So I've decided to create a blog so it will be easier for me to share with all of you my adventures in Taiwan. We can go through my my struggles and triumphs together, enjoy........
I have already been here for 11 days. Let me tell you how much McD's, Subway, and pizza that is. I really hate Chinese food. My thoughts are I can learn to live with it eventually. I still think that but it's taking me awhile to even venture out of my appetite box. Even staying in my box I have had 3 close calls with my intestines. The other day I actually had to pull over on my scooter at a subway station and run down the stairs to the toilet. How embarrassing! The top of my lip was actually sweating with panic! I'm probably going to make it 4, I can hear my stomach screaming now. I don't get it, today was the only time I've eaten Chinese food. So today I expect it to happen. I was feeling a little brave today and decided to eat at this dumpling place. A nice girl helped me decide what to get, beef dumplings and sour and hot soup. Ok, OK, I can do this. It's not to advantageous. The soup came and tasted like octopus and eel. Not that I know what that tastes like but it just looked like that was in the soup. The dumplings came and since there were only chopsticks to use, I practiced with them. Apparently annoying this man who looked to be 1 million yrs old, he came over and showed me how to use the chopsticks correctly. Something like this takes practice, and that's just what I was doing. The man left, to return a 2nd time and show me how to use the spoon that was sitting next to my plate. No I need practice. He doesn't speak English. He leaves and a waitress brings me a fork. They are trying to be helpful, but I politely decline. A young girl brings me a napkin from somewhere. The people next to me are laughing, so am I. Everyone in the restaurant is watching me battle with my chopsticks. As I was chewing my beef dumpling, I chewed something gristly and almost threw up. I thought I might be eating intestine or something worse. SO I left my soup untouched, and my dumplings and went to McD's, after thanking the ancient man who tried to help me. Well at least I tried. I will try again but with someone who knows where to go and what to eat. But that's the thing, the kind of Westerner who would travel across the world to Asia will usually eat anything. They encourage me to try new things, thinking I am being to close minded when I just stare at them or scrunch up my face. I will never NEVER eat rice cakes soaked in pigs blood, chicken intestine on a stick, or any of that other crap!
I had my first demonstration in front of class today. Teachers looking for work need to give a 15mn demo in front of students and teachers. They gave me a book and sent me in to the wolves. I actually did very well. There were about 20 students, second grade age. I had fun and acted like myself. The demonstration ended and I thought that was it, feeling very confident and proud of myself. The teachers wanted me to do another demo for older kids. They wanted to see how I taught grammar. Well I showed them just how I taught grammar. I don't!! The longest longest 5mns I've had in forever. Me stuttering, and scratching my head, sweating so profusely, confusing the hell out of the seven students I had. They were looking at me just like I was a monkey who didn't have any teeth. AAAHHH I was so scared. One of the teachers finally saved me and pulled me out of the class. She wondered why I was so nervous with only 7 students, when I did wonderfully with 20. Really, I thought I did a good job. Hooray a compliment! Not really, she was telling me I sucked with the older kids, but I'm an optimist. What she wanted was a grammar teacher not a teacher for the younger students. Damn! I could swing teaching the younger students, but I don't think I can magically pull a grammar teacher out of my ass! Big, bigger, biggest seems easy enough yes I know. Maybe if I had practice or time to prepare. Keep in mind these teachers don't know this was my 1st demo and that I've never taught before. I honestly almost told them not to hire me. I really don't know why I didn't. Maybe I was trying to keep what little dignity I had left, or maybe it was obvious and wasn't worth mentioning. Tomorrow I have to do this all over. I have a demo at 9:30am with a different school. I'm PRAYING it's with the younger children. At least I have practice and have a little clue on what to expect. But it looks like another sleepless night filled with excitement and dread anticipating my humiliation and inexperience.
I have been tutoring a dentist. Conversational English it's called, just like it sounds. I get paid $24.00hr just to talk to Eric Chen, 2hrs twice a week. The 1st day I arrived I asked him for directions, that's how we met. In my pictures you've noticed the tiger and dragon pagodas, and the turtles. Well we all owe that to Eric Chen. The dentist who has been married for 14yrs. He has 2 twin boys 13yrs old. He and his wife only have sex twice a month, and for that to happen they need to watch porn. He owns 2 cars, 1 of them is a BMW, and a scooter. I converse with him either at the park where we met, or McD's. He laughs a lot a seems to be kind. If you eat a steak everyday for a year you lose the deliciousness of the taste after awhile. If your married for 14yrs you can only see your marriage with 1 eye open, losing the initial thrill that came in the beginning. He loves his family. I didn't ask him if they new he was practicing his English with me. He over paid me the 1st day we met. I didn't expect any money at that point. We were just arranging the details. The 2nd time we met he paid me and a few mins after he left he called to make sure he paid me enough. He did. Actually he over paid by the equivalent of $3. I told him. 100 NT (New Taiwan Dollars) He tells me to be careful, and suggests I only teach in schools so I don't meet the wrong person and get sold. Today he was teasing me about selling me. I guess we will become friends, soon. Sharing our lives with each other and me getting paid $24.hr for it. Not bad Cathy. Not bad. Just as long as you don't get sold woman!!!
