five senses- taiwan

Adoption updateYesterday was supposed to be our first time skyping the older 2 kids in the orphanage, but I waited and waited, no call. So, hoping that gets ironed out. Meanwhile, Han-han is video chatting with Tom and Emma every other time and loves seeing Max chase the laser and hear piano music from Emma. It's something, right???

When we returned from Hong Kong, it was just Sam and I coming back to our home away from home. The shuttle bus dropped us near the train station, it was dark (but neon lights brightened things up), and as we were walking, we smelled that familiar odor that makes us think of night markets, a mix of stinky tofu and drainage water. Sam said brightly, "Smells like home," and I laughed out loud.

With a month behind us, we do feel attached and aware enough to see what makes Taiwan unique (at least in our eyes). As we walked to the apartment, we talked about all five senses...what reflects those here? Taste A great but simple dinner. At Dada, almost every meal is in a bowl, rice first, then two or three side dishes on top, always brightly colored vegetables, very beautiful and healthy.

Touch: A few things come to mind: the feel of chopsticks at every meal, smooth and clean,beautiful natural wood. smooth gray stones jutting out of the ground, designed to walk on barefoot, for one's health.

Sound: Our very first day in Taiwan, we arrived at 6 am, spent all day at Dada and crashed at 8 pm, hoping to go to sleep quickly. Unfortunately, there was constant music, the kind from the ice cream truck, that just wouldn't quit. Over the next few days, we learned that the trash truck comes daily and plays the same song over and over. To have your trash picked up, you must be standing in the street at the moment the truck drives by, to hand deliver it. I videotaped Mairead, a fellow volunteer from Ireland, taking out the trash so that it could be experienced by all. (Note the words Happiness Jungli on the side of the truck) GOTOVIDEO

(image from odditycentral.com) Another sound that was unexpected was the incredible sound of rainstorms in the middle of the night. Since we are on the top floor of the apartment building, we are awakened at least weekly by heavy driving downpours that feel as if they will penetrate the roof!

Smell: Unfortunately, this is the one that can only be described, not truly experienced. As mentioned before, the night market smell is a combination of stinky tofu and sewage. But there are some beautiful smells too: gardenias, one of my favorite flowers, grow well here. Dinner at Dada always smells heavenly.

And there is that special smell the morning after a heavy rain when we have gone hiking with John and Ching...the plants are lush, the air is moist, it feels like a tropical paradise.

Sight: Visually, Taiwan is busy and loud, clamoring for attention, a feeling of space filled to the brim with people, signs, characters. Neon signs literally stacked on top of one another on busy nights filled with scooters weaving in and out, chinese characters that mean something to everyone but us.

All in all, so much that is memorable and that makes taiwan its own unique place, our home for right now!

Cheung Sha beach in Hong Kong

Adoption update: We get to skype the older two kids in the orphanage starting this Friday...that is great news!! And Tom and Emma were able to video chat with Han-han yesterday from Anchorage, so he got to see his room and the dog. Sounds like the call went great!!

Saturday started off rainy, but by midday the sun was out and we went with the plan…go to the beach!! That involved a bus ride, a ferry ride, and another bus ride…fun journey with Sam and I, Bentleys and one other family.

Cheung Sha beach is on the south coast of Lantau Island, and it was lovely, uncrowded, lined with a few restaurants and a surf rental shop. There was a stream leading into the ocean with much tunnel and digging potential, clams to observe finding their way in the sand.

Sand found its way everywhere, and at the end of the day, the place cleared out fast when it started to rain. Imagine our surprise when we saw a black bull walking across the beach. It was completely surreal!!

Our last sight as we left to catch the bus was the most massive jellyfish I have ever seen! (toes in pictures to give an idea of scale!)

a great day!