They're warming up!

Today has been quite warm and humid, but not as bad as yesterday. I guess there's another typhoon headed Taiwan's way... it might be here on Sunday.

The kids are feeling much more confident in class I've noticed, which is great. I try to do activities where they have to speak themselves, and speak loudly. Like they'll do a conversation in pairs, and then I'll randomly select someone else and ask them what they just said. So the original speaker has to speak loud enough for the classmates to hear him or her. They get really competitive about this! Good times.

My Chinese basketball vocabulary is also expanding as I still play with the kids every day. They think it's great fun and try to teach them some English at the same time. They're favorite phrase is "Shoot it!" but when they say it is sounds like "Shooey!" Very cute.

Today is Teachers Day (Confucius's birthday) and every class gave me a card, and some students made their individual cards to give me as well. One class had each student make a little card then put it in an envelope, and they all wrote in Chinese because they know I understand. The principal also came into my class and gave me a rose and thanked me! Then, all the students gave a very vigorous round of applause. Too bad the U.S. doesn't have something like this! I don't know, maybe they do but I don't remember anything about it when I was in school...

Much love and peace to everyone.

Struggle to Milk!

This is a page from a student notebook.
I know there is a lot of stuff online about really strange English appearing in Asian countries... but I couldn't resist. This is just funny! I mean, come on, "Struggle to Milk"?!?! I can't even conceive of where they got this from... haha!




This is the cover of the notebook. Note the top: "Super Talanted you! I am very Ashamed."
Again, who comes up with this stuff? I was very amused.

Typhoon! 颱風!

I am having my first typhoon experience this weekend. So far it is crazy wind and rain that seems to come from every direction, it even seems to fall "up". Can't say I am a fan! But it's not too bad here in Taichung I guess, we've had around 440 mm of rain over the past three days, but on the east coast they've had over a meter of rain in the past three days! Lots of mudslides and road closures. It's a slow moving typhoon, so we'll be feeling the effects for another couple days, but it should be getting better.

For the first time I'm glad I have cable TV, haha!

Word of the day: 陡

For those of you who can't read the last word in the title of this entry, the word is 陡 (dou3 in pinyin) and it means "steep"! That is exactly what trail number two was in the Dakeng hiking area just on the outskirts of Taichung city. Let's just say that the handrails had cargo-netting and ropes to help pull yourself up the mountain-- quite an intense climb-- but fortunately not too long of a trail. I don't think I've ever sweat that much in my entire life, I was drenched in a way that I had thought was only a figurative way of speaking, haha! My Taiwanese friend Kate (on the left) and here sister Yu Jia (right) took me there on mopeds, it is about a 45 minute scooter ride away. It was good to get a good work-out in however, and the mountains are very beautiful, although because of the recent rains and humidity it was pretty hazy.

I'm settling into the role of "Teacher Kylee" ok, my co-teachers are all very helpful. But the best part of the day is at 4:00 I play basketball with a bunch of the 6th graders. They are so awesome! Plus, because we are friends now they try harder in class :) I included a picture of the 6A class.

I sure miss everyone back home though, I guess a lot has happened since I left, as recent as that is, and I feel very far away. I'm keeping everyone in my thoughts! Much love.

Whew!

Day two of teaching... fun but tiring. I had 5 classes today-- to 3rd grade classes, 2 2nd grade classes, and a 6th period class. The second graders were actually a lot of fun, especially the morning class (They were all awake) but the other class was right after lunch so a lot were sleepy and seemed a bit annoyed that I interrupted their nap. (In Taiwan, lunch is an hour and a half long, and the students nap at their desks for the last 45 minutes or so-- it's required!)

The names of some of the students are so funny!! For example there was a kid named "Denzell", there was also "Yo-Yo" "Latie" "Greek" "Yuva" (huh?) "Latin" and "Kai". So cute. Tomorrow I have two 4th grade classes and that's it. I'll bring my Chinese so I can study :)