finally back in the US

I actually got back on Wednesday but between being swamped at work and trying to get back on the right sleep schedule, I didn't have time to update my blog. Taiwan was amazing. I almost jumped ship and stayed back there. My mom offered to pay for a year of intensive Chinese so I can finally learn to read/write at my appropriate level. I really do want to be able to read and write Chinese but I also want to go back to school for a masters in teaching. I'll have to figure out what is more important and get started on it. Taking a break from work and going back home for school wouldn't be a bad way to spend a year!

It rained every single day that I was back home. The only day the sun came out was the day that I left! Go figure, I left Seattle in the rain and arrived in Taiwan in the rain while Seattle had an amazing week of sunshine. The rain didn't spoil my plans though. I got to see everyone in my family all together which I haven't done in at least 2 years. I also didn't realize that my grandparents were *that* old. My grandfather is 92. I used to see them at least 3 times a year for at least 2 weeks at a time and now it's down to once a year if I'm lucky.

On to the pictures!

View from my grandparent's house.


If you look carefully in the previous picture, you can see this temple. On the first day of the new year, everyone goes to their local temple and pays their respect to the Gods. You will have an especially lucky year if you are the very first person to stick incense in the pot. It is not uncommon to hear stories temple doors getting destroyed from people fighting to be the first person to stick incense in the pot. It's fairly intense!
PS: Notice the palm trees?


lions are always shown to hold up temples.


The narrow staircase to get up to the temple. You can see my dad squeezing through.


Street outside my grandparent's house. Typical Taiwan street with both sides of the street lined with scooters.


Freshly made (with HOMEMADE goyza skins) goyzas. It was so so good. It took my family about 1.5 hours to make about 250 of them. Everyone was chipping in to make them.

I'll post more pictures another day, I still have photos from my parents house down in the southern part of Taiwan.