've been locked inside.
So, I'd like to let Lawrance introduce his parents to you. So, please meet my in-laws:
Sunday, after worshiping the most high God and fellowshiping with our church family, Lawrance and I took a three hour nap. I guess we were tired. :)
When we woke up, Lawrance asked if he could invite me to the beach. I said, "Yes!! Let's go now, before the sunsets!!"
We got there and were actually surprised to see so many people there! Last time we were there it was during the school year, and we were the only ones there. :)
This beach is only about 8 minutes from our house . . . we should go there more often. And it's cool because the sand is black.
So, here we are last spring and this summer . . . then just dating and now married 11 months . . .
God is kind! :)
I am so thankful to my very generous AbBa Fu (Daddy God) who has given me such a kind, considerate, patient husband who cherishes me, protects me, meets my needs, and invites me to go with him to the beach!! :)
(aka Grandmother Smith's To-Die-For Carrot Muffins)
I'm not sure how many of my cousins were given a batch of these to eat on their honeymoons, but I know my sister and her groom got a batch, and so did we.
That's how good they are . . . you will want to eat them on your honeymoon. (Ok, so maybe the real reason you want to eat them on your honeymoon is because you are trying to save money broke after the wedding and they are easy to pack and carry. BUT, being practical doesn't make them any less yummy).
So since I've not enjoyed these treats in nearly a year, I was really craving some. So, I pulled out my grandmother's recipe and made a batch. If you follow her recipe you are going to get a "yeild" of several dozens of muffins. I mean come on . . . it calls for 9 eggs, 6 cups of carrots, and 3 cups of oil!!
At first I was trying to figure out how to half the recipe--but how do you put in 4.5 eggs? Then I figured out she must have TIPPLED the recipe. There was no way I was only going to make a mere 1/3 of a batch . . . I wanted extras to freeze for later.
So, on Saturday I made this GREAT, BIG, HUGE batch of carrot muffins! YUMMY!!!!
I also discovered that Grandmother must shred her carrots because I grated mine . . . . and there is a difference (in texture, not taste). So, if you are wanting to "hide" the carrot aspect from children, I recommend shredding, not grating the carrots. But, if you are wanting them to feel more "hearty" then grate them instead.
So, without further adieu . . . here is my grandmother's recipe for Honeymoon Muffins. :)
6 cups flour (I used 2 cups whole wheat, and 4 all purpose)
3 ¾ cups sugar
6 t soda
6 t cinnamon
1 ½ t salt
6 cups grated carrots
1 ½ cup raisins
1 ½ cups coconut
1 ½ cups pecans
9 eggs
3 cups oil
3 shredded apples (I left the skin on--this makes them SO moist)
6 t vanillaIn large mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, soda, cinnamon and salt. Stir in carrots, raisins, coconut and pecans.
In separate bowl, combine eggs, oil, apples, and vanilla. Add to flour mixture. Stir only until combined. Spoon into lined or greased muffin tins.
Bake at 350°F for 15 – 18 minutes.
Like I mentioned before, these muffins freeze very well. Either let them thaw on their own or pop them in the microwave oven for just a bit and eat hot.
I bet you can't eat just one!!
~*~*~*~*~*~Also, thanks for the several ideas about recipe storage. They were very helpful!! :)
I need a better method of storing my recipes.
My current method is to stick them on the side of the fridge, but they are slowly taking over and often get wet during the dish washing (not so good).
I know I could google it, but sometimes googling something becomes overwhelming to me as I start to search for the "just right" way for me and weed though all the useless stuff.
So . . . all that to say this. . . how do you store your recipes? Have any experienced homekeepers mastered this with a system that works for you? (Please note: I didn't say housewife for a reason--single women who've mastered this are more than welcome to help out here.)
Thanks in advance!
I learned something very important about the Chinese language within the last two weeks.
It actually shocked me to learn something so important this late in the game. How I missed it all these years, I do not know.
Here is what I learned: In Chinese, when you want to show respect, you use the third person and avoid personal pronouns such as "you" and "me."
Now, I already knew that in Chinese cultures you don't call people by their given name. For example, I would address my sister as "younger sister" not Sarah. And, my husband as "hubby" (literally "old man") not Lawrance. And, teacher's get called "teacher" not Mrs. Wu; bosses get called "boss" and so on.
This concept is covered in Intro to Chinese 101. Nothing surprising there.
But, it wasn't until I've overheard my husband on the phone many times recently talking to his boss--a manager. Unlike other conversations, I heard no "you." I only heard her title "manager." So, for example instead of "I got your message," he'd say "I got the manager's message" and instead of "thank you, manager" it is "thanks, manager."
Bells were ringing all over in my head . . . connections being made left and right. I was totally "getting" many aspects of culture (that I thought I knew) at a whole new deeper level. It was a great feeling.
Addressing someone by their title ALL the time and avoiding using even the polite "ning" form of you, is how you show respect. GOT IT!!
After making this connection last week, I asked my husband about it . . .and then I asked him about his prayers.
When he prays in Chinese he NEVER uses the first person. So, instead of "I want to thank you for my wife" the prayer is "Child thanks God for the wife given to Child." And instead of "Please help me to . . . ," it is "please help Child to . . . "
When I asked him about this he said something along the lines of "it just seems so haughty and selfish to go in front of God and say 'I,' 'I,' 'I,' 'I,' 'I.' Using the third person is not just showing respect, but is also is a reminder of my place before him. That I come to him not because of who I am but because of who he is. It is a reminder of my position as fully dependent upon him for everything."
So, my exciting linguistic cultural breakthrough led to something even more exciting and meaningful . . . a special reminder about prayer. I couldn't stop thinking about the implications of calling myself "child" in prayer.
Amazing how something that native English speakers use to be proud and arrogant--speaking of themselves in the third person--is used to show humility and respect by native Chinese speakers.
So, I now know that avoiding "you" in Chinese and replacing it with the person's title is a great sign of respect, but avoiding "me" and replacing it with a word that describes my relationship with the person is an even greater sign of respect.
And, as I often say in class, "interesting, huh?"
I now like chocolate for more than one reason. Lawrance came home with a new chocolate-colored camera last week.
After we got the new camera, we, unfortunately and fortunately, learned that our older camera wasn't as broken as we thought. (Unfortunately since we didn't "need" to buy a new camera, and fortunately because now we each have our own camera.)
At first we thought it was just the perpetually shaking shutter, which rendered the camera useless even with power. And, then since "fully charged" batteries were not able to power up the camera for more than five seconds, we assumed that it was dead for sure.
When we got the battery charger for the new camera, we noticed our older camera batteries fit inside, so we charged our old batteries in the new charger. We discovered that the perpetual shaking of the shutter stopped once the batteries were charged with our new charger.
So, it wasn't our camera that was broken. And it wasn't our batteries that were bad. So, it must have been our older battery charger, right? But, the sad thing is . . . the charger wasn't broken either. The charger was just dusty, so the connection was bad.
So, I got a new camera all because we have lots of dust in Taiwan.
So . . . the moral of the story is if you think you have a bad camera or bad batteries, make sure the charger is clean before you reach your final verdict on the state of your camera. :)
Anywho, here are some of the photos we've taken with our new camera:
{our Sunday ritual of "ice"}
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{cutest bug zapper ever}
{one of Law's fav snacks--dried tofu--kinda like "tofu jerky"}
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{where I teach English on Fridays--at a livestock research institute}
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{buying a train ticket}
1. I finished grading about 120 final essays and research reports . . . I was at a total loss for words after that. :)
2. I had company last week. One of my best friends from college came and spent three days with me . . . we talked, did a little shopping (I think we spent 3-4 hours in one book store and another 2 in a bakery supply store), we made apple crisp, pizzas, chocolate chip cookies and carrot cake, and we talked, talked, talked. It was good to catch up with her.
3. I'm caught in the middle of a book I hate but can't stop. Someone loaned it to me, it is based on a true story of our criminal justice system gone really wrong. I hate it because I just don't want to believe it's true, but I can't stop because I keep hoping for a happy ending (which I know won't be there but I can't stop hoping either).
4. My camera died. The shutter won't stop shaking--totally not a good thing for picture taking. There have been more times than I could count with my two hands that I wanted to take a photo and couldn't in the past two weeks. My purse feels so empty without it's constant companion.
5. I'm trying to start digital scrapbooking. Most recently, I helped my mom to make an invitation to my sister's baby shower. I wanna get started with it, and I'm trying to discover what is "my style" before I start investing in kits and supplies. Any suggestions from experienced digital scrapbookers are welcome. I currently am leaning towards sites like Ali Edwards and the other Digital Designers, Heather Ann Designs, and Simply Yin. And, I like what I'm learning over at Write. Click. Scrapbook.
6. I'm helping Lawrance to create a storytelling summer class . . . spending time looking for images to make flashcards with and creating worksheets. Fun, but time consuming.
7. And, finally, there is so much I wanna blog but haven't had time to, I don't know where to start now that I have a bit more time.
I'll leave you with a photo that Lawrance took two weekends ago when we were in PingTong at a worship gathering of 17 different Taiwanese churches in the southern area of Taiwan. Sarah took it from our flickr stream and "painted" it for us. :)
Gorgeous, right?
As Mrs. Happy Housewife guessed from some great observation . . he was waiting for a hair cut!!
Here is the ticket that the machine gave us . . . the store is called "Just Cut House" because all they do is cut hair--no washing, no styling, noting else but cutting.
And here is a before and after. :)
As Lisa mentioned, it is really simple--at first she trimmed him up, but then I told him just go for it and get it buzzed all over. It's perfect for summer time. :)
And do you know what!! My man has curly hair too!! Granted not nearly as tight a curl as mine, but there is some definate curl going on there. Too cute!!
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