Another butterfly along the way...
Saturday, April 28, 2007
Friday, April 27, 2007
Wulai, Taipei County - Hot river springs
Today we headed out to a little aboriginal village called Wulai in Taipei County. About 30k out of the city, it's famous for its hot springs (hooray, says Leese!). The waters are heated by a semi-active volcano in the region and are similar to those in Beitou in that they're sulphurous and said to be good for the skin. Unlike Beitou, however, where we bathed in the local public baths, this time we bathed in the Wulai River at the base of the mountains.. A stunning backdrop and water so warm, it was fantastic!
After relaxing in the riverbed, we headed out for some lunch in a cafe overlooking the river, before catching the "Wulai small train" up to the famous waterfalls of Wulai... Stunning! We headed back to Taipei City this afternoon feeling refreshed and happy....
Thursday, April 26, 2007
First Classes
Cancel that! Jobs started... tonight!
Just a quick post. We got a phone call this afternoon from our school asking me to be a substitute teacher for some advanced classes this evening. It was a fantastic experience though fraught with a few obstacles (as to be expected). I taught two classes to separate groups of students. Though I'd been told that they were both 'advanced' classes, they seemed at very different levels in terms of their vocabulary and their confidence to speak up.
The first group I felt I'd overestimated their level of advanced English and perhaps the material was a little too difficult, at least, explaining 'emotional intelligence' wasn't as straight-forwarded as I'd hoped. I was using the material that the regular teacher had provided, which has its drawbacks, as it feels rather foreign. I'd expected to have access to the internet at work so I could cover a little more about Gardner's '7 intelligences' (thank you, year 12 psychology!) but it was down when I got there, so materials were a little short on supply. That said, I think it went okay.
The second group had a better grasp on idioms and the like, so too were they much more confident to speak up. They were largely business students who had years of English language training under their belts; all of whom sought to improve their English in order to take advantage of broader job opportunities. Following the absent teacher's instructions, I was all set to teach another round on 'emotional intelligence' - only to find that it had been taught a few weeks earlier! So... rather embarrassing, though I guess being an emergency substitute is not an ideal situation in the first place. So instead I offered to do a review of their earlier topics, or have a general chat (remembering that its a coversational class) which was actually really great. Everyone had travelled widely so we had a good chat about cultural awareness and bridging cultural barriers - good stuff.
That said, I'm absolutely knackered - all that talking and consistently thinking on your feet! So the lovely Simon took me out afterwards for beer and a gorgonzola pizza (which is honestly one of the best things we've ever eaten - it's amazing!)
Simon got an email back from the Hess Educational Institute (the largest English chain in Taiwan - they're just everywhere!) saying that he'd been hired! So the next few days will be interesting as we decide whether to take on both major language chains. Either way, it's great to know that we're getting started... hooray!
Wednesday, April 25, 2007
Formosan Leopard - Taipei Zoo
The Formosan LeopardA beautiful member of the big cat family, he paced around relatively unfazed by us!
These guys live in western and central parts of Taiwan, around 1,000m above sea level. Their numbers are steadily increasing in captivity, but they're still considered extinct.
A day for the soul - a day at the zoo
I'm pleased to say that we have great news... We have jobs! Yesterday we found out that we are now both employees of one of the largest chain of English schools in Taiwan. Both are fantastic positions, as we'll be teaching adult conversational English classes in the evenings, to small groups of 6-12 students. The school is well-known here, with over 20 branches in Taiwan (half a dozen or so in Taipei) and with a good calibre of over 45 foreign teachers. We're now in the process of organising our resident visas, which means that we won't have to risk deportation by overstaying, nor will we have to travel in and out of the country. Last night we attended 'observational classes' just to ensure that it was what we're after, and we were both seriously impressed. All in all, fantastic news! We start next week.
So we decided to celebrate Anzac Day in style by heading out to the National Taiwan Zoo! The zoo itself is an absolute marvel. It's on a sprawling estate (hectares and hectares!) on the outskirts of the city, close to the mountains. It's so big that at one stage, we had to catch the "zoo train" (which was a truck with carriages on wheels!) just to get around. Most importantly though, there's plenty of room for all the animals (ourselves included). The zoo itself attracts over five million visitors a year, so we were lucky to be there on a quiet weekday. Most of the time we felt that we had the wilderness all to ourselves.
Mostly, it was great to run around like little kids, squealing "look! look!" Sim got to play wilderness photographer, which he loves, and I'm sure you'll agree, he's certainly got a gift for. (His enthusiasm for the 'insectorium' couldn't have reminded me more of Mark!)
We're still feeling a little woozy from this strange weather (32 degrees yesterday, 16 degrees today). That said, hearts and minds definitely appreciated being back in nature. Tomorrow, we go house-hunting and enjoy the last few days of unemployed bliss!
Sunday, April 22, 2007
"So may the sunrise bring hope where it once was forgotten..."
le Today is a sad day for us here in Taipei.
Last night, Simon decided that the three intense interviews that he had to undertake for this particular English teaching position had affected his confidence that the school would have faith in his abilities as a teacher. So, this morning, he was offered the position but declined to take it, and was assertive and honest with the manager of the school as to his reasons why. It wasn't easy though, and we still can't help but feel that we're in an increasingly precarious position. It's something that Simon is (and should be) proud of, that he has enough confidence in his capacity to be a great teacher and that he would need to stand by certain conditions if he is to be happy here. I'm sure - we are sure - that it will pay off in the long run. He's at another interview this afternoon, so we'll see how that goes.
We've been feeling pretty homesick over the past few days, if only because we'd envisaged having a phone line that would allow us to have long chats with our loved ones back home. I really miss speaking to Emm, Schmools, Tee, Sel and Dan and my family, because you each play such an important role in my/our lives. Instead, we've got the occassional email and text message, I wish I could say it was enough right now.
Today I found out that a friend that I had gone to high school with, my friend Rowan, died tragically at the Golden Plains Music Festival last month. Jules and I saw him and hung out a little in what I now realise was the last few hours of his life. He had planned with his boyfriend to travel this month to Madagascar as part of his medical internship. He was 21.
Tonight I was meant to start my training at our new school - instead I called and cancelled. At the moment, I'm waiting for Simon to arrive back from the interview, with the same school, and we'll spend the night together, quietly, in the little privacy that we have here.
And on a final note, for the past few days here the weather has been warm and lovely. Today, fittingly, it's rained and rained. Another good reason to curl up inside and get ready to face another brighter day tommorrow.
Saturday, April 21, 2007
Apologies for the confusion....
Ever get the feeling of déjà vu whilst reading this blog? Due to Simon's accidental blog deletion Lisa has re-posted some earlier photos from our trip. The LATEST posting, however, prior to this is the 'Danshui' post, which can be accessed via the menu on the left-hand side.
Museum of World Religions, Taipei
The Museum of World Religions
(世界宗教博物館)
Taipei Times - November 5, 2001
The NT$2 billion museum represents the culmination of efforts by both professional museum workers and religious figures over the last decade.
The museum is the work of a Taiwanese Buddhist group based on Lingjiou Mountain near Fulung, Taipei County. A relatively new but fast-growing group on Taiwan's religious scene, the Wusheng Monastery (無生道場) is home to more than 100 monks and nuns.
Unlike some other Buddhist organizations that devote their time to studying sutras and reciting prayers for the dead, or adding temples to the nation's skyline, the Lingjiou monastics are better known for practicing a modern form of "engaged Buddhism."
"If I had been building a temple, hospital or even a bridge, it would have been easy," explains Master Hsin Tao (心道法師), Wusheng's abbot. "But because I want to spend money presenting the glories of other religions as well as Buddhism, some people opposed the project."
The Museum of World Religions started as a collection of Buddhist artifacts and items relating to Taiwan's popular religious practices. It now claims to evenhandedly present "the world's 10 major religions" chosen by size and antiquity. These are Hinduism, Shinto, Judaism, Taoism, Buddhism, Christianity, Islam, Sikhism, ancient religions (initially represented by Egypt) and indigenous religions represented by Mayan beliefs.
Such an approach has made Hsin Tao unpopular among some who feel he risks diluting traditional ideas. There may also be a measure of envy in his detractors, as this "broad church" has attracted a following of hundreds of thousands.
Love is Hsin Tao's by-word (his name means "way of the heart") -- the core of his own awakening seems to be that "love is the common ground of religions" -- and the Museum of World Religions has the slogan "Love is Our Shared Truth; Peace is Our Eternal Hope" translated into 14 languages in its lobby.
228 Memorial Park, Taipei City
You have to love this - beautiful large park, laden with trees and temples, retirees and businessmen on lunch breaks - in the heart of cosmopolitan Taipei City...
We loved watching old men derive some kind of pure joy from feeding the local squirrels, all of whom would come down and feed from the hand.
Alishan at Sunrise
Everyone who visits Alishan is asked if they'd like to take part in the ritual viewing of sunrise over the mountain range. We too were asked, "ni yao kan richu ma?" ("would you like to see the sunrise?") With an alarm set for 4am, and it close to zero degrees outside, we slept in a little hotel cabin up in the mountains (only to almost miss the bus)...
In a tourist mini-bus, it freezing outside (so much for the tropical weather we were promised!), we indeed saw the sunrise. Unfortunately, because of the fog, we didn't too much that we wouldn't have seen at a more regular hour, and grumpy, sick and tired, we weren't very chuffed! Also, totally unprepared for the chill of the mountains, we'd contracted mildly severe head-colds and didn't do ourselves much of a favour by being out in the mountain air.
In a tourist mini-bus, it freezing outside (so much for the tropical weather we were promised!), we indeed saw the sunrise. Unfortunately, because of the fog, we didn't too much that we wouldn't have seen at a more regular hour, and grumpy, sick and tired, we weren't very chuffed! Also, totally unprepared for the chill of the mountains, we'd contracted mildly severe head-colds and didn't do ourselves much of a favour by being out in the mountain air.
When the sun rose to its fullest, around 8am, we stopped in the middle of the mountain range to see the local troupe of monkeys in the alpine section of the mountains - something we hadn't at all expected! They were beautiful, friendly, well-fed creatures and we were introduced to the king of the troupe, his queen, and their babies and fellow apes.
Fantastic. What a memorable experience, we loved it!
Alishan Mountain Range, Central Taiwan
The Alishan Forest Train, ChiayiCentral Taiwan
"For many people, taking the train up to Alishan is the peak experience of their entire journey to Taiwan. For this is no ordinary train and certainly no ordinary ride. The Forest Train runs on narrow-gauge track (762mm) and is one of only three remaining steep grade alpine trains in the world. The track begins at 30m and ascends to above 2200m in 3 and a half hours..."
"People have called the train ride a rolling 'botanical museum'. The first section rolls through a subtropical zone - banana, bamboo and longan plantations abound. At 800m the environment turns temperate and camphor, cedar and tea dominate. At 1800m the train enters alpine country and cypress, fir, pine and hemlock become the main plantations...." - LP
Alishan Forest Railway
The train conductor stops for a track change and a ciggie break
Elevation: 997m above sea level
Friday, April 20, 2007
A Day in Danshui
Situated north-east of Taipei, Danshui (淡水 or 'fresh water' in Chinese) is a sea-side town where the Danshui River meets the waters of the Taiwan Strait. The town is a weekend escape for the county's urban dwellers, conveniently located on the MRT line forty minutes from down-town Taipei. After a few days chasing jobs in the big city, Leese and I needed to breathe in some semi-clean ocean air to soothe our congested nasal tracts. But, of course, a blog from these two travellers would never be complete without a little history.
Due to its close proximity to mainland China and its large natural harbour, Danshui became a large fishing and trade port during colonial times. For nearly 400 hundred years, sovereignty over Danshui changed hands from the Spanish, to the Dutch and finally to the British, who lost jurisdiction over the area towards the middle of the 19th century. Fort San Damingo, a beautiful structure built by the Spanish in the 16th century, has at various stages of Taiwan's history been operated by the country's colonisers. Towards the end of the colonial years, the Fort was used by the British government as the Consulate for Taiwan. The Fort still stands in its albeit rennovated glory.
View outside the Fort San DomingoThe fort, which is perched nicely on a hill overlooking the river mouth, offers fantastic views of the surrounding areas. The Taiwanese government has done its best to preserve the building as the British had left it. And, indeed, if you close your eyes, you can picture the Brits sipping Indian cups of tea, polishing their elephant guns and waxing their moustaches surrounded by ultra-Victorian decor and the necessary bourgeoius trimmings. Mixed in with the original site is a suprising amount of kitsch. For example, with the appropriate model at your disposal, you can all appreciate the over-sized pair of clogs sitting in the building's courtyard. A fitting tribute to the Dutch.
Clog-a-licious!
Love to you all - S&L
Accidental blog deletion...
So if any of you are wondering where our previous posts have gone, they have evaporated into the ether. Or, another way to put it, is that Simon accidentally deleted the blog! You can just see Lisa smiling now.
Although Windows is set to the English interface, as the Internet connection here is Taiwanese certain web-page options are in Chinese characters. Somehow Simon managed to press the magical "Delete my blog" button and poof, away went two weeks of notes on time in Taiwan.
Hopefully most of you have been reading our posts regularly and they're won't be too many gaps in your knowledge of Leese and Si Zai Taiwan thus far. I'll console Leese and she'll no doubt ban me from touching our blog. To live is to learn. Back online.
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