Its the most wonderful time of the year!!!
MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!!!!
I hope that this post finds everyone in the midst of a happy holiday season! For me, Christmas in Taiwan was totally diferent but also lots of fun. December 25th has never been a public holiday in Taiwan mainly because there are no Christians on the island. So, instead, I took a holiday! Actually both Monday and Tuesday as holidays! :)
My weekend was spent in Nantou County with a large amount of foreigners (that is another story!!! but just know that it was fun!). We finally returned to Taichung on Sunday evening. I went with 2 of the other Americans and one of our Chinese teachers to a hotel...we split the rate! It was super nice. And they had comfy beds (not the cardboard ones!) and carpeting on the floors!!!! We spent Christmas night hanging out, talking, and watching movies (The Polar Express and Miss Congeniality). On Christmas Day at around 6:30, my family called me! YAY! It was the perfect way to wake up! Then I opened presents for a couple of hours with the other Americans...my gifts are the best of 2 cultures! I got a scarf, chopsticks, books, jewelry...the list goes on and on! At first I thought being so far from my family meant that Christmas could be boring/bad, but I had a special Christmas celebration and didn't once feel homesick! After opening all the presents, we went down and feasted on the complimentary western-style breakfast. It was good. And the scrambled eggs were amazing (its like a delicacy in taiwan!!!).
Eventually, we had to check out of the hotel. I came home (actually we all went to the art museum via taxi) and then relaxed and enjoyed my presents even more! Thanks so much to all those that sent cards/gifts. I hope you know how much I appreciated it! :-) Later on in the afternoon, I went out with my pals that own a coffee shop down the street. Monday is their holiday so it worked out perfectly - they took me to their hometown of Changhua (about 10 or 20 min from Taichung) and we had a bit of holiday fun! Meaning, we had dinner and walked around. We stopped at Buddha Mountain...a mountain with a buddha on top. And we got to see Taiwanes war airplanes. Oooh, but the best was overlooking the city/Taichung county at sunset!
The rest of my Christmas was spent singing Christmas songs and doing su doku/reading! LOTS of fun, really!!! I miss everyone LOTS and I hope you had a wonderful holiday, too!!! :)
Lauren
