STARBUCKS!

(Starbucks in Danshue)

Another thing you can't escape in this country, or in the WORLD for that matter, is starbucks! So far we have for the most part avoided supporting this chain from thousands of miles away, but when we found out one of our new friends worked there, of COURSE we're going to visit her! It's just like being at home!

(L-R Sadie, Dee, Carly, and I waiting for Kayla so we can get started on our adventure!)
It took us two buses, 40 minutes, and a lot of trust in the chinese that Abby had written for us to show the bus drivers before we finally made it! We were definitely glad we did!
TADA!! Abby at work!
Kayla and I enjoying our coffee! I got mine made into a new mug I got that is Taipei themed, I love it because it has pictures of places we've gone already or are going to go soon! It was REALLY good because it was the first freshly made cup of coffee I've had since I've been here!

While we were at Starbucks we met a woman and her husband who were from the States! They were in Taiwan for 6 months adopting their THIRD little boy from the country! There sons were 2 1/2, 1 1/2, and 6 months! Talk about a handful, but they were so excited to be back again adding to their family! We asked her where she liked to visit when she was here and she gave us a few places. I was glad we'd already visited a lot of the places she had mentioned, because it meant we weren't missing out on anything while we've been here, and she gave us a couple new places we DEFINITELY want to get to!

We were able to wait until Abby had time to take her lunch break, and she had dinner with us at a really good restaurant just across the street from where she works. I had Salmon, fish eggs, shrimp, some REALLY good miso soup, and some sweet little dessert. Afterwards we got on the MRT to help Dee find her way around safely so she could meet her mom at the airport. Then we stopped in Ximen to do a little bit of shopping before we went home. We found a little craft fair that was going on and bought some handmade jewelery from the vendors there!

After we got home Shauna was hanging out with Daisy and Jennifer making flowers out of straws! Shauna had been given a few flowers by a graduate student, and she fisgured out how to make them so she taught us all last night!

Daisy focusing intently on cutting out the petals for her flower

Some of the bouquet that Shauna had made! Ours didn't look quite as good since we had just started, but we know that we will all soon be obsessed with making these!