Chapter 9

Alright, I'm somewhat back on track. Here's Chapter 9, pics will come soon! Forgive the mistakes, I didn't have much time to go back through my writing. Once again, new readers....sorry about the novels, but that's how its done here in Taiwan....you can check out the pics.

Monday, August 17th

Happy birthday baby brother! I can’t believe you are no longer a teenager….you are just growing up too fast! I had all my students write letters to Buck for his birthday. They loved it….the most popular question, ‘do you have a girlfriend.’ My kids are all expecting personalized letters in return and are hoping for some pictures as well…..Buck, don’t let ‘em down!

I woke up to an earthquake this morning….around 8am my bed started shaking, when I came to I realized it wasn’t a dream and that I was witnessing a real life earthquake. No worries, no harm or damage was done; apparently, we have earthquakes all the time, just this one, I could actually feel. I was talking to one of my student’s parents and she said Taiwan hasn’t had a big earthquake in quite soon time, just like they hadn’t had a big typhoon in quite some time…eek, that’s not good....hopefully this doesn’t mean I’ll experience a ‘big’ earthquake while I’m here. On the Richter scale, the earthquake that just hit was about a 6.7 off the coast of Japan, but what I felt in my bed was something less than a 3—not too bad!

Sarah and I have made a goal to eat healthier and exercise a little more. We go running after work…we both have to motivate each other, because after a long day of work, neither of us feel up to much of anything. We are planning on running a 5k in November in Toroko Gorge…maybe I’ll bump it up to a half-marathon, we shall see.

Tuesday, August 18th

It’s newsletter time again….although it takes me forever to write the kids’ newsletters, I’m finished for September, so now I have a bit more free time, YAY!
Funniest story, this didn’t happen to me, but it happened to Teacher Sarah in class today. One of her 3rd graders said ‘shit.’ Sarah heard the forbidden word, and swung around from her chair, and with that motherly tone (the one we all know), she said “What did you just say?” The little boy, with a quiver in his lip and sulky eyes, just looked at Sarah and said, “Teacher, I didn’t say Chinese, I just said shit.” Haha, oh the innocence of the little ones.

As I was going through the new spelling words with my second graders, I showed them some of my new kickboxing moves to liven up the group a bit; they got a real kick out of teacher flying across the room throwing fists. As we continued to go through their spelling, Hank let out a big sneeze….snot everywhere! As he reached his hand across his face to wipe the snot across his shirt, I yelled, “Hank, go wash your hands…” As he dashed to the door, I realized I should have grabbed the door for him, but it was too late….snotty hands, on my door knob, gross! Two seconds later, Hank walked back into class….he couldn’t have washed his hands that quickly. “Hank, you need to wash your hands!” I told him. “I did teacher,” he exclaimed. “Go wash them again….” I had to take every precaution. You know, sometimes I’m not quite sure whether I’m a mother, entertainer, or teacher….

Tonight we had language exchange. I worked with Vicky’s dad, James. Man oh man, trying to teach the English language is so difficult. James and I were going through some common phrases…Hi, what’s your name? …where are you from? …the usual stuff. Well, James got caught up on one phrase…If you say, ‘I’m Tawianese,’ then how come you can’t say, ‘I’m Americanese’? Jeez James….I have no idea how to answer that, that’s just the way it is. I wish I could have given him a logical explanation, but I couldn’t think of any. English can be so complicated sometimes. Well, I did learn some new phrases, so I tried them out at the smoothie shop. Sarah and Sam were laughing at me….I have my drink order down perfect, but anything else, out comes my scribbled paper and a lot of gibberish!

Wednesday, August 19th

Today we read a story in drama that had a ‘bee’ in it….Wow, one demonstration of a bee and my kids went wild. They kept pretending like they were bees, trying to sting me….I would jerk my body every which way and they loved it. I think I found the new hit game with my little SPE’s.

I went to the noodle lady for dinner tonight. I haven’t quite got her price list down yet—I think she just charges me what she feels like. I took $60NT because last time my meal was about $55….so, I picked out the usual, my noodles, some bean curd, a green pepper, and some mushrooms. She boiled it right up and as she was handing me my food, she said $65….ut oh, I was totally short $5. I was so embarrassed, but last time it was only $55…eek! Luckily, an Asian, English teacher came to my rescue once again. He translated my dilemma and the noodle lady just said, “No problem, you can pay me next time.” I’m not sure, but I think those are the words for a frequent diner. The Taiwanese people are so nice and generous—I can’t believe it.

Thursday, August 20th

Well, I think I am really learning to let go and just play with the kids….all my structure and organization is turning into spontaneous play—I’m really enjoying it. All I have to do is forget I have any dignity, act completely silly, and the kids love it. In drama, the little SPE’s were getting a bit restless, so I got up and just started dancing…the kids acted as my music box. They were giggling so hard…my dance turned into Thriller, and we had a great time.

Tonight one of my best student’s, Kitty, and her parents, George and Grace, took all of us teachers to the nicest restaurants in Changhua. It’s called Tasty, and for good reason. The mood and atmosphere was so ritzy and elegant, and the food was exquisite (well, from what I’ve been used to the past two months). We received excellent service and a seven course meal for about $15US. First, we were given our appetizers of shrimp and asparagus. Second, we got some yummy French bread breaded with cheeses, meat, and mushrooms. Third, seafood chowder soup with more bread sticks. Fourth, potato salad with shrimp decorated on top (yes, the shrimp came with its head, legs, and all). Fifth, the main course of pork ribs and vegetables. Sixth, a tasty mango smoothie. Seventh, delicious desserts….Crème Brule and ice cream topped with the chocolate bag—the chocolate bag is to die for….its deep fried dough filled with melted chocolate on the inside, you puncture the bag, and warm chocolate oozes from the pastry on to your freshly scooped vanilla ice cream, I was in heaven.

The meal was exceptional, but the company was also great. George and Grace both completed their graduate work in the states, so their English is top notch, and their senses of humors are too. George is a professor of information systems, and Grace is an electrical engineer. She also teaches at the university. We had a fun conversation; George asked us whether our ‘English’ was good enough to survive in Taiwan. A little confused, we all asked, how so? He went on to explain that when the Chinese translate words straight from English, often times you don’t get the right word or phrase you’re looking for. Lets see…..anyone know what a ‘submarine fortress’ is? Ya, me either. After taking some wild guesses, George filled us in, it’s a hamburger. Let me explain, you have the submarine sandwich bread (the bun), and a hambao, which in Chinese is a burger, but translated to English it’s a fortress, so yes ladies and gentlemen, a ‘submarine fortress’ is indeed a hamburger. There are so many funny phrases like this one around town…Hogan dogs (Hagen daz), gotta love it! There are more, but I can’t seem to remember ‘em off the top of my head.

Friday, August 21st

Thank goodness it’s Friday! Today in gym we were supposed to play Marco Polo. I was teaching the kids, when Hank decided to join us. He wasn’t really into playing ‘Marco Polo,’ but ‘Michael Jackson’ was sure on his list….oh what the heck, so we played Michael Jackson. When I say Michael, you say Jackson….Michael…….Jackson! (Hanna was making fun of me for being such a ‘cheerleader’….i guess it’s just in my nature). After switching out Marco Polo for MJ, Hank busted out singing, ‘Beat It’….the kids are all obsessed singing this song. YoYo’s the MJ ring leader and now all the kids have caught on. They start singing ‘Beat It,’ anyplace, anytime…with actions too. It’s quite entertaining.

Sarah and I took off to the train station right after work tonight. We headed to Tai Chung to stay with one of our new good friends, Torry. I mentioned before that I met her at the YSA conference—she’s amazing! I cannot believe how thoughtful and helpful she is. Because she’s lived in the states, away from home, she really knows how to make someone feel welcome. She keeps telling me, whenever you need anything, you just let me know. My home is your home….whether your sick, tired, hungry, whatever….I’m there for ya girl. She’s gonna teach me Chinese too! I’m so excited, but right now we’re just having scheduling conflicts cause she lives in Tai Chung (about an hour commute) and we are both extremely busy.

Anyhow, back to a fun Friday night with Torry. Sarah and I arrived in Tai Chung with Arwyn, she teaches at the other ILP school. Torry picked us up and took us back to her place where she had pancakes and pb&j waiting for us for dinner….like I said, she is so sweet! Torry knows what it’s like to miss home, so we made COOKIES, not just any cookies, but American style cookies, and not just any American style cookies, but mom’s secret recipe, American style cookies! Oh, they tasted sooooo YUMMY! After devouring the cookie dough and cookies, us girls had a real old school pj party. We got into our pajamas, had girl talk, and gave ourselves facials and pedicures….how nice! Torry’s nephew, Leongan, also joined us. He is just nine, and such a sweetheart—he loved this girl’s night!

Saturday, August 22nd

Home visits, wahoo! Torry rushed Sara and I to the train station early this morning, so I could make it back to Changhua in time for my first home visit. Home visits are when we teachers get to visit the home of our students and their families. If we’re lucky, the family may take us somewhere exciting!

Today, Evence’s family took Sammy and me to the ancient city of LuKang. LuKang’s name means ‘deer harbor’ and it received this name during the Dutch colonial period when the city’s sea port was used to trade deerskins.

Our first stop was the Wunwu Temple with its civil and military shrines, which were both built in 1811. The Wenkai Academy also rests next to the temple and it was built in 1824. The academy was the most famous for its time, and many scholars went there to learn of the Taiwanese culture and to receive an education. Verona (Evence’s mom) told us that many of the intellectuals who studied there would pray everyday to do well in school so they could receive government positions after their studies; if a student was able to hold a government position they wouldn’t have to pay taxes, so it was highly sought after.

The Chinese culture is full of symbols. Verona filled us in on a few as we visited the Wunwu temple. The lion represents good luck. Vases represent safety. The dragon is represented as the emperor of China or, often times, the son of the emperor. Although the dragon is used mostly as decoration today, if portrayed incorrectly, it is still considered taboo to the Chinese people. In Taiwan, if there is a temple or shrine built without the emblem of the dragon, then the building was most likely constructed by the Japanese when they controlled the island.

Our second stop was the Museum of Taiwanese Folkways. The home that houses this museum once belonged to the Koo family in the early 1900’s (the home was built in 1919). Chen Fu Koo, the son of father Koo, is infamous for his service to Taiwan. He was a successful business man who had influence in economical and foreign affairs. Although he never served in any government position, he sat on many committees and boards. Many Taiwanese do not appreciate Koo’s work because he enabled the Japanese to take over Taiwan; however, the Taiwanese are grateful that Koo built rapport with the Japanese so they came in peace.

Inside the museum there are many traditional Taiwanese clothes and accessories. I saw the tiny shoes that women used to wear in order to become more attractive—yes, the Taiwanese did bind the feet of the little girls so they would look more beautiful to the men. The museum also had some replicas of different architectural buildings and some models of Taiwanese homes and rooms. I did see a depiction of a honeymoon sweet. I asked Verona why a bowl of rice was placed on the bed and she said it was symbolic for how many sons the new bride would bear—more rice, more sons. Sons have always been more important to the Chinese because they carry on the family name.

Lunch time….oyster omelets anyone? You know, I’ve been pretty good about at least, ‘trying,’ things, but when I have to eat a WHOLE plate a slimy, gelatin, lard looking junk….I don’t do so well. Verona and Evence were so excited to introduce me to some ‘traditional’ food that I couldn’t say no when they wanted to order oyster omelets—I decided to go for it. I was just thankful for a little egg. Man oh man, I had to consciously think to myself that I was eating something tasteful, but even then…I couldn’t stop cringing…it wasn’t the oysters that were all that bad (I mean, the smell, yes), but the gelatin lard stuff was just too much! I did it though…I chowed down!

After we were done eating we visited some more ancient temples and strolled down a historic street that was filled with Asian nic-nacs: Chinese lanterns, fans, umbrellas…you name it, they had it! I got a few small lanterns for about $25 cents and a fun mini umbrella. On our stroll we also took a ‘rest’—we had some almond milk and sesame—it was tasty, I slurped it right up.

Our last stop in LuKang before going home was the Long-Shan Temple. It was built in the Ming Dynasty around 1653, and it was the first Buddhist temple ever built in Taiwan. The style is much like the imperial palace in the Northern Sung Dynasty. The wood work is amazing and so intricate—you can tell this temple was important because if it wasn’t, there’s no way a person would spend so much time doing that kind of detailed wood work. The paint is now nearly gone and everything is completely worn, but the main shrine is still very nice and used for worship in Bai Bai.

Hanging out with Evence and her family was so fun! Verona speaks really well, her husband, Ty, not as much, but they were both so very generous. It was so hot today and when Verona saw that I didn’t have a hat, she made Ty go back to the car to grab me a visor, not any visor….a ginormous visor, so thoughtful,….and so funny at the same time. Verona insisted I stay covered up from the sun. Evence’s little sister Claire is also adorable. Even though she clung to her mom in the beginning of our trip, she willing held my hand by the end….her and Evence both, it was so precious. Throughout the day, Evence kept tugging on my shirt to show me toys, food, beetles…haha, oh yes, anything in sight, she made sure I knew about it, she was so cute! I loved it.

Sunday, August 23rd

Today I had the chance to give my talk in church. I was supposed to give it a few weeks ago, but because of the typhoon, church was cancelled. Wow, I don’t know how I’ve gotten away with only speaking two times in church so far, now attending this small English branch, I’m sure my number of talks given will shoot up. I talked on Building up the Kingdom of God. I had a friend refer me to some great talks: Elder Ballard, Building a Gospel Sharing Home, 2006, and President Utchdorf, Lift Where You Stand, 2008. I recommend both talks, they’re great!

After church I went on another home visit with JoAnna and Martin’s family, the Ko’s. JoAnna and Martin are in my older class, they speak fluently, and so does their father, Frank. Helen, their mother, is still learning but she’s not afraid to speak either. The Ko’s took me to a really nice restaurant at the Tempus Hotel in Taichung. We even had bell boys get the door for us as we got out of the car, I felt so luxurious. In America, I’m sure the meal we ate would have been around $30US/person. Our tea time, a buffet, was set for 2 ½ hours. I practically gorged myself, as many American’s do, while the Ko’s ate small portions, rested, and then went back for more…I’m thinking I could learn a little something from the Asian way. The food was amazing and I was in heaven…the restaurant even had American Hagen Daz ice cream, YUMMY!

I really like the Ko family. As I said earlier, Frank is a business man, so it’s always fun to talk to him about the economy, business ideas, and philosophies. I told him how most westerners are amazed by the Asian’s math skills, he just laughed…I didn’t know what he was laughing at until I asked. He told me it’s funny that Westerners believe the Asians to be so ‘bright’; however, how many Asian philosophers do you know? How many Asian theorists have you heard of? Wow, I thought. I haven’t heard of any….how interesting. I asked Frank why, he never got to an answer, but it’s a worthy question to ponder.

Well, it’s been another great; yet, quite exhausting. I’ve had a lot of fun, but not much time to myself! Yes, many of you thought I would have a chance to slow down here in Taiwan, but it just isn’t in my cards. Stay tuned for more T:Time adventures in Taiwan! Love you all.