When my mom was here, usually the first comment she heard was “Wow! You look so young, you could be Amanda’s sister!!” The second comment was then something like “Don’t you think Taiwan is so hot?”
My mom gladly accepted the first comment, but she fought the second one, insisting that Texas was indeed hotter than Taiwan.
Today on her facebook page, she is further trying to prove her point:
Taiwan friends and family…….we, TEXAS that is, win —- we had a high temp of 103 F (40 C) with 28% humidity to make it feel like 107 F (42 C) today!!! It is now 7 PM and temp is 98 F (37 C)!!!…! TEXAS IS HOTTER THAN TAIWAN!!!!
At first, I just agreed: Yes, Texas is hot. We don’t usually get over 40 here in Taiwan.
But, then I started thinking about it. And, while Texas is hotter than Taiwan a few days a year–what about on average or during the year as a whole? So, I did some research and made some comparisons–comparing my two hometowns–Tainan to Bastrop.
As you can see in the charts below–Taiwan is in fact hotter than Texas!
Only for two months does Texas have higher high temps than Taiwan–but during those same months the average temps are the same and the average low temps are higher in Taiwan, so while Texas has high spikes, Taiwan stays hot.
(I only caught the months on one of my charts–so 1-12 is Jan to Dec, and 13 is the yearly mean. And, all temps are in Celsius.)
I used average dew point to compare humidity because as I told my mom, I don’t think comparing relative humidity is accurate for comparison. Then I found this from usatoday.com to back up my belief:
If you want to know how comfortable you’re going to be, you want to know the dew point. Allowing for differences among people and their tolerance for humidity, most people are going to start feeling the humidity is getting out of hand when the dewpoint is above 70 degrees. Dewpoints above 60 are going to make it feel humid, maybe a little too humid for some people.
What’s wrong with using relative humidity?
To see what’s wrong with relative humidity, let’s go to Barrow, Alaska, on an average January day when the temperature dips to -19 and the dew point is -20, the relative humidity is going to be 94.96%. You might be wishing you had another parka to put on, but the 94.96% relative humidity is not going to make you feel sticky.
For more on why relative humidity doesn’t really tell you how humid you feel, and just what is this mysterious “dewpoint” that I’m talking about, go to the USATODAY.com Understanding humidity page.
However, if you are more comfortable comparing relative humidity, go right ahead, and you’ll find that each month, Tainan’s average humidity is higher than Bastrop’s.
When Taiwanese people like to tell me that Taiwan is HOT! I respond with: it is humid, but that both Texas and Taiwan are quite hot. I also make the following analogies: Taiwan is like a rice cooker; you will be steamed. Texas is like an oven; you will be baked!
On Saturday, Lawrance prepared breakfast for me and mom. He made sweet potato “xi fan” (porridge) and fried eggs.
Taiwanese people eat pickled things with their xi fan. Here are some of the pickled things Lawrance likes on his xi fan.
Wanna know what mom’s favorite one was? She loved the Chile Odorous Frying Fish. She loved it so much, in fact, that she asked about taking some back with her!!
Funny English on signs isn’t all that uncommon here, but it is now not very common to find incomprehensible English. Usually it’s just funny grammar or a funny word choice . . . but my mom gets props for finding this rarity in the restroom at the Confucian temple here in Tainan.
Essentially the sign is a reminder to flush.
Lawrance says the second phrase is a poem and has a double meaning. Literally it is something like “spring mud clearly leaves no mark/trace.” So, it’s kinda supposed to be a play on words about making sure you leave nothing behind in the toilet.
My mom arrived late Tuesday night. Wednesday was a national holiday–dragon boat festival–so we had lunch with friends and then met some other friends at the boat races. Thursday and Friday we did school stuff. Then Saturday we had lunch with close friends, visited the Confucian Temple in Tainan, and ended the day with a Bible study.
Taking different trains
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Vendors set up at the Dragon Boat Races
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While she can claim that she saw some races, it was really crowded and ended up not being as exciting as other races I’ve seen in previous years.
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She’s also been braving my moped. :D
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And, she’s met some of my students.
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Corrina is like my big sister . . . and she is also our matchmaker and neighbor, so lunch with her family was special for all of us.
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Mom has also had her first taste of mango bing (ice). YUMMY!
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At the Confucian temple
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Tea time with some of my adult students included an awesome bowl of tropical and the most amazing tea made from lemongrass, sage, and rosemary.
Our Easter Sunday this year was a little different–we were privileged to attend Lawrance’s brother’s wedding.
It started with us going back to Lawrance’s childhood home to help the family prepare for receiving the bride.
The groom, YuHong, had shaved his head into the shape of a heart. __ __
The groom showed us his transformed childhood home into a room to welcome a bride. He was proud.
Placed on all the items were little red circles with the “double joy” wedding symbol inside.
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Traditionally children are to jump on the new couple’s bed in order to ensure lots of children. They substituted with a small bride and groom statue decked out in traditional Chinese wedding clothes. __ __
Another new-to-me superstition was that a bride is not to look at herself in the mirror (don’t remember why, will have to ask). However, it really isn’t followed not, but in honor of that tradition YuHong covered the mirror in the bedroom with red paper. __ __
Double Joys were everywhere–even the front door. And they will stay there till ?? (not sure–a year? till Chinese New Year? till they fall off?). __ __
This wedding banner was placed over the household entrance. I think it is religious, but I don’t know more than that. __ __
TongYuan also needed to be prepared. So, Lawrance, the awesome tongyan master, lent a helping hand. Why tongyuan at a wedding? Well, sweet sticky dumplings represent sticking together forever, a sweet life, and fullness of blessing.
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We also had tea and fruit prepared. Serving the tea and tongyuan were my job. ;)
What started this post was this video posted to facebook by one of my former students. It was filmed at our school: ___
___ So, let’s back up a little, first what is 台客 (tai ke)?
This is actually quite difficult to answer. I’ve heard the term “tai ke” could be likened to the term “redneck” or “white trash.” Meaning it is a certain subculture that is looked down on by the mainstream culture because of class, economic standing, and/or beliefs.
Lawrance also likened it to the hip hop culture–a subculture that is proud of who they are and where they come from that sets trends in music and clothing.
The New York Times says it is “a phrase that originally meant ‘redneck’ but has now come to encompass a youth-focused lifestyle that celebrates both the déclassé (flip-flops, Long Life cigarettes) and the haute (Gucci, Macallan).”
But, this seemingly simple term for subculture also is seeped in socio-political, historical implications. Historically, tai ke was “used by those post-1949 mainland Chinese arriving in Taiwan with the KMT regime.” At that time, “the term connoted ethnic discrimination towards native Taiwanese and was used specifically to articulate perceptions of their unsophisticated outlook and behaviour” (Taike rock and its discontent).
See, literally “tai ke” means “Tai guest.” So, the mainlanders were calling the Taiwanese and Hakka people who had been on the island longer than them–guests.
But, now, thanks to Wu Bai, who has been called the king of tai ke, and the commercial efforts of music companies, the term’s negative meaning has “been subverted and is now given a positive touch to mean ‘coolness’ and confidence” (East Asian Pop Culture). Wu Bai sees tai ke as a “direct expression of national culture.”
However, if you ask local Taiwanese people about what is “tai ke” they won’t refer to the historical or political implications. And, most won’t tell you that it means “cool and confident.” Instead, they will begin describing stereotypical actions of the people they consider to be “tai ke,” telling you how they drive, speak, and even chew.
Here are some things that are stereotypically thought to be “tai ke”–people who wear white and blue plastic slippers outside, have low education, chew betel nut, smoke and drink heavily, have cheaply dyed golden hair, wear imitation name-brand clothing, and hang out around temples or internet cafes, and participate in temple parades. There are even more stereotypical characteristics and behaviors; but, more than actions and behavior, being “tai ke” is a possessing a certain attitude.
So, nowadays, telling someone who is not “tai” they are “tai” is meant to be an insult. It would be like telling someone they have no class or are being disrespectful. But, those who actually are “tai” find pride in being “tai.”
And, while most people in Taiwan look down on things that are “tai ke,” there is also a sense of pride across Taiwan for some of the things that have come out of the “tai ke” subculture because it is uniquely Taiwanese (This is especially true in southern Taiwan).
“Tai ke wu” is one of these things.
OK. So, that brings us back to what is 台客舞 (tai ke wu)?
It is a group dance–similar to country line dancing in that lines of people do the exact same moves at the same time. And, that lots of people know how to do the dance.
And, like the fact that the subculture is mostly about a embodying a certain attitude so is the dance. As I was searching for videos, I saw one Taiwanese celebrity explain that although the foot work is easy, the arm movements and attitude that one has to portray is what makes the dance so special and difficult.
Lawrance pointed out to me that since the dance originated from people who participate in temple parades and hang out at temples, they naturally incorporated certain movements and feeling from temple parade marches that are made when carrying an idol down the street.
There are several videos on youtube showing students doing the “tai ke” dance. Here is what seems like the most watched “tai ke wu” video on youtube. It starts off as a group dance, but dancers back off one by one because one guy is so much better than the rest. All the shouts and screams coming from the sidelines are people expressing their admiration for how great he is doing. This was funny to me at first because originally I thought he was doing a poor job (kinda sloppy on the moves), but the more I learned about tai ke wu the more I realized it was all about embodying a certain attitude–and this guy’s got it.
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___ I liked this one that invited their teacher to join in, and she did. Throughout the video, everyone is impressed with the middle student’s dancing ability–again, she’s got a certain attitude going. ___
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And finally here is a modified tai ke wu (an aerobic exercise version) on the news . . . with all ages participating and the mayor of Kaohsiung promoting it. In this video, you can see people in costume dancing as gods on stage–this is what Lawrance was talking about . . . and we’ll get into more in depth tomorrow. ___
The issue of ancestor worship is complex. It would be impossible to express exactly what it is and what it means to the Taiwanese. Each year I’m here I understand a little more. And, now that I’ve married into a Taiwanese family–as a daughter-in-law to the first born son–I understand even more.
And, still words fail to truly express all that is embodied in ancestor worship. It is more than simply worship.
Worship of the ancestors and showing filial piety is of utmost importance to the Taiwanese.
The worship of ancestors is probably the most difficult aspect of conversion to Christianity for new Taiwanese Christ-followers. Giving up idol worship and temple worship is much easier than giving up ancestor worship.
Why?
Here are my thoughts on the matter:
(1) When a young believer (18-35 yrs old) tells his parents he is Christian, his parents hear “I don’t love you, and I am ungrateful for the fact that you have given me life and provided for me all these years. I don’t care what happens to you after you die–rot in hell for all I care!”
(2) Ancestor worship is corporate worship. It is almost never done alone. The family gathers, two or three pass out incense and the worship commences. If you refuse to participate, it appears that you are ungrateful, disrespectful and have no manners. It’s almost as if you are spitting in the face of those who gave you life. So, the pressure–not peer, but rather familial–is STRONG, VERY STRONG.
(3) The social function of ancestor worship is more than just “worship.” The coming together to clean a family tomb and pay respects is a form of family reunion. To be expelled from participating in qing ming jie is perhaps the most severe punishment that could be given in traditional society–it means that you are no longer seen as part of this family.
Dr. George MacKay, the first presbyratian missionary to Taiwan, had this to say:
This venerable cultus, the worship of ancestors, in indeed the most stubborn obstacle Christianity has to face. It is so ingrained in the nature, and appeals touchingly to the heart, that it requires the strongest conviction and the finest moral courage to beak its thralldom and brave the scorn of friends and relatives, to whom neglect of one’s ancestors in the spirit world is the most inhuman and cruelest of crimes. (Far from Formosa, emphasis mine)
In 1925, the author of an article entitled “Chinese Ancestor Worship: A Study of Its Meaning and Its Relations with Christianity” concluded that “the problem [of ancestor worship] will ultimately be solved by the Chinese themselves. Only those who have grown up within a system in which ancestor worship is central can wisely make provision for its future evolution and sublimation. Ancestor worship still awaits treatment at the hands of those who are both truly Chinese and truly Christian. In their hands we may safely leave its destiny.”
One Christian family I know, uses a scroll to maintain the family tree instead of using ancestral tablets. The names are still kept, family history still proudly displayed and the deceased still remembered. We know lineage and family history is important to God–why else would there be so many lists of who begot who in Scripture if it were not?
Another family held a graveside worship service the year after their mother/grandmother had passed away on qing ming jie. They read Scripture, prayed to the Most High God, sang praises to him, and told stories of remembrance.
I think these are great alternatives . . . the advantage these two families have is that they are not alone. They are families of believers. The first one was a first generation believer, but he is the oldest son and now the head of the household, and his wife and children are also believers. The second one is a several generation Christian family (what a blessing!).
So, for those that are first generation believers, the only one in their family, the challenge to show respect to those who have gone before them and yet also want to make a stand for their faith is huge. One alternative for first generation believers who are also the first believers in their families is to attend the ceremonies, but not participate.
This is what Lawrance and I did. We did not hold incense, we didn’t join the group in their prayers and bows, and we burned no paper money. After they had finished their corporate worship and had gone to line up to place incense before the gods who protected the tombs, Lawrance placed flowers inside the structure at the tomb area.
Lawrance has been a believer for 11 years now, so his parents have had time to grieve and accept the fact that he will not worship them after they’ve passed on. Even so, Lawrance still has to stand up to the pressure from aunts and uncles to join in the worship.
My point in this very long winded post is actually quite simple. Your Taiwanese brothers and sisters in Christ need your prayers. Would you please intercede on their behalf? Would you pray for them to have “the strongest conviction and the finest moral courage to beak its thralldom and brave the scorn of friends and relatives”? Ask the Most High God to give them wisdom and courage to say and do the things that are pleasing to Him.
Honestly, there seemed to be no real purpose for this stop other than to just claim we had stopped by. However, Lawrance took advantage of the opportunity to find out just how many generations of Wu’s have been in Taiwan.
After counting on the ancestor tablet, Law’s dad found that he is the 10th generation of Wu’s in Taiwan and that Lawrance is the 11th generation.
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After this brief stop, we drove about 5 minutes to a grave area tucked between some fields.
Entrance to the tomb area:
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The tomb area was actually quite large. It was a two level area. This photo was taken standing in front of the main “ancestor” structure looking back to the entrance gate.
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Around the outside of the lower area was two tomb like structures. I assumed these were tombs–Lawrance informed me that these were for the gods who protected the tomb and the spirits of the ancestors. One was female and the other male.
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Behind this structure there were 120 people buried.
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The people who gathered to worship at the Wu burial site at 10 in the morning were are all part of the Wu family–so they are all distant relatives. But, for the majority of the people present, Lawrance has no idea how they are related. Some, who had immigrated to the States, traveled from New York City and some from Colorado just to worship their ancestors.
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A few minutes past 10, incense was passed out and everyone (but Lawrance and I) took some. Someone at the front prayed aloud for a few minutes, everyone bowed a few times then they went to leave their incense in the front.
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Then they lined up to leave more incense on the “tombs” of the gods who protect the site and the ancestors.
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Then two stacks of paper money were set on fire–one stack for the ancestors and one stack for the gods.
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After all was done, at about 10:20 or 10:30, firecrackers were set off.
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One thing that dawned on me as we were there waiting for the firecrackers to be lit and were conversing with some of Law’s uncles is that even in death the difference between individualism and collectivism can be seen. In America, we value individualism–being one’s self–we don’t mind doing things alone (ie, it is not necessary to go in a group to get a hair cut).
But, in Taiwan (and many other Asian countries) collectivism is valued–who you are is defined by your relationships. You aren’t “LeEn;” you are “classmate,” “big sister,” and “wife.” And, you probably do feel more comfortable if you could go with a group to get a hair cut–why would anyone want to do that alone?
And so those values can also be seen in how the dead are buried. In America we have graveyards and tombstones for each individual who has lived. In Taiwan, while I guess there may be some wealthy few who do have their own individual tombs, most are buried in mass graves marked with their family names.
First, thanks for the feedback earlier this week. We appreciate it!!
Second, Lawrance and I are praying about moving, and so I spent yesterday afternoon looking through some apartments online.
It’s kinda of fun being able to do this a husband. It was always just stressful before. Also, I’m thankful we found an online site to peruse first to see what is out there before we go looking in person.
Here is what we have decided we are looking for:
around 25-35 ping (approx 890-1,250 sq feet)
3 “bedrooms”
functioning kitchen (providing our own stove top & gas is ok, but we don’t want to have to provide counters, cabinets, and sinks)
not top floor of apartment building (too hot to cool down)
if higher than 4th floor, an elevator would be nice
allows pets
no or little furniture included (specifically, I want to bring our own mattresses, our own fridge, and our own washing machine–other than that I’m quite flexible)
Things that make the apartment more attractive to us but are not necessary:
ceiling fan(s)
a bath tub (Amanda’s choice)
elevator (Lawrance’s choice)
location (close to subway, school/parks, a market)
more than the standard tiny Taiwanese kitchen
wooden floor room (we think this would be a great place to have groups over for worship since they’d feel comfortable sitting on a wooden floor*)
There are several we rejected for various reasons, but I thought I’d show you some of the more “interesting” rejects. (Images can be clicked to be viewed full size.)
This is not the reason this one got rejected, but it is definantly a “half bath” ;)
This would be an example of a “non-functioning kitchen”
Again not the reason why rejected . . . but this kitchen so totally would need a Hello Kitty Theme. ;)
Now, this one looks ok small, but I don’t think I could last very long in this apartment due to the effect the wallpaper has on me.
Come down 3 stairs and then up a flight–huh?
Tiles on bedroom walls is not an immediate reject, but dark green ones? Yes.
*Outside shoes are taken off at the door, and slippers worn inside. But even slippers get taken off before entering a room with a wooden floor. Making it the “cleanest” floor in the home.
My freshmen English class’ final project last semester was to put together a video introducing some aspect of Taiwanese culture to “foreigners.” These two students–Ray and Steven–made a video on Taiwanese tea.
I enjoyed it, so I asked if I could share their video with yall. They reluctantly agreed (but that’s probably because a good Taiwanese student must show humility in the form of shyness).
Talking about the topic of “marriage” with students here in Taiwan always makes me just a little bit sad.
Most of of my students–male and female–do not want to get married. They claim they have absolutely no desire to get married. I find this SO hard to believe.
As college students in America, I and my classmates/roommates were all about getting married and there was even the “ring by spring or your money back” saying going around, and we were teased and teased others about getting an “MRS. degree.” (By the way, if that was true, I want my money back.) But, maybe even things in America have changed too . . . I don’t know . . . that was 10 or so years ago after all.
Here are some of the things Taiwanese college students (mostly female) are saying about marriage in my classes:
I don’t believe in love. It’s too good to be true kinda like fairies.
Marriage just ruins dreams.
I don’t want to get married because it just “ma fan” (trouble).
Marriage is the graveyard of love.
I don’t want to get married because of the “shu foo” (shackles) it places on you.
Every time I talk to students about love and marriage, I leave perplexed and saddened. I at least now grasp their arguments, even if I don’t agree. At first I couldn’t even understand their arguments at all.
It’s sad. And even though I’ve heard all different kinds of explanations for why my students don’t want to get married . . . the root of them all is sin. The truth is we live in a fallen world. Scripture tells us that God is love. And, I firmly believe that those who don’t know Him are unable to love others. No wonder my students are so hard-hearted and willing to deny the existence of love altogether.
Marriage and family life in Taiwan weigh heavy on Lawrance and my hearts. We aren’t sure exactly when or in what manner, but we desire to allow God to use us to minister to the broken and hurting families and loveless singles in Taiwan.
We invite you to join us in praying for us as we seek the Lord’s direction in our lives, as we ask Him for guidance and wisdom in the decisions we are facing right now. Thanks in advance!!
YuHong and Cindy were engaged on Sunday. This is an official event in Taiwan between the betrothed’s families.
Lawrance's parents with one of the wedding photos at the entry
There are few different ceremonies preformed at the engagement. One ceremony is the presenting of gifts. Here are the “gifts” given from The Wu family to the bride-to-be.
Then Mrs. Wu helped to place the jewelry on her newest daughter-in-law, and Cindy’s mother placed her gifts to her new son-in-law on him.
Like at a Taiwanese wedding, the bride and groom to be are presented with their parents to all present. This is an opportunity to thank the guests who came as well as offer a toast.
In addition there would be a tea ceremony. (But Lawrance didn’t get any photos of that since he was a participant.) I’ll ask Lawrance more about this, and write about it later. I’ve actually never seen it done before, only read about it.
And, there is also an entire banquet feast as well. But, the groom-to-be’s family slips out before the dessert is served. Neither Lawrance nor I know why this is the tradition, but it is. :)
And, there is dress changing, toasting table to table, passing out of candy from a basket by the door as well–just like at a wedding.
Since Cindy’s family is in Taipei, both sides of Lawrance’s family together took a charted bus to the north.
Newly engaged women also give their friends and family members (on her side of the family) a box of cookies or cakes to help announce the engagement. Here are Cindy’s cakes:
And, here is Lawrance with the happy couple!
Since traditionally the engagement is hosted by the bride’s family, Lawrance and I didn’t have a Taiwanese style engagement ceremony. I actually think that is one of the reasons why Lawrance’s parents so freely let the two of us get married in my hometown with my friends and family–in their minds it was similar to the bride’s hosting of the engagement ceremony.
If anyone asks Lawrance what his favorite food to eat that Amanda makes is, he answers enthusiastically “pizza!”
Taiwanese people who hear this answer assume it would be a common answer since of course all Americans eat is pizza and hamburgers. But, the looks on some of the American’s faces have been precious. Most assume he has misunderstood the question since it would seem very difficult to make pizza in Taiwan. Then once they realize he totally understood, and I do make pizza here, they want to know how.
Actually making pizza in Taiwan is quite easy. I get both my pizza sauce and crust at a “local” bakery supply store called Wang Lai; it is about a 45 minute ride from our home by moped. I’m sure other bakery supply stores probably also sell pizza sauce and crust–I know the “pineapple man store” in Kaohsiung does too. The small jar of sauce pictured below is our favorite and will cover about 10-12 small pizzas.
The pizza cheese (mozzarella) can be found at the bakery store too, and sometimes we are able to find it at our local grocery store as well. It’s not cheap, but frozen the cheese will keep awhile and this one bag will last us about 16 small pizzas.
products we use to make our pizza
In addition to the cheese, we top our pizzas with ground beef or pork that I have seasoned generously with Italian seasoning that we can get at Costco (thanks Larina!!) and Tony’s that I carry back from the States. We also typically top it with yellow and red peppers, onions, and for Lawrance’s pizza frozen corn (that I purchased at the bakery store too–just for his pizzas).
I then bake them two at a time at 160c for about 10 minutes on our nifty pizza pan that was wedding gift from Sarah and Kevin (thanks guys!!).
a sprinkle of cheese, then they are ready to be baked
Like the Americans who hear Lawrance’s answer, I had always assumed that making pizza (in Taiwan) would be hard. I guess if I had to make the crust and sauce from scratch that would totally up the difficulty factor making it a very special, rare treat. But, the way I do it right now takes less than 30 minutes from start to finish–that’s faster than ordering from Pizza Hut!
I know it is no culinary masterpiece, but I share this here because I am constantly searching for how to easily make things both Lawrance and I enjoy eating, and I thought others who live in Taiwan might be too.
"pizza without corn just isn't real pizza" --Lawrance
Anyone who has been in Taiwan (and several other Asian countries) for any length of time has seen “Darlie” toothpaste, which is still named “black man” in Chinese (hēi rén, 黑人).
It used to be named “Darkie” in English, but when Colgate acquired the company in the mid-80’s, after protests from civil-rights activists, they changed the English name to “Darlie” and the face of the man on the front changed as well, but the Chinese name remains “black man.”
Darkie Toothpaste Over the Years by sinosplice on flickr
This is a very common and well-liked toothpaste brand in Taiwan.
So, when Lawrance and I were out looking for a souvenir for me to take home to our sweet nephews I didn’t think twice when I first saw the pencil case below. There where all kinds of knock-offs of different bottles and tubes–toothpaste, ketchup, chocolate, and so on–that had been converted into pencil bags with pencil sharpeners hidden in the caps. So creative!
But, when I looked again at the Darlie knock-off I actually gasped. Do you see it? The character has been replaced with a photo of Obama and Darlie was changed to “Change.” Lawrance tried to get a photo while I talked to the store owner and actually took a video, so the photo is captured from a cell phone’s video, so it is a bit unclear. But, on the actual pencil bag the the image is clearly Obama.
No, no, not another one for us. We’ve already had two–that’s enough for one lifetime! :)
Yu-Hong and Cindy
Lawrance’s brother, Yu-hong and his long time girlfriend, Cindy are tying the knot before this Chinese New Year.
We’ve been encouraging them to get married for a long time–they started dating a few years before us. Within the last week they’ve planned to have their engagement ceremony on Jan 24th and their wedding ceremony Feb 7th. Lawrance’s mom was like “what is up with my sons and their fast weddings?”
We took three months from the time we decided to get married to the time we actually had our wedding; they are doing it in just weeks.
Two major ceremonies in two different cities, hundreds of guests and less than a month of planning! Plus all the other details that must be attended to to make both families happy. Wow . . . I don’t envy them at all. However, I am SO happy they have decided to get married. They make such a great couple.
In fact, Lawrance and I were so confident that one day Cindy would be family that I invited her to be in our Taiwanese wedding even though I didn’t know her very, very well at the time.
Yu-Hong and Cindy at our Taiwanese Wedding
Why the rush for before Chinese New Year? Well, it’s more auspicious. You see odd numbers are bad for marriage–everything should be even (2, 6, 8–but of course not 4, a homophone for death). Even numbers are good for marriage–even numbers symbolize that the two will stay together. After Chinese New Year, Yu-Hong will be considered 29 and Cindy 31. 29 is especially bad (as are all years ending a decade).
There are so many levels of culture to this that would make a non-Taiwanese person’s head spin.
YuHong is actually, right now according to his date of birth and Western counting, 27 (an odd number).
His birthday is Dec 25th. So, he will not be 29 according to his date of birth until Dec 25, 2011.
But, you have to factor in an extra year for time spent in the womb.
Then, you must remember that you get a year older during the Chinese New Year–not on your birthday.
Years ago, I would have thought and thought about this, and the illogicality of it all would have bothered me, but now I think “well, I’m happy for them. Marriage is good.”
The only sad part of this good news is that . . . I won’t be there. I’m leaving a week from today to head back to America for three weeks. So, I’ve instructed Lawrance to take lots of photos for me. :)
Update: Yu-hong and Lawance’s grandmother passed away on Jan 12, so Yu-hong and Cindy’s wedding will be postponed. To counter the “bad luck” of getting married in a bad year, they had to consult with a fortune teller to help them pick a very, very auspicious wedding date. So, the lunar calendar date of Feb 2nd was chosen–2/2–a good day for couples. Ironically this is April 4th–4/4–on the Gregorian calendar. Ironic not in an amusing way, but in a sad way as it reveals just how futile man’s thinking can be.
As Mrs. Happy Housewife guessed from some great observation . . he was waiting for a hair cut!!
Here is the ticket that the machine gave us . . . the store is called “Just Cut House” because all they do is cut hair–no washing, no styling, noting else but cutting.
And here is a before and after. :)
As Lisa mentioned, it is really simple–at first she trimmed him up, but then I told him just go for it and get it buzzed all over. It’s perfect for summer time. :)
And do you know what!! My man has curly hair too!! Granted not nearly as tight a curl as mine, but there is some definite curl going on there. Too cute!!
We’ve got 47 days till our Taiwanese marriage covenant ceremony. And, thus, we begin planning another wedding. :)
In some ways it will be similar to our American ceremony and in other ways it will be very different.
We’ve asked three different groups to sing at our Taiwanese ceremony.
Here is the song one group has chosen to sing. (We decided to let each group choose the song they wanted to sing.)
I love their choice!! (The version here is in Cantonese, but I’m pretty sure they will sing in Mandarin. Not that it really makes that big of a difference to my non-Taiwanese readers.)
As things fall into place, it is becoming more exciting and less stressful for both of us.
Literal translation of the song title: “Love Does Not Hold Back” or “Love With No Reservation” or “Unreserved Love”
A translation of the non-wedding version of the song I found online:
I’ve always been told, love won’t endure.
Nowhere can one find love long and true.
The world just thinks love comes and passes through.
“Don’t make promises” is the rule…
But I still believe love can last.
Your unfailing love has made me strong.
You are there when I needed you more.
Come what may, you’ll love me all along!
Who died on the cross and took away my curse?
Great is your love, I don’t think I should deserve.
Your bleeding hands proved your love unreserved.
You’re my only joy and treasure on the earth…
Giving everything to you is all I pray.
Use my life to serve you truly every day.
I’ll hold your hands and give you all my praise.
Let the whole world know your love and grace!
Recently, Lawrance and I went back to Meinong with his family to celebrate our engagement. His grandmother was so happy for us, she decided to treat the whole clan to noodles! She reserved the restaurant and called all the relatives to come home for the weekend. It apparently was a BIG deal. :)
It’s too bad I was sick. I was right in the middle of a cold at the time. It started on Thursday and was at its worst on Monday. Lawrance took good care of me though by forcing me to go see the doc who said the reason my “common cold” was so bad was because it had activated my asthma. So, once my airways were open again . . . I started feeling much better. So, today, Wednesday–I’m feeling better–and went to school for the first time this week. Now, if only I can survive the next two weeks!!
Anyway, back to this weekend, I am so blessed to be welcomed with open arms into this family. So many people I tell about our engagement are surprised at how welcoming the Wu family has been to “a foreigner” marrying into the family. Even non-believers have been telling me how much God is blessing Lawrance and me. How cool is that?!?!
On Sat. night Lawrance’s mom along with her mom and some of her sisters met with a fortune teller.
Of course high on Lawrance’s mom’s list of things to talk about was the impending marriage of her son.
The fortune teller told her that Lawrance and I would have a very happy marriage. That things would just get better and better. He also predicted that by the end of next year we’d have a daughter–he was afraid to tell her this since most Chinese women want sons before daughters. He wasn’t sure if the daughter would be born by the end of next year or just that we’d be pregnant. He also told her that even though at the beginning of our marriage we’d be tight on money, in a few years it wouldn’t be a problem.
Lawrance asked me to tell you all this so that you can be praying for us.
I might have already told you that Lawrance’s sister saw the two of us together in a vision before she even knew Law had a girlfriend.
There is definite spiritual warfare going on in his family. Please pray for us and for them.
On the eve of Chinese New Year, each family sets up a “bai bai” (worship) table at eleven o’clock at night.
Other “bai bai” tables throughout the year are set out during the mid-afternoon and left relatively unattended. But, during the Chinese New Year worship hour, all the neighbors in a community will stand outside chatting and talking, and, of course, comparing the bai bai table sacrifices.
At midnight, firecrackers are lit and the spirit money as well as the long paper yellow things hanging from the table are burned.
I recently added a widget that showcases a different photo of Taiwan from different photographers each day. See? It’s over there on the left-hand side.
I’ve kinda enjoy seeing the different views of Taiwan that I could never see all on my own. There are just way to many beautiful treasures to discover on this tropical island.
Anyhow, I decided to submit one of my own photos to Taiwan Picture of the Day a few days ago. And guess what? Today’s picture of the double hearts is mine!!
I took this photo when I visited my student in PengHu. A set of islands off the main Taiwan island. Oh my! It was breathtakingly beautiful!! These double hearts aren’t natural, but they aren’t just for looks either. They were created for a very practical reason . . . anyone know what that reason is?
Today, October 10th or 10/10, is known as “Double Ten Day” in Taiwan. Double Ten Day is a national holiday–so no school or work today.
But really outside of the official festivities taking place in the capital city that the rest of the island watches on the news, I’ve never seen much ado made of this holiday.
So, what is Double Ten Day you ask . . . it is “National Celebration Day.” Many also call it the birthday of Taiwan. In fact, I saw on the news this morning the mayor of Taipei singing “happy birthday” and cutting a cake covered in Taiwan flags.
According to Wikipedia: Double Ten Day is the national day of the Republic of China and celebrates the start of the Wuchang Uprising of October 10, 1911, which led to the collapse of the Qing Dynasty.
When Sam came to visit me this summer, his only request was . . . “to see the monkeys.”
We tried on more than one occasion, but the monkeys live in the wild, so we couldn’t make a reservation and request they be present when we arrived. :) However, right before we left to go back to America, we got to see them!!
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Sam fed the monkeys peanuts and bananas. And, his one wish about Taiwan came true!
welcome to wuhoo!
Hi! We are Lawrance and Amanda Wu.
We live in Taiwan--a little tea leaf shaped island in Asia.
Amanda is from Texas and Lawrance from Tainan. We met, fell in love and married in 2008.
We both teach English and both love to tell others about Jesus. We also both really enjoy laughing, and we both just happen to enjoy "ching cha," a type of fabulous green tea.
Talking about the topic of “marriage” with students here in Taiwan always makes me just a little bit sad.
