Ashleyhughes’s Weblog

I have had the most amazing vacations in Taiwan. The first was on January 14^th-17^th. The reason I took those days off was because my best friend, Colleen, had a brother, Rory, come in to Taipei to visit. We planned a trip to Hualien in order to visit Taroko Gorge, which is basically the highlight sightseeing tourist spot in Taiwan. If you do a quick google search, you will see lush green mountains surrounded by numerous waterfalls and temples. A must see for any visitor.

So, I will start from the beginning of the 14^th, which was a Monday. We tried to leave on Sunday, but were too late getting to the train station because SOMEONE can never be on time… (eh heeem). But it worked out for the best anyway, as everything does. I decided to buy the tickets ahead of time for the next morning at 8:30am, so that we would be forced to show up on time. I also suggested that we all sleep at my apartment in order to avoid being late again. So we went forth with the plan. Well, Colleen kept me and Rory up until 3am doing her impression of someone we always make fun of (no name inserted here…I will be nice about it). We were laughing so hard I almost had an accident. Finally, we got her to shut up and went to sleep. I set my alarm for 6:30am or so to make up for any mishaps. We almost overslept too, but we pushed ourselves to get up. We had a good breakfast of toast and eggs with ketchup. We headed off in a taxi to the train station and Melvin helped us around. Of course, I had to leave my phone inside of the taxi and then Melvin had to call it and have him come back. But, off we went into the platform where our train was leaving. We found a funny sign that was translated into English and took a few pictures in front of it. That is really a constant mishap over here, and rather amusing to see all of the time. They just can’t seem to get the words arranged correctly for some reason. Oh well, I guess the message gets across.

We hopped onto the train once it came and had spacious seats with plenty of foot room. That was my first time on a train, and a wonderful experience too. The view was beautiful, and we had a long discussion the entire ride there. A friend of mine recommended that I call this hostel he stayed at previously and stay there. I called about an hour before we arrived, and she said that she would pick us up at the train station, I was very impressed. The thing about this trip is that we didn’t really have any plans, we just went with the flow, which is something that I rarely do, but it worked out perfectly. When we got to the train station, the woman was waiting for us and walked us to her SUV, where the sounds of Bob Marley echoed through the speakers. Colleen’s excitement showed as she repeated, “I feel like we are in a movie, this vacation is going to be great!” That was just a hint of things to come. Once we arrived at the hostel right down the road, she gave us maps and showed us to our room. There were a few bunk beds and it only costs 400 nt a night per person, which is about $12 U.S. You can’t beat that. It was an interesting hostel, very home-like with couches and a t.v. Each person that had stayed before signed the wall and wrote a little something about their experience there. It was a unique type of place; I suppose you could compare it to a bed and breakfast, but a sort of surfer/explorer/college feel to it. We only stayed for about 10 minutes to put our stuff away. She suggested that we head back toward the train station to rent scooters for only 500 nt per day, that is about $15 U.S. By that time it was around noon, and she said we should just drive down the east coast, then head to Taroko the next day and get an earlier start. So off we went with our maps. We were looking for “Pony” scooter rental. We must have waked around for about 30 minutes or more just randomly taking pictures with statues and being goofy. First, we found a piano bench on which we played random tunes and hummed jingles bells, etc. We weren’t thinking about the fact that we were hopping on life-sized keys while strangers were walking by…no, why worry about that when you are having so much fun? Next, we found a huge statue of Dr. Sun Yat Sen. We tickled his feet and then I attempted to lift Colleen onto the top, which was unsuccessful. Why? Well, once I lifted her up, she made me laugh way to hard, then I dropped her and she peed her pants. No lie, literally, peed. Then I laughed even harder, which led to my pants nearly becoming drenched….but I held it in as difficult as it was.

After this incident, we realized that the Pony store was right in front of our faces the entire time. When we walked up, we got two scooters and had to pretend like Rory had driven one before so that we could rent it. The problem was that he didn’t even know how to start it. So here’s Colleen yelling, “ROOOORRRYYY- maybe you need Ashley to give you a lesson before we ride off….you don’t know how to ride one!” Now, I know they didn’t speak much English, but I think they may have understood at least some of that. The man from the store walked over and noticed that he was clueless when I was trying to tell him how to start it, where the gas and breaks were, etc. I was so nervous that they wouldn’t let him drive off, that I just said, “”Hurry up and here’s the gas, here’s the breaks….drive up the road and then I’ll give you a lesson!”

He made it up the road and I gave him a crash course, then we stopped for gas. I had to pee, and of course there was no toilet paper, (which is typical in Taiwan). I had to chase down the lady that worked there and try to communicate in sign language that I needed toilet paper. I’m curious though…do they usually have their own, or do they just pee with no wiping off? Yuck, just the thought is gross! Anyway, I looked over the map and planned the course along the east coast. We drove for a while and made a few stops for photo ops. It was breathtaking…I hadn’t seen scenery like that for a long time. We entered this private property and had a blast sneaking around. Colleen found a cinder-block cemetery and a noodle river. Haha. Anyway, it was dangerous to get into it, but once we did, this dog started barking at us and we had to haul out of there…it was pretty exhilarating. We drove down further for a while until I stopped in shear amazement at a temple along the shore. It was huge, with beautiful architecture and positioned in the mountains, yet right across from the shore. There wasn’t a soul around, so we assumed that we weren’t supposed to be there…but we dared to walk up the stairs and see for ourselves. Colleen said, “Better to ask forgiveness than to ask permission.” So up we went. When we got up there, there were all women covered up resembling monks. They were very friendly and showed us around the temple. One of them spoke very good English, which surprised us, but we were thankful. We must have stayed there for about and hour or two just looking around and buying up the shop. We bought a lot of jewelry with the Bodhisattva lady on them. She is similar to Mary, the story is almost identical. It was a surreal experience. They were so kind and gave us cake, tea, and many free gifts. As I was talking to the monkette (Daoyuan), I asked her if journalists ever come to her temple and stay. She said, oh yes, people stay here sometimes. To make that clear, I asked her if we would be able to stay and she said yes. My jaw dropped. What would the people back home think if I actually got the opportunity to stay in a temple with monkettes? I thought it must be expensive, then she told me it was free. Right then, I knew that I had to come back. We exchanged email addresses and she gave us her card. It was funny to see that someone so secluded still kept up with technology and had email, a cell phone, and a business card. After we did all of this, we walked to the top where Buddha was and got some great photos of the amazing view. While on our way up, this young monkette drove up in a truck, and we all just laughed. It is just that when you think of a monk, you never picture them driving a truck! I got 2 great photos of that too.

Then we headed back into town where we stopped at this steakhouse. The thing about Hualien is that no one speaks English. It is a lot more difficult to get by, but it makes for a more interesting time because of that. When we go into the front, we tried to look at the menu that was all in Chinese, so we pointed to the pictures. For some reason they didn’t have any of the food from the pictures. No help. 15 minutes later the entire staff was in front with us trying to figure out what we wanted to eat. We ended up 1)flapping our arms to communicate chicken 2)drawing pictures of soup and potatoes and 3) walking up to a plant and trying to eat the leaves (this means salad). It was hilarious. We finally just sat down and hoped for the best. Well, we got it too. We were served a perfect 6 course meal with steak for about $10 U.S. It was the best meal we had in a long time. First, was this mouth watering rosemary garlic bread that was toasted to perfection. Second was a tasty Caesar salad with buttery croutons. Third was some sort of meat wrapped in bacon slices with some sort of white creamy sauce on top. Fourth was a big cup of creamy mushroom soup topped with a flaky bread cover that was out of this world. Fifth was a delicious steak served with pepper sauce, vegetables and spaghetti. And last, a nice scoop of chocolate chip ice cream. Now, are you hungry? J And by the way, the tea was some of the best I’ve ever tasted, a sweet fruity taste that we had constant refills of. After the meal, we were stuffed and headed back to the hostel for a while. I was so hyper though and we had such a wonderful day, I couldn’t sleep if I wanted to. Colleen ran to the store to get some new pants (remember that she did pee them), while I called mom to tell her all about the day! After she got back, she couldn’t find any pants, so we decided to check out this store that we saw earlier in the day. Not before I got a random phone call from a woman who wanted me to model and get about 300 u.s. dollars for a day! (Well, it didn’t end up working out, but that was just icing on the cake). When we got to the shop, everything was dirt cheap. Like three dollar shirts all over the place. We nearly bought the whole store. We had to pick them fast though because it was closing soon and there was no dressing room. I said to her, watch all of the shirts fit now, and we never even got to try them on! That is how well our day went….we thought we had died and gone to heaven..The odd thing was, they all did fit. So we went home and tried them all on and bathed in our cheap clothes. I was exhausted by this time, but Colleen really wanted to find a place to have a drink. I only went for her…I really almost fell asleep in the bar. I knew that once midnight hit, our lucky day was over. So, until the end-January 15^th will always be our lucky vacation day. And that is the SHORT version of the day’s chain of events. I just wanted to get it on this blog before I write about the next trip…which was a few days ago for Chinese New Year! So that one is going to follow very soon….working on it now.

Just wanted to give a quick update…I’ve been super busy as usual and a lack of sleep on top of it all.  But I finally have an internet connection in my apartment so I’ve been updating my myspace pics.  Well, work just recently pushed me over the edge…I got to a breaking point and I guess I did break.  I was so stressed out that I couldn’t sleep, and when I did I had nightmares, and chest pains to top it all off.  Mostly because of the head foreign teacher bitching at me every freakin’ day.  Excuse the language for those who get offended…but there is no better way to describe it.  I’m like the only target for her to pick on, so she has to say something to me everyday, no matter how ridiculous.  I pretty much bit her head off, then she got nicer….but she is back to square one again.  I think she just tries to make me mad..but you know what?  I’m not giving in anymore.  There is no reason for me to give her the satisfaction of being mad…then she won, right?  Too bad…from now on everything she says to me, I’m just going to nod and smile….because it goes in one ear and out the other.  I realized this is the best thing to do since I can’t seem to avoid her, and I was so mad at her that I nearly hit her then left the room.  That was it.  Not only is she incompetent for her position, but she treats me the worst out of everyone, and is probably one of the most ditzy people I’ve ever met.  But that’s ok….because I don’t have to deal with it for much longer, and that is what is getting me through the day.  I’ve come to the conclusion that I despise passive aggressive people.  I admire people that actually have the COURAGE to say it!  If you don’t like me….just tell me, and I can just knock your lights out.  haha….just kidding….maybe.  ;o)  But I really do get along with people better when they are direct…especially bosses.

About my classes-I’ve been getting the hang of them lately, I’ve learned how to bribe the kids enough so they want to pay attention…yesterday I used m&m’s….they liked them so much that they didn’t even want to take a break during class….usually no break is a punishment, but they were so into it that they didn’t want class to end.  That made me feel pretty good.  But I think it was less me, and more the m&m’s.  Well, I’m also starting to adore the kindergarten classes so much more.  I have no problem with them, they have really grown on me.  Actually…the class that I initially hated I now love.  Strange how that works sometimes.  I don’t know what it is but I always come up with these last minute ideas in the classroom that work out wonderful.  I find that incorporating songs, acting and dancing work wonders.  As for the older kids…for some reason I was able to turn around the bad kids and now one of them likes me so much that he wants to sit in front with me!  I think because one day he was really bad and I tried everything I could think of to discipline him that I hadn’t tried before…including having a student write a note in chinese to his parents…well the next week he was sick and said he was cold so I gave him my jacket and held him like a baby….ever since then I think he likes me alot more.  I’m not sure if it was the discipline part of the motherly part….but whatever it was….it worked.  So honestly, I feel a lot more comfortable in my classes now and I have a much better hang of them.   The thing that was stressing me out the most was the lady from work.  She would just instigate an argument everyday with me….still does, but I just don’t let it bother me anymore.  I’ve tried the direct approach with her and it doesn’t work…so now on to the “I secretly want to see her suffer” approach…where I’m polite, but I will do everything in my power to make sure she pays for the way she has treated me.  Gosh, I know that sounds awful, but I am just being bluntly honest right now.  We all have these feelings, the difference is I’m actually admitting it.  I’m not feeling as strongly about punching her in the face anymore as I am about her needing to be replaced at work…she just isn’t capable of her job duties and has caused more confusion and stress than anyone I have ever witnessed.  Anywaaaaaaay….man on to a ligher topic!

 It will be nice to get back home and live a normal life again.  I work so much right now that when the weekends come I have to have some fun or it will just feel like I’m living to work!  So, when I get back home the lifestyle will be quite a shock…it will feel like I’ve retired I’m sure. 

Lately I’ve been writing more in my journal because of all of this mental stress and emotional stuff going on.  I also like to write about my experiences that are actually fun…

Well…that’s all for now.  I just wanted to make sure that this page didn’t die from inactivity…and vent some.

Hey Everyone!!  I know it’s been a while since I have written, but this weekend was great and I kept thinking, “Oh, I have to write in my blog!”  I have been very busy lately as usual.  I finally got all of my furniture for my new apartment so that pretty much left me broke haha. 

Well Friday night I just stayed home and got some sleep which was nice.  Saturday was a stay at home day and I finally got the energy to cook an awesome meal!  I just improvised and threw stuff together and ended up with an awesome curry chicken and rice.  It just felt so strange that I didn’t have anyone to share it with, so I have to brag about it in order to feel good about what I cooked.  I hooked up my t.v. and watched a couple of movies too…it was relaxing and I’m really enjoying the new place now.

As for Saturday night, I went out with a couple of friends to see this jug band called The Muddy Basin Ramblers.  They are great, I’ve heard them before and actually played with the leader once at this blues jam session.  So I just loved their music, it was a mix between old blues, jazz, and maybe I would call it something close to the soggy bottom boys.  I just loved the variety.  Lately I’ve felt the need to get more into the live music scene…it is so much more fun meeting musicians, and I can’t help but have a huge smile on my face when I hear blues!  I don’t know what it is about blues, but no other kind of music makes me feel so happy.  I actually heard from a friend that manic depressents feel happy when they hear blues…haha!  I didn’t think I was that bad though, but it sure does fill me with joy, I just feel it in my soul, I don’t know how else to describe it.

Well, after that concert we went to eat, then to this club called Roxy where they played the strangest mix I have ever heard in a club before.  Don’t think I will go back there…it was way too packed.  And how can you go from playing Shakira to Chambawamba to Nirvana?  It just ruins the dancing mood…haha.  Then we called it a night because I knew I had to make it to church the next morning. 

So Sunday morning, I decided to take my scooter and venture all the way up to church, because of my broke situation…just trying to be thrifty.  Well…it took me about an hour, and I took a few wrong turns and had to pull over to look at the map about three times…but I got to church about 30 minutes late.  It was nice, we heard a pastor from Australia speak about a prophet from the Old Testament named Zephania I think…spelling?  He was talking about God’s wrath and what the prophet spoke concerning the flood and man’s sin.  One thing that the pastor said that struck me was that God’s wrath is his discipline for our sins…which is really his love.  It reminded me of being a parent and/or teacher.  We love our kids, but when they act up we must punish them for their own good, or else they will roam this earth recklessly.  Well, after service was over, we went to KFC and then off to a musical.  It was so nice to see a musical here, that is something that I always did in Sarasota with Grandma, so the whole time I was there I was thinking of her.  I don’t know lately I have just really missed my family and I really appreciate them now more than ever before.  Today in church some lady walked by that looked a little like my mom, and I just thought, “Oh, I wish I could just give her a hug right now,” and started to get teary eyed.  I have determined that in the future, yes I will travel more, but one year is just too long to be away from my family.  I don’t regret coming here, but I did learn that lesson.  It feels so weird to come home every day and have no one to talk to….not even a dog!  But thank God for my best friend Colleen…I talk on the phone with her more than anyone…haha!  And she may even have my mom beat…she is quite the talker…hehe…but the coolest friend I’ve ever had! 

So anyway, back to today….while I was venturing over to the theatre on my scooter…my eyes popped out of my sockets.  I was driving slowly, and this scooter comes weaving in front of me to go in between a taxi and some parked cars.  Well….much to my amazement, right when the guy on the scooter (lets make up a name for him, it makes the story more interesting….hmmm how about Mr. Chen) so right when Mr. Chen drives by the taxi, someone in the back seat opens the door and hits him.  (I’m not about to exaggerate either).  The door hit him so hard that he went flying off of his scooter and fell on the road.  Everyone went running up to him to see if he was okay.  I will have to say that was one of the craziest things I have ever seen!  I mean, that could have been me….on second thought, I don’t think I would have tried to squeeze between that taxi in the first place, but atleast I learned a lesson from poor Mr. Chen.  He was quite old too.  I was flipping out, and from then on, I steered clear of those taxis!  They are the most dangerous things to drive by, they will just stop like drooling dogs if they see someone that MIGHT need a taxi.  They are like stalkers…especially with me…if I decide to walk to work, I have atleast 2 taxis that assume I’m lost because I’m white. 

 Well, the musical was great, and the actors had beautiful voices.  It was a comedy about dating, marriage and romance.  Speaking of romance….you know I have just completely lost interest in it.  It could have something to do with the fact that I’m only here temporarily and I don’t see the point in getting serious with anyone.  But even crushes…there’s only one guy I’ve had a crush on here….and that’s only because he’s untouchable in my mind.  haha.  :o)  But anyway…I haven’t really been on a date here.  I actually have quite a few really awesome guy friends that I don’t feel the need to get attention from anyone else.  I really enjoy friendship much more anyway…I get much more out of the deal and I don’t have to worry about all of that crap that goes with a relationship.  I think the reason I just don’t care anymore is because I was so close to marriage at one point, and I realize that I am nowhere near being ready to committ so much for one person.  I love the feeling of being free and living life as an adventure without having to compromise for someone else…or deal with their insecurities or baggage.  haha…well I guess I’m done venting now!  You aren’t really getting paid to read this crap, so I’ll stop here!

Well on my way back from the play…oh crap I forgot about my popsickle that is probably melting right now!!!  Ok, I’m back and man that was one of the best popsickles I’ve had in a while!  They are the best when they are half melted…it was the kind with the cream in the middle and fruity on the outside…mmm mm!  I could go for some chocolate now too.  Ok, where was I?  Oh yes, the play…ok so I drove my scooter back home and ofcourse had to get lost a few times, but I did eventually make it back.  Then just showered and heated up some left over curry chicken…and now here I am!  So there was my version of this weekend, and I guess I’m off now to make some calls, clean, and maybe do some laundry that has been neglected for a while.  I’ll see if I can get some of the pictures and maybe video footage from this weekend. 

Thanks for reading!  Stay tuned for the next journey…

Oh so much to write and so little time!!  I’m working like crazy lately, just raking in the dough, but somehow poor right now because of my recent move.  I had a frightening experience with my scooter last night and went over a bridge that scotters are not supposed to go over, so everyone was honking and yelling at me.  Of course it had to be the longest bridge EVER!  I was also lost, but ended up finding my way back on my own, right in time for work.  I was so tense and sitting there riding my scooter in a panic.  haha!  Just the visual is making me laugh.  I’d have to say that is the first time I have sworn so much, and prayed in the same sentence!  The reason I was so nervous is because I do not want to have an encounter with the cops, as most foreigners know we are always driving without a license.  On top of that, my school still hasn’t gotten my arc, and my visa expired a week ago!!  But they say that I am ok because all of my info is in the computer.

But I did finally move into a bigger apartment and am getting furniture little by little. It is a very nice 2 bedroom with a big bathroom, kitchen and living room. I’ve found 2 sofas, a fridge and a coffee table so far for very cheap. I’m only buying used stuff because there is no reason to buy anything new if I’m not staying here. I could sure use mom’s decorating help too…I’m trying to think of what to do! I have so many pics to upload but everytime I try I keep having problems. Eventually they will be up here though…lots of slidshows! I have so much that I want to write about, but in order to tell it all I would have to update this site everday,which I definitely don’t have time for! I’m trying to write more in my actual journal too. I need to start developing some sort of routine now that I’m getting the hang of things. Like the gym…went there the other night because I’m turning into a CHUBSTER! I can’t have that happen! So, now that I have a kitchen and freezer it really helps me eat better. Oh, and I am taking my pain meds again because my back is starting to hurt again. The good thing about that is they take away my appettite! :o)

Hmmm…

Guess I’ll write more later!

So I’m feeling a bit more optimistic since my last blog.  I was just thinking last night that even though things are frustrating sometimes…I will no doubt look back on this experience and smile.  The good times that I have had here have far outweighed the bad times.  In reality, any time that has been bad turned out helping me in the end. 

About work: I’m starting to get the hang of it, but new challenges present themselves everyday.  For example, because of the lack of organization here, yesterday, I went into one of my classes and began to teach a lesson that I was prepared for…then the co-teacher said, “Oh, it is supposed to be this page.”  So, I had to think FAST!  That is just one of many times that has happened to me…but one thing is for sure…it has definitely taught me how to think quickly on my feet under pressure.  At the rate I’m going, by the time I get home and have a job interview….there is no question that would stump me.  I truly feel like after this year of teaching, I will be able to deal with any situation at any job.  Just making order out of chaos…

I just got done teaching 3 kindy classes in a row…the last one was the class that I compained about in a previous blog….they are more bareable now, but they were so hyper today!  I just took their energy and threw it into games and songs…I figured since they were so wild, they have to get it out of their system…they don’t just sit and listen to me read!!! 

I was talking to my friend from home last night and he said that my voice sounds different.  That could have something to do with yelling and speaking loudly everyday.  I’ve tried not doing that…well it never works…I just hope that it won’t damage my voice permenantly.  I’ve tried singing, and I can still sing but I can’t hit anymore high notes! 

As for life…the best part of my life here are the friends I have made.  I will post a slideshow soon with some pictures, but mainly I hang out with my friend Colleen.  I have never had so much fun with one person before in my life.  She is such a blast to hang out with and she always makes me laugh so hard that my stomach hurts!  It never fails…whenever we go out she does something that sets me off laughing hysterically.  She is the kind of friend that I always dreamed of having, but just never found.  Yes, I have really great friends back home (just a handful that I consider life-long) but she feels like a sister to me!  Anyway, besides her I have met more friends who are amazing as well.  I think I will make more loyal friends here in one year than what I could make back home in 10!  The attitude is so different in America…full of egos and selfishness, and people who are afraid of working for a solid friendship that will never come easy.  Here, we are all in it together, teaching, living in a foreign land with a language barrier, so we definitely have more  solid friendships than I could ever have in America.  It is a nice thing to have and helps me feel less lonely because I’m not with my family.

The dough-I picked up a second job, which I won’t say much about since it is one of those “technically illegal things” but every foreigner does it.  But anyway, I’m picking up a lot of extra cash, and working on moving into a bigger place.  I will not ever have to worry about money over here, and should be able to save a lot by the time I get back home.  I would like to use that money to travel around the world on my way home. 

Well, I’m going to try and post some pics a little later today so check back soon!

I just don’t even know where to start.  This place is like nothing I have ever experienced before.  I’ve never had to make so many decisions, and I just get more confused the more I think about it!  One day I’m loving Taiwan and the next day I’m wanting to go home!  Mom said the honeymoon stage is over, and she’s right.  I wasn’t really homesick when I got here, but now that I’m trying to adjust, still, it is hitting me hard.  I was fine when I got here because everything was new and exciting but now I’m having a lot of challenges with work and everything else.  I did get to talk to my brother Jordan, who really helped me out with some ideas for work issues and I felt a lot better after I hung up.  I think that was the first time in a while that he actually gave me some “older brother advice” and I really appreciated that.  I called him when I realized that everyone else would be sleeping!  ha!  I don’t think that I have thought about how much Jordan has really been through and experienced, and he really has a lot of advice to offer to me.  I always thought of me as being the “wise one” haha, but he really has learned a lot and now I feel like he is someone that I can rely on.  Anyway, well I’ve just been thinking about a lot.  The reason why it is so confusing is that I can do pretty much anything that I want to do.  There are so many options for me if I am not happy at this school, or city, I can get another job here, or give a month’s notice and be gone.  Now, don’t get me wrong, I’m not coming home in a month, and I don’t want to be a quitter.  I realize that every job has its problems, but for now I may just try to solve some of them on my own and take the initiative which will not be easy.  I won’t complain, because Lord knows, I have a growing list..but for now I’m just overwhelmed with different choices I could make like how long to stay at this job, or live in this tiny apartment, or stay in Taiwan in general.  I’m going to try my hardest to keep this year long contract…at times I do not feel optimistic, but I don’t want to be a quitter. 

So, anyway, those are just some thoughts that I’ve been having for a while. 

This past weekend was the moon festival and I actually got a 5 day weekend because I sprained my ankle and had to call in sick.  Don’t ask….ok, well I’ll tell you…I was trying to breakdance.  haha!  No more of that in Taiwan!!  I’ve already called in sick twice, and I never do that!  First I was sick for 2 weeks!!!  Then I sprain my ankle…and things never heal quickly here….they go away and then come back…My ankle still hurts and its been over a week. 

But I did rest for two days and then finally went out.  We had a church BBQ on Sunday that was a lot of fun.  Church is probably the only place I will find semi-normal people.  There is something about the foreigners in Taiwan.  I’m telling you they think they are invincible…which well, we sort of are.  We pretty much get away with everything because of the language barrier.  Technically, I break atleast a few laws everyday that could lead to deportation…but so does everyone else.  The law doesn’t matter here…they set them, and shove them under the table for a rainy day when they might feel like enforcing them.  I just hope that rainy day doesn’t come for me.  Don’t get me wrong, I’m not stealing or something like that…but I can’t say that I haven’t seen that happen either!  I’ve seen just about everything…and let’s just say that back home…what I thought of as “sinful” doesn’t even compare over here.  My eyes widen in amazement everyday…there is not one boring day in Taiwan!  But I just want to ask people to pray for me…I just well…need it, for everything.  I could definitely start writing a book!  I need mental strength to deal with everything.  I have been pretty tough since I’ve been here, and I know that I can make it through with God’s help.  So many people over here believe in themselves as being their own god.  Yes, we are in control of a lot of things, but I believe that HE has the ultimate say…I don’t know what will happen tomorrow, but he does, so I will cling to Him.  I wouldn’t have made it this far without my personal relationship with Jesus Christ.  He has proven himself to be real to me, and I love Him with all of my heart.  I haven’t always done the right things, and I beat myself up over them when I mess up…but He remains faithful during the rough times…when I have turned my back he is still there, waiting with His arms ready to embrace.  If this sounds weird to you, I can not say excuse me, because I am just sharing with you how I feel about the greatest love I have ever known.  People tell the world about their significant other, so I must do the same with mine. 

Anyway, there’s my sermonette…haha.  I have to get to work now…I hope to write more over the weekend if I can get a connection.

Hi All!

 Well, I’m back at school today teaching my 12 hour day!  The typhoon came through yesterday and I got a day off, so that was great and I slept all day.  I finally bought a guitar acoustic/electric for only $75 U.S. dollars, which is dirt cheap!  I’m bringing it in to school tomorrow, and I learned a song for the kids already…that should add a new twist to the classroom, much needed!  I was going to bring it today but I overslept and was in a hurry to get out so I had to hop on my scooter.  I still have to find a gas station, which scares me for some reason.  My Taiwanese friend even drew me a map of where to find the gas station, but I don’t know why this scares me.  I mean, I can come over to a foreign country all by myself and get lost, but driving a scooter to a gas station just scares me because it is not on my planned path to and from work and home.  Oh, but I have done more here that I would have NEVER done at home as far as being courageous is concerned.  Man, when I get home, I　ｄｏｎ’ｔ　ｔｈｉｎｋ　ｔｈａｔ　ａｎｙｔｈｉｎｇ　ｗｉｌｌ　ｓｃａｒｅ　ｍｅ！　　（Ｓｏｒｒｙ　ｔｈｅ　ｆｏｎｔ　ｊｕｓｔ　ｇｏｔ　ｇｈｅｔｔｏ　ａｎｄ　Ｉ　ｄｏｎ’ｔ　ｋｎｏｗ　ｈｏｗ　ｔｏ　ｃｈａｎｇｅ　ｉｔ！）　Ｉ’ｍ　ｗｏｒｋｉｎｇ　ｏｎ　ｓｏｍｅ　Ｃｈｉｎｅｓｅ　ｎｏｗ，　ｊｕｓｔ　ｔｈｅ　ｂａｓｉｃｓ。。。ｉｔ　ｈａｓ　ｂｅｅｎ　ｄｉｆｆｉｃｕｌｔ　ｆｏｒ　ｍｅ　ｔｏ　ｃａｌｍ　ｄｏｗｎ　ｅｎｏｕｇｈ　ｔｏ　ｓｉｔ　ｄｏｗｎ　ａｎｄ　ｒｅａｄ　ｏｖｅｒ　ｎｅｗ　ｐｈｒａｓｅｓ。　　Ｉ　ａｍ　ｓｏ　ｈｙｐｅｒ　ｈｅｒｅ。　　Ｉｔ　ｉｓ　ｆｕｎｎｙ，　ｂａｃｋ　ｈｏｍｅ，　Ｉ　ｗｏｕｌｄ　ｓｔａｙ　ｈｏｍｅ　ａｌｌ　ｄａｙ　ａｎｄ　ｂｅ　ｌａｚｙ。。。Ｉ　ｄｏｎ’ｔ　ｅｖｅｎ　ｋｎｏｗ　ｗｈａｔ　ｌａｚｙ　ｉｓ　ａｎｙｍｏｒｅ。　　Ｉ　ｔｈｉｎｋ　ｉｔ　ｉｓ　ｂｅｃａｕｓｅ　ｍｙ　ａｐａｒｔｍｅｎｔ　ｉｓ　ｓｏ　ｓｍａｌｌ　ａｎｄ　Ｉ　ａｍ　ｂｙ　ｍｙｓｅｌｆ，　ｓｏ　ｉｆ　Ｉ　ｓｔａｙ　ｈｏｍｅ　Ｉ　ｓｔａｒｔ　ｔｏ　ｇｅｔ　ａｎｔｓｙ。　　

Ｈｍｍｍ。。。ｗｈａｔ　ｅｌｓｅ　ｉｓ　ｎｅｗ？　　Ｏｖｅｒ　ｔｈｅ　ｗｅｅｋｅｎｄ　Ｉ　ｄｉｄ　ｋａｒａｏｋｅ　ｗｉｔｈ　ｓｏｍｅ　ｆｒｉｅｎｄｓ　ａｎｄ　ｍｅｔ　ｓｏｍｅ　Ｔａｉｗａｎｅｓｅ　ｐｅｏｐｌｅ　ｗｈｏ　ｓｐｏｋｅ　ｐｒｅｔｔｙ　ｇｏｏｄ　Ｅｎｇｌｉｓｈ。　　Ｓｏ，　ｔｈｅ　ｎｅｗ　ｓｃｏｏｐ　ｉｓ　ｔｈａｔ　ａｐｐａｒｅｎｔｌｙ，　ｉｔ　ｉｓ　ｎｏｔ　ｔｈａｔ　Ｔａｉｗａｎｅｓｅ　ｂｏｙｓ　ｏｎｌｙ　ｔｈｉｎｋ　ｔｈａｔ　ａｌｌ　Ａｍｅｒｉｃａｎ　ｇｉｒｌｓ　ａｒｅ　ｓｌｕｔｓ，　ｂｕｔ　ｔｈｅｙ　ａｒｅ　ｓｈｙ　ｗｈｅｎ　ｔｈｅｙ　ｓｅｅ　ｕｓ　ｂｅｃａｕｓｅ　ｏｆ　ｔｈｅ　ｌａｎｇｕａｇｅ　ｂａｒｒｉｅｒ。　　Ｉ　ｄｉｄ　ｂｅｌｉｅｖｅ　ｔｈａｔ　ｏｎｃｅ　ｔｈｅｙ　ｓｔａｒｔｅｄ　ｄｒｉｎｋｉｎｇ　ａｎｄ　ｔｈｅｎ　ｔａｌｋｉｎｇ　ｔｏ　ｍｅ　ａｎｄ　Ｃｏｌｌｅｅｎ。。。ｈａｈａ！　　Ｉ　ｇｕｅｓｓ　ｔｈｅ　ｏｎｌｙ　ｔｉｍｅ　ａ　ｇｕｙ　ｗｉｌｌ　ｔａｌｋ　ｔｏ　ｍｅ　ｉｓ　ｉｆ　ｈｅ　ｄｒｉｎｋｓ　ｅｎｏｕｇｈ　ｔｏ　ｇｅｔ　ｔｈｅ　ｃｏｕｒａｇｅ。　　Ｏｎｅ　ｇｕｙ　ｓｅｅｍｅｄ　ｔｏ　ｂｅ　ｐｒｅｔｔｙ　ｔｈｒｉｌｌｅｄ　ｔｈａｔ　ｈｅ　ｋｎｅｗ　ａｎ　Ｅｎｇｌｉｓｈ　ｃｕｓｓ　ｗｏｒｄ，　ｓｏ　ｈｅ　ｋｅｐｔ　ｓａｙｉｎｇ　ｉｔ　ｏｖｅｒ　ａｎｄ　ｏｖｅｒ　ｗｈｉｃｈ　ｗａｓ　ｑｕｉｔｅ　ａｎｎｏｙｉｎｇ，　Ｉ　ｒｅａｌｌｙ　ｗａｎｔｅｄ　ｔｏ　ｈｉｔ　ｈｉｍ。　　Ｏｈ，　ａｎｄ　Ｉ　ｄｉｄ　ｏｖｅｒｈｅａｒ　ｍｙ　ｆｒｉｅｎｄ　ｙｅｌｌ　ａ　ｃｕｓｓ　ｗｏｒｄ　ｉｎ　Ｃｈｉｎｅｓｅ，　ｓｏ　Ｉ　ｆｉｇｕｒｅｄ　ｔｈａｔ　ｏｕｔ　ａｎｄ　ｈｅ　ｓａｉｄ，　”Ｎｏ，　ｄｏｎ’ｔ　ｓａｙ　ｔｈａｔ，　ｉｔ’ｓ　ｂａｄ！”　　ｈａｈａ，　ｏｆｃｏｕｒｓｅ　Ｉ　ｈａｄ　ｔｏ。　　Ｓｏ，　Ｉ　ｗａｓ　ｗｉｔｈ　Ｃｏｌｌｅｅｎ　ａｎｄ　Ｊｕｎ　ｔｈａｔ　ｎｉｇｈｔ，　Ｊｕｎ　ｉｓ　ｔｈｅ　ｏｎｅ　ｗｈｏ　ｉｎｖｉｔｅｄ　ｕｓ　ｔｏ　ｄｏ　ｔｈｅ　ｋａｒａｏｋｅ，　ａｎｄ　ｗｅ　ａｃｔｕａｌｌｙ　ｈａｄ　ｏｔｈｅｒ　ｐｌａｎｓ　ｂｕｔ　ｗｅ　ｃｈａｎｇｅｄ　ｔｈｅｍ　ａｔ　ｔｈｅ　ｌａｓｔ　ｍｉｎｕｔｅ。　　Ｉｆ　ａｎｙｏｎｅ　ｈａｓ　ａ　ｍｙｓｐａｃｅ，　ｃｈｅｃｋ　ｏｕｔ　ｍｙ　ｖｉｄｅｏ　ｓｅｃｔｉｏｎ　ｏｆ　ｔｈａｔ　ｎｉｇｈｔ　Ｉ　ｐｏｓｔｅｄ　ａ　ｓｈｏｒｔ　ｃｌｉｐ。　　Ｉ　ｔｅｌｌ　ｙｏｕ，　ｔｈａｔ　ｈａｐｐｅｎｓ　ＥＶＥＲＹ　ｗｅｅｋｅｎｄ，　ｉｆ　Ｉ　ｍａｋｅ　ｐｌａｎｓ，　ｔｈｅｙ　ＮＥＶＥＲ　ｓｕｃｃｅｅｄ！　　Ｔｈｅｙ　ａｒｅ　ａｌｗａｙｓ　ｏｖｅｒｔｈｒｏｗｎ　ｂｙ　ｓｏｍｅｔｈｉｎｇ　ｌａｓｔ　ｍｉｎｕｔｅ　ｔｈａｔ　ｅｎｄｓ　ｕｐ　ｅｘｃｅｅｄｉｎｇ　ｍｙ　ｅｘｐｅｃｔａｔｉｏｎｓ　ｏｆ　ｆｕｎ！　　：ｏ）　　Ｉｔ　ｉｓ　ｇｒｅａｔ！

Ｔｈｉｓ　ｗｅｅｋｅｎｄ　ｉｓ　ａ　ｌｏｎｇ　ｏｎｅ，　ｗｅ　ｈａｖｅ　Ｍｏｎｄａｙ　ａｎｄ　ｍａｙｂｅ　Ｔｕｅｓｄａｙ　ｏｆｆ　ｂｅｃａｕｓｅ　ｏｆ　ｔｈｅ　ｍｏｏｎ　ｆｅｓｔｉｖａｌ。　　Ｃｈｅｃｋ　ｏｕｔ　ｔｈｉｓ　ｌｉｎｋ　ｔｏ　ｒｅａｄ　ｍｏｒｅ：

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mid-Autumn_Festival

Ｓｏ　Ｉ　ｗｉｌｌ　ｄｅｆｉｎｉｔｅｌｙ　ｈａｖｅ　ａ　ｌｏｔ　ｔｏ　ｗｒｉｔｅ　ａｂｏｕｔ　ａｆｔｅｒ　ｔｈｉｓ　ｗｅｅｋｅｎｄ　ｗｈｉｃｈ　ｗｉｌｌ　ｂｅ　ｆｕｌｌ　ｏｆ　ｅｘｐｌｏｒｉｎｇ！　　Ｉ　ａｍ　ｓｏ　ａｃｔｉｖｅ　ｈｅｒｅ　ｉｔ　ｉｓ　ｇｒｅａｔ！　　Ｅｖｅｒｙ　ｗｅｅｋｅｎｄ　ｉｓ　ｐａｃｋｅｄ　ｗｉｔｈ　ｓｕｒｐｒｉｓｅｓ　ａｎｄ　ｍｅｅｔｉｎｇ　ｎｅｗ　ｐｅｏｐｌｅ。　　Ｉ’ｖｅ　ｒｅａｌｌｙ　ｂｅｃｏｍｅ　ｍｏｒｅ　ｏｆ　ａｎ　ｅｘｔｒｏｖｅｒｔ　ｈｅｒｅ，　ｆｏｒ　ｓｕｒｅ！　　Ｉ　ａｌｓｏ　ｍａｙ　ｊｏｉｎ　ｔｈｉｓ　ｇｒｏｕｐ　ｏｆ　ｆｏｒｅｉｇｎｅｒｓ　ｔｈａｔ　ａ　ｌａｄｙ　ｆｒｏｍ　ｃｈｕｒｃｈ　ｔｏｌｄ　ｍｅ　ａｂｏｕｔ，　ｔｈｅｙ　ｇｏ　ｈｉｋｉｎｇ　ｅｖｅｒｙ　ｍｏｎｔｈ。　　

Ｏｋａｙ！　　Ｗｅｌｌ，　Ｉ’ｍ　ｈｅａｄｉｎｇ　ｂａｃｋ　ｔｏ　ｔｈｅ　ｏｆｆｉｃｅ　ｎｏｗ。。。

Ｈｅｒｅ　ｉｓ　ｔｈｅ　ｖｉｄｅｏ：

http://myspacetv.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=18293392

Hey All!  I went on a field trip today with the school and got to be with my favorite class the whole time.  They were so adorable, I must have taken a million pictures!  So, above you will see a slideshow…I know there are tons of my favorite boy Steven…he is just so cute I could really take him home with me…he should fit in my suitcase, right?  Anyway, it was a great trip and I got to see the mountains again.  I definitely love the rural areas better than the city…atleast I know for next time I move somewhere.  Too much pollution here..(as I’m coughing to death).

 Also, I just got back from the night market and it was great, I actually bought some jeans and 2 shirts, I got paid today.  :o)