EARTHQUAKE!!

On Tuesday morning at 2:05am I was woken rather suddenly by the world moving around me! My blinds were rattling, the floor was shaking beneath me and after my mind realized what was happened, it was running a mile a minute! It was an earthquake! In my half asleep stupor I managed to get positioned under my doorframe. While I waited it out, hoping that it wouldn’t get any worse, all I could think about was that if injured, I would be found in nothing but my underwear!! Luckily, it lasted only a minute and soon I was under my covers trying to fall back asleep. It wasn’t until the following morning that I assessed the damage… there wasn’t really any. All that I could see were small cracks in the walls of my apartment, like spider webs almost. The bathroom wall in my school cracked in two as well. But other than that, I can find no other physical effects of the tremors. Never having experienced an earthquake before, this was quite exciting for me! I just thank God that it wasn’t a large earthquake, one big enough to do some serious damage to things as well as people.

In other news, something quite nice happened in the apartment today. If you’ve read earlier posts in this blog, you know that I live with a Taiwanese “grandma.” She’s old and Taiwanese and so Kate and I started calling her “grandma” and the name just stuck. Beyond, “hello” and a few beginner phrases I’ve mustered out in Chinese, I haven’t been able to communicate with her and vice-versa. Once she said “good morning” in English to me and it made my day. We’ve also shared lovely moments on the street when we recognize each other and wave vigorously as we walk by. But beyond simple communication, I feared that grandma and I would always remain strangers under the same roof. Until today.

I was leaving my room to head out for work and I noticed that her bedroom door was open, a rare occasion indeed. As I was lacing up my shoes in the hall I heard her say, “Shiao Jay” ("Miss." In Chinese). I turned to face grandma and I noticed that she had a hand-written note in her hand, written in English. She handed me the note and then started chattering away in Chinese. I apologized and “Ting bu dong”-ed, but I took the note and read it. Here’s what it said,

Hello, Miss,

It’s so sad for my grandmon that you’re going to leave here, my grandmon tells me you’re a very nice lady, and she’s so happy she can be your neighbour, although in a few months. As Taiwanese tradition and careness, she’s so curious about where you will move and stay. If you could tell her, please leave a message here then I’ll translate for her, thank you very much!

I was so touched and looked up at grandma with tears in my eyes! After all these months I assumed that she wasn’t such a big fan of Kate and I. What with all my singing off-key in the shower, all those nights that we arrived home at 4 in the morning as loud as could be, commandeering the washing machine and hogging the kitchen counter space. It means so much that grandma will miss our presence in the apartment! I gave her a hug and communicated as best as I could that I would write her back. I walked to work smiling at the world.

As my time here in Taiwan comes to a close I’ve been doing a lot of reflecting. I’ve been thinking about all the experiences that I’ve had and all the lovely people whom I’ve met. It’s touching to know that I’ll be missed by a woman who I barely had the chance to get to know. I think it was the Christmas cookies I made her that really did it! hehe

Recently, I filmed my favorite class singing "Skinamarink" (from Sharon, Lois and Bram I believe). Before they start singing, they say, "HI LAURA'S MOM!" hehe, and some of them start a little quarrel in the middle of the song. Here it is!

** if you can't view the video in this email, you can click on the blog address at the bottom of this email and view it on the actual blog website**