A Hong Kong Summary

We are in the lands of Hong Kong now.

I realize that this blog is going to take decades and decades to update since I am doing such a terrible job in updating it regularly. And the fact that I cannot upload any picture or video files from the past 3 weeks is going to come and haunt me.

I want to try to put pictures and vids on here just to maximize my pensive accuracy. But I think I am going to have to upload it on facebook too so that the overseas friends will have an easier time looking at them. We shall see how it goes.

Anywhooo, enough about that. Now for a summary of what we have been doing in our vacation time in Hong Kong! (For the missions trip, I kept a journal and will update that when things are more settled)

Mon, July 18- We left the wonderful city of Taipei to go to Hong Kong. We didn't get to spend as much time as I liked for Taipei, but the moments we had there were verrrryyyy SPECTACULAR!It was as good as everyone said it would be. I would love to go back once i get the chance! We had to say our final goodbyes to all our new AEF friends. Through out the week, one by one... people would be heading off to other places now that the camp was over. And today was finally our turn.
     Our last few days of Taiwan/Taipei were spent with the Canaan youth, Betty and Jeremy. Honestly, I was kind of hesitant to be with the highschoolers again because I felt like some of them were a bit immature and I didn't have the energy to keep up. But as we met up with them in Jiayi and started hanging out, these kiddies were not bad at all. And we all had a blast together adventuring through Taipei. It was sad to leave them after I felt like we were just getting to know each other a little better. This made me realize that God really does turn every situation into a molding of His own. He uses every situation that may seem unreasonable to our own thoughts and turn it into something of joy and friendship. I don't know if that makes sense. It's like 2:41 am right now and I should head back up to my room. But i'm finally updating...  I want to finish this HK one so I dont have to journal it as well.
     So there were the 5 of us Davis folk left. We bussed to the Taiwan airport and said goodbye to the ever so awesome Jeremy. This guy... words cannot explain how awesome he is. He is such a big part of AEF and was soooo patient to put up with all us tourists and HSers and Davisers. He def took care of us throughout the WHOLE entire trip. THANK YOU JEREMYYYYYYY!!!! At the Taiwan airport, it was just so surreal! We stepped foot back into the place where the whole trip started. Where I felt so foreign and unexperienced and confused still as to what I was doing there. The first international airport that I stepped into. And being back at the same place after everything was done and completed was just the strangest but most accomplished feeling ever. It was quite a rush to be back there. But it felt good. We were only briefly there and we got on the plan to HK. You're not supposed to have electronics on when the plane is taking off, but Jeff and I wanted to record it. So we whipped out our devices and recorded it. ahahhaa. It freaked out Jenn! And I want to post that vid here. Along with a bunch more!When we arrived in the HK airport, Jeff was greeted and taken away by his relatives. There were other strangers who were holding signs and waiting anxiously for their loved ones. I hope to have someone waiting for me with a sign with my name on it and everything one day. I think it's so cute! After that... we took the MTR from the airport to the normal lines. Seaton went with us for a bit, but it was late and our living locations are in completely diff areas. He went his way and we went ours. But before the split.. it was a mad chaos to catch diff transfering trains, and Sharon and I made the flight attendant who was trying to help us say the S word. It was quite funny. ahahhaha. Good times.
     We were contemplating a taxi to get to our hotel, L'hotel Nina et Convention Centre, but they charge extra for luggage... so we just kept on the MTR and transferred like 3 times. It was a pretty stressful but fun experience to lug my humungo suitcase around through what seemed like a million escalators. I feel bad for the wheels of my grandma's suitcase. I was sweating by the end of it. But we made it!! And our hotel is GORGEOUSSSS!! I'm not used to seeing such high buildings everyyywhereeee!! And we are esp high too! We are living on the 69th floor out of 77! WOOooT Wooot! It takes 2 elevators. It feels good to be so high. I am making these wayyy tooo long.


Tues, July 19 (HK Day 1)- I'm going to do bullet points.
~Jenn's mom's friend, Wendy Yee Yee for today. She is one nice lady! 
    +She treated us out to breakfast and we ate Yao Teews with Jook
    +Renewed Jenn's HK citizenship card
    +Went to try to get me new glasses, but I just bought a frame
    +Ate lunch at that famous chain where i got the Champagne HK Milk Tea!
    +Lui Yun Gai (Lady's Market)- I went berzerko crazy spending here! MY goodnesssssss. It was sooo exhilirating and i just wanted to buy everything. I don't usually shop, but you get to bargain here!!! They call me the haggler. haha. It's so much fun. But i really think i went a little toocrazy, so I stopped spending the next 2 days. I'll post pics and deets later
    +Longham Palace mall... beautiful! Ate Mosh Burger there and talked about our experiences of AEF and just walked around and took pictures around after


Wed, July 20 (HK Day 2)- Karaoke!     +Met up with Justin and Lillian, the HK natives. Justin is moreso, so he is our personal tourguide. Only 13!
     +Took us out to eat at this place, I took a pic of it so I dont remember the name
     +Walked around the mall at Sham Sui Po called Dragon Centre (Jenn's fav mall)
     +Stalled around til 6... then went to....
     +CEO = BEST KARAOKE PLACE EVERRRRRRRR!!!
        ~We had so much fun here, no joke! There was a buffet meal provided! Decently good food!
              ~Justin and Lillian's mom treated us, so grateful! It was a nice place and it didnt look cheap
           ~Could have stayed til 5am, but we had to catch the MTR
              ~Great song choices, with actual music videos that match the song
              ~One of the best nights I've had. Videos are coming soon! I think those will speak more than me just saying how much fun it was.
Thurs, July 21 (HK Day 3)- Glass Cable Cars
     +Justin and Lillian brought us out again
     +Met at our station, Tseun Wan West and CARRIE joins us today! Nice little AEF TA reunion :D
     +Head over to Tung Chung stop for the cable cars, but we eat first. Treated by Jeffrey, thanks!
     +Theres a bunch of pics that I will post here so I don't have to have so much boring text
     +Cost 170 HK, so about 20 American bucks. We tried to suck out every penny of the experience, so we ran to see the big Mr. Buddha.
     +People had to leave after that, so Jenn Sharon and I stayed back to walk around the mall.
     +I havent been spending since that day i went crazy at lady's market. but the others got some stuff. 
     +Went to some other shopping place after where I haggled these 2 purses for the 2 ladies
     +Back to hotel to try and read HP7 so I cant try to watch it in HK, but dont think that's gonna happen
     +In the hotel lobby finally updating this blog. Cant wait for pics and vids! :DDD
     +Oh yeah, we had McDonald's for dinner! So much better in asia!
That's all. I'm sleepy and I want to go to bed to get ready for another day. This may be the last night that I have straight hair as I am planning on permanently curling/waving the whole mass tomorrow! We shall seee. EEEKS! I never do anything special/different with my hair, so since I'm in Asia and it's a ton of a lot cheaper, I may just take this leap. tehehehe.

Good bye for now.

(HI GUMAAAAA!! :DDD This is for you! I am completely safe and you have nothing to worry about! )

TAIPEI IS AWESOMEEEEE!!!

I am doing a terrible job in updating this, but it is just hard to find an available computer.

I cant wait to upload pictures on this, but it will take forever and probably like a million pictures for each day. I had 4 memory cards and they have all run out.

We are in Taipei and our 'official' missions trip is over so we are now just playing in Asia! We checked into the YMCA hotel last night and I was just soooooooo thankful! It's nice to have clean living and bathrooms and beds and all that good stuff. I am truly grateful. More than words can explain.

I LOVE ASIA!!! My goodness, it is so awesome! It's nice to finally get to see it after so long. 


Tonight, we went to the SHILIN Night market. I've heard so much about these Taiwan night markets, and I finally stepped foot in one. It was breathtaking. So much food and shopping! There was not enough time for it all. We were all pretty tired though and I think we are going to go to more tomorrow.

I'm using our hotel laptop, but I should go now and shower and sleep for church tomorrow.

Pictures should come soon, hopefully. Taiwan is sooooo coooool!!!

Safely In Taiwan!

Helloooooo!

Our team arrived safely to Taiwan and already started training. I got to experience jet lag for the first time and it was quite a task to overcome.

Anyways, we are now joined with everyone... people from the Canaan church, TAs/interpreters from Shanghai (mostly), helpers and the aborigines from the church here in Nantou. 


We have been playing many games to help us get to know one another, but the communication can be quite frustrating. It is getting a little better though. We have also started learning our dance routines and we all enjoy it very much even though some of us cant dance that well. It is just a joy just to see that we are all doing and trying it together.


We have a couple more days of training and getting ready for the kids to come for a 5-day camp. We have been blessed with non-deathly weather and really helpful helpers. haha. Praise the Lord!!!

More posts to come when there is time. And pics when we can, but that part may be a little harder to come by. 


Love,

Jeff, Jenn, Seaton, Sharon and Tiff


PS. The bathrooms are soooooo weird here!!! They are called squatties or something. But the food is definitely amazing! They have been providing very generous meals for us.