I Feel Like

       Conversations with my friend Jacob will sometimes fall into a pattern. He will bring up a topic. 
       "I feel like . . ." will usually be my response with my opinions on the topic. 
       "You feel?" He asks jokingly. 
He has the right to joke about this. I say this a lot. Usually because I am just saying my opinion or because I am not quite sure whether my facts are correct. Still when I could say "I think" or "I believe" or "in my opinion," but it always comes back "I feel." 
        Earlier in the year, after many of these conversations, we compared our Myers-Briggs personality inventory. We had similar results. He was a INTP, while I was a INFP.  The one letter difference is on how we supposedly make decisions. He is a T, said to make decisions with thinking and logic. I am an F, said to make decisions based on feelings. We laughed that once again it circled back to how I feel. At first I was skeptical of this result. As a woman especially, I have felt that I often show the correct emotions at the correct times. I don't cry often. I am not overly expressive, except around those that I know very well. It takes a lot to make me angry.  How could I make decisions based on feelings, when my range of feelings feels so small? 


        While thinking about this more, I found it is is true. I do make decisions based on feelings, it just isn't based on my feelings of emotions. My feelings take the form of a voice in my head. Now when people usually mention voices in their head, it is as a joke about mental health issues. Whether you call this voice your conscience or God or your inner compass or just your brain, that voice is valuable. It tells me "this is right" or "it is time." It gives me all the feelings I need. In one Facebook post(https://www.facebook.com/GilbertLiz/photos/a.356148997800555.79726.227291194019670/1188021294613317/?type=3), Elizabeth Gilbert writes about that inner voice that she also hears. She mentions a friend in academia who was interviewing accomplished women on their success. She asked them questions how they had gotten so far they gave the usual answers. But then, they asked to turn off the recorder and go off the record. Every single one of them said that they heard a voice telling them what to do next, and they listened. So, I listen to this voice inside. 
           Although sometimes, that voice goes dormant. I listen to it, but it doesn't respond. I get anxious. I don't know what I want. I can't make decisions. The voice eventually comes back though, even if it is just a whisper saying "not this." So,  it says "not this" and I will leave a job without having another one lined up. It says "not this" and I will pack up and move to a new city. It will say "not this" even though I don't know what I want, but I know it isn't this. (Elizabeth Gilbert also has a great post on this that I revisit frequently. Read it here. (https://www.facebook.com/GilbertLiz/posts/1004594839622631:0)

Here is a poem by Shel Silverstein, that also talks about the inner voice. 

        In January I had to make the decision of whether or not to stay in Taiwan at my current position. I was offered a contract in November. I didn't hear the voice and I couldn't make a decision. I move so much, wouldn't it be nice to stay in one place for awhile? Leaving would mean saying goodbye to my students and a country I love. In December, I heard the voice say "not this," so I said no without another job lined up. I interviewed for a school in Germany and was offered a position. I did not have a good feeling about this school. The voice told me again "not this." I said no even though I had no other offers or any other prospects of jobs. I was discouraged, but trusted that something else would come along. I had a few interviews, but I wasn't having strong feelings about any of the schools I talked with. 
       Then, things started to click into place. I had signed up for two international job fairs. Although I could not physically attend the fair, schools could access my profile and contact me for interviews. While in Japan with my parents, the first of these two job fairs was happening. I was discouraged because these schools would likely hire everyone at the fair. While in Japan with my parents, I got several e-mails from schools. None of them seemed appealing. They were mostly in places I didn't want to live or go to. I told my mom that I had heard from a school in Honduras, but was going to turn it down because I wanted to live somewhere safer. 
       "Kristin, we really liked when we went to Honduras. You should research these places before you automatically reject them. They might not be as dangerous as you think." 
         I researched the city where the school was located in Honduras. It was up until very recently the murder capital of the world. I e-mailed them back saying I was not interested, but was at least trying to keep an open mind. I heard from a school in Columbia. I was keeping an open mind. I e-mailed them to ask some follow-up questions about the school. They said they would prefer to answer the questions over Skype. I skyped with the principal. The school was in a gated, mining community of 3000 people. Hard pass. At the end of the interview the principal asked when when I would be getting to the fair (this was the second fair now). I told him I wasn't able to go. He said I should let the fair know, so they could update my profile. I let the fair know. 
        When my parents were in Taiwan I got an e-mail from a school in El Salvador. I was keeping an open mind. The school said that they saw my profile. They were very sad that I wasn't attending the fair, but wanted to do a Skype interview. They said I matched what they were looking for in a candidate. I got up very early to have a Skype interview. The next day I interviewed with the elementary principal. She asked me where their school was on my list. I said it was my top pick. She said that I was their top candidate.  The director of the school had worked in Shakopee and Fargo. It was a third grade position, which is my favorite grade. Finally, I had feelings. Finally, I heard the voice that said, "this is right." They offered me the job and I accepted. 

This was taken at the Pinxi Lantern Festival shortly after I accepted the job. Picture by Tyler. 

Shortly after I accepted the job, I went to the Pinxi Lantern Festival. During this festival, people will write their hopes for the new year on a lantern. They light it and then it floats off into the sunset. The colors represent different meanings. The white is for a bright future. I write all of my hopes for the rest of this school year and the upcoming school year on my lantern. A man helped me light it. "1,2,3, . . . dreams come true," he said as it floated into the air. Although El Salvador is going to be very different from Taiwan. The voice inside my head tells me "this is right." I feel like it is the right decision and it will be good. 

A Comparative Education

Every year during January and February, I get nostalgic for the time I spent teaching in Namibia. I taught in Namibia through a course in my university where teachers could do two months of their student teaching in a placement in Windhoek, Namibia. The course was called "A Comparative Education in Namibia." The experience made me think about differences in education between the United States and Namibia and education on a global level. The experience in Namibia is what made me want to pursue teaching abroad again. While in Taiwan, I have had time to once again compare teaching in the United States, Namibia, and Taiwan. I thought that I would take some time to compare the education in Namibia, the United States, and Taiwan here. These comparisons reflect only my limited, personal experiences. It should also be noted that while there are differences, I am not saying one system is better than the others. Rather, each place has a complex education system with different strengths and weaknesses. 

Here I am with some of my 5th grade students in Namibia.

Getting to School

United States

The majority of students will take the bus to school. Students may also be dropped off or walk to school. 

 Namibia

Students usually walk, sometimes for miles, to get to school. 

Taiwan
There are no school buses. Instead, there are vans that provide transportation for kindergartners. Parents mostly provide transportation through cars, city buses, or scooters. 

My class last year in the United States on a Peace Walk on the last day of school. 

School buildings

United States

The schools building ranges depending on the location in the United States. Classrooms range in size and usually contain desks or tables. Students typically have lockers to store their belongings. Most schools have a gym, library, music room, art room, cafeteria, and playground.

 Namibia

Schools are typically portables. There are not usually playgrounds, but a large open space for students to play and eat lunch. At my school, for example, there was a field where students played soccer. In different areas there are mobile tent schools, for families who are herders. The tent schools will relocate with the cattle. 

Taiwan

From what I have seen, the school buildings in Taiwan are pretty similar to the school buildings in the United States. There is a large outdoor area typically where students have gym and time outside. 

My classroom in Namibia.

School schedules

United States

The time that schools starts varies, but it is usually a 6-7 hour day. Students are taught English, social studies, math, language arts by a core teacher. Students usually stay in one classroom, except for specialist and lunch. Students have a specialist (gym, media, art, or music) once a day. There is also a break for lunch. Schools start in August or September and end in May or June. Students get a winter, spring, and summer break. 

 Namibia

School starts with an assembly where teachers take turns leading religious songs. Students stand in line with their classes. Students rotate from class to class, but there is no bell to tell when class finishes or starts. Students learn English/reading, social studies, math, science, life skills, religion, and a language. Schools start in January. 

Taiwan

The amount of time in school ranges depending on the day. There are days when school ends around lunchtime. Many students will then attend additional classes at another school or get tutored privately. Many will attend cram schools to learn English or prepare for upcoming tests. I teach at a school that students will go to after their regular Chinese school. Some students will also take classes in swimming, ping pong, art, badminton, or piano on weekends. Students will also attend regular school on Saturdays to make up for a day given off for a national holiday. Like Namibia, school also starts with an assembly, where students sing the school song and other patriotic songs. School starts in the beginning of August and end of June. Students get a break for Chinese New Year. 

My third grade class in Taiwan on the first day of school in August. 

Focus of Instruction

United States

There are set standards for each grade level that are the supposed framework for the curriculum. These standards vary by state, although many states have adopted the same standards with Common Core. Curriculum to cover these standards also varies by district. The United States is criticized for the emphasis on high stakes testing. Some teachers feel like they are encouraged "teach to the test" rather than teach to the standards. There are many ways to teach the content and this varies widely by teacher. Teachers will frequently use a mixture of small group, individual work, and whole class instruction. There is a focus on student-centered instruction. 

 Namibia

If I remember correctly, there was a loose outline for the material that was to be taught. There was some materials to be used, but not a whole lot. For example at my school, students were given a weekly article to read that was printed out. I do not remember textbooks that were used. Lessons that I observed were mostly lecture-based. 

Taiwan
The material is taught mostly in a lecture format. Students are expected to take in the information. There is also a big emphasis on learning through repetition and memorization. For example, to learn a Chinese character, the students will practice writing it over and over.  Taiwan is sometimes criticized for not giving students an opportunity to pursue more creative outlets in school. There is also a big emphasis on testing. In fourth grade students start to take tests that determine which middle/high schools they will attend. 

One of my fifth grade classes in Namibia. 

Behavior Management

United States
There are many different behavior strategies that are used. Generally, students are praised for positive behaviors and there are consequences with unwanted behaviors. I have worked at schools where students received tickets for good behavior. A drawing took place at certain times during the year where prizes were awarded. My behavior management system follows Responsive Classroom. In this system, students are held to high expectations and classroom routines are emphasized and taught. The principal will typically deal with major behavior problems. Suspension rates are also high. 

 Namibia

Many teachers in Namibia still practice corporal punishment. If a student was behaving in a way that was not desired, they would be hit as a consequence. In what I observed, some teachers would hit the students' hands with a ruler or slap it. 

Taiwan
 In Taiwan, I have found behavior in Taiwan is dealt with more publicly. Students will be yelled at or given consequences in front of the class. Grades are also posted, so students are aware of their rank within the class. 

My fifth grade class in Taiwan before Chinese New Year. 

Attitudes Towards Education

United States

Many teachers that I have spoken to do not always feel respected as educators. A teacher's salary in the United States is lower than most other developed countries. A student's attitude towards school comes in part from their family's educational background and experiences. I have had students say that they missed school because they had to take care of younger siblings. I also had a fifth grade say, "What is the point of me going to school? I am just going to drop out in middle school anyhow." 

 Namibia

I did not have a whole lot of parent contact while teaching. I did make a couple of home visits to families though. There were some families where school was emphasized as very important and as a way to better yourself. Other families valued school less. I also taught at an afterschool program. The creator of this program started it, because she found that girls in particular would drop out of school when they got married, pregnant, or found a sugar daddy. Students would range in their attitudes as well. I had many students talk about going to college, so that they could become doctors and help people with HIV. Classes are made based on test scores. I taught the lowest fifth grade class, and they were aware that they were the lowest. They had bad attitudes about school, because they were painfully aware of their rank. 

Taiwan

Education is highly valued. Teachers are also highly valued. Parents are typically very supportive or their students and will ask what they can do to help at home. Parents have very high expectations for their kids. All students are held to the same high academic expectations. 

Japan Trip

Day 1:

The end of January marked the start of Chinese New Year, so I had time off. I met up with my parents in Japan for a couple of days before traveling back to Taiwan with them. My arrival in Japan did not quite go as planned. While trying to land, there was a strong crosswind. The pilot had to divert to another airport. We sat on the airplane for another two hours until we had the all-clear to take off and land. I eventually made it to Japan, three hours later than expected. By the time I arrived, it was evening. I met my parents at the airport and we had dinner, then went to the hotel. My parents had been in Japan about a week, so I was thankful that they knew how to get around using the subway. 

Here is a lights display at the subway station. 

Day 2:

The next morning we headed to the Tsukiji Fish Market. People go to the fish market at 2 am in the morning to be able to go to the tuna auction. We did not get up that early. We wandered the market and tried different street foods including a Japanese omelet (like a cold eggroll), blow torched tuna, and bacon wrapped fish. Then we took the train to Kyoto. In Kyoto we stayed in a traditional townhouse complete with sliding doors and beds on the floor. We explored the nearby Heian Shrine. We had dinner at a soba noodle restaurant, where we sat on the floor at traditional tables. 

The Tsukiji Fish Market

An O-mikuji or fortune written on paper at the Shinto shrine. 

Day 3:
Our morning started with a visit to the Fushimi Inari Shrine. The shrine was very picturesque with thousands of red, torii gates on the different paths. The shrine is dedicated to the Shinto god Inari, who is the god of rice. There are many fox statues around the grounds, because the fox is said to be Inari's messenger. It took us about two hours to follow the gates and hike to the top of the mountain. There were several great views of Kyoto on the way. The next stop for the day was to bamboo forest in Arashiyama. I didn't realize that bamboo grew so tall! 
Our final stop for the day was visiting the Monkey Park Iwatayama. We hiked up another mountain to find a pretty big population of snow monkeys. It made us a little nervous, because there were rules that were posted everywhere for interacting with the monkeys. 1. Don't crouch down. 2. Don't stare at them.     3. Don't put your camera in their face. 4. Don't get their hair wet. 5. Don't feed them after midnight. Okay, I made up the last two. We bought apples at the shelter and monkeys would stick their hands through the wire fencing in the windows for it. We were also there for a feeding, which was something. They played the "can-can" and threw from a bucket of food. The crowd of monkeys went wild! 

Some of the torii gates at the Fushimi Inari Shrine. 

One of the many foxes at the shrine. 

Arashiyama Bamboo Grove

A snow monkey at the park. 

Day 4:

My mom really wanted to go to a temple. How many temples can one person go to? She informed me that we had been to multiple shrines, but no temples yet. We went to the second best temple, the Ginkakuji Silver Pavillion. It was known for its sand garden and moss garden.  I signed us up for a cooking class through Traveling Spoon (https://www.travelingspoon.com/). For the cooking classes, you go to a local's house, and they show you how to make a traditional meal. Our host was named Keiko, and she was very welcoming. Randomly, she had been to Mankato and had studied in Milwaukee. We helped make several dishes including miso soup, Japanese egg rolls, and a few other dishes. We enjoyed talking to a local about the area. After lunch we visited the Nijo Castle, where the first shogun from the Edo period lived. The castle had nightingale floors, which creaked when you stepped on them. The final activity of the day was to go see a theater performance of a show called Gear. (http://www.gear.ac/en/) It was a non-verbal performance that was set in a futuristic society was human-like robots. The humanoids, as they were called, danced, juggled, mimed, and did magic. This day felt a little less touristy, and more authentic with the Japanese culture. 

The Ginkakuji (Silver Pavillion) temple in Kyoto

Day 5:
We took the rail back to Tokyo. When I was in South Korea, I really wanted to go to an animal cafe. The timing just did not work out though. I made up for it by going to not one, but two animal cafes in Tokyo. The first one that we went to was a bunny cafe. When we got there, they gave us Crocs to wear and an apron (in case the bunnies peed or pooped on us). They gave us a cup of food and we spent a half an hour sitting with and feeding the bunnies. It was very therapeutic. The second cafe we went to had two different rooms. We could choose to go to a small animal room or an owl room. The small animal room offered hedgehogs, sugar gliders, and many more cute animals. It was very crowded though, so ultimately we went with the owl room. There were about 20 different owls, most of which it was okay to pet their heads. They also let us put on a leather glove and hold one of the owls. We had to pay for an hour, but were done before then. 

Here I am at the owl cafe.

My mom at the bunny cafe. 

Day 6:

Our final day in Japan, we stayed in the district where lots of sumo wrestlers live. We got up early to go watch a practice. At first, it was not the most exciting. They did different stretches and practice squats. After watching for a little while, you could start to see the hierarchy. There were the up-and-comers, who worked hard to please the others. Then, there were the more seasoned athletes, who would give tips to others. In the practice bouts, the wrestlers would get pushed in the dirt when they did not perform up to standards. Everyone seemed very serious, but after practice was over the personalities came out. They joked around with each other and posed for pictures. We left in the afternoon and headed back to Taiwan. I was anxious to get back to Taiwan and a place where I know how to get around. 

Cheers to the New Year

I started 2017 on a rooftop watching slightly obstructed views of six different firework shows. I didn't celebrate with champagne, but instead canned, sparkling wine from Family Mart. The evening started with Indian food, KTV, and a stroll through the night market with more fireworks. It was a pretty great way to ring in the new year. 

Test fireworks at the night market. 

So far my 2017 has been filled with exploration. I embarrassingly enough still feel like I have only seen a little of Taiwan. So I have been taking day trips to try to make the most of my time here. On New Year's Day, I Skyped with my family and our friends the Hogans to wish them a happy New Year. Then my friend Michael and I took a bus to Lukang. The city has one big, winding market. We wandered through the streets browsing and snacking on street foods. It was pretty busy and took some effort to shuffle through the crowds. 

Here is a picture of the crowded street in Lukang. 

The following day Michael and I took a bus to Sun Moon Lake. This is usually one of the first sights people see in Taiwan. While I had driven by it, I had never actually taken the time to explore. We got a packaged deal that included a roundtrip bus ticket, a boat ride to three different stops around the lake, a bus around the lake, and a gondola ride. All this was just a little of $20 USD. Michael was very impressed with this deal. We took the boat ride first, which was relaxing to be on the water. We got lunch at a couple different street vendors, including a Taiwanese hamburger place. Instead of an American hamburger, it had seasoned chicken with cabbage on a rice bun. We also got Bánh mì, a Vietnamese sandwich on French bread. I took a bite first. 
"How is it?" Micheal asked. 
"Well I only had a bite of bread, but the bread tastes so good!" I answered. It is hard to come by good French bread. 
The gondola lift provided a clear, picturesque view of the lake. There was an Aboriginal tourist village at the top, but we chose not to pay the extra admission to go inside. The rest of our time at the lake we spent just walking around. There was not a path all the way around the lake, but we were able to walk for a bit before heading back. It was a beautiful day to be at the lake. 

View of Sun Moon Lake

Gnomeo enjoying the sunshine. 

The following weekend I went on another day trip. Taiwan has lots of great hikes, of which I had been on 0. Dakeng is about an hour's scoot away. I finally felt comfortable enough to scoot up and down the winding mountain roads. Once Tyler, Michael, April, Hannah, and I reached Dakeng, there were several hikes to choose from. The path was a little intimidating. It was essentially a wooden plank bridge all the way up the mountain with a post and rope handrail. It went up, up, up. The trail was fairly crowded with us having to frequently stop and turn sideways to let others pass. Others would tell us "jia you," which literally translates to "put more gas in." On the trail it was meant as words of encouragement to not give up. There were even a couple of dogs that would run between our legs up the trail. There was not much of a view at the top, but there were decks with benches to take a little break. We chatted for a bit before heading back down. My calves were shaky by the time we reached our scooters. I certainly felt sore for the next week after. It was a nice hike and I want to go back to explore the other trails. 

Here we are on the trail of Dakeng. Picture by Tyler.

This past weekend on Saturday, I did English storytelling at the library. On Sunday, we were going to go to Sanyi (a woodcarving village). However, it was cold and rainy, so we decided it against it though. A wet and cold hour long scoot is no fun. Instead we went to the science musuem and I made friends with guide dogs in the park. 

So 2017 has been off to a great start. I don't really do resolutions for the New Year, because I have found that they are usually fleeting. However, almost every year Neil Gaiman posts a wish for others in the upcoming year. You can read some of his past ones here (http://journal.neilgaiman.com/2016/12/another-year.html). This year, his wish was in the form of Leonard Cohen's song "Democracy." I can get behind wishes, so here is my wish for all of you in 2017 with some help from people smarter than me.

In the upcoming year of great unknowns, I wish that you can hold onto your hopefulness. As Dumbledore said, “Happiness can be found in even the darkest of times if one only remembers to turn on the light.”

I wish that you be gentle and kind to yourself. You say things in your head you would never let another person say aloud to you. Don’t listen to this voice. No one is really thinking that much about you, so don’t worry what others might think about you. Do listen to the voice that says I don’t know what I do, but I know that it’s not this. Accept what you deserve, which is a boatload, at least. You are enough.

I wish for you to hold onto the friendships that make you a better person and let go of the ones that don’t.

I wish that you use your voice, in whatever form that takes, to stand up for something you believe in. We are going to need a lot of voices this year. It’s going to get loud.

Finally, I hope that you laugh and explore and spend more time doing things that make you happy. As John Lennon said, “When I went to school, they asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up. I wrote down ‘happy.’ They told me I didn’t understand the assignment, and I told them they didn’t understand life.” 

My Favorite Things of 2016

Let's be honest, 2016 was kind of a dumpster fire year. There was seemingly a lot of terrorist activity. In the United States, there were constant examples of racism and sexism. The greatest example probably was electing an unqualified candidate who is both sexist and a racist. Not to mention the countless great entertainers we lost this year. Yep. Dumpster Fire.

2016.

This year wasn't all that bad though, especially for me personally. I started 2016 by doing daily sub jobs after a long term subbing assignment ended. After that assignment ended, I was really questioning whether I wanted to continue teaching. The daily sub jobs allowed me to gain confidence in teaching. I could go into a classroom with students I didn't know and be seen as a teacher. Eventually this led me to another long term subbing job that also redeemed my faith in teaching. Then I moved to Taiwan. I have loved living abroad and being able to travel. I have also made some good friends and have strengthened the relationship with some of my friends back home. I love to reflect this time of year and think about all the changes in my life. I also love reading year end lists of best of and favorites, so I created one of my own. Here are some of my favorite things from 2016. Turns out, I listened to a lot of good music in 2016.

Song to listen to on repeat while writing

"Formation" by Beyonce
Beyonce is a national treasure. This year she slayed with Lemonade. I have listened to "Formation" probably over a hundred times. It was my go-to song to play on repeat while writing. Now, I need to listen to go it again. . .

MVP

Lin-Manuel Miranda
I was a little late to the Hamilton game. Once I got on the train, I did not get off. Lin-Maunel Miranda wrote the book, music, and starred in the title role of Hamilton. This year Hamilton won 11 Tony Awards. Miranda wrote a killer sonnet for one of his acceptance speeches. Who does that? He also co-wrote a book about Hamilton, released the Hamilton Mix Tape, and co-wrote the music for the movie Moana. All of which, is just so good! He is delightful on Twitter and always seems so kind and generous. Just give him all the things already!

Pump Up Song

"The Greatest" by Sia
This song is inspired by the shooting that took place in Orlando. With the repeated chorus of "don't give up, I won't give up" it is hard to give up with Sia telling you not to.

-ism

Feminism
Although there is still a long ways to go with gender equality, this year had some great steps in the right direction. For the first time a woman was female presidential candidate on a major party ticket. The Senate now has the highest number of women of color on record. Taiwan elected a single, female president. Women athletes continue to be impressive from Serena Williams to Simone Biles to Katie Ledecky. While I have always considered myself a feminist, this year I became much more outspoken in my feminism. My favorite podcast (see below) helped me with this.

Mode of Transportation

Scooter
After getting in my scooter accident, I didn't know if I wanted a scooter. I am so glad I eventually got one though. My drives to and from work are now (mostly) stressfree and enjoyable.

Podcast

Call Your Girlfriend
This podcast is two long-distance female friends having conversations. The conversations range from politics to pop culture to women's health. It is engaging and feminist. The first time I listened to it, I went on a walk that ended up being four hours because I did not want to stop listening. It is one of the podcasts that I listen to without fail.

Brother-Sister Duo

Alex and Maia Shibutani
Last January I went to some of the Prudential U.S. Figure Skating Championships in St. Paul. I haven't really followed ice skating since the Kristi Yamaguchi was big. I didn't have anyone I was really rooting for. That changed when I saw the Shibutanis skate. They are a brother/sister pair of ice dancers. They are phenomenal.

Meme

Biden: Ok here's the plan: have you seen Home Alone

Obama: Joe, no

Biden: Just one booby trap

Obama: Joe pic.twitter.com/IDTc2L1sKF

— Dean E. S. Richard (@deanfortythree) November 11, 2016

Barack Obama and Joe Biden Memes
Post-election was rough. These gave me a little bit of laughter in the time afterwards. I am really going to miss these two.

Song That Makes Me Want to Cry (in a good way)

This song is on the Hamilton Mixtape. This is a song that is also on the original broadway recording of Hamilton, but it is sung a little bit different here. Regina Spektor and Ben Folds sing this song in a way that is so sweet and hopeful.

Way to Work Out

The Fitness Marshall
My friend Tyler introduced me to the Fitness Marshall. He does dance workout videos to pop songs. Usually I like the songs better after we have danced to them. We rent out a fitness room in our apartment a couple of times a week to workout. The dances range in difficulty, but are always fun. His commentary is pretty funny too.

Athlete

Simon Biles
I did not know anything about Simone Biles until this year. Once I found out about her, I could not stop watching videos of all of her routines.

Sequel

A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas
I read about 40 books this year, which is not a lot for me. I keep track of the books I read through Goodreads. Looking at my list of books from this year, I noticed a lot of sequels. There were many good ones, particularly fantasy and/or YA. I enjoyed the finall books in the Every YA series by Ellie Marney. Another very good YA ending to the series was The Winner's Kiss by Marie Rutkowski.  My favorite though was A Court of Mist and Fury. It is a new adult fantasy series. The first one was a Beauty and the Beast retelling. This book diverged from the retelling into something of its own. Maas is very good at worldbuilding and having her characters constantly grow and change. With the way this book ended, I am really looking forward to reading the next one when it comes out in May.

TV Character

Dustin from Stranger Things
Frequently when watching a movie or TV show, I often have a problem with how kids are portrayed. The dialogue will frequently feel inauthentic and it is obvious that an adult wrote it. Kids act in a way that they probably wouldn't in real life. The actors who play the kids in Stranger Things are all great. More importantly, they act and behave in a way that kids would. It felt authentic. My favorite was Dustin, because he is goofy and loyal.

Food MVP

White Rice
So far this year I have eaten a lot of rice. It has really become a diet staple. I don't mind though.

90s Throwback

TLC
When my friends and I go to KTV (karaoke), the English songs that are available are mostly hits from the 90s and early 2000s. I don't really remember listening to TLC when I was younger, but thanks to KTV I have been reacquainted. They have several great songs that I have since revisited. My KTV standards is "No Scrubs."

Music Video

"Soy Yo" by Bomba Estereo
I posted about this music video in another post, but it is worth re-posting. I love everything about this music video. The song is very catchy, but the music video has good representation of people of color. The girl's dancing is also on-point.

New TV Show

Lady Dynamite
I didn't watch a whole lot of TV this year. I continued watching a couple shows, but very few new shows caught my attention. Netflix has been putting out some great series. Lady Dynamite is one of them. Maria Bamford is a Minnesota-based comedian known for destigmatizing mental illness. Her show is largely based on her life and follows her during three different parts of her life. Like her stand-up this show is very weird, but in the best possible way. Many comedians also make guest appearances, so it is fun to see who is going to show up next.

Go-To Karaoke Song

"It's All Coming Back to Me" by Celine Dion
We sing this at KTV every time without fail. It is long, but has so many different parts with lots of opportunity for dramatic flair.

Best Celebrity Memoir

Scrappy Little Nobody by Anna Kendrick
I read quite a bit on non-fiction this year, mostly of which were essay collections and/or written by celebrities. Anna Kendrick's was my favorite of this year. She is very funny and relatedable in her writing about her time starring as a kid on Broadway to her career now.

New Routine

Sunday Night yoga
I started going to yoga to become more mindful. I have a hard time clearing my mind and thought yoga would be a good way to work on that. My balance and flexibility are also not great. Since moving to Taiwan, I now go to yoga class with my friends Michael and Jacob almost every Sunday. It has helped me with my mindfulness, flexibility, and balance and is a great way to start to week.

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!