meeeeeeow!

A few weeks ago, a friend and I were walking and stopped to check out some cats at a pet shop. We were mesmerized by their behavior and appearance--these are NOT normal cats! Anyway, it was hilarious, but if you don't like cats or you don't think animals are funny, don't watch... it's about 2 1/2 minutes long. Mostly I wanted to put this up for my family to see--being obsessed with our four barn cats, I thought they'd appreciate this. And because there's a cat in the video that's fluffier than Wolfgang (one of our cats)!! It's the white one. Also take note of the enormously obese cat, and the ones with smashed-in faces. And of course, the two that are "dancing," aka, trying to get out of their cages. HA!

Costume Update

Thank you to everyone who has given me ideas for costumes and expressed their sympathies for what is expected of me this Halloween...

I've decided what I will be! I'm excited and I think it's perfect for me this year. That's all I'm gonna say--so check back this weekend and I will put up pictures!

P.S. I am FREEZING! It's getting down to about 70 at night!

Halloween Party Memo

I recently received this memo from my school. For some reason I find it hilarious. Maybe I've been watching too many episodes of "The Office" lately, but honestly... it sounds about as fun as bobbing for germy apples in other people's spit. Here is the memo--my additional explanations/sassy comments are in red.

To: Teacher Elisabeth
From: CL (name protected)

Halloween Party

1. Dates: 10/30-11/1 (that's three days of class... so six classes... and four out of those six are at far-away schools for me. so I have to commute in full costume? I already get stared at so i guess i might as well give them somethin' to talk about)

2. Those classes in which students and teachers dress up for Halloween may have a 1-hour Halloween party. Teachers should bring candy for the activity. (Hmm... six classes, bring treats... that will set me back about NT$700, or US$25. Will I be reimbursed? No.)

3. During the first class hour, teachers should teach or review lessons as well as introduce the origin and the custom of Halloween. The second class hour can be used to go trick-or-treating to other classrooms, carve pumpkins or other traditional activities. (Um, what IS the origin of Halloween? And are you kidding me? Bring fat juicy pumpkins and KNIVES to classrooms full of clumsy kindergartners? Not to mention cost of said pumpkins and carving tools)

4. Those teachers who take special pains to dress up for Halloween (i.e. something fancy, not just a hat or a pair of fangs) will receive a bonus of NT$500 (that's about $15US) to cover expenses. (Haha! The part about taking "special pains" cracked me up. I really don't know where to even buy costumes here; they don't have special shops set up like we do in the States. And I don't know how to say "Do you carry tooth fairy costumes?" in Chinese. Argh.)

5. There will be two separate costume competitions at every school, one for the students and one for the teachers.

(1) Please encourage your students to sign up at the front desk and have
their pictures taken. The best costume winners picked by staff at the
end of the activity will receive 50 stickers. (which can be turned in for
cheap prizes but are the holy grail of Gloria English School for some
reason)
(2) Those teachers who are voted for the outstanding costume contest
winners will receive an additional bonus of NT $500.

I am not trying to sound like the Grinch who stole Halloween, but this just seems above and beyond my responsibility as a cram-school teacher, and above and beyond my financial capability. Oh well... it will be fun to freak out my students.

Any suggestions on what I should be??

south korea 3: etc.

LOOK! changing leaves! a season! fall! yay!

a Korean folk village museum

I got to eat at California Pizza Kitchen and had a 5-cheese pizza, which was amazing. In the bathroom they had a gargle-dispenser--very effective for preventing garlic-breath!

The weather was gorgeous--perfect fall temps. I thought the air was very fresh and clean, but my friend who lives there assured me that it's not!? She said it's really polluted and she often feels sick. This informed me that the air in Jhongli, Taiwan, is absolutely putrid and I should definitely be wearing my SARS mask at all times!

"Starbuck's" in Korean!

For some reason, there's a piece of the Berlin Wall in Seoul! Here it is!

After about 15 years, my childhood friend Naomi and I reconnect in Seoul. So random... and this is the only picture I have of us together--oops! I was pretty bad about picture-taking over the weekend. I guess I forget when I'm having fun! This is at a "noraebhang" or Korean karaoke place. We went with a few of Naomi's friends and sang till we lost our voices.

dancing to Britney Spears' "Hit Me Baby One More Time," haha...

*sigh* They have "Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf" in Korea. Luckies.

I went for a walk on Sunday morning and sat in a park for a while, watching people use the public exercise machines. Just watching, not exercising. (Aren't you surprised?)

It was a great weekend... like going to the States for a few days, almost. I got a taste of fall weather and what I considered to be clean air, I got to enjoy some Western delicacies like CPK pizza, and I got to spend a few days with an old friend who I haven't seen since we were pre-teens! It was a short trip, but refreshing. I was a little bummed to come back so soon when there was so much more I wished I could have seen in Korea, but maybe there'll be another chance for that. And I have a new appreciation for the super-friendly, foreigner-loving Taiwanese people I get to be blessed by every day.

south korea 2: Gyeongbokgung Palace

A statue in front of the Presidential Building

at Gyeongbokgung Palace

I found a cute... gargoyle?

at the lake

south korea 1

My trip to South Korea got off to a rocky start, due to my severe procrastination. Thursday night I went out for dinner after work and then to the night market, so I didn't get home to start laundry until midnight! And as the Time of Departure was just five hours away, I gave up any hopes of sleeping!

Here's my stack of Korean Won, and a little Korean phrase sheet I made for myself:

Ugh! SO early!


And yet... here I am at 1:45 and the only thing in my suitcase is ME!


I finished packing just a few minutes before our taxi arrived. I napped a little on the plane but it's just a 2-hour flight so I arrived in Korea very, very tired! We had to take a ferry from the airport to Seoul--here are a few pictures from the boat. It was shockingly chilly!

10-10

October 10th is Taiwan's National Day, called "Double Tenth Day." Similar to our 4th of July, this is the day the Taiwanese celebrates the birthday of the People's Republic of China (Taiwan)-- commemorating the Wuchang Uprising of October 10, 1911, which led to the collapse of the Qing dynasty.


There are parades, speeches, fireworks, etc. to celebrate, especially in Taipei, where the President will address the nation, but unfortunately I won't be around for any of it! I'm going to South Korea on Friday morning and will get back on Monday afternoon!

A parade of umbrellas in Taipei for Double Tenth Day:

A symbol often seen during Double Ten Day (it is the combination of two characters for "10" (十)

October 10th is also my dad's birthday! Last year we had a great time celebrating his 50th, and had a big party. Here are some pictures from last 10-10!

A trip to a bookstore--one of Dad's (and my) favorite places!


Dinner at The Spice

The party planners :-)A (chai) toast to Dad!

Happy Birthday, Dad! I'll be thinking of you this weekend!