Chance Hotel Taichung

... the whole concert (it was in Chinese though). It was fun to get dressed up and go to the concert.

The weather here is starting to change. The days are still pretty warm but at night it is starting to get cold. I never thought I would say this but it is in the 60's and I was really cold last night! I was in pants and a sweatshirt coming home from badminton on my scooter last night at it was cold! I am going to need to get a jacket and some winter clothes.The ...

... for a while. We then called it a night and rented some movies and watched a movie. It was a good SMU Alumni weekend Taiwanese style!

Oh and one last note we got a new T.V. this weekend! We have been watching T.V. with no color for the past month. We had complained a couple times and we finally got a new one....a nice flat screen! Thank you Cornel!! :)

Well that is all for now, sorry this one was so long!

Until later....love ya and miss ya!

... starting to really know my way around town and be able to recognize some street names! I am finding some of my favorite places to go. One of my favorites is the stationary stores. I love sending greeting cards. Some of them are just so ridiculous and the Chinese to English translations make me laugh. Feel free to email me your address and I will try to get some mail to you while I am here! I enjoy writing letters home! I also love going to the 10NT store ...

... some parents complain that their students aren't getting enough homework...even during the summer program. These kids don't get much of a break! My observation went well and I wasn't as nervous as I thought I would!

I figured I would include a couple more random tidbits about how life in Taiwan is a little bit different than in the states.

1. On most stop lights they have a countdown to when the light will turn green. Most people don't wait ...

It has been a busy week. I now have 2 weeks of teaching under my belt and as of tomorrow I have already been here for a whole month!! Wow where has the time gone! It doesn't seem like I have been here that long at all.

I started my week off a little rough. I had a student who when he becomes frustrated or doesn't want to do something will act out either by screaming/crying for "moving" furniture. So on Monday and Tuesday he had outbursts where he needed to be removed ...

... a vegetarian in this town. You'll see meat displayed everywhere as often as you would see cotton candy at a carnival. This has had a negative effect on me and just looking at chicken balls, pig snouts, pig feet, hearts, livers, intestines, pig ears, and slabs of cow has sent my stomach running for the fruit stands. I've always wanted a healthy diet of fruits and vegetables and Taiwan has made it a ...

... that I am not used to, and also a variety of painted instructions on the pavement. In addition, a lot of the questions were poorly translated which often made multiple choice options either sound as though they were all correct, or all incorrect. Only two people of our group of eight passed their test that day. A number of them returned the following week and about 5 of our 8 passed (I was unable to return the following week due to prior ...

... building, and even a repelling exercise from the same five story tower. What made this high ropes course a refreshing change of pace from any course in the states was that it was not a "team building" exercise that we all endured on the occasional cheesy 8th grade field trip to a local campground. However, what it turned out to be was a lot of sweat, numerous prayers for my personal safety, and the realization that the Taiwanese government ...

... last week regarding how the government failed to adequately prepare its people and find shelter for the elderly and homeless. Of course, all over the news last night were stories of police helping the homeless and elderly to safety before the storm hit. I feel that there will be a significant decrease in damage when it passes over us. Additionally, the typhoons are at their strongest when they hit the eastern side of the island. Thankfully ...

... my hometown, my family, my friends, and my interests outside of the classroom. I then had my students complete a sheet of their own that was designed in a similar fashion to help them introduce themselves to me. They were really intrigued by my photographs and had many things to say. Their eyes were huge when I told them how much snow we received in Wisconsin last year. Shortly after we completed this activity, we took a spelling and phonics ...