Sept 9, 2009

Family!

Time for exciting facts about Taiwan!

The Taiwanese are afraid of the sun - they actually like to be white! It is really funny, my whole life I've been trying to be tan and now I am seeing bottles that say "Instant whitening!" facial products. They want to avoid being tan so much they literally cover about every inch of their skin when they are out on their scooters. (Everyone rides a scooter). They wear face masks, crazy brimmed hats, detachable sleeves, even hand covers. Some old lady rode up beside me the other day and said to me "Why are you outside without a jacket?!" with great concern, like it was snowing outside. In my head I was like, are you CRAZY lady? It's a million degrees out and I'm sweating, riding a bike on hot blacktop - no way am I going to wear a jacket!

In other exciting news, about every week I get asked to play the piano for some church meeting. If you are thinking, "But Cam, I didn't even know you still knew how to play! You haven't played since you were 17!" Well, I can't really. There are about 2 people in the branch that are good pianists and when they don't show up guess who is the default sub? Yes, me. My first Sunday I was asked to play the Special Musical Moment in Relief Society as they were announcing it. Yes, it was a special musical moment indeed. I also had to play at a Baptism when the pianist was late. I wouldn't mind doing playing but I'm a missionary-it's not like I have time (or am allowed) to just sit down and practice. So hopefully my sight playing will just improve.

Yesterday something weird/miraculous happened. We were riding our bikes on a really busy, narrow road full of vendors and people and cars and madness and all of a sudden I was on the ground and a car was where I just was. It didn't hit me but I would have gotten hit. I don't know how I ended up on the ground. I don't remember what happened between riding and picking up my bike that was lying on it's side and a car passing. Someone helped me pick up my stuff and about 8 people came out and watched - they thought I got hit. My bike seemed broken - one then the other of the wheels wouldn't spin and the gears were messed up, a piece was bent. Then I turned it towards the bike store to start walking it there and the wheels started to at least turn so I could wheel it instead of carry it. Something was still wrong though- it wouldn't ride. So we took it to the bike store and when I got there the guy said, what's wrong and I said, I fell off and it's not working. And he literally couldn't find anything wrong though I had just tried it and it hadn't been working. This experience was honestly one of the most mystifying 20 minutes I'd ever had, but I feel like I was blessed by being protected and then blessed again that my bike wasn't broken so we could make our next appointments without a problem. I've never felt so much like my life has been so out of my hands and in the hands of something higher (whilst I ignorantly am wondering what is going on). I don't know how to explain it. I just know I was really blessed.

Alright, times up.

FML

Cami

PS tell Benjamin I saw a shirt today that had a picture of a cow on the front with a heart that said I can't stop loving you. I laughed and thought of him. I couldn't decided if it was a good shirt for a meat eater or a vegetarian. Dou keyi.

Also, I'm not allowed to email him or Grandma J. - Immediate immediate family only I guess.