The Roof Might Be My New Favorite Spot

We have our schedules!

I am teaching:

• 2nd graders on Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays from 1:30-4.
• 5th graders on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from 4:40-6.
• Junior High Writing on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 6:50-8:50.
• HIGH SCHOOL Writing on Fridays! Same bat time: 6:50 to 8:50!
• And I tutor on Mondays from 5-6:30.

IT IS GOING TO BE SO FUN! My excitement is swayed only a little bit by the fact that I don't start until 1:30 every day. What am I going to do with my free mornings? Endless possibilities!

That was the most exciting thing that happened today. Because I still suffer from jet-lag, this whole day has been a bit of a blur. I do know there was a lot of talking about culture clashing (an American teaching in Taiwan, you know), but I'm sure I'll be hearing more about that when I am no longer in a sleep-hungry coma. Gerald drove us around some more, hoping it would allow us to become more familiar with the city of FengYuan. Mostly, what it did was disorient us further. However, I was rather proud of myself when I recognized a few key places he took us to that I had been to before, when I was here 9 years ago. His house was one (go me!), and a shaved ice shop in Smelly Tofu Alley (seriously) was another.

Being the niece of the owners of the school has already reaped benefits, besides having a hand in the classes that I teach.

It's day 2, and I've already been handed by both Gerald and Frances boxes of goodies, with a "Here, take this, it's for you." I keep on telling people to eat as much as they want, but they don't seem to be listening to me. Seriously, it's really good.

I live on the fourth floor of the school building, one level away from the roof. The open air is a mere staircase away from me, and so today, instead of taking pictures when we went around the city, I took pictures of FengYuan at twilight from the roof.



Cities are so beautiful.

WELCOME

WELCOME TO TAIWAN.

Well, after a horrendous 18 hour travel day of planes, trains, and buses in foreign languages, we finally arrived at the school around 10 this morning. Upon arrival, we were shuffled into the building, signed a bunch of paperwork, and were told that we weren't going to a get a break. If I sound a bit drugged, it's because I haven't slept since who knows when. I hate jetlag.

For lunch, we went to this cute little restaurant where they served these fabulous dumplings--which are basically potstickers, so of course I loved them--and then we went to get a "bing-sha" which is basically just a crushed ice and fruit smoothie. Super good. Us newbies here were following around the veteran 20 something female teachers that have been here already for a whopping 6 months and know nothing of the language. So, of course, we're inferior. But it's cool.

After lunch, we were presented with our noble steeds, the rusty bicycles that will get us anywhere within Feng Yuan that our hearts desire, as long as they're up to it. Then we went grocery shopping at a decidedly boring corner shop that I was completely underwhelmed with. Nevertheless, I managed to get the essentials: milk, bread, cereal, and top ramen. What else do I need to live, really?

After our bike ride to the corner market place, we were cajoled into driving around for a tour of the city, which basically consisted of stopping at parks, and wandering around just enough to keep us awake and in a stupor. We did, however, stop at this temple where they pray to their ancestors, where I took these little gems:
So starts the impulsive picture taking. I thought it was cool.

We also went to a Wal Mart meets the mall kind of store, where everything was sold on a bunch of different levels connected with a slanted moving sidewalk. (NOT an escalator, mind you.) It took me back to my days back in Ireland, because at their Wal Mart meets the mall, they had a slanted moving sidewalk, too. I'm such a world traveler. Anyway, I bought a pillow.

After we finished hiking up and down Feng Yuan, we came back to the school, and were told that we could do anything we wanted, but go to sleep. I'll probably disregard that. Unpacking my two 50 pound suitcases took a depressingly short time, and then I was left to do nothing but dwell on my utter lack of hand-eye coordination skills due to my inconceivable sleeplessness.

Wanna see my space?If I can live out of that pathetic closet for a whole year, somebody better give me a medal.