Dakeng and Do Liu

This morning (Monday) I woke up, my body still witness to the effects of this weekend...On Saturday, Josh met me after work. After a long lunch, we drove up into the mountains to "Dakeng Scenic Area," known for it's numerous trails and adventures. It is only 30 minutes from our apt, but we've never really managed to get there successfully (we tried once and ended up somewhere else). We found trail 2, which I had heard of because of it's ropes. It was about 4:30 when we started, and quite overcast. The trail led us up into the mountains, quickly. The whole thing is built of logs-a staircase through the mountains, hand rails on either side, and sometimes steep drops there too. It was grueling the first few inclines, as my muscles got used to the vertical and my brain got used to the height. We found a pace and settled in, agreeing we would turn back before it got dark.

The insects were incredible. A tiny shrimp-like thing, almost sheer, with a neon blue tail the likes of fake Christmas tree trim. A praying mantis an inch long, her tail like a scorpion, perfectly camouflaged to the green around her. A tiny (pinky-nail sized) white creature, with four feather-like appendages sticking straight up from it's back. And cicadas. Making a most ridiculous racket, louder than the city below.

After an argument about when "before dark" was, I finally convinced Josh to turn around and head home. As we returned to the cement beginning of the trail, we saw several people watching the trees. Indeed, there were at least three monkeys, meters off the path. How funny that in our hour+ in the mountains there were no monkeys. Only when we could see the metal house of a vendor were there monkeys. Interesting really. But the insects were incredible.

We returned home, made dinner, watched a movie, and read books. Sunday, we left around 11 for the train station. Met our soccer team in Taichung and caught a train to Do Liu. We had a make-shift soccer tournament with three other teams. The field looked like a prairie...it was badly in need of a haircut. We played well, but not nearly as well as I would have liked. We lost a very frustrating team that we should have crushed, but had a lot of fun. One team we played was a local concoction of players. During this game we switched positions and let everyone play where they wanted. After putting in my time at defense, our goal keeper (now playing striker), switched so I could play up top. Two minutes later, and 1 minute before the end of the game, a cross came in and I scored! It might have been a sloppy goal, but it was well placed and well intentioned. Pretty exciting, as all the boys had been saying that today I'd get my goal. Jokes were made that Josh would now sit on the bench and I'd be a starting forward. It felt good to play well for a day. I had a few good tackles, caught a few guys on breakaways, etc. Felt like part of the team. I even started two (of three) games. Of course it was only for a day when we were playing crappy teams and our whole team wasn't present, but still makes for a good Sunday.

So indeed, I'm tired and sore and not ready for another week to begin...

Joe's Trader Joe's

I got the best surprise on Wednesday! After soccer practice I came home to a big package from Don and Barbara, full of delicious things to eat. I've started eating at home a lot more, and craving salsa, jams, etc that aren't super processed and expensive. This Trader Joe's bounty was amazing. THEN yesterday I got the second box...wow wow wow.

Things are going well. I have found a potential roommate, and we are in the stage of seeing if we would be good housemates. More to come once it's settled.

We have a soccer tournament this weekend on Sunday. New town!

I'm Dancin' and Singin' in the Rain...

Good week. Had a performance day in one of my classes that went pretty well. Yesterday our friends had a goodbye party for their house, which they are being forced to move from three months before they are leaving Taiwan. It was a wonderful pot luck and I'm proud to say that my lovely boyfriend danced with me and left me swooning. Great food, friends, and motivation to get our scooter headlights fixed...the mountains are quite dark at night.

Today it absolutely poured down rain. I'm sure it is nothing compared to a typhoon, but it was windy and wet. Thunder heard in the distance for the first time since I've been here.

Spent the day reading, grading homework, watching Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly (originally to show Josh "Singin in the rain", watching WW2 propaganda films, and we plan to watch a movie before sleep ends the day. Made a trip under umbrellas to our favorite dumpling and rice places, and picked up some vegetables from the grocery store (no markets today). No reason to be on a scooter in this weather!!

Time to study Economics and Chinese for a productive note in a rainy Sunday.

The End of the Road

This morning Josh and I left for another mountain adventure. We have been to Dashueshan Forest Recreation Area several times before, mostly driving through foggy, chilly mountains hoping for a glimpse beyond the next hill. We drove thousands of meters into the air today along familiar road, then kept going until the road petered out at a path that led to a sacred tree. This tree was 1400 years old, had a diameter of 4 meters, and a perimeter of 13. Incredible in size and majesty, we hiked for a bit in it's pine forest, feeling the soft give of old needles below.

Today was a wonderful day of smells. of Rhodedendrons just finishing their bloom, of pine needles, and of old rotting logs that split under foot.

On our drive up we spotted a man along the side of the road in full camouflage with his enormous camera lens disguised as the forest. I assured Josh he was waiting for the Mikado pheasant, an elusive species endemic to Taiwan. Five hours later, as we were driving back down the mountain, we were surprised to see a crowd where just this man had been before. There, two feet from the road were both male and female mikado pheasant. We hurridly joined the group, binoculars and cameras in hand. This bird cannot be justified with pictures, and was a species I was sure was going to elude me in Taiwan. It's striking blue feathers, black and white markings on the wings, vibrant red around the eye, exquisite, long tail-feathers, and shy composure win this bird a spot on the 1000 NT note. I nearly cried as I watched it feed silently near us.

Of course I couldn't explain to those around me that I had wished to see this bird for months, but had relegated myself to pictures. I think those around me were excited that a foreigner was so interested in their bird, for I caught at least several women taking pictures of ME while I was looking at the bird. It's such a wonderful thing to see people so excited about these two, relatively small creatures.

And now I am thinking about Charlie as I remember the vibrant blue of the male and the muted brown of the female and the words from Hair,

"I would just like to say...that it is my conviction
That longer hair and other flamboyant affectations
Of appearance are nothing more
Than the male`s emergence from his drab camoflage
Into the gaudy plumage
Which is the birthright of his sex"

So we descended from the chilly mountain humidity to the sticky night of Fengyuan and are gearing up for another week. That pheasant has haunted my thoughts thus far...

The Foreigner Card

Today was a pretty good morning actually. It's Saturday first off. I woke up at 6:30, met my ride at 7:30, and ended up at a junior high school in the mountains at 8. The teacher who normally teaches this class is doing plays (as is Teacher Josh) all day today, so i was subbing for him. The school was so cool. It's in the mountains, most of the classrooms are full of windows (and fans! no AC). The hallways are all outside (although under roofs) and there are plants and trees everywhere. It was foggy today so you couldn't see the town below. The back of the school faces a forest.

I taught two, two-hour classes of the same material. The material was sort of lame, but with adverbs of frequency you can make fun of anyone...like "you never wash your hands?!" and "How often does your mom brush your teeth." Anyway, the classes both went really well-just pick out the loud, obnoxious junior high school boys and make fun of them. Everyone is laughing and having a good time.

I'm sure it's not this easy on a normal day, but I was a substitute, and they are junior high school students, which means they are really curious about me. So there you have the foreigner card-there's a new white girl in front of us making fun of the popular boys. This is hilarious. So they were surprisingly energetic for a Saturday morning and it was overall a good time.

Back home for a minute before trying to find out where Josh's plays are. We'll hopefully meet for lunch soon, and then I'll go watch a grueling 2 hours of little kids putting on English plays...I'm pretty excited to see Josh's play in final form!

Tummy Woes

On Wednesday night, after two hours of soccer, I started to feel a little nauseous. When Josh and I stopped for gas, I quickly gave him my keys and stumbled over to some grass in a side street and lost my lunch. After three more times, including once on the street, Josh walked me to the hospital (which is less than a block away and which I didn't get to without another stop on the side of the road). Still don't know if it was food poisoning of not, but I slept for the entirety of yesterday except for two hours when we went to get lunch/go to the bank, and two hours when Josh brought me dinner.

It's Friday morning and I'm feeling a bit better. Still a little weak and tired, but overall less shaky. Glad it's almost over!

I want a girl, just like the girl, that married dear OLD dad ;0)

Happy Mother's Day to Mom and Grandma and all my aunts and psuedo moms and the women in my life and the women in the lives of my friends for loving and setting good examples (of what not to do ;0).

This weekend was wonderful despite moodiness. On Saturday we visited a friend at her mountain home for a delicious lunch of salad, bread, and fruit. She and another friend live in a log cabin community a drive out of Fengyuan. We spent the afternoon discussing British politics (She's from Devonshire) and a bit of American nonsense thrown in there. Saturday evening we laid low and I accidentally bought 300 dollar fish (10 US).

Sunday we actually got up early and were in Taichung for lunch. We went to a restaurant owned by a Chinese teacher at my school. Then we went to the Taichung Art Museum, which had mostly modern art that we didn't understand and didn't provoke many emotions other than being creeped out. There were a couple of galleries dedicated to traditional Chinese ink paintings which were beautiful and steal worthy.

After the museum we went to soccer practice (on the north side of Taichung). Low turnout, so 5 on 5. The humidity and heat was killer, causing fatigue lasting through now and predictable until tomorrow. After soccer we cleaned up at the field and went back into Taichung to go to the major bookstore with friend, Justin. No luck in finding a good Egypt guide (I already got Josh the Lonely Planet for our anniversary, but we were seeking a second opinion.) Then to Subway (weird) and home to call our Mommies!

I've had a few crosses into the center of the field, and maybe a few assists, some significance in the defense, but only once have a scored a goal playing here. That was probably three months ago. Last night I had a shot on goal that almost went it, save a balancing act by their keeper. It was just practice, but I think sometimes I'm earning approximately the respect I deserve (not just an empty pair of cleats...and not the player that Josh is).

Anyway, the weather here is HOT. Yesterday I wore a cotton dress but it was so humid that the cloth just stuck to my legs. Putting it on after soccer practice was a dumb idea for the same reason. Today it's a bit cooler, but still damp. The summer has begun and it's going to be long. It's supposed to get up to 32 (89.6 F)today, and today is colder by a long shot than yesterday. Our hopes of cool weather only come tomorrow, with an 80% chance of rain. Which is terribly inconvenient on a scooter.

Sometimes I feel at home

Josh often asks me, as we return from an overnight trip, "does it feel like home yet?"

Because my schedule is so disjointed with all of my friends, sometimes I sit at home without fully embracing life in Fengyuan. and subbing kindy didn't help, as my only free time was taken with lunch out with Josh or two hours in Taichung during which I graded homework. Every morning I tutor, which is good to get me out of the house. And this morning I went to the kindy early to laminate some things (I subbed for a friend yesterday and Monday).

Today, on the way home from tutoring, I stopped to buy vegetables from the woman with the truck and table of vegetables. Every day these shop keepers (laoban) set up vegetable stands along the road between the railroad tracks and the inner ring road. In Chinese class we are learning a lot about foods, how to ask for things, and how to ask the price. So, I said "please give me one jin of tomatoes (a jin in 600 grams...), a loaf of cucumber (seriously, the measure word for bread (actually, they call it toast), banana, and cucumber are all the same because they are long), and this thing (brocolli...I don't know how to say it in chinese). Yes, I want that (the stalk)." Total price, 95 NT or aprox. 3 US dollars.

The tomatoes and cucumber are marinating in the fridge in some dressing compliments of Mom bringing me a packet of Italian dressing powder.

THEN, the next "stand" over, really a card table, was selling flowers. Maybe sweet peas? and roses. So I asked "how much for this" (a whole bundle). 100 NT-too rich for my blood. "How much is 1?"

Aside: Chinese is difficult. Here's why. First of all, your inflection has to be perfect, or you end up saying nonsense, or worse, curse words. For example, Lin (second tone) Laoshi (teacher) means Teacher Lin. Lin (first tone) Laoshi (teacher) means something that noone will tell me because it's so bad...I think it means something like "screw you teacher" to be said when angry.

SECOND, they have a measure word for everything. "ge" is the generic one you can use most of the time..."Wo yao ei ge mian bao." I want one bread. (Bread means roll here, toast means bread in loaf form...I don't know what they call bread after it's been toasted...they don't seem to think that's toast.) We say "one" cucumber. They say "one loaf" cucumber. So we say "a head" of broccoli, and there's another measure word for that. Maybe in the US you walk into a restaurant and say "Give me a coke." Here, you have to specify between bottle (ping) and cup (bei) and can (not sure if it's ping or bei)...even if you don't KNOW or CARE about the container.

Basically, you can't say "Give me one." You have to add a word onto one that describes the thing you want. Which is fine because I mostly say "ei ge" and they understand. But I'm getting to the point where I can sort of understand what people are saying, or at least follow it a little. So today I want one flower, and the shopkeeper (laoban) says, "ni yao ei zi hua ma?" (You want one flower?...hua is flower, ma is the question mark that you actually say) It's fast, but I hear it! Ah ha! Zi is the measure word for flower. So I used it in conversation with the flower lady. Sounds trivial to you, but that's a big deal to me :0D

Back to the story: Then this lady next to me starts asking if I speak Chinese, I say"...uh...a little." They laugh. Next question. "Are you married?" I say I don't understand. They say "husband." I say, "Haha, I don't have a husband." Then she touches my waist and in English, says "beautiful" and the woman behind the table makes the typical womanly figure shape. I blush and laugh. Say "xie xie" (thank you) and as I'm getting on my scooter, the younger girl (my age) who spoke English pretty well, hands me a rose and says in English, "for you."

And that's why I like Taiwan. Because people are really freakin nice, if not a little nosey. I'm fine with nosey...and the nice is much appreciated.

profundity

Moments like these make my day...

today I subbed a yoyo class for my friend...this means I taught a 14 student class or 2 year olds. The sentence pattern was "I love you" so I spent the day hugging kids and singing "skidamarink." Then this afternoon I got an e-mail from a student who is 2 months from graduating. The best student in this class. Here is his note:

Hello teacher.
This is my first letter for you.
About the story book, it said fate can't be changed.
I agree it, and I think all of our changes are our fate.
How do you think?
Be happy every day.
Your student

Go Hoosiers!

Not sure if I've made it public: I will be attending Indiana University (in Bloomington)'s School of Public and Environmental Affairs in the fall. I'll be pursuing my PhD in environmental policy.

Josh is going to American University law school to get his JD with a focus in international law (or maybe how national security interests and civil rights coordinate or conflict). He hopes to pursue a masters degree in his second and third year at law school...again with interests in terrorism, international law, US national security...I think oil and asia still play a role in his studies.

We will be back in the states in the middle or August, together making a brief stop (a day or two) at our respective parents' homes in the process of moving our lives 1000 miles apart... thank goodness for skype and gmail and cell phones and cars and airplanes and love, huh?

Dancing Fools

Yesterday, Josh and I spent the evening choreographing a hip-hop dance for his tree-house 6 play. How do you make hip-hop easy to learn and non-sexual...I hope we did it...the play goes on in 2 weeks and we haven't made a dance for "You're the one that I want" from Grease yet...