The Life and Times...are boring :0)

Kindy is going well so far...three days down and three to go for my week. I have taught 19.2 hours in the last three days...which is the number of hours I normally work in a week...the next three days are a bit lighter and I am looking forward to that.

Today we had a talent show at school. The three "big" kindy classes (5 and 6 years old) got together in the library to put on our talent show. It was overall a great success-they sat still quite well, were very interested in their friends, and only a few bugged out and didn't go. On a very self-promoting note...I talked to the branch manager after the talent show to see what she thought, and her response was "I liked it. Especially your class. No, I mean especially you." For coming in three days before the thing and planning it all for "my" class, that seems like pretty high praise. Something I needed after this long few days. I've been working I think quite hard (at least cerebrally) on my teaching (or teaching philosophy) and I'm glad to see that the cerebellum is becoming practicum.

Did I mention that at soccer on Sunday I got hit by a 150 kg. guy (intentionally). I had just stolen the ball from him, and he was...upset. put his shoulder into me and I flew like a rubber chicken. The bruise on my leg is going down. All in all, I think Josh get's beat up way more than I do but I can't get over this bruise on my leg.

Tonight we had practice which was quite fun for me. As much as I fight the "girl" image on the field, it's nice to hear everyone so supportive when I have a nice tackle or good pass. I'm getting a lot faster (and gaining weight in the process) so I'm not nearly as winded. All in all good, and I try to shake of the bad in honor of the exercise I'm getting. Still seeking constant affirmation that they want me there, but I think I'm earning my spot on the team.

Not much else to tell-haven't gone hiking in a long time because of soccer games. Going to Cambodia in a week and a half, so maybe that will be of interest. I'm pretty sure we're counting that as my birthday celebration. If only I could convince Josh to count it as my birthday gift.

Off for now; fried rice is calling

I'm on the verge of a nutty and I'm unsure why. I am teaching 9 classes including a tree house that meets MWF and comes with lots of parent involvement (good and bad). I have a student who gets at least verbal abuse if she goes home with poor marks or comments in her communication book. I have a student who appears totally confident and competent in class but then goes home and forgets how to write his homework. I have a student who seems pretty secure in class and on homework but then come test time writes "No, there is't on the table" instead of "No, there aren't any blocks on the table." There are only 6 students in this class. Josh teaches the same class but has 19 students. We are envious of each other. He has tons of homework to grade and rowdy kids to control. I have no excuse if a kid gets below a 100 because it's so easy for me to spend time with them. Sometimes they just forget an "s"...sorry Ma.

I have an upper level class Saturday morning that doesn't want to be there which makes ME not want to be there. The slowest student in class had to miss three lessons because his Junior High School had make up classes on Saturday morning. So I had three make up classes with him. Couldn't he have just gotten make up classes for the make up classes at Junior High School and still come to mine? He came to take the quiz on the third make-up lesson, but he was so unprepared I studied with him for an hour and sent him home. Finally, when he did take the quiz, he was 11% points below the class average that included his grade.

I'm taking an economics class online free from MIT, and would love to spend more time doing it, but I can't because I have to grade homework. I am really interested as of now, and it's great to be back "in school."

I will hear back on Tuesday/Wednesday from the University of Indiana...one of if not the best program in the country for what I want to do...meaning that I am super nervous, not sure I'll get in, and not even sure I'd accept if I did get in. I'm liking Seattle a lot which means I'm thinking about the prospect of moving 3500 miles away from the person I intend to marry. Who I don't even see that much now and when we do we are either talking about work or eating lunch.

I am tutoring this really awesome kid. But it breaks up my morning and takes away about an hour every day.

I will start subbing kindy at Josh's school on Monday. For wednesday, I have to have my new class prepared for a kindy performance show. The "untalented" kids will be singing "sorry sorry sorry"...a very popular korean (?) song with a funny dance. I am hoping that the hugs and time with kids will be relaxing and rejuvenating like last time, but I am afraid it will just be exhausting.

I have a friend at work who is my CT for the only two classes where I teach all of the lessons. She's really hard-working, which, to me, gets to the point of overbearing. We had set up a language exchange to teach each other Chinese/English, but we just started talking about work... She has several times incorrectly corrected my students, and will interrupt their speaking to reprimand them for sitting improperly. It's hard because both of us micro manage. AND, I found out that part of the reason she is like that for Tree House is because we have six students (including a new one). This means, if one student drops out, the class closes. Talk about pressure now. No saying "no" to a parent now! (PS-their kids are 7 years old. How hard can they push them? I guess I'll see).

Okay. That's all. We have a soccer game on Sunday, and I'm hurting from Wednesday's practice. I hurt a guy, and in the process, hurt my shoulder. I have a couple of skinned knees that I'm proud of and am getting fast enough to run with some of the big boys. Now I just need to be able to play soccer...

Trying to save money, I think I have been neglecting eating enough. I'm hoping that once that starts again, I'll have more energy!

I apologize for wasting your time, but I am sick of talking to people about my classes but know I need to get my nervous energy out. I'm afraid if I keep talking about my weaker students at school, they will just think I'm a bad teacher. At some point, I expect my students to study at home.

For the most part, things ARE going well. I love Tree House, and after these make-up classes are over, I will have substantial breaks in my day. Long enough for books and walks, etc. THEN, after I finish subbing this one month of kindy, I will be back to 20 hours of class a week, with one class (7-9 pm) on T/Th. Glorious. On April 8th (Payday) I'm going to take the huge wad of cash they pay me and open a bank account. Transfer some money back home. and start SAVING again. WhooHoo!

PS-Josh and I are going to Thailand and Cambodia in April. We'll have 5 days including travel days, and about 2 full days in Siem Reap (Ankor Wat). Long and exhausting maybe, but needed and exciting!

Here's a toast to toast. Actually. With crappy blueberry jam :0) I'm Honggree!

Friday, Josh got food poisoning. Saturday we read books and recovered his tummy. Sunday, we went to an English book sale, loaded up on novels, got smoothies, then played in a soccer kick around during which the smoothies kicked our stomachs around. Returned home to make pasta, clean the fridge, and write plays for Josh's classes. We adapted the Tortoise and the Hare to a play big enough for 19 8-year-olds, using songs and grammar patterns they have learned already.

Now I'm trying to figure out how to purchase a download-able Economics text book that is restricted to users in the US, Canada, Puerto Rico, and US military bases...

My relaxing life in Taiwan will be turned on it's head as I begin teaching 35 hours a week (meaning 50+ with planning/grading) and an Economics course that is supposed to prepare me for a PhD program. But I'll be learning again!

Great and exhausting weekend. Friday night after work I zipped back to Fengyuan where a huge group of friends went to see Alice and Wonderland. Good but not nearly the trip I was expecting. Beautiful but not mind blowing.

After payday, I immediately splurged on actual cheese and blueberries (a total of 6 dollars consumed in about 5 minutes). After work on Saturday, Josh and I lounged for a bit. Feeling too bored, I went shopping which was bad news...got a couple of things for work when the weather gets unbearable. We went to dinner at Mirto's, and Italian style restaurant and then drove to Taichung to meet some friends.

Our friend Chris was in the finals for a singing competition at a bar called "Elementary." Josh and I got to the intersection that it was on, but couldn't find the bar, so we drove around for another 45 minutes, only to return to the same intersection, ask someone else, and be immediately directed to an unmarked bar 50 meters away. Alas, we missed the first round, but caught Chris sing "Great Balls of Fire" with a plastic piano and a Guitar Hero guitar. Josh and I have been out approximately three weekends since being in Taiwan, so it was fun but strange. As much as I like people, smokey, beer filled settings are not my preferred choice of making friends. So we sat back and took it in for a couple of hours.

Sunday we got up early and met our soccer team in Taichung. Hopped a bus to Tainan where we had a game. There were 12 players (I was the only sub), so I got a lot of playing time. I think after today at least the boys who were there consider me a member of the team. I am awfully sore today and have a few bruises, but I hope I embarrassed at least a couple of their players.

Time now for a new week. I already need a nap.

All's Well

There was an earthquake in Pingtung, Taiwan today. We felt it in the morning, just as we were waking up. We're fine, as is everyone else in Fengyuan (as far as we know). There were some fires in the south, and a few injuries. The high speed rail system was suspended. Power outages in a few places around the country. So far we've been quite lucky-experiencing quakes in buildings that have great engineering. It's been fun for us...but today's concern from those in America reminded me that we are indeed fortunate.

Thank you parents and family who thought of us when they heard the news on NPR, etc. It's crazy to think that the earthquake here was fodder for US news, but it is probably because it comes on the heels of two very devastating quakes. Nothing so bad here; a combination of strong infrastructure, weaker quakes, and probably deeper quakes. I can't imagine the suffering in Haiti and Chile because of these.

The Terrific Pacific

Happy March! Nothing too exciting to report here. I struggle to balance grading homework and reading books and playing my new-used guitar. And by struggle to balance I mean...often neglect grading homework.

I guess some news-I have been accepted to the Evans School of Public Affairs at the University of Washington to study Environmental Management. The moral: I need to take an econ class stat. Not sure when I'll hear back from the other schools to which I've applied, but this is quite exciting and I would be happy to go there. Maybe "The Terrific Pacific" can continue again!

We're still waiting on Josh to find out/figure out where he's going. Overall story will be figured out by April 15th. Yikes.

That's all. Who knew living here could be as mundane as living elsewhere. Oh, my scooter won't start. That adds some spice to life!