Talky Talk

I’m sitting here trying to commit to memory the linear approximation formula L(x)=f(a)+f’(a)(x-a) so that I can figure out things like the square root of 16.38 without using a calculator. I’ve memorized so many theorems this semester for Calculus that it makes this one in particular difficult to muster the energy to remember. At the beginning of the semester I was really enjoying the fact that in math all one has to do is memorize what theorem to use in what situation and then just systematically work through it but after a billion theorems its getting old. Now the subjectiveness of World Lit is not as frustrating as it once was.

The other day I rode my scooter to Sinhjuang to meet up with my basketball team for a tournament. I’m on my major’s (International Business) basketball team for our university. The IB (International Business) tournament was happening. Basically the IB basketball teams from all the different universities in our area got together at Lunghwa University in Sinhjuang to figure out which one was the best. We lost our game to Tai Da University, Taiwan’s most prestigious university and one of the best in Asia actually. We all figured we could take them pretty easily because they’d be all brains and no brawn. However that was not the case. They were a really quick scrappy team even though we had the height. I didn’t play in the game at all but I really felt for the players because we were on these courts on the roof of Lunghwa’s sports building and it had sprinkled a little bit so the court was slippery.

In spite of the fact I didn’t play it was fun to ride my scooter to another town and have to follow directions from one of my teammates. Singhjuang is towards Taipei and if I had kept on provincial road 1 which I took I would have ended up in Taipei. I think sometime I want to try and ride my scooter to school and see how long it takes me. Its fun to cruise through towns set in the vallies surrounded by the mountains of this area. My manly desire to figure things out came out and I had to figure out where to go and what to do. It felt great!

In phys ed class on Tuesdays a lot of times I’ll play basketball with other guys in my class. Sitting and thinking about things I realized that the guys from Africa say “who are you gonna mark” instead of “who are you gonna take” or “who are you gonna guard?” Upon reflection I found it interesting that because of the context I knew exactly what they were asking me even though I had never heard that question asked that way before. Isn’t the human brain incredible! I wonder what sport “marking” comes from?

My family sent us a Christmas package and I have to say eating Christmas cookies and fudge from my mom has been a highlight. The fudge tastes so good and completely familiar without any tastes in my mouth that I’m not sure about. Its so sugary and American and I love it!

I miss my brother a lot. I get to talk with my sisters and parents sometimes but my brother and his wife are so incredibly busy that our schedules never seem to align. On Christmas they were at my parents for Christmas and so I was going to wake up in time the day after Christmas (my time) to talk with them before they left to go home Christmas evening (their time). I even skipped school to do it but my slothful tendencies of morning sunk their claws into me and before I knew it I had woken up and they were gone. I talked with my mom and sister for a little bit saying how bummed I was but it was too late. I’m a lazy idiot sometimes.

Lately I’ve been thinking about what Emily and I will do this summer. Where we’ll live, what will do, etc. I’d like to be able to get jobs and earn enough money to pay for our plane tickets for the summer trip home and back here. The main decisions are what kind of jobs would accomplish that the best and allow us to spend time with our families and friends during break. Also where to live? We’ll only be home for 2 months and a few weeks so I’ve been toying with the idea of trying to get odd jobs from family and friends to earn money or maybe getting restaurant jobs like normal college students or whether to de-tassel corn or something like that. They all have their pros and they all have their cons. One real concern is getting enough time with family and friends since we have two sets to think about and I love them both equally. Its hard to think about the family and friends quotient being met because we’ve been away for so long that we have that feeling you get when you think that it couldn’t possibly be met no matter how much time is spent……..you know that feeling right.

Emily and I woke up this morning to a shouting match on our street. One dominant male voice screamed above the rest but there grew to be so many voices I couldn’t tell how many people were involved. It seemed like it started at one house and just kind of spread to include several houses or something. I wonder what we’ll feel when we’re back home and live with greater space in between neighbors? Its been really nice to get to be friends with neighbors so quickly here and the way the architectural layout aids that. Some people back home go years before knowing their neighbors but we’ve only been here for four months and already we know who’s nice and who’s not. Who says hi and who doesn’t. I really like our street. I really like our one room apartment even while that may sound crazy to other Americans. Its really been good for Emily and I to be so close together. We’ve learned to give up things for the other. Emily is so good at that. I’m constantly realizing that she is giving something to me and doing something she wouldn’t otherwise do except that she loves me. Its very challenging and convicting when I see Christ so beautifully displayed in someone that thought I was good enough to marry. She inspires me!