Back from Summer Bliss

Here I am, back from my month and a half disappearance from blogging. As I mentioned in a previous post, the summer, which is quickly fleeting, has been full yet fulfilling. Here's the break down of what's been happening:

Madness and mayhem began in June when it once again became time to teach children to jump through hoops on demand, or at least to teach one child to jump out of an oven while others chased him shouting- otherwise known as this year's kindergarten graduation production, The Gingerbread Man. Following the big event was a two day frenzy of converting the prop and costume making dungeon back into the livable space my apartment once was in time for my mom's visit.

Before the close of June, my mom arrived in Taiwan to begin her month long adventure. What a joy it was to have someone from my family finally come to visit and share in the experiences I talk and write about (okay, not the ones like the floor erupting or the gas explosion). It was great to have an excuse to visit my favorite restaurants and coffee/tea shops for a month, as well as a good reason to take weekend excursions to places like Kenting for a sand and surf break, Taipei to shop, sight-see, and ride in the world's fastest elevators to the observation level of the world's tallest building, Tai-chung to visit with friends, and Meinong, the hand-painted umbrella capital of Taiwan and place to make a special kind of tea.




As many moms tend to like to keep busy and feel useful wherever they are, it took awhile to get used to suddenly having a housekeeper and personal assistant around. I've been living sans roommate for almost a year now, so it was strange waking up to dishes that were already done. In all of her helping though, I especially loved that she was able to not only see but assist with a weekly children's Bible class that I lead.

My mom was able to visit my school and classes on a number of occasions. The kids, especially the younger ones, were usually excited to see her and not only because she often brought some candy to share. I let a few of my classes have an interview session and ask her questions. My highest level class with 10-12 year olds surprised me with their questions of "How did you meet your husband?" and "How did your husband ask you to marry him?" Not surprising though was the "How old are you?" question, but no cheating allowed. Several of my classes had been primed with my mom's real age, so they knew if she was trying to pull one over on them, much to her dismay. The best, however, had to be when one girl asked my mom what kind of make-up she uses because she wanted to tell her mom to use that kind so she can look young too.

I hope that with all the activity she was able to find her time in Taiwan relaxing and enjoyable, but if not, that's what our few days in Hong Kong were for - a sort of mini-vacation before a return home for my mom and a 2 week vacation at home for me. It amazes me how much we were able to cram into 3 days and yet still reflect upon the time in Hong Kong as relaxing. The highlights include visiting the not yet year old Hong Kong Disneyland, the Bird Garden, Flower Market, Jade Market, Hard Rock Cafe (for some Western food therapy, though the Chinese food we had was yummy), and a harbour cruise at night.




By the end of July, I was home at last. My mom, friends Becky and Rick, and I made the 3 hour ride home from the airport in style as my dad surprised us by picking us up in a stretch limo. Aside from the close proximity of family and friends, other wonderful things about being home included: fresh air, cooler temps, blue skies, green spaces, and stars. I also loved the fact that it doesn't get dark until around 9pm in the summer, I can drink the tap water, I can flush the toilet paper, I don't have to figure out how to translate things, and I can drive my car. Oh, and I love coming back and being able to shop at places such as Target and Walmart. It can be an almost overwhelming experience to suddenly be bombarded with so much choice and selection. I mean, whole aisles of nothing but cereal - who could want for more? Really though, it's not so much what's available as it is the fact that it is available, and at a fraction of the cost of imported goods in Asia.

For as much as stays the same from my year to year visits home, change is always inevitable. There are the tougher things to come back to, such as seeing loved ones in declining health and realizing those who have passed away within the course of the previous year really are no longer there. Thankfully, there are also joyous things to bring balance, such as marriages of friends and the birth of their children. Good or bad, it's sometimes challenging to come home to the reality of the life that goes on in my absence.

While at home this time, I greatly enjoyed hanging out with my bros, kayaking and road trips through the countryside with my dad, shopping and spending time with my mom, visits and phone calls with friends, backyard picnics, sleepovers, late night swims, cooking for my family as well as dinners out with them, visiting my home church, taking in a regional theater production, sweet corn from my uncle's farm, bowling, spending time with people, and just being at home.




My apartment never felt so empty as it did after spending a month and a half with people I'm closest to. Walking in the door after arriving back felt both awkward and sad, as reminders of my mom's visit still littered the apartment. Though I've made this trip several times, for some reason, I just wasn't anticipating the sudden shock of being alone again, something that I usually don't mind. My foreign apartment felt just that - foreign. As with each trip home, for the first few days I wake up in the morning expecting to open my eyes to my room in PA, to warm sunshine and a cool breeze, to birds chirping outside the window, but that's not the case. In its place is the drone of the air conditioner, a dog barking on a balcony, someone practicing a piano upstairs, and construction on the street below. It takes a bit before I stop wishing I'm still at home, before routine takes over, before life keeps on racing on.