4ever Discovering

Well, it’s been almost 10 weeks since I have arrived in Taiwan and I can say with (a little confidence) that it is finally starting to feel like a second home here.  Emily and I have found a great weekly routine that makes our weeks just fly by.  We are keeping so busy that I can’t even keep track of my time sometimes.  Now I finally understand when teachers say they have so much marking to do; it just keeps piling up and you don’t realize how much you have until to try to sit down and mark it.  Thank god for double prep.

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The teaching part of my Taiwanese life has definitely had its ups and down.  But hey, that is expected with every new job. I can 100% say that the students have come a long way since our first day, but there is definitely a lot more work to do.  Some days I am so impressed with my students, and others I can’t believe how much they annoy me.  It’s a love-hate relationship.  But at the end of the day, it is when I see the students in the hallways waving frantically at me or when they come to class with huge smiles on their faces, when I remember why I chose this career.  As a first year teacher, all I know right now is that this is definitely meant for me; I truly believe I was born to be a teacher.  After coming to school each day and leaving each night, I can’t see myself doing anything else.  So, thank you Taipei!

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With any new change, there are always blessings and difficulties that make the experience worthwhile.  With that being said, I won’t lie when I tell you that it isn’t always easy.  On an emotional level, I do find that some days are harder than others.  There are days where I feel like I’m on top of the world and can’t believe I am living in such an amazing country; there are also days where I feel a little void in my life. This was my first Thanksgiving where I wasn’t at Grandma’s, sitting around the table, eating dinner with everyone.  And let me tell you, it wasn’t just the turkey and stuffing I was missing.  Being away from my family and friends is tough.  These people are such a big part of my life, so to leave them for a year definitely has had its impact on me.  This is the reality of moving across the world; as much as I am loving where I am, I do wish my friends and family were here to experience it with me.

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Okay, enough of the emotional stuff, let’s talk about my Taipei-livin’.  After 10 weeks, I have been able to make some observations about this country, both good and bad.  First of all, I still don’t know what a ‘normal’ breakfast is considered here.  I have seen everything from soup to spaghetti, and dumplings to salad.  Believe me when I say: I am clueless.  I’m not a big breakfast eater as it is, so it doesn’t bother me at all.  I’m not one to eat eggs for breakfast; I would much rather go for a burger or pasta.  But in all seriousness, I found this rather unusual, especially when coffee shops don’t open until 11 AM.  Excuse me?  Don’t people usually prefer their caffeine BEFORE work?  You would think so, but people here nap so much throughout the day, it doesn’t seem to bother them.  Just ask some of my students, they enjoy their daily naps. 

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Another observation I have made is how people in Taiwan do not seem to be eco-friendly.  I have been getting mixed signals about their feelings on the environment.  They take garbage and recycling sorting very seriously; if you don’t buy the right garbage bag, you will be fined.  At first I thought it was awesome how much they care, but then the whole chopstick phenomenon hit me.  I CANNOT BELIEVE THE AMOUNT OF WASTED CHOPSTICK THERE ARE HERE.  Every day, Emily and I are given individually wrapped, wooden chopsticks at every restaurant.  Cute, right?  Then I got thinking about how many trees are cut down for these chopsticks when plastic, reusable ones seem like the much greener option.  Don’t get me wrong, I love having backup chopsticks at home from all the extras we are given, but the fact that they are wooden also is quite dangerous.  I can confirm that I have had 2 splinters from opening them.  I will warn you in advance to please open the chopsticks with caution.  They don’t look dangerous, but I can assure you they are worse than they seem.

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As every day goes by, my Chinese skills are improving VERY slowly.  I really want to take an after-school class to help me learn; mainly so I can eavesdrop on my students when they don’t speak English.  Do they really think I don’t know what they are talking about when they whisper in Chinese and snicker?  Come on guys, I may be white but I wasn’t born yesterday.  Emily and I are starting to make a little dictionary so we can keep track of words we know and learn every day.  So far, it is very short. I know the words: hello, how are you?, how much money?, good, bad and knee.  The essentials in life, right?  (I could probably live without knowing ‘knee’, but the students love it when I ask them how their knee is). 

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After experiencing some good, same bad and some ugly, let me leave you with this quote I heard about changes in life: Change is hard at first, messy in the middle and gorgeous at the end.  Believe me when I say, there will always be ups and downs, but the end goal makes everything worthwhile.  Every obstacle we face in life turns into a lesson learned that helps shape us into who we are today or who we will be in the future.  I have already seen so many incredible places and met so any amazing people here, I can’t wait to see what else lies ahead of me.  Whether it has been from travelling along the coast, eating delicacies or finding things to do in my spare time, I am grateful for every opportunity.  I have spent a weekend in Taraoko National Park and experienced the tranquility and beauty of nature; I have eaten the best pork belly sandwich I have ever had at a local night market and will dream about it for weeks; and I have sporadically gotten another ear piercing after my first real payday (sorry mom).  Life is designed to make mistakes and learn; take it from me.  With every scratch and bruise that scars you from falling down, you become such a stronger person when you pick yourself back up and keep going.  TRAVEL.  FIND WHAT MAKES YOU HAPPY.