it's okay to believe, the Magic Shop will comfort you
a blog dedicated to our seven boys
Hey,guys! As you guys know from the title, I’m leaving Taiwan tomorrow evening! I’m so sad…….. I’m going to miss Taiwan so much! Especially the food! But really, I am ready to go back to sleeping in a bed that has cushion and there is air-conditioning! And no mosquitoes too! Hahahaha! And also, there’s a new story coming up soon! I’ll try to update every 2 or so days! Anyways, love ya’ll! Bye!
Love,
Carissa
Hey, guys! I’m going to be telling you guys my fave foods in Taiwan! I’m so sad too, because I’m leaving for America next Wednesday. Anyways, here we goooo!
Seriously, guys, if you’re in Taiwan, you need to eat the shaved ice! Some good toppings to add to the shaved are taro, red beans, barley, sweet rice, and peanuts. Sounds weird, I know, but I love it soooooooo much!!!! I literally just came back from eating shaved ice. No, seriously.
2. Deep-fried mushrooms
Trust me on this one, guys! If you love mushrooms as much as I do, you’ll love this street food! It’s sooooo good! If you get the long, white stringy mushrooms, they taste like potato chips when deep-fried! Ugh, soooooooo good……
3. Red bean cakes
Again enters the red bean! I love red beans! They’re soooooo good! Red bean cakes are so good! Sadly, they are a old Taiwanese treat, and are hard to find now. But hey, if you’re lucky and find them, you’ll love them! They have different options: taro, red bean, (duh!) and custard.
4. Winter melon drink
This drink with boba is my fav drink here in Taiwan! Winter melon boba drink is my ultimate Taiwanese boba drink! I love boba sooooooooooooo much! Sorry, on to the last food item!
5. Beef dumplings
Finally something savory! Sorry, guys! I just love Tawian’s sweets! The beef dumplings here are sooo good! Anyways, I love them so much! (Not as much as shaved ice, though…..)
All right, you guys! That’ll be it for today’s post! I need to go, because we’re leaving for the capital tomorrow to meet my cousin. I can’t wait! I’ve never met him before, and I’m so excited to meet him!! Anyways, love you all and see you later! Bye!
Love,
Carissa 😉
Hey, guys! As all of you many know, I love running and working out a lot! So I decided to share with you some of the stuff that I do for my workouts!
So number one is, that I run at least 3 or 4 miles each day. I love running, especially with my favorite Sam Tsui music! I try to warmup for at least 5 minutes before starting to run, because if I don’t warm up, my feet will start to hurt and cramp at least halfway through my run. When most people hate running, I absolutely love it! It makes me feel so happy and excited for the day!
So what do I do for core, arms, obliques, and other parts of the body? Well, I follow Blogilates’ videos, she’s great! Her real name is Cassey Ho, by the way. Her ab workouts are the best!!! I also love how positive she is about body image. I used to think I was so fat and I hated myself. But when I found Blogilates, I totally changed my point of view! So now, I know that it’s not how skinny you can be, it’s about how happy you are being yourself. I’m still trying to lose weight, but now I love running and exercising. I love how positive Blogilates is abut body image. I love my body, and I love myself! Anyways, I have to go, it’s 8:30 and my dad wants me to go to bed early. Ugh…….. Love you all guys! Good night to those who are going to bed right now! Bye!
Love,
Carissa
Hey, guys! As you all know, I love pop music! I love pop, a little bit of K-pop, and more pop music! Right now, I am currently loving 5 dongs that I thought I might share with you guys! Here we goooooooooooooooo!
If some of you don’t know, I am not dating currently. (And probably never will be, hahaha!) I feel like getting a husband or a boyfriend will just drag me down from my future career, which is either being a zoologist or a wildlife conservationist. I don’t know, you know. My choice might change as time passes, who knows?
2. Just for Tonight
Yay! I love Just for Tonight so much! I love the music video so much!!! I love the visuals and stuff! Sam Tsui is my first best bestest artist!
3. Second To Midnight
Again here comes Sam Tsui! I love his music, they’re sooo good! And he’s such a good singer,too!
4. BTS Idol cover by KHS, Sam Tsui, and Megan Lee
As I told you guys, I like a little bit of K-Pop. And when I do listen to K-Pop, I usually listen to covers, not the originals. I know I should be listening to the originals, but usually I like the covers better.
5. Treat Me Better cover by KHS, Sam Tsui, and Casey Breves
I love this song so much! Also I think Sam and Casey are sooo cute together! I love the violins in the background, the drums, and Kurt’s awesome piano skills!
OK, guys, that’ll be it for today! Anyways, I have to go! My dad left to visit his mom ,so we’re riding a train to meet him! Love you all guys! Bye!
Love,
Carissa
Hey, guys! As all of you know, I love listening to music. Right now, I’m listening to Friends by Marshmello and Anne-Marie. I’m so obsessed with it! So this is my current playlist:
Yes, I am OBSESSED with Sam Tsui! His voice is soooo good! Anyways, I need to go to bed, ’cause it’s 9:29 PM, Taiwan time. Love you all guys!
Love,
Carissa 😉
Hey, guys! Ad you all know, I’m in Taiwan right now. So I decided to write a post about some of the top things you must do while you’re here in Taiwan! So here we gooooo!
If you guys haven’t been to a night market before in Taiwan, you should go! It’s sooo exciting! You can also stay up late! So if you are a person who loves to stay up until at least 1 or 2 o’clock in the morning, the night market is the right place for you! Warning; there is no personal space! It usually gets pretty cramped when more people are there! Some things I recommend eating there is deep-fried mushrooms, (trust me, they’re AWESOME!!!!) , boba milk tea, (my favorite!) and stinky tofu.
2. Go to Puli, the center of Taiwan!
Puli is a very fun and interesting place to visit! I love Puli and its breathtaking views!
3. Eat shaved ice!
Honestly, I think shaved ice is my favorite dessert of all! I love eating it on a hot or humid day! I love putting sweet red beans, sweet rice, peanuts, and barley on it! It’s sooo good! Plus the shop where I get it is close to my grandma’s apartment, so I enjoy it whenever I want! Jk, I have to ask my mom first. 😉
4. Buy as much as you can and want!
Yes, guys. I’m not kidding. OK, just make sure you have enough money. You see, one US dollar is about 30 yuen. Yup! So if you buy a deep fried mushroom, it is 45 yuen. So that is about…. *calculates quickly* $1.50 US dollars! And that is super cheap! Whenever I need something back in America and we’re going to Taiwan in a couple of months, my mom’s like, “Wait when we go to Taiwan.” Hahahahaha! Anyways, I really love Taiwan.
5. Eat red bean cakes!
It may sound gross, but trust me on this one. Sweet red bean cakes are my favorite street dessert food! Sadly, it’s a very old traditional Taiwanese food, so it’s very rare to find it anymore. But if you’re really lucky and find one, buy as many as you can! If you like custard, they also have an option for that.
Well, guys, that’ll be it for today! So if any of you guys have the chance to go to Taiwan, let me know how it went and what did you eat. Naw, I’m just kidding. Hahaha! Anways, I have to go now. Love ya’ll! Bye!!!!
Love,
Carissa 😉
Hey, guys! As you guys probably know, I am on vacation right now. And that post where I told you guys I wouldn’t be posting for two weeks was not quite accurate. You see, we’re in Taiwan right now, and my grandma’s apartment doesn’t have WiFi. But the people next door do, so we asked them to share the WiFi with us. Surprisingly, they did. We weren’t sure if they would let us use it, because we don’t know them well. The people next door just moved in, and the people who moved away knew us well and we knew them well, so of course they shared the WiFi with us. Anyways, I’m really enjoying my vacation in Taiwan. I’m trying not to eat so much, as I’m currently trying to lose weight instead of gaining weight. But it’s soooo hard, ’cause my grandma cooks such great food! She used to be a cook at a restaurant, so she cooks super great food. This morning we ate green onion chinese pancake, tofu with wood ear mushroom, (soooooo good!) papaya, (sooooooo sweet and full of goodness!) bala, a type of hard guava, and oranges. The fruit here in Taiwan is very good! I love Taiwan’s fruit, because America’s fruit is just so… common. Here in Taiwan we have bell fruit, papaya, oranges, cherimoyas, guavas, pineapple, durian, bananas, and so many more, I can’t remember! The only fruit I don’t like is the durian, or jackfruit. It’s just so smelly!!!!!!! I love Taiwan’s street food, too! We went to a night market the day we arrived! We ate deep-fried mushrooms, boba milk tea, (soooooooo good!) and rice burritos, I think. We also bought shoes for me, because I’ve been needing black shoes for church, and stuff. Things here in Taiwan are actually very cheap and great quality! One US dollar is about 30 yuen. My black shoes were 190 yuen, and that is about $6.30 US dollars. In US, those must cost at least $23! Anyways, I really love Taiwan. Yesterday, we had a small earthquake! It was scary! My table started rocking from side to side! I’ve never experienced a earthquake like this in Taiwan before! In some other places, it was worse. It was 6.1 on the Richter scale! That was pretty scary! The only thing I’m afraid of is the mosquitoes. I’ve got at least sixteen mosquito bites! Ugh! It’s also really humid here, which is good because I have eczema. Back in Cali, it was always dry. But here in Taiwan, my skin has gotten a lot better. It also rained heavily yesterday. Anyways, I am having a lot of fun here in Taiwan. I still have to do homework every now and then, though. Anyways, I have to go now. Love ya’ll! Bye!
Love,
Carissa 😉
Hey,guys! So I’m going on vacation, and there’ll be no WiFi, so I won’t be posting for two weeks. I just wanted to let you guys know before I left. So I have to go to bed now, ’cause it’s 9:40 PM. Love you guys! Bye!
Love,
Carissa
“Oh, so you didn’t-”
“Shhhhh! Do you hear that?”Robert interrupts, putting out his arm to stop me. I blink at the sudden movement.
“Um, no?” I venture. We both fall silent, listening. Suddenly, I hear a rustle in the bushes.
Instinctively, we both step back, me clutching Robert without realizing it. A large, malicious bobcat appeared out of the bushes, and we both began walking backwards.
“Should we run?” I whisper.
“No!” Robert whisper-yells back. “If we run, the bobcat will react to its instincts and chase us and probably eat us!”
I nod. “So what do we do?”
“Start singing,” Robert whispers back.
I blink. “SING?! Sing what??!!”
Without replying, Robert begins to sing.
“Facing another day, gotta walk the line. Been dreaming of a getaway, waiting for the sign. Spinning my wheels, lately it feels like I’m treading water, treading water. She said, ‘Do you wanna come with me on a Friday night? We could be who we wanna be, under neon lights. There in the dark, where we can start to show all our colors, all our colors.'”
I join in, recognizing the song. We start walking backwards. The bobcat watches us, tail twitching, but not chasing us. As soon as we are out of seeing distance, we jog until we’re both out of breath.
(Robert’s POV)
“Whew! That was nerve-wrecking!”I exclaim, adreline running through yveins. I glance over at Amanda. Her face was pale and looked as if she was about to faint. She crumpled to the ground. I caught her before she collapsed.
“I should probably take her back to her cottage. So she told me it’s by Butterfly Creek. OK, let’s go,” I talked to myself.
I continue walking until I reach Butterfly Creek. I spot the cottage and walk up to it. I open it and lay her on her bed. I look around. It was a small cottage, but very stylish.
“Where am I?”
I turn around. Amanda is awake! I rush over to her. “You feeling better?”
(Amanda’s POV)
I open my eyes slowly. I feel dazed, almost sick. ‘Where am I?”
I hear running footsteps. “You feeling better?” asks a concerned voice.
“Who are you?” I question.
“It’s me, Robert!” Robert replies, a little surprised, I think.
“What happened?” I ask.
“You fainted right after we escaped from that ferocious bobcat!” Robert explains.
“Well, thanks for rescuing me,” I reply with a smirk on my face.
“You’re welcome,” Robert answers with a hideous smirk on his face, too.
Hey, loves! I am obsessed with Sam Tsui’s Just for Tonight song! I’m also so obsessed with Marshmello and Anna-Marie’s “Friends.” I just wish it didn’t have bad words in it. Anyways, I have to go exercise. You guys, I can’t wait! This Monday, I’m leaving for Taiwan! Eeeeekkk! Sooooooooooo excited! But on Sunday, I have Flute Guild, which is a flute competition. I’m the youngest in my division, so I’m soooo nervous. I want to win first place, ’cause I get $100! I want that so badly! Hahahaha, I’m going money-crazy! Anyways, I have to go now! Bye, loves!
Love,
Carissa
You are walking alone, in the dark woods. An owl hoots, and you jump. You are nervous, and dart away to your little vine cottage. Your hand scrambles to find the doorknob, and finally open the door. Suddenly, you hear a hideous hiss. Instinctively, you know what it is! You turn and run as fast as you can! The hissing grows louder, and you keep running, your heart pounding so loudly you think it will burst! Finally, the hissing stops. You slow down, and look around.
Where am I? This doesn’t look familiar, you wonder. You turn and stumble blindly around, unable to see because of the mist and fog in your eyes.
“Lost, miss?” a voice speaks behind me.
I whirl around, and draw my sharp sword, ready to fight. “Who are you?” I demand, my voice shaking. “Don’t come a step nearer! I’m warning you!”
“Whoa, I don’t want to fight. I just thought you were lost,” the voice speaks once more. The fog finally clears, and I see a tall, young man standing just ten feet away from me.
“Well, it definitely looks like I’m lost, doesn’t it?” I retort, not liking the looks of this stranger.
He chuckles. “Yup. My name is Robert Farence. Nice to meet you.” He thrusts out his hand.
I turn away. “My name is Amanda. Now if you excuse me, I need to return to my cottage. I’m expected to return anytime soon.”
“Didn’t you just admit that you are lost?” Robert questions, a small smirk on his freckled face.
I stop and sigh. “Fine. My cottage is beside Butterfly Creek. Do you know where that is?”
“Yes, I do,” he smiles. “Come on, let’s go.”
We walk in silence, our footsteps muffled by the dampness of the dirt.
“How did you find me?” I ask, curious and suspicious at the same time.
“Well, I was walking around to find some mushrooms, and I found you,” Robert replies.
“Oh, so you didn’t-”
Hahahaha, cliff-hanger! Sorry, guys. By the way, I just finished my flute CM, and I passed! Of course, I was confident I wouldn’t fail. I just had four small mistakes on my theory test! I was sooooooo mad! As you guys probably can tell, I’m all about perfect. I’m not perfect, true, but I love to win and receive 100% on everything! Anyways, I have to go practice for Flute Guild next week. It’s a flute competition where you compete in divisions for your age. Last year, I won first place because I was the oldest in my division. This year, I am the youngest, so I’m really scared! I really want first place, you guys. You guys, they give you $100 if you win first place!!! Last year, I received $75. Anyways, I really have to go now. Love you all! Bye!!
Love,
Carissa 😉
