Yes, there was an earthquake here yesterday. Yes, at first I thought the building shaking was my neighbor on our rooftop moving furniture, or something hectic, until I realized that my neighbor isn't strong enough to shake the entire building for several minutes. Dur. Yes, everyone is fine in Taichung, except for my student Jeffrey's fish, who died due to the earthquake. Yes, I brushed up on my earthquake safety knowledge, just in case... Taiwan is basically a giant fault line.
Hope you are safe and grounded! Happy New Year!
26.12.06
Good times...
Merry Christmas! Happy Kwanzaa! Happy Hanukah! Happy New Year! I hope all of you are doing well and enjoying a fulfilling and relaxing holiday season. Where have I been these last few months? Still in Taiwan, just busy and a bit preoccupied with some hiccups in life. Here are the highlights of what I've been up to:
Wedding/Engagement Party
A few months ago, a manager at my school asked me if I'd like to go to Teacher April's wedding. A Taiwanese wedding? I've been wanting to go to one since I got here. Of course! Teacher April is my afternoon bilingual teacher and I see her for a total of 2 hours a week and we don't talk very much because her English is limited and my Chinese is practically non-existent. Weddings are a big industry in Taiwan and I see so many wedding cafes, which are businesses that usually are a few stories tall and the street side is only full of windows with lots of dresses and people sitting at tables planning their weddings. Once I was approached by a man as Si and I walked by a wedding cafe in Taipei. I was so tempted to act like we were getting married, just so I could see what the deal is, but I refrained.
So, I get the invitation to Teacher April's wedding and realize that her name is Teacher Apple. Oops. I've been calling her the wrong name, for about, uh 4 months. April does sound like Apple and no one had corrected me. O.k., got it. The invitation is very fancy, all pink and all in Chinese, so I can't read it. But, with a little help, I learn that her wedding is on a Sunday at noon and everyone tells me that I can dress casually. I keep thinking that's so strange for a culture with somewhat fancy taste. Many women wear high heels here on a daily basis. I've even see women up near the waterfalls, where I sometimes stumble a bit with my birkenstocks, wearing high heeled shoes. Maybe not the smartest fashion decision, but they always look great. There is a picture of Teacher Apple and her fiance Ming in front of the playground at our school. Their hands are making an arch of a heart together. It's just so cute!
When we arrive to the event, I learn that we have not been invited to her wedding, but the equivalent of an engagement party in the western cultures. The Chinese believe if you have this party before the wedding and invite a lot of people and they come, then more good fortune will come your way. There were about 300 people there and the buffet was delicious. On the 17th floor (that's pretty high, for Taichung) of a hotel, we ate a delicious lunch and sat with the owner of my school and other colleagues. There was a very detailed slideshow video of their actual engagement and I really felt like I was part of the engagement process. The photo documentation was unreal: where they visited, what they ate at various meals, the cake that was presented for the big question, friends who were on the trip with them, the walks in the woods, etc. I felt like I was there...
They did a karaoke song together, which was really special. Little children from our class came out, all dressed up and handed out roses to the women at the event. There were lots of toasts and speeches. Apple asked if all women attending would wear something pink, even if it was just a pair of earrings or a bracelet, because she loves the color so much. I bought some cute and a little blingy pair of pink rhinestone earrings and all of the women wearing pink, made 2 lines and she walked through the center, passing out candy. It was a wonderful event.
Blue Girl
In November, just before Thanksgiving, I struggled with depression, which was a fairly new experience. I've never felt very sad about my life overall, before. Also, being away from family and friends for this long (with a little break this past summer) has started to take a toll on me. Finally, not being able to speak the language bothered me more than I had thought it would. After a few weeks of feeling sorry for myself, the cloud lifted and I am mostly doing just fine.
Learning Chinese: Ni hou ma?
I've been taking Chinese lessons about 4.5 hours a week, during my lunch breaks. I take a private lesson with a friend, so the environment to learn and try a new language is very relaxed and as minimally scary as possible, I think. My friend, Angela, has been living in Taiwan for a few years and her understanding of the knowledge is quite good, but now she is just learning more vocabulary, grammar, etc. I am much more new to the language so struggle a bit more.
The first few weeks, I thought I had made a big mistake. We were only learning pronunciation and tones, which are very specific and of course, all sound very similar to me. I really feel that I repeat sounds and words, just like I am hearing them, but they are in fact, very different.
I recently learned of an interesting study, where children age 10 were tested from tonal based cultures (like Chinese) and non-tonal based cultures (like English). When asked about different tones heard, the children from tonal based cultures heard over 360 different tones. The children from non-tonal based cultures, only heard about 60 different tones. So, if not surrounded by various tones and pronunciations pretty much in the first 10 years of life, learning the sounds later as an adult has a difficult angle. When I learned about the study, I actually felt a little better about my pace in learning Chinese. Phew! I'm not the only one who can't hear the different sounds. :)
In all reality, being able to speak to people around me, has been really wonderful. I can't have very lengthy conversations, but just little bits of communication have been such a big help. I often feel less isolated.
Crash!
Also, in November, I was in a potentially bad scooter accident. It was completely my fault the driver of the other scooter was fine, thankfully. I suffered from a concusion and some aches and pains, but was very lucky. For a few days, I had a sore head, Simon watched me for worry of hematoma developing and I needed a few different x-rays done, just make sure everything was AOK. I also was very fortunate because a good Taiwanese friend accompanied me to a Dr. appointment just to make sure I understood everything. I'm back on the roads now, much more cautious and a bit more timid, which is a good thing, I think.
Merry Ho ho ho!
Taiwan doesn't really celebrate Christmas (or other western holidays) as it's primarily a buddhist country. However, schools often celebrate the holiday and in my kindergarten class, we practiced songs and dances, have read stories, made ornaments, decorations, etc. all for Christmas. Simon dressed up as Santa Clause for the school play/performance, which was fun. I have one American boy, who eyed Simon skeptically from the side, not sure what to make of this thin, younger version of Santa, but he happily received his gift when his name was called.
Because Taiwan doesn't celebrate Christmas, adult views of the holiday differ. For example, in my class are twins Sam and Samuel. Apparently, at home, Sam breaks his toys. I don't know if it's intentional or just by accident, but it's enough that his parents wanted to teach him a lesson. So, they wrapped his broken toys and Santa gave them to him at school. All the while, his twin brother, received a new toy form Santa. I fully understand that children much learn lessons about taking care of their belongings, but dragging an innocent Santa and wonderful holiday like Christmas into the mix, seems a bit mean. Needless to say, Simon wasn't very happy to learn that he had given Sam broken toys. :(
As for our own holiday celebrations, my school gave all english teachers a 5-day weekend, which is really cool. On Saturday, we attended a fun holiday party and caught up with friends. Then on Christmas Eve, attended a potluck dinner party with friends in a more intimate setting. On Christmas day, we had a nice lazy day, then met up with friends for a vigorous walk in the mountains and a nice dinner at a restaurant that serves western food. Yum! Simon and I enjoyed creating some new traditions together, definitely.
I also became an auntie recently. My sister Christine, gave birth to a beautiful boy named Kelan. I'm having my Dad give him lots of kisses and reminders of his Auntie Mari until I can deliver that love in person next year. Welcome Kelan!
May this post find all of you, happy, healthy and in great spirits. Much love to each of you from Taiwan!
Wedding/Engagement Party
A few months ago, a manager at my school asked me if I'd like to go to Teacher April's wedding. A Taiwanese wedding? I've been wanting to go to one since I got here. Of course! Teacher April is my afternoon bilingual teacher and I see her for a total of 2 hours a week and we don't talk very much because her English is limited and my Chinese is practically non-existent. Weddings are a big industry in Taiwan and I see so many wedding cafes, which are businesses that usually are a few stories tall and the street side is only full of windows with lots of dresses and people sitting at tables planning their weddings. Once I was approached by a man as Si and I walked by a wedding cafe in Taipei. I was so tempted to act like we were getting married, just so I could see what the deal is, but I refrained.
So, I get the invitation to Teacher April's wedding and realize that her name is Teacher Apple. Oops. I've been calling her the wrong name, for about, uh 4 months. April does sound like Apple and no one had corrected me. O.k., got it. The invitation is very fancy, all pink and all in Chinese, so I can't read it. But, with a little help, I learn that her wedding is on a Sunday at noon and everyone tells me that I can dress casually. I keep thinking that's so strange for a culture with somewhat fancy taste. Many women wear high heels here on a daily basis. I've even see women up near the waterfalls, where I sometimes stumble a bit with my birkenstocks, wearing high heeled shoes. Maybe not the smartest fashion decision, but they always look great. There is a picture of Teacher Apple and her fiance Ming in front of the playground at our school. Their hands are making an arch of a heart together. It's just so cute!
When we arrive to the event, I learn that we have not been invited to her wedding, but the equivalent of an engagement party in the western cultures. The Chinese believe if you have this party before the wedding and invite a lot of people and they come, then more good fortune will come your way. There were about 300 people there and the buffet was delicious. On the 17th floor (that's pretty high, for Taichung) of a hotel, we ate a delicious lunch and sat with the owner of my school and other colleagues. There was a very detailed slideshow video of their actual engagement and I really felt like I was part of the engagement process. The photo documentation was unreal: where they visited, what they ate at various meals, the cake that was presented for the big question, friends who were on the trip with them, the walks in the woods, etc. I felt like I was there...
They did a karaoke song together, which was really special. Little children from our class came out, all dressed up and handed out roses to the women at the event. There were lots of toasts and speeches. Apple asked if all women attending would wear something pink, even if it was just a pair of earrings or a bracelet, because she loves the color so much. I bought some cute and a little blingy pair of pink rhinestone earrings and all of the women wearing pink, made 2 lines and she walked through the center, passing out candy. It was a wonderful event.
Blue Girl
In November, just before Thanksgiving, I struggled with depression, which was a fairly new experience. I've never felt very sad about my life overall, before. Also, being away from family and friends for this long (with a little break this past summer) has started to take a toll on me. Finally, not being able to speak the language bothered me more than I had thought it would. After a few weeks of feeling sorry for myself, the cloud lifted and I am mostly doing just fine.
Learning Chinese: Ni hou ma?
I've been taking Chinese lessons about 4.5 hours a week, during my lunch breaks. I take a private lesson with a friend, so the environment to learn and try a new language is very relaxed and as minimally scary as possible, I think. My friend, Angela, has been living in Taiwan for a few years and her understanding of the knowledge is quite good, but now she is just learning more vocabulary, grammar, etc. I am much more new to the language so struggle a bit more.
The first few weeks, I thought I had made a big mistake. We were only learning pronunciation and tones, which are very specific and of course, all sound very similar to me. I really feel that I repeat sounds and words, just like I am hearing them, but they are in fact, very different.
I recently learned of an interesting study, where children age 10 were tested from tonal based cultures (like Chinese) and non-tonal based cultures (like English). When asked about different tones heard, the children from tonal based cultures heard over 360 different tones. The children from non-tonal based cultures, only heard about 60 different tones. So, if not surrounded by various tones and pronunciations pretty much in the first 10 years of life, learning the sounds later as an adult has a difficult angle. When I learned about the study, I actually felt a little better about my pace in learning Chinese. Phew! I'm not the only one who can't hear the different sounds. :)
In all reality, being able to speak to people around me, has been really wonderful. I can't have very lengthy conversations, but just little bits of communication have been such a big help. I often feel less isolated.
Crash!
Also, in November, I was in a potentially bad scooter accident. It was completely my fault the driver of the other scooter was fine, thankfully. I suffered from a concusion and some aches and pains, but was very lucky. For a few days, I had a sore head, Simon watched me for worry of hematoma developing and I needed a few different x-rays done, just make sure everything was AOK. I also was very fortunate because a good Taiwanese friend accompanied me to a Dr. appointment just to make sure I understood everything. I'm back on the roads now, much more cautious and a bit more timid, which is a good thing, I think.
Merry Ho ho ho!
Taiwan doesn't really celebrate Christmas (or other western holidays) as it's primarily a buddhist country. However, schools often celebrate the holiday and in my kindergarten class, we practiced songs and dances, have read stories, made ornaments, decorations, etc. all for Christmas. Simon dressed up as Santa Clause for the school play/performance, which was fun. I have one American boy, who eyed Simon skeptically from the side, not sure what to make of this thin, younger version of Santa, but he happily received his gift when his name was called.
Because Taiwan doesn't celebrate Christmas, adult views of the holiday differ. For example, in my class are twins Sam and Samuel. Apparently, at home, Sam breaks his toys. I don't know if it's intentional or just by accident, but it's enough that his parents wanted to teach him a lesson. So, they wrapped his broken toys and Santa gave them to him at school. All the while, his twin brother, received a new toy form Santa. I fully understand that children much learn lessons about taking care of their belongings, but dragging an innocent Santa and wonderful holiday like Christmas into the mix, seems a bit mean. Needless to say, Simon wasn't very happy to learn that he had given Sam broken toys. :(
As for our own holiday celebrations, my school gave all english teachers a 5-day weekend, which is really cool. On Saturday, we attended a fun holiday party and caught up with friends. Then on Christmas Eve, attended a potluck dinner party with friends in a more intimate setting. On Christmas day, we had a nice lazy day, then met up with friends for a vigorous walk in the mountains and a nice dinner at a restaurant that serves western food. Yum! Simon and I enjoyed creating some new traditions together, definitely.
I also became an auntie recently. My sister Christine, gave birth to a beautiful boy named Kelan. I'm having my Dad give him lots of kisses and reminders of his Auntie Mari until I can deliver that love in person next year. Welcome Kelan!
May this post find all of you, happy, healthy and in great spirits. Much love to each of you from Taiwan!
10.10.06
It's all about the culture... and the food.
Taiwan just celebrated the Moon Festival. The holiday is all about eating and giving moon cakes (which I haven't tried, but hear they can be delicious-sweet and savory!), eating pomelo's and making the rinds into hats and barbequing! The story of the Moon Festival comes from a king who wanted to kill 9 of the 10 suns because it was too hot and plants and people were suffering. So his archer killed the suns and as a reward, the king offered him a pill that would make him live forever. The archer's wife took the pill and floated up to the moon where she lives and on a full moon, it's said that you can see her in the moon. It's also a national holiday, so I got the day off. Yay!
The holiday fell on a Friday and then we would work the next Monday and have the next day off for Taiwan's National Day. The Taiwanese government decided to change the holiday schedule a bit and give everyone a 5 day weekend, but that meant that instead of working on Monday, you would work on Saturday of the next weekend. Hello? I don't work on weekends, but had to because of the change in holiday dates. What is even more interesting is that the government made this announcement about 5 days before the long weekend. So, if you wanted to get out of town or the country, most everything was booked. The Taiwanese are thorough and good planners, so many people booked holidays way in advance. My co-worker asked what would happen if the US government tried to change holidays and make people work on the weekend. Hmmm... Maybe rioting in the streets? Lawsuits for the rest of eternity?
On the bright side, I enjoyed a wonderful 5 day weekend holiday with Simon and friends. For the Moon Festival, Si's friend John took us to Yuen Lin, where we met his family and bbq'd with them for hours. There must have been 8 bbq's going and it was deeelicious. I actually didn't know you could bbq so many parts of an animal. The chicken hearts were particularly nummy. Who knew? The bbq took place at his Grandmother's home and she has the biggest house, I have ever seen. It was 4 floors with 6-7 bedrooms on each floor. She owns an orange plantation and they also grow bamboo. Have you ever had fresh bamboo shoots hot off the bbq? I hadn't and before this delicious discovery had only seen bamboo shoots from cans. Oy! I couldn't get enough. His grandmother also made fresh mochi, which is sweet rice cake. (The Chinese pronounce it "moachi") They served it in little balls rolled in peanut powder. Oh my heavenly... My grandmother and family has made mochi through out my life, so this little delicacy was such a treat for me. During this trip, I realized that so much of my own Japanese cultural upbringing was originally influenced by the Chinese. (Yes, I knew about the history of China and Japan, but for some reason not all history lessons equate to a larger knowledge about your own family rituals...) We ate fish, shrimp, several different kinds of meat, corn, rice balls, soup, mushrooms, clams and I'm sure there are many other things I'm forgetting. At any rate, I ate so much yummy food, but after 2 hours started to worry because as soon as you had empty hands, someone would give you more food. The Taiwanese are so thoughtful! So, I started carrying around an empty(ish) bowl of soup, just so my hands and mouth (sort of) looked busy. I thought I was going to burst!
Here are some other interesting things I've learned about the Taiwanese culture:
*English Names
The children in my classes have English and Chinese names. Many of the names are often common names we have in English, but some are more unique and possibly selected by the children. Here are the fun ones: Apple (she was named before Gwyneth Paltrow had her baby, btw)and her sister, Cherry, Shine, Mountain, Lion, Egg, Smile (who I've never seen smile) and one of my personal favorites, Spiderman. Spiderman is a pretty large size kid, who is about 5 or 6. I can actually imagine what he'll look like as an older man, just because of his somewhat mature-looking face and hair. He's not particularly the best student in the class and has a short attention span. I'm constantly hear myself saying "Spiderman, sit down! Spiderman, pay attention! Spiderman, hello?" He is so funny. Some friends of mine have students named Bruce Lee and Handsome Boy. Apparently, Handsome Boy isn't that handsome either.
Also, children don't understand names that can be abbreviated. For example, I have a set of fraternal twins in my class and their names are Sam and Samuel. When I accidentally say "Sam" when I mean "Samuel". I hear "Sam" saying "Teecha, Sam is me!" Sometimes I ask "Sammy" to do something, just for fun. They don't get the joke... at all.
*Children
Being the second most populated place on earth, per density, Taiwan at over 23 million people, have oodles of kids. I'm not saying each family has lots of children, but with so many people, even if they have one or two children, well... there are tons of them. They all start going to school at a fairly early age and most children attend school during the day and school in the evenings and at night. Simon teaches at a buxiban or cram school, so his students are older 9-18 and come to his school after 4pm and stay until 8 or 9pm. They also attend school on the weekends. Some children only get Sundays off and many parents want their children to be so successful that they make their kids study on their day off. It's so different from my own childhood, it sometimes still shocks and surprises me at times.
Also, because children start school at such an early age and are raised in a very controlled environment, it changes their thinking, I feel. I've worked with children from infant age to 5 years most consistently and children at this age in the US are often energetic, rambunctious, imaginative and full of life. Taiwanese children at this same age are energetic, very advanced in their reading and writing, generally quite happy, but don't seem to have the same level of imagination and creativity that I would expect. I teach 4 classes of ESL students, who are in grades 1 and 2 during the day and for "fun", I did the role call and asked each of them "how are you?" I thought I would get a variety of answers (happy, tired, crazy, etc.), but instead I heard 3 "I am happy" responses and the rest all said "I am fine, thank you and you?" (which is a canned and very typical English response that many children can say). Many of them just want to say the correct response or write the correct answer, so don't dare exploring the unchartered territories of their imagination.
In writing excercises, when I write a sentence like "The house is _______." I explain that the students should pick their own word to describe the house, but they often write a sentence exactly like I have with a line and no adjective in the blank space. When I write numerous adjective choices on the board for them to choose from, they will often write all of my choices on their paper, not selecting just one. It's an interesting teaching obstacle, definitely.
*Kind Hearts
In Taiwan one of the big symbols that you see everywhere is a heart. It represents the kindness and love that Taiwanese people have... truly. People are generally very nice here. When you are lost or don't know where the nearest gas station is, most likely someone will drive you there or you can follow them on your scooter. They are also very talkative (even though I don't speak Chinese or Taiwanese) and are full of smiles.
*Saving Face
Saving face is a huge part of the Taiwan culture and it basically boils down to being polite and maintaining a proper facade to everyone, all the time. What this means is that if you stop and ask for directions, if the person doesn't know a location, rather than say "I'm not sure", they might give you totally wrong directions. Also, what this means is that in places like the work place, for example, you might know what your co-worker really means, because they'll just agree with you to be nice. I enjoy the politeness of the Taiwanese people, but sometimes would just like a little more real honesty, especially when there is so much I don't understand about the culture... yet.
*Safety and Crime
Taiwan is super safe. I'm not saying I walk down the street with money hanging out of my pockets just to see what will happen, but for the most part, people leave your stuff alone. The Chinese aren't into second-hand clothing, as they think garments worn by someone will have their spirits on them and shouldn't be worn by others. So, the helmet of my scooter just sits on top of the handlebars at night because no one wants it. At home, that helmet would be stolen fairly quickly if sitting on my bike on the side of the road, I'm fairly certain. On more than one occassion, I've left the keys of my scooter in the seat lock, just dangling there. When I return in a panic, my keys are still there, no one has touched my scooter or the contents in my seat and of course, the bike hasn't been stolen. Amazing!
Also, the crime rates are fairly low. In a recent census study on prisoners, Taiwan has about 250 people incarcerated for every 100,000 people. In the US there are 650 people incarcerated for every 100,000 people. For the tons of people that live here, all in fairly small and tight homes and communities, the crime is quite low, I think. The Taiwanese are quite harmonious in their living.
*Food
And, let's just end this post with another plug about the food. Oh my yummy! The food is fast, convenient and so cheap. It's actually about the same price to buy groceries and cook at home vs. eating out. Here are some of my favorites:
**Deepfried treats- Stalls on the side of the road have a little buffet of veggies, tofu, meats and other delicacies like rice packed in pig's blood. I have not tried the pig's blood yet. I just pick what I want cooked up and a few minutes later have a hot snack in a bag. I cannot get enough of the mushrooms.
**Rice bombs- The Chinese name for them is Mm bow wan and they are basically these rice balls with yummy meats and veggies inside. I have no idea what miracle sauce is drizzled on top of the rice balls, but I eat these weekly.
**Hot pot restaurants-for the low price of $5, you can have your own hot pot and select from a huge variety of meats, veggies, fish cakes, rice balls, eggs and more to make your own soup. Plus, they have beverages, a fresh salad bar, desserts, popcorn, bread, etc. I could spend all day in these restaurants.
Phew! That's it for now, but I just got back from my first Taiwanese engagement party and it was like the reception for a wedding in the US, but different. More soon! Hugs!
The holiday fell on a Friday and then we would work the next Monday and have the next day off for Taiwan's National Day. The Taiwanese government decided to change the holiday schedule a bit and give everyone a 5 day weekend, but that meant that instead of working on Monday, you would work on Saturday of the next weekend. Hello? I don't work on weekends, but had to because of the change in holiday dates. What is even more interesting is that the government made this announcement about 5 days before the long weekend. So, if you wanted to get out of town or the country, most everything was booked. The Taiwanese are thorough and good planners, so many people booked holidays way in advance. My co-worker asked what would happen if the US government tried to change holidays and make people work on the weekend. Hmmm... Maybe rioting in the streets? Lawsuits for the rest of eternity?
On the bright side, I enjoyed a wonderful 5 day weekend holiday with Simon and friends. For the Moon Festival, Si's friend John took us to Yuen Lin, where we met his family and bbq'd with them for hours. There must have been 8 bbq's going and it was deeelicious. I actually didn't know you could bbq so many parts of an animal. The chicken hearts were particularly nummy. Who knew? The bbq took place at his Grandmother's home and she has the biggest house, I have ever seen. It was 4 floors with 6-7 bedrooms on each floor. She owns an orange plantation and they also grow bamboo. Have you ever had fresh bamboo shoots hot off the bbq? I hadn't and before this delicious discovery had only seen bamboo shoots from cans. Oy! I couldn't get enough. His grandmother also made fresh mochi, which is sweet rice cake. (The Chinese pronounce it "moachi") They served it in little balls rolled in peanut powder. Oh my heavenly... My grandmother and family has made mochi through out my life, so this little delicacy was such a treat for me. During this trip, I realized that so much of my own Japanese cultural upbringing was originally influenced by the Chinese. (Yes, I knew about the history of China and Japan, but for some reason not all history lessons equate to a larger knowledge about your own family rituals...) We ate fish, shrimp, several different kinds of meat, corn, rice balls, soup, mushrooms, clams and I'm sure there are many other things I'm forgetting. At any rate, I ate so much yummy food, but after 2 hours started to worry because as soon as you had empty hands, someone would give you more food. The Taiwanese are so thoughtful! So, I started carrying around an empty(ish) bowl of soup, just so my hands and mouth (sort of) looked busy. I thought I was going to burst!
Here are some other interesting things I've learned about the Taiwanese culture:
*English Names
The children in my classes have English and Chinese names. Many of the names are often common names we have in English, but some are more unique and possibly selected by the children. Here are the fun ones: Apple (she was named before Gwyneth Paltrow had her baby, btw)and her sister, Cherry, Shine, Mountain, Lion, Egg, Smile (who I've never seen smile) and one of my personal favorites, Spiderman. Spiderman is a pretty large size kid, who is about 5 or 6. I can actually imagine what he'll look like as an older man, just because of his somewhat mature-looking face and hair. He's not particularly the best student in the class and has a short attention span. I'm constantly hear myself saying "Spiderman, sit down! Spiderman, pay attention! Spiderman, hello?" He is so funny. Some friends of mine have students named Bruce Lee and Handsome Boy. Apparently, Handsome Boy isn't that handsome either.
Also, children don't understand names that can be abbreviated. For example, I have a set of fraternal twins in my class and their names are Sam and Samuel. When I accidentally say "Sam" when I mean "Samuel". I hear "Sam" saying "Teecha, Sam is me!" Sometimes I ask "Sammy" to do something, just for fun. They don't get the joke... at all.
*Children
Being the second most populated place on earth, per density, Taiwan at over 23 million people, have oodles of kids. I'm not saying each family has lots of children, but with so many people, even if they have one or two children, well... there are tons of them. They all start going to school at a fairly early age and most children attend school during the day and school in the evenings and at night. Simon teaches at a buxiban or cram school, so his students are older 9-18 and come to his school after 4pm and stay until 8 or 9pm. They also attend school on the weekends. Some children only get Sundays off and many parents want their children to be so successful that they make their kids study on their day off. It's so different from my own childhood, it sometimes still shocks and surprises me at times.
Also, because children start school at such an early age and are raised in a very controlled environment, it changes their thinking, I feel. I've worked with children from infant age to 5 years most consistently and children at this age in the US are often energetic, rambunctious, imaginative and full of life. Taiwanese children at this same age are energetic, very advanced in their reading and writing, generally quite happy, but don't seem to have the same level of imagination and creativity that I would expect. I teach 4 classes of ESL students, who are in grades 1 and 2 during the day and for "fun", I did the role call and asked each of them "how are you?" I thought I would get a variety of answers (happy, tired, crazy, etc.), but instead I heard 3 "I am happy" responses and the rest all said "I am fine, thank you and you?" (which is a canned and very typical English response that many children can say). Many of them just want to say the correct response or write the correct answer, so don't dare exploring the unchartered territories of their imagination.
In writing excercises, when I write a sentence like "The house is _______." I explain that the students should pick their own word to describe the house, but they often write a sentence exactly like I have with a line and no adjective in the blank space. When I write numerous adjective choices on the board for them to choose from, they will often write all of my choices on their paper, not selecting just one. It's an interesting teaching obstacle, definitely.
*Kind Hearts
In Taiwan one of the big symbols that you see everywhere is a heart. It represents the kindness and love that Taiwanese people have... truly. People are generally very nice here. When you are lost or don't know where the nearest gas station is, most likely someone will drive you there or you can follow them on your scooter. They are also very talkative (even though I don't speak Chinese or Taiwanese) and are full of smiles.
*Saving Face
Saving face is a huge part of the Taiwan culture and it basically boils down to being polite and maintaining a proper facade to everyone, all the time. What this means is that if you stop and ask for directions, if the person doesn't know a location, rather than say "I'm not sure", they might give you totally wrong directions. Also, what this means is that in places like the work place, for example, you might know what your co-worker really means, because they'll just agree with you to be nice. I enjoy the politeness of the Taiwanese people, but sometimes would just like a little more real honesty, especially when there is so much I don't understand about the culture... yet.
*Safety and Crime
Taiwan is super safe. I'm not saying I walk down the street with money hanging out of my pockets just to see what will happen, but for the most part, people leave your stuff alone. The Chinese aren't into second-hand clothing, as they think garments worn by someone will have their spirits on them and shouldn't be worn by others. So, the helmet of my scooter just sits on top of the handlebars at night because no one wants it. At home, that helmet would be stolen fairly quickly if sitting on my bike on the side of the road, I'm fairly certain. On more than one occassion, I've left the keys of my scooter in the seat lock, just dangling there. When I return in a panic, my keys are still there, no one has touched my scooter or the contents in my seat and of course, the bike hasn't been stolen. Amazing!
Also, the crime rates are fairly low. In a recent census study on prisoners, Taiwan has about 250 people incarcerated for every 100,000 people. In the US there are 650 people incarcerated for every 100,000 people. For the tons of people that live here, all in fairly small and tight homes and communities, the crime is quite low, I think. The Taiwanese are quite harmonious in their living.
*Food
And, let's just end this post with another plug about the food. Oh my yummy! The food is fast, convenient and so cheap. It's actually about the same price to buy groceries and cook at home vs. eating out. Here are some of my favorites:
**Deepfried treats- Stalls on the side of the road have a little buffet of veggies, tofu, meats and other delicacies like rice packed in pig's blood. I have not tried the pig's blood yet. I just pick what I want cooked up and a few minutes later have a hot snack in a bag. I cannot get enough of the mushrooms.
**Rice bombs- The Chinese name for them is Mm bow wan and they are basically these rice balls with yummy meats and veggies inside. I have no idea what miracle sauce is drizzled on top of the rice balls, but I eat these weekly.
**Hot pot restaurants-for the low price of $5, you can have your own hot pot and select from a huge variety of meats, veggies, fish cakes, rice balls, eggs and more to make your own soup. Plus, they have beverages, a fresh salad bar, desserts, popcorn, bread, etc. I could spend all day in these restaurants.
Phew! That's it for now, but I just got back from my first Taiwanese engagement party and it was like the reception for a wedding in the US, but different. More soon! Hugs!
30.9.06
Happy Teacher's Day!
Good Morning from Taichung! This past week we celebrated Teacher's Day in Taiwan. I received some fun little gifts from my students. Jeffrey, who is one of my favorites (I know, I know, it's not very American to pick favorites, but everyone does here, so why not?), he gave me the sweetest gift. Jeffrey is a very, very smart student. His English is very good and I often think he is quite advanced for his age group. When I explain this to his parents and also comment on how he always raises his hand and I sometimes don't call on him just to give the other children a chance, they look at me with great surprise "Really? That surprises me." both of his parents have commented to me at different times... Very Taiwanese to take the compliment as a surprise. At any rate, he came to school, gave his Chinese teachers their gifts and then sat by the door, waiting for me to arrive (I come to class a bit later usually). When I walked in with my hearty "Good Morning Flower Class!" hello, he ran up and gave me, six bars of lavendar soap. I think the hand sniffing rule has given me a serious reputation.
Another student, Shine, gave me a sweet soap and lotion set from Crabtree and Evelyn. No other foreign teachers got soap as gifts, so either I don't smell very good in class (which I hardly think is the case) or the hand sniffing rule really is effecting the children's views of me. Either way, I am very thankful for my gifts. I also got lots of sweet cards. The kids are too cute. My friend Faye, who I work with, got a card from one of the smart kids in her class and it said "Teacher Faye, it's to easy for me. Happy Teacher's Day." We laughed so hard. Apparently, the class is too easy for this student, but the fact that she used "to" incorrectly, was hillarious. Faye wanted to jokingly correct it with a red pen, but refrained.
This week, I was sick. Sicker than I have been in years. I think it's a combination of me not getting enough rest, my immune system needing a boost, my body adjusting to the changes in Taiwan's pollution and water and possibly sniffing mostly clean, but sometimes very dirty hands. At any rate, I slept pretty much from Thursday evening until Saturday morning, and am feeling much better now.
Today, a group of us are headed off to the waterfalls. I might jump in this time. Wish me luck! The weather is starting to cool and the cold days aren't that far away, so we have to take advantage of the warm weather while it's here.
Another student, Shine, gave me a sweet soap and lotion set from Crabtree and Evelyn. No other foreign teachers got soap as gifts, so either I don't smell very good in class (which I hardly think is the case) or the hand sniffing rule really is effecting the children's views of me. Either way, I am very thankful for my gifts. I also got lots of sweet cards. The kids are too cute. My friend Faye, who I work with, got a card from one of the smart kids in her class and it said "Teacher Faye, it's to easy for me. Happy Teacher's Day." We laughed so hard. Apparently, the class is too easy for this student, but the fact that she used "to" incorrectly, was hillarious. Faye wanted to jokingly correct it with a red pen, but refrained.
This week, I was sick. Sicker than I have been in years. I think it's a combination of me not getting enough rest, my immune system needing a boost, my body adjusting to the changes in Taiwan's pollution and water and possibly sniffing mostly clean, but sometimes very dirty hands. At any rate, I slept pretty much from Thursday evening until Saturday morning, and am feeling much better now.
Today, a group of us are headed off to the waterfalls. I might jump in this time. Wish me luck! The weather is starting to cool and the cold days aren't that far away, so we have to take advantage of the warm weather while it's here.
23.9.06
Wo shr inguen lao shir! (I am an English Teacher)
Hello from Taichung! We finally have a working computer and Internet access in our home again, so I recently added pictures to the blog. Yay! I hope this message finds each of you happy and healthy.
We are now living in Taichung city, which is much closer to school and our friends. We live in an older building across the street from a bamboo forest. Our building is close to an area filled with various food carts and restaurants, retail shops and fruit stands, as well as bingo parlors, laundry services and much more. It's a very convenient neighborhood. We have a 3 bedroom, 2 bathroom apartment. If anyone would like to visit, we would love to have you! There is much to see and do around Taiwan.
My kindergarten class is great and improving all the time. I work with two Chinese teachers and our communication, flow and overall working relationships seem to improve constantly, which is encouraging. They work very hard to take care of the children and manage the classroom, so I appreciate their contributions. Recently, a boy from America joined our class. Max's mother is Chinese and his father is Caucasian. They are from the Boston area of the US. He is adorable and of course, speaks English very well, but is just beginning to learn Chinese. He is also a picky eater, which has been a bit tricky during lunch time. Every day, we have lunch served to us, which usually consists of rice, meat and vegetables, all prepared with Chinese sauces and flavors. It's very good and I love lunch because I sit with the kids and they try to teach me a little Chinese and we talk about the meal and discuss the English names for the foods. When Max first arrived, he only liked bread and chicken nuggets, neither of which is ever served for lunch. After the first week, Max started to like just white rice. He's doing better and quickly assimilating to the classroom and foods. The other girls in the class have taken a strong liking to him, too. Since he doesn't speak any Chinese I try to help him out when needed. He's a good little one. Socially, he's adjusting really well, so that's how I know he's doing great. Children are so adaptable!
Another student, Jane is so funny. She's a younger student in class and her English needs strengthening. I think she's particularly interesting because she reminds me a lot of myself at a young age. She chats in class (when the students should be paying attention to the lesson) and often whines and tattles on the other students. Ah Jane, so cute and a bit of a naughty one. I absolutely identify with her. :)
Simon has been in New Zealand for the last few weeks visiting family and friends. His grandmother just turned 100 and they are having a big party for her. While I have missed him, I've really enjoyed living alone for a bit, as I was very used to this lifestyle in California. I've also bonded with great girlfriends which has been a lot of fun and great comfort.
I now navigate the streets on my scooter with ease and enjoyment. To be honest, I'm a little worried about driving again in the US. There are so many rules that can be broken on the roads here, that it's really easy and fun.
My Chinese is slowing improving as I learn. Currently, I take one class a week, but am hoping to start taking 3 classes a week very soon. I've learned the basic greetings and can understand more of the numbers and bargaining parts of the language, so when I shop, especially at the markets, I can work in some Chinese. My favorite sayings are "Tai guay le la", meaning "that's expensive" and "hou kur ai o", meaning "so cute, isn't it?" Also, when entering my school, I ring the bell and proudly say to the front desk woman "Wo shr inguen lao shir!", which means, "I am English Teacher". The school staff seems to enjoy my attempts at speaking Chinese.
One of the other aspects I love and appreciate is the nurturing environment for music. Simon is a self-taught percussionist and since being in Taiwan, he's cultivated his passion for drumming and has started a band. He practices constantly and his band the "Spybots" perform often at a bar called Grooveyard for their open mic night. Also, a few weeks back, they performed at a restaurant lounge called Bollywood. It was very fun and I am a dedicated "bandaid" attending all performances. Also, a cool, fun and super sweet woman named Faye Blais is my friend and co-worker. She is a very talented musician and I recently bought her CD. She performs through out Taichung often. I've linked her to my blog, so check her out!
That's it for me. I'm hosting a crafternoon today, so need to prepare. Much love to you all!
We are now living in Taichung city, which is much closer to school and our friends. We live in an older building across the street from a bamboo forest. Our building is close to an area filled with various food carts and restaurants, retail shops and fruit stands, as well as bingo parlors, laundry services and much more. It's a very convenient neighborhood. We have a 3 bedroom, 2 bathroom apartment. If anyone would like to visit, we would love to have you! There is much to see and do around Taiwan.
My kindergarten class is great and improving all the time. I work with two Chinese teachers and our communication, flow and overall working relationships seem to improve constantly, which is encouraging. They work very hard to take care of the children and manage the classroom, so I appreciate their contributions. Recently, a boy from America joined our class. Max's mother is Chinese and his father is Caucasian. They are from the Boston area of the US. He is adorable and of course, speaks English very well, but is just beginning to learn Chinese. He is also a picky eater, which has been a bit tricky during lunch time. Every day, we have lunch served to us, which usually consists of rice, meat and vegetables, all prepared with Chinese sauces and flavors. It's very good and I love lunch because I sit with the kids and they try to teach me a little Chinese and we talk about the meal and discuss the English names for the foods. When Max first arrived, he only liked bread and chicken nuggets, neither of which is ever served for lunch. After the first week, Max started to like just white rice. He's doing better and quickly assimilating to the classroom and foods. The other girls in the class have taken a strong liking to him, too. Since he doesn't speak any Chinese I try to help him out when needed. He's a good little one. Socially, he's adjusting really well, so that's how I know he's doing great. Children are so adaptable!
Another student, Jane is so funny. She's a younger student in class and her English needs strengthening. I think she's particularly interesting because she reminds me a lot of myself at a young age. She chats in class (when the students should be paying attention to the lesson) and often whines and tattles on the other students. Ah Jane, so cute and a bit of a naughty one. I absolutely identify with her. :)
Simon has been in New Zealand for the last few weeks visiting family and friends. His grandmother just turned 100 and they are having a big party for her. While I have missed him, I've really enjoyed living alone for a bit, as I was very used to this lifestyle in California. I've also bonded with great girlfriends which has been a lot of fun and great comfort.
I now navigate the streets on my scooter with ease and enjoyment. To be honest, I'm a little worried about driving again in the US. There are so many rules that can be broken on the roads here, that it's really easy and fun.
My Chinese is slowing improving as I learn. Currently, I take one class a week, but am hoping to start taking 3 classes a week very soon. I've learned the basic greetings and can understand more of the numbers and bargaining parts of the language, so when I shop, especially at the markets, I can work in some Chinese. My favorite sayings are "Tai guay le la", meaning "that's expensive" and "hou kur ai o", meaning "so cute, isn't it?" Also, when entering my school, I ring the bell and proudly say to the front desk woman "Wo shr inguen lao shir!", which means, "I am English Teacher". The school staff seems to enjoy my attempts at speaking Chinese.
One of the other aspects I love and appreciate is the nurturing environment for music. Simon is a self-taught percussionist and since being in Taiwan, he's cultivated his passion for drumming and has started a band. He practices constantly and his band the "Spybots" perform often at a bar called Grooveyard for their open mic night. Also, a few weeks back, they performed at a restaurant lounge called Bollywood. It was very fun and I am a dedicated "bandaid" attending all performances. Also, a cool, fun and super sweet woman named Faye Blais is my friend and co-worker. She is a very talented musician and I recently bought her CD. She performs through out Taichung often. I've linked her to my blog, so check her out!
That's it for me. I'm hosting a crafternoon today, so need to prepare. Much love to you all!
25.8.06
Tzou an! (Good Morning)!
Ni hou! This week I started Chinese lessons and hopefully soon will be able to communicate a bit more to the locals. I take the class with other foreign teachers and it's a great learning environment.
School continues to be interesting and fun. As you can imagine, with lots of little bodies and immune systems, there are lots of germs. Many students are going home sick with foot and mouth disease and last week some cases of scarlett fever broke out. Scarlett fever, you ask? Yes, I thought it had been eradicated, but apparently not in Taiwan. My voice is nearly lost from singing and roaring like various animals and I'm doing my best to stay healthy, but the pollution in Taiwan is often thick and my body is having a hard time adjusting to it's new environment.
In an effort to keep the classrooms clean, the Chinese teachers are constantly cleaning everything with bleach-floors, windows, doors, etc. However, I have caught numerous children leaving the bathroom without washing their hands. So, I am now the offical "hand sniffer" of the classroom. If supposed clean hands do not smell like soap, they must go back and immediately wash their hands again. Yesterday, I caught one very smart little girl, who washed only one hand with soap, in an effort to dodge the rule. I made her go back 3 times before both hands smelled clean. Sneaky, smart girl...
In my class this week, I also introduced yoga, which has been great fun. Every day, we practice breathing and I introduce new yoga poses. The kids are very obedient and do an excellent job trying all of the poses I put them in. Some of the children that seem to have attention issues during my lessons, do an amazing job concentrating and balancing in a tree pose. It's good practice for their minds and bodies. I've noticed that the Taiwanese children also develop their large motor skills at a different rate from the children I've worked with at home. Yoga will help their muscle development and it's a good brain break from our studies.
We also sing lots of songs. This week we had a mini song fest and I introduced some new songs. The song "Pease Porridge" ("Pease porridge hot, pease porridge cold...") was altered to "Peace Porridge", so they all make the peace sign when they sing it. I had to teach them that the peace sign doesn't always mean "victory" as everyone thinks in Chinese culture. However, our number one class rule is to "be kind", so this song is a good fit for us. My little flowers are turning into peace touting yogi's. It's great fun.
During the weekends, we've been driving out of the city past Taiping to waterfalls up in the hills. We'll go for a swim, relax and often meet new people. The areas are surrounded by deep, lush green jungle and the waterfalls and pools are serene and wonderful. Last weekend, we saw a family of macau monkeys near the waterfalls. There is also a very high jump from rocks to a deep pool below. I haven't tried the big jump yet, but maybe someday soon. :)
Have a wonderful weekend! Love to you all!
School continues to be interesting and fun. As you can imagine, with lots of little bodies and immune systems, there are lots of germs. Many students are going home sick with foot and mouth disease and last week some cases of scarlett fever broke out. Scarlett fever, you ask? Yes, I thought it had been eradicated, but apparently not in Taiwan. My voice is nearly lost from singing and roaring like various animals and I'm doing my best to stay healthy, but the pollution in Taiwan is often thick and my body is having a hard time adjusting to it's new environment.
In an effort to keep the classrooms clean, the Chinese teachers are constantly cleaning everything with bleach-floors, windows, doors, etc. However, I have caught numerous children leaving the bathroom without washing their hands. So, I am now the offical "hand sniffer" of the classroom. If supposed clean hands do not smell like soap, they must go back and immediately wash their hands again. Yesterday, I caught one very smart little girl, who washed only one hand with soap, in an effort to dodge the rule. I made her go back 3 times before both hands smelled clean. Sneaky, smart girl...
In my class this week, I also introduced yoga, which has been great fun. Every day, we practice breathing and I introduce new yoga poses. The kids are very obedient and do an excellent job trying all of the poses I put them in. Some of the children that seem to have attention issues during my lessons, do an amazing job concentrating and balancing in a tree pose. It's good practice for their minds and bodies. I've noticed that the Taiwanese children also develop their large motor skills at a different rate from the children I've worked with at home. Yoga will help their muscle development and it's a good brain break from our studies.
We also sing lots of songs. This week we had a mini song fest and I introduced some new songs. The song "Pease Porridge" ("Pease porridge hot, pease porridge cold...") was altered to "Peace Porridge", so they all make the peace sign when they sing it. I had to teach them that the peace sign doesn't always mean "victory" as everyone thinks in Chinese culture. However, our number one class rule is to "be kind", so this song is a good fit for us. My little flowers are turning into peace touting yogi's. It's great fun.
During the weekends, we've been driving out of the city past Taiping to waterfalls up in the hills. We'll go for a swim, relax and often meet new people. The areas are surrounded by deep, lush green jungle and the waterfalls and pools are serene and wonderful. Last weekend, we saw a family of macau monkeys near the waterfalls. There is also a very high jump from rocks to a deep pool below. I haven't tried the big jump yet, but maybe someday soon. :)
Have a wonderful weekend! Love to you all!
12.8.06
Ni hou ma?
Hello from hot Taichung! I've been here for over a month and I'm still transitioning into my new life.
However, I have started working, which has been a great blessing. I work at Season Arts kindergarten, which is an arts school for young children. The children at the school are ages 2 and up to 7 or 8, I believe. I work with the Flower Class and my kids are anywhere from 4-6 and they have one year of English completed already. There are about 20 kids in total and they are so cute. When I walk into the classroom in the mornings, they all say "Goood moorning Teecha Maari!" in this cute sing songy way. Our school is very strucutured with defined periods for every subject. For example we do phonics, game/activity and daily conversation for 40 minutes a week. I have lots of paper work, planning and reports to complete, but the resources are immense. An English speaking teacher from Canada directs our group and the school has tons of books, materials, art supplies and resources for us. In my classroom, there are 2 other Chinese teachers and 1 intern, so there is lots of help. I am creating a good, open communicative relationship with the chinese teachers and it's been a good experience, as we are still discovering each other's boundaries.
In addition to teaching the children about the English language, I am teaching them how to think in English, as well. Our school has themes that we follow quarterly. Plants is our current theme and they are surrounded by plants in art, PE, field trips, discussions, hands on experiements, music, etc. The theme is a big deal and apparently has earned the school international awards because of the integrated teaching approach. This week we are going to the Taichung Science Museum because they have a Botanical Garden. I love field trips because nearly all of the places we go to are new for me. Nearly all of the students are very well-behaved, eager to learn and follow the flow of the class.
I write weekly reports home to the parents and sometimes they respond with comments. The chinese teacher will read them to me on Monday. I can't wait. My Chinese teacher, Ruby told me that some of the children have been speaking more English at home. When the parents ask their kids where they learned this, some of them say "Teecha Maari". I was so excited to hear her say that! I nearly jumped out of my chair and hugged her.
I teach my Flower Class in the morning, then have a 2 hour lunch break and return to school to teach the bilingual class. These students are taught primarily in Chinese and get 30 minutes of English a day. Their English is fairly good, but they get bored easily. In my bilingual classes I am an entertainer, keeping their minds engaged for 30 minutes. (In comparison, my morning class understands a higher level of English, so a command like "put your chairs away" is quite simple. All of my commands in my bilingual classes must be interpreted by a Chinese teacher.) I sing lots of songs with them. This week, I nearly lost my voice singing the "hokey pokey" and roaring like various animals. However, the challenge is fun and for many of the children, they like the change in their daily routine, I think.
I've been driving a scooter for over one month. It's been an exhillerating and sometimes frightening experience. The rules to driving are very different here. The first few weeks, I felt road rage begin to creep into my head while on the road. So, I invented my own version of a video game to calm my nerves: Zen Grand Theft Auto. For those of you who are unfamiliar with Grand Theft Auto (or GTA), it's a driving video game where you can car jack people, use weapons, and score points for effectively driving while faced with obstacles. In my zen version of the game, when cars pull out in front of me (which happens on a daily basis) or another scooter turns into my path without looking first, I assess the situation with points, say 200 for example, then when I quickly, safely and sanely avoid them, I get additional points, maybe 500. My Zen GTA game saves me from much unneeded stress.
I also joined a yoga gym. For a good rate, I get unlimited yoga classes (with numerous disciplines), access to the sister gym right next door and we have some nice perks, like a steam room, sauna and 2 spas in the locker room. It's a huge franchise, so there are lots of people and it's quite a scene. They place club hip hop in the locker rooms and gym. But, the people watching is fabulous, the classes pretty good and I'm inspired to do yoga 3 or more times a week because there are so many different classes offered.
As I learn more about the culture of Taiwan, I find many differences quite interesting:
*The Taiwanese believe that you are one year old the day you are born (really it begins at conception), so it's hard to know how old children are sometimes. Also, sometimes ages change depending on Chinese New Year.
*On scooters, children don't have to wear helmets because it's illegal for children to ride scooters. So, if there is no law about children wearing helmets, then the police don't have to bust children on scooters. Lots of children and babies ride around on scooters; sometimes they wear helmets.
*Also on scooters, people enter the roadways, turning right, without even looking at the flow of traffic. Why? If they don't see you while turning, then they don't have to yield for you. It's not a law, just a practice.
*Cars also compete with scooters on the road. The other day, I was driving along in the scooter lane, on the right side of the road and a car sped up past me with his right turn blinker on and then braked very suddenly to turn at the intersection a few feet away. I almost ran right into him and car was so close to me that my instinct didn't even give me time to honk my horn, I just hit the brakes hard and prayed. Yes, my Zen GTA comes into play a lot with this strange notion.
*The wedding culture here is huge! They have lots of wedding cafes where you plan your wedding and a lot of money is involved. The Taiwanese believe that having a huge and impressive wedding, even if that means going bankrupt. Also, the wedding signifies an important part of the beginning of the couplese life culturally.
*This month is Ghost Month and it's a time to pay respect to your ancestors by having huge celebrations, with lots of tables filled with food-rice, beverages, candies, etc., and burning large amounts of paper money and incense. Taiwan is so populated and space is often available at a minimum, so some of these celebrations take place on the roads (leaving a little space for traffic). If you please your ancestors during this holiday, the ones that have gone to hell, will be happier, it is believed.
Life is interesting in Taiwan! Pictures are coming soon.
I have heard about the liquid terrorist attack and hope you aren't all impacted too much by the security backlash. Be well, happy and healthy! Miss you all!
However, I have started working, which has been a great blessing. I work at Season Arts kindergarten, which is an arts school for young children. The children at the school are ages 2 and up to 7 or 8, I believe. I work with the Flower Class and my kids are anywhere from 4-6 and they have one year of English completed already. There are about 20 kids in total and they are so cute. When I walk into the classroom in the mornings, they all say "Goood moorning Teecha Maari!" in this cute sing songy way. Our school is very strucutured with defined periods for every subject. For example we do phonics, game/activity and daily conversation for 40 minutes a week. I have lots of paper work, planning and reports to complete, but the resources are immense. An English speaking teacher from Canada directs our group and the school has tons of books, materials, art supplies and resources for us. In my classroom, there are 2 other Chinese teachers and 1 intern, so there is lots of help. I am creating a good, open communicative relationship with the chinese teachers and it's been a good experience, as we are still discovering each other's boundaries.
In addition to teaching the children about the English language, I am teaching them how to think in English, as well. Our school has themes that we follow quarterly. Plants is our current theme and they are surrounded by plants in art, PE, field trips, discussions, hands on experiements, music, etc. The theme is a big deal and apparently has earned the school international awards because of the integrated teaching approach. This week we are going to the Taichung Science Museum because they have a Botanical Garden. I love field trips because nearly all of the places we go to are new for me. Nearly all of the students are very well-behaved, eager to learn and follow the flow of the class.
I write weekly reports home to the parents and sometimes they respond with comments. The chinese teacher will read them to me on Monday. I can't wait. My Chinese teacher, Ruby told me that some of the children have been speaking more English at home. When the parents ask their kids where they learned this, some of them say "Teecha Maari". I was so excited to hear her say that! I nearly jumped out of my chair and hugged her.
I teach my Flower Class in the morning, then have a 2 hour lunch break and return to school to teach the bilingual class. These students are taught primarily in Chinese and get 30 minutes of English a day. Their English is fairly good, but they get bored easily. In my bilingual classes I am an entertainer, keeping their minds engaged for 30 minutes. (In comparison, my morning class understands a higher level of English, so a command like "put your chairs away" is quite simple. All of my commands in my bilingual classes must be interpreted by a Chinese teacher.) I sing lots of songs with them. This week, I nearly lost my voice singing the "hokey pokey" and roaring like various animals. However, the challenge is fun and for many of the children, they like the change in their daily routine, I think.
I've been driving a scooter for over one month. It's been an exhillerating and sometimes frightening experience. The rules to driving are very different here. The first few weeks, I felt road rage begin to creep into my head while on the road. So, I invented my own version of a video game to calm my nerves: Zen Grand Theft Auto. For those of you who are unfamiliar with Grand Theft Auto (or GTA), it's a driving video game where you can car jack people, use weapons, and score points for effectively driving while faced with obstacles. In my zen version of the game, when cars pull out in front of me (which happens on a daily basis) or another scooter turns into my path without looking first, I assess the situation with points, say 200 for example, then when I quickly, safely and sanely avoid them, I get additional points, maybe 500. My Zen GTA game saves me from much unneeded stress.
I also joined a yoga gym. For a good rate, I get unlimited yoga classes (with numerous disciplines), access to the sister gym right next door and we have some nice perks, like a steam room, sauna and 2 spas in the locker room. It's a huge franchise, so there are lots of people and it's quite a scene. They place club hip hop in the locker rooms and gym. But, the people watching is fabulous, the classes pretty good and I'm inspired to do yoga 3 or more times a week because there are so many different classes offered.
As I learn more about the culture of Taiwan, I find many differences quite interesting:
*The Taiwanese believe that you are one year old the day you are born (really it begins at conception), so it's hard to know how old children are sometimes. Also, sometimes ages change depending on Chinese New Year.
*On scooters, children don't have to wear helmets because it's illegal for children to ride scooters. So, if there is no law about children wearing helmets, then the police don't have to bust children on scooters. Lots of children and babies ride around on scooters; sometimes they wear helmets.
*Also on scooters, people enter the roadways, turning right, without even looking at the flow of traffic. Why? If they don't see you while turning, then they don't have to yield for you. It's not a law, just a practice.
*Cars also compete with scooters on the road. The other day, I was driving along in the scooter lane, on the right side of the road and a car sped up past me with his right turn blinker on and then braked very suddenly to turn at the intersection a few feet away. I almost ran right into him and car was so close to me that my instinct didn't even give me time to honk my horn, I just hit the brakes hard and prayed. Yes, my Zen GTA comes into play a lot with this strange notion.
*The wedding culture here is huge! They have lots of wedding cafes where you plan your wedding and a lot of money is involved. The Taiwanese believe that having a huge and impressive wedding, even if that means going bankrupt. Also, the wedding signifies an important part of the beginning of the couplese life culturally.
*This month is Ghost Month and it's a time to pay respect to your ancestors by having huge celebrations, with lots of tables filled with food-rice, beverages, candies, etc., and burning large amounts of paper money and incense. Taiwan is so populated and space is often available at a minimum, so some of these celebrations take place on the roads (leaving a little space for traffic). If you please your ancestors during this holiday, the ones that have gone to hell, will be happier, it is believed.
Life is interesting in Taiwan! Pictures are coming soon.
I have heard about the liquid terrorist attack and hope you aren't all impacted too much by the security backlash. Be well, happy and healthy! Miss you all!
25.7.06
24.7.06
To Rie Yue Tan (Sun Moon Lake) and back
I have been living in Taichung for roughly 2 weeks and it seems that much as evolved for me personally. I have found a job, learned how to ride a 2-wheeled motorized vehicle and now am the proud owner of an adorable blue, 125cc, automatic scooter. Yes, watch out Taiwan locals, I'm out on the road.
In all seriousness, I had a wonderful scooter teacher. Simon was extremely patient and supportive. We would find wide, desserted streets (which is a bit of a challenge here) and I would practice going around and around the blocks. Each session, I became more and more confident. Eventually, I rode in mild traffic and all has been well. Last Thursday, I bought a great scooter from an Oregonian who was off to travel through Southeast Asia. On Friday night, I had my first girls night out with my roommate Elza and friends Shelley and Holly. We literally shopped until we nearly dropped at a night market. Driving to this huge market was very exciting. Imagine 10-50 or more scooters all stopped at one intersection, revving their engines waiting for the light to turn green, then a cloud of exhaust puffing up into the sky as a symphony of engine music surrounds your atmosphere... all while trying to keep an eye out for your friends, because I had no idea where we were going.
Here are a few interesting Taiwanese traffic observations:
*People tend to drive fairly carefully here; not necessarily too fast, but everyone is very aware of the people around them. Accidents are not all that common.
*The horn is used as a communicating device and to remind others not to cut you off.
*Sometimes people drive on the wrong side of the road (but on the shoulder, mind you) because it's easier than getting across multiple lanes of traffic.
*The police drive around with their lights on, as if to say "we are here-don't do anything we have to pull you over for", which is quite considerate. If they turn on their sirens, then you're really in trouble.
*Taxi drivers are crazy and don't seem to deliberately try to drive you off the road, but somehow don't mind getting REALLY close to you, even if you are driving in the scooter lane. (In my experience, taxi drivers in every country are a bit nutty).
*Scooters are not allowed to take left hand turns, so to turn left, you must wait for a green light, veer to right of the intersection across from the direction you want to go and wait in a little scooter box painted on the ground, until you get another green light.
The night market was HUGE. We spent 3.5 hours there and didn't see everything. The Taiwanese are very good at shopping and eating, so the market food was delicious and the shopping was massive. As many of you know, I do not eat wheat. Here they have every kind of sausage being grilled on nearly every corner. Rather than serving the sausage on a bun, they have created these rice rolls in the shape of a bun. So, I ate a rice roll wrapped around a delicious sausage. You can all imagine how excited I was to have a real sausage and "bun". Now, back to the shopping. It's a bit of a tricky game because not every shop will let you try clothes on. They claim their dressing rooms are unavailable or broken, I'm not sure. The sizes are quite different here, as you can imagine. I am undoubtedly, very average in size, so a small pair of pants is sometimes too small, but not always. Shopping can be a bit of a crap shoot. But, the deals, oh the deals, are so sweet. I can walk out of a store with 2-3 outfits for less than $30 (USD). There are bags, shoes, clothes, accessories and much, much more sold on nearly every street corner.
This weekend, we went to Rie Yue Tan or Sun Moon Lake. From Taichung, it took us 2.5-3 hours to get there. A total of 11 of us went on this trip and it was great fun. Thursday I officially learned how to ride a scooter, Friday I bought a scooter and Saturday I rode my new scooter through windy, curvy, steep hills. Maybe not the best thought out plan, but it was a great learning drive. Simon purchased me a very safe and big helmet, so my head is quite cushioned should anything happen. Learning to lean into the curves as you drive down a steep hill is a bit intimidating, but I survived and feel much more confident on the roads now. Sharing the highways with large trucks and other cars can be exciting and a bit thrilling. Huge trucks blowing exhaust right into my face made me fear for the future of my ovaries, but I just held my breath anytime a big truck passed me. Obviously, holding my breath for long periods of time isn't the best long distance driving strategy.
We camped right on the lake, but we were not allowed to swim in it. In my last post, I discussed how the word "safety" is a relative term here. Well, the Taiwanese are quite worried about people swimming in open bodies of water. Most Taiwanese do not know how to swim and yes, they live on an island. So, at Sun Moon Lake, people can swim across it once a year and it's a huge event. But, we went swimming in it anyway. We just waited until really late at night and snuck into a swimming area. It was fun, no one drowned and all was good. :) Some of our friends also did a boat tour, where each adult had to wear a life jacket, but the children didn't and were seen running around on the boat decks. Ah Taiwan!
Our group consisted of foreign teachers and we met up with other foreigners also from Taichung. We spent our days buzzing around the lake, exploring the area and little towns along the lake. The area is quite touristy because it's Taiwan's largest and most beautiful lake. One of the most gorgeous sites I saw was the Wenwu Temple. It's a huge temple that overlooks the lake. From the top of the temple, there are observation decks and you stand, surrounded by serene tiled temple roofs and can see the lake and the lush green surroundings so peacefully.
The ride home was quite stressful, as the downhill curves were very difficult for me, but Simon stayed right by my side and gave me lots of encouragement when I was feeling defeated. During the ride home, I saw my first sunset in Taiwan and it was jaw-dropping gorgeous. Imagine a bright red round sun balancing perfectly above the horizon, completely surrounded by light orange and pink hues. All of this surrounded by hills of trees and amazing landscapes. I tried not to stare at the sunset for too long, as I didn't want to endanger myself and other drivers on the road, but am so thankful for the views I did catch. Taiwan is a beautiful country and there is much to see, I realize.
A typhoon is moving in, which has made the temperature and humidity much cooler. The skies and clouds are often stagnant in Taiwan, but when a typhoon moves in the clouds dance across the sky so beautifully and smog seems to melt away. However, the rain keeps people inside and businesses are often closed. But, I'm hoping typhoon Kaemi is a bit bigger and heftier than Bedisir. Driving in the rain is a fun challenge.
In recent light of the tsunami that rolled through Indonesia and with the recent change of political climate in the Middle East, I am reminded at how blessed I am to be safe and happy in a wonderful place. I am thankful for each of you and hope this message finds you happy, healthy and full of life! XO!
In all seriousness, I had a wonderful scooter teacher. Simon was extremely patient and supportive. We would find wide, desserted streets (which is a bit of a challenge here) and I would practice going around and around the blocks. Each session, I became more and more confident. Eventually, I rode in mild traffic and all has been well. Last Thursday, I bought a great scooter from an Oregonian who was off to travel through Southeast Asia. On Friday night, I had my first girls night out with my roommate Elza and friends Shelley and Holly. We literally shopped until we nearly dropped at a night market. Driving to this huge market was very exciting. Imagine 10-50 or more scooters all stopped at one intersection, revving their engines waiting for the light to turn green, then a cloud of exhaust puffing up into the sky as a symphony of engine music surrounds your atmosphere... all while trying to keep an eye out for your friends, because I had no idea where we were going.
Here are a few interesting Taiwanese traffic observations:
*People tend to drive fairly carefully here; not necessarily too fast, but everyone is very aware of the people around them. Accidents are not all that common.
*The horn is used as a communicating device and to remind others not to cut you off.
*Sometimes people drive on the wrong side of the road (but on the shoulder, mind you) because it's easier than getting across multiple lanes of traffic.
*The police drive around with their lights on, as if to say "we are here-don't do anything we have to pull you over for", which is quite considerate. If they turn on their sirens, then you're really in trouble.
*Taxi drivers are crazy and don't seem to deliberately try to drive you off the road, but somehow don't mind getting REALLY close to you, even if you are driving in the scooter lane. (In my experience, taxi drivers in every country are a bit nutty).
*Scooters are not allowed to take left hand turns, so to turn left, you must wait for a green light, veer to right of the intersection across from the direction you want to go and wait in a little scooter box painted on the ground, until you get another green light.
The night market was HUGE. We spent 3.5 hours there and didn't see everything. The Taiwanese are very good at shopping and eating, so the market food was delicious and the shopping was massive. As many of you know, I do not eat wheat. Here they have every kind of sausage being grilled on nearly every corner. Rather than serving the sausage on a bun, they have created these rice rolls in the shape of a bun. So, I ate a rice roll wrapped around a delicious sausage. You can all imagine how excited I was to have a real sausage and "bun". Now, back to the shopping. It's a bit of a tricky game because not every shop will let you try clothes on. They claim their dressing rooms are unavailable or broken, I'm not sure. The sizes are quite different here, as you can imagine. I am undoubtedly, very average in size, so a small pair of pants is sometimes too small, but not always. Shopping can be a bit of a crap shoot. But, the deals, oh the deals, are so sweet. I can walk out of a store with 2-3 outfits for less than $30 (USD). There are bags, shoes, clothes, accessories and much, much more sold on nearly every street corner.
This weekend, we went to Rie Yue Tan or Sun Moon Lake. From Taichung, it took us 2.5-3 hours to get there. A total of 11 of us went on this trip and it was great fun. Thursday I officially learned how to ride a scooter, Friday I bought a scooter and Saturday I rode my new scooter through windy, curvy, steep hills. Maybe not the best thought out plan, but it was a great learning drive. Simon purchased me a very safe and big helmet, so my head is quite cushioned should anything happen. Learning to lean into the curves as you drive down a steep hill is a bit intimidating, but I survived and feel much more confident on the roads now. Sharing the highways with large trucks and other cars can be exciting and a bit thrilling. Huge trucks blowing exhaust right into my face made me fear for the future of my ovaries, but I just held my breath anytime a big truck passed me. Obviously, holding my breath for long periods of time isn't the best long distance driving strategy.
We camped right on the lake, but we were not allowed to swim in it. In my last post, I discussed how the word "safety" is a relative term here. Well, the Taiwanese are quite worried about people swimming in open bodies of water. Most Taiwanese do not know how to swim and yes, they live on an island. So, at Sun Moon Lake, people can swim across it once a year and it's a huge event. But, we went swimming in it anyway. We just waited until really late at night and snuck into a swimming area. It was fun, no one drowned and all was good. :) Some of our friends also did a boat tour, where each adult had to wear a life jacket, but the children didn't and were seen running around on the boat decks. Ah Taiwan!
Our group consisted of foreign teachers and we met up with other foreigners also from Taichung. We spent our days buzzing around the lake, exploring the area and little towns along the lake. The area is quite touristy because it's Taiwan's largest and most beautiful lake. One of the most gorgeous sites I saw was the Wenwu Temple. It's a huge temple that overlooks the lake. From the top of the temple, there are observation decks and you stand, surrounded by serene tiled temple roofs and can see the lake and the lush green surroundings so peacefully.
The ride home was quite stressful, as the downhill curves were very difficult for me, but Simon stayed right by my side and gave me lots of encouragement when I was feeling defeated. During the ride home, I saw my first sunset in Taiwan and it was jaw-dropping gorgeous. Imagine a bright red round sun balancing perfectly above the horizon, completely surrounded by light orange and pink hues. All of this surrounded by hills of trees and amazing landscapes. I tried not to stare at the sunset for too long, as I didn't want to endanger myself and other drivers on the road, but am so thankful for the views I did catch. Taiwan is a beautiful country and there is much to see, I realize.
A typhoon is moving in, which has made the temperature and humidity much cooler. The skies and clouds are often stagnant in Taiwan, but when a typhoon moves in the clouds dance across the sky so beautifully and smog seems to melt away. However, the rain keeps people inside and businesses are often closed. But, I'm hoping typhoon Kaemi is a bit bigger and heftier than Bedisir. Driving in the rain is a fun challenge.
In recent light of the tsunami that rolled through Indonesia and with the recent change of political climate in the Middle East, I am reminded at how blessed I am to be safe and happy in a wonderful place. I am thankful for each of you and hope this message finds you happy, healthy and full of life! XO!
15.7.06
Where in the world is Pau Pau?
For the next two weeks, Simon and I are house and dog sitting for a friend in Taichung city. The dog, Pau Pau is a black, lab-looking dog, but know one knows for sure. She's a somewhat young, very curious, but a happy and good girl. Yesterday morning, I went out to meet the garbage truck. As a side note, the garbage and recycle trucks drive through the neighborhoods playing the same songs so people know what to bring outside. I had never taken the garbage truck, as in our apartment building, we just dump everything in a huge dumpster. So I go out to meet the garbage truck and have a small miscommunication with the garbage lady who's trying to explain that she's only picking up garbage. When I leave, I only shut the screen door for fear of getting locked out of the apartment. I get back to the apartment in time for the rain to start dumping and I call out for the dog. I remember her owner telling us that she's afraid of the rain and really afraid of the sound of thunder. Pau Pau is no where to be found. I start to panic as I know the rain is dumping and I think she's run away while I was out taking the garbage out. I grab my bag and start walking around calling out her name. Now, it's really raining hard and I really am panicked. I recall some information about lost/kidnapped children and for every minute that they are not found, can get further and further away. I am devastated; I think about her owner who's enjoying a lovely holiday in Thailand with her boyfriend and wonder what I'm going to tell her. I also think Simon, who's away at work, will be so disappointed in me. Additionally, I barely speak any Mandarin yet and generally don't mind the challenge, but in this situation just wish I would run into someone that can speak a little english. I find a few pay phones and attempt to call Simon, but can't figure out why his number isn't going through and what the automated voice is saying to me in Mandarin. I walk into a 7-11 and attempt to ask the clerk for help with the pay phone, explaining that I've lost a "hay sir go" or black dog. When he doesn't know what to do, I start to cry and he quickly comes outside with me to help. Simon's phone is turned off or the call isn't going through. Defeated, I continue my search. I go home at one point to grab her leash, an umbrella and her vitamin bottle. I walk around Taichung city for 3.5 hours asking everyone if they have seen a "hay sir go", shaking her vitamin bottle (she thinks they are treats), calling Pau Pau (which literally means "bubble"). I am sure I looked so crazy to everyone. After I start to get blisters on my feet from my birkenstocks, I go back to the apartment to change shoes and who appears, but yes, Pau Pau. I was so happy to see her, I gave her 4 treats. Apparently, she got really scared from the rain and hid from me. Alls well that ends well, but it was an intense morning.
Other than that, I've gotten to know the tight knit group of foreigners who are living and working here. There are people from all over- Canada, the UK, New Zealand, South Africa and the US. Everyone is very nice, helpful, fun and I seem to have much in common with most of them. It's been wonderful having a little network here to help me get acclimated. Last night, we went out to dinner at an Indian restaurant, then went to a bar for a few drinks. The bar was full of foreigners and it was fun to chat with people, learn about their jobs and backgrounds. I even met a man from New Orleans, who didn't speak with any southern drawl and argued with me when I said that people usually speak with a drawl from his city. It was an interesting conversation, indeed. :)
Today, I went to the Immigrant Mall with Simon and Shelley, from NZ. There is a community of Vietnamese and Thai people who have come to work at factories, as cheap labor. Sunday is their only day off, so they come out to the malls. It was so interesting to see other Asians besides Taiwanese. For a little while, I felt like I was in Thailand again. We watched the movie "Inside", a Spike Lee Joint. It was a great heist movie, cost only about $3 and we received a free tea, internet time and game of pool. Plus, once you pay, you can see all of the movies you want. Very fun afternoon, definitely.
The typhoon ended up being rather mild, which was disapointing. I was hoping for trees in the streets and school closures. But, I understand there are more on the way, as the typhoon season doesn't end until September. Oy!
Other than that, I've gotten to know the tight knit group of foreigners who are living and working here. There are people from all over- Canada, the UK, New Zealand, South Africa and the US. Everyone is very nice, helpful, fun and I seem to have much in common with most of them. It's been wonderful having a little network here to help me get acclimated. Last night, we went out to dinner at an Indian restaurant, then went to a bar for a few drinks. The bar was full of foreigners and it was fun to chat with people, learn about their jobs and backgrounds. I even met a man from New Orleans, who didn't speak with any southern drawl and argued with me when I said that people usually speak with a drawl from his city. It was an interesting conversation, indeed. :)
Today, I went to the Immigrant Mall with Simon and Shelley, from NZ. There is a community of Vietnamese and Thai people who have come to work at factories, as cheap labor. Sunday is their only day off, so they come out to the malls. It was so interesting to see other Asians besides Taiwanese. For a little while, I felt like I was in Thailand again. We watched the movie "Inside", a Spike Lee Joint. It was a great heist movie, cost only about $3 and we received a free tea, internet time and game of pool. Plus, once you pay, you can see all of the movies you want. Very fun afternoon, definitely.
The typhoon ended up being rather mild, which was disapointing. I was hoping for trees in the streets and school closures. But, I understand there are more on the way, as the typhoon season doesn't end until September. Oy!
14.7.06
Not weird, just different...
Nee how ma? How are you? Life is good, interesting and fun in Taichung. Experiencing bits of the culture are so fascinating. The Taiwanese are very careful and somewhat safety conscious. Everyone drives around on scooters with helmets, special arm and hand covers and face masks. They also use sun umbrellas all of the time. Keeping their skin pale and untouched by the sun is important because they feel that pale is more beautiful. (Needless to say, the tan that I got in Cabo San Lucas a few weeks ago makes me stick out like a sore thumb.)
Yesterday, we went to a pool near our home. It's not just your regular swimming pool. It was huge! There was a huge children's area complete with a play structure all above water with slides, swings and climbing areas, another children's area with slides and a water half pipe, a huge outdoor slide and pool, saunas, several jet pools (with jet beds, seats, standing jets), and 9 different soaking herbal pools all different colors from the herbs-light green, dark purple, brown, etc. The Taiwanese love jets and there was an entire tiled room with really strong jets blasting down. It was like a water massage after the initial shock and pain subsided. Also, there was a karaoke room, lap pool, gym, ping pong tables. We spent hours there and I got to speak to Taiwanese children for the first time. Their english was quite good and many of them asked me the same thing: "What can you draw?"
Back to my first point about safety has an interesting twist. While everyone seems safety conscious, I see lots of children riding around on scooters with their parents with no helmet and today while we were riding through town, I saw a huge water half pipe water slide above a building with no railings or guard. There are also lots of playgrounds with no padding under the structures, just cement. Hmmm... So, it seems to me that "safety" is a bit of a relative term.
On Wednesday, Simon and I hosted a dinner party, so I could meet his friends. He used to be a chef and whipped an excellent meal of 7 different dishes-vegetables, tofu, fish, rice noodles, salads, etc. I met many people that he teaches english with and all are foreigners. It was great to connect with his friends, even one from New Zealand who I had heard so much about and just feel a bit more connected to my new life here. Everyone has traveled so much and listening to their stories is renewed inspiration for me to see more of the world. Fun!
Today, we had lunch with Simon's language exchange partner, John and his girlfriend, Irene, who are both students at the local university. It was fun to get to know them, learn more Mandarin and have a delicious hot pot lunch. I am in the process of getting my own language exchange partner, as well. Learning Mandarin suddenly doesn't seem so hopeless and I am excited about the challenge.
We also just experienced a minor typhoon. Typhoon Bedesir has cooled the climate drastically (thank goodness-we don't have air conditioning), swept the bugs and mosquitos away (again thank goodness-I am a tasty treat for some of them) and has moved the layer of smog away from the horizons. From our balcony, I saw the mountains for the first time and they were beautiful. The typhoon also brightened the blue sky and white billowy clouds rolled through quickly as if watching them being fast forwarded with a giant remote control. The typhoon also brought much rain and this morning there was a small lake in our apartment due to a leaky window in our room. Everything, and I do mean everything is tiled in Taiwan, inside and out. So, we all have embraced the mop and things are clean, clean, clean.
Due to the typhoon, I have been locked out of my bedroom, twice. We keep a sliding glass door to the patio open to keep the place ventilated and the wind blew it shut and locked automatically. I had to figure out how to access the roof a different way and the security guard in our building doesn't speak english. Luckily, a nice lady helped interpret and showed me the way up to the roof. Yesterday, while I was reading during the day, I heard a man yelling from outside. I couldn't understand him, but he sounded a bit distressed. After wandering around our patio, I saw him, an elderly neighbor locked out on a different roof-top patio in our building. I figured out how to find his patio and let him in. While we couldn't understand each other, we communicated through body language and he got me to go back to his apartment with him. Turns out he's my next door neighbor and he wanted to give me money for letting him in. So sweet, eh? Of course, I didn't take his money; I only opened a door, for heaven's sakes.
This week has been nice as I haven't had any responsibilities of work or committments, which was a great change of pace from the long hours I was working in Seattle. I've spent my days exploring my new neighborhood on foot, doing my best to order food from local restaurants (which is really yummy and cheap), catching up on reading, writing and yoga (we have a little tea room that has been converted into a yoga space) and trying to acclimate my body clock to it's new environment. Just yesterday, I started sleeping more than 4 hours at a time. Yay!
However, I'm now ready to get back into work again. Next week, I'll visit Simon's school, meet his boss, visit some classrooms and see if I'd like to work there. Aside from teaching english at cram schools, I also could find work as a kindergarten teacher. We'll see how it all pans out... Will post pictures soon! Lots of love!
Yesterday, we went to a pool near our home. It's not just your regular swimming pool. It was huge! There was a huge children's area complete with a play structure all above water with slides, swings and climbing areas, another children's area with slides and a water half pipe, a huge outdoor slide and pool, saunas, several jet pools (with jet beds, seats, standing jets), and 9 different soaking herbal pools all different colors from the herbs-light green, dark purple, brown, etc. The Taiwanese love jets and there was an entire tiled room with really strong jets blasting down. It was like a water massage after the initial shock and pain subsided. Also, there was a karaoke room, lap pool, gym, ping pong tables. We spent hours there and I got to speak to Taiwanese children for the first time. Their english was quite good and many of them asked me the same thing: "What can you draw?"
Back to my first point about safety has an interesting twist. While everyone seems safety conscious, I see lots of children riding around on scooters with their parents with no helmet and today while we were riding through town, I saw a huge water half pipe water slide above a building with no railings or guard. There are also lots of playgrounds with no padding under the structures, just cement. Hmmm... So, it seems to me that "safety" is a bit of a relative term.
On Wednesday, Simon and I hosted a dinner party, so I could meet his friends. He used to be a chef and whipped an excellent meal of 7 different dishes-vegetables, tofu, fish, rice noodles, salads, etc. I met many people that he teaches english with and all are foreigners. It was great to connect with his friends, even one from New Zealand who I had heard so much about and just feel a bit more connected to my new life here. Everyone has traveled so much and listening to their stories is renewed inspiration for me to see more of the world. Fun!
Today, we had lunch with Simon's language exchange partner, John and his girlfriend, Irene, who are both students at the local university. It was fun to get to know them, learn more Mandarin and have a delicious hot pot lunch. I am in the process of getting my own language exchange partner, as well. Learning Mandarin suddenly doesn't seem so hopeless and I am excited about the challenge.
We also just experienced a minor typhoon. Typhoon Bedesir has cooled the climate drastically (thank goodness-we don't have air conditioning), swept the bugs and mosquitos away (again thank goodness-I am a tasty treat for some of them) and has moved the layer of smog away from the horizons. From our balcony, I saw the mountains for the first time and they were beautiful. The typhoon also brightened the blue sky and white billowy clouds rolled through quickly as if watching them being fast forwarded with a giant remote control. The typhoon also brought much rain and this morning there was a small lake in our apartment due to a leaky window in our room. Everything, and I do mean everything is tiled in Taiwan, inside and out. So, we all have embraced the mop and things are clean, clean, clean.
Due to the typhoon, I have been locked out of my bedroom, twice. We keep a sliding glass door to the patio open to keep the place ventilated and the wind blew it shut and locked automatically. I had to figure out how to access the roof a different way and the security guard in our building doesn't speak english. Luckily, a nice lady helped interpret and showed me the way up to the roof. Yesterday, while I was reading during the day, I heard a man yelling from outside. I couldn't understand him, but he sounded a bit distressed. After wandering around our patio, I saw him, an elderly neighbor locked out on a different roof-top patio in our building. I figured out how to find his patio and let him in. While we couldn't understand each other, we communicated through body language and he got me to go back to his apartment with him. Turns out he's my next door neighbor and he wanted to give me money for letting him in. So sweet, eh? Of course, I didn't take his money; I only opened a door, for heaven's sakes.
This week has been nice as I haven't had any responsibilities of work or committments, which was a great change of pace from the long hours I was working in Seattle. I've spent my days exploring my new neighborhood on foot, doing my best to order food from local restaurants (which is really yummy and cheap), catching up on reading, writing and yoga (we have a little tea room that has been converted into a yoga space) and trying to acclimate my body clock to it's new environment. Just yesterday, I started sleeping more than 4 hours at a time. Yay!
However, I'm now ready to get back into work again. Next week, I'll visit Simon's school, meet his boss, visit some classrooms and see if I'd like to work there. Aside from teaching english at cram schools, I also could find work as a kindergarten teacher. We'll see how it all pans out... Will post pictures soon! Lots of love!
10.7.06
Taichung, Taiwan: I'm here!
Hello everyone! After long travel, I arrived to Taipei to meet my friend Simon. Taiwan is the second most populated place on earth after Bangladesh and Taipei is a bustling, clean and safe city. The weather is hot, approximately 85 F degrees and very humid. It's typhoon season and I'm told that usually the weather is much hotter. I'll acclimate eventually. :)
On our first day in Taipei, we started the day by visiting the weekend flower and jade markets. The flower market was beautiful. The weather and knowledge of plant lovers helps create a gorgeous variety of orchids, succelents, bonsai and many other plants. I can't wait to try to keep my own orchid here. They are beautiful and there are many types that I've never seen before.
Next we took the MRT, which is the Taipei train transit. As many of you know, I used to work in transit and have a real love for transit and trains. The MRT is a very clean, efficient and inexpensive way to see the huge city. A Taiwanese woman even lectured me on drinking a beverage while entering the station. She was not at all impressed or let up on me when I explained that I was an American and didn't know the rules. Needless to say, I threw the drink away as soon as I could. Oy!
Our first stop was the Longshan Temple. It was built in 1783 by Fujianese locals and is a huge, amazing temple surrounded by dragon pillars through out. We joined many people in prayer and the burning of incense. It was so refreshing to visit a temple again and I am so thankful for the time to pray, meditate and appreciate the wonderful travels and life that I am so privileged to experience. Next we visited the Snake Alley Night market. Much of the market was closed since it we visited during the day, but we did have a nice lunch of snake soup. Turns out, snake tastes like chicken and is very bony. The soup also had a mixture of Chinese plums and nuts that are apparently good for women's health. All in all, it was a delicious experience.
My friend Simon has been studying Taiwanese for 2.5 months and is quite good, I think. The Taiwanese are confused that I can't speak a lick of their language, but the caucasian guy with me can... So, he's taught me a few basic phrases and words to barely get by: Hello (nee how), Thank you (shie shie ny), I don't understand/literally I hear you but don't understand (wor ting bu dong) and toilet (tsu swor). My first attempt to find a bathroom was very successful and he was impressed that the locals could understand me. Many people here learn English by Western foreigners so perhaps an American trying to speak Mandarinis easier to understand than a Kiwi. At any rate, we'll see how well I embrace this difficult language. However, so far, with a smile and some laughter, the Taiwanese are quick to try to communicate... in any language.
Next we visited the Chiang Kai-Shek memorial built after the late president. The buildings in the compound are covered in blue glass-like tiles and surrounded by white marble walls. The grounds are covered in beautiful fauna. The actual memorial has a huge statue of the late president (think Lincoln Memorial size) and is guarded by two guards in full uniform, armed with bayonet guns that didn't look very automatic. The sun was hot at this time of the day and we quickly found a cafe for turnip cake, rice noodles and iced tea to cool us.
Then, we traveled to the end of the MRT line to Danshui which is the harbor along the Danshui river. I suggested we dip our toes in the river, as I like to physically touch many of the new bodies of water I experience. Simon quickly explained that this was the only river out of Taipei and the pollution was probably thick. Ah Asia, so beautiful, but not the most environmentally aware. Danshui was the equivalent of a beach front boardwalk complete with arcade games, shops, restaurants, musicians and entertainers. We arrived just before sunset and the area was full of people, young and old alike. There was a Turkish ice cream man who was so entertaining using a metal rod to hold the ice cream cone. He sang, flipped the cones around, slapping ice cream on top like a champion. Even though I don't eat ice cream, I bought one just for the entertainment value. Taiwan is such an inexpensive place to experience, so $0.93 for a few moments of laughter and fun was certainly worth it.
We traveled back to the city and visited Taipei 101, which is the tallest building in the world at 1,670 feet. The night views of the city were spectacular as the city was light up and life below was in abundance. Then, we ended our day by visiting the Tonghua, Linjian St. night market. Another perk about Asia is that shopping and eating can be found at nearly all hours of the night.
Today, we took a train to Taichung, Taiwan. The country is very industrialized and I saw many factories, flood plains, bits of nature and hills. My apartment is cozy and comfortable, complete with a roof top patio. My flatmate, Elza is a fun, spunky woman from South Africa. Her accent is very different from any other I've experienced, so it will take me a bit to get used to it. However, I'm here safe and sound and so far, loving my new home. I'm off to explore my new neighborhood (on foot). Hope this finds you all well, happy and healthy! XO!
On our first day in Taipei, we started the day by visiting the weekend flower and jade markets. The flower market was beautiful. The weather and knowledge of plant lovers helps create a gorgeous variety of orchids, succelents, bonsai and many other plants. I can't wait to try to keep my own orchid here. They are beautiful and there are many types that I've never seen before.
Next we took the MRT, which is the Taipei train transit. As many of you know, I used to work in transit and have a real love for transit and trains. The MRT is a very clean, efficient and inexpensive way to see the huge city. A Taiwanese woman even lectured me on drinking a beverage while entering the station. She was not at all impressed or let up on me when I explained that I was an American and didn't know the rules. Needless to say, I threw the drink away as soon as I could. Oy!
Our first stop was the Longshan Temple. It was built in 1783 by Fujianese locals and is a huge, amazing temple surrounded by dragon pillars through out. We joined many people in prayer and the burning of incense. It was so refreshing to visit a temple again and I am so thankful for the time to pray, meditate and appreciate the wonderful travels and life that I am so privileged to experience. Next we visited the Snake Alley Night market. Much of the market was closed since it we visited during the day, but we did have a nice lunch of snake soup. Turns out, snake tastes like chicken and is very bony. The soup also had a mixture of Chinese plums and nuts that are apparently good for women's health. All in all, it was a delicious experience.
My friend Simon has been studying Taiwanese for 2.5 months and is quite good, I think. The Taiwanese are confused that I can't speak a lick of their language, but the caucasian guy with me can... So, he's taught me a few basic phrases and words to barely get by: Hello (nee how), Thank you (shie shie ny), I don't understand/literally I hear you but don't understand (wor ting bu dong) and toilet (tsu swor). My first attempt to find a bathroom was very successful and he was impressed that the locals could understand me. Many people here learn English by Western foreigners so perhaps an American trying to speak Mandarinis easier to understand than a Kiwi. At any rate, we'll see how well I embrace this difficult language. However, so far, with a smile and some laughter, the Taiwanese are quick to try to communicate... in any language.
Next we visited the Chiang Kai-Shek memorial built after the late president. The buildings in the compound are covered in blue glass-like tiles and surrounded by white marble walls. The grounds are covered in beautiful fauna. The actual memorial has a huge statue of the late president (think Lincoln Memorial size) and is guarded by two guards in full uniform, armed with bayonet guns that didn't look very automatic. The sun was hot at this time of the day and we quickly found a cafe for turnip cake, rice noodles and iced tea to cool us.
Then, we traveled to the end of the MRT line to Danshui which is the harbor along the Danshui river. I suggested we dip our toes in the river, as I like to physically touch many of the new bodies of water I experience. Simon quickly explained that this was the only river out of Taipei and the pollution was probably thick. Ah Asia, so beautiful, but not the most environmentally aware. Danshui was the equivalent of a beach front boardwalk complete with arcade games, shops, restaurants, musicians and entertainers. We arrived just before sunset and the area was full of people, young and old alike. There was a Turkish ice cream man who was so entertaining using a metal rod to hold the ice cream cone. He sang, flipped the cones around, slapping ice cream on top like a champion. Even though I don't eat ice cream, I bought one just for the entertainment value. Taiwan is such an inexpensive place to experience, so $0.93 for a few moments of laughter and fun was certainly worth it.
We traveled back to the city and visited Taipei 101, which is the tallest building in the world at 1,670 feet. The night views of the city were spectacular as the city was light up and life below was in abundance. Then, we ended our day by visiting the Tonghua, Linjian St. night market. Another perk about Asia is that shopping and eating can be found at nearly all hours of the night.
Today, we took a train to Taichung, Taiwan. The country is very industrialized and I saw many factories, flood plains, bits of nature and hills. My apartment is cozy and comfortable, complete with a roof top patio. My flatmate, Elza is a fun, spunky woman from South Africa. Her accent is very different from any other I've experienced, so it will take me a bit to get used to it. However, I'm here safe and sound and so far, loving my new home. I'm off to explore my new neighborhood (on foot). Hope this finds you all well, happy and healthy! XO!
7.7.06
Seattle: Great to be back!
Back in the US, I've enjoyed reconnecting with friends and family. Spring time in Seattle has been beautiful. The cherry blossoms bloomed as I arrived and the experience warmed my heart. Tomorrow, I leave for Taichung, Taiwan for 6 or more months. I will teach English, volunteer, explore Asia and experience as many adventures as possible.
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