My Favorite Signs and Teachers Day

These are my favorite signs in any country. But, in Taiwan, you won't be surprised to see a scooter on the bike paths. And, you won't be surprised to see a truck or a taxi passing in scooter/bike lane of the street. At least I haven't seen any cars or trucks on the bike paths...yet.




It was Teachers Day was on Monday. It's on Confucius' birthday. The school gave all the teachers a couple of gifts. I couldn't wait to unwrap them. Look at what I got...some bathroom stuff to make me clean and smelling like flower (at least on the outside), and some glass appetizer dishes (shaped like fruits) with tiny forks too. Cool stuff. My students made some nice cards for me too. They wrote some very nice things, and in good English too. Now, if I could only get them to speak...in English.

You Know You're In A Foreign Country When...And The This/That, These/Those Rap

You know you're in a foreign country when there is a vendor selling wine in the school. Last week it was the umbrella salesman. This week it was the wine lady. I don't know if the school gets a cut, but you would never see people selling things in a public school in the US. I can't wait to see what other things I can shop while between classes.

This week I'm teaching It/This/That and They/These/Those. I have a little rap with hand gestures that I use to help the kids remember. They really seem to enjoy it. The teachers seem to like it too. I'm starting to learn that less is more. You gotta take it slow and repeat yourself a lot. If you think they have it...repeat it again.

Fireworks, my desk, and scooters

It's Ghost Month in Taiwan (see my previous post) and fireworks are part of the celebration. Fireworks seems to part of most celebrations in Taiwan. Tonight I got a free display outside my apartment. This picture was taken from my balcony. As you can see they're not lighting off bottle rockets. Noise does not seem to bother the Taiwanese. Last Sunday, in my apartment building, they were drilling into masonry with a hammer drill at 9 PM. They might as well been drilling in my apartment. Remodeling classrooms during school, of course...more hammer drills clacking on masonry. There's nothing like shouting a lesson over the obnoxious noise of a hammer drill. I would pause and wait for a break before starting the lesson again. As soon as I would start to speak...clack, clack, clack, clack. I swear the workers were out to get me. The students just laughed and I smiled with them. Sometimes you just gotta let go, relax, and go with the flow. You gotta have a good sense of humor or teaching will drain you to the bone.
This is my desk at school. All the essentials, as you can see. Textbooks and papers, laptop, water bottle, coffee mug, juice, a poster picture of an old Vail advertisement, and a picture of the family under the glass. The plastic bag under the desk has my basketball clothes. I'm not a very good shot, but I can pass and I'm not too bad on the boards. Considering that I haven't played basketball in over twenty years I feel like I can hold my own.


This is a street in Taichung. Where's my scooter?

Bicycling Into Taichung and A Dog With The Power Of Ten Thousand Gods

This is the new set of wheels I'm borrowing from a teacher for a month. It's a big, big, big step up from the single speed, rusty bun buster I've been riding. I decided to ride it into Taichung this weekend and get some textbooks. The teachers at school thought I was a little crazy when I told them my plan. They said it would take about two hours. I'm happy to say I did it in an hour and twenty minutes and that was with a couple stops. Once to take some photos of graffiti (see my previous post) and once to bask in the power of the god dog.

I must write about the god dog. I was drenched in sweat pedaling up the small mountain between Wuci and Taichung. In the distance I noticed a medium sized black dog trotting toward me on the sidewalk. He was right in my line, and, as I got closer, I realized he wasn't going to break his line. He had thin jagged lines of fur missing from his head. This boy had seen some action. I thought about a short poem from Charles Bukowski called Dog (Love Is A Dog From Hell). It's goes, "a single dog / walking alone on a hot sidewalk of / summer / appears to have the power / of ten thousand gods. / why is this?" I moved out of his way and stopped as he passed. I wanted to bask in the power of this god. He trotted by without a glance. Unaffected like the god he was, his attention would not be wasted on me. I was a mere mortal, and he had a lot of business to take care of.

After my encounter with the god dog (dog spelled backwards...) I was ready to conquer the rest of the mountain. I made it to the top and soon I was racing down into Taichung. With the blessing of the god dog and my Zen Stone cranking bluegrass I was passing scooters into Taichung. Wide eyed scooter drivers were amazed at this crazy foreigner passing them on a bicycle. Without a glance, unaffected, I kept my line...I had a lot of business to take care of. There were textbooks to buy, spicy beef vindaloo and tomato soup to eat, and glass art to admire at Tittot. Tittot makes glass castings with amazing detail and craft. They sponsor the only museum dedicated to glass art in Taiwan with exhibitions of glass artists from all over the world. Check out their website at www.tittot.com if you want to see and learn more.

Taichung Graffiti

This is some graffiti I saw while biking into Taichung the other day.
The style and skill is much better than what I see in Denver.





This is the most simple, but it is my favorite.
Go Freaky Mouse! I wish I knew what Freaky Mouse
was saying.

Transportation & The DMV

I live in a small town of 50,000 people outside of Taichung (the third largest city). Taichung has a lot to offer in the way of culture and shopping, but public transportation from Wuci to Taichung is limited and unreliable. So, I want to get some motorized transportation to get the necessaries and entertainment I need in Taichung. I know, I know...some of you might say, "entertainment is not a need", but in my case it IS. I need some American food (or even Italian or Mexican) and I need to talk to some native English speakers. In any case, I need some transportation and used scooters are very affordable. I can get used scooter for about $8,000-15,000 NT or $250-470 USD. However, license classification is very similar to the United States. You have automobile, motorcycle (2 types), and commercial driver's licenses in Taiwan. An international driver's license (with a automobile classification) will allow me to drive a car and a scooter up to 90cc. I've been warned that a 50-90cc scooter just won't have the power and that I will find it uncomfortable to drive. But, I need a motorcycle license to get a larger of scooter and that's the glitch.

The glitch is that there is no DMV in Wuci. Yes, a town of 50K doesn't have a DMV. Even Shalu, the next town closer to Taichung, doesn't have a DMV. I will have to take an hourly, or bi-hourly if they're running late, bus to Taichung to get to the DMV. After getting into Taichung I will have to switch buses or take a cab to the DMV. When it's all said and done the waiting and traveling will take about 2-3 hours, and I haven't stepped inside the DMV yet. To get a motorcycle license I will have to get a health check-up, take a written test, take a driving test, and pay some fees. Oh, and don't forget to bring your own photos, and make sure they're the right size (the photos I had taken for my Alien Resident Card and Health Insurance Card are too big). So, now I'm up to 3-4 hours, if I'm lucky, but I'm still not home. Add my return bus ride and I've spent the entire working day getting my license. That's assuming I pass the written and driving test. I've heard it's not uncommon for foreigners to fail the written test because the translations are not very good. But, if that happens I can come back in 7 days and try again (woohoo!). And, who knows how much it will cost? It could be NT $800 or maybe only $350. Even the Taiwanese English teachers at my school can't decipher the Chinese forms. The best part is that the DMV is open from 8-5 PM Monday through Friday. So, I would have to take a day off from school to get my license. Yeah, the Taiwan DMV is not making it easy. The state DMVs I've dealt with in the US seem like models of efficiency and convenience.

And, a quick note on driving in Taiwan. You cannot assume that anyone will follow any rules or laws at anytime. I have seen more red lights run in the few weeks I've been in Taiwan than I saw in two years back in the states. Going the wrong way down a one-way, driving in the wrong lane, crossing the center line, and double parking are also common driving habits I've seen. Speeding seems relatively rare in comparison so that's a good thing, but it's real close to anarchy on the streets.

Old School Teacher

I saw a student get wacked across the back of his legs in the teacher's office the other day. A law was made three years ago that makes hitting students illegal, but obviously some teachers still use the practice. She is an older teacher and I think it was fairly common before the law was passed. I'm told Confucius promoted punishing students with physical pain to make them stronger. I'm very glad this is the first time I have seen this, but it is only the second week of school. It really made me uncomfortable and I could tell the younger teachers in the office were uncomfortable too. That gives me hope...there are better ways motivate students. What do you teach a student when you punish them with physical pain? If you have a problem with a subordinate you hit them. I won't buy it.

Campus And Classrooms At Wuci

This is a temperature taking station
outside of the health office. Students
and faculty get their temperature taken every
morning.
This is the track and field in back of the school.
There is an outside basketball court at the end.
They also have a gymnasium for plays, ceremonies,
and other sports. Oh, and there's an underground
table tennis room. They created some above ground
parking and must have made a service area below. Now
it is used for table tennis, a big sport in Taiwan.

This is the common area. The school
buildings are arranged like a large, four
story triangle.
This is a typical classroom. Not much
in the way of technology. Students
are assigned to a classroom and stay
with the same kids all day. The teachers
move around from classroom to
classroom. Last year, the foreign teacher
had her own room with a computer projector, white
board and huge tables. There's a good chance I'm making
more money than most teachers and maybe
the principle. I told them, not in these words,
that I wanted to be in the trenches with them. Besides,
other teachers should have access to that technology so
I didn't want to seem selfish. It's also good for me to get
down to teaching basics.
Another view of the classroom. You will
notice that there are no air conditioners.
I can't wait for winter and cooler days.
Oh yeah, notice the mops hanging on the wall.
They also clean the blackboard. I come to class
early to write down the agenda on the board.
Of course, I start cleaning the board. Students practically
knock each other over to get to the blackboard and clean
it off for me. Every teacher gives 0-5 points for classroom
cleanliness each period.

I Love The Smell Of Chalk In The Morning

I love the smell of chalk in the morning...it smells like learning. Another day at school is finished, my schedule gets me out of school at noon today and I have a late start tomorrow. It will give me chance to get some planning done, but mostly I will rest and play some basketball this afternnon. I'm hoping to score more than one point this time.

A little about school structure in Taiwan. Students have their own classroom with the same classmates. So, teachers move from classroom to classroom. Each classroom has a log/grade book that each teacher signs after their lesson. They give 0-5 points to the class for behavior and 0-5 points for tidiness of the school. Yes, that's right, tidiness. Students not only clean off the chalk board but they clean the school grounds. They clean classrooms, bathrooms, the teacher's offices, the gymasium, and the school grounds (leaves, trash, etc.). The students clean everything in the school. It seems like a great idea (except for the bathrooms...it would be nice a have a professional cleaning) since students have more respect for the school. They're not going to throw trash around since they will have to clean it up later. The janitors, or maintenance staff, are only here to fix chairs, replace lights, remodel classrooms, and perform other skilled labor.

On another subject, I've noticed that it is common for teachers to be casually late for class. Teachers usually arrrive about 3-5 past the bell. Of course, I am there early...writing down the agenda for the day and getting my lesson organized. Remember, I have cooperating Taiwanese English teachers in most of my classes. They stay in the classroom with me to help with discipline and translation. As I am preparing I have had a few of my cooperating teachers come into the classroom (with a confused look on their face) and say something like, "Class doesn't start for 5 minutes." I think the teachers see the 10 minute passing period as time for the students to unwind and blow off steam. Or, maybe it's just a culture of casually late people. When I was invited by some teachers to play basketball last week they arrived about 15 minutes past three. They told me three o'clock. I thought it was likely that they didn't know how to say..."a quarter past three", but now I'm beginning to think that it's okay to be casually late. I guess I should try to fit in, but I will still be a little early.

My First Full-Day Of School

Apparently I'm not the only one confused (see my post from yesterday). I went to my first class today and the regular teacher wasn't expecting me until next week. So, I don't feel too bad about accidentally blowing off the 4:00 PM class yesterday (Uh, I was only 10 minutes late). And since were talking about being late I've noticed that students and teachers are not real firm on class starting times. In fact, I was five minutes into my first class (I was 10 minutes early today) when the teacher arrived at the classroom. As I mentioned, she was surprised to see me there, but she introduced me and let me go on with the lesson. The students are very shy, it is hard to get them to speak alone or ask questions. Even with their regular teachers they are used to a teacher-centered, drill-and-repeat type of class. It is good that I have a friendly personality and a good sense of humor, but I don't push the students to speak...at least not yet. The after school class (for extra pay) was really great. They are the advanced students and they come from all the surrounding schools to take the class. In general, they are more motivated so I will be able to try more activities with this group. After my first day I'm tired and my throat is sore but it's good to teaching.

My 7-11 Dinner And Breakfast

This is my 7-11 dinner and breakfast.
Two stuffed dumplings, two sushi rolls, and
a pork chop rice box with eggs, ham, seaweed,
tofu, and green chilies. For breakfast I'll eat
the pastry with cream filling and drink
the little bottle of yogurt. Yogurt comes
in liquid form in Taiwan. I've never seen
it in the 'firm' form familiar in the U.S. I
like it...it goes down fast.

Surprises And Cool Reminders From Home

Well, the first surprise came when the military 'boy' who guards the school took my rusty bike to be fixed. The bottom bracket was squealing and clunking and the chain would slip on the rear cogs. He told me he was going to use the bike to 'patrol' the school grounds, or that's what I thought he said. It was a great surprise. Now, I can pedal again. We need guys like this at the public schools in the U.S.

The other surprise was getting my class schedule at 3:00 and realizing I had a class at 4:00. But, I wasn't expecting to start until tomorrow. No plan...who needs plans. I had a lot of fun in class. I'm like a reed. Those years of substitute teaching have made me tough but flexible. My schedule is light on Mondays and Wednesdays, but it's heavy on Tuesday and Thursday. It will be good to start the week on a quiet note. I have two classes tomorrow. I will plan for those classes, but it's good to know that I can do it on the fly.

I'm still unpacking and found a refrigerator magnet that a friend made for me. It has a quote from Martin Buber (Austrian philosopher) that reads, "All journeys have secret destinations of which of the traveler is unaware." It's a good way to mark the way to my food and drink.

More Foods

These are called Dragon's Eyes. They're about the size of a quarter and have a hard shell you peel to get to the meat. The meat has the appearance and consistency of a grape, but it has one very large dark seed. The taste is similar to a very sweet but slightly green honeydew melon. I know that sounds strange, but they are very good.


This is the 'pizza' that comes from the Bread Store on the corner of my block. It looks like pizza, but there's no tomato sauce and it's baked on regular bread. Those are strips of cheese that have been baked on top and slices of 'sausage' that resemble small hot dogs. It's not American style pizza, but it's still good eating for about a buck. Plus it's hard to beat the convenience.

The New Flat

This is my new flat on the 4th floor. My previous apartment was a dorm style apartment with a a single window that opened onto an inside atrium so this is quite an upgrade. The American teacher who moved out left it messy, but he left me a printer, hot plate, water filter, and the Clone Wars trooper helmet (next to the TV) so I can't complain too much. You can see the balcony in this picture. It's not a sitting balcony, but large enough to dry some clothes. This is the multi-functional bedroom, cooking and eating room. From this angle, the bathroom is to the left of the bed. It's a standing shower bathroom without a tub. I will miss having a tub.

This is the front hallway with the sitting room on the right.

This is the sitting room with the table extended and my new 'girlfriend' Joy in the corner. Her full name is Enjoy, she's imported from China, has a two-tone finish, holds a key decently, and she's fun to play.
This is the sitting room with the table retracted into the floor. The ceiling light has two switches. One for the bright globes and one for the soft lights (pictured). This has become the office and computer room.

Ghost Month

This is Ghost Month in Taiwan. It's a month to honor the dead. People put fruit, beer, dried soup, and all kinds of food and drink out on a table in front of their house. Then they burn incense and burn ghost money (fake money) in small covered fireplaces out in the street (remember, no sidewalks for the most part). The idea is that your relatives on the other side get some nourishment, catch a little buzz, and have some cash to spend (but the food is brought back inside at the end of the day and consumed by the living). In some parts of Wuci, it looks like two or three business will get together and erect a tent over the street essentially making it a one lane street. They'll put out long tables and have larger versions of the covered fireplaces. They are nice enough to put flashing red lights along the edge so drivers don't hit the tent, although I don't know how you could miss them. There are fireworks and other displays that go along with the month long homage. On some streets there is so much ghost money being burnt that it makes it hard to ride along without getting burning ashes in your eyes. The other day I had to stop a few times to wipe my eyes. Those scooter helmets with the full visor were looking good.

Another Typhoon? Or Cheeseburgers In Paradise?

There is another typhoon (Class 1 out of 3) in East Asia. I'm hoping it misses Taiwan. Things are still getting cleaned up from Morakat and many people in the south part of the island are still living in temporary housing.

On a lighter note, I've been dreaming of cheeseburgers. I was in a bowling alley airport with a bunch of stranded travelers, but I wasn't traveling. I was just hanging out and eating cheeseburgers. I dunno, any comments, you tell Mr., Ms., or Mrs. Freud.

Old News New Pictures

These are pictures of the 5-Star Howard Hotel in Taipei. At the beginning of August, this is where all the foreign teachers for the Ministry of Education (the public school program) gathered for the orientation. Like I've posted before, they love waterfalls, rivers, and water troughs. Atriums seem to be popular too.

Swine Flu, Drama Club, Extra Pay, Planning From The Hip

There have been a few deaths from swine flu in Taiwan and the public schools are being very proactive. All teachers and students have their temperature taken at the gate to the school when they arrive in the morning. If you have a temperature then you go to the doctor and get tested for the virus. If you have the virus then you cannot go to school until you are well. It may seem like they're over reacting, but the avian flu hit Taiwan hard and I think some people in charge lost their heads (as the saying goes) for not doing enough. So, now they are doing more than enough.
On a brighter note, I have just learned that I will be 'teaching' the Drama Club on Friday mornings. I will have to write and produce a 30-45 minute play in English. I will also have a few classes after school for advanced students. All of these classes will be considered extra hours and I will get extra pay. This is one the big benefits of working for the public schools in Taiwan.
I'm still not sure what the rest of my teaching schedule will be until next week. I know that I will not have my own classroom. I know that the regular classrooms are standard or even primitive. They are old school. The classrooms have small desks and a blackboard. I could get an overhead projector, but I would have to bring it to each classroom, and I've been told that some classes don't have a screen so what's the point. I've also been told not to worry about reading, writing, and grammar. I'm creating original lesson plans without a textbook, and I have the impression that they want the students to be excited to learn (have fun if you will). I interpret this as lots of singing and games. I'll still need to slide some listening activities, fill in the blank, drill and repeat, and other teacher directed learning to keep the students in line. In many ways, I'm planning from the hip and taking no prisoners.