Singapore

I hadn't heard much about Singapore before I went except that it was extremely clean and very expensive.  Both turned out to be true, but I must say I loved the city.  I was inspired to visit Singapore after learning that my childhood best friend Rebecca was there teaching at an international school.    We were neighbors when I was five, and hadn't seen each other in years.   Its amazing how life works out!  I flew into Singapore early Friday morning, and met Rebecca at her school.  It was a beautiful campus, which wasn't surprising after learning student tuition is around $40,000 a year.  I spent the day exploring while she was working, and saw some stunning sights.  Here are some highlights from the beautiful city.

Walked into this temple and was fascinated by what I saw.  There were about 15-20 monks sitting and chanting, while people were waiting in line throughout the temple to give each monk a red envelope.  

Marina Bay at Night

Big S and Skeyes Taiwan Takeover

I have met many people throughout my time in Asia, and most have not been as lucky as me with visitors.  When I found out Sarah was coming to visit, I was beyond excited.  Her flight arrived late on a Sunday night, and our first stop was a late night dinner.  It didn't matter that we hadn't seen each other in over a year, it was like we were still roommates.  Unfortunately I had to work all week, but Sarah was able to do some exploring on her own, and catch up on sleep.  We hit as many sights as we could, including Taipei 101, Beitou Hot Springs, Yehliu Geopark and some of the memorials.

A highlight of Sarah's trip has to be our night at Shilin night market followed by shrimp fishing.  We sampled a few of my favorites, like dumplings and fried mashed potato balls filled with nacho cheese and broccoli.  Sarah was able to stock up on souvenirs and venture through the crowds and smells of the market.   She wasn't a fan of stinky tofu... 

After the night market we went shrimp fishing.  This local favorite is actually open 24 hours!  We arrived around midnight, and were greeted by a group of guys sitting around drinking Taiwan beer.  We got our poles, took our seats, and were quickly handed four beers to enjoy.  Being two western girls, people assume we have no idea what were are doing, and are eager to come help.  Surprisingly there is some skill to catching shrimp as you sit around the pool, and with a little help we were on fire!  One of the older men that worked there came and showed me how to take off the pinchers in order to take the shrimp off the hook.   I  wasn't sure at first how I felt about ripping the pinchers off a live shrimp, but quickly learned my lesson after getting pinched.  I had no mercy after that.  Sarah and I ended up catching around 15 shrimp, and I even caught two on the same hook at one point. 

  

Another highlight of our trip was visiting Kaoshiung.  We took the high speed rail to this southern city, and Sarah got a great lesson on the way about seat cushions.  We made it to the city, and after a few minutes of confusion went to see the Buddhist Monastery.  It was a gorgeous area, and very different from what the city offers.  Our next stop was the Lotus Pond, which is surrounded by temples and statues.   We received a lot of good luck that day!

Overall, exploring Taiwan with Sarah was an amazing experience, and I think she had a great time too...even with all the rain!

P.S. only a true friend brings you a packet of your favorite Chick Fil A sauce from across the world xxx

Holi Fest

Before moving to Taiwan, I had never heard of Holi Fest.  I soon learned about this Indian Festival, and couldn't wait to partake in the festivities.  My talented friend Judith was going to be photographing the event, so we were both given free tickets to attend.  The morning of the event I went to three different 7/11 stores searching for a white T-shirt.  I found one.. size extra large.. still amazes me how different sizes are.  The event started off a little unorganized, but quickly turned around when the Indian dancers took the stage.  Music was blasting, beer was flowing, and it was almost time for the color festival to begin.  

Everyone is given a color packet, basically just colored powder.  You throw the powder at people, and yell "Happy Holi!"  Other people would smear it on your face or sprinkle it in your hair.  Overall the event was an awesome, messy experience that I hope to do again someday.  I was pretty excited to get home and clean up however because SARAH was on her way!  

Philippines

I have unfortunately learned that Taiwan does not give many days off work.  While out students enjoyed almost a month off school for Chinese New Year, English teachers were given four days.  So I decided to make the most of those days and went to the Philippines.  The first stop was an overnight in Manila.  We waited close to an hour for a taxi, because drivers will try to rip you off without a meter.  We met a couple at our hotel that wasn't aware of this.. they paid about 1200 pesos ($27) for a 150 peso ride.... always go with a metered cab!

When we finally made it to the hotel, it was already getting late.  We decided to check out a night market we saw across the street.  After walking around for a few minutes, we noticed an armored truck.  Looking closer, we realized it was a SWAT team.  They were fully armed, but I guess they were just making their presence known.  We decided to turn back, and saw more armed guards at every building.  Manila is really ready for anything.

Our flight left the next morning, and we arrived to Kalibo airport, probably the smallest airport I have ever been to.  After a little confusion with our transport, we were finally on the bus for our two hour ride.  Next stop was a boat transport.. this really seemed like the never ending journey.  Yet once we made it to Boracay it was all worth it!  Our hotel was under construction, but we were upgraded to an ocean view and had a private beach.  Once the hotel is completed it will definitely be out of our price range!

The first night we saw an amazing fire dancing show, along with beach front fireworks.  The next morning we were up bright and early to go zip lining.   Following zip lining we went Paraw sailing.  This special boat is all over Boracay and it was an exciting trip!  We were on our way to cliff jump, and saw looks of panic on our captains faces. It was then that they asked if we could turn around because of the weather.  We were still able to snorkel and eat fresh coconuts on a secluded beach.  We also managed to fit a pub-crawl in that night where we tried balut eggs.  For those of you that haven't heard of this delicacy, it is fertilized eggs that contain partially developed duck embryos.  I will admit I did not eat the entire egg, but it was interesting to try!

The rest of the vacation was spent beach front, with an amazing ocean side massage.  I loved Boracay, the people were amazing, and I would love to go back!  

Cheers my Sisters

My friend Judith and I recently went out to dinner to a Korean BBQ restaurant.  The menu was entirely in Chinese, so ordering was a bit of a challenge.  We put our trust in the waiter, and ordered a few different things to try.  However, the atmosphere was great, everyone enjoying themselves.  Every time someone would take a shot or cheers, the entire restaurant would participate in yelling "Gam Bay".  (Cheers in Chinese).  We decided to join in the fun, and the table next to us introduced themselves.  After we told them we were from America, it was pure joy on their faces.  Turns out we were the "first American friends they have ever had".  After the "Merry Christmas Cheers", we decided to go to KTV (Karaoke box).  Karaoke is taken very seriously here, chandeliers and private rooms.  It really is an unique experience.  We ordered french toast and cheese sticks, Judith and I sang some classics, while our new friends sang in Chinese.  We called it a night, and before we got home our new friend created a Facebook group with the three of us called "Cheers my Sisters".  It was a great experience hanging with some locals!

 

Holidays Abroad

Moving abroad, I knew missing holidays would be one of the hardest parts.  I wasn't sure what to expect being in a different country, but have been pleasantly surprised in some areas.  Halloween was the first "western" holiday I encountered.  I was shocked how many places decorated, but the only places that actually "celebrate" Halloween are clubs and English schools.  Our school had costumes, a haunted room, games, and lots of candy from the homemade pinatas.  Here are some pictures from Halloween.

                      

Halloween Party at work

Halloween Decorations mixed with Christmas at the "Amusement Park"

Thanksgiving was the next holiday, and I was extremely lucky to have mom and dad visiting.  It was an awesome experience having Thanksgiving together in Taiwan, and my parents even brought the ingredients for my favorite dishes.  We cooked in my boss's kitchen, and I think the Chinese teachers enjoyed trying some new food!

 Walking the food back to work

Thanksgiving in the school library

Being away from my family during Christmas was rough. I worked a 10.5 hour day.  Not what I call a holiday!   It was definitely the time I've missed home the most, but I have been blessed with amazing family and friends that still made it special.  I had a tree, complete with presents underneath.  I also received an awesome gift basket from the best aunts and uncles.  My mom even organized collecting Christmas cards from friends and family across the states.  While I still missed home, all of these details made it much better.  FaceTime also played a small part :)