Hot, sweaty... No fall here!

hey guys, I tend to be posting weekly now, which seems fitting because I mostly work during the week. On the weekends I have been going to Taichung (only 20 mins. by train) and hanging out at the night markets and department stores. Today I took a long bike ride through the country. I went through all of the rice fields and plantations. It was pretty cool. And by cool I mean neat, because it was a stifling 90 degrees Fahrenheit today.  This picture to the right is my Taiwanese friend's home. We celebrated Moon Festival at his house just a few weeks ago.

I have to admit I'm wondering how fall is feeling right now. I seem to have forgotten what it's like to feel 'cold.' It's been hot everyday since I've been here. But I just looked at the weather and we're expecting a thunderstorm this Thursday and Friday. I love rainy days when I can just sit inside drink some nice Taiwanese tea and read a good book. It's wonderful and plus we haven't had a rainy day in almost 3 weeks. It's long overdue. The picture to the right is another view of the rice fields. I should mention that most Taiwanese carry umbrellas (when it's not raining), and their sunscreen has a whitening agent in it. This is because it is best to have a fair complexion here. So so different than what we are used to in the United States. People spends thousands of dollars for tanning beds at home and here people try to look paler. What a world of difference....


Next week I am going to Kenting with a few friends from work. October 10, commonly known as double 10 day, is a national holiday, so we are leaving from Changhua on Saturday night and returning Monday evening. Kenting is best known for its beaches and surf. A common tourist attraction. It's three hours due south. I'm so ready....

Matzu

It's been an exciting week! I did a lot of teaching, as usual, and went to Taichung on Sunday. Best part of my weekend? Going to the National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts.
All of the pieces were either modern or contemporary, but they were very good. I took a picture in the museum, despite the signs that said not to, and I was surprised how quickly the docent caught me.  I'm glad I got the chance to see Asian art during the 60s and 70s. After we found a really nice western European place to eat. In the Taiwanese world, Taichung is a really big deal, e.g. lots of places to shop and sight see, and it is the 3rd largest city in Taiwan.


I'm also getting good at biking. Today, I biked about 2 miles. It's rather dangerous on the roads here because there are a lot of scooters and they don't always watch where they're going. Cars, too, often don't pay attention. So, I am learning to be very careful. Still doing yoga each morning too. My 'yoga master' is a great teacher, and even though I am the youngest person in class, I feel that it is truly a workout!

I've probably already mentioned how great the people are here, but I can't say it enough. They've all been truly great to me. I met a friend at work, who has great English, and is very similar to me. We hang out after work and on the weekends. My friends and I are in the midst of planning a trip to Kenting (south Taiwan) in October. I hear it's pretty down there on the coast. I'm looking forward to it.






More to come...

One Day

Haven't updated in a while. This past weekend, a few of my students from summer camp came to Changhua to visit. It was really cool to see them. We went to Taichung to see a movie called, One Day, with Anne Hathaway. The movie wasn't dubbed but it had Chinese subtitles. I learned from the movie that career paths can change and, as cliche as it sounds, all it takes is "one day" to change your mind or life. Point well taken. That is the main reason for my coming to Taiwan. I live through my experiences and let change happen. Huzzah!
Also, I am getting used to the train and which one to use. We will probably go to Taichung again this weekend. Yesterday, I started yoga and it's a killer! My yoga master is awesome but very hard on me. I plan to do it 3x a week at 8 am. Wish me luck.
Needless to say, I am meeting a lot of cool people here in Taiwan. Went to many BBQs for Moon Festival and I am eating lots of cake and ice cream! Still getting used to the food, well I think it's delicious, but my stomach needs time to adjust. I am also biking a lot nowadays. So much exercise. It's quite the change for me. I need to get used to it.
I'm also making it a point to read for at least 2 hours a day before work. I'm been pretty lax on the reading. Currently, I'm still into Getrude Stein's Three Lives. I miss Victorian literature, and I'm planning to read George Eliot next. Funny, I met a guy on the bus on Saturday who was reading Brideshead Revisited, and we talked about it for a while. It's always nice to speak with someone who has great English, but I also need to work on my Chinese. In time....

Buddha

I'm still teaching as usual, but I don't start today until later. So I plan on going for a bike ride around Changhua and hope to see some interesting things. I am looking forward to this weekend because one of my students from camp, is planning to take the train from Yuanlin to Changhua to meet us and spend the night. Then we are going to see a movie on Sunday. The moon festival is coming up on Monday so no work or classes!

The Mango Man

I haven't updated in a while. Saturday I worked all day long. I taught 5 classes but it was fun. The kids are great minus a few :)  Then on Sunday, I went to Taichung with Serena, which is the largest  city just north of Changhua. We road the train there and back for under a $1 US.

Today I had a few classes and then at night we went out for dessert. I ran into my 'fruit guy' and got a picture with him. Tomorrow we plan to visit the big Buddha in town again around 10 am. I hope I can wake up early enough! I don't work until 3 pm tomorrow and I have 5 classes again.