It's exhausting I tells ya. I never know where the hell I am, and hardly anyone speaks English well enough to talk to me in complete sentences about complex subjects. However, my school has been amazing, and my Academic Director seems more than happy to drop whatever she's doing and call these places for me.
I went to this crazy place yesterday - a gated community in effect. It was huge, it had 3 levels of security gates (as in, a guard and a barrier arm and you have to state your business) and its own mini shopping area. There had to be 4,000 people living there. The apartments were no good, but it was still interesting to see the place.
Friday, August 31, 2007
Thursday, August 30, 2007
Today is THURSDAY it is CLOUDY
I am at school today (and every day). The kiddies are asleep in their little sleeping bags right now, and I am full of pizza... They are really rowdy today, I think because we have a new kid. He's like an ADD Mexican Jumping Bean, and he's winding up the others. Soon I shall squash all joy out of his life and he will be a drone like the rest. Mwa ha ha!!!
Sunday, August 26, 2007
Getting around, getting better
I've figured out how to cut my travel time to work in half (with extensive help from David) and I went to see a flat today. It's all coming together nicely... Hmm. I think I promised funny stories about my adventures.
To be honest, nothing particularly side-splitting has happened yet. I think the little running man on the pedestrian crossings is hilarious, but as you know I am half deranged on my father's side...
The only thing I can think of to write about, is the bloody marvellous public transport system in Taipei. The MRT (think that stands for Mass Rapid Transport system) is fantastic. You get a card from any 7-11, which seem to be on every second corner here, and you load it up with credit. You swipe it as you enter the MRT station, you get on, and when you get off you swipe again. The computer chip remembers where you got on, and deducts the correct fare! And you can use them on the buses as well. I am so impressed I can hardly stop going on about it. Why the hell does NZ have surly bus drivers with hole punchers???? If they had a super-cool system like this one, the buses might actually run on time. What a novelty that would be.
Anyway, I think it rocks.
To be honest, nothing particularly side-splitting has happened yet. I think the little running man on the pedestrian crossings is hilarious, but as you know I am half deranged on my father's side...
The only thing I can think of to write about, is the bloody marvellous public transport system in Taipei. The MRT (think that stands for Mass Rapid Transport system) is fantastic. You get a card from any 7-11, which seem to be on every second corner here, and you load it up with credit. You swipe it as you enter the MRT station, you get on, and when you get off you swipe again. The computer chip remembers where you got on, and deducts the correct fare! And you can use them on the buses as well. I am so impressed I can hardly stop going on about it. Why the hell does NZ have surly bus drivers with hole punchers???? If they had a super-cool system like this one, the buses might actually run on time. What a novelty that would be.
Anyway, I think it rocks.
Friday, August 24, 2007
Fairy Class
Yep, that's my class name. I think you know I didn't pick it. I have 7 kids at the moment, but after the summer is over I will lose 2 of them and gain another 3.
They're pretty cool - there's been some wetting of pants (despite the bathroom breaks being every 15 minutes, I kid you NOT) and a couple of severe tellings off. Mostly though, they're really cute and very well-behaved and they call me Teacher Jody. Their substitute teacher for the last few weeks is called Caroline, and she's so much better than I will ever be, it's kind of depressing. However, I'll press on. I wish I could take pictures of them to post, but I'm not sure if that would be ok with the parents. Will have to check...
Today was the first day that I did NOT get lost! Hooray for me.
They're pretty cool - there's been some wetting of pants (despite the bathroom breaks being every 15 minutes, I kid you NOT) and a couple of severe tellings off. Mostly though, they're really cute and very well-behaved and they call me Teacher Jody. Their substitute teacher for the last few weeks is called Caroline, and she's so much better than I will ever be, it's kind of depressing. However, I'll press on. I wish I could take pictures of them to post, but I'm not sure if that would be ok with the parents. Will have to check...
Today was the first day that I did NOT get lost! Hooray for me.
Wednesday, August 22, 2007
In Which Jody Does Quite Well For Herself
I'm having so much fun! Went to a baby shower for Alex on my first night, which was nice plus I got to meet a bunch of other ex-pats. Most of them seem to do foreign affairs stuff, but a couple have taught English so I got a few tips from them.
Then I went back to my (now that I think about it) totally horrid apartment. The big debate of the evening was whether I should attempt to sleep with the air conditioning off (inviting certain death by steaming) or leave it on and probably not sleep because it was so noisy. I went with option B, and the jetlag made me snooze reasonably well. However, I have taken up the very kind offer extended by Alex and David, and I'm hiding out in their spare room for a while. It's heaven.
Next day, I took a taxi to Kojen HQ and filled out about a million forms before being whisked off to the hospital. I tell you - these Taiwanese don't fuck around when it comes to medicals! I was totally checked in 15 minutes flat, including chest x-ray, blood sample, and all the usual bits and bobs. To my relief, there was no invasive check (IF you know what I mean...) and no peeing in a cup.
I found a buffet vegetarian place for lunch which had lots of fake meat products. Highly suspicious, so I stuck to the things I could recognise. 'Twas delicious.
Today I went to my school, saw some of my kiddies (SOO bloody cute you would just die), met some other teachers, and then came back into town. When it promptly bucketed with more rain than I have ever seen in my life. It was great! I bought an umbrella.
And a cellphone. As soon as I figure out how to make it not be in Chinese, I'll let you know.
Anyway, overall impressions so far? I LOVE it here. The city is reasonably clean, there's no rubbish that I have seen, no beggars and not too many stray animals. The people are friendly, and I feel really really safe. I'm not sure quite how to put it, but there just isn't any agression in the air. Think drunk idiots on Courtenay Place - that kind of atmosphere. Here, everyone is just doing their thing and letting you do yours. It's great. The public transport is brilliant, the streets are set out in a way that makes sense logically, and there are little parks everywhere. Hooray for Taiwan!
Then I went back to my (now that I think about it) totally horrid apartment. The big debate of the evening was whether I should attempt to sleep with the air conditioning off (inviting certain death by steaming) or leave it on and probably not sleep because it was so noisy. I went with option B, and the jetlag made me snooze reasonably well. However, I have taken up the very kind offer extended by Alex and David, and I'm hiding out in their spare room for a while. It's heaven.
Next day, I took a taxi to Kojen HQ and filled out about a million forms before being whisked off to the hospital. I tell you - these Taiwanese don't fuck around when it comes to medicals! I was totally checked in 15 minutes flat, including chest x-ray, blood sample, and all the usual bits and bobs. To my relief, there was no invasive check (IF you know what I mean...) and no peeing in a cup.
I found a buffet vegetarian place for lunch which had lots of fake meat products. Highly suspicious, so I stuck to the things I could recognise. 'Twas delicious.
Today I went to my school, saw some of my kiddies (SOO bloody cute you would just die), met some other teachers, and then came back into town. When it promptly bucketed with more rain than I have ever seen in my life. It was great! I bought an umbrella.
And a cellphone. As soon as I figure out how to make it not be in Chinese, I'll let you know.
Anyway, overall impressions so far? I LOVE it here. The city is reasonably clean, there's no rubbish that I have seen, no beggars and not too many stray animals. The people are friendly, and I feel really really safe. I'm not sure quite how to put it, but there just isn't any agression in the air. Think drunk idiots on Courtenay Place - that kind of atmosphere. Here, everyone is just doing their thing and letting you do yours. It's great. The public transport is brilliant, the streets are set out in a way that makes sense logically, and there are little parks everywhere. Hooray for Taiwan!
Monday, August 20, 2007
I'm here
Hey everyone
Well, I've made it to Taiwan. Got in about 2 hours ago. So far, I've seen a fabulous handbag that had printed on the side "I love my hysterical glamour" (don't we all?) and I've had a shower. The place I'm staying is reasonably grotty, but I'll live. It's got airconditioning in the bedrooms, so that's ok. I was going to take a picture of the view to post, but it's pretty meh. I'll take one of wherever I end up living.
I'm over at Alex and David's, and it's SOOOOO much nicer than my pad! Ah boo. At least they let me in, AND let me use their computer. Hooray for friends...
Anyway, nothing else to report thus far. My grasp of Chinese pronunciation is as crap as we all anticipated, so currently I am exploiting the "helpless but charming big white girl" routine. Works a treat.
Jody xxx
Well, I've made it to Taiwan. Got in about 2 hours ago. So far, I've seen a fabulous handbag that had printed on the side "I love my hysterical glamour" (don't we all?) and I've had a shower. The place I'm staying is reasonably grotty, but I'll live. It's got airconditioning in the bedrooms, so that's ok. I was going to take a picture of the view to post, but it's pretty meh. I'll take one of wherever I end up living.
I'm over at Alex and David's, and it's SOOOOO much nicer than my pad! Ah boo. At least they let me in, AND let me use their computer. Hooray for friends...
Anyway, nothing else to report thus far. My grasp of Chinese pronunciation is as crap as we all anticipated, so currently I am exploiting the "helpless but charming big white girl" routine. Works a treat.
Jody xxx
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