today:

today was so fun.  the shu family took us to a beautiful river and on a small hike.  we also ate one of the best breakfasts i have ever had in taiwan.  {why couldn't john have been here for the last four weeks?}  

we took a picture in the same exact spot that john did 6 years ago!

missionary:

not a missionary:

we then went to the jiufen street market.  i love the markets here.  they are crowded with people and shops.  jiufen is on the side of a tall mountain where people used to mine for gold.  the fog rolls over the mountains and streets with thin staircases winding up the side.  it's a really cool place.

these are all along the mountainside.  they are tiny buildings, or alters, that the ashes of deceased persons are placed in.  the locals jokingly call them "night clubs", because they believe that ghosts come out at night.

this is a hunk of gold weighing 220 kg.  don't ask me to do the math in lbs.  i'm too tired.

for dinner, we had hot pot.  mine was super spicy and delicious.  there was a better selection of meats and veggies than i have ever seen at an all-you-can eat place.  i am telling you, the taiwanese people know how to eat!

if you are curious, this is a baby octopus that i ate.  it was super rubbery.  but secretly good?

together once again.

john and i found each other!  after a loooong day of clinical anticipating meeting john, my final meeting ended and i raced out to see him.  it was a happy reunion.  

alright, enough of the sappy stuff.

but i do really love this man:

after a happy reunion, john's nice friend ernie took us to the pier and to get some mango ice deliciousness.  he also fed us and the missionaries.  he is such a nice man!  then, we went to bed early, because we had to wake up at 11pm to drive to alishan. the three hours of sleep was totally worth it:  {watching the sun rise in alishan definitely goes in my top five favorite moments of taiwan.  the other top moments include my reunion with john and riding scooters in kenting.}

after a loooong drive to taipei, ernie showed us around dansui.  he took us to the beach!  

then we went to meet the shu family.  i have only just barely met them and i already love them!  they were one of the families that john baptized while he was on his mission here.  the father is now a bishop!  they are amazing people and even though i have a difficult time communicating with them, they are patient with me and try to communicate back.  {and john translates too of course}

24. my last night in tainan.

for marissa's birthday, we all went out to a grill-your-own meat place.  it was so fun!  afterwards, i looked over the city and realized, i am super sad to be leaving.  as much as i am dying to see john tomorrow, it makes me so sick to my stomach to realize that i may never see these wonderful doctors and nurses again.  i have grown to love them so much.

23.

my last day with hospice home care.  very sad.  i am going to miss these people:

the nurses and doctors are just so good here.  they are patient, and they work in circumstances that many of the nurses in the u.s. wouldn't deal with.  {they are overworked and underpaid}.  plus, they are fun and so generous.  they kept throwing food at me today.  {delicious food, by the way} and i felt like i was going to burst!

{this shaved ice is made of green tea, so naturally, i didn't eat it.  but look how pretty!}

22.

i am kind of freaking out because i will get to be with john by wednesday night!  oh john, i can't wait to see you.  although this has been a one-in-a-lifetime experience, i never want to be without you ever again.  

i want to tell you all about my day, but it really wasn't that significant.  we went to a nice ward in tainan, and even went to an english-speaking sunday school class.  for lunch we went to get gun bun tiao, the "dry noodle" that i blogged about yesterday.  it was so good i just couldn't stay away!  in the afternoon i took a nap, and then we did presentations for about two and a half hours.  fortunately, i am now done with all my homework for the semester!  {except for the final exam, which i will be taking while john and i are in beijing.  hmmm...}