answering some questions

Right before I left to come back to Taiwan, I did a post Q&A style.  I offered to answer other questions as well.  Deb asked a few.  And, finally I am getting around to answering them.  Thanks Deb for some great questions!!

Q: What did you enjoy most about your younger brother being with you this summer?
A: That is hard to answer.  I loved showing him Taiwan.  I loved watching him grow and learn and try new things.  I loved watching him be a young man.  But, most of all, I loved spending time with him.  I enjoyed watching two whole seasons of Lost in less than three weeks together.  I enjoyed our moped rides and late night talks.  I enjoyed laughing with him and teasing him.  I even enjoyed being able to spoil him.  Really, the answer to your question is that what I enjoyed most about him being with me was that he was with me.

Q: What will he do with all his new knowledge of a foreign country, and how do you think it changed him, if it did?
A: I guess only time will tell.  But, I did ask him his last week here (while we were riding my moped), "Everyone has said how much this trip will change your life.  What do you think?  Has it?"  His answer was something to the effect of: "OH YEAH!!  Before I was thinking to come back because you were here and that would make it easy.  But, now I would come back even if you moved back to the USA."  Whether or not he ever would come back, I don't know.  But, I do think that the trip has influenced who he is and who he will be . . . I just don't know how yet.

Q: Do you think your parents would ever fly over to visit you? (However, maybe they have in the past, and I didn't read your blog back when you posted those blog entries.)
A: They haven't yet.  Sarah, my younger sister, came out for two weeks at Christmas time three years ago.  And, my best friend from college came out for about two weeks when I was an exchange student (six years ago).  But, my parents haven't come yet.  I would LOVE for them to come.  I think my mom would probably make it over here before my dad would, but . . . you never know.

Q: What did you bring back with you from the US that you can't find in Taiwan? Any books? Any new clothes or food items? Or maybe Taiwan is so modern and well-stocked that you can find everything you need there!
A: Well, Taiwan is pretty modern, but there are just some things you can't get here--well, at least not easily.  There is a Costco in town that does a good job satisfying some of the cravings I get. 

You hit the nail on the head in your list though--I do bring back lots of books.  I actually go on a book buying craze a month before I leave Taiwan.  Mom says she can tell it's time for me to come home because they start getting several packages from Amazon. 

I also do all my clothes shopping in America.  Clothes here are inexpensive, but they only come in XXXS, XXS, and XS.  I am no where near a super-small, so . . .  (Actually, they do have S, M, and L, but their L is equal to an American size 6, 8 maybe.)  So, yes, I brought back a few tops, skirts, and two pairs of goucho pants (love those--they don't have that style here yet).

And, food.  Ah, yes, food.  This time, I brought back Dream Whip, salad dressing (one bottle of Bacon Ranch and a box of make your own Italian), a can of pumpkin pie stuff, and some spices.  I also brought back Splenda and Crystal Light drink mixes.  In April, I brought back lots of spice packages (for tacos, sloppy joes, and so on) and Jello packages.  I also brought Cinnamon gum and bubblemint gum. :)  Little luxuries are nice, right?  Along the lines of food, my NeeNee (paternal grandmother) gave me a small George Foreman grill that I brought back with me.  Can't wait to try that out with some of my Tony's spice mix.  Oh, I also brought back one jar each of natural peanut butter, no sugar jelly, and salsa.  And, I brought back one more little luxury . . . Velveeta cheese and canned Rotel tomatoes for cheese dip making. :) 

Other things I bring back include hair products and smell goods.  It is really hard to find stuff here for making curls stay curly and not frizzy.  So, I stop by Sally's Beauty supply and bring back to Taiwan my fave "ethnic" hair styling products. ;)   I also learned, after my first year here, that smells were very important to me.  So, I stock up on candle tarts to melt and Glade Plug-Ins to, uh well, plug in.  I actually buy different smells for the different seasons so my home tends to have an "American smell" to it that fits the holidays and seasons in America.  And that makes me smile.  As far as smell goods go--that also includes lotions.  I like to bring back a bottle or two from Bath and Body Works.  It is another little luxury I allow myself--but, usually, this luxury is given to me by my NeeNee. 

Most of the toiletries I need I can get here except deodorant, razors, and make-up.  I always bring a truck load of deodorant with me.  You can get that here, but it is not easy to find, not a big selection, and really expensive.  Many Taiwanese don't shave, so razors aren't easy to come by either.  I don't really wear a lot of make-up, and I could buy make-up here, but the coloring is a little off for my skin tone (they like/prefer really pale skin), and it is really expensive.  Once, I ran out of mascara, so I went to get some--the cheapest was about 12 US dollars.  I could get the exact same tube in the States for 3-4 dollars. 

The other thing I have bought in the States recently are my door decorations, photo frames, and albums.  They just aren't the same here as they are there, so I cave into my American-me for those things.  Oh, yeah, and I also bring back some cold medicines, Ziacam, and vitamins.  Vitamins (like I am used to) are hard to come by here.

This last answer may have been a little TMI . . . I don't know.  But, it is the truth.  I will also admit that it is always hard for me to shop and pack to come back to Taiwan.  When I make my Walmart/Target runs and come back with loads of stuff that I fit into giant foot lockers, I feel guilty, over-indulgent, and spoiled.  I don't really "need" much of the stuff I buy and bring back: want? yes; need? no.  But, then when I get back to Taiwan and start to unpack, it looks like I brought back so little, and I wonder why I didn't squeeze in some more stuff.  It is amazing how 8,000 miles can change one's perspective. ;)

I would be happy to answer more questions on life in Taiwan.  If you have them, please feel free to ask.  I enjoy being able to share my life here with others. On a similar note, Michelle, a missionary in South Korea, wants to start sharing about life in Korea; I might have to mimic her . . .