Happy Valentine's Day

I guess that it's Chinese legend that an angel and a mortal fell in love, but the Jade Emperor did not approve and so he forced them to be apart. The couple meets on a bridge once a year, and the day that they meet is Valentine's Day. That day is today. I'm sure that there's more to the story, but that's what June told me about today. It's not a big deal though and I don't know if people actually celebrate it or just recognize it.

I had a pretty low key morning. I got up and went for a run, then I came home and showered and did some laundry. I finished sewing the border on my table cloth so now I'm already for Saturday. I tried to go down stairs and see if Steffanie could help me get a ticket to Taipei, but she said that she was busy but would have time in the afternoon. June told me that we would hang out this afternoon, but I didn't know what time that meant, and she hadn't called yet.

After Beth and Natalie had come up from lunch I decided to go downstairs and see if Steffanie could help me. Right as I went downstairs, June walked in the gate. I guess that she had been trying to call but I didn't ever hear it ring. I ran back upstairs and grabbed my purse and didn't have time to get Steffanie's help. June already had a friend in the car with her and we headed off to pick up one more friend. June told me there names, but they were Chinese names and so I can't remember what they were. And even if I did remember, I couldn't write them here. We went to sing karaoke and let me tell you, Asians know how to do karaoke right! It was nothing like I thought it was going to be. You go into a room with whoever you came with. The room is decent size and has a couch that runs along the three walls. On the fourth wall there is a tv and a door that leads to the bathroom. Outside in a common area, there is a small buffet so that you can take a tray of food into the room with you. You rent the room for 4 hours at a time, so you just have a big party with food, singing, and laughing with friends. We spent the whole 4 hours there. It was a blast. The two other girls don't speak much English and so there was lots of time when the three of them were laughing and I was just sitting, but it was still fun. I think I'm getting better at watching body language and so I wasn't completely lost the whole time. They did have a list of English songs and so I had my fair share of the microphone, but there were many a song that I mutilated and I was so embarrassed because June at least knows that it was wrong. Then again, there were more songs that I nailed and was quite proud of :o)

When we came out of the room 4 hours after going in, it was raining outside. June borrowed an umbrella from the karaoke place and ran to get the car while the rest of us waited under the awning. We drove out to Hualien winery because the two friends wanted some cheap beer. We went and walked around the gift shop. If I was a drinker, that would be a really good place for me to go because they have really nice alcohols for really cheap. Well, I really don't know prices, but I'm pretty sure that in America you can't get a large bottle of whiskey for $4. The friends asked me if I wanted to try some barley juice but I declined. Just in case it's not an okay thing to drink I declined. That, and that I hear that beer is nasty anyway and it's a taste you need to acquire, so I was not interested what so ever in trying barely juice.

The winery is right next to Chi Hsing Tan Beach and so we went and stuck our feet in the water and watched the waves for a little while. It was getting darker and we were worried that it would start raining again and so we headed back. In the car ride back the friends were much more talkative. Not that they weren't outgoing and talking all day, but in the car they were talking to me. The three of them all go to swimming class in the morning and so right before June dropped me off she told me that I am allowed to come to the pool with them in the mornings. It will cost 30-50 NT$ to get in to the pool, but I can handle that. So tomorrow morning I will do my morning workout and then at 9am June will pick me up to go swimming. I'm excited and I think that the friends are excited too.

I LOVE having local friends!!!!!!