Episode 2: And the teachers wished for a Typhoon Day

Yep, that's right, it's a typhoon day, it's just like a snow day except without the snow or fun prospect of snowball fights and cocoa. However, there is the same result of you ending up wet if you go outside. I have been kept very up-to-date on Hurricane Ike by CNN International, but I had no clue about the typhoon headed straight for Taiwan until Thursday night; it's the end of typhoon season here. So Friday we had a bit of rain, but classes starting at 7pm were cancelled for a Typhoon warning, and Typhoon Sinlaku allowed us teachers to sleep in on Saturday morning Now, I had been told that sometimes you get a typhoon day and not much happens, the typhoon turns, and you get a free day off So I had a number of activities planned in Taipei today. Well the rain has kept me in my little studio all day with no sign of letting up and threatening Sunday's plans. It's been raining for at least 13 hours.

It rains a lot here in Taiwan, sort of soaking rain that last for the 20 minutes you planned on being outside. Once you are safely inside, a beautiful blue sky will emerge until roughly the time you need to leave work. Funny how that happens...For an example of this phenomenon, take a look at the attached pictures, same view, same day only an hour apart in time. I am also impressed with the Taiwanese people's determination to still ride their scooters in the pouring rain or on typhoons. Everyone here owns a poncho or slicker for just such an occasion. If you are really fancy, you wear a full-body slicker and slicker pants that snap on. I bet you didn't see those at New York Fashion Week!

I mentioned before the existence of the garbage truck song. Well, here in Taiwan the garbage truck plays a song letting residents know it's in the neighborhood. They are to bring their garbage out to the truck. Currently, the garbage truck plays Fur Elise, which you can hear once a day. Or if you are me, you hear never because the garbage truck comes while you are at work. I went a week without hearing Fur Elise and was stating to worry as the food containers piled up. One the time I did hear it it, I jumped off the sofa, tied up the trash and ran downstairs to find...no truck. So I stood in the lobby with the security guards looking at me, hummed the garbage truck song, and put up my hands signaling, "Where is it?" They smiled and showed me down to the basement where they are collecting trash and taking it out themselves. So know I know.

As for "What's in my dinner roll?," it's a fun game I play these days. I buy something that looks like bread only to discover it has any number of things inside cream, custard, egg, pineapple, or bean curd. When I got to the bakery, I buy at least three things, assuming I will probably only end up eating one of them. It can get a bit frustrating for someone not too keen on surprises. This has happened a lot at school. Sunday was Moon festival or mid-autumn festival, which coincides with Teacher's Day. It celebrates family and Confucius as a teacher, and teachers get gifts of food resulting in a plethora of snacks at work.

I've had good teaching days and some bad ones. Sometimes what I planned just doesn't work out, and I have to adjust. I start teaching kindergarten next week to cover while a teacher is on vacation. I'm sure that will provide some fun stories. Kindy has snack time and nap time, both of which I'm looking forward to. In a very short amount of time, I've become used to being at the front of the classroom. I'm not nervous about it anymore. It probably helps that I'm a lot bigger than my students. I also really like winning "Teacher Says," but I shouldn't gloat about winning a game against a bunch of eight- and ten-year-olds. I also hope all of my former French teachers are laughing now that I'm the one demanding students speak and write in full sentences. This is definitely punishment for all the times I chewed gum in French class.

Some of the students have taken to calling me Teacher Bathroom. Oh yeah, they're just so funny and cute.

Also, in Taiwan, I'm 24. I was only 23 for two months. The Taiwanese say you are one year old at the time of your birth. So if I come back in a year, I get to be 24 twice. And mom and dad, I would like the birthday presents for my 24th birthday, which you apparently missed.