21/09/2009 by paul.

Well today (actually its yesterday since I’m writing this on Monday!) was my first Sunday at the church. The day began with prayers in the chruch with some of the elders. The minister’s wife runs the choir and since she inadvertently heard me sing, she asked me to join the tenor section in the choir. So next was choir practice. Taiwanese is a great language - but it isn’t half difficult to sing! The music for morning worship is provided by a grand piano in the church. Thankfully the choir excused me wearing robes - I’m not sure whether they thought that I would swelter, or whether it was because I’m like nearly a minister, or whether it was because I’m foreign - either way it was a good thing! The reading for the day was Ruth 4 and Hsinte talked (so he told me afterwards) about a) Living thinking of others before ourselves; b) Living a life of worship; and, c) Living as God’s image in the world because the things he can do through us, like through Ruth and Boaz are amazing. The service lasted about an hour and half, and, after some general conversation, the choir had another practice for next week. They are busy singing an amazing arrangement of ‘Blessed Assurance’ at the moment, along with some other more traditional Taiwanese music. After choir practice there was a lunch together. Everything was finished by about 3 and then the afternoon we chilled out.

In the evening Hstine suggested we went for a walk. I thought this might be once round the block, but the trip last about two hours, including pastoral visits to those who owned shops. We stopped at an opticians to chat with one of the members, and then headed along the river path to a night market. The night market was a truly wonderful experience with lots of food, crafts and clothes for sale at very cheap prices. It was v v v busy. Heading back we stopped in at a website design shop (now about 10.30pm) to visit a family, the father sat beside me singing tenor in the choir earlier. After a half an hour or so we headed home to bed!!!

Posted in Paul's diary | No Comments »

20/09/2009 by paul.

Well today was an amazing experience. The couples fellowship at church organised a trip to the North-Eastern part of Taiwan, staying within Yilan County……

View T5 - Eastern coast trip in a larger map

We set off at 7.30 am from the church in a coach. I was not warned beforehand, but Taiwanese coach trips are not ’sit-back-enjoy’ the ride journies. They are full of activities. There was singing, games, quizzes, with each person trying to do their best over a crazy microphone! We were given breakfast on the coach, and after an hour or so of craziness we arrived at an Anka distillery/chemical plant/pharmaceutial plant….. to use the restrooms - apparently this is the closest you get to motorway services in Taiwan! I resisted the temptation to buy some seriously strong wine and liquers! We then stopped at a local restaurant to try the local cuisine (unfortunately to my untamed palate it tasted the same as the food elsewhere in Taiwan). So at 9.30 everyone piles into a bowl of noodle soup with chicken and seafood (I’m learning its best not to ask what type!).

So after these two trips we head to King Car Industrial Plant. Here they seem to make any type of drink you can imagine, from bottled water through to whisky. After a short introductory video we headed, like all good Christians to the Ka Va Lan whisky distillery. Whilst it seems normal in Scotland to visit whisky distilleries, here in Taiwan it is very much a new thing, as until recently (not sure how recent!) the government controlled all alcohol production.

After a little taste and a wander through the shop (again I resisted the temptation to spend some NT!) we headed back onto the coach for mroe singing. We then stopped at a little cottage industry (I know this is a UK term, but its the best I can do at explaining it) that makes tsai-tsai and bo-tsai (spelling is just off pronunciation, probably very wrong, apologies!) which are triangular parcels made of bamboo with rice stuffed inside, either with some pork (tsai) or peanut (vegetarian=bo-tsai). One of the church members was so persuaded that I tried one tht he bought me one to eat later!

After getting back onto the coach we headed to a grand restaurant, in a Western style building. Yilan County is a flat plain and this restuarant is just on the first mountainside. You can therefore see a great distance, right out to the Pacific Ocean…

Before we went up to the third floor, we had a ten course banquet. I’m afraid I can’t remember the dishes, but there was lots (especially after breakfast and brunch!) and it was very tasty. After viewing the scenery, we headed back onto the the coach for another hour, this time going up into the mountains. We then walked up a mountain trail along a small stream. It was 2km long (and about 1km up!), at the end of which there was stunning waterfall, perhaps 80ft tall. There are some pictures, which are on their way, once I’ve made them look reasonable - I look a bit dishevelled because today it was cool - only 30C!

Back on the coach and a final stop at another restaurant for tea. This time there was an ‘all you can eat buffet’ (which wasn’t much by this stage!) and then I had a main course of salmon, followed by fruit. The only slightly disturbing things was that I had put something that looked like cress on my plate, but the minister, hsinte, came over quite quickly to tell me that it was carcinogenic, so it got put back on the plate for some other unlucky customer to munch on!

Then there was only the small matter of a two hour coach journey back to church with the usual (by now) fun and games! The drive back to Taipei was along a road with the longest tunnel in Asia. We drove for around 30 mins in the tunnel - I have no idead how long that is, but its impressive nonetheless. One leaving the tunnel we were at the foot of the Taipei 101 building, it is truly enormous, but a visit must wait for another day.

On getting back to the church at around 9pm we deposited our things in the flat, and then headed to the young persons (20-40) Bible Study and fellowship meeting. They discussed what it means to love God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength, and talking about how we worship God on Sunday and whould try in every part of our lives to worship him. Interestingly the study finished with a quote from the Matt Redman song, When the music fades, which I’ve been asked to sing for them next week :)….

When the music fades,
all is stripped away
and I simply come;
longing just to bring
something that’s of worth,
that will bless Your heart.
I’ll bring You more than a song,
for a song in itself
is not what You have required.
You search much deeper within
through the way things appear,
You’re looking into my heart.
I’m coming back to the heart of worship,
and it’s all about You, all about You, Jesus.
I’m sorry, Lord, for the thing I’ve made it,
when it’s all about You, all about You, Jesus.

Posted in Paul's diary | No Comments »

18/09/2009 by paul.

Well this morning began nice and calm, and I decided to go for a walk around Taipei. I had hoped to get to the Taipei 101 building to find the English bookshop, but I cunningly managed to misread the scale on my map. Even though the 101 looks huge from outside the church, its actually 2 kms away!! One of the joys of going out on a walk on my own was popping into a convenience store and purchasing a bottle of coke - a little more refreshing than barley water stuff they tend to drink here! Anyway after lunch we went to a nursing home to visit an elderley church member. The experience was quite differently from my weekly chaplaincy placement in a nursing home in the UK. This place was enormous - with at least a thousand people living here. But despite the many differences there were many similarities. Some of the people were sat around playing the same sort of bingo, and the old lady we visited suffered from dementia like the guys at home in Appleton Lodge. Interestingly, again with the same experience as at home, ordinary conversation was very difficult, but singing hymns, saying readings and the Lord’s Prayer were not a problem, and brought joy and contentment.

After the nursing home visit, we went to the Taiwan Theological Seminary, just North of Taipei. The college has around 300 students who mostly live on campus. I met with some of the professors and talked about the possibility of me taking a couple of English speaking courses this semester. The view across Taipei from the college was breath-taking as were the grounds:

This evening we’re going for a night-time walk - it should be a little cooler than my earlier jaunt.

Tomorrow is a long day trip out into the Northern Coast countryside with the couples fellowship. Should be fun and pretty.

Cya
P
<><

Posted in Paul's diary | No Comments »

18/09/2009 by paul.

So I don’t have to keep telling you what the weather is like, I’ve made a separate page all about. In the left-hand menu bar you’ll see an option ‘Weather in Taipei’. Alternatively just click here.

Posted in Paul's diary | No Comments »

17/09/2009 by paul.

Well it’s ten o’clock in the evening and we’ve just finished doing things. Its still 30+ ̊ C, but today has been really sunny!

This morning we headed off to the PCT offices, which is the main office for the Presbyterian Church of Taiwan. It was a good morning chatting to various people on national committees here in Taiwan. I spent sometime in the Youth Office, being introduced to their ecumenical exchange program and mission work in Taiwan. After watching a couple of dvd’s about the history of Taiwan and the PCT we headed out for lunch to celebrate Carys’ birthday (the English language secretary). This time lunch consisted of rice with pork, bamboo shoots, a hakka seafood dish (mainly octopus I’m told), a pork dish, some green vegetables, and then soup! We stopped off for sorbet in another place before heading back to the office for birthday cake! This afternoon was more chilled out, before Bible study tonight. We looked Nehemiah 5, well I did, and, I’m told that is what everyone else was looking at two. Hsinet lead the study and he translated the main gist of it for me afterwards. He was talking about how leaders need to lead by example, and not just tell others what to do. Seems like a good idea to me…

Not sure what tomorrow has in store yet - I’m sure I’ll found out soon though.

Hope you are all well.

P
<><

Posted in Paul's diary | No Comments »