I'm.... cold?

Yes people, I'm cold, in Taiwan. I'm embarrassed for myself.  Ashamed that a true Midwesterner can't handle the mild "winter" weather of a subtropical island.  But really, it's worse than you would think!  And what's winter without bitching about the cold?

     I was told that the coldest it gets is around 50 F, which is nothing right? Thus far it probably hasn't been much lower than that, but I'm not sure, I don't carry a thermometer.  But pair that with wind, constant blowing rain, not having a car and always walking outside, being damp alllll the time, and living in an apt with tile floors, did I mention there is no such thing as heat here?  Ok that's a slight lie, some of the larger department stores have heat, but the schools? No way. I get to school, after walking outside in the wind and rain for generally at least 20 minutes, and there's no heat inside.  I go into my classroom, where all of the children are wearing 5 layers of clothing, minimum.  Seriously.  It's insane how many clothes the kids wear, like 3 long sleeve shirts, a sweater, their uniform, a vest, a jacket.  At least their parents are just trying to keep them warm!  But then they bitch about it being hot all the time.  Hello! I'm not hot, I'm wearing a long sleeve shirt, the warmest thing I packed!  They generally get their way though as it's part of some Feng shui belief that with so many children in a room the windows must be open to circulate all of the energy and balance things out.  Fine, whatever, but I'm COLD! I don't want to have all of the windows open to create a constant breeze chilling me even more.  Eeehhh.

     Am I complaining? Yes.  I'm also being a bit over dramatic. but it is an issue.   Trying to sleep sometimes I shiver and shiver.  So I bought another blanket last week and some big thick sweatpants, it's much more comfortable to sleep now.  I know of many other foreign teachers who have bought space heaters, and even heat fans, so I'm not alone.  Don't judge me! You don't know!  Ok, I'm done with that.  Now onto Christmas Season!!

      As you may or may not recall, the school that I work at had a Halloween Haunted House for Halloween, we decided to do a similar activity for the Holiday's.  People know what Christmas is here, and they somewhat celebrate it.  It's mainly popular because the Taiwanese people love bright and shiny and flashy things, so naturally Christmas holds many attractive qualities to them.  Many stores had lights and Christmas trees blinged out with gold and red garlands and all sorts of things.  It was impossible to buy a string of lights that didn't flash around and blink.  At least we were able to decorate our apartment!  We also decorated at school and got things ready for Christmas House.

      This time I was in charge of the Story Room, where I had to put together a few story boards with the help of Cindy, one of my Chinese Teachers.  I decided to use the story from one of the old claymations "Santa Claus is Coming to Town" to tell them about how Santa came to be.  I think it was a hit, a lot of the kids seemed really into the story and we told it quite dramatically, so that was fun.  Other activities we had for the Christmas House was a balloon game, cupcake decorating, and they watched "Frosty the Snowman."  It took place on Dec. 24th, Christmas Eve.. which was kind a bummer cause I had to be at work til 4:30, but it wasn't so bad.  

  Little decorations a bunch of kids made for Christmas to hang on the walls! 

Cindy with one group of kids after our Story

 Me with another group!

Santa and Mrs. Claus handing out candy after the kids sang.

I'm an Elf, with the beautiful tree I made...

Santa and one of the Elves!  My "pin" says Santa is Coming!

      After the Christmas House I took the bus back and was home for 15 minutes before heading off for more Christmas fun.  Nate, my friend from college who lives here too, is dating a Taiwanese girl, named Rainy.  She is from Jhongli, where I live, and she decided to put together a big Christmas meal for Nate with a bunch of her friends and family.  They invited Anthony, Greta, and I to come along, too!  It was really nice to spend Christmas Eve with some other familiar faces.  We had a huge meal with chicken, roast beef, mashed potatoes, stuffing, deviled eggs, pasta, salad, soup, apple pie, strawberry pie, wine, whiskey.  It was good. After eating and hanging around we came home and ended our Christmas Eve watching some Dexter, did I mention I'm addicted to that show now?  

Most of the food at our Christmas Eve Feast

      The next day, on actual Christmas, we opened presents in the morning.  Santa found us all the way over here!!  I feel so lucky to have gotten so many packages from home!! It was lovely.  The 3 of us also exchanged gifts and I received a lovely clutch from Greta and an awesome new touch screen camera from Anthony! My camera had an unfortunate ending about a month ago, and although it still functions, the screen is completely cracked in.  Then Greta and I spent the rest of the afternoon shopping and walking around.  When we came home we had a supper of chicken pesto with spicy bratwurst.  Then we went to the park to takes pictures of the pretty Christmas lights they put up. 

     It was a pretty fabulous weekend, although we were all really missing home and our families.  Good thing for Skype, we were able to see Julius and Toby show us all of their thousands of Christmas presents, it was so cute.  And being able to talk to everyone was really great!  Welll I think that's all for now.  Next time you hear from me will be next year! ha, haha! 

Christmas morning, Santa was here!!

The glorious park with beautiful lights and people :) 

Today was a Weird Day.. Let me Tell you About it

      It began pretty normally, Anthony and I just joined a gym at SOGO, a huge department store with a fitness center on the 9th floor located conveniently right across the street (maybe you already knew that).  So my alarm went off and we decided we were too tired to go.  Give me a break we JUST joined and have already gone twice! So we went back to sleep, got up an hour later, got ready for work, and out the door.  Today was filled with lovely bouts of rain, so we walked to to work with our umbrellas and splashing water. By work I mean the branch in Jhongli that Anthony always works at and the place were I meet my ride every Monday, Wednesday, Friday at noon (rough morning huh?) We arrived around 11:15 though because Anthony had a lot of homework to grade and I needed to run some errands.
      So from there I went to the post office (please read the updated post of We Won... to hear about this bit) then I came back, we got lunch, and then I met Helen and Daniel and we were off to YangMei (where I work).  As we were en route to YangMei we came to a red light.  A plastic bag man (I say this because when it rains, everyone wears huge ponchos (I'm having deja vou that I've written about this before.. somewhere?) (Why am I using so many damn parenthesis!) so the ponchos, they are large and look like big sacks draped over the scooter riders, I feel like they're just gonna blow away right off the scooter)))))   So I noticed this man waving his arm, at first I thought he was just another weirdo trying to wave at a foreigner (I swear I'm not conceited) but then he kept on.  I mention to Helen that I think this man is trying to convey a message.  She rolls down her window and they begin a back and forth and I gather something about the tire on her car.  She thanks him ( I can understand at least ONE thing!) and tells us that yes, the man let her know that her back tire is very flat, almost no air.  "How are we still going?" Helen asks, and then adds "Taiwanese people are so kind, he kept calling me 'may-may.'" This means little sister, it's a thing the Taiwanese have with calling complete strangers endearing names like this.  "May-may" I actually knew, too!  I've decided this kind stranger probably figured the tire was flat from the 2 fat Americans slouching down the right side of the vehicle (me in front, Daniel in back).  Helen thinks we should stop quickly for her to get the tire inspected, so we do.  We pull into one of the thousands of mechanic garages on the street and someone comes up to speak with her, fills all the tires with air, let's her know that her tires are worn down rather thinly and she should replace them soon, and we're back on our way to YangMei!  Yay. 
      The fun has only just begun.  We arrive to our school in YangMei and I'm enjoying the twenty minutes of peace until Uncle (this is what all of the Chinese Teachers refer to the bus drivers as, there are 2 in YangMei, both are "named" Uncle.  Yea I have no idea what their real names are, maybe it really is Uncle?  That's what I refer to them as) pulls up with a bus full of screaming children that will start to run a muck around begging for candy and treats and screaming and laughing like lunatics.  Shortly after these joyous children that I teach arrive, I notice Helen in a dispute with a man near the door.  At first I figure he's just a parent, you know trying to get a free HESS water bottle or sticker book.  Then their voices get louder and quicker and I decide he's just an angry man fighting with Helen about some other issue.  They go back and forth for a few minutes, and one of the secretaries joins in, Helen walks away and makes a phone call.  Then both Uncle's are there, and I start to piece together that something happened between the man and one of the Uncle's.  I figure maybe Uncle was driving like a maniac (I've been in the bus before, sans children and he takes turns quite sharply)  and hit him or he ran into the bus or who knows.  By bus I actually mean more like an extended mini-van, no where near to the size of an actual school bus from the US.  So the 3 men go outside and are inspecting the back of the bus.  I was right!  
        By this time Helen comes over to me and explains that the man is upset because at some point he ran into the back of the bus and broke a light or something, and Uncle charged his 500 NT (like 15 US dollars) and now he's come back because he thinks it's too much and he doesn't want to be screwed over.  Hm.. The next thing I know, the police have arrived!  There were 3 or 4 of them there, all staring at the back of the vehicle.  Then they moved inside and more yelling commenced.  By this point I had gone into my classroom (which is on the 1st floor and you can see the main lobby/front doors from my door window) and was trying to keep the kids from all staring and running out to eavesdrop on the unfolding drama.  Although perhaps I should have and had them translate for me!  Now the next time I check on the action, there's another man there.  Helen comes into my room to explain that this is the man's father.  Oh of course, it makes sense that he should be there.  It's now a big argument with the secretaries, the Uncles, the police, the man and his father.  WHAT IS GOING ON?!  I turn back out to look a few minutes later and now the original angry man is sobbing, trying to blubber out his Chinese sentences.  What a mess.  They are all gathered around the video cameras in the corner and apparently one of  the secretaries wanted to show the man's father how angry and rude he was when he first came bursting into our school.  I guess he was ashamed of himself now for such actions.  The last glimpse I caught of this story was the man and his dad walking away down the street with the father tugging at the man's arm and he seemed to be scolding him.  The man was at least in his 30's I'd say. Off they went into the rain.  Helen's last comment, "He is definitely crazy."  
     
      I started my class soon after this.  TreeHouse 1, with kids around 7 years old.  One girl who's a real treat was staring at me today.
"Teacher my are black and you are blue"
"What?"  
"Your eyes, I am black, yours are blue"
"Yup, they are"
"Your eyes are broken teacher."


Then during break time today- this same girl has become the sugar mama with treats during break time.  The story is, she used to never listen to me and one day she came in to class and threw her book at me.  I took her books and threw them out into the hallway and told her she could leave if she was going to be rude to me.  Then the whole class started chanting for her to leave.  (I don't think I could quite fit the standards of teaching in America, they slightly encourage yelling at the kids here)  This just so happened to be the same random day that her grandma decided to show up and bring her a snack for after class.  Well she arrived to find her crying and they had a talk and now everyday her grandma brings her snacks.  Since this encounter we've gotten along much better.  Anyways during break time today she was passing out and sharing her snacks with the other kids and said to the naughtiest boy in class "You see you have to be good, more people give you candy." She should take her own advice!  

    After this class I went out to my desk area and there were two boys sitting in the seats next to me.  They are brothers, and I have them both in classes.  At first they were just goofing around, laughing and looking at me to tell me how crazy the other one is.  Then it escalated into some heavy pinching and hair pulling and before I knew it one of them had gotten all of his items together and left the building.  Apparently he was running away or something.  One of the Chinese Teachers called him back and once he was inside again he went over to his brother and started pounding him in the arm and more with the pulling of the hair and they were going at it.  She pulled them apart and was talking to them, again in Chinese.. I can only infer what was going on.  Well the end result was the one who tried to leave ran upstairs crying and the other sitting next to me still was also crying.  They are 11 and 12, oh boys.  I got to witness my first mild Asian school fight. 

Happy Sounds Make Happy People

       The garbage system in Taiwan is pretty.. interesting.  Although I didn't actually realize it at the time, we lucked out with the apartment we chose because there is a trash room in the basement.  Taiwan has gotten really into recycling, and you are only allowed to throw garbage into approved bags, which you need to buy.  That means no using left over Target bags as trash bags.. if there were Targets here anyways, tear :(  In our trash room there are a bunch of labeled bins to direct you where to dispose of such items.  So to recap, taking out the trash for us isn't difficult, we just go down to the basement, toss our shit, and we're out.
       For many other people and places, however, it can be a bit more of a challenge.  Often times you are left to run out after the truck to deliver them your trash bags.  How do you know when the truck is coming, you ask? Excellent question.  Well, rather conveniently, there is a catchy tune associated with all of the garbage trucks around here.  Most often it's Beethoven's Fur Elise or sometimes Maiden's Prayer, always classical music.  This songs plays as the truck drives around so that everyone can hear it and know when to run out to dispose of their waste! Yahoooo! But yea I don't have to deal with that, I just get to enjoy the splendid tunes all day!

Here's a picture of one of the many trucks rolling down my street!
And here you can check out an actual video to see it in action....   http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=endscreen&NR=1&v=L55JJAavSe0

     In other news, the buses also play some good stuff.  Not as they drive around to the public or anything, but to the passengers, before they leave.  No boring eeeerrrrrr to announce your departure.  Usually it's a lovely arrangement of dings and notes that play together.  I want to say it's a song of some sort... but I can't quite put my finger on it.  And generally each bus is different.  All the buttons on the side of the bus light up in unison then too to the beat of the music.  They're happy tunes and it pleases me when someone pushes the button, unless of course the bus driver is feeling owly and stops the music right away.  My bus card just makes a lame beep though, no fun there.