My year in Taiwan is over. It has been over for a week but I wanted to let a little time pass before I wrote a "final" blog entry.

I have now spent some quality time with my brother in Albuquerque, NM and have now spent whole day hugging two little unsuspecting boys to death with the following thoughts (in random order):

1) I adore my family but they seem to have carried on just fine without me.
2) Technology is an amazing thing. Tyler seems to think there is nothing different between talking to me on videochat and talking to me in person. Barely a flicker of interest when he saw me in the flesh -- just a continuation of our last chat.

3) To look back on the year: definitely positive, in all ways: professional, societal, financial -- all ways.

4) Does this mean that it was all great? Not a chance! I really can't say with any honesty that I like teaching junior high. As before, I like 9th grade but much younger moves into someone else's realm. I had/made some of the most wonderful friendships I have ever had in my life but my principal never EVER spoke to me in a year. On the last day, we had a "teachers' appreciation" lunch and he came around to the tables (as is the custom) to toast the people at the tables and didn't even glance at me. I am trying hard to not let that be the last memory of my time in Taiwan since the rest was so good.

5) So. Let's talk about the good. 1) some real student improvement which is difficult to measure but other teachers noticed it. 2) some really fine teacher friends that I hope I will be able to maintain good relationships with through the wonders of email. 3) some promising students who will maybe escape from the rice paddies and want more education and maybe someday I can help them. I know I would be willing. 4) Two really adorable 18 month old "adopted" grandchildren that I hope will let me stay a part of their lives. 5) Three teacher friends -- 2 American and 1 Canadian -- that I hope to remain friends with forever. All in all, not bad for one year.

6) Would I do it again? In a heartbeat. IN FACT! I am going to but this time in Turkey. New blog to be created come September from Istanbul -- and I promise, this time it will be illustrated!

Days Dwindling Down

The year is almost over. I can't believe it it has gone so fast.

Last weekend was my last travel weekend -- we went to Tainan to see my friend Linda compete in the Dragon Boat Races. This is a big 4 day extravaganza of groups of 16 with some affiliation racing long canoe type boas. Because it it so hot already, the races are held at night and the boats are all decorated with colored lights. Linda and 15 other teachers from her school gave it a go but without enthusiasm. Seems their principal ordered them to do it so they did, but made sure they lost the first round.

I still haven't nailed down a job. I have two contracts from colleges in China so that is the fallback. Turkey remains my first choice if someone would just make up their mind! I am going to give them until Monday, then sign with China.

Now comes the hard part -- packing, sacking and giing stuff away. Hate that.

Things I Won't Miss

I know that my last couple of blogs will be tearful and sappy so I thought I would get the more negative things out of the way.

Things I won't miss:
1) Lukewarm food. Since I mostly eat at school, the food is big serving buckets which are not kept warm at all. By the time we get around to eating them, they are all warm. Also most restaurant food is not hot, I don't know why because dishes are brought out as ready.

2) Rain. This is our 12th straight day of really heavy rain and it is miserable.

3) Being dependent on a bike for my transportation. There are people I can hitch rides with but I save those for bad weather. It means that anytime I travel anywhere, I have to first ride my bike 45 minutes just to get to the train station. Going shopping is an almost everyday thing since I can't carry much.

4) Always having to wonder whether both sides of a conversation understand what was just said, also not being able to kid around much -- the translation would never make it.

5) The general obliviousness I mentioned earlier.

6) The tendency to make last minute plans with the assumption that it will be fine with you. Or sometimes the plans are made, but no one bothers to tell you until one hour before.

7) The lack of stimulation in my town. Nice folks, but farmers all.

8) Although there are teachers here that I hope I will stay close to, the general conservative policies of the school can drive you wild.

Winding Down

I will leave Taiwan 3 weeks from today. Although I have really enjoyed this year, I can't say as I am sorry to go. I think this sorta-city girl needs more than a rural small town can deliver. People have been super but I sort of wonder how many, if any, I will stay in touch with long term.

I gave a workshop a couple of weeks ago for the other teachers. On the cover of my handout I put my email address, told them it was my "forever address" and said they now had a friend in America. They chorused back with "what does that mean?". A panicky moment as I pictured them and all of their loved ones descending on wherever I end up living, but having come to know a little about these folks, I know I need not fear. They have to be home to Mom's house for dinner by Sunday latest.

As a person who comes from a rather "loose" family grouping, it is difficult for me to imagine the obligation of couples marrying and having to move in with the husband's parents, like it or not. Especially when they are educated, employed and the parents are not needy.

Culture Shot

For those of us in rural areas, any trip to the "big city" is truly noteworthy. This time, however it was even more so.

The three of us usual traveling companions, plus our young Taiwanese friend from Kaoshiung, all got to Taipei last Friday evening. We went out for much anticipated Mexican food which wasn't bad, but wasn't Mexican.

The next morning we did a little shopping (me, for lighter weight clothes since it has grown warm here) and then in the afternoon, Rochelle and I went to see "A Touch of Zen" at the National Theater.

First, I have to comment on how beautiful the theater is, really lovely and ornate without the "over the topness" one often finds in Taiwan. When we got there, the police were stringing concertina and putting up barricades because there was a scheduled demonstration coming up. We got inside and were able to get pretty good tickets, despite it being almost sold out.

It is difficult to describe the show since it is not like anything I have ever seen: kind of a cross between ballet, kung fu, a precision drill team and a percussion band -- but just amazing. The troop (U-Theater) is several years old and made up of a Taipei Martial Arts group and real Shaolin monks. (If you remember that old TV show "Kung Fu", David Carradine had been raised at the Shaolin Monastery). The music is almost all drums and gongs of all sizes, plus some wooden things being struck by other wooden things. Two of the scenes also used a piano.

There wasn't much story, but that really didn't matter. About half the time they move in slow motion and then explode into these widely acrobatic moves. Great! Anyway, yu will get a chance to see them, they will be part of the opening ceremony at the Beijing Olympics in 2008.

The next day, despite a heavy rain and a really long line, we went to see the "Treasures of the British Museum" exhibit at the National Palace Museum. It also was very good, which is a good thing since we were drenched and then it was mobbed inside. It was still worth it.

Still nothing firm on the job scene. I thought I had something good going with a school in Turkey but now I think they are just stringing me along.

Back to the search...

Return

Well, it has been interesting to see who has been reading my blog and who hasn't. I have gotten reprimanding emails from all sorts of people since I got a little "behind on my reporting". Truth to tell, I've been concentrating on trying to find a new job and that is never very interesting to others.

Somewhere in this process I decided that I sm "China-ed out". Three years in Beijing, now 2 years in Taipei, and a year in Hong Kong -- I think I'm done. This is supposed to be my time for adventure, not same-o same-o.

With that decision made, and a much earlier decision to not go to Korea, I have eliminated about 80% of the available ESL jobs.

Of the remaining 20% 1) I am not an EU citizen (another 50% gone) not man (most of the jobs in the Middle East), not under 55 (the rest of the jobs in the Middle East) and can't afford to be strictly a volunteer (another big chunk). So my field is somewhat limited.

I am currently at the "second-interview" stage with a great sounding school in Istanbul which I would love. We haven't gotten around to talking about money and/or benefits so I don't know if I could afford it if offered but so far I'm interested.

I'll keep you posted.

Green Island

Well, I am still figuring out the camera stuff but I don't want to let too much time go by before I write about my last trip so here goes. Last Thursday was a religious/cultural holiday set aside for "tomb sweeping" -- going to the graves of relatives and cleaning them up. The government, in its infinite wisdom, made it into a four day holiday by giving everyone Friday off also. Actually, it isn't a gift -- we have to work this Saturday to make it up.

Anyway, three of us went to Green Island, off the southeast coast. We had tried to go there before but the weather was too bad in February so we thought we would wait until April and try again. It was colder and rainier than it had been in February! but we went anyway.

Took the train to Taitung -- about 6 hours total, where we spent the night in a pretty grim hostel. We got our money's worth but only because it was REALLY cheap. It was the only place we could find as this is a popular travel weekend.

Took the ferry the next morning in the pouring rain. It only takes 45 minutes but for the queasy among us, it was a long rough ride. One friend stayed outside and didn't get sick but did get soaked!

The island is gorgeous. It began its life as 5 volcanoes so all beaches are black and there are massive lava boulders everywhere. Anywhere it has been ground down is incredibly lush and the mountains fall straight to the water in many places, reminiscent of Hawaii.

I had planned this trip so that I could go diving at least once in Taiwan and did. It was a great dive despite a very strong current discovered after hiking about 1000 yards in full gear down stairs and across slippery rocks to get to the water. I decided once was enough.

We had a great barbeque dinner. These are popular here. It's an all you can eat, cook it yourself extravaganza. They barbeque sort of odd things but by and large it is a much needed protein infusion.

The next day we diod what was supposed to be the highlight of the trip -- a visit to one of the world's three salt water hot spring spas. You can sit in the hot water and watch the sun rise and the waves rolling right up to you! Well, there was no sunrise since it was pouring so we went back to sleep. By the time we got there, it was mobbed and the bathhouses are not as nice as they were in Chihpen the last time. So, I had no sandals, no towel and it was cold and rainy. It is actually nifty to sit in hot water and have cold rain coming down around you, but here you must walk a long way in the cold rain before you get to the hot water. In other words, it wasn't quite as nice as I had pictured.

One of the most fun things was that we rented a golf cart for the three of us to ride around in. It was great because it was covered and offered at least a little protection from the rain and is quiet enough to talk comfortably. The island is only 9 miles around so we did the whole round and it is truly beautiful.

The island has a bad historical connotation. During the 50s and 60s, it was used as a penal colony for political prisoners of the KMT. That is over now, and they are trying to develop its tourist potential and, from the amount of people, I would say it has been successful.