More findings

Yesterday I strolled about Zhongli and captured a few brief moments.



It's a slow-moving shallow stream, and there's plenty of this growing in it.




I found another temple. There's a seating area and great big tree behind.



This isn't from the temple, but by another building of a purpose I don't know.


I went for a quick trip to Taipei today. It's gettin' chilly. Must buy gloves. Must drink more milk tea.

Findings

Jujube

The fruit - not the candy.

6 months

I've been in Taiwan for half a year. I wouldn't say that time has whizzed by nor drudged along, but it's almost hard to believe that it's been 6 months. Suppose time has a habit of passing.

This week has seemed shorter because we spent Monday doing Christmas activities. Maybe it's that and that I've got radio again. Yesterday a DJ said that he was going to play some "good music" and, skeptical as I was, they played Radiohead. Wow! Today there was the same Radiohead song and a Nirvana song! Now, I'm not saying that I loathe the rest of the music played, but there is a lot of fluff and one-dimensional cliched songs. Catchy though!

The Earth is flat

Maybe I could co-host the View.

Christmas in Taiwan

Greeting card or Christmas tree? Maybe a little of both.


Up and comping are some blurry shots of food I consumed today.

A warm and tangy kumquat beverage:


"Green bean soup:"


Pizza:


Strawberry cake:

Gingerbread construction zone

Christmas Eve school activities included, but were not limited to making a


Here's a sample:


The older students needed less help and their houses were more creative. Some houses didn't materialize because the builder kept eating their materials.

Watch your step

Local construction:





Maybe the stores have an ant problem.

Yingge

A trip to Yingge naturally included a trip to the Ceramics Museum:


Yingge is well known for its history with ceramics.

A good idea:


Nelly should have filmed his music video inside a kiln.


Ceramics! Don't tell me you're surprised.



Tea and ceramics go together. They've been best friends for quite some time now. Here's a water display with floating teacups:


And fish:


Two teapots:


After the museum, we went to a nearby temple.



Then, Old Street. Ceramic ware stores, snack stands, souvenir shops, etc.


Music man:


One street over:



I'm leaving on a train, don't know when I'll be back again. Man, I hated Chantal Kreviazuk's cover, and all the high school girls' chirping it through the halls.

Japan

I'm going to visit Japan for 4 days at the end of February! It wasn't easy to book a flight, I tell you. The Taiwanese love to visit Japan, and that combined with limited holidays equals scheduling joys. Or not. Now I have two trips to look forward to and worry about. I can handle it ;)

They're just pigeons!

Why bother taking a picture?

I inspire messy classrooms

I'm convinced that it must be me. If I didn't sweep each day, the amounting rubble on the floor would be problematic. The floor would begin to resemble a landfill/recycle bin material art class - and we don't even have arts and crafts.

Our classroom cd player no longer works. I've been ICRT-less for a few days now. Geena Lee, JJ, and DJ Eric - know that you are missed. How quiet the school now seems (outside of class time of course).

Chungking Express

Instead of finishing marking quizzes, how about watching a movie? Its a well-known Wong Kar-wai film that I've been meaning to watch for some time now. I can understand why it's well-liked.


"People like you are hung up on freshness!"

Angela Chang

Yesterday she was signing autographs and promoting her latest album on a stage near Taipei Main Station. Apparently she's from Taiwan, but moved to Vancouver when she was a girl. Chang attended Sir Winston Churchill Secondary. She's cute, even in spite of her bob haircut which reminded me of Katie Holmes' latest do. (It's the first time I've felt compelled to use the word 'alien' to describe her.)

National Taiwan Democracy Memorial Hall & singing for freedom

Taipei today. There are two buildings similar to this one. They are a theatre and concert hall and together compose the Cultural Centre.

Some of the fish are bigger than the heron.

Formerly the Chiang Kai Shek Memorial Hall, it has been renamed National Taiwan Democracy Memorial Hall. The recent renaming has caused much controversy in the political world.

I chose to visit the Hall today because I'd heard on the radio that there would be a concert at night. The Sing for Freedom concert.


New sign affixed in front of the imposing hall.


Modern troubles:


Chiang Kai Shek museum:


This is what happens when you bring historical monuments and live music together.


Italy:


Hungary:


I left a few hours into the concert. It was getting cold and I didn't want to have a flu relapse. That, and I had to take the MRT and train back to Zhongli.

Camera-less

I haven't been packing my camera around with me much lately. Today I missed at least three photo opportunities. There they harshly presented themselves, and I without my camera. I do get tired of carrying the extra weight around, but maybe it's worth it after all.

The un-snow

Well, it wasn't snow, but the way the rain fell, it might have been. During my last class' break time today we were at the playground. It was raining ever so lightly, and in view of the outdoor light the rain looked like snow.

I can hardly believe that December is already nearly half-over. It's for the better, I suppose.

That's not how you spell it

Some students are just waiting for you to make a mistake. Sometimes you don't make a mistake, but they're there to let you know that you have.

Teacher

'their'

is not how you spell

'there.'


At least someone was paying attention in my class.

A warm patch

I'm resorting to bland weather talk. It's true - I have nothing else appropriate enough to blog about. So anyway, the weather this week will be a bit warmer. Sitting in my heat-less apartment, I thank you for that.

I've largely recovered from my 7+ day flu last week, but I still have a lingering sore throat. My voice still sounds out of whack too.

"That is not money"

Just when you least expect communication problems, that's when they'll arise.

I was at the post office this morning. I wanted to do two things: mail something and buy stamps. The clerk didn't understand what I meant when I wanted to buy stamps. I showed him the stamp I wanted and told him how many. He looked confused and told me that the stamps I was showing him were not money.

Damn! And this whole time I've been in Taiwan I've been paying my rent and groceries with stamps. Guess I'll have to start paying for goods and services with cash from now on. Learn something new each day.

Look what I found

They don't seem to be too common in the places I frequent, so I bought one.

No sleep/sleep

I couldn't get to sleep last night. When I finally did, I slept till 11:30. I felt like I wasted half a day, but the rest was just what I needed. The second part of my day consisted of other excitements such as cleaning and going to 7-11 for supplies.

Closest thing to snow

Given to me by a student's mother.

Today was the final Spelling Bee. It was kind of dramatic and some of the kids were nervous even though they only had to write and not say the words.

Still in-flu-enced. I'm so ready to not be sick anymore. How about, as of now, I'm no longer sick.

Worn