Stats

• Number of students I have currently (changes often): 92
• Number of kids classes I teach: 8
• Number of adult classes I teach: 3
• Number of private students I teach: 4 men
• Number of co-workers: 1 foreign teacher, 10 teachers aides, 2 bosses, 1 manager
• Average number of students per class: 10
• Smallest class: 4 students
• Largest class: 18 students
• Number of hours I teach: 33.5
  
• Number of siblings in the same class: 6 sets of two, divided into 4 classes (2 classes have 2 sets of siblings in them)
• Number of students I have between ages 8-9 (just guesses): 9 students
• Number of studetns between ages 10-11: 37
• Number of students between ages 12-13: 18
• Number of students between ages 14-19: 4
• Number of students between ages 20-30: 8
• Number of studetns between ages 30-40: 5
• Number of students between ages 40-50: 3
• Number of students between ages 60-80: 1 (74 years old!)
• Most common names: Lisa, Angel, and Andy (I have 3 of each)
  
• Second most common names: Jerry, Harry, Angela, Ray, Nini, Annie, and Ian (2 of each)
• Funniest/most unusual names: a boy named Joy, a woman named Juby and two men named Hans and Rodman.
  
• Top 5 most common English errors in my classes: 1. adding the in front of languages and country names and sometimes people's names too (i.e. the Spanish, the Korea, the John) 2. adding -uh to the end of words (i.e. book-uh, Eric-uh) 3. adding -uh to the middle of words randomly (i.e. quick-uh-ly) 4. prounouncing the -ed ending as ED (i.e. He lookED down) 5. prounouncing the letter "L" as elo, not el (i.e. I went to Elo A., California (L.A.).
  

Moving out...

No, I am not moving apartments...just moving out of my bedroom....so it's gotten really hot here and it's just absolutely suffocating in my apartment these days and especially my bedroom because it faces east. So, I've had a really hard time sleeping for the past couple of weeks. This week I finally gave in and turned on my air-con. I've been trying to hold out using it because my electricity bill is already really high. But, I just couldn't handle the heat and lack of sleep anymore. But now that I've used it a few times....I'm addicted to it! It's going to be an expensive summer! So, anyway, the air-con helped a bit with sleeping, but my bedroom is still so bright that I can't sleep and since I basically work the second shift, most of my sleeping hours are after the sun has risen...
So, I've decided to move out of my bedroom for the summer and sleep on my couch since I can totally block out the sunlight in my living room and it's closer to the air-con. I tried it for the first time last night and it was wonderful!

So, I basically live on my couch now! I eat there (I don't have a table), watch TV there, using my computer there, read there, and now sleep there too! hahahahha.

Happy Weekend!

I had such a wonderful Sunday today! It was so lovely. It all started with actually getting a good night's rest for the first time in a long time....more on that later. Then I listened to a great sermon online and attempted to straighten my hair, which actually didn't work out well at all! Oh well. Then I made a great lunch of chicken adobo. On my way to church I stopped by the 2-28 Peace Park and it was really beautiful there, so that was a nice discovery. Then church was really fun and just all around good. Then I was invited out to eat with some friends for someone's birthday and that was nice- to just be invited, even I did feel a little odd cuz I didn't know the birthday celebrant very well. But, we went to a western restaurant and I had a delicious cheeseburger and Dr. Pepper!! My first Dr. Pepper since December. It was such a great meal and a great time with great people. I miss hanging out like that with Westerners and especially hanging out with Christians and teachers to boot! Basically people like me...since the people I see all week are different in almost every way! Anyway, it was fun times. It's been a wonderful weekend all-in-all cuz Friday was good and Saturday too- I was really happy at work and just had a great day! Yay!

Thank Heaven for Days Like These...

Yesterday I was feeling like maybe I can't do this for a whole year and was a little discouraged. But then, God in His timely grace, gave me a great day at work today and just reconfirmed to me that I should be here. It's days like these that make me love my job...other days I can't wait to leave it, but then randomly God will stick in a really great day that gives me hope that I can do this and that this is where He wants me at this time.

Some random "stories"...

• Yesterday while at the museum park I heard western kids playing (apparently there is some sort of international school next door?) and it made me sooo excited to hear them- I could just tell the difference in the voices- I knew they were western kids even though I couldn't see them....I miss that sound so much...I mean, Taiwanese kids are cute and fun too, but I miss western kids a lot and get so excited whenever I see one in public!

• The other day as I stepped out of the elevator on my floor, I smelled Sunsilk shampoo and it just took me back 10 years to my childhood when we used that shampoo growing up in the Philippines. Funny how a smell can do that. Before I left America I made the mistake of buying the same perfume one of my best friends from CU used and so now when I use it I think of her and feel sad...And last weekend I made this dish from an "EZ Chinese food" sauce pack with beef and green peppers and as soon as I smelled it and tasted it- it took me back to Word of Life camp in Laguna, Philippines...it was just like something they made there in the dining hall and we enjoyed for many years at yearly conferences there.
• I bought a new shirt yesterday in Taipei and I realized that I haven't bought any new clothes in a year with the exception of one shirt and some shoes in September and mittens in China!! This is quite shocking for me! I'm not a huge shopper, but I usually buy more clothes than that in a year! I guess it's because when I was packing up to leave the US, I realized how much junk and clothes I have, so I've tried not to acquire much more! But, who have I become? Exercising for fun, reading books again, enjoying cooking, and now not buying clothes in a year?! This is all quite new and shocking! :)
  

Must See's...

Yesterday I set out on another tourist adventure despite the rain. Suppossedly the National Palace Museum is the "must-see" location in Taipei (according to my Lonely Planet book), so since I've been here for 4 months I figured I'd better go see it! It was a beautiful place and very impressive, but I think it's a little overrated. The museum was interesting, but I got a little weary of seeing exhibit after exhibit of Chinese pottery, ceramics, scrolls, and old stones. My favorite thing though was the miniature ivory carvings from one of the ancient dynasties- they were so ornate and cute because they were so small. I also really enjoyed the garden adjacent to the museum- the Garden of Benevolent Prosperity or something like that. It was beautiful, peaceful, and so lush, like most of Taiwan's vegetation.
Later I went to a famous night market nearby since night markets are suppossedly the "essence of Taiwan" and I've only been to one really small one. It was quite lively and interesting. I got some barbequed chicken and freshly "squeezed" passion fruit juice. It was a fun experience. I almost tried the Taiwan delicacy- "stinky tofu," but chickened out because I was afraid that I'd gag or worse and didn't want to do that in public. Someday I'll try it. There's a vendor right near my house so I can try it anytime...I just have to work up the nerve!
I felt very successful after my day out because I had managed to use the in-city buses successfully for the first time and was able to order my dinner without too much trouble and earlier in the day I successfully transferred money from my Taiwan bank account to my US one. Yay!

Just life or an adventure?

Sometimes I get confused here as to whether this is just my life here or if this is just some adventure I'm on...it's really hard to explain....but if this is just the next phase of my life- I get lonely, work gets routine and old, and I become familiar and almost desensitized by my unique surroundings. But, if this is just some crazy adventure I'm on for 15 months then I get excited by the differences around me I get to experience, I want to explore, I see work as a cultural experience, and I realize how short my time is here and want to make the most of it.

Most English teachers I've met view their time here as a completely random adventure they get to experience for a time. I, however, usually don't feel like that- I just view this as life and one phase of it and not some crazy adventure...it's just a daily routine and work in a new place....but maybe I should have that "adventure" view more often instead? I guess it's because I always "knew" I'd be living overseas...so it's not some random and crazy move- it's what I was always expecting...but I guess that takes the "fun" out of it. I don't know if I can really explain this very well, so I'd better just stop...haha.

Hair Cut

Well, it was about time for a hair cut...in fact my hair hasn't been that long in over a year and a half! So, I braved the world of Taiwan hair salons armed with some useful phrases my manager kindly taught me and a photo of myself from last February. And...it was an interesting experience that took 2 hours! My longest hair cut ever mostly due to the 2 shampoos, head massage, and my perfectionist stylist. But they give you tea and each customer has their own personal mini-tv with cable even to watch while you're getting your hair done. It was quite nice...except for the length and the constant questions in Chinese that I didn't understand. So, here's the result....a little shorter than I expected, but it's ok.

Graduation

As I type this many of my closest friends are graduating from Cedarville University at this very hour. This feels quite odd for me because I was supposed to be graduating today- this is my real class! But, I beat the system and instead graduated one year ago today, which is hard to believe.

But it has been quite the year, I must say. Here are some notable events from my year out of college (sort of- actually didn't finish 'til December, of course :)).

• My parents, Michael, and several long lost relatives came to see me graduate.
• I went to Virginia to visit Michael with my parents. Then said goodbye to them for 6 months.
  
• I took and passed the Praxis II with flying colors.
• I was part of an MK intern program at ABWE's headquarters in Harrisburg for 2 months and had the time of my life!
• I went to NYC again and visited New Jersey during that time.
  
• I met a quality guy who became my first boyfriend.
• I went to Philadelphia to visit my best friend, back to Virginia to visit Michael, went to Washington DC for the first time in 11 years, went back to Philadelphia again, saw a close friend in New Jersey, and went to New York to visit a close friend.
• I saw/helped my friends start their senior year at Cedarville.
• I went back to Indiana, then to California for the first time to visit my boyfriend.
• I gained a new second cousin-once-removed named Micah.
  
• I went back to Cedarville and said hard goodbyes to my friends there.
• I went to China for 3 months do to my student teaching and learned a lot and met some great people.
  
• I saw the Great Wall, The Forbidden City, and other amazing sights.
  
• I went back to Philadelphia to be the maid-of-honor in my best friend's wedding.
  
• I had a mini-reunion with highschool friends, Michael, and the boyfriend.
• I became a real graduate of Cedarville University on paper this time.
  
• I flew to Thailand and was reunited with my parents, Kevin, and Kraig.
• We flew to the Philippines for an absolutely amazing Christmas break.
• We flew back to Thailand and I stayed for another week relishing the calm before the storm.
• I moved to Taiwan, began my first real job, got my first apartment and ended a 6 month relationship.
• I learned more than I could have imagined and grew in many, many ways.
  

Pretty eventful year, I'd say! Lots of travelling and 'hello's' and 'goodbyes' that's for sure! But a great time of growing up and living the adventure!

So eerie...

While these pictures may appear to have been taken in Taiwan, they were not. They were taken in Chinatown in New York City in July of 2006. What is eerie is that I took a picture of the flag of Taiwan, not knowing I would be living in Taiwan one day and actually thinking it was the flag of Myanmar! And even more weird is that I took a picture of this bank just because it was interesting to see a Chinese bank in the US....and guess what? That's my bank here in Taiwan- Chinatrust Bank!! How odd that I randomly took these pictures with no idea that 7 months later I'd be using that bank in Taiwan and seeing that flag a lot!

Whoa....I am so overwhelmed by the weirdness! I was just looking through pictures from last summer and remembered about the flag and thought that was odd and then when I saw the bank picture I gasped out loud- I couldn't believe it was the same bank I use here! How crazy!

It's been exactly one year and I still miss these kids...my Methods 2 Field Experience class at Greenview Primary in Jamestown, OH. Why do I miss them more than my Student Teaching kids? That doesn't seem normal.

Tourist time

So it has rained on 90% of the Tuesdays I've been here...which I know because Tuesday is my day off and while it's nice to sleep in while it's raining- it makes it hard to travel and see stuff. So, this past weekend I suddenly got in a really tourist mood and mapped out things to go and see. However, when I checked the weather- of course it was supposed to rain today. BUT when I woke up- I saw that it was a beautiful sunny day! I was ecstatic (I've never gotten out of bed that quick) even though the day was half over already! I quickly took off for Taipei to be a tourist for the day! My first stop was at Bao An Temple which I've passed every time I've gone to Taipei, but never stopped to look at. So I checked it out and unbeknownst to me it was the god of that particular temple's birthday yesterday! So, the place was absolutely buzzing with activity; it was so exciting! The temple was a lot bigger than it looked; it was so great to explore it amist the activity. Unfortunately I had just missed a hot coal-walking ceremony, so I only got to see the scramble of people collecting the coals to take home for good luck. The temple was quite ornate and had numerous gods all with different roles or specialties. Though the main god's specialty is health- so it's a popular temple to visit I guess. A temple tour guide found me and became my fountain of information, which was nice for a while, but kinda annoying after awhile! He kept trying to get me to buy a good luck light, get some coal, or burn some incense!

Right beside the temple is a Confucius temple that is apparently pretty famous. It was interesting as well though I didn't read all the signs and stuff because it was getting late in the afternoon and I still wanted to go to the Botanical Gardens since it was such a beautiful day. Unfortunately, after exiting the MRT, I turned the wrong way and ended up getting lost for 45 min. in a totally new part of town! It was frustrating because the Gardens are sooo close to the MRT and I could've been there in 5 min. instead of 45! oh well. The Gardens were beautiful and peaceful- right in the middle of the city! There were a lot of English signs, but it was too scientific for me to enjoy reading them! haha. There were lots of lush plants, trees, and flowers. It was so nice. I saw some cool birds, fish and turtles. It was so nice there- I wish I lived near it. Well, after an hour or so there, the sun was starting to set, so I decided to rush to my next destination- The Chiang Kai Shek Memorial because I thought it would be lovely to see the sun set from the top of the Memorial hall. So I booked it there and just barely made it in time to see the sun set. It was so beautiful even though I wish I'd gotten there about 15 minutes earlier to get clearer pictures of the grounds there. I have gone to the Memorial at night, so this was my first time to see it during the light (although it didn't last long!).

Then I was exhausted and got some dinner and headed home. It was a rushed tourist day, but still very fun- even by myself! And I checked 3 things off my list of things to see! Now, if I have any visitors- I'll have some places to bring them! Now, I just need some more sunny Tuesdays and I can see more of the local sights. I love being a tourist!

Here are my tourist shots taken by some willing Taiwanese "photographers". I can't figure out why my post is underlined....oh well.