Resident Visas Ahoy!

An open-ended visa for Formosa

Whoop-de-do! We have finally received our resident's visas. We are officially citizens of one country and residents of another. So they can't officially kick us out. Well, that may be stretching the truth. I'm sure they could very easily kick us out if they were determined to wade through the bureaucratic swamp of Taipei. But having resident visas will make it a touch harder.

Lisa and I are enjoying beer and sunflower seeds on our bed (not tim-tams, as the above photo may suggest). We've become quite the sunflower seed enthusiasts, so much so that our bedroom floor resembles that of a large birdcage. It's been a long day of teaching and we're looking forward to our one day off - the Sabath. Tomorrow we will visit an independent artists festival and perhaps find a local gym for some well needed exercise. The weather is becoming very tropical in Taipei - hot and humid. Thankfully nearly every interior space here has air-conditioning, the catch22 being of course that the power used for air-conditioning will exacerbate global warming. 'Tis the dilemma of our age.

The Social Democratic Tradition in a Hayekisian Australia

"...Hayek’s polemic against the left was an axiomatic component of his advocacy of a radical, neo-liberal alternative – one which argued the absolute centrality of the market; a role for the state as a protector of that market but little else besides; and apocalyptic warnings that any political interference with the integrity (even ‘sanctity’) of the market would place the entire national project on the “slippery slope” to totalitarianism...

It is important to state clearly the essential elements of the Hayekian orthodoxy. Hayek’s political philosophy is premised on a stark view of human nature that social democrats find confronting. In his Australian lecture, “The Atavism of Social Justice”, Hayek argues
that the altruistic feelings human beings had for one another in small tribes in primal society are rendered redundant by the impersonal demands imposed on human beings in more complex societies through prices determined in the market....

...In other words, social justice, whether it is taken maximally to mean equality of outcome, or more minimalistically to mean equality of opportunity, has absolutely no place in the Hayekian scheme....

...Social democrats have a range of objections to the market fundamentalism of the Hayekian system – a system which represents a radical departure from the schema expounded by Adam Smith two centuries before in the Wealth of Nations... Hayek is in every sense, therefore, a radical... whose philosophical system continues to drive much of the intellectual and policy software of the Howard Government, together with the bureaucracy that serves it...

...Furthermore, Hayek remains oblivious to the fact that social democrats are ultimately shaped by Smith (among others) rather than Marx. Social democrats have always respected and accepted the creativity, the efficiency and the wealth-generating capacity of markets.
But social democrats, unlike Hayek’s neo-liberals, have never been blinded by free market fundamentalism. Social democrats, by contrast, have always recognised a positive role for the state in performing functions the market cannot...

... Social democrats reject Hayek’s a priori assertion that altruism is a primitive value which can and should be purged from human consciousness. Social democrats accept the Smithian view that human beings are equally self-regarding and other-regarding and, as noted above, both should be reflected in a social democratic political economy. To the self-regarding values of liberty, security and prosperity should be added other-regarding values of equity, solidarity and sustainability. Properly constructed, these latter values are also market-enhancing
rather than market-detracting. Furthermore, this spread of values embraces social democratic concepts of both negative and positive liberty – not just the absence of coercion of the individual but equally creating the opportunity for the individual to participate fully in economic, social and political life..."

- The Hon. Kevin Rudd, MP
An Address to the Centre for Independent Studies
As Shadow Foreign Minister
Sydney, November 16 2006

Meanwhile...

Meanwhile, the national debate surrounding the name change from "Chiang Kai Shek Memorial Hall" to the "National Taiwan Democracy Memorial Hall" still rages...

(Photo: Taiwan News) - http://www.taiwannews.com.tw/gallery.php?highlight_id=760680&category=14

Lazy Fridays, Taipei

Today Leese celebrated her first day off for the week (after 4 days, 10-12 hours each) - exciting stuff! We were finally able to spend some time together, with Sim also enjoying the luxury of an afternoon off. We spent the day lounging about drinking coffee and trying out a bunch of Taiwanese food that we've yet to try.

i. We were hugely chuffed when we found this huuuuge packet of Arnott's Tim Tams sold in a pharmacy here (yes, chemists sell Tim Tams.) Amazing, and discounted, too!

ii. We also went to a noodle house, where we tried some amazingly fresh beef and veggie noodles over Asahis... While watching the chefs throw about the noodle dough, twisting and kneading like nobody's business. Awesome stuff.

Leese poses for the Papa

iii. We also finally decided to try "Beard Papa", the Taiwanese sweet store! Beard Papa is a Japanese concoction, a little stall which sells pastry puffs filled with vanilla and strawberry... Absolutely delicious!

iv. Summer is most definitely on its way - it was 38 degrees here in Taipei today, absolutely steaming. And we're set to experience the humidity which comes with the typhoon season, also set to begin soon. On the upside though, we did enjoy some delicious mango and starfruit today, to celebrate the beginning of the mango (and avo!) season.

v. We also realised that the two-and-a-half year mark just passed us by... Woohoo! (Note: We're still celebrating with Asahis, just like the good old days.) :)

Photos soon! x

Chiang Kai-shek (CKS) Memorial Hall name change

Under-wraps: a plaque that has caused quite a furore.

Yesterday the Chiang Kai-shek (CKS) Memorial Hall, a tribute to the infamous dictator who maintained martial law in Taiwan for 38 years, was officially renamed the National Taiwan Democracy Memorial Hall (國立台灣民主紀念館). The name change sparked demonstrations at the site as supporters and critics of the name change clashed in minor brawls. Barbed wire fences were erected around the newly christened Democracy Hall and hundreds of police were deployed to quell the unrest. The Sunday edition of the Taipei Times showed the image of an old Taiwanese man with his pants down, apparently proclaiming that President Chen Shui Bian (陳水扁) had no balls. Upon the unveiling of the new plaque President Chen said that the move was a step forward, away from the country's authoritarian past.

http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/front/photo/2007/05/20/2005068893

When Lisa and I visited the site today there remained a signficant police presence, with a dozen police guarding the entrance to the Hall. The sweeping grounds that encircle the Hall, however, were surprisingly peaceful. It was a cold, wet afternoon in Taipei. Perhaps the rain extinguished some of the controversy surrounding the name change, albeit temporarily. A lone camera-crew from one of Taiwan's news agencies took footage of the lonely square for the evening news. Apparently they were happy that Lisa and I arrived so that at least they'd have some footage for tonight's bulletin. Lisa was asked a few questions but was conscientious not to put her foot in it. Although she did say that it was a good thing without elaborating on her opinion. As she rightly said, this is a Taiwanese issue, a very sensitive issue, and one that foreigners should refrain from putting their large feet in.

A sole reporter finds reprieve in some foreign faces.

We have been asking our Taiwanese friends about the name change in the past few days. Most have been critical of the move, with the more pragmatic denouncing the move as a waste of taxpayer's money (the name change will require the amendment of tourist information and provincial/MRT signage). Some have said that the name change is an ill-fated attempt to change the nation's psyche and that, in the minds of the people, it will always be Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall.

The name change is part of a broader campaign by the Democractic People's Party (DPP) to dilute the legacy of Chiang Kai-shek and remove idols of the once-dictator from the Taiwanese landscape. The Chiang Kai-shek International Airport was recently renamed Taoyuan International Airport. In March Kaohsiung Mayor Chen Chu (陳菊) of the DPP issued an administrative order to rename the Chiang Kai-shek Culture Center to the Kaohsiung City Culture Center. The Kaohsiung government also removed a large statue of the former dictator from the centre.

As bright as...

Karma Cola Musings

"To go from the monomania of the West to the multimania of the East is a painful business. Like a sex change. Too many visitors discover that changing their names does not inevitably lead to a change in their vital organs...

The Eastern Master, when asked, "What is the Answer?" has traditionally replied, "Who is Asking?" In that lies a central difference between Eastern and Western thought. The East is not concerned with intellectual aggrandizement, so much so that Jung testily called the Eastern mind childish, a mind that didn't ask questions, but simply perceived them. In a tradition where the question asks itself and the answer replies itself and all that remains is to establish the identity of the asker..."

- "Karma Cola"
Gita Mehta

Teaching - Musings - Week Two

It's so strange to be getting into the swing of a full-time teaching career. We're both working 20 hours this week, with at least another 10-15 hours preparation time, plus travel time, which all adds up. I have two twelve-hour days in which I have to travel between the branches, which is tiring and a little frustrating. I much prefer being at Shilin, the northern branch, where the majority of my classes are. The vibe there is pleasant and the other teachers are really lovely.

Most of my classes are really fantastic. With my advanced students, I can choose any topic that I feel is relevant/interesting to both the students and I, and prepare material on it. The freedom on not having to work to mostly mediocre English language lessons is great; the more we find out about the students, the more "tailoring" can be done, and the more we enjoy it. Mostly, though, its the freedom to speak in a complex manner, explaining concepts and ideas, that we love. For example, yesterday my topic was 'job fulfillment' - instead, we ended up musing over definitions of "fulfillment" and "contentment" using Maslow's theory of hierarchical needs. Since most of the students are university-level psychology students, it was great!

We also have private students who we see either in small groups, or one-on-one. Twice a week I have a group of three housewives who are absolutely lovely, and we talk about children, child-rearing, parental expectations, and Taiwanese husbands! Fascinating stuff! Likewise, I have a class with a senior lawyer at one of Taiwan's biggest law firms. Talking about his expertise is also really interesting and keeps my brain ticking over.

I'm ranting a little from the fatigue of it tonight. I have one particular class in which I'm not sure how much the students are enjoying it. They seem fine, but really, it's so hard to know! Because they are intermediate English students, its takes more time to explain everything (which is a little tedious) and it generally takes more out of me. At this stage of their language learning, students require far more from their "role-model" and confidence-building exercises. Afterwards, I feel like crumbling into a heap from the sheer energy that it takes to muster these students into a comfortable space with their conversational English.

Also, I feel that the risk that the materials/exercises/games are too difficult for the students is much higher with the intermediate level. I'm told that at this level, students require a set structure of the class above all else. This makes me feel somewhat hesitant about trying new methods of engaging them - something I'll have to work on.

So it takes time. For the minute though, we'll keep taking deep breaths and throwing ourselves in head-first.

Happy Mum's Day

Happy Mother's Day to all the fantastic, incredible mothers and women in our lives; we love you dearly! In our thoughts today, and all our love. x

Spot of Leunig on a Saturday Afternoon

Must say, absolutely loved this piece from Leunig courtesy of today's Saturday Age... "Is journey neccessary?"

"...If we are inclined to the view that life itself is a journey, the question of its necessity is also worth answering. If the answer is no, life is not necessary, we can then see beyond its apparent urgency and regard it as a mysterious stroke of amazing good fortune, or amazing grace... a liberating vision that can make it more beautiful and poignantly funny, as well as more bearable when... the owl of despair hoots in the night crying, "What's the point, what's the point?

I recently shared a dinner table with a man who had grown up by the Mediterranean Sea, and we discussed life's bearable and unbearable nature at some length.

"In the town I come from," he said, "when people meet each other in the street, they begin with, 'Shit, what's the point?' Right at the start, they go to the heart of things, and this allows real conversation to happen."

It seemed like a lovely, earthy social convention to me, and a very practical idea, but I know it's not likely to catch on in Australia. And I don't know how a man with a background like that was allowed to immigrate to our shores, where sunny, positive thinking is compulsory and negative capability is regarded as a brain disorder...

Teaching in Transition

So, aside from everything else, there are some options that we're considering at the moment.

At this point, our lives feel so transitory. This is liberating and a little frightening, though each day we've felt more at ease in this context.

Our first paycheck is tommorrow, and though it won't be much, it'll keep us afloat in the meantime. In the following few weeks, we should be able to settle down a little bit more, as we'll have enough money for a deposit on an apartment, and will no longer be living in this hostel.

Aside from that, though, the question is: What do we want to concentrate our energies on? English teaching is enjoyable, but is it enough to sustain us? Teaching in this style of cram school, where the focus is on the student as a consumer that needs to be "satisfied with a product," is markedly different to any actual education system, we feel. The students consistently need to feel as though they're "getting their money's worth", as ultimately, it's an extra-curricular activity for them. For this very reason, there are no tests, no certifications, no real rules in the class and not much actual authority in the hands of the teachers. It's our job to make these students (clients?) feel as though their English has improved, whether or not this is the case. It's interesting, to say the least, but we can see how it won't be enough for us to be "service providers" full-time.

Teaching, rather, "tutoring" in this way, is immediately "rewarding" in that you can see how some students warm to the opportunity to speak to a native speaker. Gaining their trust, allowing them to feel as though they can make mistakes, is "rewarding" in that sense; but, on the other hand, I'm not sure if a number of "little satisfying moments" actually add up to an honest sense of job satisfaction. By which I mean, we derive so much joy from reading about the state of the world, polarization and globalization, all that boring stuff :) - but that's what we love, and the sense of satisfaction that we derive from that just doesn't compare. Learning Chinese is also in that bracket. We're really really looking forward to having a steady paycheck so that we can pay for lessons during the mornings, and teach in the evenings.

We can see how being good for the "business of supply and demand" will enable us to have other options at hand. But we can also see how you could become so involved with it, that other goals like learning Chinese and taichi and more about Taiwanese local culture could just fade away. Ultimately, we have to stay true to the people that we are and hopefully, this transitory period will allow us to do that. As the lovely George Smith told us... We just have do all we can to "just be happy."

The Power of Less

"In a letter to the philosopher Sidney Hook, Robert Frost stressed that an essential difference existed between grammatically correct sentences, and a living sentence. He could not define the difference, but suggested that a living sentence could be identified by its undismissable effect... Living sentences allow us to listen with our whole selves and not just the eyebrows up. The words last as written words or speech because the unimitable knows no substitutes. It lets itself be known by the heart, which is the best form of knowledge because it confirms an ongoing presence...

I do not make this statement to denigrate the language of statement, which does serve a neccessary purpose. However, it is not language at its fullest. Once its serves its purpose, it evaporates. This is the language which dominates our public life...

The American poet Henry Carruth once identified poetry as "the great voice within us" - within all of us. Why is this voice missing in our public discourse?... After all, a society exists when human beings live not in isolation but in conjunction with one another and where they individually and collectively face all the trials that "flesh is heir to", while simultaneously striving to perfect those abilities whch distinguish them from all other creatures i.e. speech, imagination, reverence for life, etc...

It would seem that in such circumstances "the best words in the best arrangement" (T.S. Eliot) would help them live in harmony whilst inspiring them to live justly and fully. But as long as people see themselves not living in a society but in an economy, they become more prone to regard themselves simply as consumers, purchasers, assets... In time this language becomes the language of quantity, not quality - the language of abstraction and generality and not the language of felt thought. It becomes the language of inhumanity.

Caminante, no hay camino.
Se hace camino al andar.

"Wayfarer, there is no road.
You make the road as you go."

- Antonio Machado

Reading or hearing words in this way - experiencing these felt thoughts - eases something in us. It reassures us that we had the right to feel the way we do. We live, thereafter, quickened and deepened. It is, what Robert Frost called, "a momentary state against confusion." True language is a momentary intensity, like kisses or tears, they have no past or future tense. Like telegrams, they eschew the superfluous and treasure the vital. They emphasise the power of less."

- "Poetry and Public Speech: The Power of Less"
Samuel Hazo, Director of the International Poetry Forum
Speech delivered to the University of Pittsburg,
February 1, 2007

Some musings on Urban Taiwanese Architecture

"When the Guomingdang (KMT) first arrived, they believed that they were ultimately going back (to China), so it was a transitory period that probably made Taipei that haphazard place that it is today. Taiwan is still a very transitory country. The mentality is, "we're going to send our kids abroad, then we're going to move out"... There are too many variables that don't allow for a sense of pride of place..."
- Phillip Huang, EG magazine editor

"The traditional Taiwanese home - made of red brick and built around a courtyard in the Northern Chinese style (si he yuan) is deeply inappropriate for the subtropical climate. The Chinese style remained the same because it was a symbol of the power structure - that was more important than comfort. The more you move away from the centre of Chinese culture, the more interesting the architecture becomes..."
- Roan Ching-Yueh
Associate Professor of Architecture at Shih Chien University

Jarring Aesthetics - Expressway, Taipei City

"If one stays long enough on the island, the jarring aesthetic is gradually tempered by the people one meets, the preoccupation with making a living and the delights of Taiwanese food.. homey feelings which take over from the rational and compensate for you."

- Meldrum, W. Taiwan Review, March 2007.

Taipei City at Night

The city in which we live

View of Taipei City from the balcony of our hostel

Health Issues

Since Sim's birthday, we've had a little trouble on the health front.

The past week or so had me feeling pretty strange. Every morning I'd wake to feeling really around my ribs; then, each time I'd go to the bathroom, I'd burn painfully. I found myself going to pee (not that I'm blushing!) every hour during the night, so by the time we woke up at 9am, I'd still feel really tired. The worst thing was feeling my energy just drain away in a great whoosh every afternoon - making me impatient and generally pretty grumpy. Two nights ago, when I went to the bathroom and realised that I was peeing blood, I thought "time to see a doctor."

So yesterday we found ourselves at Xinguang Hospital in Shilin, northern Taipei City. Our lovely Taiwanese friend Margaret took the afternoon off work to drive us there and back, convinced that the Taiwanese hospital system would be way too overwhelming for foreigners, even with our minimal Chinese. Wow, she couldn't have been more right. The hospital felt more like a market-place, with scores of people in every room. So we were given an immediate appointment to see a urologist, who fortunately spoke great English. The diagnosis? I have a urinary tract infection. The doctor thinks that three days of antibiotics should be enough, but he took a urine sample and I'll be back there on Friday. The only concern would be if it had spread to my kidneys, but without signs of a fever, that's unlikely. I have to drink three litres of water each day for the next few days and stay away from alcohol and coffee (!!). So yes, today I'm feeling a thousand times better, much more energetic (and less grumpy, thank goodness.)

Last night, Sim came down with our first minor bout of food poisoning. He's feeling okay, though a little crampy and nauseous, so last night he had a few gastrolyte tablets. He's well enough to work today, but he's staying away from food. Hopefully by the time he comes home (about 10pm), he'll be ready to eat again.

Happy Smufday to Sim!

I guess it goes without saying that the cake didn't last very long... :)

Dangao!

What birthday is complete without cake?
(Chocolate sponge, no less!)
Two birthday singers at the infamous gorgonzola pizza restaurant

Sababa, Taipei City - Sim's 24th Birthday

Munching on Morroccan
Life's little pleasures

Sim's Birthday

It would be such a shame to catch up on the blog without writing about the joyous occasion that was Simon's 24th birthday! Yes, that's right folks, right here in Taipei City, our young Sim took another step further into his young adulthood - more than enough cause to celebrate.

Since we were both booked in to work last Thursday night, we decided to begin the celebration early on the Wednesday evening. My favourite blog, "A Hungry Girl's Guide to Taipei" (http://hungrygirlintaipei.blogspot.com) recommends a number of restaurants in the city for any style of cuisine or budget. After perusing some of the options, we decided to visit a little place called 'Sababa', Taipei's only hand-rolled pita bakery, serving Moroccan/Iranian-style dishes. Honestly speaking, we both can't tell you enough how absolutely amazing the dishes were! Sim ordered a plate of dips and bread with Moroccan-style chicken, and I the vegetarian version with falafel. The dips were presented beautifully, all freshly made, with hints of coriander and cumin, encircled with fresh pesto, with just enough diced cucumber and fresh tomato to give it extra texture. And to top it off, the softest and freshest pita I can say I've ever eaten! Sim thought the chicken was tender and cooked to perfection... Washed down with a couple of bottles of San Miguel... top stuff. All in a Moroccan style setting, not bad your local foodie alley in downtown Taipei. So decent prices, and no 'wankiness' about the place, all good for what we were after.

The only let-downs, I would say, would be the service (though a slow evening, you need to order across the bar, really unneccessary considering the size of the place) and that there was no baklava or desserts. Now, how you would manage to serve baklava in Taipei I have no idea, but nonetheless.. :)

So, enough of the foodie rant. From there we decided a couple of glasses of Australian wine were most definitely in order, since we haven't had a drop since we left Oz. So, we headed out to a place called 'Carnegie's', which was basically a Hard Rock Cafe-style place, just more escorts. :) Either way, we had a great time sipping Lindeman's Chardonnay and Jacob's Creek Cab Savs, and later, Happy Hour cocktails. It was great.

Well, I must run - Sim has just come home from work and looks pretty ill. This might be our first bout of food poisoning... Write more soon. x

Helmets Ain't Cool

The traffic in Taipei is incredible. Cars and scooters swim through the city streets like schools of fish. Lisa and I have flirted with the idea of buying a scooter here to get around on. Maybe a little Vespa, how romantic! Very Roman holiday. Riding a scooter is a large part of living in Taiwan. The roads of this tiny island can't accommodate every citizen's desire to own a car, and although the relatively new MRT in Taipei has eased the pressure on the city's roads, scooters are the populace's main alternative. To demonstrate the sheer volume of scooters here, Taipei city's population is over 2.6 million people; the number of registered scooters is over 1 million. Hence, riding a scooter is a large part of Taiwanese culture.


Prior to 1998, wearing a helmet whilst riding your scooter in Taiwan was not a requirement by law. Needless to say the culture here has embraced this new law half-heartedly. I can liken this lack of enthusiasm to wear helmets with skateboarding culture in Australia, where attempts to make skateboarders wear helmets has been rejected by the community, and hence the inconsistent application of the law. Entrenched cultures are resistant to change. Most of Taipei's 1 million scooter drivers wear not-so-much helmets but tin hats. They can be bought by the roadside for around $200NT or $8AUS. These thin pieces of metal are a superficial level of compliance with the authorities, enough to keep the police off your back. Youths can be seen wearing t-shirts chastising the helmet laws. Wearing a helmet ain't cool.


The practical benefits of wearing a proper helmet are, of course, obvious. And the predictable downside of wearing hats instead of helmets is the potential danger to the human skull. Combine a lack of protection with the bedlum of traffic in Taiwan and you have a potent recipe for death. In fact, 70% of all traffic fatalities in Taipei City are scooter operators. Many are victims of the greater problem in Taiwanese society: the lack of respect for traffic laws, drink-driving, and the lack of effeciency in policing Taiwan's roads. A trip around the island by car is a tour of traffic lunacy. In the mountains, buses and scooters overtaking cars on blind corners. Cliff-hugging roads with inappropriate barriers. People running red lights. Cars and motorcyclists not yielding to emergency vehicles. There are few guarantees as a pedestrian in Taiwan. Chaos is the law. Drivers and street-walkers alike seem to have developed a sixth sense for predicting traffic. Most of the time scooters and cars weave through the streets in schools with a kind of chaotic harmony, but it takes so little for that harmony to be broken.


Just the other day Lisa and I were walking to the bus-stop when we witnessed our first major collision. A man on a scooter had been hit by a car. He was wearing a cheap helmet - better than a tin hat, but not by much. Unconscious, eyes flickering in the back of his head. The typical thoughts ran through our minds - frustration, despair and ultimately sadness. The traffic in Taipei seems to mirror the island's path to modernisation. Intoxicating, blindingly quick, inconsistent and at times dangerous. Goodbye romantic ideas of driving a scooter in Taiwan. I'll take my chances with the footpath and the MRT.

A day in the life

How a week is a long time in politics... Things have changed for us so dramatically in the last few days!

Firstly, our jobs have stepped into full swing. We've both now done the teacher training sessions, the mandatory observational classes and our first real teaching classes (as emergency substitutes.)

Ohh, it's strange stuff. It's weird for me personally to have gone from being in a 'backpacker', observational mindset to realising - hey, I have a career here! It's odd walking into the centre and realising that I'm a TEACHER, not a student. The authority of it is strange, and being an employee in a big company - also odd, but good!

One of the most interesting things about our school so far has been the secretaries who run each of the school's branches in Taipei. Firstly, when you walk in, there are about 4-5 secretaries who organise class schedules and new students, etc. They are all locals, and are totally equipped to deal with anything that we need! They also deal with various complaints from the students, so it's been interesting realising just how much influence they hold in the successful running of the entire company. And we've been told to keep them on side, as the number of hours we receive totally depends upon them - they decide who receive the new classes and any new students that sign up! :)

So.. our school is one of the biggest 'chain' English schools in Taiwan. It's all over the internet, the TV and radio channels, so it's very well known. They have four branches here in Taipei - Simon has been allocated to the Fuxing branch, and I the Fuxing and Shilin branches. We've been allocated specific intermediate and advanced classes, so too private one-on-one/three-on-one student classes (which are more expensive and mostly held on Saturdays.)

Also, next week Simon will undertake his first corporate class (!) teaching business English at the offices of Far Eastern Airlines. Incredible stuff! We're earning over $20AUD per hour teaching the groups and private classes, and about $22AUD + transport for the corporate classes (which sound kind of intimidating!) so it's a great wage over here.

I can't leave a post without mentioning that today, just as we were leaving work and about to jump onto a bus... Sim really hurt himself! We were about to get onto the bus, so we hurried a little, dodging the crowds. In the process, Sim didn't see the large rear-view mirror of the bus and smacked head-first into it... Ouch! The crunch sound was absolutely horrible, and I looked over to realise there was blood on his face, I thought he'd broken his nose. Instead, he's got a slight gash on the top of his nose and a rather sore forehead... But he's okay, no headache even, which I think is amazing. I guess if that's the most dangerous thing to happen to us so far... ?!

Tommorrow is Simmo's 24th birthday, of course... And how excited we are! We're teaching tommorrow night (Sim - 2x advanced classes to whom he taught about 'religion' and 'civilisation' yesterday, and I'll be teaching the first lesson of a class that I'll hold for ten weeks!) so we went out tonight for dinner and drinks. We found this AMAZING place called Sababa which is a tiny hole-in-the-wall place serving amazing Moroccan and Iranian food! So we had pitas and falafel and hummus and moroccan style-chicken (for Sim)... So so so so good. Totally on par with Moroccan Soup Kitchen (though I would argue better, no?) Way to go, we love you multicultural Taiwan, you are amazing!

Then off for cocktails and beers at the local expat hangout, which could be likened to a Hard Rock Cafe. Shitty music and old guys hanging out with women far too young to be drinking booze! Either way, we loved it, bopping around to Prince's 'Cream'... and so the birthday celebrations begin!