A New Year's Eve Lunch

My dear friends, Martissa, Mike, Vallen, James, Grace, and Lizzie Spencer, who are visiting Utah from Colorado, came to see me today. We went to lunch at Red Robin. I sat by Grace. She and I are good friends. We had a lovely meal and a nice time together. Here are a few pictures from that outing. Since it's likely to be the only New Year's Eve activity for me, I thank the Spencers for spending part of their day with me.

Christmas 2007

This Christmas was a lovely time for me and my family. Unfortunately, not all of my family members were present. The Idaho gang stayed in Idaho and the Sandy troupe went to Hawaii. Christmas Eve I spent with my sister, Karin, and our parents. There hasn't been such a small gathering for Christmas Eve since 1973. I was two. Kathryn was one and our mom was pregnant with Sylvia. Here are a couple of festive pictures I thought you'd enjoy. I have no pictures to offer you of the fabulous Christmas Day rice pudding. I can say that it was delicious as usual and I had three bowls which I shared with my niece, Lauren, who absolutely loved it. Justin won the prize. This year it was $5 and two traditional marzipan pigs which my parents found at the World Market.

Romanian Rocks!

I was thinking this morning about some of the things Romanians say that we don't have an English equivalent for. One example is "Multi inainte!" This is something one says in response to a happy birthday wish or upon finding out how old someone is. Another appropriate thing that can be said here is, "Sa cresti mare si sanatos!" When nieces or nephews or children or grandchildren come up in a conversation, a Romanian would wish, "Sa va traiasca!" This means that they want your extended family members to live a long time. There is of course the ever useful, "Poftim/Poftiti" depending on how formal you need to be. It basically means, "Please, do." When something to eat is offered or you let someone through a door, it is a useful phrase. My favorite is, "La multi ani!" This can be used for anything from birthdays, to special occassions, to major holidays of any kind.

I love the Romanian language and all the fun things about it.

La multi ani!

Letter to Saydee

Dear Saydee,
Your letter to me on the Abel Family Blog made my day. You are such an amazing girl. I miss you so much when you are at home in Idaho and not here in Utah spending time with us. So many times you have made my day a little brighter. Sometimes, when I am sad, I think about you and then I am happy again. I know we are always going to be the best of friends. Thank you for loving me.

Love,
Aunt Kirsten

Christmas in Taiwan

I was just sitting here, thinking about my Christmas in Taiwan. That was an unforgettable experience. Christmas in a non-Christian country is something one should try to experience if at all possible. My roommate and I decided to open presents at midnight. She had put up a green tinsel tree. It was realIy cool and made an apt pine tree substitute. I remember I gave myself a camera and my roomie said it matched my hair. I don't remember what I gave or anything else I got. Sunshine (as much as comes to Taiwan in December), and rain, not snow were the main patterns in weather. I remember being so glad that I didn't have to deal with the snow. I remember we didn't get a couple of weeks off. We got Christmas Day off. Instead of hearing Christmas Carols in September, (okay, I exaggerate) I remember hearing some pretty lame Australian carols in the super market about a week before Christmas. My ward met and we barbequed. Taiwanese BBQ is pretty amazing. If I recall correctly, the brethren barbequed fish so tender it fell off the bones and sweet potatoes and corn, I think. One of the counselors in the bishopric picked me and my roommate up and drove us to the lakeside where we met for the BBQ. I took a walk with friends around the lake and got to see the Dragon and Tiger Pagodas. It was really awesome to celebrate the birth of the Savior with my dear friends in Asia.

I've got some pictures and I'll have to post them later.
As promised...here are a couple of pictures.