My Number!!!

I just thought I would let everyone know, I got a scooter!! Also, I now have a phone that works. The number is 0955824127.

Dogs in Taiwan

The dogs here in Kaohsiung are completely different then American dogs. Its impossible for me to bike across the city without seeing at least a couple of stray dogs. But unlike American stray dogs, the Taiwanese dogs are laid back. I think the only time I have had a stray dog bark at me was when he smelled my lemonade tea and wanted some. But he ran away with his friend eventually.
Dogs just chill here. You will see dogs running down the street, or sometimes just laying in the street. But they are smart. They know the city, and they know people. Some will wait to cross the street on the crosswalks with people so they won't get hit by cars. Sometimes, if you are biking, you will see dogs just lying in the sun on the side of the road, asleep, with people driving around them.
Part of the reason why I think Taiwanese stray dogs are so personable is because the Taiwanese take there dogs out all the time. You will see the dogs on scooters, sitting in between peoples legs with their tails dragging on the ground, racing along at 30 miles an hour. The other day I saw a huge dog. He could barely fit between the persons legs, and he was almost falling of the scooter. But I could tell by looking at him that he was having a blast.
I think because the Taiwanese dogs go everywhere on scooters, they are less territorial. It's almost as if a second society exists here. The dog society.

Isaiah 44

The Folly of Idolatry
9
¶ They that make a graven image are all of them vanity; and their delectable things shall not profit; and they are their own witnesses; they see not, nor know; that they may be ashamed.
10
Who hath formed a god, or molten a graven image that is profitable for nothing?
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Behold, all his fellows shall be ashamed; and the workmen, they are of men: let them all be gathered together, let them stand up; yet they shall fear, and they shall be ashamed together.
12
¶ The smith with the tongs both worketh in the coals, and fashioneth it with hammers, and worketh it with the strength of his arms: yea, he is hungry, and his strength faileth: he drinketh no water, and is faint.
13
The carpenter stretcheth out his rule; he marketh it out with a line; he fitteth it with planes, and he marketh it out with the compass, and maketh it after the figure of a man, according to the beauty of a man; that it may remain in the house.
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He heweth him down cedars, and taketh the cypress and the oak, which he strengtheneth for himself among the trees of the forest: he planteth an ash, and the rain doth nourish it.
15
Then shall it be for a man to burn: for he will take thereof, and warm himself; yea, he kindleth it, and baketh bread; yea, he maketh a god, and worshippeth it; he maketh it a graven image, and falleth down thereto.
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He burneth part thereof in the fire; with part thereof he eateth flesh; he roasteth roast, and is satisfied: yea, he warmeth himself, and saith, Aha, I am warm, I have seen the fire:
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and the residue thereof he maketh a god, even his graven image: he falleth down unto it, and worshippeth it, and prayeth unto it, and saith, Deliver me; for thou art my god.
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¶ They have not known nor understood: for he hath shut their eyes, that they cannot see; and their hearts, that they cannot understand.
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And none considereth in his heart, neither is there knowledge nor understanding to say, I have burned part of it in the fire; yea, also I have baked bread upon the coals thereof; I have roasted flesh, and eaten it: and shall I make the residue thereof an abomination? shall I fall down to the stock of a tree?
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He feedeth on ashes: a deceived heart hath turned him aside, that he cannot deliver his soul, nor say, Is there not a lie in my right hand?

Another night

It's another day, and another kaleidoscope of feelings, thoughts and musings.
This afternoon, right before I went to prepare for even class, I was pretty down, thinking about how I didn't really like teaching here, how everywhere is pretty much the same, and that life was, more or less, equal to the stench of "stinky tofu," which I can tell you first hand, "by any other name" would smell the same. But by the time I finished class, I my emotions had pulled a u-turn. I felt much better. It is amazing the difference a good two hour class can make. And It should be a warning of the danger of living based on something as fragile as emotions

I've felt stressed a lot here, with work especially. Wondering if I made the right decision working at the school I'm at. But really, I need to take it one day at a time. As some poet once said "Travel is the fool's paradise." And what he meant, as I can fathom it, is this: that no matter where you go, people are people, things are things, places are place, and you are still you. If you're happy with who you are at home, you probably will be wherever you are. But if you are not....then changing the view probably won't help as much as you might think it will.
And honestly, I don't have very much to be stressed out about. I have friends working in other countries who work much harder than I do and am under so much more pressure. I think it's good to sometimes remind ourselves of what's really important in life, and what really lasts. So that's what I'm doing now, and you're reading it!! That this world is mere shadows, a veil that will one day be removed. That in the End, it only matters if we're covered with Grace and Blood.
That we need to take our daily bread, not our yearly meal. To remind ourselves everyday our purposes.

Well, it's late, so I'm gonna take off. I hope that as you read this, you find yourself well, and at peace.
God bless,
Jonathan

my address

Just a quick one.

Here is my address. Everyone send me lots of wonderful things!!!!

Jonathan Joel Schanbacher
457 Dafung 2nd Road
Sanmin District
Kaohsiung, Taiwan ROC

Something strange to see

So it's Sunday morning here in Taiwan. Moryam and I are hanging out at home now, probably will head to church around 5:30. English church is in the evening. Well, this week has had its ups and downs. For both of us, Thursday classes are the toughest. So its good whenever Friday morning hits. And yesterday we both had Saturday off, which was a nice change. So we were hanging out at donutes last evening, and we saw something strange. The wall of the building is made entirely of Plexiglas, and we heard explosions, and could see about a block a way, in the middle of the city, fireworks going off. We watched for a while, unable to see what exactly was going on because the view was obscured by the buildings. we figured the fireworks would stop after a little bit. They didn't. So we decided to check it out. We rode over there and ran into some ceremony/celebration. The people were lighting of tons of fireworks on the street. There were several men on stilts, and several men were carrying a shrine box on several sticks that look remarkably like the ark of the covenant. They were in the middle of the street, and they walked back and forth, almost dance like. Eventually, the fireworks finished, and they turned to go down a side street. But there was an archway above it, and someone lit hanging flame fir works that showered down sparks from the arch way. Them men with the shrine would walk up to the flames, stop, and walk back. They reaped these steps until the flames died, then they walked through.

Once through, figures with wild wooden faces and paper hair started dancing on the side street. Most of them had knives or swords or axes, but on had what looked like a ritual dagger. They danced around, getting uncomfortably close to the crowd with the knives. I saw several people jump back. Horns and drums were plain the whole time, and it was quite eerie. After they finished, the men with the shrine came forward and the ceremony was done.

From what I can make of it, my guess is that it was some sort of purification ceremony. I know that fire and water are two elements, at least for the Japanese, that are used for purification. I think there are a lot of similarities between the Chinese and Japanese religions. I'll see if I can find out what exactly happened.

Also, another plus, I got my Arc this week, which means I can attempt to get a drivers licence and buy a scooter. Finally!!!