Two-day Chan Retreat

I can't believe I've accomplished an impossible mission. My dad encouraged me again and again to participate in Chan Retreat for teachers at Dharma Drum Mountain on Jan.21 and 22, so I went unwillingly with my parents.
It's cold and rainy during the two days. And my goodness~ Everybody had to get up at 5:00 the next day! I fell asleep several times during the sittings. Do you know what I expected? Meals! The vegetable foods were yummy and healthy!
It's interesting that they addressed us as "Teacher Bodhisattva." They also said "we should be grateful to the bad students. They make us accomplishment." Yeah, maybe.

Guess what I got at the party!

I got $600! Well, I wish I had got a stereo system or $5000. My colleague in the pic got an electric pot. The most interesting program was our principal and the members of parents' association danced the hula-hula and showed their red boxer shorts in the end.
Wow! I can't believe tomorrow is closing ceremony! Winter break is coming. So excited!

Lottery time

It's a relaxing week. The finals were over last Wed. Kids and I are waiting for the winter break and Chinese New Year.
Our school will have a dinner party this evening before this term ends tomorrow. What I expect the most is lottery time! Everyone will get a prize. Hmm... What do I want? Money? Coupon? DVD player? TV? I got an inkstone the 1st year and money the 2nd year. I hope the PTA will offer better prizes and dishes today. Wish me luck!

Play with the digital camera

I wanted to photograph in some different ways after browsing through a friend's album, so we went to Yangmingshan National Park to have fun today.

I'm a better photographer than my bf. Do you agree?

strangers just came by. ~_~ 

Taipei 101 New Year's Eve party

My sis stayed here this weekend. She said she would go to the movies and New Year's Eve party with a friend, so my bf and I decided to go, too.
After lunch, we went to SOGO. There were many people. Surely the department store had a fast turnover in a day! I did window shopping because I already spent much in December. Some salesmen were showing people liquidizers. We tasted some small cups of fruit and vegetable juice, ginger juice, and soybean milk. Yummy~ Also, we enjoyed Osim foot massagers on the same floor. It's comfortable.
After we left SOGO, it's about dinner time and there were more and more people on the streets heading to the New Year's Eve party. We strolled the streets and found 龍涎居, which is famous for chicken cuisine. We ordered sesame oil chicken, black bone chicken, sweet potato leaves, sesame oil noodles, and chicken gizzards. Dishes were delicious!
After dinner, we followed the crowd walking to our destination. There were several parties near Taipei 101. We waited for about 2 hrs in a square. Finally, it's time for the countdown. Everybody held their breath to wait for the surprising moment. 10, 9, 8……3, 2, 1 The blazing fireworks (continued for 128 seconds) were shot off from the aerial Taipei 101 and soaring into the sky. So beautiful! Well, the only fly in the ointment was the trash everywhere on the way home...