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!

Republika ng Pilipinas

Josh and I have just returned from a 9 day vacation in the Philippines. We left 3:30 am Saturday morning for Taipei Airport. Arrv. Manila in the morning, caught a taxi to Intramuros...and place of historical conflict involving at one time or another Spain, Japan, the US, and the Philippines. Ate a delicious lunch of chopsuey and explored the fort. Went to the National Museum of the Philipino People, and looks specifically at the display on the Spanish-American War and the Philippine-American war. It struck us as a balanced portrayal of the conflicts, noting weaknesses and strengths of all sides. Did you know that at the end of the S-A War, the US bargained with Spain to surrender to the United States instead of to the Philippines?

Caught a bus to Angeles, where we found a hotel on the third try and a with the help of a nice tricycle driver. For dinner we ate at what turned out to be the restaurant of a shady-looking bar next door. The Philippines has a thriving sex-industry, and we were definitely witness to it. From the restaurant, we could see a platform with young women waiting...we're not sure if it was more than conversation in that bar, but from the looks of the town, it could have been. It was heartbreaking to see was the middle-aged or older white men meeting and taking "home" these young Filipino women...

Sunday, Josh and I caught a tricycle, a jeepny, another jeepny, and then another tricycle to a little town where we caught a jeep that drove us to Mt. Pinatubo. Five minutes into our ride in the jeep, we had to stop because of some military exercises that were happening over Mt. Pinatubo. During our twenty minute break (which was actually an hour), we walked around taking pictures. Lots of little kids were interested in us as much as we were in them. Asked us to take pictures and giggled when they saw themselves on camera. Laughed out loud when I showed them their friend riding a water buffalo. It was beautiful, at the base of the mountains, buffalo grazing, chickens everywhere. Trash everywhere. While one of the boys was sitting near us, watching, he finished his snack and threw the wrapper on the ground. We witnessed several instances of this seemingly wanton treatment of the local environment on our trip and still want to know the motivations.

The military let us pass, and the jeep suddenly was on a very bumpy road, fording rivers, and climbing in half gears up steep inclines. Because of the wait, we had to be taken to the highest access point and hurry along to the crater. Our guide walked in flip flops. The lake was amazing from the surrounding cliffs and from the shore. The water green and blue, the cliffs rising high around reminiscent of the enormous mountain that once had been there, and whose ash had suddenly blanketed the sky.

We made it back to the starting point for a delicious Filipino dinner, caught a tricycle to a jeepny to a jeepny to Angeles and then walked back to the hotel. A long day of traveling to be back in the place we had started. And that was our first day.

On Monday, we took an assortment of transportation, eventually to Lucap, a tiny town near Hundred Islands National Park. We got a nipa hut from Seaside Haven, and went to wander. Here we encountered more overt pleas for money, to buy things, etc. Little kids climbed all around us, "gi me money mum?" "gi me money sir?" One little boy, in very broken English explained (we think) to us, that if we threw a few pesos into the water, he would dive in for them. We found out later, there is a slum of maybe 500 families next door to Lucap. We met an American who runs a rental business, and he explained to us his experiences with the government. Those that have money have control. 8 families own most of the business in the Philippines. Contracts have no permanence.

We ate a beautiful restaurant called Maxines, where we subsequently had breakfast and dinner for the three days we were there. Tuesday morning we woke at 5:30 to watch the sunrise. Pancake breakfast. Rented a a kayak and Banka to tow it to the islands. From there we explored several islands, until finding a secluded place for us to read. The rocks were eroded so that an overhang created just enough shade to protect us during the heat of the day (and it was HOT). Kayaked back to the Banka which took us home. Wednesday we kayaked from Lucap to the islands, and returned to the same (Scouts Island). Spend all day (8 hours?) kayaking and reading and looking at shells. When we got back at 5:30, the wonderful American man said we had earned the kayak and didn't charge us for Wednesday.

Thursday we left for Bolinao, which looks out on the South China Sea. Spent several days resting, playing pool, swimming, and on Friday we went to the University of the Philippines Marine Institute. We were given a tour of the facilities, where they are working to reseed giant clams in the the Philippines. They are also working to restore the coral and sea cucumbers. After the tour, we went down to the pier and asked if there was somewhere that we could hire a boat. The woman who has sold us a pepsi found a random guy with a boat. He went and found some snorkel gear and took us out for less than half of the rate were anticipating (and a 5th, at least, of what a resort would charge). For about an hour we snorkeled above the giant clams that had been relocated by the University. It was amazing-they are maybe 2 feet wide and can weigh 500 kilograms (I am 50 kilos). Sea urchins and coral and a few fish. It was incredible.

Saturday we went back to Manila and Sunday we flew home. It was a restful, wonderful, insightful trip. It's raining here and the sun is nowhere to be seen. I know it will be summer soon enough here, but I miss the Philippines. The water. The coke in glass bottles that were collected. The people were incredibly nice, and most spoke English extremely well. Next time maybe we'll actually go hiking like we had planned. Instead of one day near the water, we spent 6. That's vacation if ever I've known it. Happy Chinese New Year!

Mama and Baba Visit Taiwan

It is now Tuesday morning TW time, Monday night EST. My parents have boarded a train to Taipei where they will catch a cab to the airport and a flight to JFK. This final journey home comes after a long trip around Taiwan sprinkled with relaxation, teppenyaki, a little traveling stress, and monkeys. Overall it was a great trip, ending appropriately with a finished puzzle, begun five months ago.

My parents got here two Thursdays ago. I went to Taipei Wednesday night and stayed in a hostel, where they met me early Thursday morning. We caught a train home and spent the first weekend in Fengyuan. Mom and Dad hopped on the back of our scooters, and were excellent passengers. On Saturday we went into the mountains outside of Fengyuan. Mostly a long scooter ride, with some hiking and adventuring. We followed a suspension bridge over the river and an old rode up into a mountain. Just far enough to get away from traffic and people. The fresh air is especially refreshing compared to Fengyuan's constant trafficy smell.

Sunday Josh and I went to our company's annual banquet while my parents walked around the city and went to a cool market. Then off to the soccer field to watch Josh play. Lots of reading and relaxing and puzzle making.

From Monday through Thursday, the rents went the Kenting, in very southern Taiwan. You'll have to ask them about it.

They returned Thursday afternoon. Friday morning the four of us set off in a rental car to Hualien.

Happy New Year! I can't believe it's been almost a month since I have written. I think of many things to write, but then alas I never do.

Soccer has been one of the highlights of this year. I go every Wednesday and practice with both soccer teams that Josh is on. The teams scramble up and scrimmage each other. It's been great exercise and good fun. Saturday, Josh played in a game and then that night I went with a female teacher-friend to meet some of his team in Taichung. It was the first time I'd been "out" in Taiwan, and she and I basically cha chaed all night (the 7 Latinos in Taichung were at the Latin themed night). She is from Belize, first languages are English and Spanish, and is a new friend. Normally, we see each other at Josh' work, and occasionally a group lunch, but she is totally cool and I'm excited at the prospect of having a girl (read: non-Josh person) to talk to. Maybe it will be good for me.

I lost my cell phone yesterday. I will get my third cell phone tomorrow. What an idiot.

My parents are coming in two days! I will take a bus to Taipei Wednesday night and meet them in the city early early Thursday morning. I will try to post about their visit!

Work is going fairly well. I'm feeling like a teacher, have some authority over my students, and seem to be getting along with my co-teachers. I've lost the "I'm always wrong" attitude I assumed when I got here, and the brief "I'm always right" attitude from that day the "I'm always wrong" attitude made me sick. My CTs have several times implied that I am an important part of the teaching team. I just switched classes with another English speaking teacher, and my CT seemed concerned about the direction the class would take. It wasn't the comparison that made me happy, but rather the confidence in my teaching and the awknowledgment that it would be missed.

Had a minor conflict with my "supervisor" of sorts. Seems that she is pulled in all directions, and I'm asking questions at the wrong time. One of our teachers is leaving after being here for only three months, and so we're all feeling the looming pressure his departure will instill. I think I am the least effected, as the head teachers stress about all of our schedules. Anyway, I don't think we're happy he's leaving. In part I want to be understanding and in part I want to be frustrated that he's breaking contract, leaving us to clean his mess, and convincing his girlfriend to leave early too. I mean, some think I left the US "for" Josh. I still think if I had stayed in the US working a crappy job just so I could stay with him, it would be a sacrifice. I'm not sure what I would do if Josh said he wanted to go back. For one, I've invested too much money to leave. For two, I would seriously consider the sudden character change. What if I wanted to leave? Would I expect him to go with me?

Good thing I don't have to think about it. Anyway, it's a bummer this teacher is leaving. I feel for the CTs who already have NSTs change every 6 or 12 months. Imagine a new teacher coming in, and just when he is almost competent, he leaves. Then you have to train a whole NEW teacher, or deal with NST subs for several months. So much for consistency.

Maybe this is not interesting or is incoherent. I guess it's just gossip I really want to say, but know it will get me in trouble if I say it to the people I work with. Although I soft of have...

More to come, I promise. Maybe.