The Little Things In Life

Things have been going pretty well here at Ping Xi Guo Zhong. This is a gorgeous place and my favorite spot is outside on our balcony where the wind is the strongest.

The view is a little different from this one because it is from a much higher vantage point, but this is basically what you get. I'm going to have to remember to take of picture from that spot.

My favorite part of Ping Xi are the sky lanterns. It really blew me away at how gorgeous it was the first time we set one off. We wrote our wishes on it and watched it float up into the sky as we sat under the stars. We've set a couple more after that time and we always watch until you can't see it anymore. I am going to make it happen so I come back to visit this school during the festival where thousands of sky lanterns are set off at once.


We also like to walk to the lao jie (old road) to get grass jelly milk teas or shaved ice. That's pretty much all there is to do here. The funnest thing we did so far is to take a bunch of bikes out and road around in the mountains for two hours.

It was so freaking awesome. I wish I could have taken some more action shots, but I can't ride a bike with only one hand. There were some really tough uphills, but coming back down the mountain was so fun because it was all downhill pretty much. AHH! I want a bike now and some mountains in my backyard so I can do this everyday. Unfortunately one of our girls fell off her bike and got hurt so they won't take us out on them anymore. :( And there's a typhoon right now (my first one ever!)


There are 12 of us here - 6 of us are from the states and we're the English teachers. We have 6 assistants who are from Taiwan and they help us with controlling the classroom and translating things. It's pretty fun to talk to them and get to know them, but it's also awkward because we spend 24/7 together and we have ridiculously large amounts of down time each day which makes them pass by pretty slowly. I'm going to suggest we have more activities with the students instead of taking naps all the time, and holding meetings, and preparing for class.

Today was fun though, we played spoons with levels right after class and there was much laughing and not talking. Then somehow one of the guys got taped up with duck tape. I'm laughing so hard the picture came out blurry.

We call him Winnie because he looks like Winnie the Poo. Haha, he's very easily picked on by this other guy who we call Q Mo or Bao Za Toe since his hair is so curly. I've realized Taiwanese people really like to make up nicknames for each other based off of looks or something irrelevant to their actual name.

I also feel that Taiwanese girls are really GIRLY. Oh my goodness, it kind of makes me feel like a man. One of the girls who's an assistant teacher is really picky with her food and it makes me realize how annoying that is when I'm like that. I've been doing really well and finishing ALL my food and even eating meat that I don't really want because all the students are very well disciplined in this aspect. They will call us out and say that we're really wasteful if we don't.



So far teaching the students has been all right. It's very hard to keep the children under control and the first day was horrible. But it's been getting better. Today they were very loud and obnoxious because of the rain, I think, but they admire us a lot. Again, I wish I had more time to spend with them, but I think I just have to reach out more during the class time and actually joke around with them instead of always being serious. That's one thing I admire about guys, they are fun to be around because they joke around and act immature whereas girls are wired completely differently.

Last weekend we snuck out to Taipei and IT WAS SO FUN. Sigh, I didn't want to come back, but actually this week hasn't been bad. I met up with Ray, Diana, Jordan, and even Alice and we just chilled at a lounge with drinks and hookah. It was air conditioned and very clean. I can't wait to go back this weekend. ESPECIALLY since Pat, Jess, Brian, and James are meeting up with us. We're going to KTV, shopping, Taipei101, Shiling Yie Shi, and a Yie Dian (club) where it's a bubble party! Yay, yay, YAY!

I guess things aren't as bad as I say they are sometimes. I complain a lot and get annoyed really easily which I'm going to try my hardest to change. But I am also very MENSTRUAL right now so that's my excuse for now.

Anyways, I guess that's it for now. I miss people in the states like crazy. I hope you all are well! Email me! :D

Edit
You never know unless you try. So let's give it a try.
/Edit

This subject has been on my mind for a while now and I guess since I'm far away from the states right now it's a perfect time to think about it.

I personally don't believe long distance will work or that it's worth it unless you are married or very serious about each other. I just don't understand how it works. You spend each day missing and looking forward to the next time you can use the computer room or when you'll get a call from your significant other. So you live day by day waiting for the chance to just talk to your other and maybe for the weekend to actually be able to hold hands. Doesn't this hinder your interest in getting to know other people and fully experiencing life while you are away from your other? And why is it that you get so dependent on your significant other? It's like you don't know how to let your true self out around others because you are so comfortable with one person.

What really puzzles my mind is that if you really are in love with somebody or depend on them, why would you even be in a situation where there has to be a long distance relationship? I guess there are other uncontrollable factors, but really I think it comes down to people being selfish. Like the husband moves away because he got promoted at work. By taking it he's bettering himself (but also making more money for his family), but also putting his wife or his family in a situation where they can't see him anymore. Where is the line drawn? You want to do what's right for you and the people you love, but if you're not spending time with them or watching your kids grow because you're always away on business trips in order to do 'what's best' is that really the best thing for them?

I guess I'm a type of person who equates time spent with love. It's just so contradicting - when you're not together you miss your other and when you are together there's always that looming fact that the time you guys have together is limited and about to end soon.

Like waiting a month to see your significant other for a week, but then be separated again for a month and a half only to go to completely different schools for the rest of the year.

<-It's like being like this forever.


Anyways, I'm probably just being emotional, selfish, and homesick. Dang what a completely downer entry. What are your thoughts on this subject?

I've been in Taiwan for almost a week now and so far my days go like this:






The only good thing about this week is that I get to spend it with my favorite Pat - who knows when to tell me to get off my high horse. :)
Another thing are my roommates. Even though we haven't really been bonding with the rest of the kids on the program, we've definitely bonded with each other. :) I'm going to miss the 5 of us when we separate to our schools.
Hopefully once we get to the school things will be much better, but right now I'm regretting even doing this program!

Instead of feeling guilty for leaving my family during a holiday for a party where old high school friends reunite, I spent almost the whole day reading my book. Other than the occasional visit from Mel and Pat, I've been immersed in this other world. Unfortunately the one summer most of my high school friends are off doing their own thing and the friends I usually see are all down in SoCal, my family decides to make their own plans. I'm definitely feeling that Cupertino is a place where I spend time with family and San Diego is my own separate, independent life.

My mom and my cousins left today for this trip where they are going to China to visit a lot of our extended relatives. In preparation for this trip we spent all day yesterday driving around running errands as my mom told me and Norman stories about our family. I learned that my grandmother was a twin, but her twin died very early on. I learned my great grandfather was shot and killed by the Japanese soldiers because he went back to attempt to save his mistress. He also had a small fortune in Columbia, but my grandmother didn't want to receive any of the information to access the account because she thought it was jinx his life so when he died, nobody was able to retrieve any of the money. I also learned that even though my family is from Asia, my grandfather, and great grandfather were all very well educated which probably explains why I am so privileged now.

When I ate with an old couple during Orientation last Monday, the father told me something very wise. He said that he tells his son all the time that higher education can transform you into an eagle. One that is very wise and able to fly high into the sky to have a greater vantage point. Without higher education, you're only a toad - one who can't see much, but the surrounding ground around him. He was so cute and treated his wife so well, I can only hope I am lucky enough to have a husband like him.

Being a Senior Orientation Leader was so much more than I expected. I felt so many expectations from some of the returners and I wish I spent more time with the group. But sometimes I just needed a break! It was really awesome seeing everybody grow and finding friendships which made it all worth it. :)

Ok, must start packing for Taiwan! I'm actually really excited to go. :)