National Hotel Taichung

... run or scream when they are playing outside. If they are running or screaming they have to sit out. This is all because if the students get any bump or scrap the Chinese teachers need to explain it to the parents and they aren't happy about it. THEY ARE KIDS!! They are supposed to get bumped and scraped! If only they could see recess time in America. You are almost guaranteed with 10 kids going to the nurse! haha They need to toughen up! <br>I guess it is just things I need to adjust ...

... going to turn towards Taiwan! We are hoping for another typhoon day! <br><br>This week will be a busy one, I have badminton 2 nights a week and I start Chinese lessons at the university on Thursday. There are about 8 of us that signed up. They are 2 hour classes and they are only $6 a night!! Crazy to think that I payed about $100 for a 1 hr class at St. Mary's! What a deal here! I will fill you in on how the first night goes next weekend! <br><br>Until later....love ya and miss ya!

... and asked for a meal to serve all 5 of us. We then waited to see what we would get. We had in mind a vegitarian meal but we were wrong. They first brought a big bowl of rice (what would a meal be without rice), then a filet of fish, a bowl of pork, a bowl of squid with a little bit of vegetables, a plate of under cooked or not even cooked chicken, then we saw a plate of vegetables and last a bowl of soup with pork meat balls! We had quite the spread ...

... the emotions you go through when leaving here. She had been in Asia for 4 years and would be traveling back to Canada to pursue her new interest in music. She was very excited to return home but it is really hard to leave somewhere that you have called home for so long. It made me think about having to leave here. It is going to be tough. The people I have met here will act as my family for the next year or so and it is going to be hard leaving knowing that I may not see them ...

... these sounds were almost like that white noise machine for me now, as I had adapted well I thought. The newest noise was not one I was familiar with. One that could bring upon sudden flashbacks of a wartime urgency, sound waves imbedded into Baghdad&#8217;s buildings, a sound that would send a beach lover looming into the hills, a winding siren. Yes, that is right, an old style, hand cranked, winding, Tsunami coming, siren. I ...

We spent Sat in Taichung. Mostly I took pictures of Christmas decorations because it was nice to see them. We wondered around some shops. We lined up outside the Golden Horse Festival [Taiwanese Film Festival], unfortunately we didn't see any celebrities that ...

... However, Jilda was in a bind and needed someone to step-up, so I decided to help out. Storytelling is basically what an elementary school teacher does on a daily basis. You are invited to be a guest reader at the Taichung Community Center (where I was assigned), Caves Bookstore, or the American Institute in Taichung where you must read a story to children and provide them with an activity to complete. The community ...

... for me. I was informed that on Wednesday nights, I would be teaching two 9th grade boys with an interest in athletics. I thought that such a group of students would suit me quite well. I have a strong interest in athletics and felt that I could connect with these students and base some lessons around the interests that we share. Additionally, I thought it would be an excellent opportunity to compare these students to the eighth ...

... and has a very likeable personality. He tries hard, he is polite to everyone, and is very intelligent as well. I am going to miss him come August because he just makes my day (and laughs at my jokes!). Finally, there is Brian, the main challenge when it comes to behavior management. He likes to whine and complain when he does not get his way. However, I feel that he may get everything he wants at home, and actually is seeking a teacher who is firm ...

... tour. I got a chance to meet the head farmer of the operation right after lunch. He told me that he lived in Wisconsin in the early 1980's and learned how to farm from an operation three hours north of Madison. He made some remark about how cold our winter's can be. Yet, after touring this farm, I wonder if the frostbite affected his mental stability... The farmer is about 45 years old and seems to have been working this operation for a ...