In Which I Have a Birthday.

So I had a birthday.

(Well, technically it's still going on in America. I'm still receiving birthday wishes from all my fabulous family and friends in America, as we speak. I love this. One big birthday party for two days!)

My birthday landed on a Tuesday this year, which is the one day of the week that I don't meet with my first graders. But that didn't deter them from helping me celebrate anyway. 

I write everyone's birthdays on our calendar in the classroom (including my own), so on Monday--the day before my actual birthday--they were fully prepared for a day of celebrations. 

Look what they surprised me with.

 

(I guess 'surprise' is a relative term. I came in when they were still working on it, so there were squeals and screams of "Miss RAYNE! PLEASE DON'T SEE THE WHITEBOARD." But I was able to help a bit, too: "Miss Rayne. How do you spell 'Rayne?'" "Miss Rayne, how do you spell 'every?'" So I guess it was a good thing I was there during their prep time.)

The birthday wishing didn't stop just when I walked into class, either. On their spelling tests, they took advantage of the empty spaces to give me something to read whilst grading.

 

They provided me with snack, too, for break time. Those cuties.

(Please note that those good cracker things were taped onto the board.)

The birthday party my kids surprised me with on Monday was probably my favorite. Ever. But Tuesday--my actual birthday in Taiwan--was pretty good, too; full of little bodies hugging my legs, and birthday cards, and homemade peach pie, and special birthday presents, and being sung "Happy Birthday" in Chinese, and doing whatever I dang well pleased (which involved a lot of peach-pie-munching and Scooby-Doo-watching, may I say). 

 These kids just kind of wiggle themselves into your soul, and stay there. 

I'm going to hate leaving them.

Perspective.

The rainstorms here are to die for. 

Seriously, I'm such a sucker rainstorms.

(Right now, it's thundering outside, the clouds are rolling in, and it's visibly getting darker. I love it.)

The thing is, when it's really raining--like, when it's pouring so hard that you can hardly see your hand in front of your face, and you only have to go outside for two seconds to get good and drenched--that is probably my most absolute favorite time to go running. 

I know, okay? But it is. 

Rainstorms are cleansing, and actually going out in them, allowing the rain to soak me, to trickle down my face and arms and back, invigorates me. I feel refreshed and capable of anything when I'm soaking up the rain. Exercising in the rain heightens those feelings; makes them more concentrated. Running in the rain leaves me euphoric and peaceful. 

If only torrential downpours happened more often.

The last time I ran in the rain, I stopped when the rain did. But just because I stopped running and it stopped raining didn't mean the storm was over. Flashes of intricate lightning danced around the sky, totally distracting me from absolutely anything else going on around me. I ran up to the roof of my school, sat down, and just watched the skies. The lightning show was frequent and breathtaking for about an hour, and then slowly, slowly sputtered out into nothing. I was outside the whole time.

It was beautiful. 

Nature truly has the best fireworks.

Mediocrity with a Dash of Something Else.

Mostly, it's pretty typical for everyone, in any sort of situation they're constantly placed in, to have good days and bad days. There are awesome, energetic, I'm-totally-doing-this-for-the-rest-of-my life kinda days, and then there are those blecky, lethargic, can-I-please-just-curl-up-in-a-ball-and-sleep kinda days.

Today was totally that kind of day. It's probably the combination of it being the first day of Chinese school, and my inability to shake this headache, that made it that way.

Definitely, those kids drove me crazy today. 

But yesterday was totally not that way. Yesterday, they were adorable, eager to learn, affectionate little angels that I never wanted to leave. Let me show you. 

They drew that for me. Isn't that cute? Lately, they've really been into "surprising" me with pictures on the board. They'll kindly ask permission to use the markers on the whiteboard, and then freak out if I glance in their direction mid-creative genius. "Miss RAYNE! Don't SEE THE WHITEBOARD." 

Man, sorry. Sheesh. 

Sneaked up on them for this one, though.

After they were finished, and I gave them the appropriate appreciative response, one of the girls asked me to kneel down near her desk, close my eyes, and give her my hand. I obliged, and I felt her drawing something on the palm of my hand. There were seven little bodies crowded around me, pressing their cheeks against mine, and wrapping their arms around my waist, as my palm was being decorated. When the artistic piece was finished, I was allowed to open my eyes, and saw that "We love you so much!" was written on my palm in sparkly ink. 

Is this what being loved unconditionally feels like? Because I swear, all I do is make mistakes.

But it turns out that they're cool with those, too, actually; and do their best to help out where I fall short. One of my cute little students, knowing how prone to forgetfulness I am, thoughtfully provided me with a note, mentioning all the things I needed to do and bring for class the next day.

These kids, man. I just really like them.

Round Two.

6 months gone. 

A new semester has started. 

And shoot. I'm exhausted already.

Luckily, I don't think my kids have noticed.

Aren't my kids adorable?

It's a class of nine 8 year olds. 7 girls, and 2 boys. The girls are so affectionate.
So so affectionate.
Also, they're all super sensitive. I don't think there's been a day when someone hasn't cried.
But that's okay. After some tears and a few wails of "Everybody's mad at my!", I come over, explain that it's "Everybody's mad at me" (they correct themselves through their tears), I ask if they're bleeding, I ask if they got hurt, I ask if someone hit them.
They say no.
I tell them to move on.
And then it's cool. 
(Mostly.)

Completely unintentionally, my schedule turned out to be exactly the same as last semester: a second grade class, a fifth grade class, a junior high writing class, a high school writing class, and two tutoring sessions: one with a mother, and one with the daughter. It's a crazy schedule that's all over the place, but I love it.

But. I'm always tired.
Oh well.

Be as Simple and Well as Nature Ourselves

My Taiwan Besties were on their way out.

And so we went out with a bang. 

A big bang.

 

Toroko Gorge, Hualien, Taiwan

It's Niles Canyon, but with a bit of the Grand Canyon thrown into it here and there. Complete with rushing water, tree-covered cliffs, lakes, rivers, valleys, hikes, temples, waterfalls, and lots of buses full of tourists.

It's breathtaking.

It's the kind of 'breathtaking' where your mouth drops open and you hold your breath just to look. It's the kind of 'breathtaking' where gazing at it just isn't enough, you actually want to be a part of the beauty itself; you want to go in an explore what that beauty consists of. 

It's the kind of 'breathtaking' that just can't be captured on film, but you have to try, anyway.

We weren't your normal tourists in buses, either. Nope. We were legit. Traveling through those windy roads to the top of Toroko Gorge on scooters. 

Scoooooooooters!

That's right. 

And it was fantastic. 

Don't worry that I took pictures while straddling the backs of those whirring little things.

We spent two days there, exploring, riding, hiking, taking pictures, getting bitten by mosquitos, trying to find waterfalls, climbing lots of stairs, and not thinking of the separation that was inevitable. My four fabulous friends were leaving; their year in Taiwan was coming to a close. I was staying, they were leaving. 

We ignored that.

Toroko was really distracting.

We had some goals in mind, coming here: 

1) Climb a suspension bridge. 2) Hike to a waterfall and frolic.

The first goal we totally accomplished. With absolute flying colors, did we accomplish that first goal.

First rule of the suspension bridge: No wriggling. 

Second rule of the suspension bridge: Have a hiking permit. 

We followed the first rule. We tactfully overlooked the second.

The second goal we had, hiking to a waterfall and frolicking, started out pretty optimistically. We found the hike that promised a waterfall at the end. The sign at the entrance assured us that if we were in "moderately good shape," this shnazzy little nature walk would be a piece of cake. 

When we saw this, we questioned the use of the word 'moderately,' but pressed on, nonetheless.

That is, in fact, a 90 degree angled rock, in the middle of the hiking path. They were real thoughtful, and put some chains up there to help us, though.

It would have probably been useful to know Chinese, at this point.

But we did it, like champs.

Only to find, about ten minutes later, the rest of the hike--waterfall included--had been closed down, due to a rockfall. 

Well. Shucks. 

Down we went.

And found some other stuff to do. 

(It was probably a good thing the hike didn't work out, due to the fact that I was embarrassingly unprepared. I could just hear my father in my head: "Why are you wearing capris hiking? You shouldn't have done that. Why didn't you take bug spray? You always take bug spray. Never go hiking without a camel pack. I can't believe you went out there with no first aid kit. Don't wear those shoes. Wear hiking shoes." Man, I would have been in so much trouble.) 

Toroko was gorgeous. Beyond description. Incredible.

There was just so much water. It called to me. 

Next time, I'm wearing my swim suit.

It's Official. I Lived Here.

So guys. 

There's this bridge here. 

It's just for walking.

It goes over the train station, and you have to walk across it to get to the main entrance of the train station.

And the main bus station. 

So if you want to go anywhere besides Fengyuan, you cross this walking bridge. 

And on this walking bridge, there are locks. 

Like, padlocks.

Like, lots and lots of locks.

People just put them there. For lots of reasons, I suppose. (Most of them are in Chinese, you know. That hinders my understanding, a bit.) 

Some of them have been there for years and years, whereas others are totally, brand-spanking new. People have been locking a piece of themselves on this little walking bridge in Fengyuan, Taiwan, for who knows how long. 

So how could we pass it up? 

So, locks were found. And they were decorated.

And then, they were taken to the Walking Bridge. 

And there, I left a little piece of myself that will stay in Taiwan forever. 

So. I've made my mark. 

At least, I've made a mark that I can see, anyways. 

And I'm always a little excited to see my lock when I'm on my way out of Fengyuan. It just makes me happy.

Snow Days are for Wimps

Taiwan doesn't have Snow Days.

Most Taiwanese kids have never even seen snow, thank you very much. Except in pictures, and American movies.

Taiwanese kids know what rain is, though. Definitely, they know what rain is. Because it happens all the time. (We are on an island, after all.) Doesn't really matter what season the calendar says it is, the rain just kinda comes whenever it wants. 

And sometimes, it comes in big huge bursts.

With flooding, and stuff.

Those are typhoons.

I think typhoons are cool.

 

I probably think typhoons are cool for two reasons. 1) I'm ignorant. I've never lived in place where there are typhoons (except now), so the damage that can occur from them takes second place to just how beautiful the rain is as its fighting to get to the ground. 2) Typhoon Days = No school. 

For anyone. 

Which is awesome.

And we had a Typhoon Day. And it was awesome. Much more awesome than any Snow Day could have been, I'm sure of it. We woke up to rain, we lounged about to rain, we bonded to rain, we went to sleep to rain. 

Just looking through the window at the downpour was cleansing.

I loved it.

 Having a day free of teaching was definitely a perk, too.
But that's only a little bit of the reason why typhoons are just so cool.

Well, okay, maybe a big reason.