The only good thing about...

not being able to breathe through my nose is I don't have to worry about holding my breath on my scoot home going past the street vendors selling stinky tofu. Yep, I came back from Thailand with a cold and my nose is so stopped up I can't smell or taste anything. Last night after work, as I rounded the corner into this small market street on my route home, I was reminded of how fortunate it was to not smell that rotten smell. The Taiwanese call it Cho Do Fu, but all the westerners call it STINKY Tofu, because it is strong and smelly. I don't know how they do it, but they season it with all kinds of funk and then deep fry it and the smell wafts through the streets. You never know when you're going to pass a vendor selling it, but you can't mistake it when you do. I once asked several of my classes if they like it and I didn't have one person tell me they didn't like it. They all said, "It's delicious." They may have been showing off that they knew the word delicious, but seriously, I think they all love it. It is apparently the national dish, according to one of my co-workers, Sharon, who has informed me that I have to try it before I leave Taiwan, or I cannot say that I've lived in Taiwan. (Why can't milk tea be the national dish?) I guess asking a Taiwanese person if they like stinky tofu is like asking someone from the south if they like fried chicken. Or, asking someone from Texas if they like Dr. Pepper. (My supplier in Hsinchu ran out of Dr. Pepper about 3 weeks ago, so I've not had any for awhile.)

Anyway, all that rambling, to say I've got a cold, even though it's hot here. It turned off hot and humid this week and I was able to ride the scoot to work without a jacket for the first time in 6 months I think. It will soon be unbearably hot in our apartment I'm sure. Alas, I cannot be pleased when it comes to the weather.

Speaking of hot...it was hot in Thailand. My friend, Julie and I had a very relaxing three days and four nights, although now, on Friday morning at the end of a busy week, it seems like we were there a month ago rather than a week ago. Thailand is a tropical Asian experience replete with street markets selling black market wares, the tuk tuks (open air cabs for two plus people run off a motorcycle engine), the smells of green curry and pad thai, and the people begging on the streets. I saw many people from around the world walking the streets and markets of Bangkok and Pattaya (pat tuh yuh), and got to use my Irish accent on a young Irish guy who approached me in the street to see if I wanted to join his party in the bar for a bucket. (Apparently the bucket is the preferred container for mixing drinks and consuming them in Thailand amongst western tourists.) He was funny, although he was drunk. As soon as I mimicked his accent he asked me where I was from. I told him San Francisco, and he told me he was drunk. As I walked away, I thought, it was kind of funny, and really sad at the same time.

One of the things I liked most about doing this short vacation was seeing the looks on my kids faces when I got into a limo at my school on Thursday evening, and then getting dropped off at school with one hour to plan for the day on Monday. I couldn't have planned this or executed it any tighter, and many of you know how I relish the challenge of tight travel plans.

I also enjoyed just getting to take my watch off for a few days, getting two massages in one day (one delivered to my room - luxury), sitting by the pool (fully covered), and eating some of the best food I've had in months (green curry giant prawns!)

What I didn't enjoy about Thailand - our resort in Pattaya was on a dirty beach and our view was of industrial cranes. When we walked around the town, the prostitution was really in your face, and one couldn't just ignore what goes on in that country. Please pray for the people of Thailand to come to know the Savior.

Well, I've got to scoot, so I'll close for now.

Until next time, LC in TW


Julie on the beach being intellectual.

Eating Mango Sticky Rice in Bangkok.
Nothing intellectual about me!

Our cute little taxi guy taking us to the airport
at 5 in the morning. Ugh! Nice taxi though!

Julie in the Burberry Taxi at 5 in the morning.
Vacation over!

Just one of many funny things we saw in Bangkok.
In this funky boutique hotel lobby where we stayed,
these were the bathroom doors. At first, I really
wasn't sure which one to go into...lol!