Goodbye, sweet Izak

Dear Izak,

I didn't know that the first time I held you would also be my last. If I'd known, I would have held you in my arms for longer and I would have given you extra kisses on your little fingers and your little feet and your little cheeks. 

I told God that I don't understand why He had taken you away so early, and that it doesn't make any sense. I have so many questions for Him; it's just not fair. You were only three months old.

Sadly, we have to say goodbye to you tomorrow. Just know that we will never forget you. You crawled so deep into our hearts, and that's where we'll keep you forever.

Please look after Mommy and Daddy from heaven, they are heartbroken. They miss and love you more than you could ever know. We will pray for them and ask God to give them the strength they need to get through this pain.

Goodbye, sweet Izak. Rest in peace.

Izak Carel Schoombee 09/05/11 - 02/08/11

Say what?

Weird and wonderful is Taiwan. Just when you think you've seen, heard and smelled everything, a bus passes you on the street that says "OH! Shit..." Coincidentally, that's exactly what I thought when that same bus nearly hit a pedestrian. 

During my three years in Taiwan, I've seen, heard (and unfortunately smelled) something weird or funny almost every day. This island just never fails to entertain me. Just when I think I'm having a "normal" day, I step in a pile of chicken feet on the sidewalk, or I see a family of five, including their poodle, together on a scooter.

I absolutely love Taiwan. I mean, honestly, where else in the world would they have the phrase "Oh shit" on the side of a bus? I'm actually very curious to what the advertisement is for. A video game? A TV show? Toilet paper? Can someone please enlighten us non-Mandarin-reading folk. Xie xie ni!

Weekend Wondering

The Boyfriend often tells me that I think about things way too much. I'm not going to argue with him, because I do. I'm fascinated by people and their behaviors, and often wonder why they do things the way they do it. And then I also try and justify their sometimes unjustifiable way of doing things.

Here are some things I wondered about this weekend, either to myself, or out loud to whoever would listen:

1. "Did this person come to the gym to watch TV?", I wondered to myself, in utter annoyance, when I went to the gym on Saturday. When the gym is packed, all 12 treadmills are occupied, you CANNOT walk on it for 25 minutes at a pace slower than what you walked on your way to the gym. I mean, do you not understand what it's there for? No, in fact, it's not a place for you to catch up on the latest episode of Super Idol, or to chat away on your cellphone, this is where you come to sweat and get some actual exercise!

2. "Is that a boy or a girl?", I asked The Boyfriend curiously while we were on the subway on Sunday. "It" was a child, probably around 10 or 11 years old. "It" had a typical boy's haircut and was wearing a tight black shirt with a skull on it. All of this screams "boy!", right? Wrong! The skull was designed out of rhinestones and glitter. And then "it" was also wearing tight pink pants. I didn't get to see the shoes, which would probably have answered my question. Or would it? In Taiwan you never know.

3. "Why do guys pretend not to like romantic comedies?", I wondered out loud to a group of friends on Sunday. We established that maybe the term "chick flick" has something to do with it. Immediately a guy thinks that he' s not supposed to like it, because it's for "chicks" only. Recently I forced "How to lose a guy in 10 days" and "Couples Retreat" on The Boyfriend. He did NOT want to watch it, but I won and he did. And then, what do I hear almost throughout the entire movie? Laughter? Busted! Afterwards, I asked him if he liked it, and he said: "It was okay." What!? You were just laughing the whole time? If that doesn't signify pure enjoyment, then what does?