Tropical Oasis in a Concrete Jungle

I’ve mentioned before that I don’t really like living in the city. Yes, I’ve learned to truly appreciate the convenience of being able to walk most places, but I will never get used to gazing out our living room windows at the tile facade of another high rise. I miss the green of trees and grass and the blue of an open sky.

Last year when my parents were visiting us in Taiwan, they took a walk one afternoon by themselves and ventured into a beautiful park about a mile from our apartment. Charles and I had driven past the location many times, but since the park is surrounded by a high wall, we didn’t know what was inside. My parents described it as a small tropical oasis in the midst of our concrete jungle. Until today, Charles and I never took Mom and Dad’s advice that we should visit this little pocket of nature. Oh, how I wish we had gone sooner! Continue reading “Tropical Oasis in a Concrete Jungle”

Summer Loving

Hello, there! It’s been a while since I’ve written here, so I thought I’d give a little update.

U.S. Travels

Charles and I went to the U.S. for the summer, and we enjoyed seeing family and friends. We spent most of our time in upstate New York at my parents’ home. During that time, we celebrated my sister’s wedding which was a complete joy. The highlights were reconnecting with extended family and good friends, being together with both of my sisters for an extended time, seeing my sisters’ former foster daughter again (she was the flower girl), spending time with my best friend (during the wedding and the week after), and celebrating the beginning of a God-centered marriage between my sister and her husband. Continue reading “Summer Loving”

Getting to Know the Neighborhood

We live downtown in Taichung, Taiwan in an area that is close to just about everything. The hospital where we get our medications and see our doctors is a walk away. We have a pretty little park around the corner. There are bakeries and tea shops, clothing stores and hair salons, grocery stores and restaurants on every street and side alley.

Because there is so much packed into a tight area AND because we don’t read Chinese or even speak it very well, it’s taking us quite a while to really get to know the neighborhood. It’s always fun when we find a new place that fits us. Just last week, we found two new places to add to our list of regulars.  Continue reading “Getting to Know the Neighborhood”