The Long and Short of It

Since our move to Taiwan almost one year ago, I have been afraid to get my hair cut. Foreign coworkers have told me horror stories of haircuts in Taiwan. I guess I don't really blame hairdressers here...I mean, foreigners aren't terribly common, and curly-haired foreigners are even more rare. One curly-haired girl told me that her hairdresser didn't know how to cut curly hair, so she straightened it first, and then cut it! Needless to say, that didn't turn out so well.

Fortunately, I recently discovered a hair stylist named Sandra who worked in L.A. for many years. She seemed trustworthy, so I finally decided to cut my hair short--something I've wanted to try for a while.

As I walked into Dra's Hair Lab I felt nervous, but Sandra and Roz quickly put me at ease. The whole experience was great! I couldn't be happier with my fun new hair.

Before:


After:




I highly recommend Dra's Hair Lab to other foreigners in Taipei.
Address: 2F, #175 Zhongxiao E. Rd. Sec. 5, Taipei
Phone: (02) 2768-6038

Fun in the Church Nursery

Love in Action

These days I'm reading Things as They Are: Mission Work in Southern India by Amy Carmichael. As a Christian missionary, she opened an orphanage in Dohnavur and served there 55 years without a furlough. Her selfless dedication to a people so different from herself inspires me. She faced many hardships. When one young woman considering missionary service wrote to Amy to ask what it was like, Amy replied, "Missionary life is simply a chance to die."


Another quote from Amy Carmichael that I've been pondering is this:

"One can give without loving, but one cannot love without giving."

It reminds me of 1 John 3:18, which has been on my heart the past couple of months: "Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth."

As Christians we are not only called to love--we are called to act.

It makes me pause and ask myself not only "How am I loving?" but "How am I giving?"

Brownie's Sweet and Sour Fish

Last Friday when the girls came over, Brownie taught us to make Thai-style Sweet and Sour Fish.

Step 1: Go to the market and buy a fresh fish (ours was still alive when Brownie bought it!)


Step 2: Cut the fish in half and clean out the guts.

Step 3: Heat some oil in a frying pan. Put the fish on. Flip. Fry until cooked.


Step 4: While the fish is frying, make the sweet and sour sauce. Mince 3 cloves garlic, 2 hot red peppers, an inch of ginger, and a bunch of parsley. Put it in a bowl. Add the fresh juice of two limes. Cover in special Thai sweet and sour sauce (you can buy it at any Asian grocery store). Add a pinch of salt to taste.


Step 5: Move the cooked fish to a plate. Pour the sauce over the top.



Step 6: Enjoy with hot rice. Delicious!

Jiaoshi

Already, the average daytime temperature in Taipei has been hovering in the mid- to high-80s. We are determined to take advantage of this "cool" weather before summer truly hits. So...our Saturday hiking adventures continued last weekend...in a small hot-spring town called Jiaoshi.


Jiaoshi is two-hour ride from Taipei. We've learned to enjoy our time on the train. Usually we talk with each other (or attempt to practice Chinese with poor unsuspecting neighbors), read, journal, or listen to podcasts (our recent favorite has been Tim Keller).

After a quick stop at the visitor center, we started our exploration. First, we came upon the local swimming hole, complete with a clearly posted "NO SWIMMING" sign. About 30 high schoolers were splashing around, and we felt tempted to join them, but decided to press on.


We hiked a short trail up a mountain that took us to three waterfalls and--surprisingly--a Catholic church!




We picnicked next to one of the falls with a nun who was dipping her feet in the water.

On the way down, we stopped for some local snacks. Kalan tried this shaved peanut and ice cream wrap topped with cilantro. Yes, cilantro.


Next we headed to the Paoma Historic Trail.



It was mostly wide, but continuously uphill. We expected to hike it to the end and then take a bus back into town (a three-hour trip). However, once at the top, the locals told us that no buses went up there. A kind toothless grandfather let us hitch a short ride in the back of his truck to the narrow part of the trail, and we hiked back, enjoying the help of gravity. We didn't mind...it was a beautiful day.

When we did make it back into town, we were rewarded with a foot soak in one of the free hot springs in the city square while a saxophonist serenaded us.


A great ending to a great Saturday.

Santiaoling Waterfall Trail

Pictures from our most recent weekend adventure:


Above: Kalan's new language exchange partner, Joe
Below: Our day started with a bus ride to the Pingxi Branch Line, a rickety old railroad formerly used by coal miners.




The trail through the jungle took us about five hours. Waterfall #1:


A bridge that was fun to jump on:


Waterfall #2:


Exploring behind the waterfall in "Gollum's Lair":


Some parts of the trail were rather steep, and we got to use ropes and chains!


Waterfall #3:




After a few hours we came to a road that we followed back to the next town. The views from the top were gorgeous.


Hiking on the road was more dangerous than we anticipated. Earthquake!!! :)




We found a yummy snack on the side of the road.


Overall, it was one of our favorite hikes so far in Taiwan.


From left:
Kayt, Kalan, Joe, Jen (a new friend from church)

Ready, Get Set, Bake!

About a week ago, our cell group met for our weekly time of prayer, fellowship, and Bible study.

We're studying the book of Acts. That night, we read in Acts 2: "All the believers were together and had everything in common. They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need" (v. 44-45).

As we were getting ready to leave, one of my friends casually said, "Oh, Kayt...I brought this cooker for you. I thought you would enjoy using it."
(Note to all the Americans reading this: "cooker" is British-speak for "oven.") :)


I was shocked. Are you really giving me your oven?! She was. (She must've known that I've been craving some freshly baked gluten-free bread!)

Her genuine thoughtfulness and generosity amazed me...and helped me understand a bit better what it should look like to "have everything in common."

What a reminder that all "my" stuff is not really mine, but God's. I am praying this week that He would give me a more generous heart.