poor little guy! i watched him hobble across the street and he nearly lost another limb in the process! the scooters are vicious!Monday, June 30, 2008
three legs are better than two
poor little guy! i watched him hobble across the street and he nearly lost another limb in the process! the scooters are vicious!
Thursday, June 26, 2008
on finding pieces of myself that i recognize, even here...
today my calf muscles are screaming and my hips are tight. the arches of my feet are stiff; the only relief is rolling them over a tennis ball to massage them gently. but i feel wonderful.
yesterday i went to taipei with a scribbled out address for "Wu-Yi Dance School" and had no idea what i would find--if anything! it was apparently so close to Taipei Main Station that a cab driver refused to drive me there. so i asked at the information desk, where a girl spoke some English, and she pointed down the street, instructing me to turn left in the alley after the 7-11. i found the 7 (never a problem here) and wandered down the alley. i didn't see anything that looked like a dance school... the buildings looked as though they were built 80 years ago, as shacks, and they hadn't updated themselves to match the bustling, international, modern city around them. the streets are lined with Starbuck's, California Fitness, and United Colors of Benetton, but the alleys...
there were a few ancient-looking indonesian restaurants, with a few ancient-looking people sitting inside fanning themselves. a boy on a bicycle. the smell of burned meat and washed laundry hanging out to dry in the sun. a happily straying dog. but a dance studio? i walked back toward the street and found a man sitting at an information desk of some sort. i showed him the address, and he got up and walked me right to the door of the studio (it WAS in the alley... but how would i ever have known?)
i walked up the stairs to the third floor, and heard music from a hip-hop class and stomping feet. a small reception area was set up and i signed up for the 5 o'clock Intermediate Ballet. this in itself was terrifying to me, as i haven't taken regular ballet classes for--a few years? on top of that, i was afraid i'd be the, well, white elephant in the room, for lack of a better word. a broad-shouldered blonde surrounded by delicate, dark-haired ballerinas. i KNOW i'm not that big, but the people here have the tiniest little bones that sometimes i feel enormous! and i'm becoming quite self-conscious--feeling people's eyes, hearing them whisper, seeing them point and sometimes take pictures... it's developing into a slight paranoia! anyway... i was nervous.
but as soon as the hip-hoppers finished their class and came streaming out of the studio in a steam of funky, sweaty ripped tee-shirts and loud mandarin slang (or so i assume), and the ballet students tiptoed in, i knew i was home. i found a place at the barre, by the window, so i could see the street outside and feel the energy of the city. the students were all adults--some my age, some a little younger, and a few much older. the teacher introduced himself to me and asked where i was from, and did i understand mandarin? no, i replied, but i understand french. he looked at me, slightly confused, and i assured him that i'd be okay.
it felt so good to dance. i'm rusty, yes, but the instinct is there. the songs were the same songs i've been listening to in ballet classes for 20 years. it was beautiful to have found something so familiar in a place so foreign. something that is a big part of my life and my past in a place where i often feel so lost that i can forget who i am.
i left feeling weightless yet grounded, floating but affirmed.
on top of that, later that night, i met a woman who owns a yoga studio in my neighborhood, who is willing to rent me her studio so that i can teach a yoga class in English for the other teachers, who've all been begging me.
AND i got two letters in the MAIL, one from my grandmother and one from my sister.
a day of blessings...
yesterday i went to taipei with a scribbled out address for "Wu-Yi Dance School" and had no idea what i would find--if anything! it was apparently so close to Taipei Main Station that a cab driver refused to drive me there. so i asked at the information desk, where a girl spoke some English, and she pointed down the street, instructing me to turn left in the alley after the 7-11. i found the 7 (never a problem here) and wandered down the alley. i didn't see anything that looked like a dance school... the buildings looked as though they were built 80 years ago, as shacks, and they hadn't updated themselves to match the bustling, international, modern city around them. the streets are lined with Starbuck's, California Fitness, and United Colors of Benetton, but the alleys...
there were a few ancient-looking indonesian restaurants, with a few ancient-looking people sitting inside fanning themselves. a boy on a bicycle. the smell of burned meat and washed laundry hanging out to dry in the sun. a happily straying dog. but a dance studio? i walked back toward the street and found a man sitting at an information desk of some sort. i showed him the address, and he got up and walked me right to the door of the studio (it WAS in the alley... but how would i ever have known?)
i walked up the stairs to the third floor, and heard music from a hip-hop class and stomping feet. a small reception area was set up and i signed up for the 5 o'clock Intermediate Ballet. this in itself was terrifying to me, as i haven't taken regular ballet classes for--a few years? on top of that, i was afraid i'd be the, well, white elephant in the room, for lack of a better word. a broad-shouldered blonde surrounded by delicate, dark-haired ballerinas. i KNOW i'm not that big, but the people here have the tiniest little bones that sometimes i feel enormous! and i'm becoming quite self-conscious--feeling people's eyes, hearing them whisper, seeing them point and sometimes take pictures... it's developing into a slight paranoia! anyway... i was nervous.
but as soon as the hip-hoppers finished their class and came streaming out of the studio in a steam of funky, sweaty ripped tee-shirts and loud mandarin slang (or so i assume), and the ballet students tiptoed in, i knew i was home. i found a place at the barre, by the window, so i could see the street outside and feel the energy of the city. the students were all adults--some my age, some a little younger, and a few much older. the teacher introduced himself to me and asked where i was from, and did i understand mandarin? no, i replied, but i understand french. he looked at me, slightly confused, and i assured him that i'd be okay.
it felt so good to dance. i'm rusty, yes, but the instinct is there. the songs were the same songs i've been listening to in ballet classes for 20 years. it was beautiful to have found something so familiar in a place so foreign. something that is a big part of my life and my past in a place where i often feel so lost that i can forget who i am.
i left feeling weightless yet grounded, floating but affirmed.
on top of that, later that night, i met a woman who owns a yoga studio in my neighborhood, who is willing to rent me her studio so that i can teach a yoga class in English for the other teachers, who've all been begging me.
AND i got two letters in the MAIL, one from my grandmother and one from my sister.
a day of blessings...
last weekend--i'm a little bit behind with my updates!
over the weekend i hung out with some of the girls--a birthday celebration for one of them. it was great to get to know them better and they're all very sweet... this is me and the birthday girl at "peace cafe."
on sunday i went to Taipei for a yoga class. i decided that i don't really like my yoga studio as well as i thought i did (the honeymoon's over, Pure Yoga!) i'm beginning to see that beyond the slick exterior and ultra-serene-urban-oasis and super-stylish yogis in their $200 yoga outfits is... a slick interior and super-stylish yogis and not a lot of heart. it makes me sad because yoga should be FULL of heart and life and emotion. when you fall out of a pose, you should laugh and let others laugh with you--not get flustered as everyone in the room glares at you. it should be an exploration. my yoga-spirit feels squashed there. so i guess i'll have to pay the cancellation fee. and come up with an explanation for Ping, my membership assistant. >:-|
after yoga, i set off on a quest to find a vegetarian restaurant that i found online. i had copied down the characters for the address in hopes that a cab driver would understand! it was near the MRT stop by the Chiang Kai Shek Memorial Hall, so i took a quick look at that and snapped one picture, but my rumbling stomach made me hail the first taxi i could find! he understood my chinese handwriting and dropped me off at the front door of the little restaurant! unfortunately, they didn't have an english menu, so i told the waiter to pick something for me. it was a nourishing, comforting meal of squash soup and a creamy rice dish with mushrooms and other baked vegetables. i finished with a delicious cup of tea and then got another taxi to go back to the Memorial Hall and MRT. i found out that "Chiang Kai Shek" is pronounced differently in English than whatever his name is in Chinese, because my cab driver had absolutely no idea where i wanted to go. i finally remembered that i'd taken a picture, applauded my inner genius, and whipped out my camera to show him this:
...a gate-like structure in front of the CKS Memorial. of course, he knew exactly where it was and took me right there! then i had time to stroll around the enormous park. it was beautiful, quiet (how i miss the sound of silence!), still, and even smelled a bit like grass and dirt. ahhh. i climbed the 84 steps to the top of the memorial (CKS was 84 when he died), but because it was dark, they had shut the door on the building housing the large seated statue--that looks similar to our Lincoln Memorial.
so cool! i'll have to go back again when the doors are open! and after i've done a bit of reading up on Chiang Kai Shek--i thought he was some sort of dictator here so i'm a bit confused about the enormous memorial. i'll keep you posted!
on sunday i went to Taipei for a yoga class. i decided that i don't really like my yoga studio as well as i thought i did (the honeymoon's over, Pure Yoga!) i'm beginning to see that beyond the slick exterior and ultra-serene-urban-oasis and super-stylish yogis in their $200 yoga outfits is... a slick interior and super-stylish yogis and not a lot of heart. it makes me sad because yoga should be FULL of heart and life and emotion. when you fall out of a pose, you should laugh and let others laugh with you--not get flustered as everyone in the room glares at you. it should be an exploration. my yoga-spirit feels squashed there. so i guess i'll have to pay the cancellation fee. and come up with an explanation for Ping, my membership assistant. >:-|
after yoga, i set off on a quest to find a vegetarian restaurant that i found online. i had copied down the characters for the address in hopes that a cab driver would understand! it was near the MRT stop by the Chiang Kai Shek Memorial Hall, so i took a quick look at that and snapped one picture, but my rumbling stomach made me hail the first taxi i could find! he understood my chinese handwriting and dropped me off at the front door of the little restaurant! unfortunately, they didn't have an english menu, so i told the waiter to pick something for me. it was a nourishing, comforting meal of squash soup and a creamy rice dish with mushrooms and other baked vegetables. i finished with a delicious cup of tea and then got another taxi to go back to the Memorial Hall and MRT. i found out that "Chiang Kai Shek" is pronounced differently in English than whatever his name is in Chinese, because my cab driver had absolutely no idea where i wanted to go. i finally remembered that i'd taken a picture, applauded my inner genius, and whipped out my camera to show him this:
...a gate-like structure in front of the CKS Memorial. of course, he knew exactly where it was and took me right there! then i had time to stroll around the enormous park. it was beautiful, quiet (how i miss the sound of silence!), still, and even smelled a bit like grass and dirt. ahhh. i climbed the 84 steps to the top of the memorial (CKS was 84 when he died), but because it was dark, they had shut the door on the building housing the large seated statue--that looks similar to our Lincoln Memorial.
so cool! i'll have to go back again when the doors are open! and after i've done a bit of reading up on Chiang Kai Shek--i thought he was some sort of dictator here so i'm a bit confused about the enormous memorial. i'll keep you posted!
Saturday, June 21, 2008
midsummer days
i've had a few people remind me that i haven't updated my blog lately. i think it's just that i'm settling in and finding a rhythm--and loving it--so i haven't been as diligent about posting updates. but this is a good thing, right? ;-)
as i thrive on new experiences, and even on doing things that scare me a bit, every day here has been immensely satisfying. i am finding out which grocery stores i like (where i can find indulgences like american granola bars or "laughing cow" cheese wedges, or salad dressing) and finding out which things (like fruits and some vegetables) are much better when bought from the street markets. i've tried new fruits like custard apples and lychees, and they're not bad! i've checked out several coffee shops and know how to order an iced latte with not much sugar in mandarin. a few times a week i go to Taipei and take yoga classes at the studio where i bought a membership. i did some research about vegetarian restaurants in Taipei and copied down the addresses in characters. tomorrow, after my yoga class, i will show a taxi driver my carefully drawn characters and hope he can read them! some nights i go for a run, when it's cooler and less polluted. there are many people out late at night, walking around the park, doing stretches and exercising. it's a wonderful, laid-back, safe community. after i run, i go to a pagoda in the park and do some stretching, or hang upside-down from the monkey bars (which is great for your back!) i stay up late chatting with my floor-mates or catching up on e-mails and looking at pictures of the floods in Iowa. i'm getting to know my (Taiwanese) co-teachers better and am blessed to have some really good ones who are helpful in and out of the classroom. i met an English-speaking Indonesian woman at a little clothing shop who wants to take me to her Indonesian restaurant and hang out sometime. another woman who owns a restaurant across the street from where i live ordered a textbook for me so that i can start learning some Mandarin. i'm planning on checking out some nearby Taiwanese churches. although i enjoyed the English-speaking Filipino church that some of my friends go to, i want to have more interaction with Taiwanese people and see how the local churches are. although i won't understand much, it's a good way to learn language too--by immersing yourself within a context that you know about. for example, by going to yoga classes in mandarin, i've learned how to count and the words for "inhale," "exhale," "up," "down," and so on.
so many things every day! things that are bewildering, shocking, hilarious, sweet, frustrating... but i love experiencing all of them. today after teaching i went downtown and did a little shopping, and then sat in a park with some iced coffee. it was so beautiful. today wasn't as humid as it has been (my hair is a complete disaster here; i've given up on it) and there was a lovely breeze. with my eyes closed, i could hear cicadas singing and birds chirping, children laughing and basketballs bouncing. i felt like i could have been anywhere in the world. as fascinating as our differences are, as diverse our cultural norms, as impossible as it can be to communicate across languages, we are also very much the same. our souls have longings that are universal, and need no language or symbols. this is comforting to me. while i feel isolated at times, i never feel alone.
that being said, i DO miss all of you, and ask that you continue e-mailing me when you can and sharing your lives with me, as i am with you. xie-xie ni... thank you...
as i thrive on new experiences, and even on doing things that scare me a bit, every day here has been immensely satisfying. i am finding out which grocery stores i like (where i can find indulgences like american granola bars or "laughing cow" cheese wedges, or salad dressing) and finding out which things (like fruits and some vegetables) are much better when bought from the street markets. i've tried new fruits like custard apples and lychees, and they're not bad! i've checked out several coffee shops and know how to order an iced latte with not much sugar in mandarin. a few times a week i go to Taipei and take yoga classes at the studio where i bought a membership. i did some research about vegetarian restaurants in Taipei and copied down the addresses in characters. tomorrow, after my yoga class, i will show a taxi driver my carefully drawn characters and hope he can read them! some nights i go for a run, when it's cooler and less polluted. there are many people out late at night, walking around the park, doing stretches and exercising. it's a wonderful, laid-back, safe community. after i run, i go to a pagoda in the park and do some stretching, or hang upside-down from the monkey bars (which is great for your back!) i stay up late chatting with my floor-mates or catching up on e-mails and looking at pictures of the floods in Iowa. i'm getting to know my (Taiwanese) co-teachers better and am blessed to have some really good ones who are helpful in and out of the classroom. i met an English-speaking Indonesian woman at a little clothing shop who wants to take me to her Indonesian restaurant and hang out sometime. another woman who owns a restaurant across the street from where i live ordered a textbook for me so that i can start learning some Mandarin. i'm planning on checking out some nearby Taiwanese churches. although i enjoyed the English-speaking Filipino church that some of my friends go to, i want to have more interaction with Taiwanese people and see how the local churches are. although i won't understand much, it's a good way to learn language too--by immersing yourself within a context that you know about. for example, by going to yoga classes in mandarin, i've learned how to count and the words for "inhale," "exhale," "up," "down," and so on.
so many things every day! things that are bewildering, shocking, hilarious, sweet, frustrating... but i love experiencing all of them. today after teaching i went downtown and did a little shopping, and then sat in a park with some iced coffee. it was so beautiful. today wasn't as humid as it has been (my hair is a complete disaster here; i've given up on it) and there was a lovely breeze. with my eyes closed, i could hear cicadas singing and birds chirping, children laughing and basketballs bouncing. i felt like i could have been anywhere in the world. as fascinating as our differences are, as diverse our cultural norms, as impossible as it can be to communicate across languages, we are also very much the same. our souls have longings that are universal, and need no language or symbols. this is comforting to me. while i feel isolated at times, i never feel alone.
that being said, i DO miss all of you, and ask that you continue e-mailing me when you can and sharing your lives with me, as i am with you. xie-xie ni... thank you...
Sunday, June 15, 2008
"What's your father like?"
In the classes I teach, every week the students learn a new "QA." They learn several possible answers, and then they have to repeat the question and answer several times, individually and as a class. They write them in their notebooks with the translations in Mandarin, and I go around and check to see that their English question is written and punctuated correctly. At the start of each class, we review some old QA's and play a game.
One of their questions is "What's your father like?" They know just a few possible answers... and they regurgitate, "My father is tall and strong" or "My father is handsome" or "My father is generous and nice" and sometimes, "My father is short and fat." (hehe)
If I was asked, "What's your father like?" I would not be able to sum up my dad's qualities in two or three adjectives! There would be a long, long list--including:
devoted
sacrificial
hard-working
wise
hilarious
light-hearted
adventurous
gregarious (no pun intended)
intelligent
studious
responsible
fair
creative
entertaining
hungry (all the time, i think)
conniving (in a good way)
righteous
...and on and on. My students don't know any of those vocabulary words yet! But when I hear their voices chant in unison "My favver ("th" is difficult for them) is _________ and _______," I think of my father, and am thankful that he is not just "strong" and "handsome."
Dad, happy Father's Day. I miss you and wish we could meet for iced coffee at Stomping Grounds. I'll go find a coffee shop this afternoon and have one alone, but I'll be thinking of you.
I love you!
My dad enjoying dinner at The Spice on his last birthday! :o)
One of their questions is "What's your father like?" They know just a few possible answers... and they regurgitate, "My father is tall and strong" or "My father is handsome" or "My father is generous and nice" and sometimes, "My father is short and fat." (hehe)
If I was asked, "What's your father like?" I would not be able to sum up my dad's qualities in two or three adjectives! There would be a long, long list--including:
devoted
sacrificial
hard-working
wise
hilarious
light-hearted
adventurous
gregarious (no pun intended)
intelligent
studious
responsible
fair
creative
entertaining
hungry (all the time, i think)
conniving (in a good way)
righteous
...and on and on. My students don't know any of those vocabulary words yet! But when I hear their voices chant in unison "My favver ("th" is difficult for them) is _________ and _______," I think of my father, and am thankful that he is not just "strong" and "handsome."
Dad, happy Father's Day. I miss you and wish we could meet for iced coffee at Stomping Grounds. I'll go find a coffee shop this afternoon and have one alone, but I'll be thinking of you.
I love you!
My dad enjoying dinner at The Spice on his last birthday! :o)Saturday, June 14, 2008
snippets
this is durian fruit. it smells like dirty feet and tastes even worse. it's even banned from several hotels and stores because of its awful scent. but now i can say that i ate it, so i never have to again! i did, however, acquire a free package of freshly cut pineapple at this shop, "no money, for very pretty girl."
this is where i walk every day from the bus stop to school in Long Tan. when it's clear you can see the mountains...
a little further down the street, there are fresh fruit markets, where i sometimes stop to get fresh mango juice or watermelon juice.
here's where i work! plus some road construction. it was lovely to read lessons to the rhythm of jackhammers in the street... but i think they're finished now.
this is where i walk every day from the bus stop to school in Long Tan. when it's clear you can see the mountains...
a little further down the street, there are fresh fruit markets, where i sometimes stop to get fresh mango juice or watermelon juice.
here's where i work! plus some road construction. it was lovely to read lessons to the rhythm of jackhammers in the street... but i think they're finished now.
Friday, June 13, 2008
Monday, June 9, 2008
on top of the world!
i had an excellent weekend! it was a national holiday--Dragon Boat Festival--so everyone had a whole two days off (that's a long weekend here). i didn't end up making it to the boat races on sunday because i was too worn out from lots of fun on saturday!
two of the other teachers, kirsten and kyle, and i took a bus to downtown taipei--it's about 45 minutes away. we went to the sun yat sen memorial hall and looked around. it's a very cool building but i don't know a lot about sun yat sen, so it didn't mean as much as it could have. he's the first president of the ROC, but also did a lot of other good things. (as i found out later in the day... keep reading!)
Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hall
Sun Yat-Sen
then i went to a workshop for yoga teachers at Pure Studio in the afternoon, and kyle and kirsten went to a park. the workshop was pretty good, and i signed up for a monthly membership so i can take unlimited classes there... it will make me get out for class as often as i can! i'm excited... it's a gorgeous studio. see: http://www.pure-yoga.com/en/taipei/studios/studio.php?location_id=8
after the workshop kyle and kirsten met up with me and we went to Macaroni Grill for dinner. it was so nice to have some comfort food... kirsten and i split an incredible salad and bowl of fettucine, and i indulged in some warm apple pie for dessert. then we made our way to Taipei 101, the tallest skyscraper in the world! it has a huge mall in the bottom; we checked out the bookstore, which has a big english lit. section and some english magazines. then we bought our tickets for the ride up to the 91st floor! the elevator ride--which is the fastest in the world--absolutely tortured my ears, but it was worth it when we got to the top. it was night, so we could see taipei all lit up and dark mountains in the distance (of course, with a lovely misting of smog over it all)
(ouch... much worse than taking off in an airplane)
Sears Tower comes in 3rd place!
this huge ball hanging in the middle of the tower is supposed to balance the building in case of--when--there are earthquakes. hmm. they're called "damper babies."
me with "lucky red" the damper baby!
yay! i'm in the tallest building in the world!
we took the MRT (subway) back to the bus station, but on our way, in the MRT, we were approached by a Taiwanese missionary named Moses, who took the opportunity to tell us about Jesus and how He saved us and that we needed to accept him as our Savior. he also told us that Sun Yat-Sen was a christian and that he set "Double Tenth Day" as the national holiday (October 10th) because the Chinese character for "10" is a cross. good to know! but unfortunately, Moses couldn't speak English very well, so he kept poking people around him and asking them how to say something in English. it was very crowded so everyone in the whole car could hear him and he was so exuberant (not common in public places here) that people were turning away to cover their laughter. it was very cute, but it was hilarious, and he went on and on for a good ten minutes until we got off, with the people around us nearly in tears from laughing so hard.
that was just one of the crazy things that happened, but everything else, when i think of it, wouldn't be funny unless you were there. let's just say that my abs hurt from laughing so hard, and it was a great time! sunday i slept in--much needed rest as i'm feeling a little sick--and then explored downtown Jungli and went to starbuck's. perfect.
two of the other teachers, kirsten and kyle, and i took a bus to downtown taipei--it's about 45 minutes away. we went to the sun yat sen memorial hall and looked around. it's a very cool building but i don't know a lot about sun yat sen, so it didn't mean as much as it could have. he's the first president of the ROC, but also did a lot of other good things. (as i found out later in the day... keep reading!)
Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hall
Sun Yat-Senthen i went to a workshop for yoga teachers at Pure Studio in the afternoon, and kyle and kirsten went to a park. the workshop was pretty good, and i signed up for a monthly membership so i can take unlimited classes there... it will make me get out for class as often as i can! i'm excited... it's a gorgeous studio. see: http://www.pure-yoga.com/en/taipei/studios/studio.php?location_id=8
after the workshop kyle and kirsten met up with me and we went to Macaroni Grill for dinner. it was so nice to have some comfort food... kirsten and i split an incredible salad and bowl of fettucine, and i indulged in some warm apple pie for dessert. then we made our way to Taipei 101, the tallest skyscraper in the world! it has a huge mall in the bottom; we checked out the bookstore, which has a big english lit. section and some english magazines. then we bought our tickets for the ride up to the 91st floor! the elevator ride--which is the fastest in the world--absolutely tortured my ears, but it was worth it when we got to the top. it was night, so we could see taipei all lit up and dark mountains in the distance (of course, with a lovely misting of smog over it all)
(ouch... much worse than taking off in an airplane)
Sears Tower comes in 3rd place!
this huge ball hanging in the middle of the tower is supposed to balance the building in case of--when--there are earthquakes. hmm. they're called "damper babies."
me with "lucky red" the damper baby!
yay! i'm in the tallest building in the world!we took the MRT (subway) back to the bus station, but on our way, in the MRT, we were approached by a Taiwanese missionary named Moses, who took the opportunity to tell us about Jesus and how He saved us and that we needed to accept him as our Savior. he also told us that Sun Yat-Sen was a christian and that he set "Double Tenth Day" as the national holiday (October 10th) because the Chinese character for "10" is a cross. good to know! but unfortunately, Moses couldn't speak English very well, so he kept poking people around him and asking them how to say something in English. it was very crowded so everyone in the whole car could hear him and he was so exuberant (not common in public places here) that people were turning away to cover their laughter. it was very cute, but it was hilarious, and he went on and on for a good ten minutes until we got off, with the people around us nearly in tears from laughing so hard.
that was just one of the crazy things that happened, but everything else, when i think of it, wouldn't be funny unless you were there. let's just say that my abs hurt from laughing so hard, and it was a great time! sunday i slept in--much needed rest as i'm feeling a little sick--and then explored downtown Jungli and went to starbuck's. perfect.
Saturday, June 7, 2008
he just couldn't hold it.
tonight, in the second of my three classes--mostly 7-8 year olds, a kid named mickey (we call him mickey mouse) was being EXTRA squirrelly. it was strange--i've never really had much of a problem with him before! he would not stay in his chair and i had to tell him to sit down several times. then i noticed that even when he did sit down, he was squirming. finally i asked him if he had to go to the bathroom. he nodded enthusiastically. i said, "go!!" even though there were only five minutes left of class, i don't think his bladder had that long. he stood up but only took one step before saying "uhhh-ohhh," which is apparently universal for "i just peed my pants." sure enough, a small pool was forming on the floor beneath mickey's legs. quiet giggles rippled throughout the room and i did my best to contain myself, but i reeeeeally wanted to laugh, loudly! my co-teacher escorted mickey (who didn't seem embarrassed at all--he just felt much better) to the bathroom and came back, minus mickey, plus a mop. ahhh...
after classes i went with some other teachers to a barbecue restaurant, where you pick out your vegetables and meat (or tofu) on sticks, and then sit around your table, which has a little fire pit built in to the top. it was nice and relaxing.
time for bed! i'm going to taipei tomorrow for a workshop for yoga teachers at Pure Studio, and also the Taipei Zoo! pictures to come soon, i promise...
after classes i went with some other teachers to a barbecue restaurant, where you pick out your vegetables and meat (or tofu) on sticks, and then sit around your table, which has a little fire pit built in to the top. it was nice and relaxing.
time for bed! i'm going to taipei tomorrow for a workshop for yoga teachers at Pure Studio, and also the Taipei Zoo! pictures to come soon, i promise...
Monday, June 2, 2008
6.0
my first earthquake! (see news article below) last night i was laying in bed watching the season finale of Lost on my iPod. it was a really intense scene--a ship exploded and a helicoptor had just taken off from the ship, so the explosion was shaking the helicoptor even though it was in the air. and then, right on cue, my bed was shaking! for half a second, i thought maybe the power of the island (if you watch Lost you know what i mean!) was sucking me in to my iPod and i could feel the boat exploding! AHHHHahahaha... such a vivid imagination! then i realized that it had to be an earthquake. my room swayed for a few seconds and then stopped. i went out in the hall, mentally reviewing my disaster preparedness checklist. tornado? go to the basement. blizzard? flashlight, blankets, matches. hurricane? board the windows and drive away from the coast! earthquake? umm... i have no idea! another teacher opened his door and said it was no big deal, and told me to go back to bed and imagine that i'm being rocked to sleep! yeah right. i stayed up for another hour, imagining aftershocks, but nothing happened. i've always wondered what an earthquake feels like. it wasn't much of one, but i can check that off my list and i'll be fine if i never feel one again!
Strong earthquake hits northern Taiwan
Strong earthquake hits northern Taiwan
| Posted 8h 38m ago |
TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — Officials say a 6.0 magnitude earthquake has struck northern Taiwan, rattling buildings, but causing no damage or casualties.
The Central Weather Bureau says the quake struck 12 miles (20 kilometers) north of the northeastern city of Ilan at 12:59 a.m. Monday.
Ilan is about 44 miles east of the capital of Taipei.
The CWS says this latest quake is not related to the 6.4 magnitude temblor that struck in the Pacific Ocean off of southern Taiwan on Sunday.
Earthquakes frequently rattle Taiwan, but most are minor and cause little damage. A 7.6-magnitude quake in central Taiwan in September 1999 killed more than 2,300 people.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)