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!
Sunday, September 28, 2008
Saturday, September 20, 2008
All Things Chinese
My second week of teaching flew by, bringing with it many new firsts for me.
I discovered that the girls whom I dance with form one out of nine teams competing in a school-wide cheerleading competition. The director saw me dancing with them and asked if I'd be interested in helping. It's impossible for me to dance with all nine teams, so she asked if I would be the judge. I explained the situation to the girls, and we decided that I will be the judge for the actual competition, but will continue to dance with them for fun now.
On Tuesday night I took Leo to the vet's, just to do a regular check-up. I've been reading a lot about hedgehogs online and knew that I would have to have his nails clipped soon to avoid them curling under and injuring his toe pads. You can clip them yourself, but I wanted to make sure I didn't cut them too short and injure his pads--they can lose a lot of blood if cut. I also noticed his skin was dry, which is also a sign of mites, and since Leo's a new pet, I thought it couldn't hurt just to have him checked out.
I got really lucky and happened to stop in to the animal clinic on a day when the doctor from another location was at the one right down the street from me. Dr. Chiu has worked with hedgehogs before and raises sugargliders (another exotic pet, even more so than hedgehogs) herself) so she is the ideal vet for Leo. She also speaks English well, so between using a little bit of Chinese and a lot of English, we can understand each other perfectly. She took a few skin flakes from Leo's back and found that he does, in fact, have mites. It's easily treatable with Frontline, which I only need to put on his neck once a month. I also have to give him medicine twice a day for about a week to hydrate his skin and the rest of his body. Dr. Chiu tried to make it "yummy" for him so that he'd want to eat it. It didn't work out so well the first time--he took a quick lick and then was done. When I gave her a call and she told me to add a little sugar I thought it was a bit odd, but it seemed to be the secret ingredient! Leo eats enough now to make the froth that he puts on his back. When he turns around and is busy licking his quills, I sneak a big dose in the side of his mouth. He usually makes a face and shakes his head, but it works every time!
I'm taking Leo back to the clinic this week to see how things are going, and Dr. Chiu is going to help me find a bigger cage and a special exercise wheel for him. Since sugargliders are not common in Taiwan at all, she orders a lot of her stuff from the States and said she could show me some things. The wheel would be great because it shaves his nails down as he runs. I did manage to cut his nails a bit last night and felt very accomplished. It was during our nightly bonding time when I put a towel on my lap and let him climb around or snuggle down, whichever he prefers.
On Thursday evening after teaching and dancing, I hurried back to San Min where our office is located, to have my first Chinese class. It was really great to be back in a formal sort of class setting. There are only three of us in the class, but the small size makes it feel a lot like my classes at Lawrence. The professor is great and very easy to work with. He showed us news clips and gave us a weekly news summary in Chinese to practice reading and discussing. It was challenging to use some vocabulary that I haven't used in a while, but together we seemed to communicate our ideas. Shana and Billy know a lot of vocabulary, so I sometimes feel out of their league, but it's great exposure for me. I'm looking forward to next week!
Yesterday afternoon (Friday) was my second big experience of the week--acupuncture! Amanda, who works for the foundation here and works to make all of us as comfortable as possible, took me to a place not too far down the street from the apartment. My lower back had been hurting and my shoulders were in need of some lovin', and with a discounted rate from my Taiwan health insurance card, it seemed like the perfect opportunity. I wasn't too sure what to expect, but Amanda gave me a bit of a briefing before I went in. I lied face down on the table and the doctor placed a few needles in my left shoulder and the left side of my lower back. I felt a bit of pressure and a mini prick, but it wasn't painful. After he placed the needle in my skin, he did something that made my muscle feel like it was being twisted. It was a really strange sensation--one that kind of made me squirm but felt good at the same time. After the needles were inserted, a woman hooked them up to a machine that sends little waves of electricity into your body. The pulses felt like someone was gently pounding my skin, and then my arm started jumping. It didn't hurt, although it was strangely involuntary, but I gathered it wasn't supposed to happen when she called Amanda in to translate. They agreed that it might be a little too strong, so she turned it down a bit and the spasming stopped. I thought it was funny (and I suppose I was also a bit nervous too) , so I started laughing uncontrollably. Amanda and the woman both started laughing, while meanwhile I was thinking "I hope I don't lodge the needles into my back!" The electrotherapy went on for 15 minutes, after which I was glad to be done. It wasn't really painful, but I could feel my muscles starting to get a bit sore.
After the electrotherapy, another man came in to give me a sort of "massage." Here, it is crucial to understand that these types of massages (as well as most) are not mean for relaxation and pampering; rather, they are used for medicinal purposes and to increase circulation. They usually involve a lot of hard rubbing. It was pleasant for the most part, but I do feel a bit sore today. Still, this is the good kind of sore, and I feel better overall (I think). He then had me sit up with my back facing him, and before I knew it, he was pulling my arms over my head and bending me back until I heard a loud crack. It was at this time that Amanda said, "now, I think he'll do some cracking. You must be relaxed." He applied some herbal medicinal patches to my shoulders and I was done. For the rest of the night I smelled like herbs and had the feeling you get from using Icy Hot. Reading over my description I'm thinking that many of you might have the impression that it was an unpleasant experience. Actually, I'm looking forward to going back. I want to see what else they can do to me :).
Today I slept in--it was glorious! I got ready in a hurry and headed over to meet Shu-Ting, one of the local English teachers, for lunch. We went to a really nice restaurant that is known for speciality flavored hot pot. I tried the spicy coconut with pork. This specific restaurant puts everything in the soup for you, but normally you place the food into the pot as you like. You most often choose the meat and the soup base that you want, and all types of hot pot will come with cabbage, a variety of mushrooms, tofu, fish balls, and sometimes thin noodles or rice. After lunch we walked next door to a department store and shopped for some skin care products. Shu-Ting also took me to a store that she often goes to which sells more traditional Chinese style clothing with a modern twist. I played dress up for a while, and then came back home to get ready for my first wedding banquet!
This evening Julianna, one of my co-teachers, took me with her family to a friend's wedding banquet. This was my first time going to any sort of wedding event ever, so I was super excited. I got all dressed up in my new bright blue dress, and put my hair up in little twists, which has become a popular demand from all the teachers I work with. I took the bus to the HSR station where Julianna and her family picked me up. We then drove for about one hour to a city called Ping Dong. On the way there her mother, husband, two daughters, one son, and I chatted in Chinese, and I showed them pictures of Leo (Julianna had told them about him).
The banquet was held in a high school gym, which was divided into two sides with about thirty tables each for both the family and friends of the bride and groom. This was apparently an exceptional banquet, as Julianna said it was the first one she had been to that also had an MC/band. Each guest gave the bride and groom a red envelope filled with money, used to cover the cost of the banquet, upon entering and signs their name in the guest book. It's a tradition to offer candy as good luck to symbolize the sweetness of their marriage. Cartons of cold, sweetened tea and bottles of beer and wine were placed on the spinning center of the table (think lazy susan). Most banquets formally start at 6:30pm, at which time waitresses stroll down the aisles with carts filled with the first dish. All in all there are usually about 12 dishes, most of which are found at every banquet. Tonight we had a plate of five different seafood appetizers, most of them containing squid. After the "appetizers," we had shark fin soup with seafood, followed by a whole chicken cooked in a pot, a steamed fish, lobster with sashimi and squid balls, sticky rice with eel and steamed bamboo, steamed shrimp, a taro dish steamed inside a large lotus leaf, broccoli with seafood, fruit with a popular yogurt drink, and a signature soup always served at the end to signal the completion of the banquet. Throughout the banquet, the bride and groom walk around with their parents to toast each table. The bride changes her dress three times to show her beauty. Individuals at each table often offer up toasts to one another as well. We sat with co-workers of Allen, Julianna's husband, and they were all incredibly friendly. One man brought his son who is getting married next month, so they invited me to their banquet as well.
After saying goodbye and congratulating the bride and groom, we went to a nearby department store to allow the wine to wear off before we drove home. Allen, Steven (the son), Vicky (the eldest daughter), and I played arcade games in the basement for a while before we went upstairs to browse the store. I hadn't played arcade games in such long time; it was actually a lot of fun. Vicky and I shot baskets together against the clock, and then we went over to one of the impossible machines to try and grab a really cute frog with a cute watch strapped around his body. Vicky almost had him so many times, and we kept playing until the 25th time when you are guaranteed to catch one. The machine didn't give it up, however, so Allen complained to the attendant who promised to contact the company and have them give it to us. I challenged Steven to air hockey, and then I played the game where you beat down the heads of some animal with a paddle when it comes at you on the screen.
We found out that we all love to window shop, so Vicky, Maddie (the youngest daughter), Julianna and I sorted through a bin of t-shirts on sale. I bought a few more towels since Leo has pretty much taken over my old ones, and a small pillow for naptime at school (I've found that I have no problem falling asleep after lunch, but a pillow would really enhance the experience). About an hour later after we were on our way back to my apartment. We chatted about American movies, Allen made a few great plays on words that sound like my Chinese name (Deng4 Ni2 Qi3), and I gave the kids my new business cards! Steven seemed to think it was pretty cool, and was excited to see that I had MSN.
I had such a wonderful time with Julianna's family; it was like spending time with my best friends and their families from home. I can't wait for our next activity together!
Tomorrow I'm off to Qi Jin, a nearby island famous for its seafood, for my first outing with my host family since meeting them last week. Keyi (my youngest sister) has been texting me all week to keep up with what I'm doing, so I can't wait to see them! I bought the girls two pairs of hair ties with strawberries on them yesterday afternoon, so I really hope they like them. I just got a message saying they want to meet at 9 am instead of 11, so I'd better go to bed!
More about tomorrow along with pictures from today to follow soon!
I discovered that the girls whom I dance with form one out of nine teams competing in a school-wide cheerleading competition. The director saw me dancing with them and asked if I'd be interested in helping. It's impossible for me to dance with all nine teams, so she asked if I would be the judge. I explained the situation to the girls, and we decided that I will be the judge for the actual competition, but will continue to dance with them for fun now.
On Tuesday night I took Leo to the vet's, just to do a regular check-up. I've been reading a lot about hedgehogs online and knew that I would have to have his nails clipped soon to avoid them curling under and injuring his toe pads. You can clip them yourself, but I wanted to make sure I didn't cut them too short and injure his pads--they can lose a lot of blood if cut. I also noticed his skin was dry, which is also a sign of mites, and since Leo's a new pet, I thought it couldn't hurt just to have him checked out.
I got really lucky and happened to stop in to the animal clinic on a day when the doctor from another location was at the one right down the street from me. Dr. Chiu has worked with hedgehogs before and raises sugargliders (another exotic pet, even more so than hedgehogs) herself) so she is the ideal vet for Leo. She also speaks English well, so between using a little bit of Chinese and a lot of English, we can understand each other perfectly. She took a few skin flakes from Leo's back and found that he does, in fact, have mites. It's easily treatable with Frontline, which I only need to put on his neck once a month. I also have to give him medicine twice a day for about a week to hydrate his skin and the rest of his body. Dr. Chiu tried to make it "yummy" for him so that he'd want to eat it. It didn't work out so well the first time--he took a quick lick and then was done. When I gave her a call and she told me to add a little sugar I thought it was a bit odd, but it seemed to be the secret ingredient! Leo eats enough now to make the froth that he puts on his back. When he turns around and is busy licking his quills, I sneak a big dose in the side of his mouth. He usually makes a face and shakes his head, but it works every time!
I'm taking Leo back to the clinic this week to see how things are going, and Dr. Chiu is going to help me find a bigger cage and a special exercise wheel for him. Since sugargliders are not common in Taiwan at all, she orders a lot of her stuff from the States and said she could show me some things. The wheel would be great because it shaves his nails down as he runs. I did manage to cut his nails a bit last night and felt very accomplished. It was during our nightly bonding time when I put a towel on my lap and let him climb around or snuggle down, whichever he prefers.
On Thursday evening after teaching and dancing, I hurried back to San Min where our office is located, to have my first Chinese class. It was really great to be back in a formal sort of class setting. There are only three of us in the class, but the small size makes it feel a lot like my classes at Lawrence. The professor is great and very easy to work with. He showed us news clips and gave us a weekly news summary in Chinese to practice reading and discussing. It was challenging to use some vocabulary that I haven't used in a while, but together we seemed to communicate our ideas. Shana and Billy know a lot of vocabulary, so I sometimes feel out of their league, but it's great exposure for me. I'm looking forward to next week!
Yesterday afternoon (Friday) was my second big experience of the week--acupuncture! Amanda, who works for the foundation here and works to make all of us as comfortable as possible, took me to a place not too far down the street from the apartment. My lower back had been hurting and my shoulders were in need of some lovin', and with a discounted rate from my Taiwan health insurance card, it seemed like the perfect opportunity. I wasn't too sure what to expect, but Amanda gave me a bit of a briefing before I went in. I lied face down on the table and the doctor placed a few needles in my left shoulder and the left side of my lower back. I felt a bit of pressure and a mini prick, but it wasn't painful. After he placed the needle in my skin, he did something that made my muscle feel like it was being twisted. It was a really strange sensation--one that kind of made me squirm but felt good at the same time. After the needles were inserted, a woman hooked them up to a machine that sends little waves of electricity into your body. The pulses felt like someone was gently pounding my skin, and then my arm started jumping. It didn't hurt, although it was strangely involuntary, but I gathered it wasn't supposed to happen when she called Amanda in to translate. They agreed that it might be a little too strong, so she turned it down a bit and the spasming stopped. I thought it was funny (and I suppose I was also a bit nervous too) , so I started laughing uncontrollably. Amanda and the woman both started laughing, while meanwhile I was thinking "I hope I don't lodge the needles into my back!" The electrotherapy went on for 15 minutes, after which I was glad to be done. It wasn't really painful, but I could feel my muscles starting to get a bit sore.
After the electrotherapy, another man came in to give me a sort of "massage." Here, it is crucial to understand that these types of massages (as well as most) are not mean for relaxation and pampering; rather, they are used for medicinal purposes and to increase circulation. They usually involve a lot of hard rubbing. It was pleasant for the most part, but I do feel a bit sore today. Still, this is the good kind of sore, and I feel better overall (I think). He then had me sit up with my back facing him, and before I knew it, he was pulling my arms over my head and bending me back until I heard a loud crack. It was at this time that Amanda said, "now, I think he'll do some cracking. You must be relaxed." He applied some herbal medicinal patches to my shoulders and I was done. For the rest of the night I smelled like herbs and had the feeling you get from using Icy Hot. Reading over my description I'm thinking that many of you might have the impression that it was an unpleasant experience. Actually, I'm looking forward to going back. I want to see what else they can do to me :).
Today I slept in--it was glorious! I got ready in a hurry and headed over to meet Shu-Ting, one of the local English teachers, for lunch. We went to a really nice restaurant that is known for speciality flavored hot pot. I tried the spicy coconut with pork. This specific restaurant puts everything in the soup for you, but normally you place the food into the pot as you like. You most often choose the meat and the soup base that you want, and all types of hot pot will come with cabbage, a variety of mushrooms, tofu, fish balls, and sometimes thin noodles or rice. After lunch we walked next door to a department store and shopped for some skin care products. Shu-Ting also took me to a store that she often goes to which sells more traditional Chinese style clothing with a modern twist. I played dress up for a while, and then came back home to get ready for my first wedding banquet!
This evening Julianna, one of my co-teachers, took me with her family to a friend's wedding banquet. This was my first time going to any sort of wedding event ever, so I was super excited. I got all dressed up in my new bright blue dress, and put my hair up in little twists, which has become a popular demand from all the teachers I work with. I took the bus to the HSR station where Julianna and her family picked me up. We then drove for about one hour to a city called Ping Dong. On the way there her mother, husband, two daughters, one son, and I chatted in Chinese, and I showed them pictures of Leo (Julianna had told them about him).
The banquet was held in a high school gym, which was divided into two sides with about thirty tables each for both the family and friends of the bride and groom. This was apparently an exceptional banquet, as Julianna said it was the first one she had been to that also had an MC/band. Each guest gave the bride and groom a red envelope filled with money, used to cover the cost of the banquet, upon entering and signs their name in the guest book. It's a tradition to offer candy as good luck to symbolize the sweetness of their marriage. Cartons of cold, sweetened tea and bottles of beer and wine were placed on the spinning center of the table (think lazy susan). Most banquets formally start at 6:30pm, at which time waitresses stroll down the aisles with carts filled with the first dish. All in all there are usually about 12 dishes, most of which are found at every banquet. Tonight we had a plate of five different seafood appetizers, most of them containing squid. After the "appetizers," we had shark fin soup with seafood, followed by a whole chicken cooked in a pot, a steamed fish, lobster with sashimi and squid balls, sticky rice with eel and steamed bamboo, steamed shrimp, a taro dish steamed inside a large lotus leaf, broccoli with seafood, fruit with a popular yogurt drink, and a signature soup always served at the end to signal the completion of the banquet. Throughout the banquet, the bride and groom walk around with their parents to toast each table. The bride changes her dress three times to show her beauty. Individuals at each table often offer up toasts to one another as well. We sat with co-workers of Allen, Julianna's husband, and they were all incredibly friendly. One man brought his son who is getting married next month, so they invited me to their banquet as well.
After saying goodbye and congratulating the bride and groom, we went to a nearby department store to allow the wine to wear off before we drove home. Allen, Steven (the son), Vicky (the eldest daughter), and I played arcade games in the basement for a while before we went upstairs to browse the store. I hadn't played arcade games in such long time; it was actually a lot of fun. Vicky and I shot baskets together against the clock, and then we went over to one of the impossible machines to try and grab a really cute frog with a cute watch strapped around his body. Vicky almost had him so many times, and we kept playing until the 25th time when you are guaranteed to catch one. The machine didn't give it up, however, so Allen complained to the attendant who promised to contact the company and have them give it to us. I challenged Steven to air hockey, and then I played the game where you beat down the heads of some animal with a paddle when it comes at you on the screen.
We found out that we all love to window shop, so Vicky, Maddie (the youngest daughter), Julianna and I sorted through a bin of t-shirts on sale. I bought a few more towels since Leo has pretty much taken over my old ones, and a small pillow for naptime at school (I've found that I have no problem falling asleep after lunch, but a pillow would really enhance the experience). About an hour later after we were on our way back to my apartment. We chatted about American movies, Allen made a few great plays on words that sound like my Chinese name (Deng4 Ni2 Qi3), and I gave the kids my new business cards! Steven seemed to think it was pretty cool, and was excited to see that I had MSN.
I had such a wonderful time with Julianna's family; it was like spending time with my best friends and their families from home. I can't wait for our next activity together!
Tomorrow I'm off to Qi Jin, a nearby island famous for its seafood, for my first outing with my host family since meeting them last week. Keyi (my youngest sister) has been texting me all week to keep up with what I'm doing, so I can't wait to see them! I bought the girls two pairs of hair ties with strawberries on them yesterday afternoon, so I really hope they like them. I just got a message saying they want to meet at 9 am instead of 11, so I'd better go to bed!
More about tomorrow along with pictures from today to follow soon!
Friday, September 12, 2008
September Days
I have just completed my first official week of teaching! I absolutely love Wen Fu and everyone there. The students treat me as if I'm some sort of celebrity, eyes wide, toothless grins, and a big wave as they shout "hello, Teacher Nicki!" Even though I only get to teach a group of them, all of the students say hello and are so excited to speak English with me. After just a few days I have kids running up to me and holding my hand or guiding me through the halls. They peak at me from around the corner and across the courtyard, and the really brave ones approach me to ask questions that I know they have been reciting over and over in their heads.
I work with 14 different classes, so this week's class periods were mainly used for introducing myself and having the students use English to ask me questions. I told the kids that I'm from America's east coast and live in a state very close to Washington D.C. I told them I recently graduated from college and had them guess my age (most guesses were around 25). I told them I have a younger brother who is very tall (I can gesture this easily and they think he's a giant) and plays soccer very well, and said that we have a cat who has blue eyes just like me (this gets them every time). I told them about Leo, and drew a picture so that they could associate the word hedgehog with the Chinese word. When the students got to ask me questions, I was very impressed with many of their English levels. They asked me things like what my life in America is like, how do I like Kaohsiung, what are my favorite foods here, and if I like Wen Fu (which is way too cute). It's especially cute when they ask me if I'm interested in things they like; one little boy asked me I liked hockey and archery. They were all very curious about American houses--they think we're all very rich since we live in houses with two floors--a step up from the high-rise apartments that cover the small island. Some of the questions are a bit more difficult to answer (like "Why do you have such a tall nose?"), but I am so impressed with their curiosity and willingness to take a risk asking a question when they know they may very well not say it one hundred percent correctly. I'm also very glad to see that the better students help translate for the other ones, repeating the question in Chinese, and having the student speak after me to say it in English. So far we've practiced some review sentences like "How old are you?" and "How tall are you?" with the 5th graders, and worked on shapes and introducing the Mid-Autumn Festival with the 6th graders. The next lesson for the 5th graders is called "Can You Swim," and includes other verbs, so I chose a verse from "Part of Your World" for a listening exercise. I sang the verse once and had the students listen carefully for as many words as they could. I repeated it once more and had them right what they heard on the blackboard. The third time I taught them line by line so that they could sing it too. After I sang they burst into applause and said I was a superstar. Even my co-teacher said she was surprised to hear how well I sing and said she loved my sweet-sounding voice (hear that, Aunt Jenny?). It's one of the first activities I've used on my own, so I was glad to see it go over well. It makes me a little less and nervous and more excited to plan other things for them.
Today in between classes I asked if I could play baseball with the boys. I pitched a few balls and then asked if I could try hitting. I ended up hitting a line drive on the first pitch, and got a "home run." They yelled and yelled for me to run, something I wasn't planning to do since the ground was still really muddy from the torrential rain yesterday and I was wearing wedge sandals and a skirt. I ran anyway, almost falling once, and sliding on one foot into home. They got me out but it was still pretty great. When I heard students calling my name, I looked up to find students on all sides of the courtyard leaning over the breezeways waving and watching me play. By the next class the word had spread that I can play baseball. It's a really popular sport in Taiwan, so I'm glad it's something I can share with them.
I've also started dancing after school with a group of about seven or eight 5th grade girls. They take dance lessons with a teacher, and meet on Tuesdays and Thursdays in the front hallway to practice. They're quite good little dancers, using a modern pop-style song and dance that they will perform in a few weeks for a competition. Every time they see me now they ask if I will join them after school. I have three of them in my classes, and it's sort of like being in on our own little secret. We have our own little smile for each other, and I find myself getting really excited when I see them in the hallways. It's super fun communicating with them--we need about all of them for me to say something to just one of them. There's one girl who acts as the overall interpreter, a few who argue about the meaning in Chinese, and a few who happen to know odd vocabulary words. The other day I showed them how to do a cartwheel, and since I can remember their routine, they seem to think I'm pretty cool. If they only knew...That's the great thing about kids--they think everything you do is amazing.
Sophia or Julianna usually wait until I'm done with dancing and then drive me to the bus station. Sophia has a spunky personality with a short hair cut and stylish clothes to match. Her skin is quite pale for a Taiwanese, and she works hard to keep it that way. Even on her way to the classroom she wears a visor that had a front mask comparable to that of a welding mask. The first time she drove me (Tuesday), I recognized that familiar smell of sunscreen as soon as I opened the car door. I saw that the front passenger window was covered was two sun protectors, but as we pulled out of the parking garage she put two more on her side and then pulled a strip of dark film over the windshield (this was all in addition to the visor/welding mask). I was very concerned about her vision, but she assured me she was a good driver. I made a quit exit from the car since there are traffic guards along the bus station who signal cars to move on when they make a stop at the station, no matter how brief. The second day (yesterday) I tried to be quick, but the guard immediately rushed to the car and began blowing his whistle. I was already halfway out, so I found it very amusing when he yelled "stop, stop!" It had been a long day and I was just seconds away from missing my bus that had already pulled up to the curb so I yelled "ok, ok!" and ran a few feet to hop onto the bus. I recognized the bus driver, a young guy whom I like very much mostly because the first day he saw me he said "Hello, how are you" in a perky, heavy accented voice. This time he gave me a sly smile, said "hello" in English again, and then asked (in Chinese), "Do you understand, Chinese?" I responded with, "Yes, I speak Chinese" and then added "they don't like me very much," pointing to the guards. He kept smiling his sly smile and I collapsed into a seat, thankful to be on my way home.
I work with 14 different classes, so this week's class periods were mainly used for introducing myself and having the students use English to ask me questions. I told the kids that I'm from America's east coast and live in a state very close to Washington D.C. I told them I recently graduated from college and had them guess my age (most guesses were around 25). I told them I have a younger brother who is very tall (I can gesture this easily and they think he's a giant) and plays soccer very well, and said that we have a cat who has blue eyes just like me (this gets them every time). I told them about Leo, and drew a picture so that they could associate the word hedgehog with the Chinese word. When the students got to ask me questions, I was very impressed with many of their English levels. They asked me things like what my life in America is like, how do I like Kaohsiung, what are my favorite foods here, and if I like Wen Fu (which is way too cute). It's especially cute when they ask me if I'm interested in things they like; one little boy asked me I liked hockey and archery. They were all very curious about American houses--they think we're all very rich since we live in houses with two floors--a step up from the high-rise apartments that cover the small island. Some of the questions are a bit more difficult to answer (like "Why do you have such a tall nose?"), but I am so impressed with their curiosity and willingness to take a risk asking a question when they know they may very well not say it one hundred percent correctly. I'm also very glad to see that the better students help translate for the other ones, repeating the question in Chinese, and having the student speak after me to say it in English. So far we've practiced some review sentences like "How old are you?" and "How tall are you?" with the 5th graders, and worked on shapes and introducing the Mid-Autumn Festival with the 6th graders. The next lesson for the 5th graders is called "Can You Swim," and includes other verbs, so I chose a verse from "Part of Your World" for a listening exercise. I sang the verse once and had the students listen carefully for as many words as they could. I repeated it once more and had them right what they heard on the blackboard. The third time I taught them line by line so that they could sing it too. After I sang they burst into applause and said I was a superstar. Even my co-teacher said she was surprised to hear how well I sing and said she loved my sweet-sounding voice (hear that, Aunt Jenny?). It's one of the first activities I've used on my own, so I was glad to see it go over well. It makes me a little less and nervous and more excited to plan other things for them.
Today in between classes I asked if I could play baseball with the boys. I pitched a few balls and then asked if I could try hitting. I ended up hitting a line drive on the first pitch, and got a "home run." They yelled and yelled for me to run, something I wasn't planning to do since the ground was still really muddy from the torrential rain yesterday and I was wearing wedge sandals and a skirt. I ran anyway, almost falling once, and sliding on one foot into home. They got me out but it was still pretty great. When I heard students calling my name, I looked up to find students on all sides of the courtyard leaning over the breezeways waving and watching me play. By the next class the word had spread that I can play baseball. It's a really popular sport in Taiwan, so I'm glad it's something I can share with them.
I've also started dancing after school with a group of about seven or eight 5th grade girls. They take dance lessons with a teacher, and meet on Tuesdays and Thursdays in the front hallway to practice. They're quite good little dancers, using a modern pop-style song and dance that they will perform in a few weeks for a competition. Every time they see me now they ask if I will join them after school. I have three of them in my classes, and it's sort of like being in on our own little secret. We have our own little smile for each other, and I find myself getting really excited when I see them in the hallways. It's super fun communicating with them--we need about all of them for me to say something to just one of them. There's one girl who acts as the overall interpreter, a few who argue about the meaning in Chinese, and a few who happen to know odd vocabulary words. The other day I showed them how to do a cartwheel, and since I can remember their routine, they seem to think I'm pretty cool. If they only knew...That's the great thing about kids--they think everything you do is amazing.
Sophia or Julianna usually wait until I'm done with dancing and then drive me to the bus station. Sophia has a spunky personality with a short hair cut and stylish clothes to match. Her skin is quite pale for a Taiwanese, and she works hard to keep it that way. Even on her way to the classroom she wears a visor that had a front mask comparable to that of a welding mask. The first time she drove me (Tuesday), I recognized that familiar smell of sunscreen as soon as I opened the car door. I saw that the front passenger window was covered was two sun protectors, but as we pulled out of the parking garage she put two more on her side and then pulled a strip of dark film over the windshield (this was all in addition to the visor/welding mask). I was very concerned about her vision, but she assured me she was a good driver. I made a quit exit from the car since there are traffic guards along the bus station who signal cars to move on when they make a stop at the station, no matter how brief. The second day (yesterday) I tried to be quick, but the guard immediately rushed to the car and began blowing his whistle. I was already halfway out, so I found it very amusing when he yelled "stop, stop!" It had been a long day and I was just seconds away from missing my bus that had already pulled up to the curb so I yelled "ok, ok!" and ran a few feet to hop onto the bus. I recognized the bus driver, a young guy whom I like very much mostly because the first day he saw me he said "Hello, how are you" in a perky, heavy accented voice. This time he gave me a sly smile, said "hello" in English again, and then asked (in Chinese), "Do you understand, Chinese?" I responded with, "Yes, I speak Chinese" and then added "they don't like me very much," pointing to the guards. He kept smiling his sly smile and I collapsed into a seat, thankful to be on my way home.
After finishing up at work around noon today and having lunch at the school, I came home for a short nap before meeting my host family. I packed the jams I bought in the U.S., each made with a local specialty fruit, and headed for the bus stop for the second time today. The first bus to come was the 72, a line I don't usually take but one I know goes to the train station. From the train station I would be able to walk to San Min, a local school where we would have a catered dinner with our host families. As we drove down the main stretch of road, we pulled up next to some sort of street parade. A few groups of men carried long bamboo poles on their shoulders, the poles supporting pagoda temple-like statues. Other men wore large majestic costumes, balancing on either stilts or perhaps the shoulders of other men as they swayed down the street. Groups of young men played classical Chinese instruments, pausing to take a deep drag from their cigarettes or to light a new one. Bubble tea cups were wedged between instruments and statues carried in carts. One man took a call on his cell phone as he participated. The wind started to pick up and the sky began turning darker; a strong typhoon is on its way to Taiwan. When we began crossing the bridge that takes me to Wen Fu, I realized that the 72 was not going to make a stop at the train station and quickly got off to catch a taxi to the school. Although the cool breeze felt amazing, I had to carefully maneuver my skirt, and the darkening sky was looking more and more threatening. I found a nice driver who was fun to chat with and got me to San Min 130NT later (the exact same price it would have taken to take a taxi from my apartment to the school--I hope this doesn't become a trend...).
When I got to San Min I learned that my host family has two daughters, one 10 and the other 12. I had already heard that they are a very nice well-educated family, and I became even more excited to meet them. Although we knew which family we had been matched with, they did not, and we had to keep it a surprise until after dinner. I was so happy when I saw a little family of three walk in wearing matching purple shirts. I tried to discreetly make my way over to them and sit by them at dinner, but I think I must have had a twinkle in my eye, because after spending a few minutes with them the my dad looked at me and said, "I think maybe you are with us." I was pleasantly surprised to find out how well both of the girls speak English, a result of a year or so living in London. They understand American humor very well and are not as shy as many of the young girls who I have met so far. When it came time for me to give clues about my family, and my dad realized that I am, indeed, his third daughter for this year, he yelled out the "we are family!" line very enthusiastically and gave me a hug as some of the local school staff and Bureau of Education members chanted "hug, hug, hug, hug!" It was awkward in the really fun way that many things in Chinese culture are, and we exchanged the gifts that we brought for one another. My family got me a really nice English-Chinese, Chinese-English dictionary from a very large and famous bookstore near their home. My mom had Moon Festival activities tonight and was unable to come, but I had the chance to learn plenty about William (my dad). He graduated from Sun Yat-sen University in Kaohsiung, one of Taiwan's most well-known universities. He is the director of some educational business programs and is based in Shanghai for work. Every Saturday for the next three months he will be taking classes at Kaohsiung Normal University just down the street from my apartment to be certified to teach Chinese to non-native speakers. Many of his classmates from Sun Yat-sen University are also very successful, so he has amazing connections (I really hit the jackpot here). I also learned that my family has two cars, one of which is very large and will be great for trips to places all around the island that may not be so easy to get otherwise. We are already talking about a trip to Kending, a beautiful coastal location in the southern tip of Taiwan.
After the dinner reception was over, William offered to drive all of my roommates and I home since the weather has already started to get a little unpredictable. The seven of us piled into his Mercedes, which was actually very spacious, with 10-year old Keyi sitting on Shana's lap, and 12-year old Ruyi on my lap. We listened to ICRT, an international channel that broadcasts a wide variety of English songs and seems to have really cool tidbits of language information in between. The song "Way Back into Love" from the American movie Music & Lyrics came on, and Shana and I sang along with Keyi and Ruyi who knew all the words. I think at one point, everyone, including my dad, was sort of humming and mumbling some words. It was really great to share such an excitement for the song (which I have not heard on U.S. radio), and I can't wait to hang out with them. My roommates love the girls and want to have them over for a movie and snack night. I could tell from chatting about Ruyi's bond with her host family in London that this is really important to them, and it was really touching to hear my dad say that from now on I will be another daughter. Keyi told me that if I could stay a little longer in July, I can be here for her birthday too (Ruyi's birthday is in January).
I'm now at home preparing for a lazy weekend all snuggled up in the apartment since a typhoon is due to hit Taiwan over the next few days. It's coming at a very inopportune time with the Mid-Autumn Festival falling on Sunday. The typhoon is likely to delay transportation, and the festival is a time when people return home to be with their families, celebrating the full moon by barbecuing beef and eating moon cakes (a round cake commonly filled with sweet red bean paste or egg yolk). It looks like I'll miss out on going home with my friend Su, a native of Kaohsiung, but she's assured me there's plenty of other holidays to celebrate together. If I do get stuck inside, I suppose it wouldn't be so bad eating grilled cheese and watching movies...
Sunday, September 7, 2008
Taipei
This past Thursday we traveled to Taipei, Taiwan to meet the other Fulbright Taiwan grantees. There are 16 other recent college graduates living in Yilan, a rural area about an hour away from Taipei who are also teaching English in local elementary schools. The original Fulbright ETA program in Taiwan was established in Yilan seven years ago, and because the program is so well-established, four junior high schools were added to the mix this year. The four ETAs working on the junior high school project have also encountered some difficulties in establishing this new branch of the teaching program. The most important different is the emphasis on English language capability. Whereas the primary goal with the elementary school students in Yilan is to expose them to as much as possible to English and given them ample opportunity to interact with a native speaker (as it is in Kaohsiung), the junior high school students must diligently study English for their high school entrance exam. The drastically different attitudes toward teaching English at these two levels is creating a large gap between what the students know and what they should know, and is also making it difficult to introduce more advanced concepts to students with very simple, "young" English. It was really interesting to hear them share their experiences so far since many have been teaching for a week, and to brainstorm together about ways to overcome common obstacles.
Even more impressive were all of the graduate students and professors who have come to Taiwan to do research. About half of them are married with young children, so it was very exciting to be around American children again and have new friends to play with. Their interests include teaching subjects such as: contemporary Western music and teaching methods to Taiwanese students, art therapy, globalization, American studies, and conducting research on: quantum effects of plasmonics, explanatory models of Schizophrenia among Taiwanese patients, formation of community among Taiwanese Aborigines, increased religiousness in overseas Asians, manifestations of Daoism in modern Taiwanese society, traditional Chinese medicine, interpretations of Classics and Ancient Greek theater in modern Taiwanese society, etc. They are all extremely down to Earth and fun to talk to, and I'm already excited for December when we get to hear the progress of everyone's work. I had a particularly great time talking to one family who has just moved to Taiwan for the father/husband to do research. He has a ten year-old son who is feeling a little less excited and more apprehensive about their five-month stay in Taiwan. I was able to talk to him during some down time and learned that he is incredibly smart and has both humor and maturity way beyond his age. I asked if they might like to get together for some special trips around Taiwan, and I really hope that we do find some things to do together. It's actually incredibly comforting to meet American families and interact with them--it's the closest cultural connection I've felt to my American roots during my time in Taiwan so far. At dinner I was able to play with the four year-old son of another professor/researcher. I tried to teach him the hand game where you put your hands in the other person's palms and move them away quickly enough before the other person can slap them. He didn't quite get the concept of flipping his hands over to slap mine, so basically I just held my hands out and waited for him to slap them. We then played one of his games where he marched around and I simply followed. It was probably my happiest moment that day.
After dinner Shana, Billy, Shiela, Kate, Maya and I walked back to our hotel, pausing to take pictures at the Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial. I had seen the characters for the name "Freedom Memorial" across the arch of the main gate, but did not learn until last night that the government was using the term as the official name for the monument. The name was changed from the Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial after Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) candidate Chen Shui-Bian took office in 2000. Similarly, Taiwanese passports that once read Republic of China (R.O.C.) were changed to Taiwan under the DPP. The nature of Taiwanese politics is heavily ingrained in such changes that may seem merely logistical and unimportant to outsiders. The two major political parties in Taiwan are the KMT (Guomindang, blue party), and the DPP (green party). For many years after it fled the mainland in 1949, the KMT sought to reunite the governments of mainland China and Taiwan under its own rule. The DPP on the otherhand has stood for a Taiwan identity, and especially during the last four-year term under President Chen Shui-Bian, has pushed for an independent Taiwan. With KMT candidate Ma Ying-Jeou winning the presidential election in March earlier this year, the government is resuming a more moderate stance on the issue of Taiwan identity and independence. I have heard that the new KMT government wil reinstate the name Chiang Kai-Shek (original leader of the KMT party founded in mainland China) to the memorial.
After our nightime photo shoot, we headed to a bookstore in search for birthday presents for Shana's relatives. Right after Shana and I had left the bookstore I felt something funny happen to my foot. I looked down to find that the strap had completely torn out of my flip flop on the left side. Shana immediately tried to rush me to a shoe store, but I could only walk so fast with a broken strap. I had to swing my leg from the outside toward the inside so that the sole would slip under my foot and allow me to take a step. Shana and I laughed all the way to the store, mainly because when I first tried to walk I cried out: "now everyone in going to think I'm a gimp!" It was already getting late and most stores were closed, but we found a woman in a yarn shop who pointed us toward a store. The original store was closed but we did find a hodgepodge sort of store that sold everything. I found a pair of black, blue, and white flip flops that actually fit my feet (probably because they're made for men), and tried to be thankful that I had found shoes at all. I hung my head a little as I handed over my beautiful, sparkly and comfy flip flops for the owner to throw away.
Sunday morning I sported my clunky flipflops and feminine billowy blouse to church with my friend Nick. Nick and I met two years ago during summer at a youth group. I joined to practice Chinese and learned quite a bit about Christian religion in the process. I felt very welcome this morning as people came up to welcome me and ask about my interest in Chinese. I was happy to find that I could follow the basic idea of the sermon and follow along with most of the songs through listening and reading characters. The energy of the room was so positive that I felt myself smiling and having a great time. It felt very much like those weekly Friday night sessions where the rest of the group members took turns picking a scripture and a topic to discuss. It was always the right balance of philosophy and religion--never overbearing, just a group of college students trying to read the Bible and find out what it meant. I was really happy that Nick asked me to go and encouraged to explore different services in Kaohsiung.
After church Nick and I stopped for lunch before heading to the National Palace Museum. The museum has an incredibly large collection of calligraphy, pottery, bronze statues, furniture, etc. that span over thousands of years of history. I saw the most beautiful jewelry box and wanted to take a picture for posting, but there was no photography allowed in any part of the museum. If I remember right, the box was a brown marble with precious stones and gems set as flowers. The petals were made of the most beautiful pearl, turquoise, jade, and coral. The museum has so many artifacts that I've heard there's a new collection on display every time you go. We only stayed a few hours, so I have plenty more to see on another trip.
By the time I caught the HSR (high speed rail) on Sunday afternoon, I was more than ready to be back in Kaohsiung. As fun as this conference was, I realized how much I look forward to the weekend to recoup and reenergize before a busy week at work. When I got of at the HSR stop and headed toward the bus that I take to school every day, I felt relieved to be home.
Even more impressive were all of the graduate students and professors who have come to Taiwan to do research. About half of them are married with young children, so it was very exciting to be around American children again and have new friends to play with. Their interests include teaching subjects such as: contemporary Western music and teaching methods to Taiwanese students, art therapy, globalization, American studies, and conducting research on: quantum effects of plasmonics, explanatory models of Schizophrenia among Taiwanese patients, formation of community among Taiwanese Aborigines, increased religiousness in overseas Asians, manifestations of Daoism in modern Taiwanese society, traditional Chinese medicine, interpretations of Classics and Ancient Greek theater in modern Taiwanese society, etc. They are all extremely down to Earth and fun to talk to, and I'm already excited for December when we get to hear the progress of everyone's work. I had a particularly great time talking to one family who has just moved to Taiwan for the father/husband to do research. He has a ten year-old son who is feeling a little less excited and more apprehensive about their five-month stay in Taiwan. I was able to talk to him during some down time and learned that he is incredibly smart and has both humor and maturity way beyond his age. I asked if they might like to get together for some special trips around Taiwan, and I really hope that we do find some things to do together. It's actually incredibly comforting to meet American families and interact with them--it's the closest cultural connection I've felt to my American roots during my time in Taiwan so far. At dinner I was able to play with the four year-old son of another professor/researcher. I tried to teach him the hand game where you put your hands in the other person's palms and move them away quickly enough before the other person can slap them. He didn't quite get the concept of flipping his hands over to slap mine, so basically I just held my hands out and waited for him to slap them. We then played one of his games where he marched around and I simply followed. It was probably my happiest moment that day.
After dinner Shana, Billy, Shiela, Kate, Maya and I walked back to our hotel, pausing to take pictures at the Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial. I had seen the characters for the name "Freedom Memorial" across the arch of the main gate, but did not learn until last night that the government was using the term as the official name for the monument. The name was changed from the Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial after Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) candidate Chen Shui-Bian took office in 2000. Similarly, Taiwanese passports that once read Republic of China (R.O.C.) were changed to Taiwan under the DPP. The nature of Taiwanese politics is heavily ingrained in such changes that may seem merely logistical and unimportant to outsiders. The two major political parties in Taiwan are the KMT (Guomindang, blue party), and the DPP (green party). For many years after it fled the mainland in 1949, the KMT sought to reunite the governments of mainland China and Taiwan under its own rule. The DPP on the otherhand has stood for a Taiwan identity, and especially during the last four-year term under President Chen Shui-Bian, has pushed for an independent Taiwan. With KMT candidate Ma Ying-Jeou winning the presidential election in March earlier this year, the government is resuming a more moderate stance on the issue of Taiwan identity and independence. I have heard that the new KMT government wil reinstate the name Chiang Kai-Shek (original leader of the KMT party founded in mainland China) to the memorial.
After our nightime photo shoot, we headed to a bookstore in search for birthday presents for Shana's relatives. Right after Shana and I had left the bookstore I felt something funny happen to my foot. I looked down to find that the strap had completely torn out of my flip flop on the left side. Shana immediately tried to rush me to a shoe store, but I could only walk so fast with a broken strap. I had to swing my leg from the outside toward the inside so that the sole would slip under my foot and allow me to take a step. Shana and I laughed all the way to the store, mainly because when I first tried to walk I cried out: "now everyone in going to think I'm a gimp!" It was already getting late and most stores were closed, but we found a woman in a yarn shop who pointed us toward a store. The original store was closed but we did find a hodgepodge sort of store that sold everything. I found a pair of black, blue, and white flip flops that actually fit my feet (probably because they're made for men), and tried to be thankful that I had found shoes at all. I hung my head a little as I handed over my beautiful, sparkly and comfy flip flops for the owner to throw away.
Sunday morning I sported my clunky flipflops and feminine billowy blouse to church with my friend Nick. Nick and I met two years ago during summer at a youth group. I joined to practice Chinese and learned quite a bit about Christian religion in the process. I felt very welcome this morning as people came up to welcome me and ask about my interest in Chinese. I was happy to find that I could follow the basic idea of the sermon and follow along with most of the songs through listening and reading characters. The energy of the room was so positive that I felt myself smiling and having a great time. It felt very much like those weekly Friday night sessions where the rest of the group members took turns picking a scripture and a topic to discuss. It was always the right balance of philosophy and religion--never overbearing, just a group of college students trying to read the Bible and find out what it meant. I was really happy that Nick asked me to go and encouraged to explore different services in Kaohsiung.
After church Nick and I stopped for lunch before heading to the National Palace Museum. The museum has an incredibly large collection of calligraphy, pottery, bronze statues, furniture, etc. that span over thousands of years of history. I saw the most beautiful jewelry box and wanted to take a picture for posting, but there was no photography allowed in any part of the museum. If I remember right, the box was a brown marble with precious stones and gems set as flowers. The petals were made of the most beautiful pearl, turquoise, jade, and coral. The museum has so many artifacts that I've heard there's a new collection on display every time you go. We only stayed a few hours, so I have plenty more to see on another trip.
By the time I caught the HSR (high speed rail) on Sunday afternoon, I was more than ready to be back in Kaohsiung. As fun as this conference was, I realized how much I look forward to the weekend to recoup and reenergize before a busy week at work. When I got of at the HSR stop and headed toward the bus that I take to school every day, I felt relieved to be home.
Transportation = Adventure
As I mentioned, last Sunday Julianna picked me up to make a practice run to Wen Fu so that I would have no problems finding my way there. The trip was a bit lengthy, but easy enough; we even joked about her "showing me around" since I take public transportation every day and Julianna drives her car (I don't blame her--in the U.S. I do spend a lot of time with Zeek, my silver Escape). After returning from the practice run I figured that I would need to set aside about 2 hours for my commute to school each way, so I was very excited when Shana told me that her co-teacher had introduced her to a bus that would take me directly to the train station about three blocks away from my school. I was pretty confident that I would find the stop with no problem, so I decided to test it out on Tuesday morning when I went for the first time to introduce myself to the staff.
Tuesday morning came and I walked to where I thought the stop was supposed to be. I didn't see a sign for the bus, but I did see all of the other landmarks that had been described to me. I asked a few people on the sidewalk, but none of them were familiar with that particular bus. Passersby saw me asking directions from others and soon gathered around in attempt to determine where I needed to be. An elderly man on his scooter was the last to pull up, and when I explained that I knew I could take other bus lines that would take me to places where I could then transfer, he told me he would take me there. I was wearing a nicely tailored dress that I bought about two weeks ago to make a good impression on my first day. I looked at his scooter, then down at my dress and back to his scooter before I asked how I could ride it. He politiely told me not to worry, just to sit with my legs on the side and assured me that he would drive very slowly. It was getting late and I was worried about making it on time so I accepted the ride and made my way to the other bus station. I have to admit I did feel like a lady riding sidesaddle while trying as best I could to gracefully rest my hand on his shoulder and convince onlookers that I was a well-seasoned rider (even though it was my first time).
I realized when I got to the bus station that unless a bus came right away, I would never make it to the station with enough time to take the MRT and walk the rest of the way to school. I decided to hail a taxi and had to wait another 10 minutes before I was even successful in that. I knew it would be very expensive (by Taiwanese standards for a cab ride), but I had no choice, so I got in and told the driver the name of the school. The driver didn't seem to recognize it, but I was sure that I had told him correctly, so after a little bit of explanation about where it is located, I told him to take me to the Zuo Ying MRT station. He then proceeded to ask me about five times if I wanted to take the MRT, and each time I told him that I didn't want to take the MRT, I just wanted to go to that station so I could walk to school. My heartbeat slowed down just a little bit after I realized that he must of understood that I wanted to go to Zuo Ying when we began making our way over the bridge. By then he had said that he recognized the school, but I still had my doubts so I started saying things like, "Wen Fu is the elementary school located right by Ban Ping Mountain, right?" He always affirmed what I was saying so I thought I might be okay. And then he dropped me off at an American school...near the old Zuo Ying station. I knew I wasn't where I wanted to be but I also knew he wasn't going to get me there, so I thanked him, paid my fair and hopped out to ask the school guards where to go. I was very dismayed to know that I was, in fact, at the old station, and would need to take a transfer bus to the new station before I could walk to Wen Fu. I got to my school at 7:55, 5 minutes early, but I was a sweaty mess. Luckily I had 15 minutes to dab at my face with a tissue in an air conditioned room before I stood before all the teachers and introduced myself in both Chinese and English.
Everyone was extremely friendly and I was able to introduce myself to one of Julianna's classes. Most of the children couldn't ask me questions in English, but we let them use Chinese and Julianna translated them into English to maintain the appearance that I don't understand Chinese (that probably all went out the window the next day when the principal announced to the entire student body that they could try speaking Chinese to me too since I study it). One very eager but very shy girl in the front row asked me if I have ever used binnoculars. When Julianna asked the class if they were curious about binnoculars because they liked to use them to peep in their neighbors' windows, I knew right away it'd be a fun year. The kids were fairly shy, but I could tell they're excited to learn and I can see us getting along just fine.
The next morning I also had to be to school by 8am, this time to introduce myself to the students at the school-wide assembly. I set my alarm for 5:45...and woke up at 7:30. Without any time to get ready, I threw on a dress, clipped back my hair, grabbed my purse and rain downstairs to take another 220NT cab ride. This time the driver was wonderful and knew exactly where I needed to be. He engaged me in conversation, which calmed me down, and when I told him that I was so worried because I had overslept and was supposed to be at school in 15 minutes, he told me he understood and off we were. He was a very safe driver, but he did squeeze his way up to the front of every light so that we were the first to go. We even managed to talk about his family as we raced through town, and when we reached the front entrace as the clock turned 8:01, I had a new friend. I was so grateful for his kindness that I gave him a big tip and he in turn gave me his card and told me to call him whenever I needed to get somewhere.
The day turned out to be a great one. After I introduced myself to all of the children in the morning, I was greeted with "Hello, Teacher!" all day long. The students shyly peered into my office when they walked by, and when I smiled and waved, they broke into ear-to-ear grins and hunched their shoulders as they giggled and waved back. Some students were brave enough to come in and tell me their names and their grades. I won't have the chance to teach many of them, but I love being someone they all want to say hi to.
After cleaning up from a long day of work, I met my friend Su. I asked if she knew where I could buy a few things I needed for school and she offered to give me a ride to a mini department store. I was so excited for a real ride on a scooter that I clapped my hands as I bounced up and down. She thought it very funny to watch, and when I awkwardly climbed onto the bag of her scooter and began giggling like a maniac, she too started laughing uncontrollably. I had a song that I heard the day before on the radio stuck in my head, and when I started to sing as we rode along, she chimed in too. There we were, riding down the street with the wind that comes right before a storm whipping our hair and faces and my hands holding on to her tiny waist. It was so much fun!
After dinner at a place that we both love, I brought her by the apartment to introduce her to Leo before she took him for the weekend. Who is Leo, you might ask? My new pet hedgehog! That's right, I am now the proud parent of a hedgehog! A week ago yesterday I went back to the pet store to see if the bunnies had come in. I had been thinking about Leo ever since meeting him and found myself very excited to see him in the store again. Billy came with me, and when he commented on how in love I seemed to be with Leo, I bought him! The store owner gave me a great deal and with hedgehog in hand, I walked Leo back to his new home. He seemed a bit nervous for the first night, but we had a breakthrough the next morning. After adequate rest (hedgehogs get very grumpy if they're sleepy), I was finally able to bring him out to play on my bed. His little legs carry him pretty far pretty fast, and he's a big fan of wriggling under my comforter. Hedgehogs annoint, which means that whenever they smell something new they often lick before biting to familiarize themselves with the smell/taste. They are then supposed to make a froth from it that they lick onto their quills, but I haven't seen Leo do this step yet. So far he's just a biter. Although his teeth are a bit sharp, he doesn't draw blood, and if I stay still and push my finger toward his mouth, he usually releases. I can usually avoid him biting me if I don't shower right before I play with him and if I wait until he's walking around his cage and anxious to play. We usually have late night playdates so that he's most happy. I was sad to leave him for the weekend, but very thankful Su was really excited to take care of a hedgehog! I was too afraid to send Leo home with her on her scooter, so I called my taxi driver friend to pick them up. When I called to explain the situation and told him that I'd prefer to have Leo ride in a car than a scooter, he very firmly said he agreed with my feelings and was soon waiting down stairs to take Su and Leo back to the apartment.
With Leo in hedgehogcare and my bag packed, I was off to Taipei!
Tuesday morning came and I walked to where I thought the stop was supposed to be. I didn't see a sign for the bus, but I did see all of the other landmarks that had been described to me. I asked a few people on the sidewalk, but none of them were familiar with that particular bus. Passersby saw me asking directions from others and soon gathered around in attempt to determine where I needed to be. An elderly man on his scooter was the last to pull up, and when I explained that I knew I could take other bus lines that would take me to places where I could then transfer, he told me he would take me there. I was wearing a nicely tailored dress that I bought about two weeks ago to make a good impression on my first day. I looked at his scooter, then down at my dress and back to his scooter before I asked how I could ride it. He politiely told me not to worry, just to sit with my legs on the side and assured me that he would drive very slowly. It was getting late and I was worried about making it on time so I accepted the ride and made my way to the other bus station. I have to admit I did feel like a lady riding sidesaddle while trying as best I could to gracefully rest my hand on his shoulder and convince onlookers that I was a well-seasoned rider (even though it was my first time).
I realized when I got to the bus station that unless a bus came right away, I would never make it to the station with enough time to take the MRT and walk the rest of the way to school. I decided to hail a taxi and had to wait another 10 minutes before I was even successful in that. I knew it would be very expensive (by Taiwanese standards for a cab ride), but I had no choice, so I got in and told the driver the name of the school. The driver didn't seem to recognize it, but I was sure that I had told him correctly, so after a little bit of explanation about where it is located, I told him to take me to the Zuo Ying MRT station. He then proceeded to ask me about five times if I wanted to take the MRT, and each time I told him that I didn't want to take the MRT, I just wanted to go to that station so I could walk to school. My heartbeat slowed down just a little bit after I realized that he must of understood that I wanted to go to Zuo Ying when we began making our way over the bridge. By then he had said that he recognized the school, but I still had my doubts so I started saying things like, "Wen Fu is the elementary school located right by Ban Ping Mountain, right?" He always affirmed what I was saying so I thought I might be okay. And then he dropped me off at an American school...near the old Zuo Ying station. I knew I wasn't where I wanted to be but I also knew he wasn't going to get me there, so I thanked him, paid my fair and hopped out to ask the school guards where to go. I was very dismayed to know that I was, in fact, at the old station, and would need to take a transfer bus to the new station before I could walk to Wen Fu. I got to my school at 7:55, 5 minutes early, but I was a sweaty mess. Luckily I had 15 minutes to dab at my face with a tissue in an air conditioned room before I stood before all the teachers and introduced myself in both Chinese and English.
Everyone was extremely friendly and I was able to introduce myself to one of Julianna's classes. Most of the children couldn't ask me questions in English, but we let them use Chinese and Julianna translated them into English to maintain the appearance that I don't understand Chinese (that probably all went out the window the next day when the principal announced to the entire student body that they could try speaking Chinese to me too since I study it). One very eager but very shy girl in the front row asked me if I have ever used binnoculars. When Julianna asked the class if they were curious about binnoculars because they liked to use them to peep in their neighbors' windows, I knew right away it'd be a fun year. The kids were fairly shy, but I could tell they're excited to learn and I can see us getting along just fine.
The next morning I also had to be to school by 8am, this time to introduce myself to the students at the school-wide assembly. I set my alarm for 5:45...and woke up at 7:30. Without any time to get ready, I threw on a dress, clipped back my hair, grabbed my purse and rain downstairs to take another 220NT cab ride. This time the driver was wonderful and knew exactly where I needed to be. He engaged me in conversation, which calmed me down, and when I told him that I was so worried because I had overslept and was supposed to be at school in 15 minutes, he told me he understood and off we were. He was a very safe driver, but he did squeeze his way up to the front of every light so that we were the first to go. We even managed to talk about his family as we raced through town, and when we reached the front entrace as the clock turned 8:01, I had a new friend. I was so grateful for his kindness that I gave him a big tip and he in turn gave me his card and told me to call him whenever I needed to get somewhere.
The day turned out to be a great one. After I introduced myself to all of the children in the morning, I was greeted with "Hello, Teacher!" all day long. The students shyly peered into my office when they walked by, and when I smiled and waved, they broke into ear-to-ear grins and hunched their shoulders as they giggled and waved back. Some students were brave enough to come in and tell me their names and their grades. I won't have the chance to teach many of them, but I love being someone they all want to say hi to.
After cleaning up from a long day of work, I met my friend Su. I asked if she knew where I could buy a few things I needed for school and she offered to give me a ride to a mini department store. I was so excited for a real ride on a scooter that I clapped my hands as I bounced up and down. She thought it very funny to watch, and when I awkwardly climbed onto the bag of her scooter and began giggling like a maniac, she too started laughing uncontrollably. I had a song that I heard the day before on the radio stuck in my head, and when I started to sing as we rode along, she chimed in too. There we were, riding down the street with the wind that comes right before a storm whipping our hair and faces and my hands holding on to her tiny waist. It was so much fun!
After dinner at a place that we both love, I brought her by the apartment to introduce her to Leo before she took him for the weekend. Who is Leo, you might ask? My new pet hedgehog! That's right, I am now the proud parent of a hedgehog! A week ago yesterday I went back to the pet store to see if the bunnies had come in. I had been thinking about Leo ever since meeting him and found myself very excited to see him in the store again. Billy came with me, and when he commented on how in love I seemed to be with Leo, I bought him! The store owner gave me a great deal and with hedgehog in hand, I walked Leo back to his new home. He seemed a bit nervous for the first night, but we had a breakthrough the next morning. After adequate rest (hedgehogs get very grumpy if they're sleepy), I was finally able to bring him out to play on my bed. His little legs carry him pretty far pretty fast, and he's a big fan of wriggling under my comforter. Hedgehogs annoint, which means that whenever they smell something new they often lick before biting to familiarize themselves with the smell/taste. They are then supposed to make a froth from it that they lick onto their quills, but I haven't seen Leo do this step yet. So far he's just a biter. Although his teeth are a bit sharp, he doesn't draw blood, and if I stay still and push my finger toward his mouth, he usually releases. I can usually avoid him biting me if I don't shower right before I play with him and if I wait until he's walking around his cage and anxious to play. We usually have late night playdates so that he's most happy. I was sad to leave him for the weekend, but very thankful Su was really excited to take care of a hedgehog! I was too afraid to send Leo home with her on her scooter, so I called my taxi driver friend to pick them up. When I called to explain the situation and told him that I'd prefer to have Leo ride in a car than a scooter, he very firmly said he agreed with my feelings and was soon waiting down stairs to take Su and Leo back to the apartment.
With Leo in hedgehogcare and my bag packed, I was off to Taipei!
Monday, September 1, 2008
Back to School
Last Tuesday finally ended the anxiety and apprehension we felt as we worked to get to know all of the local English teachers day by day over the course of two weeks. The first day both the local English teachers (LETs) and English teaching assistants (ETAs) introduced themselves through simple Powerpoints. For the rest of the first week, we spent time with the LETs discussing models for co-teaching in the classroom, and brainstormed lesson plans and activities. Together we talked about our roles in the local elementary schools and the issues that teachers face on a daily basis.
The Taiwan school system is much different from the system that we're all familiar with in the U.S. First off, classes tend to be much bigger here. It is not uncommon for an elementary school to have over 2,000 students, averaging about 30 or so students in each class. Children begin elementary school at the age of six, completing grades first through sixth before they move on to junior high school. The subjects taught here are basically the same, but the education method is incredibly different. Rote memorization and testing play integral roles in the life of school children. Upon completion of junior high school, each student must take a standardized test that determines his or her options for high school; after completing high school, students must test again for university entry. Because of the importance of tests in determing students' educational opportunity, and therefore futures, parents place a great deal of pressure on their children to test well. What does this mean for me as a new teacher?
I am a subject teacher; I teach English only. English class is not part of the standard school curriculum, so there is less pressure on me to ensure that my students perform well in testing. English teachers, however, face a specific set of obstacles. Many students do not see the applicability of English because they have never traveled abroad and may not see leaving Taiwan in their future. Some students are simply not interested in learning English or have given up long ago because it's difficult to practice. Moreover, even as early as elementary school, students become swamped with homework and have to rush to cram school after their regular school day. The LETs know how hard the students must work, and have emphasized the need to make English class fun so that students are excited to learn. A lot of games and physical activities are often used in the classroom. Parents sometimes question whether the students learn anything through games, and want a tangible way of measuring their children's progress. English teachers must then plan school-wide events that in which the administration and parents are invited to watch the students demonstrate their learned knowledge.
I am incredibly lucky to be working with Sophia and Julianna, both very sweet and dedicated teachers. They teach fifth and sixth grades at Wen Fu Elementary School, a fairly new school established just seven years ago with a young staff. They are both very practical and realisitic about teaching goals, although it is very obvious that they both have a great passion for teaching. I will be helping them teach three different levels, since the sixth graders are separated into regular and bilingual English classes. In the bilingual classes, textbooks include less diaolgues and more formally written English. Directions and context for stories and activities are also written in English. I will also be helping in the English Village, the goal of which is to simulate everyday life situations to encourage students to use practical English. At English Village students might encounter buying something from a store, ordering at a restuarant, going to the movie theater and watching clips of film about American life, etc. I might also be teaching English to other staff members or helping out with a project like English club.
Classes started this past Friday at Wen Fu, but I do not begin teaching until next Monday. Julianna met me at my apartment yesterday afternoon to practice my route to school. I am still considering getting a scooter, but for now I need to learn the most basic method of transportation. From my apartment I can walk a few blocks to the bus stop and take the bus to the train station. From the train station I can take the MRT (think Metro) to a stop about three blocks away from Wen Fu. The school sits at the base of beautiful Ban4Ping2 Shan1 (Half Mountain), so it's a very scenic walk to the school. Tomorrow I will go to meet the entire staff. Classes start at 8:30, so I must be there around 8 am. I should probably start my commute around 6:30 to make sure I get there on time.
Today I went to a school supply store with a lot of imported materials from the States to buy some things for my classroom. I got one of the big calendars with the numbered squares and the days of the week that says "today is _____, yesterday was _____, tomorrow is _____." It also has the weather and those cool little pictures for special days like birthdays and holidays. I also got a poster that has the standard classroom rules that we use in the States, one that has cute cartoons doing basic verb actions, and a special one for the sixth graders on advanced phonics and word families (it's a big part of their curriculum). I can't wait to go back for the winter decorations!
I'm really excited to meet all the kids and get settled into class. It's a big help to know that my co-teachers are excited to work with me and the school is incredibly happy to have a native English speaker. I even have my own little desk in the English teachers' office. I have to start thinking how to decorate it!
The Taiwan school system is much different from the system that we're all familiar with in the U.S. First off, classes tend to be much bigger here. It is not uncommon for an elementary school to have over 2,000 students, averaging about 30 or so students in each class. Children begin elementary school at the age of six, completing grades first through sixth before they move on to junior high school. The subjects taught here are basically the same, but the education method is incredibly different. Rote memorization and testing play integral roles in the life of school children. Upon completion of junior high school, each student must take a standardized test that determines his or her options for high school; after completing high school, students must test again for university entry. Because of the importance of tests in determing students' educational opportunity, and therefore futures, parents place a great deal of pressure on their children to test well. What does this mean for me as a new teacher?
I am a subject teacher; I teach English only. English class is not part of the standard school curriculum, so there is less pressure on me to ensure that my students perform well in testing. English teachers, however, face a specific set of obstacles. Many students do not see the applicability of English because they have never traveled abroad and may not see leaving Taiwan in their future. Some students are simply not interested in learning English or have given up long ago because it's difficult to practice. Moreover, even as early as elementary school, students become swamped with homework and have to rush to cram school after their regular school day. The LETs know how hard the students must work, and have emphasized the need to make English class fun so that students are excited to learn. A lot of games and physical activities are often used in the classroom. Parents sometimes question whether the students learn anything through games, and want a tangible way of measuring their children's progress. English teachers must then plan school-wide events that in which the administration and parents are invited to watch the students demonstrate their learned knowledge.
I am incredibly lucky to be working with Sophia and Julianna, both very sweet and dedicated teachers. They teach fifth and sixth grades at Wen Fu Elementary School, a fairly new school established just seven years ago with a young staff. They are both very practical and realisitic about teaching goals, although it is very obvious that they both have a great passion for teaching. I will be helping them teach three different levels, since the sixth graders are separated into regular and bilingual English classes. In the bilingual classes, textbooks include less diaolgues and more formally written English. Directions and context for stories and activities are also written in English. I will also be helping in the English Village, the goal of which is to simulate everyday life situations to encourage students to use practical English. At English Village students might encounter buying something from a store, ordering at a restuarant, going to the movie theater and watching clips of film about American life, etc. I might also be teaching English to other staff members or helping out with a project like English club.
Classes started this past Friday at Wen Fu, but I do not begin teaching until next Monday. Julianna met me at my apartment yesterday afternoon to practice my route to school. I am still considering getting a scooter, but for now I need to learn the most basic method of transportation. From my apartment I can walk a few blocks to the bus stop and take the bus to the train station. From the train station I can take the MRT (think Metro) to a stop about three blocks away from Wen Fu. The school sits at the base of beautiful Ban4Ping2 Shan1 (Half Mountain), so it's a very scenic walk to the school. Tomorrow I will go to meet the entire staff. Classes start at 8:30, so I must be there around 8 am. I should probably start my commute around 6:30 to make sure I get there on time.
Today I went to a school supply store with a lot of imported materials from the States to buy some things for my classroom. I got one of the big calendars with the numbered squares and the days of the week that says "today is _____, yesterday was _____, tomorrow is _____." It also has the weather and those cool little pictures for special days like birthdays and holidays. I also got a poster that has the standard classroom rules that we use in the States, one that has cute cartoons doing basic verb actions, and a special one for the sixth graders on advanced phonics and word families (it's a big part of their curriculum). I can't wait to go back for the winter decorations!
I'm really excited to meet all the kids and get settled into class. It's a big help to know that my co-teachers are excited to work with me and the school is incredibly happy to have a native English speaker. I even have my own little desk in the English teachers' office. I have to start thinking how to decorate it!
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