Working on the railroad

It’s hard to motivate a blog entry when it would be about how exhausted one is, so here is my summary of the last several days. Now that it is my one-day weekend, I can rest and catch (you) up a bit.
I have been working since last Friday, the day after I arrived in Taiwan. I wrote about Sunday’s adventures already, and since then I have had more training, observations, and classes. I have taught 6 hours of class thus far, and have worked probably 40 hours. I only get paid for teaching hours, so I will be very happy when my lesson plans take 15 minutes instead of 2 hours, and same for grading homework.
This morning I taught my second full (two hour) class, and after, graded the homework that had been collected from the lesson before. I had to grade it right away, because immediately after leaving school, Josh and I went to test drive and purchase a friend’s scooter, drive home, quickly pack things, and catch a train to Taipei. We will be in Taipei for tonight and tomorrow, and then Josh returns home while I stay in Taipei for training. Most of my fellow-new-hires will be arriving in Taiwan today or tomorrow, and will be jumping into training right away. I have had the (fortunate or unfortunate) opportunity to train in advance, so I hope I don’t screw up. It should be much easier for me, considering I have already taught some classes, but we will be training for the kindergarten curriculum and others that I have not learned anything about (other than watching the adorable Teacher Josh). My company is pretty corny, and it’s been a long week, so I hope the new folks are cool and sane and altogether interesting to be around.
I have had some interesting experiences in the last several days. I think the main cause of my exhaustion (other than working until 11) has been that I am running on very few calories. The following is not meant to frighten or complain, just to explain that my bubble of protection is more interesting than it is perfect. At first I was willing to try lots of new foods because I was never hungry, so if I didn’t like it, I was fine. Then I started getting hungry. And I stayed hungry. I am hungry now. Lots of crackers and fruit and new fruits and some vegetables, but because I was working from 3-11, I didn’t really eat much. I can order dinner at work, but I haven’t been very good at it. Anyway, I was getting very hungry. Yesterday morning I found the scale in our apartment and I was 47 kilograms. This means that I have lost 14 pounds since the start of the kidney stone; about 6 since I left the US. Being the wonderful and worried boyfriend that he is, Josh took me out to lunch to a place that he knew I liked. We had that same teppanyaki and I again got shrimp and I ate the whole thing. Faster than he did. I was full and happy and it was actually a fairly emotional felling of relief. …but then I didn’t really eat dinner so there you go…but there is hope and I am feeling better and Taipei promises lots of delicious foods and adventures.
Next story: I have had some neat music experiences in the last several days. On Sunday, when Josh and I were hiking, the music from the town wafted up into the mountains. As we took in the birds and the jungle and the village below, the music (and incense) made it seem the quintessential Taiwanese experience. 2. The book store. Josh and I were on various missions – he to find a cd for his Chinese book; I to find a bird book that I could understand. As I am looking through the book, writing down names so I didn’t have to pay for it, I realize I am singing along to the instrumental music playing. Then words formed in my head: “Oh Shenandoah, I long to hear you….away, you rolling river…” Next song: Simple Gifts. And for finish: “Home, Home on the Range.” I wonder if anyone there knew what they were hearing. Knew the way I remembered Brackenridge friends on the Plaza with a guitar singing “you rolling river” in 6 part harmony. Or if they knew that Simple Gifts is Lord of the Dance and that makes Bill grin and mom cry. Or if they knew I sang Home on the Range in the back of the plane as loud as I could cause no one could hear me over the engine and we were going to Iowa. In Taiwan there are not any ice cream trucks. I think there are ice cream bicycles, but I have not yet experienced one. I did however learn that there aren’t any ice cream trucks when I heard a truck drive by playing music, grinned with joy, only to find out it was the garbage truck. There are no ice cream trucks in Taiwan.
Two days ago, I met this girl on the train. Her name is “Jenny” and she is 17 and she goes to school in Taichung and has been going to English cram school for five years. I met her because I was a foreigner and a seat opened. She and her friend beckoned me to sit. They giggled nervously as they tried to speak. “Our English is not very good.” “That’s okay, my Chinese is worse!” They helped me practice my numbers and saying “excuse me.” Jenny and I got off in Fongyuan; her friend stayed on. Jenny and I said goodbye.
Yesterday, I took the train home again. I watched in the windows for Jenny, and I found her. When I got on, she was in the back corner and I couldn’t get her attention. Eventually, Jenny’s friend saw me, giggled, and called me over. We talked about food. Jenny and I got off in Fongyuan, I told her to keep practicing, and she giggled as she met Josh. I told her I was getting a scooter and I wouldn’t be taking the train anymore. I know it’s strange, but I want to take the loud, smelly train now so I can talk to the shy girl with a big spirit.
For the record, Taiwan is beautiful.