Post-Christmas thought: What just happened?
In surreal, dream-sequence fashion, Christmas came and left, just as all of the other days here. All around Taipei, there were Christmas decorations, but everything felt so disconnected. 7-Eleven was playing Christmas music, but the atmosphere was still lacking in the Christmas "spirit." It felt, and was, just a commercial holiday implanted somewhere it doesn't belong.
For starters, Christmas fell on Marathon Friday this year. Which means I worked from 8:30-3:30, 4:00-5:00, and then a quick 5:00-7:00 to finish off the day.
When I woke up Christmas morning, everything just felt wrong. There was no tree, no family, no excitement. As I walked to school, I noticed that nothing was different outside. It was as if everybody else forgot it was Christmas. The confusion and resentment was starting to build up as I walked into school humming "Blue Christmas."
The confusion didn't subside when I saw all of the students. They were dressed up in costume. Thinking I somehow entered a terrible nightmare, I said "good morning" to students that looked like bees, dinosaurs, princesses, and cowboys. My body went through the routine motions, just like everyday, but my head was spinning. Was it Halloween or Christmas?
Although it was pretty much an assassination of the holiday, it had its cute moments. Each class screamed a Christmas song, everybody got to sit on Santa's lap, and we just colored and played the whole day. Amidst the carnage, there was a five minute period where I felt Christmasy: when the kids opened their presents they screamed and jumped up and down like... well, like a kid on Christmas.
Unfortunately that wasn't enough Christmas cheer to keep my spirits up for the next 7 hours of work. I'm glad I don't have to do that everyday.
Saturday, December 26, 2009
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
Wayne's World
To get ready to sing our Christmas song on Friday, I had some kids compete to see who could sing the last bit of "The 12 Days of Christmas" the fastest.
The winner: Wayne! (any challengers?)
-*PICTURE UPDATES*-
The winner: Wayne! (any challengers?)
-*PICTURE UPDATES*-
Saturday, December 19, 2009
That was a doozy!
On December 19, 2008, I said to Dave, “Dave, convince me to go to Taiwan with you.” And he did.
This year on December 19, I was talking to Dave on Skype and he said, "Holy shit, there's an earthquake!" And he was right.
On the anniversary of our college commencement, Taiwan was jostled to the tune of a 6.4 magnitude earthquake. Yikes.
That's two years in a row I've felt like the world was spinning.
This year on December 19, I was talking to Dave on Skype and he said, "Holy shit, there's an earthquake!" And he was right.
On the anniversary of our college commencement, Taiwan was jostled to the tune of a 6.4 magnitude earthquake. Yikes.
That's two years in a row I've felt like the world was spinning.
Friday, December 18, 2009
Kids say the darndest things
Ariel(yes, just like the Little Mermaid): Teacher John, yesterday my mother talked to Santa Clause on the telephone.
Teacher John: Oh yeah? What did she say?
Ariel: I don't know! My mother's English is very bad!
Teacher John: Oh yeah? What did she say?
Ariel: I don't know! My mother's English is very bad!
Monday, December 14, 2009
Sunday, December 6, 2009
A Heart and Two Leaves: Part 2
Time to try the tea we learned how to harvest!
The mountain in Muzha is covered with dozens of tea houses that harvest and make their own tea. The hillside plantations are most famous for Tieguanyin and Baozhong tea, so there was no way we could hop back into our trusty cab and roll back to Taipei without trying it. After a small sample of Tieguanyin at the Promotion Center, our tour guide sent us in the direction of Yao Yue Teahouse.
At this very famous 24-hour tea joint, Mike, Terri, Brian, and I were seated on a porch overlooking the mountains. Although at a brisk temperature of somewhere around 60 Fahrenheit, the atmosphere was quite serene. Due to the chilly weather, we were one of the only groups at the restaurant. Craving Taiwanese tea to warm ourselves up, we took our server's recommendation and ordered the Baozhong tea.
To clear up any misconceptions, Baozhong is not a Snapple flavor, and isn't exactly prepared like a Lipton tea-bag. At Yao Yue Teahouse, I learned a life skill that forever changed what used to be a simple process: the art of making tea.
After we watched the waiter prepare the first cup for us, he left us to fend for ourselves if we wanted anymore. For those of you taking notes, let's first start with the required materials: A tea leaf getter-outer, a tea leaf getter-outer basket, an earthenware waste bowl, an earthenware teapot (with lid), a small earthenware pitcher, a funnel filter, a smelling thimble, a tea cup, a run-off tray, boiling water, and of course, tea leaves.
Okay, so first you take the tea leaf getter-outer and put the tea leaves in the earthenware teapot (with lid), and overfill the teapot with boiling water so it spills over onto the run-off tray, then you pour the contents into each smelling thimble and tea cup, then discard everything into the waste bowl (it is essential to first warm all of the cups), then refill the earthenware teapot (with lid) with the boiling water, let steep for 50 seconds, then pour, in a swirling motion, into the funnel filter, which is in the small earthenware pitcher, then fill each smelling thimble with tea, and place a teacup upside-down over the smelling thimble, then swiftly turn it upside-down and lift the smelling thimble out of the teacup. Smell the smelling thimble. Drink the tea. Repeat up to 3 times for each batch of tea leaves.
Got it?
Along with enjoying some thin noodles in tea oil, and sweet potato leaves, we each took turns performing the tea-making ritual, making sure that nobody skipped a step or steeped for too long. Although each time we only got about a sip of tea, they were the most finely prepared and most sophisticated sips of tea I've ever had.
"Are you going to tell your buddies from home about this, John?" Terri asked, as I sipped my tea with my pinkie out. I guess so.
Practical? No.
Traditional? Yes.
Worth the effort? Probably not.
Would I do it again? Absolutely.
Even if I had to do the dishes? Not a chance.
The mountain in Muzha is covered with dozens of tea houses that harvest and make their own tea. The hillside plantations are most famous for Tieguanyin and Baozhong tea, so there was no way we could hop back into our trusty cab and roll back to Taipei without trying it. After a small sample of Tieguanyin at the Promotion Center, our tour guide sent us in the direction of Yao Yue Teahouse.
At this very famous 24-hour tea joint, Mike, Terri, Brian, and I were seated on a porch overlooking the mountains. Although at a brisk temperature of somewhere around 60 Fahrenheit, the atmosphere was quite serene. Due to the chilly weather, we were one of the only groups at the restaurant. Craving Taiwanese tea to warm ourselves up, we took our server's recommendation and ordered the Baozhong tea.
To clear up any misconceptions, Baozhong is not a Snapple flavor, and isn't exactly prepared like a Lipton tea-bag. At Yao Yue Teahouse, I learned a life skill that forever changed what used to be a simple process: the art of making tea.
After we watched the waiter prepare the first cup for us, he left us to fend for ourselves if we wanted anymore. For those of you taking notes, let's first start with the required materials: A tea leaf getter-outer, a tea leaf getter-outer basket, an earthenware waste bowl, an earthenware teapot (with lid), a small earthenware pitcher, a funnel filter, a smelling thimble, a tea cup, a run-off tray, boiling water, and of course, tea leaves.
Okay, so first you take the tea leaf getter-outer and put the tea leaves in the earthenware teapot (with lid), and overfill the teapot with boiling water so it spills over onto the run-off tray, then you pour the contents into each smelling thimble and tea cup, then discard everything into the waste bowl (it is essential to first warm all of the cups), then refill the earthenware teapot (with lid) with the boiling water, let steep for 50 seconds, then pour, in a swirling motion, into the funnel filter, which is in the small earthenware pitcher, then fill each smelling thimble with tea, and place a teacup upside-down over the smelling thimble, then swiftly turn it upside-down and lift the smelling thimble out of the teacup. Smell the smelling thimble. Drink the tea. Repeat up to 3 times for each batch of tea leaves.
Got it?
Along with enjoying some thin noodles in tea oil, and sweet potato leaves, we each took turns performing the tea-making ritual, making sure that nobody skipped a step or steeped for too long. Although each time we only got about a sip of tea, they were the most finely prepared and most sophisticated sips of tea I've ever had.
"Are you going to tell your buddies from home about this, John?" Terri asked, as I sipped my tea with my pinkie out. I guess so.
Practical? No.
Traditional? Yes.
Worth the effort? Probably not.
Would I do it again? Absolutely.
Even if I had to do the dishes? Not a chance.
A Heart and Two Leaves: Part 1
Living in/around a city like Taipei, it's nice to get out every now and then. Although Taipei is a very large, busy, and densely populated city, the fact that it is surrounded by mountains on almost all sides makes it pretty easy to find a peaceful getaway. After all, nothing soothes the weekday blues like a cup of fresh tea on a quiet mountainside.
Assuming the role of tourists in the country where we are Alien Residents, I headed to Muzha with Mike, along with his visiting aunt and uncle, Terri and Brian. After taking the MRT to its limits at the Taipei Zoo station, we made our way to a line of cabs. Sure enough, one cab driver correctly recognized that we speak English, and won our affection and patronage by speaking a little English and knowing exactly where we wanted to go.
The cab itself had lost the "new car smell" many, many years ago. The tachometer needle, jerking uncontrollably, made itself at home in the red zone, even when idling. Nevertheless, it dragged it's four passengers, with an average height of about 6'2", up the mountain. The driver entertained us with questions about our origins, and stories about his dreams of marrying a woman from the Philippines.
"I don't think it will ever come true," the smiling old man sadly stated. Sympathetically smiling back, I asked him why he thinks it won't happen. He gently patted his pocket and said, "No money, no honey." Indeed.
During the climb, we all peeked out from between our knees at the beautiful scenery. Going up the switchbacks, we looked over the steep cliffs and saw Taipei 101 piercing the sky from behind the tall peaks. Finally, the struggling cab rolled to a stop in front of Taipei Tea Promotion Center.
Inside the building, we were given somewhat of a private tour. Due to the temporary suspension of the Maokong Gondola, the Promotion Center is also not running on all cylinders and is more or less closed. However, our tour guide insisted that since we are from very far away, we should be able to see how the tea is harvested and made, so we entered a live episode of "How It's Made: Tea."
With that, we learned how the tea trees are grown, how the leaves are harvested, and also about the 3-day heating/drying/fermenting process between the time it is harvested and the time it's ready for consumption.
Assuming the role of tourists in the country where we are Alien Residents, I headed to Muzha with Mike, along with his visiting aunt and uncle, Terri and Brian. After taking the MRT to its limits at the Taipei Zoo station, we made our way to a line of cabs. Sure enough, one cab driver correctly recognized that we speak English, and won our affection and patronage by speaking a little English and knowing exactly where we wanted to go.
The cab itself had lost the "new car smell" many, many years ago. The tachometer needle, jerking uncontrollably, made itself at home in the red zone, even when idling. Nevertheless, it dragged it's four passengers, with an average height of about 6'2", up the mountain. The driver entertained us with questions about our origins, and stories about his dreams of marrying a woman from the Philippines.
"I don't think it will ever come true," the smiling old man sadly stated. Sympathetically smiling back, I asked him why he thinks it won't happen. He gently patted his pocket and said, "No money, no honey." Indeed.
During the climb, we all peeked out from between our knees at the beautiful scenery. Going up the switchbacks, we looked over the steep cliffs and saw Taipei 101 piercing the sky from behind the tall peaks. Finally, the struggling cab rolled to a stop in front of Taipei Tea Promotion Center.
Inside the building, we were given somewhat of a private tour. Due to the temporary suspension of the Maokong Gondola, the Promotion Center is also not running on all cylinders and is more or less closed. However, our tour guide insisted that since we are from very far away, we should be able to see how the tea is harvested and made, so we entered a live episode of "How It's Made: Tea."
With that, we learned how the tea trees are grown, how the leaves are harvested, and also about the 3-day heating/drying/fermenting process between the time it is harvested and the time it's ready for consumption.
- plucking TGY tea leaves
- sun-dried withering
- cooling
- tossing
- air-conditional withering
- stop oxidation
- curling
- drying
Thursday, November 26, 2009
GMT +8
Here's something that confused me for about a week: Daylight Savings Time happened and I didn't realize it. I'm now one hour further into the future! Speaking of the future...
One day on the train, Mike and I spotted a New York Yankees t-shirt that read "2009 World Champions."
"The Taiwanese really love the Yankees, eh?" Mike observed (yes, he is Canadian). Yankees apparel is more than abundant in Taiwan, thanks to 'Yankee fever' brought over by Tainan native Chen Ming Wang (I'm desperately waiting for the discovery of a vaccination).
"Yeah, they do," I agreed. "But wait, the Yankees didn't win the World Series in 2009. Nobody did."
This was about 6 months ago. I thought for sure such a bold prediction would jinx the Yanks. No such luck.
One day on the train, Mike and I spotted a New York Yankees t-shirt that read "2009 World Champions."
"The Taiwanese really love the Yankees, eh?" Mike observed (yes, he is Canadian). Yankees apparel is more than abundant in Taiwan, thanks to 'Yankee fever' brought over by Tainan native Chen Ming Wang (I'm desperately waiting for the discovery of a vaccination).
"Yeah, they do," I agreed. "But wait, the Yankees didn't win the World Series in 2009. Nobody did."
This was about 6 months ago. I thought for sure such a bold prediction would jinx the Yanks. No such luck.
Just to give you an idea
After a long day of window-shopping and wandering around Taipei, Mike and I wound up in the XinYi area (near Taipei 101). In the food court of one of the malls, we found an interesting food venue.
It was very similar to the concept of a Dunkin Donuts/Baskin Robbins and KFC/Taco Bell joint restaurant. Only this place served some gourmet-looking ice cream and frozen yogurt on one end of the counter, and squid shavings on the other end.
Allow me to explain what I mean by "squid shavings." Imagine yourself peeling a potato or a carrot with a peeler. Now imagine a squid in your hand instead of that potato or carrot. Now imagine putting the shavings in a little french fry pouch.
To be honest, I didn't even notice the squid shavings at first. Not because I'm used to seeing such, how can I say, delicious treats (who remembers Tuna Tidbits?), but because I had a jonesin' for a strawberry/vanilla swirl and was damn focused on getting it.
While my soft serve ice cream was being caught by my swiveling wafer cone, Mike and I heard what was, although in Chinese, undeniably the sound of a child begging for something. A parent was being dragged to the Ice Cream/Squid counter, and to my amazement, the child kept pointing at the little bags of squid shavings until one was in her hands.
Mike and I watched the girl happily walk off, leaving us standing there dumbfounded holding ice cream cones.
It was very similar to the concept of a Dunkin Donuts/Baskin Robbins and KFC/Taco Bell joint restaurant. Only this place served some gourmet-looking ice cream and frozen yogurt on one end of the counter, and squid shavings on the other end.
Allow me to explain what I mean by "squid shavings." Imagine yourself peeling a potato or a carrot with a peeler. Now imagine a squid in your hand instead of that potato or carrot. Now imagine putting the shavings in a little french fry pouch.
To be honest, I didn't even notice the squid shavings at first. Not because I'm used to seeing such, how can I say, delicious treats (who remembers Tuna Tidbits?), but because I had a jonesin' for a strawberry/vanilla swirl and was damn focused on getting it.
While my soft serve ice cream was being caught by my swiveling wafer cone, Mike and I heard what was, although in Chinese, undeniably the sound of a child begging for something. A parent was being dragged to the Ice Cream/Squid counter, and to my amazement, the child kept pointing at the little bags of squid shavings until one was in her hands.
Mike and I watched the girl happily walk off, leaving us standing there dumbfounded holding ice cream cones.
Saturday, November 21, 2009
Spain for a Day
The Squirrels are over English... we've moved on to Spanish.
On Friday evening, we finally had our International Day show. For the occasion, each teacher had to choose a country to have their class learn about and then present to the parents. In general, our school has a major emphasis on drama and role-plays, but International Day is one of the only occasions where the parents get to see their kids in action speaking English. Between that and the parent/teacher meeting immediately after, the day is kind of a big deal. Since my class has been in the kindergarten the longest (almost 3 years), I was given only two words of instruction: "Impress us."
I decided to teach my class about Spain. With a country like Spain, there is plenty of material to work with and lots of fun and interesting facts to include in a presentation. About six weeks ago we began preparation. This included writing a script, assigning parts, making/getting props, working out stage directions and transitions, and of course, making sure the students memorized their lines with acceptable pronunciation.
After a handful of rehearsals for the front office, we were ready to go! In front of a large crowd of parents, the show was executed with perfection. Between the large tomato fight, the choreographed bullfighting scene, and the elaborate and synchronized Spanish dance (all the credit for the dance goes to my co-teacher), the Squirrels blew everyone away with a great performance, making one very proud Teacher John.
Due to the unlikelihood that I will be able to obtain video footage of the show that will most likely be nominated for Best Performance, Best Director, and Best Choreography, I will supply you with the original script. Should you choose to actually read it (you should, you might learn something), bear in mind that my class could sight-read most of this.
Spain: An Introduction
Bienvenidos a Espana! That means “Welcome to Spain!” Spain is one of the most beautiful countries in the world. In fact, more people visit Spain every year than any other country except for France. Spain has beautiful beaches, majestic landscapes and is also full of culture and history. What else does Spain have? Let’s find out.
Spain is located in Southwestern Europe. The capital of Spain is Madrid. Spain is on the Iberian Peninsula. A peninsula is a piece of land that has water on 3 sides. Spain shares a border with France on the north side and Portugal on the West.
The official language of Spain is Spanish. There are around 400 million Spanish speakers worldwide, making it the fourth most spoken language in the world. Spanish is also the official language in 20 other countries, including Mexico, Chile, and Peru.
The Spanish flag has three horizontal stripes: two are red and one is yellow. In the yellow stripe is the Spanish Coat of Arms, which represents Spain’s constitutional monarchy. That means that Spain has a democracy, but also has a king.
The population of Spain is about 46 million people. That’s twice as many people that live in Taiwan! Spain is also about fifteen times bigger than Taiwan, with an area of about 504,000 km. Almost ¼ of Spain’s residents live in its two biggest cities: Madrid and Barcelona.
Spain has a very diverse geography. It has areas with mountains, plains, and it also has some islands. This makes the weather in Spain very different all over the place. Spain has five different climates within the country. Climate is another word for the weather in a country.
Culture
The most popular religion in Spain is Catholicism. Almost 90% of Spanish people are Catholics. A long time ago, Spain had kings that made everybody in the country believe in the same thing. Now, people can do whatever they want.
One of the best features about Spain is its cathedrals. A cathedral is a giant church where people can go to pray. There are almost 100 cathedrals in Spain, and all of them are very beautiful. The most famous cathedral in Spain is “La Sagrada Familia,” which is in Barcelona.
Once very fun festival in Spain is “La Tomatina.” Every year in a town called Bunol, there is a large food fight. First, someone tries to get a ham from the top of a greased pole. Then many trucks that are filled with tomatoes come to Bunol and dump all the tomatoes in the street. Then, people throw them at each other for one hour.
Spain has many different kinds of foods. A lot of Spanish dishes are made with beans and rice. One very popular food is gazpacho, which is a cold tomato soup. Spain also has many very delicious desserts, such as arroz con leche, which is a kind of rice pudding mixed with milk. Flan is a kind of custard cake with caramel on top. Spain is also known for its seafood dishes, such as Paella.
A very popular and traditional kind of dancing in Spain is Flamenco. This is a very unique style of dancing that is usually with somebody playing the guitar and someone singing. Flamenco dancing is very difficult and very graceful.
The most popular sport in Spain is football. Spain is home to some of the most competitive football teams in the entire world. Real Madrid is one of the best teams in all of Europe. They’ve won the UEFA Champions League nine times. Many Spanish children play football and hope to be on a real team some day.
Famous Spaniards
My name is Rafael Nadal and I am a famous Spanish tennis player. Although I am currently ranked number 2 in the world, I was number 1 from August 2008 to July 2009. I got the nickname “The King of Clay” for winning 81 straight clay-court matches. I am only 23 years old and already have six Grand Slam titles.
My name is Pablo Picasso, but most people just call me “Picasso.” I am one of many famous artists to come from Spain. Many people don’t think I am a good artist because a lot of my paintings are abstract, which means they don’t always look like real things. However, my art is very recognizable, such as my painting called “Guernica.”
I am Salvador Dali, and I am also a famous Spanish artist. Just like Picasso, I am most famous for my abstract paintings. I lived from 1904 to 1989 and was an important part of the surrealist movement. You have probably seen my most famous painting: The Persistence of Memory.
I am Miguel de Cervantes, a Spanish writer from the 1500’s. I was so good at writing that some people call Spanish “The Language of Cervantes.” My most famous book is Don Quixote, which many consider to be the first modern novel, and one of the best ever written. Here is Done Quixote now…
Hello, I am Don Quixote of la Mancha. I traveled around Spain searching for a princess and doing many nice things for people. Most people thought I was so nice that I was a little bit crazy. I had a friend named Sancho that came with me to be my friend.
Bullfighting
Spain is also famous for bullfighting, also called “The running of the bulls.” In Pamplona, the bulls are released and chase people down the street. Even though it is very dangerous and scary, people like to run away from the bulls. At the end of the street, the bulls go into the bullfighting ring.
Bullfighting is a very traditional ritual. In the Running of the Bulls, a man called a “matador,” has a fight with a bull. First, the matador enters the ring with a red cape and a sword, and he salutes the audience. Then the bull is released.
Most of the bulls are very angry and run at the matador and try to stab him with its very sharp horns. Bullfighting is very dangerous. The matador has to be very careful as he dodges the bull. He uses the cape to distract it as he moves out of the way. Then, the bull gets too tired to run at the matador.
Once the bull is too tired to run around, the matador can move in for the kill. The matador gets the bull to charge him one more time, then quickly stabs him in the back of the neck, killing him instantly. Although many people think this is very mean, there are also many people who enjoy watching this and think it is very beautiful.
On Friday evening, we finally had our International Day show. For the occasion, each teacher had to choose a country to have their class learn about and then present to the parents. In general, our school has a major emphasis on drama and role-plays, but International Day is one of the only occasions where the parents get to see their kids in action speaking English. Between that and the parent/teacher meeting immediately after, the day is kind of a big deal. Since my class has been in the kindergarten the longest (almost 3 years), I was given only two words of instruction: "Impress us."
I decided to teach my class about Spain. With a country like Spain, there is plenty of material to work with and lots of fun and interesting facts to include in a presentation. About six weeks ago we began preparation. This included writing a script, assigning parts, making/getting props, working out stage directions and transitions, and of course, making sure the students memorized their lines with acceptable pronunciation.
After a handful of rehearsals for the front office, we were ready to go! In front of a large crowd of parents, the show was executed with perfection. Between the large tomato fight, the choreographed bullfighting scene, and the elaborate and synchronized Spanish dance (all the credit for the dance goes to my co-teacher), the Squirrels blew everyone away with a great performance, making one very proud Teacher John.
Due to the unlikelihood that I will be able to obtain video footage of the show that will most likely be nominated for Best Performance, Best Director, and Best Choreography, I will supply you with the original script. Should you choose to actually read it (you should, you might learn something), bear in mind that my class could sight-read most of this.
Spain: An Introduction
Bienvenidos a Espana! That means “Welcome to Spain!” Spain is one of the most beautiful countries in the world. In fact, more people visit Spain every year than any other country except for France. Spain has beautiful beaches, majestic landscapes and is also full of culture and history. What else does Spain have? Let’s find out.
Spain is located in Southwestern Europe. The capital of Spain is Madrid. Spain is on the Iberian Peninsula. A peninsula is a piece of land that has water on 3 sides. Spain shares a border with France on the north side and Portugal on the West.
The official language of Spain is Spanish. There are around 400 million Spanish speakers worldwide, making it the fourth most spoken language in the world. Spanish is also the official language in 20 other countries, including Mexico, Chile, and Peru.
The Spanish flag has three horizontal stripes: two are red and one is yellow. In the yellow stripe is the Spanish Coat of Arms, which represents Spain’s constitutional monarchy. That means that Spain has a democracy, but also has a king.
The population of Spain is about 46 million people. That’s twice as many people that live in Taiwan! Spain is also about fifteen times bigger than Taiwan, with an area of about 504,000 km. Almost ¼ of Spain’s residents live in its two biggest cities: Madrid and Barcelona.
Spain has a very diverse geography. It has areas with mountains, plains, and it also has some islands. This makes the weather in Spain very different all over the place. Spain has five different climates within the country. Climate is another word for the weather in a country.
Culture
The most popular religion in Spain is Catholicism. Almost 90% of Spanish people are Catholics. A long time ago, Spain had kings that made everybody in the country believe in the same thing. Now, people can do whatever they want.
One of the best features about Spain is its cathedrals. A cathedral is a giant church where people can go to pray. There are almost 100 cathedrals in Spain, and all of them are very beautiful. The most famous cathedral in Spain is “La Sagrada Familia,” which is in Barcelona.
Once very fun festival in Spain is “La Tomatina.” Every year in a town called Bunol, there is a large food fight. First, someone tries to get a ham from the top of a greased pole. Then many trucks that are filled with tomatoes come to Bunol and dump all the tomatoes in the street. Then, people throw them at each other for one hour.
Spain has many different kinds of foods. A lot of Spanish dishes are made with beans and rice. One very popular food is gazpacho, which is a cold tomato soup. Spain also has many very delicious desserts, such as arroz con leche, which is a kind of rice pudding mixed with milk. Flan is a kind of custard cake with caramel on top. Spain is also known for its seafood dishes, such as Paella.
A very popular and traditional kind of dancing in Spain is Flamenco. This is a very unique style of dancing that is usually with somebody playing the guitar and someone singing. Flamenco dancing is very difficult and very graceful.
The most popular sport in Spain is football. Spain is home to some of the most competitive football teams in the entire world. Real Madrid is one of the best teams in all of Europe. They’ve won the UEFA Champions League nine times. Many Spanish children play football and hope to be on a real team some day.
Famous Spaniards
My name is Rafael Nadal and I am a famous Spanish tennis player. Although I am currently ranked number 2 in the world, I was number 1 from August 2008 to July 2009. I got the nickname “The King of Clay” for winning 81 straight clay-court matches. I am only 23 years old and already have six Grand Slam titles.
My name is Pablo Picasso, but most people just call me “Picasso.” I am one of many famous artists to come from Spain. Many people don’t think I am a good artist because a lot of my paintings are abstract, which means they don’t always look like real things. However, my art is very recognizable, such as my painting called “Guernica.”
I am Salvador Dali, and I am also a famous Spanish artist. Just like Picasso, I am most famous for my abstract paintings. I lived from 1904 to 1989 and was an important part of the surrealist movement. You have probably seen my most famous painting: The Persistence of Memory.
I am Miguel de Cervantes, a Spanish writer from the 1500’s. I was so good at writing that some people call Spanish “The Language of Cervantes.” My most famous book is Don Quixote, which many consider to be the first modern novel, and one of the best ever written. Here is Done Quixote now…
Hello, I am Don Quixote of la Mancha. I traveled around Spain searching for a princess and doing many nice things for people. Most people thought I was so nice that I was a little bit crazy. I had a friend named Sancho that came with me to be my friend.
Bullfighting
Spain is also famous for bullfighting, also called “The running of the bulls.” In Pamplona, the bulls are released and chase people down the street. Even though it is very dangerous and scary, people like to run away from the bulls. At the end of the street, the bulls go into the bullfighting ring.
Bullfighting is a very traditional ritual. In the Running of the Bulls, a man called a “matador,” has a fight with a bull. First, the matador enters the ring with a red cape and a sword, and he salutes the audience. Then the bull is released.
Most of the bulls are very angry and run at the matador and try to stab him with its very sharp horns. Bullfighting is very dangerous. The matador has to be very careful as he dodges the bull. He uses the cape to distract it as he moves out of the way. Then, the bull gets too tired to run at the matador.
Once the bull is too tired to run around, the matador can move in for the kill. The matador gets the bull to charge him one more time, then quickly stabs him in the back of the neck, killing him instantly. Although many people think this is very mean, there are also many people who enjoy watching this and think it is very beautiful.
Sunday, November 15, 2009
Ni Hao-lloween
Trick or treat!
Halloween is a very cute time of year to be working at a kindergarten.
In the morning, each class takes turns going through a decently elaborate haunted house set up in one of the classrooms. There were a few scare-stations built into it where Mike and I hid out and waited for the kids to come through. Escorted by the Chinese teachers, the kids came through in groups of about 4 or 5. Upon entry, the Chinese teachers would say the names of the kids loud enough for me and Mike to hear so we could adjust our scare level (ranging from doing nothing, to a spooky laugh, to reaching out from the dark to grab arms and legs). Given that the maximum age was probably 6 years old, and the average age was about 4, tears were inevitably shed.
Next stop: trick or treating! On a regular basis, my class, as mentioned before, is full of angels and princesses. To nobody's surprise, that's what they all were for Halloween. Just about every girl was wearing a long sparkling dress along with some girly accessory, along the likes of a tiara, wings, a wand, etc. The boys showed up as Batman, Superman, a knight, a pirate, and a pumpkin. And off we go...
Sticking close to school, we stopped at 5 pre-determined and pre-supplied shops around Shijr to sing the two Halloween songs we had been practicing for what seemed like the better part of my tenure here. Leaving my pride and shame at home that morning, I led my class around wearing a big diaper, a bib, and a pacifier dangling from my mouth. At around 11:00 on the morning of Friday, October 30, life went on as usual in Shijr, except for the costume parade making its way around town.
To cap off a great day, I "volunteered" to host the Halloween parade back at school. This involved me addressing the 100+ students in the kindergarten, and introducing each class and each student so they could show off their costumes.
Cute by day, but when the sun goes down, Halloween is just as it is back home: An excuse for girls to dress as slutty as possible because (they think) nobody will judge them.
Dave, Natalie, and me disguised as Bruce Lee, the Queen of Hearts, and a swimmer.
[special thanks to T-Chellie for the pics. My camera is, as one might say, "over the wall."]
Halloween is a very cute time of year to be working at a kindergarten.
In the morning, each class takes turns going through a decently elaborate haunted house set up in one of the classrooms. There were a few scare-stations built into it where Mike and I hid out and waited for the kids to come through. Escorted by the Chinese teachers, the kids came through in groups of about 4 or 5. Upon entry, the Chinese teachers would say the names of the kids loud enough for me and Mike to hear so we could adjust our scare level (ranging from doing nothing, to a spooky laugh, to reaching out from the dark to grab arms and legs). Given that the maximum age was probably 6 years old, and the average age was about 4, tears were inevitably shed.
Next stop: trick or treating! On a regular basis, my class, as mentioned before, is full of angels and princesses. To nobody's surprise, that's what they all were for Halloween. Just about every girl was wearing a long sparkling dress along with some girly accessory, along the likes of a tiara, wings, a wand, etc. The boys showed up as Batman, Superman, a knight, a pirate, and a pumpkin. And off we go...
Sticking close to school, we stopped at 5 pre-determined and pre-supplied shops around Shijr to sing the two Halloween songs we had been practicing for what seemed like the better part of my tenure here. Leaving my pride and shame at home that morning, I led my class around wearing a big diaper, a bib, and a pacifier dangling from my mouth. At around 11:00 on the morning of Friday, October 30, life went on as usual in Shijr, except for the costume parade making its way around town.
To cap off a great day, I "volunteered" to host the Halloween parade back at school. This involved me addressing the 100+ students in the kindergarten, and introducing each class and each student so they could show off their costumes.
Cute by day, but when the sun goes down, Halloween is just as it is back home: An excuse for girls to dress as slutty as possible because (they think) nobody will judge them.
Dave, Natalie, and me disguised as Bruce Lee, the Queen of Hearts, and a swimmer.
[special thanks to T-Chellie for the pics. My camera is, as one might say, "over the wall."]
Monday, November 9, 2009
A stroke of curiousity
When I come home, would it be at all rude or presumptuous for me to try to speak Chinese to any Asian-looking people I see on the street?
[That is rhetorical, depending on whether anyone answers it.]
[That is rhetorical, depending on whether anyone answers it.]
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Eureka!
I've discovered a way to learn Chinese while teaching! A simple, yet coy, operation where both parties can share a language exchange. My students and I have formed a successful symbiotic relationship. Here's the catch: My Chinese lessons are all in English. Sometimes terrible, broken English.
But that's just it. My students are at a level which they are both able and competent enough to use their English abilities and run with it beyond their comfort zone. They don't need to stick to the grammar patterns we've been learning, but they rather say whatever is on their mind using what they already know.
This is an idea that I've taken into consideration in the past few weeks:
I've stopped trying to teach, as one might conventionally think of teaching; filling someone's head with facts. Instead, I've started teaching by asking "how," and "why," and "what if" questions.
Try to remember what you learned when you were in kindergarten. Really. Try. Or don't, because it doesn't matter. The purpose of kindergarten is to build a foundation for education. I would put a large sum of NTD(New Taiwan Dollars) on the claim that my students won't remember what a stethoscope is or that a giraffe's tongue is 50 cm long(almost 2 feet...gross). However, assuming they continue their English studies, I hope that it will benefit them knowing that if someone asks them to describe a trip to the doctor, they have the confidence and ability to take a situation that happens in Chinese and recap it in English.
It's during these moments, which Oxford seminars has appropriately labeled "magic moments," when you, as a teacher, realize that the kid has just uttered a series of English words by utilizing every tool and every resource they've ever learned from you. It's pretty incredible listening to a kid try to tell you something, then stop mid-sentence because he realizes he doesn't know the English for the word he wants to use, start from the beginning and take a completely different approach on the same thought, using what he does know, and ultimately achieve his goal, which is usually teacher comprehension and satisfaction.
However precious these moments are, perfection is hardly the aim and almost never the result. And this is where my Chinese lessons come in(you either forgot or thought I forgot what I was talking about).
For months I've been teaching English without understanding exactly who I'm teaching it to. I've been trying my best to abolish what my class now refers to as "Baby Sentences," which I've come to realize are only literal translations from Chinese to English. Cue the lighting of the epiphanic light bulb because my job just got easier. After a few conversations with some of my Chinese speaking friends, they've translated the Baby Sentences back into Chinese, and I can understand what the students are trying to say, therefore making it easier for me to correct them.
"There have cockroach." This sentence pattern drove me nuts! That is, until I realized what it means. There (that place, i.e. the wall) have (in this case we'd say 'has,' as in 'in its possession') cockroach (species of indestructible insects that are ever-present in my classroom). "That wall has a cockroach," or how we'd probably say it in English, "There's a cockroach."
And what I extract from the situation is the Chinese grammar. In Chinese, it seems like everything "has" something; here, there, he, I. With the same approach, I've learned grammar patterns that make sense out of "I give you see," "So big check," "He used me," so on and so forth.
At the end of this long-winded post, I can only compare myself to the very kids that I teach. I, too, but at a much lower level, am taking words that I already know and using them in sentences that I've picked up on. While this may come across as logical, because yeah, it is, but like so many other things in life, without that "eureka" moment, logic just doesn't seem that logical.
But that's just it. My students are at a level which they are both able and competent enough to use their English abilities and run with it beyond their comfort zone. They don't need to stick to the grammar patterns we've been learning, but they rather say whatever is on their mind using what they already know.
This is an idea that I've taken into consideration in the past few weeks:
I've stopped trying to teach, as one might conventionally think of teaching; filling someone's head with facts. Instead, I've started teaching by asking "how," and "why," and "what if" questions.
Try to remember what you learned when you were in kindergarten. Really. Try. Or don't, because it doesn't matter. The purpose of kindergarten is to build a foundation for education. I would put a large sum of NTD(New Taiwan Dollars) on the claim that my students won't remember what a stethoscope is or that a giraffe's tongue is 50 cm long(almost 2 feet...gross). However, assuming they continue their English studies, I hope that it will benefit them knowing that if someone asks them to describe a trip to the doctor, they have the confidence and ability to take a situation that happens in Chinese and recap it in English.
It's during these moments, which Oxford seminars has appropriately labeled "magic moments," when you, as a teacher, realize that the kid has just uttered a series of English words by utilizing every tool and every resource they've ever learned from you. It's pretty incredible listening to a kid try to tell you something, then stop mid-sentence because he realizes he doesn't know the English for the word he wants to use, start from the beginning and take a completely different approach on the same thought, using what he does know, and ultimately achieve his goal, which is usually teacher comprehension and satisfaction.
However precious these moments are, perfection is hardly the aim and almost never the result. And this is where my Chinese lessons come in(you either forgot or thought I forgot what I was talking about).
For months I've been teaching English without understanding exactly who I'm teaching it to. I've been trying my best to abolish what my class now refers to as "Baby Sentences," which I've come to realize are only literal translations from Chinese to English. Cue the lighting of the epiphanic light bulb because my job just got easier. After a few conversations with some of my Chinese speaking friends, they've translated the Baby Sentences back into Chinese, and I can understand what the students are trying to say, therefore making it easier for me to correct them.
"There have cockroach." This sentence pattern drove me nuts! That is, until I realized what it means. There (that place, i.e. the wall) have (in this case we'd say 'has,' as in 'in its possession') cockroach (species of indestructible insects that are ever-present in my classroom). "That wall has a cockroach," or how we'd probably say it in English, "There's a cockroach."
And what I extract from the situation is the Chinese grammar. In Chinese, it seems like everything "has" something; here, there, he, I. With the same approach, I've learned grammar patterns that make sense out of "I give you see," "So big check," "He used me," so on and so forth.
At the end of this long-winded post, I can only compare myself to the very kids that I teach. I, too, but at a much lower level, am taking words that I already know and using them in sentences that I've picked up on. While this may come across as logical, because yeah, it is, but like so many other things in life, without that "eureka" moment, logic just doesn't seem that logical.
Saturday, October 31, 2009
Who's next?
I'd like to extend a warm Asian welcome to Adam and Steve, who have just recently touched down in Korea.
That's two more New Paltz alums to travel west to get to the East to spread the gift of language, which begs the question, "Who's next?" Kinney? D-Lo?
For fresh opinions within new borders, head over to Adam's blog and Steve's blog for updates on their adventures.
For future reference, you can get there under my Quick-links on the right side of my page.
Welcome to Asia, boys! Good luck!
That's two more New Paltz alums to travel west to get to the East to spread the gift of language, which begs the question, "Who's next?" Kinney? D-Lo?
For fresh opinions within new borders, head over to Adam's blog and Steve's blog for updates on their adventures.
For future reference, you can get there under my Quick-links on the right side of my page.
Welcome to Asia, boys! Good luck!
Monday, October 26, 2009
I'm glad you asked
Happy birthday Mom!!
I think October can be chalked up under the tag "months that went missing." It's just another relatively long period of time that swiftly passed undetected, again striking up the realistic question of just exactly how much time can sneak by before I notice that I've been here for too long. Only time will tell.
My lack of blogging is exactly as it appears to be: I have nothing to say. Starter X has finally settled into a nice groove, where I can demand and expect control and productivity. The Squirrels are still angelic geniuses who literally have left me speechless with the things that come out of their mouth. For example, during a brainstorm activity related to a book we were reading, I decided to bring up evolution. When asked "Why do you think a cheetah has spots?", a question which I was only half prepared to answer, one girl raised her hand and answered quite matter-of-factly, "I think a cheetah has spots so we can use its skin to make a bag." I know what you're thinking, and you're right; In addition to hiding enormous brains behind adorable faces, they've got style. Next question: "Why do you think a rabbit has long ears?" Good question, Teacher John, why don't you at least try to challenge us. "A rabbit has to have long ears, otherwise it will not hear the other animals that want to eat it." I've spent the past week since this incident trying to figure out how, if I was required to, I would even explain the word "otherwise." I'm open to suggestions.
During nap time, it's a kindergarten joke that after all the other teachers are finished complaining about how idiotic their kids are, they turn to me and ask me what the Squirrels thought of War and Peace. (They hated it. I made sure they are Shakespeare scholars.)
If you haven't seen through it already, this blog is less of me trying to convince you how smart my kids are, and more of me trying to use them to show you how much fun I'm having.
I tell stupid stories for a living. I talk about animals all day, and as long as I explain the grammar I'm using, it's considered teaching. For International Day, I got to choose a country to have my class present (Spain) and I got to pick out what I thought were the coolest things to have my kids say. They listen when I talk, because as long as I'm acting as if it's the most awesome thing I've ever said, they believe me. And when I'm finished, they say "Cool! I want to learn more!" (true story).
It's a total cliche, but like Confucius said, "Find a job you love and you will never work a day in your life." Or, as Kanye West said many years later, "Welcome to the good life..."
I think October can be chalked up under the tag "months that went missing." It's just another relatively long period of time that swiftly passed undetected, again striking up the realistic question of just exactly how much time can sneak by before I notice that I've been here for too long. Only time will tell.
My lack of blogging is exactly as it appears to be: I have nothing to say. Starter X has finally settled into a nice groove, where I can demand and expect control and productivity. The Squirrels are still angelic geniuses who literally have left me speechless with the things that come out of their mouth. For example, during a brainstorm activity related to a book we were reading, I decided to bring up evolution. When asked "Why do you think a cheetah has spots?", a question which I was only half prepared to answer, one girl raised her hand and answered quite matter-of-factly, "I think a cheetah has spots so we can use its skin to make a bag." I know what you're thinking, and you're right; In addition to hiding enormous brains behind adorable faces, they've got style. Next question: "Why do you think a rabbit has long ears?" Good question, Teacher John, why don't you at least try to challenge us. "A rabbit has to have long ears, otherwise it will not hear the other animals that want to eat it." I've spent the past week since this incident trying to figure out how, if I was required to, I would even explain the word "otherwise." I'm open to suggestions.
During nap time, it's a kindergarten joke that after all the other teachers are finished complaining about how idiotic their kids are, they turn to me and ask me what the Squirrels thought of War and Peace. (They hated it. I made sure they are Shakespeare scholars.)
If you haven't seen through it already, this blog is less of me trying to convince you how smart my kids are, and more of me trying to use them to show you how much fun I'm having.
I tell stupid stories for a living. I talk about animals all day, and as long as I explain the grammar I'm using, it's considered teaching. For International Day, I got to choose a country to have my class present (Spain) and I got to pick out what I thought were the coolest things to have my kids say. They listen when I talk, because as long as I'm acting as if it's the most awesome thing I've ever said, they believe me. And when I'm finished, they say "Cool! I want to learn more!" (true story).
It's a total cliche, but like Confucius said, "Find a job you love and you will never work a day in your life." Or, as Kanye West said many years later, "Welcome to the good life..."
Monday, October 5, 2009
Hualien-nation
Waking up at 6:30 on a Saturday morning is a steep price to pay to see the beautiful, partially secluded, east coast of Taiwan. But, as it turns out, it was the only price I had to pay.
Once a year, my boss and her husband sponsor an overnight staff trip to somewhere in Taiwan. This year, it was to Farglory Ocean Park and the luxurious Farglory Hotel (really check this place out) in Hualien. Most known for Taroko Gorge, Hualien County is located in the middle of Taiwan along the Pacific Coast. A few hours on a train gave me the opportunity to see the coastline, which has mountains jutting out of it only a few hundred years inland.
It was a gorgeous weekend for a trip through Taiwan, although it was slightly on the warmer side. We trekked down from Taipei County via train, hypnotically staring out the window at miles and miles of ocean. Once in Hualien, we boarded a bus, which I'd like to mention (although it should go without saying) was fully equipped with karaoke microphones every few rows. The bus rolled onwards until we reached the gate to the hotel, only a stone's throw from the crashing waves of the ocean. We spent the next 10 minutes climbing the driveway, which had about ten switchbacks to alleviate the incline up a decent sized mountain. At the top, the view was dizzying. On one side of the hotel there was nothing but Pacific blue as far as the eye could see. And on the other side, an enormous valley of rivers and towns surrounded by majestic mountain ranges.
Once at the hotel, we dropped off our bags, received our room assignments, and hopped back on the bus. We meandered our way back down the mountain to Farglory Ocean Park, which happens to be about half-way down the driveway. Ocean Park is like a miniature SeaWorld and Six Flags hybrid. There was a dolphin show, a seal show and plenty of low-speed, yet highly thematic rides to keep a child entertained for a day.
We broke off into smaller groups, where I and a few of my other male colleagues putzed around for awhile trying to entertain ourselves for a few hours. We had about 2 hours until we could actually check into our rooms, and at this point, every minute spent outside was another minute closer to going from rare to medium-rare.
Trudging along from ride to ride in the scorching heat and saturating humidity, only one thought kept us alive. A detail that would give the trip an identity: The hotel has a swim-up bar.
Once we got back to the hotel, it was board shorts, bathing caps, and Coronas in the pool for the rest of the afternoon. Miles away from ordinary.
The rest of the trip included an extravagant buffet dinner, where I actually had a second helping of snail (and dozens of other delicacies). After dinner, it was back to the pool bar, and later the karaoke bar. The Taiwanese take their karaoke very seriously, so you actually have to pay to sing, to the point of renting private rooms for small groups. Refusing to pay, but not depriving the alcohol-induced urge to sing, we arranged with the bartender to let a small group of us perform an a cappella rendition of "Too Good to be True" for the six other people in the bar.
The night did not stop there, but the rest of the details are about as vivid as they are important. To give you a better platform for your imaginations to dive from, keep in mind that we did not bring a change of clothes to the pool, so we spent the night patrolling the hotel in flip flops, bathing suits, sunglasses and bathing caps.
It's like they say: "When in Hualien, do as the Hualienonians do."
photo updates here and on Facebook.
Once a year, my boss and her husband sponsor an overnight staff trip to somewhere in Taiwan. This year, it was to Farglory Ocean Park and the luxurious Farglory Hotel (really check this place out) in Hualien. Most known for Taroko Gorge, Hualien County is located in the middle of Taiwan along the Pacific Coast. A few hours on a train gave me the opportunity to see the coastline, which has mountains jutting out of it only a few hundred years inland.
It was a gorgeous weekend for a trip through Taiwan, although it was slightly on the warmer side. We trekked down from Taipei County via train, hypnotically staring out the window at miles and miles of ocean. Once in Hualien, we boarded a bus, which I'd like to mention (although it should go without saying) was fully equipped with karaoke microphones every few rows. The bus rolled onwards until we reached the gate to the hotel, only a stone's throw from the crashing waves of the ocean. We spent the next 10 minutes climbing the driveway, which had about ten switchbacks to alleviate the incline up a decent sized mountain. At the top, the view was dizzying. On one side of the hotel there was nothing but Pacific blue as far as the eye could see. And on the other side, an enormous valley of rivers and towns surrounded by majestic mountain ranges.
Once at the hotel, we dropped off our bags, received our room assignments, and hopped back on the bus. We meandered our way back down the mountain to Farglory Ocean Park, which happens to be about half-way down the driveway. Ocean Park is like a miniature SeaWorld and Six Flags hybrid. There was a dolphin show, a seal show and plenty of low-speed, yet highly thematic rides to keep a child entertained for a day.
We broke off into smaller groups, where I and a few of my other male colleagues putzed around for awhile trying to entertain ourselves for a few hours. We had about 2 hours until we could actually check into our rooms, and at this point, every minute spent outside was another minute closer to going from rare to medium-rare.
Trudging along from ride to ride in the scorching heat and saturating humidity, only one thought kept us alive. A detail that would give the trip an identity: The hotel has a swim-up bar.
Once we got back to the hotel, it was board shorts, bathing caps, and Coronas in the pool for the rest of the afternoon. Miles away from ordinary.
The rest of the trip included an extravagant buffet dinner, where I actually had a second helping of snail (and dozens of other delicacies). After dinner, it was back to the pool bar, and later the karaoke bar. The Taiwanese take their karaoke very seriously, so you actually have to pay to sing, to the point of renting private rooms for small groups. Refusing to pay, but not depriving the alcohol-induced urge to sing, we arranged with the bartender to let a small group of us perform an a cappella rendition of "Too Good to be True" for the six other people in the bar.
The night did not stop there, but the rest of the details are about as vivid as they are important. To give you a better platform for your imaginations to dive from, keep in mind that we did not bring a change of clothes to the pool, so we spent the night patrolling the hotel in flip flops, bathing suits, sunglasses and bathing caps.
It's like they say: "When in Hualien, do as the Hualienonians do."
photo updates here and on Facebook.
Monday, September 28, 2009
Starter X
(warning: not for the faint of heart)
My days of 8:30-3:30 are over. The Squirrels are no longer my only students. I now know why teachers stress out.
Without getting way too overly hyperbolic and making a gigantic, unnecessary, blown-out-of-proportion exaggeration, I'll try to explain my new class: Starter X.
Let's start with the name. Each buxiban (in which the variable x=sh) class is given a letter name, based only on the order in which they are created. When I was told that I was volunteering to take a new class, I was ecstatic about the name. How badass. I actually find it hard to say "Starter X" aloud without crossing my arms and getting into a crouched position like I'm bracing for an attack.
Anyway.
On the subject of names, I finally got to name some students! They were all quasi-normal, based on my opinion of normal after having encountered a fair amount of people with English names in the past 22 years. That being said, I take no blame (or credit?) for Bernini, York, Gigi, Pola, Soros, or Vivi, who all signed up for my class with English-ish names.
The class, which I already claimed is not for the faint of heart, can only be described in comparison to my Squirrels. I'm very quick to say that the Squirrel class is the envy of the school, yet I'm just as quick to admit that this was true of them before I took over. They speak incredible English, they have impeccable manners, and a sense of awareness and etiquette that is absent in a great deal of the adult population. Hopefully you're getting the idea of the contrast about to come.
Starter X is on average about 2 years older than the Squirrels. However, the Squirrels have 2 more years of classroom experience (2-0=2). Starter X is hardly a few weeks beyond their first footsteps into a real classroom in Chinese elementary school, so they are lacking the basic knowledge of "sit in a chair and watch the adult in front of you for more than 10 seconds at a time." For me, the gap dividing teacher and student, Chinese and English, is bridged by a puppet. Or an over-sized blow-up dice. This gets them to at least try to repeat what I'm saying. And I try not to say much, because "Okay... say 'pencil'" turns into "okaysaypencil."
I come prepared to class with about 1,000 activities so I can keep their attention at all times by either singing, dancing, hitting myself with a puppet, giving them a hammer to hit flash cards with, juggling, clapping... does the word "clown" come to mind?
Starter X is only 2 extra hours a week, but so far, after 3 weeks, I have yet to come out of that class without sweat on my brow, a hoarse voice and a finger on the trigger. It's a really awesome experience, since this is exactly what I thought I'd be doing over here. Not that I have a problem with how 30 minutes before I step into X-Class I'm listening to my 6-year-old girls explain to me that "A sea turtle's habitat is the ocean and not a pond because they need salt-water to live and will die in fresh water."
My days of 8:30-3:30 are over. The Squirrels are no longer my only students. I now know why teachers stress out.
Without getting way too overly hyperbolic and making a gigantic, unnecessary, blown-out-of-proportion exaggeration, I'll try to explain my new class: Starter X.
Let's start with the name. Each buxiban (in which the variable x=sh) class is given a letter name, based only on the order in which they are created. When I was told that I was volunteering to take a new class, I was ecstatic about the name. How badass. I actually find it hard to say "Starter X" aloud without crossing my arms and getting into a crouched position like I'm bracing for an attack.
Anyway.
On the subject of names, I finally got to name some students! They were all quasi-normal, based on my opinion of normal after having encountered a fair amount of people with English names in the past 22 years. That being said, I take no blame (or credit?) for Bernini, York, Gigi, Pola, Soros, or Vivi, who all signed up for my class with English-ish names.
The class, which I already claimed is not for the faint of heart, can only be described in comparison to my Squirrels. I'm very quick to say that the Squirrel class is the envy of the school, yet I'm just as quick to admit that this was true of them before I took over. They speak incredible English, they have impeccable manners, and a sense of awareness and etiquette that is absent in a great deal of the adult population. Hopefully you're getting the idea of the contrast about to come.
Starter X is on average about 2 years older than the Squirrels. However, the Squirrels have 2 more years of classroom experience (2-0=2). Starter X is hardly a few weeks beyond their first footsteps into a real classroom in Chinese elementary school, so they are lacking the basic knowledge of "sit in a chair and watch the adult in front of you for more than 10 seconds at a time." For me, the gap dividing teacher and student, Chinese and English, is bridged by a puppet. Or an over-sized blow-up dice. This gets them to at least try to repeat what I'm saying. And I try not to say much, because "Okay... say 'pencil'" turns into "okaysaypencil."
I come prepared to class with about 1,000 activities so I can keep their attention at all times by either singing, dancing, hitting myself with a puppet, giving them a hammer to hit flash cards with, juggling, clapping... does the word "clown" come to mind?
Starter X is only 2 extra hours a week, but so far, after 3 weeks, I have yet to come out of that class without sweat on my brow, a hoarse voice and a finger on the trigger. It's a really awesome experience, since this is exactly what I thought I'd be doing over here. Not that I have a problem with how 30 minutes before I step into X-Class I'm listening to my 6-year-old girls explain to me that "A sea turtle's habitat is the ocean and not a pond because they need salt-water to live and will die in fresh water."
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
H1N1
First SARS, then the tsunami, then Typhoon Morakot, and now H1N1. When will God stop using south-east Asia as his personal punching bag?! The humanity!
At the first sign of the H1N1 virus, the world was in a craze. Until Michael Jackson died. Then we pretended to mourn him. Then Kanye totally burned Taylor Swift at the VMAs and we all were upset with him. So on and so forth, the big wheel keeps on turnin'. Only H1N1, or what was informally and formerly known as "swine flu," has not rolled off the ducks' backs quite yet.
I honestly thought that we, the collective global population, were over H1N1. That is until I began to hear my kids talking about. "If you have H1N1 then you will be dead already." Temperatures are now screened at the front door of the school, and each teacher has been issued a large spray bottle of alcohol hand-wash with instructions to "fire at will." Sure enough, H1N1 has crept its way out of hiding and back into our lives.
These days, H1N1 is a sort of lingering fear. Almost teen thriller-esque, with each person wondering who is going to get it next. And just when I was starting to get used to handfuls people on the subway and students in my class wearing surgeon masks on occasion, maybe to be polite if they have the sniffles, the masks become an accessory rivaling the abundance of watches or pants. Instead of students, I have a class of bandits.
"Hmphllo Teaschr Jshon," I hear through the mask. Before a kid answers I have to motion to my mouth to have them pull their mask down so I know what they are saying. Literally, every kid in one of my classes was wearing a mask one day.
On that note, however, my kindergarten class that has 21 kids enrolled in it, averaged 10 students for all of last week. A kid gets sick and they are doctor sanctioned to take 5 days off from school, probably for both recovery and prevention. My class was apparently a day behind the prevention part.
As a vaccination for H1N1 is hopefully around the corner, the struggle to contain the virus continues. For now, I'm safe, but I've instructed Mike to send out an email/post should I get infected and quarantined.
At the first sign of the H1N1 virus, the world was in a craze. Until Michael Jackson died. Then we pretended to mourn him. Then Kanye totally burned Taylor Swift at the VMAs and we all were upset with him. So on and so forth, the big wheel keeps on turnin'. Only H1N1, or what was informally and formerly known as "swine flu," has not rolled off the ducks' backs quite yet.
I honestly thought that we, the collective global population, were over H1N1. That is until I began to hear my kids talking about. "If you have H1N1 then you will be dead already." Temperatures are now screened at the front door of the school, and each teacher has been issued a large spray bottle of alcohol hand-wash with instructions to "fire at will." Sure enough, H1N1 has crept its way out of hiding and back into our lives.
These days, H1N1 is a sort of lingering fear. Almost teen thriller-esque, with each person wondering who is going to get it next. And just when I was starting to get used to handfuls people on the subway and students in my class wearing surgeon masks on occasion, maybe to be polite if they have the sniffles, the masks become an accessory rivaling the abundance of watches or pants. Instead of students, I have a class of bandits.
"Hmphllo Teaschr Jshon," I hear through the mask. Before a kid answers I have to motion to my mouth to have them pull their mask down so I know what they are saying. Literally, every kid in one of my classes was wearing a mask one day.
On that note, however, my kindergarten class that has 21 kids enrolled in it, averaged 10 students for all of last week. A kid gets sick and they are doctor sanctioned to take 5 days off from school, probably for both recovery and prevention. My class was apparently a day behind the prevention part.
As a vaccination for H1N1 is hopefully around the corner, the struggle to contain the virus continues. For now, I'm safe, but I've instructed Mike to send out an email/post should I get infected and quarantined.
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Q and A: Part 4.5
Q: Do they need a license to drive? How old do they have to be?
A: According to the law, a license is required to operate a motor vehicle in Taiwan. That's about as far as I know the rules. I do know of foreigners that have been motor vehicle operators for awhile without licenses, and it's not hard to see how they pull it off.
I know I've mentioned it once or twice, but the amount of scooters in this country is astounding. It would be impossible to have random check-points for licenses, registration, or to look for anything to enforce any laws. It doesn't seem possible to even be able to scan a cluster of scooters for a certain license plate number. And, as previously mentioned, scooters have their own set of laws that allow them to disappear into even the most dense of traffic.
An interesting (and fool-proof, if I might add) idea for an Asian guy:
Rob a bank and have a get-away scooter. No ski-mask needed. What's going to come over the police radio?
"Stay on the lookout for an Asian male, appears to be between the age of 20 and 50. Around 5' 6". Short, straight black hair, dark eyes and driving a black and gray scooter, license plate ##x##x."
It's too bad the people in this country are so damn nice, otherwise I'd recruit somebody and split the NT dollars.
A: According to the law, a license is required to operate a motor vehicle in Taiwan. That's about as far as I know the rules. I do know of foreigners that have been motor vehicle operators for awhile without licenses, and it's not hard to see how they pull it off.
I know I've mentioned it once or twice, but the amount of scooters in this country is astounding. It would be impossible to have random check-points for licenses, registration, or to look for anything to enforce any laws. It doesn't seem possible to even be able to scan a cluster of scooters for a certain license plate number. And, as previously mentioned, scooters have their own set of laws that allow them to disappear into even the most dense of traffic.
An interesting (and fool-proof, if I might add) idea for an Asian guy:
Rob a bank and have a get-away scooter. No ski-mask needed. What's going to come over the police radio?
"Stay on the lookout for an Asian male, appears to be between the age of 20 and 50. Around 5' 6". Short, straight black hair, dark eyes and driving a black and gray scooter, license plate ##x##x."
It's too bad the people in this country are so damn nice, otherwise I'd recruit somebody and split the NT dollars.
Sunday, September 13, 2009
Q and A: Part 4
Here is the latest installment of Q&A, keep the questions coming if you have any.
Q: Are there squirrels? If not, what animals do people typically swerve their car for while driving? Are there scary spiders?
A: For starters, yes, there are scary spiders. Last weekend I adventured up the mountain in Shijr and saw some spiders bigger than my open hand (and cried). And yes, there are indeed squirrels. Each class at my school has an animal name (Hamsters, Koalas, Rabbits, and of course Mike's class: the Unicorns), and my class, the Squirrels. So yeah, there are 21 of them. Besides that, I've seen some real squirrels. However, beyond stupid tiny white dogs with pink ears, stray dogs, stray cats, and cockroaches, animals are hard to come by in a city. Especially on a road, but don't let that fact fool you into thinking people don't swerve while driving.
Traffic laws here are less like laws, and more like guidelines. The lines on the roads are merely indications that at one point they had planned to have some type of organization. Enter: the scooter. A vehicle, that if it follows any laws at all, they are a hybrid of pedestrian, bicycle, and motor vehicle laws, while still taking many of the same liberties granted to an emergency vehicle. The scooter has access to roads, crosswalks, and sidewalks alike, and the scooter operator will not be tied down by a few painted lines on the road. Scooters in traffic are like water, always finding an opening to get through.
Having driven a scooter for a somewhat lengthy distance (more on that later, maybe), I have experienced the mayhem of Taiwan traffic first-hand, and it was has been by far the most terrifying adventure since I've been here.
Q: Are there squirrels? If not, what animals do people typically swerve their car for while driving? Are there scary spiders?
A: For starters, yes, there are scary spiders. Last weekend I adventured up the mountain in Shijr and saw some spiders bigger than my open hand (and cried). And yes, there are indeed squirrels. Each class at my school has an animal name (Hamsters, Koalas, Rabbits, and of course Mike's class: the Unicorns), and my class, the Squirrels. So yeah, there are 21 of them. Besides that, I've seen some real squirrels. However, beyond stupid tiny white dogs with pink ears, stray dogs, stray cats, and cockroaches, animals are hard to come by in a city. Especially on a road, but don't let that fact fool you into thinking people don't swerve while driving.
Traffic laws here are less like laws, and more like guidelines. The lines on the roads are merely indications that at one point they had planned to have some type of organization. Enter: the scooter. A vehicle, that if it follows any laws at all, they are a hybrid of pedestrian, bicycle, and motor vehicle laws, while still taking many of the same liberties granted to an emergency vehicle. The scooter has access to roads, crosswalks, and sidewalks alike, and the scooter operator will not be tied down by a few painted lines on the road. Scooters in traffic are like water, always finding an opening to get through.
Having driven a scooter for a somewhat lengthy distance (more on that later, maybe), I have experienced the mayhem of Taiwan traffic first-hand, and it was has been by far the most terrifying adventure since I've been here.
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