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 :)

       

          

The Great Wall of China

We were picked up first thing in the morning for our trip to the Great Wall.  After about an hour and a half drive, we finally made it.  We chose to go to a part of the wall called Mutiny.  The reason I picked this part was because of the toboggan ride you take down.  After a short, cold (it was in the 30s) walk, we took a quick shuttle ride to the chairlift.  On the bus we met a guy about my age from Canada.  He had quit his job and was traveling Asia until he ran out of money.  We took the chairlift up together, and basically adopted him for the day.  We arrived to the wall early, and it was amazing seeing the lack of people on the wall.  As people did start coming, we started to get approached.  I have never had so many strangers want to take a picture with me!  The best part was they didn't want a group picture. It would start with one, and move through the whole group.  I can only imagine what these people do with these pictures.. Overall, I still can't believe I can say I climbed the Great Wall.   There really aren't words to describe the experience.

Beijing

While the trip was short, it was an amazing weekend.  My parents and I started the trip with a noon flight to China.  Arriving at the airport we were a quick target for "drivers" wanting to take us to the hotel.  Luckily my mom had done her research on the flight over.  Beijing is known for trying to rip people off in unmarked taxis.  The taxi ride was long and stressful during rush hour traffic.   On the way to the hotel we saw 6 different accidents.

After the drive our moods were quickly changed seeing our hotel.  Two living rooms and a gorgeous tub.. things were looking up.  Our first night out we started by exploring a night market.  Scorpions and starfish were quite abundant.  My dad and I decided to give scorpion a try.  It actually was a little less intimidating to try than the spiders in Cambodia.  After a hot pot dinner we decided to call it a night to prepare for our day of exploring.

The first stop of the day was the Great Wall... it was breathtaking.

The next stop was the Summer Palace.  It was crowded, but a beautiful site.  We were very lucky to have such great weather.  After the Summer Palace we took the train to Tiananmen Square.  We even saw the flag lowering ceremony from across the street.

The next day we went to the Forbidden City.  Not a family that is very interested in tours, we were trying to avoid the constant guides approaching us.  However, we soon learned that in order to avoid the hour long ticket line, you need a guide.  We ended up teaming with a group of Aussies and paid a guide to buy our tickets.  It was definitely looked down upon, but definitely the easiest money he had made all day!

Having to work the next day, my trip had come to an end.  There is one part of Beijing that I will not miss.. the spitting.  Never have I seen so many people hawking up loogies.  That is one sound I hope to never hear so often again!

Selfie Nation

Selfie sticks have taken over Taipei, and I assumed they originated in China.  However, I was proved very wrong with all of the weird stares I was receiving all weekend in Beijing.  One person really embraced the selfie stick though.... my dad.  I was hesitant to buy one at first, definitely thinking they were pretty ridiculous.  Now I am a firm believer in how useful they can be.  No more awkwardly asking other people to take our photo!  Here our some pictures of our "selfie portraits".