Foam Peanuts Anyone?

Foam Peanuts Anyone?

By Debra Taylor

August 12, 2011

On my way out to exercise this morning I met Sister Riddle on the stairs with anxiety on her face. She informed me that some Asian and Philippine missionaries had eaten foam packing peanuts that were left in a box for trash. They thought they were rice. They were white! I couldn’t believe it! “Were they hungry?’ I asked. “I don’t know!” she answered. My mind began racing as I thought about bowel obstruction. We wondered what to do. Sister Riddle said that she didn’t want to tell the AMA (area medical advisor) because he wouldn’t believe it. I said, “I don’t blame you.”

My mind was still racing and now praying, when I remembered working with preschoolers at the UVU preschool. We regularly used different mediums in the sensory table as the children would experiment with objects and textures. One time we used some foam peanuts that had been donated and thought that we could use them in water with plastic boats. To our surprise when we added the foam peanuts to the water they began to disintegrate into the water. After remembering that experience I ran into the CR (bathroom) with the few remaining peanuts and put them in water. To my great relief they began to disintegrate into a slippery starchy substance. I called for Sister Riddle to come and see. I then ran to my office quickly to check the ingredients of foam packing material from the internet. There on Wikipedia, foam peanuts are made from polystyrene and bioplastics (thermoplastic starch) from sorghum and corn starch.

I then decided to look up edible packing material. To my surprise we have many to choose from; soy protein, chitosan (shellfish), protein-fatty acid-starch-based, water protein, corn protein, and corn starch.  I don’t suggest that we make them part of our MTC menu, the “Basic 4”, or the “Food Pyramid” because of the lack of nutritional value, but it is more than a great relief our missionaries didn’t die from foam peanuts.

Difficulty With Pronouncing Names

Dear Friends and Neighbors:

I’ve always had some difficulty remember names—but this is way over the top!  The following are a few I must try to pronounce and  remember?  I’m in considerable trouble here. 

First are the Taiwanese.  Sister Taylor asked, “Are there two Chen’s?” 

“No, there are three Chen’s:  Two elders--1) Ching Yu Chen and 2) Yu Cheng Chen, followed by Sister Hsuan Fan Chen.”

“Which one is which?” she asked?  Shall I call on Ching Yu or Yu Cheng?”

“Call on whoever you want,” I said, bewildered!

But there is much more to overwhelm my fragile mind:  there is Yu Chen Yu, Tsai Tsen Chu and Cheng Hao Yang.  They  are followed by Hui-Yi Wang, Ming-Shiou Tzou, Lin Yi Shin, Wan Jung Tsai and Shu-Shan Yeh. 

Further we have Ting Hao Li and Che-Hao Liu. But don’t forget Ching-yn Liang and Chun Xing Liu!  I need to see a doctor and get some medication! 

You think this is a challenge?  In this same batch of missionaries, we have the wonderful Mongolians!  I thought I could begin to at least pronounce some of the Taiwanians (sp??) or Taiwanese or missionaries from Taiwan and Hong Kong, but I have utterly failed wrapping my mind, my mouth and my tongue around these Mongolians.  You try it!!!:   

Davaajav Davaanyan, Enkhtaivan Ganbaatar, Jargalsuren Ganzorigt, Ariunbold Baigalmaa, Buyanbat Dagvadorj, Bulgan Chimedbadam, Bolortuya Enkhbayar, Bayartsetseg Oyuntsetseg  Bayartsogt Lkhagvajav, Purevsuren Narantuya, Mainbayar Purevsaikhan, Bataa Ulziibayar, Uyanga Erdene-Ochir, Erdenesuvd Olzbayer, Khongorzul Enkhsaikhan, and…Uuriintuya Zorigt! 

I won’t go further by mentioning the names of the marvelous multiplying Pilipino missionaries.  I thought I was making a little progress but now I have been blown away!  With this class, nearly half of them come from the Asian Area.  This place is growing!!!  We can’t pronounce their names but we sure love them.  And…we love you.   

George & Debra Taylor

p.s. You’ll want to read Sister Taylor’s experience with “Foam Peanuts!”  Attached.