Final Days

Well, today is my last Sunday in Taiwan.  I will spend it reflecting and walking around the riverside and Shilin Night Market. It was supposed to rain today, but so far it has been beautiful and hot. I have enjoyed my time here in Taiwan and have learned a lot about their culture.  They have many similarities to America, but have just as many differences.  I think that I have served a positive purpose during my visit.  The people that I have encountered have learned more about the black culture compared to what they see on TV.  Although I still get stared at because of my skin color, I have noticed that they have gotten used to me and begin to speak.  It's amazing how a simple smile or nod of the head can change a person's attitude towards you.  I will miss being here and being able to walk around carefree and safe.  I pray that my suggestions and lessons have helped people grow personally and professionally.  I have developed even more patience as well as the ability to not look at things at face value.  I questioned the things that I didn't understand and their explanations made perfect sense. So before you judge, dig a little deeper into the real meaning behind something.  I have 2 days to go in my count down.  Those 2 days include summer camp and a BBQ. Enjoy the videos!

Summer Camp

Well, summer camp has begun. So far, I have survived. The camp consists of half of Bin Jiang's students and half of students from other schools.  There  is a big difference in the communication gap, but I feel it's because our students are used to us.  I have gotten some blank stares, but they get used to me within in 5 min. Although I'm tired, I am still finding joy in teaching this culture. It's nice to see their personalities slowly evolve.  It's almost like they are fighting an inner battle on whether to be creative or just play it safe.  I hope that I'm building their confidence enough for them to be creative and not to worry about making mistakes.  Sooner or later they have to learn that mistakes are a part of life. I do love their determination to be their best at any and everything. I just pray they find a positive balance. Videos coming soon! Until then, the countdown continues! 8 days to go!

Winding Down

The semester is finally winding down.  Only 2 days to go until the end of the semester.  Of course, we still have 2 weeks of summer camp.  Summer camp should be a lot easier than regular classes.  For summer camp, the students in my classes will create their own dance and do voice overs for animations.  I have posted the animations below.  It should be interesting to see how they turn out with the student's voices. Enjoy!

Just Eat It!

This is a simple video about some of the foods that I have encountered in Taiwan.

Parody of "Beat It" (Michael Jackson) New lyrics by Al Yankovic
"WEIRD AL" YANKOVIC: lead & backing vocals * JIM WEST: guitar * STEVE JAY: bass * JON "BERMUDA" SCHWARTZ: drums * PAT REGAN: keyboards * RICK DERRINGER: guitar solo * "MUSICAL MIKE" KIEIFFER: musical hands * TONY PAPA: belch
Produced by RICK DERRINGER * Arranged by AL YANKOVIC * Engineered and mixed by TONY PAPA
Recorded at Santa Monica Sound Recorders, Dec. 13, 1983
Scotti Bros. single #04374, Feb. 28, 1984; Hot 100 #12 (B)

It's The Final Count Down!

Well, here we are!  The final 30 days of my stay in Taiwan.  I excited about returning home to my family and job, but I'm also sad to be leaving my new friends here.  Lately, I have been finishing up classes in the English Village.  Our official last day of school is June 30th.  Of course, that is my birthday!  I will be expecting gifts when I get home. Lol!  After the 30th, we have 2 weeks of summer camp.  Summer camp is for grades 3-6th and it will be more of a relaxed environment.  I'm currently working on finishing the dance videos that were recorded during class as well as short animations for summer camp.. Once they are completed, then I will post them here. I have lots of pictures and videos to upload so get ready to play catch up!

Taiwanese Wedding

I attended my co worker's Taiwanese wedding yesterday and it was very interesting.  It felt more like a reception. I do remember seeing it written on the calendar as a wedding banquet.  I think the term banquet is more of a correct way to describe the event.  There were some differences compared to the weddings that I have attended in America. For example, the bride changes into 3 different dresses during the event. Not once, did she sit down to eat and there was no dancing.  Let me give you a rundown of how things work.
First you arrive and give your gift to the people in charge of receiving the gifts.  Here, they don't go to a department store and do a registry.  They simply give money in a special red envelope. The person at the table takes the envelope, writes down your name, and then writes down the amount that you gave in a book.  If or when you get married or have some big life changing event, they will give you the same amount.
Next, if you are a female, then you are given a gift.  My gift was a box of cookies made by Rivon-The Exquix (Love & Life).  I'm assuming these are very popular.  All the females that were in attendance received a box. Next, they help you find your table and you have a chance to look around at the decorations and read the menu. Of course, our menu was in Chinese. One of the guests at our table read it in English for us.  The food wasn't brought out until the bride made her first appearance.  She wore a beautiful white gown. She looked like a Barbie doll or a princess.  Here comes one totally different part; there were 13 courses! I don't see how these little people can eat so much! I started getting full after #6. I decided to take bits and pieces from each course that I could make it through #13.  My favorite was probably the duck, pork, and spinach spring rolls. The taro we had for dessert wasn't too bad.  I liked the toasted almonds on top.
In between some of the courses, there was some form of entertainment.  While the bride changed into dress #2, there was a light show. Basically, they turned off the lights and they had some people in a line (maybe 6 or 7 people).  The first and last person had a sparkler and the people in the middle held trays that had some lights on top. I'm not sure when they did it, but somehow the candles on our table managed to be lit without us knowing it. They walked around the room and weaved around the tables several times at a fast speed. After the light show, we continued to eat and talk to each other at the table until the bride came wearing another pretty dress.
She stayed in view longer this time around. The groom gave a speech in Chinese and one in English (for us foreigners). After the speech, everyone was asked to raise a glass to toast to the new bride and groom. Each table continued to receive food and socialize.  If there was food left over that you wanted, then the servers would pack it up for you and put it in a nice little bag. During this time, I noticed the bride, groom, and the parents of both walked around to each table. At each table, the guests and new couple would share thoughts, prayers, and wishes for a happy life together followed by a toast. When they got to our table, the groom's father spoke in Taiwanese and no one was able to translate for us. After the toast, he looked down and saw me (I couldn't stand up because the couple was standing directly behind me and their were cameramen surrounding them). He asked me where I came from and I responded with from America.  I'm not sure if he didn't believe me, didn't understand me, or was just trying to process, but he had this indescribable look on his face.  He said something else to me in Taiwanese and then took another drink.  Someone tried to translate and thinks he said something about being happy that we were there. I don't know and probably will never know. It was just weird. Now, this couple had 300 guests with around 10 people per table.  That gives you around 30 tables!  That is a lot of toasting and standing on your feet. I hope she gets a lot of rest today.  After they did a toast at every table, the couple showed a photo slide show of how they met and the friends and family members that were in their lives.  I happen to be in one of the photos (from Chinese New Year's). That was a surprise!
The bride left again to change into dress #3. After the dessert and fruit platters came out, people began getting ready to leave.  I was surprised and then was told that a lot of people come for the food. So, after we finished dessert, we took a few photos and  began to walk towards the entrance where the bridge and groom would be standing. In the entrance, they give you candy and you take a photo with them. Once again, the groom's father spoke to me, but this time in English.  He asked how I was doing, bowed to me, and gave me candy. It was still a little weird, but I felt more comfortable the second time around. We took a photo with the couple and left.  Before I left, the bride's mom gave me a hug goodbye.  She was the first adult in Taiwan that asked me for a hug and she will always have a spot in my heart.  She is truly a sweet and high spirited person. She looked elegant like a queen. It's amazing how these two little women (barely come up to my shoulders) have grown on me so much.  There are quite a few people that I will miss once I return to the States.  Until then, I plan on enjoying the rest of my stay.

Summer-itis!!!

I think that I'm getting to the point where summer-itis is settling in on my brain.  I'm still excited about being here, but also excited about going home. June 30th (my birthday) is officially the last day of school.  I only have 5 1/2 classes left to teach and 2 weeks of summer camp.  More people are talking to me now when I'm on the train which leads me to believe that they have finally gotten used to me. Yay! I still get stared at, but not as much as usual.  My collection of videos with the kids dancing is almost complete. It should take me about a week to create after all of the classes are done. I still haven't learned the language, but I am understanding it more. My first Taiwanese wedding is this Saturday and I will take as many pictures as I can. Until then, enjoy the videos and pics!

Too shy to sing

ABC song lol

Trying to get the digits

Nice name for a church, aye!

 Liam and Megan (I love this little boy!)

 

  Liam at Mr. Paco's

 Liam's baby brother (the boy can work a phone)

Liam's dad

If he isn't eating, then he is sleeping!!!

100th P of C!!! (inside joke)

English Club - School Fair Performances

Here are some videos of the School Fair Performance.  The kids were nervous because there were so many people watching them.

In The Jungle

Do, Re, Mi

Drummers

Pin the Tail

Feed Hungry Helga

Puppet Shows

The kids made puppets a couple of weeks ago.  Sorry, it took me so long to post them.  I will do better.  I promise!  Enjoy!

Talent Show

May 24th is our 6th Grade Talent Show.  I've been practicing with some 6th graders from our English Club and with some random students in other classes for about a month now. They are going to do a skit based off of a Spongebob Squarepants episode. I don't have a lot of money so I needed ideas for costumes. After asking around, I decided to use the box idea. I will add some kind of clear bowl or bubble for Sandy's helmet.  Patrick is a little on the heavy side.  Mr. Krabs is too small.  Gary turned out alright. Spongebob needs to be painted on the sides and on the back.  The kids are starting to get into character and add their own personality to the skit.  I am no artist, but I think they turned out well. Enjoy!!

Skit Costumes

PowerPoints

I'm working on getting my PowerPoints uploading to the blog.  I'm having some problems, but would like to give you a preview of how it will look.
file:///C:/Users/bj549/AppData/Local/Microsoft/Windows/Temporary%20Internet%20Files/Content.MSO/PubWebPagePreview/pub4360.0/index.htm

Classroom Commands

View more presentations from ten8shus12

http://www.slideshare.net/ten8shus12/classroom-commands

Final MOE Observation

Today, the MOE (Ministry of Education) came to our school to observe my class and talk with the principal and directors again. I can't say that I was nervous, but I was ready to get it over with. Due to the holiday, we were not in school Monday and Tuesday. It was weird coming back to such a big day, but that's how it happens sometimes. I was prepared and gave 100%. Tomorrow, Taipei City Government is visiting our school.  Apparently, the school is applying for some kind of reward of excellency. It should be interesting to see.  I only have a review and quiz tomorrow so it should be a pretty easy day. My plan is to finish at least 2 of the 6 videos that I have left to make and to edit lesson plans before publishing. The kids are doing a good job with making up their dances and I enjoy watching them move. They are very creative. Once I get finished with a particular grade, then I will compile  their videos and post it. Until then, take it easy and be blessed!!

Semester schedule

Here is my semester schedule. 

Tuesday is not showing because we have students from other schools that come to visit on that day. Wednesday afternoons consists of a 2 hour English Club. On Monday, Thursday, and Friday I am free to edit videos and perform other duties. I have Teach the teachers every 3 weeks on Wednesday mornings and I have English Corner every 3 weeks on Thursday mornings. 

Classes

Well, the semester is rolling by quickly. I love my classes. I feel more relaxed this semester teaching Gym and Dance. The 3rd graders are learning body parts through a Tony Chestnut song. The 4th graders are learning how to do The Cupid Shuffle. The 5th graders are learning how to step while the 6th graders are learning an aboriginal Taiwanese dance. Also, the 5th and 6th graders are learning The Casper Slide. It is fun to watch the 3rd graders put Humpty back together and it is fun watching the 4th - 6th graders create their own version of The Cupid Shuffle. I plan on putting all the creations together in a video. Until then, here are a few pics of Humpty.



Good News and Bad News

Bad News
We had training Friday on how to work all of the camera equipment in the media room. Basically, they have created a small news station that we can create to record and edit our English Corner videos. After the training, we returned to our office and found out about the 8.9 earthquake that hit Japan. We also found out that a tsunami was headed our way and should hit us around 5:30pm. Well, it was unnerving. I have never been affected by a tsunami or have never learned what to do when one comes. Thank God we have Internet access to research such topics. Instead of hanging out with other foreign English teachers, I decided to play it safe and stay home. I think I was more worried about an earthquake than the wave.  If the tsunami hit, then it would have had around 17km to travel before it got to my city (Taipei City). Before going home, I stopped and grabbed some dinner and other foods to get me through the weekend in case something did happen. As I ate my dinner, I watch CNN and the Taiwanese news. I could not believe my eyes! The only thing I could say was "God, please, be with them!" The video clips looked unreal. The aerial shot of the wave consuming everything was hard to take in. I prayed for the people there and thank God that I was blessed not to experience it. I quickly let everyone know that I was alright via Facebook and school email because I didn't want them waking up in panic because it was 3 am in my hometown.  Everyday since the earthquake, I have received emails asking if I am still okay. I feel blessed to have so many people concerned about my wellbeing. That feeling of love reminds me that I am never alone. I have a friend that is returning to the states this weekend. He has been teaching in South Korea for a couple of years now. He is currently stuck at the airport in Tokyo and says that it is pure craziness there. He says that people are walking around with pieces of cardboard that they will use to sleep on. He said that the airport is quiet, but people are moving around like crazy. Now, Japan is on alert for a Nuclear Meltdown. One police officer commented on her Facebook account about not knowing if she will be alive the next day. What a tragic day! :_(
Good News
I do have some good news to report. My doctor here in Taiwan sent me an email stating that there is a company that is offering to give me a free stent. This is wonderful news!  I will need two stents and each stent costs $50,000 NT, which is around $1,500 USD. The only difference is the US has payment plans and here they want you to pay it all up front. In January, I had tests ran that gave me a diagnosis of MTS like symptoms. My left iliac vein has been compressed or closed in two areas: one up high and one down low. I have had this condition for 13 years now and had given up on any cures because no one knew what to do or why it was happening. The tests were not pleasing, but I made it through. I would rather get it done in the US because I feel like they have better pain medication for the procedure, but I will suck it up and do it again. Here is a rundown of what will happen.
They will give me an IV and I will not be allowed to eat anything 6 hours before the procedure. During the procedure, they will wipe down the site with iodine and give me a shot of some numbing anesthetic on the site. This part hurts like crazy! I remember working on trying to breathe through the pain as I gripped the table. I will ask them for a stronger dose next time. They will insert a catheter into my right iliac and guide it across my body towards my left iliac. They will do this because they fear that if they go into my left iliac, then they would not get far due to the blockage.  Of course, I can feel it as they move across my body because I am still awake and no that part doesn't hurt. There will be a screen displaying the procedure. I can watch or I can lay there with my eyes closed feeling everything that is going on. If I can relax, then maybe I will watch next time. I'm not sure if they will need me to do anything special for this form of charity, but if it is something like taking a photo, staying in touch after my return to the states, or even doing an interview; then I'm all in! The company is based out of a Christian hospital so that gives me some comfort as well. Once they get to my left iliac vein, they will insert a stent inside of the compressed area to open it up and allow blood to flow through the area once again. After the procedure, I will have to lay on my back for 2-3 hrs. I will probably have to stay in the hospital for a few days so that they can monitor my progress and see how it feels when I walk. Some people bounce back after the procedure and others have a slow recovery process. Hopefully, I am the type that bounces back. I know that I will have to take blood thinning medicines for a little while and keep my INR levels in a certain range. This will definitely be another change of life experience, but it is one that I need. Any pregnancies in the future (if any), will be high risk and I will have to change some eating habits because they will effect my INR levels. The procedure might take place in April so I will keep you guys posted. Until then, take care!

English Club

In English Club, we have been learning about different holidays and learning all of the vocabulary that the students will need to know by the end of the year. We have also began working on our 2 songs for the school fair. The songs chosen were "Do, Re, Me" and "In The Jungle." I am posting a few clips of a student that really gets into it. I love watching him and each week he gets better. Enjoy!



Neihu Area/Xihu MRT

I live on the border lines of Neihu District and Zhongshan District. Today, I decided to walk around and take pictures of restaurants and popular places in the area. I have a daily struggle of deciding what I want to eat and a" hungry girls blog" doesn't have a lot of options when it comes to my area. So, hopefully this will help. The majority of the places had menus in Chinese only, but if they have pictures then I can work with it. I never knew how meaningful pointing to pictures could be. Lol! It was another gorgeous day! It felt like a Sunday. After roaming around, I decided to go to the Riverside park near my apartment to rest and read a few chapters of the Bible. While there, I found out that they have a volleyball court. This is great news because I have been looking for a court to play on since I got here. I only get to play in Tianmu once a week so this should help my skill levels. I do have a team to coach when I get back.  Only 4 1/2 months until I return to the States. I will try to get out and take more pictures because that time will fly by. Check out the pictures of the sidewalk. Most of the sidewalks are made of tiles. It gets really slippery on rainy days! Enjoy!



Taipei City Zoo

I went to the Taipei City Zoo to relax and enjoy the nice weather. It was 79 degrees with the perfect amount of sunshine. There were lots of people out and I saw some very interesting animals. I haven't been to the zoo since I lived in Memphis. I felt like a little kid all over again. My pictures include regular zoo animals, what they call Formosan zoo animals, and some popular clothing trends. A lot of people here wear boots, tights, short skirts or shorts, long socks, and long shirts. Everyone has their own sense of style. Enjoy the pics!



Jihu Lu Temple

There is a temple at the corner of my street. Tonight, they had a parade, fireworks, and a form of worship. It lasted for about 30 min. No, it didn't help my slight headache, but it was quite interesting to watch. I'm getting better at not being so scared of the fireworks here as well. Yay, me! Here are some photos and a video of their celebration.



Saturday=School Day

We had to work Saturday to make up for a day that we took as a holiday. I'm not sure why a holiday would need to be made up, but we went. We had to attend a full day like it was a regular school day. I learned that they used to go to school regularly on Saturdays. I'm so glad that was changed before I came! We let the kids play games. They played a heart match up game where they had to put hearts together. Each heart had a part of a poem printed on it. After they correctly put the heart together, they had to put the poem together in the correct order. If they were really good, then they had to recite the poem without reading it. The second game was sort of like horseshoes, but we used plastic food products from our Supermarket Situation Classroom. The students had to toss a mini ring into or near a bigger ring. No one was able to ring the items, but they got pretty close. The students received points if they touched or made it inside of the ring. Winners received a small prize.



Lantern Festival - Part 1

Today, marks the start of the Lantern Festival. That means lots of locals and foreigners going to the same place. Big crowds!!! It also means that I will hear fireworks from 5pm-10pm, again at 12am, and again at 2am. I don't plan on getting much sleep because the fireworks wake me up and shake the building. Enjoy the pics!

Week 1 - English Club

Today was our first day of English Club for the semester. The students created personalized bookmarks, filled out an interest survey, and watched 2 video examples for their semester performance. The interest survey results will be used in a family feud game for a future class. Their performance for the School Fair will come from Do, Re, Mi (The Sound of Music) and In The Jungle. The kids seem really excited and I look forward to working with this very energetic group of kids. Enjoy the photos!

Below are some videos showing some of the kids getting into it!

2nd Semester Dialogue

Here is a video that we showed the students. This is what they will be learning this semester.

Worship Day - School Staff Field Trip

Our school has a Worship Day each year. In previous years, they would stand at the front gate of the school. Not sure what kind of worship would take part, but I do know that this year they wanted to do something different. So, they got a bus for us and took us to Yilan. Yilan is on the East side of Taiwan.  It used to take 2 hours to get there, but they built a tunnel and not it takes only 30-45min. There was a disco ball with working lights on the bus along with karaoke. I was surprised to hear that one of my many directors could sing quite well.
We toured a museum, went to a temple, had coffee at Mr. Browns, and stopped at a souvenir bread shop on the way home. We had lunch a small restaurant located down the street from the museum.  The people here at 10 course meals almost everyday! I was full after the first 5 dishes. Yes, I tried everything, but the squid. I was being very brave!!! I have quickly learned that I am not a seafood person. 
It was a very tiring day, but I'm glad that we went. It was a great way to fellowship. It started raining so a lot of pictures have rain spots. Sorry! Enjoy the photos!

Danshui Area

After cold weather and lots of rain, the sun magically appeared on a Saturday. The weather was great! I decided to take a trip out to Danshui, which is on the red line via Taipei Metro. It took me about an hour to get there, but it was a nice ride. I was able to see some different areas of Taiwan because the metro took us through tunnels and out in the open. The water was very calm. I noticed on the metro that a lot of people were looking at me. It was weird! I just smiled, said hello, and acknowledge that I saw them by nodding my head. They looked at me from head to toe, but paid special attention to my hair. One kid even got on the metro, pointed at me, and said "black!" I just smiled and laughed because that wasn't the first time that has happened. It is amazing how many people here that have NEVER seen a black person before. I love how they try to sneak and take your picture. I will take the picture with them if they would just ask or gesture. I guess I will work on that with them while I'm here. The line to ride the ferry was super long so I didn't even attempt to get on it. I will try again when it stops raining so much. Enjoy the pictures!

In-Service Video

We had to send in our video for teacher in-service so that others could see our school, learn about our responsibilities, and learn about our students.  Here is a video about the duties given to me during the 1st semester at Bin Jiang Elementary. Of course, I had to be silly. I was second to last in presenting during our 3 day stay in Taichung. Enjoy!

Diagnosis

I just got out of the hospital and am thankful that I only had to stay overnight. Basically, they did an old school EKG (the one with the suction cups and not leads), chest x-ray, blood work, venography, and CT scan in 1 day. I was admitted at 4pm and discharged at 4pm the next day. I have a double compression in my left leg that has been causing the swelling. I am on bed rest for 2 days and will get the treatment taken care of when I return to the States.  I had fun confusing the hospital staff when they talking to me in Chinese. Because I have worked in the medical field before and have been to the doctor for this condition several times over the past 13 yrs, I already knew the questions being asked and the order to answer them. Naturally, they assumed I understood Chinese. When they began to tell me what they were doing  I would stop them and say to them in Chinese that I didn't understand. They would continue to talk to me in Chinese and I would stop and say to them that I didn't know in Chinese. Again, they would talk to me in Chinese and I finally told them that I didn't understand, I was American, and that I speak English. They quickly realized that I only know how to be polite and say that I didn't understand in Chinese. I guess I better get my book out and work on some more lessons. I plan on going back to teach some of their staff some simple English phrases that they can use because they heavily rely on 2 ladies that REALLY need a vacation. I will post pictures of my scan when I get to work on Monday.

School Hotpot and KTV

Today, the school had hotpot and KTV. It was interesting to listen to the Chinese and Taiwanese songs. The food that they were putting together was quite interesting as well. Enjoy the photos!

 Mushrooms going in!!!!

 The Peace Group

 Teacher Liesl

 Teacher Monica and Liesl

 Teacher Nicole

 Teacher Silvia

 Teachers Candy and Nicole

The pot that I won!

This is what goes into a hotpot.

SBL

The weather has been a lot colder than what the temperature reads. It might say 46, but it is really 31. Nothing like that good ocean weather to keep you cool. I attended a basketball game on Sunday. It was nice to see something more American style. The games show on ESPN Live and only cost $150-$300 NT to watch. I went to take pictures of two of the players that I have befriended on Facebook. I met a man from the states. I fell in love with his son William. He talked and asked a lot of funny questions during the game. He was my other source of entertainment. I have 9 days until my hospital visit. I'm excited! It's been a long time coming! Until then, I will try to move around a little more before the dreaded bed rest kicks happens. Enjoy the pictures and videos!

SBL

New Year's Fireworks

For New Year's, I went to the Taipei City Hall area to see the fireworks being shot off of Taipei 101. There were lots of people there. The body heat from everyone kept us from getting cold. Some teachers in other areas of Taiwan that are in the program with me came to visit for the weekend. We exchanged stories about the students and our responsibilities at our schools. We will see each other again in Taichung on the 24th of this month. Enjoy the video!

 Ben

 Nate

 David

 A dog in a stroller with a sweater on

 Is Coffee (can't think of a better title for it)

 Nate and Shelby

 David, Nate, and Shelby

 

 His drink looks like mouthwash

 

 How many people can fit on one scooter?

 Do you see what I see hanging off the bottom of the bike?

 Yes, folks! Those are cds! Great reflectors! Only in Taiwan!

 We need this for school bullies!

 My friend Leifson.

 What are you feeding me now!?!

Not bad! Taste like Craisins!

 Taipei 101