Hot pot galore

All you can eat buffet hot pot - how can it get any better?  You pick your soup broth, veggies, proteins, sauces and then add some side dishes (dumplings, salad, lo bao gao) and finish off the meal with some mochi or ice cream.  Delicious!  

Happy Earth Day

(...a day late)

(taken at a local elementary school by our house)

Oh, Baby O!

13 weeks!

(Don't worry, this will still remain a travel blog, but if you'd like to watch us take on the daunting and exciting task of becoming parents, come on over to Team O'Sullivan!)

Passport photos

Fall flashback?

New flavor of Pocky hit the shelves this month:

Weird, but delicious.

Where we dress up and play chauffeur/spirit guardian

Last weekend our good friends Scott and Mini got married.  It was a wonderful mix of Taiwanese and American culture.  We were especially lucky to be a part of the ceremony that takes place at the bride's home.  To start the show Scott had to pass three tests (drinking some nasty tea, sorting corn kernels and soy beans, and finally writing "I love Mini" in Chinese characters), profess his love for Mini loudly and then the couple kneeled infront of Mini's mom and I assume asked for permission to get married (this part was not translated for us but was the most emotional, even for me and I didn't even understand it!).

I was given the role of what Mini said translated roughly to "spirit guardian".  My job was to block the sun using a bamboo circle.  I did this when they left the house and then again when she went into the church.  After that she was fine to be in the sun again.

Jeremiah was the official chauffeur.  We carefully squeezed all of Mini's dress into our small backseat.

With our cars decorated in traditional red bows traffic was a bit more forgiving to our caravan than they normally would be.  On the way to the church and the reception groomsmen lit firecrackers in the street.

The ceremony at the church was much like we were used to a home, though because few people are Christian in Taiwan a church ceremony is uncommon.  We moved on to the reception, where like the other Taiwanese weddings we've been to there was more food than we knew what to do with; though the addition of a dance floor and garter toss made it uniquely their own.

Thanks Scott and Mini for letting us be a part of your special day!

Come on summer

While Jeremiah likes the cool weather, I am ready for the sun to come out!  Today was beautiful and I'm hopeful it sticks around.  Snapped this photo while we were on a walk around the neighborhood - without our coats on!