tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-73241651755325519262012-01-08T12:50:27.212-09:00the dysart family adventureshollynoreply@blogger.comBlogger651100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7324165175532551926.post-12349702054997939112012-01-06T11:28:00.000-09:002012-01-06T11:31:34.262-09:00

This version will work. The audio file is 'Happy Xmas (War is Over)' covered by Cursed Arrows. Cursed Arrows are a pretty awesome band, by the way. :)

hollynoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7324165175532551926.post-39726024503838446462012-01-05T13:27:00.000-09:002012-01-05T13:27:11.154-09:00

hollynoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7324165175532551926.post-53901847342194570152011-12-20T19:35:00.001-09:002011-12-20T19:35:26.094-09:00

I had the strangest conversation with my two year old the other night. We had just finished reading stories and had turned out the lights for bed. He turned to me and asked, "Cats lay eggs?" Following a second or two of stunned silence, I answered, "No...cats have babies just like people. Cat babies are called kittens." My inquisitive son then asked, "Frog lay eggs?" "Yes. Frogs lay eggs,

hollynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7324165175532551926.post-15427145453162373132011-12-04T14:15:00.001-09:002011-12-04T14:36:37.118-09:00

Over the past few months, D's vocabulary has exploded. He is memorizing pages of his favorite books (currently the Frances book series by Russell Hoban and Fox in Socks by Dr. Seuss) and singing his favorite songs (Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star; Peace Like a River; ABC song). Every day he amazes me with new phrases and expressions. D has also become very interested in listening to his

hollynoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7324165175532551926.post-40861601712780013372011-01-06T21:58:00.000-09:002011-01-06T21:58:29.468-09:00

It has been much too long since I have posted here.  As it is, I do not have much time to post now.  Here is a brief update: My family and I no longer live in Taiwan - we now live in Alaska.  No we do not live in an igloo; no we do not know any Eskimos; no we do not own a dogsled and/or team of dogs.  Really, people?  We live in Sitka: 14 miles of road on a lonely island, surrounded by a

hollynoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7324165175532551926.post-73843386617890785212010-02-19T03:48:00.000-09:002010-02-19T03:48:13.540-09:00

little d really did fall asleep like this!

hollynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7324165175532551926.post-68355703876365742552010-02-13T19:29:00.000-09:002010-02-13T19:29:49.019-09:00

video by: bacon and alisha

hollynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7324165175532551926.post-14668782005873028982010-02-12T20:59:00.000-09:002010-02-12T20:59:52.834-09:00

This is a conversation that takes place at least once whenever I go out on the street with Declan (it has been translated for your reading pleasure): Random Taiwanese Woman: "Oh, how beautiful!" Me: "Thank you!" RTW: "Boy or girl?" Me: "Boy." RTW: "Oh, how lucky!" (Having a baby that is a boy is a HUGE deal here.) Me: "Yes." RTW: "How many months old?" Me: "Three months." RTW: "His nose is very

hollynoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7324165175532551926.post-66254502304157587992010-02-10T21:34:00.000-09:002010-02-10T21:34:25.439-09:00

if you are a frequent visitor to this blog or are a first-timer and would like to return, please use the gadget on the sidebar to become a follower of my blog!  :)

hollynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7324165175532551926.post-11197026017226522472010-02-06T07:27:00.000-09:002010-02-10T06:01:30.574-09:00

My first Agatha Christie novel, and I am hooked!  If you are looking for a suspenseful mystery novel or just a quick read that is not full of fluff (although those can be good sometimes too - look to the right at what I'm reading right now), this is it. Ten people spend the weekend in a resort home on a private island.  Some are invited as guests and some are hired as household staff.  When

hollynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7324165175532551926.post-56370665495112695292010-02-05T21:34:00.000-09:002010-02-10T06:02:12.350-09:00

A few weeks ago, I finished reading Breaking Dawn, the last book in the Twilight series.  I had read the first book and wasn't too interested in reading the rest of them.  However, the series has become so popular in the U.S. and Taiwan that I thought I should struggle through them, just in case they get better as the series progresses. Well, I am sorry to say, I was disappointed.  I just do not

hollynoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7324165175532551926.post-907629538210503462010-02-05T20:38:00.000-09:002010-02-05T20:53:39.443-09:00

Wow!  This post is nearly one week overdue (if I want to stick to my resolution of at least one post per week)! Declan went to the doctor yesterday for his next round of the 6-in-1 vaccination.  He now weighs 9.5 lbs (he was only 8 lbs two and a half weeks ago), is 22.5 inches long (was 21.5) and is in stride with or ahead of all the 4-month-old  developmental benchmarks.  Suffice it to say, I

hollynoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7324165175532551926.post-86611263178548001012010-01-25T01:28:00.000-09:002010-01-25T01:28:18.181-09:00

thursday was my first day back at work after maternity leave.  my leave ended all too soon and i came to fully understand why stay-at-home moms want to stay at home in the first place.  i can't bear the thought of being separated from declan.  i've only been separated from him twice: for his first few days of life in the NICU and during his surgery.  those times were absolute torture.  i know

hollynoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7324165175532551926.post-90640198863935284582010-01-18T02:56:00.000-09:002010-01-18T02:56:12.274-09:00

2 tickets for the Airport Express to Hong Kong Island: 160 HKD*2 day passes for the MTR (x2 days): 620 HKD*1 visa application: 1050 HKD*1 delicious dinner at Applegreene's: 229 HKD*2 yummy Auntie Anne's pretzels: 40 HKD*1 scrumptious lunch at Beirut: 237 HKD*1 small cup of Ben and Jerry's Strawberry Cheesecake ice cream (two spoons): 40 HKD*2 tickets for the Airport Express to the airport: 160

hollynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7324165175532551926.post-76137803664661916612010-01-13T04:12:00.000-09:002010-01-13T04:12:58.098-09:00

a few days before christmas, my husband and i drove into taichung for an appointment with declan's pediatrician.  as we turned down the main road of the city, we saw menacing barbed-wire barricades and rows of policemen along one side of the street.  we noticed, as we drove further down the road, the barricades surrounded the entire block around the windsor hotel. on our way back after the

hollynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7324165175532551926.post-29706441353779946882010-01-11T23:57:00.000-09:002010-01-11T23:57:29.557-09:00

last week we drove up to taichung to do some grocery shopping.  we arrived at our favorite grocery store, jasons market place, and began perusing the liquor isles.  our mission was to find brandy (which, oddly, we did not find) but, instead, we came upon a greater find... i will give two clues: 1. it cannot be purchased legally in the united states 2. it is green

hollynoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7324165175532551926.post-31805974013234959982010-01-09T16:59:00.000-09:002010-01-09T18:12:59.985-09:00

once again, i am a pathetic failure at blogging. i want to blog. there are people out there who also want me to blog. i just have no follow-through. sigh. well, here are some morsels from what has been happening in the last two months:november was spent getting to know our new baby boy, running to the doctor, er, various hospitals, trying to figure out why little d couldn't poop and why he

hollynoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7324165175532551926.post-29277335837118747892009-11-07T18:48:00.000-09:002009-11-07T19:22:06.544-09:00

for those who do not have a facebook, declan jude was born on the afternoon of october 16 at puli christian hospital in taiwan. it was 27 hours of labor - with no pain meds - , 24 of which were able to be dealt with using breathing techniques...the last 3, however, were excruciating and the contractions were nonstop. i finally gave in to an epidural - which did not even work and was a total

hollynoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7324165175532551926.post-30840873272107431602009-09-11T00:09:00.000-08:002009-09-11T00:14:15.932-08:00

okay, the day before school started, 'parent day', i come into my classroom after being there until 4 a.m. working the night before, and find that the cleaning lady has destroyed a good deal of my hard work. apparently in her mind, anything on the floor was trash. a few of the brand-new classroom decorations had fallen overnight due to the humidity (the walls here have no drywall, so we can

hollynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7324165175532551926.post-45433081347335249172009-09-10T23:50:00.000-08:002009-09-11T00:08:58.737-08:00

yes, i have again reverted to lazy blogging activities now that i am once again in taiwan. the weeks go by so fast that i rarely have time to use the internet for fun! we arrived in taiwan a little over three weeks ago to many disappointments. we have been placed in a small apartment on campus instead of a house with a backyard that we were promised; our washer and dryer (the latter purchased

hollynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7324165175532551926.post-34838215188617850472009-07-21T00:12:00.000-08:002009-07-21T00:27:17.913-08:00

i took my comps today and boy, that was torture! before i started, i thought four hours was too much time - no, it's not, i could have written for two more at least! now i just await the verdict and hope they don't take away my hood...tomorrow i will finish my research proposal for one of my classes and by the end of july i should be done with the preliminary research project required for my

hollynoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7324165175532551926.post-85621506247833709222009-07-09T13:35:00.000-08:002009-07-09T13:42:27.888-08:00

It is so wonderful to be back in the states, surrounded by friends and family! This past Saturday was our first American holiday back in the states - 4th of July. Our friends, T and H, had an awesome barbecue complete with delicious food and friends we have missed. Here are some pictures (including a shot of the fireworks at Pioneer Park) I stole from C's blog. :)Cory and H with baby VB and

hollynoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7324165175532551926.post-41959801388655635492009-07-01T19:32:00.001-08:002009-07-01T19:36:30.364-08:00

Okay, guys, here is a serious baby name poll - the last poll was tied up with Perseus Kuyler and Declan Jude (nice job, Kuyler). Pronunciation for Eamon is: AY-mun.Please help us with your input and if there are any names you REALLY think are awesome that are not on the list (and you don't mind giving them away to us), feel free to post them in the comments. :)Thanks!

hollynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7324165175532551926.post-78391846964766543172009-06-25T16:35:00.000-08:002009-06-25T16:42:30.073-08:00

One delicacy in Taiwan that is aimed at the vegetarian palette is stinky tofu. This is tofu that has been allowed to rot for a really long time and the smell is so strong, you can smell it from several blocks away. Sound disgusting? Well, not half as disgusting as some of the "delicacies" out there for meat-eaters!1. Pig's Blood (this tasty treat is actually a dessert of congealed pig's blood

hollynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7324165175532551926.post-63030771833663351262009-06-25T16:28:00.000-08:002009-06-25T16:35:13.589-08:00

Once, when Cory and I were looking for a nice, potent, poisonous substance to take care of the cockroaches and ants in our first house, we stumbled across this incredible find (check out the freebie)! LOL

hollynoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7324165175532551926.post-6348470089288002392009-06-23T13:27:00.000-08:002009-06-23T13:33:21.735-08:00

for...tedfor glenfor kuyler

hollynoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7324165175532551926.post-52435851447434806042009-06-22T22:40:00.000-08:002009-06-22T22:51:57.937-08:00

" 'I weep for you,' the Walrus said,'I deeply sympathize.'With sobs and tears he sorted outThose of the largest size,Holding his pocket-handkerchiefBefore his streaming eyes."--The Walrus and the Carpenter by Lewis Carroll

hollynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7324165175532551926.post-51397916884394764942009-06-14T23:31:00.000-08:002009-06-23T13:26:59.806-08:00

While perusing the local clothing shops here in Taiwan, catchy sayings in "Chinlish" abound and no item is without flare and pizazz! One such incredible find was the perfect pregnancy shirt - neon green with a bold black message reading, "MAGIG VIRGIN". Priceless. An accompanying picture will be uploaded soon!

hollynoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7324165175532551926.post-70055890698484721122009-06-02T20:51:00.000-08:002009-06-02T20:55:35.348-08:00

Yes, I am a lame blogger, and there is so much about Taiwan that I haven't shared with you yet! I will be better next year (maybe)... :)Anyway, we found out last night, the baby is a boy and we had already decided on names for a girl and a boy soon after I became pregnant. However, we are trying to decide which order to place the names we've chosen. Therefore we are soliciting your help.

hollynoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7324165175532551926.post-69806152851878734922009-05-06T21:29:00.000-08:002009-05-06T21:31:56.491-08:00

Here is the most recent ultrasound pic - taken on Monday. They do an ultrasound on every visit, so by the time I'm through, I'll have a ton of these pictures! By the way, next month we find out if it is a boy or a girl.

hollynoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7324165175532551926.post-79304416113271202742009-04-30T19:47:00.000-08:002009-04-30T19:54:08.011-08:00

I found an AWESOME book in the library here on campus! It is called, "Memoirs of a Love-Hate Relationship With Taiwan" by Frances Ku. It is a comic book depicting the oxymoron that is Taiwan and the things that happen here that make you go, "What the...?!" Check it out!

hollynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7324165175532551926.post-72915037375725981542009-04-15T17:39:00.000-08:002009-04-15T17:53:15.980-08:00

Due to many requests from friends and family who are non-facebook/myspace users, I am now formally announcing here on my blog that I am indeed pregnant. The little parasite is now a few days shy of being three months along. I will not know if it is a boy or a girl until the fifth month (late June) but when I went to the doctor, I did get to see the baby's heart beating on the ultrasound - it

hollynoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7324165175532551926.post-85551390388385737292009-04-04T00:34:00.000-08:002009-04-04T01:05:57.206-08:00

This weekend is the Ching Ming Festival (Tomb-Sweeping Day). It is held once a year on the anniversary of Chiang Kai-shek's death, April 5. Taiwanese families gather all over the island (and many return to mainland China) at the graveyards where their ancestors are buried.This is the one time during the year that gravesites are cleaned up, respects are paid, gifts are left on the gravestones

hollynoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7324165175532551926.post-83921258870341837702009-03-15T05:30:00.000-08:002009-05-06T22:05:29.774-08:00

in my absence from the purple crayon, i have been buried in piles of work - work for my job, work for my online class, work for my master's project, work for cory's online classes! when doing a bit of research for an assignment in my class, i was reminded of some of the beautiful illustrations from my early reading days.1st pic: The Little Engine That Could2nd pic: Alice and Wonderland (from the

hollynoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7324165175532551926.post-75363949622398562432009-02-07T02:50:00.000-09:002009-02-07T02:55:31.343-09:00

Sorry readers for the lack of post lately! I am still on Chinese New Year vacation (have been since mid January) and have not been spending a lot of time online. We will be back home (our Taiwanese home, that is) on February 10, so soon after I will post all about our travels and upload my pictures. 新年好 (Happy New Year)!

hollynoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7324165175532551926.post-3382060767072155082008-12-29T10:14:00.001-09:002008-12-29T10:18:13.123-09:00

I created a photo album of our Taiwan pictures and will add more as the year goes on. I'll also add some pics from the last two years as I have time. This way, all the pictures are in one place and you can look at them or download them without having a facebook or myspace account! The link for my album is at the bottom of the right-hand column on this blog. :)

hollynoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7324165175532551926.post-71771730315412824852008-12-26T23:14:00.000-09:002008-12-27T00:15:07.615-09:00

Back at the beginning of December, the nearby city of Puli celebrated a festival that happens only once every twelve years. It was first celebrated 109 years ago when the Ma Zu Temple was first built. It is a religious festival in which everyone in the city prays together for peace and happiness. They prepare for the festival by putting colorful flags and red lanterns outside thier homes and

hollynoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7324165175532551926.post-11182570641582392522008-12-25T05:40:00.000-09:002008-12-25T06:01:45.521-09:00

Here is a link to a YouTube music video of the Jimmy Liao children's book we are studying in Chinese class. We are also learning the song (by Xiao Yi). The story is of a young woman and man who are in a car accident which proves fatal to the man. The woman is severly injured and blind from the accident. She has dreams of seeing her dead lover in a deserted wood filled with cherry blossoms and

hollynoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7324165175532551926.post-44266537488635562802008-12-21T04:13:00.000-09:002008-12-21T04:14:58.369-09:00

I forgot to post this link for a youtube video of Cory and another teacher, Phil downing shots of Asparagus juice - a local delicacy. :)http://tw.youtube.com/watch?v=1wACP4waX3k

hollynoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7324165175532551926.post-28238779013019387902008-12-20T16:05:00.001-09:002008-12-20T16:48:59.463-09:00

Taiwan is full of things that are beautiful, exciting and annoying. What follows is my personal top ten of Taiwan's positive qualities.1. The Natural Landscape: mountains, beetle nut trees, the ocean, Sun Moon Lake - all gorgeous.2. Shopping: cheap prices, the world's cutest shoes, delicious fruit, ultra cute accessories and stationery3. The Language: being immersed in a foreign language is

hollynoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7324165175532551926.post-10122059619872937082008-12-20T15:59:00.000-09:002008-12-20T16:04:48.336-09:00

Many of you might feel overwhelmed with jealousy towards me because, last Thursday, I had the privilege of attending a concert of...The Golden Angels. Oh, yes...THE Golden Angels. That concert was oh so magical and took my breath away! For those of you who have never heard of The Golden Angels (shame on you!), they are the Korean version of The Heritage Singers. They sound EXACTLY like The

hollynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7324165175532551926.post-78080701931753820042008-12-08T06:11:00.000-09:002008-12-08T06:31:11.120-09:00

I've started learning the lyrics to some of our teacher's favorite Taiwanese pop songs (yes...i am trying to find some Taiwanese rock or punk songs but so far am at a loss) and starting learning to read. :) It sounds so funny saying that! He is teaching us the BPMF (which is the "ABCs" of Mandarin) and from there we are learning to put them together into the traditional Chinese characters. The

hollynoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7324165175532551926.post-44590496218294109642008-11-17T05:04:00.000-09:002008-11-17T05:11:38.229-09:00

I've been warned about culture shock from the beginning and couldn't imagine having it because I love it here so much. Well...I think it might be trying to take hold now that the holidays are fast approaching. I am starting to become extremely frustrated with the Taiwanese ultra s-l-o-w way of getting things done. I am also DYING for a care package and am sooo jealous of others who have

hollynoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7324165175532551926.post-18630170188801826762008-11-15T17:43:00.000-09:002008-11-15T17:49:29.270-09:00

After church we drove up to Sun Moon Lake - about 5 minutes away from our school and a major tourist attraction in Taiwan (we go up there quite frequently as that is where the Starbucks is located). :) We ordered some coffee and sat out on their balcony which overlooks the lake for a few hours just relaxing. The lake was beautiful today!

hollynoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7324165175532551926.post-64591932663579028392008-11-15T00:11:00.000-09:002008-11-15T00:18:27.784-09:00

Yes, we STILL don't have our work permits! Frustration is mounting...we are in limbo. Inabilities to open bank accounts and to capitalize on the benefits of universal health care prevail. Not to mention we are wandering around without passports as they are "in process" with our work permit applications. When do YOU think our permits will come in? I welcome everyone to take part in this little

hollynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7324165175532551926.post-52540956183799155262008-11-05T05:26:00.000-09:002008-11-05T05:30:31.713-09:00

I was so relieved when I found out today that Obama won the presidency! Finally our nation can begin to rebuild itself and undo all the damage caused by the Bush administration! It has been a sad and frustrating 8 years and I am glad there is now hope that I won't be embarrassed to be an American in the future. Thank you to the voters out there who made this change possible! :)

hollynoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7324165175532551926.post-79549786577243109622008-11-02T07:30:00.000-09:002008-11-15T00:10:59.267-09:00

The other day I was talking about plurals with a second grader during his reading conference. I would give him a word and he would tell me the singular and plural forms of that word. One word was "fox". He proceeded to say that the plural form was "fox" and the singular form was "f#*@". LOLIt makes sense if you think about it linguistically, because "x" can sound an awful lot like "ks". I

hollynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7324165175532551926.post-85577434064132221302008-10-12T07:30:00.000-08:002008-10-13T06:36:38.462-08:00

We got back today from our weekend excursion in the vibrant city of Taichung. Taichung is the third largest city in Taiwan. It is not an area rich in Taiwanese or Chinese culture, but it is a great place for shopping, good food and good tea!Our AMAZING secretary and friend, Amanda, booked us a hotel in the neighborhood of "Little Europe". The hotel was clean and had no creepy-crawlies, so it

hollynoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7324165175532551926.post-26251104493737173892008-10-06T05:42:00.000-08:002008-10-06T05:46:03.008-08:00

A strange source of comfort for us a few days ago was a piece of fruit we saw at the store. We were looking at the produce and saw a pile of small red apples with familiar little stickers on them that read "Washington Apples". We bought some and they taste better here than they do in Washington! So THIS is where all the good apples are going! We were so excited to find those apples - amazing

hollynoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7324165175532551926.post-74208117602709279142008-10-06T05:37:00.000-08:002008-10-06T05:42:26.019-08:00

Sammy is now dead. I am not sure what happened, but today during class I noticed she was just sitting on her rock. Thinking she was asleep, I poked her feet and realized she was most likely dead. Two of my friends at the school confirmed this. :( So tomorrow I must break the sad news to the students (she was a classroom pet). Next time I think I will purchase a turtle from a place a little

hollynoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7324165175532551926.post-67574382239832449122008-09-30T07:34:00.000-08:002008-09-30T07:39:46.711-08:00

About a week after we arrived in Taiwan, we went to the weekly night market down the street. They were selling baby turtles and I bought one for the classroom. We take her home whenever a typhoon hits or if there is a long vacation. We named her Sammy because at first we didn't know if she was a boy or a girl and thought it was a cute unisex name. I looked up some info and found out she is a

hollynoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7324165175532551926.post-2641866944235793872008-09-29T00:52:00.000-08:002008-09-29T01:26:08.676-08:00

This weekend has been another long weekend due to Typhoon Jangmi. Supposed to be the worst typhoon to hit Asia this year, but so far it seems pretty weak compared to the last one we had. Maybe it hit another part of the island harder than us...?Anyway, the typhoon was supposed to hit Sunday so we canceled our plans to head to the south coast beaches. Instead, on Saturday, we watched the

hollynoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7324165175532551926.post-2874420676422705812008-09-19T11:46:00.001-08:002008-09-19T12:06:58.934-08:00

Cory has developed a nice little posse of girls from his ESL classes who hover around him and giggle. They have even gone so far as to snub other girls who talk to him and aren't in their little clique! I'm thinking maybe the teachers should make some money off this...set up a booth at the local night market for the Cory Dysart Fan Club. :) I can see it now: t-shirts, buttons, banners,

hollynoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7324165175532551926.post-82401900282183887382008-09-19T11:46:00.000-08:002008-09-19T12:02:06.120-08:00

Well, I found out yesterday that the name of the town we live in, Yu Chih, literally translated means "Fish Tank". Therefore I live in a fish tank. Sweet.I've been learning a lot of Mandarin lately. We are taking classes with another American who has lived here for years and mastered the language. Her accent and tones are not the most accurate, but she adds lots of good details into why

hollynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7324165175532551926.post-80179833323759926102008-09-16T23:58:00.001-08:002008-09-16T23:58:34.701-08:00

I am going through some heavy communication withdrawals on many levels right now! :)First, I STILL don't have the cell phone promised to me upon arrival. Some of the staff received their phones, but they had chosen cheap ones and those did not work properly so now they are sending them back. I ordered a higher quality phone (I know, I'm a phone snob - but what can I say?), however it must be the

hollynoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7324165175532551926.post-51736166778902950662008-09-13T07:52:00.001-08:002008-09-13T08:04:51.346-08:00

At work on Friday, we were told that a typhoon was on its way. A category 5 - whatever that means! Hopefully 5 means weak! :) So far we've had heavy rain and wind off and on, the sky has been dark and it has actually been somewhat cold! Not too mention all the bugs are heading to our house for shelter. We have an army of ants that insists on invading through our front door! The typhoon is

hollynoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7324165175532551926.post-51383916481639315302008-09-13T07:35:00.000-08:002008-09-13T07:38:35.269-08:00

Cory and I are sharing a house/hotel with another couple, Heather and Phil. Here is a picture of me and Heather displaying the most hideous tissue boxes known to man! They were lovingly placed on our nightstands, but now reside on display for all in our communal living room.Each couple has two rooms, one for sleeping and one for whatever. The house is fairly nice, not up to standards in the

hollynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7324165175532551926.post-76905537331494800052008-09-06T20:17:00.001-08:002008-09-06T20:23:23.433-08:00

this weekend, we drove to a nearby town, Puli, and took the bus to Changua, where Angela's parents live. Angela is one of my good friends from high school and lives in Taipei. Her parents live in Changua and that weekend had invited us to stay. Angela came down too. Saturday, her mom cooked lots of delicious food and we met a lot of their friends. Her mom made is feel so at home and said

hollynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7324165175532551926.post-31782009666022785492008-09-06T20:12:00.000-08:002008-09-06T20:17:01.035-08:00

we have a car now! the people at the school bought us cars to use while we are here. ours is a honda civic hatchback and it is silver. we call it the silver bullet. :) the driving over here is pretty much the same but more fun because it is every man for himself. it is okay to weave around slow vehicles, to drift between lanes, to park wherever you can fit your car - even if it isn't a

hollynoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7324165175532551926.post-17071640419763952632008-09-05T07:55:00.000-08:002008-09-06T20:12:16.911-08:00

It has been a very busy week and I have had no time to post anything new (sorry, Heather! :) ). When we arrived in Yu Chih (oo che) Thursday night, we had dinner at the cafeteria with the other staff members and got to know each other, then we were taken to our room for the first two nights - a guest room at the nearby college. our hotel we were going to be living in was currently booked for the

hollynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7324165175532551926.post-35474148601833229822008-08-29T06:44:00.001-08:002008-09-05T07:54:23.544-08:00

we finally arrived at the airport in taipei, taiwan's capital, a mere 24 hours after we left seattle! as we began to collect our plethora of luggage from the carousel (2 large suitcases, 2 small suitcases, 4 large boxes), everyone stared at us. our employers were there to meet us after we went through customs along with a couple other teachers from the school. we went to a hotel for the night

hollynoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7324165175532551926.post-40128444561471805922008-08-27T01:56:00.000-08:002008-08-27T02:01:21.648-08:00

well, now we are in osaka, japan! that was the longest flight ever - we are VERY tired and feel icky. all we want to do is take a shower and sleep in a bed! :(i wish we could stay longer in japan though, everyone is very friendly, the colors are vibrant and everything is so clean. for instance, the airport is filled with multicolored waiting areas - yellow, pink, purple, blue, green. not the

hollynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7324165175532551926.post-13107492017839598962008-08-26T14:56:00.000-08:002008-08-26T15:03:20.621-08:00

so here we are in the honolulu airport waiting for our flight to japan. from where we sit we can see the beautiful volcanoes and palm trees swaying - but can't leave the airport! it is absolute torture! so far we have had a very eventful flight. upon arriving at seatac, we found out that our suitcases were 15 pounds overweight and our boxes were about 1 pound over for each. Anything above 50

hollynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7324165175532551926.post-22514516091916821452008-08-22T00:29:00.000-08:002008-08-22T00:34:20.601-08:00

here are some links to pics of our home for the next year (or so?) and of our school. enjoy! :)

hollynoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7324165175532551926.post-48912836468438371242008-08-21T23:07:00.000-08:002008-08-22T00:29:20.149-08:00

cory and i had everything packed and ready to head off to puyallup today for a quick visit with family before flying out on tuesday. sounds like we were prepared, right? not so much. we put about two-thirds of the boxes into our car and realized we couldn't squeeze in any more. lame. Sooooo.....we realized this around 6 p.m. and came to the conclusion that we needed to ship some boxes before

hollynoreply@blogger.com0