September

Helloooo dear ones!

Here is my blog. I hope you enjoy..

Its HOT here. really really humid and hot. And the smoggy city air is wearing on me already! I am really really missing the end of summer days when the air begins to get cool in the mornings and evenings and you can hear the crickets calling as the sun goes down.. I miss the music, the singing, the water and the trees and OH the gardens and harvesting beautiful vegetables you've grown..  In this homesick moment I thought to write home, and tell of my adventures thus far..  This city has millions and millions of people.. There IS a beautiful botanical garden/park across the street from my house, I don't get to spend nearly enough time there though. I've been working and working and working, trying to get the hang of this very American school, and all its ridiculous standards and curriculum.. Not to mention, the days are LONG.. The children arrive at school at 8am and leave at 3pm! That is long for these little ones.
I got food poisoning this week, and today have no voice. My immune system is begging for me to slow down, breathe, try and take on all of the newness with a slower and more gentle pace. Since the moment we landed, just over a MONTH ago already!!, we've been on the go go go, unpacking, settling, getting our classrooms organized and transformed! (It took me a week to wade through all the plastic toys and junk in the classroom, and to transform it to a beautiful Waldorf kindergarten, which I've somehow managed..) It's been a trip to find our way around the city, to buy groceries, to go out to dinner!! Everything, even the simplest of tasks, can seem like a huge feat. First you have to decide on what/where, then figure out how to get there, then GET there, THen figure out how to buy/order whatever it is that you are wanting, Then you hope that the food you just ordered isn't ducks feet or fish eyeballs cause everything is in Chinese!!

Our first few days were a total comic sketch.. We found this store, (we call it the YELLOW store, cause the name is in Chinese of course, but the awning is yellow), and it has everything, and I mean EVERYthing, you could want or need in it. Household things, clothes, jewelery, dishes, lamps, irons, rugs, helmets, BEER, food, and it's all crammed onto every shelf from the floor to the ceiling, and we walked in and spent a LONG time meandering through the aisles and looking at all the crazy chinese writing, trying to do cost conversion calculations, and holding up all the interesting stuff.. feeling like we've landed in a totally different universe.
The streets are similarly crammed with buildings and HUGe Chinese signs and people and peddlers peddling their wares, and farmers selling fruits and vegetables, and old ladies walking, children playing, homeless dogs roaming... Really crazy and serious sensory overload! We (and by "we" I mean "Thomas"), has been driving a scooter around, and it feels like we're constantly playing a video game. You know the one, delivery boy, a nintendo game?? It's like that, you're driving and there's constant obstacles to weave around, hoops to jump through, bumps in the road. It's a total trip!! I just hang on for dear life in the back, wearing my helmet of course, watching for possible things that thomas doesn't see, like scooters coming up behind us, swerving around us,.. That's the other crazy part, there's thousands of them, scooters, on every single road! Check out this video, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lFu1njRq5AA, don't get carsick watching though!! And don't watch the whole thing, just a glimpse into the place where I'm living, and a scooter ride through the streets!

Last weekend we took a train to a small town called Chihpen, up in the mountains near the east coast. It was a lovely train ride along the coast, and a beautiful place. We soaked in the hot springs and visited the national forest, and I saw a few monkeys!! My first encounter with wild monkeys, I was very excited. We also rented scooters and I learned how to drive one on the desolate streets of the town. The perfect beginning roads.. It was super fun and exhilarating! At night we went into the local pub and saw a true Taiwanese Eighties Rock Band, and got a total kick out of their synchronized dance moves and song list, then we headed down the street, past the 400 lb pig, just laying on the side of the road, down to the 80's video game arcade, where all the locals gathered around to stare at us while we drank a Taiwan beer and played some kung foo fighting games.. Most people here stare at us, Me, the blond fluffy bunny lady, and Thomas the super tall, jesus man! It's funny that we're so interesting to them, but gets kind of old after a while..

Our home is an apartment on the 15th floor of one of the smaller apartment buildings that I've seen here. It's a very modern, chic, fancy place, which is VERY different from our usual farm living. Kinda fun for the time being. We have a fancy robot steam shower among other exciting amenities. OH, and we have an ocean view!! I was super excited to see, that very far off in the distance, between two very tall skyscrapers, we can see the horizon line of the ocean.. We've filled our house with the gorgeous $1 orchids that you can buy, and beautiful exotic plants.. I know we're only here for one year, but I just can't resist. The flowers especially! We immediately found the Ikea and Costco, where you can read things in English, and have stocked up on some important things. And just a few days ago found the most amazing local and traditional fruit and vegetable market where you can buy bags and bags of fresh produce, exciting and strange new fruits, for your mere pocket change! You can also watch chickens being de-headed, intestines being unraveled, and lots of interesting things during which I chose to avert my eyes! But that will be a weekly shopping trip for sure.

The kindergarten children are sweet, they mean well anyway. I think because they live in a huge city, are constantly over stimulated and probably have homes where TVs are constantly blaring, they have a hard time focusing and sitting still and listening to me! Not to mention the language barrier.. I have been singing my way through transitions and at first they just looked at me like a crazy fairy lady, but now they're learning to listen for the singing.. this is going to be a long and exciting year in the classroom for me, I'm not in my Waldorf bubble anymore, and I've got to learn how to make it through these new challenges. I hope I can do it!

Anyway, enough about me.. I miss all of my friends and my family a LOT, so send your stories and happenings my way. We'll be keeping in touch, sending pictures and stories as they come.. Enjoy the pure air and those end-of-summer days for me!
LOVE,
Tierney (and Thomas too)