I've posted links to my facebook photo albums. If there are photos relating to a topic in one of the blogs, the title of the album will be bolded in parentheses next to it. Just click on the link to see the pics. If you have trouble viewing the photos, please let me know.
Also, now that I have the internet, I am going to try to post about once a week(likely on Wed.) But I will be checking for, and responding to, comments more frequently, so leave some. I want to know what you think.
Wednesday, August 15, 2007
Thursday, August 9, 2007
Week 3.3 Complete
Aug 7th
There ended up being not too many people here last night. Basically it was us 3 housemates, Patrice and Michelle and Callum. Robert stopped by for a bit, too. There also wasn’t any wine, which was fine by me, really. We had a nice little visit and chat. It was all very low key.
It started storming at about 7 this morning and didn’t stop all day. It’s still drizzling outside. My boss said that there may be a typhoon tomorrow and if there is, I don’t have to work. I kinda hope there is one. Not just to get out of work either. I’ve never seen a typhoon before. I should probably stock up on food and bottled water . They say that after a storm here you shouldn’t drink the tap water.
Anyway, because of the rain and whatever, my kids were all really antsy. The one who cried on and off most of yesterday forgot the off today. One of my boys who is usually pretty good was horrible; not listening and being incredibly silly. Even one of my girls cried all day because she wanted to be in her sister’s class. It sucked. But my smarty was really well behaved. He even used full English sentences without prompting today! That’s huge. Seriously, I want to steal that kid.
I tried saki for the first time today. For lunch, I went to a restaurant with Sam. He decided he needed a drink and told me after he’d ordered what he had gotten (he always orders in Chinese). That’s when he told me I was splitting the saki with him. I didn’t like it much, but apparently I would like a better quality saki, because the alcohol flavour is not so strong. I also had my first authentic Chinese sweet and sour sauce. It was really good. Better than what we get at home.
Aug 8th
Half day today. Thank God. In the 2 hours that I taught, 3/5 of my kids cried. And believe it or not, crying boy wasn’t one of them. He actually participated and got some answers right. It was actually one of the bright spots.
The other bright spot was following the Jays game (live) online before work, and seeing part of it in the evening at dinner. Sucks that they lost, but I’ve never been so happy that they’re playing the Yankees. Since there’s a Taiwanese pitcher on the Yankees, that’s the only MLB team that they ever show here. But I got to see my boyfriend, even if only for a minute.
Other than that I had lunch with Sam (really good and cheap chicken curry) and dinner with Katherine and Diana (at NY bagel where they make spectacular scrambled eggs and cheese). And I did laundry in the afternoon. All in all an uneventful, yet enjoyable day.
I did, however realize that I am a gigantic moron. I’ve been worrying about ordering my Nix books here when I’m going to Australia after I’m done here. Nix is from Australia and I know they’re published there. In English, no less. Seriously, could I be any more stupid? (Yes. I could have written stupider, which I did originally.)
Aug 9th
Jays won today!!! Sadly I didn’t get to actually see any of the game. But I did follow what was happening online before work. Of course when I started watching at 8 They were already winning 8-2.
My stupid power adapter just blew. So I am on battery power only until I can pick up a new one. Boo.
School went well. Nobody cried. Everyone was relatively well behaved. I think I keep planning things that are beyond their capabilities. I’m working on toning it down, but it’s hard. It’s not that they’re slow, I’m just trying to explain things in a language they don’t understand. Oh well. Tomorrow’s Friday and then I get a weekend.
Nothing new to report today except that I can get an ice cream bar at 7/11 for the equivalent of 50c Canadian. I was super excited.
There ended up being not too many people here last night. Basically it was us 3 housemates, Patrice and Michelle and Callum. Robert stopped by for a bit, too. There also wasn’t any wine, which was fine by me, really. We had a nice little visit and chat. It was all very low key.
It started storming at about 7 this morning and didn’t stop all day. It’s still drizzling outside. My boss said that there may be a typhoon tomorrow and if there is, I don’t have to work. I kinda hope there is one. Not just to get out of work either. I’ve never seen a typhoon before. I should probably stock up on food and bottled water . They say that after a storm here you shouldn’t drink the tap water.
Anyway, because of the rain and whatever, my kids were all really antsy. The one who cried on and off most of yesterday forgot the off today. One of my boys who is usually pretty good was horrible; not listening and being incredibly silly. Even one of my girls cried all day because she wanted to be in her sister’s class. It sucked. But my smarty was really well behaved. He even used full English sentences without prompting today! That’s huge. Seriously, I want to steal that kid.
I tried saki for the first time today. For lunch, I went to a restaurant with Sam. He decided he needed a drink and told me after he’d ordered what he had gotten (he always orders in Chinese). That’s when he told me I was splitting the saki with him. I didn’t like it much, but apparently I would like a better quality saki, because the alcohol flavour is not so strong. I also had my first authentic Chinese sweet and sour sauce. It was really good. Better than what we get at home.
Aug 8th
Half day today. Thank God. In the 2 hours that I taught, 3/5 of my kids cried. And believe it or not, crying boy wasn’t one of them. He actually participated and got some answers right. It was actually one of the bright spots.
The other bright spot was following the Jays game (live) online before work, and seeing part of it in the evening at dinner. Sucks that they lost, but I’ve never been so happy that they’re playing the Yankees. Since there’s a Taiwanese pitcher on the Yankees, that’s the only MLB team that they ever show here. But I got to see my boyfriend, even if only for a minute.
Other than that I had lunch with Sam (really good and cheap chicken curry) and dinner with Katherine and Diana (at NY bagel where they make spectacular scrambled eggs and cheese). And I did laundry in the afternoon. All in all an uneventful, yet enjoyable day.
I did, however realize that I am a gigantic moron. I’ve been worrying about ordering my Nix books here when I’m going to Australia after I’m done here. Nix is from Australia and I know they’re published there. In English, no less. Seriously, could I be any more stupid? (Yes. I could have written stupider, which I did originally.)
Aug 9th
Jays won today!!! Sadly I didn’t get to actually see any of the game. But I did follow what was happening online before work. Of course when I started watching at 8 They were already winning 8-2.
My stupid power adapter just blew. So I am on battery power only until I can pick up a new one. Boo.
School went well. Nobody cried. Everyone was relatively well behaved. I think I keep planning things that are beyond their capabilities. I’m working on toning it down, but it’s hard. It’s not that they’re slow, I’m just trying to explain things in a language they don’t understand. Oh well. Tomorrow’s Friday and then I get a weekend.
Nothing new to report today except that I can get an ice cream bar at 7/11 for the equivalent of 50c Canadian. I was super excited.
Monday, August 6, 2007
Adventures in Taiwan (cont'd)
July 22nd
Last night my roommate Yvonne and I went to Danshui (Taiwan Mach 1), which is like the harbour front area. It was so crowded it was crazy, but I did finally manage to find some postcards. So we went to Fisherman’s Wharf which is less crowded because it’s harder to get to. It was beautiful, though. There’s a big wooden bridge that goes along the water’s edge. At one point there were some guys playing guitar and singing songs out of a book, that the audience could request. As soon as they saw me, they started looking through their book for any English songs. Eventually they came up with "How do I Live" by Leanne Rimes. It was really sweet. Then one of Yvonne’s friends drove us home. Taiwanese driving is SO scary!! Cab drivers in Toronto have nothing on the drivers here.
This morning I met some of the other teachers to go hiking (Hiking). It was like being in a sauna and then climbing a mountain. Literally. The temperature was about 37C and we were actually climbing up and down a mountain. Geniuses that we are, we ended up hiking through the hottest part of the day. Also, I am completely out of shape. It was worth it, though. The vegetation is beautiful. I took a million pictures and we even saw a buffalo.
July 24th
Yesterday was pretty uneventful. I finally got to work with some of the kids I’ll be teaching. They are super cute! There are only 6 kids in the class right now, but there will be more once the fall semester actually starts. There’s this one that is so adorable and way too smart for his own good. He’s actually quite a little trouble maker, but I think it’s just because he’s bored. I’m really excited to find new ways to challenge him. Tomorrow I actually get to teach a lesson. I came up with the lesson plan all by myself. Not with the little ones, yet. But with the first group I worked with. It should be interesting to say the least.
So last night marked my first attempt at doing laundry in Asia. It worked out not at all. My roommate, Yvonne, wasn’t home, so I tried to do it myself. It was made much more difficult by the fact that all of the instructions and labels were in Chinese. So tonight, I asked Yvonne to show me how it worked and tried again. Turns out I had all of the settings right, but the machine’s just broken. At least I know it’s not my own incompetence.
Before I hopped on the laundry train tonight, I had a drink after work with one of the other teachers, Sam. I had a really good time. We just sat in a bar and had a drink, and then because I wanted dessert, he took me to a café and had cake with me.
Today was also my first experience with Taiwanese rain. It was kinda cloudy and drizzly all day, but right around 1 we had a HUGE thunderstorm. It was right on top of us. There was thunder and lightning at exactly the same time and giant raindrops. It was fantastic. The rain was warm and the humidity was less severe than normal. I would have stayed out in it for my whole lunch break, except that I had to go back to school for the afternoon and had no change of clothes with me. Of course, by the time school ended the rain had mostly stopped and the humidity was back to normal.
Anyway, on my way home I was distracted and I missed the turn for my alley. On the next corner, I discovered an amazing temple(Taiwan Mach 1). It’s so funny, when you’re looking at it, it’s all you can see and every detail is defined. But if you’re not looking right at it, it just blends into the rest of the scenery. I’ve been here a week and never noticed it before.
One other random thing I realized today; there’s no grass here. I mean, in the city. There are no lawns or boulevards. The only greenery is in parks (Taiwan Mach 1)and the occasional tree leaves. Don’t get me wrong, the parks are beautiful, and super green. And there are way more of them than in most North American cities, but does it make up for the lack of green everywhere else? Just some food for thought.
July 25th
Today I taught my first class! It went really well. The kids even liked the game that I made up for them. Luckily it was Wed. which is a half day, so I only had to teach them in the morning. Unfortunately, right now, the school is turning the current play area into my classroom. So the poor kids didn’t get a chance to have "recess". They had to stay in the classroom and just play with lego and stuff. It was as bad as an indoor recess when I was a kid. Those were the worst.
After school I had lunch with Sam. He introduced me to teppenyaki. It’s a Japanese style, where they prepare your food on the grill right in front of where you sit. I had the chicken and it was good. He also let me try his salmon, and I liked it. Ha! Take that, not liking fish!
The place was in a mall food court close to school. It was right next to the mall’s playworld. So we went in to play. The games were interesting and some were a little weird. We played this one where the balls float up from the middle and you have to catch them and throw them into a pig’s mouth. It was really hard and you look like a moron while you’re playing. Of course there were the old standards, too, like air hockey.
Turns out pool is really big here. After we played in the playworld, Sam showed me a pool hall near school. It’s really nice. We played a few games and I actually won 1 legitimately and 2 on technicalities (he scratched on the 8 ball).
July 26th
I got to teach the little ones today. I taught them a new song and read a story. It’s so great when you can actually see them picking stuff up. It happens so fast with this age group. One minute they’re lookin’ at you like your crazy and the next they’re doing the actions and laughing and having fun. Tomorrow, I’ll re-teach them the exact same thing and hopefully this time they’ll remember and there will be more participation.
I also talked to my boss about the apartment again. She talked to the personnel office, or whatever, and it looks like I can move. So as soon as I pay first and last, I get my key and I can move in. I’ll probably move over the weekend. I can’t wait because once I move, Mom can send me the rest of my things and I can start buying the other stuff that I still need.
After work Katherine took me to 3 different book stores, each with large English language sections. One of them actually has Nix books and Katherine says that they will special order. This makes me very excited. I hope I can get my hands on Across the Wall. I also found The Deathly Hollows and bought it. So far it’s SO good. I finally put it down at 2am because I have to work in the morning.
July 27th
Holy Crap!!!!! I finished Harry Potter today. It was everything I wanted it to be.... except for a certain werewolf attack that never happened. Don’t worry, no spoilers here, because I’m done talking about it. But I did get my Taipei library card today. So many more books are available now. All for free!! Whoever thought up libraries was a genius... Seriously, if I knew their name, I just might name my first born after them.
In other news, I got my key for my new apartment today. I also got to see it for the first time. It’s actually not quite as nice as the one I’m in now, but it’s worth it for the convenience. It’s literally across the street from my school. I will be moving in tomorrow and then I can start buying all of the things I wish I had, but didn’t want to get before I moved, like dishes and towels. Also, I’ve met 2/3 of my new roommates and they seem really laid back and cool. They teach kids, so their schedules are a little more varied than mine, but it shouldn’t be a problem.
My current roommate also offered to meet with me weekly, starting next week, for Chinese lessons. Turns out she went to university to learn specifically how to teach Chinese. So I’ll be getting personal lessons until September, when she leaves for France. I’m so excited about it. I’ll finally be able to order my own food without having to rely on Sam, or whoever else I happen to be with.
At school, I'll be sitting in with Sam's class, which is actually a mix of 2 classes. There’s supposed to be a new teacher covering the Zebra half of Sam’s class (all classes have animal names), but she won’t be starting until Wed. So I have to sub for her and I don’t get to start with my Pandas (the 3 year olds) until after she is trained. Luckily, though, my first day actually teaching the older ones is just a half day, so I don’t have to worry about keeping them occupied for the whole day.
I did get to spend one last morning with my kids before moving to the zebras. We did the colour song again and this time they participated with very little encouragement. They were much more into the storybook, too. They even did all the actions and counted along when they were supposed to. Those kids are just so cute. It’s horrible, really, because no matter how much they misbehave, they just have to look at me and grin and I want to let them off the hook. There’s one in particular that I just want to smuggle home with me.
After work, Katherine took me to this place called "The Diner" that serves western style food. She had a cheeseburger and fries and I had eggs and hashbrown and toast. It was pretty good, but everything was super greasy and apparently here toast means warm bread. I mean, this wasn’t even toasted enough for me and I like my toast anemic. It was well worth it though, for the brownie and ice cream desert. It was warm brownie served with 2 scoops of vanilla ice cream on top. Mmmmm...... seriously as good as the one at the Pheonix, which was my favourite back home.
Also, I have a tan! Well, my face, neck and arms are tan. My legs are still pasty white. And it’s not tan, tan; it’s tan for me, tan. To everyone else it probably just looks like I’m a normal skin colour and not a corpse, but it’s actually a tan. I even have a few freckles on my nose.
July 28th
Moving day!!! I spent the whole day moving things into my new apartment. It took me 3 trips. 2 on the MRT and 1 by cab. There was no way I was lugging my 2 big suitcases to the MRT station. All things considered, the move went very smoothly. My new room is a really awkward shape and the bed is smaller but there’s more storage furniture. I will also have the internet as soon as I can figure out which network is ours.
Went to the mall with one of my new roomies, Diana, tonight. Another teacher (but at a different school), Robert, was with us as well. They were both on the hike last week. The mall was actually quite fun. We started with dinner in the food court (I had a fantastic chicken sandwich and fresh kiwi juice). Then we played some games in the playworld and each got a super bouncy ball. I won’t bore you with the shopping details, but lets just say I’m surprised we didn’t get kicked out of the mall for behaving like hooligans with our bouncy balls.
Now I’m just unpacking and arranging things. There are a bunch of new things I need to get from the ‘everything store’ tomorrow. I’m writing a list. But now I need to shower because I’m gross from moving all day.
July 29th
My first day to wake up in my new apartment was wonderful. My room gets lots of light, so my lack of alarm clock is still not going to be a problem. The air conditioner is lovely and it doesn’t blow directly on me. I also have my very own (tiny) balcony. It would be cozy for 2 people standing and there’s not room for even 1 person to sit, but it’s all mine.
This morning Katherine and I went to the presidential gardens (Official Residence), which is now officially called the "Official Residence" I think. It was really pretty. But I think it must be the wrong time of year to go because a lot of the flowers weren’t in bloom. There’s a beautiful rose garden, though and I took pictures of some of the more interesting roses. I also took pictures of their name plaques so I would remember which was which. We also explored the orchid hut, which was amazing. I took tons of pictures of the gardens.
The gardens also had tons of topiaries and statues of pigs. I mean, everywhere you looked there was a cute little pig staring at you. It was weird enough that I actually asked Katherine about it. Turns out it’s the year of the pig in the Chinese calender. But it’s not just any year of the pig. Nope, it’s year of the Golden Pig. Apparently it’s supposed to be a very prosperous year, financially. So the giant pig on one of the banks makes a lot more sense now.
Across the street from my apartment is a fruit market. I can actually see it from my balcony. The guys stand out front yelling at the cars and scooters trying to get them to stop and buy some fruit. It’s pretty cheap, too (as long as the fruit is in season). I think I’m going to become a regular there. I like it.
I made it to the store to pick up some essentials. I didn’t get everything on my list because it’s not all necessary right now. But I got a few things, like a mug, and clothes pegs so I could finally do some laundry. I know, it’s not interesting but I’m really excited that the washing machine actually works. After the fiasco with the last one, I’m really pleased with the nearly new Japanese washer. It works really well, too. It didn’t eat any of my clothes. And they are hanging up to dry right now.
July 30th
My first day going to school from my new apartment. It was sweet. I got out of bed at the time I would’ve been leaving my old place. I’ve also done some more cleaning and put up posters and pictures and stuff. It actually looks like my space, now. The only issue that I continue to have is lack of internet. I thought the router had wireless, but on closer inspection, I don’t think it does.
I also made another trip to the everything store to pick up some cleaning supplies and munchies. Yes it does have both. It is the everything store. Now I just need to find places to put a few last things and I’ll be completely settled.
School was good. Hung out with Sam’s class again. I’m finally starting to learn their names. They’re sweet, mostly, but loud. There were 18 kids yesterday, all 4 and 5 years old. My head was killing me by lunch. Of course the hour and a half that we get for break helps. I went to a place called Casa Della Pasta with Sam for lunch. It was really nice, and not too pricey.
There was a thunderstorm today, too. I walked the block home in the rain :) and then sat on my (sheltered) balcony to watch the storm. It was stupendous. And there was a crash of lightning and thunder at exactly the same time right in front of me. It was a little scary, but really cool. After that the storm abated, and I came inside to clean.
July 31st
School was empty today. All of the students went on a field trip except for my Panda class. So there were 6 students with the run of the school... Except of course that we didn’t let them. It was much more relaxing during playtime, though. We weren’t worried about our kids getting trampled by the older ones. The new teacher arrived today also. Now, even though I haven’t actually taught a class by myself yet, I’m no longer "the new teacher". She seems nice and she just finished a year of teaching English in Japan. I still feel like the newbie, because she’s got some experience, even if it’s not with Kojen.
I have my first official class by myself tomorrow. I’m a little nervous, because it’s not the kids that I know, but I’ll deal. I have a lesson plan ready. And I figure if all else fails I’ll throw a couple of drama games at them. I’m just listening to a CD of kid’s songs to find some extra material. Katherine has been a huge help going offer my lesson plans with me and offering advice.
To get my ARC I need 3000NT$ and to get that I need to exchange my traveler’s cheques. Let me tell you, it’s like pulling teeth. Some banks only exchange American dollars, one will exchange Canadian, but only cash, not traveler’s cheques. I spent my whole lunch hour going from bank to bank, and I was completely unsuccessful. So tomorrow I have to go to some special American Express place, that’s super far away. Good thing it’s a half day.
Aug 2nd
So yesterday was my first day teaching all by myself. It went well in spite of my stupidity. I planned enough activities to get through my time but I also grabbed a book to read, out loud to the class, just in case I lost the kids’ attention. So with about 10 minutes left in class we had finished everything that I had planned. I forgot that I had grabbed the book though. So I made a slight change to the game and let them keep playing til the end. It worked out ok, in the end. We just read the book today.
Last night I went to dinner with 2/3 of my roommates as well as a bunch of other teachers at TGI Friday’s. Compared to restaurants back home, it was fairly inexpensive, but in relation to food places here, it was crazy. We had a good time though. And it gave me a chance to get to know some of the non-preschool teachers better. After dinner we hit the playworld for some air hockey and bouncy-ball winning games. I got another orange one. We were going to see a movie, but one by one people bailed and then it was too late.
Today’s teaching went really well. I’m finding it really easy to work with the Chinese teacher who has this class. She’s got some fantastic ideas and is making my life so much easier. She actually studied ECE at Conestoga in Waterloo so she was asking me about where I’m from and everything. She also told me that I’m a good teacher, which means a lot coming from her. She’s been with the school for years and knows what she’s talking about. But when I mentioned it to Katherine, she said the same thing. Apparently finding people who are good at working with kids is difficult. *shrug* Who knew? I just don’t know how you would behave any other way with them.
One of the kids who was absent yesterday was back today. I swear I thought I was teaching Jamie(Goodbye Canada) 19 years ago. This kid is so smart, but trying to get him to sit still was like pulling teeth. I’m finding it difficult to discipline him, though, because I know that he’s trying, but at the same time, he disrupts the class. Oh well, tomorrow’s my last day teaching these kids anyway. Their real teacher takes over on Monday, and I get my babies back. (who all say hello every time I pass them in the hall, so I know they still remember me).
After work, I went to dinner with Katherine and then we went Chang Kai Shek Memorial Hall(Sightseeing). I saw some amazingly massive and beautiful architecture and learned some history. I actually fell in love with the gate out front. I’m not even sure what drew me to it, but I couldn’t get enough. I didn’t even care so much about the museum, except for some cool friezes on the ceiling. I didn’t get pictures of those, though, cuz we couldn’t take pictures inside.
I also figured out that the router in my apartment isn’t wireless. All of my stupid internet problems could have been solved ages ago, if I’d just thought to look. I just need to buy an ethernet cord and I should be good to go. I can’t wait. I don’t mind checking my e-mail at school, but I really do prefer my own computer.
Aug. 4th
Yesterday was Friday and you could tell the kids were ready for it. They weren’t bad, just a little unruly. We also had a birthday party for all the kids who have a birthday in August. Each class prepares and performs a song of some sort. We did a song about making pizza. It was really cute.
After work I went for drinks with Sam and the new teacher, Corrie. We started at a place called Day and Night, then we moved to the less stuffy atmosphere of 0204, which happens to be directly across the street from my apartment(Random Fun). My window actually overlooks it, but I’d never been in. We just sat at the bar, so I didn’t really get a feel for the place.
I’d been home for a couple of hours when Diana invited me to 0204 with her. This time I got to see the rest of the place. The decor is mostly wood, upstairs there’s a pool table and downstairs there’s a foosball table and a stage. It’s not very big, though. A bunch of the teachers from the kids’ classes were there. One, Michelle, I had met before but the others (except for my roommate Thadeus and his gf) were all new. There’s a couple, Paul and Michelle (a different one), from New York and a couple of other guys from Canada. It appears that the teaching population here is highly Canadian. I feel right at home.
This morning I lounged for hours and finished Lireal. Then, in spite of the thunder and lightning that had been going on for hours, I decided it was time to go get me an ethernet cord. We often get thunder storms without rain, so I didn’t think anything of it. When I went out, it was pouring buckets. Usually, it’ll rain hard for about 15 minutes and then slow to a drizzle and eventually stop, so I just went out anyway. It was still pouring when I got home about an hour later, without my ethernet cord. I was soaked through to the skin, literally dripping. Not only did I not get what I wanted, but I’ve also ruined my copy of Abhorsen. I had it in my bag (which is still saturated with water) in case I decided to stop at a café for a drink. The whole experience makes me want to rethink my stand on umbrellas. But there was so much wind today, too, that I don’t know an umbrella would have helped.
I made it home and got dry while watching a couple of Buffy episodes. Then I decided that it was time for food. I was planning just to grab a bite from the alley but when I went out, I ran into Diana, T and Michelle. So Michelle offered to treat me to a hair-gism and I’ll admit, I was intrigued. We went to a salon where they gave us massages (head and shoulders) then washed and styled our hair. All for about $6. It was fantastic. Then we went to dinner with Paul and Michelle and Callum (one of the Canadian boys).
After dinner we went to see 1408. John Cusack is freaking amazing. It was actually pretty scary. I watched a lot of it through my fingers. And the timing is not typical, predictable, horror movie timing, which made it great. Poor Michelle gets scared really easily, so she spent most of the movie watching her own feet. Luckily for me, it’s not one of those disturbing scary movies that stick with me for weeks after. I’m already done being scared. Now I’m just replaying it in my head and thinking about it intellectually, instead of emotionally.
Aug. 6th
Yesterday was a super duper fantastic day. And I did absolutely nothing that was specific to Taiwan. Beach blanket Val is one of my favourite Vals, and we were at the beach most of the day (Random Fun). There were the regulars in my life here, Diana, Robert and my other roommate Thadeus and his girlfried. But there were some new faces as well. It took us 2 ½ hours to get to the beach, because we stopped for food and didn’t know which bus to take. But it was still fun.
At the beach we rented these little tent-type things, which you need because there is no natural shade on a barren stretch of sand. The water was amazingly warm. It was like being in a wavy, salty bath. I loved it! The waves weren’t quite big enough to surf, but they were strong enough to knock you off balance when you tried to get out of the water.
One of the girls, Jackie, bought a huge inflatable whale and we played with it for ages. We each took turns riding it. It’s one of the few things that actually less fun as you get better at it. When you’re good, you get on and just sit there while the water moves you around, but when you’re bad, you splash and kick and fall in the water.
We had all brought a little bit of food, so we just snacked right on the beach. When we were finished (about 5 hours after we had arrived) we went to Will’s place for a barbeque. It was so much fun. We all went to the grocery store and pitched in on things to grill. Some of the others bought alcohol, but I was so dehydrated from the beach, that I passed. Then we all went to a park by Will’s house and had a cookout. It was a tremendously good time, but it ended up being a late night. We didn’t get home until around 1am, having left the house at about 10:30 the previous morning.
Today I had my kids for the very first time. They are super cute. There were only 6 of them, but it felt like so many more. One cried on and off for most of the day, another is 3 years old physically, but in every other respect he is still like a baby. I mean, he’s sweet, but he can barely eat solid food because of how they pamper him at home. 3 of the kids that I’ve worked with before are also in my class. They are already so ahead of the newer students, even though they’ve only been at school for a month. I love working with them, even if it is tiring. This week we’re working on parts of the school (ie. classroom, bathroom, play area) and the numbers 1-5.
Tonight I’m having dinner with Katherine and Diana and then we’re having a little going away party for Thadeus’ girlfriend Patrice. She’s flying back to Atlanta tomorrow. There will be pastries and possibly wine.
Last night my roommate Yvonne and I went to Danshui (Taiwan Mach 1), which is like the harbour front area. It was so crowded it was crazy, but I did finally manage to find some postcards. So we went to Fisherman’s Wharf which is less crowded because it’s harder to get to. It was beautiful, though. There’s a big wooden bridge that goes along the water’s edge. At one point there were some guys playing guitar and singing songs out of a book, that the audience could request. As soon as they saw me, they started looking through their book for any English songs. Eventually they came up with "How do I Live" by Leanne Rimes. It was really sweet. Then one of Yvonne’s friends drove us home. Taiwanese driving is SO scary!! Cab drivers in Toronto have nothing on the drivers here.
This morning I met some of the other teachers to go hiking (Hiking). It was like being in a sauna and then climbing a mountain. Literally. The temperature was about 37C and we were actually climbing up and down a mountain. Geniuses that we are, we ended up hiking through the hottest part of the day. Also, I am completely out of shape. It was worth it, though. The vegetation is beautiful. I took a million pictures and we even saw a buffalo.
July 24th
Yesterday was pretty uneventful. I finally got to work with some of the kids I’ll be teaching. They are super cute! There are only 6 kids in the class right now, but there will be more once the fall semester actually starts. There’s this one that is so adorable and way too smart for his own good. He’s actually quite a little trouble maker, but I think it’s just because he’s bored. I’m really excited to find new ways to challenge him. Tomorrow I actually get to teach a lesson. I came up with the lesson plan all by myself. Not with the little ones, yet. But with the first group I worked with. It should be interesting to say the least.
So last night marked my first attempt at doing laundry in Asia. It worked out not at all. My roommate, Yvonne, wasn’t home, so I tried to do it myself. It was made much more difficult by the fact that all of the instructions and labels were in Chinese. So tonight, I asked Yvonne to show me how it worked and tried again. Turns out I had all of the settings right, but the machine’s just broken. At least I know it’s not my own incompetence.
Before I hopped on the laundry train tonight, I had a drink after work with one of the other teachers, Sam. I had a really good time. We just sat in a bar and had a drink, and then because I wanted dessert, he took me to a café and had cake with me.
Today was also my first experience with Taiwanese rain. It was kinda cloudy and drizzly all day, but right around 1 we had a HUGE thunderstorm. It was right on top of us. There was thunder and lightning at exactly the same time and giant raindrops. It was fantastic. The rain was warm and the humidity was less severe than normal. I would have stayed out in it for my whole lunch break, except that I had to go back to school for the afternoon and had no change of clothes with me. Of course, by the time school ended the rain had mostly stopped and the humidity was back to normal.
Anyway, on my way home I was distracted and I missed the turn for my alley. On the next corner, I discovered an amazing temple(Taiwan Mach 1). It’s so funny, when you’re looking at it, it’s all you can see and every detail is defined. But if you’re not looking right at it, it just blends into the rest of the scenery. I’ve been here a week and never noticed it before.
One other random thing I realized today; there’s no grass here. I mean, in the city. There are no lawns or boulevards. The only greenery is in parks (Taiwan Mach 1)and the occasional tree leaves. Don’t get me wrong, the parks are beautiful, and super green. And there are way more of them than in most North American cities, but does it make up for the lack of green everywhere else? Just some food for thought.
July 25th
Today I taught my first class! It went really well. The kids even liked the game that I made up for them. Luckily it was Wed. which is a half day, so I only had to teach them in the morning. Unfortunately, right now, the school is turning the current play area into my classroom. So the poor kids didn’t get a chance to have "recess". They had to stay in the classroom and just play with lego and stuff. It was as bad as an indoor recess when I was a kid. Those were the worst.
After school I had lunch with Sam. He introduced me to teppenyaki. It’s a Japanese style, where they prepare your food on the grill right in front of where you sit. I had the chicken and it was good. He also let me try his salmon, and I liked it. Ha! Take that, not liking fish!
The place was in a mall food court close to school. It was right next to the mall’s playworld. So we went in to play. The games were interesting and some were a little weird. We played this one where the balls float up from the middle and you have to catch them and throw them into a pig’s mouth. It was really hard and you look like a moron while you’re playing. Of course there were the old standards, too, like air hockey.
Turns out pool is really big here. After we played in the playworld, Sam showed me a pool hall near school. It’s really nice. We played a few games and I actually won 1 legitimately and 2 on technicalities (he scratched on the 8 ball).
July 26th
I got to teach the little ones today. I taught them a new song and read a story. It’s so great when you can actually see them picking stuff up. It happens so fast with this age group. One minute they’re lookin’ at you like your crazy and the next they’re doing the actions and laughing and having fun. Tomorrow, I’ll re-teach them the exact same thing and hopefully this time they’ll remember and there will be more participation.
I also talked to my boss about the apartment again. She talked to the personnel office, or whatever, and it looks like I can move. So as soon as I pay first and last, I get my key and I can move in. I’ll probably move over the weekend. I can’t wait because once I move, Mom can send me the rest of my things and I can start buying the other stuff that I still need.
After work Katherine took me to 3 different book stores, each with large English language sections. One of them actually has Nix books and Katherine says that they will special order. This makes me very excited. I hope I can get my hands on Across the Wall. I also found The Deathly Hollows and bought it. So far it’s SO good. I finally put it down at 2am because I have to work in the morning.
July 27th
Holy Crap!!!!! I finished Harry Potter today. It was everything I wanted it to be.... except for a certain werewolf attack that never happened. Don’t worry, no spoilers here, because I’m done talking about it. But I did get my Taipei library card today. So many more books are available now. All for free!! Whoever thought up libraries was a genius... Seriously, if I knew their name, I just might name my first born after them.
In other news, I got my key for my new apartment today. I also got to see it for the first time. It’s actually not quite as nice as the one I’m in now, but it’s worth it for the convenience. It’s literally across the street from my school. I will be moving in tomorrow and then I can start buying all of the things I wish I had, but didn’t want to get before I moved, like dishes and towels. Also, I’ve met 2/3 of my new roommates and they seem really laid back and cool. They teach kids, so their schedules are a little more varied than mine, but it shouldn’t be a problem.
My current roommate also offered to meet with me weekly, starting next week, for Chinese lessons. Turns out she went to university to learn specifically how to teach Chinese. So I’ll be getting personal lessons until September, when she leaves for France. I’m so excited about it. I’ll finally be able to order my own food without having to rely on Sam, or whoever else I happen to be with.
At school, I'll be sitting in with Sam's class, which is actually a mix of 2 classes. There’s supposed to be a new teacher covering the Zebra half of Sam’s class (all classes have animal names), but she won’t be starting until Wed. So I have to sub for her and I don’t get to start with my Pandas (the 3 year olds) until after she is trained. Luckily, though, my first day actually teaching the older ones is just a half day, so I don’t have to worry about keeping them occupied for the whole day.
I did get to spend one last morning with my kids before moving to the zebras. We did the colour song again and this time they participated with very little encouragement. They were much more into the storybook, too. They even did all the actions and counted along when they were supposed to. Those kids are just so cute. It’s horrible, really, because no matter how much they misbehave, they just have to look at me and grin and I want to let them off the hook. There’s one in particular that I just want to smuggle home with me.
After work, Katherine took me to this place called "The Diner" that serves western style food. She had a cheeseburger and fries and I had eggs and hashbrown and toast. It was pretty good, but everything was super greasy and apparently here toast means warm bread. I mean, this wasn’t even toasted enough for me and I like my toast anemic. It was well worth it though, for the brownie and ice cream desert. It was warm brownie served with 2 scoops of vanilla ice cream on top. Mmmmm...... seriously as good as the one at the Pheonix, which was my favourite back home.
Also, I have a tan! Well, my face, neck and arms are tan. My legs are still pasty white. And it’s not tan, tan; it’s tan for me, tan. To everyone else it probably just looks like I’m a normal skin colour and not a corpse, but it’s actually a tan. I even have a few freckles on my nose.
July 28th
Moving day!!! I spent the whole day moving things into my new apartment. It took me 3 trips. 2 on the MRT and 1 by cab. There was no way I was lugging my 2 big suitcases to the MRT station. All things considered, the move went very smoothly. My new room is a really awkward shape and the bed is smaller but there’s more storage furniture. I will also have the internet as soon as I can figure out which network is ours.
Went to the mall with one of my new roomies, Diana, tonight. Another teacher (but at a different school), Robert, was with us as well. They were both on the hike last week. The mall was actually quite fun. We started with dinner in the food court (I had a fantastic chicken sandwich and fresh kiwi juice). Then we played some games in the playworld and each got a super bouncy ball. I won’t bore you with the shopping details, but lets just say I’m surprised we didn’t get kicked out of the mall for behaving like hooligans with our bouncy balls.
Now I’m just unpacking and arranging things. There are a bunch of new things I need to get from the ‘everything store’ tomorrow. I’m writing a list. But now I need to shower because I’m gross from moving all day.
July 29th
My first day to wake up in my new apartment was wonderful. My room gets lots of light, so my lack of alarm clock is still not going to be a problem. The air conditioner is lovely and it doesn’t blow directly on me. I also have my very own (tiny) balcony. It would be cozy for 2 people standing and there’s not room for even 1 person to sit, but it’s all mine.
This morning Katherine and I went to the presidential gardens (Official Residence), which is now officially called the "Official Residence" I think. It was really pretty. But I think it must be the wrong time of year to go because a lot of the flowers weren’t in bloom. There’s a beautiful rose garden, though and I took pictures of some of the more interesting roses. I also took pictures of their name plaques so I would remember which was which. We also explored the orchid hut, which was amazing. I took tons of pictures of the gardens.
The gardens also had tons of topiaries and statues of pigs. I mean, everywhere you looked there was a cute little pig staring at you. It was weird enough that I actually asked Katherine about it. Turns out it’s the year of the pig in the Chinese calender. But it’s not just any year of the pig. Nope, it’s year of the Golden Pig. Apparently it’s supposed to be a very prosperous year, financially. So the giant pig on one of the banks makes a lot more sense now.
Across the street from my apartment is a fruit market. I can actually see it from my balcony. The guys stand out front yelling at the cars and scooters trying to get them to stop and buy some fruit. It’s pretty cheap, too (as long as the fruit is in season). I think I’m going to become a regular there. I like it.
I made it to the store to pick up some essentials. I didn’t get everything on my list because it’s not all necessary right now. But I got a few things, like a mug, and clothes pegs so I could finally do some laundry. I know, it’s not interesting but I’m really excited that the washing machine actually works. After the fiasco with the last one, I’m really pleased with the nearly new Japanese washer. It works really well, too. It didn’t eat any of my clothes. And they are hanging up to dry right now.
July 30th
My first day going to school from my new apartment. It was sweet. I got out of bed at the time I would’ve been leaving my old place. I’ve also done some more cleaning and put up posters and pictures and stuff. It actually looks like my space, now. The only issue that I continue to have is lack of internet. I thought the router had wireless, but on closer inspection, I don’t think it does.
I also made another trip to the everything store to pick up some cleaning supplies and munchies. Yes it does have both. It is the everything store. Now I just need to find places to put a few last things and I’ll be completely settled.
School was good. Hung out with Sam’s class again. I’m finally starting to learn their names. They’re sweet, mostly, but loud. There were 18 kids yesterday, all 4 and 5 years old. My head was killing me by lunch. Of course the hour and a half that we get for break helps. I went to a place called Casa Della Pasta with Sam for lunch. It was really nice, and not too pricey.
There was a thunderstorm today, too. I walked the block home in the rain :) and then sat on my (sheltered) balcony to watch the storm. It was stupendous. And there was a crash of lightning and thunder at exactly the same time right in front of me. It was a little scary, but really cool. After that the storm abated, and I came inside to clean.
July 31st
School was empty today. All of the students went on a field trip except for my Panda class. So there were 6 students with the run of the school... Except of course that we didn’t let them. It was much more relaxing during playtime, though. We weren’t worried about our kids getting trampled by the older ones. The new teacher arrived today also. Now, even though I haven’t actually taught a class by myself yet, I’m no longer "the new teacher". She seems nice and she just finished a year of teaching English in Japan. I still feel like the newbie, because she’s got some experience, even if it’s not with Kojen.
I have my first official class by myself tomorrow. I’m a little nervous, because it’s not the kids that I know, but I’ll deal. I have a lesson plan ready. And I figure if all else fails I’ll throw a couple of drama games at them. I’m just listening to a CD of kid’s songs to find some extra material. Katherine has been a huge help going offer my lesson plans with me and offering advice.
To get my ARC I need 3000NT$ and to get that I need to exchange my traveler’s cheques. Let me tell you, it’s like pulling teeth. Some banks only exchange American dollars, one will exchange Canadian, but only cash, not traveler’s cheques. I spent my whole lunch hour going from bank to bank, and I was completely unsuccessful. So tomorrow I have to go to some special American Express place, that’s super far away. Good thing it’s a half day.
Aug 2nd
So yesterday was my first day teaching all by myself. It went well in spite of my stupidity. I planned enough activities to get through my time but I also grabbed a book to read, out loud to the class, just in case I lost the kids’ attention. So with about 10 minutes left in class we had finished everything that I had planned. I forgot that I had grabbed the book though. So I made a slight change to the game and let them keep playing til the end. It worked out ok, in the end. We just read the book today.
Last night I went to dinner with 2/3 of my roommates as well as a bunch of other teachers at TGI Friday’s. Compared to restaurants back home, it was fairly inexpensive, but in relation to food places here, it was crazy. We had a good time though. And it gave me a chance to get to know some of the non-preschool teachers better. After dinner we hit the playworld for some air hockey and bouncy-ball winning games. I got another orange one. We were going to see a movie, but one by one people bailed and then it was too late.
Today’s teaching went really well. I’m finding it really easy to work with the Chinese teacher who has this class. She’s got some fantastic ideas and is making my life so much easier. She actually studied ECE at Conestoga in Waterloo so she was asking me about where I’m from and everything. She also told me that I’m a good teacher, which means a lot coming from her. She’s been with the school for years and knows what she’s talking about. But when I mentioned it to Katherine, she said the same thing. Apparently finding people who are good at working with kids is difficult. *shrug* Who knew? I just don’t know how you would behave any other way with them.
One of the kids who was absent yesterday was back today. I swear I thought I was teaching Jamie(Goodbye Canada) 19 years ago. This kid is so smart, but trying to get him to sit still was like pulling teeth. I’m finding it difficult to discipline him, though, because I know that he’s trying, but at the same time, he disrupts the class. Oh well, tomorrow’s my last day teaching these kids anyway. Their real teacher takes over on Monday, and I get my babies back. (who all say hello every time I pass them in the hall, so I know they still remember me).
After work, I went to dinner with Katherine and then we went Chang Kai Shek Memorial Hall(Sightseeing). I saw some amazingly massive and beautiful architecture and learned some history. I actually fell in love with the gate out front. I’m not even sure what drew me to it, but I couldn’t get enough. I didn’t even care so much about the museum, except for some cool friezes on the ceiling. I didn’t get pictures of those, though, cuz we couldn’t take pictures inside.
I also figured out that the router in my apartment isn’t wireless. All of my stupid internet problems could have been solved ages ago, if I’d just thought to look. I just need to buy an ethernet cord and I should be good to go. I can’t wait. I don’t mind checking my e-mail at school, but I really do prefer my own computer.
Aug. 4th
Yesterday was Friday and you could tell the kids were ready for it. They weren’t bad, just a little unruly. We also had a birthday party for all the kids who have a birthday in August. Each class prepares and performs a song of some sort. We did a song about making pizza. It was really cute.
After work I went for drinks with Sam and the new teacher, Corrie. We started at a place called Day and Night, then we moved to the less stuffy atmosphere of 0204, which happens to be directly across the street from my apartment(Random Fun). My window actually overlooks it, but I’d never been in. We just sat at the bar, so I didn’t really get a feel for the place.
I’d been home for a couple of hours when Diana invited me to 0204 with her. This time I got to see the rest of the place. The decor is mostly wood, upstairs there’s a pool table and downstairs there’s a foosball table and a stage. It’s not very big, though. A bunch of the teachers from the kids’ classes were there. One, Michelle, I had met before but the others (except for my roommate Thadeus and his gf) were all new. There’s a couple, Paul and Michelle (a different one), from New York and a couple of other guys from Canada. It appears that the teaching population here is highly Canadian. I feel right at home.
This morning I lounged for hours and finished Lireal. Then, in spite of the thunder and lightning that had been going on for hours, I decided it was time to go get me an ethernet cord. We often get thunder storms without rain, so I didn’t think anything of it. When I went out, it was pouring buckets. Usually, it’ll rain hard for about 15 minutes and then slow to a drizzle and eventually stop, so I just went out anyway. It was still pouring when I got home about an hour later, without my ethernet cord. I was soaked through to the skin, literally dripping. Not only did I not get what I wanted, but I’ve also ruined my copy of Abhorsen. I had it in my bag (which is still saturated with water) in case I decided to stop at a café for a drink. The whole experience makes me want to rethink my stand on umbrellas. But there was so much wind today, too, that I don’t know an umbrella would have helped.
I made it home and got dry while watching a couple of Buffy episodes. Then I decided that it was time for food. I was planning just to grab a bite from the alley but when I went out, I ran into Diana, T and Michelle. So Michelle offered to treat me to a hair-gism and I’ll admit, I was intrigued. We went to a salon where they gave us massages (head and shoulders) then washed and styled our hair. All for about $6. It was fantastic. Then we went to dinner with Paul and Michelle and Callum (one of the Canadian boys).
After dinner we went to see 1408. John Cusack is freaking amazing. It was actually pretty scary. I watched a lot of it through my fingers. And the timing is not typical, predictable, horror movie timing, which made it great. Poor Michelle gets scared really easily, so she spent most of the movie watching her own feet. Luckily for me, it’s not one of those disturbing scary movies that stick with me for weeks after. I’m already done being scared. Now I’m just replaying it in my head and thinking about it intellectually, instead of emotionally.
Aug. 6th
Yesterday was a super duper fantastic day. And I did absolutely nothing that was specific to Taiwan. Beach blanket Val is one of my favourite Vals, and we were at the beach most of the day (Random Fun). There were the regulars in my life here, Diana, Robert and my other roommate Thadeus and his girlfried. But there were some new faces as well. It took us 2 ½ hours to get to the beach, because we stopped for food and didn’t know which bus to take. But it was still fun.
At the beach we rented these little tent-type things, which you need because there is no natural shade on a barren stretch of sand. The water was amazingly warm. It was like being in a wavy, salty bath. I loved it! The waves weren’t quite big enough to surf, but they were strong enough to knock you off balance when you tried to get out of the water.
One of the girls, Jackie, bought a huge inflatable whale and we played with it for ages. We each took turns riding it. It’s one of the few things that actually less fun as you get better at it. When you’re good, you get on and just sit there while the water moves you around, but when you’re bad, you splash and kick and fall in the water.
We had all brought a little bit of food, so we just snacked right on the beach. When we were finished (about 5 hours after we had arrived) we went to Will’s place for a barbeque. It was so much fun. We all went to the grocery store and pitched in on things to grill. Some of the others bought alcohol, but I was so dehydrated from the beach, that I passed. Then we all went to a park by Will’s house and had a cookout. It was a tremendously good time, but it ended up being a late night. We didn’t get home until around 1am, having left the house at about 10:30 the previous morning.
Today I had my kids for the very first time. They are super cute. There were only 6 of them, but it felt like so many more. One cried on and off for most of the day, another is 3 years old physically, but in every other respect he is still like a baby. I mean, he’s sweet, but he can barely eat solid food because of how they pamper him at home. 3 of the kids that I’ve worked with before are also in my class. They are already so ahead of the newer students, even though they’ve only been at school for a month. I love working with them, even if it is tiring. This week we’re working on parts of the school (ie. classroom, bathroom, play area) and the numbers 1-5.
Tonight I’m having dinner with Katherine and Diana and then we’re having a little going away party for Thadeus’ girlfriend Patrice. She’s flying back to Atlanta tomorrow. There will be pastries and possibly wine.
Saturday, July 21, 2007
My First Week in Taiwan - July 17-21
July 17th
Well, I made it. It feels like I’ve been traveling for a week (even thought it was actually only 22 hours), but I’m finally here. All in all the trip itself was pretty uneventful. The first 3 episodes of Buffy Season 2 were a fabulous way to spend a 4 hour layover. I did get to see the sun set over Vancouver and rise over Taipei, both from the plane. Word to the wise, if ever flying to Asia and you’re given the choice of porridge or omelet, choose omelet. I learned this the hard way. Because porridge is this thick rice-pudding-y thing with chicken and peas. Not the most appetizing thing. And in spite of my gag-worthy meal, I required no Gravol during the whole trip! I made it the whole way drug free, except for an allergy pill.
Now I’ve been dropped off at my apartment. They guy gave me my new address and phone number and a map, and left. The apartment is nice. Kinda small and awkwardly laid out. At least it seems that way to my Western sensibilities. But the view is pretty, and my flatmate seems nice (although I still don’t know her name). She’s gone to work now, so I’m absolutely on my own for the rest of today. I’m not quite sure what to do, especially since I can’t quite figure out their addressing system and I don’t have internet yet. Maybe I’ll look for head office, so I don’t get lost going there tomorrow.
Well, seeing as how it’s incredibly hot outside, and I have jet lag, most of the rest of my day was divided between more Buffy Season 2 and sleep. I did venture out in the evening and successfully completed my first purchase using NT$. I also found one of the night markets and got some watermelon for dinner.
It’s so weird, though, the sun rises at 5am and was completely set by about 7:30. Also the time change is super easy, because it’s 12 hours. So when it’s lunch time at home, it’s midnight here.
July 18th
I went to head office today. And I only got lost a little. I was about 5 minutes late (good thing I left myself time to get lost). I met a guy who got here yesterday just like me. He’s from Louisville Kentucky and his name is Sean, although for some reason, in my head I keep wanting to call him Greg. Today was the formalities day. We filled out a billion forms, and went to the medical center to get checked out (complete with blood tests and chest x-rays). You’ll be glad to know that I don’t have TB. It was cool, though, cuz the x-ray came up on the screen while I was right there and I got to see it. My lungs are clear as a bell.
After the medical we had 2 hours for lunch. So we found a coffee shop called Please, and ordered by pointing at the menu. I had lasagna (how authentic of me, eh?) And this fruity tea that was super good. I don’t know what it was called though, because it sure wasn’t the lemon & orange tea that I ordered.
After lunch we went back to head office and filled out a billion more forms. I have signed my contract, so I am officially a teacher now. So my one year starts from the day that I begin teaching, which will be for the August semester. I’m really excited I’ll have the same kids from 9:30 - 4:30 Monday-Friday. And I get to teach them EVERYTHING!!! All in English, of course.
Tonight my flatmate is going to show me around a little and teach me how to use the MTR (the subway). Then tomorrow I’m off on the MTR alone to go to my school. I get to observe classes and meet some other teachers. I also get a training allowance until I start teaching.
The MRT puts the TTC to shame. Everything’s so high-tech it’s crazy. They have areas to line up before you get on the train and the trains always stop with their doors at the same place. Also, they have digital displays in the train to tell you what stop is coming up next.
So this phase of the adventure was fun. We took the train to a department store called Sogo. It was huge. We ate in the food court in the basement and I had chow mein. Then we wandered the store and up the street a bit. After that we went to the bookstore! I didn’t even have to ask. And yes there is an English section. Lots of Jane Austin.
From the bookstore we moved on to the local supermarket called "Welcome". They have bottles of water for super cheap. I got two 1.5 liter bottles for less than a (Canadian) dollar. After that it was home time and I read a little before going to sleep. It can’t always be an adventure. But tomorrow after going to the school, we’re either going up to the shore or to Taipei 101, which I think is something like the CN Tower, with shops and things and a great view.
July 19th
So during my adventure last night, I bought an international phone card. I was so excited, I almost used it to call home at 4:30am EST. Needless to say, I didn’t use it then, but I tried to use it this morning (at 7am here and 7pm there - gotta love the 12 hour difference). Imagine my disappointment when I couldn’t get the card to work. I wonder if I have the national code wrong. I mean North America is 1, right? So instead of talking to my Mommy and reassuring her that I’m alright (and myself that everything hasn’t fallen apart without me), I’m here typing in this log. Sigh. And now I’m off to school.
The commute to my school is comparable to my commute in Toronto, only instead of a 20 min. bus ride before taking 2 trains, I now have a 15 min walk. In horrible heat and brutal humidity. Also, people here don’t read on the subway. It was weird.
At school, I did finally get the chance to e-mail home to tell the fam that I’m here safe and still figuring things out. I also got on to facebook. Man I’m so addicted to that thing. Education-wise the school is really great. The space that we get to work in is fantastic and the other teachers seem really nice. My new boss took me out for lunch and a couple other teachers invited me to dinner with them. 2 of the other teachers (Sam and Katherine) are also from the GTA (how weird is that?). And Sam actually graduated from Mac the same year I did. He was in Poly-Sci though *gag*. The other teacher that’s there now is from New Zealand. And I was told that there’s one other new teacher starting at the end of the month.
I also found out that the school "dorm" (it’s actually an apartment owned by the school) has 2 vacant rooms. It’s much closer to the school and furnished. So tomorrow I will be talking to my boss to see about moving in there permanently. If I do, I’ll miss my current roommate, cuz she’s been such a huge help, but it’ll be nice to live with other foreigners, and not have an hour’s commute.
Also, I find my schedule reset ridiculously early here. I mean I’m waking up (wide awake) starting around 6am. And I’m ready for bed by like 10. It may be because of the wonky sunset. I mean when it’s full dark by 7:30 it feels much later than it actually is. Oh well, it means I’m perfectly awake and ready to go by the time I get to school.
July 20th
I made it to school without getting lost!! I did take the subway in the wrong direction, but that was only for one stop and I was still early. Go me!! Today I sat in on Katherine's class. I got to interact with the kids more, too. They warmed up to me quickly, it’s only my second day and there are already 4 who are all over me. We did an art project, mixing colours. It was fun to watch the kids get all excited when we created a whole new colour just from the primaries.
I got to participate in play time, where 2 of the girls drew me several pictures. It was super sweet. I also got mauled when it was time to watch a DVD (hey, it’s Friday). There was almost a fight about who got to sit beside me. But then they realized that some could sit in front of me, too and it all worked out. I think it’s just cuz I’m something new. These aren’t the kids that I’ll be teaching on my own, though. I’ll get the 3 year olds. The very youngest allowed.
My quest for today was to find a postcard to send to Jamie. I have been thwarted at every turn. And I was hoping maybe my roommate and I could go out tonight, since we didn’t get to go yesterday. But she’s having a "friend" over, possibly just for the night and possibly for the weekend. So I don’t expect to see much of her. She was really sweet, though, and brought me something to eat that’s apparently really rare. I appreciate the gesture, but why do so many Asian dishes have the texture of a jellyfish? It really makes my stomach roll. And that’s not even counting the flavour (which could be great for all I know, I can’t get over the texture).
Maybe I’ll wander out by myself later. According to Sam (the other teacher with a Mac degree) Taipei is super safe, even for a girl out by herself late at night. I don’t plan to be that late, though. I may try to find a café with wi-fi so I can contact home.
July 21st
Happy Birthday Erin!!! Right now I am sitting in a coffee shop called "Mr. Brown’s Coffee" and using the internet to my heart’s content. For breakfast I had the Chinese rarity... Dunkin’ Donuts. It was really nice to have a taste of home and the Boston Cream donut was really good. So anyway, now I’m trying to do everything that I’ve wanted to do on the internet for the last week. I’ve e-mailed everyone, updated facebook, and now I’m checking my account balances.
It’s so great to be a preschool teacher. We’re the only ones who get Saturday and Sunday off. A real weekend! Of course, I still woke up a little after 6 and I have no idea what I’m doing with the rest of my day, once they kick me out of here. But I’ll cross that bridge when I come to it. Tomorrow, I’m going hiking (yipes, I’m out of shape) with one of the other preschool teachers.
Also tomorrow, a new teacher is moving into the apartment. Hopefully it’s a sinfully handsome Aussie boy. More likely it’ll be another girl, but I can dream.
Memo to self: I don’t like shrimp! Not by itself, not in lasagna. I’ll have to remember that next time I think about ordering anything that says (seafood) next to it. But no one can say I’m not trying new things.
Well, I made it. It feels like I’ve been traveling for a week (even thought it was actually only 22 hours), but I’m finally here. All in all the trip itself was pretty uneventful. The first 3 episodes of Buffy Season 2 were a fabulous way to spend a 4 hour layover. I did get to see the sun set over Vancouver and rise over Taipei, both from the plane. Word to the wise, if ever flying to Asia and you’re given the choice of porridge or omelet, choose omelet. I learned this the hard way. Because porridge is this thick rice-pudding-y thing with chicken and peas. Not the most appetizing thing. And in spite of my gag-worthy meal, I required no Gravol during the whole trip! I made it the whole way drug free, except for an allergy pill.
Now I’ve been dropped off at my apartment. They guy gave me my new address and phone number and a map, and left. The apartment is nice. Kinda small and awkwardly laid out. At least it seems that way to my Western sensibilities. But the view is pretty, and my flatmate seems nice (although I still don’t know her name). She’s gone to work now, so I’m absolutely on my own for the rest of today. I’m not quite sure what to do, especially since I can’t quite figure out their addressing system and I don’t have internet yet. Maybe I’ll look for head office, so I don’t get lost going there tomorrow.
Well, seeing as how it’s incredibly hot outside, and I have jet lag, most of the rest of my day was divided between more Buffy Season 2 and sleep. I did venture out in the evening and successfully completed my first purchase using NT$. I also found one of the night markets and got some watermelon for dinner.
It’s so weird, though, the sun rises at 5am and was completely set by about 7:30. Also the time change is super easy, because it’s 12 hours. So when it’s lunch time at home, it’s midnight here.
July 18th
I went to head office today. And I only got lost a little. I was about 5 minutes late (good thing I left myself time to get lost). I met a guy who got here yesterday just like me. He’s from Louisville Kentucky and his name is Sean, although for some reason, in my head I keep wanting to call him Greg. Today was the formalities day. We filled out a billion forms, and went to the medical center to get checked out (complete with blood tests and chest x-rays). You’ll be glad to know that I don’t have TB. It was cool, though, cuz the x-ray came up on the screen while I was right there and I got to see it. My lungs are clear as a bell.
After the medical we had 2 hours for lunch. So we found a coffee shop called Please, and ordered by pointing at the menu. I had lasagna (how authentic of me, eh?) And this fruity tea that was super good. I don’t know what it was called though, because it sure wasn’t the lemon & orange tea that I ordered.
After lunch we went back to head office and filled out a billion more forms. I have signed my contract, so I am officially a teacher now. So my one year starts from the day that I begin teaching, which will be for the August semester. I’m really excited I’ll have the same kids from 9:30 - 4:30 Monday-Friday. And I get to teach them EVERYTHING!!! All in English, of course.
Tonight my flatmate is going to show me around a little and teach me how to use the MTR (the subway). Then tomorrow I’m off on the MTR alone to go to my school. I get to observe classes and meet some other teachers. I also get a training allowance until I start teaching.
The MRT puts the TTC to shame. Everything’s so high-tech it’s crazy. They have areas to line up before you get on the train and the trains always stop with their doors at the same place. Also, they have digital displays in the train to tell you what stop is coming up next.
So this phase of the adventure was fun. We took the train to a department store called Sogo. It was huge. We ate in the food court in the basement and I had chow mein. Then we wandered the store and up the street a bit. After that we went to the bookstore! I didn’t even have to ask. And yes there is an English section. Lots of Jane Austin.
From the bookstore we moved on to the local supermarket called "Welcome". They have bottles of water for super cheap. I got two 1.5 liter bottles for less than a (Canadian) dollar. After that it was home time and I read a little before going to sleep. It can’t always be an adventure. But tomorrow after going to the school, we’re either going up to the shore or to Taipei 101, which I think is something like the CN Tower, with shops and things and a great view.
July 19th
So during my adventure last night, I bought an international phone card. I was so excited, I almost used it to call home at 4:30am EST. Needless to say, I didn’t use it then, but I tried to use it this morning (at 7am here and 7pm there - gotta love the 12 hour difference). Imagine my disappointment when I couldn’t get the card to work. I wonder if I have the national code wrong. I mean North America is 1, right? So instead of talking to my Mommy and reassuring her that I’m alright (and myself that everything hasn’t fallen apart without me), I’m here typing in this log. Sigh. And now I’m off to school.
The commute to my school is comparable to my commute in Toronto, only instead of a 20 min. bus ride before taking 2 trains, I now have a 15 min walk. In horrible heat and brutal humidity. Also, people here don’t read on the subway. It was weird.
At school, I did finally get the chance to e-mail home to tell the fam that I’m here safe and still figuring things out. I also got on to facebook. Man I’m so addicted to that thing. Education-wise the school is really great. The space that we get to work in is fantastic and the other teachers seem really nice. My new boss took me out for lunch and a couple other teachers invited me to dinner with them. 2 of the other teachers (Sam and Katherine) are also from the GTA (how weird is that?). And Sam actually graduated from Mac the same year I did. He was in Poly-Sci though *gag*. The other teacher that’s there now is from New Zealand. And I was told that there’s one other new teacher starting at the end of the month.
I also found out that the school "dorm" (it’s actually an apartment owned by the school) has 2 vacant rooms. It’s much closer to the school and furnished. So tomorrow I will be talking to my boss to see about moving in there permanently. If I do, I’ll miss my current roommate, cuz she’s been such a huge help, but it’ll be nice to live with other foreigners, and not have an hour’s commute.
Also, I find my schedule reset ridiculously early here. I mean I’m waking up (wide awake) starting around 6am. And I’m ready for bed by like 10. It may be because of the wonky sunset. I mean when it’s full dark by 7:30 it feels much later than it actually is. Oh well, it means I’m perfectly awake and ready to go by the time I get to school.
July 20th
I made it to school without getting lost!! I did take the subway in the wrong direction, but that was only for one stop and I was still early. Go me!! Today I sat in on Katherine's class. I got to interact with the kids more, too. They warmed up to me quickly, it’s only my second day and there are already 4 who are all over me. We did an art project, mixing colours. It was fun to watch the kids get all excited when we created a whole new colour just from the primaries.
I got to participate in play time, where 2 of the girls drew me several pictures. It was super sweet. I also got mauled when it was time to watch a DVD (hey, it’s Friday). There was almost a fight about who got to sit beside me. But then they realized that some could sit in front of me, too and it all worked out. I think it’s just cuz I’m something new. These aren’t the kids that I’ll be teaching on my own, though. I’ll get the 3 year olds. The very youngest allowed.
My quest for today was to find a postcard to send to Jamie. I have been thwarted at every turn. And I was hoping maybe my roommate and I could go out tonight, since we didn’t get to go yesterday. But she’s having a "friend" over, possibly just for the night and possibly for the weekend. So I don’t expect to see much of her. She was really sweet, though, and brought me something to eat that’s apparently really rare. I appreciate the gesture, but why do so many Asian dishes have the texture of a jellyfish? It really makes my stomach roll. And that’s not even counting the flavour (which could be great for all I know, I can’t get over the texture).
Maybe I’ll wander out by myself later. According to Sam (the other teacher with a Mac degree) Taipei is super safe, even for a girl out by herself late at night. I don’t plan to be that late, though. I may try to find a café with wi-fi so I can contact home.
July 21st
Happy Birthday Erin!!! Right now I am sitting in a coffee shop called "Mr. Brown’s Coffee" and using the internet to my heart’s content. For breakfast I had the Chinese rarity... Dunkin’ Donuts. It was really nice to have a taste of home and the Boston Cream donut was really good. So anyway, now I’m trying to do everything that I’ve wanted to do on the internet for the last week. I’ve e-mailed everyone, updated facebook, and now I’m checking my account balances.
It’s so great to be a preschool teacher. We’re the only ones who get Saturday and Sunday off. A real weekend! Of course, I still woke up a little after 6 and I have no idea what I’m doing with the rest of my day, once they kick me out of here. But I’ll cross that bridge when I come to it. Tomorrow, I’m going hiking (yipes, I’m out of shape) with one of the other preschool teachers.
Also tomorrow, a new teacher is moving into the apartment. Hopefully it’s a sinfully handsome Aussie boy. More likely it’ll be another girl, but I can dream.
Memo to self: I don’t like shrimp! Not by itself, not in lasagna. I’ll have to remember that next time I think about ordering anything that says (seafood) next to it. But no one can say I’m not trying new things.
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