Annie Lin shares photos from the end of her trip to Taiwan.  You can view the photos above, or in a gallery view here. Here is the story of her trip:

The Fumao Nursing Home staff told me, there will be a music program at 3:00pm on Thursday, August 16, I went there to see my mother and she on the wheelchair with others to watch the sing a long.

A musician played piano, the staff sang a long, and I sang with them, the patients held tambourines, and everyone enjoyed 2 hours of happy time with music.

After we sang a long, we had a group picture taken, and I had a picture taken with my mother. 5:00 pm was nursing home dinner time, I stayed there to feed my mother, she did not eat well, but better than with a nose tube.

The Fumao Nursing Home gave awards to the volunteer musicians, thanking them to come to make fun for the patients. After 6:00pm, I left the nursing home, the weather was raining, I carried my sister’s umbrella and walked back home to my sister’s house.

Friday, August 17-Today is the Taiwanese Lunar Calendar’s July First. This is the day the July Ghost is door comes open for a month Chinese need to burn gold and silver papers and set up fruits and others offerings to the ghost to get the blessing for good fortune. I took my oldest sister’s picture to show you what ghost month of Chinese culture is all about.

Saturday, August 18, at 6:30 am, I rode a local train from Shuishang to Dauliu to meet a musician, who teaches Chinese instruments. He will teach me how to play “Amazing Grace” in Chinese on my new Zhongruan.

The teacher told his students “Annie come from U.S.A., she is a nurse there.” I said “Hi to everyone.” After 2 hours lesson, I rode by train to go back to the Shuishang.

I need to practice “Amazing Grace” with my Zhongruan, I hope I will be able to show to everyone sometime (after I get better).

At 8:30 am, on August 19, my youngest brother, my son, and I went to the Fumao Nursing Home to see my mother. Jerry and will leave Shuishang, wee need to say “Good Bye” to her. My youngest brother and I pushed her with wheelchair to the outside. My mother walked a short distance pushing her wheelchair, she got better day by day since I came back. A good thing because it makes our visit better.

At 4:00 pm, Jerry and I rode with T.C.LTD EXP from Chaiyi to Miaolin. We are going to my second sister’s home in Miaolin. We will stay over night at her house, then on August 20, we will be going to Taipei. the capital of Taiwan. Jerry had no idea about Shuishang, Chiyi, Miaolin, Taipei locations, so he rode the train everywhere in confusion. I don’t know how to explain it all to him.

When we lived at my nephew’s home in Shihlin, he had a giant cat (looked like Garfield) so cute. Jerry and I had fun playing with him.

I had some pictures taken at the farmer’s market in Shihlin. The pictures showed live chickens and pigs which were sold and butchered to order. Different from our super markets!!!

August 23 was our last day in Taiwan. My son, Jerry Wu and I will leave my family and go back to the United States. I heard Tembin Typhoon, but my airlines plane had not changed its departure.

Jerry and I rode with my brother-in-law’s car rod the Chiang Kai-Shek airport at 11:40 pm on August 23. We checked in and weighed our bags. We were going back the same route from Taipei, Taiwan, to Los Angles, California, to Altanta, George, and Roanoke, Virginia. Jerry had a smiling face, because he knew it was time to go back home. A long long trip, 26 hours one-way flying. Delta said “Seat back, Relax, Enjoy” Now, we are going back hoe. thank God for our safe travel, and that we saw our family, especially I saw my mother and father even though they are not well. I met old and new friends, I learned more about Tai-Chi , and Chinese instrument which call Zhongruan, we went to many places and saw different scenic things, we ate different food. I wish I had more time to stay, but we have got to go back to work. We said “Good bye to everyone in Taiwan.”

When I back to my work first day, my co-worker, Marlene gave me a cake with “Welcome Home, Annie” and a dozen of roses. I said (in all honesty) “I missed all of you.” It is good to be home.

Submitted by Annie Lin