1. No, I am not bruised or hurt in any way from the bus accident yesterday.
2. No, I do not believe the truck was aiming for me. It seems extremely unlikely that it was an assassination attempt.
3. No, I did not arrange to have the truck hit the bus in order to take revenge on someone.
Can't believe how many people have asked if I was involved in some way!!!! Cheers "mates". Am Officially Miffed.
Thursday, March 27, 2008
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
Eeeeeek!
Was on the bus this afternoon, dreaming away with my ipod on, thinking about lesson plans etc, when suddenly...
A TRUCK HIT US!
No foolin'.
And then the truck caught FIRE, so we had to run across a motorway and hide on a traffic island. It was all very exciting. I've got no idea what happened, (apart from the glaringly obvious truck poking into our bus) or if the truck driver was hurt, but everyone on the bus was fine. I decided I'd be more trouble than I was worth with the language barrier, so I waved down the next bus and fled the scene.
A TRUCK HIT US!
No foolin'.
And then the truck caught FIRE, so we had to run across a motorway and hide on a traffic island. It was all very exciting. I've got no idea what happened, (apart from the glaringly obvious truck poking into our bus) or if the truck driver was hurt, but everyone on the bus was fine. I decided I'd be more trouble than I was worth with the language barrier, so I waved down the next bus and fled the scene.
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Good Times
Yesterday morning in the little park across the road from my house, I saw two old ladies playing on the seesaw and cackling with glee!
Sunday, March 23, 2008
Ministry of Funny Walks
Went to the Martyr's Shrine, which is to commemorate all the people who died in the period where they were forming the Republic of China. It was actually pretty cool, and I went crazy taking pictures of the architecture and the little animals sitting on the gutters.
There's an honour guard that gets changed every hour, which is mainly what the tourists go to see. It was pretty funny! They came stomping up the steps, did a very complicated saluting and bayonet twirling thing, then stomped off again to their barracks. I was reminded very much of those poor suckers who have to guard Parliament in Athens. Same silly walk, but at least the Chinese get to wear reasonably normal uniforms. Even if they do have bells on their pants and tap dancing plates on their boots.
Here's me outside.
The little roof animals! Pretty cute.
Get out of the damn way or I'll stick ya.
I wonder if it's a punishment, having to guard the Martyr's Shrine? "That's it, Corporal Chan - 3 weeks on MS duty!". (noooooooooooooooo!)
There's an honour guard that gets changed every hour, which is mainly what the tourists go to see. It was pretty funny! They came stomping up the steps, did a very complicated saluting and bayonet twirling thing, then stomped off again to their barracks. I was reminded very much of those poor suckers who have to guard Parliament in Athens. Same silly walk, but at least the Chinese get to wear reasonably normal uniforms. Even if they do have bells on their pants and tap dancing plates on their boots.
Here's me outside.
The little roof animals! Pretty cute.
Get out of the damn way or I'll stick ya.
I wonder if it's a punishment, having to guard the Martyr's Shrine? "That's it, Corporal Chan - 3 weeks on MS duty!". (noooooooooooooooo!)
Sunday, March 16, 2008
Sittin' Here, on the Group W Bench...
It's Sunday, and the first proper day off I've had in 3 weeks. Naturally, I am sick. However, stiff upper lip, box on, and all that other bollocks! I've decided to sit here on my very own Group W bench until I think of something interesting to tell you.
Elections are next week in Taiwan, so we are being plagued by trucks with bullhorns, firecrackers, and (right now) what sounds suspiciously like bagpipes. Let me just go stick my head out the window...
False alarm. I think it was somebody selling brooms.
Anyhooooooo.
I've been doing a few touristy things, including going to the zoo. I can confirm that I still don't like zoos. The tigers were panting and pacing up and down, the monkeys looked bored, and there was
Okay screw that story - the bagpipe sounding thing just went by my building, and it's actually a convoy of blue trucks covered in paper flowers, with flags tied to tree branches, a mini temple on the back of one with little dragons on the roof on springs so they are bobbling about, a man playing a really screechy organ, a bunch of kids banging drums, and some men with a bag of yellow paper.
All guesses as to what on earth that was about, gratefully received!
What else?
We get a long weekend soon, because it's Tomb Sweeping Day. As I have no tombs to sweep, I will be sleeping in. Huzzah! Actually, I quite fancy giving tomb sweeping a go. Wonder if I can tag along with someone?
Elections are next week in Taiwan, so we are being plagued by trucks with bullhorns, firecrackers, and (right now) what sounds suspiciously like bagpipes. Let me just go stick my head out the window...
False alarm. I think it was somebody selling brooms.
Anyhooooooo.
I've been doing a few touristy things, including going to the zoo. I can confirm that I still don't like zoos. The tigers were panting and pacing up and down, the monkeys looked bored, and there was
Okay screw that story - the bagpipe sounding thing just went by my building, and it's actually a convoy of blue trucks covered in paper flowers, with flags tied to tree branches, a mini temple on the back of one with little dragons on the roof on springs so they are bobbling about, a man playing a really screechy organ, a bunch of kids banging drums, and some men with a bag of yellow paper.
All guesses as to what on earth that was about, gratefully received!
What else?
We get a long weekend soon, because it's Tomb Sweeping Day. As I have no tombs to sweep, I will be sleeping in. Huzzah! Actually, I quite fancy giving tomb sweeping a go. Wonder if I can tag along with someone?
Thursday, March 13, 2008
Doom!
Oh man - a night of total agony. My throat is swollen practically shut, and I've got the worst sciatic nerve pain I've EVER had. I was awake all night and totally miserable.
And since I didn't get much sleep the night before either, due to the couple having a screaming Chinese domestic in the street right outside our building (until the cops came), I'm now having visions.
Trying to think of something else to put so this whole post isn't doom...
My money worries are a bit better. I've finally been paid a whole paycheck and my other boss is back from holiday and has backpaid me everything he owes me. I'll start paying off debts and getting myself back on-track.
What else? Well, I picked something truly alarming out of the shower drain this morning. Had to entomb it in a plastic bag in case it drew nutrition from the rest of the rubbish and managed to asexually breed. Ew yuck!
And since I didn't get much sleep the night before either, due to the couple having a screaming Chinese domestic in the street right outside our building (until the cops came), I'm now having visions.
Trying to think of something else to put so this whole post isn't doom...
My money worries are a bit better. I've finally been paid a whole paycheck and my other boss is back from holiday and has backpaid me everything he owes me. I'll start paying off debts and getting myself back on-track.
What else? Well, I picked something truly alarming out of the shower drain this morning. Had to entomb it in a plastic bag in case it drew nutrition from the rest of the rubbish and managed to asexually breed. Ew yuck!
Tuesday, March 4, 2008
No Need to Send Troops, I'm Fine
Okay, I've been told that people actually read this thing and an update is overdue... My bad! Sorry. I've been having a pretty crappy time of late, and I didn't want to bore you with the details. However, here's the barest of stripped bones.
I'm broke, and some of the people at work are probably cutting up their dried squid treats with scissors, since their knives are still stuck firmly in my back.
Anyway, I've talked to my boss and picked up about 8 more hours a week. So the broke thing won't last for too much longer!
I've also made partial peace with the work thing (meaning, I sneer at the main perpetrators, and go out of my way to annoy them) and I'm just trying to remember the fabulousness of my real friends!
Doings of late...
I've been babysitting Oliver, who is DELICIOUS. Look how cute!
I've been eating ridiculous amounts of dan-ping (which is essentially a little scrambled egg with a tortilla on top, then stick some plastic cheese in the middle, roll it up, cram it in a box, cover it in thick sweet soya sauce and go) which has made little impression on my rather pleasing weight loss. Finally found some working scales the other day, and I've lost 9kgs! Eeek. I thought those articles about alcohol being fattening were just someone having a laugh...
The weather is finally perking up, thank goodness. Who would want to live on a freaking tropical island?
I'm currently sharing my batcave with Rachel, another teacher from work. She's leaving soon and her lease has expired, and for some reason my well-hidden soft side came out and I couldn't bear the thought of her sleeping in the ball pool at school.
So here we are, very snug! She grinds her teeth a fair bit, but I'm willing to forgive.
What else? Well, last week I went on a bit of a hike up a mountain. I know what you're thinking - "Jody? The world's laziest trollop?" but you have to remember that Taiwanese don't really DO the outdoors. This mountain is almost fully paved with little walkways and ornamental roses and crap.
Overall impression? Meh. It's no New Zealand. Although it did have a hot-water river, which was kind of cool! Here 'tis.
Oh, and I don't know if you can tell from this picture, but I swear this is a statue of the God of Paprika. It was so weird, and DEFinitely covered in paprika!
And that's about it for now. I've got a new adults class starting this morning, for which I have prepped nothing, and about which I have thought very little. Bad Teacher Jody. Oh, and now that I type "Teacher Jody", I remember that I also have to try and get the whiteboard marker stains out of my hoodie. Bloody kids! I must have looked particularly miffed about it, because they came up one by one to assure me they were not to blame. "Teacher, not me!"
I'm broke, and some of the people at work are probably cutting up their dried squid treats with scissors, since their knives are still stuck firmly in my back.
Anyway, I've talked to my boss and picked up about 8 more hours a week. So the broke thing won't last for too much longer!
I've also made partial peace with the work thing (meaning, I sneer at the main perpetrators, and go out of my way to annoy them) and I'm just trying to remember the fabulousness of my real friends!
Doings of late...
I've been babysitting Oliver, who is DELICIOUS. Look how cute!
I've been eating ridiculous amounts of dan-ping (which is essentially a little scrambled egg with a tortilla on top, then stick some plastic cheese in the middle, roll it up, cram it in a box, cover it in thick sweet soya sauce and go) which has made little impression on my rather pleasing weight loss. Finally found some working scales the other day, and I've lost 9kgs! Eeek. I thought those articles about alcohol being fattening were just someone having a laugh...
The weather is finally perking up, thank goodness. Who would want to live on a freaking tropical island?
I'm currently sharing my batcave with Rachel, another teacher from work. She's leaving soon and her lease has expired, and for some reason my well-hidden soft side came out and I couldn't bear the thought of her sleeping in the ball pool at school.
So here we are, very snug! She grinds her teeth a fair bit, but I'm willing to forgive.
What else? Well, last week I went on a bit of a hike up a mountain. I know what you're thinking - "Jody? The world's laziest trollop?" but you have to remember that Taiwanese don't really DO the outdoors. This mountain is almost fully paved with little walkways and ornamental roses and crap.
Overall impression? Meh. It's no New Zealand. Although it did have a hot-water river, which was kind of cool! Here 'tis.
Oh, and I don't know if you can tell from this picture, but I swear this is a statue of the God of Paprika. It was so weird, and DEFinitely covered in paprika!
And that's about it for now. I've got a new adults class starting this morning, for which I have prepped nothing, and about which I have thought very little. Bad Teacher Jody. Oh, and now that I type "Teacher Jody", I remember that I also have to try and get the whiteboard marker stains out of my hoodie. Bloody kids! I must have looked particularly miffed about it, because they came up one by one to assure me they were not to blame. "Teacher, not me!"
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