Ashleyhughes’s Weblog

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.  )

So I’m feeling more at home in my cracker box now.  Haha.  Above are some pictures taken of the past week or so.  I have been extremely busy and working an extra job.  Today I’m hanging out in my shoebox because I am sick.  The reason I emphasize the smallness of my apartment is because my friend Colleen came over a few days ago and had seen my apartment for the first time, and she said, “Wow, it is a lot smaller than I anticipated.”  I’ve told everyone it is small…but apparently they don’t think it is truly the size of my old bedroom…that’s it!  But, it is perfect for me and has almost everything I need.  The view and bathroom really sold me on this place.  I’m on the 19^th floor overlooking the city and can see the mountains behind everything along with some neat sunsets when I’m actually here to see them. 

I bought a scooter a few days ago and the guy who sold it to me gave me some instructions and sat on the back while I drove.  Still, I can’t seem to get the courage to take it for a spin on my own.  I think I need a few more lessons before I enter the stampede!  Over here, you will see a whole family on one scooter.  Mom, Dad, and the kid in front sitting on their lap.  That is totally dangerous, but normal over hear.  I’ve only seen one scooter accident since I’ve been here, and it wasn’t pretty.  I think I am overly cautious here because the last time I drove was when I got into the accident with Micah.

So, excuse me if I repeat myself here, I can’t remember what I have already written.  My memory here is awful…I may be showing signs of Alzheimer’s already.  I think it is the schedule I keep here, and so many new things to remember.

Well the other day I was out with Colleen and Mtende and we met a really nice Taiwanese guy who showed me around a few days ago.  I drove on the back of his scooter and we went into the mountains (see pics above) and then I ate some food without having any idea what it was because he did not know how to translate it.  That’s cool, I’m adventurous like that.  Well, in the pic above with yet another foreign food entering my mouth, it tasted pretty good and he finally figured out the translated for it…you’ll never guess.  “Oh, that is rice with duck’s blood.”  Ahahaha!  My response was, “Wow, awesome, people in America would freak out if they ate this.”  So that was fun, I probably ate some more scary things but they tasted ok.  Might as well try it all right?  Next is snake’s blood.  Well, after all of this, yes I did end up getting sick, but not from the food.  When we rode throughout the city the pollution was so bad that I’m pretty sure that is what got me sick because the next day I got a sore throat and now I am congested.  It’s all good though because right now I would normally be out, but now I am forced to be lazy today.  I was going to go hiking at 8am or church at 10:30, but had to cancel both because I feel so crappy today.  So I’m just sitting around drinking O.J. and watching HBO and writing. 

There is so much left to do here and so little time.  I really want to get more into the sightseeing around here.  Once I get my scooter up and running I’m sure I will just wander around more.  And I’ve been thinking about what I am going to do when my year is up over here.  Well, most people end up staying in Taiwan for longer than one year, even though that is their intention.  I’m not sure what I am going to do yet, but I am sure that my future will involve more traveling.  I love this idea of moving around and being able to adapt to other cultures.  Hmm…I guess it has something to do with growing up as a military brat huh? 

On another note, did anyone hear about the earthquake that hit here a couple of nights ago?  It was a 6.6 and lasted for 30 seconds, but it didn’t feel like that to me, probably because I was pretty high up though.  There wasn’t any serious damage that I have heard of. 

To talk a little bit about the nightlife, I tried out a few places over the past couple of weeks and they were each quite different.  First was Luxy, which has three floors and a different type of music on each floor.  Guys, I will have to tell you that Asian people CAN NOT dance!  It was hilarious to say the least. Not only that, but they don’t dance together, they dance by themselves most of the time.  I also tried a Latin club (the only one here) called Hips.  That was pretty nice, and it was great to hear Latin music and actually talk to some Latinos!  I haven’t used any Spanish since I’ve been here so even though they spoke English, I had to speak spanish for my peace of mind..haha.  The other place I have tried out is a jazz club called brown sugar where a soul sister was singing.  Man, she was great too!  Not only could she sing ANYTHING, but she was hilarious…it almost felt like a comedy show with live music.  And yes, I have also been to one comedy club earlier on that was pretty neat.  Eventually I hope to try out a few places with an open mic night so that I can play on stage.  But anyway, there is tons to do here because I’m just used to being in little old Melbourne where the only cool places were Barnes and Noble, moonstruck and house of joe!  (Which I do miss by the way…along with Chijioke.) 

Hmm…what else to say…I’m meeting new people each week that are here from all over the world either studying, teaching, or doing some temporary engineering job here.  Did I mention that there are basically NO blacks or Latinos here?  I’ve met VERY few.  Actually here, they are kind of scared of black people.  A friend of mine from Malawi said that people will take pictures of him, and one time a guy actually got so scared that he hid behind the wall when he saw him!  I’ve seen Asians breaking their neck to stare when they notice a black person.  So, the difference here is that it is kind of a naïve racism as opposed to some places in America where people are just racist because they have issues.  And I will have to say that I often feel like people don’t want “us foreigners” here.  There are some nice people here, but at the same time, I think some of them don’t like seeing a white girl who is probably making more money than they are and doesn’t speak Chinese.  So when I do meet other foreigners, we stick together and usually complain about the situation here…haha!  No it’s not that bad, but I know what it feels like to be a “minority” now.  Well, guess I’ll get going now, white chicks is on and I’ve never seen it before!  Then it’s laundry time!

Here’s an entry that I wrote a few days ago.

I have been trying to get everything finalized with my apartment and laptop connection.  Well, there is a complication with me trying to get my connection in my room, so I’ve been trying to use other unsecure networks wherever they are available.   After trying several networks through my balcony window, I was able to find one under the name “Jeff.”  The problem with Jeff is that he is not always there.  If I’m lucky, I will get a good connection through him for a few hours.  I was chatting with dad last night and got disconnected and told him that I lost Jeff for a second, his response was, “Well how many people were you chatting with?  You must be popular.”  Haha.  I just hope good old Jeff will hang around for a while.  Now, the funny part is that in order for me to mooch off of Jeff, I must sit on top of my washer with my feet on a box on top of my laudry basket.  The reason I have to sit this way is because I don’t get a signal unless I prop my laptop on the window sill and lean it against my knees.  This could defnitely be a commercial!

I pretty much have everything I need now, I cooked for the first time the other night because I finally got all of the ingredients and cooking stuff I needed.  Before that all I was eating was carbs because that was the only thing that didn’t need to be cooked and could be kept in the tiny fridge I have.  I mopped and rearranged the furniture today too.  I love the weekends because I get a chance to get everything done.  I went into work for a couple of hours today for a demo.  I had to give a 10 minute demonstration to the parents of my students and show them what I teach.  I think only about half or so understood what I was saying, but atleast they were able to meet me. 

Now, to tell you all a little more about the church I found, I went with my friend Colleen, and we had a great time.  I found a list of churches online and decided to try this one first, and was very impressed.  Everyone was so nice and invited us out to eat and then the pastor and his wife invited us to their house to watch a movie.  So I was able to meet quite a few people, and I will be going to a group study on Sunday after church with other young adults.  I knew it was so important for me to find a church here because I sometimes feel very alone without my family.  (  I’m fine for the most part, but it is when I am alone and just thinking of home that I get a little homesick.  I wouldn’t change anything, it really reminds me of all the moves that I did as a child, but this time it is on my own.  One thing that is certain…ever since I have been here I have been challenged.  I’m forced to just make it on my own…and this is as independent as I can be right now.  After this year, I don’t think I will have any fear of doing anything on my own anymore.  Even with my job, they often aren’t the most organized there, and I have had to just wing it so many times!  I won’t complain, but I will say that I feel I have truly developed the ability to think on my feet which will help me in the future. 

I think I need to write in here more!!  Just have about 20 minutes until my next class, so figured I would write a few updates. 

Well, I bought a scooter yesterday and hope to get some more lessons from a fellow scooter driver before I take it out on my own.  I did drive it yesterday, but had a friend guiding me while sitting on the back.  It was so much fun, but I definitely am going to be extra safe being that my last memories of driving consisted of me and Micah nearly dying….haha, well maybe not, but that is the closest I have come. 

I have this class from 11:00-11:40 that is like the class from hell…they aren’t worthy of my web blog pictures and you will not see that class up here unless it is of me strangling them…haha…jk, I will try not to beat the crap out of them, ok Grandma?  Really, they are driving me crazy.  A lot of other classes are great, but the problem with this one is that mainly it is too big.  When they are so little it is difficult to keep their attention no matter what I do.  The woman who observed me suggested putting “stars” by the “good kids” names.  Give me a break.  They don’t give a damn about stars!  The asian teachers also do a lot of “counting” here….”one…two…three.”  They can get 100 and never accomplish anything.  One thing that I have seen though is that they do hit the kids…not hard, but just enough to get them to cry and be scared.  Now that works, I don’t do it, because I somehow think I’m not supposed to, but when they do it, that is fine.  Well anyway, I got observed again today and the class was noisy as usual, so the lady said, “We’ll talk about some ways to keep them quiet so you don’t have to yell so much, because you will lose your voice.”  No shit sherlock.  Sorry guys, but it has been kind of frustrating with a couple of classes.  But the good ones make up for the bad ones.  I will tell you that the main reason for this difficult class is that it is TOO BIG!!  The school is trying to save money (as I remember them doing this in America also) and they put too many kids in one class, so the result is that no one learns because Tommy won’t shut up no matter what I do.  I’d like to buy a sports horn and just freak them out and cause a near deaf experience.  lol.  Ok, I’m really joking, sort of.  I’m just in a venting mood I guess.  But on the other hand, to be fair, I do have quite a few wonderful classes that I enjoy teaching!  It is refreshing to see young children who genuinely desire to learn more.

Well, I’d better get back to work now, have to prepare some props for my next class.  I’m reading them a story about Monsters.