"You're not like most Westerners"

Today we had an awesome party at work. The entire school went to a park called Taiwan Sugar Mill. It has tables with built-in grills. The food was from something called "BBQ in a Box". Awesome idea. You buy this box and it has everything in it, the brushes, the starters, the lighter, the coal, the squid balls, the chicken, the pork, the tofu, the mushrooms, the fish. It was so cool.

We gathered ten people to a table. Each table had a box on it. There was also a plate of Salt-cooked chicken. Picture a whole chicken, cut up, and cooked. Did I mention that it was black? For those of you who remember my chickens, you might remember Chicky Girl. Chicky Girl was a Silky chicken, a type of chicken that comes from this region. In addition to having silky, fuzzy feathers, they also have black skin and meat.

Wally ate almost all of the chicken for the table. The head director came and added more to the plate and everyone was surprised when Lizzie grabbed the chicken foot and started gnawing on it. Yes, there was Lizzie, with a black chicken foot in her mouth, chewing on the toes.

After most of the meat was cooked, I threw the fish on the grill. The fish was very similar to the ballyhoo that we used to troll with on Poppy's boat, minus the bait skirt. When it was done grilling, I pulled it off of the heat and took the skin off. I then used my chopsticks and broke off a piece of the meat. It was really good! That's when it happened.

One of the greatest compliments that can be recieved... "You're not like most Westerners."

It's not the first time I've been told that, and I always wonder if it is meant as a compliment or an insult. So I asked the guy to explain. Apparently, in Taiwan, fish is cooked whole and then the meat is pulled off of the bones, much like I had done. Westerners, he explained, only eat clean fillets. Also, my children are not scared to try new things. Therefore we clearly do not fit the stereotype of a Westerner. It was meant as a compliment!

As we were all eating, the kids played. Ben is treated like a celebrity here. He is such a handsome boy with those huge eyes, the women all go crazy for him. There was literally a line of people waiting to take their pictures with him. He of course just smiles and enjoys the attention.

After lunch, we had some KTV. Lizzie and I sang some songs, I never realized had bad I sang until it was blared at me. Wow, I'm bad! While we were doing that, Wally and Ben went on a train ride down to the sugar plantation. I only know this because as I was waiting in line for the go-carts I received a text. Yes, this place had it all. Grills, trains, go-carts, KTV. Such a great time!

*This email is not meant in anyway to imply that being a Westerner is a bad thing.