Taichung Christian Church

Kids enjoy worshipping with flags

We are attending Taichung Christian church on Sundays. Here is their website: http://www.taichungchristianchurch.com/aboutus_whoweare.html and a picture of us right before service. Today we prayed for each other's families and leaders went around and prayed for each family individually.  We have met many kind people, including a deaf couple who came to sit with us at lunch. We were able to communicate and really enjoyed meeting them. The Holy Spirit is moving here and we are glad to be a part of this church. God's  message to me was to prepare myself to serve Him and to always respond to His work in my life.

--Tina

Visiting the Taichung Rainforest

Today didn't go according to plan.  We actually didn't really have a plan getting up but Tina suggested we head over to the Art Museum so that she can spend time with Moses and I can take Seraphine to the kiddie play room.  We rushed through our morning routine and got out the door by 9:00 as we wanted to be there early before the crowds formed.  The first clue should have been how empty the parking garage was but we ignored that in our haste to enter the museum.  The second clue was that there seemed to be as many people walking away from the museum as there were going towards it but it didn't really register at the time. When we finally got to the door, we noticed the automated doors would not open. Clue three.  As we looked around for an explanation, a small sign posted next to the door said, in effect, "Closed. We will open at 1pm due to the elections." Elections!  We had completely forgotten that November 27 was Election Day here!  After months of blaring loudspeakers, fire crakers, and rallies the Election was here and the campaigning was finally over.  Oh well. It's a small price to pay for the democratic process. 


I suggested we head over to Park Lane (a small mall operated by the Eslite Group).  When we finally got there, I noticed how empty the parking lot was.  Hmmm .... We took the elevator down to the first floor and , behold, the mall was closed too.  Not for election purposes though. It turns out the mall doesn't open until 11am and we were there at 9:30.  Ok ... How about a walk around the park next to the mall? That lasted about five minutes until Moses complained of being bored.  We then thought we'd check out the "One" building, the tallest building in Taichung.  There's a restaurant on the 46F called "Top of the One" that should have a nice view. No luck ... The place was closed as well.  However, a nice bellhop by the name of Sid suggested we visit the Science Museum and even called them to make sure they were open. So off to the Science Museum we went. After parking we strolled around the grounds and found a little snack shop selling soft serve cones.  Three cones among the four of us made us feel better.  It was too late to go into the museum as it was already 11:15 by now and we were suppose to head back for lunch so we made a trip across to the street to the 'Botantical Garden'.  It turns out this is a large greenhouse structure enclosing a miniature rainforest!  There were hills, 'hiking' paths, a waterfall, and even a fish tank containing some large sturgeon like fish and a separate one with piranhas. (Probably not a good idea to mix the two species.)  At NT20 to enter, this place is a total bargain and a nice little retreat from the concrete/asphalt urban landscape.  We'll be back and will remember to bring our camera next time!


Steve

Two Month Now - Feeling Settled

A slightly dated post as we're nearing the 3 month mark but here it is ...


I can't believe it's been two months since we've come to Taiwan.  Sometimes it feels like we just came yesterday and other times I feel like we've been here forever.  I feel like a lot of the original 'novelty' has worn off (7-11!  the night market! I can't believe they have ____ here!) which is not a bad thing.  We're really getting into a routine which kind of goes like this:


Weekdays: Kids wake up before dawn and get Tina up. She feeds and dresses the kids while I sleep in as I usually have a late night call the before.  We both take Moses to school and let Seraphine play in the school playground.  I then eat breakfast before heading downstairs for work.  Tina takes Seraphine out somewhere as she/they will go stir crazy if not.  Seraphine usually naps by 11:30am.  We have lunch and then Tina takes a nap. I'll watch TV and then go back to work.  Tina and Seraphine go out again in the afternoon and pick Moses up at 4pm.  I head back home around five and we have dinner as a large extended family.  Tina and I then give the kids a bath and go through their night-time routine. Kids in bed by eight.  Tina and I get a little bit of time together before I head back to the office for some late night calls.  Repeat.


Weekends: Night routine is usually the same but we try to meet with friends or go out on Saturdays.  Sundays are worship in the AM and then some family time in the PM.


All in all it's not too different from our routine back home except for my late night calls for work as that's the best time to reach people back in the USA.


Steve

Made a New Friend

In the States I had many friends. Here in Taichung I have but a few but I am learning to really cherish these friendships.  Last Friday I met a mom (Apple)at the playground of Moses' school who has a daughter Seraphine's age. After quite a lengthy chat, she invited me out for a playdate.

Today we met up again and we went to the Science Museum together. She drove me to the museum and home again, paid for my entrance ticket, and even invited me out biking with her family sometime. Apparently there is a scenic bike route where you can rent electric bikes with baby baskets. Our daughter are quite similar in personality and even share the word "an" in the second half of their Chinese names. Anyway, as any foreigner can tell you, it gets lonely sometimes and we so much appreciate it when someone takes time to befriend you.

Apple reminds me so much of my friend, Pearl, who also treats me with such hospitality. Coming to Taiwan, I've really been able to slow down. Life is simpler. I have time to make new friends and hang out with them. I don't drive very often so I'm not rushing here and there all the time. I am not in a million small groups with countless meetings to attend and don't attend birthday parties every weekend. I don't have to shop or cook meals and plan for meals. I exercise regularly twice a week. I don't have to clean my big house or worry about how to decorate it and needing to decorate it.  Life is simpler. And for now, I like it this way.

Shopping for Clothes

This is a favorite activity for me, for it is so much more affordable than in the US!

In the States when shopping for clothes for myself I have two basic criteria aside from an agreeable style: good price (under $30) and XS in size. Both can easily be found in Taichung.  Of course quality is not always the best, but as a stay at home mom my clothes are casual anyway. What I am most happy about is how easy it is to find clothes that fit for a reasonable price.

There is a tiny shop next to the baby store down the street which is sort of an outlet. It sells clothing from all types of brands that are perhaps a little out of season. At first look it's like a store in the market which sells Taiwanese clothes which would look odd if I were to wear them in the States. But if you look closely you can find a few things that are basic and certainly wearable, cute even. The woman who owns the shop is very nice and very pressures me to buy things. So far I have found three shirts and one skirt, all for $190NT each (about $6). When I bought three items at one time, she rounded the figure down to $500NT from close to $600NT and did alterations for free. The other places I have shopped at are NET (I found many summer bargains for $200-$300 NT) and Giordano which are like Gap but cheaper and an online store called Lativ (which has really good quality clothes at Old Navy prices). For kids clothes we go to the market where there are many things for $100 NT or www.lativ.com.tw. Steve shops at Carrefour and Costco.  Our clothes are certainly not designer but we have more than we need.

With cooler weather approaching, I do need a pair of closed toe shoes....

--Tina

How's the Chinese Coming Along?

What's funny is all the stares I get constantly. They think it's odd or that it's amazing that my English is so good and that I am making the effort to speak English to my children so they can learn English! They think I am doing this deliberately to help my kids get a leg up on the English. When I get the stares I remember that it is time to switch to Chinese.  I have to remind myself I am supposed to be teaching them Chinese! Woops, I forgot! (Then perhaps the stares are because my Chinese has such a strong ABC accent they start to wonder where I am from. Where are you from, they politely ask.)

My latest strategy is to speak Taiwanese to Seraphine because she will never learn this in Chinese school and to speak simple Mandarin with lots of vocabulary explanations in English to Moses so he can learn new words. I am not pushing the Chinese too much, I just want him to have fun here in Taiwan, get close to his grandparents, learn about God and another culture. He is in Chinese school 8 hours a day five days a week. That's enough, I think.  He may not speak a lot of Chinese, but what he does say comes out perfectly!

So how is the Mandarin coming along for Moses? He understands most of what is being said in class and can communicate with his teachers. He can say many phrases quite naturally and with perfect pronunciation such as "Mom, I'm bored," "More please," "I am sleepy," "My socks got wet." It's amazing how it comes out naturally. But he is still shy to speak to his classmates, which probably means he does not talk much during the day. He is naturally shy so making friends and having rapport with classmates is still a challenge, though with boys it seems like running around is fun enough. He was just starting to enjoy making friends and having play dates when we were in the States. He must feel lonely sometimes here.

 I am beginning to realize that 9 months is a very short time in which to pick up Chinese and that this will be a great foundation for his brain structures but I cannot expect him to be speaking fluently in this short period of time. Alas, I think another year would be what he needs to actually start talking and having conversations and enjoy friendships in school. Friends to hang out with after school and on weekends would probably be best. English or Chinese-speaking. I'll keep working on it. 

Who Do We Hang Out With?

Most of our everyday interactions revolve around Moses' school, neighbors, family members, church on Sunday, and new and old friends.  Here are a few snapshots of  interesting people in our lives these days:

Steve's parents, Jim and Linda, are just wonderful. Jim is a urologist and works long hours from 9-9 each day. MWF he goes to tennis, then golf on Sundays. We hang out with him on Sunday afternoons. Linda is very busy helping manage his medical office and taking care of us! She cooks the most delicious meals, and we are all spoiled by her healthy, yummy, cooking. Because of this I have not had many stomach problems this time in Taiwan. By they way, her grandkids adore her.

I have made friends with a young lady name I-ling who will be studying music education in London this fall. I have been meeting with her and speaking English to help her prepare for her exams. It has been fun.

My friend Grace from the States has introduced me to a woman named Pearl who has two children and lives near Dong Hai University in Wu-qi. She has invited me to lunch with her and her friend Li-wen several times. Li-wen introduces us to unique restaurants and helps us with our strollers. The food has always been delicious and I enjoy the company and girl talk. Pearl even invited us over to her home where she and her husband Porta were gracious hosts. This is a really neat couple. They have lived in Germany and Shanhai. They could not be more down to earth. We may be going to Alishan together in the near future. 

We just started attending Taichung Christian church. Many foreigners attend this Mandarin-speaking church (with English audio translation) and we have met some friendly people there. One family (Livingstons) just lives a quick walk from our house and we have enjoyed getting to know them. They invited us out to a park where our two kids played with their four kids and they graciously offered to help us get adjusted to Taiwan. That was so kind of them! We'd like to get more involved with church and hope to serve as a family somehow.  I heard that there is a ministry where we can help push elderly people around Taichung park.  We missed it today because I thought our kids would get in the way. Actually the elderly love kids! One challenge to getting plugged in is that small groups meet in evenings which does not work for us. And I need to stay with Seraphine in baby room each week and watch sermon on tv. It's a bit difficult to concentrate. We'll see how this works out.

Steve has many friends from Morrison Academy right here in Taichung, where he attended junior high and high school.  His classmates (the Websters) took us out to a delightful tea place today with an indoor playground. Lots of friends have come or will be coming to visit  in the next few months.
I have many friends and relatives that i have yet to visit in Taipei. We will most likely go the Taoyuan next to visit uncle and the kiddie bowling alley located near the train station.

Steve and I both take classes at the YMCA (Steve Pilates and Tina Yoga) and we are making some friends there. Young and old take classes together here. You'd be amazed at how flexible the older ladies are!

There is a friendly staff at Steve's dad's office. In particular there is a young man name Yong Hao who sometimes drives us around because I still can't find my way around very well. He has driven us to Costco, the doctor's office and the visa office. Parking would be difficult on my own.We are grateful for his help. 

There are kind guard gate gentlemen at our apartment and school that greet our children each morning, and many friends from Steve's mom's church who live in our apartment complex. The pastor from his church and his wife and one year old also live in our apartment complex. A neighbor has lent Moses his bike. Our next door neighbor's grandma is running for re-election to political office. She's expected to win.

We don't feel like part of a close-knit community like we did in Irvine,  and we don't have many friends, but this is fine. (When I am lonely from 2-4 pm and exhausted from chasing Seraphine around I find a tea shop to explore and buy a snack. There are four downstairs, which means thirty, forty different teas to try? Do I have time to try them all? More about these drinks later.) In fact, Steve and I have started reading the Bible (Message, book of Matthew) most nights as a means for fellowship (what a concept!) and it has been enjoyable. We used to be involved in men's and women's groups separately, plus a family small group and did not feel the need to be reading the Bible together. Are social circles are much smaller right now, but perhaps this is a blessing?

--Tina