What's left of my mango bing is sitting in the middle of the table. I'm telling you, it is the best thing in the world.Day 5: I drop off the kids at the Andersons (thank you again, Jenny), I pick up the coveted vacuum (yet again, thanks Jenny), and push it in the stroller back to my house. I spend the next two hours vacuuming my tile floors, and it feels good to be clean again. At night we head to the Shilin night market so Mike can get his late birthday present (a hand-made leather belt), and so Hazel can get some shooting practice in. We eat fresh fruit, and spend a long time chatting with the belt people, who end up making Holden two belts, and giving me a free one. Night markets are the number one thing I love about Taiwan. They have something fun for everyone in my family: games for the kids, weird food for Mike to try, and shopping up the wazoo for me. We return home completely exhausted and put the kids to bed past 10:00.
Hazel learning to shoot. Yikes.
Holden really bonded with the belt people, and even Hazel called this man "my guy" and missed him when we left.Day 4: I pay for the late night craziness with really grumpy kids. Mike comes home and we go try to find him some new glasses--only they don't differentiate between men's and women's frames here, so it takes twice as long and is really frustrating. ("Those look nice--no, wait, they have tiny hearts on the sides....") I get to go to "ladies night" and make a bracelet and earrings. I am the only one at "ladies night" who breaks her bracelet, and then when I finally get it fixed, my wrist is too fat for it. While I'm gone Mike plays "farm" with the kids in the playground, and takes funny pictures of Holden and Hazel.
Sorry about the blurriness.Day 3: Mike leaves at 6:00 am for a silly field trip for his school. He gets to ride on a special tour bus!
I learn the secret to really awesome fried rice at the fried rice store, and I drop the kids off--yet again!--at the Andersons so I can travel an hour by subway, foot, and taxi just to see my doctor for 25 minutes (I came up with another two reasons why I don't like him: his hands are abnormally large, and his fingernails are long....oh, AND even when he isn't wearing tight turtlenecks, he still wears tight shirts, so tight that there is gaping between buttons, and you can see his belly through and he has really long black hairs on his belly. I'm just saying it's kind of gross and weird.) I come home to find presents from Mike and hungry kids, so we call McDonalds and THEY DELIVER OUR FOOD TO OUR DOOR. Isn't that a nice little perk? Apparently they also normally set it out on the table for you, but we decline to have them do that. It feels too fancy for chicken nuggets. Sadly, they get our order completely wrong, but food is food.
Just a few more days before we are back in "Ootah." It sounds strange, but I sort of feel sad. I actually almost cried when I said goodbye to my hated OBGYN. What is wrong with me?????
Funny that you are getting nostalgic and teary. You definitely would have to be pregnant to be in this state. That was the one thing I liked about being pregnant. I could blame crazy things on it. But, at least you are going and doing fun stuff your last few days - going out with a hurrah!
ReplyDeletethe night market sounds really cool, we'd love that.
ReplyDeleteAnd that's how I am--even if I don't like something that much, I get all sad when it's time to leave or end because then I can come up with all the cool or semi cool things about it.
Hey, plus, you're pregnant. You have an excuse for weird mood swings!
MCDonalds delivers? WoW! Make sure to take lots of pictures on the flight home. I'm sure you'll want to remember it forever!
ReplyDeleteWhat is the secret to really awesom fried rice?!?! You must not leave us in the dark any longer!
ReplyDeleteI saw some rice-a-roni at the store, on sale, and almost bought a couple of boxes for you, but then I thought how dumb that would be because you'll be here soon. Oh well! (now I want mango shaved ice!) Enjoy your last couple of days!
ReplyDeleteI think you always feel sad when leaving a place that will have special memories. It's part of knowing you are leaving (and are very glad) and yet thinking of all the good things that are there. I sort of felt the same about Madagascar but then I'd think of all the gross things I hated about the country and be very glad to be leaving. Don't you think it will be the same with leaving this earth life? We are loving the count down!! It will be interesting to see what Holden and Hazel remember.
ReplyDeleteSheryl
You're pregnant. That's what's wrong. I cry about everything when I'm pregnant. But also, you guys have had some really cool experiences. When I left Russia I was SOOOO excited to come home, but I cried the whole way home because I was so sad to leave the people. I knew I would probably never see them again. It's tough to leave a place, even if you want to.
ReplyDeleteYeah! Its almost here! I'm so glad you have not had any problems with you and your baby's health. We will be thinking of you winging your way over the ocean!
ReplyDeleteThe Carlsons introduced us to Bing, and we immediately went out and bought an ice shaver. They poured condensed sweetened milk over the top of cantalope & ice. Yum! I'm excited for you to be more comfortable at home in "Ootah", even though McDonalds doesn't deliver.
ReplyDelete