tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-54188132537233471452024-02-20T13:39:33.007-04:00Nic & Melanie"The world in which one person lives is too limited and restricted. When rubbing shoulders with another, we gain a panoramic view, which allows us to see the whole picture."Nic and Melaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03266429997815906079noreply@blogger.comBlogger41125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5418813253723347145.post-40522773280394274282009-04-29T13:00:00.001-03:002009-04-29T13:01:48.275-03:00MOVINGJust wanted to let you know that this blog has MOVED... to: http://newlywedjourney.wordpress.com/ <div><br /></div><div>The site is easier to use and I like the format! I moved only two posts, so it's new and fresh. Enjoy!</div>Nic and Melaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03266429997815906079noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5418813253723347145.post-60945273615990848352009-04-27T01:06:00.002-03:002009-04-27T01:14:36.472-03:00One semester down...Finishing up the last few assignments for my first semester has brought me great relief. For the past 15 weeks the hours between 9am -3pm used to be full of reading and writing papers, along with trying to make healthy meals and keep this apartment clean. Now I have five weeks of freedom before the start of summer classes. I really don't know what I'll do with all the time on my hands. The first thing though will be to catch up with friends and on emails. It's been far too long! Nic and Melaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03266429997815906079noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5418813253723347145.post-73017878484533949872009-04-18T08:14:00.002-03:002009-04-21T22:36:12.410-03:00Keeping the Jones' At Bay<!--StartFragment--> <p class="MsoEndnoteText" style="text-indent:.5in;line-height:200%"><!--StartFragment--> </p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="text-decoration: underline;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><u>Keeping the Jones’ at Bay</u></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Elated to have just been united in holy matrimony, Mr. and Mrs. John Doe delicately feed each other their elaborate chocolate, mocha, and lemon wedding cake. Covered in fondant icing and stacked four layers high, the couple indulges in its decadence.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Guests are wined and dined with four course meals, while live music plays.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>When the celebration finally winds down, guests leave dreamily, with candy, coasters or candles in hand.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>The appearances of this celebration mask the truth that soon faces our couple, basking in wedded bliss.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Upon returning from tanning on the beaches of the Caribbean, touring across Europe, or cruising through the Greek Isles, said couple will return home to feel the pressure of the Jones.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Why live in a one-bedroom apartment when you get a mortgage for a three-bedroom house?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Of course every newlywed couple needs the latest coffee maker and a flat screen high definition T.V.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>How will we stay entertained without a Wii and memberships to the local gym?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Sometimes it feels as if the Jones’ are shouting expectations through a loud speaker. If our couple heeds the luring call of consumerism, they may soon find themselves reviewing their latest bank statement wondering why they have more “month” than money. <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><i> <o:p></o:p></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><i>After a long day of teaching English to tired, Taiwanese children, my knight in shining armor arrived at my school to whisk me off to our castle.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Nic and I hopped on our grey scooter and headed to our one bedroom studio on the 23<sup>rd</sup> floor of our apartment building.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>It was payday and we had had our prized New Taiwanese dollars stacked neatly in red envelopes; in the Chinese culture red is considered to be associated with luck and wealth.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>That night I would cook dinner in our over sized toaster oven in our make shift kitchen. Then, it was date night.</i></p> <p class="MsoNormal">The recent world economic situation can only make matters worse for the average American newlyweds.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Everyone is aware of the joys and stresses that newlyweds face.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Not only are two lives merged, usually two financial situations are combined.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>In a country where 20% of divorces occur in the first five years of marriage, and the number one topic that sparks a fight between couples is debt, it seems that the Mr. and Mrs. Doe are fighting an uphill battle.<a style="mso-endnote-id:edn1" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=5418813253723347145&postID=7301787848453394987#_edn1" name="_ednref1" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character:footnote">[i]</span></span></a><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"> </span>Paying for a wedding can set the average couple back $21,000 - $24, 000.<span class="MsoEndnoteReference"> <a style="mso-endnote-id:edn2" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=5418813253723347145&postID=7301787848453394987#_edn2" name="_ednref2" title=""><span style="mso-special-character:footnote">[ii]</span></a> </span>When you consider this expense combined with the $37,600, which is the average debt for graduate students, we realize the possibly hazardous situation that newlyweds can find themselves in.<span class="MsoEndnoteReference"> <span style="mso-special-character:footnote"><a style="mso-endnote-id:edn3" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=5418813253723347145&postID=7301787848453394987#_edn3" name="_ednref3" title="">[iii]</a></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><i>Upon returning from our own tour of Europe and paying off student loan debt, Nic and I decided we would not chase after the Jones’; we determined not to become a statistic and to make a change.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>A McMansion with a two-car garage is an impossibility for us right now, but we are satisfied. A TV isn’t a fixture in our home, but from our perspective via the Internet, it looks like that Jones’ have recently found themselves in a precarious situation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">When newlywed couples lock themselves into a 30-year mortgage in a three-bedroom house, they are often stuck with monthly payments that strip their bank accounts bare.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>The average principal amount owed on a mortgage is $69,227.<span class="MsoEndnoteReference"> <a style="mso-endnote-id:edn4" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=5418813253723347145&postID=7301787848453394987#_edn4" name="_ednref4" title=""><span style="mso-special-character:footnote">[iv]</span></a></span> Most personal finance books discourage the purchase of a brand new car.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Cars devalue the minute you drive them out of the lot.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>The average automobile loan in the United States is for five years. Today’s average car owner owes $4,221 more than the vehicle is worth at the time it is sold.<span class="MsoEndnoteReference"> <span style="mso-special-character:footnote"><a style="mso-endnote-id:edn5" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=5418813253723347145&postID=7301787848453394987#_edn5" name="_ednref5" title="">[v]</a></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><i>I hurriedly pulled our most recent account balances off the computer and jotted them down in our little green notebook.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>There were still a few things left for me to do before “date night” began.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Running over to our wooden closet, I opened Nic’s underwear drawer and dug through our stacks of red envelopes that sit neatly in an old soap box.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>I pulled out envelopes labeled “vacation”, “Roth IRA” and “Masters”.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>I counted the New Taiwanese Dollars in each envelope and scribbled those totals in the notebook, while Nic grabbed his iBook and shoved it into his backpack.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>We drove off on our scooter to the closest Starbucks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>I was the first one to notice the line.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>It extended across the first floor of the building and back towards the stairs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>The frustrated, exhausted visages of impatient customers, juxtaposed against the stressed and frantic looking faces of the baristas, greeted us at the door.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Nic and I gave each other that look; the look that asks whether this date night was a good idea, the look that suggests that we should have stayed home instead.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>After a brief discussion, we decided that our purpose for being there was most important and we would wait out the line.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><i>Nic worked his way past the crowd of Taiwanese men and women and upstairs to wait for a seat at a table.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Thirty minutes passed as I stood, waiting, shifting my weight from one foot to another.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>I finally placed our order, and at about the same time Nic was able to secure us a table.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Another thirty minutes later I walked up the stairs, caramel macchiato and decaf skim mocha in hand, to my husband who had his ibook out and ready to go.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>I pulled out my green notebook and we got straight to the task at hand; setting our financial goals, reviewing our budget and planning our expenses and savings for the next six months.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">According to a recent study, 70% of couples talk about finances on a weekly basis.<span class="MsoEndnoteReference"> <a style="mso-endnote-id:edn6" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=5418813253723347145&postID=7301787848453394987#_edn6" name="_ednref6" title=""><span style="mso-special-character:footnote">[vi]</span></a></span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>This may lead the reader to wonder why all the problems centered on money?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Research suggests that it’s how couples are talking that is the problem.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Conversations based around money can too quickly become emotional, reactive and therefore quickly heated.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><i>Some might find it ironic that we chose Starbucks as the venue for our financial date night.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>After all, isn’t the infamous “latte factor” an expense that we would avoid like the plague?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Restaurants and coffee shops are, for us, special occasions.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>In our opinion, the cost of a coffee is well worth a stable financial future.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>To our elation and surprise, after thirty minutes of waiting in a long line of Mandarin speakers, we were let in on the secret of the masses, it was buy one get one free night.</i></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><i>Discussing the details of our envelope-budget, we matter-of-factly discussed any possible areas where we might be able to slash our spending.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Money is not an explosive issue in our relationship.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>We discuss our finances often, whether on dates or on an afternoon run.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Student loans are no longer an option for us; we are committed to saving $10,000 to pay for my Masters’ classes as I take them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Months ago we carefully crafted a rigid budget that allows us to pay this expense.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Before we receive our red envelopes each month we know exactly where that money will go. When the envelopes are empty, our spending for the month is done.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Everything that is left is poured into the envelope labeled “Masters.” Working in Taiwan, teaching English to the masses allows us to work part time and still save enough to pay this seemingly colossal expense.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Examining the day to day finances of the average American household really opens ones eyes to the reality that the Jones aren’t as happy as they appear to be.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>About 43% of Americans spend more than they earn each year.<span class="MsoEndnoteReference"> <a style="mso-endnote-id:edn7" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=5418813253723347145&postID=7301787848453394987#_edn7" name="_ednref7" title=""><span style="mso-special-character:footnote">[vii]</span></a></span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Specifically, the average American spends $1.22 for every dollar that they earn.<span class="MsoEndnoteReference"> <a style="mso-endnote-id:edn8" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=5418813253723347145&postID=7301787848453394987#_edn8" name="_ednref8" title=""><span style="mso-special-character:footnote">[viii]</span></a></span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Credit cards have encouraged spending beyond our means with the mantra of “buy now, pay later.” The psychological effect of using plastic, rather than seeing the cash move out of your hands, affects spending habits. Even for the disciplined user that pays off the balance every month, the average credit card purchase is usually 112% more than if cash were used.<span class="MsoEndnoteReference"> <a style="mso-endnote-id:edn9" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=5418813253723347145&postID=7301787848453394987#_edn9" name="_ednref9" title=""><span style="mso-special-character:footnote">[ix]</span></a></span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>If Mr. and Mrs. Jones have at least one credit card, they are likely to have $10,700 in credit card debt.<span class="MsoEndnoteReference"> <a style="mso-endnote-id:edn10" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=5418813253723347145&postID=7301787848453394987#_edn10" name="_ednref10" title=""><span style="mso-special-character:footnote">[x]</span></a></span> On top of that, they also pay $1,200 in credit card interest annually.<span class="MsoEndnoteReference"> <span style="mso-special-character:footnote"><a style="mso-endnote-id:edn11" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=5418813253723347145&postID=7301787848453394987#_edn11" name="_ednref11" title="">[xi]</a></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><i>Dreams of exploring Beijing, isolating ourselves from the crowds of tourists and scaling the Great Wall, have lingered in our minds for months. Consistently stashing some cash away each month has made this trip do-able for us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Hashing out the financial details of this trip, airfare, hotel, visa costs and daily spending, concluded our date night.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Three hours after parking our scooter and battling the lines of locals, we had broken down our budget, planned for an adventure vacation, shared our dreams for the future, and set up a plan for the next six months.</i></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><i>The Jones’ continue to shout their expectations, however, we turn a debt-free ear.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>We may not have the same surface level luxuries of the Jones,’ but in our opinion, our lives are rich.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Has it been worth it, all the budgeting, scrimping and planning, you might ask?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>How about you ask the Jones.</i></p><div style="mso-element:endnote-list"> <hr align="left" size="1" width="33%"> <div style="mso-element:endnote" id="edn1"> <p class="MsoEndnoteText" style="text-indent:.5in;line-height:200%"><a style="mso-endnote-id:edn1" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=5418813253723347145&postID=7301787848453394987#_ednref1" name="_edn1" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character:footnote">[i]</span></span></a> Lawler, Mary K.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>“Transitioning Through Divorce:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>The Six Types of Divorce,” <u>Oklahoma State University.</u><span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>14 Apr. 2009. <pods.dasnr.okstate.edu/docushare/dsweb/get/document-2412/t-2234.pdf><o:p></o:p></pods.dasnr.okstate.edu/docushare/dsweb/get/document-2412/t-2234.pdf></p> </div> <div style="mso-element:endnote" id="edn2"> <p class="MsoEndnoteText" style="text-indent:.5in;line-height:200%"><a style="mso-endnote-id:edn2" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=5418813253723347145&postID=7301787848453394987#_ednref2" name="_edn2" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character:footnote">[ii]</span></span></a> “They’ll Never Know:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Eight Hidden Ways to Cut Wedding Costs,”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span><u>Smart Money</u><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>June 11, 2008. 14<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Apr. 2009<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span><http://www.smartmoney.com/personal-finance/marriage-divorce/theyll-never-know-eight-hidden-ways-to-cut-wedding-costs-13918><span style="mso-tab-count:1"> </span><o:p></o:p></http://www.smartmoney.com/personal-finance/marriage-divorce/theyll-never-know-eight-hidden-ways-to-cut-wedding-costs-13918></p> </div> <div style="mso-element:endnote" id="edn3"> <p class="MsoEndnoteText" style="text-indent:.5in;line-height:200%"><a style="mso-endnote-id:edn3" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=5418813253723347145&postID=7301787848453394987#_ednref3" name="_edn3" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character:footnote">[iii]</span></span></a> Wines, Leslie.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>“Should Schools Warn Students About Debt,”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span><u>Boston.</u><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>October 24, 2007. 14 April. 2009<o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoEndnoteText" style="line-height:200%"><http://www.boston.com/news/education/higher/articles/2007/10/24/should_schools_warn_students_about_debt><o:p></o:p></http://www.boston.com/news/education/higher/articles/2007/10/24/should_schools_warn_students_about_debt></p> </div> <div style="mso-element:endnote" id="edn4"> <p class="MsoEndnoteText" style="text-indent:.5in;line-height:200%"><a style="mso-endnote-id:edn4" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=5418813253723347145&postID=7301787848453394987#_ednref4" name="_edn4" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character:footnote">[iv]</span></span></a> Khan, Kim.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span><u>The Basics:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>How Does Your Debt Compare?</u> 14 Apr. 2009</p> <p class="MsoEndnoteText" style="line-height:200%"><http://moneycentral.msn.com/content/savinganddebt/p70581.asp><o:p></o:p></http://moneycentral.msn.com/content/savinganddebt/p70581.asp></p> </div> <div style="mso-element:endnote" id="edn5"> <p class="MsoEndnoteText" style="text-indent:.5in;line-height:200%"><a style="mso-endnote-id:edn5" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=5418813253723347145&postID=7301787848453394987#_ednref5" name="_edn5" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character:footnote">[v]</span></span></a> Bensinger, Ken.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>“New Cars That Are Fully Loaded – With Debt – Americans are Rolling Over Loans, Often Ending Up Owing More For the Vehicle Than It’s Worth,”<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span><u>L.A. Times.</u> December 30, 2007.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>14 Apr. 2009 <http://articles.latimes.com/2007/dec/30/business/fi-autoloans30><o:p></o:p></http://articles.latimes.com/2007/dec/30/business/fi-autoloans30></p> </div> <div style="mso-element:endnote" id="edn6"> <p class="MsoEndnoteText" style="text-indent:.5in;line-height:200%"><a style="mso-endnote-id:edn6" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=5418813253723347145&postID=7301787848453394987#_ednref6" name="_edn6" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character:footnote">[vi]</span></span></a> Todorova, Aleksandra.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>“The Six Financial Mistakes Couples Make,” <u>Smart Money.</u> June 11, 2008. 14 Apr. 2009<http://www.smartmoney.com/personal-finance/marriage-divorce/the-six-financial-mistakes-couples-make-15414></http://www.smartmoney.com/personal-finance/marriage-divorce/the-six-financial-mistakes-couples-make-15414></p> </div> <div style="mso-element:endnote" id="edn7"> <p class="MsoEndnoteText" style="text-indent:.5in;line-height:200%"><a style="mso-endnote-id:edn7" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=5418813253723347145&postID=7301787848453394987#_ednref7" name="_edn7" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character:footnote">[vii]</span></span></a> Khan, Kim.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>“The Basics”<o:p></o:p></p> </div> <div style="mso-element:endnote" id="edn8"> <p class="MsoEndnoteText" style="text-indent:.5in;line-height:200%"><a style="mso-endnote-id:edn8" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=5418813253723347145&postID=7301787848453394987#_ednref8" name="_edn8" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character:footnote">[viii]</span></span></a> Khan, Kim.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>“The Basics”<u><o:p></o:p></u></p> </div> <div style="mso-element:endnote" id="edn9"> <p class="MsoEndnoteText" style="text-indent:.5in;line-height:200%"><a style="mso-endnote-id:edn9" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=5418813253723347145&postID=7301787848453394987#_ednref9" name="_edn9" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character:footnote">[ix]</span></span></a><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Bannister, Paul.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>“25 Fascinating Facts About Personal Debt,” <u>Bankrate.</u> September 20, 2004. 14 Apr. 2009 <http://www.bankrate.com/brm/news/debt/debtguide2004/debt-trivia1.asp></http://www.bankrate.com/brm/news/debt/debtguide2004/debt-trivia1.asp></p> </div> <div style="mso-element:endnote" id="edn10"> <p class="MsoEndnoteText" style="text-indent:.5in;line-height:200%"><a style="mso-endnote-id:edn10" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=5418813253723347145&postID=7301787848453394987#_ednref10" name="_edn10" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character:footnote">[x]</span></span></a><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span><u>Money 101:<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Lesson 9:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Controlling Debt.</u> <http://money.cnn.com/magazines/moneymag/money101/lesson9><o:p></o:p></http://money.cnn.com/magazines/moneymag/money101/lesson9></p> </div> <div style="mso-element:endnote" id="edn11"> <p class="MsoEndnoteText" style="text-indent:.5in;line-height:200%"><a style="mso-endnote-id:edn11" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=5418813253723347145&postID=7301787848453394987#_ednref11" name="_edn11" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character:footnote">[xi]</span></span></a><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Bannister, Paul.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span></p> <p class="MsoEndnoteText"> </p><p class="MsoEndnoteText" style="text-align: center;">(This is a piece that I recently wrote for Master's writing class... it's an experiment with the Creative Non-Fiction Genre. Enjoy :) </p></div></div><p></p> <!--EndFragment-->Nic and Melaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03266429997815906079noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5418813253723347145.post-21349157909181510662009-04-18T06:11:00.003-03:002009-04-18T08:14:01.213-03:00Karaoke<p style="text-align: center;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; "><img src="webkit-fake-url://C88BE4B8-3095-4DF3-953C-34C36A853384/ktv.jpg" alt="ktv.jpg" /></p><p style="text-align: center;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">In Taiwan, Karaoke is huge. Buildings, such as this one, called "KTVs" are the homes of Karaoke. </span></p><p style="text-align: center;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">This afternoon there was some sort of event in the park next to our apartment building. I don't even know what was going on, but could here a Karaoke version a song from Momma Mia. </span></p>Nic and Melaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03266429997815906079noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5418813253723347145.post-29870666521612646282009-04-14T23:10:00.005-03:002009-04-14T23:26:27.482-03:00Kids...<div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">I decided to take some more pictures of the children I teach. Here are the little ones... they look cute, but don't be deceived. :) They can be little rascals!<br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpx2FUseQEBis74FZb_iwZ1YwWCD8gJxWaPRsjsMoj-FIjsyF93pH40pJmlL23WS_GhJKX6q6KQWGHITY_uHmZLOY0tOFmP2Mg0Jn4oIC4hcsmncnfgYMJUwdrkKskm1xuNvaIL5wsNZc/s1600-h/DSC01693.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpx2FUseQEBis74FZb_iwZ1YwWCD8gJxWaPRsjsMoj-FIjsyF93pH40pJmlL23WS_GhJKX6q6KQWGHITY_uHmZLOY0tOFmP2Mg0Jn4oIC4hcsmncnfgYMJUwdrkKskm1xuNvaIL5wsNZc/s200/DSC01693.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5324738035150819858" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivZctDCeZ-ARX9Y1R3w3deiaKp5JsbKk7wIRSZbI0-d-TVVGFUWKBLGPpSxBaYxkWrmRhRWwvoxKYaxl_ZJybLM35inySltsJRu9hyphenhyphenCqzF385rKEjLcZGtoLIkdO3ESh5sPY-ho1SKa4c/s1600-h/DSC01692.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivZctDCeZ-ARX9Y1R3w3deiaKp5JsbKk7wIRSZbI0-d-TVVGFUWKBLGPpSxBaYxkWrmRhRWwvoxKYaxl_ZJybLM35inySltsJRu9hyphenhyphenCqzF385rKEjLcZGtoLIkdO3ESh5sPY-ho1SKa4c/s200/DSC01692.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5324738030893293698" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY0NV5OnBFvVlZzKg5BY3OLlPy4MMAbKre90yNh7oyEFLzgVE3ODEnGKmD3q2g0KPBLh-UMqT3hfQa-FoHvuYm9uAl-k20JpD3YQwsfAJgJ8c700sNtQZyQpFJ7o55KwJkIsSyi-begfc/s1600-h/DSC01691.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY0NV5OnBFvVlZzKg5BY3OLlPy4MMAbKre90yNh7oyEFLzgVE3ODEnGKmD3q2g0KPBLh-UMqT3hfQa-FoHvuYm9uAl-k20JpD3YQwsfAJgJ8c700sNtQZyQpFJ7o55KwJkIsSyi-begfc/s200/DSC01691.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5324738024375099106" /></a><div style="text-align: center;">This is typical.</div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCAZpMKTngfam7v0isPIpQjQ9qPPC97z1V-3bnCtWHqrj6AsYdfhhW62Zddm77GeC_dGUNIAg5Bf0Xm7hO5IseOt4xvSGRWsDNoGk86AWI08Ct03x4Rsx5l4ttic_hUlPmZDiBn_w-tnY/s1600-h/DSC01690.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCAZpMKTngfam7v0isPIpQjQ9qPPC97z1V-3bnCtWHqrj6AsYdfhhW62Zddm77GeC_dGUNIAg5Bf0Xm7hO5IseOt4xvSGRWsDNoGk86AWI08Ct03x4Rsx5l4ttic_hUlPmZDiBn_w-tnY/s200/DSC01690.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5324738021251372498" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcLz2s7fVG9Gk1umq9fYj6a7rWIdk7fQ_6yBYgWp_JSyWZVKqJ-LxqAyd_TJVxMshMVTNQ4MdFMUPZOi_W7E15U1IuzCSL78AancLKh9Kaeu8L1ZWIz2VyM_Y3zUcXTOASzS2m6EByiw0/s1600-h/DSC01688.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcLz2s7fVG9Gk1umq9fYj6a7rWIdk7fQ_6yBYgWp_JSyWZVKqJ-LxqAyd_TJVxMshMVTNQ4MdFMUPZOi_W7E15U1IuzCSL78AancLKh9Kaeu8L1ZWIz2VyM_Y3zUcXTOASzS2m6EByiw0/s200/DSC01688.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5324738015782871298" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIXS_CYAmnD6lgmY8luIPoeXCvEvSXAbyxUhYumAYdowhO9oHxg8ieU_fiiBRs0cZGmx6jaZr-FKedYWC8EmiPUu3_l0uLbKc_ZGVM1IhwBaYo-uQlxhCFjzEVfKEiqR3f1VjSPndxl94/s1600-h/DSC01687.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIXS_CYAmnD6lgmY8luIPoeXCvEvSXAbyxUhYumAYdowhO9oHxg8ieU_fiiBRs0cZGmx6jaZr-FKedYWC8EmiPUu3_l0uLbKc_ZGVM1IhwBaYo-uQlxhCFjzEVfKEiqR3f1VjSPndxl94/s200/DSC01687.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5324736401921593874" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4-5_hsgFXu8fRVHSOq67502QFjPmXnfVOYWUUixCdL2UoAsbvh0amLGOAG2ADNW6N9RnVI4-xdRylAL93Y9JGvXX2KyDJ5YV5OkeGmQX7KTn-_jZAlF6gGPBx-mCqi__HHcy0HpwUKc0/s1600-h/DSC01686.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4-5_hsgFXu8fRVHSOq67502QFjPmXnfVOYWUUixCdL2UoAsbvh0amLGOAG2ADNW6N9RnVI4-xdRylAL93Y9JGvXX2KyDJ5YV5OkeGmQX7KTn-_jZAlF6gGPBx-mCqi__HHcy0HpwUKc0/s200/DSC01686.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5324736396622536562" /></a><div style="text-align: center;">This is Genny - his brother's name is Nemo! :)</div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji06VoDsz450WgR2Rs3kCgDgvygvZ43_Kdd6b_ONr0_mwGfPGnZeU0PeHh6IAoTGDL6hxe9iYC60S3KA0XGtl6ke2vBV3XrjT7QtTfc-JnqALkwJ2BAFXH4urysajIozNhsd-0s4QvEJg/s1600-h/DSC01685.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji06VoDsz450WgR2Rs3kCgDgvygvZ43_Kdd6b_ONr0_mwGfPGnZeU0PeHh6IAoTGDL6hxe9iYC60S3KA0XGtl6ke2vBV3XrjT7QtTfc-JnqALkwJ2BAFXH4urysajIozNhsd-0s4QvEJg/s200/DSC01685.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5324736390209049442" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLGA5Sj3PXR9uZe17JAn-XkznVYNUDTm8lcpFZKyEVKNcP9wmkYYcujmyUbMrCRbWFhQ8BLky-AXN6I6V_N-RndeyHfHvhgH3YcirIhXR43NSg-XZotDWGIgHvC60O4BmhcX1WWBiLy04/s1600-h/DSC01683.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLGA5Sj3PXR9uZe17JAn-XkznVYNUDTm8lcpFZKyEVKNcP9wmkYYcujmyUbMrCRbWFhQ8BLky-AXN6I6V_N-RndeyHfHvhgH3YcirIhXR43NSg-XZotDWGIgHvC60O4BmhcX1WWBiLy04/s200/DSC01683.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5324736385831373474" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOrmX4KR2QOBDVpu4e-zZdnM8m4JCKEnyuGEtzFWjTI2W3TTjRvCwQ8c5NowfO_eZiZtMPar9QjYhwLiSSFPp3FLNb7N2UK6JaJOzAhy00tYyNXHImWLdtXSJKlhks08zZFyEjwXXIcEY/s1600-h/DSC01682.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOrmX4KR2QOBDVpu4e-zZdnM8m4JCKEnyuGEtzFWjTI2W3TTjRvCwQ8c5NowfO_eZiZtMPar9QjYhwLiSSFPp3FLNb7N2UK6JaJOzAhy00tYyNXHImWLdtXSJKlhks08zZFyEjwXXIcEY/s200/DSC01682.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5324736385261979698" /></a><div style="text-align: center;">Brothers- Mickey and Cody</div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><br /></div>Nic and Melaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03266429997815906079noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5418813253723347145.post-69219843633772752282009-04-12T13:31:00.003-03:002009-04-14T23:10:52.785-03:00Our God Conquered the GraveWith the passing of my grandmother just under two months ago, Easter means more to me than ever. Sin and death are conquered. We have hope. Death has lost its sting. It makes me smile.Nic and Melaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03266429997815906079noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5418813253723347145.post-42709805417411402902009-04-09T23:42:00.004-03:002009-04-09T23:50:50.329-03:00We Can Cry Out to JesusThis past week has been one of reflection for me. I often think about Grandma, how I miss her, wish I could hear her voice, try to recall her voice, and think of precious times that we shared. <div><br /></div><div>This week in one of my classes we were discussing superstitions. Students shared with me more about Ghost Month here in Taiwan. The grip that death and ghosts have on some people here is really sad.</div><div><br /></div><div>Today is Good Friday. In a few hours, people in Bermuda will be flying kites, eating hot cross buns and fish cakes. I miss that. I have been reflecting a lot on Good Friday and Easter. Jesus conquered death. We can be free from fear of death, we have hope for the future. Jesus closed the gap between us and God. We can cry out to Jesus. I was really blessed by this song this morning.</div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Verdana;font-size:11px;">To everyone who's lost someone they love</span><br /></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Verdana;font-size:11px;"><div style="text-align: center;">Long before it was their time<br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">You feel like the days you had were not enough<br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">when you said goodbye<br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">And to all of the people with burdens and pains<br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Keeping you back from your life<br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">You believe that there's nothing and there is no one<br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Who can make it right</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">There is hope for the helpless<br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">Rest for the weary<br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">Love for the broken heart<br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">There is grace and forgiveness<br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">Mercy and healing<br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">He'll meet you wherever you are<br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">Cry out to Jesus, Cry out to Jesus</span><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">For the marriage that's struggling just to hang on<br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">They lost all of their faith in love<br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">They've done all they can to make it right again<br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Still it's not enough<br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">For the ones who can't break the addictions and chains<br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">You try to give up but you come back again<br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Just remember that you're not alone in your shame<br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">And your suffering</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">When your lonely<br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">And it feels like the whole world is falling on you<br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">You just reach out, you just cry out to Jesus<br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Cry to Jesus<br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">To the widow who suffers from being alone<br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Wiping the tears from her eyes<br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">For the children around the world without a home<br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Say a prayer tonight<br /></div></span><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><br /></div>Nic and Melaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03266429997815906079noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5418813253723347145.post-586660207210478772009-04-07T23:05:00.002-03:002009-04-07T23:08:32.393-03:00The Mosquitos are Back!We really have no idea as to how these mosquitos are getting into our apartment, but every few months they show up. They are gigantic, human devouring mosquitos. I despise the mosquitos; they eat me while I sleep. There is a solution. There's a plug-in, similar to air-freshener , that makes them disappear. Good bye mosquitos. Nic and Melaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03266429997815906079noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5418813253723347145.post-27150384185360006942009-04-07T02:58:00.001-03:002009-04-07T03:01:33.500-03:00Fire!This morning I was working on assignments, as normal, when I smelled smoke. I looked around the house, everything seemed normal, so I went back to work, typing away at my laptop. The smell of smoke got stronger and stronger. I took a break from typing at looked down. There was smoke rising from my laptop charger. Turns out it was melting somehow (ibooks chargers are infamous for this, so I hear) and as I moved it sparks started flying. Well, I have experience of technological fires (last year I put out a fire in a microwave) and have learned from this experience to <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">unplug the item from the source!</span> So I did that, and then unplugged it from my computer. The cord has melted and it's "safe to say" that my laptop will be out of commission until we can find a new charger! We'll look around here first, if we are unsuccessful, then maybe order one online...thankfully, Nic has a laptop so the work will continue.Nic and Melaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03266429997815906079noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5418813253723347145.post-32426700041503242102009-04-07T02:29:00.005-03:002009-04-07T02:54:31.218-03:00Culinary AdventuresAlthough we both work until about 9pm at night, we have been trying to eat at home in order to keep in our monthly budget for food. We will be reworking the budget this month as cooking meals at 9:40 at night is overwhelming, especially since I am usually exhausted from working on Master's assignments and then teaching for 4 hours. Taiwan is really convenient for this new plan as we have the night market right next to our place and we can easily pick up fried rice, noodles, chicken or anything else. <div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>Last night was one of my final nights to make dinner before we change up our meal plans. I decided to make Shake and Bake chicken legs for a treat. They didn't turn out so well.</div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUX_WJEqLxJhF_xeb15FbEa5znUxfsAvptdMP4GZCz-iXfLzRbzYosgj_ZecjJIbZTCIoDQVjH46BOsrcB-3gSQmlISFAm6HTKv7Ogd6wmvKa0nYH-kdofUYb79HaQo5ZQNcvz-gxnLNo/s200/DSC01677.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5321823087687787922" /><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">It was scary<br /></span></div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvxc2jtSVSjClAL2B4b6v-rE-9qPqqJnWA3gF4XX4MHDW4dF_-zUl7fUqyM2QxlDAMV6Y5SsLs1aTfm7WaMfxxTfr56b8lTh8zppysxjvTu9E7uud_Ae1PQ_Hrk0eMEwkyydCtX3jH2Jk/s200/DSC01678.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5321819528076548530" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">Yikes</span></div><div>This is a photo of the chicken legs. For some reason, purple, lumpy blood oozed out of my</div><div> chicken. I'm sure it was thawed out - it just didn't look healthy at all. I hope this doesn't make anyone feel sick. I still feel a little woozy thinking about it.</div><div><br /></div><div>So instead Nic got McDonald's (he's going to hate me for telling you all that... :) and I got Gi-pi, otherwise known as extremely unhealthy fried unidentified part of a chicken.... and fries.</div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrSlmRAsL37aDhVb8Kf5BVMFsEUmPu0mrBbkD22nsF9Kyv4KIM4VfdwX_bsFujKHkr4iHT17Bec2OVNFmEZckfVn1H0JV6x2Q71jx2voG9AVeSp18BH6jzCnHXwjUrj-Itl8KNo93BgnE/s200/DSC01680.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5321821328694231186" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">Gi-Pi</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkE9wHWL5W-ZmBr0MfQEGABrZ-2vNW8WdbFYJp1FmVEMWsCvcV0lkH_LNp3swx98jRKQKnVP-t4abM8l27bNms20ZNeTonHG2KB5AlLN5gX07MkNsZ6NDSjjRF4BR2_VDSyO8og3ne-7M/s200/DSC01679.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5321821333540258962" /><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold; ">Fries</span><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></div><div>On a more upbeat note, here's a new Taiwan discovery. Yellow watermelon. That's right folks.</div><br /><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisU9tEvDbuMxzarXp1piym8O6ZoaObV3ll-YGr6JYyhVucT7hdDA1g6p1cLqTvOUq2Cjsv0vw-FuY77IweDsmfXFKZvwz8RuHFnDiLcUyv6gifcoQotQlA2p5N7mAw3mNIKKAZ_nqqWlI/s200/DSC01676.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5321821341047606706" /> It's yellow and it's a watermelon (there is pineapple closest to the camera - but behind that is watermelon). Have you ever seen anything like this before? Nic and Melaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03266429997815906079noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5418813253723347145.post-37167686196185145622009-04-04T03:01:00.005-03:002009-04-04T03:38:21.865-03:00Tomb Sweeping Day<div style="text-align: center;"><img src="webkit-fake-url://62690E3F-80BB-4AD2-840C-043BA836C22A/tomb-sweeping-day-offerings2-cc-kakapo31-250h.jpg" alt="tomb-sweeping-day-offerings2-cc-kakapo31-250h.jpg" /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">People at their relatives tombs</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Today is Tomb Sweeping Day in the Chinese culture. That means that it is a public holiday, so no teaching for Nic and I today. It has been really nice to have a whole Saturday off. Usually we both work on Saturday mornings. This morning I cleaned our whole apartment down... (which is really easy and takes about an hour since it's a one bedroom studio!) and then made pancakes.. which were a great success! For some reason, every time I have tried to make pancakes here they have stuck to the pan and it's become a big mess. I have tried and tried and tried again.. and today, the effort paid off with beautiful, fluffy pancakes! I am feeling much better today after visiting the doctor yesterday and taking the medicine he gave me. I only have a "common cold" but here they give you lots of medicine - 5 pills, 3 times a day! It really helps and I have a lot of energy back now! Nic went for a 10k run today! He was out there for a good hour but is enjoying the free time to exercise. I have been on a "running hiatus" the past few weeks due to getting back into school work after being in Bermuda, then getting the flu, and now this cold... but by next week I'll be back at it. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Now on to Tomb Sweeping Day. I asked my students what they thought about Tomb Sweeping - those who participate in the traditions of visiting relatives tombs didn't seem thrilled about it. They said it's a long day as they have to wake up early and go to many different locations to cover all of the tombs. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Here is a description from Wikipedia: "</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" line-height: 19px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">For the Chinese, it is a day to remember and </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ancestor_worship" title="Ancestor worship" style="text-decoration: none; background-image: none; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; -webkit-background-clip: initial; -webkit-background-origin: initial; background-color: initial; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(51, 102, 204); "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">honor one's ancestors</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> at grave sites. Young and old pray before the ancestors, sweep the tombs and offer food, tea, wine, chopsticks, (joss) paper accessories, and/or libation to the ancestors. The rites are very important to most Chinese and especially farmers. Some people carry willow branches with them on Qingming, or put willow branches on their gates and/or front doors. They think that willow branches help ward off the evil ghosts that wander on Qingming. Also on Qingming, people go on family outings, start the spring plowing, sing, dance, and Qingming is a time where young couples start courting. Another popular thing to do is fly kites (in shapes of animals, or characters from Chinese opera)." </span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Ancestor worship is a big part of the culture here and we are learning more and more about the details of that as we are here. </span></span></div>Nic and Melaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03266429997815906079noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5418813253723347145.post-92094261630050959882009-04-03T02:09:00.003-03:002009-04-03T02:19:13.937-03:00Only 4 more weeks...Yesterday before work I opened my planner in order to figure out how much time I have left to work on the big projects for my Master's classes. <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">There are only four weeks left!</span> My reaction was not one of panic but of pure elation. Only four weeks stand between me and finishing my first 15 credit hours in the 33 hour program. Our Beijing trip will be the break between this semester and the summer semester... when I will, hopefully, take another four classes (12 credit hours). Technically you can only take 3 classes... and I have tried to request an overload... but am waiting to hear back on that... waiting, waiting waiting. <div><br /></div><div><br /></div>Nic and Melaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03266429997815906079noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5418813253723347145.post-20500062733609861902009-03-31T11:53:00.003-03:002009-03-31T11:59:22.632-03:00Paintball, Colds and BeijingOn Sunday we went into the mountains and played paintball with our church youth group and another youth group. What an experience! It was a lot of fun to get to know the kids a little better. I'm still recovering from the game though; I got a huge bruise! <div><br /></div><div>In other news, I am also battling a cold, again. It's somewhat ridiculous. I had the flu two weeks ago, and today I am feeling pretty run down with a sore throat. I don't know if it's the germ-y kids, Taiwan, or my busy schedule that has my immune system down. </div><div><br /></div><div>God is still good though and we keep pressing on! </div><div><br /></div><div>In our free time we are planning a trip to Beijing that we hope to take in the end of May. We will be there for about a week, found tickets and now just need to sort out our hotel. </div><div><br /></div><div>Life is certainly keeping me really busy. My 15 credit hours and 22 hours of work make sure that I'm constantly doing something important. I'm excited for life to "calm down" a little bit.... I'm not sure when that will be. I'll get a few weeks off before summer classes begin and I'm hoping to take another 4 classes then. By summer I'll have 27 of my 33 hours towards my Masters completed. It's great to be meeting goals and I love a challenge. I do really look forward to some lazy days with friends and family in the future though! :)</div>Nic and Melaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03266429997815906079noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5418813253723347145.post-29736093149446849682009-03-26T11:46:00.004-03:002009-03-26T11:52:47.965-03:00Things I'll Miss From TaiwanThe location of our apartment is very convenient here in the city. Right below our apartment building is a laundry lady (who washes, dries and folds our laundry since we don't have a washer or dryer in our studio), a convenience store, a restaurant and then a 2 minute walk from our place there is: a hardware store, a DVD rental, a plethora of tea shops and a night market for great food. We probably buy fried rice from one vendor at least once weekly. For the longest time we both ate pork fried rice but now we're really enjoying beef fried rice. Yummy. So on a rainy weekend or a cold Saturday night we can walk down to the market, buy fried rice or noodles, then I will go and get a freshly made apple juice from a juice/tea shop, and then if we want we can pick up a movie on the walk home. <div><br /></div><div>I like the fresh apple juice. It's delicious.</div>Nic and Melaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03266429997815906079noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5418813253723347145.post-33264906959284211682009-03-24T12:58:00.003-03:002009-03-24T13:03:59.869-03:00Rain, rain, go awayWell, the sporadic rains have been continuing and I think the poncho may become a regular part of my wardrobe. <div><br /></div><div>Today I was offered cherry tomatoes as a snack twice. I don't particularly enjoy cherry tomatoes. I will eat them in food, but not on their own, in a snack like fashion. Well today, that happened, twice. :) It's really hard to turn food down when it's offered by locals. </div><div><br /></div><div>On the topic of food, Nic and I went for dinner last night with co-workers to a great local Cantonese food place. It's the type of food that you would consider to be "Chinese" - like sweet and sour chicken and chicken with peanuts. Nic and I are now pros with the chopsticks and eating rice dishes with chopsticks is normal. I also have grown a new love for snow peas. They are very common in stir fry type dishes and come as a common vegetable with chicken dishes. I love them! </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>Nic and Melaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03266429997815906079noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5418813253723347145.post-77858774252471435902009-03-23T13:05:00.003-03:002009-03-23T13:11:40.746-03:00It's time for the... PONCHO!That's right, it's poncho time in Taiwan. The hazy and muggy air finally dissipated this afternoon and the spring rains came, slowly, but surely. We hear that we can expect daily downpours from now on, which makes our ride to work on the scooter more exciting. Unlike in Bermuda, where you have rainy days and then sunny days, in Taiwan you have a rainy season and a dry season. We just enjoyed about 6 months of dry weather, and now comes the rain.<div><br /><div>I'm sure that we will give the motorists in Taiwan a smile as they see the foreigners in their big, light green ponchos. Some might say that I look like a honeydew melon. </div></div>Nic and Melaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03266429997815906079noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5418813253723347145.post-53569590289206092592009-03-21T12:49:00.005-03:002009-03-21T13:09:04.937-03:00Kids and Daken<div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div>On Saturday morning I teach a class of about 10 boys and one girl. Sometimes they are little monkeys - or they really act like them, but other times they are cute. I love when they smile. I've posted some pictures of them below and of Nic's hike today in Daken... he went back and climbed to the top of the ridge. It was a more "polluted" or "foggy" day today so the pictures aren't super clear, but I'm sure you get the idea.<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ1qSUcS8nxrf45dhAXkVjO1xqW4MJZxElv4ccCmj4rna4SdrEd2L8Pr8YYokarty99ZaM7n8GEAtoy8irBwH7gPR7T1yTD4geMoFBO2ac2OYzBwRLi3d-Ri1y_09z_NCcYnTX5LSvAyw/s1600-h/DSC01662.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ1qSUcS8nxrf45dhAXkVjO1xqW4MJZxElv4ccCmj4rna4SdrEd2L8Pr8YYokarty99ZaM7n8GEAtoy8irBwH7gPR7T1yTD4geMoFBO2ac2OYzBwRLi3d-Ri1y_09z_NCcYnTX5LSvAyw/s200/DSC01662.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5315670666907962626" /></a><div style="text-align: center;">Ian Lin - The one in the red - He has two English words perfected, "I'm sorry." Then he bows. It's hard to get really annoyed with him.</div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE-Yx4VCY7N2JHDSCALwNaLbsTo_se0DNWGZ5fMM1omPI5ybYvMQ6QkX9OrPCsfSTuUDHLxAsNrL4Oj6GVxjYHKpv074SZTk7kGKSIrZQozeS7hgXpsQxXaJKjtqOXhBjE_O_8Last55I/s1600-h/DSC01659.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE-Yx4VCY7N2JHDSCALwNaLbsTo_se0DNWGZ5fMM1omPI5ybYvMQ6QkX9OrPCsfSTuUDHLxAsNrL4Oj6GVxjYHKpv074SZTk7kGKSIrZQozeS7hgXpsQxXaJKjtqOXhBjE_O_8Last55I/s200/DSC01659.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5315670659357373490" /></a><div style="text-align: center;">Kevin - His toothless grin makes me smile</div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1h7cNVIvAcIFcgGgbcn5R1zJoouCDimirP1e3M6LbxJlOhAw-2m7L6AfS3cRFeMw3vL5PAaaFJUuU2YBMUtmILuOmoq2dIdoVgXLoLi7zaP0sIsQ5slPenKjt47KRU9PhBNq8-NHGJu8/s1600-h/DSC01656.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1h7cNVIvAcIFcgGgbcn5R1zJoouCDimirP1e3M6LbxJlOhAw-2m7L6AfS3cRFeMw3vL5PAaaFJUuU2YBMUtmILuOmoq2dIdoVgXLoLi7zaP0sIsQ5slPenKjt47KRU9PhBNq8-NHGJu8/s200/DSC01656.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5315670656757244338" /></a><div style="text-align: center;">Shawn - Sometimes he's a little too hyper - having a hearty laugh in this photo</div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPRc6Dh9m8nZoP-MbQW5ns2fodK_dsQCxg-fRS7Z0DosQ6uSVb79JqcY0rtOL3h1RkGV1lvRwe-caKb8YTQecDhyphenhyphenJVY7WkT7B3ztKbEBYVLyv-ehYI331jCIZF88CasMhpb9H8TL14dvo/s1600-h/DSC01654.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPRc6Dh9m8nZoP-MbQW5ns2fodK_dsQCxg-fRS7Z0DosQ6uSVb79JqcY0rtOL3h1RkGV1lvRwe-caKb8YTQecDhyphenhyphenJVY7WkT7B3ztKbEBYVLyv-ehYI331jCIZF88CasMhpb9H8TL14dvo/s200/DSC01654.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5315670657192763778" /></a><div style="text-align: center;">The studious ones. </div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX42_MbDXETikLPk2S3cvlOT6J8I1BXERnkU6zyzX4lUzBoxgVyxBFSmiX8JdtH8PM3WCpkW0gLNeI-qiIEOlS_CyYHtmtCuDZhopuySoMhreRWFKte8NyaT5qfW6aj5RgEjwmYuOt9yc/s1600-h/DSC01653.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX42_MbDXETikLPk2S3cvlOT6J8I1BXERnkU6zyzX4lUzBoxgVyxBFSmiX8JdtH8PM3WCpkW0gLNeI-qiIEOlS_CyYHtmtCuDZhopuySoMhreRWFKte8NyaT5qfW6aj5RgEjwmYuOt9yc/s200/DSC01653.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5315670650637226162" /></a><div style="text-align: center;">Typical Shawn face</div><div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWM3zlx6x4h1PICSOvfJ2tJkSBudY8ZHv2g7LgKONQ4v6cr5iiWc22_VR380W_X8YCCOTOvcmJcSnIXo6c253UBNHMEL6xxRJooVUvm4BTgJjCHZ14ZchWnQainzrAxOZU4Q43dkIqNRM/s200/DSC01673.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5315672143263986002" /></div><div><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5g6mOYDP3J5pZY4PbAN0uBwlVn9YTxzKDXIXvoUvv9Vs45b34EnVNvhvuqsw7AtmSDGWdpa-peWbK4FvHCmweTXrGHIzicYTz93n2yjnTgpGDc0igqJauUNAV3oS-oxdtS346ZBkqsvw/s200/DSC01675.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5315672154503189090" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px; " /><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc8bWWRH4OFe95I6MWR7SnVuzzANjH-6FPNxYhFA9xaFVjUPfwfod45mPH4-bIC-bAKGxTRspJEkTpKZvrmupQ5n_YCb7nnqQulAHSg9IL1RYF3qeB-smiNXkLbK6YXZP0OS7bJSOBU0I/s200/DSC01668.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5315672151437527458" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px; " /></div>Nic and Melaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03266429997815906079noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5418813253723347145.post-89505745536654257172009-03-20T12:55:00.004-03:002009-03-20T13:49:17.032-03:00Missing GrandmaMrs. Olive Corriea, or Grandma, or G-ma - my favorite, was called to be with Jesus 4 weeks ago today. I often think of her and am inspired to live like her. I miss her a lot. I wish I could get on Skype and call her and give her an update on Taiwan. I wish I could have spent more time with her. I wish I could just tell her one more time how much I love her and how special she was to be. <br /><br />Sometimes I think of her and cry. Other times I think of her and smile. Those times are more frequent - and for that I am thankful. I read the following at her funeral. It was a letter that I wrote to her before Christmas when she was struggling with congestive heart failure and had been hospitalized. I'm glad I was able to share my thoughts with her then. <br /><br />How Do I Say Thank You?<br /><br />Dear Grandma,<br /><br />I want to let you know that I am praying for you as you go through this difficult time. Last night when I heard what had happened and didn’t really know what condition you were in I cried and cried. I am so glad to hear that you are breathing easier now and that you are resting. I want to let you know that last night Nic and I prayed for you. I prayed for your healing – that God, our great physician, would heal you. I prayed that He would be your comforter and rest. I prayed that He would be your peace. I prayed that He would give wisdom to the doctors and that they would give you the best care. I prayed that God would keep you safe and take good care of you. I know that He will and I trust Him with that! I wish I could come and visit you, but since I can’t, I thought I would write you a letter to tell you how much I love and appreciate you. Some people think great thoughts about others and value them so highly, and only after that person is gone do they express their gratefulness for that person and the role they played in their life. Well, I don’t want to wait until that time Grandma. I want to let you know now how much you mean to me, how much I have learned from you and how much I love you. So here is a list of things that you have taught me; either directly through time spent with you or watching you, or through my mom – who, obviously, learned directly through you!<br /><br />Put God First<br />You have been an example to me of putting God first in your life. I can see this by your priority of spending time reading the Bible and praying in the morning. You also show by your example your commitment to God through your church attendance. I know that you hold firm to his word and that you live what you read. Your reading through the Bible yearly has also been a challenge to me.<br /><br />Prayer<br />I will never forget how, as a young child, I would spend the night at your house, and you would kneel and pray by the side of your bed, for what seemed to me to be the longest time. As I have grown and matured in my faith I know that your prayers have reached the heart of God. I know that God has worked through and in our family due to your prayers. I also have a great peace knowing that you pray for me. Not only do you tell me you pray, but I know that you do pray, you pray often – and that blesses me beyond words.<br /><br />Hospitality<br />Not only have you shown great hospitality to our family, as your home has been the meeting place for many family meals, but also to strangers, believers who are new to our church and need an “adopted” family. You have shown me how, even in the simple ways, we can reach out and welcome others and show them love.<br /><br />Make Home a Haven<br />Grandma, your home is a resting place and a place of great refreshment. Not only is it always smelling clean and fresh, and is organized, and everything is in its place, but also, there is always something available, food, tea or cake to nourish anyone who may stop by. I know that I, along with the rest of our family, I have been so blessed by the way that you have made your home a haven for those you love. You have taught me the importance of keeping my home clean and organized so that life is more enjoyable. You have taught me the benefit of blessing others with a meal to eat. You have taught me the importance of being faithful in the seemingly small areas, such as keeping my home, so that in that faithfulness I may also be faithful in other areas. <br /><br />Service and Giving<br />You are always willing to lend a hand, to bring a meal, to help someone in need and you have taught me the value of serving in secret. I also know that you have taught me not to hold tightly to material possessions but that there is joy in giving. In a world that says happiness comes from how much we have, you have shown me that there is joy in blessing others. I have been the recipient so many times of your benevolence and I can’t put into words my thankfulness for not only what you have given me, but the truth that “it’s more blessed to give that to receive” which you have taught me through your actions.<br /><br />The Value of Work Hard<br />Through your life you have taught me the value of work. You have taught me to work, as unto God, to be faithful in what I need to do and to do the best that I can. Your example at the Friendly Store and Lindo's as you pressed on as long as you were able was an example of commitment and perseverance. The work that you do at home produces such great fruit in that it provides the haven I wrote about earlier. You have taught me to not be idle but that there is value and reward in work.<br /><br />Contentment In All Circumstances<br />In all that you have gone through throughout the years I never hear your complain. You always put your trust in God, you know that He provides, sustains and is our comfort. You never blame him but you trust him to meet your needs and be your comfort. It’s so easy for me to complain about a silly bruise or a sore muscle, but in all you’ve been through you quietly endure and that speaks volumes of your character. <br /><br />Trust God and Don’t Worry<br />Throughout high school and college I always knew that I could come to relax at your house. Often, sitting around the table, I would share about what was going on – sometimes feeling stressed or worried about the future and what it would hold or how I would accomplish the tasks in front of me. You were a caring listener but also taught me not to worry; to do what was necessary and trust God with the rest. I also want to thank you for the time you helped me put my wedding invitations together. I remember how overwhelming that task seemed, and you sat there and struggled with me as I sought to tie bows. Thank you!<br /><br />Loyalty and Love for Family<br />We all know that you have been the glue that has made our family so close. You taught us that being there for our family is so important and that we should bless each other and love each other always. You taught us the value of time spent together and of enriching each other’s lives. You taught me to value and appreciate my family for who they are and for what they do for me. <br /><br />Grandma, these are things that I have learned from you. I hope that I will always remember these values and that they will be evident in my life. I pray my life will shine as brightly as yours has; that my family, children and grandchildren will be as motivated and inspired by me as I am by you. I pray that my life will shine, and that as the years pass I, too, will be found as faithful. <br /><br />I love you so much, Grandma and will continue to pray for your health, for your body and for your comfort and rest. I wish I could be there to show you I love you or do something to bless you, but I hope that these words can express how much you mean to me. <br /><br />I love you so much!<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">Days and weeks pass, and I'm sure the months and years will too, but I know that I will never be the same because of this incredible woman.</span><br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHsLPrUrqGkzUTrirk8bT02Rl6ELNoiP_5nqqlnETGxgZr0VHTtXp5enrc_IHPrCOq0kIdq-IPoroJhIzpo6WM4PorTFWTdUwG7V-9_QHSFLptxegGehoX8C7fXNpINUv27j3UJYPjrfE/s1600-h/Picture+1.png"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 130px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHsLPrUrqGkzUTrirk8bT02Rl6ELNoiP_5nqqlnETGxgZr0VHTtXp5enrc_IHPrCOq0kIdq-IPoroJhIzpo6WM4PorTFWTdUwG7V-9_QHSFLptxegGehoX8C7fXNpINUv27j3UJYPjrfE/s200/Picture+1.png" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5315306935127101682" /></a>Nic and Melaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03266429997815906079noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5418813253723347145.post-67258192870618718682009-03-20T02:00:00.002-03:002009-03-20T02:07:27.982-03:00Busy... but we're back!It has been a roller coaster month. One month ago today, my Grandmother, a woman that I love and cherish passed away. Dealing with the thought of this possibility had plagued my thoughts for months, and suddenly the nightmare became a reality. God is so faithful in small ways and in the huge, seemingly impossible ways. He provided a way for both Nic and I to go home to Bermuda for a week to celebrate the life of Mrs. Olive Correia and to be with family. <br /><br />Now we're back in Taiwan. We're also really busy. I am nine weeks into my first semester of my Master's Degree in Curriculum and Instruction - with a focus in literacy. On top of the five classes that I am taking, which keep me really busy, we both teach about 22 hours a week, are trying to build and maintain relationships with our brothers and sisters in Taiwan and then of course build other friendships and continue to learn and explore this amazing culture.<br /><br />Teaching, studying, working on assignments and the daily tasks of everyday life have kept me pretty busy. Oh, and upon return to Taiwan a flu attacked my immune system and knocked whatever energy I had left out of my body. Thanks to prayers from family and friends, my energy is back, I was sick for less than a week, and I've decided to begin writing again. I want this to be a venue to share our hearts with family and friends, and also a way for me to document this journey that is "Taiwan." <br /><br />Last night Nic and I read My Upmost for His Highest and were encouraged that in living this life of faith sometimes we don't know where we are going, but we love the One who leads us!Nic and Melaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03266429997815906079noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5418813253723347145.post-65180625072921737232008-12-02T02:59:00.002-04:002008-12-02T03:06:55.152-04:00Earthquake and EducationWell this morning Nic and I experienced our first earthquake - and hopefully our last! It wasn't a bad one at all - we could feel that we were moving though and nothing fell or moved in our apartment, would could see our fan swaying back and forth. It was an eerie feeling! We looked at each other and said - Is this an earthquake? It was definitely an experience. <br /><br />In other great news, I received news this morning that I was accepted into the Masters of Education in Curriculum and Instruction with a focus in Literacy program, through the University of Missouri. I will be working on this Masters Degree online but it should be great for me in helping me to progress in my career, to help increase earning potential in the future, and to keep me updated on the world of Education as I am taking a brief hiatus. I also believe that as an educator I should always be seeking to further develop myself and to learn more. I am very excited about this opportunity at this time in life. God is good and He has opened this door. Now I need to figure out how many classes my schedule will allow me to take at a time - I'm hoping to be finished the program in a year and a half. Classes will start on January 20th officially so I should be enrolling in the courses shortly!<br /><br />The temperature has warmed up bit, which has been a nice change for us, especially as it can be cold on the scooter, particularly at night. <br /><br />That's the update from Taiwan for now. Ooh - and we decorated our apartment for Christmas! It was great - I made cookies, we drank hot chocolate, decorated and listened to Christmas music. :) Check out the photos on Facebook. <br /><br />Ok - that's it. For now. :)Nic and Melaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03266429997815906079noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5418813253723347145.post-28976588827452623552008-11-17T03:09:00.002-04:002008-11-17T03:13:56.902-04:00Cultural differences - sights, sounds and smells...The past few days I have been meaning to post about something that is a noticeable difference between our western cultures and the culture of Taiwan. <br /><br />In Taiwan, it is completely culturally appropriate to pick one's nose, and flatulence and burping in public are not considered taboo. It is one thing I have yet to adjust to. It's bizarre to see old people just really into picking their nose as they walk down the street, or to have a student "pass gas" loudly in class and no one turns their head or laughs. <br /><br />Oh Taiwan.. the sights, smells and sounds. ;0)Nic and Melaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03266429997815906079noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5418813253723347145.post-69394269493650083252008-11-04T22:44:00.005-04:002008-11-05T00:26:59.563-04:00Chocolate Chip Cookies and Banana Bread<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvq4PAEd6XWzrXuHEzgFCprrVxyacC8q5PvDcIkZ_Ehv4NaYlXAxLeVgfg-AEc2QeD0CEy3DgZYqqQEHTxjN_SX30IHXKC77bpbu42_vIBbpMPMS1QLjNexq3QI-b0z9MdiWv2wsbJSr8/s1600-h/DSC01457.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvq4PAEd6XWzrXuHEzgFCprrVxyacC8q5PvDcIkZ_Ehv4NaYlXAxLeVgfg-AEc2QeD0CEy3DgZYqqQEHTxjN_SX30IHXKC77bpbu42_vIBbpMPMS1QLjNexq3QI-b0z9MdiWv2wsbJSr8/s200/DSC01457.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5265011759231126546" /></a><br />Sometimes it makes me smile to see how God can bless us in the little things. <br /><br /> Nic and I had heard that we could bake anything in a toaster oven that you can bake in an oven. We decided that we wanted to get a toaster oven. For a few weeks we put it off, thinking about what kind to get and decided where to get it. Well, on the day that Nic was leaving his job to go get our toaster oven, (helmet in hand) his co-workers asked him where he was going. He proceeded to tell them about our desire for a toaster oven. One of his co-workers told him that the ones were were looking at were made cheaply in China and that we should look for a better quality one. It just so happens that his father owns an electronic shop. He called his father who said that they were out of stock on the toaster ovens but that they owned one that was 6 months old and had only been used a few times. He would be willing to sell it to us at half the cost of a new one. <br /><br />All that to say, God blessed us with a toaster oven the size of a microwave for half of the cost of a smaller one. <br /><br />So for Nic's birthday I was able to make chocolate chip cookies in our new toaster oven! <br /><br /><br />The cooked in exactly the right amount of time - the toaster oven is perfect!<br /><br /><br /><br />Here are the cookies!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLXwq1bokWCGc1E3CrfjXEhAITvRQxQjdlyK_KYT3oeLzKXtXqur-rWcbsY0zGO7GCRfbwlaKcoZ9-w1lMbBrEp_RvyInI0ucgiKG1Zx5RGjWHmssAoWGj5uYO0KXMQhxiyAPtBk_4W2A/s1600-h/DSC01463.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLXwq1bokWCGc1E3CrfjXEhAITvRQxQjdlyK_KYT3oeLzKXtXqur-rWcbsY0zGO7GCRfbwlaKcoZ9-w1lMbBrEp_RvyInI0ucgiKG1Zx5RGjWHmssAoWGj5uYO0KXMQhxiyAPtBk_4W2A/s200/DSC01463.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5265003841044266466" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /> <br />I was also able to find Banana Bread that tastes just like home made banana bread at the grocery store. <br /> Heated in the toaster oven with some tea, this treat has been such a fun blessing to us! :)<br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJOyiPRaCvd6-BVAsdNcEkyeV8ZFxZUupwlKNI5G8WQsR4jyXRg1E2-7ZxClh_AMm3fNsIWN9MpYQwpF10To7PBB_o0wk9ODlHOmcuc5VP-TGDHyE3GBBjMUjs2D3DbMEZgrglQYZ7LWk/s1600-h/DSC01466.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJOyiPRaCvd6-BVAsdNcEkyeV8ZFxZUupwlKNI5G8WQsR4jyXRg1E2-7ZxClh_AMm3fNsIWN9MpYQwpF10To7PBB_o0wk9ODlHOmcuc5VP-TGDHyE3GBBjMUjs2D3DbMEZgrglQYZ7LWk/s200/DSC01466.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5265003845475977602" /></a>Nic and Melaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03266429997815906079noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5418813253723347145.post-58577888665461372752008-10-27T02:44:00.004-03:002008-10-27T03:47:37.391-03:00Discipline and Budgeting...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhol0gxILKlWaiwmWh93CFrByvmMUmQnmVmsefh0qgLPd7t00_HZ6kNfj5B8hOOVzcFv3ZC-d7cduasbxQF9CGhjND23V9sKNGUo1ozvAo61SpwYd5l6Hnd-vcM6srYK7fxIvVXrIscLLg/s1600-h/Money+stacks.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 182px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhol0gxILKlWaiwmWh93CFrByvmMUmQnmVmsefh0qgLPd7t00_HZ6kNfj5B8hOOVzcFv3ZC-d7cduasbxQF9CGhjND23V9sKNGUo1ozvAo61SpwYd5l6Hnd-vcM6srYK7fxIvVXrIscLLg/s200/Money+stacks.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5261721710123852082" /></a><br /><br />Today begins week three of my journey to being a runner. This morning at 8:30 I began and was able to successfully run 5 minutes, walk 1, run 5, ... for thirty minutes... which means I ran 25 minutes and walked 5 total. That's something eh? December 6th I will reach my goal of running for 30 minutes straight. I'm pretty excited about this and can already feel the benefits... although I was also feeling side stiches and some shin pain this morning too! Going to the park earlier also meant that I was able to see more people exercising - there was a huge group of women (maybe 30) doing aerobic dance in the park and then another large group of women doing what seemed to be ballroom dance practice. It was so funny, especially when they pulled out their Chinese umbrellas. I really need to take the video camera into the park. I also watched a few people doing Tai Chi. I have always been told that exercising gives you energy. I don't know why then that from 1-3pm I always feel super sleepy - especially on days that I exercise. Hmmm?<br /><br />Mondays are busy for me. I run, come back, eat breakfast, shower, review my meal plan, go to the grocery and then bring back all of the goods on the scooter. It's quite the adventure. Then I have some down time before making dinner, then cleaning up..a bit more down time and then.... it's off to work. Today we had French Bread and home made Broccoli Cheddar Soup. It's note quite Panera, and it probably didn't help that I used skim milk.... :) But it was good all the same. http://www.lynnskitchenadventures.com/search/label/Soups (scroll down for the recipe... I also want to try her Chicken Taco Soup).<br /><br />Since I am hoping to hear back soon from the University of Missouri about whether or not I am accepted into their Masters of Education program, Nic and I are trying our best to save as much money as we can so that we can pay off my Master's degree without any debt. We have made a budget that we are working hard to stick to, and are using the "Envelope System" to help us stick to it. (You can read a little about the envelope system here: http://www.daveramsey.com/etc/cms/index.cfm?intContentID=3461 and http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/06/09/AR2007060900050.html) It's basic but keeps us from being tempted to dip into our savings. In a world where the economy is unpredictable and many newly weds start out trying to imitate the lifestyles that their parents have achieved after 20 years of hard work... Nic and I are doing our best to be smart, work hard, live simply and to think about the future! <br /><br />I must admit that I am pretty excited about this coming weekend. We have a special birthday in the family, (Nic will be 28!) and we have saved our "recreation/ going out" cash for this event - so we should be able to really enjoy it! Dessert... here I come! <br /><br />I am thankful for this time now when we are in a country where we don't have easy access to the conveniences of life so that we can learn to be wise with our earnings and to grow in self-discipline! So far, so good!Nic and Melaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03266429997815906079noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5418813253723347145.post-7202016486069626972008-10-21T23:34:00.003-03:002008-10-21T23:49:04.757-03:00Cultivating a Thankful Spirit...There are days in Taiwan when it would be very easy to be unthankful about things that are inconvenient. <br /><br />-My "kitchen" is a table and there's not much room for food prep!<br />-I have no oven.<br />-Things like to burn and stick on the hot plate...<br />-It's hard to find known ingredients at the grocery.<br />-Known ingredients are hard to pick due to the fact that it's all written in Chinese. (Do I want tun with Japanese sauce or a tuna spread?) grr...<br />- I teach on Friday nights and on Saturday mornings now (I was just assigned a Saturday morning class from 10:30-12:30) <br /><br />But when I have days when I want to complain or be unthankful, I remember how blessed I am to have running water. How blessed I am to have transportation to the grocery store, how blessed I am to have a job to be able to buy groceries. I want to have a heart that's thankful; the turns to God in the moments when I am tempted to complain and that thanks Him for his blessings in my life. I know that there is always something in life that I will be tempted to complain about - and I don't want to be "a complainer." My hope is that this amazing experience of living in Taiwan will help me to become a thankful person! <br /><br />Updates on goals: I have been following this running program. <a href="http://www.runnersworld.com/article/0,7120,s6-380-381--9397-2-1X5-3,00.html"></a><br /><br />I am currently on Week 2 of this program. I ran 3 minutes and walked one minutes repeatedly today repeatedly. It's slow moving but if I'm dedicated I'm hoping it will pay off! I think some of the people like to watch me run - the foreigner running in the park. I would probably seem more normal if I were stretching on the monkey bars or slapping my body and stretching. ;) On another funny note - in the grocery store people look at my cart a lot! They slowly stop and try to see what the foreigner is buying. You just have to smile and keep going! :)<br /><br />Ok - today we have Taco Potatoes for lunch. I'm trying to decide whether to boil and put the taco stuff on the boiled potato or if I should boil and mash and then put the stuff on the mashed potatoes. Hmmmm... How I look forward to my toaster oven.. that's our next purchase... which will happen before next Friday. :)Nic and Melaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03266429997815906079noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5418813253723347145.post-75923701555732032432008-10-15T12:15:00.006-03:002008-10-16T02:41:22.614-03:00Update ... Goals... and Every Day Taiwan<span style="font-weight:bold;">Grandma</span><br />Thanks for praying for my Grandma. She did have a heart-attack. This is her third heart-attack, but she is the most amazing lady I know, so she is a trooper and from what I hear is resting and is well-taken care of. Praise God! It's hard being away from family when things like this happen because I want so badly to stay in the loop!<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Goals</span><br />This year I have set quite a few goals for myself. They are mainly physical goals that I have set in order to use my free time effectively. Since I don't have to work until 4pm most days of the week (the exception is Wednesday when we leave around 1pm) I have quite a bit of time on my hands and I want to use it wisely. We have decided not to have a TV this year, however, I will admit that we were addicted to LOST online and do plan on watching it once the new season comes out in January, however, that will be 40 minutes once a week. So, in the scheme of things, we will not have much "television" time this year and I want to make good use of that time. <br /><br />Here are my goals. <br /><br />I want to enjoy running. Right now I have a 10 week plan set that moves me from run/walking to running 2 miles straight. For some people, this goal might be laughable, but I really do want to be able to go for runs and enjoy them. I want to be healthy when I am old. I want to be like the elderly here that do stretches in the park for hours and walk and shake their hips as they stretch - and oh, did I mention, they also hike mountains and play tennis. Talk about a wake up call. <br /><br />I want to speak Basic Mandarin. At least. I figure, you can't move to a place like Taiwan, live in the culture, and not learn to speak it. I enjoy languages. I think that getting basic Mandarin under my belt would better me as an individual and it will certainly keep my brain active. It will also help me to navigate this land and I will feel better in attempting to communicate; at least I will be making an effort to speak their language rather than expecting and hoping that they can speak mine!<br /><br />I want to learn more about photography. This will be more of a free-time reading and practicing hobby. I have been to some pretty amazing places in the past few months, I know that I will be to more in the months to come, and I want to be able to have great pictures to look back on!<br /><br />So those are my "free-time" goals for this year. Of course, there are the deeper, more important goals of growing in my faith and relationship with Christ, learning to be a better friend and helper to my husband and of blessing and ministering in a local church. Those were always set. These are new goals that I have recently decided upon.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Every-Day Taiwan<br /></span><br />Here are more fun tid-bits about life in Taiwan. <br />*Random people like to ask you personal questions. The ladies at the tea shop by my job (where I buy my Passion Fruit Green Tea, almost daily,) have a new question for me each time they see me. How old are you? How long have you been here? Where are you from? I have never felt like such a fascinating person before. They make me smile. Oh, and then there's the random people at red lights who try to ask you questions in Chinese until they realize you don't speak it. Sad.<br /><br />*A "yummy" snack was offered to me yesterday at work. Shrimp flavored "cookies" - it was more like pork rinds... but didn't taste bad. I'm trying to broaden my horizons in the gastronomical area, slowly but surely. <br /><br />*Strangers will tell you that you're "beautiful." It's encouraging. <br /><br />*People on scooters wear their jackets backwards. I don't know why - we hear it's to stop the wind, but I'm not 100% sure that's the answer. <br /><br />*If you're trying to buy fruit or something at a little market, the seller really tries hard to get you to buy other stuff too. Right now the fact that we don't speak Chinese helps to ward off this problem. <br /><br />*Sometimes people want to take pictures with you - just because you're a foreigner. Sometimes it's fun - sometimes it's just awkward.<br /><br />*In the 7-11s, that are on every street corner, they have eggs boiling in tea. They are a snack here. They smell awful and make me dread walking into the 7-11, although, I think I'm becoming accustomed to the smell now as it doesn't bother me like it used to. 7-11 also offers bill-paying services, faxing, photo-copying and printing services. You can also pay your speeding tickets there (so we hear... don't panic. :) <br /><br />And that's all I can think of for now. My brain is shutting down so I'm going to go get some sweet sleep.Nic and Melaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03266429997815906079noreply@blogger.com0