Illerate.

Well, I hate being illiterate, we had some frozen plums in the fridge, so I had to adjust the temperature. Also, the freezer is less packed with stuff (I threw out the 2 kilograms of garden snails that Candy's mom gave us along with the sandwich bag full of deep fried bees. She means well... I guess all mothers do.) so I had to make it a little colder so our freezer cups will freeze faster and the temperature outside has risen a little. So, back to hating myself, I had to ask Candy to come read the bloody knob inside the fridge and then lift her up to read the one in the freezer. I could probably take apart the fridge and fix it if it's broken, but I can't even adjust the temperature. Grrr.... it's the same with the house phone. Ever since the last one broke, I can't figure out the new one. Redial, calls, store, huld, mute, speaker... yep, all blue buttons to me. The washing machine is bilingual, but I can't read Japanese either. However, on the washing machine, I can read most of the Chinese settings on it... not going to bother with the Japanese.

Yes, I absolutely hate being illiterate and other people being dumb. I sometimes ask strangers or store clerks to read something to me and they just tell me they can't speak English. I tell them that I speak and understand fine, just read the words in Chinese, please.

Anyways, I bought Sheri and Gopi's wedding gift today, been looking for it for about 6 months, a friend called me last night and told me she found it at a local market and she got the last one for me.

My magazine is sinking like the Titanic and I'm a little slow on pump, hopefully all the past business will be cleared up soon and I can get to work. Luckily, my magazine is still doing better than most of the others. Three other local competitor magazines folded up in the last couple months. I'm sure things will be sorted out soon.

Dragon Boat practices have been taking most of my time, 6 practices a week of about 2 hours each, I'm getting mean with a paddle.

I started a photography class last week... I'm now quite confident that I'm well over my head and that it's the blind leading the deaf. Teaching a subject that I have been self taught and informally taught by my father to people in my second language. So, I'm teaching something I don't know to people in a language I don't understand, go figure. As long as I stick to the basics, I should do ok, I'm also learning a lot. They still don't know aperture, shutter speed and a bunch of other stuff that I know.

Photography: The art of going into places you shouldn't and capturing life for others to experience. I'm a pro! I went into an old brick kiln that's about fifty to a hundred years old and crawled inside with my photographer friend Paul (I'd like to give him credit for this fantastic idea, but unfortunately, it's all mine) and we walked all around inside watching for snakes and stuff and got some cool pictures. So, I captured "life" and "shared" it with others. Candy got bit by some fleas and she never even left the house... I just wanted to share the experience with her. We think the fleas have been exterminated from the bedroom, how Candy brought them home, is beyond my comprehension. I forgive her.

I'm planning to come home with only 'go home' stuff and to come back to Taiwan with 'supplies' only. I figure this is the easiest way to move my stuff, the rest can be shipped. I miss home, but there's really nothing material that I miss anymore. I've found most of what I need and made due with the rest.