The past 10 days have been some of my busiest, even though I haven't finished everything I need to (...like meeting with a lawyer, going to the gym, or finding a hotel for my parents in Kaohsiung). Hopefully I can get everything done before I head to Taipei again (next week for New Year celebrations).
Since I last wrote, I've begun physical therapy at the hospital I stayed in after my accident. My finger has a bit more mobility, but the experience is truly painful. First, they heat my finger under a strong lamp for 20 minutes. After it is warmed up, I get a massage and they stretch my finger into various positions. Lastly, they wrap it with an ace bandage in a bent position; I'm asked to push my finger until it hurts at about a 7 on a 1 to 10 scale of pain. I don't cry though because there are so many other people in much worse conditions than me. In fact, I try to laugh and smile, as usual, and speak Chinese with everyone else giving and getting physical therapy. They told me that I really brighten everyone's day!
My Christmas events at school have also been successful in brightening students' days. Several of my xiaopengyou (what we call young students here -- literally meaning 'little friends') told me that they saw my Christmas video in class and that it was incredibly funny! I dressed as a reindeer, complete with a Rudolph nose, antlers and a tail. Photos coming soon and probably the video too. I taught the whole school to say, "Merry Christmas and Happy New Year" and hung my classes' ornaments on the school's tree.
Christmas in Kaohsiung has been lacking a lot...mostly my family. Some fun things have happened. My gym decorated a ton, as did the buses that I ride. In fact, today there was a "Santa" on the bus and he gave candy to everyone. The director of Kaohsiung's American "embassy" also had the Fulbrights over for dinner yesterday night. The food was beyond delicious and we were stuffed. Plus, his house felt really American and we enjoyed chatting with him. Monday we Fulbrighters exchanged gifts at our "Secret Santa" and had eggnog and cookies. My wish list included, "peanut butter, roach killer, a puppy, a Chinese CD, and a Taiwanese boyfriend." Needless to say, I got a few of the feasible ones from my good friend Carol.
Overall, we are just exhausted and constantly busy. No one had the energy to make tonight, Christmas Eve, very special. A few of us got hot chocolate, but we work in the morning, so we're off to bed.
My Christmas day and weekend are packed tight, of course. All I know is that I can't wait for my parents to get here. What I really need for Christmas is a big hug!!! Lots of love and peace to all of you during whatever holiday you celebrate and in the new year.
Thursday, December 24, 2009
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Welcome to the Jungle
The past two weeks have been interesting and quite busy. Being in school with no major illness or accident breaks has been a nice change. My kids are adorable and I'll be sad to leave them next semester, but I'll definitely visit whenever I can.
I've also found a place where I can volunteer regularly. There is an elderly center just behind my house! It looks like a sea foam green hotel, but inside there are 15 floors of activities for people over 60 in our area. And best of all, it is FREE. Can you believe it? My flatmate Carol and I toured the building with our mentor, Spring Lin (a professor at the teacher's university near our house). The elderly can attend classes in Japanese, art, guitar, sing karaoke, get massages, nap, play dominoes, compete in table tennis, practice yoga and aerobics, and get supervised care if necessary. Starting in March, we may be leading an English class at the center and until then we can visit each week and just meet people. Hooray!
I've also spent time with my host families; one official and one that just adopted me. My friend Joanna and her parents, who I met on the bus that I take to work everyday, have decided that I am their unofficial host daughter. A couple of weeks ago they took me to dinner at their friend's restaurant, which doubles as a photo gallery. Of course, I love art and they had some fantastic pieces. After dinner, we visited another Chinese medicine doctor who looked at my broken finger, then slathered on a minty paste and tar-like goo. I was supposed to go back everyday for more treatment, but my finger felt so tingly that night and I couldn't stand it. Another experience on my list though, I suppose.
The next day I hung out with my official host family. First I met my sister and her best friend Amy at Shin Juang High School, which is right next door to my elementary school. It was the school's anniversary, so all of the students set up boothes and created a huge festival with music and food. I was the only foreigner, but otherwise I blended in well with my 16-year-old appearance. It was a great bonding experience with my sister because she felt comfortable confiding in me about her crush and asking for my advice. I really enjoyed the quality time with her and Amy.
When the festival ended, I went with my mom and sister to the Kaohsiung Fine Arts Museum. I love art museums more than anything. We spent three hours looking at every exhibit. There was a floor dedicated to aboriginal art, which was probably my favorite, then two sections with images of Kaohsiung and seemingly random art that wouldn't fit into any particular category. We saw an exhibit on hands...art by people from around the world, but all related to hands. At first, I didn't like the exhibit, but suddenly IT HIT ME: I should be part of this exhibit! With my "artistic" looking right hand, I felt a connection to the pieces.
Speaking of my hand, I am starting physical therapy this week. Last week I saw my doctor again and he signed me up. After six sessions, I will go for a check up with him, then repeat the process. He tried to move my finger significantly more than I had on my own and it hurt a ton. I know that I won't force my finger to move because of the pain, so twice a week I'll go to the hospital for an hour and they'll hopefully return my finger to normal.
Before I visited the doctor, I went with the other Fulbrights to Kaohsiung American School. The school teaches grades one through 12 to expat kids and is run by primarily foreign staff (foreign in Taiwan = not Taiwanese). Though I don't intend to be a teacher after this year, it was interesting to hear the stories of some of the foreign teachers whose entire careers are made up of moving from one international school to another in various countries. That is one way to see the world!
Friday I went to Taipei with Winnie for the Guns N Roses concert. Axel was huge and old! It was actually quite embarrassing and the local newspaper the following day called him "fat rose." But his voice was unmistakeable and we had a fun time. The show started an hour late, so we stood for a total of seven hours, and it rained part of the time. We were also behind a few obnoxious, drunk guys and Winnie had to get security to calm them down. Throughout my travels, I continue to learn patience, flexibility, and a generally more relaxed attitude: I can go with the flow and just enjoy myself, whatever happens. It was especially hilarious when one of the guys kept shouting, "Guns and rose! Rock and roll!" because it came out more like, "Lock and load!"
We spent the weekend just outside Taipei in Banciao at Winnie's college roommate's house. They are a very sweet family -- Winnie's roommate is pregnant with her first child, a daughter, and we also met her younger sister and parents. Her father is a professor of art who had amazing sculptures and paintings all over the house. They constantly fed us and I ended up trying some strange soy bean mushy soup and black eggs. We also went into the city of Taipei to meet some of Winnie's friends, who I met in Taichung, and they treated us to an amazing meal at Friday's. It felt so American. Then we met up with her roommate in another small town outside Taipei called Danshui. This is a beautiful harbor area that is basically a giant night market.
One of the most enjoyable parts of the weekend was listening in on all of the conversations. I've found that I can follow almost every conversation in Chinese! Even if I can't always participate, my listening comprehension has skyrocketed. Unless of course, my friends switch to Taiwanese.
When I came back to Kaohsiung on Sunday, I met up with my Chinese teacher and classmates, and we rode tandem bikes through huge sunflower patches in Ciaotou. Just north of Kaohsiung there are smaller counties that have big fields of flowers. For some reason, the Taiwanese love to hike out there and take pictures of themselves doing the "peace sign" amongst the flowers. It was an interesting adventure.
The next two months are filled with so much to do! More than usual, that is. It doesn't feel like Christmas at all, despite the fact that I'm teaching a Christmas lesson this week, making a music video with my school's chorus, and dressing up as Rudolph to tell a story in front of 2500 kids next Monday. I have no shame at this point. Tears did come to my eyes when I heard my kids sing "We Wish You a Merry Christmas" today and when I sat in on the choir practice. The students sang beautiful versions of "Silent Night" and "For the Beauty of the Earth." I felt like it is really possible for people from all places to understand, respect and love each other.
I'm in love with Kaohsiung. Though I have recently received 5 notifications from law schools; all 5 have been acceptances. I still have to hear from 10 more schools, but I'm excited about where my path will take me next.
I've also found a place where I can volunteer regularly. There is an elderly center just behind my house! It looks like a sea foam green hotel, but inside there are 15 floors of activities for people over 60 in our area. And best of all, it is FREE. Can you believe it? My flatmate Carol and I toured the building with our mentor, Spring Lin (a professor at the teacher's university near our house). The elderly can attend classes in Japanese, art, guitar, sing karaoke, get massages, nap, play dominoes, compete in table tennis, practice yoga and aerobics, and get supervised care if necessary. Starting in March, we may be leading an English class at the center and until then we can visit each week and just meet people. Hooray!
I've also spent time with my host families; one official and one that just adopted me. My friend Joanna and her parents, who I met on the bus that I take to work everyday, have decided that I am their unofficial host daughter. A couple of weeks ago they took me to dinner at their friend's restaurant, which doubles as a photo gallery. Of course, I love art and they had some fantastic pieces. After dinner, we visited another Chinese medicine doctor who looked at my broken finger, then slathered on a minty paste and tar-like goo. I was supposed to go back everyday for more treatment, but my finger felt so tingly that night and I couldn't stand it. Another experience on my list though, I suppose.
The next day I hung out with my official host family. First I met my sister and her best friend Amy at Shin Juang High School, which is right next door to my elementary school. It was the school's anniversary, so all of the students set up boothes and created a huge festival with music and food. I was the only foreigner, but otherwise I blended in well with my 16-year-old appearance. It was a great bonding experience with my sister because she felt comfortable confiding in me about her crush and asking for my advice. I really enjoyed the quality time with her and Amy.
When the festival ended, I went with my mom and sister to the Kaohsiung Fine Arts Museum. I love art museums more than anything. We spent three hours looking at every exhibit. There was a floor dedicated to aboriginal art, which was probably my favorite, then two sections with images of Kaohsiung and seemingly random art that wouldn't fit into any particular category. We saw an exhibit on hands...art by people from around the world, but all related to hands. At first, I didn't like the exhibit, but suddenly IT HIT ME: I should be part of this exhibit! With my "artistic" looking right hand, I felt a connection to the pieces.
Speaking of my hand, I am starting physical therapy this week. Last week I saw my doctor again and he signed me up. After six sessions, I will go for a check up with him, then repeat the process. He tried to move my finger significantly more than I had on my own and it hurt a ton. I know that I won't force my finger to move because of the pain, so twice a week I'll go to the hospital for an hour and they'll hopefully return my finger to normal.
Before I visited the doctor, I went with the other Fulbrights to Kaohsiung American School. The school teaches grades one through 12 to expat kids and is run by primarily foreign staff (foreign in Taiwan = not Taiwanese). Though I don't intend to be a teacher after this year, it was interesting to hear the stories of some of the foreign teachers whose entire careers are made up of moving from one international school to another in various countries. That is one way to see the world!
Friday I went to Taipei with Winnie for the Guns N Roses concert. Axel was huge and old! It was actually quite embarrassing and the local newspaper the following day called him "fat rose." But his voice was unmistakeable and we had a fun time. The show started an hour late, so we stood for a total of seven hours, and it rained part of the time. We were also behind a few obnoxious, drunk guys and Winnie had to get security to calm them down. Throughout my travels, I continue to learn patience, flexibility, and a generally more relaxed attitude: I can go with the flow and just enjoy myself, whatever happens. It was especially hilarious when one of the guys kept shouting, "Guns and rose! Rock and roll!" because it came out more like, "Lock and load!"
We spent the weekend just outside Taipei in Banciao at Winnie's college roommate's house. They are a very sweet family -- Winnie's roommate is pregnant with her first child, a daughter, and we also met her younger sister and parents. Her father is a professor of art who had amazing sculptures and paintings all over the house. They constantly fed us and I ended up trying some strange soy bean mushy soup and black eggs. We also went into the city of Taipei to meet some of Winnie's friends, who I met in Taichung, and they treated us to an amazing meal at Friday's. It felt so American. Then we met up with her roommate in another small town outside Taipei called Danshui. This is a beautiful harbor area that is basically a giant night market.
One of the most enjoyable parts of the weekend was listening in on all of the conversations. I've found that I can follow almost every conversation in Chinese! Even if I can't always participate, my listening comprehension has skyrocketed. Unless of course, my friends switch to Taiwanese.
When I came back to Kaohsiung on Sunday, I met up with my Chinese teacher and classmates, and we rode tandem bikes through huge sunflower patches in Ciaotou. Just north of Kaohsiung there are smaller counties that have big fields of flowers. For some reason, the Taiwanese love to hike out there and take pictures of themselves doing the "peace sign" amongst the flowers. It was an interesting adventure.
The next two months are filled with so much to do! More than usual, that is. It doesn't feel like Christmas at all, despite the fact that I'm teaching a Christmas lesson this week, making a music video with my school's chorus, and dressing up as Rudolph to tell a story in front of 2500 kids next Monday. I have no shame at this point. Tears did come to my eyes when I heard my kids sing "We Wish You a Merry Christmas" today and when I sat in on the choir practice. The students sang beautiful versions of "Silent Night" and "For the Beauty of the Earth." I felt like it is really possible for people from all places to understand, respect and love each other.
I'm in love with Kaohsiung. Though I have recently received 5 notifications from law schools; all 5 have been acceptances. I still have to hear from 10 more schools, but I'm excited about where my path will take me next.
Thursday, December 3, 2009
November Ends, December Begins
No more illnesses or accidents! My life is almost routine. Well, not really.
Teaching has become regular, though we had a break from English Village for two weeks. My co-teachers and I are used to each other by now and even when things don't go perfectly, we adapt and the kids are enjoying English tremendously.
I've had some wonderful and less wonderful moments with my students. Many ask when I'm leaving and if I will remember them; the beginners can now naturally respond to simple, conversational questions. Still, some kids insist on calling me Candy instead of Kelley, which is harder to say because of the "Ls." Classroom management and discipline of students is more difficult with one of my co-teachers than the other. I even have one student who loves to tell me in Chinese, "Kelley Teacher is so fat!"
That phrase has actually become a trend for me in Taiwan; one that bothered me a lot, but I'm adjusting to now. My co-teachers, friends, personal trainer, and obviously students, tell me that I'm fat. "You'd be pretty if you just lose your weight." "Well, you're not too fat, you just look strong." Haha! It is definitely a cultural difference. These people care about me, but assume that I know I am fat (by their standards), just as I know that my hair is brown and I am short.
I try to look on the bright side and appreciate that I've developed many close friendships and the language ability to understand these comments in Chinese. In fact, my Chinese comprehension has dramaically improved. I can understand almost every conversation that I hear, though I can't always satisfactorally respond. Yesterday I had my last Chinese class and our final test. I aced the listening section, but struggled to use Chinese to describe why I thought a movie I saw was funny. It turned out like this: "The boy and the girl want to go to work together. The boy is very rude. The girl does not like that boy. But as time goes by, she likes him. I think that is funny."
But I have recently discovered something very important. If I make the conscious effort to put all of my energy into the present moment, I enjoy my work, my friends, and my life here more and the people around me enjoy me! Last week I felt myself getting frustrated in class because I was thinking about the legal issues surrounding my scooter accident. This week, when I am in class, I don't think about anything except the students I am with right then. I am one hundred times sillier and more energetic and my kids feed off of my enthusiasm. They love when I hide a bell behind my back and ring it as I tap the tops of their heads or tips of their noses. It is a great way to make them laugh and to get the attention of the whole class.
People have asked me, "Are you homesick?" "Do you miss home?" During previous trips abroad, particularly to Hong Kong, I remember being ready to leave by my fourth month there. I've been in Taiwan for four months now and my only answer to those questions is, "I really, really love it here." I am definitely not ready to leave.
I have a few close American friends and more close Taiwanese friends of all ages. When I walk through my neighborhood, I wave and talk with various shopkeepers and fellow busriders. I have a regular fruit stand that I shop at and the owners always ask (in Chinese), "Why didn't you come here for ___ days?"
Even Thanksgiving was comfortable in Kaohsiung. The director of the Kaohsiung branch of the American Institute of Taiwan (the pseudo U.S. embassy) invited us to his home for dinner. A local culinary school prepared our food and it was outstanding. We drank wine, ate a ton, and mingled with friends and government officials.
I also attended the coolest show I've ever seen with my friend Charles' host family. It was called the Traditional Lion Dance Contest. Pairs of men strapped themselves into a Chinese lion costume -- one guy under the lion's head, his legs acting as the front paws of the lion, and the other guy bent to make the body and back legs -- then performed unbelievable gymnastic feats to drumming beats. The Kaohsiung City team were the champions again this year!
My major goal over the next week is to plan my winter vacation. I have a month off of school. This weekend I am buying my flight to Japan to visit my friend Mariko. My parents will meet me there and then we will go to Hong Kong for Chinese New Year. Finally, they will come and visit Taipei and Kaohsiung with me. But before Japan, I hope to travel around Taiwan with some of my local friends.
Happy December and best wishes during the holiday season!
Teaching has become regular, though we had a break from English Village for two weeks. My co-teachers and I are used to each other by now and even when things don't go perfectly, we adapt and the kids are enjoying English tremendously.
I've had some wonderful and less wonderful moments with my students. Many ask when I'm leaving and if I will remember them; the beginners can now naturally respond to simple, conversational questions. Still, some kids insist on calling me Candy instead of Kelley, which is harder to say because of the "Ls." Classroom management and discipline of students is more difficult with one of my co-teachers than the other. I even have one student who loves to tell me in Chinese, "Kelley Teacher is so fat!"
That phrase has actually become a trend for me in Taiwan; one that bothered me a lot, but I'm adjusting to now. My co-teachers, friends, personal trainer, and obviously students, tell me that I'm fat. "You'd be pretty if you just lose your weight." "Well, you're not too fat, you just look strong." Haha! It is definitely a cultural difference. These people care about me, but assume that I know I am fat (by their standards), just as I know that my hair is brown and I am short.
I try to look on the bright side and appreciate that I've developed many close friendships and the language ability to understand these comments in Chinese. In fact, my Chinese comprehension has dramaically improved. I can understand almost every conversation that I hear, though I can't always satisfactorally respond. Yesterday I had my last Chinese class and our final test. I aced the listening section, but struggled to use Chinese to describe why I thought a movie I saw was funny. It turned out like this: "The boy and the girl want to go to work together. The boy is very rude. The girl does not like that boy. But as time goes by, she likes him. I think that is funny."
But I have recently discovered something very important. If I make the conscious effort to put all of my energy into the present moment, I enjoy my work, my friends, and my life here more and the people around me enjoy me! Last week I felt myself getting frustrated in class because I was thinking about the legal issues surrounding my scooter accident. This week, when I am in class, I don't think about anything except the students I am with right then. I am one hundred times sillier and more energetic and my kids feed off of my enthusiasm. They love when I hide a bell behind my back and ring it as I tap the tops of their heads or tips of their noses. It is a great way to make them laugh and to get the attention of the whole class.
People have asked me, "Are you homesick?" "Do you miss home?" During previous trips abroad, particularly to Hong Kong, I remember being ready to leave by my fourth month there. I've been in Taiwan for four months now and my only answer to those questions is, "I really, really love it here." I am definitely not ready to leave.
I have a few close American friends and more close Taiwanese friends of all ages. When I walk through my neighborhood, I wave and talk with various shopkeepers and fellow busriders. I have a regular fruit stand that I shop at and the owners always ask (in Chinese), "Why didn't you come here for ___ days?"
Even Thanksgiving was comfortable in Kaohsiung. The director of the Kaohsiung branch of the American Institute of Taiwan (the pseudo U.S. embassy) invited us to his home for dinner. A local culinary school prepared our food and it was outstanding. We drank wine, ate a ton, and mingled with friends and government officials.
I also attended the coolest show I've ever seen with my friend Charles' host family. It was called the Traditional Lion Dance Contest. Pairs of men strapped themselves into a Chinese lion costume -- one guy under the lion's head, his legs acting as the front paws of the lion, and the other guy bent to make the body and back legs -- then performed unbelievable gymnastic feats to drumming beats. The Kaohsiung City team were the champions again this year!
My major goal over the next week is to plan my winter vacation. I have a month off of school. This weekend I am buying my flight to Japan to visit my friend Mariko. My parents will meet me there and then we will go to Hong Kong for Chinese New Year. Finally, they will come and visit Taipei and Kaohsiung with me. But before Japan, I hope to travel around Taiwan with some of my local friends.
Happy December and best wishes during the holiday season!
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