Taiwan trip Day 22 - 29 (July 16 - July 23)

I stayed in Kaohsiung for this week so people can take this time to get together with us. It's quite hard to imagine just how many meals we've had with people. On average we have two engagements per day, sometimes even 3 (midnight snacks). We met up with our elementary school teachers, high school friends, church friends, and family friends. It was such an eventful and fun week! I had some time during the week to go see the largest bookstore in Kaohsiung to look for the books to buy, and I also got to see my old school buildings.

We started the week with lunch with our elementary school teachers. Our grade 3 homeroom teacher and grade 5 music teacher were there. I always visit my grade 3 homeroom teacher because she really helped me to appreciate myself for who I am. I was a rather shy person at grade 3, but she encouraged me to write down my thoughts and also to dance. I was apparently some good at doing both so my article was published in a children's newspaper and I got to represent our school to dance with a bunch of kids at an event. She made me feel important and helped me to interact with others from then on. My grades have also improved under her care. I'm really grateful of her teachings.My grade 3 homeroom teacher on the left. On the right is the music teacher.

As for my music teacher, she is a very elegant lady. She also remembers all the silly stuff that I used to do. I had no recollection whatsoever about the things she said I did though. She was quite a good teacher and cared for my brother's journey in music. I'd say she helped to cultivate my brother's love for music.

These are great teachers, and yet I don't think they realize how much of an impact they've had in our lives. To them, they just care for the students and did what they thought was right. See? Anyone can make a difference!

My brother and I met up with our respective friends from elementary/high school. We had a blast. I was able to see 8 of my good friends from high school. When we get together it's like we're all back to 15 years old. We talk about the inside jokes, the stupid things, and the gossips about our friends now. It's been ten years since I've left them for Canada. Everyone is now thinking about jobs or going to the army. Most of my friends are already working. Most of them tell me that they change because of work/army. But to me, they're still the same good friends. We shared experiences in Taiwan/Canada and I hope what I said have helped them, because what they said did helped me! Who knows, maybe our next reunion would be in Canada!
From all the getting together this week, I've really gathered stories from lots of people; many of which are inspirational. Seeing how everyone, irrespective of their age, has changed and yet still remained quite the same, is fascinating. Everyone's personality and values are constantly being shaped by his/her experiences. I've been lucky to have heard these stories, and even luckier to be inspired by some of them.