Meiyou Kong!

Meiyou Kong is the most over-used excuse we hear out on the streets of Taiwan. It means "no space" or "no time". But I'm going to go ahead and be very Taiwanese now when I tell you my emailing the past few weeks has sucked bad because I have also had "no time". Too busy having fun. Sorry everyone hahaha.

This past week had some cool things happen. Last week, i forget what day exactly, but one of them we were walking out of a 711 right after a lesson and we were about to go finding or contacting whatever you call it, and I went and talked to the very first person I saw outside sitting on his scooter. Went through the motions and asked who he was and how he was doing like normal and then he's like "Hey! I know you! I'm a member!" bahaha so that night we found a Melchizedek Priesthood holder who hadn't been to church for like 8 years or something. But better yet, turns out he is HILARIOUS and took us out to eat sushi later in the week. I won't forget that experience, that is for sure. It went something along the lines of this:

We get to his house and I call him up to see where he's at and the first thing he says basically translates to "oh my gosh you guys are soooo slow, ok i'll be down in a second" and hangs up. So that puts me in a good mood hahah I love people like that. We get to our dinner place and sit down and suddenly he just starts grabbing all the food he can see, including like 20 packs of wasabi and squeezing it all into my soy sauce and telling me I have to eat it because he wants to see my reaction to the heat! I almost cried I'll admit. Dang it I gave him the reaction he wanted.. but it was soooo funny to watch this almost 70 yrold act like he was still our age. He's a goon. But on a very honest note now though, wasabi will clear out your nose and your brain and the air surrounding you. that stuff when you load in 5 packets becomes pretty potent.. Then to top everything off, Fan DX starts going off on how he wants my nose so badly, apparently he thinks his nose is too fat and flat. So for the first time in my life, someone (him) asked if he could squeeze my nose.. I was like "What the heck!" at the question and he just thrusts himself forward nearly over the table to hand-rape my nose. hahahahahaha i honestly have no other way to describe it!! He tells us on the way back to our bikes that I needed to thank my ancestors for being perfect in this life and not getting cursed with a bad nose... 

We'll be seeing him again soon, but I'm not sure what to expect next time I'll be honest...

Our man FanDX, funniest guy of my life

Last Monday was one of the best days of my mission. Sorry for the short email. But now I'll share with you now that I have some more time. My RC LaiJM took us down to her hometown for the day to pick strawberries. I call LaiJM my Taiwanese mother. And she has really taken it upon herself to be such. Of course she'll never replace you my beloved mother. But I'm being honest when I say my every possible need is being met. And exceeded. I have plenty of motherly care don't worry. 

She takes us down to Miaoli which is probably one of the most beautiful places on this island to be honest. Super mountainous and super green. The whole ride down I'm literally dying of laughter the whole time and enjoying her liveliness. Then we pull up to her Aunt's strawberry farm and Gugu was so happy to see us! super nice too. She got us right to picking and told us we didn't have to limit ourselves. So I had myself some fresh strawberries off the vine, oranges off the tree, and hot peppers off the bush. Then to make it all the better, we were right next to this huge bamboo forest so i realized my dreams being able to go through that and imagine i was one of those ancient Chinese ah-gongs going through the forest.

MiaoLi

dreams come true

The crew and Gugu

biggest oranges I have ever seen. hands down!

fresh off the tree

getting my basket filled up

So that about sums up our time there. Soaking up some very beautiful scenery.

The ride home, everyone was tired and half sleeping except me and LaiJM in the front. I just started talking to her about my life. As if she was one of my best friends and also like she was my parent at the same time. Just kinda told her all my life goals plans and whatnot and she started giving me this motherly advice and like talking to me like i was her son. It was an hour that I legitimately felt at home, like legit home-feeling while simultaneously speaking chinese and looking out at foreign scenery. That was one of those hours that you sometimes get that you'll always look back on the rest of your life. Like one of those major moments, i don't know how to describe them. It was so nice. It ended too soon.

Since then LaiJM has brought me boxed lunches of homemade curry and bread and calls everyday its really cold to make sure I'm wearing my jacket haha. Stuff like that. She is one of my favorite people I've ever met. I'm going to be sad when I move next month. Like saying goodbye at the MTC kind of feeling I'm anticipating.

So to sum it all off. I'm doing very well. Life is very good. Thanks for all your prayers and support. I love you all!!

bringing the good word to a huge buddhist festival! haha not so successful ... but good scenery!

the cherry blossoms here .....