Random Updates....

So, I apologize for all the updates at one time. Its bascially been a month since we had blogged and SOO much has happened since then. It is hard to remember all the great things we could blog about....I should really start making notes as things that happen so that I can remember them!

I am just going to give a little count down of some funny or interesting things that have happened lately:

1. Cameron and I still have no idea how to get anywhere here...we tried to make it to IKEA by ourselves to return our Christmas tree and thought we were doing well until it was time to go home. I have the bus numbers written down so that I remember which ones take us to IKEA. Well it just so happens that we have always just taken one of them. When coming out of IKEA a bus with one of the other numbers on my list was right their so we quickly jumped on (we were trying to do this trip as quickly as possible because we were SOOO tired and it was a week night). After about 10 minutes on the bus though we realized that we had NO idea where we were. We tried to call some people but had no luck. We were lost somewhere in the city and we did not know what to do. We tried to stay on the bus as long as we could to see if we would see something we recongized ...No Luck! As we passed something for the second time...we decided that it was time to get off! We found an MRT station and decided to just take that home. But, we havent really dont that too much alone either so it was interesting.....We did finally make it home ( a few hours later than we hoped) and a little frustrated with our inability to do things alone yet! However, what can we do but laught about it! (oh and while we were lost and getting on the MRT...I had to add money to my bus card. The machine said that I needed to put in bank notes....Cam and I were both like great?? What are bank notes??? We ended up discovering it that it was just money..)

2. Our Chinese is not improving at all!!! We feel hopeless. I am glad that we at least understand numbers now....We can shop at markets and stuff and ask how much and understand (most of the time) what they say. However, I was reminded that I have no idea what I am doing when I was at the veggie market a few days back. I pointed to the ones I wanted and the lady was just chattering away to me loudly and I just stood their like a dummy. I had no idea.....Boy, do we need to learn quickly!

3. I went to an all girls christmas party last night at a friends house from church! It was alot of fun but I went not knowing most of the people there. My friend who invited me is a missionary here. She is very invovled with alot of the ministries at church adn most of the people there were Taiwanese ladies that are part of her ministry. Most of them speak some English...but mostly Chinese. I tried hard to socialize as much as I could at the party. It was good to meet new people. However, there were many times where I was completely lost during conversation.
At the beginning of the party, we all went around the circle and introduced ourselves. They all introduced themselves by saying their English name and then their Chinese name. It came around to me and I had to sheepishly say...Hi, I am Elisa and I do not even know how to pronounce my Chinese name. I am not sure what tones it is. They all laughed!!
We also took part in a White Elephant Gift Exchange ....in which at number 10 I had to be the first mean one and show them all how to steal a gift from someone else :)

4. Cam and I went out to some markets this weekend.....and quickly discovered that we were a little under dressed. I had on capris and a t shirt and Cam was in shorts and a t shirt. However, in Taiwan....they dress for the season not for the weather. So even though it was a warm high 70's.....most people had on two or three layers or even their puffy winter coats. We got lots of stares.....

5. At the night market we just recently went to we got stopped a few times by locals who wanted to take pictures with us! Its a little odd...but a compliment as well when they say "Can I take my picture with you because you are so beautiful". Makes me remember we are definitely foreigners and we still stick out..... :)

I am sure there are lots of more funny (or embarrasing) cultural experiences we could blog about ...but my mind is blank at the moment. Sorry! I will try to do a better job of keeping them a little more recent!