Katy in Taiwan: July 2012

Sunday, June 26, 2011

Last Sunday . . .

Sort of, I'd be back again on July 17, but as a visitor (though, I think I hung out in Sunbeams ;)

A beautiful woman from our ward became a good friend of mine

Katy and Elna

Some of the kids I taught in primary through the year included Elna's daughters (the two on the left) and the Branch Pres two children (the two on the right)

I also taught Gerald's children (his crazy-eyed daughter below) and I also got to know some of the others like the first councler's daughters (the oldest is standing behind me)

Packing started early-ish and then the mad rush to finish by the morning of the 29th. Which was only the day after the last day of my classes (I literally had to be out within 12 hours of my last class). They had to do a deep cleaning and the new teachers were arriving that day! Talk about TIC!!!!!

So of course I had to start with my pen bag ;)

Part one of what I was throwing away happened the week before. This next part was the hardest, but all the shoes/bags/shirt/socks pictured had worn out to a point where I wouldn't ware them any more (at least not in the states . . .), but I really do miss my zipper shoes!

The morning we got kicked out we had to turn in our bikes and keys, so I had to get a picture with my cute new (then 5 months old) bike! One of the secretaries, Amy, made a deal with me that she could have my bike if she gave her old bike to the school.

Officially Homeless!!!

So where do you stay if you have a week and a half before you go to Korea? Temple housing of course ;)

and a friend's house for the weekend, and you visit the other side of the island!

Pictured is the LDS Taipei Temple on the left, and (from what I was told) the Catholic Mission in Taipei on the right (according to googlemaps an Apostolic Nunciature), with some international electronics company featured in the center.

My last picture with the Taipei Temple

After three nights at temple housing, I went to my friend Alex's for the weekend, and sadly didn't get any pictures of her! But she's the one taking the next couple of me!

Saturday, July 2, 2011

Alex and I went to Danshuei, which is north of Taipei at the mouth of the Tamsui River. It's a pretty big tourist spot so we wondered around the shops and I even sent a wooden postcard to the parents (with just over two weeks to go before I got home I thought I should send at least one).

I don't remember what it was about the pumpkin . . . but I think maybe because I had to be in early (like 10pm) at temple housing, so Mark called me a Mormon Cinderella. In any case I love the design of the one I'm pointing to!

I think we took a ferry to the other side of the mouth of the river where we had some awesome Greek ice cream and watched the sun set.

We hit some awesome swells too!

Me getting hit with splash-mist!

This bridge is called Lover Bridge, I guess they put pink lights on it at night, but we only saw white :/
Still I really like the design!

We stood on the bridge to watch the sunset. I never can capture the true beauty of the sunsets in Taiwan!

Sunday, July 3, 2011

I went the the international ward with Alex. After we went to a YSA break the fast at a couple's apartment. It was a lot of fun getting to know other people who were here studying or teaching English. Plus, we had Cafe Rio style pulled pork . . . so . . . happiness! I was having downright addiction cravings for Americanized-Mexican food by that time!

Monday, July 4, 2011

Alex helped me buy tickets (for good times, but with complicated seating arangements) to Hualian, which is on the East-center of Taiwan.

I went to Hualian to (well, say I went) but mostly to visit my friend, Whitney, who was also a teacher at Berhan the first semester, and was then teaching in Hualian to be closer to her Fiance (they are now married and living in Provo, success!).

I stayed at a highly recommended hostel, Colorful. I took a pic googlemaps of where the hostel was . . . but I still got lost and a friendly older woman ushered around the corner to the hostel (lost white girl with suitcase, half a block from a hostel, no words needed, just hand gestures for "Come this way")

I then met up with Whitney for dinner and window-shopping. It was so good to see her and catch up!

Whitney and Katy

On the train ride back to Taipei the scenery was just too beautiful not to try to capture!

Tuesday-Thursday, July 5-7, 2011

I was back at temple housing, where all I had to do all day was eat at fun places around the blocks and go to the temple!

I also met a guy. I met him the Friday before at the international ward temple night and we went to dinner together. He was also at the YSA Sunday dinner. Tuesday we went to dinner at the mall, had Cold Stone, and walked around the Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial.

I took pictures of myself to see what my hair was doing, and then it was just fun!

I hadn't planned on hanging out with anyone, so my clothing choices were . . . interesting. I had this shirt, but then I decided to go shopping the next day, because the rest of my shirts were . . . well, not hang out shirts ;)