The majority of the following entry was written two weeks ago although I just finished it this evening. Updates about my weekend in Taipei and the holidays are coming soon, I promise!
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This weekend Shana's host family (Tai, Jenny, and their son Nemo) took us to Tainan, their hometown. We left on Saturday around 4 pm to make the hour drive from Kaohsiung to Tainan. Dan, Katie, Dani, Shana, and I piled in the van with Tai, and Jenny drove Nemo. When we got there we checked in at the youth hostel, the four girls staying in a dorm style room, and Dan with his own single.
We started out immediately to explore the city's famous architecture, but ended up taking a detour to try some of the equally famous local specialty dishes. We had something that was a little like fried rice, but is probably better described as shrimp sauce rice, and duck egg soup at the first restaurant. After eating we walked to a nearby temple, and Tai told us about visiting this temple as a child. He got sick often and his grandfather would take him to pray to the five ancestral gods for good health. He goes back whenever he is in Tainan to visit the gods and express his gratitude. It was really cool to be in a place that he has such a strong connection to. Tai and Jenny explained the process of praying to the gods (and believe me, it is a process), and told me to give it a try. On the front table are two wooden half moons that are used to help ask the gods questions. I had to think of a question I wanted answered, and then throw down the pieces. You must do this until you successfully throw the pieces so that one lands face up and the other face down three times in a row. If you throw the pieces so that they both land face up or face down, you start the process again. Each time you must randomly choose a random numbered stick from a stand in front. When you have successfully completed your three times, you know that this number points you in the direction of your answer. You then go to choose a card from the cubby with the number that matches your stick. Each card has a short poem printed on each that is then the answer to your question. The first few times I threw the pieces, they landed face up side by side. I immediately worried that this was bad news, but Tai and Jenny assured me that it was to resemble a smile because the gods thought I was funny and cute (I think they might have been saying this to make me feel better). It took me about seven or so tries until I finally drew the proper stick--lucky no. 12. Tai helped me read the poem first, and then Jenny and I pondered what it could mean in terms of what I asked. We decided that the overall tone and message was quite good, although it's hard to determine just exactly how things will play out.
After I completed my praying, we moved over to the "disappearing turtle." The large stone turtle is filled with water that is believed to cure illnesses and make you more youthful and beautiful. Tai gave us each a bit to put on our faces and we moved on to the next god who deals with matters concerning love. Many engaged couples will go to pray for a happy future together, writing their names and birthdays on a heart-shaped slip of paper that they then hang in front of the god's shrine. You can also make a donation to the temple and take a pink heart keychain that wishes you kinship and love.
After our temple visit, we moved on to find other things to eat, and stumpled upon a very interesting snack shop. We were all very confused because the main picture showed that the shops sold different flavors of corn on the cob--curry, peanut, cocounut, meat, etc.--but also that they somehow made corn on the cob sandwiches. It turns out that was represented on the sign by real corn on the cob topped with meat or fruit and chocolate was actually a sandwich made out of a waffle batter cone in the shape of corn on the cob. Shana and I split a sandwich filled with fresh banana and chocolate.
After our corn on the cob sandwiches we continued our walk around the city. We took a quick peek in a candy shop that had a large Santa Claus outside that shook his hips from side to side and danced to hip hop music when you walked past him. Highly amused, we continued walking down the quaint city streets and found ourselves in the midst of some amazing street art. The first piece was a 3D blueprint of an old house. This particular piece of art was created from one of the many buildings along the street that was cut in half during the expansion of the main avenue. Some beams protruded from the blue painted walls, and white accents highlighted which rooms would have been the bathroom, kitchen, etc. After taking a bunch of pictures, we continued down the street past many murals, one of which was an amazing portrayal of everyday life among the common people. We reached a little ally with beautiful warm glowing lights and green plants standing in front of the clean and elegant doorways of the old houses, many of which had been rented out by university students. The first people we met there were a group of students who advocate animal rights and were showing a documentary they made about stray animals in Taiwan. The next house we entered was an art gallery, a sort of work in progress, which was being renovated by a few students. The front room showcased many smaller paintings that appeared to be painted on something resembling driftwood, while the back served as a workshop. The middle room housed a sink built by one of the students himself, and bohemian style tables with small clear vases and candles. In the back of the house, one woman used thin nails to make sheep's wool into many adorable keychains, while the male students worked on distressing a small wooden chest. The roof of the house was gone, so when I looked up I found the moon above me, I felt that I was standing in the middle of ancient ruins.
We continued walking down the alley as it grew smaller, passing a ridiculously cool gnarled looking tree, a vase of orchids, and eerie abandoned apartments. We crossed the street to see the lightning and thunder temple. I'm pretty sure Tai and Jenny shared some great information with everyone, but I was totally in my own world snapping photos that evening, and I didn't hear a word about it. Cold from hours of walking around in the chilly night air, we made our way to the bus stop and then headed back to the hostel. After we said goodnight to Shana's host parents, we tried to sneak out to make a run for snacks. We felt awful because they had taken us to eat what is translated as eel, but really resembles what Dani wonderful termed "water snake." It's chewy and yucky looking, and it is cooked in this crazy sweet, smokey sauce that is just no good. We tried to eat as much as we could, but I have found that I can't control my facial expressions very well (as most of you know), and we had to give in. Tai and Jenny were very nice about it, and made sure to ask us for the rest of the weekend if we could eat things before they gave it to us. I got hot bubble tea to warm myself up, and then we stopped at 7-11 for oreos and milk. We went back to the hostel, Dan came over to the girls' room and we watched one of the four channels available to us. It turned out to be a crazy Taiwanese game show where one of the contestants had to use English to give indirect clues to another contestant who would then try to say the Chinese idiom. A few of them had really poor English, so the clues were especially funny and unrelated, and we just couldn't stop laughing. We decided to create our own version, thinking of silly English phrases and trying to make one another guess the correct term using indirect clues given in Chinese. It was a great sleepover party, and we all tried to turn in before too long so that we could get up the next morning at 8am for the temple parade.
Tai greeted us with breakfast the next morning, sticking to sandwiches and Taiwanese style hamburgers along with coffee and orange juice after the eel delicacy dinner crashed and burned. We made our way through the crowd to the front of the temple to watch the traditional dances and many offerings made. The male and female god and goddess were presented in front of the opening to the temple and the alter, along with inscents and red sashes tied around them for good luck. Four men peformed a lion dance, and a group of women played instruments and gave an amazing performance heavily influeced by gymnastics. I managed to shoot quite a bit of the parade with my camera, and I will try to upload the video here for you to watch. One of the most interesting things I have found about temple parades here, is the vast difference between what constitues worshipping in Taiwan and in the U.S. Many people in Taiwan are Buddhist. They eat vegetarian for a certain number of days each month, visit temples to pray, etc. Some say they are Buddhist, very much in the same way that many people in the U.S. say they are Christian--by culture if not strict religious observation. Going to church (in my own experience) tends to be more sacred, more solemn. In Taiwan, however, it is not uncommon to see men chewing bettle nuts (similar to chewing tobacco) or smoking while participating in ceremonies here, nor is it uncommon to see people talking on their cell phones and chatting with friends. Anyway, when I get it posted, take a look at the video, and see what you think.
After the parade, we walked over to Confucius Temple, one of the most famous places in Tainan. It was actually established as a school to prepare young boys and men for the imperial examinations, and is not what you would normally envision when you think of a temple. In more modern times it has been used as a place for both the young and elderly to practice Taiwanese, as it is not officially taught in schools. The architecture is beautiful, and the buildings are surrounded by large trees, a pretty pond, and large grassy squares. The architecture and the blue sky with white fluffly cloouds reminded me a little of visting palaces and museums in Beijing. On the roof of one of the traditional style buldings phoenix and dragons, symbols of good luck and prosperity, had been added to hide scholarly works during the Qin Dynasty when the Emperor sought to burn all classical texts. Inside we saw the names of all scholars who had succeesful in the examination and had since passed on. We saw the alters on which offerings were made, and rooms filled with traditional instruments and garb used in the ceremonies. On our way out of that section of the temple, we wrote our wishes related to academic success on little strips of paper and hang them with the many others on a board.
The temple grounds also house a Japanese martial arts studio, and we were able to watch a few of the students spar one another. After taking a few pictures and watching them practice, we headed down to a grassy area, and Nemo demonstrated his karate forms for us. Jenny gave us a demonstration as well--the whole family takes karate lessons together :).
After visiting the temple we crossed the street and ate Danzi Noodles for lunch. The noodles are another local delicacy of Tainan, made popular when a strong stormed wrecked all of the local fishing boats, and fisherman turned to selling these noodles as a way to earn enough money to live. After lunch we walked down the street to Zhai Men (literally, narrow door), a coffee house with an entrance just wide enough for one person to walk through. Once you enter the alley, you walk a few feet to an open doorway that takes you up two flights of steep stone stairs to the coffee shop located on the second floor. There is a rooftop terrace covered in ivy and other plants, and inside old wooden floors and relics and memorabilia from classic American eras. Tables line the windows on the wall facing the main street, and on small table between two windows sat guest books filled with poems, doodles, and artwork from past customers. Tai bought us all delicious iced coffees, and we walked along a small market browsing the stands. Shana found a really adorable coin purse, Dani and Katie bought these amazing slip ons with cute elephants, giraffes, and other animals on them, Jenny bought these handmade, scented mini cupcakes for us each to take home as a little souvenir (I think mine is chocolate banana), and Tai payed money for us each to try our luck at picking a prize from a little tray of covered squares. As we left the market the song "Don't Wanna" from the movie Cape No. 7 was playing, and Shana and I sang along as we strolled down another alley toward our next destination.
We arrived at the most beautiful park near a visitor's center. It was very quiet and peaceful, and it felt miles and miles away from Kaohsiung and our everyday normal routine. Shana and I ventured off to climb through the rock formations, and soon, we had climbed up the front of the rocks and were posing for silly pictures. We popped out of holes, showed off our muscles, jumped off of rocks, and quacked at ducks (ok...I was the only one who actually quacked at them). We sat for a while in front of the pond, watching the water reflect off of the building just across the other side. When we had sat for a while and needed to move on, we stopped in the center to buy sweets to take back as gifts for our co-teachers.
Before we began the drive back home we stopped in at a local temple and took a quick look in the literature museum. We stopped at a famous fruit stand for all kinds of fruit, my favorite of which is fresh sliced tomatoes with a ginger and soy sauce paste, and pudding. Full and happy, we started back for Kaohsiung. It was such a wonderful trip and it really got me excited about exploring other parts of Taiwan. There are many places that I have said I want to go to, but I haven't yet taken the initiative to plan outings to these places. After seeing how beautiful Tainan is, I want to make sure that I have plenty of time to see these places and go back again before my time here is through.
Sunday, December 7, 2008
Sunday, November 30, 2008
I'm thankful for....
Happy Thanksgiving! I hope you all enjoyed wonderful dinners with lots ( A LOT, just for you Ms. Seymour), of turkey, mashed potatoes, and my favorite part--the canned cranberry sauce!
This last week was certainly busy but a great deal of fun. I introduced the history of Thanksgiving to my fifth grade classes and had them make hand turkeys. Inside their turkey they had to write what they were thankful for. One student copied the examples from the board, which were (I am thankful for...) my mom and dad, my friends, my teachers, and then added "my Nicki'. A lot of students said that they were thankful for their moms and dads for raising them and taking care of them. One student was particularly thankful for his dad picking him up from school every day. The hand turkeys also brought out the romantic side of some students--one little boy wrote that he was thankful for Lily, the little girl who he sits next to in class every day.
In some classes I had the students make Thanksgiving trees that they could hang in their homerooms. The students traced their hands on yellow, orange, and red paper to make the leaves, and I cut a large brown tree trunk for them. Since the example I had made was of a turkey on white paper, many of the students also decorated their colored paper as turkeys as well, so we ended up with turkey trees. It was too cute!
On Tuesday night after work Rebekah, Katie, Danni, Shana, and I went to a baking party organized by members of AIT (American Institute in Taiwan). We made chocolate chip cookies, peanut butter cookies, an apple pie, and Rice Crispy treats. We were all designated specific positions (with the exception of Shana who filled in wherever she was needed): Danni was cookie girl, Katie was oven girl, Rebekah was given the unfortunate title of lard girl (she was handling the Crisco), and I was Rice Crispy girl since I manned the marshmallows and mixed in the cereal. We tried to sneak bites of things here and there, but she was watching us all very carefully, so I formally asked for permission to eat a spoonful of cookie dough. The branch chief brought home pizza for dinner, which we devoured as we watched American military T.V. in his too-good-to-be-true family room. We ate the chocolate chip cookies while they were still warm, and Jan packed up the peanut butter cookies to take home. We also divided the Rice Crispy treats into hunks to take home. Pretty much the only thing we didn't eat was the apple pie, and we probably would've eaten that too if it had been baked.
On Thursday night all of the ETAs gathered with some of our LETs (local English teachers) and Fulbright advisers to have Thanksgiving dinner at the branch chief's home. As soon as we walked in it smelled like Thanksgiving. There were two turkeys, green bean casserole, orange jello salad, mashed potatoes, stuffing, cranberry sauce, gravy, and rolls. This was my first time ever trying green bean casserole, and I have to say, I was quite impressed! Those French's onions definitely give it a little something extra! The ETAs all squeezed on the couches and pulled up chairs until all of us were gathered around a small coffee table. We decided to keep our home traditions alive and share what we were all thankful for. We had each filled our plates with a little bit of everything and even got the chance to go back for seconds. Jan had made more cookies, so there was a fresh supply of chocolate chip cookies and peanut butter cookies for dessert. She bought delicious pumpkin pies from Costco, and brought out the large apple that we had made and she had freshly baked that morning. It was a really great evening, and we were all thankful to be in the company of one another, finding our own way to be with family on Thanksgiving.
This past Saturday Wen Fu held a school-wide sports day to celebrate it's 6th birthday. Some of the homeroom teachers and student teachers planned a surprise dance to perform when the student cheerleading teams performed, and I was able to join them. It was a really fun hip-hop routine and I got to know a few of the teachers much better. After rehearsing on Friday night, we went out to eat at a popular curry restaurant near the school. It felt really great to be included, and I was even happier when I got my own Wen Fu polo to wear on Saturday at the event. There were vendors selling delicious snacks and it was great to see many of my students so excited to buy their favorite foods and win medals in the races.
The rest of the weekend has been spent inside as I've somehow managed to become sick again. Lots of rest and fluids...and seven pills three times a day! It's crazy how much medicine you can take at once here. Tomorrow there is no school at Wen Fu to make up for sports day, so I will happily stay in bed and read the books I just received in my package from home.
In approximately one hour and twenty minutes it will officially be December here. The month is already filling up with trips with our host families and holiday parties, so I'm sure there will be plenty more to write about soon. Our apartment is planning on having another party to treat our host families and co-teachers, and Maya and I recently discovered that many of the stationary stores nearby carry tons of Christmas decorations which we will purchase soon. Tonight we watched A Charlie Brown Christmas and I played a few songs from my Christmas playlist to get us in the mood. I also just received my fleece pj pants with "Merry" written all over them in red and green in the package and I brought my Christmas toe socks with me, along with a Santa hat and a stocking, so I think we're in business! The guards have been stringing massive amounts of Christmas lights, both white and colored, around the courtyard during their shifts on duty, and I can't wait to see what it looks like all lit up!
I wish you all a very festive December, complete with hot cocoa, gingerbread lattes, candy canes, warm and fuzzy decorations, snow, holiday music, and the joy of shopping in overcrowded malls (this is not sarcasm--I really do love it!). May your days be merry and bright, and may all your December days be white!
This last week was certainly busy but a great deal of fun. I introduced the history of Thanksgiving to my fifth grade classes and had them make hand turkeys. Inside their turkey they had to write what they were thankful for. One student copied the examples from the board, which were (I am thankful for...) my mom and dad, my friends, my teachers, and then added "my Nicki'. A lot of students said that they were thankful for their moms and dads for raising them and taking care of them. One student was particularly thankful for his dad picking him up from school every day. The hand turkeys also brought out the romantic side of some students--one little boy wrote that he was thankful for Lily, the little girl who he sits next to in class every day.
In some classes I had the students make Thanksgiving trees that they could hang in their homerooms. The students traced their hands on yellow, orange, and red paper to make the leaves, and I cut a large brown tree trunk for them. Since the example I had made was of a turkey on white paper, many of the students also decorated their colored paper as turkeys as well, so we ended up with turkey trees. It was too cute!
On Tuesday night after work Rebekah, Katie, Danni, Shana, and I went to a baking party organized by members of AIT (American Institute in Taiwan). We made chocolate chip cookies, peanut butter cookies, an apple pie, and Rice Crispy treats. We were all designated specific positions (with the exception of Shana who filled in wherever she was needed): Danni was cookie girl, Katie was oven girl, Rebekah was given the unfortunate title of lard girl (she was handling the Crisco), and I was Rice Crispy girl since I manned the marshmallows and mixed in the cereal. We tried to sneak bites of things here and there, but she was watching us all very carefully, so I formally asked for permission to eat a spoonful of cookie dough. The branch chief brought home pizza for dinner, which we devoured as we watched American military T.V. in his too-good-to-be-true family room. We ate the chocolate chip cookies while they were still warm, and Jan packed up the peanut butter cookies to take home. We also divided the Rice Crispy treats into hunks to take home. Pretty much the only thing we didn't eat was the apple pie, and we probably would've eaten that too if it had been baked.
On Thursday night all of the ETAs gathered with some of our LETs (local English teachers) and Fulbright advisers to have Thanksgiving dinner at the branch chief's home. As soon as we walked in it smelled like Thanksgiving. There were two turkeys, green bean casserole, orange jello salad, mashed potatoes, stuffing, cranberry sauce, gravy, and rolls. This was my first time ever trying green bean casserole, and I have to say, I was quite impressed! Those French's onions definitely give it a little something extra! The ETAs all squeezed on the couches and pulled up chairs until all of us were gathered around a small coffee table. We decided to keep our home traditions alive and share what we were all thankful for. We had each filled our plates with a little bit of everything and even got the chance to go back for seconds. Jan had made more cookies, so there was a fresh supply of chocolate chip cookies and peanut butter cookies for dessert. She bought delicious pumpkin pies from Costco, and brought out the large apple that we had made and she had freshly baked that morning. It was a really great evening, and we were all thankful to be in the company of one another, finding our own way to be with family on Thanksgiving.
This past Saturday Wen Fu held a school-wide sports day to celebrate it's 6th birthday. Some of the homeroom teachers and student teachers planned a surprise dance to perform when the student cheerleading teams performed, and I was able to join them. It was a really fun hip-hop routine and I got to know a few of the teachers much better. After rehearsing on Friday night, we went out to eat at a popular curry restaurant near the school. It felt really great to be included, and I was even happier when I got my own Wen Fu polo to wear on Saturday at the event. There were vendors selling delicious snacks and it was great to see many of my students so excited to buy their favorite foods and win medals in the races.
The rest of the weekend has been spent inside as I've somehow managed to become sick again. Lots of rest and fluids...and seven pills three times a day! It's crazy how much medicine you can take at once here. Tomorrow there is no school at Wen Fu to make up for sports day, so I will happily stay in bed and read the books I just received in my package from home.
In approximately one hour and twenty minutes it will officially be December here. The month is already filling up with trips with our host families and holiday parties, so I'm sure there will be plenty more to write about soon. Our apartment is planning on having another party to treat our host families and co-teachers, and Maya and I recently discovered that many of the stationary stores nearby carry tons of Christmas decorations which we will purchase soon. Tonight we watched A Charlie Brown Christmas and I played a few songs from my Christmas playlist to get us in the mood. I also just received my fleece pj pants with "Merry" written all over them in red and green in the package and I brought my Christmas toe socks with me, along with a Santa hat and a stocking, so I think we're in business! The guards have been stringing massive amounts of Christmas lights, both white and colored, around the courtyard during their shifts on duty, and I can't wait to see what it looks like all lit up!
I wish you all a very festive December, complete with hot cocoa, gingerbread lattes, candy canes, warm and fuzzy decorations, snow, holiday music, and the joy of shopping in overcrowded malls (this is not sarcasm--I really do love it!). May your days be merry and bright, and may all your December days be white!
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Content (v.)
Last week's weather was amazing--I was really able to dress to match the spirit of fall :) Last Tuesday afternoon Shana and I were both off, so we ate lunch together in the family room and watched the Friends episode where Ross and Joey are napping buddies to get in the mood for our long, lazy afternoon naps. We woke up a couple of hours later and headed out into the cool weather for some strolling and shopping. It had actually been a while since our last visits our favorite stores, so we made the usual rounds. NET is always first on our list since it sits right around the corner from our apartment. There's usually a giant sale table that Shana and I rummage through, tossing about shirts that we think would look good on the other. I scored with a cute royal blue and black flower print dress that I found on the sale rack and Shana found the perfect plaid shirt that she had been looking for. With our new purchases in hand, we had found our way into shopping mode, and stopped over at KoKo to look for signature pieces. I found a great smock blouse that was made out of the softest material, and although I didn't think it would work, Shana insisted that I try it. It turned out to be a great success, and we walked over to Jenny Lee, our go-to store for dresses to match every occasion. I decided I needed a short jacket to pair with my many dress/leggings outfits that are growing in number. They had just gotten a bunch of new dresses in, and before Shana and I could say we weren't really looking for dresses, they had Shana in the most beautiful white baby doll dress, and me in a black and white one. I also found a really cute muted purple high collared jacket in the process of trying on the many things they threw our way, and it was an incredibly successful shopping day. With bags in hand we headed over to Apartment C for some Costco pizza and watched Mulan (I can't help but sing along to "I'll Make a Man out of You" every time). It was the first time we'd all seen each other in a while, and we were introduced to the newest members of Apt. C--Sonic and Milo, two adorable puppies that they adopted.
I might also have an addition to my two-member Leo and Nicki family. I wrote before about a bunny that I pass every morning on my way to work. He was shy at first, but now recognizes me and always starts hopping around when he sees me. He comes to the front of his cage and sticks his nose out for me to pet him. He seems very sweet tempered and it breaks my heart that he sits in his cage which is too small for him anyway. The owners are nice, and keep him clean and well fed, it's just that they have so many other dogs and cats, that they never really take him out to play. The woman saw me stopping to pet him every day and asked if I would like to take him home. I originally said no, but she asked again this past Friday when I stopped to pet him, and now that I see how excited the little guy is to see me, I'm having a hard time saying no. I'm going to look for a suitable cage tomorrow and the setup I would need for him.
On Friday night I went with Julianna and her kids to the rally at the Cultural Center to support last Saturday's referendum to lower class size to 25 students. The average class size in Kaohsiung City elementary schools is about 35. It was exciting to be there, especially since this is the first time in Taiwan's history that a referendum has been brought forth by a non-political organization. A famous Taiwanese singer came to support the cause, and dance teams from a local middle and high school performed. It was great to see teachers from Wen Fu and many other schools there with their children, fighting for something they have such an investment in. They needed over 50% turnout of eligible voters with the support of half these voters for the referendum to pass. The turnout rate was quite low, but at least it put the issue on the map and increased awareness.
After the event, I stopped in to visit my friend Kinki at work, and then met up with Shana on her way out to pick up her cousin who was visiting from Taipei. We stayed in on Friday night, watching Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants with the rest of our roommates, and playing with Leo. On Saturday morning when we got ready for our trip to the beach and the old British Consulate, Shana and I both decided to wear our new dresses. Jennifer, her cousin, liked them and wanted to check out the store where we had bought them. We went for lunch at the dumpling restaurant next store, and then hopped over to take a peek. I picked out a dress for Jennifer and it turned out to be perfect for her. We decided to make one more stop (ok, maybe a few more) at a store where Shana and I bought dresses for a black and white party last minute when we first arrived in Taiwan. I did that really dangerous thing where I try something on thinking it will never work and then it does. For those of you who read my blog and are not interested in the details of my shopping sprees, I apologize for , and I'll leave the rest for pictures. Suffice it to say I bought too many ridiculously cute dresses this month.
When we got to the beach in mid-afternoon, we climbed up to the Consulate and had a mini photo shoot. The Consulate is a popular spot for local tourists too, most of whom are taking their own pictures, so we only felt a little silly staging pictures. In fact, it came in handy to have people watching us because then we could have them take the picture for us. Saves us the trouble of finding the "good arm" in the group--you know, the person who always holds the camera in do-it-yourself photos. We did end up trying that method too, and it turns out that Jennifer is the arm in our posse of three. I've posted them here for your amusement.
After we left the British Consulate we took the MRT over to Rui Feng Night Market for some tasty snacks. We had mini cakes with cream or taro inside, Taiwanese style sandwiches with chicken and lots and lots and LOTS of onions, and assorted drinks. After browsing the market and finishing our snacks, we walked around the corner to Han Shen Department Store to rest for a bit--we had been walking around all day, and despite the cool temperatures last week, the weather was considerably warmer on the weekend--and look at their shoe selection. I walked in, immediately spotted a Baskin Robbins, and my heart skipped a beat. I ordered a scoop of espresso biscotti and Ghost World (something like S'mores), and felt right at home. I asked Jennifer if she wanted to try some, and was very pleased to find that she seemed to enjoy it as much as me. After a little rest we went to check out the boots--every girl's got a pair this season. It's hard for me to find shoes here because I have bigger feet than most Taiwanese girls (not to mention my left foot is significantly bigger than my right), and it's even harder to find boots since they not only have to fit my feet but also my calves. I immediately liked one of the first pairs I tried on, but said they seemed to be a bit too small so that I wouldn't get killed if I decided not to buy them. After a lot of browsing, I came back to the original pair, and although I was a little hesitant because of the price, I gave in when she showed me the final price with the large discount included. We closed out the store, and left for home tired from a long, but very fun day.
On Sunday, Maya, Gered, Shana, Jennifer, and I went to a nearby Japanese restaurant for lunch. We decided to go after Shana's co-teacher recommended it for its good eats and affordable prices. We had some good sushi for lunch and chatted for a while, talking about the funny and frustrating aspects of teaching, and it was "quality apartment time" (inspired by Uncle Joe's infamous "quality family time" line, and of course, we can't forget "in every life, some rain must fall"). On our walk home for lunch we discovered another supermarket that actually sells fresh food! We were incredibly excited as it is the only alternative to the overpriced department store supermarket that is a convenient walking distance from the apartment. We stocked up on a few fresh vegetables and meats to make various kinds of soups and noodles for dinner, and I was even able to buy my favorite "straw" mushrooms as I call them!
On Sunday night I met my new friend Chel for dinner. I met Chel the day that Henry came to take me to his art gallery; she is his business partner. She likes being outside and going to various places around Taiwan, especially where there is great art to be seen, and she offered to take me anywhere I'd like to go. She made me tea the day I was sick and sent me a message last week to check on me and also to remind me that she could take me out whenever I wanted. We agreed on dinner this past weekend, and she took me to a great hot pot restaurant. She ordered for us, and we had quite the spread! She sent me home with two large bags of our leftovers that were so heavy, my forearm was sore the next day from carrying them on the walk home. Chel's very easy to talk to and comfortable to be with, so I'm really looking forward to our first day trip, whatever it happens to be.
Shana turned in early on Sunday night, so Jennifer came into my room and we got to hang out for a while. Originally, I was just keeping her company while Shana got ready for bed, but we continued to find more things to talk about, and before I knew it was pretty late. She gave me some of her favorite Chinese music that she had brought and I lent her the Taiwanese and Korean DVDs I bought a few weeks ago. She was curious about my life in America so I showed her pictures from home with my family and friends, and I told her funny stories and good memories from high school and college. It was really fun to get to know her, especially since she's related to Shana, and I'm hoping the three of us can have another weekend together soon.
I was crazy tired on Monday morning from the eventful weekend and the late night chat, but I found myself really happy by the time I got to school that morning. On my daily walk over from the bus station I saw the street sweepers who always smile at me from under their wide brimmed hats, multiple layers of clothing to protect them from the sun, and their surgical masks and wave very enthusiastically when they see me. They usually say "hello" or "good morning," but this time they also asked if I was a teacher. I was surprised at how well they spoke English and their willingness to use it with me, especially since many people in Taiwan think their English is not good enough to even practice speaking it. That immediately put me in a good mood, and when I turned to continue walking down the street, I saw the usual Monday crossing guard waving hello with his orange baton. I couldn't help but laugh at how excited he was to see me, so I gave him a big wave back. This time he also spoke more English with me than usual, so I spoke a few more sentences in English myself. He startled me a little when he reached out to touch the side of my glasses, but when he gave me a big nod and a thumbs up, I knew he was telling me that he liked them.
It's hard to explain, but it's the little day-to-day things like this that make me incredibly happy to be here. As cheesy as it sounds, it really makes me feel like I'm contributing something to the Fulbright program--that I'm doing what one individual can do to engage with others and show them that I, both as an individual and an American, am interested in sharing my culture and language with them while learning about theirs. Tonight all of the ETAs met with Alex, our program advisor who came down from his office in Taipei, for dinner and discussion about our midterm evaluations that are coming up. When he saw me he said that I looked different than usual, very bright. I thought about it for a second since I was dressed very casually and considered that I probably looked quite tired today, but then I realized--I like my life here and I guess I show it. I absolutely love teaching at Wen Fu and all of the time that I get to spend with Julianna (she's my main co-teacher), both in and outside the classroom. Yesterday was a great day with my students. They worked so hard in class on a worksheet that I made for them. It tested for different levels, so at least some parts were pretty challenging for most of them, but they were so determined to finish it. One of my students, the most darling little girl I've ever met, knows next to know English, but she comes in smiling every day, happy to be in class. She asked for my help on the worksheet, and when she got a little bored when I had to help the others, she stood by my side, playing with my hair. The kids told me about what a great time they had at English Village; they shouted out everything they learned. I've met so many friends who are willing to take me all around Kaohsiung and even the rest of Taiwan. Just today my friend Jessie messaged me to say that she was sorry we hadn't seen each other in a long time, but that she hoped I remembered that we will celebrate my birthday together. I can't say that I never miss home or wish that I was in the U.S. to wear my favorite winter coat or just go to each of my favorite places to go with friends, or even to sleep and wake up in my own bed, but I never miss home because I'm unhappy here, only because it's just not the same. And it seems like that's a good feeling to have.
Tonight was also a great night. After dinner with Alex, Shana and I went to Blockbuster to check out the newest selection of movies, and then made our weekly trip to the fruit stand and to the pet store to buy dinner for Leo. The pet store owner has a really cute white Scottie complete with beard and curly hair on his legs, although the rest of his hair is cut quite short. This was Shana's first time seeing him and she asked me (completely seriously I might add), "Why is he wearing pants but no shirt?" I paused to consider her question and then responded: "Shana, it's his fur." By the time we walked in the door, the dog had wandered off, which is odd since he usually comes to greet me with a sniff or two. I went to find him and found him doing his business in one of the isles. The owner recognizes me since I bought Leo from him and I always stop by to buy worms, so I walked up to him, pointed to his dog, and said, "he just went to the bathroom." He looked at me for a second and then said "bathroom?" and then "him?" When I said yes, he made the funniest disappointed/angry noise and looked at the dog like he was really in for it. This alone was funny since the owner is a tall man of substantial size and masculine characteristics and the dog quite small and cute looking. The dog hung his head and hurried over to the side of the front counter, giving me a look that said "I don't know if you're allowed to pet me since I'm supposed to be in trouble now." After the owner cleaned up the mess, I bought my usual 10NTs worth of worms and then left.
Shana and I stopped by another DVD rental place that we found on our last trip to the fruit stand, which turns out to be considerable cheaper than Blockbuster, and discovered that they have a great collection of TV drama series. A very kind woman saw us eyeing a particular Korean soap and said that not only was it funny and moving, but the main guy was incredibly good looking. She gave Shana and I plenty of recommendations of what to rent, and introduced us to the owner of the shop who then explained how rentals work. Everyone there was incredibly friendly, and as Shana noticed, the woman who introduced us to which dramas had the cutest actors immediately addressed me in Chinese, looking straight at me instead of looking at Shana in that questioning way that many people tend to do when they're wandering if a girl who looks so foreign can really understand Chinese. We thanked everyone for their help and then went to buy a drink before we went back for the night.
At the drink place an incredibly smiley guy with Dragon Ball Z hair and a bit of an underbite welcomed us (with the other five or so workers echoing in unison) and asked us what we wanted to drink. We usually choose to go to the place next door, so I asked if he could recommend something. He told me that their "honey" 绿茶 (green tea) was their specialty, only that's not what he really said. Shana and I were both surprised to hear this, only because we've never heard anyone here say the English word for honey--they just say it in Chinese (蜂蜜 feng1mi4). But we asked what was in it and again we heard "honey" 跟绿茶, which means honey and green tea. I've had this sort of drink at other places, and I had a taste for it tonight, so I said that I'd take one cup. Shana and I noticed that the guy was really giggly, but we thought it was just because he was trying his best to use little English expressions like "ok, ok," "yes," and "thank you" despite the fact that he felt his English wasn't good. We sat down to wait, and I noticed one of the other workers pouring what was clearly beer from a green bottle into one of the drink cups. I looked at Shana, and said "Is that beer?! I hope it's not mine..." First of all, it was incredibly funny to see beer going into drinks at a place where they sell yogurt, milk, and tea drinks. Secondly, I thought it probably wasn't really beer. And third, I thought that even if it was, it couldn't be mine, because I would have heard 啤酒 pi2jiu3 (the word for beer) and not "honey" and "green tea. " I got my drink, took a sip, and sure enough, there was beer in it! I told Shana she had to taste it to confirm, and she did, indeed, concur. I was initially stunned that people would even think to put beer in green tea, and then I wandered how I came to supposedly order it. It suddenly dawned at me that what I had seen was a Heineken bottle, and Heineken here is often called "Heini." He hadn't been saying "honey" at all--he had been saying "Heini"! Even better, when Shana and I heard “honey 跟绿茶," he had really been saying 海尼根(hai3 ni2 gen1), the phonetic translation from the English word Heineken. The Chinese word "gen" can mean "and" as well as "root" (used here for the sound closest to that of the "ken" in Heineken) since both are first tones. The only way to tell the difference is by context and the different characters. Either could work in this case. Shana and I laughed all the way home, even to the point where I was doubled over and trying to breathe. I found it especially funny that when he asked me how much sugar I wanted I had said (in Chinese, all except the word "honey"), "well, if there's honey in it, it will probably already be sweet, so only half sugar." He probably thought I was a crazy American and/or a lush. Ha! Sure enough, when I looked on the label it read Heineken Green Tea. Awesome. It wasn't bad either...
I might also have an addition to my two-member Leo and Nicki family. I wrote before about a bunny that I pass every morning on my way to work. He was shy at first, but now recognizes me and always starts hopping around when he sees me. He comes to the front of his cage and sticks his nose out for me to pet him. He seems very sweet tempered and it breaks my heart that he sits in his cage which is too small for him anyway. The owners are nice, and keep him clean and well fed, it's just that they have so many other dogs and cats, that they never really take him out to play. The woman saw me stopping to pet him every day and asked if I would like to take him home. I originally said no, but she asked again this past Friday when I stopped to pet him, and now that I see how excited the little guy is to see me, I'm having a hard time saying no. I'm going to look for a suitable cage tomorrow and the setup I would need for him.
On Friday night I went with Julianna and her kids to the rally at the Cultural Center to support last Saturday's referendum to lower class size to 25 students. The average class size in Kaohsiung City elementary schools is about 35. It was exciting to be there, especially since this is the first time in Taiwan's history that a referendum has been brought forth by a non-political organization. A famous Taiwanese singer came to support the cause, and dance teams from a local middle and high school performed. It was great to see teachers from Wen Fu and many other schools there with their children, fighting for something they have such an investment in. They needed over 50% turnout of eligible voters with the support of half these voters for the referendum to pass. The turnout rate was quite low, but at least it put the issue on the map and increased awareness.
After the event, I stopped in to visit my friend Kinki at work, and then met up with Shana on her way out to pick up her cousin who was visiting from Taipei. We stayed in on Friday night, watching Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants with the rest of our roommates, and playing with Leo. On Saturday morning when we got ready for our trip to the beach and the old British Consulate, Shana and I both decided to wear our new dresses. Jennifer, her cousin, liked them and wanted to check out the store where we had bought them. We went for lunch at the dumpling restaurant next store, and then hopped over to take a peek. I picked out a dress for Jennifer and it turned out to be perfect for her. We decided to make one more stop (ok, maybe a few more) at a store where Shana and I bought dresses for a black and white party last minute when we first arrived in Taiwan. I did that really dangerous thing where I try something on thinking it will never work and then it does. For those of you who read my blog and are not interested in the details of my shopping sprees, I apologize for , and I'll leave the rest for pictures. Suffice it to say I bought too many ridiculously cute dresses this month.
When we got to the beach in mid-afternoon, we climbed up to the Consulate and had a mini photo shoot. The Consulate is a popular spot for local tourists too, most of whom are taking their own pictures, so we only felt a little silly staging pictures. In fact, it came in handy to have people watching us because then we could have them take the picture for us. Saves us the trouble of finding the "good arm" in the group--you know, the person who always holds the camera in do-it-yourself photos. We did end up trying that method too, and it turns out that Jennifer is the arm in our posse of three. I've posted them here for your amusement.
After we left the British Consulate we took the MRT over to Rui Feng Night Market for some tasty snacks. We had mini cakes with cream or taro inside, Taiwanese style sandwiches with chicken and lots and lots and LOTS of onions, and assorted drinks. After browsing the market and finishing our snacks, we walked around the corner to Han Shen Department Store to rest for a bit--we had been walking around all day, and despite the cool temperatures last week, the weather was considerably warmer on the weekend--and look at their shoe selection. I walked in, immediately spotted a Baskin Robbins, and my heart skipped a beat. I ordered a scoop of espresso biscotti and Ghost World (something like S'mores), and felt right at home. I asked Jennifer if she wanted to try some, and was very pleased to find that she seemed to enjoy it as much as me. After a little rest we went to check out the boots--every girl's got a pair this season. It's hard for me to find shoes here because I have bigger feet than most Taiwanese girls (not to mention my left foot is significantly bigger than my right), and it's even harder to find boots since they not only have to fit my feet but also my calves. I immediately liked one of the first pairs I tried on, but said they seemed to be a bit too small so that I wouldn't get killed if I decided not to buy them. After a lot of browsing, I came back to the original pair, and although I was a little hesitant because of the price, I gave in when she showed me the final price with the large discount included. We closed out the store, and left for home tired from a long, but very fun day.
On Sunday, Maya, Gered, Shana, Jennifer, and I went to a nearby Japanese restaurant for lunch. We decided to go after Shana's co-teacher recommended it for its good eats and affordable prices. We had some good sushi for lunch and chatted for a while, talking about the funny and frustrating aspects of teaching, and it was "quality apartment time" (inspired by Uncle Joe's infamous "quality family time" line, and of course, we can't forget "in every life, some rain must fall"). On our walk home for lunch we discovered another supermarket that actually sells fresh food! We were incredibly excited as it is the only alternative to the overpriced department store supermarket that is a convenient walking distance from the apartment. We stocked up on a few fresh vegetables and meats to make various kinds of soups and noodles for dinner, and I was even able to buy my favorite "straw" mushrooms as I call them!
On Sunday night I met my new friend Chel for dinner. I met Chel the day that Henry came to take me to his art gallery; she is his business partner. She likes being outside and going to various places around Taiwan, especially where there is great art to be seen, and she offered to take me anywhere I'd like to go. She made me tea the day I was sick and sent me a message last week to check on me and also to remind me that she could take me out whenever I wanted. We agreed on dinner this past weekend, and she took me to a great hot pot restaurant. She ordered for us, and we had quite the spread! She sent me home with two large bags of our leftovers that were so heavy, my forearm was sore the next day from carrying them on the walk home. Chel's very easy to talk to and comfortable to be with, so I'm really looking forward to our first day trip, whatever it happens to be.
Shana turned in early on Sunday night, so Jennifer came into my room and we got to hang out for a while. Originally, I was just keeping her company while Shana got ready for bed, but we continued to find more things to talk about, and before I knew it was pretty late. She gave me some of her favorite Chinese music that she had brought and I lent her the Taiwanese and Korean DVDs I bought a few weeks ago. She was curious about my life in America so I showed her pictures from home with my family and friends, and I told her funny stories and good memories from high school and college. It was really fun to get to know her, especially since she's related to Shana, and I'm hoping the three of us can have another weekend together soon.
I was crazy tired on Monday morning from the eventful weekend and the late night chat, but I found myself really happy by the time I got to school that morning. On my daily walk over from the bus station I saw the street sweepers who always smile at me from under their wide brimmed hats, multiple layers of clothing to protect them from the sun, and their surgical masks and wave very enthusiastically when they see me. They usually say "hello" or "good morning," but this time they also asked if I was a teacher. I was surprised at how well they spoke English and their willingness to use it with me, especially since many people in Taiwan think their English is not good enough to even practice speaking it. That immediately put me in a good mood, and when I turned to continue walking down the street, I saw the usual Monday crossing guard waving hello with his orange baton. I couldn't help but laugh at how excited he was to see me, so I gave him a big wave back. This time he also spoke more English with me than usual, so I spoke a few more sentences in English myself. He startled me a little when he reached out to touch the side of my glasses, but when he gave me a big nod and a thumbs up, I knew he was telling me that he liked them.
It's hard to explain, but it's the little day-to-day things like this that make me incredibly happy to be here. As cheesy as it sounds, it really makes me feel like I'm contributing something to the Fulbright program--that I'm doing what one individual can do to engage with others and show them that I, both as an individual and an American, am interested in sharing my culture and language with them while learning about theirs. Tonight all of the ETAs met with Alex, our program advisor who came down from his office in Taipei, for dinner and discussion about our midterm evaluations that are coming up. When he saw me he said that I looked different than usual, very bright. I thought about it for a second since I was dressed very casually and considered that I probably looked quite tired today, but then I realized--I like my life here and I guess I show it. I absolutely love teaching at Wen Fu and all of the time that I get to spend with Julianna (she's my main co-teacher), both in and outside the classroom. Yesterday was a great day with my students. They worked so hard in class on a worksheet that I made for them. It tested for different levels, so at least some parts were pretty challenging for most of them, but they were so determined to finish it. One of my students, the most darling little girl I've ever met, knows next to know English, but she comes in smiling every day, happy to be in class. She asked for my help on the worksheet, and when she got a little bored when I had to help the others, she stood by my side, playing with my hair. The kids told me about what a great time they had at English Village; they shouted out everything they learned. I've met so many friends who are willing to take me all around Kaohsiung and even the rest of Taiwan. Just today my friend Jessie messaged me to say that she was sorry we hadn't seen each other in a long time, but that she hoped I remembered that we will celebrate my birthday together. I can't say that I never miss home or wish that I was in the U.S. to wear my favorite winter coat or just go to each of my favorite places to go with friends, or even to sleep and wake up in my own bed, but I never miss home because I'm unhappy here, only because it's just not the same. And it seems like that's a good feeling to have.
Tonight was also a great night. After dinner with Alex, Shana and I went to Blockbuster to check out the newest selection of movies, and then made our weekly trip to the fruit stand and to the pet store to buy dinner for Leo. The pet store owner has a really cute white Scottie complete with beard and curly hair on his legs, although the rest of his hair is cut quite short. This was Shana's first time seeing him and she asked me (completely seriously I might add), "Why is he wearing pants but no shirt?" I paused to consider her question and then responded: "Shana, it's his fur." By the time we walked in the door, the dog had wandered off, which is odd since he usually comes to greet me with a sniff or two. I went to find him and found him doing his business in one of the isles. The owner recognizes me since I bought Leo from him and I always stop by to buy worms, so I walked up to him, pointed to his dog, and said, "he just went to the bathroom." He looked at me for a second and then said "bathroom?" and then "him?" When I said yes, he made the funniest disappointed/angry noise and looked at the dog like he was really in for it. This alone was funny since the owner is a tall man of substantial size and masculine characteristics and the dog quite small and cute looking. The dog hung his head and hurried over to the side of the front counter, giving me a look that said "I don't know if you're allowed to pet me since I'm supposed to be in trouble now." After the owner cleaned up the mess, I bought my usual 10NTs worth of worms and then left.
Shana and I stopped by another DVD rental place that we found on our last trip to the fruit stand, which turns out to be considerable cheaper than Blockbuster, and discovered that they have a great collection of TV drama series. A very kind woman saw us eyeing a particular Korean soap and said that not only was it funny and moving, but the main guy was incredibly good looking. She gave Shana and I plenty of recommendations of what to rent, and introduced us to the owner of the shop who then explained how rentals work. Everyone there was incredibly friendly, and as Shana noticed, the woman who introduced us to which dramas had the cutest actors immediately addressed me in Chinese, looking straight at me instead of looking at Shana in that questioning way that many people tend to do when they're wandering if a girl who looks so foreign can really understand Chinese. We thanked everyone for their help and then went to buy a drink before we went back for the night.
At the drink place an incredibly smiley guy with Dragon Ball Z hair and a bit of an underbite welcomed us (with the other five or so workers echoing in unison) and asked us what we wanted to drink. We usually choose to go to the place next door, so I asked if he could recommend something. He told me that their "honey" 绿茶 (green tea) was their specialty, only that's not what he really said. Shana and I were both surprised to hear this, only because we've never heard anyone here say the English word for honey--they just say it in Chinese (蜂蜜 feng1mi4). But we asked what was in it and again we heard "honey" 跟绿茶, which means honey and green tea. I've had this sort of drink at other places, and I had a taste for it tonight, so I said that I'd take one cup. Shana and I noticed that the guy was really giggly, but we thought it was just because he was trying his best to use little English expressions like "ok, ok," "yes," and "thank you" despite the fact that he felt his English wasn't good. We sat down to wait, and I noticed one of the other workers pouring what was clearly beer from a green bottle into one of the drink cups. I looked at Shana, and said "Is that beer?! I hope it's not mine..." First of all, it was incredibly funny to see beer going into drinks at a place where they sell yogurt, milk, and tea drinks. Secondly, I thought it probably wasn't really beer. And third, I thought that even if it was, it couldn't be mine, because I would have heard 啤酒 pi2jiu3 (the word for beer) and not "honey" and "green tea. " I got my drink, took a sip, and sure enough, there was beer in it! I told Shana she had to taste it to confirm, and she did, indeed, concur. I was initially stunned that people would even think to put beer in green tea, and then I wandered how I came to supposedly order it. It suddenly dawned at me that what I had seen was a Heineken bottle, and Heineken here is often called "Heini." He hadn't been saying "honey" at all--he had been saying "Heini"! Even better, when Shana and I heard “honey 跟绿茶," he had really been saying 海尼根(hai3 ni2 gen1), the phonetic translation from the English word Heineken. The Chinese word "gen" can mean "and" as well as "root" (used here for the sound closest to that of the "ken" in Heineken) since both are first tones. The only way to tell the difference is by context and the different characters. Either could work in this case. Shana and I laughed all the way home, even to the point where I was doubled over and trying to breathe. I found it especially funny that when he asked me how much sugar I wanted I had said (in Chinese, all except the word "honey"), "well, if there's honey in it, it will probably already be sweet, so only half sugar." He probably thought I was a crazy American and/or a lush. Ha! Sure enough, when I looked on the label it read Heineken Green Tea. Awesome. It wasn't bad either...
Saturday, November 8, 2008
Oh, what a week!
I apologize for another long delay between posts. The last time I posted I was in the midst of a week-long Halloween celebration at Wen Fu. Friday brought the celebration to a close with more class visits, desk-to-desk trick-or-treating, and orange jack-o-lantern balloons. The kids seemed to have a great time, and it was really nice to visit the students who I do not have an opportunity to teach on a regular basis. Since I normally teach classes on Friday morning, the students in those classes accompanied me to the classrooms of the younger students. Many of them dressed up and were exceptionally great in helping the younger kids use the markers and tie their balloons.
On Friday afternoon I had an extra shift at English Village (EV). I was totally exhausted from working overtime, and I tried to teach the kids the songs and chants that I had done with my own students at Wen Fu, but by the last 15 minute session I had the kids playing "ghost ghost witch"--ha! They had a great time, and technically, they were using English, so that was good enough for me. After EV, all of the ETAs and some of our coworkers met at a nearby all you can eat hot pot restaurant to celebrate Gered's birthday (actually on Halloween!). Shana and I shared one of the pots at our table; she was happy to get an endless supply of beef, and I was happy to have plate after plate of those white, thin, straw-like mushrooms that I love so much. Gered's host mom bought a delicious chocolate cake from Costco that we all devoured before (for all of you present at my 19th birthday) singing "Happy Birthday" in about 5 different languages. All of my apartment mates piled in a cab and headed for home where we watched Hocus Pocus to continue Gered's birthday tradition--what an awesome movie! We had already watched it three times or so since being here, two being that week, and I was totally feeling it the third time around, but I was absolutely exhausted. I went to rest on my bed for a few minutes and passed out...at 9:30 pm! When I woke up it was 6:30 am. A few hours later I went for a much needed massage, and got back just in time to prepare for our apartment Halloween party. We invited over our host families and the children of our co-teachers for some room-to-room trick-or-treating and Halloween games. The kids painted masks, watched Hocus Pocus, and best of all, had a donut eating competition...which I also took part in. It was a close call, but I was able to pull a victory over Isabella, Gered's 12 year old host sister. After our many guests had left and the cleanup was done, Shana and I walked to a nearby night market with her grandmother. We stopped at lots of restaurants for a taste for some of the local favorites, Shana and I got our fill of vegetarian jelly (爱玉), which I promise is way more delicious than it sounds (think of jello in a sweet yet refreshing lemon syrup) and walked around in the fairly cool night air before heading home to let her grandma rest.
The next day I woke up at 7 am (and on a Sunday, too) to meet my host family for hiking at Guanyin Mountain (观音山). The day started out rough when I managed to be late for yet another early morning meeting with them because of an unpredictable MRT schedule, but once we got going, it was great! The scenery was beautiful and it felt good to work my muscles. We hiked for a few hours, I embarrassed the girls by taking lots of pictures, and on the way down, we browsed the traditional organic market that lined the sides of the path. I bought a scallion pancake and vegetarian jelly for the girls and I to share, and we tried samples of tea and herbal remedies that my host mom gave us. We gathered under a tent with classmates of my host sister for a traditional Taiwanese barbecue. Whole chickens, corn cobs, yams, and vegetables were seasoned and wrapped in bags and foil before being buried inside a charcoal stove that had been dug in the ground. After lunch, the girls and I went to nap in the car while our mom chatted outside with other parents.
Soon after we drove back to the city, and I met my friend Claire for a beach cleanup at Zhongshan University. We drove her scooter to the beach and met up with Tim and a good number of his classmates and friends to clean up an area of the beach as much as we could for about two hour. While we were cleaning, about a dozen or so couples came to the beach to have their wedding photographs taken. It was fun to see the variety in dress--some brides to be wore what we would consider more traditional dresses, long and white with sequins, while others wore brightly colored party dresses, one short and hot pink complete with black bows, one long and neon yellow, and another an...interesting shade of green. After the cleanup, a few of us went to get supplies while some of the guys built a fire by the beach. It was one of the few times I've been at the beach at night, and the first time in a while that we actually were able to see some stars. Claire and I stood next to each other side by side leaning against a large rock facing the ocean and letting the waves crash on our legs as we talked. On the scooter ride back we planned our next date together--a pajama party for just the two of us at her apartment complete with cocktails, costumes (she never really got to celebrate Halloween), pizza, dancing/singing, and movies. It was a great day spent outside, and by the time I got home at 10:30 that night, I was both very happy and very tired.
This past week started off well. On Monday afternoon Julianna made me apple cider and gave me a little snack to get me through my last class. She also gave me a wonderful gift--a personalized key chain, embroidered in pink (because she says she likes the color on me) with my name in white letters. It's especially meaningful because she got it at the market right outside of my apartment when she was walking around with her family after our Halloween party. I was incredibly touched by her thoughtfulness, especially since it was a thank you for "everything I've done for the students"--Julianna has done way more for me than I can even hope to do for the kids in the entire time I'm here. I have been trying to think of something really special for her--I want to make sure it will always remind her of me.
Late Monday night I started to get sick. I had to teach at EV the next morning, which meant talking for two hours straight, and it only got worse. Luckily, I did not have class Tuesday afternoon or Wednesday and was able to rest. I had scheduled an appointment for a while ago to meet with the dealer of the painting that I wrote about before, and since he was driving all the way over to take me to his gallery, I felt bad cancelling. I ended up buying the painting, and stayed a while to have tea and chat with his business partner. She suggested that I go see a doctor, even though I told her it was just a cold, so Henry (the art dealer), stopped at a clinic on the way back to drop me off. It did turn out just to be a cold, but I was feeling like death, so I was happy when I saw that I got a whole bunch of medicine just for my cold (I'm used to doctors in the US telling me to wait it out). I made it home just in time to see CNN report that Barack Obama will become the 44th President of the United States and to watch McCain's succession speech and Obama's victory speech, both which I thought were well done. It was an exciting day in our apartment, and we all wished we could have been in the States celebrating.
I was squeaking and without a voice on Thursday, and after I survived EV, I felt pretty awful. I ended up not teaching on Thursday and Friday, and although the rest really helped, I was going crazy from being confined to my room. Shana kept checking on me to make sure I wasn't dead and brought me cup after cup of hot tea. On Friday night I broke out of my room, figuring going to a movie would be ok. Shana, me, and our friend Kelly went to see High School Musical 3! That's right! It was fabulous. I believe I got chills...more than once. My away message since last night has read "whoever says romance is dead clearly hasn't seen HSM3." It's true.
Today I laid low again, which was pretty fitting for a rainy day, leaving the house only to take Leo back to the vets for another dose of mite medicine and to get dinner. I stopped in to get carry-out, but I realized that the only two other customers in the restaurant were staring at me, so I said hello and waited for their questions. They turned out to be Freda and Carol, English majors at the nearby university. They speak English very well, so well that I was able to use my normal fast pace. I sat down at their table and we chatted for a half hour or so before I left with my luke-warm take out and headed home. Then, I also passed the store where my friend Kinki works, and found that she was working tonight. I went inside to say hello and also saw Angie, another friend. They introduced me to a few of their classmates, and I chatted with them for another 10 minutes before I started home. I was so hungry by the time I got home that I wolfed down my food and got a tummy ache :(. Still, I'd say the two new friends were well worth it.
Tomorrow's likely to prove another r&r day. There's supposed to be a cold front coming in--one that drops the temperature from about 30C to 11C. I can only hope! I hope you are all well and enjoying the four seasons in the States.
With love from Taiwan,
Nicki
On Friday afternoon I had an extra shift at English Village (EV). I was totally exhausted from working overtime, and I tried to teach the kids the songs and chants that I had done with my own students at Wen Fu, but by the last 15 minute session I had the kids playing "ghost ghost witch"--ha! They had a great time, and technically, they were using English, so that was good enough for me. After EV, all of the ETAs and some of our coworkers met at a nearby all you can eat hot pot restaurant to celebrate Gered's birthday (actually on Halloween!). Shana and I shared one of the pots at our table; she was happy to get an endless supply of beef, and I was happy to have plate after plate of those white, thin, straw-like mushrooms that I love so much. Gered's host mom bought a delicious chocolate cake from Costco that we all devoured before (for all of you present at my 19th birthday) singing "Happy Birthday" in about 5 different languages. All of my apartment mates piled in a cab and headed for home where we watched Hocus Pocus to continue Gered's birthday tradition--what an awesome movie! We had already watched it three times or so since being here, two being that week, and I was totally feeling it the third time around, but I was absolutely exhausted. I went to rest on my bed for a few minutes and passed out...at 9:30 pm! When I woke up it was 6:30 am. A few hours later I went for a much needed massage, and got back just in time to prepare for our apartment Halloween party. We invited over our host families and the children of our co-teachers for some room-to-room trick-or-treating and Halloween games. The kids painted masks, watched Hocus Pocus, and best of all, had a donut eating competition...which I also took part in. It was a close call, but I was able to pull a victory over Isabella, Gered's 12 year old host sister. After our many guests had left and the cleanup was done, Shana and I walked to a nearby night market with her grandmother. We stopped at lots of restaurants for a taste for some of the local favorites, Shana and I got our fill of vegetarian jelly (爱玉), which I promise is way more delicious than it sounds (think of jello in a sweet yet refreshing lemon syrup) and walked around in the fairly cool night air before heading home to let her grandma rest.
The next day I woke up at 7 am (and on a Sunday, too) to meet my host family for hiking at Guanyin Mountain (观音山). The day started out rough when I managed to be late for yet another early morning meeting with them because of an unpredictable MRT schedule, but once we got going, it was great! The scenery was beautiful and it felt good to work my muscles. We hiked for a few hours, I embarrassed the girls by taking lots of pictures, and on the way down, we browsed the traditional organic market that lined the sides of the path. I bought a scallion pancake and vegetarian jelly for the girls and I to share, and we tried samples of tea and herbal remedies that my host mom gave us. We gathered under a tent with classmates of my host sister for a traditional Taiwanese barbecue. Whole chickens, corn cobs, yams, and vegetables were seasoned and wrapped in bags and foil before being buried inside a charcoal stove that had been dug in the ground. After lunch, the girls and I went to nap in the car while our mom chatted outside with other parents.
Soon after we drove back to the city, and I met my friend Claire for a beach cleanup at Zhongshan University. We drove her scooter to the beach and met up with Tim and a good number of his classmates and friends to clean up an area of the beach as much as we could for about two hour. While we were cleaning, about a dozen or so couples came to the beach to have their wedding photographs taken. It was fun to see the variety in dress--some brides to be wore what we would consider more traditional dresses, long and white with sequins, while others wore brightly colored party dresses, one short and hot pink complete with black bows, one long and neon yellow, and another an...interesting shade of green. After the cleanup, a few of us went to get supplies while some of the guys built a fire by the beach. It was one of the few times I've been at the beach at night, and the first time in a while that we actually were able to see some stars. Claire and I stood next to each other side by side leaning against a large rock facing the ocean and letting the waves crash on our legs as we talked. On the scooter ride back we planned our next date together--a pajama party for just the two of us at her apartment complete with cocktails, costumes (she never really got to celebrate Halloween), pizza, dancing/singing, and movies. It was a great day spent outside, and by the time I got home at 10:30 that night, I was both very happy and very tired.
This past week started off well. On Monday afternoon Julianna made me apple cider and gave me a little snack to get me through my last class. She also gave me a wonderful gift--a personalized key chain, embroidered in pink (because she says she likes the color on me) with my name in white letters. It's especially meaningful because she got it at the market right outside of my apartment when she was walking around with her family after our Halloween party. I was incredibly touched by her thoughtfulness, especially since it was a thank you for "everything I've done for the students"--Julianna has done way more for me than I can even hope to do for the kids in the entire time I'm here. I have been trying to think of something really special for her--I want to make sure it will always remind her of me.
Late Monday night I started to get sick. I had to teach at EV the next morning, which meant talking for two hours straight, and it only got worse. Luckily, I did not have class Tuesday afternoon or Wednesday and was able to rest. I had scheduled an appointment for a while ago to meet with the dealer of the painting that I wrote about before, and since he was driving all the way over to take me to his gallery, I felt bad cancelling. I ended up buying the painting, and stayed a while to have tea and chat with his business partner. She suggested that I go see a doctor, even though I told her it was just a cold, so Henry (the art dealer), stopped at a clinic on the way back to drop me off. It did turn out just to be a cold, but I was feeling like death, so I was happy when I saw that I got a whole bunch of medicine just for my cold (I'm used to doctors in the US telling me to wait it out). I made it home just in time to see CNN report that Barack Obama will become the 44th President of the United States and to watch McCain's succession speech and Obama's victory speech, both which I thought were well done. It was an exciting day in our apartment, and we all wished we could have been in the States celebrating.
I was squeaking and without a voice on Thursday, and after I survived EV, I felt pretty awful. I ended up not teaching on Thursday and Friday, and although the rest really helped, I was going crazy from being confined to my room. Shana kept checking on me to make sure I wasn't dead and brought me cup after cup of hot tea. On Friday night I broke out of my room, figuring going to a movie would be ok. Shana, me, and our friend Kelly went to see High School Musical 3! That's right! It was fabulous. I believe I got chills...more than once. My away message since last night has read "whoever says romance is dead clearly hasn't seen HSM3." It's true.
Today I laid low again, which was pretty fitting for a rainy day, leaving the house only to take Leo back to the vets for another dose of mite medicine and to get dinner. I stopped in to get carry-out, but I realized that the only two other customers in the restaurant were staring at me, so I said hello and waited for their questions. They turned out to be Freda and Carol, English majors at the nearby university. They speak English very well, so well that I was able to use my normal fast pace. I sat down at their table and we chatted for a half hour or so before I left with my luke-warm take out and headed home. Then, I also passed the store where my friend Kinki works, and found that she was working tonight. I went inside to say hello and also saw Angie, another friend. They introduced me to a few of their classmates, and I chatted with them for another 10 minutes before I started home. I was so hungry by the time I got home that I wolfed down my food and got a tummy ache :(. Still, I'd say the two new friends were well worth it.
Tomorrow's likely to prove another r&r day. There's supposed to be a cold front coming in--one that drops the temperature from about 30C to 11C. I can only hope! I hope you are all well and enjoying the four seasons in the States.
With love from Taiwan,
Nicki
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Where are you, fall...why can't I find you?
I'll start with last weekend's activities. On Friday night my roommates and I headed to a nearby night market for some good food and browsing. Shana and I were on a mission to find T-shirts, and that's exactly what I did! One shirt is light pink and features a cute little girl with a stack of hamburgers on her head. The background says "I eat 2 hamburgers every day." I'm a little worried that wearing it will only reaffirm the popular belief that a staple in every American's diet is hamburgers, but oh well. The second is a little yellow shirt with a darling young girl shyly holding an envelope sent from her love with a cute little mailbox in the background. I thought I'd mix it up a bit with the third shirt, a grey T with an uber cute robot. I'm pretty excited about them. I would post pictures but I couldn't wait to wear them this week so they are currently in my hamper :).
On Saturday I couldn't wait for my play date with Claire, my newest friend. Claire and I met on a website where you can find local friends and language partners. She is a cardiovascular nurse and works odd shifts, so it's hard to find time to meet. We've been chatting for a few weeks and we finally agreed to meet for this first time this past Saturday. It was such a great day! We have a lot of similar interests and clicked right away. She held my hand right away, something that would probably seem odd in America. It was unexpected at first), but it was also kind of nice, since hand holding between women here often symbolizes close friendship. We went to see Cape No. 7 since Claire had not seen it (and I clearly didn't mind seeing it again!). After the movie we went to a great Japanese restaurant for dinner and then made our way to a Latin American restaurant where they were having a party with salsa lessons. A lot of the ETAs were also there since the owner of the restaurant teaches one of my roommates Spanish, and we chatted and danced with them for a while. Diego, a native of Columbia, taught us how to move our feet and shake our hips :p. I was doing okay until I got to the turns and then I needed a little one-on-one time. Shiela (with whom I was dancing with for that lesson) and I finally got it, and it seemed like a great victory. Soon after, Claire's friends arrived and we went upstairs for drinks and chatting. I met her friend Tim, who is from Canada and pretty involved in volunteer projects concerning the environment and animals in Taiwan. He passed on information about some of their events, and I'm really looking forward to going sometime when I'm free. It was nice to meet a few other foreigners outside of the ETA group. Even though it was also my first time meeting Claire, it wasn't uncomfortable at all--in fact, they thought we had been friends for much longer since we got along so well :).
On Sunday I went on a biking trip with my host sisters and their aunt, cousin, and grandmother. We met for lunch near their house, and then rode on their bikes over to a store to rent one for me. I rode their grandmother's bike, thinking it would be no problem to carry Kayi on the back. Wrong! It took me a while to ride smoothly, learning how to balance both her weight and my own. She is quite the funny girl--she told me that it seemed she needed to pray to Jesus while she was riding on the bike with me! We had fun saying things like "watch it, dude" and "hey, man" to each other while we rode next to parked cars and scooters drifting dangerously close to us (or maybe I was drifting toward them...). We rode from the Mega Department Store over to Fisherman's Wharf , rode along the Love River and a bike path with the others participating in the trip, and then rode back to the Wharf for some iced tea. We stopped for dinner along the way home, and then I came home to prepare my Halloween costumes for this week.
I stopped at the stationary store and bought a plain cat mask along with some paint and the supplies to make a furry tail. I figured I had better think of another costume so that I 1. didn't get bored dressing as the same thing every day, and 2. didn't run out of clothing, so I also bought light lime green butterfly wings and a butterfly mask to paint for my other costume. I also bought M&Ms and Snickers to give to my students in class, and witch hats for this morning's Halloween performance. Every Wednesday morning Wen Fu has it's school-wide student assembly. I was asked to introduce Halloween and I decided last week that I would enlist the help of one of my trickier (if you have any questions about what this means exactly, send me an email), classes to help plan the program. I taught them the song "Ten Little Witches," derived from "Ten Little Indians," and when more than 10 students wanted to participate, I found roles for the others and asked them for their own suggestions. Julianna translated the history of Halloween at the beginning, and then I spoke simple sentences about how we celebrate Halloween today in the U.S. and had students introduce key words in phrases in both English and Chinese. It was a little stressful to prepare since the students were so excited, and therefore "trickier" than usual, but it was a lot of fun to watch them perform. Lynn filmed the performance and I hope to upload it soon for you all to see.
After the performance, Julianna, Lynn, and I walked around to the 5th and 6th grade classrooms all decked out in our costumes to hand out candy, wish the students Happy Halloween, and teach them the rhyme "Trick-or-treat, smell my feet, give me something good to eat..." They all got a big kick out of the "I'll pull down your underwear" line. Ha. On Friday, we'll go around to the 1st-4th grade classrooms and make Jack-o-lanterns using orange balloons and black markers.
Although this week has been a little more stressful than usual, it's been pretty fun. Yesterday in English Village at Wen Fu we sang "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" and watched part of The Lion King. It's been forever since I last watched it; I forgot how incredibly funny and witty it is! I was definitely able to appreciate the more advanced humor that went right over my head as a kid, as well as the brilliant lyrics to all of the songs.
This weekend my apartment is planning a Halloween party for all of our host siblings and little kiddie friends. I am really pushing for bobbing for apples, but the others don't seem to be too thrilled, so I think we might opt for eating donuts off a string instead (so much more practical?!). We plan to show Hocus Pocus and play lots and lots of games.
Alright, I must admit...I'm a little homesick. I am having a great time here, but I am really starting to miss fall. My screen saver is currently one of my favorite pictures ever--a picture I took of Main Hall last fall at Lawrence while walking downtown with Justine. I miss all of the smells, sights, and sounds so much that I went online last weekend to see if Yankee Candle would deliver to Taiwan--no such luck. Last fall, Justine and I used to lug all our books to Starbucks and drink gingerbread or pumpkin spice lattes as she read and I attempted my chemistry homework. We both got so excited when they put up their Christmas decorations and started to play the holiday tracks. I heard the other day that it was snowing in Minnesota...we don't even have changing foliage here and it's still 80 degrees! The weather is getting a bit cooler, and I can see a change in the lights and feel it a bit in the air, but it's still not the same. I'm starting to begin preparations for Christmas now that I realize it will take quite a bit of work to carry it off. The other day I bought Home Alone 2. My next stop is Costco for a ridiculously large fake Christmas tree. I have yet to figure out exactly how the presents part will work, but I'm sure I'll think of something.
I will leave you all with something that I can't help but share because it was written so beautifully:
"I fully appreciate you missing the sensuous delights of the changing of the seasons to fall that are so much a part of life here in Maryland. I absolutely love fall, my favorite season, because of those very smells you "miss;" the visual pleasure of watching the the greens change to vibrant oranges, yellows, and reds and then fading; the subtle sounds of the crisp leaves falling to the ground and the distinctive rustle/crackle when a person or creature ventures through them during their travels; the sounds of crows "cawing" more insistently about their "issues;" the smell of fires burning; the display of pumpkins at roadside stands and in the stores, the artsy "indian" corn and turkey displays; the "crispness" of the air. The senses are filled abundantly by all of these changes. I wish I could send these things to you so you would not have to miss them, being on the other side of the world."
On Saturday I couldn't wait for my play date with Claire, my newest friend. Claire and I met on a website where you can find local friends and language partners. She is a cardiovascular nurse and works odd shifts, so it's hard to find time to meet. We've been chatting for a few weeks and we finally agreed to meet for this first time this past Saturday. It was such a great day! We have a lot of similar interests and clicked right away. She held my hand right away, something that would probably seem odd in America. It was unexpected at first), but it was also kind of nice, since hand holding between women here often symbolizes close friendship. We went to see Cape No. 7 since Claire had not seen it (and I clearly didn't mind seeing it again!). After the movie we went to a great Japanese restaurant for dinner and then made our way to a Latin American restaurant where they were having a party with salsa lessons. A lot of the ETAs were also there since the owner of the restaurant teaches one of my roommates Spanish, and we chatted and danced with them for a while. Diego, a native of Columbia, taught us how to move our feet and shake our hips :p. I was doing okay until I got to the turns and then I needed a little one-on-one time. Shiela (with whom I was dancing with for that lesson) and I finally got it, and it seemed like a great victory. Soon after, Claire's friends arrived and we went upstairs for drinks and chatting. I met her friend Tim, who is from Canada and pretty involved in volunteer projects concerning the environment and animals in Taiwan. He passed on information about some of their events, and I'm really looking forward to going sometime when I'm free. It was nice to meet a few other foreigners outside of the ETA group. Even though it was also my first time meeting Claire, it wasn't uncomfortable at all--in fact, they thought we had been friends for much longer since we got along so well :).
On Sunday I went on a biking trip with my host sisters and their aunt, cousin, and grandmother. We met for lunch near their house, and then rode on their bikes over to a store to rent one for me. I rode their grandmother's bike, thinking it would be no problem to carry Kayi on the back. Wrong! It took me a while to ride smoothly, learning how to balance both her weight and my own. She is quite the funny girl--she told me that it seemed she needed to pray to Jesus while she was riding on the bike with me! We had fun saying things like "watch it, dude" and "hey, man" to each other while we rode next to parked cars and scooters drifting dangerously close to us (or maybe I was drifting toward them...). We rode from the Mega Department Store over to Fisherman's Wharf , rode along the Love River and a bike path with the others participating in the trip, and then rode back to the Wharf for some iced tea. We stopped for dinner along the way home, and then I came home to prepare my Halloween costumes for this week.
I stopped at the stationary store and bought a plain cat mask along with some paint and the supplies to make a furry tail. I figured I had better think of another costume so that I 1. didn't get bored dressing as the same thing every day, and 2. didn't run out of clothing, so I also bought light lime green butterfly wings and a butterfly mask to paint for my other costume. I also bought M&Ms and Snickers to give to my students in class, and witch hats for this morning's Halloween performance. Every Wednesday morning Wen Fu has it's school-wide student assembly. I was asked to introduce Halloween and I decided last week that I would enlist the help of one of my trickier (if you have any questions about what this means exactly, send me an email), classes to help plan the program. I taught them the song "Ten Little Witches," derived from "Ten Little Indians," and when more than 10 students wanted to participate, I found roles for the others and asked them for their own suggestions. Julianna translated the history of Halloween at the beginning, and then I spoke simple sentences about how we celebrate Halloween today in the U.S. and had students introduce key words in phrases in both English and Chinese. It was a little stressful to prepare since the students were so excited, and therefore "trickier" than usual, but it was a lot of fun to watch them perform. Lynn filmed the performance and I hope to upload it soon for you all to see.
After the performance, Julianna, Lynn, and I walked around to the 5th and 6th grade classrooms all decked out in our costumes to hand out candy, wish the students Happy Halloween, and teach them the rhyme "Trick-or-treat, smell my feet, give me something good to eat..." They all got a big kick out of the "I'll pull down your underwear" line. Ha. On Friday, we'll go around to the 1st-4th grade classrooms and make Jack-o-lanterns using orange balloons and black markers.
Although this week has been a little more stressful than usual, it's been pretty fun. Yesterday in English Village at Wen Fu we sang "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" and watched part of The Lion King. It's been forever since I last watched it; I forgot how incredibly funny and witty it is! I was definitely able to appreciate the more advanced humor that went right over my head as a kid, as well as the brilliant lyrics to all of the songs.
This weekend my apartment is planning a Halloween party for all of our host siblings and little kiddie friends. I am really pushing for bobbing for apples, but the others don't seem to be too thrilled, so I think we might opt for eating donuts off a string instead (so much more practical?!). We plan to show Hocus Pocus and play lots and lots of games.
Alright, I must admit...I'm a little homesick. I am having a great time here, but I am really starting to miss fall. My screen saver is currently one of my favorite pictures ever--a picture I took of Main Hall last fall at Lawrence while walking downtown with Justine. I miss all of the smells, sights, and sounds so much that I went online last weekend to see if Yankee Candle would deliver to Taiwan--no such luck. Last fall, Justine and I used to lug all our books to Starbucks and drink gingerbread or pumpkin spice lattes as she read and I attempted my chemistry homework. We both got so excited when they put up their Christmas decorations and started to play the holiday tracks. I heard the other day that it was snowing in Minnesota...we don't even have changing foliage here and it's still 80 degrees! The weather is getting a bit cooler, and I can see a change in the lights and feel it a bit in the air, but it's still not the same. I'm starting to begin preparations for Christmas now that I realize it will take quite a bit of work to carry it off. The other day I bought Home Alone 2. My next stop is Costco for a ridiculously large fake Christmas tree. I have yet to figure out exactly how the presents part will work, but I'm sure I'll think of something.
I will leave you all with something that I can't help but share because it was written so beautifully:
"I fully appreciate you missing the sensuous delights of the changing of the seasons to fall that are so much a part of life here in Maryland. I absolutely love fall, my favorite season, because of those very smells you "miss;" the visual pleasure of watching the the greens change to vibrant oranges, yellows, and reds and then fading; the subtle sounds of the crisp leaves falling to the ground and the distinctive rustle/crackle when a person or creature ventures through them during their travels; the sounds of crows "cawing" more insistently about their "issues;" the smell of fires burning; the display of pumpkins at roadside stands and in the stores, the artsy "indian" corn and turkey displays; the "crispness" of the air. The senses are filled abundantly by all of these changes. I wish I could send these things to you so you would not have to miss them, being on the other side of the world."
Sunday, October 19, 2008
October Updates!
It's been a while since my last entry. Last weekend the ETAs were invited to Taipei by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to participate in a grand celebration for "Double 10" (10/10), Taiwan's National Day. We arrived late on Friday afternoon and the girls gathered in one hotel room to do hair and makeup. We met with the other Fulbright grantees in our hotel, and headed over to the Guest House for the reception. It was by far the fanciest party I have ever been to. Important people from all over the world were dressed in their finest, and some of the best chefs in Taiwan were preparing local specialities. Guests enjoyed treats like Din Tai Fung soup dumplings (小龙包), Haagen Dazs ice cream with topping of their choice, scallion pancakes, mini cakes, mango smoothies, and foods from Taiwan's ethnic minorities. Local artists were invited to perform their special talents--weaving, paper cutting, straw weaving, calligraphy, etc. President Ma was there, making his way around the room and shaking hands with guests. It was fun to dress up and attend such an important event in Taiwanese culture, although it was a little intimidating to be in a room with so many distinguished people.
On Saturday I took the MRT over to Taipei 101 to see it for the first time. The weather was cloudy and the attendant advised me that it wasn't worth the wait or the money to go to the top that day, but I had fun walking around and window shopping. I also learned the valuable lesson of not trying on any shoes unless I know for sure I want to buy them. I tried on a great pair of mid-calf black suede boots with a wedge heel at Nine West, but I just couldn't spend that much on shoes after springing for the discounted spa package this month (also, Shana has informed me that Nine West and a few other American shoe brands are more expensive here compared to the U.S.). As soon as I told the woman I would be interested in ordering them from the store at a later date, her face fell and she looked like she wanted to stab me. I thanked her over and over and then after I finally left the store, made all efforts necessary for avoiding walking past it again. Although, when I actually thought about it, I said I was just looking, she was the one who insisted I try a pair on!
I did come across a very friendly saleswoman in a store that we also have in Kaohsiung, and very close to our apartment too. I didn't bring a winter jacket with me because I won't really need one, but I decided a light-weight jacket would be good to have. I tried on a few different black ones, all cute, but the cut not quite working right. The saleswoman remembered there was one other I had not tried yet, and when I slipped it on, I immediately loved it. Mid-trench length, A-line, European style with double breast buttons, I just love it! There was also a sale on, so I chose an emerald green scarf that was basically included for free and still the price was lower than the original. They also gave a choice of an LED lamp that changes colors and comes in four different animals. Of course, I chose the cute little frog one!
That night I met with Vicky and two of her local friends to go for dinner at a rice soup (粥) restaurant. We were able to choose dishes of our choice to go with an unlimited supply of the soup with chunks of sweet potato. It was delicious and much needed after a long day of walking around. I caught one of the last trains back to Kaohsiung after the meal, and spent that night and Sunday relaxing.
The school week was busy, but a great deal of fun! On Monday I met with a sixth-grade student in one of my classes who is very eager and willing to learn English, but struggles with letters and phonics. Monday was our first meeting together, and we practiced writing the alphabet and saying the sounds of each letter. He asked me if he should come to meet me on Friday as well, which was pretty amazing since he is giving up his naptime to put in extra practice with me. On Friday we went over some letter combinations and I taught time how to sound out words. He's making good progress and he's trying so hard! He's a very smart boy, and he is also willing to talk freely to me, something many students are too shy to do.
On Tuesday I started learning the Chinese traditional flute with Yang, a homeroom teacher at Wen Fu. He is a well-known professional flutist, having played in many orchestras before he decided he wanted to be a teacher. This past week we worked on a traditional Chinese song, which he also taught me how to sing. He gave me my own flute to practice at home in between each lesson. He told me he'd treat me to soup dumplings for dinner, but when we got closer to the restaurant he asked if I would prefer sushi instead. I told him either was just fine, and insisted he pick since I had never been to either restaurant. He said we'd have soup dumplings first and then sushi, so I just assumed he meant next time we'd have sushi. Not the case. He ordered two hot and sour soups and a pan of soup dumplings, saying we couldn't eat too much because we had to leave room for sushi! I was full after the soup and the dumplings, but still we walked down the street to the sushi restaurant and ordered eel, salmon, scallop, and squid sashimi. He had ordered some sort of scallion pancake with meat wrapped inside for me to take home for a midnight snack, but I could fit nothing more in my stomach, and gave it to Shana instead. She was quite happy :)
This week in class we finished "The Owl and the Pussycat," and I played new games with the students. Some of the classes were a challenge, but a lot of the students who were causing trouble before are really starting to engage in class activities and that makes me incredibly happy. Julianna and I announced our Halloween competitions this week: a costume contest, and a scary story contest. I taught the kids jumping jacks during EV time in the sports station, and they giggled like crazy!
On Friday I went to the animal clinic to pick up the big cage I had ordered for Leo. The doctors and receptionists are all incredibly friendly, and let me play with whatever pets they have there at the time. I got to hold two baby sugar gliders, probably one of the cutest things in the world! They climbed onto my hands without fear and began licking the salt on my hands. After I played with them for a bit, I went outside to play with the big black lab who was beginning to look nervous after a big boom of thunder. I scratched her head for a while, and she seemed to be in puppy heaven, making she sure she nudged by hand with her nose if I became preoccupied with someone who talked to me when entering the clinic. The receptionist told me that Dr. Chiu had ordered special food dishes for me and wanted to give them to me as a gift to see how they worked for Leo--I have to use heavy dishes for his food, otherwise he tips them over when he's eating. I got home and set it up, only to find when I got home later that night, that Leo was on the other side of the cage. Although his body looks much too big to fit through the bars, he is much like one of those squishy cylinders filled with water--squeeze it and it'll wiggle out of your hands. I put him back in his cage and watched as he stuck his head through the hole. I thought "ha, ha! Try to get out now!" before I saw him elongate his body and squeeze through the rest of the way while looking directly at me. I have now clipped the towels I put on the floor to the sides of the cage in attempt to keep him. Last night I discovered he had escaped yet again and was curled up in my bag that I bring to school with all of my books. I needed to give him a bath to moisturize his skin and clip his nails, since the trimmer in his wheel doesn't seem to be working too well. He is the biggest baby ever! He hissed and wiggled and crawled up my arm before trying to crawl into the nook next to my neck and around onto my back. Look up "bathing hedgie" on youtube if you want to see some videos of what is pretty much the ritual Leo and I have.
After my stop at the clinic on Friday, I went with two other ETAs to a dinner party for Roger, one of the people who has been helping us run English Village at Ling Zhou. His mom and dad made an amazing meal for us, Selena (another helper in the EV) brought drinks, and Sheila, Billy, and I brought a cake for dessert. After the meal we walked to the nearby Rui Feng night market and browsed for a bit before going to the Hanshin Department Store. Sheila looked for shoes (I decided not to take a chance at having another angry encounter), and went to look at the clothes instead. I came across an uber cute hat, and after going back three times to try it on and looking at other places, I decided it was the one for me (Shana and I have devoted many a time to finding the perfect hat with no luck).
On Saturday I went to yet another wedding banquet with Julianna's family. This time I knew the groom a little, so it was especially fun to see he and his bride together and congratulate them. The decorations were very beautiful, as were the two dresses she wore. At this banquet they had the bridesmaids and groomsmen walk down the aisle with the flower girl and ring bearer before the bride and groom entered. I tried to get some good shots, but everyone was lined up on the side trying to snap photos. There were also many young children at this particular banquet. The table behind us had a little baby boy who communicated through squealing and high-pitched cooing, and the table beside us had a little boy of maybe three, who was being taught how to toast with people. On the way home from the banquet we stopped by Chengching Lake for some fresh air and the view across the water. There was a beautiful traditional-style pagoda that housed an exhibition and a restaurant on the water which I'd love to go back to some time.
Today I met Julianna and her family at a high school to watch Kaohsiung City high school bands perform for their friends and family. Vicky, Julianna's daughter, plays the guitar, and we all went to support her. It was a lot of fun to see a lot of the bands perform English songs by artists like Green Day, The Killers, and Avril Lavigne (who is crazy popular here). The bands' friends and classmates formed a crowd in the front, and jumped up and down and screamed when they performed and worked the audience.
Next week will be another busy weekend. I'll be meeting my new friend Claire for the first time for shopping and quality hanging out, and on Sunday I'll be going on a biking trip with my host family. More to come then!
On Saturday I took the MRT over to Taipei 101 to see it for the first time. The weather was cloudy and the attendant advised me that it wasn't worth the wait or the money to go to the top that day, but I had fun walking around and window shopping. I also learned the valuable lesson of not trying on any shoes unless I know for sure I want to buy them. I tried on a great pair of mid-calf black suede boots with a wedge heel at Nine West, but I just couldn't spend that much on shoes after springing for the discounted spa package this month (also, Shana has informed me that Nine West and a few other American shoe brands are more expensive here compared to the U.S.). As soon as I told the woman I would be interested in ordering them from the store at a later date, her face fell and she looked like she wanted to stab me. I thanked her over and over and then after I finally left the store, made all efforts necessary for avoiding walking past it again. Although, when I actually thought about it, I said I was just looking, she was the one who insisted I try a pair on!
I did come across a very friendly saleswoman in a store that we also have in Kaohsiung, and very close to our apartment too. I didn't bring a winter jacket with me because I won't really need one, but I decided a light-weight jacket would be good to have. I tried on a few different black ones, all cute, but the cut not quite working right. The saleswoman remembered there was one other I had not tried yet, and when I slipped it on, I immediately loved it. Mid-trench length, A-line, European style with double breast buttons, I just love it! There was also a sale on, so I chose an emerald green scarf that was basically included for free and still the price was lower than the original. They also gave a choice of an LED lamp that changes colors and comes in four different animals. Of course, I chose the cute little frog one!
That night I met with Vicky and two of her local friends to go for dinner at a rice soup (粥) restaurant. We were able to choose dishes of our choice to go with an unlimited supply of the soup with chunks of sweet potato. It was delicious and much needed after a long day of walking around. I caught one of the last trains back to Kaohsiung after the meal, and spent that night and Sunday relaxing.
The school week was busy, but a great deal of fun! On Monday I met with a sixth-grade student in one of my classes who is very eager and willing to learn English, but struggles with letters and phonics. Monday was our first meeting together, and we practiced writing the alphabet and saying the sounds of each letter. He asked me if he should come to meet me on Friday as well, which was pretty amazing since he is giving up his naptime to put in extra practice with me. On Friday we went over some letter combinations and I taught time how to sound out words. He's making good progress and he's trying so hard! He's a very smart boy, and he is also willing to talk freely to me, something many students are too shy to do.
On Tuesday I started learning the Chinese traditional flute with Yang, a homeroom teacher at Wen Fu. He is a well-known professional flutist, having played in many orchestras before he decided he wanted to be a teacher. This past week we worked on a traditional Chinese song, which he also taught me how to sing. He gave me my own flute to practice at home in between each lesson. He told me he'd treat me to soup dumplings for dinner, but when we got closer to the restaurant he asked if I would prefer sushi instead. I told him either was just fine, and insisted he pick since I had never been to either restaurant. He said we'd have soup dumplings first and then sushi, so I just assumed he meant next time we'd have sushi. Not the case. He ordered two hot and sour soups and a pan of soup dumplings, saying we couldn't eat too much because we had to leave room for sushi! I was full after the soup and the dumplings, but still we walked down the street to the sushi restaurant and ordered eel, salmon, scallop, and squid sashimi. He had ordered some sort of scallion pancake with meat wrapped inside for me to take home for a midnight snack, but I could fit nothing more in my stomach, and gave it to Shana instead. She was quite happy :)
This week in class we finished "The Owl and the Pussycat," and I played new games with the students. Some of the classes were a challenge, but a lot of the students who were causing trouble before are really starting to engage in class activities and that makes me incredibly happy. Julianna and I announced our Halloween competitions this week: a costume contest, and a scary story contest. I taught the kids jumping jacks during EV time in the sports station, and they giggled like crazy!
On Friday I went to the animal clinic to pick up the big cage I had ordered for Leo. The doctors and receptionists are all incredibly friendly, and let me play with whatever pets they have there at the time. I got to hold two baby sugar gliders, probably one of the cutest things in the world! They climbed onto my hands without fear and began licking the salt on my hands. After I played with them for a bit, I went outside to play with the big black lab who was beginning to look nervous after a big boom of thunder. I scratched her head for a while, and she seemed to be in puppy heaven, making she sure she nudged by hand with her nose if I became preoccupied with someone who talked to me when entering the clinic. The receptionist told me that Dr. Chiu had ordered special food dishes for me and wanted to give them to me as a gift to see how they worked for Leo--I have to use heavy dishes for his food, otherwise he tips them over when he's eating. I got home and set it up, only to find when I got home later that night, that Leo was on the other side of the cage. Although his body looks much too big to fit through the bars, he is much like one of those squishy cylinders filled with water--squeeze it and it'll wiggle out of your hands. I put him back in his cage and watched as he stuck his head through the hole. I thought "ha, ha! Try to get out now!" before I saw him elongate his body and squeeze through the rest of the way while looking directly at me. I have now clipped the towels I put on the floor to the sides of the cage in attempt to keep him. Last night I discovered he had escaped yet again and was curled up in my bag that I bring to school with all of my books. I needed to give him a bath to moisturize his skin and clip his nails, since the trimmer in his wheel doesn't seem to be working too well. He is the biggest baby ever! He hissed and wiggled and crawled up my arm before trying to crawl into the nook next to my neck and around onto my back. Look up "bathing hedgie" on youtube if you want to see some videos of what is pretty much the ritual Leo and I have.
After my stop at the clinic on Friday, I went with two other ETAs to a dinner party for Roger, one of the people who has been helping us run English Village at Ling Zhou. His mom and dad made an amazing meal for us, Selena (another helper in the EV) brought drinks, and Sheila, Billy, and I brought a cake for dessert. After the meal we walked to the nearby Rui Feng night market and browsed for a bit before going to the Hanshin Department Store. Sheila looked for shoes (I decided not to take a chance at having another angry encounter), and went to look at the clothes instead. I came across an uber cute hat, and after going back three times to try it on and looking at other places, I decided it was the one for me (Shana and I have devoted many a time to finding the perfect hat with no luck).
On Saturday I went to yet another wedding banquet with Julianna's family. This time I knew the groom a little, so it was especially fun to see he and his bride together and congratulate them. The decorations were very beautiful, as were the two dresses she wore. At this banquet they had the bridesmaids and groomsmen walk down the aisle with the flower girl and ring bearer before the bride and groom entered. I tried to get some good shots, but everyone was lined up on the side trying to snap photos. There were also many young children at this particular banquet. The table behind us had a little baby boy who communicated through squealing and high-pitched cooing, and the table beside us had a little boy of maybe three, who was being taught how to toast with people. On the way home from the banquet we stopped by Chengching Lake for some fresh air and the view across the water. There was a beautiful traditional-style pagoda that housed an exhibition and a restaurant on the water which I'd love to go back to some time.
Today I met Julianna and her family at a high school to watch Kaohsiung City high school bands perform for their friends and family. Vicky, Julianna's daughter, plays the guitar, and we all went to support her. It was a lot of fun to see a lot of the bands perform English songs by artists like Green Day, The Killers, and Avril Lavigne (who is crazy popular here). The bands' friends and classmates formed a crowd in the front, and jumped up and down and screamed when they performed and worked the audience.
Next week will be another busy weekend. I'll be meeting my new friend Claire for the first time for shopping and quality hanging out, and on Sunday I'll be going on a biking trip with my host family. More to come then!
Sunday, October 5, 2008
Saturday Fun
Yesterday I called my friend Jean on a whim since I had some free time and realized I hadn't seen her in weeks. She happened to be free, so I asked if she wanted to go see Nights in Rodanthe with me. I invited Shana along too, so Jean picked the two of us up in her car and we headed for the movies. When we got there we found that the 3pm movie was no longer playing, so we bought tickets for a later one and then wandered off to kill time.
This weekend the ETAs have been invited to a fancy party in Taipei hosted by the Bureau of Education to celebrate 10/10, Taiwan's Independence Day. The invitation asks women to wear cocktail dresses, so I was in dire need of a dress! Amanda, our wonderful life coach, as Shana and I call her, mentioned a store she found where you can rent a dress, with jewelry and bag for the evening included. I had told Jean about the store, which we found out was located near her house, so she asked if I wanted to go take a look at the dresses before the movie. The shop was beautiful. The women took my measurements and then brought a number of dresses of different styles and colors for me to try. Most of the ones I really really liked weren't in my size, and although the first few dresses I tried were nice, they didn't seem to be right for me. And then they brought me an iridescent light blue dress that reminded me a little bit of the Little Mermaid. I wasn't sure if the color would work for me, but I put it on and fell in love with it. Shana and Jean approved, and then I got to select the jewelry to go with it. The saleswomen originally chose very sparkly pieces that were nice, but seemed a bit too much for me. I saw a pair of dangly starfish earrings with green, pink, and blue stones on them and wanted them right away. They took my measurements one last time to alter the dress, I paid my deposit, and left on cloud nine.
Shana and I were pretty hungry since we hadn't eaten lunch and it was almost 4:30, but most restaurants don't open until 5 for dinner (they close around 2pm after lunch and then rest and prepare for dinner). We decided on eating home style Cantonese Chinese food for dinner, and even though the restaurant was still preparing for dinner, they agree to serve us. Jean asked us what kind of dishes we liked, and I began rattling off all of my favorite dishes that I ate in Beijing on a daily basis. I was more excited than you can imagine and almost cried from excessive happiness when I saw the green pepper and beef (青椒牛肉), sweet and sour pork (糖醋排骨)，iron-plate tofu（铁板豆腐), and stir-fried cabbage (白菜). After the delicious meal, Jean took Shana and I for our first trip to Costco. It immediately smelled like home, and I squealed with delight when I saw the fake Christmas trees and Christmas decorations. We only had about an hour there before we had to get back for the movie, so I agreed to save my Christmas decoration shopping for another day, and Shana and I rushed around looking for the things we decided we needed. I found the most comfy fuzzy fleece throw that's dark grey with a white pattern on it. I love it so much because it reminds me of snowflakes. Even though it's still about 90 degrees here, the air conditioning in my room blows directly on my bed, and I was getting tired of using my robe to cover up when I napped. I broke it in today during my afternoon nap and absolutely loved it! We also bought those ginormous chocolate muffins with chocolate chips--a chocolate lover's heaven!
We rushed back to the movie theater, and even got there with ten minutes to spare. The movie was wonderful, but incredibly sad. As Shana said, we should have known since it's based on a Nicholas Sparks novel. I haven't cried that hard in a movie since I saw the Notebook and it took the whole ride home for my face to look normal again. I had a headache from the crying, but it was a great movie and totally worth it! I'll have to add it to my growing list of movies to buy...
Tonight I went to one of my favorite restaurants for dinner since I had been craving their spicy Thai hot pot. I took my book and got there early so I was one of the only customers. They have decorated for autumn and Halloween since the last time I went, and it was even more cozy inside. They had a cd playing the scores of popular 90s love songs, and I felt incredibly relaxed as I read my book and waited for my meal. When I left I asked about one of the most stunning paintings I've ever seen, one that caught my attention on my first visit there. It's the most beautiful autumn scenery, with vibrant oranges, reds, and yellows creating the foliage. I was delighted to hear that it is a piece done by an art student who is looking to sell it. The owner of the restaurant gave me the contact card and told me it shouldn't be very expensive, which I was even more delighted to hear. It's definitely one more piece to add my four favorite paintings that I bought in Xi'an at a farmer's market for way more than I should have paid. Even so, I ended up paying only $12 for them, and would have gladly paid more for something I thought so beautiful.
I'm now ready to curl up on my bed in my new blanket with my new book and one of those delectable chocolate muffins...
This weekend the ETAs have been invited to a fancy party in Taipei hosted by the Bureau of Education to celebrate 10/10, Taiwan's Independence Day. The invitation asks women to wear cocktail dresses, so I was in dire need of a dress! Amanda, our wonderful life coach, as Shana and I call her, mentioned a store she found where you can rent a dress, with jewelry and bag for the evening included. I had told Jean about the store, which we found out was located near her house, so she asked if I wanted to go take a look at the dresses before the movie. The shop was beautiful. The women took my measurements and then brought a number of dresses of different styles and colors for me to try. Most of the ones I really really liked weren't in my size, and although the first few dresses I tried were nice, they didn't seem to be right for me. And then they brought me an iridescent light blue dress that reminded me a little bit of the Little Mermaid. I wasn't sure if the color would work for me, but I put it on and fell in love with it. Shana and Jean approved, and then I got to select the jewelry to go with it. The saleswomen originally chose very sparkly pieces that were nice, but seemed a bit too much for me. I saw a pair of dangly starfish earrings with green, pink, and blue stones on them and wanted them right away. They took my measurements one last time to alter the dress, I paid my deposit, and left on cloud nine.
Shana and I were pretty hungry since we hadn't eaten lunch and it was almost 4:30, but most restaurants don't open until 5 for dinner (they close around 2pm after lunch and then rest and prepare for dinner). We decided on eating home style Cantonese Chinese food for dinner, and even though the restaurant was still preparing for dinner, they agree to serve us. Jean asked us what kind of dishes we liked, and I began rattling off all of my favorite dishes that I ate in Beijing on a daily basis. I was more excited than you can imagine and almost cried from excessive happiness when I saw the green pepper and beef (青椒牛肉), sweet and sour pork (糖醋排骨)，iron-plate tofu（铁板豆腐), and stir-fried cabbage (白菜). After the delicious meal, Jean took Shana and I for our first trip to Costco. It immediately smelled like home, and I squealed with delight when I saw the fake Christmas trees and Christmas decorations. We only had about an hour there before we had to get back for the movie, so I agreed to save my Christmas decoration shopping for another day, and Shana and I rushed around looking for the things we decided we needed. I found the most comfy fuzzy fleece throw that's dark grey with a white pattern on it. I love it so much because it reminds me of snowflakes. Even though it's still about 90 degrees here, the air conditioning in my room blows directly on my bed, and I was getting tired of using my robe to cover up when I napped. I broke it in today during my afternoon nap and absolutely loved it! We also bought those ginormous chocolate muffins with chocolate chips--a chocolate lover's heaven!
We rushed back to the movie theater, and even got there with ten minutes to spare. The movie was wonderful, but incredibly sad. As Shana said, we should have known since it's based on a Nicholas Sparks novel. I haven't cried that hard in a movie since I saw the Notebook and it took the whole ride home for my face to look normal again. I had a headache from the crying, but it was a great movie and totally worth it! I'll have to add it to my growing list of movies to buy...
Tonight I went to one of my favorite restaurants for dinner since I had been craving their spicy Thai hot pot. I took my book and got there early so I was one of the only customers. They have decorated for autumn and Halloween since the last time I went, and it was even more cozy inside. They had a cd playing the scores of popular 90s love songs, and I felt incredibly relaxed as I read my book and waited for my meal. When I left I asked about one of the most stunning paintings I've ever seen, one that caught my attention on my first visit there. It's the most beautiful autumn scenery, with vibrant oranges, reds, and yellows creating the foliage. I was delighted to hear that it is a piece done by an art student who is looking to sell it. The owner of the restaurant gave me the contact card and told me it shouldn't be very expensive, which I was even more delighted to hear. It's definitely one more piece to add my four favorite paintings that I bought in Xi'an at a farmer's market for way more than I should have paid. Even so, I ended up paying only $12 for them, and would have gladly paid more for something I thought so beautiful.
I'm now ready to curl up on my bed in my new blanket with my new book and one of those delectable chocolate muffins...
Saturday, October 4, 2008
I've fallen in love....with Taiwanese movies!
Last Sunday, Shana, Lynn (a student teacher at Wen Fu), and I met up with my host mom and sisters for an Italian lunch at New House. The biggest typhoon to hit Taiwan yet was on its way, so we decided that a day spent inside would be best. After we stuffed ourselves with soup, salad, pasta, and dessert, we braved the wind and headed across the street to the Mega Mall. The girls went home to do their homework, and my mom, Shana, Lynn and I settled on seeing Cape No. 7 (海角七号), the latest Taiwanese movie that everyone is seeing. We had all heard how amazing it was from our friends, and I couldn't wait to see it!
The movie was so good! Although it it best classified as romance, there was plenty of hilarious comedy, and a wide array of characters each with their own personality to love. There are sort of two main stories in the movie, one which happens long ago when Taiwan was colonized by Japan. A young man is too cowardly to admit his love for a girl, and even though she's ready to go back to Japan with him, he leaves without saying goodbye. The movie begins with the love letters he wrote to her thereafter, apologizing for not being brave enough to acknowledge their love and expressing his eternal love for her. The other story, needed to lighten the mood, I suppose, is about a group of misfits who try to put a local Taiwanese band together to perform an opening act and prove their city's talent at a big concert put on by a Japanese pop star. One of the band members is a senile old man who can't really play anything but traditional Chinese instruments and is always angry at the others for trying to get rid of him. Some of the funniest lines come from him. Within this rock band story exists the main love story and the way the love story from the past and present are connected, but I'll leave that for you to figure out since I don't want to give everything away. ;)
The actors and actresses in the movie speak Japanese, Mandarin, and the local Taiwanese dialect, and there were both Chinese and English subtitles. The lead actor is actually a Taiwanese pop star who was popular a few years ago but had sort of faded away until this movie. The movie actually makes use of a song he wrote a while ago, and another one that I believe was written for this movie. Immediately after the movie, Shana and I went to the Mega bookstore to see if we could find the soundtrack, but found that it hasn't been released yet. We both agreed that we want to buy the soundtrack and the movie.
Although we couldn't buy the soundtrack that day, I did find a book written by an author whom I just discovered this year. I recently read a book titled Love Walked In by Marisa de los Santos, and absolutely loved it. As the title suggests, it is a book about love, but not just romantic love. The chapters alternate between two individual stories of a young girl and a woman in her 30s, whose paths cross during their respective searches for their own kind of love. It's beautifully written, and when I came across another novel, Belong to Me, written by the same author, I had to get it. I'm looking forward to starting it this weekend, now that I finally finished Life and Death in Shanghai, the story of a Chinese woman who was imprisoned for six years during China's Cultural Revolution, and The Alchemist, which is now probably one of my favorite books.
After making my purchase, Shana and I hurried home before the typhoon hit. Restaurants were closing early, so we stopped in to Domino's to get a pizza and watched a movie while we ate. Later that night we found out that there was no school the next day, since all of Taiwan was being hit with heavy winds and rain. In some places I heard that they received up to 30 inches of rain. Kaohsiung fared okay, and I am very lucky to have been placed here, especially since the other location in Yilan has been at the center of many of the typhoons that have come in the past month or so.
After work on Tuesday, Lynn invited me to see a movie with all of the student teachers at Wen Fu. We hurried across town to the Mega Mall and grabbed a quick dinner before seeing Orz Boys. It wasn't what we expected it to be, but it turned out to be great. It told the story of two elementary school boys who are good friends and have a dream of going to this make-believe world called Hyperspace. Both boys have sort of rough family lives, so most of the movie focuses on how they escape to their own world. Although a bit sad, it was also very funny, and beautifully done. It's another movie that I'm looking forward to buying and sharing with my friends back in the States.
On Wednesday, I went to another movie with Shana and Kelly, a mutual friend from work. This time we saw The Fox and Me (狐狸与我), a French film. The scenery was beautiful and Shana and I wondered how they did such an amazing job of filming chase scenes between the animals, but it was way too sad for me. The film is about a young girl who sees a fox on her way home, and devotes all of her spare time to finding this fox again. Eventually, the fox learns to trust her, and waits for to come out every day. The girl is too young to understand the delicate balance between our world and the natural world around us, and oversteps the boundary, trying to domesticate the animal. Shana and Kelly thought it was great, but it just fell into that weird category I have of things that I can't handle because it involves a sad story with either old people or animals. I've heard that a lot of European films tend to be somber and depressing, so for now I think I'll stick to the Taiwanese films!
I've been dying to see the Hollywood movie Nights in Rodanthe with Richard Gere and Diane Lane since I saw the preview this summer, so I might go this weekend. I also fell in love with the song in the preview, "Love Remains the Same" by Gavin Rossdale, and have had it set on repeat on my iTunes, so I think it's about time I see the movie. Maybe I'll take up a job as a movie critic on the side...
The movie was so good! Although it it best classified as romance, there was plenty of hilarious comedy, and a wide array of characters each with their own personality to love. There are sort of two main stories in the movie, one which happens long ago when Taiwan was colonized by Japan. A young man is too cowardly to admit his love for a girl, and even though she's ready to go back to Japan with him, he leaves without saying goodbye. The movie begins with the love letters he wrote to her thereafter, apologizing for not being brave enough to acknowledge their love and expressing his eternal love for her. The other story, needed to lighten the mood, I suppose, is about a group of misfits who try to put a local Taiwanese band together to perform an opening act and prove their city's talent at a big concert put on by a Japanese pop star. One of the band members is a senile old man who can't really play anything but traditional Chinese instruments and is always angry at the others for trying to get rid of him. Some of the funniest lines come from him. Within this rock band story exists the main love story and the way the love story from the past and present are connected, but I'll leave that for you to figure out since I don't want to give everything away. ;)
The actors and actresses in the movie speak Japanese, Mandarin, and the local Taiwanese dialect, and there were both Chinese and English subtitles. The lead actor is actually a Taiwanese pop star who was popular a few years ago but had sort of faded away until this movie. The movie actually makes use of a song he wrote a while ago, and another one that I believe was written for this movie. Immediately after the movie, Shana and I went to the Mega bookstore to see if we could find the soundtrack, but found that it hasn't been released yet. We both agreed that we want to buy the soundtrack and the movie.
Although we couldn't buy the soundtrack that day, I did find a book written by an author whom I just discovered this year. I recently read a book titled Love Walked In by Marisa de los Santos, and absolutely loved it. As the title suggests, it is a book about love, but not just romantic love. The chapters alternate between two individual stories of a young girl and a woman in her 30s, whose paths cross during their respective searches for their own kind of love. It's beautifully written, and when I came across another novel, Belong to Me, written by the same author, I had to get it. I'm looking forward to starting it this weekend, now that I finally finished Life and Death in Shanghai, the story of a Chinese woman who was imprisoned for six years during China's Cultural Revolution, and The Alchemist, which is now probably one of my favorite books.
After making my purchase, Shana and I hurried home before the typhoon hit. Restaurants were closing early, so we stopped in to Domino's to get a pizza and watched a movie while we ate. Later that night we found out that there was no school the next day, since all of Taiwan was being hit with heavy winds and rain. In some places I heard that they received up to 30 inches of rain. Kaohsiung fared okay, and I am very lucky to have been placed here, especially since the other location in Yilan has been at the center of many of the typhoons that have come in the past month or so.
After work on Tuesday, Lynn invited me to see a movie with all of the student teachers at Wen Fu. We hurried across town to the Mega Mall and grabbed a quick dinner before seeing Orz Boys. It wasn't what we expected it to be, but it turned out to be great. It told the story of two elementary school boys who are good friends and have a dream of going to this make-believe world called Hyperspace. Both boys have sort of rough family lives, so most of the movie focuses on how they escape to their own world. Although a bit sad, it was also very funny, and beautifully done. It's another movie that I'm looking forward to buying and sharing with my friends back in the States.
On Wednesday, I went to another movie with Shana and Kelly, a mutual friend from work. This time we saw The Fox and Me (狐狸与我), a French film. The scenery was beautiful and Shana and I wondered how they did such an amazing job of filming chase scenes between the animals, but it was way too sad for me. The film is about a young girl who sees a fox on her way home, and devotes all of her spare time to finding this fox again. Eventually, the fox learns to trust her, and waits for to come out every day. The girl is too young to understand the delicate balance between our world and the natural world around us, and oversteps the boundary, trying to domesticate the animal. Shana and Kelly thought it was great, but it just fell into that weird category I have of things that I can't handle because it involves a sad story with either old people or animals. I've heard that a lot of European films tend to be somber and depressing, so for now I think I'll stick to the Taiwanese films!
I've been dying to see the Hollywood movie Nights in Rodanthe with Richard Gere and Diane Lane since I saw the preview this summer, so I might go this weekend. I also fell in love with the song in the preview, "Love Remains the Same" by Gavin Rossdale, and have had it set on repeat on my iTunes, so I think it's about time I see the movie. Maybe I'll take up a job as a movie critic on the side...
Sunday, September 28, 2008
Last weekend's outing continued and more...
To pick up from where I left off, last Sunday I went to Ci Jin with my host family. The day began with our 9 am meeting where they picked me up near a park by their house. We drove to an art museum located not too far from the school where I teach. I found out that the day's events were planned for alumni of Dong Hua University, where my host dad earned his undergraduate degree.
The girls and I were tired from going to bed late and waking up early, and we weren't too thrilled to be at a museum at 9:30 in the morning, but it was a pretty cool place. We explored the gift shop for a half hour or so while we waited for the others, and chatted for a while. Things got even better once we entered the actual museum. The group had a tour guide who explained the significance of each piece and the author's motivation for the design. It was all in Chinese, so I didn't catch everything, but my family helped explain the important parts along the way. The first was this really cool digital screen on the floor with two very art deco-looking chairs at each end. One person sat in each chair and the attendant helped place a band with little monitors on their heads. They had to close their eyes, keep still, and keep their minds focused, and the band would monitor their strength of their brain waves. In the first competition, the screen showed a pond with Water Lilies. The person with the stronger brain waves would create more blooming Water Lilies on their side of the pond. In the next image, fish were swimming in a stream. Bamboo baskets were placed on either side, and more fish would jump into the basket of the person with the stronger waves. It was so cool!
Probably my favorite piece was something that reminded me a great deal of a Neolithic Museum I visited in Xi'an when I studied abroad in China. A few years ago when digging land for the building of a student dormitory, diggers found what turned out to be remains from an ancient civilization. Across the way was a piece of art designed to show highlight the progression of civilization and the tools we use. The artist designed cell phones, credit card machines, calculators etc. to appear as though if discovered in a dig. If someone was to uncover remains of our generation, what would they find left from us?
After the tour we drove to Ci Jin for lunch at a well-known seafood restaurant. My host dad's classmate drove with us, so my mom, sisters and I sat in the back seat together. We all fell asleep on the way there, leaning into each other as we dozed off. We go to the restaurant before the other since we drove, so my sisters took out there MP3 player, and gave me one of the headphones to use as they played their favorite songs for me. I found out that they like Leona Lewis too! Once the others arrived and the food started coming, it didn't stop! We had crabs (which reminded me of home!), shrimp (whole shrimp, shrimp rolls, shrimp with pumpkin and pasta, soup with shrimp), squid, fruit, and delicious sticky rice balls filled with crushed peanuts! After our feast we rode bikes around the island and stopped at the seashell museum. On the way back we stopped for some ice cream lemonade--delicious fresh lemon juice with three small balls of milk flavored ice cream--before heading down another path in the other direction. We rode through a dark tunnel and made our way around a winding path along the ocean, stopping for a view of the skyline and to watch a few men try their luck at fishing. After the last leg of the bike ride my host mom decided she wanted some shaved ice, so we found the last empty table at the ice shop, and the five of us shared a bowl of mango ice and a bowl of red bean with condensed milk ice (about 20 minutes after the ice cream). While my dad was ordering the ice, my mom reminded us not to eat too much since we would be going to my uncle's for dinner (!). I almost died.
After the ice we drove to the house of my uncle (who is actually my dad's dad). My mom had told me he was an amazing cook, and she was telling the truth! He had prepared a delicious meat dish that was incredibly tender, a cold sour cucumber dish (which might sound strange but tasted incredible), stir fried cabbage, and a bamboo and pigtail soup. Now, I know what you're thinking, I did promise to try everything once, but I just couldn't do it. I was already bursting from the seven meals I'd had that day, and I didn't think I could manage. Maybe another time...
After dinner we sat around the table on benches as we watched the news. At some point my mom put a pillow behind my back, and I leaned back and fell asleep. When I awoke, the American movie The Wedding Date was on, and my sisters were turning their heads away as the couple on screen kissed. We watched for a little longer, woke my dad, who had also fallen asleep, and made our way back home.
On Monday morning I was feeling the few hours of sleep I'd had the day before, and sleepily got ready for school. I usually fall asleep on the bus, which isn't a problem since it takes me straight to my stop, the last one on the line. Normally I wake up just before we arrive at the station, but I was totally conked out that morning. I had brought the pillow I bought over the weekend for nap time at school, and fell asleep holding it against my chest. The driver came back to wake me and asked if I wanted to go to the Zuoying station. When I said yes he said, "we're here," and asked me if I was comfortable. I was so embarrassed, but he was very nice so I just answered yes shyly, apologized, and thanked him for waking me.
This week went by pretty fast, with classes running smoothly and late nights from Monday to Wednesday. I agreed to do some tutoring to help out a friend for the first three nights this week, and didn't get home until around 11 or so. Although they were long days, it was fun to mix up my routine. On Tuesday night I went straight to the MRT stop after dancing since the school is much closer to the station than my apartment is, so I had some time to kill while I waited. I stopped in a movie store and browsed the shelves for a few second hand DVDs I could buy. After asking the poor girl working the counter numerous questions and picking movies up and putting them down multiple times, I decided on P.S. I Love You, Priceless (a French movie that she recommended), and The Most Distant Course (a Taiwanese movie). She told me I could choose one more for free, which confused me even more, but I eventually decided on Failure to Launch. The irony? I found out yesterday I can't watch it on my laptop because of the country code. Guess I made the wrong choice... With my movies purchased I stopped into McDonald's since I'd been craving a cheeseburger. It was nice to have some alone time out and about and do something for myself.
That night my mom walked me to the MRT station and we passed by a clothing store having a big sale. It was late so we didn't stop, but I made a mental note. On Wednesday I finished a bit earlier, so I thought I'd just take a quick peek on my way back to the station. I went in and actually found a really cute black cotton jumper with cute buttons and pair of hot pink leggings to make it pop. While I was considering whether or not to buy the metallic purse (and I did), the worker's little girl kept walking past me talking on her mom's cell phone. She was really cute and not shy like many other children who see me, and once she hung up, we started talking. She complimented my Chinese, which was one of the nicest compliments I've gotten yet (it's not often that children think to do so on their own), and told me her English name. She likes the color pink so she chose Tinky, what she thought was a form of the word for pink. I told her I thought it was really creative and cute, but if she wanted, I could help her choose an English name that she could use forever whenever she met a foreigner. She was very willing, something not common, even among kids with names like Chocolate, Boss, and Mars (all boys, I might add), so I asked which English letter she liked best. She told me she likes the letter A, so I suggested the name Ally. She seemed happy that I thought it was a very cute name that was popular but not overused, but I could tell she wasn't 100% sold. I asked her for her Chinese name, and then chose some English names that have similar sounds. Her Chinese name is Ting2 Ya1, which sounds much like Tina, but tons of little girls choose that as their English name. I offered Trini (that's right, the yellow Power Ranger), Tara, Tiffany, and Tammy, and she was sold on Tammy.
While we chatted, her mom had packed my purchases up in a bag and was helping a very pretty woman find a fancy dress. Tammy pulled up stools for us and we sat talking about what I was doing in Taiwan, what I liked to do, etc. She asked if I could come visit her this weekend, and although I really wanted to, I told her I had plans to go to Tainan (the plans have now been moved to next weekend). I promised I would come by after I got back, but she was very concerned that I would go back to America directly from Tainan. I assured her I had about another 10 months here, gave her my cell phone number, and told her I'd teach her how to swim. I stayed until after 11, when her mom pulled down the front gate and locked up. She insisted on taking me to the MRT station, and I tried to refuse, but after she offered repeatedly I agreed. They happen to live by the Zuoying station so she told me she could take me straight there, which meant I wouldn't have to transfer lines. I just assumed they had a car, but when we walked out front I saw that we three would be taking their scooter. With Tammy standing in front and me sitting on back behind her mom, we drove through the empty streets. The night had become cool and I felt very really free and content with the wind blowing my hair. I took one of the last trains home and got home really late, but it was totally worth it. I'm really looking forward to seeing them again.
On Friday after work the ETAs went over to a dinner reception at the home of the branch chief of the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) office located in Kaohsiung. His apartment is stunning, and his staff had prepared a wonderful buffet with both American and local dishes. What I remember most: the incredibly rich, cheesy lasagna, and the chocolate chip cookies! We all went crazy over the cookies (ovens are pretty much nonexistent in Taiwan), and I was especially lucky because Shana gave me the chips she picked out of her cookies--she's all about the dough. We talked with Chris, the branch chief, about all the things we want to bake together for Thanksgiving, and are anxiously awaiting the next occasion to eat homemade baked goods!
Today was the most perfect lazy Saturday. I slept in, finished watching the movie I started last night, and got ready for the day. We finally decided to hire a cleaning service, and today was the first day the two women came to clean. They are really sweet and made our apartment so clean! Since it was the first time, Shana and I stuck around to answer questions, and I lounged on my bed, reading a book and listening to music. I wandered out for a late lunch, and came back with just enough time to do some more reading, take a cat nap, and make it on time for my first spa appointment.
Just as I was almost home on Friday, it started pouring. It was also thundering and lightning like crazy, and my umbrella wasn't doing much good, so I looking for a place to stop. I wasn't having much luck, but I when I passed by a spa that I had walked right by before and never noticed, the woman at the desk gave me a really friendly smile. I thought it couldn't hurt to ask about their services, so I went back and she greeted me very warmly. She brought some tea and told me about their massages and facials. Another woman came out and they were both eager to chat--I learned later that it was their first time meeting a foreigner who could speak Chinese. At this spa a massage and a facial costs only 1400NT (about $50 in the U.S.), and lasts three hours. This is much cheaper than the 5000NT the nearby Aveda spa charges for a facial, so I asked if they had a spot for Saturday, deciding I could afford to treat myself.
I arrived today and was greeted by just about everyone who worked there. I was taken into a beautiful serene room with a private bathroom where I showered before the massage (a first for me!). The shower in the apartment isn't bad, but this was great! The woman who I had met yesterday sweetly told me to dry my hair with the hair dryer so that I wouldn't catch a cold, and then started chatting as she gave me the massage. She gave me a really great massage that focused on my shoulder and back muscles, and was just the right blend of relaxation and medicine. She was also a lot of fun to chat with. She asked if I would give her an English name, and when I chose Jessica and explained why I thought it matched her personality, she said she was impressed at how well I seemed to know her from talking to her just a short while. She asked if I would be her friend and go out with her to eat after work.
After the massage and the facial that included an awesome massage that covered my face, my head, and my shoulders; a face mask; and a half hour of relaxing with a warm pillow under my neck, I felt great. They created a special package for me that includes a number of free treatments with a lump sum paid up front, and agreed to let me pay for today's visit with two payments for the package price starting from my next visit. I am so looking forward to treating myself every other week (and taking those amazing showers...).
This weekend my sisters and dad are gone to a science camp in Taipei. My mom spontaneously asked me to go see the new Taiwanese movie Cape No. 7 that everyone is talking about last Wednesday at about 11 at night, but I was way too tired and asked if we could do it this weekend instead. She told me to invite my friends, so tomorrow Shana, Lynn (a student teacher who I work with at Wen Fu), and I are going to meet my mom and her sister for the movie and lunch at a restaurant of our choice. One of the options she mentioned is a buffet that serves all-you-can-eat hot pot, seafood, and Japanese dishes, so I'll let you know about that.
There's a big typhoon scheduled to make landfall in Taiwan tomorrow, and many people have been asking me about it. Please know that we're well-equipped with enough food, water, and candles/flashlights in case the power goes out, and we receive plenty of warnings and tips from the foundation about staying inside and how to keep safe.
More soon!
The girls and I were tired from going to bed late and waking up early, and we weren't too thrilled to be at a museum at 9:30 in the morning, but it was a pretty cool place. We explored the gift shop for a half hour or so while we waited for the others, and chatted for a while. Things got even better once we entered the actual museum. The group had a tour guide who explained the significance of each piece and the author's motivation for the design. It was all in Chinese, so I didn't catch everything, but my family helped explain the important parts along the way. The first was this really cool digital screen on the floor with two very art deco-looking chairs at each end. One person sat in each chair and the attendant helped place a band with little monitors on their heads. They had to close their eyes, keep still, and keep their minds focused, and the band would monitor their strength of their brain waves. In the first competition, the screen showed a pond with Water Lilies. The person with the stronger brain waves would create more blooming Water Lilies on their side of the pond. In the next image, fish were swimming in a stream. Bamboo baskets were placed on either side, and more fish would jump into the basket of the person with the stronger waves. It was so cool!
Probably my favorite piece was something that reminded me a great deal of a Neolithic Museum I visited in Xi'an when I studied abroad in China. A few years ago when digging land for the building of a student dormitory, diggers found what turned out to be remains from an ancient civilization. Across the way was a piece of art designed to show highlight the progression of civilization and the tools we use. The artist designed cell phones, credit card machines, calculators etc. to appear as though if discovered in a dig. If someone was to uncover remains of our generation, what would they find left from us?
After the tour we drove to Ci Jin for lunch at a well-known seafood restaurant. My host dad's classmate drove with us, so my mom, sisters and I sat in the back seat together. We all fell asleep on the way there, leaning into each other as we dozed off. We go to the restaurant before the other since we drove, so my sisters took out there MP3 player, and gave me one of the headphones to use as they played their favorite songs for me. I found out that they like Leona Lewis too! Once the others arrived and the food started coming, it didn't stop! We had crabs (which reminded me of home!), shrimp (whole shrimp, shrimp rolls, shrimp with pumpkin and pasta, soup with shrimp), squid, fruit, and delicious sticky rice balls filled with crushed peanuts! After our feast we rode bikes around the island and stopped at the seashell museum. On the way back we stopped for some ice cream lemonade--delicious fresh lemon juice with three small balls of milk flavored ice cream--before heading down another path in the other direction. We rode through a dark tunnel and made our way around a winding path along the ocean, stopping for a view of the skyline and to watch a few men try their luck at fishing. After the last leg of the bike ride my host mom decided she wanted some shaved ice, so we found the last empty table at the ice shop, and the five of us shared a bowl of mango ice and a bowl of red bean with condensed milk ice (about 20 minutes after the ice cream). While my dad was ordering the ice, my mom reminded us not to eat too much since we would be going to my uncle's for dinner (!). I almost died.
After the ice we drove to the house of my uncle (who is actually my dad's dad). My mom had told me he was an amazing cook, and she was telling the truth! He had prepared a delicious meat dish that was incredibly tender, a cold sour cucumber dish (which might sound strange but tasted incredible), stir fried cabbage, and a bamboo and pigtail soup. Now, I know what you're thinking, I did promise to try everything once, but I just couldn't do it. I was already bursting from the seven meals I'd had that day, and I didn't think I could manage. Maybe another time...
After dinner we sat around the table on benches as we watched the news. At some point my mom put a pillow behind my back, and I leaned back and fell asleep. When I awoke, the American movie The Wedding Date was on, and my sisters were turning their heads away as the couple on screen kissed. We watched for a little longer, woke my dad, who had also fallen asleep, and made our way back home.
On Monday morning I was feeling the few hours of sleep I'd had the day before, and sleepily got ready for school. I usually fall asleep on the bus, which isn't a problem since it takes me straight to my stop, the last one on the line. Normally I wake up just before we arrive at the station, but I was totally conked out that morning. I had brought the pillow I bought over the weekend for nap time at school, and fell asleep holding it against my chest. The driver came back to wake me and asked if I wanted to go to the Zuoying station. When I said yes he said, "we're here," and asked me if I was comfortable. I was so embarrassed, but he was very nice so I just answered yes shyly, apologized, and thanked him for waking me.
This week went by pretty fast, with classes running smoothly and late nights from Monday to Wednesday. I agreed to do some tutoring to help out a friend for the first three nights this week, and didn't get home until around 11 or so. Although they were long days, it was fun to mix up my routine. On Tuesday night I went straight to the MRT stop after dancing since the school is much closer to the station than my apartment is, so I had some time to kill while I waited. I stopped in a movie store and browsed the shelves for a few second hand DVDs I could buy. After asking the poor girl working the counter numerous questions and picking movies up and putting them down multiple times, I decided on P.S. I Love You, Priceless (a French movie that she recommended), and The Most Distant Course (a Taiwanese movie). She told me I could choose one more for free, which confused me even more, but I eventually decided on Failure to Launch. The irony? I found out yesterday I can't watch it on my laptop because of the country code. Guess I made the wrong choice... With my movies purchased I stopped into McDonald's since I'd been craving a cheeseburger. It was nice to have some alone time out and about and do something for myself.
That night my mom walked me to the MRT station and we passed by a clothing store having a big sale. It was late so we didn't stop, but I made a mental note. On Wednesday I finished a bit earlier, so I thought I'd just take a quick peek on my way back to the station. I went in and actually found a really cute black cotton jumper with cute buttons and pair of hot pink leggings to make it pop. While I was considering whether or not to buy the metallic purse (and I did), the worker's little girl kept walking past me talking on her mom's cell phone. She was really cute and not shy like many other children who see me, and once she hung up, we started talking. She complimented my Chinese, which was one of the nicest compliments I've gotten yet (it's not often that children think to do so on their own), and told me her English name. She likes the color pink so she chose Tinky, what she thought was a form of the word for pink. I told her I thought it was really creative and cute, but if she wanted, I could help her choose an English name that she could use forever whenever she met a foreigner. She was very willing, something not common, even among kids with names like Chocolate, Boss, and Mars (all boys, I might add), so I asked which English letter she liked best. She told me she likes the letter A, so I suggested the name Ally. She seemed happy that I thought it was a very cute name that was popular but not overused, but I could tell she wasn't 100% sold. I asked her for her Chinese name, and then chose some English names that have similar sounds. Her Chinese name is Ting2 Ya1, which sounds much like Tina, but tons of little girls choose that as their English name. I offered Trini (that's right, the yellow Power Ranger), Tara, Tiffany, and Tammy, and she was sold on Tammy.
While we chatted, her mom had packed my purchases up in a bag and was helping a very pretty woman find a fancy dress. Tammy pulled up stools for us and we sat talking about what I was doing in Taiwan, what I liked to do, etc. She asked if I could come visit her this weekend, and although I really wanted to, I told her I had plans to go to Tainan (the plans have now been moved to next weekend). I promised I would come by after I got back, but she was very concerned that I would go back to America directly from Tainan. I assured her I had about another 10 months here, gave her my cell phone number, and told her I'd teach her how to swim. I stayed until after 11, when her mom pulled down the front gate and locked up. She insisted on taking me to the MRT station, and I tried to refuse, but after she offered repeatedly I agreed. They happen to live by the Zuoying station so she told me she could take me straight there, which meant I wouldn't have to transfer lines. I just assumed they had a car, but when we walked out front I saw that we three would be taking their scooter. With Tammy standing in front and me sitting on back behind her mom, we drove through the empty streets. The night had become cool and I felt very really free and content with the wind blowing my hair. I took one of the last trains home and got home really late, but it was totally worth it. I'm really looking forward to seeing them again.
On Friday after work the ETAs went over to a dinner reception at the home of the branch chief of the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) office located in Kaohsiung. His apartment is stunning, and his staff had prepared a wonderful buffet with both American and local dishes. What I remember most: the incredibly rich, cheesy lasagna, and the chocolate chip cookies! We all went crazy over the cookies (ovens are pretty much nonexistent in Taiwan), and I was especially lucky because Shana gave me the chips she picked out of her cookies--she's all about the dough. We talked with Chris, the branch chief, about all the things we want to bake together for Thanksgiving, and are anxiously awaiting the next occasion to eat homemade baked goods!
Today was the most perfect lazy Saturday. I slept in, finished watching the movie I started last night, and got ready for the day. We finally decided to hire a cleaning service, and today was the first day the two women came to clean. They are really sweet and made our apartment so clean! Since it was the first time, Shana and I stuck around to answer questions, and I lounged on my bed, reading a book and listening to music. I wandered out for a late lunch, and came back with just enough time to do some more reading, take a cat nap, and make it on time for my first spa appointment.
Just as I was almost home on Friday, it started pouring. It was also thundering and lightning like crazy, and my umbrella wasn't doing much good, so I looking for a place to stop. I wasn't having much luck, but I when I passed by a spa that I had walked right by before and never noticed, the woman at the desk gave me a really friendly smile. I thought it couldn't hurt to ask about their services, so I went back and she greeted me very warmly. She brought some tea and told me about their massages and facials. Another woman came out and they were both eager to chat--I learned later that it was their first time meeting a foreigner who could speak Chinese. At this spa a massage and a facial costs only 1400NT (about $50 in the U.S.), and lasts three hours. This is much cheaper than the 5000NT the nearby Aveda spa charges for a facial, so I asked if they had a spot for Saturday, deciding I could afford to treat myself.
I arrived today and was greeted by just about everyone who worked there. I was taken into a beautiful serene room with a private bathroom where I showered before the massage (a first for me!). The shower in the apartment isn't bad, but this was great! The woman who I had met yesterday sweetly told me to dry my hair with the hair dryer so that I wouldn't catch a cold, and then started chatting as she gave me the massage. She gave me a really great massage that focused on my shoulder and back muscles, and was just the right blend of relaxation and medicine. She was also a lot of fun to chat with. She asked if I would give her an English name, and when I chose Jessica and explained why I thought it matched her personality, she said she was impressed at how well I seemed to know her from talking to her just a short while. She asked if I would be her friend and go out with her to eat after work.
After the massage and the facial that included an awesome massage that covered my face, my head, and my shoulders; a face mask; and a half hour of relaxing with a warm pillow under my neck, I felt great. They created a special package for me that includes a number of free treatments with a lump sum paid up front, and agreed to let me pay for today's visit with two payments for the package price starting from my next visit. I am so looking forward to treating myself every other week (and taking those amazing showers...).
This weekend my sisters and dad are gone to a science camp in Taipei. My mom spontaneously asked me to go see the new Taiwanese movie Cape No. 7 that everyone is talking about last Wednesday at about 11 at night, but I was way too tired and asked if we could do it this weekend instead. She told me to invite my friends, so tomorrow Shana, Lynn (a student teacher who I work with at Wen Fu), and I are going to meet my mom and her sister for the movie and lunch at a restaurant of our choice. One of the options she mentioned is a buffet that serves all-you-can-eat hot pot, seafood, and Japanese dishes, so I'll let you know about that.
There's a big typhoon scheduled to make landfall in Taiwan tomorrow, and many people have been asking me about it. Please know that we're well-equipped with enough food, water, and candles/flashlights in case the power goes out, and we receive plenty of warnings and tips from the foundation about staying inside and how to keep safe.
More soon!
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