11/8/15
I will just get straight into the cultural stuff because there is quite a few. First, I officially hate garbage trucks. I cannot stand them. In Taiwan, they play the first few bars of Fur Elise over and over and over again as loud as they possibly can. Yes, like an ice cream truck. All the little kids run out, "Ice Cream!" NO! Garbage truck! They come in waves of three garbage trucks, because you have to recycle and sort all of your garbage in Taiwan--even at McDonald's. Unlike Americans who hermit their garbage for a week until garbage day, the Taiwanese take out the trash in separate little bags every night and wait in mobs for the stinky sweet sound of Beethoven. I'm not about that life. I'm content to get ready for bed every night without the first few bars of an already overplayed piece being pounded into my mind. I digress.
I will just get straight into the cultural stuff because there is quite a few. First, I officially hate garbage trucks. I cannot stand them. In Taiwan, they play the first few bars of Fur Elise over and over and over again as loud as they possibly can. Yes, like an ice cream truck. All the little kids run out, "Ice Cream!" NO! Garbage truck! They come in waves of three garbage trucks, because you have to recycle and sort all of your garbage in Taiwan--even at McDonald's. Unlike Americans who hermit their garbage for a week until garbage day, the Taiwanese take out the trash in separate little bags every night and wait in mobs for the stinky sweet sound of Beethoven. I'm not about that life. I'm content to get ready for bed every night without the first few bars of an already overplayed piece being pounded into my mind. I digress.
Well, you know you've been on a mission too long when you are talking about Disney characters and you mention Snow White and the 12 Dwarves. That is what happened to a Sister in my district when we were talking about what to do for our Language Party. Also, church jokes just become funny. What car do the Apostles like to drive? Honda, because they are all of one Accord.
I was reading back in my journal the other night and marking up entries where I talked about some of my favorite experiences thus far on my mission. How incredible they are. My companion Elder Boyce asks me every night what my favorite part of the day is, and it really is not very hard to come up with some amazing experience that happened that day. The miracles may be small, but when we look for them they are always there. Just last night we were street contacting at a MRT station, and we talked to a girl from Vietnam who casually said she might come to our church on Sunday if she got the time and bring her friend too. Granted, there wasn't much conviction in it, and she mostly seemed like she just wanted us to leave her alone, but overall it was a good contact and she went her way. 15 minutes later, guess who we talk to? Her friend! Her friend was even less interested and more short on time, but it was such a coincidence (in reality a miracle) that we were able to leave even the smallest impression on two people that live in the same apartment. So cool. The Lord definitely blesses us when we are trying. I love you all!
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Don't let Christian read this part. I have been looking desperately for Pokemon cards. Seriously. I have three Asians looking into it without any real success. Apparently, Pokemon cards are actually short in supply in Taiwan because they just aren't popular anymore. I still might be able to get my hands on some Chinese ones for Christian, but I might not make it before Christmas.
Shipping, as far as I have heard, takes about 2 to 3 weeks for packages. They are very expensive: between $20 and $40 each, so don't expect too many from Taiwan unfortunately... Hey, tell Tim Carr that my companion's girlfriend is his niece. What are the odds? Her name is Betsy Carr. Coolest thing about Chinese ever: the characters make sense. The characters for garage is the character for car, and then another character for car under what looks like a garage. It is so awesome. 車庫. The first one is car, and the second character is the car under the garage. Awesome huh??? Chinese may be complicated, but it makes sense! Also, there is this random building that you can see from the MRT that has a bunch of racist propaganda on it. It is really funny because one of the electronic signs says, "To avoid religious sexual abuse, stay away from lamas." Another sign clarifies, "To avoid religious sexual abuse, stay away from the lamas of Tibetan Buddhism", but at first glance we just about died laughing. I don't know why, but they just hate the lamas of Tibetan Buddhism, and it is just one building.
OH! Elder Stevenson is coming to our mission this month!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I love you all! Bye!
Don't let Christian read this part. I have been looking desperately for Pokemon cards. Seriously. I have three Asians looking into it without any real success. Apparently, Pokemon cards are actually short in supply in Taiwan because they just aren't popular anymore. I still might be able to get my hands on some Chinese ones for Christian, but I might not make it before Christmas.
Shipping, as far as I have heard, takes about 2 to 3 weeks for packages. They are very expensive: between $20 and $40 each, so don't expect too many from Taiwan unfortunately... Hey, tell Tim Carr that my companion's girlfriend is his niece. What are the odds? Her name is Betsy Carr. Coolest thing about Chinese ever: the characters make sense. The characters for garage is the character for car, and then another character for car under what looks like a garage. It is so awesome. 車庫. The first one is car, and the second character is the car under the garage. Awesome huh??? Chinese may be complicated, but it makes sense! Also, there is this random building that you can see from the MRT that has a bunch of racist propaganda on it. It is really funny because one of the electronic signs says, "To avoid religious sexual abuse, stay away from lamas." Another sign clarifies, "To avoid religious sexual abuse, stay away from the lamas of Tibetan Buddhism", but at first glance we just about died laughing. I don't know why, but they just hate the lamas of Tibetan Buddhism, and it is just one building.
OH! Elder Stevenson is coming to our mission this month!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I love you all! Bye!
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