4T6 2day!!

Yep, that's right party people, today WAS my birthday. Seeing that it's after midnight in the TW, it's over now, and I have officially started my 46th year. (I know I've already lived 46 years and I'm starting my 47th technically, but please just let me say it this way for now.) It only hurts if you think about how close 50 is at just 4 short years away.

This morning I was thinking about that and I tried to recall where I was 4 years AGO. I realized I had just left First Baptist, San Francisco and was studying massage and how to teach ESL. Then I realized how long ago all that seems to me and I wondered if the next 4 years will go slowly or fast. We shall see. Deep thoughts, here, eh?

Today was a great day in many ways, although it was a Thursday and, as you know if you're an avid "Taiwan to Me" reader, Thursdays are not my favorite days of the week. (My last two classes of the day I was pretty much in a fog.) I got up earlier than usual this morning for two reasons: my roommates surprised me with a birthday breakfast, which was awesome! (thanks Anneloe, Mari, and Ryno) AND my friend Erin and I went for a birthday challenge walk. We set out to find the beach town of Nanliao, (which is a challenge in itself since we neither one had ever driven there on our own, and in fact we'd only ever been there once before) and it was a beautiful morning with great sun and not too much wind. Nanliao's very near to where I live and Erin was great to scoot over about 30 minutes from Chudong to Hsinchu to meet me at 8 for our adventure. We found the "Sea Viewing Park" without too much difficulty and started walking around 8:45. After almost two hours enjoying the sea views and discovering the "trash beach" (yet another reason the Taiwanese don't swim in the ocean) we were back at the bikes and heading back into town. It was a great way to start the day, and I really am so thankful that Erin embraced the challenge with me.

After an indulgent morning, my afternoon and evening went pretty much as normal, with the exception that Erin showed up at my school to teach her one class in Erchong (on Thursdays she teaches all afternoon in Chudong and one early evening class in Erchong), brought me a yummy bubble milk tea, and then taught her beginners to sing Happy Birthday so they could invade my class and sing to me. It was a sweet interruption to my long day.

Only after I had finished teaching all my classes and was truly ready to come home and relax did I discover Erin had also brought a beautiful (albeit Taiwanese) birthday cake to the school and stashed it for the Chinese staff to enjoy with me at the end of the day. (Thanks TE!) Cara, Sharon, and Scarlet were pretending to be on the phone when I came downstairs to shut down my computer and head off. Then, I couldn't find my coat, and I had a "senior moment" wondering if I had worn it and if so, where had I put it. Cara started laughing and it became obvious she was not talking to anyone on the phone. So, I searched for my coat and found it in the storage closet sitting next to the birthday cake with a question mark candle on top and a sign that said, "Happy Birthday, baby!" Crack up! So Chinese! They love to say "Hello, baby!" sort of seductively. I think some advertiser is responsible for that trend. Anyway, the four of us had cake and then I brought the rest home for the roommies.

After a few phone conversations, I'm blogging and then crashing. I'm old you know. Thanks to everyone who emailed or sent cards (woohoo Hoops and Yo Yo!) or called me to sing or say Happy Birthday. Hope you all have a bright weekend. Love from the TW, LC

My roommates made me breakfast!