So as one chapter of my teaching career ends, another begins. I became an English Teacher at Golden American School on December 29th. And although my tenure has been brief, thus far I really enjoy it. Here are some reasons why (many are the opposite of why I left Kojen):
- I'm back to working more normal business hours with Saturday & Sunday off.
- I only have two classes each week. I have kindergarten every morning and afternoon and 3rd graders MWF.
- There are only 12 kindergarten students and 10 3rd graders. The kindergarten kids (6 girls, Barbie, Emily, Victoria, Candice, Selina, & Zoe and 6 boys - Kenny, Jonathan, Neo, Kevin, Sky, & Harry) are adorable and help make up for leaving my Day Care kids behind. The 3rd graders are alright but I only teach them 3 hours a week so it's all good.
- My hourly pay is a little bit higher.
- I have a shorter commute.
- No homework or quizzes.
- Teaching is supplemented with games rather than handouts to keep the learning fun and to keep the kids happy.
- My boss seems really nice and I get along with the other Foreign Teachers and Chinese Teachers.
All in all, I'd say I'm happy with my decision thus far.
Also, I am excited that I will continue private tutoring with Sunny, the 5th grader I had as a 1-on-1 at Kojen. Her parents really liked me and wanted to keep me as her tutor even though I was leaving the school. This works out great as Kojen charged a ridiculous amount just to provide a classroom but I only received my normal teaching rate. Now, we've compromised and her parents will pay less than before and I will make more than before. Chao hao! Plus, she's a sweet girl and a good student.
Hopefully this is all just the start of good things in 2009...
January 09, 2009
Sucks To Your Asthma, Kojen
As many of you already know, after 7.5 months and a great deal of debate, I have said goodbye to Kojen English Language School.
In many ways, it was a very tough decision. I have made a lot of good friends there amongst my fellow Foreign Teachers and Chinese Teachers. I enjoyed almost all of my classes and most of my students. I liked the structure of the classes and I liked the books they used. Our boss is a douche but he was always nice to me. And I wasn't sure I could ever say goodbye to some of my Day Care kids.
On the other hand, some of my favorite FT's were leaving or had left. I'm sick of working on Saturdays when most of my friends have off. Despite the niceness shown to me, our boss is a douche. And most importantly, I was getting royally screwed as we were only paid for our classroom hours. While not a shabby paycheck by Taiwan standards, I was only paid for 24 hours a week rather than the 45-50 hours I spent working at the school. That time was mostly spent marking required homework and daily quizzes. I finally had enough and pulled the trigger on a new job.
And any doubts I had about leaving were soon gone when Kojen wanted to penalize me 2 weeks pay for only giving 3 weeks notice rather than 4 weeks. Not only did I tell them that was bullshit because I was always a good employee and deserved better, but I also pointed out that it was 100% illegal and would have my legal team of Vaughan, Siepel, Dunsing, & Dunsing on the next flight over if needed. Fortunately, they quickly realized they wanted nothing to do with my football loving, scotch guzzling team of lawyers and dropped their threat. But the damage was done and I realized this was not a company I wanted to associate with any further.
I've now been Kojen-free since January 3rd and I'm loving every second of it...
In many ways, it was a very tough decision. I have made a lot of good friends there amongst my fellow Foreign Teachers and Chinese Teachers. I enjoyed almost all of my classes and most of my students. I liked the structure of the classes and I liked the books they used. Our boss is a douche but he was always nice to me. And I wasn't sure I could ever say goodbye to some of my Day Care kids.
On the other hand, some of my favorite FT's were leaving or had left. I'm sick of working on Saturdays when most of my friends have off. Despite the niceness shown to me, our boss is a douche. And most importantly, I was getting royally screwed as we were only paid for our classroom hours. While not a shabby paycheck by Taiwan standards, I was only paid for 24 hours a week rather than the 45-50 hours I spent working at the school. That time was mostly spent marking required homework and daily quizzes. I finally had enough and pulled the trigger on a new job.
And any doubts I had about leaving were soon gone when Kojen wanted to penalize me 2 weeks pay for only giving 3 weeks notice rather than 4 weeks. Not only did I tell them that was bullshit because I was always a good employee and deserved better, but I also pointed out that it was 100% illegal and would have my legal team of Vaughan, Siepel, Dunsing, & Dunsing on the next flight over if needed. Fortunately, they quickly realized they wanted nothing to do with my football loving, scotch guzzling team of lawyers and dropped their threat. But the damage was done and I realized this was not a company I wanted to associate with any further.
I've now been Kojen-free since January 3rd and I'm loving every second of it...
Jinguashi & Jiufen
This was back on December 7th. I went with my new girlfriend, Judy, Doug, and his girlfriend, Joyce, to Jinguashi and Jiufen. These are a couple of old mining towns on the northeast coast of Taiwan about an hour from Taipei. Jinguashi is known for the Huangjin Pubu (Golden Waterfall) and Jiufen is famous for it's traditional teahouses. Also, the views of the mountains and coast from both places and in between are amazing.
We went to Jinguashi first and visited the coast, the Huangjin Pubu, and the Gold Ecological Park. Then, we tackled the shops of Jiufen and relaxed the evening away in a teahouse sipping on some great cha. I even made a special Jiefu Cha. Chao hao chu! (Very delicious!)
Be sure to check out my Picasa site for all the wonderful pictures.
And yes, I very casually mentioned that I have a new girlfriend. Her name is Judy. I met her through my friend Bevis at Roxy 99 a while back. After hanging out with the group a few times, I worked up the courage to ask her out, she shockingly said yes, and we've been together ever since.
Good talk. See you out there.
We went to Jinguashi first and visited the coast, the Huangjin Pubu, and the Gold Ecological Park. Then, we tackled the shops of Jiufen and relaxed the evening away in a teahouse sipping on some great cha. I even made a special Jiefu Cha. Chao hao chu! (Very delicious!)
Be sure to check out my Picasa site for all the wonderful pictures.
And yes, I very casually mentioned that I have a new girlfriend. Her name is Judy. I met her through my friend Bevis at Roxy 99 a while back. After hanging out with the group a few times, I worked up the courage to ask her out, she shockingly said yes, and we've been together ever since.
Good talk. See you out there.
What happened? I blacked out.
I really haven't blogged in over a month!?!? Wow, really???
Well, I guess not that much happened. Let's see, there was a wonderful day trip, Merry Mustachmas, Taiwanese Christmas, Alex's birthday, Taiwanese New Year's, another poker night, a new girlfriend, and a new job. Yep, same old stuff.
Enough stalling, time to blog...
Well, I guess not that much happened. Let's see, there was a wonderful day trip, Merry Mustachmas, Taiwanese Christmas, Alex's birthday, Taiwanese New Year's, another poker night, a new girlfriend, and a new job. Yep, same old stuff.
Enough stalling, time to blog...
November 30, 2008
Wulai
Most weeks, my friends and I talk about taking a day-trip somewhere on Sunday. We talk & plan and everything seems like a go. Then, I finish my work week on Saturday afternoon and feel like partying. So we all go out on Saturday, wake up after noon on Sunday, and all plans are scratched.
Not that I don't have fun on Saturdays but I'm sick of always canceling our plans. So this past weekend, Doug and I decided it was finally gonna happen and we made good on it.
On Saturday, I met him in Danshui and we went to Eddy's Cantina for the best Mexican food in Formosa (that's Taiwan btw). After chatting with Eddy for a bit and enjoying the delicious food and Joe's awesome margarita's, we headed to the bowling alley. We had a few beers and played a few games. The rust of not playing since I can't remember definitely showed in game 1 as I barely broke 100. But by game 2, my hours spent in the intramural league at Benet Academy were shining brightly as I surpassed 150. Katz and Vaughan would be proud. We called it a night, I took the MRT home, and I was in bed by 1:00.
The next morning, we started our journey to one of the places I've been trying to go for months...Wulai. Wulai is an aboriginal village an hour south of Taipei that is supposed to be fun and pretty for various reasons.
I met Doug, his girlfriend Joyce, and Sharon (a Chicago friend who has since moved to Taiwan. A familiar face! Very cool indeed.) at the Xindian station at the end of the MRT. We decided to cab it over bus it and 30 minutes later we were in Wulai.
We walked around the shops on Old Street for a bit and were introduced to xiaomi jiu which is a wine made from millet (like a smaller rice). The shops had all kinds of varieties and were more than happy to give samples to win your business. The stuff wasn't very strong but you could probably get drunk for free if you played your cards right with the shopkeepers. We found one that was like a champagne wine that we all agreed was our favorite and we all bought bottles before we left.
After the shops, we started walking to the Wulai PuBu (Wulai Waterfall). This is the main reason I wanted to come here and it did not disappoint. The walk had great scenery of green mountainsides and the waterfall itself was awesome.
We hung out there for a while and then started our walk to another waterfall. About halfway there though we got caught up in the idea of river tracing. We found the best place we could to head down to the river and we had a blast climbing on the rocks and walking/swimming in the river. We had so much fun that it starting getting dark and we never made it to the second waterfall. Next time.
We went back to the village and got a proper aboriginal meal that included mountain vegetables (delicious) and zhutong fan (sticky rice in bamboo tubes, also quite delicious). Randomly, we also had ostrich. Quite tasty. Much closer to beef than chicken which surprised me.
After stuffing our faces and drinking a bottle of xiaomi jiu, we headed to an outdoor hot springs spa where we relaxed and had more xiaomi jiu. The hot springs were just ok until we noticed that they had a fish pond. Basically, its a small pool full of small fish (they look like goldfish but not sure if that's what they are) and you put your feet in. The fish eat the dead cells off your feet and ankles and it's supposed to be very therapeutic.
We couldn't refuse the opportunity and paid the extra money to have fish eat our feet. That last sentence is awesome btw. I couldn't stop laughing for the first few minutes cause of the ridiculousness of what we were doing and it really tickled. After a bit, you got used to it and we were just laughing at the ridiculousness. I don't think I've ever taken a picture of my feet or anyone else's.
Only in Asia.
All in all, a fantastic day-trip. I think we're going to have these more often as a trip to Jiufen on the northeast coast is already in the works. Stay tuned...
Not that I don't have fun on Saturdays but I'm sick of always canceling our plans. So this past weekend, Doug and I decided it was finally gonna happen and we made good on it.
On Saturday, I met him in Danshui and we went to Eddy's Cantina for the best Mexican food in Formosa (that's Taiwan btw). After chatting with Eddy for a bit and enjoying the delicious food and Joe's awesome margarita's, we headed to the bowling alley. We had a few beers and played a few games. The rust of not playing since I can't remember definitely showed in game 1 as I barely broke 100. But by game 2, my hours spent in the intramural league at Benet Academy were shining brightly as I surpassed 150. Katz and Vaughan would be proud. We called it a night, I took the MRT home, and I was in bed by 1:00.
The next morning, we started our journey to one of the places I've been trying to go for months...Wulai. Wulai is an aboriginal village an hour south of Taipei that is supposed to be fun and pretty for various reasons.
I met Doug, his girlfriend Joyce, and Sharon (a Chicago friend who has since moved to Taiwan. A familiar face! Very cool indeed.) at the Xindian station at the end of the MRT. We decided to cab it over bus it and 30 minutes later we were in Wulai.
We walked around the shops on Old Street for a bit and were introduced to xiaomi jiu which is a wine made from millet (like a smaller rice). The shops had all kinds of varieties and were more than happy to give samples to win your business. The stuff wasn't very strong but you could probably get drunk for free if you played your cards right with the shopkeepers. We found one that was like a champagne wine that we all agreed was our favorite and we all bought bottles before we left.
After the shops, we started walking to the Wulai PuBu (Wulai Waterfall). This is the main reason I wanted to come here and it did not disappoint. The walk had great scenery of green mountainsides and the waterfall itself was awesome.
We hung out there for a while and then started our walk to another waterfall. About halfway there though we got caught up in the idea of river tracing. We found the best place we could to head down to the river and we had a blast climbing on the rocks and walking/swimming in the river. We had so much fun that it starting getting dark and we never made it to the second waterfall. Next time.
We went back to the village and got a proper aboriginal meal that included mountain vegetables (delicious) and zhutong fan (sticky rice in bamboo tubes, also quite delicious). Randomly, we also had ostrich. Quite tasty. Much closer to beef than chicken which surprised me.
After stuffing our faces and drinking a bottle of xiaomi jiu, we headed to an outdoor hot springs spa where we relaxed and had more xiaomi jiu. The hot springs were just ok until we noticed that they had a fish pond. Basically, its a small pool full of small fish (they look like goldfish but not sure if that's what they are) and you put your feet in. The fish eat the dead cells off your feet and ankles and it's supposed to be very therapeutic.
We couldn't refuse the opportunity and paid the extra money to have fish eat our feet. That last sentence is awesome btw. I couldn't stop laughing for the first few minutes cause of the ridiculousness of what we were doing and it really tickled. After a bit, you got used to it and we were just laughing at the ridiculousness. I don't think I've ever taken a picture of my feet or anyone else's.
Only in Asia.
All in all, a fantastic day-trip. I think we're going to have these more often as a trip to Jiufen on the northeast coast is already in the works. Stay tuned...
November 29, 2008
Thanksgiving Quick Hit
Happy Thanksgiving everyone! I need to get to bed so I don't fall asleep in class tomorrow but I wanted to say my thanks first (a day late I know but I was quite busy):
I am thankful for all my family and friends back home. Your continuous support and communication means the world to me and I wouldn't be where I am today without you. I love you all and I'm so thankful to have you in my life. Knowing you're there for me no matter where we are in the world is amazing.
I am thankful for my new family and friends in Taiwan. Thank you to my local friends for welcoming me to this country with open arms and teaching me so much. Thank you to my foreign friends here for sharing this experience with me and reminding me that I'm not alone when I need you the most. I have learned so much from all of you and it is because of you, local and foreign alike, that I can now call Taiwan my second home.
Thank you and xie xie!
I am thankful for all my family and friends back home. Your continuous support and communication means the world to me and I wouldn't be where I am today without you. I love you all and I'm so thankful to have you in my life. Knowing you're there for me no matter where we are in the world is amazing.
I am thankful for my new family and friends in Taiwan. Thank you to my local friends for welcoming me to this country with open arms and teaching me so much. Thank you to my foreign friends here for sharing this experience with me and reminding me that I'm not alone when I need you the most. I have learned so much from all of you and it is because of you, local and foreign alike, that I can now call Taiwan my second home.
Thank you and xie xie!
November 12, 2008
Bangkok Dangerous, Jelen Style
Lots to update on, so little time. But I did want to get one quick post up...I'm going to Thailand!!!!
Alex, Andy, Pat, and I booked our flights tonight. We're going over Chinese New Year's at the end of January for 9 days. Should be a blast.
More details to come later but we're quite excited.
Alex, Andy, Pat, and I booked our flights tonight. We're going over Chinese New Year's at the end of January for 9 days. Should be a blast.
More details to come later but we're quite excited.
October 31, 2008
愉快的萬聖節!
Blue skies. Bright sunshine. 95 degrees. Yep, it's Halloween in Taiwan.
Looking forward to seeing all my daycare students in their costumes. Should be a fun day/weekend. I'm going as a Superfan. Since I'm basically a Superfan anyways it was quite easy. But it also required a two week facial hair growth commitment from me. Dedication. And by the end of class, I'll have all the daycare students saying "Da Bears! Da Bulls!" I'll be on cloud nine.
So from all of us here at are you jelen, we'd like to wish you a Happy Halloween!
Looking forward to seeing all my daycare students in their costumes. Should be a fun day/weekend. I'm going as a Superfan. Since I'm basically a Superfan anyways it was quite easy. But it also required a two week facial hair growth commitment from me. Dedication. And by the end of class, I'll have all the daycare students saying "Da Bears! Da Bulls!" I'll be on cloud nine.
So from all of us here at are you jelen, we'd like to wish you a Happy Halloween!
October 27, 2008
Taipei Times
Lots to talk about so let's get going.
- My third roommate, Liene, has returned from Latvia as her school started up a month ago. And not only am I glad to have her back, but she brought Latvian vodka and chocolate with her. Ta chao hao!
- My fourth roommate, Untica (sp?), is gone. She was really cute but sick a lot and well frankly, a bitch. So we gave her away. She was really sweet the last couple of weeks which made the decision tough but it had to be done. I hope she finds a good home. (Btw, she's a cat not a person.)
- We haven't had a typhoon in a month! (knock on wood). After getting slammed by Jangmi, the seas have calmed down and let us live in peace. And not only that, but the weather is damn near perfect. It's around 90 during the day (still a little warm but it used to be 110 so that's a big difference) but it cools off nicely at night. And there's finally something I haven't felt outside of typhoon days: wind! It's nice to be walking and get a little breeze now and then. All the locals keep talking about the "cold" that is coming. Um, since it won't be cold enough to snow I think I'll be alright.
- I had my first Taipei poker night a month ago. Had like 12 people over for beer, pizza, and cards. Good times had by all and I ended the night even. Gonna need another game soon.
- School is going really well. The only class I don't really like has become a lot more manageable since the size has gone from 20 to 14. That's the only class I've lost more than 1 or 2 students from but I'm fine with it.
- Daycare classes are awesome. These kids are adorable and a ton of fun.
My job is to practice speaking with them and do one handout each class. So most of the time we just play games and have a lot of fun. And when we do the handout, I sit down and have them line up for me to mark it or answer questions. Dora, one of my favorites, has taken it upon herself to be my assistant. She'll finish her handout, have me mark it, and then she'll stay next to me and make sure the kids stay in line and don't cut. It's great, though I'm worried she's gonna start asking to be paid. I better buy some goldfish or something.
More good news is that I have only been stabbed by pencils twice. Once in the thumb and once in the shoulder. The shoulder one almost prompted a "FUUUDGE!" but I restrained myself. From now on Robert, if you want to jump on my shoulders please, please, please put your pencil down first! Thanks much.
- Halloween is around the corner and my school is all decorated. I can't wait to see my Daycare kids all dressed up. It should be a lot of fun. As for yours truly, I'm in the midst of growing a beard and will be going as a Super Fan. Da BEARS!!!!
- LE is going really well. I feel like I'm learning a lot and I have a lot of fun with Jasmine. Chinese is very intimidating at first, but the grammar is a hell of a lot easier than English. For instance, take the verb "to want." In English you have I want, he wants, I wanted, I am wanting, etc. All kinds of tenses and changes. In Chinese, the word is "yao" and it never changes. Me, him, now, past, future. Always "yao". So much easier right?
- My friend Xenia from work is going home to the greatest city in the world. I'm not sure what I'd do without her so it's a good thing she's only going home to visit and will be back in Taipei in a month. But I'm really jealous cause I'd love to go back and see all of you guys for a little while. I'm already sending her on a mission to Goose Island to have a 312 for me. Chao hao hu!
Alright, that's all I've got for now. Good talk. See you out there.
- My third roommate, Liene, has returned from Latvia as her school started up a month ago. And not only am I glad to have her back, but she brought Latvian vodka and chocolate with her. Ta chao hao!
- My fourth roommate, Untica (sp?), is gone. She was really cute but sick a lot and well frankly, a bitch. So we gave her away. She was really sweet the last couple of weeks which made the decision tough but it had to be done. I hope she finds a good home. (Btw, she's a cat not a person.)
- We haven't had a typhoon in a month! (knock on wood). After getting slammed by Jangmi, the seas have calmed down and let us live in peace. And not only that, but the weather is damn near perfect. It's around 90 during the day (still a little warm but it used to be 110 so that's a big difference) but it cools off nicely at night. And there's finally something I haven't felt outside of typhoon days: wind! It's nice to be walking and get a little breeze now and then. All the locals keep talking about the "cold" that is coming. Um, since it won't be cold enough to snow I think I'll be alright.
- I had my first Taipei poker night a month ago. Had like 12 people over for beer, pizza, and cards. Good times had by all and I ended the night even. Gonna need another game soon.
- School is going really well. The only class I don't really like has become a lot more manageable since the size has gone from 20 to 14. That's the only class I've lost more than 1 or 2 students from but I'm fine with it.
- Daycare classes are awesome. These kids are adorable and a ton of fun.
My job is to practice speaking with them and do one handout each class. So most of the time we just play games and have a lot of fun. And when we do the handout, I sit down and have them line up for me to mark it or answer questions. Dora, one of my favorites, has taken it upon herself to be my assistant. She'll finish her handout, have me mark it, and then she'll stay next to me and make sure the kids stay in line and don't cut. It's great, though I'm worried she's gonna start asking to be paid. I better buy some goldfish or something.
More good news is that I have only been stabbed by pencils twice. Once in the thumb and once in the shoulder. The shoulder one almost prompted a "FUUUDGE!" but I restrained myself. From now on Robert, if you want to jump on my shoulders please, please, please put your pencil down first! Thanks much.
- Halloween is around the corner and my school is all decorated. I can't wait to see my Daycare kids all dressed up. It should be a lot of fun. As for yours truly, I'm in the midst of growing a beard and will be going as a Super Fan. Da BEARS!!!!
- LE is going really well. I feel like I'm learning a lot and I have a lot of fun with Jasmine. Chinese is very intimidating at first, but the grammar is a hell of a lot easier than English. For instance, take the verb "to want." In English you have I want, he wants, I wanted, I am wanting, etc. All kinds of tenses and changes. In Chinese, the word is "yao" and it never changes. Me, him, now, past, future. Always "yao". So much easier right?
- My friend Xenia from work is going home to the greatest city in the world. I'm not sure what I'd do without her so it's a good thing she's only going home to visit and will be back in Taipei in a month. But I'm really jealous cause I'd love to go back and see all of you guys for a little while. I'm already sending her on a mission to Goose Island to have a 312 for me. Chao hao hu!
Alright, that's all I've got for now. Good talk. See you out there.
October 18, 2008
You're So Beautiful...Like A Tree
Sorry for being MIA lately. Work and social life have been crazy busy and fun. I'll be sure to give a full report soon.
But no time for that now. I finally decided to make a move and am taking my LE girl, Jasmine, to dinner tonight. Then I'm taking her to a friend's birthday party. But this isn't just any birthday party. Girls must be wearing fake eyelashes or mustaches and guys have to sport the real thing.
So yes, I'm taking a part-time model out to dinner and a party while sporting a mustache the whole night. This is definitely the best and worst idea I've ever had. But can anyone truly resist a 'stache???
But no time for that now. I finally decided to make a move and am taking my LE girl, Jasmine, to dinner tonight. Then I'm taking her to a friend's birthday party. But this isn't just any birthday party. Girls must be wearing fake eyelashes or mustaches and guys have to sport the real thing.
So yes, I'm taking a part-time model out to dinner and a party while sporting a mustache the whole night. This is definitely the best and worst idea I've ever had. But can anyone truly resist a 'stache???
October 05, 2008
That Up There Is Russia
I have some exciting news. Once elected, VP Palin will announce my appointment as the new US Ambassador to Taiwan so I can "keep an eye on things" over here. That means you P.R.O.C. Shoo! Get back over there!
October 04, 2008
Yeeeaaah...Gonna Need You To Come In On Saturday
Ok I"ve been slacking on my blogging. Since it's Saturday night and I'm dead tired and don't want to spend any money, I figured I'd stay in and blog. Super cool!
Let's start two weekends ago...
My weekend plans were great as I had three things going on. Friday night was a house warming party for my friends Alex, Andy, & Adam who recently moved to a new place. Saturday night was a birthday party at a club for Kelly (one of the Chinese Teachers I work with). And Sunday night was a dinner date with a lovely Taiwanese lady.
But then the plans went crazy when all three events were changed to Saturday night. Sigh.
After some thought, I had to break the sacred "bros before hos" code and skip the housewarming party. In my defense, I didn't know the party was changed to Saturday until I showed up to their apartment on Friday night. So now we're even fellas.
First, the date was with a college girl named Ruby. We went to a place she picked called Taiwan Storyland that I thought was going to be a touristy restaurant. Nope, it was more like a museum and kinda sucked actually but it was nice to walk around with her and just talk. We then grabbed some food & drinks and wandered around a mall talking some more. I practiced the little Chinese I know on her and she was thoroughly impressed. Really, she was. I'm a good student.
I didn't want to bring her to the club to meet all my friends since it was a first date but didn't want to just ditch her either since things were going well. Luckily, this dilemma solved itself as she had to work the next morning. Perfect.
I then made my way to Club 9% to meet up with the CT's and FT's (Chinese & Foreign Teachers btw) for Kelly's bday.
Our group consisted of about 15 ladies and 5 guys. Not only did this group consist of all the lovely and good looking CT's I work with, but Kelly had a bunch of her non-work friends there and most of them were good looking as well. Chao hao wan!
We had a reserved booth and partied it up with free champagne and snack food. I spent the early part of the evening talking with Drew a lot. I don't remember how we got there, but somehow we got to talking about how she likes to slap people. Quality. I was dancing up a storm with all the ladies and generally just having a great time.
Here are some pictures from the evening:
Three of my favorite CT's: Drew, Shawn, & Debbie
Drew, John, & the b-day girl, Kelly, is at the bottom
Since the culture doesn't drink like the US does and the girls are so tiny, they can't handle a whole lot. Right Drew & Shawn???
I was going to write more, but I'd rather watch Imaginationland now. Thanks again for the great gifts Mom! Wo ai wode mama!!!
Let's start two weekends ago...
My weekend plans were great as I had three things going on. Friday night was a house warming party for my friends Alex, Andy, & Adam who recently moved to a new place. Saturday night was a birthday party at a club for Kelly (one of the Chinese Teachers I work with). And Sunday night was a dinner date with a lovely Taiwanese lady.
But then the plans went crazy when all three events were changed to Saturday night. Sigh.
After some thought, I had to break the sacred "bros before hos" code and skip the housewarming party. In my defense, I didn't know the party was changed to Saturday until I showed up to their apartment on Friday night. So now we're even fellas.
First, the date was with a college girl named Ruby. We went to a place she picked called Taiwan Storyland that I thought was going to be a touristy restaurant. Nope, it was more like a museum and kinda sucked actually but it was nice to walk around with her and just talk. We then grabbed some food & drinks and wandered around a mall talking some more. I practiced the little Chinese I know on her and she was thoroughly impressed. Really, she was. I'm a good student.
I didn't want to bring her to the club to meet all my friends since it was a first date but didn't want to just ditch her either since things were going well. Luckily, this dilemma solved itself as she had to work the next morning. Perfect.
I then made my way to Club 9% to meet up with the CT's and FT's (Chinese & Foreign Teachers btw) for Kelly's bday.
Our group consisted of about 15 ladies and 5 guys. Not only did this group consist of all the lovely and good looking CT's I work with, but Kelly had a bunch of her non-work friends there and most of them were good looking as well. Chao hao wan!
We had a reserved booth and partied it up with free champagne and snack food. I spent the early part of the evening talking with Drew a lot. I don't remember how we got there, but somehow we got to talking about how she likes to slap people. Quality. I was dancing up a storm with all the ladies and generally just having a great time.
Here are some pictures from the evening:
Three of my favorite CT's: Drew, Shawn, & Debbie
Drew, John, & the b-day girl, Kelly, is at the bottom
Since the culture doesn't drink like the US does and the girls are so tiny, they can't handle a whole lot. Right Drew & Shawn???
I was going to write more, but I'd rather watch Imaginationland now. Thanks again for the great gifts Mom! Wo ai wode mama!!!
September 19, 2008
Xie xie! (Thank you!)
I just received two update emails from friends back home. One was an update and pictures from married friends about their one month old son. The other was from a friend who had an all night adventure at the bars and casino.
Diversity is wonderful.
I'd just like to thank them and everyone else for keeping me in the loop of your lives back in the States. As much as I love it here, I do miss all of you so it's great to hear from you and how things are going back home.
Keep on keeping on,
JiaFu JiaLuan
Diversity is wonderful.
I'd just like to thank them and everyone else for keeping me in the loop of your lives back in the States. As much as I love it here, I do miss all of you so it's great to hear from you and how things are going back home.
Keep on keeping on,
JiaFu JiaLuan
September 15, 2008
Da Taipei Bears!
It's still raining from the typhoon. It's 1:30am. And the sport doesn't even exist in this country.
And yet, here I am watching Da Bears take on the Panthers on a bright and sunny Sunday afternoon. Complete with US commercials for Taco Bell (It looked good!) and crappy FOX TV shows. Technology is wonderful.
It cost me $200 (US unfortunately) but after that blocked punt, it's already worth it.
Go Bears!!!!!!
And yet, here I am watching Da Bears take on the Panthers on a bright and sunny Sunday afternoon. Complete with US commercials for Taco Bell (It looked good!) and crappy FOX TV shows. Technology is wonderful.
It cost me $200 (US unfortunately) but after that blocked punt, it's already worth it.
Go Bears!!!!!!
September 13, 2008
Taiwan Update? It's About Time
I think a Taiwan update is long overdue. So here goes:
- As of tomorrow, I will have been living in Taiwan for 4 months. 4 months! Oh my that seems like a long time. And while I still feel like an extended stay tourist in many ways, I'm really starting to view this place as my second home. Very exciting stuff.
- Per my previous post, we're in the middle of a rather large typhoon. Because of it, I have a 3 day weekend and, thus, have plenty of time for blogging.
- I have a new work schedule and new classes. The good/bad news? I'm working even more hours than over summer. It's great to make more money but I'm usually exhausted. The great news? No more six day work weeks! And not only do I have two days off now but I actually have a weekend with Sundays and Mondays off. Hao!
- I now have Daycare classes 3 days a week. Just like in the States, these kids get dropped off in the morning, are at the school all day, and get picked up after their mother/father is done with work. They come to my class for 2.5 hours where I mostly practice speaking with them. There's no homework to grade, any handouts are done in class, we basically play games the whole time, and most of the kids are really cute and well behaved. I swear, some of them won't stop smiling and giggling for the entire 2.5 hours though. It's hysterical and always makes me smile. Great classes so I'm glad my boss likes me.
- I also have my first 1-on-1 class. Just like the name suggests, it's just me and one student. That's for 1.5 hours every Thursday with a 5th grader named Sunny. We've had two sessions and she's really, really smart. I can basically talk normally with her and she understands me. We're working on her writing though as her grammar is so so. All homework is graded with her in class so it's fairly easy. Again, I'm glad I'm on my boss's good side.
- From the day I started work, everyone has been nice to me and each other. But I couldn't help but notice that the FT's would stick together for lunch and weekend plans and the CT's would do the same. It's like there was a wall between the groups that didn't permit us to hang out more. Well, me and a few others have slowly been chipping away at that wall and it finally came down.
Last weekend, 12-15 of us (over half of the teachers) went to KTV (karaoke) together. We had a blast. It's hilarious seeing the cultural difference on KTV. One of the FT's and I were the only ones drinking and we were the stiffs in the room not singing until we said "what the hell" after a few drinks. The locals don't need those few drinks to perform. They go right into it and are serious about it. Both Chinese and American songs were sang and everyone had a blast.
Afterwards, I convinced a few of the CT's to join me at a bar called Bliss for a soul music show where I was meeting up with other friends. I thought there was going to be a live band but sadly there was not one. However, it was great to hear some tunes you do not ever hear in this country.
- As of last week, I'm no longer just Teacher Jefu. I'm also Student Jefu. I started a language exchange with a friend of one of the CT's. Language exchange is exactly that: We meet, she teaches me Chinese for half the time, and I teach her English for half the time. It's a great way to learn without paying for a tutor or classes. Her name is Jasmine and we're going to meet twice a week. I feel like I'm doing ok already. I've been practicing the 4 tones (flat, up, down then up, & down) with her a lot. It's something severely lacking with any Chinese I already "know" and it's very important because the tone changes the meaning of a word. I think I'm starting to get it. She says I'm a quick learner but the flat tone gives me the most trouble. The only way I can say it correctly is when I do it really quietly. It's tough but I'll keep practicing. Oh and Jasmine is clearly the prettiest girl in the room as she's a part-time model so that's an added bonus.
- I have a new roommate. My Canadian roommate, Lachy, moved out because he's taking Chinese classes early in the morning on the other side of the city so he didn't want to deal with the commute. Understandable, but sad to see him go as he was a good roommate. Hopefully we'll still meet at Club 7-11 once in a while.
The new roommate is Matt from San Diego. He's been in Taiwan for 2 years and just moved to Taipei. He's been living here for about two weeks and so far so good. He's laid back and we get along well. He also speaks pretty good Chinese so that's come in handy a few times.
- Also on the roommate front, the third one, Liene, is coming back in a few weeks. She's a lot of fun so I can't wait for her to come back. We'll definitely have a party. You're all invited btw so start looking into flights for October.
So a lot of big changes both at work and at home but things are looking bright (not literally, there's a typhoon!) so I'd say things are going really well. And let's keep it that way.
- As of tomorrow, I will have been living in Taiwan for 4 months. 4 months! Oh my that seems like a long time. And while I still feel like an extended stay tourist in many ways, I'm really starting to view this place as my second home. Very exciting stuff.
- Per my previous post, we're in the middle of a rather large typhoon. Because of it, I have a 3 day weekend and, thus, have plenty of time for blogging.
- I have a new work schedule and new classes. The good/bad news? I'm working even more hours than over summer. It's great to make more money but I'm usually exhausted. The great news? No more six day work weeks! And not only do I have two days off now but I actually have a weekend with Sundays and Mondays off. Hao!
- I now have Daycare classes 3 days a week. Just like in the States, these kids get dropped off in the morning, are at the school all day, and get picked up after their mother/father is done with work. They come to my class for 2.5 hours where I mostly practice speaking with them. There's no homework to grade, any handouts are done in class, we basically play games the whole time, and most of the kids are really cute and well behaved. I swear, some of them won't stop smiling and giggling for the entire 2.5 hours though. It's hysterical and always makes me smile. Great classes so I'm glad my boss likes me.
- I also have my first 1-on-1 class. Just like the name suggests, it's just me and one student. That's for 1.5 hours every Thursday with a 5th grader named Sunny. We've had two sessions and she's really, really smart. I can basically talk normally with her and she understands me. We're working on her writing though as her grammar is so so. All homework is graded with her in class so it's fairly easy. Again, I'm glad I'm on my boss's good side.
- From the day I started work, everyone has been nice to me and each other. But I couldn't help but notice that the FT's would stick together for lunch and weekend plans and the CT's would do the same. It's like there was a wall between the groups that didn't permit us to hang out more. Well, me and a few others have slowly been chipping away at that wall and it finally came down.
Last weekend, 12-15 of us (over half of the teachers) went to KTV (karaoke) together. We had a blast. It's hilarious seeing the cultural difference on KTV. One of the FT's and I were the only ones drinking and we were the stiffs in the room not singing until we said "what the hell" after a few drinks. The locals don't need those few drinks to perform. They go right into it and are serious about it. Both Chinese and American songs were sang and everyone had a blast.
Afterwards, I convinced a few of the CT's to join me at a bar called Bliss for a soul music show where I was meeting up with other friends. I thought there was going to be a live band but sadly there was not one. However, it was great to hear some tunes you do not ever hear in this country.
- As of last week, I'm no longer just Teacher Jefu. I'm also Student Jefu. I started a language exchange with a friend of one of the CT's. Language exchange is exactly that: We meet, she teaches me Chinese for half the time, and I teach her English for half the time. It's a great way to learn without paying for a tutor or classes. Her name is Jasmine and we're going to meet twice a week. I feel like I'm doing ok already. I've been practicing the 4 tones (flat, up, down then up, & down) with her a lot. It's something severely lacking with any Chinese I already "know" and it's very important because the tone changes the meaning of a word. I think I'm starting to get it. She says I'm a quick learner but the flat tone gives me the most trouble. The only way I can say it correctly is when I do it really quietly. It's tough but I'll keep practicing. Oh and Jasmine is clearly the prettiest girl in the room as she's a part-time model so that's an added bonus.
- I have a new roommate. My Canadian roommate, Lachy, moved out because he's taking Chinese classes early in the morning on the other side of the city so he didn't want to deal with the commute. Understandable, but sad to see him go as he was a good roommate. Hopefully we'll still meet at Club 7-11 once in a while.
The new roommate is Matt from San Diego. He's been in Taiwan for 2 years and just moved to Taipei. He's been living here for about two weeks and so far so good. He's laid back and we get along well. He also speaks pretty good Chinese so that's come in handy a few times.
- Also on the roommate front, the third one, Liene, is coming back in a few weeks. She's a lot of fun so I can't wait for her to come back. We'll definitely have a party. You're all invited btw so start looking into flights for October.
So a lot of big changes both at work and at home but things are looking bright (not literally, there's a typhoon!) so I'd say things are going really well. And let's keep it that way.
Um...There's a Typhoon Too.
After checking several news websites, it appears that Hurricane Ike is getting ready to knock Texas back to the stone age. Every site I saw (NY Times, Chicago Tribune, CNN, BBC) were just going on and on about the day after tomorrow in the Gulf this weekend. I can't say I blame them for the bleak outlooks though after effing up on Katrina so bad but that's another story...
My question is, why is no one talking about Typhoon Sinlaku??? That's because no one knows about Typhoon Sinlaku. After reading about the front page news of Hurricane Ike and how terrible it will be (and I'm not downplaying it at all, I hope all the folks in Texas will be alright), I couldn't find a single story about Typhoon Sinlaku. Not a single one on any of the "World News" sites. Huh???
You're telling me CNN and BBC aren't even reporting on a storm almost as big as Ike and just as powerful as Ike (Sinlaku would be a Category 3 if they used that system)??? That doesn't seem right. I can even find a story about Ike on the Taipei Times almost as quickly as our on typhoon. Sadly, Sinlaku could actually be "The Storm of the Century" and I'm not sure a thing would change in the news.
Though it saddens me that the news about my new homeland is so second rate that it doesn't even warrant a brief online story, I will relay what I know here on ayj. Typhoon Sinlaku is going to hit northern Taiwan tonight/Saturday morning (Taipei is in the north btw). It's big, it's powerful, and it's moving slowly (not a good combo). Classes were canceled tonight. The city is shut down at least for Saturday and probably Sunday. And my first Moon Festival, on Sunday, is completely ruined.
But not to worry. I plan to hole up in my apartment where my roommate Matt and I will have a Die Hard marathon (assuming we still have power since the lights are already flickering). If not, I've got plenty of homework to grade (just as fun!)
Maybe I'm being too dramatic, but this is just another "eye-opener moment" for me about how the world works now that I'm out of my comfort zone. There's America. And then there's the rest of the world.
My question is, why is no one talking about Typhoon Sinlaku??? That's because no one knows about Typhoon Sinlaku. After reading about the front page news of Hurricane Ike and how terrible it will be (and I'm not downplaying it at all, I hope all the folks in Texas will be alright), I couldn't find a single story about Typhoon Sinlaku. Not a single one on any of the "World News" sites. Huh???
You're telling me CNN and BBC aren't even reporting on a storm almost as big as Ike and just as powerful as Ike (Sinlaku would be a Category 3 if they used that system)??? That doesn't seem right. I can even find a story about Ike on the Taipei Times almost as quickly as our on typhoon. Sadly, Sinlaku could actually be "The Storm of the Century" and I'm not sure a thing would change in the news.
Though it saddens me that the news about my new homeland is so second rate that it doesn't even warrant a brief online story, I will relay what I know here on ayj. Typhoon Sinlaku is going to hit northern Taiwan tonight/Saturday morning (Taipei is in the north btw). It's big, it's powerful, and it's moving slowly (not a good combo). Classes were canceled tonight. The city is shut down at least for Saturday and probably Sunday. And my first Moon Festival, on Sunday, is completely ruined.
But not to worry. I plan to hole up in my apartment where my roommate Matt and I will have a Die Hard marathon (assuming we still have power since the lights are already flickering). If not, I've got plenty of homework to grade (just as fun!)
Maybe I'm being too dramatic, but this is just another "eye-opener moment" for me about how the world works now that I'm out of my comfort zone. There's America. And then there's the rest of the world.
September 07, 2008
Circus Monkey!
Some of my coworkers sang this at KTV yesterday. Not only was it great to hear them sing this because all they have here is pop music, but the music video is amazing. The guy is not happy, there are girls jumping up and down, and best of all, there's a monkey!
September 05, 2008
Mmm...Stinky Tofu
It took me almost four months. Four months of going to the night market, thinking about trying it, smelling it, and deciding to pass. Ah yes, stinky tofu.
Despite several failed attempts to actually eat it, I kept telling myself that one day I would finally gather up the courage and get past the warm dog food smell and try it. No joke, even the locals think it smells terrible.
Well, tonight was that night. I was at the Shilin Night Market with one of the Chinese Teachers and she finally convinced me to try it. So I expected her to order a piece of it for me to sample. Nope. She ordered an entire plate of it. Thanks Drew.
So I'm sitting there shocked to see so much of it and just inhaling that horrible smell. Yummy. I take up the chopsticks, grab a nice chunk of it, dip it in the sauce, and...I liked it!?!? Huh??? What??? That wasn't supposed to happen. I actually liked it. I almost finished the whole plate. I have no idea how to describe it but it was good.
My world has been turned upside down. My prejudice was all wrong. Does this mean I should give warm dog food a shot? Whoa, let's just hold on a second. I think the stinky tofu is talking...
Despite several failed attempts to actually eat it, I kept telling myself that one day I would finally gather up the courage and get past the warm dog food smell and try it. No joke, even the locals think it smells terrible.
Well, tonight was that night. I was at the Shilin Night Market with one of the Chinese Teachers and she finally convinced me to try it. So I expected her to order a piece of it for me to sample. Nope. She ordered an entire plate of it. Thanks Drew.
So I'm sitting there shocked to see so much of it and just inhaling that horrible smell. Yummy. I take up the chopsticks, grab a nice chunk of it, dip it in the sauce, and...I liked it!?!? Huh??? What??? That wasn't supposed to happen. I actually liked it. I almost finished the whole plate. I have no idea how to describe it but it was good.
My world has been turned upside down. My prejudice was all wrong. Does this mean I should give warm dog food a shot? Whoa, let's just hold on a second. I think the stinky tofu is talking...
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