wuhoo!

new glasses

Lawrance and I got new glasses over CNY. This is the first time since junior high that Law hasn’t had frame-less/rimless glasses.

Of course I’m kinda partial, but I like them! :)

my handsome hubby makes my heart swoon :D

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!!

chinese new year

Chinese New Year was weird for me this year.

I was looking forward to going back for the annual hot pot reunion at the Wu house. But, instead I was sadly stuck in an airport. Because of the snow in Dallas, 1 canceled flight, 1 seriously delayed flight, 2 missed international flights, and a redirect to a different city, I missed celebrating Chinese New Year’s Eve with family. I was supposed to arrive on Friday the day before CNY Eve, but arrived on Sunday, CNY Day.

I think I also kinda missed all the “excitement in the air” part of the holiday by being in Texas for the days leading up to the holiday as well. So, it just made it seem weird.

I missed all the fireworks. I missed weeks of hearing “gong xi, gong xi, gong xi ni” played over and over in store speakers. I missed . . . I just missed it. It felt like there was no celebration at all.

Happy Chinese New Year!

However, since Lawrance had the entire week off for CNY, we were able to spend the entire week just together and relaxing. We did nothing special or amazing, but it was great nonetheless.

We did go visit my best friend, Ellen and her family for a few days . . . which included seeing all her relatives, soaking in a hot spring, getting a Thai massage, making a Costco run and eating great food.

So, now the holiday and winter break are over . . . and it’s back to work and school we go . . . hi ho. hi ho.
P.S. I’ll take seeing my precious family and spending time with loved ones over feeling “not weird” anytime . . . a little weirdness is good for the soul, right?

time in texas

I am SO thankful that Lawrance was willing to let me go to Texas for a month so that I could meet my nephews and spend time with the rest of my family too!

I’m thankful I was able to . . .

spend time with my very grown up little brother

spend the mornings with my sleepy nephews

play with this cute, cute, cute little one and stealing all the sugars I could

Climb up into the chic-fil-a playscape and have a little fun :D

Eat Mexican food with these two awesome people several times!! :)

spend precious time with precious ones

have the "washing machine cycle of life" get messed up because the car battery died

hang out with mom and dad :D

the engagement

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.

holding hands

After dating for nearly two months, Lawrance had still not held my hand–or even really touched me for that matter. I knew he had drawn the line for physical touch for pre-engagment at only holding hands. And, I knew that our first kiss would be on our wedding day. But, what I didn’t know is when he’d actually start holding my hand. So . . the story below takes place after we’d been “dating with purpose” for about a month and a half. I wrote it originally as an email to my mom, sister, and a few close friends right after the event.

Sunday night Lawrance and I went on a picnic with Gilby. We went to a park near my home right at sunset. He found a place to eat, and we sat there for a long time. Eating and talking. Gilby was getting anxious, so we stood up and got him to some grass. Finally, he (Lawrance, not Gilby) asked if I’d like to walk along side the river that runs into the harbor.

When he first suggested this park earlier in the week I actually thought that this would be a good time to hold hands. And, I’d even thought about telling him that he didn’t have to “trick me” into holdinghands (like his brother had suggested); all he had to do was ask for my hand, and I would give it to him, but that I’d wait till he was ready . . . he would have to be the one to initiate. I’d even practiced this little speech in my head.

So . . .we walk. I make sure that my hand next to him is free (leash in other hand, purse on other shoulder). We walked this way all the way to the end. For, oh, about 30 minutes. He kept taking his hand in and out of his pocket as we walked. When we turned around at the end I thought “ok, I’m ready to give my speech now.” I didn’t want to pressure him; I just wanted him to know it was ok with me–hoping to take away some of the pressure.

So, we reach the end, and as I’m switching purse and leash (to once again make sure the hand next to his is empty), I look down and he offers me his hand. Before I took it, I looked at him to double check if it was ok. He just smiled, and I took it. I can’t tell you how sweet it was. So gentle of him to do it this way.

I told him I was about ready to tell him he could have it if only he’d ask for it. He told me that he’d been thinking and thinking about how to do it and when to do it and where to do it. He wanted it to be just right. Well, if I do say so myself, he did a good job of making it “just right.”

Later, as the evening came to an end. He told me, “today is a big day.” And, I was like “really? why?” And he said, “because today is the first day I held your hand.” It was so sweet. He is so sweet.

So . . . a month and a half into dating, and he finally holds my hand. Although not easy, it was worth waiting for.

making pizza in taiwan

wuhoo! it's wu family pizza :)

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