Christmas in Taiwan

Christmas in Taiwan was quite different from Christmas back home. Here in Taipei, I didn't start to see decorations for the holiday until the second week of December; quite different from having Christmas decorations in the stores in September in the US! Also, I had to work on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.

Monica and I decorated the English Village at school for the holiday and taught the students how to make ornaments that were then hung up on a giant paper tree we hung in the gym. The students were thrilled every time they walked into the gym to see the tree become more festive with each passing day.

On Christmas night, I went to my friend, Karin's house for a small party to celebrate the holiday. It was quite different from the big family gathering I'm used to, but it was nice to share the evening with my "family" here.

Saturday morning, or Friday evening in Mishawaka, my family and I had a chance to video-chat during my family's festivities. Each of my family members brought their presents over to the camera and opened them for me to see. Everyone in the family received genuine Taiwanese surgical masks, as they are very fashionable here. Afterwards, I had a chance to open the gifts my family had sent for me. I got an iTunes card, some earrings, a picture of my nephew, and some sweets.

It was a hard holiday to be away from home, but I realize that this Christmas is only one holiday out of many. Thank goodness for technology, it made it a bit easier to be able to see my family and "participate" in the holiday festivities. Merry Christmas to all and I hope you enjoyed your time with your family!

*Picture above: Miramar Ferris Wheel at night

Little Liu Chiu Island

The second weekend of December, I took the High Speed Rail (HSR) down to Kaohsiung to catch up with my friend Deb and her family. It was her son, Gabe's, 3rd birthday, and we decided to go to Little Liu Chiu Island, off the coast of southern Taiwan.

It was a weekend full of public transportation, of which I've become quite a big fan of since I moved to Taiwan. After meeting the Aquino's in Pingtung City, we boarded a bus to Donggang, where we caught a ferry to Little Liu Chiu Island.

After we arrived, we found a hotel with an waterfront view and then went exploring. Our first stop was Vase Rock, a coral formation that looks like a vase with vegetation growing out the top. We then headed over to a lookout point and enjoyed watching the sunset over the Taiwan Straits.

Sunday morning, we headed over to Beauty Cave and Black Dwarf cave where we hiked through caves formed all by coral. The weekend was filled with all the things I love about Taiwan: public transportation, great views of the water, hiking, and the Aquino family!

Weekend in Hong Kong

The first weekend in December, I decided it was time to finally get some stamps in my passport, so I headed to Hong Kong with Karin. We caught a late flight out of Taipei in to Hong Kong. We stayed on the Kowloon side of the island, with a beautiful view of the harbor from our hotel room.

Saturday morning we woke up, armed with tourist maps and a mission to find the local H & M store and see as much of Hong Kong as possible. We took a shuttle bus to a ferry, which whisked us to the other side of Hong Kong. There, we traversed the streets, which were decorated for Christmas - just like back home, and found lots of little shops and a wonderfully delicious dumpling place for lunch.

That night, we headed to The Peninsula Hotel to watch the fireworks and boat parade which were part of the opening ceremonies of the 2009 East Asian Games. The boats had dancers and performers, and the fireworks show was amazing.

Sunday, Karin and I woke up and caught the ferry again in order to ride the Peak Tram, and takes you to the highest mountain peak in Hong Kong. The views were amazing! Afterwards, we found the famed "Mid-Level Escalators which are the longest outdoor covered escalator system in the world. The entire escalator system covers over 800 meters in distance and elevates over 135 meters from bottom to top.

Hong Kong was amazing, and was actually very different from Taiwan. The given dialect in Hong Kong is Cantonese, there were no crazy scooters on the sidewalks, and there were many more places that had employees who spoke and understood English. This was a great weekend getaway, and I now have passport stamps from Hong Kong!

November 2009-4 Months in Taiwan

Mitzy, Cassandra, Eileen, Tara, Karin, and Monica in the gorge.

The first weekend in November, I headed back to Hualien to support a few friends who were running in the 10th annual Taroko Gorge Marathon. Cassandra, Karin, and Eric ran in the 5K and Eileen ran in the half marathon. It turned out to be a gorgeous morning for the runners and after the race, we decided to explore the gorge a bit. We saw amazing rock formations, crystal clear water, and even a couple of monkeys swinging in the trees.

After hiking through Taroko Gorge, we had a relaxing afternoon before getting dolled up and heading out for a night of dumplings, dancing and socializing.

On Thursday, Monica and I had the opportunity to introduce our teaching staff to a traditional Thanksgiving dinner. On Monday, we ventured out with a couple of co-workers to Costco to buy a turkey and some pumpkin pie. At home on Wednesday night, Monica and I prepared mashed potatoes, gravy, and an apple pie for all to enjoy the next day. After heating everything up and topping off the pies with whipped cream, everyone dove into the Thanksgiving feast, even after they had finished their regular lunches. It was really wonderful to see how everyone was willing to taste the turkey and they cleaned it to the bone; no leftovers for sandwiches the next day! The staff was really appreciative of our efforts and mentioned that we should make a meal for every month. Not sure how that will work out, but it was nice to see that they enjoyed the meal.

Thanksgiving night, all four Taipei FETs met at an Italian restaurant, Capone's, that was offering an American style Thanksgiving dinner. We enjoyed soup, a Waldorf salad, turkey, stuffing, green beans, mashed potatoes, and yams. For dessert, I enjoyed apple pie with ice cream, and the others had pecan pie with ice cream. It was all really delicious, but I did miss the big meal my mother usually cooks.

Speaking of family, I woke up at 5:15 a.m. on Friday morning to video-chat with my parents, grandparents, and my brother. Everyone was giving me details about the meal and mentioning that they missed having the cheesy mashed potatoes I usually bake for Thanksgiving. It really made me miss having Thanksgiving in the Mish (Mishawaka), but it was nice to see everyone while they enjoyed their meal.

November continued to be a hectic month, especially with our school gearing up for Sports Day on the last Saturday of the month. Sports Day was especially important this year because my school, Bin Jiang Elementary School, was celebrating it's fifth birthday. The sixth graders sang a happy birthday song during the grand processional, and there was even a birthday cake that all of the kindergartners who were 5, gathered around. Sports Day was really interesting to observe. It began with a grand processional, where all of the classes march onto the track and perform a little skit. The 5th graders presented an H1N1 skit and the "Sorry, Sorry" dance, then one of the aboriginal students sang an aboriginal song. The 4th graders demonstrated part of the boating and fishing tradition of Taiwan, the 3rd graders did a cheer, the 2nd graders sang a song, the 1st graders did a chant along with dragon faces, and the kindergartners also did a little cheer.

After the grand processional, Monica and I led the kids in stretching in English, and then the real fun began. The kindergarten students did a drum and flag number, and the 6th graders did a dance to "Jai Ho" from the movie "Slumdog Millionaire." The fifth graders and first graders had relay races. The 2nd graders performed a workout routine that was a lot of fun to watch and third graders performed a routine to Avril Lavigne's song "Girlfriend."

Monica and I participated by dancing with the fourth graders to a French song. We cha-cha'd, promenaded, boogied down, and clapped our way through the dance and had a lot of fun. We also were given microphones to cheer the relay racers on in English. Afterwards, some teachers gathered for a meal of "hotpot," which is cooking food in flavored, boiling water.

Because we worked on Saturday, I had the next Monday off to sleep in and have a relaxing day. In true vacation day style, I woke up around 10, took my time getting ready, then met Monica out at Dr. Sun Yet-sen Memorial Hall to explore that area. Although I have lived here for awhile, I have not done a lot of touristy things, and I decided that today would be a wonderful opportunity to do so. I was able to see artifacts from Dr. Yet-sen's work and the most exciting part of the trip was seeing the changing of the guards. It was intense, but incredibly interesting to see.

I noticed today, after talking to a friend, that I have been here in Taiwan for four months, leaving me with only seven left to explore and enjoy what this experience is and is going to continue to be. Until next time enjoy the pictures and videos below!

Changing of the guard at Sun Yat-sen

5th graders doing the "Sorry, Sorry" dance

Kindergarten performance (sorry, people kept walking in front of me!)

Pictures from Taroko Gorge:

Pictures from the rest of November:

3 Months in Taiwan

So I have officially been in Taiwan for 3 months and it feels like just yesterday I was saying goodbye to everyone! This is turning out to be an even more amazing experience than I could have ever imagined.

Celebrating Deb's birthday

A couple of weeks ago, the Indiana FETs met in Kaohsiung, Taiwan, on the west coast to celebrate a fellow FET, Debra's, birthday. Debra, her family, and I traveled together to Taiwan, but we haven't been able to see each other since orientation in August. It was great to see Debra, her husband Rommel, and her kids, Gabe and Josephine. I stayed in my first ever hostel, which actually turned out to be pretty nice. It was more of a two bedroom apartment, so we had a private bathroom, a kitchen, and a sitting area.

On Friday, we met up with our friend, Mike "Fatbat," and he took us to Kaohsiung's famous night market, Liouho Night Market. Mike also took us to the mountains and to Love River, where we saw lots of ferry boats.

We visited the Dream Mall and road the ferris wheel, where we were able to get a look of Kaohsiung at night. It was amazing!

And of course, what would the end of October be without celebrating Halloween. My friends from Hualien came to Taipei for the weekend and we all got costumes or became creative with the clothes we had made up our own costumes. It was a lot of fun, and I'm so glad I have friends who were here to celebrate with.

My broken toe continues to heal, slowly but surely. I've had to wear a splint for the past 3 1/2 weeks and I go back to the doctor on Monday to see if I can go back to normal activity. I will be so happy if he says I can stop wearing the splint. I'm dying to go shoe shopping!

I'm 1/4 of the way through this year, and I can't believe how quickly time is passing. There are still plenty of times I crave the normalcy of life back home, but I've also created a new normal here. I realized about a week ago that this is the longest I've ever gone without physically seeing my family, and the recent change for Daylight Savings has become a bit problematic, but these are the kinks you deal with, I suppose. I'm grateful for all the weekends I've been able to travel and experience the culture and sights of Taiwan because I know that July will be here before I know it. The weather has continued to cool, but I can honestly say I will not miss the brutal Indiana winter this year. I hope you have all enjoyed reading about this adventure; I know I have enjoyed sharing it with everyone.

The Dream Mall Ferris Wheel in Kaohsiung

A view of Kaohsiung from the ferris wheel

Enjoying the night air by the Love River

Liouhe Night Market

Pumpkin Craze

In an effort to showcase holidays in the US, Monica and I videotaped ourselves carving a pumpkin for our weekly English Corner. The pumpkin made friends quite quickly!

End of September/Beginning of October

The end of September, beginning of October has brought a lot of interesting news. Three typhoons were potentially heading straight for Taiwan, which was predicted to leave heavy damage to most areas. Some areas were still trying to rebuild after August's Typhoon Morakot, so the threat of three typhoons wasn't too welcome. Fortunately for Taiwan, all three typhoons changed paths, and Taiwan was only hit with heavy rains.

I was able to visit one of Taipei's tallest points, Yangmingshan. It gives you an amazing view of all Taipei, and we were able to see it at night. On Friday, Karin (one of the FETs in Taipei), invited me to help celebrate her birthday. A group of us went to a German restaurant and enjoyed lots of German food, an

d everyone indulged in a little dessert to help Karin celebrate.

Last weekend, I boarded a train to Hualien, where 3 other FETs are teaching. The train ride is amazing because to one side is mountains and to the other is the Pacific Ocean. At some points it looks as though the clouds, ocean, and mountains all blend in to one. U

nfortunately, it rained the entire weekend, but we FETs know how to have fun in any type of weather. We went to a mountainous area and then to a power plant for popsicles!

A mountain view in Hualien

On Sunday, the whole group went to see a movie, and then we got back on a train to Taipei. It was a great weekend, and so nice to see some friends.

Unfortunately, the week took a bit of a sour turn. On Tuesday, I broke my middle toe on my left foot. I was moving a kids' chair out of my way and kicked it with my foot

instead of moving it with my hands. I knew something was wrong instantly, but thought maybe I just bruised my foot badly. One of my Taiwanese co-teachers ac

companied me to the local clinic and I had x-rays taken and received a few days' worth of pain medication. I'll return on Monday to have another set of x-rays taken to make sure my toe is healing correctly.

The doctor said I will not be allowed to exercise for at least a month, so I will not be able to run the 5k race in November I had signed up for. I was able to find a friend to take my place and I know it will still be a lot of fun to watch the runners.

Hope this finds everyone well and I'll continue to update you on the events happening here in Taiwan!

Karin's Birthday

My broken toe all wrapped up; thank goodness I got a pedicure before it happened!

The view of Taipei from Yangmingshan

Full week and Fun Weekend

This week was a full week of teaching and I spent another weekend in Toufen, with my friend, Mariah.

All this week, I taught in the clinic situation, with grades 3-6. On Wednesday, we held English club, and decided that our production for this semester would be Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. We have about 37 kids to fit into this production, but I believe it will be a lot of fun, especially to see the little kids dancing around and singing the Oompa Loopma parts.

On Thursday night, I met my friend, Karin, and we went to an event held by Oriented. Oriented is a social-networking organization for professionals around the world. Most major cities have an Oriented organization, and the last Thursday of the month, they hold an Happy Hour to give members a chance to network. I met a few people and exchanged information. I'm hoping by participating in these types of events, I can create a network of friends here in Taiwan.

On Friday, I climbed on a bus again to visit Mariah. I met her at her school because she was having Parents' Night, or Open House. It was interesting because her students do not see many foreigners, so they were fascinated that there were two! Afterwards, we went to Hsinshu and went to a few pubs where foreigners are known to hang out. It was a lot of fun and we ran into a few people we had met last weekend.

Saturday, we woke up, put on our bathing suits and went to a beach in Jhunan. The beach was amazing. The beach is on the Taiwan Straits, and theoretically, you could swim to China, but we decided against that. We sat in the water and watched the wind surfers for awhile. Then we hiked back to town, and met up with Mariah's co-teacher, Angel. This weekend had a bigger purpose than getting away from the hustle and bustle of Taipei. We were organizing supplies to deliver to needy families throughout Miaoli County. After we finished, Maraih and I went to a local night market.

Sunday morning, Angel and 6 other volunteers picked Mariah and I up in a van loaded with supplies and we headed off for Nanjhuang. We delivered supplies to about 8-10 families, who were all very appreciative of everything they received. It was very humbling to experience, but I am so glad I had the oppportunity to participate.

On Wednesday, I received my first care-package from America. My parents were kind enough to send me deoderant, a few t-shirts I had left behind, a Downy fabric softener ball, and best of all, a picture of my whole family. It's wonderful to have some small comforts from home, but it does take quite awhile for things to arrive. My package took about 2 weeks for it to arrive and a letter from my grandparents took about a week. It's a great feeling to see your name on a piece of mail that isn't a bill and has no Chinese writing on it :-)

I hope this blog keeps everyone interested in my adventures, and feel free to leave comments! Until next time!

http://picasaweb.google.com/Staycie82/2009_0926?authkey=Gv1sRgCIOR6IedoJmKaw#

7 weeks in Taiwan

I cannot believe I have been in this beautiful country for 7 weeks already! It feels like just yesterday I was boarding a plane in Indianapolis, and now I've been teaching almost a month and been experiencing Taiwan for almost 2. Time flies when you are having fun, I suppose!

This week was the start of our school's English club. On Wednesday afternoons, elementary students do not have school, and there are opportunities for them to participate in clubs, like sports, and in English club. Wednesday morning, my co-teacher, Silvia, said to expect 31 students. When the kids were brought into our village, we recounted and had 37! Silvia said 6 more students decided to sign up at the last minute. Students from grades 1-6 are allowed to participate and we will be putting on a performance at the end of the semester for the teachers and parents. I love being around the first graders; they are so cute! I was even able to name two who had not yet received their English names. I named one Jason and the other Max. There was one first grader, Josh, whom I fell in love with instantly. When I asked my roommate, Monica, if we could take him home, she said his family probably wouldn't appreciate that, so I just have to look forward to Wednesdays! :-)

I taught every day this week, starting with 3rd and 4th grade on Monday and Tuesday, respectively, in the supermarket setting, and 5th and 6th grade in the clinic situation on Thursday and Friday. The fifth grade class I had reminded me of how much I enjoyed teaching my 5th graders last year, and they did so well, I let them ask me a couple of questions at the end of the period. One boy, Leo, asked if I had a boyfriend, and when I answered no, he then asked me if I wanted a boyfriend. I love that kids are not afraid to ask you anything!

On Tuesday night, I met up with my friend, Karin, and we went to the Shihlin Night Market. Karin had already gone there during orientation, but I had skipped out due to jet-lag. We grabbed some fried chicken and watermelon juice and sat on a bench, people-watching and talking about all sorts of girl things. We then went in search of clothes, as both of us were getting sick of the limited offerings of our individual closets. We found some cute shirts that satisfied the shopping bug for both of us.

On Friday, I took a bus to Toufen, in Miaoli County, where my friend Mariah lives. It takes about an hour and half to get there, and I had a nice young college student who helped me get off the bus in the right city. The hustle and bustle of Taipei was beginning to wear me out, so off I went. I realize now that this is probably the longest stretch I've gone without traveling somewhere.

Once I arrived at Mariah's, we took a taxi to Hsinchu, a town about 30 minutes away to meet up with another FET (foreign English teacher) to scan the pub scene there. The nightlife is a bit more relaxed than in Taipei, which was a welcome change for me. I met a lot of different people, some from Taiwan, and others who were traveling through Taiwan or who had been here for a couple of years. It was an enjoyable night and just what I need to relax a bit.

On Saturday, Mariah and I took a bus to Jhunan, one city over from Toufen, to indulge in a little pampering. We had our hair washed at a local salon and I was able to get my split ends cut. When I say getting my hair washed, some may think this is a mundane event, but not here. When you get your hair washed, the salon technician washes your hair while you sit up, and she gives you a neck and shoulder massage. You go back to sink, lay down, and the technician rinses out the shampoo, conditions your hair, rubs your scalp a bit, then puts a hot towel on your face and massages your cheekbones and temples. It's the most wonderful feeling in the world! After all of this, you go back to your seat and the stylist dries and styles your hair. For a wash, a cut, massage, and style it cost me about $14 US dollars! I was a bit anxious to get my hair cut because I have not had any one new cut my hair in 14 years, but the stylist did a wonderful job.

After the hair salon, we went to get a manicure and our toes polished. The nail technician, Ashley, was so sweet and she kept telling she was nervous to talk English with me because she doesn't speak very well. When I told her her English was much better than my Chinese, she seemed to relax and we chit chatted for a couple of minutes. After pampering ourselves, I caught the bus back to Taipei.

In a couple of weeks, I will be heading to Hualien, on the east coast of Taiwan, for Double 10th day. It is similar to our Independence Day, but on a smaller scale. In November, I will head back to Hualien to run in the Taroko Gorge Marathon, but will only be participating in the 5K race. This body cannot handle a full marathon, even after 3 half-marathons! The gorge is one of the biggest attractions in Taiwan, and I feel that this is an amazing opportunity that I couldn't pass up.

I'm hoping the weather will start to cool soon. This past week was very hot and humid, and a teacher told me this week that it is fairly late in the season for such hot weather. I have to say, I am pretty envious of the mild weather Indiana is having this summer; I would love a day where I can look at the thermometer and the heat index doesn't tell me it feels like 105 degrees! Typhoon season is almost over, which means the weather should start cooling down.

Because I never know how to end these postings, I will just say, until next time...

Deaflympics and more

This was the first full week of teaching! I taught 2 classes, a third grade on Monday and a 4th grade on Tuesday. Rough schedule, I know! The first day was a bit frustrating, but the second day made up for it. I am teaching the kids English through a "situational" classroom. My situation is the clinic, and sometimes the supermarket. The kids learn songs and chants about different parts of going to the doctor or shopping in a supermarket, and then practice a dialogue to improve their English skills. Each class also has a grammar portion that is taught by the native Taiwanese-English teachers. Soon, I will be going into 2nd grade classrooms to read stories and teach a few comprehension lessons, which I am looking forward to.

On Thursday, I bought a bike to help get to school. It is pink (of course!), and looks similar to a miniature Schwinn. It has a basket on the front and already has a name: Earth Angel. No, I did not name the bike this, but thought is was fitting that it is printed on the bike, so I went with it.

Tuesday night, another teacher, Karin, and I sought out a bar called the Brass Monkey (like the Beastie Boys song!) for Salsa night. We had lots of fun watching the melding of two cultures, Taiwanese and Spanish, in an English themed bar. Quite the experience. While we were watching the salsa dancing, we were inundated with athletes and tourists in town for the Deaflympics. I even ran into the gentleman from France, whom I had met on the train the previous Friday. It was fun to meet some of his friends and again, speak and interpret what little I remember of the sign language I've picked up.

On Friday, three foreign teachers from around the country came up to Taipei to enjoy the Deaflympic festivities. Friday night, we all went out to a karaoke bar, or KTV. This is a bit different from American karaoke because you rent a small room with your friends and only have to embarrass yourself in front of a few people, instead of many. We sang songs from "Manic Monday" to "Billie Jean" and "I Got You Babe." A fun time was had by all!

The Friday night KTV group

Saturday, I woke up early to attend my school's Parents' Day, or open house. It felt like the Friday of Parent/Teacher conferences because no one came to talk to us! It was nice to have a relaxing morning after a late night.

All seven of the FETs who were in town met up at the soccer fields to watch Germany and Russia in football. It was a very intense game, and while I don't normally enjoy soccer, it was a interesting to watch and see the interactions between the players and the coaches.

Deaflympics mascot

Russia vs. Germany

After the soccer game, we made our way back to Taipei Stadium where we watched the table tennis competition. While it's nothing like the scenes from Forrest Gump, it was altogether entertaining.

Deaflympics Table Tennis

I continue to love living in Taiwan, although I could really use a relief from this hot and humid weather! Most days, the outside temperature is about 90 degrees, and feels around 95-100 or more. Rumor has it that the air will start to cool in a couple of weeks, but I'm still skeptical.

Although my teaching schedule is very low stress, I do find myself missing the everyday interaction with the same group of kids, and forming the bonds a teacher and students have. I'm finding new places and meeting new people, trying new things, and being open to the possibilities this year brings. I have begun to start planning some weekends away from Taipei and visits to other parts of Taiwan, which I am really looking forward to.

Hope this finds everyone doing well! Until next time...

First week of school/Weekend visitor!

This week was the first week of school with the kids, although I didn't get to teach. On Monday, August 31, the administrators joined the two English teachers, myself and Monica, in greeting the students on the first day of school. We all dressed up in "fairy" costumes and the students passed through an archway on their way to class. I found it very interesting that all of the parents were taking pictures and video taping the first day. The kids were a little intimidated to pass by, but most of them were brave and offered a "Good morning!" to us.

As I said, I did not get to teach this week, but we did test about 400 students to determine their level of English and it help us determine which group each student would be in. I have been making flash cards and posters to help with the instruction. My first day with a class is tomorrow, September 7, and while I am very excited to finally start teaching, I am also quite anxious. Although I have taught kindergarten and ESL students with very low English abilities, I am faced with the challenge of having 15 little faces looking at me as if I'm speaking a foreign language; Oh wait! I will be! It's a very intimidating feat do undertake, but I truly am looking forward to seeing the progress the kids make.

On Friday, I met two other FETs in Taipei, Karin and Avrum, out to celebrate our first paychecks. It was so nice to have a paycheck; I hadn't been paid since the end of June and as any teacher knows, that first paycheck does not come fast enough. One thing I will have to get used to is being paid once a month. The three of us sought out an English pub called "On Tap." It was a great time and we had a lot of fun celebrating our first month in Taipei, first week of school, and our first paychecks. On my way to meeting Karin and Avrum, I sat next to a tourist from Paris, France who is here in Taipei to see the Deaflympics. (http://english.2009deaflympics.org/bin/home.php) I asked if they needed any help finding where they were going, which led to a conversation being held on paper because both gentlemen were deaf, and unfortunately, my sign language is limited to "sorry" and "thank you." It was an extremely interesting experience, and it just goes to show the value of non-verbal communication. I am looking forward more and more to going to some events next weekend with some friends from around Taiwan.

Saturday morning, my friend Mariah traveled to Taipei from Miaoli (about an hour and a half away) to spend the weekend exploring Taipei. Saturday morning we took the MRT to the end of one of the lines to find a park I had read about. After walking for about 20 minutes, we found a path that others were traveling up and decided to follow the masses. It ended up being Sun Moon Cave and Temple. The temple is at the top of a mountain, and the hike was a steep, uphill journey over uneven concrete. Along the way we saw small shrines of worship, vendors selling anything from bags to religious objects, and even a musician playing what appeared to be a violin/viola instrument. When we reached the temple, we were sprayed with "sacred" water on our hands, chest and backs. The temple grounds were an amazing experience and being able to see all of Taipei was magnificent. As we were going back down the steep hill, an older Taiwanese man approached us and asked us, in English, if we had enjoyed the temple and when we responded, that, yes, it was a beautiful temple, he told us we had just visited the best temple! He then asked how long we were going to be in Taiwan and why we were here, which are two questions you are asked on an almost daily basis.

Mariah and I then hopped on a train and went to see the Confucious Temple. It was a breathtaking temple, filled with history and homage.

The temple is a shrine to Confucious, who was an advocate for education for everyone. September 28 is Confucious Day, or Teachers' Day. After a long day of walking around Taipei, Mariah and I met 3 other FETs out and exchanged stories about the first week of school. It's amazing some of the similarities and differences you can experience. Every now and again, I have to remind myself that I am teaching in a foreign country.

On Sunday, Mariah and I went to two underground malls in Taipei. I was able to finally shop, which is something I've really missed. It's been a bit difficult to find things because most of the time there are no dressing rooms to try things on in, and the sizes are quite different. I did find a new purse, a new wallet, shoes, and a dress. I now have a place I know I can find clothes, which is good because the clothes I brought with me are starting to not fit. Mostly, this is due to the fact that most American clothes are made from cotton, and reshape themselves in the dryer. In Taiwan, most people do not own dryers, including me, so everything is air-dried. I'd like to think my clothes don't fit well because I've lost weight, but most of it is because of the fabric.

Tomorrow is the first day I begin teaching. My first class will be a low level 3rd grade class. We will be learning about going to the doctor's office to get a check-up. I'm very excited, but extremely nervous also. On Tuesday, I will be teaching a 4th grade class, and I'm anxious to see how things go. It should be very interesting, but fun also. We'll be learning through songs and chants and having conversations with each other. Can't wait to be able to share the stories next week!

Here are more pictures from this week:
http://picasaweb.google.com/Staycie82/RecentlyUpdated

A Meeting all in Chinese

Presenting Principal Xu with the book "Hoosier Hearts"

This week was full of lesson planning and creating background stories for all of our lessons. On Thursday, I was introduced at the first staff meeting to the entire faculty. The meeting was all in Chinese, which is one of the oddest feelings I've had. I could sometimes guess what was being said, but really had no idea. I would just listen for my name or stand up when my co-teacher told me to. I now have an appreciation for all ESL students with low English ability.

I was introduced to that staff, and said a few words about how excited I am for the opportunity to work with the staff and the kids and to help in any way I can. Afterwards, I presented the principal with a book about Indiana, "Hoosier Hearts."

The students start on Monday, and I am very anxious to get back to what I love doing: interacting with kids! Hope this finds the beginning of the school year going smoothly for every one and look for another update soon!

New Address

Here is my new address!

4F, #7, Alley 20, Lane 595 Bei-An Road
Zhongshan District
Taipei, Taiwan (R.O.C.)

A week of change

This past week has been a week full of change. On Tuesday, my roommate Joanne decided to return to California due to some personal matters. This sent me for a loop, and I had to decide if I was going to stay in the 3 bedroom apartment by myself for a year or seek other options. Luckily, the other foreign teacher in my school, Monica, offered one of the bedrooms in her 4 bedroom apartment. This apartment is much bigger and only about a 20 minute walk to work. It is located closer to the heart of Taipei City, which fulfills one of my life's goals to live in a city environment.

My co-teacher, Mandy, was able to have her husband pick me and all of my things up on Sunday and by 7 p.m. that night, I was completely moved into my new home. Hopefully I won't have to move again until I leave! I will have my new address up as soon as I can get it translated.

With all of the upheaval, it's been nice to have friends here in Taiwan who I can talk to through Facebook, or meet up with for dinner during the weekends. I also find it amazing that, although I am thousands of miles away, I feel as though I'm sitting right next to my family members when we chat on our webcams. I was able to "call" in to see my nephew Cooper's first birthday party. Technology is such a wonderful thing to help ease the pangs of homesickness and it is so nice to be able to see my family while I'm in another country.

I've been working at school everyday, creating lesson plans, teaching materials, and getting aquainted with my schedule. The students start school on August 31, so only another week to prepare for them! I really cannot wait to begin teaching; I miss seeing kids faces everyday.

I didn't get to do much sight seeing in the past week, but will be going to the National Palace Museum on Friday. More pictures to follow!

Pictures!

http://picasaweb.google.com/Staycie82/2009_0816?authkey=Gv1sRgCN2Fg_vF4aKO3QE#



Here are pictures from the first two weeks in Taiwan! Enjoy!

2 weeks in Taiwan

I have officially been in Taiwan for 2 weeks now, and feel as though I am making this place my home. Orientation week was a fun-filled week of meeting all of the other Foreign English Teachers (FETs), wonderful Taiwanese English teachers and military boys, learning a bit of Mandarin, and about co-teaching, and how important our jobs really are here. We visited a couple of different night markets, including Snake Alley, which is famous for nightly shows of vendors skinning snakes and showing what they do with the snake's blood, meat, and bile. It was interesting, but I'm glad I didn't see a show.

On Friday, August 7, my two co-teachers, Mandy and Silvia, the school's director, Judy, and a couple of other teachers from Bin Jiang Elementary School (my school), came to the hotel to pick up my roommate, Joanne, and I. With the impending typhoon, they were gracious enough to take us to a*Mart, a local grocery store, comparable to SuperTarget, to pick up some groceries to get through the weekend. It was quite the adventure driving to the store and then to the apartment. It would pour rain, then the wind would pick up, then things would calm for a moment or two. If I had never felt car sick before, I did a little that day!

We arrived at our apartment to meet the landlord, Ms. Hsu, to make sure we liked the apartment and any improvements we needed to make. The whole process took about 2 hours, but Ms. Hsu is very thourough, which I appreciate. When the co-teachers left, Ms. Hsu offered to show Joanne and I around the neighborhood. She showed us where the 7-11 was, which is where we will have to pay our energy and water bills. While there, we met Erica, who turned out to be our neighbor, and she speaks fluent English! She has been a god-send in helping us figure out the trash schedule and with communicating with Ms. Hsu.

Ms. Hsu took Joanne and I out to McDonald's and it was incredibly fun to sit with her as we tried to communicate in the small amount of Mandarin we know, and the small amount of English she knew. She is a very nice woman, and really wants to make sure we are happy with everything. She also showed us where the local open market is, which is another place we can grab dinner or fresh veggies and fruits. The winds had started to pick up at that point, and the umbrella I was carrying broke! I laughed it off, and we continued back to our apartment.

On Sunday, Joanne and I figured out the MRT (the subway system) enough to go to a local shopping center. We found a lot of great shops, including Taiwan's version of the Dollar Tree, the 39NT store. I was able to get a foldable laundry basket, some hangers, and some potpurri for the apartment.

We started work on Monday when we bought our Yo-Yo cards for the MRT, finding which stop to get off to get to school, and meeting the principal and some of the other teachers who were at school that day. Our co-teacher, Mandy, and the other foreign teacher, Monica, Joanne, and I went to the government office to apply for our Alien Resident Card (ARC). It is Taiwan's version of a "green" card, and will allow us to open bank accounts, get cell phones, have health insurance, and stay in the country for the whole year. That process took most of the day, so on Tuesday, we were able to get cell phones. We cannot open a bank account until we get our ARC card for about another week or so.

We also went to Carrefore to pick up more household items like sheets, a blanket,a pillow, detergent, and some other cleaning products. Both days, we went to noodle places for lunch, and it was delicious. I tried tofu, but didn't like it! On Wednesday, our landlord was able to have our internet and cable installed, which was great! I felt so cut off from the world, especially because lots of people were concerned when they saw the typhoon coverage on the news. While the typhoon devastated a lot of the southern parts of the country, I was completely safe, but it was nice to know people back home were concerned. I had been able to use a calling card to call my parents a few times since I had arrived, which was the only communication I was able to manage. Having internet and cable is wonderful; I've been able to webchat with my parents and my sister a few times. It is making this adjustment a little easier.

On Thursday, I worked a full day at school. The English village I will be working in is only a semester old, so we are developing a lot of the curriculum. As a teacher, this is an amazing opportunity, but also a daunting one. We were able to pick a situation to teach in for the semester and mine will be the doctor's office. Our overall theme for the year is travel, so all of the lesson plans involve something relavent to traveling in the city, the country, the Asian area, and the world. The other situations include: hotel, supermarket, airport/airplane, science & art, post office, and many others. The children will learn conversational English in these situations.

On Saturday, I ventured out into my neighborhood to see what was around and familiarize myself with some of the local fare. I found the neighborhood Carrefore, which is probably about a 15 minute walk from my apartment. There were so many little shops along the way that I can't wait to explore and I even found the local Pizza Hut, just in case I need a taste from home every now and again! Tonight, I'm going to a night market with two other teachers who also teach in Taipei, and our brave leader from orientation, Mama Leah. Tomorrow, my friend Mariah is coming to Taipei and we will see some of the local sights, like Taipei 101 and the National Palace Museum. I've decided that August and September will be months to explore all that Taipei has to offer, and then I'll start venturing to other parts of the country.

I'm determined to see as much as possible, learn how to surf, go zip-lining and hiking as much as possible. Our first semester ends January 20, then the FETs will meet for our mid-year conference for 3 days. After that, I have 14 days to travel where I please. So far the list includes China (I have to see the Great Wall!), Thailand, and the Phillippenes. 14 days to travel is a lot to fill up, so if you have suggestions, send them my way!

Although I am loving my time in Taiwan, I do miss the people at home, but having a webcam, and Facebook have made this a little easier. I can't wait to continue to make new friends and share all of my adventures with everyone back home. Until next time...!

Typhoon update

Hello everyone! I'm alright; I survived Typhoon Morakat. Lots of teachers in the south part of Taiwan were stranded either in Taipei or a couple other bigger cities, but everyone is safe. It's hot and very, very, very humid. Did I mention it is humid?! It rains every day, but I'd take rain over snow. I'm finding some local places that have good food, and trying new foods as much as I can. We've been working at school and getting our government papers in order. The kids return August 31, but we are busy making lesson plans and posters, etc. As soon as I can, I will post a video I took of the English village I will be teaching in; it is amazing. My schedule for the year is planning in the morning and then 4 days a week, I will teach a grade level for 2 hours. On Wednesday afternoons, I will hold an English club where kids voluntarily come and we will learn a play, act it out, incorporate songs, and design props. At the end of the semester, we'll put on a performance for the school. It will be SWEET! Thanks for all of the thoughts of concern and hopefully I will have more access to the internet and can update you all more often.

I am very homesick, but know that will ease in time. Keep leaving me messages and I will reply as soon as I can!
Staycie

I'm okay everyone! I survived Typhoon Morakat; it hit pretty hard mostly in the south of Taiwan, and I'm on the north corner. It was windy and rainy, but everything was alright. This will be a short, I'm alright update, with more to come later. I've been getting lots of paperwork in order and working at school a little too. Kids come back on August 31, but I'm making lesson plans and learning my way around school. I'll be posting a video and some pictures as soon as I can! Thanks for all of the thoughts and concerns, but rest assured, I'm alright! Missing everyone lots!

Staycie

Arrival

So the goodbyes were really sad when I left, but I had no idea what adventure was in store in the next 48 hours. My flight from Indianapolis to Dallas was a great flight, but that's where the fun began. After sitting on my connecting flight to LA, we sat on our plane for an hour and half, then were told the mechanical problems with the plane could not be fixed. After taking the tram around the other side of the airport, my departure time was delayed twice!

We arrived in LA with 20 minutes to spare before our connecting flight to Taipei. It was quite humurous, I'm sure, to watch me run from the domestic side of LAX to the international flights, especially when an airport working told me I had to go outside to reach the international terminals. I'm sure my look of befuddlement entertained this worker. After getting to the China Airlines counter to get my boarding pass, I was informed I had missed my flight. Luckily, I was traveling with another teacher and her family, which was comforting to have company in this situation. We were put on the same flight, a day later, and spent the night in a very nice hotel and had a couple of meals on the airlines.

I survived the 13 1/2 hour flight over the Pacific Ocean and we landed in Taipei with no problems. I gathered my baggage and exchanged some money. We were driven about 40 minutes from the airport to a wonderful hotel, where we will be staying until August 7 during our orientation. After that, I will move into my apartment in the city.

I have to say, it's been a great experience so far, and I've met some incredible people. The only tough part is being away from my family and not having instant access to technology.

I'll keep updating as often as I can! Miss all of you!

New Address

Here is the address for the apartment I'll be living in:

2F., No.142, Zhongnan St., Nangang Dist., Taipei City 115, Taiwan (R.O.C.)

My roommate and I will move in sometime around August 10th or 11th. It would be great to get some snail mail from time to time if any one thinks about it!

Staycie

Orientation

On July 8th, I attended an orientation in Indianapolis with three other Indiana teachers who will also be teaching in Taiwan. It was a great opportunity to meet the other teachers and the contacts from the Indiana Department of Education.

Also, I was contacted by a representative from my school about housing options and found out I will have a roommate from California. She will also be teaching at the same school. We should be living in Taipei City, which is similiar to living in Chicago.

My parents' threw me a small goodbye party this past weekend, which was filled with family and close friends. It was really nice to spend time with everyone before I leave.

My next step is to find host gifts from around the region to take along and present to the school's principal and co-teachers, and for when I am invited to others' houses, etc.

I'll be leaving about 2 weeks and I'm getting really excited! Can't wait to continue to share this with all of you!

June update

Well, the end of school came and went, and of course, the bittersweet goodbyes I shared with my class. They were so amazing and I know they will be incredibly successful next year. In May, a representative from the school corporation came to school and interviewed me about going abroad for the school district's online magazine. Below is the link to the article:
http://elkhart.k12.in.us/content.php?id=906052

The last day of school, I booked my flight to Taiwan. I will be flying out of Indianapolis on the morning of July 29th. I will arrive around 9p.m. Taiwan time, so at least it will be dark, which should help with adjusting to the difference in time. The first 10 days, we will be staying in a hotel, which will also help to get acclimated to the culture and getting around the city. The training will be in Taoyun (sp?), another major city in Taiwan.

I will also be attending an orientation session on July 8th in Indianapolis where I will meet the other teachers going and a teacher who is going to be returning to Taiwan for a second year. We'll learn about housing for the year and other aspects of our trip.

When I arrive in Taiwan, I'll sign my contract, which will begin on August 1, 2009 and end June 30, 2010. This allows me to come home and have a bit of a summer to recover before returning to school.

Today, I bought myself a beginner's guide to Mandarin, which will hopefully give me a leg up when I go into my Mandarin classes. My family and I have also set up our webcams and practiced chatting with each other. Let's just say it was quite funny.

Below is a description of what I will be doing at Taipei Municipal Bing Jiang Elementary School.

Students 496、Teachers 49
The Number of Classes to teach
◎Total lessons to teach in all schools：17lessons
Grade 3 ×5class, about 30 students in class× 3 lesson per week
Grade 4 ×4 class, about 30 students in class× 3 lesson per week
Grade 5 ×4 class, about 30 students in class× 3 lesson per week
Grade 6 ×3 class, about 30 students in class× 3 lesson per week
English Clubs ×3 class about 30 students in class× 3 lesson per week
Teach local teachers or relevant people × 2 lesson per week
（Total lessons to teach in school【1】：17 lessons）
Besides Classes, Needed Activities:_5_lessons
1. Conduct English clubs and competitions
2. Assist planning for English Summer Camp
3. Design courses for the English Village
4. Assist building the English website and update the data
5. Develop the E-materials
6. Hold events of Western holidays
7. Bilingualize signs on the campus
8. Instruct staff and faculty or parents English courses


Co-teaching Types
Each teacher, including Foreign and Local Teachers, is in charge of
course designing and teaching for one situational classroom. In the
process of designing, through peer review and teaching demonstration,
the co-teaching can be achieved.

Building curriculum is always something I have wanted to do, so I can't wait for this opportunity to start.

I will be attending an orientation in Indianapolis in early July, where I will meet the other three teachers who are going from Indiana. I will be leaving for Taiwan at the end of July in order to be there for the start of an orientation on August 1. I've also been firming up the visa application process and making sure I have all of my shots and a complete physical. The end of school is quickly approaching, which has raised by anxiety level about moving to a foreign country, but I'm still very excited. Busy, Busy, Busy!

On Wednesday, May 6, I received an email from a cooperating teacher I will be working with next year. Below is an excerpt from the email:

"Bin Jiang English Village is a brand new English learning center in Bin Jiang Elementary School. Basically, you will be developing materials, designing lesson plans and teaching for Elementary School kids (Grade 1 to 6 ). Besides the job, you will also have a chance to explore Taiwan and probably learn some mandarin."

The days are dwindling with my kids this year, and with each day, I know how much this year has meant to me, even though it started pretty rough. I love the kids I work with and can't wait to keep up with them next year. They are such an awesome group of kids.

My work visa is now being processed, which will allow me to work and get paid while in Taiwan. I've also officially moved into my brother's house for the summer, and continue to slowly pack up my classroom. I've also taken on a part-time tutoring job to help put some money away for all of the traveling I plan on doing during the next year.

I'm so excited! Only about 3 months left on US soil :-)

April 4, 2009

My passport has arrived! As usual, the picture is awful (just like a driver's license picture), but now I can apply for my work visa. I have also learned I only need the immunization for Japanese encephalitis, which is a series of 3 shots over 3-4 weeks.



I've also started the process of moving in with my brother. My apartment lease is finished at the end of the month, and to save money, my brother, Preston, offered to let me stay with him until I leave. This also means he volunteered his basement as my storage unit for the next year, too! I've moved some things from my apartment and started to box up some of my classroom, much to the chagrin of my students.



I find it incredibly rewarding that my students are begging me not to go, but am confident they will do wonderfully without me next year. Every time I get a box out to take home, at least one of my students tells me to put it back!

At the first board meeting of March, Elkhart Community Schools approved my request for a leave of absence, which means I will have a job with ECS when I return. This was anticipated, but it will be nice to know I have a job to come back to.

That's all for now!

March 25, 2009

This is my first time blogging, so sorry if this doesn't look great. I'm starting this blog as a way to communicate information about my trip to Taiwan in August of this year, and later, as a way to keep in touch with friends and family and update everyone on what is going on.

First, in January of this year, a friend forwarded me information on teaching ESL in Taiwan through the Department of Education. I was hesitant to fill out the application, but I was having a quarter life crisis, and needed a change. I filled out the application, asked for references and mailed everything in at the end of January.

The third week of February, I received an email from the Indiana Department of Education saying I had been accepted to the program and I would be living and teaching in Taiwan from August 2009 to July 2010!

After stressing out about telling my family about my new endeavor (and breaking out in shingles in the process), I bravely told my parents and the rest of my family. To my relief, they were all very supportive.

Now I am starting the process of obtaining a passport, a work visa, and educating myself on the culture of Taiwan. It has been very interesting so far, and I can't wait to share more about this experience!