new year. two thousand eleven.

After helping someone with their grad school essays, I realized how much revising can improve one's writing. So my 2010 "reflections" post is still being cleaned up so to speak.

At the end of every year, I reread all my journal/blog entries to see how I've learned (or not learned) prayers were answered, or just to make sure time HAS passed. (which it has, unfortunately quickly) Once I got to April, I decided two things (1) My blog is really boring, especially when the most interesting post I reread was about Visa issues.(yikes) So I really need to spice it up. My goal for the blog to was share with family and friends back home how life is going out here, so (2) I need a better format besides the "What is did this weekend" post. So I'm thinking of a simple three part format: What I saw/experienced, what I felt, and what I learned. The "felt" and "learned" aspects should be more interesting on how they reflect me as a person as well as how living abroad has affected me.

So now I will practice my new format-prompt.

Hanging out with meat and clothes by the Chang Shou rd mall. (there's a Starbucks immediately behind what you see) I wonder if the clothes smell like fish? I think this is a creative use of space, and have mixed feelings about the dried fish and ducks. Drying food to preserving has been done for centuries, a process I'm curious to learn- although people are still using this method because they haven't a fridge. This makes me feel sad, but also blessed to be where I am. I also had no idea that poultry could be dried like that.

Festival of Red I headed to Yu garden to search for some parts for work, and the shops are jammed with Lunar New years gear. Plush strings of chili peppers, rabbits, good luck sayings, knots, and lanterns. These cheery overflowing shops can be seen blocks away like splashes of red paint amongst the grey buildings. It makes feel rather excited, like the whole country is having a countrywide party!