Shake it, senorita

Earthquake #4 hit tonight, and it was a big one.  I was at my computer, watching reruns, and my chair started to shake slightly.  It got stronger and stronger, to the point where I started to crawl under the desk.  It lasted for maybe 30 seconds, and then stopped.  The electrical wires outside were swinging, and everyone from the art school across the street came outside.  You know it's strong if the Taiwanese get excited.  I thought about going outside, but decided against it, since it was pretty calm.  According to the Shindo scale (used in Japan and Taiwan) it was centered off the Southeastern Coast, and was measured as a 6.3 in Hualien, on the other side of the island.  In Miaoli County, it was a 3.  If that was a 3, I don't want to know what a 6 is like.

http://www.cwb.gov.tw/V7e/earthquake/Data/quake/EE1031200263121.htm

On the US scale, it was a 6.7  It even made it on CNN, thankfully there was very little damage done.

http://www.cnn.com/2013/10/31/world/asia/taiwan-earthquake/index.html?hpt=ias_c2

Kaohsiung-Sunday

Today I woke up feeling every step I took yesterday.  Walking isn't too bad, but Linda and I were both making Homer Simpson noises going up and down the steps at the train station.  We went to the  Formosa Boulevard station, to see the Dome of Light.

We walked through Central Park, and found a great little place for lunch. 

We said our goodbyes at the station, and I boarded the train for the long ride home.  I didn't do the HSR, because it's more expensive, and I didn't have any time constraints.  The train was very crowded, and the seat I bought was only available until Xinying.  So I had a seat for the first hour, then stood for 90 minutes, then had a seat the rest of the way.

I had a great time, but my legs are sore!  I have a list of things I want to do when I go back, one day isn't enough.

Kaohsiung-Saturday

We got up early on Saturday, ready to see the city.  We ate breakfast at the hotel, and took a cab to Monkey Mountain.  There was some confusion with the cab driver, and we ended up at the zoo first.  Another tourist there knew where we wanted to go, and we came to the right place a few minutes later.  We started up the hill, and hiked through some of the most beautiful scenery I had ever seen.

Banyan Tree

Linda and I stumbled upon a formal garden, in the middle of the jungle.

Monkey Rock

Wild Lilies

View of Kaohsiung

Huge plants, views of the city, even a mountain goat-but no monkeys.  Peggy stopped to rest for awhile, and Linda and I kept going, all the way to the top of the mountain.  Still no monkeys.  We started back down, and then got that fateful text from Peggy:

I have Monkeys

We found her, and the monkeys.  Too many to count, fighting, playing, and grooming.  The babies make cooing sounds.  These pictures were not zoomed, this is how close they came.

They're well protected, and are not fed by the tourists.  If they feel the need to defend their territory, they'll grunt and show you their beautiful white fangs.  True story.
In all, we hiked about four hours, and according to Peggy's app, 10 miles.  Next, we went to the Dream Mall, and had a late lunch at TGIFriday's.  We wandered through the mall, and went up to the amusement park on the roof to ride the Ferris Wheel.

After we came back down, we went back to the hotel, and Linda went to Pingtung to see her old coworkers, and Peggy and I hung out at the hotel.  Dinner was a sandwich, after all that good food, I needed something light.

Getting there

What a weekend! 
   I started out at 4:30 on Friday, and took the High Speed Rail for the first time.  Only one hiccup.  Tongxiao doesn't have an HSR station, of course, so when I planned for this trip, I checked timetables, etc., and decided the best route would be to go to North to Hsinchu, get on the HSR there, and then South to Kaohsiung.  I researched the HSR, and found that the HSR station is in Zhubei.  Naturally, one would buy a ticket to Zhubei station.  But one would be wrong.  Very wrong.  Does Zhubei sound familiar?  It might, that's where I ended up last time I got on the wrong train.  Avoid Zhubei, nothing good happens there.  At Zhubei, they tried to tell me at first that my ticket had been cancelled.  Thanks to the kindness of three Taiwanese strangers, I found out I had to go to North Hsinchu.  One woman who overheard the two people trying to help realized she was taking the same train, and made sure I got to N. Hsinchu ok.  I got there at 6:00, with half an hour until my train left.  But I had to go to Luijia, and the cashier emphasized that I would not make it in time.  I entertained the thought of simply turning around and going back to Tongxiao.  If we've never met, let me tell you something about myself: I'm stubborn.  Stubborn enough to get to Kaohsiung by any means necessary, even if it meant sitting on the conductor's lap the whole way.  So I went to the HSR station anyway, prepared to buy another ticket (if possible).  Luckily, I could use my first ticket, I just wouldn't have a reserved seat.  And it got to Kaohsiung 18 minutes later than the first train.  And it was so worth it.  Lots of leg room, comfortable seats, and it only took 90 minutes to get there, as opposed to an express that takes four hours.   I got a cab to the hotel, and met Linda there.  Kaohsiung is amazing, keep watching for part 2.

Friday conversation

"Do you have a laminator?"
"No, we don't do that here."
"Are you using these in class?  Because they're too soft."
"Here, put them in this machine that will use heat to encase them in plastic."

One-take Wagner

Uneventful weekend, I did my broadcast in Zhunan on Friday afternoon.  It went well, I discussed the Amish and French food. I ended up doing everything in one take, even the Chinese portions. I'll post something when they broadcast it. I stayed at Peggy's for the weekend.  I spent Friday evening in Miaoli City, Saturday afternoon in Hsinchu, Saturday evening in Miaoli City again, and Sunday morning in Sanyi.

Trick or treaters in Hsinchu

Saturday night we checked out the luminous kite festival in Miaoli City.  The quality isn't great.  But the full moon made it interesting.

I'm really looking forward to next weekend, in Kaoishung with Peggy and Linda, and whoever else comes along.

Grocery shopping, or You were right, Aunt Dawn

I've settled into a routine here, maybe that's why I haven't been posting as much.  It's still warm (mid-80's) and I'm still enjoying teaching.  Things aren't quite as novel as they were two months ago.  I'm listening to Josh Groban sing "When every road has had its say..."

Today I was reminded of a conversation I had just before I left with my Aunt Dawn.  Something about not buying weeks worth of groceries because if you don't drive, you have to haul them home.  I was reminded of that today as I hauled a week's worth home at least eight blocks, sweating all the way.  Then up four flights to my room.  What Muskingum did for my legs, Taiwan will do for my arms.  Everything goes in one bag, because you have to pay for the plastic bag, if you're blonde like me and forget to bring plastic bags every single time.  Here's what I dragged home:

4 eggs
medium sized bag of chips
2 liters of green tea
laundry soap
four apples
frozen dumplings
mini frozen pizzas
dumpling sauce

Not only is it impressive because I carried it all the way back, but my bill was 652 NT.  Roughly $22 in American money.  And that will last a week, maybe two.

Tomorrow is an FET day at Pantou, and then we have to rehearse for a county-wide showcase that's taking place in November.  Last "rehearsal" was kind of a disaster, too many people trying to direct.  So this week I'm going to do a hostile takeover and get these amateurs into shape.  Kind of like this:

But I'll be a little nicer.  A little.

Hsinchu

This weekend was fun, I spent the day in Hsinchu with Linda, Mandy, Peggy, and Irene.  Actually, Irene joined us later.  I'm getting really good at the train system, now I mostly use the machine.  Sometimes there's no English/Pinyin, but I can recognize the characters for Tongxiao, Zhunan, and now Hsinchu. We had lunch at Din Tai Fung, I think that's becoming my favorite place :)  We stopped at the Godiva place at the way out, spent a little bit of my paycheck.  Linda wasn't feeling well, so her and Peggy went to the Dr., and Mandy and I walked to Sogo and hung out for awhile.  I apparently have an appointment for a pedicure next week, courtesy of Mandy.  We met up with Peggy and Linda (who was feeling much better) at Coldstone.  I only ate at Coldstone once in the US, it's too expensive.  But it was soooo good!

  Irene met us later, and we went to dinner at a noodle place, and then Costco.  By the time we got there, it was 9:00, and we were starting to get tired.  And goofy.  So I apologize for any odd Facebook statuses and texts that may have gone out between then and 10:30.  Costco was interesting, lots of food I recognized, some I didn't.  The FET's always look funny, trying to figure out the packaging, or even what it's supposed to be.  I made it home safely, around 11:15.

Yesterday marked two months that I've been here.  It doesn't seem that long.  I've taught 7 weeks, including that first one-day week.  I've mastered grocery shopping, and found a couple of new stores in Tongxiao.  Like I said before, I'm much better about taking the train.  It helps that I have internet access, and I can write everything down before I get there.  I cook for myself a lot, and I can use the gas stove without blowing anything up.  I've been to a few new places, Neiwan and Beipu.  I also found a cross-stitch store in Utah that ships to Taiwan, it's like Christmas in the office when something arrives with a Salt Lake City postmark.

By November 12, I'll have taught more, recorded a radio broadcast (more about that later) and hopefully traveled a little more.

I like green oranges, Sam I Am.

Nothing new this week, except my schedule was weird.  Full day Monday, half day on Tuesday because of exams, Mobile English Village yesterday, and today was 10/10, a national holiday.  I think it has something to do with Taiwan becoming a country in 1912.  Tomorrow is a normal day, and then it's the weekend.

I spent today in Sanyi, at Peggy's, with some of the other FET's.  Mandy made her spaghetti bolognaise, which was delicious, by the way.  Everybody brought a component, meat, or bread, or whatever.  I wanted to make a dessert.  Mandy had sent a really good dessert recipe:


"Candy Corn" fruit cups, genius.  Pineapple, mandarin oranges, and whipped cream.

I went to the store yesterday, and got my dinner contribution, bacon.  Except I had no idea how much was in each package, because it was all in Chinese.  I found pineapple, but no canned oranges, or whipped cream.  Mandy found whipped cream at Wellcome, a grocery store in Zhunan, and I went to the open air market this morning to find oranges.  It's tricky, because if they're orange, and they call them oranges, they're actually grapefruit.  Sigh.

The traditional markets here are interesting.  You can buy clothes, or meat, or fruit, or a live fish to take home and cook.  I found a fruit stand, and surprisingly, the owner spoke English very well.  He pointed out the oranges.  They're green.

I was pretending to be a Real OC Housewife, ha ha.  They look and taste normal on the inside, just a little different on the outside.

We had a late lunch/early dinner in Sanyi, wonderful, of course.  I learned how to peel a tomato.  I don't cook with tomatoes, I don't know what to do with them.

This weekend I may have an adventure, I'll keep you posted.

Little things

A few years ago, I saw a great documentary, God Grew Tired of Us.  The title is a little misleading, it's about four "lost boys" from Sudan who get the chance to come to America through UNICEF.  I highly recommend it.  It shows them learning how to do things that we would consider basic, like how to use the microwave, where to put the trash, and how to operate the light switches.  There's a scene on the airplane where they're trying American food.
  I realized tonight that I've been doing the same thing.  Right down to the light switches.  My coworkers were very amused at me in the first few weeks while I mastered chop sticks.  I had to learn basic things, like how to take out the trash and how to cross the street.

Now about those light switches.

Today I did laundry, another learning experience.  Actually, I haven't learned anything, I just push buttons.  The laundry room is actually a balcony on the floor above me, and I left three shirts to dry out there.  When I went to get them a few hours later, it was dark.  My floor is weird, from the steps, turn right, into another hallway.  The door in the right belongs to my neighbors, two Jr. High teachers that I haven't really talked to.  I've seen one downstairs a few times, but only said hello.  Straight ahead is my apartment.  On the wall just outside my door is a set of two switches.  I learned tonight that the left one is for the hallway.  The right one is for the lights inside my neighbors' apartment.  So sorry about that.

The typhoon is on course to hit Northern Taiwan tomorrow morning, hopefully it won't get too crazy.

There's a pin to mark Tongxiao.  It looks like maybe we'll just get the edges of it.

Language barriers and other natural disasters

I spent ten minutes hours on my hair this morning, got it looking ok, and then stepped outside.  3 Minutes and several huge wind gusts later, I arrived at school looking like Bridget Jones after the convertible ride.  It's the start of the windy season in Taiwan, and another typhoon is on the way.  This is #4 since I've been here, and it seems like it's going to hit Northern Taiwan this time.  So stay tuned.
      I've been struggling with the language barrier this week, mostly when trying to plan oral and listening tests.  My co-teachers are great, but sometimes our conversations go like this:

"Do you want me to ask questions from unit 1 or unit 2?"
"Yes."

It's still weird that I know very few of my coworker's names, and only a few students.  Some of them were assigned English names (James, Henry, Sarah)  and some of them obviously picked their own names (Ruru, York, and Jeremy Lin)  I have two that that live up to their names, Ruby and Sunny.

Not much is going on otherwise, the students are fun, I'm still enjoying Pantou days every Wednesday.  I found a cross-stitch shop that will ship to Taiwan, so I can keep up with my "habit" while I'm here :)  I've managed to find all my shows on Hulu or Netflix, and I've watched a few movies on Google Play.

I guess that's all for now, I'll blog again when I have an adventure.