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...

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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.