nihao Wed 9/02/09

Nihao!

So, it's Preparation Day so Sister Killpack and I decided to go hiking. It was all stairs but it was really beautiful - there are mountains just one trainstop from us. It was so green and lush. We stopped and had personal study and a lookout point. I was kind of jumpy though because the jungle scares me (haha). I don't think the jungle in Taiwan is very dangerous but I am not used to it. My companion had been showing me pictures of enormous spides the day before and I was a bit paranoid. I am such a desert girl. I did not see any big spiders or snakes but I did see a poisonous lizard (it had en electric blue tail - very cool). PS did you know geckos make noise? Yeah, they do!

Tomorrow is Zone Conference so I am going down to Gaoxung for the day. It should be a really good way to keep pumped and motivated. I'm excited to see our mission president.

Okay, can I just tell you this story about him? A guy walked into the mission office and was yelling and had a knife and so the President in Chinese asked him what he wanted. The man said he didn't speak Chinese in Japanese so the President switched to Japanese. Then the man said he only spoke Vietnamese, and the President switched again. The man tried 3 other languages that I don't remember and the President answered him in them all. Haha, the stories about President Hoer are legendary, and that one is true.

Being in Taiwan is wild. Everyday I see weird and amazing things that I want to take pictures of but we are only allowed to use cameras on P-day.

I will describe for you what a bike ride in Taiwain is like. Jump on bike, look down, make sure your skirt isn't caught. Look both ways, wait, cross the intersection. Through a narrow street with the market. Hot pink spiky fruit, fish smell and juice on the blacktop, umbrellas everywhere, hot hot, Guavas and food vendors and knock off shoes. It's narrow and a little slow going because of congestion. Wait at the intersection on the other side. The light is long, the blacktop is radiating heat, wipe sweat that is already forming around bike helmet. Green light, move forward, a half dozen scooters buzz past. Through the city. Infront of houses are folding tables laden with food, burning incense sticks sticking out of the meal, a tribute to ancestors. Wait at light, talk to girl on the scooter next to you. She is wearing a face mask and visor because she is afraid of the sun. Invite her to church and she says she may or may not come. Smile. She turns the corner. Look at the lady in the shop on the corner looking at you. She is sitting a large room filled to the brim with guavas as big as a footballs. Chest high piles everywhere. Green light go, go, go, houses thin into country. Rice fields, orchards with still green oranges on the trees, palm trees. In the distance you can see green mountains. On the top of one there is an enormous golden Buddha statue shining in the sun. Smile, it is cooler when you can ride faster and make your own wind.

Okay, I have to go.
Much love.
FML
Cami