Island man...

I'm beginning to realize I am an island man....why you ask? Well, lets go back a few years....First, I grew up in Newfoundland - Island. Second, I came back to Newfoundland from North Carolina in the summer of 2004, where I spent the summer there and studied for the rest of the year-Island. Third, right after this, the winter of 2005, I did my teaching practicum on Vancouver Island for four months - Island. Fourth, two days after I finished my practicum, I did a mission trip in Cuba for around three weeks - Island. Fifth, after finishing that I flew to Newfoundland, where I taught/substituted for 8 months - Island. Sixth, right after that I flew to Taiwan where I am now living - Island. Finally, for my vacation I'm hoping to go to New Zealand - Island. This is crazy and so am I.....I must feel comfortable being surrounded by water. This explains why I fall in the water and get wet whenever I go fishing.

The Muffin on an Island Man

That name gets me thinking as well....imagine an island of muffins....mmmmmmmm

Muffin Update.....

Oh, Happy Day!!!

Just a note to tell you that as of around 10:00 last night I had my first muffin in four months....it was a special moment for me. The muffin was a banana bread muffin with strawberry jam in the middle. Word on the street was that one of the South Africans was making banana bread. So, what should I do but randomly show up with a movie and see what was happening. Well, when I arrived, I was offered a muffin!!! I was so delighted as I had it with a good ol' cup of tea made by another South African!!! I will keep these SA's close....what a wonderful evening of muffins....there is muffin like it! Thank you Anthea and Faye.......I will start bringing ingredients for you to make some for me in the future.....BANANA CHOCOLATE CHIP!!!!

Peace out and take it easy.....the satisfied muffin man....

Hiking and Adventures

Well......'tis a grand day here in Taiwan....just doing some things here on the school computer like checking my hockey pool and blogging.....school stuff as you can tell.....

Just wanted to post some pictures of times I went on adventures on my motorcycle and when I was hiking....some good times and interesting pics...

Everything else is peachy, minus the peaches that is....I'm not a big peach fan...then again, right now I'm drinking a apple and peach drink.....more apple taste though.....either way, here are the pics....enjoy...

On the way to the mountains....

The trail up the mountain...the totem pole shows a man carrying a woman on his back. Back in the day, when you got married, you had to carry your wife home on your back...good thing the Taiwanese people have a tiny stature...or maybe the more substantial ones never got maried because nobody would be able to carry them back home....leaving only the tiny ones to get married and reproduce....making the population of Taiwan tiny in stature....I may have a theory...natural selection at it's finest...

Hiking and Adventures again.........

On the other side of the valley...

A town with hotsprings nestled in the hills...

Cool (dead) bug....Jeff needs to cut his fingernails....

Flying butter.....not good on toast...

Hiking and Adventures again........

The view...

Bamboo trees.....

The river below...

Another shot of the valley...we are close to 4000 meters here...

Hiking and Adventures again.......

The path was washed away by a typhoon....we never got to go higher.......oh darn....I just love heights....

The valley below...

Hiking and Adventures again......

The valley below....

Another picture with a small me on the side....can you see???

Some freaky loud bug that chills out in the trees....

There I am again, but a more visible and cuter me..."Hello me!"

Hiking and Adventures again.....

I don't like hiking around this incline a thousand feet up....

Fog in the trees...

Fog again....

Aboriginal Taiwanese children....

Hiking and Adventures again....

Countryside...

Countryside stream.....pretty....

Sun Moon Lake...

Sun Moon Lake...

Sun Moon Lake...

Hiking and Adventures again...

Rice fields and temples are common here....but not as close together as this....a rare phenomenon caught on camera....

This picture made me dizzy.....

Rice fields need rice planters in order to come about....here is one, but I'm not thrilled about him walking on the rice.....the next time you cook rice, put the rice in the water, get a strange man off the street, take off his socks, and put his feet in the pot. Take his feet out, then, boil the water and eat the rice....doesn't sound very tasty.....potatoes for supper tonight for me.....

Some cool building.....

Touching Base....

Hello all....

This is just a quick note to say hello and that I'm doing well.....some of you do owe me emails to tell me how you are doing....

School is good.....I'm teaching and things are pretty good. It can be quite interesting at times and certainly there are ups and downs....but, altogether, things are peachy....I plan to post some school pics soon, but always forget to bring my camera to class....I can be a head of air sometimes.....an airhead that is.....will do this soon....

As for other things, Im heading up to the mountains tommorow to go hiking and will be taking pics which I will post on wednesday with other pics from previous outings.....

As for a church, I've been attending Gracee International Church for the past 6 weeks and it is good times....a lot of people there my age. Right now I am helping to lead small groups of chinese who want to practice their English. Some contain a translator and others not. We talk about life topics that are linked to the bible.....fun times and very interesting conversations since many of them are Buddhist......they are very open about talking though.....

The main reason for this email is to give you my mailing address....why would you need this? Well, if for any reason you feel stirred to send love by way of card, letter, note, chocolate chip cookie, peanut butter cookie, peanut butter chocolate chip cookie, or left over turkey dinner, this is the address:

Jonathan Brooks

35 Nan Men Road

Taichung, Taiwan, R.O.C.

402

Love in any form is accepted.....also, if you ever want to call, my number is 3508-6002, but I suggest that you not call me because I'm hard to get a hold of and it costs a lot of money. So, send or comment me your number and I will call you for sure. It only cost me about a dollar fifty an hour to talk....I call around often. So, if you want a call, send me your number.

Ok. Time to go get some tealights and get supper......

stightsyen (good night)

jonathan