The year in review

So 2013 is almost over, it went fast.  A few exciting things happened this year :)
January
    I started the year thinking not-so-positive thoughts.  I knew I was about to lose my job, my passport and teaching license were about to expire, I was on the edge of turning 30.  I was working on getting my certificate renewed, and renewed my passport, just in case I got called to go anywhere with People to People.  Note the ironic "just in case I got to travel anywhere."  Saw Les Miserables (the movie) for the second time.  I said goodbye to my great-aunt, I'm so glad I got the chance to sit and talk to her one last time.  But at the calling hours, I met cousins I didn't know I had.  They're pretty awesome.

February
     Took a field trip to see Les Mis with my students, now I know what my aunts and grandmother felt like, watching several much younger versions of myself see it for the first time.  "Nobody else dies in this do they?  Everybody makes it through the second act?"  That was the sixth time I've seen it onstage.  And not the last.

March
I turned 30.  Got assigned to travel with the most awesome co-leaders ever.  I started volunteering with the historical society, I'm kind of sorry I didn't do that sooner.  Jen Noble came to visit, and we hung out in Amish Country.  We are wild women, lol.

April
I went to Pittsburgh, and I had two job interviews, one for a teaching job in Rocky River, one for an overseas job.  Guess which one worked out?  Then I had a very Eugenia "Skeeter" Phelan moment when during a quiet moment at the teachers' lunch table, I blurted out that I got a job.  Oh, but it's in Taiwan.  I directed my last performance at Rittman.  None of those kids realizes how much I miss them, I still have nightmares dreams about directing them.  Nobody has been slapped though, that's a good thing.  I saw War Horse onstage, breathtaking.

May
Saw Les Mis onstage, again.  I wasn't sure I liked it the first six times I saw it.:)  My sister graduated from college.  I left my job, which was probably (at that point)  one of the hardest things I've ever done.  That was the first job I've ever had that I actually looked forward to going to each day.

June
Went to England and France, had a wonderful time, of course.

July
Started to pack up the apartment and go through five years' worth of accumulated junk.  Started to say goodbye to life as I knew it.  I saw The Lion King with Candice, one last theatre adventure.   Had orientation in Columbus and met some of the veteran FET's, as well as the other "recruit."  I left feeling reassured that it would be an adventure.

August
"Now, this is a story all about how
My life got flipped-turned upside down
And I'd like to take a minute
Just sit right there..."

Somebody needs to write another parody.

I moved to Taiwan.  Facebook says I became friends with 18 people, actually between August 1st and today, the number is at 57.  I saw Taipei, Hsinchu, Sanyi, Taichung and Zhunan and came to Tongxiao.  I started my 9th year of teaching.  Never in a million years would I have thought it would be here.  But I'm glad it worked out.

September
I moved again, this time just a few blocks.  Once that happened, I started to like Tongxiao.  I visited more places, got to know more people, and got used to life here.  I started to pick up a little bit of the language.  I experienced two or three typhoons, and a few earthquakes.

October
Went to Kaohsiung, and learned to spell it a few days later.  Had one of the scariest experiences, a 4.0 earthquake that didn't do any damage, but rattled everyone's nerves.

November
Spent Thanksgiving with my favorite FET's, and was very grateful for a place to go for the holiday.  Went to Nantou, and saw the most beautiful mountains in the world.

December
Spent the first Christmas outside of the US, but had a wonderful holiday, thanks to the other FET's.  It's unusually cold this winter, but I'm currently making plans to go somewhere warm in January.

Tonight I'm going to Taichung to ring in the new year.  I'll be in 2014 about 13 hours before anyone in Ohio, so I"ll give you the heads up on what the year will be like :)

Christmas on the other side of the world

Merry Christmas!

Today was the first time in 30 years I haven't spent Christmas in Ohio.  A little weird, but not too bad.  I've been getting candy canes and all sorts of sugary treats left and right.  Last night was our Miaoli County Christmas dinner/gift exchange.  Fun times :)  If I can't spend the holidays with family and friends in Ohio, these guys are the next best thing.

I've also been teaching my students about Christmas, they seem to be enjoying it.  

Santa is his name-o

Yesterday I was playing Christmas music as the sixth graders made cards, and as I listened to "Winter Wonderland," I had to laugh.  No snow, no fire, no Christmas lights.  It really doesn't feel like Christmas.  Today I had to think for a second before I remembered that it's December 25th.

Today I had to work in Toufen, re-filming a skit for the English Resource Center.  Ashley, Antonio, and I had lunch at Shabu Shabu, a hot pot restaurant.  It's like a buffet, but cooler.  They bring the broth to the special boilers built into the table, and you go up to the buffet and choose your ingredients.  I had pork, dumplings, chicken, bean curd, tofu, and other items I couldn't identify.  Then you throw them in, let them boil and enjoy.  

Afterwards, I met up with Linda, and after tea and a snack at McDonald's, we decided to pamper ourselves a little and get a pedicure.  My first pedicure, lol.

Next stop was an appliance store, where I finally broke down and bought a space heater!  It's in the 50's here, but it's a damp cold, which makes it feel like it's 20 degrees.  

I got back to the apartment and found my Christmas box, filled with good stuff, including grandma's toffee :)  I enjoyed that while I watched A Christmas Story.  Some traditions are necessary.  I'm going to Skype with my family later, and then prepare for the rest of the week.

So whatever your plans are today, have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Daxi field trip

Finally got the pictures up from the weekend!

Chang Kai-Shek Memorial park

Baby steps

 Yesterday was another milestone: I navigated a city other than Tongxiao, alone.  I needed to go to a grocery store in Hsinchu, so I hopped on a train after school.  The plan was to get on the shuttle that goes from McDonald's to Far East 21, the department store with a Western-style grocery.  I walked from the station for a few blocks, and started to feel that panic.  I don't the best sense of direction.  Actually, I have no sense of direction.  So I took a chance and turned where I thought maybe I should, and Lo and behold, the store was right there.  This may not seem like much of a feat, but I managed to navigate there by myself-after dark- and without a GPS or familiar landmarks.  I got what I needed, stopped for dinner, and got back on the train for Tongxiao.  Not a bad evening.

  

Santa Go!

Saturday morning I got up early to catch the 6:37 train to Taichung.  I had a little...adventure trying to get out of the building, but that's another story.  Anyway, I got to Taichung around 8:15, and met Linda for breakfast.  Peggy, Thomas, Ashley, Mandy, and Van joined us a little later to watch Santa Go.  It's an annual walk/run that involves 20,000 people in Santa Suits.  They're given the suits at registration, but everyone personalizes their outfit.  I saw Darth Vader, a Storm Trooper, a Minion, and people in weird masks.  And it's awesome to watch.

They also have themed bear statues all over the place

11 legged race?

The walk was fun to watch, and after awhile people kept running up to us, wanting pictures with the foreigners.  We became celebrities :)

After lunch at a cafe, we walked to the Fine Arts Museum.

We had tea at the Rose Room, in the museum, and it was amazing.  I had vanilla milk tea, and bought some of their rose iced tea to take home.

We took a cab to the train station, and walked around there for awhile.  This place used to be a library, and now it's a bakery/chocolate shop.  Everything is packaged and shelved to look like books.

We stopped at Mode Mall and shopped, then got a bite to eat.

My favorite book in Chinese!

Long train ride home, and then fell into bed at 11.