1.5 Times Harder

I took an inadvertent hiatus this past month when my computer stopped working. The screen would start to have purple vertical stripes before turning completely white.  I would turn my computer off and then back on again, but the whole cycle would repeat within minutes. Getting the computer fixed should have be easy. It was still under warranty. If I was living the the US, I would know what to do. Living abroad makes things just a little bit harder. 

Here are the steps that I took to get my computer fixed: 

1. Went to the giant electronics center. They told me they do not fix computers. They just sell them. They gave me a paper with a phone number to call.

2. I called the phone number. It sounded like an answering service, but I did not know what they are saying because it is all in Chinese. 

3. I found Dell support online. With my problem, they suggested doing the chat, instead of sending an e-mail. 

4. The chat center was only open 7 am-7 pm in Central time. I wait for the window to open to message them. Even though it was in their supposed business hours, it still repeatedly said it was unavailable. 

5. I send an e-mail. I got a response within 48 business hours. They said that because I am in Taiwan and will be staying in Taiwan for an extended period of time I need to fill a form out online to change ownership. Then I can contact the service people in Taiwan. This makes absolutely no sense to me, because my computer is not changing ownership. 

6. I still filled out the forms online. They said it would take 7-15 days to process. 

7. I e-mailed the service people in Taiwan. I got a response asking for more details. 

8. Marcie helped translate the phone call for me for the number that I was given. It was someone in China and they can't help me. She contacted Dell through Facebook. 

9. Marcie called another number for me. It was the number for an engineer from Dell. I send them pictures of my computer screen. They said they will send someone on-site to fix it. 

10. Two days later, an engineer cames to my school and put in a new screen on my computer. 

It got fixed, but the whole process took about two weeks. My computer was most likely made in Taiwan. Why was it so hard? Living abroad is great most of the time, but as my roommate Josilin says, "Living abroad makes everything 1.5X harder." This is just easy enough to be tolerable and hard enough to be frustrating. Here are a couple of other things that are just a little bit harder about living here. 

Cooking
As previously mentioned, most people here will eat out more frequently than they cook for a variety of reasons. First, it is hot here, so ingredients spoil quickly. Most homes also do not have an oven, but just have a stovetop and/or a toaster oven. We recently upgraded to a bigger toaster oven. Finally, ingredients are usually expensive and sometimes hard to find. I wanted to do some baking over the holidays with our new toaster oven. I had to go to two stores to find almost everything that I needed. A bag of chocolate chips cost about $10. There were also many ingredients that I could not find. 

Buying Things/Clothes
In the United States, I can find almost everything I need at either Goodwill, Target, or Michaels. They don't have those stores here. There have been some items that I have tried to find and have not been able to. Buying clothes also poses a challenge for me. It is getting colder here and I did not pack enough (any) winter clothes. I know what you are thinking. Kristin, you are from Minnesota. It can't get that cold. Why would you need winter clothes? That is what I thought too. It does get colder here though. While the temperature does not get that low, it is a wet cold. It reminds me of when I lived in Washington. Most places also do not have heat, so there is no escaping the cold. As someone who wears plus-sized clothes, it is hard for me to find clothes that fit me here. Sizes, particularly women's sizes, run small. I have found some clothes that are "one size fits all," but that is a lie. My mom looked into sending some sweaters to me. It was about $160 for a medium-sized package. I bought some clothes online from one of the few websites that I have found that will ship here. It was a little pricy to ship and send the clothes here though. I also found a jacket in the men's department at the Taiwan equivalent of Wal-Mart. 

Language Barrier
Usually I can get by just fine by miming and speaking the very little Chinese I know. However, sometimes there is confusion on both parts, like the following real dialogue. 

Act 1:
Josilin, Tyler, and Kristin get into a car driven by a Taiwanese friend.
Josilin: to driver Will you take us to the Blue Store?
Driver: What is the Blue Store?
Tyler: It is a store that is blue. It is a chain. I don't know what the Chinese name is.
Josilin: The Blue Store?
Driver: I don't know what that is. 
Tyler: Do you know the 24 Hour store?
Josilin: It is green and is open 24 hours. 
Tyler: It has a big 24 H on it.
Driver: I don't know what that is either. 

Act 2:
Josilin and Kristin enter Family Mart to buy bus tickets to go to Taipei. They first go to the bus ticket machine, but see that it is in Chinese. They wait at the counter to be helped. There are two employees working. 
Josilin: To Family Mart employee slowly. We need a bus to Taipei. 
The woman looks confused at first. Then she seems to understand. She motions that she will be right back. Then she goes in a door through the back of the store. 
Josilin: She is going to come back with a box. She thinks I want a box.
Kristin: No, I think she understood you.
Woman comes back carrying a box. 
Josilin: motioning driving a bus We need to take a bus to Taipei. 
Family Mart employee laughs and jokingly mimes for Josilin to get in the box and drive it to Taipei. 

Being Away From Family During the Holidays
It has not felt like December or the holiday season. This is partly to do with the fact that it has been in the 70s and 80s here. There is not going to be a white Christmas for me this year. However, it is mostly due to that at this time, I usually have school off and am able to spend time with friends and family. It has been hard not seeing my friends and family. FaceTime, e-mail, and Facebook have helped me stay in contact. It is still not the same though as being home. 


So some things about living abroad no doubt are harder. That doesn't mean that it hasn't been worth it. I made a Christmas card with some of my favorite memories from this year. They are all from my time abroad. I recognize that I am very privileged to be abroad. I got to travel around Taiwan and South Korea, taught great students, met up with old friends, and made great new friends. 

Here are some of my favorite memories from this year. From upper left clockwise to lower left: Amanda, Makara, Patrick, and I in Busan, South Korea, Robin (Tyler) and Batman (me) protecting the streets of Taiwan, my third grade class on Halloween, T. Marcie and I eating Din Tai Fung, Cultural village in Busan, South Korea, my roommate Josilin and I at Rainbow Village. 

Happy Holidays!

Love, 

Kristin

From Batman to Bat Caves

Monday
 I celebrated Halloween with my students. Halloween is not a holiday that is celebrated in Taiwan. However, most English schools here do celebrate it, so my students got a little taste of Halloween. The Thursday before Halloween Teacher Tyler and I co-taught a science lesson to 5th and 6th grade. The students made predictions and then tested out which candy they thought would sink or float. Afterwards, they watched "The Haunted Mask" episode of Goosebumps. On Halloween I met with both classes. Both grades went through a very scary haunted house in the basement of our school created by the Chinese staff. It was the first haunted house I have ever been in and I was scared. Both classes also decorated pumpkins. It is very hard to find pumpkins in Taiwan, so the pumpkins we decorated were quite small (see picture). The students used hair dryers to to melt crayons on the pumpkins. The students really enjoyed the process of it. For the rest of class, we played bingo and other games to get in the Halloween spirit. It was Fried Chicken Monday that night. We watched It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown and some other Halloween episodes to celebrate. 

Clockwise from the left: Three of my 3rd grade students in our "photo booth," the foreign teachers all dressed up, Teacher Tyler and I co-teaching a science lesson to our 5th/6th grade students, two of my 3rd grade students decorating our pumpkin, and my 3rd grade class on Halloween. 

Tyler and I protecting the streets of Taichung. 

Thursday
 I tend to go back to the same restaurants to eat every week. Josilin and I decided to once a week take turns picking out a new restaurant and trying it. Since getting back from South Korea, I have been craving Korean BBQ. This week was my pick, so I chose a Korean BBQ place close to our school. Everyone in my apartment building came out to eat. It obviously wasn't as authentic as the Korean BBQ I had in Korea, but it was still good. The restaurant was called Stand Up, and as you might guess you stood up around the barbeques. Our waitress was very friendly and helped us order and cook everything. It was a fun meal with friends.  

Friday
Every other Friday there is a diner that holds a pub quiz. Josilin, Tyler, and I go almost every time. We have gotten close to winning, but have never taken home the prize. This week I was feeling good, because the theme was the 90s. We did very well on a couple of rounds (Friends, toys and electronics, 90s cartoons), but did not do so well on some other rounds (sports). Scott was the only person on our team who knew much about sports. I did know about the Nancy Kerrigan/Tonya Harding incident (thanks Weird Al). The following is my only other not-so helpful contribution. 
Host: What basketball team did Muggsy Bogues play for?
Me: Was he on the Harlem Globetrotters? I am pretty sure he was on a Scooby-Doo episode with the Harlem Globetrotters. (He wasn't)
Scott: No, he wasn't on the Globetrotters.
Me: Did he play for the Bulls? I remember him playing with Michael Jordan in Space Jam. 
Scott: He did play with Michael Jordan in Space Jam, but not in real life. 

Scott got that question right, without any help from me. We were two points off from winning. We will get it one of these days! 

Saturday
Tyler, Josilin, and I scooted to see a cave. As Josilin says, "caves are the best part of nature." It was my first longer scooter ride, so I was a little nervous. It was not bad though. It was short enough to not be uncomfortable. We were unsure whether or not the cave was okay to go inside at first. There were signs around it in Chinese, which of course we could not read. Thanks to Google Translate, we deemed that it was okay to go inside the cave. The passage inside was very narrow. We could only go in one person at a time. The floor also filled with about an inch of water. So with the flashlight on our phones turned on, we went into the cave one at a time. We didn't get very far when Josilin told us to turn around and go back because she had seen a bat. We turned around and went back outside the cave. Because the cave was so narrow, Josilin was worried that the bat would fly into her face. We stood outside the cave for a little bit deciding what to do. Tyler decided to go first and we decided to try again. We did not get very far when Tyler told us to turn around, because he had seen a giant spider. He was worried the spider was going to crawl on him and lay eggs. Once again we left the cave. We stood outside the cave once again deciding what to do. A family came with some younger children. We tried to get them to go into the cave, so we could go behind them. Some people around our age also came and stood outside the cave with us. We tried to get them to go in. One of them had a very large flashlight. We tried to communicate through English and miming that we had seen a giant spider. They just laughed at us. 

Tyler inside the cave. 

Eventually we found out that there was an exit to the cave a little bit down the way. We decided to start at the exit. Two men, including the one with the big flashlight, went in first. We got farther than we did on the other side without seeing any creepy crawlies. The two men stopped at an intersection and said that they would not go any farther because they were wearing shoes. We discussed whether or not to continue on. I said that I would go first, because I had not gone first yet. I wasn't scared of bats or spiders. I didn't get very far, when I saw the hugest spider I had ever seen. It was at least 2-3 times bigger than a tarantula with a huge body (I think it might be called a Huntsman Spider. Look it up, it is terrifying.) I turned around. I told Josilin and Tyler I had seen a huge spider. They told me that they had already told me that earlier. I did not think it would be that big though. We left the cave and visited a nearby temple. I fell asleep early Saturday night from all the day's excitement. 

We have evidence we actually made it inside the cave. 

Gnomeo training dragons. 

Sunday
I did Fitness Marshall workout videos with Tyler and Michael. Then I went to lunch with Michael and Josilin. Every so often, Josilin will host a Sunday night dinner. I had volunteered to cook this time. Josilin made queso and I made quesadillas. Cooking can be a challenge in Taiwan for a variety of reasons. Most apartments do not have ovens. It is hard to find the ingredients that you need, and it is also expensive. It is much cheaper to just eat out. I hadn't cooked in awhile though, so I was looking forward to it. Michael, Jacob, and Tyler came over for dinner and it was fun to share that community building. Afterwards, Michael, Jacob, and I went to yoga. It was a fun weekend! 

South Korea Trip

One of the advantages of living in Asia is that there is a lot to see, and you can get fairly cheap flights. My bucket list of places to see started with places where I have friends currently living. My first place I chose to visit was South Korea to visit my friend Amanda. I got approved for the vacation days and very quickly purchased tickets. The tickets were far cheaper than the flights I would buy from Minneapolis to Seattle. My plan was to spend two days exploring Seoul by myself, then I would take the train to Busan to see Amanda for the weekend. I consider myself fairly well traveled, but this was my first trip where I did some traveling on my own. I definitely made some mistakes and learned some things about myself as a traveller. 

The day before I left for my trip, I was feeling very stressed. I still had not received my new debit card from Minnesota. Thankfully, earlier in the week I had gotten a Taiwanese debit card. I had one month's pay in my account. I hoped it would be enough. I went into work very early to finish all my sub plans and tie up loose ends before I left. My roommate Josilin asked if I was ready for my trip. I told her that I did not feel prepared. I had done very little research. I had a three-day weekend the week before. Why hadn't I done more research? I wasn't packed. I hadn't even figured out when I needed to catch the bus to the airport, let alone any other transportation while I was there. Josilin had just gotten back from South Korea a few weeks earlier, so thankfully later that night she walked me through some things that momentarily calmed me down. That night I decided and figured out what time I needed to leave. I also wasn't leaving until the next evening, so I had some time in the morning to pack. 

I scooted to the bus station, took the bus, and then caught my flight to Seoul. The Incheon Airport is on an island, but there is a subway that goes directly to Seoul. Josilin had told me the night before which stop to get off on. She told me to use Google Maps once I got off the subway to find the hostel. For some reason, my Google Maps was not working. I just started walking hoping I was going in the right direction. It hit me for a moment that I was in a foreign country and I had no idea where I was. I went back and forth with trying to use Google Maps and trying to connect to Wi-Fi. Eventually I was able to connect to Wi-Fi and found out that I was walking in the wrong direction. My Google Maps started working and I was able to make my way to the hostel. By the time I got to the hostel, it was 11 pm. My flight was scheduled to land at 8:00 pm. When booking it, I had assumed I would be able to do something that night. Two of the other teachers at my school also happened to be in South Korea the same time as me, so I planned to meet up with them at the hostel. They were both asleep by the time I got there. I researched how to get the DMZ tour for the next day on my phone, then I went to bed. I did not sleep well that night. This was partly because of stress and partly because I am not used to sharing a room with five other people. 

The next morning I woke up and checked my phone. It would not turn on. I tried plugging it in, but it still would not turn on or charge. I had downloaded the Seoul Subway app on my phone to be able to get us to the DMZ tour. My friend Michael woke up and together we were able to use his phone to get to where we needed for the DMZ. My phone was very hot and still would not turn on. I questioned whether or not I would be able to go down to Busan the next day. At the DMZ tour (the demilitarized zone), we made several stops exploring the border between North and South Korea. We stopped at a lookout, where we could see North Korea. We also stopped at the last train station stop before it would enter North Korea. What I found most interesting and unnerving was going into the third infiltration tunnel. South Korea has found tunnels from North Korea underground through the south. The tunnel that we went into was big enough for 30,000 soldiers to go through in one hour. They have found four tunnels, but suspect that there are more that have not been found yet. Our tour guide was very energetic and funny. While at the observatory she told us, "North Korea is watching us with telescopes right now, please do not do anything to make them angry." Even though there is tension between North and South Korea, people still talk about when Korea will be reunited as one country again. It is somthing that Koreans hope will happen in the future. 

Michael and I went back to the hostel to have a quick rest. I tried to get my phone to work using a variety of things that the internet told me to do. I still could not get it to work. Michael, very graciously, said that I could use his Ipad for when I went to Busan. Busan was back on! The rest of the day in Seoul, Michael, Scott, and I walked around and went to see Miss. Peregrine's Home For Peculiar Children as a 4D movie. In a 4D movie, the seats would move to go along with the movie. Everything that the characters touched or felt, we would also feel. For example, in one scene it was raining, so we felt a mist of rain. I enjoyed the movie for the 4D effects. 

The next morning I used the hostel computer to try and figure out how to take the KTX (high speed rail) down to Busan. I bought my ticket and thought I could print it at the hostel. The printer at the hostel was not working, so I figured I would just show them my confirmation number at the ticket place. I had really wanted to go to a dog cafe, but found that they opened too late for me to be able to catch my train. Also, because my phone was not working I did not have a way to figure out the navigation. I had to check out of the hostel by 11, so Michael, Scott, and I started exploring after I checked out. We walked to Bukchon Hanok Village to see a more traditional village in Seoul. It is still a residential area, so there were signs all over reminding visitors of this and to keep quiet voices. We found a place to eat lunch. 

I had calculated the time I would need to make it to the station to catch my train. I checked the time and realized that it was going to be close. I said goodbye to Michael and Scott and used Michael's Ipad to find the closest subway station. I could only find the subway I needed going in the opposite direction. I tried to find a different entrance, but still could not find the right subway. The station that I was supposed to transfer to wasn't that far away, so I started walking there. Again, I had a hard time finding the right entrance. Eventually, a man asked if I needed help and pointed me in the right direction for the subway I needed. While waiting in line, another man also waiting to get on the subway approached me. He asked if I spoke English. We chatted the whole subway ride and he walked me through what I needed to do to catch the KTX. He was a theology professor who had had several sabbaticals in the United States. Right when I was about to get off, I asked him what his name was. His answer: Moses. 

I arrived at the train station an hour after my train departed. I got in line to buy another train ticket. I got to the train station at 4:00 and got a ticket for the 4:20 train. It was very easy buying my ticket and finding my train. I slept for quite a bit of my 3.5 hour train ride. Finally, I made it to Busan and found Amanda. We dropped my stuff off at her apartment and headed for the beach. At the beach, we watched a light show on the bridge. After I had purchased my tickets to come to South Korea, I had found out that my friends Makara and Patrick were moving to South Korea in September. I let them know I was around and they came to Busan to the weekend to see me. All of us met up at a very good pizza place and then we moved to a bar called Thursday Party. There, we played darts, talked, and I finally felt like I was able to relax. 

Amanda, Makara, Patrick, and I at Thursday Party. It felt a little bit like a cross-over episode with a friend from my hometown meeting friends from university. 

The next day, Amanda took me to a temple. It was actually the first temple that I have been to while in Asia (I know, shame on me). There was a festival going on at the temple, where there were various free stations that you could go to with a stamp card. Amanda and I had our names written in Korean, made a bracelet, and got a rice cake. There was also a station where people could try on a traditional Hanbok. We were hesitant, being two white girls from the Midwest who are aware of cultural appropriation. At the urging of the people at the booth, we tried on the Hanboks. "Picture by tree," the man helping us said. We moved over by a tree and he took our picture along with several other people nearby. 

For lunch, Amanda took me to a restaurant by her house and I had noodle soup. She wanted to try something new, with help from the internet she made her order. She described it as "earthy" and said I should try some."  While she was still eating, she messaged her friend to ask what she had ordered. It was clotted pig and cow blood. We went back to Amanda's apartment and I tried to figure out the best way to get to the airport. I also plugged in my phone and it finally started to charge! I needed to get back to Incheon airport for my flight the next morning. There was an airport in Busan, but again I did not research enough to know this. I could take the KTX, but the only problem was that the last one was 11:00 pm and it did not start until morning, which would not get me to the airport in time. Amanda helped me find a slow train to take me to Seoul that left at 11:00 pm. I dropped my baggage a locker in a subway station. 

Amanda and I met up with Makara and Patrick to go to Gamcheon Cultural Village. It was fun to walk around and see all of the colorful houses. There were also lots of little fun, artistic shops to walk around and see. The view wasn't too bad either. 

Gamcheon Cultural Village in Busan, South Korea.

Gnomeo enjoyed the view too!

After exploring the cultural village, we explored the downtown area of Busan. Amanda described it as the "Times Square of Busan." There were lots of people walking around and the street was buzzing. We walked around for awhile, and found a Korean BBQ place. Everyone showed me the ins and outs of eating Korean BBQ and I had my first experience trying soju. I would highly recommend mixing soju with something else. 

All the good fixing at the Korean BBQ. 

After BBQ, we went to an arcade which had noraebang (karaoke) rooms. The rooms were very small and just fit the four of us. We belted out songs and the machine in the room would give us a score on how we did. Our final song, fittingly, was "Bye Bye Bye" by NSYNC, which we got 100 on. We rode the subway back to get my luggage. Then, I bought my train ticket for the ride back to Seoul. I was early for my train, mostly because I was paranoid about missing it again. There were chairs left out by the train station because they had had a Chinese culture fest. We all sat around and talked and it was wonderful. Amanda, Makara, and Patrick walked me to my train and we said our goodbyes. Although Seoul had been stressful to me, Busan had been a blast. I really enjoyed seeing and visiting with my friends. 

My train left at 11 pm. I slept the majority of the 5.5 hour ride. I arrived at Seoul Station at 4:30. Subways did not start until 5:30, so I waited around a bit at the station. I caught the Subway to the airport. I was very early for my flight, but that was okay. I met up with Michael and Scott who happened to be on the same flight home as me. As much fun as I had in South Korea, I was excited to go back home and see my Taiwan family. 

Almost home!

Initial impressions of South Korea:

• The weather was much cooler than in Taiwan. I really enjoyed it, because to me it felt like fall weather. 
• The public transportation system is fantastic! Despite having issues finding that one subway, the subway system is easy to use and very convenient. The trains were also very easy to use. It was fairly easy to figure out. 
• Fashion was on-point. I think I could have just sat around and people watched to see the clothes that people wore. 
• There is much more of a drinking culture in South Korea than Taiwan. 
• It is a place that I would definitely go back to and explore more! 

Lessons learned:

• You should take into account all travel time, including how long it will take you to get to the airport to where ever you are going. 
• Know where you are going and how to get there with at least a general sense. 
• I need a private room to be able to sleep. 
• Phones are really useful when traveling. 
• I am not the type of person who can go to a country and spontaneously figure out how to do things. I need to do lots of research before I go otherwise it will give me stressness. 
• It is wonderful to meet up with friends abroad. Also, it is so helpful to have friends to show you around. 

September's End

September marks a month of change. The weather changes with the start of fall. Students go back to school and go back to their normal schedules. I had already been teaching the majority of my students for a month, but they started Chinese school. I started my normal teaching schedule. In school, we have been doing less ice breakers and routines and have been starting to rigorously dig into the curriculum. Even with the changes, I have been able to develop some routines. One of the routines is Fried Chicken Monday (FCM), where some of the other teachers and I get fried chicken and watch TV. Both inside and outside of school it was an incredibly busy month. We had a four-day weekend, where Josilin and I took a day trip to Taipei. There were three typhoons with two typhoon days. I also finally got a scooter and my Alien Resident Card (ARC).  Here is a look at some of the things that I did this month.

Click on the picture to get a better view and to be able to read it better. 

Honeymoon's Over

This past week I found myself facing several frustrations (listed below) that made it clear that there are some challenges with living in a foreign country. Here are some of the realities I faced this week. I fully realize that these are very much first world problems.

1. First, my bank issued new debit cards with chips in them. They sent mine to my former address, even though I had given them my parent's address as a forwarding address. They cancelled all the old debit cards, so I no longer have a working debit card. I just got paid, so I have money. It is annoying that I am without one. I will need it by the time I go to South Korea in less than a month. My parents are planning on mailing it to me when they get back from vacation. 
2. My schedule at work changed in September. Since the students have started Chinese school, I see them afterward. This means I go into work a lot later and get done at 7:00 pm. I am someone who wakes up early, so this has been an adjustment for me. I would rather go into work earlier and get done earlier. At times it feels like I am just waiting around until work. I am still figuring out things to do here during the day and how to productively use my time. Also, see below. 
3. In August, I would ride my bike to work when it wasn't raining. With my change in schedule, by the time I get off work it is rush hour and dark. So I have been taking the bus and getting rides from people. The buses do not seem to run as frequently at night and it takes me a lot longer to get home because of rush hour.  On two occasions, I have waited about 40 minutes for a bus. This happens at night when I am tired from work and just want to get home and eat dinner. At this point it is really convenient not having a scooter. 

These things are all pretty small. Together though, they made me a little cranky, a little bummed, and a little irritable the past week. It made me realize that sadly my honeymoon in Taiwan is over. When I first came to Taiwan, one of the administrators said that we would eventually come down from the high of being here. I kind of shrugged it off. Now I completely understand. Everything is not shiny, bright, and new. I am not just on vacation. I am living in a foreign country and there are definitely aspects of my life that are more difficult abroad. 

Leslie Knope asks her constituents, "Are you better off than a year ago?" 

To get some perspective, I turned to the wonderful Leslie Knope. After her first year as a city councilwoman, she faced being recalled. She asked her constituents,"are you better off than a year ago?" This is a question that I posed to myself too. Am I better off than I was a year ago? Absolutely. At this time last year, I was working as a long-term substitute in a school that I would dread going to each day. I was working with people that I did not particularly care for. Here I am still enjoying my job, I am surrounded by wonderful people, and I get to experience living in a wonderful country. I recognize that I am very privliged to be able to do these things. Also, many of my frustrations are small and very fixable. The debit card will get sent to me. I can research more what to do during the day and spend more time developing good writing habits. I can inquire more about scooters that are for sale, instead of waiting for one to magically appear. 

An event this weekend also gave me some perspective. We had a four-day weekend and were originally going to go down south to go to a yacht party. The party ending up getting cancelled because there were not one, but two typhoons. So instead of going south, my roommate and I took a day trip to Taipei (more on this later). As we were taking the bus back, we both were pretty wiped out. I mentioned that I would probably go to bed almost right away after getting home. We had not been gone long, but I still looked forward to returning home. Without even thinking about it, I called Taiwan home.  Even though my honeymoon period is over with living in Taiwan, calling Taiwan home is better than the honeymoon, vacation stage. 

Since this post is kind of a bummer, I want to end on a positive note. Here are a couple of recommendations of things I watched, listened to, read, and did this week that made me happy. 

Watch/Listen: 
The music video for the song "Soy Yo" by Bomba Estéreo. The song itself is very catchy and features interludes of recorder. The music video makes me love this song even more. It shows a Latina girl shutting down various haters throughout her city. I have watched it on repeat this week, as did my friends after I played it for them. 

Listen:
I recently took a four hour walk and binged on this podcast. The podcast is put on by two long-distance best friends who talk about the news, feminism, and what it is like to be a woman today. There have been so many moments while listening that I found myself thinking, "this is something other women experience too?"  
http://www.callyourgirlfriend.com/episodes

Read: 
Neil Gaiman's 2012 Keynote to the University of the Arts
This is something that I reread every couple of months. Neil Gaiman always gives fantastic advice and wisdom. His speech here focuses on the importance of making good art no matter what is happening in your life.  
http://www.uarts.edu/neil-gaiman-keynote-address-2012

Do: 
The workout videos from the Fitness Marshall's YouTube Channel. He does dance workouts to current pop hits. My friend Tyler introduced me to the channel and we have done the workouts a couple of times this week. Dancing it out really helped my mood this week. My favorite is to Justin Bieber's "Cold Water," which is below. 

Talk to Strangers

When I was little, we watched a video called "Too Smart For Strangers" in school. The video featured people in creepy costumes of Winnie the Pooh characters talking and singing about what to do if a stranger approaches you. I really enjoyed this video and found it very informative. Later that day when my family went to the movie rental place, I saw the video and even asked my parents if we could get rent it. My parents rightfully said no, because it is a very odd thing for a six-year-old to want to watch. Even with only one viewing, I understood the message of the video loud and clear. Strangers are bad people who want to do bad things to you.

Here is the video cover of "Too Smart for Strangers" for your convenience. 

In middle school, my friend Sarah was the first person to show me how not only how to talk to strangers, but also how to have a meaningful conversation with a stranger. She would ask a waiter what they liked to do in their free time or ask a lifeguard at Wisconsin Dells what it was like to work there. Remarkably, even though we were strangers to them too these strangers would share very personal stories with us.These were strangers, and yet when we talked to them they didn't seem dangerous.  I started becoming less afraid to talk to strangers, and not just talking to them but asking them personal questions about their lives. As an introvert, frequently it is even easier talking to strangers, because there is less risk. These conversations are fleeting, but also very valuable. 

Kio Stark recently gave a TED Talk called, "Why You Should Talk to Strangers." (https://www.ted.com/talks/kio_stark_why_you_should_talk_to_strangers?language=en). In it she says, 

" . . . in many parts of the world, we're raised to believe that strangers are dangerous by default, that we can't trust them, that they might hurt us. But most strangers aren't dangerous. We're uneasy around them because we have no context. We don't know what their intentions are. So instead of using our perceptions and making choices, we rely on the category of 'stranger.'"

This was definitely me and I am so glad that I can usually muster up some courage to talk to strangers, because it makes travelling and living in a different country so much more enjoyable. Living abroad it is near impossible not to talk to strangers. Frequently, I will get asked where I am from and what I am doing in Taiwan. People are curious as to what I am doing in Taiwan and what I think about this country. I have also needed to start conversations to ask for help and also just out of curiosity about the lives of others. There are two main benefits that I get from my conversations with strangers that Stark also addresses in her TED Talk. 

The first benefit is that these conversations makes me feel like I am a part of a community. My roommate Josilin, who has been here for two years, can't go anywhere without running into a "friend." Timothy at Family Mart always seems excited when he sees me. There is a cook at a restaurant I frequent, who speaks limited English, but she still smiles and waves at me when I come in. Our relationship is not just a business transaction. She recognizes me; she sees me. 

Talking to strangers also makes me aware of my own bias. When I was younger, I put everyone in the category of stranger or friend. Now I know that strangers are not necessarily dangerous. My brain still puts strangers into categories, which is biased. Stark writes,

"When you think about it, using perception instead of categories is much easier said than done. Categories are something our brains use. When it comes to people, it's sort of a shortcut for learning about them. We see male, female, young, old, black, brown, white, stranger, friend, and we use the information in that box. It's quick, it's easy, and it's a road to bias. And it means we're not thinking about people as individual." 

Here it is easy to put people into two categories: foreigner and non-foreigner. My brain puts people into these two categories mostly based on skin color. This shows my bias. I have met people who were Asian, that I falsely assumed were from Taiwan who ended up being foreigners.  I have also heard that some schools here will not hire foreign teachers if they are Asian because upon first glance it is not clear whether or not they are foreigners. Another bias I have recognized while being here is that because I work with mostly American teachers, my first inclination is also to assume that every white person I see is American. As I have started conversations, I have met white people from South Africa, Canada, and various parts of Europe. Now that I am aware of these biases, I can work to fix them. When I put people in these categories, I am not seeing them as individuals. After having a conversation with them, I see others not as a foreigner or a local, but as Jimmy from California who knows a lot about world capitals. I made a connection with my Uber driver, who had visited Minnesota to go to the 3M headquarters. In a world where there is so much rampant and blatant xenophobia and racism, it is a start to have a simple conversation with a stranger to see others as an individual and not a category. 

Admittedly, it is easier for me to talk to strangers in a different country or while traveling. In the United States, I am far less bold. Different countries have various unspoken norms when it comes to friendliness with strangers. In Denmark, people would rather miss their stop on the train than ask someone to move out of their way so they can get off. Taiwan was just rated the best place to make friends (http://indy100.independent.co.uk/article/the-best-and-worst-countries-in-the-world-for-making-friends--WkbWdgjoXdZ). People are very friendly to foreigners. However, one of the Taiwanese teachers at my school told me that it is very un-Taiwanese-like to strike up a conversation with another Taiwanese person in public. People stick to their social hubs of family, school, and work to make friends. It takes a shift in thinking about how we see others. For me it took a shift in thinking with what I was taught in school at a young age in regards to strangers. 

The ability not to default strangers as dangerous starts with children. By only giving children the categories of stranger and friend, it does society a disservice. It is important to teach children that some strangers do not have the best intentions, but not all strangers are bad by default. The recent news cycle of Jacob Wetterling's body being found in Minnesota (http://www.startribune.com/danny-heinrich-confesses-to-abducting-and-killing-jacob-wetterling/392438361/) and the story of clowns trying to luring kids into the woods are just two examples of strangers not having the best intentions (http://www.cbsnews.com/news/clown-sightings-reports-of-clowns-luring-kids-expand-into-second-state-south-carolina-north-carolina/). Instead of teaching that all strangers are dangerous by default like I learned with "Too Smart For Strangers," teach kids how to use their perceptions instead of categories to know when it is okay to be friendly and when it is not. Everyone you know was a stranger at one point in time, so go out and talk to a stranger!  

Snapshots from Taiwan

I have not written a blog post in a while. The reason for this is that I have been rather busy the past two weeks. Like any teacher at the start of school, I have stayed late during the week to plan and finish setting up my classroom. Outside of teaching, I have also been busy spending time getting to know the other teachers at my school. I have lived in Taiwan for two months now and it is clear that there is a difference between visiting a country for a vacation and living there for an extended period of time. While I feel like I should constantly be exploring and taking advantage of my time here, I also have to do mundane day-to-day routines like I would in the states. I still need to take time to work out, pay bills, and wash the dishes. I feel the need to explore, but also the need to make sure I get everything I need to done. I'm still figuring out how to balance both. Here are some snapshots from the past couple of weeks of my time here.

Ghost Month

One day I was modeling how to read to someone and sit EEKK (elbow elbow knee to knee) style. I told my student that was helping me how we were going to sit. 

      "Teacher," he said, "you cannot. It is Ghost Month." 

What he was talking about is that every year around August, it is believed that the gates to the underworld open and lets spirits visit the living for a month. During this time people will set out food for the ghosts and burn yellow paper "money" for the ghosts. There are many practices and rules during this month. Some of these rules include: 

1. Don't turn around if someone taps you on the shoulder. (What the student thought I was going to do)
2. Don't hang your clothes out at night. 
3. Don't go swimming, especially in the ocean. 
4. Don't whistle, especially at night. 

I am sure I broke several taboos during ghost month, including swimming. I ain't afraid of no ghosts. However, one day when I was swimming laps at the pool in my apartment, something a little creepy happened. There was a dad and several small children swimming in the pool at my apartment at the same time as me. Everyone got out of the pool, except for this one boy. I was kicking and keeping an eye on him. Where were his grownups? He was walking around the pool and looking at the bottom like he had dropped something and couldn't find it. He would dive down to the bottom and then come back up. He did this several times. I looked away for a second and he was gone. Worried that he was drowning, I went over to where he had been, but there was no trace of him. I told the story to my students, which led to a divided discussion of whether or not he was a ghost. They still ask me if I have seen him while swimming. 

Food and Friends

This is from a couple of weeks ago when I went out to dinner at a traditional Taiwanese restaurant with some of the other teachers at our school (Marcie, Josilin, and Jill). Afterwards we had ice cream. 

When I went to college on the West Coast, I loved getting bubble tea. I had no idea that it was invented in Taiwan. Here is bubble tea from the original bubble tea house. 

Exploring Taichung

Admittedly, I have not even made a dent in exploring Taichung. My roommate is a great tour guide and is willing to take me to all the sights. The picture above is from Rainbow Village. The story behind Rainbow Village is that a neighborhood was going to be torn down and redeveloped. Rainbow Grandpa, as he is now called, painted all of the buildings to try to prevent it from being redeveloped. It is still standing and attracts many visitors. 

This is one of the many markets in Taichung. This one specializes in selling jade, but also sells other goods. While at this market we visited a tea seller, who took the time to brew tea for us. 

Puli

Embarrassingly enough, I had  yet to venture outside of Taichung. So this weekend when my friend Tyler invited me to go on a day trip to a farm, I jumped at the chance. Originally we were going to take a car and then the morning of it was decided that we were going to scoot. Tyler doubled me with our friend Michael leading the way. Michael said that he knew a longer, but more scenic route. The more scenic route led us through the mountains. Tyler's scooter does not have great brakes, so every time we went downhill it was a little scary. When we stopped at an overlook Michael asked if we had enjoyed the view. Tyler and I mentioned that we didn't notice much of the view because we were afraid we were going to drive off the mountain. After three hours of scooting, we arrived at the city of Puli and convinced Michael to stop and spend the day there. We went to the local information center and got recommendations for what to see. The first stop was a paper making plant. We went on a tour (in Chinese) and then printed on our own paper. It was interested to see the process of how it was done from pulp to paper. The above picture is two of the workers at the plant turning the paper we made into a fan. 

We also went to a chocolate shop, a brewery, and a park. In Taiwan, I have found that things are often not what you would expect them to be (see my last post). They had recommended that we go to King Garden at the information center. In my mind I picture a garden with flowers, plants, and as a place to enjoy nature. Silly me! The "garden" was actually a castle with shops inside, a giant chessboard, and cardboard cutouts of world leaders as characters in movies. The cutouts included Hitler as Kill Bill and Hillary and Bill Clinton as Mr. and Mrs. Smith. I mentioned to Tyler, Michael, and Jacob that it wasn't what I expected from a garden. They told me that this is Taiwan and I better get used to it. :)

16 Things That Mean Something Different in Taiwan

My transition to living in Taiwan has been fairly easy. That is not to say that there have not been some adjustments. Here are sixteen things that mean something different in Taiwan.

1. scooter

United States: Maybe this is because I am child of the 90s, but I always picture children on Razor scooters. 

Taiwan: If you saw my last post, you know scooting is very different in Taiwan. A scooter is like a Vespa and is the preferred way to transport adults, children, dogs, and IKEA furniture, frequently all at the same time.

 2. doctor

United States: Something that is done occasionally for more serious ailments, because going to the doctor is expensive. 

Taiwan: Something that is done for every ailment, because it is cheap. This past week I had a cold and I was asked if I had gone to the doctor yet. 

3. garbage day

United States: People pay money to have garbage trucks come to your house and pick up the trash on a certain day of the week. 

Taiwan: Garbage day is almost every day. Trucks come around playing classical music (that sounds deceptively like ice cream truck music) and people bring their garbage to the truck. The Taiwan picture is from this past week by my apartment. 

4. tissue

United States: What you use to blow your nose with. 

Taiwan: Frequently interchangeable with napkins, tissue, and toilet paper.

5. mask

United States: Something that is worn as part of a costume, like on Halloween. 

Taiwan: Something that is worn when one is sick to prevent others from getting sick. Also, masks can be worn while scooting to avoid exhaust fumes.

6. nap

United States: Something that is done by small children almost daily and by adults on occasion. I rejected this idea in preschool and would practice tying knots in my shoes instead of sleeping. 

Taiwan: Something that is done on a daily basis by both adults and children. At my school from 12-1 pm every day students pull out cots and have nap time. All students and teachers sleep during this time, because people go to bed later. Pictured are my students' cots in my classroom. 

7. dessert

                       United States: A wide range of sugar-filled choices to be eaten after meals. e.g. cake

Taiwan: A smaller range of less sweet choices that are eaten pretty unfrequently. e.g. sponge cake with fruit. This is a picture of the birthday cake one of my students brought to school. 

8. shower

United States: Something that is usually done daily or after a workout. 

Taiwan: Something that is done 2-3 times a day or after every time you go outside to wash the sweat off.

9. shoes

United States: Typically one pair that is put on for the day. 

Taiwan: Includes street shoes, which are taken off before going inside school, inside shoes, and bathroom shoe varieties. Pictured are bathroom shoes at my school that all the kids share and put on when they go to the bathroom. 

10. 7-11

United States: A gas station known for Slurpees. 

Taiwan: A convenience store known for quick food, ATMs, bill paying, taxi calling, ticket counter, and everything you could possibly ever need.

11. glass of water

United States: A large glass that is cold and usually filled with ice. 

Taiwan: A small glass that is usually lukewarm temperature with no ice. Ice is thought to be unhealthy, as is drinking things that are very cold. 

12. spoon

United States: see picture

Taiwan: see picture

13. swimming

United States: Something that is done in summer outside or indoor for recreational or workout purposes. 

Taiwan: Something that is done outside for two months of the year, because otherwise it is not hot enough. It is done for recreational and workout purposes. For both purposes it involves wearing a swim cap and stretching for about 20-25 minutes before entering the pool.

14. New Year

United States: Celebrated in January and involves staying up until midnight, hats, countdowns, and noise makers. 

Taiwan: Celebrated in end of January/beginning of February and involves closing businesses and travelling to visit family.

15. Eating out/cooking

United States: Eating out is something that is done once in awhile, like on special occasions. Cooking is done most frequently and often involves and oven/stove. 

Taiwan: Eating out is done at least one meal a day. It is less expensive than cooking. Most living spaces do not have an oven, but instead use a toaster oven.

16. cute

United States: An adjective most commonly used to describe children and baby animals. 

Taiwan: "Ke ai" in Chinese.  An adjective used to describe everything. 

Getting Back on the (Metaphorical) Horse

When it gets hot in Minnesota, everyone heads up to the lake for some boating. My family did not have a boat, but we would be invited to go out boating by our friends the Hogans. For us kids, the best part of boating was always going tubing. We would all pile up on inner tubes that were connected to the boat by a rope. We would get pulled along until one of us fell off. There were different hand signals to give the driver. A thumbs up meant go faster and a thumbs down went to slow down. Although there were five of us kids, I was always in charge of doing the hand signals. Even though I was not the youngest. I got this job because while my brother was a daredevil, I was always the most cautious. This is something that has continued for me when there is the potential for bodily harm. I have passed up opportunities to sky dive and bungee jump in my travels because I am not a risk taker when in comes to potential broken bones or injury. 

As previously mentioned, scooting is the preferred method of traveling for people in Taiwan. At first I did not think that I would scoot at all. Drivers are crazy. They very frequently will run red lights. Honking in Taiwan means watch out I'm about to do something stupid and dangerous. Scooters go in between cars and are very close together. I grew up where everyone puts a buffer seat between people when sitting down, gives enough room for Martin Luther/the Holy Ghost to go in-between two people when dancing, and gives at least a car length of space in between cars. There is nothing between you and other people and cars. I was decidedly against it. There was too much risk. Then, I doubled with someone on a scooter and after a couple of times found it not as scary as I first thought. One of the other teachers, Tyler, gave me a scooter lesson in areas that there were no cars. It was fun. I wanted a scooter of my own. 

Doubling with Tyler on my first scooter ride. 

While he went home for the month of July, Tyler let me have his scooter. We rode to school together and then he walked home so that I could drive back on my own. I was a little flustered because I did not fully know the way back home. While I felt that I had decent control when practicing, I suddenly did not feel very balanced or in control. I turned down a street and found that the street I wanted to go on was a one-way in the wrong direction. I went to turn, did not turn tight enough and I ran into the side of a car that was turning the same way. No one was hurt, but the car was scratched. The driver got out of the car and started speaking to me in Chinese. I wasn't sure what to do. I messaged Tyler and my roommate Josilin, who told me to go back to the school to get someone to translate. Thankfully, I still was close to the school so I got one of the Taiwanese staff who came out with me and spoke to the driver. They traded contact information and I agreed to pay to fix the damages. Have I mentioned yet how helpful everyone is in Taiwan? The Taiwanese staff at the school is especially wonderful. I ended up taking a taxi home. I was determined to work my way up to scooting home by the end of the month. 

Marcie, one of the Taiwanese teachers I work with, came to my apartment and showed me how to take the bus. The first week of school went by and I did not scoot at all.I checked once to make sure the scooter was still there. Week two I was determined to actually practice. I went to school on my day off to practice. I struggled with even getting the central kickstand up so I could drive. I practiced in the alley behind the school for about 20 minutes and then I had had enough. I was determined to practice more little by little. Meanwhile, other new teachers already seemed like experts. How come it was so easy for others and not for me?

I'm not the only one who has troubles scooting.

That weekend, the teacher who had helped me with the accident messaged me with an estimate of what the damages would cost. It was expensive, way more than I was expecting for just a scratch. She said she tried to negotiate, but that was as low as they were willing to go. If we did not pay that amount they would go to the police station to fill out an accident report and the damage expenses would be even more expensive. I was incredibly discouraged, vowing that I would just relegate myself to biking or the bus. It was a night when I was tired, hot, and very itchy from bug bites. For the first time in Taiwan I was unhappy. I didn't wish that I was still living in the U.S., but I realized that some things were definitely harder here. I went to bed early, hoping I would wake up with a more positive outlook. 

I Facetimed with my parents and told them the estimate. While they acknowledged that it was not a small amount, they said minor car accidents can cost thousands of dollars. I was just used to things in Taiwan being so cheap. It calmed me down. Still, I did not practice scooting for the whole next week. When I came back from the wedding, I had a slight problem. Tyler would be back on Friday. The scooter was still at school. I needed to find a way to get it home. I was talking to another Teacher Jill, another Taiwanese teacher that I work with. She told me scooting wasn't that hard and that it was just like riding a bicycle. I didn't tell her that my parents didn't teach me how to ride a bike until third grade because they didn't think I was coordinated enough. She told me it would be very inconvenient to be without a scooter, especially when all of the other teachers have one.  Teacher Jill told me that I could come to school on Friday to practice and then I could follow her home. 

Inaccurate portrayal of scooting.  You led me astray Roman Holiday.

I was very nervous on Friday. While on the bus to school though, I saw something wonderful. A woman was riding her scooter with her legs on the sides so that she could put her feet down if she needed to stop. I went to school and tried it. It made scooting much easier and I felt more comfortable. I could stop when I needed to and it helped with my balance. I circled the block a couple of times and then told Teacher Jill I was ready. We went very slowly. So slowly, in fact, that at the stopped light another teacher asked Jill if something was wrong with her scooter. I made it though and it was okay. 

The next day Tyler came back, so I assumed he would want his scooter back right away. Instead we went to breakfast and I again drove the scooter. This time I felt comfortable putting my feet up on the scooter once I got going. I think slowly I will get more and more comfortable on the scooter. Driving felt okay.  I will probably get a scooter eventually, but I am in no rush. As Teacher Marcie says, "In Taiwan, if you don't have a scooter, you don't have your feet." I got teased a little bit for going so slowly. But it reminded me of the quote "stay in your own lane. There is less traffic there." I stayed to the right in mostly my own lane while other passed me by. There was still traffic, but I could go at my own pace. It was also a good reminder that I shouldn't compare myself and get discouraged by the progress of other teacher's scooting. After all, they are in a completely different lane.