Rest and relaxation!!!!

Working very hard and VERY seriously!!!

Sabbath week (a week of rest with the ship closed to the public) has been and is amazing. i think i am more tired now though than when i started. on tuesday the whole book ex went hiking at the great wall of Taiwan. this was so cool and just what i needed. it was a very challenging trek almost vertical up wooden ladders at times but it was chucking it down with rain. this made the day to feel fresh, cool water was so refreshing and the view over the jungle was awesome. we all came back looking like we had jumped head first into a river but it was still a fab day. also the fact that it was raining so hard kept us from over heating, my hair was actually steaming at one stage because my body was so hot but the rain was so cold.
wednesday i just took it easy. we have a speaker so we have teaching sessions every morning. He is from Wycliffe bible translators and has a wealth of experience. he is easy to listen to and draws on a lot of his own experiences which is fascinating. in the afternoon i caught up on some reading. living on a floating bookshop is so stressful so many books to read!!! anyway it was really nice just to have time and not have to rush anywhere. also everyone else is off from work as well so it is a time just to sit and chat and be with friends.
thursday we went for a bike ride. this had been orgnised by the Taichung government. however by now my legs and many other muscles are killing me from the hiking! but a 2hr bike ride soon sorted that out. it was not too challenging but just a relaxing way to enjoy nature. its true that you never forget how to ride a bike because i think the last time i rode was 2-3 years ago!!
Yesterday (friday) was also an amazing day. we had a whole ship companies outing. so loads of coaches picked us up and took us to a huge park. it was glorious sunshine but not too hot as there was a breeze. although if i had been in england there probably would have been a heat wave declared and everywhere sold out of fans. i guess i've acclimatised a bit. anyway we spent some time just lying on the grass reading and listening to music as well as eating our picnic. then we got taken to what they call a tech mall. we had free use of the facilities which included a swimming pool, spa. baseball hitting range etc. we didnt have very long there so me and liza just did what girls do best and went shopping!!! by this time it is dinner so we all went to the local steakhouse. this place seats 1200 people and all the food was for free (for us anyway) you could have anything from sushi to steak. personally i had sushi (delicious by the way) and steak. eat as much as you want - i think they might have regretted this after the doulos guys showed up. one mexican who will remain nameless had 7 steaks!! as well as other dishes! anyway all in all it was an amazing day and such a blessing.