This is the University for Educational Research in Sanshia where we had our in-service training. Sanshia is a small city just outside of Taipei. A student teacher from Wuci went with me. The foreign English teachers from across Taiwan showed videos of their teaching and gave a short presentation on the teaching environment of their school. Two professors from the Ministry of Education observed and gave feedback on the videos and presentations. The pace of the in-service was more relaxed than the orientation. We had plenty of time to chat with other teachers and find a little fun at night.
A cool butterfly in the courtyard after lunch. Ceramic art outside the Ceramics Museum.
The Toilet King was born in Sanshia. This piece appears as if it's glowing from within. The impressions on this piece were made with pin heads. My guitar, Joy, would be jealous but I had to take a picture of this piece. This piece is about three feet across. The driftwood art shop where the artist reuses old bed springs, lamps, and other household items in his art.
Soccer is not a popular sport in Taiwan. It just takes up too much space. This photo illustrates this sociological reality in Taiwan. A small rice paddy is slipped in next to some shipping containers.
I just like the artistic quality of this photo. The straight lines and colors of the human made bike path and shipping containers interrupted by one small tree. And, right in front of the small tree, is one damaged and bulging shipping container. Which reality is more permanent, I ask?
So, I'm waiting for the bus by the Capital Hotel. It's a nice Hotel in Wuci where foreigners and businessmen stay. Sometimes, I will wait inside and drink some coffee. There's a young guy working the counter who is studying English so he likes to talk to me. He went to school in Wuci and knows many of the teachers that I work with. He says he wished there were foreign English teachers at Wuci JHS when he was going to school. I'm the fourth or fifth foreign teacher they've had at Wuci JHS.
As I sit, a blue garbage truck rolls by spitting smoky fumes. The motto on the side of the truck reads, "Overlook The Future". I know what they're trying to say, but the irony makes me smile a cynical smile. It's a cold and windy day and the smog is hanging in the air. I open my small journal and write this:
Blue garbage truck reads Overlook The Future Yellow sky, cold wind
I've been told by a few Taiwanese people that I am not like most Americans. Apparently, I speak slower and softer than the typical American. I've always had this perception of myself so it's encouraging to hear other people validate my observations. I don't have a lot of contact with foreigners so when I go to Taichung and I run into a group of Americans at a pub or a restaurant these qualities are jarringly clear.
I went to the small mountain town of Puli for New Year's Eve. Small by Taiwan standards Puli is about 90,000 people. It is in a lush mountain valley and known for the fresh natural mineral water that is bottled and sold. I rolled into town with a couple of friends about 11 PM. We checked into the hot springs hotel and then drove back into town to look for a pub to celebrate the New Year. We didn't find any pubs so we stopped at a Family Mart near the edge of town that was nestled between a gas station and a public restroom. We got some food and found a table in front to drink our bottle of wine. There were a lot of people around so it festive but relaxed.
New Year's Eve is always a difficult time for me. It reminds me of one thing that is missing in my life, someone to love and be loved by. Although I was a bit melancholy I was happy to be with friends and looking forward to soaking in the hot springs in the morning. The hot springs are wonderful. There are coed pools outside for those with bathing suits, or there are men's and women's pools inside for naked soaking. I did the naked springs. There are three pools of different temperatures and a sauna. The pools tiled but are surrounded by natural rocks and plants to give a natural appearance. It's a very peaceful and relaxing atmosphere. What a great way to start the New Year.
A quick nap after the hot springs and then it was time to drive into the mountains for some lunch. It was foggy but the restaurant on the side of the mountain still offered good views and good food. Then it was back to Taichung and a bus ride to Wuci. I was tired, but ending up going to the gym to workout and then home to relax.
That's how you say Merry Christmas in Chinese. Phonetic translations are always difficult, but that's how I hear it.
I was in Taichung seeing some friends and bumming around Chung Yo mall this weekend. Most brands and chains are available at the big malls. I don't do much shopping there, but I like to walk around. The shopping malls are a nice place to walk. They're built high instead of wide so you ride the escalator a lot, but they're still a good place to wander around. The cities and towns in Taiwan don't really have sidewalks so it's quite tiresome to walk around outside. A band was playing in front of the mall. They're singing, "happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you, happy birthday, happy birthday, happy birthday Merry Christmas." Well, I've never heard it put quite like that before, but it works for me. Happy Birthday Dear Jesus!
The things I miss from home has moved into a new phase. I seem to have developed a craving for American food. Big Mac's to be exact. I've had three in one week. I used to like Big Mac's a lot when I was younger. Mom was a good mother. We didn't eat fast food very often so they were a treat. I have memories of being 6 or 7 and going to the McDonald's on Cass Avenue for a Big Mac. There was a play land at that McDonald's too. In any case, Big Mac's seem to be my comfort food at the moment.
Well, it's Christmas eve in Taiwan. I just had some dinner and drinks with some teachers. I got a couple of CDs by Joanna Wang, a bottle of Tequilla, and some cycling gloves. Joanna Wang is a young singer, composer, and left handed guitar player with a sexy and mature voice. She sings in English and Taiwanese and covers some great songs like New York State of Mind, Tikiville, Vincent, and Rebel Rebel. I'm very thankful for how welcome people make me feel in Taiwan. Santa Clause even made a visit to the school today to pass out candy. It's amazing how little familiar things from home make me feel more comfortable. Little things I never paid much attention to while I was living in the United States have become vivid and clear. My time in Taiwan has really brought these things to the surface and solidified them for me. For this I am thankful too. What will be the little things that are solidified from Taiwan I wonder?
Tonight, while I was riding my bicycle home, I rode by the gymnasium. There was a dancing class inside that I could spy through the open doors. I smiled as I noticed a large group of people dancing alone with invisible partners to "Itsy Bitsy Bikini." Wiggily beautiful strangeness follows me wherever I go. Or, is that wiggily strangeness in my head waiting to look out? Does it matter?
I went on a picnic to Daija last weekend. It's a medium sized city north of Wuci. I went with six other families and a few tag-alongs. We drove up into the hills nearby and walked around a large park. This is a mural at the beginning of our journey. It tells the story about a general who dug a well with a sword.
This is the well that the general dug. That's a small part of our group around the well. As you can see. It's getting cold in Taiwan. It was cloudy and 14 degrees Celsius (57 degrees Fahrenheit). With high humidity and strong winds 57 degrees is bone chilling. I was wearing a down coat that I bought in Taichung but expected to wear in Colorado.
This is a pillar at a temple just above our parking area. I really like these detailed relief carvings. A small oven next to a very big oven. These are for burning ghost money. Ghost money is fake money that you burn for your relatives that have passed on. It's like sending a care package to the other side. I've never seen a ghost oven as big as this one. The brick ovens usually have pictures of stories and fables on the outside. A nicely trimmed tree that also makes a nice archway. The Buddha looks over the well manicured gardens below. A nice mosaic that surrounds the base of the Buddha. After our walk in the park we went to a nearby high school to cook food. This high school was very large and had several buildings. It was like a small community college. The student activity center was opened for our use. It was nice to get some shelter from the cold and wind. Some of the kids are playing dodge ball. We had four different stoves going on the side of the student activity center. This is blood rice. It's rice that's 'glued' together into blocks with, yes, blood. It's good to eat. The flavor is not strong.
I took a morning ride with a teacher last week. We rode about 24 km up into the mountains near Wuci. Before climbing into the mountains we took a break at a temple. Like temples all over the country there is an oven for burning ghost money. Ghost money is fake money that is burned as an offering to relatives who have died. Anyway, there is a picture on the side of the oven of a man being stopped by two robbers. The man has two baskets of fruit. One is filled with red fruit and the other is filled with green fruit. The man was planning on bringing the green fruit, which is sour fruit, to his mother and keeping the red fruit, the sweet fruit, for himself. I'm not sure how the robbers get involved, but I gather that the morale is don't bring your mother sour fruit. This is a very popular story and the teacher tells me that he tells this story to his kids.
This an elaborate facade that was constructed in a parking lot in Wuci. It was up for the weekend and I think it has something to do with a local temple. There were a lot of fireworks this weekend too. It's quite elaborate, colorful, and dynamic. I'm guessing that each scene is a parable or story. It was very windy, as it is most days in Wuci in the winter, so the sound is not so good.
A cool butterfly in the courtyard after lunch.
Ceramic art outside the Ceramics Museum.
The Toilet King was born in Sanshia.
This piece appears as if it's glowing from within.
The impressions on this piece were made with pin heads.
My guitar, Joy, would be jealous but I had to take a picture of this piece.
This piece is about three feet across.
The driftwood art shop where the artist reuses old bed springs, lamps, and other household items in his art.
I just like the artistic quality of this photo. The straight lines and colors of the human made bike path and shipping containers interrupted by one small tree. And, right in front of the small tree, is one damaged and bulging shipping container. Which reality is more permanent, I ask?
This is the well that the general dug. That's a small part of our group around the well. As you can see. It's getting cold in Taiwan. It was cloudy and 14 degrees Celsius (57 degrees Fahrenheit). With high humidity and strong winds 57 degrees is bone chilling. I was wearing a down coat that I bought in Taichung but expected to wear in Colorado.
This is a pillar at a temple just above our parking area. I really like these detailed relief carvings.
A small oven next to a very big oven. These are for burning ghost money. Ghost money is fake money that you burn for your relatives that have passed on. It's like sending a care package to the other side. I've never seen a ghost oven as big as this one. The brick ovens usually have pictures of stories and fables on the outside.
A nicely trimmed tree that also makes a nice archway.
The Buddha looks over the well manicured gardens below.
A nice mosaic that surrounds the base of the Buddha.
After our walk in the park we went to a nearby high school to cook food. This high school was very large and had several buildings. It was like a small community college.
The student activity center was opened for our use. It was nice to get some shelter from the cold and wind. Some of the kids are playing dodge ball.
We had four different stoves going on the side of the student activity center. 
This is blood rice. It's rice that's 'glued' together into blocks with, yes, blood. It's good to eat. The flavor is not strong.
