We’re back in California for the summer! Here are some of the things that have stood out to Floyd and me in the last few days since we’ve returned to the States:
Wow, everything is so much more expensive than it was last summer. The price of gas is horrifying!
Look at all the sidewalks everywhere! Why aren’t there cars parked all over them?
There’s so much sky visible (because all the buildings are so short)!
It’s so quiet here. Sometimes at night we can’t hear a single sound. Where are all the singing trash trucks and screeching birds?
Speaking of trash trucks, they’re all so quiet and boring. Why don’t they play Beethoven’s “Fur Elise” and “The Maiden’s Prayer” loudly enough to be heard for blocks away while everyone in the neighborhood comes running out with bags of trash?
Most of the streets have only cars on them. Where are all the motorized scooters and wandering dogs?
Speaking of dogs, all the ones we’ve seen here are naked! (See my post about Taiwanese dogs here.)
Speaking of cars, why are they so HUGE?
Why are there so few vegetables on the menus at restaurants?
So many people speak English. It’s weird to understand what’s being said around us all the time, and to actually be able to read all the billboards and street signs.
There are so many white-skinned people here! When I catch a glimpse of one, I keep finding myself taking a closer look to see if I know them.
How does everyone manage without a 7-Eleven on every corner?
Where can we get REAL Chinese food????
Today Floyd and I traveled to the city of Lukang (pronounced “loo-gahng”), about an hour’s drive south of here, to attend their annual Dragon Boat Festival celebration. It’s something I’ve wanted to do since I first heard of the holiday six years ago, but we’ve usually already been in the States for the summer by the time. But since it’s based on the lunar calendar, the exact date of Dragon Boat Festival varies from year to year, and this year we’re staying in Taiwan a little later than usual. As a result, this time we were able to be here for it!
Some would say we were crazy to do something like this the day before flying out, but we purposely got ahead on our packing and cleaning, and it worked out just fine.
This was another way to beat the heat! Those teenagers were having a lot of fun in this bounce house/giant wading pool. I was tempted to jump in with them!
More fun for kids! (Notice the Oppa Gangnam Style balloons?!) Below: more adults were interested in the gorgeous hand painted lanterns and dragon-themed art for sale at this booth.
While people browsed the booths and ordered food and gift items, dragon boat races were going on in the background the whole time. Two boats would race each other and then get towed back to the starting point, and then two more, and so on. The guys at the back were using rudders to steer, and there was always a drummer at the front beating the rhythm so all the rowers would stay in sync.
When they got near the finish line, the people you see at the very front would balance on their tummies on the dragon’s head and lean way out to reach for a little floating flag on a buoy. They would grab the flag and toss it in the air to show that their boat had finished the race.
Well, I’ve experienced my first Dragon Boat Festival in Taiwan. That’s one more thing I can cross off my Bucket List! Now to discover if any place around here is actually open for dinner, and then finish the last of the laundry and packing. California, here we come!
This post is part of a blog hop. To enter your own blog in the hop, find out more, or take a look at other people’s featured blog posts, click here.
Winter’s Past (2nd Chance Series) By Mary E Hanks
Ty wants to make things right. Winter can’t forget their past. Winter Cowan is scheduled to speak in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. A city she’s avoided for ten years because of Ty Williams, her ex-husband. But what are the chances of Ty showing up in church? And didn’t she already forgive him? Even though he broke her heart and ruined their short, six-month marriage? She had to forgive him to go on with her life. To preach the gospel. To share God’s love across the nation. Then, like a tidal wave, the word “Forgive” crashes over the worn sands of her past. Winter realizes her heart does still rip a little each time she remembers what Ty did to their marriage. To her. And just as she feared, Ty shows up at the meetings in Coeur d’Alene. Only this man is someone she wouldn’t recognize if she saw him on the street. He’s older, sure, but he’s…different. Radically changed from the guy she once knew, he stands before her in a prayer line, crying—crying!—and humbly asks her forgiveness. This man who broke her heart, betrayed her, is now gut-wrenchingly sincere in his apology, prays for her like a long-lost friend, tenderly reaches into the forgotten places of her heart, and he has a request. One unbelievable request that could change everything…
Mary E Hanks
Mary E Hanks is an author of 2nd chance stories and a playwright/director for youth theater. When she’s not writing novels, she’s usually working on a play. She loves encouraging young people to share their talents, and an added bonus is getting to “see” her words brought to life onstage. At present, she’s directing her 24th production. Mary served as a pastor’s wife in Alaska and also worked in Christian education for many years. She and Jason have been married for 37 years and have raised four children. They now live in the country near Blanchard, Idaho, a place where deer and wild turkeys play in their front yard. A romantic at heart, Mary believes we all need a 2nd chance sometime.
Follow Mary E HanksWebsite | Facebook | Twitter
Enter below to enter a $50 Amazon gift card, sponsored by author Mary E Hanks! a Rafflecopter giveaway This book blast is hosted by Crossreads. We would like to send out a special THANK YOU to all of the CrossReads book blast bloggers!
1.) I have been to 19 countries, but there are dozens more I’d love to see.
2.) I love scrapbooking and wish there were more scrapping supplies available here in Taiwan.
3.) Misused apostrophes drive me crazy.
4.) As a kid, I was always creating imaginary friends. I had plenty of real ones, but the imaginary ones were just too fun to give up until at least junior high. I had dogs, cats, a horse, a mummy, and a woolly mammoth, to name just a few.
5.) I love poetry. “Sonnet to Science” by Edgar Allen Poe is one of my favorites (and not because I like science. Click on the link to read the poem if you don’t know what I mean).
6.) I grew up without a television, have never owned (a working) one, and never want to. I believe that TV is responsible for many of society’s ills.
7.) I used to be a HUGE Star Wars fan. (I still enjoy it, but I’m no longer quite as crazy about it.) I saw Star Wars: Episode I in the theater seven times (and I still have all my ticket stubs!). Here I am (second from the right) with my siblings right before we all went out to see it together.
8.) Morning glories are my favorite flowers. I dream of someday living in a house with a yard, and having different colored morning glories growing over the fence all the way around.
9.) I used to have the best climbing tree in the world in my front yard in Nairobi, where I grew up. With a little imagination, it became a castle, and I spent hours at a time in its various rooms. Once I brought a bag of books and a picnic lunch and spent the entire day up there. I loved that tree like a dear friend, and it felt as though I was leaving a friend when my family had to move away.
10.) The first time I read The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein I cried because it hit so close to home. Okay, actually I cried the first few times.
11.) The best teaching experience I ever had was when I taught in a one-room schoolhouse in Nabire, Indonesia for a year. There were six students in five different grades. Unfortunately, I was too inexperienced a teacher to really know how great I had it.
12.) I lived in Kenya for fourteen years and never got malaria. I finally came down with it in Indonesia. Not a fun experience.
13.) Indonesia has been my favorite country since 8th grade (four and a half years before I first went there).
14.) I love most soups, but split pea soup is my least favorite food. I’m convinced it bears a more than coincidental resemblance to swamp sludge.
15.) I rode on the back of a rhinoceros once. Here’s the proof!
16.) My first job was at a dog grooming parlor called the Poodle Puff. It was okay until I was attacked by a German shepherd. With blood streaming from my face, hand, and arm, I had to be rushed to the hospital for stitches… on the day I was supposed to get my senior picture taken.
17.) When I was a kid, I used to think I was going to run an orphanage when I grew up. My friend Hannah and I even drew floor plans for it.
18.) I’m not at all convinced that dragons never actually existed.
19.) One of my dearest dreams has always been to write a book that gets published.
20.) At various times, I have studied French, German, Spanish, Greek, Swahili, and Indonesian. Now I only remember enough of most of them to confuse me with my Chinese.
21.) My senior year of high school was by far the worst year of my life (and that had nothing to do with #16).
22.) One of my favorite treats is a mug of hot Kenyan chai (tea cooked with equal parts milk and water, plenty of sugar, and spices like cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, mint, and cloves). I often have it on Saturday mornings with a jam sandwich, and dunk the crusts in the chai.
23.) I also really enjoy nai cha (cold milk tea; very popular here in Taiwan). It comes in all kinds of tasty flavors – a few of my favorites are caramel, hazelnut, green apple, mint, and ginger. In recent years I’ve gotten into green teas, too – especially pomegranate, passion fruit, lemon, and pineapple.
24.) For my 16th birthday, my dad took some friends and me camping at Lake Nakuru National Park in Kenya. Some monkeys broke into our boxes of supplies and stole my birthday cake.
25.) I’m not the kind of person who normally loves to shop a lot (I don’t do malls), but I really enjoy the Shui Nan Market here in Taichung. I go there almost every Saturday. (Take a look at my blog post about it here.)
Welcome to Christian Author Interviews. Enjoy our interview with Jody Hedlund, an award-winning historical romance novelist, in this episode. Listen in via the video or audio and share your thoughts in the comments. Don’t forget to enter the giveaway below and share this interview with your friends!
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QoZ6Co0zfHw?hl=en_US&version=3&rel=0&w=500&h=281]
Listen to the audio here:
About Jody Hedlund
Jody Hedlund is an award-winning historical romance novelist and author of the best-selling books, The Preacher’s Bride and Unending Devotion. She received a bachelor’s degree from Taylor University and a master’s from the University of Wisconsin, both in social work. Currently she makes her home in Michigan with her husband and five busy children. Her latest book, A Noble Groom, just released.
Follow Jody HedlundWebsite | Facebook | Twitter
Enter below to enter the giveaway below:
a Rafflecopter giveaway Christian Author Interviews is hosted by Shelley Hitz of Crossreads and Body and Soul Publishing. We would like to send out a special THANK YOU to all of the CrossReads bloggers!
Title: Every Hill and Mountain (Time and Again) (Volume 3) By Deborah Heal
Visiting another century…not the summer vacation she had planned. Those who have read Time and Again and Unclaimed Legacy know that Abby Thomas is a college student on a summer service project with 11-year-old Merri. And they know that the summer is not going the way Abby had expected—but in a good way. For one thing, she meets a very nice guy named John Roberts. And for another, she discovers a strange computer program called Beautiful House that lets her fast-forward and rewind life. Not her own, of course, but those of the people who lived in Merri’s old house. And the Old Dears’ old house, and…well, any old house. And since the program worked so well for the Old Dears’ family tree project, Abby’s college roommate Kate hopes it will help her find out more about her ancestor Ned Greenfield. And Kate’s fiancé Ryan thinks the program has lucrative commercial potential. Abby and John reluctantly agree to help Kate, but only on the condition that she and Ryan promise to keep the program a secret, because if it fell into the wrong hands…well, no one wants Big Brother invading their privacy.
The two couples take a trip to the tiny town of Equality, set in the hills of southern Illinois and the breath-taking Shawnee National Forest. According to Kate’s research, Ned Greenfield was born there at a place called Hickory Hill. The mayor, police chief, and townspeople are hospitable and helpful—until the topic of Hickory Hill comes up. They seem determined to keep them away, telling them, “There’s nothing there for you to see.” Eventually they find Hickory Hill on their own—both the mansion and the lonely hill it sits upon.
Built in 1834, Hickory Hill stands sentinel over Half Moon Salt Mine where the original owner John Granger accumulated his blood-tainted fortune. Abby and her friends meet Miss Granger, Hickory Hill’s current eccentric owner, and they eventually get the chance to time-surf there. Their shocking discovery on the third floor concerning Kate’s ancestor Ned Greenfield is almost too much to bear. What they learn sends them racing to the opposite end of the state to find the missing link in Kate’s family tree. And there they are reminded that God is in the business of redemption—that one day he’ll make all things new.
Deborah Heal
Deborah Heal, the author of the Time and Again time travel mystery series, was born not far from the setting of her book Every Hill and Mountain and grew up “just down the road” from the setting of Time and Again. Today she lives with her husband in Waterloo, Illinois, where she enjoys reading, gardening, and learning about regional history. She has three grown children, three grandchildren, and two canine buddies Digger and Scout (a.k.a. Dr. Bob). She loves to interact with her readers, who may learn more about the history behind the books at her website www.deborahheal.com and her Facebook author page www.facebook.com/DeborahHeal.
Enter below to enter a $50 amazon gift card, sponsored by author Deborah Heal! a Rafflecopter giveaway This book blast is hosted by Crossreads. We would like to send out a special THANK YOU to all of the CrossReads book blast bloggers!
Book Blast: Wacky Wishes by Susette Williams, Illustrated by Jack Foster – Enter to Win a $25 Amazon Gift Card!
Title: Wacky Wishes By Susette Williams Author, Jack Foster Illustrator
Tommy and Suzie find a wishing well, and like children do, they begin making wishes. Imagine their surprise when their wishes start to come true! Are spacesuits the new dress code at school? What’s Tommy going to do with three heads? You’ve heard of, “Be careful what you wish for, you just might get it.” When Tommy and Suzie’s wishing gets out of hand, will they be able to wish away the mess they’ve created before their wishes run out?
Buy on KindleSusette Williams Author, Jack Foster IllustratorSusette Williams is a Best Selling Author. She loves writing various genres, both for children and adults. She usually can’t resist the urge to let her ornery sense of humor shine through in one of her characters and has always believed that laughter helps you deal with the obstacles life puts in your way. Susette and her husband have six wonderful children, all with intriguing and different personalities, like the characters she creates in her novels. Jack Foster has illustrated over 25 children’s books. He is a Sunday school teacher, art teacher and the father of five terrific children and eleven wonderful grand kids. He lives just outside of Chicago with his lovely wife, dog and cat. Check out his work at www.jacksillustrations.blogspot.com Follow Susette Williams Website | Facebook | Twitter
Enter below to enter a $25 amazon gift card, sponsored by author Susette Williams Author, Jack Foster Illustrator! a Rafflecopter giveaway This book blast is hosted by Crossreads. We would like to send out a special THANK YOU to all of the CrossReads book blast bloggers!