Texan in Taiwan

Don't forget...

2010-08-08T19:09:00.000+08:00

to follow me on my new blog. A ll of my updates about my trip so far are there. I've already had some interesting experiences in Vietnam. Check it out: Tales of a Traveling Texan

When do you feel like a grown up?

2010-08-02T02:29:00.002+08:00

It's nearly 2 a.m. on my last night in Taiwan and I'm no where near ready to go to bed. I should be but my brain is going too crazy for that, so I thought I would take this time to reflect a little on the past 14 months in Taiwan and the upcoming months of travel ahead of me. Many of you may remember I cried when I left America and came to Taiwan. I was excited and nervous, but a lot of that was

Exciting news!

2010-07-29T23:24:00.000+08:00

Apparently Texan in Taiwan has been listed as one of the Top 10 blogs in Taiwan by Go! Overseas. It's really exciting to know that people are finding my blog and enjoying the content. I hope that I can get this kind of feedback at my new blog Tales of a Traveling Texan. The new blog already has all of my Taiwan content and I will discontinue updates here at Texan in Taiwan once I leave the

Do you need a receipt?

2010-07-24T23:55:00.002+08:00

I keep forgetting if I've been back in Taiwan for one week or two since Thailand. That's how blurry everything is. (It's been two by the way.) There is just so much going on. I told all my classes this week that I'm leaving. I've been reading my Southeast Asia on a Shoestring book like crazy. I actually read the entire Cambodia chapter and most of the Laos chapter. My first cooking camp is

What's your name?

2010-07-21T16:31:00.001+08:00

So I went to play Killer Pizza yesterday and found out that a girl in my class didn't have a name yet. First things first, Killer Pizza is a super easy game in which you draw a circle on the board and divide it into slices like you would a pizza. Then you label each slice with a player's name. Then you throw a sticky ball at the circle. Whoever it hits is out (dead if you will) and the two people

When are you nervous?

2010-07-19T21:42:00.001+08:00

I woke up today not feeling very well. Initially, I thought I ate something bad last night at the movie theater. But considering it came and went all day, I think I've just got a huge case of the nerves. As Leila said, it's only Monday and I've already had a crappy week.Today I started my first of two cooking camps (I have one this week and one next week). I love cooking and I love teaching so on

Who gets the world's worst blogger award?

2010-07-17T19:11:00.002+08:00

I know I'm the world's worst blogger. I went to Thailand for 10 days and came back a week ago and you guys haven't heard anything about it. To be honest, it's not my fault. Well, not entirely at least. We don't have Internet at our new apartment so I've only been getting online to check my e-mail, peruse Facebook quickly and pay my bills. You know, the necessary things in life. Unfortunately,

How does a person accumulate this much junk in just a year?

2010-07-01T14:47:00.001+08:00

I hate packing. I managed to get almost all of the clothes I want to keep in one bag along with two pairs of shoes, my documents and a Texas snuggie.Unfortunately, my robe and my second favorite blanket of all time didn't make the cut. I'm currently debating the idea of a second, smaller, bag of luggage in which I can cram my blanket, my robe and all the other stuff I have. I just have all this

So what's your travel plan again?

2010-06-28T13:56:00.001+08:00

I'm moving this week... out of my apartment that is. Our lease agreement ends while I'm in Thailand on vacation next week so I have to move out now. I'm having trouble getting up the motivation to actually get my stuff together, though, so I'm blogging as procrastination. My plan is to go ahead and pack everything as if I'm actually leaving the country. Since I will come back from Thailand and

Was this your last time teaching our class?

2010-06-23T13:28:00.001+08:00

So before Dragon Boat Festival we were having all this terrible weather and my co-teachers and Taiwanese friends all kept saying that once we got passed Dragon Boat Festival it would be super hot out and we would get all the sun we could handle plus some. They weren't lying. Except I'm a Texas girl, so I can totally handle it. I have been soaking up the sun here. And while I would still prefer

What's that stinging feeling?

2010-06-20T21:06:00.001+08:00

I woke up at 5 a.m. today. Not because I wanted to. I wanted to wake up at about 5:40 a.m. That would have been plenty of time to get my stuff together. But the sun wanted to have its way, so I gave in. Don't worry, I had a purpose for getting up so early. I went back to Fulong to finish up my certification.I'm pretty sure this course was cursed from the very beginning. First it's too cold. Then

What do they mean the road is broken?

2010-06-18T14:11:00.000+08:00

After my adventure at Jade Mountain I'm not entirely sure where to begin, so I'll just go chronologically. Note: This is an exceptionally long post, but I assure you it is worth it. The weather looked like this pretty much the whole time. We left Saturday night after a full day of classes. Honestly, there is nothing new about using Saturday night to get somewhere or do something fun. It was the

When was the last time you used pen and paper?

2010-06-17T15:30:00.000+08:00

I wrote my entire recollection of the "Jade Mountain" adventure with Leila with a pen on paper. It was weird actually writing something again and I think I actually prefer it. Seems my brain actually processes all the junk I'm thinking and puts out the best possible combination rather than the jumbled mess of strung together incomplete thoughts I tend to get when I write on the computer. Either

What is a monsoon?

2010-06-12T14:38:00.001+08:00

So just a quick update. It's been raining pretty much constantly here in Taiwan. We're in the middle of a pretty heavy monsoon, I guess. We thought it was going to be terrible weather last Sunday so we canceled our second trip to Fulong for our diving session. Of course, then the weather turned out to be amazing. We didn't know until it was too late to head out there and be productive though. So

It's not a volcano is it?

2010-06-04T00:00:00.003+08:00

It's funny the little tidbits of information that get home and how. When I lived in Austin I didn't see my mom every day even though she only lived 20 minutes away, but I talked to her almost every single day on the phone at least once. Sometimes multiple times per day. And despite being halfway around the world, we have the digital era to thank for the almost instantaneous assurance that all

When do you feel pressed for time?

2010-06-03T12:53:00.002+08:00

I've had my nose in my Southeast Asia on a Shoestring from the Lonely Planet for about a week now. I actually lent it to a friend for the next few days so that I'll stop reading it constantly. While doing my homework is a good idea, I get kind of obsessive and then really anxious. I don't know how I'm going to survive five weeks out of a backpack if I can't just go with the flow of things. It

Can you SCUBA dive in the rain?

2010-05-30T21:07:00.001+08:00

Today we went to Fulong to do our first dives of the dive course. Initially we intended to do the two pool dives and then one (mayyyybe two) dive in the ocean. Things didn't go quite as planned. I had some trouble with one of the exercises which put us behind schedule. But honestly that wouldn't have made a difference because by the time we were even considering going in the ocean we realized

When are you busy?

2010-05-28T12:30:00.001+08:00

So I definitely dropped a big bomb on you guys and then haven't been back since. I apologize, but in my defense, I've been working a lot. I picked up a lot of extra hours and privates, so I've been working something like 40 hours a week — nearly double my usual schedule.It'll be like this until I leave. Especially once the summer camps kick in. Those alone will add another 15 hours to my week.

Do you have any secrets?

2010-05-19T21:55:00.001+08:00

OK, I have to admit, I've been keeping a secret from you. Don't hate me. It was honestly for the protection of my job, but now the cat is out of the bag, so I can tell you. I'm moving. To Prague. In September. Yep, it's time for me to make the journey to Europe. Why Prague, you ask? Because I've wanted to go there since I was 16; the country has a marginally lower cost of living (than much of

When does the sun come up?

2010-05-18T12:30:00.004+08:00

For the record, the sun comes up ridiculously early. That's a good thing though. I can't really sleep when it's bright out, so I've been waking up a bit earlier lately. Granted I'll stay in my bed and read or play on the Internet until my stomach starts yelling at me furiously about food, but waking up earlier is better. I've been exercising. I still don't really have a routine down, but

Who knows what is going on in this head of mine?

2010-05-13T11:24:00.000+08:00

Let's play catch-up first. My birthday was super fun. I went to Debbie's for breakfast with a few of the girls. Then I went home and researched vacations for about four hours. Then I went to the book store at Taipei 101, Page One, for three hours. I love book stores and I wish I could go to them more often. Unfortunately, the book store in Taoyuan that I know only has one shelf of English books

Why are these people paying so much attention to me just because it's my birthday?

2010-05-08T20:40:00.000+08:00

This week has been one heck of a roller coaster ride. I've been happy and the sad and angry and depressed and excited. I've experienced a plethora of emotions and I'm not even sure where all of them came from. Though I think I have decided that I would suck at living alone. It's nice to have a little alone time, but I don't like having too much alone time. Honestly, that's kind of what I thought

Do you take your camera everywhere with you?

2010-05-05T15:03:00.000+08:00

I do take my camera with me everywhere. At least most of the time. Unfortunately, that two months that I went without a battery charger for my camera really killed my habit to automatically shove my camera into whatever bag I'm taking with me when I leave. Now, even when I do have it with me, I often forget. This has caused me to miss a million amazing — or at the very least hilarious —

What do you use chopsticks for?

2010-05-01T13:42:00.001+08:00

So I'm at the end of my super busy week and my first week alone in the apartment. The timing actually couldn't have been more perfect. I worked 40 hours this week and when you add in travel time I basically did nothing at home but sleep, eat and shower. I didn't really have time for anyone (or anything) else. It's weird because all week I've had essentially no contact with foreign teachers

Are you a good driver?

2010-04-26T13:21:00.003+08:00

OK, I've been trying to get around to writing for a few days now, but I've just been so busy. The extra work was enough to keep me going all day, but add in having a bunch of extra foreigners around and you can understand why I haven't been able to find much of a free moment. I'll just give you the basic highlights of the past few days plus a lengthy description of Sunday. Tuesday: Tess' mom

What kind of mood are you in today?

2010-04-20T22:58:00.001+08:00

I was super cranky all day. Well, the first 20 minutes of my day I was pretty aloof... and that's when everything went downhill. I sort of dawdled when I was getting ready this morning and I ended up not leaving the apartment until 10 minutes before I was supposed to be catching a train. I live 10 minutes from the train station. Of course the entire drive people kept pulling out in front of me

What would it be like to live alone?

2010-04-19T22:28:00.002+08:00

So today began Tess' last week in Taiwan. It's totally bizarre to think about because not very many people have left since I got here last summer. Which is weird considering this is generally a pretty high turnover job. Either way, her mom and sister will be here tomorrow morning. She's super excited and to be honest so am I. I can't even count how many conversations I've overheard between Tess

When are you absent-minded?

2010-04-17T19:16:00.002+08:00

The past week has been insane. Saturday night we went out for Angela's birthday. Of course we went to our usual club — Search — but this time Angela reserved tables. That put a nice twist on things and we all had a blast. (Except for when that super creepy Taiwanese guy kept following me around the dance floor and literally tried to kiss me at one point...) Every time we go to this beach we go

Who needs a $200 bill?

2010-04-10T19:27:00.001+08:00

So I have apparently been teaching for nine months now, if you take out the vacation time that is. According to our contract, they hold the first two weeks of our pay. Then when you've stuck it out for nine months, they give you back a week of it. They hold on to that other week to make sure you stick around for the next three months.I guess the $30,000NT bonus at the end isn't enough for some

What's a tostada?

2010-04-08T13:54:00.002+08:00

Yesterday was simply amazing. I leaped out of bed at 11:30 a.m. which is incredibly early for me, especially once you consider I didn't go to sleep until 5 a.m. I was so excited I couldn't sleep. All I could think was: "Today, I'm making a Tex-Mex feast." I received a package full of Tex-Mex essentials from my mother the other day: A 30-count package of corn tortillas which I've been whining for

How do you make aboriginal culture "amusing"?

2010-04-06T16:29:00.001+08:00

Having a long weekend is always welcome no matter where you are, but especially when you're the kind of person who works six days a week. I constantly think of places I want to go but it would take more than a simple day to travel, do the things you go there to do, and then come back home. It sucks only having one day a week to yourself. So we all took full advantage of the three-day weekend.

Where are we going?

2010-04-02T15:44:00.000+08:00

So the Tomb-Sweeping Day holiday is this weekend. We get a whole three-day weekend out of it — both Saturday and Monday off work — which means that I obviously have to get out of Taoyuan so I can go do some exploring.A few weeks ago, I asked Leila (my partner in crime for the Chinese New Year Island-Wide Trip) if she would like to go with me to Sun Moon Lake. I figured that was the next big

How do you do that backwards?

2010-03-29T21:52:00.001+08:00

Backwards week just started and I'm already a little tired of it. In some aspects it's a lot of fun, but it can also be really annoying/frustrating/confusing. "Take out your books" means "Put away your books." "Yes" means "No." "Hungry" means "Thirsty." It's really hard to keep track of everything in your head. I played Teacher Says (a game that I kind of already suck at given that I'm the

Why don't you speak Chinese more often?

2010-03-25T23:45:00.001+08:00

Every day is just back and forth, back and forth. The weather is crazy. My energy levels are crazy. My level of motivation is also crazy. Oh well. I did, however, manage to make myself get out of the house and I got a haircut! It's cute and super short and basically exactly like it was last time I got it cut. I don't think I have ever had the same haircut twice. Yesterday I went to lunch with

Catching Up: What makes someone a real teacher?

2010-03-23T23:51:00.001+08:00

OK now that we've gotten health care out of the way, I can talk more about Taiwan. Sunday we had a girls' day. A bunch of us got on the bus to Taipei around 11 a.m. and eventually made it to Pinglin by 1:30 p.m. There was an incredible amount of traffic. Pinglin is a sleepy little town in the mountains that is supremely proud of its tea. They have a tea museum and all over the place there are

Catching Up: How do you feel about your health care system?

2010-03-23T23:15:00.002+08:00

Saturday night I stayed in. It was good after a week of craziness and being sick on and off. I haven't had it nearly as bad as other people, but I was seriously not happy about having a cold/allergies/whatever. I think mine was more a reaction to the totally bi-polar weather more than anything else. I feel bad for others though because I know a few of my friends had actual fevers and ended up

Are you wearing green?

2010-03-18T16:00:00.002+08:00

I ended up spending the entire day Wednesday in bed so that I could sleep off the headache and the remains of my sickness. The idea was that I would be nice and rested up for the St. Paddy's Day celebration. I can't miss St. Paddy's Day. I love being around all the people. Everyone is just so darn happy for this holiday. I told my roommate to tell me that I had to go and I didn't have a choice.

How's the weather today?

2010-03-16T15:38:00.002+08:00

Mother nature has been super bi-polar lately making a simple question about the weather super complicated. This week we've experience weather typical of every season of the year at least once, some multiple times. There has been torrential rain and superbly sunny hours, but it seems that each day has started one way and ended in another. When I woke up today it was a little chilly out, now it's

What's in the mail?

2010-03-13T19:12:00.002+08:00

Taiwanese people are easily the most honest people I ever met. Sometimes that can be brutal — like when your students tell you you're fat even though you're pretty comfortable with your weight — and sometimes that can be the best gift ever. I got to my second school today only to find out that there was a package for me. Remember that wallet I lost last weekend? Yup. Some incredibly honest and

What do you do when you feel tired?

2010-03-12T22:09:00.001+08:00

Thankfully it's quite a bit warmer out now. No more of that 6º Celsius crap. At least I hope not. I've pretty much lost all track of the difference between night and day so I'm just subject to my body's whims. My sleeping patterns are absolutely insane and I come up with this incredible amount of energy about halfway through my first class. Which then leads to yet another sleepless night. I

Why is it so cold?

2010-03-10T00:07:00.002+08:00

Well, it looked like we were working our way into summer and what would eventually be amazing waterfall/beach weather. Apparently not though. It is the coldest it has been since I've been in Taiwan. When I was driving to work earlier it was raining and 9ºC. It's supposed to get down to 6ºC tonight and be like that in the morning and the maybe get up to about 13ºC. And it's supposed to keep

Have you ever lost anything important?

2010-03-09T00:39:00.002+08:00

This weekend was rather eventful, maybe a little too much even. Saturday night we went out in Taipei for Jacob's 25th birthday. We started out the night with a reserved table at a super classy nightclub called Barcode. Our reservation was supposed to include cover to get into another club, but we were refused entry because of the reputation of some of our group from a previous night (at which I

Why won't my scooter work?

2010-03-06T21:08:00.001+08:00

I woke up super early this morning, rushed to get ready so that I would have time to get breakfast only to get on my scooter and have it not start. I tried EVERYTHING but nothing responded. I had to take a cab to work and just barely made it in time to not jeopardize my attendance bonus. I didn't get a good breakfast though. I had some coffee and a ham and cheese bagel from 7-11. The coffee

What's going on?

2010-03-03T17:45:00.003+08:00

By the way, I'm tooling around with the look of the blog. Trying to go for something a bit cleaner. Let me know what you think.

What's your favorite day of the week?

2010-03-03T15:49:00.006+08:00

So yesterday was a super eventful day and every Tuesday from now until the end of May will follow in its footsteps. I started an outside class at a local junior high school today. Just me and 28 teenagers ages 14-to-15 years old. It was probably the best class I've ever taught. The class is held in a big room in the library and the material I have is just sufficient enough to take up the class

How can you make your hopes and dreams come true?

2010-03-02T15:03:00.006+08:00

So I know I promised I would post the whole story on Lantern Festival yesterday but I was still recovering from the longest day of my life. I have to say that despite the nightmare it was to travel there, it was totally a worthwhile experience, but I'm getting ahead of myself. So earlier in the week Joslyn asked if I wanted to go to Pingxi for the Lantern Festival. Lantern festival marks the

Why the heck isn't this train moving?

2010-03-01T03:17:00.004+08:00

Photo from the Tourism Bureau of Taiwan Web site. I would have been home four hours ago if Taiwan had the presence of mind to increase transportation in areas that are to be inundated with a flood of people during a festival. That said, the Pingxi Sky Lantern Festival was still totally worth it. I'll write all about the day in which we spent 5 hours to get somewhere to play for 3 hours

Can your life get turned upside-down in a good way?

2010-02-26T12:51:00.003+08:00

Because I'm pretty sure mine has. It's going to mean a lot of work between now and then, but I think I've figured out the next chapter of my life... after Taiwan. I don't want to give too many details just yet, but let's just say that Operation "Live on Every Continent" will at least have a pretty good foothold. And there is a ton of traveling involved. I'm excited. How excited? I stayed up

What would you write a book about?

2010-02-25T13:10:00.004+08:00

The great thing about getting a country-wide vacation is that no one is really ready to come back to work. So this has been review week and I really like that. It basically means going back to work consists of literally doing nothing but playing games and goofing around with my kids. Love it. I'm reading this book right now — Eat Pray Love, maybe you've heard about it — and I love it. I'm

How would you describe Taroko Gorge?

2010-02-21T20:46:00.006+08:00

Well, our New Year vacation remained fairly uneventful in that there were no major crisis (other than my camera batteries dying and my charger being the wrong one). I got pictures of Taroko Gorge on the first day, but unfortunately that's it. It rained pretty much constantly in Hualien and Taroko Gorge. Leila and I were troopers though and we still got up no later than 6:15 a.m. and

How do you travel lightly?

2010-02-17T19:57:00.003+08:00

It's been raining pretty much non-stop on the East Coast, but we've been dawning our rain gear and going out hiking anyway. Taroko is still as pretty as I imagined it would be despite the rain. I didn't bring my memory card reader or I would just show you. Apparently my battery charger for my camera isn't working either. Going to have to buy a new one or get my mom to send me the one I left

Why does time seem to slow down when you're excited?

2010-02-14T17:07:00.004+08:00

I'm counting down 'til my train leaves for Hualien. Three hours left to go. I'm all packed. By the way, packing lightly while taking into account that one city is supposed to be rainy and cold and then the other is supposed to be sunny and less cold — if not a little warm — is super difficult. The house is mostly clean. I finally put away all my laundry and I think that things are fairly

How do you play Mahjong?

2010-02-14T01:13:00.004+08:00

I was invited to join my co-teacher Angela at her grandmother's house for a traditional Chinese New Year's Eve celebration. I had a lot of fun. I probably should have spoken a lot more Chinese considering that would have been a perfect opportunity to practice, but I was nervous and scared. I spoke a little though. And I was pretty good at listening. We had SO much food and we ate family style.

How do people celebrate Chinese New Year?

2010-02-12T13:58:00.005+08:00

With a ton of fireworks, every thing you can possibly imagine covered in red, and nine days off work. I could totally get used to this. Yesterday I finished my Chinese textbook! I am so proud of myself. And to make it even cooler, this morning I went to get dan bing and the woman started chatting at me because I've been there three times this week. She made me feel so good. Her: Do you have

What do you do when your baboo breaks?

2010-02-10T22:32:00.006+08:00

We're zeroing in on Chinese New Year vacation and tomorrow is seriously going to be the busiest day ever. Today was already pretty busy. I woke up got dressed and zoomed to Taipei to meet with a potential student (and her mother). I will be teaching a tiny little 5-year-old girl two times a week it looks like. She is adorable — and crazy smart. She obviously knows Chinese, she's already been

What makes you laugh?

2010-02-10T00:43:00.003+08:00

Couple of tidbits about today. My alarm went off at 7:30 a.m. I hit my alarm every 15 minutes until 8:30 a.m. Still way better than dragging myself out of bed at 2 or 3 p.m. I was teaching these tiny kids today and they're hilarious and adorable. I want to steal them — but I will control myself. Me: OK, Everyone say, 'I like your jacket.' Children in Chorus: I like your jacket. Me: Good. Say,

What is too much fun?

2010-02-08T21:48:00.002+08:00

It's funny to me that I've developed this mild terror of small children. I'm talking like really little children.The kind that you could break by poking them.It doesn't take long for me to get over it and just start playing with them, but every time I get around super little kids, I get a little freaked out.That multiplies by a million when they can barely understand me because they don't speak

What do you get excited about?

2010-02-05T22:23:00.002+08:00

It wasn't until the end of my first class today that I realized I wouldn't see my Friday students next week. Chinese New Year is one week away!I know it's not really my holiday but I'm super excited.I think it's a mixture of having a week off and everything looking so festive. I'm pretty excited about learning more about what CNY is all about and how people celebrate it. That and I am totally

What are you doing for Chinese New Year?

2010-02-02T23:42:00.003+08:00

My sleep schedule is all messed up again after all the celebrating we had going on this weekend.I'm going to try to reset myself tomorrow since I only have one class so it won't be too terrible if I'm a little sleepy during it. I'm also going tomorrow to try to buy train tickets to Haulien!I'm not sure if I mentioned this before, but since Chinese New Year is coming up, we have a whole week off —

Have you ever won a prize?

2010-02-01T22:37:00.003+08:00

Gloria hosted its Chinese New Year banquet last night.The room was gigantic and there were SO many people. It's amazing how many people work for Gloria. I honestly didn't even realize there were so many of us. The food was very authentic and basically disgusting. I tried to eat, but nothing was appealing except for a little bit of sashimi. It seems that most of the foreigners found the food

How long does maintenance take?

2010-01-28T13:06:00.002+08:00

I am seriously far too attached to my computer. I almost went into shock without it for the past 10 days.On that note, dumplings are never allowed near my computer again. I don't know if I could make it through that again.Long story short: I was eating dumplings a couple of weeks ago. My computer was sitting off on the chair next to me playing music and I reading a book. As I bit into one of

Where are you?

2010-01-21T16:34:00.003+08:00

FYI, my computer is under maintenance and I won't have it back for another week or so.I'm periodically checking my e-mail from friends' computers but I don't really have time to blog.But, I didn't fall off the face of the Earth and as soon as I get my computer back I'll write up what's been going on.Thanks for you patience!

Want to hear all about my vacation? (I know this is a week late)

2010-01-15T13:30:00.004+08:00

So I guess I promised you information about my stellar North American vacation and I never gave it to you.I'm sorry to have strung you along, but here we go (Warning: This is a long one).Mei Guo, ahoy!So getting to America was easy and great. I sat next to this Chinese girl and I had a window seat. The girl and I never talked because every time I so much as looked at her she turned the other way.

What's the plan?

2010-01-12T11:52:00.003+08:00

I'm pretty proud of myself.I know I've only been home five days or so, but I haven't slept passed 10 a.m. yet. In fact, I've been waking up by 9 a.m. and then just kind of hanging out in bed until 9:30 checking the news and my e-mail. I think this is a good start to a new routine.Going back to my Monday classes felt good and I'm really excited about my classes tonight. I get to see my babies! I

What are your New Years resolutions?

2010-01-09T13:55:00.003+08:00

So I'm generally really bad at resolutions, but I see the ones I'm choosing for myself more as lifestyle choices. They're really less resolutions and more goals. 1. More exercising: OK, I know this is on everyone's list but I truly need to do this. I was happy to get home and find out that I haven't gained any weight, but I also haven't lost any. I'm not saying I need to run so many times a week

Are you jet lagged?

2010-01-08T16:32:00.004+08:00

I'm glad to be back in Taiwan and my bed and with all my stuff. I actually fell asleep to the garbage truck song last night. I got back, took a shower, read for a bit and as I could just barely hear the garbage truck song from the street, I started dozing off. But despite all the things I missed (GREEN TEA!) I can't say I missed driving in the rain. In fact... I still kind of hate driving in the

When will she go back to Taiwan?

2010-01-06T00:08:00.003+08:00

Well to answer that question, from this moment I will be back in Taiwan in about 22 hours, give or take a few minutes. I have to say I kind of miss Taiwan, but that doesn't mean that I miss America or my family any less. I know it has only been six months, but it took coming home for me to see how much I've really changed.I went in pretty independent — despite the fact that I bawled like a baby

What to do? (Texas, not Taiwan)

2009-12-29T09:57:00.005+08:00

I'm starting to think that if I had a real job here (as opposed to the bartending job and internships that I had before I left) then I could be really happy here.Austin is a totally different city when you have time to spend in it. I missed out on a lot considering I was working or at school all the time. At the same time, I have this nagging voice in my head telling me to "Travel, Travel, Travel

What's the difference?

2009-12-22T22:50:00.003+08:00

My two days in Seattle are coming to an end. I'm headed to Texas this afternoon and will arrive tonight. I'm almost adjusted to the time here in the States... I say almost because I woke up at 6 a.m. today and couldn't go back to sleep. I think that's something like 11 p.m. in Taiwan.Things that are "weird":Not feeling like I'm near death every second of drivingBeing in a car rather than a

Are you ready for this?

2009-12-20T07:23:00.003+08:00

Saturday:Pancake Party. Pizza Party. Pizza Party. Peanut Butter, Chocolate and Banana Sandwich Party.I <3 being a teacher at times like these.I received lots of little trinkets as gifts from my kids.And I have the best Christmas cards ever!Sunday:I'm going to spend some time getting the my day back that Asia stole from me about 6 months ago.Tokyo in 5.5 hours.Seattle in 18 (ish) hours. It will be

What do you know about Christmas?

2009-12-18T22:20:00.003+08:00

天氣很冷, 我不喜歡!!!!(The weather is really cold, I don't like it!)I seriously felt like I was wet down to my bones today. Tess and I drove to Yingge today to do some last minute Christmas shopping. It takes about 30 minutes to get there, so that's an hour round trip. And then you add to it the fact that shopping in Taiwan means you're outside a lot, and while it was just drizzling a little, it didn't

What's on the to do list?

2009-12-18T01:13:00.002+08:00

I hate to say it, but I am always so happy once Wednesday and Thursday are over with. My classes are just so stubborn and behave so badly. Actually, that's not entirely true. My new class that I took over two weeks ago is actually really great. They answer questions and they read and repeat things when they're told to. And they're SUPER smart. I think they might now English grammar better than I

Teacher, May I go home?

2009-12-15T21:47:00.003+08:00

Today was a pretty easy day. The only productive thing I did was work on comments for my last parent conference that I have this Saturday.I spent most of last night looking for new music to add to my iTunes library, so I decided to start listening to it today. There really isn't a whole lot to note. I need to so some serious cleaning. I need to do laundry so I can pack stuff. And clean my room

How do I get it all home?

2009-12-14T03:00:00.002+08:00

I have spoken to no one but strangers today except for the 30 seconds I spent inviting a friend to join me in Taipei if he felt like it. It's weird not talking, and honestly I feel like I could burst at any moment. Most of my friends went to Wulai today. I wanted to go, but I had neither the desire to get up after being out until dawn nor the desire to possibly stay overnight somewhere other than

What's the weather like in Winter?

2009-12-11T15:15:00.002+08:00

I'm secretly terrified to go back to America (in 9 days!) because I've acclimated to Taiwan's "weather." Last week, I thought it was cold. It was around 15C which is like 50F, which is so not cold, especially compared to the numbers I've been seeing all over the States lately. My mom mentioned that I could go without packing much considering all of my winter clothes are in Austin. I'm fairly

What is an environmental message from children like?

2009-12-08T13:13:00.006+08:00

Sunday and Monday could not have been more opposite of each other.Sunday there was a birthday party at Bobo's house for herself and Joyce (her six-year-old daughter). My roomies and I arrived really late. It was fun though. We had a couple of drinks and sang karaoke.Jamie, Joyce and a couple of their friends kept putting on these adorable shows. It reminded me of how you were never really all

Does it have any meat in it?

2009-12-06T14:20:00.004+08:00

I ate pigs blood last night. I know that sounds disgusting and impossible all at the same time. We went out in Taipei for another teacher's birthday last night and ended up at this club called Pasoul. (Pasoul sucks by the way. Stay far away.)Afterward we're sitting out in front of the venue on some steps waiting around to make sure we didn't forget anyone. We're getting a lot better at this whole

Welcome to McDonalds. May I help you?

2009-12-04T21:55:00.002+08:00

I took 15 children between the ages of 8 and 11 to McDonalds tonight. Apparently after lesson 65 in the red book, we get to switch things up a bit and take the kids off the McDs so they can have the experience of speaking English to someone outside of a school. It's all well and good if the people at McDs actually speak English. The girl behind the counter did a fairly decent job. She kept saying

Ni zai zuo shenme?

2009-12-03T13:45:00.006+08:00

So I'm sure it may have crossed some of your minds that I haven't posted any pictures in a really long time.I stopped being a little shutter bug when I lost the USB cable to my camera and realized that no matter how many pictures I took, I couldn't get them off of my camera. That's really just an excuse though considering my memory card can hold something like 1000 photos.Anyway, I thought that

Is it really December?

2009-12-01T15:48:00.004+08:00

Just a real quick post since I've been procrastinating.We had Thanksgiving on Sunday. It was a lot of work, but it was so good. It made me feel a little better too. I just love Thanksigiving so much and it was really weird not being home for it.I made seven pies from scratch. We had two turkeys, an amazing amount of homemade mac 'n' cheese (with over two pounds of sharp cheddar and parmesan

Right foot on what color?

2009-11-26T15:51:00.002+08:00

I had a really crappy day yesterday. I haven't really pinned it down, but I think I'm just in a funk about not being home for Thanksgiving. I know I have to grow up and do my own thing on holidays at some point, but Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday out of all that holidays in the world. I usually spend a good month planning Thanksgiving dinner, so this year has been quite a change. I think I'm

Is that a head?

2009-11-24T23:33:00.003+08:00

I bought a rotisserie-style chicken the other day at Costco. It's pretty tasty.Of course I didn't realize until tonight that the head was still attached — beak and all. I was carving all the meat off thinking that's easier to store than the whole thing. I pulled off the twine and started trying to cut off the wing when I began thinking that it was especially difficult.Then the damn head came

How many people does it take to stock a pantry?

2009-11-23T12:34:00.003+08:00

Bobo took Kyrstie, Anisa and me to Costco yesterday to get things for Thanksgiving. Man, I though Carrefour was ridiculous on Sunday. I wanted to scream at Costco.I know that I'm living in a very family-oriented society and that people here take every opportunity they can to hang out with their family, but why on Earth do people take their whole damn family to the grocery store? As if grocery

How many times does she say love?

2009-11-20T00:08:00.002+08:00

The wine and cheese party was a success. So much a success that almost everyone who came didn't get out of bed until the afternoon today.Of course, that may have something to do with the fact that we eventually met up with the boys in Zhongli where it was 100NT all-you-can-drink.I simply had a chill day today. I actually woke up before noon and although I was thirsty, I felt fine. But it was

Would you like some cheese with that wine?

2009-11-18T17:02:00.003+08:00

Monday and Tuesday were pretty uneventful. Just sleep and food and class and "TV". It's too damn cold for anything else.I considered going to Tepanyaki last night, but by the time I got back on my side of town I couldn't feel my fingers and decided my body couldn't handle the tease of being all warm inside the restaurant only to return to the cold.I know, I complain a lot, but it's cold and wet.

Is 'sciency' a word?

2009-11-16T14:47:00.003+08:00

This weekend was relaxed and busy at the same time if you know what I mean. I got a lot done but I didn't feel like I had to hurry to do anything.Saturday I only had three classes instead of four because all the kids in one of my classes are on the basketball team at their school and they had a game. This adds a little context to why that class is so rowdy. They're used to constantly playing a

What are some things people have strong opinions about?

2009-11-14T21:28:00.003+08:00

I know, I haven't been posting much lately and here I am six hours after my last post. I don't know what to tell you other than it's Saturday and I happen to have a decent amount of free time to myself.That and my last class tonight got me thinking...It's my favorite Wow class. Those kids are just awesome and it's encouraging because rather than simply sticking to the book, we have actual

How do you travel?

2009-11-14T14:46:00.002+08:00

We're in that time of year when the weather changes multiple times a week (if not multiple times a day). You'd think being from Texas I would be used to this, but in Taiwan it's a whole different ball game. I think the humidity is what did me in. I've been congested since at least mid-week and it's not getting any better. It's a funny sort of congestion though. I can feel it behind my eyes, like

What are you excited about?

2009-11-10T15:23:00.003+08:00

Still sleeping a lot. Even when I wake up I'm exhausted. I think I'm actually getting sick though. I'm sure it's just a cold and I'll get over it quickly enough. Until then, it's all about the juice. I stayed up all night Saturday night "watching" the UCF-Texas game. I was listening to it on a completely random Christian radio station in Southern Florida that has a live Internet stream. I swear,

Do people hibernate?

2009-11-05T23:12:00.003+08:00

I've been sleeping a lot lately so my life has been pretty uneventful. I don't know if my body is going into default hibernation or what, but it makes for a whole lot of lameness.The most I can say is that I'm pretty excited about Chinese. I've been slacking off a little (sleep takes precedent over studying). Despite my laziness though, I am starting to get pretty good at this whole reading

How cold is it going to get?

2009-11-03T23:19:00.003+08:00

Wo hen mang... lately. I've been really busy. Also, it is suddenly very cold out. It got a little warmer Thursday, Friday and Saturday. My costume was almost too warm for me to wear but I dealt with it. Then, all of a sudden it is Nov. 1st and it's so cold out. I can't believe it's November!It's really not that bad, but it seems really cold because the weather changed so quickly. It just kept

Trick or Treat?

2009-10-29T22:59:00.009+08:00

I wish we could wear costumes everyday. They definitely make kids even cuter than they already are!You'll see what I mean:My babies class! Aren't they so adorable! Me with one of my favorite classes!David with our class. He was being SO goofy!Rosa, my little Korean princess.Tina, the scary witch!Harry Potter! I mean, Wudy.Johnathan being dopey in my Domo mask.Ruby, my dead Geisha.Alice and Little

What are you going to be for Halloween?

2009-10-27T10:52:00.005+08:00

It's only Tuesday morning and I'm already exhausted this week.The sad part is, I haven't really done anything. I'm just lazy.On Sunday, Tess, Katie and I all slept in — for once I didn't sleep the latest though — and then we had a leisurely day of fun all planned out for ourselves. We went to Debbie's where I finally had the eggs benedict that I've been craving for a week. It's nice to just have

She understands Chinese?

2009-10-24T20:22:00.003+08:00

Today is probably the most successful Saturday I have had since I've been in Taiwan.Four months of crappy Saturdays... yuck.I actually had zero trouble waking up this morning even though I didn't go to bed until 1 a.m. I just jumped right out of bed and had plenty of time to take a shower, make coffee at home and stop to get some dan bing on the way to class.I know you're probably wondering when

When it rains, it drizzles?

2009-10-22T23:02:00.004+08:00

There are some classes that I honestly feel like you just can't win over and the WOW class I was teaching tonight is definitely one of them.I can feel the 'tweens in that class judging my every move. I'm not nearly cool enough or thin enough for them and therefore anything I do in class hardly warrants participation.Result: a very quiet classroom, a very irritated teacher, and some seriously

What's the weather like in Fall?

2009-10-21T13:06:00.003+08:00

It's gotten to the point where we keep the balcony windows open all of the time now. Yep, it feels that good outside. Though it's pretty chilly at night. In fact, I'm officially calling it soup season!I finally tried Taiwanese beef noodle soup (niou ro mien) and it was really good. The broth wasn't exactly what I was expecting (I think I was thinking more beef stew) but after a few bites, I

Isn't Taipei 101 magnificent?

2009-10-19T22:17:00.006+08:00

I am proud of myself for holding out all day Sunday before I found out what the final score of the UT/OU game was. That's not to say it wasn't on the back of my mind the entire day, but I had enough cool stuff to keep myself occupied.We had our big party Saturday night. It is three different teachers' birthdays this week and one of them rented this swank hotel room. We gathered in Taipei at the

What time is it?

2009-10-17T20:03:00.004+08:00

My tendencies toward obsession have been preoccupied with college football for the past couple of days. In fact, my Facebook status has something to do with OU still sucking at 8 p.m. Saturday night. What can I say, I like the idea of being "in the future."I'm proud that although I'm 13 hours ahead and I can't even watch college ball, I still wear my orange every Saturday (even though the game

Which season do you like best?

2009-10-15T21:40:00.002+08:00

I know what you're thinking. "We did this one already, right?"But it seems that Autumn is upon us and let me tell you how it is certainly my new favorite season.I say new favorite because Autumn simply doesn't exist in Texas. There you go from blazing hot hell of a summer to iced roads and the biggest coats you can find (because everything is bigger in Texas). Of course, I'm not really seeing

Ni lei bulei?

2009-10-14T22:57:00.003+08:00

Today I kept myself busy. Making a list of things to do today helped a lot. I still woke up kind of late but it was still an acceptable hour.I bought a ton of fruit and veggies today and concocted this crazy "everything" dish with black beans, eggs and various seasonings. It was interesting and pretty good. It would have been better with tortillas and salsa though.I bought some okra and I'm