taiwan, week 1, part 2 (taichung)

two of my aunts came out to visit after we'd been here a few days.  little miss, once she warmed up, was a resounding hit, of course.  she is such a charmer!



afternoon walk along the river.  apparently this is what they think of guitar players ;-)

 

 

we headed out to Taichung that evening, where my dad teaches a class at the gospel center.  we stayed at one of my cousin's vacant rental properties, kind of like a studio apartment with a bathroom.  it was the kids' first experience of the tubless taiwanese shower (the whole room is tile with a drain on the floor), and we had a few floods =p.  having us all in one room meant early awakenings, but at least it was 6 am and not 4, by this time.  I don't know how parents with early risers survive!

 

how many nicholsons can fit in one peapod?  3?

apparently all four =p

they seem to like to put themselves in small spaces

we fit nicely in the minivan dad borrowed

outside the balloon museum

watching the lady demonstrate various trick balloons at the balloon shop

this one loves walking now

since it was too hot to spend much time outside, we went from the balloon museum to the carpentry factory.  we didn't think the pre-packaged DIY kits were worth buying, but did have fun playing with their samples:

concentrating on a jenga-like game

the other kids didn't like the red bean popsicles, but this one had no objections

sharing a 'soda'-flavored popsicle (??), since that was the only other flavor

one of the more amusing translations I've seen: 'Stay foolish' engraved outside an elementary school

a friend of ah gong's volunteered to take the older girls on a day trip with their own kids to a national forest.  I was a bit surprised that they were willing to go, but they seemed to have had a good time, despite being exceedingly grumpy after falling asleep on the way back =p

 

some pictures the auntie sent



they did some kind of ropes course



 

fed some koi

rode on a zipline-like swing and finished the evening by watching the fireflies come out

meanwhile, the littles and I played for a bit at the gospel center while ah gong had a meeting, then went over to a nearby park with a neighbor girl about 4.  I was quite surprised that she was allowed to go down the block and around the corner by herself, since the street, while fairly small, had a pretty steady stream of cars and scooters.  but she took us over and played with us, and after awhile, said she had to go home, so we went back too.  we had dinner out with some workers from the gospel center.  meals are a messy affair, with no forks available and the food not being very finger-friendly =p afterwards, we played in the nursery while ah gong taught his psalms class.  little miss fell asleep in my lap, and I might have caught a few winks while one of the other moms watched little man and the three other girls.  being away from home, wherever 'home' is, is tiring business!