Settling In

August 28, 2010
1:45 PM
Yilan Apartment

On Thursday, Yvonne helped me move apartments. I'm now settling in comfortably in Xue Shan with Brittni and Carolyn. I'm missing the familiarity of Luodong but I'll learn my way around here soon enough. Thursday I had lunch with a couple of other ETAs (English Teaching Assistants) and their LETs (Local English Teachers) and went to Carrefour for some essentials. I was feeling a little bit down, just out of sorts with stress and moving, so I went to Luna Plaza that night for dinner. I have to say, Cafe Grazie perked me right up. I had a great pasta dish with a Coke while I read one of my books from home (and found another love note in it), and the radio played familiar country music. Seriously, what more could a girl ask for?

Friday I started looking over books for Monday's story time and then went to the big faculty lunch meeting for the start of school. Yvonne and I sat with the school nurse, who was very sweet. Yvonne invited me to ghost month dinner with her family. I went home for about an hour and got some laundry done before she picked me up.

I have to say it was a really wonderful experience. Yvonne has twins, about a year old. At first they didn't want me to hold them very much, but who can blame them? When you're in your grandma's arms or your auntie's arms, and your mom just got home, you don't want a stranger holding you. They warmed up to me though and Yvonne's whole family was so nice.





I found out that there's a correct way to burn paper money for the ghosts--making sure that the shiny part is on the outside and folding all the pieces of paper. Dinner was home cooked with a lot of organic food grown by Yvonne's family. I think my favorite was the yam cake. We also had chicken, duck, rice, some sort of green vegetable for long life whose name I can't remember, something else made with yams...there were 5 or 6 dishes I think, and the rice. After dinner, Yvonne took me out to a bicycle shop she knows and helped me pick out a good bicycle, negotiate a good price, and even got the owner of the shop to tried the bicycle to my apartment for me since I didn't have any other way to get it home. I am now the proud owner of a new bicycle--the first bike I've owned since I was probably about 8.

I'm going to practice with the bicycle today in the courtyard between the apartment buildings, where I can't get run over, and try and find a new place for dinner tonight.

Moving Along

August 25, 2010
9:34 PM
Luodong Apartment

Things feel like they're moving along pretty quickly right now. Yesterday I passed my written test. I can now legally own and drive a 50 cc scooter in Taiwan. I have to say, the DMV felt and looked almost exactly the same as the DMVs back home. The only difference being that it wasn't as crowded as the DMV in Pasadena or quite as dirty.



Yesterday and today we went to the English Village at 新生国小 (Xin Sheng Elementary). We were introduced to it yesterday, and today we had our first groups of kids there as we manned the stations. It was exhausting enough with two of us manning each station. I can only imagine how intense it will be when we're leading the stations on our own with about 12 kids (compared to the six or so we each had today, being guided by two of us).

I'm really glad to know my schedule now. I'll be speaking at morning assembly with the students on Mondays and Fridays. Tuesday mornings I will be speaking to the faculty assembling, covering newspaper English. Mondays I'll also be doing story time with grades 1 and 2, either 2 or 4 hours depending on the week. Tuesdays I will be co-teaching five 5th grade glasses. Wednesday I will be co-teaching four 4th grade classes. Thursdays I will spend 4 hours at English Village (and then have cultural exchange in the afternoon). Fridays after my meeting with the students, I have one class period co-teaching a 4th grade class.

I feel better right now, knowing that I have a schedule and it's set. I'm still waiting to hear on which days I will have class at Fo Guang University--I'll be taking class there twice a week, 2 hours a day. All I can hope is that I don't have it on Tuesdays.

At 9 AM tomorrow I'm moving to Yilan. I'm going to really miss Luodong--I've become attached to this place in the month I've been here. But, it's only a couple of train stops away--I'm sure I'll be back frequently. I'm not expecting the process to take long. My co-teacher is driving me to Yilan with my suitcases. Friday I'll be meeting the rest of the teachers at 中山国小 (Zhong Shan Elementary). Monday...school starts. It's a little intimidating, but I'm ready--I hope.

I'm missing Mike and my family. Part of me wishes I was home now, but I know this year is going to be a great experience and I can hope I'm the better for it.

A Great Day

I haven't been in the mindset to really blog the last week or so. I've been cranky and frankly, no one would have really wanted to read anything I wrote, so I saved your eyes and my fingers the effort. Yay for efficiency. Right? Right.

So when orientation ended yesterday I set the reset button. I went home, and treated myself to some Pizza Hut and spent the rest of the evening and most of today chilling out alone in my room while I reset myself and sorted things out.

Things that you've missed since my last update:
• 中山国小 (Zhong Shan Guo Xiao in pinyin)
• My co-teachers will be Yvonne and Richard
• I will be teaching grades 4 and 5
• On Thursday I will move into one of the 雪山 (Xue Shan) apartments with Brittni and Carolyn

Tuesday I'll be taking the written test for the 50 CC scooter. I did manage to get back on the scooter after the accident with my foot. It's a learning experience. I also plan to better acquaint myself with the wonderful world of bicycling (after the move...no sense in hauling it out here and hauling it back to Yilan City).

Today I started looking at options for what to do when the Fulbright ends in June. I've thought about teaching elsewhere overseas or maybe trying to get a job with the Department of State or AIT. When I looked at teaching abroad my first instinct was Bermuda--it's close to home and I have family there. I slowly found myself drifting back towards Asia. When I realized I was looking at listings in Taiwan, I knew that I was going to be okay here.

I went out tonight to a little dumpling place by the super market that was pretty good...and I now know the word for shrimp and won't be ordering that particular dish again--I do however know where to get awesome dumplings in Luodong. After that, Courtney and I went to the stationary store and bought calligraphy brushes, practice paper, stroke guides, an ink stone, a pestle to grind the ink stone on...and went back home to attempt to become great calligraphers. You can tackle any mountain...an inch at a time.

Feeling much better about life, the universe, and everything, I'm ready to call it a night with a smile on my face.

It Bit Me

August 12, 2010
10:20 PM
Luodong—Apartment H

Alright, so I’m guilty. I haven’t updated in a while—almost a week. I’ve been posting statuses on Facebook but haven’t made my way to the blog. Since I last updated I informed Facebook that I most triumphantly conquered my age old enemy—the dreaded bicycle. I’m still working on it, but I can ride, which I honestly hadn’t thought possible. Stuart let me ride her bike and being on a bike that was actually the right size for me helped a whole lot—previous attempts on bikes too tall had gone miserably. I actually seemed to be able to pick it up. A couple of days working on my balance on the bicycle and I wanted to hit the scooter again. It didn’t go great, but it went better than it had the first time around.

Erin O'Brien officially conquered the bicycle today. Total bonus points on her coordination.
Monday at 9:02pm

Erin O'Brien rode the bicycle again today and had better luck than last time with the scooter.
Tuesday at 6:33pm

Erin O'Brien is done with this whole sweating thing...can bodily fluids be put on suspension in a plane of non-existence?
Yesterday at 3:54pm

Okay, so there are the missing Facebook updates since I last wrote in the blog. Now everyone is caught up. Saturday night we went to the Luodong Monkey Carnival and watched the group of European performers there. There was a guy who did contact juggling with the crystal balls—made me want to go watch Labyrinth. There was an aerialist, a guy who balanced things on his face, another guy with fire batons, and a contortionist. All in all it was a really spectacular show—no complaints. And there was a vehicle of some sort made to look like a glowing dragon parked up the street with instruments hanging off it that anyone could play—inside the wire mesh was a full on drum kit where a kid was banging away and having the time of his life.



Sunday we had a big group gathering at the apartment, about 12 of us eating Brittni’s awesome Japanese style curry and then hanging out on the rooftop for a while. It was really a great night. I wish I could elaborate more but today has left me pretty drained.



Yesterday we went down to Nanao and saw several aboriginal schools down there. The area is gorgeous and unpolluted. The schools are small, so it will be a really intimate learning environment for whatever ETAs end up there. We make our list of school choices tomorrow I think after we see the last of the schools. At the train station on our way back, Kelly broke out the birthday cake and surprised Harry and we all sang Happy Birthday to him. After we got back from Nanao we all went out to Shabu-Shabu for hot pot to celebrate the birthday boy, then back to Zhongshan to hang out together for the rest of the night. 16 ETAs…one apartment. Fight the damp, y’all.
Today we had a former ETA and the former director of the Fulbright program come talk to us about culture and education in Taiwan. At the end of the day, it was time for scooter practice again, getting us ready for the driving test coming up. I was feeling pretty good, as though maybe today I’d actually be able to make the loop around the lot the way most of the other people had been able to do last time. My balance was improving and I was getting a better feel for the throttle. I have to tell you…no such luck. I started off okay, and then felt like I was going a little fast and hit the break. I was still okay, I’d try and go around the curve. I started up the scooter again but hit the throttle too hard and couldn’t stop soon enough. I went over sideways, hitting the curb and my sandal got caught on the steering handle, maybe in the hand break—I’m really not sure. I hit the ground and my foot was between the bike and the curb and caught on something. Long story short, I’m bruised, sore, and suffering a bit of a damaged ego, but no permanent damage. My foot is several interesting shades of blue and purple at the moment and I’m hobbling around with help. After the fall we had an FSE dinner with Dr. Chen and Wu Laoshi and the Director-General of Education for Yilan County. We had really good traditional Taiwanese food (mostly seafood) in Yilan. Now I’m glad to be home, elevating my foot and finally updating the blog.

Friday

August 6, 2010
10:30 AM
Yilan Teacher Center

Yesterday I think I learned a lot. I found out that it looks like we live in the tallest building in Luodong--or the tallest we can see at any rate, looking at the view from 25 stories up. The stars were out in force and even from as high up as we were, we could hear frogs, cicadas, and the trash truck (which blasts music that mostly sounds like it belongs in an ice cream truck).



Going up to the roof top to hang out and chat would never have entered my mind but the breeze was great and so was the company. I can't wait to see the view in the daylight.

Yesterday started with a visit to the Yilan Winery. I have to say that I think the treat Principal Lin got us was a truly Taiwanese original--red wine and rice popsicles--I can't imagine finding that anywhere else.

We spent the rest of the day creating our bank accounts, learning the train and bus stations, and getting acquainted with Yilan City, and eventually hitting the Luodong Night Market for a scavenger hunt. Amongst the things I learned yesterday is the fact that Taiwan is coming up on it's centennial. The Taiwanese year is 99--the reckoning starting in October 1911. My bnak deposit was marked 99-8-5 and a note from my landlord was dated 99-8-4; now I know why.

I'm on the bus now heading to the International Children's Folklore and Games Festival at the River Water Park. It's Friday night and I'm not sure what I'md doing with my weekend yet. the Luodong Monkey Carnival starts this weekend. I saw some of the performers practicing when I was at the night market last night. It was a European group with at least one aeialist, a guy with fire batons, and several others whose talents I couldn't yet I dentify. We just arrived at the river park, time to drop the pen.

Erin

Tuesday

I seem to be over the jet lag and I'm settled into our apartment in Luodong quite cozily--the probability of moving in a month is a little sad--this place is already feeling homey. Then again, I'm sure the next place will too. The view from our balcony is really pretty. Luodong is green and teeming with life. Team Luodong spent tonight at the Luodong Night Market. It's not a bad walk--maybe twenty minutes or so, just a single right turn down the road from us.

This morning we went to see the Yilan County Magistrate and got to tour the building. The architecture was really unique. I'm tired and getting ready for bed and running out of words to describe it. I'll have to remember to post pictures soon.

This afternoon we got cell phones and made our first attempts at riding scooters. I feel like it could have gone better on my part, but I'm aware that it could have gone a heck of a lot worse. I'll just have to take this one step at a time. I feel drained. It's 9:30 at night and I'm ready for a shower and bed. Maybe I'm not as over my jet lag as I thought. I woke up 3 or 4 times during the night last night.

是生活。是吗？

Round 2

August 2, 2010
5:45 AM
Just Sleep, Room 903

That didn’t work. I couldn’t finish journaling last night. I fell asleep hard. I woke up an hour or two later screaming bloody murder with Charlie horses in both of my legs. These were the worst Charlie horses I can ever remember having. I think I probably scared the girl in my room. I’m going to be sore for days.
Okay so back to what I was going to write yesterday…
The FSE staff met us at the airport and we took the bus into Taipei. We had a couple of hours to freshen up, eat, and check our email before walking over to the Fulbright office.
We spent the day taking care of paper work, financial matters, introductions, and having lots of food. The lunch box I ate had fish, shrimp, chicken, eel, and steamed egg. I tried them all.
Our day had a lot of built in buffer time where we could just hang out and talk to each other. One of these breaks was over an hour and eight of us followed to guys who’d been here studying for a couple months out into the city. We walked through the Ximen shopping area where I remember going last year with Kelly and Vanilla. It felt even busier during the day than it had at night.
Deciding we had the time for it if we hurried, we all took the MRT to Chiang Kai Shek memorial hall. It was worth the trip. There buildings around it on the grounds were gorgeous and the Chiang Kai Shek statue is set into the building kind of like the Lincoln Memorial, but with a live guard on each seat. I think the weirdest thing was watching a guy get up from the desk off to the side to straighten out one of the guard’s uniforms—I guess it was less than perfect, but you could have fooled me.



After that we finished the FAQ back at the office and went for dinner, working hard to stay away until a decent bedtime. Dr. Chen was really funny and everyone we met from the FSE office seems really nice. For now, I’ve got a couple of hours until check out and I’ve got to see if I can make my legs behave.

Failed Post

August 1, 2010
8:43 PM
Just Sleep, Room 903

I’ve been a long day. I’m trying to stay awake long enough to hit a reasonable hour to go to bed.