BoldUlysses.com

Reprinted with permission from my dad in Taiwan:

I had an interesting Sunday. First of all it was relaxing. I got to read the Bible, pray some, and write a note to Paul and Rachel. So that was good. This afternoon I took a taxi to a Buddhist temple. The taxi driver, who spoke pretty good English, told me not a lot of foreigners go there. This temple was supposed to be the #3 temple in the nation of Taiwan. Well, I got there and there was a ceremony going on. I figured this was normal ceremony. A few chants and some singing and that would be it. But I soon realized this was different. The priest was offering something to a statue. A number of people in yellow attire were around the main guy and on some steps above it chanting and sometimes clapping. I was standing on steps overlooking all the action. Then everyone started getting excited as they started passing statues through the smoldering ashes of an incense burner. They passed a number of them through. Then three young teenagers came out all painted and dressed up. One of them said “Hello” to me in English. (I was the ONLY American there. Hey there we not a lot of people without the yellow attire on). Anyway, after all the statues were passed through the ashes and taken down to the street, I thought everything was over. So I went to visit another Buddhist temple right beside it. Then I heard a banging of drums. So I went outside and the people started a parade of all the Buddhist statues along with the main god they were worshiping. I was standing right beside a number of fire crackers as they went off. Sort of hurt my ears. I could also feel my leg get hit by some of the fire cracker paper. So the painted guys started dancing in front of the “house” that contained all the little statues they had passed through the incense. This was followed by … now get this… a fork-lift carrying the statue of the Buddha they were worshiping. Then came some tall costumed-guys followed by another house – not sure what was in that house. Anyway, they all went about 100 yards around a corner and loaded all this stuff in a delivery truck. Not sure where they took this. But I had to laugh. Here they are worshiping a god that they have to carry around with a fork-lift. Some people were burning fake money for good fortune. I am reading through Numbers now and I am amazed that God portrayed Himself as a cloud by day and a fire by night. There is no way to make an idol out of that form. So after I got done there, I started walking to a park with my book. I had the street names in the book, but I had to get my bearings. Whoaaa. No English letters on the street signs. No English letters on the businesses either. Double whoaaa, no taxis in that neighborhood. Triple whoooooaaaa, most likely no one speaks English there in that part of town. So I gathered my wits about me since they has slipped out of my pocket and started walking. The size of the streets in reality had nothing to do with the sizes of streets on the map in the book. After some anxious moments, I did manage to make it to the park. Not as wonderful as I had hoped. Then I noticed there were not a whole lot of taxis at that place either. So I started walking for what I thought was a major intersection. Fortunately as I crossed the street at taxi appeared. I got in and the driver had some girl in the front seat, most likely his girlfriend. But he was nice enough to take me to the hotel with his meter running. I was really happy to see the hotel. An interesting day. Just thought I would let you know. I am going to eat now. Same old restaurant. Have a great Sunday.