Reflections from the Road

I’ve been traveling for about a month and a half now (time is flying), so it’s about time for a reflection post! Soon I’ll write about the actual countries visited, and about what I have been doing. I have a ton written down, so now it’s just a matter of putting everything together into a few coherent posts.

It’s a basic fact in my world that people are inherently nice, and not dangerous, scamming thieves, and that a smile and good manners will get you far. However, I’ve seen this in action so often recently that, as much as I say “Grr, people suck”, or “Argh, people are the worst”, I know in my heart that those statements could not be further from the truth. It’s time to reserve them for the times when they are legitimate and deserved. Also, I can barely remember more than a handful of times feeling unsafe or like I was putting my life in danger over the last few years of existing in other countries. I definitely feel more sketched-out in Albany (ugh) or Philly (but only at night. My Philly is a sweetheart during the day) than anywhere else I’ve been.

I’ve learned that I despise being perceived as a walking ATM, but that I’m willing to pay a bit extra, or the tourist price, as long as the seller isn’t outright scamming me or being a total jerk. This is especially true when I’m dealing with local businesses. That extra 5-100 pesos won’t affect me much in the long run, but can be the equivalent of a few meals for a family.

Water and sunscreen are SO IMPORTANT. Unless you’re swimming with whale sharks, in which case was that stuff off!

Walking is fun, and makes me feel great. Jeepneys (colorful shared vans) are a wonderful way to get around, and make me miss the Israeli moniyot sherut; three cheers for public transportation! Motorbikes are hands-down the best.

Chilling out sporadically is totally okay. I’m not missing out just because I need to take a day or two to relax, or because I feel like catching up on my shows one night instead of hanging out with people from the hostel again, or if I spend a few hours reading a book in a local café instead of exploring.

I can live comfortably without air conditioning, hot showers (especially if the alternative is swimming in a waterfall), and steady Wi-Fi, but I appreciate them as much as (or more than) ever.

Bargaining isn’t as terrifying as I thought it would be. Neither is standing up for myself when something is happening that is clearly not okay, even if sometimes I come across as a raging witch.

Pan-Asian food (currently I’ve tried a spectrum of Taiwanese, Japanese, South Korean, and Filipino foods in-country) is all-around AMAZING, and decently inexpensive depending on where you get it.

I’m not as afraid as I thought I was, or would be. I definitely thought going caving and riding on a motorbike would freak me out, but for both experiences I was already in the cave and on the bike before my brain started asking if it should start freaking out; it was quickly shut down by my eyes telling it “Shut up and live in the moment, because what you’re doing right now is awesome!”

On the other side, some things still freak me out. For example, I can argue with a guy about Cthulhus (something I know nothing about) but I’ll be nervous about flirting with his friend/travel buddy. Or, I can walk up to a random guy at a train station and offer to help him get relatively less lost, and talk with him for hours on the train, but then anxiety-out when it comes to meeting him at a theme park the next day after I see him walking in the opposite direction and realize that wow, he IS cute.

However, on the other-other side, it has become a lot easier over the last year to ask strangers to take my picture. Often I’ll repay the favor; couples especially appreciate this, since it means they get to be in a picture together. I can go to a sex-themed sculpture park and ask multiple people to take my picture while we’re all surrounded by giant genitalia, and not feel any sense of shame, or guilt, or embarrassment. I can easily ignore or brush off being laughed at for being touristy and asking for pictures of myself posing by strange or cool sights.

I haven’t been as body-conscious as usual. Maybe it’s because I’m (to quote Aida) “anonymous and gone tomorrow”, so there seems to be less pressure. Maybe it’s because I’ve been walking around a lot, drinking a ton of water, and eating decently (and making sure to eat vegetables at least once or twice per day). Maybe it’s because I’ve been seeing a lot of pictures of myself [doing kickass things] recently, and it has made me realize that maybe people mean it and aren’t just patronizing me when they tell me I’m cute.

One important thing I’ve learned is that, unless I’m physically ill (colds don’t count), I’m completely and totally willing to go on an adventure. Even if it’s supposed to be my chill-out day. Even if it means waking up before the crack of dawn. Even if it means asking to tag along on other people’s adventures because I don’t have a steady plan yet. Even if it means trusting strangers to get me to where I want or need to go, and getting pictures from them later. Even if I’m sore, or it’s hot outside, and the idea of moving sounds like the worst idea in the world.

It is always adventure time.

Minsu Folk Park Trip: In Which Becca Goes Israeli... Er, Taiwanese... Dancing.

My original adventure today was to see Minsu Folk Park, which is supposed to be a little slice of traditional Taiwan. I was going to take the bus right after teaching this afternoon.

I ended up going a few hours later, after getting an early sushi dinner. As it was, I got on the bus during rush hour, and thought I'd miss my stop simply because the bus was too full for me to see the scrolling stops at the front of the bus. I could still hear them, so that was fine.

Midway through the journey, it started to get dark. It gets dark here around 6pm/6:30pm, even in the summer. I thought I wouldn't be able to see anything, but there wasn't much to see in the actual park, anyway. But then I saw the dancers.

Every night, or at least a few nights per week, women gather in parks throughout the city to line dance. Tonight I finally joined in, and it was awesome!!! I danced with the women for a while, and then headed back to catch the bus.

While dancing, an adorable little girl started to mimic me, but then realized I didn't know what I was doing, so she went to dance next to the leader.

It apparently isn't summer for me without a bit of line dancing, so hello summer!

Children... Children Everywhere

“Point to where you need me to be, and I’ll go there.”

Monday, July 14^th, 2014

Today was the first day of our summer camp trip to Nantou! We gathered at school at 8:30am, and I was able to read for the entire hour and twenty minute bus ride. Although I was never under the impression that we were going camping, I was surprised by how swanky this place is. We are at a resort, which means toiletries are provided and our “cabins” have television and air conditioning. Nuts. Seriously. We’re in the mountains and there are snakes and mosquitoes, so it’s kind of like camping…no. Not at all. I’m sharing a room with the other American teacher, and with six 7-12 year old boys. We have four big beds and one bathroom for the eight of us, which isn’t so bad except that the boys take FOREVER.

We had an adorable opening ceremony. It consisted of passing a flag between seven groups of students so that everyone was included, and then I read the camp rules and the principal made a speech. Oh, and at lunch I led everyone in “grace”; when this was originally suggested last week, it was going to include a reference to God, but I succeeded in persuading the camp leader to change God to Earth, since our theme is space (I neglected to mention my squeamishness regarding the use of God in a completely secular setting). “Thank you, Earth, for the food” sounds better in my mind, anyway.

After lunch we learned our team cheers, went “shopping” for snacks with our Eagle Money in the principal’s room, presented our cheers to the other teams (my team won, yay!), and hung out at the resort’s amusement park (seriously, I can’t figure this place out. It’s ridiculous, in such great ways. See my Facebook for pictures.). There’s a little roller-coaster, a tilt-a-whirl, bumper cars, and a Disney Princess-themed merry-go-round which I absolutely must ride because how freaking awesome is that.

Dinner was the type of food that we normally eat at school for lunch, which I love (meat, rice, vegetables—can’t go wrong). After dinner we went to the resort’s hot spring! I didn’t go in because I didn’t feel like changing out of my clothes and into a bathing suit (seriously, for no other reason than I just didn’t feel like changing), so I chatted with a few students and read a book while everyone splashed around.

For one of the first times ever, I had the experience of being in the “cool” room/cabin. We had free time between the hot springs and going to bed, and kids kept coming in and out, and a bunch stayed to hang out. I felt like a cool chaperon, reading my book with the buzz of happy children in the background.

There were multiple water gun fights throughout the day, with water guns the students “bought” from the principal’s room. I didn’t realize it would be such a huge thing, and I’m definitely going to get one tomorrow so I can play.

A nice part of being in such an easygoing environment is that whenever an activity ends early, we have free time. Basically I spent a lot of today reading, listening to North American television in Chinese, and hanging out with kids. To borrow a phrase from the then-future frat boys from my high school, “It was chill.”

“Everyone in this room is too young to be sexy.”

Tuesday, July 15^th, 2014

Grr. Everyone woke up earlier than I anticipated, but at least they were quiet. I guess they weren’t also up half the night trying not to scratch the fifty-five mosquito bites (not kidding or exaggerating at all) they got on their legs and left elbow yesterday.

*Edit: I’m beginning to think they are ant bites. I sat outside to read yesterday and a swarm of little black ants ran around me. The bites aren’t fading as fast as mosquito bites usually do if I don’t scratch them, either.

Field games were successful. Most of the students had a great time. A few students fell, or got hurt in other ways, or didn’t feel like playing for one reason or another. We had a watermelon-eating contest and hula hoop races. We also played “Swim, Fishies, Swim” and a game where the students had to jump over a line if the word fit the category (for example, if the category was “Things we can eat”, and the teacher said “Watermelon”, then the students would jump to the O, but if the teacher said “Table”, then the students would jump to the X. If they jumped to the wrong side, a teacher would write an X on their arm with face crayons).

One student started bleeding during that game (probably from a bug bite, because he didn’t seem to be in pain or notice anything wrong), and I cracked up while watching a teacher crouch behind him and attempt to mop up the blood with a tissue whenever he jumped back to her side. What troopers!

After lunch we had our first English session. I taught a bunch of eleven-year-olds (I am, as usual, guessing their ages) about the solar system. They were bored, but paid attention for the most part. I started off the lesson with the Coke and Mentos trick, but with one of those baby cans of Coke (I guess my supply list wasn’t read correctly). Anyway, it was still great. One Mento made it fizz, and then the students kept egging me on so I put the rest of the mini-pack into the mini-can.

We were supposed to go to a Sky Bridge, but it was raining so we took a tour of the resort’s grounds on a shuttle, and then chilled out for a while until dinner. I walked around and took pictures after dinner.

“Are you excited to walk on the sky?”

Wednesday, July 16, 2014

Alternative Title: “Shawn, Jeremy, and Stanley: You all were great, but after a year of having you in my class, I am so excited to hit you in the face with a pillow.”

Today we played more field games (volleyball and more relay races). The teachers even ran one against the students! We went on the Sky Walk and Sky Bridge (see my Facebook for pictures). It was pretty cool—we got there by going straight up part of the mountain that the resort is on by riding a small cable car system. When we finally got to the Sky Bridge, the view was amazing. We were in the mountains, so that was most of the view, but if the other mountains weren’t there we could have seen forever.

We had a barbecue for dinner. In the span of three hours I was entrusted simultaneously with fire, beer, one of the grills (each table had two small grill areas), and children’s safety. It was one of those “is this real life?” moments. I sat there holding the beer for a few minutes in utter disbelief, even after watching one of the other teachers, who was there with her five-year-old daughter, drink her beer while wandering around the cooking area.

AFTER DINNER WE HAD A PILLOW FIGHT. I LIVE IN THE COOL ROOM AND WE HAD A PILLOW FIGHT WITH THE PRINCIPAL AND IT WAS AWESOME. This is everything pre-pubescent and adolescent Becca dreamed of during those years of being afraid to go to overnight camp for fear of getting desperately lost on the campgrounds and getting yelled at by counselors for not being in the right place at the right time (I was a nervous kid, okay? Also, I did get desperately lost every time I tried out overnight camp as a child. My sense of direction hasn’t improved much since.).

I learned how to say “zombie” in Chinese (jiangshi), because after the pillow fight ended and the principal and the other students left the room, my kids turned on a zombie movie. Oh, and from one of the relay races earlier, I’m pretty sure 7UP is qisui.

“I open at the close.”

Thursday, July 17^th, 2014

Nothing about this trip was Harry Potter-related, but I like the quote so it stays. Today was the last day! We had our final games, a big lunch, and our glorious closing ceremony where a few kids burst into tears from the heat (it was one of those days). The resort had a little haunted house, so we went there while we were waiting for an area we needed for the closing ceremony to open.

One of the games this morning was a treasure hunt in the small hot spring area (cold springs during the day). I hadn’t bothered to put on a bathing suit because I didn’t think I would get wet, but then I waded in up to my knees in one pool while the students were hunting in the other, and then we all started to play, so obviously I had to get completely soaked from head to toe, because how else would I know if I were having fun? But really, it was a ton of fun.

After the closing ceremony we FINALLY got on the bus and left around 3pm, and were back at school by 4:15pm. Now it is 4:45pm and I am HOME HOME HOME! It was a great trip, so much better and less stressful and tear-inducing than I anticipated, but I’m still so ridiculously happy to be back in the BatCave.

Wednesday Blues (But Not Mine)

All of the students looked out-of-their-minds exhausted at student pick-up today. We're in the last weeks of school and it is ridiculously hot outside, so who can blame them for being tired and done? Too bad we still have another week and a half of Eagle, during which I need them to concentrate because we have our final exam next Wednesday and Thursday, and a big review week this week.

Saying goodbye next Friday is going to be strange and bittersweet. It always is (this I know from many summers and the accompanying goodbyes, though in those cases they tend to be l'hitraots--until we meet agains). In this case there is a much smaller chance of reunion past the upcoming summer session.

In my younger classes we can finish "The Lion King" this Friday, and then I think we'll watch "Finding Nemo" next Friday, as a mini goodbye party. Our unit for the last few weeks has been on aquatic animals, reptiles/amphibians, and insects, and "clownfish" was one of our words, so "Finding Nemo" (or "A Bug's Life", ooh!) would be a perfect wrap-up movie. Now I just have to pick something for the older students, because they haven't gotten to watch anything fun this year (except for one or two episodes of "The Magic School Bus" which they pretended not to enjoy because preteens aren't allowed to like things).

Update: Apparently I'm not supposed to show them a movie on the last day, which is ridiculous and stupid because we'll fix our quizzes and go to the park regardless of whether or not I play games with them or show them a movie. Anyway, this means we'll finish "The Lion King" next week instead of this week, and not watch "Finding Nemo". Oh well. If my boss gives me trouble, I'll explain how hard my students have worked for the last ten months, and how it's not like I'm showing them a movie in Chinese--they're still practicing English! Plus it's summer so all of my students' brains have melted anyway. Seriously. Ahh.

Rant over.

Creative Writing Experiment

We're in the last two weeks of school, and my oldest students' review packet calls for them to do a bit of creative writing. I decided to tackle the prompts in an attempt to start writing again.

Warning: Flowery language ahead. Being surrounded by not-English makes me overcompensate with eloquence to an almost comical degree to make up for the simplistic language I use in and out of school.

The prompt: Describe a dolphin using these senses (sight, hearing, smell, touch)

*Note: I didn't completely fulfill the prompt, but I'm not taking an AP test so it's all good.

Nauseous from the boat tossing and turning in the rough waters of the sea, the ill feeling within my body was exacerbated by the hot and sour bile rising quickly through my esophagus. A cool spray of seawater eased my raging headache ever so slightly, until I was sickened once again by the taste and smell of salt and seaweed. Upon hearing someone cry "Dolphin!" I decided to tempt fate, and opened my eyes with the hope of catching sight of the majestic creature. Suddenly, the magnificent being leaped out of the water, its sleek grey skin still shiny with the water it had momentarily left behind. I reached out to touch it, but grasped only air. Its lithe body sliced gracefully back into the water, a kind soul slipped a trash can into my arms, and a wave of relief washed over me as my breakfast came pouring out.

The prompt: Write a detailed description. You may use one of these subjects, or you may choose your own subject. Write at least 5 sentences and at least 5 different details.

1. The zoo after closing time

The animals quietly unlock their cages. They creep stealthily into the pathways, meeting in the center of the zoo. With the clear, starry night above them, each species sends out its call. First, the mighty lions roar, followed by the howl of the moonlight-dappled elephants. Only the giraffes, regal and stalwart, remain silent.

*After writing this one I realized it was probably inspired by slipping through the cobblestone streets in Jerusalem on the way to the Kotel with friends one night in the fall of 2012.

2. Santa's toy workshop

Elves ran frantically from station to station as the bustling workshop readied itself for the Christmas season. Packages in all colors, shapes, and sizes were piled precariously in ceiling-high stacks.The room smelled of candy canes and gingerbread, with hot chocolate fumes wafting into the air. Every hour, Saint Nick would let out a hearty Ho! Ho! Ho!, signaling that it was time for the ten minute break. Mrs. Claus sailed through at that time with a plate of savory meats for each hardworking elf.

3. Filming a war movie

"Bang! Bang! Bang! Ping ping!" screamed the rifles, as thunder crashed and lightning flashed overhead. It was easy to forget that this was only fiction, and that in a matter of minutes, seconds even, all action would cease as suddenly as it began. On the shout of "Cut!", foes would become friends and brothers would reunite.
[*Weird tense change here*]
Grunting sighs of relief as they stripped off their packs and muddy outer layers, the men washed their hands and faces and readied themselves for lunch. The fully-functional mess hall had tables laden with tasty treats, and the actors began to eat, their chatter rumbling harmoniously throughout the elaborately decorated space.

Insomnia Strikes Again!

I couldn't sleep tonight, so I wrote this.

"I Don't Know How to Sleep Right"

(to the tune of "I Don't Know How to Love Him")

I don't know how to sleep right.

How to get those nine hours per night.

Going insane. Yes, really insane.

In these past few nights when I've been awake,

I think I'm going to break.

I don't know how to take this.

I don't see why I can't sleep.

Up all night.

It's not alright.

But I've spent so many nights awake,

For oh so many years. What is one more?

Oh, I twist and turn,

But my thoughts still churn.

If I fall asleep,

Will I wake up for work?

Don't think I'll ever get to sleep.

Who needs it anyway?

I don't think it is that funny.

I can't find the right position.

Optimal sleep

Escapes me now.

Some herbal tea. A fluffy bed.

Nothing helps me sleep. Why not count sheep?

Don't think I'll ever get to sleep.

Who needs it anyway?

Yet, when I get enough sleep,

I find myself disoriented.

I can't cope. I start to mope.

And then, I think--I'll get more sleep.

I slowly start to weep.

Insomnia's back.

It comes right back.

Insomnia's back...

Kaohsiung, Kenting, Dragon Boats, and Tainan (Oh My!)

 Sunday, June 1^st, 2014 (Morning)

Surprise, surprise, I haven’t slept much over the last few days (well, years, but I don’t want to talk about that). I’ve been staying up to watch movies and do laundry and clean in a futile attempt to de-mold my apartment. This weekend we have the Dragon Boat Festival on Monday, which means a three day weekend! I’m on the way to Kaohsiung right now. My itinerary for Sunday: 3 hour train from Taichung to Kaohsiung, 3 hour bus from Kaohsiung to Kenting, hang out on the beach in Kenting (the southernmost point in Taiwan) for a few hours, bus back to Kaohsiung, sleep. For Monday: Train to Tainan, watch the Dragon Boat races, see some historical sites (Tainan is the oldest city in Taiwan), train to Taichung, sleep.

Before 7:30am/since last night I…

-roasted carrots and mushrooms, bought a baguette, and made barbecue chicken sandwiches for Sunday.

-booked my train ticket online, printed out the information at a 7/11, and got to the train station.

-had a Zhongwen-filled conversation with my cab driver after misreading the bus schedule.

-did a lot of laundry (towels, backpack, etc.).

-watched a few silly, yet somewhat interesting, movies.

-finished one book and started another.

-charged all of my electronics and hid my computer from scoundrels.

-washed dishes.

-packed.

-Skyped with my NYC-bound sister.

I can’t wait to sleep on the train and bus! Both have my destination as their final stops, which means anxiety-free napping. I booked my train online, which means I guaranteed myself a seat AND was able to pay in advance, thus accruing airline miles (travel rewards card—such a good idea. If everything works out, I will have a $30 nonstop flight from Istanbul to NYC next year when I finally come back to the US).

Sunday, June 1^st, 2014 (Night)

I slept for a little while on the train, but not much because I accidentally over-flirted with a baby who then decided that my sole purpose in life was to entertain her. I was happy to oblige. After that, I read a book until I fell asleep (and finished it when I woke up).

It was easier than usual to find the bus station, and I was able to board almost immediately upon arrival. Two and a half hours, a few naps, and a quarter of a book later, I arrived in Kenting!

The beach itself wasn’t the nicest I have ever been to, and wasn’t as nice as I expected it to be, but it was still wonderful. I’m sure if I were on one of the resort beaches it would have been nicer. Nevertheless, I took a few spectacular naps, read about half of a book, and dunked in the water a few times. I watched the sun set over the water, and then left as it started to get dark.

This time around it took a little while to find the bus stop (it was in a random hotel on a street with a busy night market), but everyone was really helpful. The bus took *forever* to come, and then the ride itself was an hour longer than I expected, and ended at a station further away from my hostel than I had anticipated. Near the end of the ride I talked to this girl and her friend from Cornwall, ON. The girl has been here for two weeks and is (shocker) teaching English. Her friend was visiting.

Three cabdrivers and an English-speaking man in his 30s ultimately figured out how to get me to my hostel, where I promptly ate some Thin Mints I had smartly packed in my bag, and wolfed down a surprisingly delicious bowl of ramen (one of, if not, my first).

Monday, June 2^nd, 2014 (Afternoon)

Today I went to Tainan from Kaohsiung to see the Dragon Boat races. It took a while for me to find them, but I settled in a shaded spot with a Taiwanese family who had two exchange students—one from France, and one from Poland. We watched the races, and then I left to see historical sites in Anping District (but not before stopping to watch a European crew team stretch).

Before heading to the sites, I stopped for lunch at 7/11. I kept telling myself, “Your American is showing”, because I ate pasta with carbonara sauce (yum—good going, 7/11) and drank a beer (to be fair, it was a Taiwan Beer).

I keep reading books about women who go on epic journeys to find themselves (which, by the way, is not what I’m doing—I just want to see and experience as much of the world as possible before settling for anything). Common themes which I have experienced in my own travels include otherness (duh), and women getting help. Not help in the “AHH, I HAVE NO IDEA OF WHERE I AM OR WHAT I AM DOING” sense, though obviously that is sometimes the case. In my experience, people will go out of their way to help travelers, especially if you are female, you are alone, and you look like a teenager. Oh, and smiling helps.

A lot of people like to strike up conversations, too, which means that as much as I protest this fact, my small talk skills and ability to talk naturally with strangers have improved by an incredible degree over the last few years. I have also gotten a lot better at asking for the help that people so willingly offer up. Oh, and I am well aware that things would be different if I didn’t appear to be the least threatening person in the universe, but there isn’t much I can do about that—short of a Dauntless transformation (can you tell what books I have been reading lately?).

Monday, June 2^nd, 2014 (Night)

The historical sites were kind of cool, but not incredibly noteworthy, and most had closed by the time I got there. While waiting for the bus, I had a lovely conversation with a French woman and her Taiwanese boyfriend; they were around my age, and were on their way back to cheer some of his teammates on in their next dragon boat race.

I got on the wrong bus after a failed attempt to see one of the historical sites, so the ride to the train station took an hour instead of 20-30 minutes. Ironically, it was the historical shuttle, so while breaking my heart by going who knows where, it showed me all of the sites I hadn’t gotten to see, including the one I had been trying (and failed) to see. Trains run super-late, anyway, so everything ended well.

I didn’t have a seat for the first leg of the train ride (they are assigned), but that was only for the first 45 minutes of a two hour and forty minute ride. At the end, the door was locked, so we ran to the next train car in order to exit. Yikes. That part was terrifying.

All in all, this was a great weekend, and I’m glad I got myself in gear and actually took the trip instead of choosing to stay home and sleep for the entire weekend.

Stay-At-Home Adventures

Lately I've been feeling stuck, so I made a pledge to myself to go on day-trips, small adventures. This weekend, I didn't bother with my day trips, but opted instead to explore and improve my culinary skills, watch new movies, and sleep until I was sore.

Sometimes on Fridays I make soup from the odds and ends in my refrigerator, dubbed "Smorgasbord Soup", named after my dad's method of making dinner when I was younger. We would make a "smorgasbord" by taking everything out of the refrigerator; everyone was then in charge of his or her own meal. How those meals often ended up as tacos continues to mystify me to this day.

I bring home a lot of leftovers from school, and they complement each other magnificently when simmered together with some curry powder, chili powder, and turmeric. This Friday I had spare broccoli and cauliflower and tossed that in--delicious. The soup was burn-your-throat spicy, and utterly satisfying.

Later I made one of my favorite meals, "Indian Spiced Salmon", which my mom used to make a lot. Interestingly enough it was like a smorgasbord for salmon. You take any combination of spices that you have on hand, spread them over the salmon with a bit of olive oil, then bake until cooked through. This is best accompanied by a sauce made from cilantro and plain yogurt.

Staying up all of Saturday night to watch movies and cooking videos inspired me to try baking bread again. I tried a few times in Israel and for some reason was satisfied with the results even though they were quite gross. This time, I made a ton of mistakes during the entire process, but ended up with beautiful, delicious, golden dinner rolls. Nevermind that they were supposed to be hamburger rolls. I'm currently slow-cooking some pulled chicken, which I will mix with honey mustard, Thai sweet chili sauce, and Sriracha (separately, of course), to make tiny, adorable sliders.

With the exception of two enjoyable yet horrendously bad movies, each movie I watched this weekend was better than the last. Well, even that isn't true. They were all just so freaking good. Emotional, touching, feel-good, funny. Through these movies I have gone through what feels like nearly every possible emotion in one weekend, and it felt great.

In no particular order, the movies were: "The Imposters", "The Rules of Attraction", "35 And Ticking", "Home of Phobia" (the horrendously bad one, also known as "Freshman Orientation"), "Shake, Rattle & Rock", "Beauty & the Briefcase" (the other horrendously bad yet enjoyable movie), "Conception", "21 & Over", "Stuck in Love", and "Phoebe in Wonderland".

All in all, it was a great weekend. I feel refreshed, and slightly out of my rut.

How the 921 Earthquake Museum Rocked My World

March 22^nd, 2014

I was too lazy to get up for the Sun Moon Lake trip that I had scheduled for today, but after a relaxed morning I decided to fulfill a different goal and visit the 921 Earthquake Museum, commemorating the earthquake that occurred in Taichung County on the morning of September 21^st, 1999.

This involved two buses—one to the train station, and one to the museum. The bus to the station was fine, but the bus part of the train station is a MESS. However, it is easy to navigate if you are willing to ask questions in order to ensure that you are in the correct location and on the bus you need. I got on the wrong bus but quickly figured out that it was a mistake, and the bus driver pointed me to the bus “terminal” that I was supposed use. I saw the bus I needed pass me by, but another came ten minutes later. It turns out I had negative money on my bus card, so I paid for a ticket instead, which was great because that way I knew to ask for one for the return trip. This meant I could avoid being my usual bumbling self for a change!

It’s possible the bus driver was repeating all of the stops for my benefit, and later in the ride two middle school-aged boys came onto the bus and one of them (Gary) said hello, introduced himself, then proceeded to turn around after every stop, give me a huge smile, and repeat the names for me in English. We spoke a mix of Mandarin and English to each other, and it was fun. He and his friend seemed excited to see me and to speak with me. I wish I had the spunk in middle school to get on a bus and talk to foreign strangers. At one point the boys turned around and said “91”, and I had *no* idea why. It turned out they were saying “921”, which was the name of my stop (and the bus' last stop)!

The museum itself was interesting—it had a lot of pictures of the havoc the 921 earthquake wreaked on Taiwan, which ranged from raising tea fields two meters higher in certain points, to destroying bridges, to creating waterfalls. There were also some interactive parts, including multiple earthquake simulators, one where you jump to register magnitude, and another where you set up a small village in mud (the four year old in me LOVED that one) then turn a crank and raze it to the ground, along with a few more. The dork/child in me decided that I needed to use the stamps provided in each building of the museum to stamp the map I was given at the beginning, which led to a few giggles with the museum’s staff.

One of the best parts was the location of the museum. It is housed in a former junior high school which was decimated by the 921 earthquake, and is situated in the mountains. Although it was a cool and cloudy day, the weather was perfect. I ate lunch outside after going through the museum, and then headed home.

The Next Three Months

I'm teaching myself how to take day and weekend trips during my last six months in Taiwan, partly so I don't have to spend too much time here after my contract ends, and partly because learning how to leave my apartment on weekends even when I only want to sleep and watch TV is a good skill.

Here's my schedule for the next three months:

Saturday, March 22nd, 2014: Sun Moon Lake

8:10am bus from Nantou Bus Ticketing Office (10:10am arrival at Sun Moon Lake).
*Across from Military City (15 minute walk from Train Station)
**Get discount package (includes bus ticket, possibly a return ticket?, cable car ticket, boat tour ticket).

Explore! (take the cable car, go on the lake boat tour, bike around Sun Moon Lake).

Last bus leaves Sun Moon Lake at 6:40pm (8:10pm arrival in Taichung).


Saturday, March 29th, 2014: 921 Earthquake Museum Day Trip

Take the 50 bus between Taichung train station and 921 Earthquake Museum (trip takes about an hour).

Learn about earthquake that took place on September 21st, 1999.
http://www.921emt.edu.tw/e_content/about/about01.aspx


Sunday, March 30th, 2014: Science Museum and Minsu Folk Park

Spend the morning/mid-afternoon exploring the National Museum of Science, then go to Minsu Folklore Park (recreation of a rustic/old-fashioned Taiwan) for the afternoon.


Friday, April 4th, 2014: Alishan National Park Day Trip

(This is a day off from school for Children's Day, so I'm going to push myself to wake up hella, hella early to explore the bamboo and red cypress forests of Alishan National Scenic Area.)

5:22am train from Taichung to Chiayi (7:03am arrival). Try to catch the 7:10am bus to Alishan (if not, get the 8:10am bus).

-Take the Jhushan train and hike back
-Walk the Giant Trees Trail
-See Two Sisters Pond

See: giant red cypress trees.
Try: Oolong tea!

5:10pm bus (THIS IS THE LAST BUS!!!) back from Alishan to Chiayi, then take the train from Chiayi to Taichung.


Saturday, April 5th, 2014: "The Parkway" and Taichung Park Mid-Lake Pavilion

"The Parkway" is an area between Wuquan 3rd and 4th streets, from the Art Museum to the Science Museum. It has a lot of small, local shops and restaurants, and a lot of cool artistic and cultural displays. After that I'll head over to Taichung Park. I'm not sure what is there, but I was typing a location into my Google Calendar and the Taichung Park Mid-Lake Pavilion showed up, so I figured I'd check it out.


Saturday, April 12th to Saturday, April 19th: USA! USA! USA!


Sunday, April 27th, 2014: Dakeng Hiking

From the Taichung Wikitravel page:
"Dakeng in Beitun District has several hiking paths along elevated wooden walkways. Trails are connected and some loop around to connect with other trails. Trail #5 leads to the highest point in Taichung City."

Also, I've heard there are monkeys all around this area.


Saturday, May 3rd, 2014 to Sunday, May 4th, 2014: Taipei

-Modern Toilet: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Modern_Toilet
-Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial Hall
-Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall
-See the National Theater and Concert Halls at night
-Taipei Zoo
-Spend an hour or so hanging out at the Hua Shan Cultural and Creative Industry Center
-Peace Park
-Beitou Hot Spring Museum
-Daan Forest Park
-228 Peace Park
-Dajia Riverside Park


Sunday, May 11th, 2014: Guanziling Muddy Hot Springs

Train to Chiayi, bus to Guanziling.

"Fire and Water". WATER IS ON FIRE. Methane gas comes up from the ground, so the rocks in the hot spring are on fire.

Guanziling is famous for muddy hot springs. I'm going to a spa! The experience seems to be similar to the Dead Sea mud.


Sunday, May 18th, 2014: Tainan

In Anping District (安平區； Ānpíng qū)
-Anping Old Fort (Watch the sunset here)
-Anping Tree House
-Eternal Golden Castle/Fortress/Fort
-Chihkan Towers (the landmark of Tainan and its most famous historic site)
-National Museum of Taiwanese Literature


Friday, May 30th, 2014 to Monday, June 2nd, 2014: Kaohsiung, Kenting National Park, and the Dragon Boat Festival

Friday night I'll take a late train to Kaohsiung, stay the night, then take a bus to Kenting National Park the next morning. I'll stay over in Kenting National Park on Saturday night, and stay over in Kaohsiung on Sunday night. Monday, June 2nd is the Dragon Boat Festival, so I'll watch that in Kaohsiung, then take the train back to Taichung that evening!

Kenting National Park is supposed to have the best beaches in Taiwan. I plan to veg out and read on the beach for two days. Mmm.

A Two and a Half Thin Mint Day

12:40pm

I’m really tired and out of it today, I think I have a tension headache, and all I want is to go home and take a nap (and listen to Alanis Morissette, because I just got one of her songs—“All I Really Want”—in my head. Not sure if it is stuck in there yet). Too bad today has barely begun. I still have seven hours left at work, and an hour to perk up before my first class and our mini field trip to the supermarket. Shouldn’t be too hard. Until then I’ll keep refilling my tea mug. I’m glad this is only a four-day week. Maybe I can sleep for a long time on Friday during Peace Memorial Day.

5:15pm

Perked up! The field trip was great—we brought our students to the supermarket to learn about fruit. The other teacher and I held up different fruits and asked our students about the colors and if they liked the fruits or not. It went exceptionally well considering my students’ gnat-like attention span. Plus, I got a Thin Mint for that class as part of my reward system.

6:10pm

I ate Thin Mint #2 as a reward for my second class going well. Best reward system ever (for me, at least). Also, Spring has sprung and life is goood. I’m going to start increasing the frequency of my nighttime dance parties in the park.

8:15pm

Third class was decent so I gave myself half of a Thin Mint (blasphemy, I know). Upon leaving school I almost got hit by a car which decided to back out after I had already started walking in the pedestrian zone, and then would not stop. The driver was on the receiving end of one of my patented “If Looks Could Kill” glares. I despise motor vehicle operators in my city. I’m sure they are nice enough when not trying to run over everyone and everything, but seriously, folks. Sometimes I’m afraid to walk around.

How Becca Found Her Mojo (and Got Her Groove Back)

Nervously, and somewhat hesitantly, she put on a sports bra and purple gym shorts, debating whether to wear a t-shirt or a tank top; the latter would show every last hill and valley, including some best left hidden, while the former would shield her torso and upper arms from both the sun's rays and people's stares. It was her first time leaving the apartment in two days, and her first time running in weeks. Her self-consciousness was at its peak, in part because her nocturnal nature had kicked in a few days before and she therefore hadn't slept since 5pm on the previous day, and by now the sun was shining. Anyway, she slept better during the day.

She decided on a tank top, because her t-shirts all smelled like laundry day was still a few days out of reach. Purple socks and electric blue sneakers completed the get-up, as did keys and an iPod, white headphones fitting snugly headband-style over her ears.

Once outside she stretched for a minute, then began to run as the first song was ending and a new one was beginning. She ran up and to the right for two or three songs, then slowed to a dance-walk as she approached the park. All she wanted was to be in the sun, but close to shade for the security it held.
Settling on a spot by one of the slender trees which dotted the park, she began to stretch to the music. When the Backstreet Boys song came on her iPod, it was like she was transported back to her university dance aerobics class; the beat made her want to excitedly punch the air with childlike joy. Right-right, left-left, right-left-right-left. Double-punch, double-punch, single, single, single, single. It was one of those songs where the rhythm remained constant, save for a few disruptions which called for spirit fingers and lithe body-swishing.

While dancing and punching, she was delighted to recall that her fellow park-goers did not pay attention to anyone else, and all self-consciousness melted away.

The Backstreet Boys tune was replaced by a Kelly Clarkson hit, from the artist's phase as a jilted lover. The girl's body electrified, punching the air and swaying in the sunlight like the happiest and spazziest of cattails.
She stayed in the park for a few more songs, singing and dancing without a care in the world, continuing in a similar fashion on the walk home.

And that, my friends, is how Becca found her mojo (and got her groove back).

The Avengers

The Avengers: Not as good the second time around (but still awesome)!

This could potentially be attributed to the positive aspects and setting of the first viewing--in the theater, at an appropriate time of night, and surrounded by my family and obvious Whedon fans (they were the people who laughed in all of the appropriate places, then continued to giggle from the pure elation of experiencing Whedon's first stab at big-budget film directing [at least since Serenity back in 2005]).

This time, I: watched the movie alone (and was therefore the only Whedon fan in the vicinity), started at 12:30am (oops), couldn't marvel at enough of the surprises from the first viewing, and had way too many external distractions.

That cast, though. Witty, intelligent, talented, and gorgeous, down to the last member (looking at you, grown-up Chrissy from Growing Pains).

Today's Mishap Is Brought To You By Dysfunctional Directional Skills And A Blatant Mistrust Of Technology.

Today started off like any normal day, except that it began at 5:30am. I tried and failed multiple times to fall back asleep, but ended up watching a few movies instead. Lunch was homemade chicken curry with a side of movies, then I got ready to sub at a friend's school.

I left about an hour and a half before I was supposed to be at the school (which was still a half hour before class was going to start), and the bus ride was going well until I thought it wasn't going to bring me to the right stop, so I got off at what was the wrong bus stop. Oops. I ended up walking for almost an extra hour, which included backtracking on multiple streets. My phone helped GREATLY, but I don't know how it was working, because I don't think it has data...but oh well. if GoogleMaps is going to work on my phone, then I am not going to question it.

At 4:55, I finally got to the school, prepped in the five minutes before class, then headed up to the classroom. My friend had outlined a lesson plan for me, which was wonderful. The students were super quiet and shy the whole time, but they did warm up a lot when I scattered a few games of Simon Says and singalongs of Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes throughout the lesson.

Upon leaving the school, I found a market on the way to the bus. I didn't buy anything, but had a great time looking around at all of the fresh produce.

On the bus ride I saw a lot of lights and statues at my favorite park, so I got off the bus and walked around and took pictures. It was so cool! However, it took me a while to realize that there were probably horse statues (which were colorful, electric, lit-up, and awesome) everywhere because we are now in the year of the horse.

Hungry and tired at this point, I started to dance-walk home, did some fun shopping, then stopped for a sushi and blog-writing session. After sushi I went home and was asleep by 10:30pm.

Laundry Day!

I knew I wouldn't actually follow through with going to the beach. I think I needed motivation to clean my apartment (besides it being its usual pigsty of a mess). Plus, I have been saying for weeks that I need to do laundry, but I had enough clean clothes or a awhile to get by.

Doing laundry is such an ordeal--I have to put all of my dirty clothes into suitcases, then haul it all to the 24-hour laundromat, which always feels so much further away than it really is. Sometimes the creepy guy is there; he smokes inside and doesn't like when I try to fit all of my clothes into one machine--I'm not even really over-stuffing. He also always tries to help me, which is nice enough but I don't need help and HATE when other people touch my laundry, especially people I don't know. It is almost always raining in some capacity when I do laundry.

This time was pleasant. Two suitcases meant three washing machines and two dryers. Two machines for clothes and one for towels, which became one dryer for clothes and another for towels. The man wasn't there, and I had enough $10 coins to pay for the machines.

After I finished doing laundry (it was now 3am), I went back to my apartment, slacked off for a few hours, then cleaned EVERYTHING. I swept the floor, recycled glass, paper, and plastic items, and threw out trash (I was good, and there wasn't much trash by this point).

Well, That Happened...

I should have known something was wrong because the booking process was going so well.

I've looked up this flight so many times that I didn't think to look closely at the dates I had chosen when I finally got to the United website. I got through the entire process, including payment and confirmation, before realizing that I had booked the flight for the day before I was supposed to leave. This wouldn't have been too much of a problem if the flight didn't involve me getting to the Taipei airport in time for an 8:45am departure (which it does).

Commence nausea, complete body numbness, and feelings of doom. Luckily, I have been through this (not this particular situation, but with booking various modes of transportation) enough times to immediately spring into action. Upon receiving my confirmation e-mail from United, I clicked on the "Manage My Reservation" button, then cancelled my flight (first time ever doing this), then re-booked with the appropriate departure date, taking care to ensure that everything went correctly. Problem solved!

Hong Kong: The End

Thursday, January 23^rd, 2014

By the time I finally got around to writing this post, I was kind of over the blogging part of the trip. The trip itself was fulfilling, interesting, and entirely relaxing.

Of course my last day was the first day on this trip that I woke up fairly early. I had my usual lazy morning, then indulged in a delectable sushi brunch. I went to the market to get a few ripe mangosteens as a thank you gift for my host (his favorite fruit) and figs for myself, then went back to the apartment, wrote a thank you letter, packed, and left.

I had a relaxing bus ride to the airport, then wandered around lost for a few minutes until I found the right terminal to check in. Everything went smoothly until I realized that my flight had no gate. I dealt with an incompetent flight attendant who kept looking at my ticket and pointing at the board (a process which was repeated about five times), then settled in at a random gate until my flight.

When I got back to Taichung, I bought groceries as a homecoming gift to myself (and because I got rid of most of my edible food before leaving).

Thus ends the Hong Kong posts! Many thanks to everyone who stuck it out with me!

Hong Kong Day 4: Like a Star at her Peak*

Wednesday January 22^nd, 2014

*The title was supposed to be a silly pun but now seems misguided. It stays!

I had grand plans (kind of) for my last full day in Hong Kong, but instead I did a total of two things, three tops. I started off the day with my usual lazy morning, then took the metro to get to the ferry, and stopped to have lunch at Café de Coral (Hong Kong fast food). My meal was an octopus/chicken/mushroom hash over rice, and it was delicious.

Following lunch, I went to the Star Ferry, got my token, helped a couple who couldn’t read English or traditional Chinese get theirs, and flirted with an adorable baby. The ferry was AWESOME.The smell and breeze were wonderful (I love love love the water).

I had heard and read about a tall building with great views, and saw one upon debarking from the ferry. I wasn’t sure if it was the right building, so I went in and asked. Turns out it was a correct building! The Hong Kong Monetary Authority, 55^th floor. Too hazy for great views, but it was still nice to see the city and harbor from that high.

I later found the bus to get to “The Peak”, and did the 2.8km “Peak Morning Walk”, except at nightfall and alone (oops). It was beautiful, with stunning views of the city and harbor at and after sunset, but it was also terrifying. I did a piece of a Next to Normal chorus (“I’m alive, I’m alive, I’m so alive!”) with a dance-spin when I got to the end. All in all it was something I would definitely do again, but earlier in the day or with a buddy if at night.

After waiting in the horrendously long line for the bus, I took the ferry back to Tsim Sha Tsui (the port/harbor on the Kowloon side), then ate dinner where I had lunch (same meal,too—it was that good) while reading No Reservations. I have a newfound crush on Anthony Bourdain and part of me now wants to be a chef. To complete the night I walked around Tsim Sha Tsui again, and a random man enlisted himself as my photographer after I asked him to take one picture (which was not as creepy as it sounds).

Hong Kong Day 3: Ngong Ping and the Big Buddha

Tuesday, January 21^st, 2014

On my 3^rd full day in Hong Kong, I stayed up late and woke up late again, then had a relaxing early-afternoon while waking up. I found an outdoor market and bought some fruit, then caught the metros to Lantau for round two of island exploration.

I decided to “go American” and splurge on a ribs lunch. Ribs, honey mustard, fries, salad, baked eggplant with cheese. The meal was delectable—this was vacation in a meal. When it came out, the only thing I could say was an excited and amazed “Oh, wow!” I took home the other half for dinner.

Sated by delicious flavors, I headed to the cable car to go to Ngong Ping—I had heard about and seen the incredibly long line for the cable car, but managed to both bypass the line AND get my own cable car (which usually costs 10 times what I paid for my private ride). Being alone in the car meant that I could un-self-consciously run around like a loon while taking pictures of the breathtaking views (holy crap, it was a beautiful ride).

Once I arrived in Ngong Ping village, I wandered around for a bit, taking pictures of and with the cute mascots and statues, then headed over to see the Big Buddha. I walked up to see him (and took a ton of pictures and “selfies”), which was so cool—he’s HUGE!

Soon after hanging out with the Big Buddha, I went back down to catch the cable car back (it was a pretty short trip because the cable car stops at 6pm and I didn't catch the cable car to Ngong Ping until 4:30pm), but I was distracted by cows. Cows! There were also dogs who shepherded the cows back to their area and away from the tourist street.

I got to the cable car on time but by now the line was horrendously long—good thing I had my Kindle. Also, it was pretty dark by then so I couldn’t get any good pictures of the sunset or of the ride back, but this wasn’t a problem. One awesome thing—by the end of the ride I could see Lantau on one side and Hong Kong International Airport on the other side, and both were lit up magnificently.

After debarking from the cable car I went back to the metro—it was only about 6:30pm but I was tired and hungry, so I went back to my host’s apartment and had a quiet solo dinner of ribs and happiness.

Hong Kong Day 2: The Beach!

Monday, January 20^th, 2014

On my second full day in Hong Kong I accidentally stayed up until 4:30am and slept until 1pm, but it was MY vacation, and was therefore all good. I spent a leisurely hour or so taking the nicest shower and getting ready to find the beach.

I went to a hole-in-the-wall restaurant and took lunch to go (by the way, ick, plain congee is disgusting), then took two metros to get to Lantau Island, then a bus to get to Cheung Sha Beach (which involved asking a tourism agent how to get to "any beach, because all I need is to be by the water").

There weren’t more than five people on the beach at one time for the two hours that I was there, and the weather was perfect, albeit a bit chilly. I was outnumbered 2:1 by dogs at one point; two dogs (separately) came up to and sniffed/nuzzled me. Oh, and I went in the water! Only up to my ankles, but just being by the water was enough. It was so ridiculously peaceful and serene.

More people showed up around 4:30, but they stayed away and we left each other alone, so it was fine.

After about two hours on the beach I went back to the bus stop. I had just enough time to take a picture of the anti-incinerator banner and run to the bus. Luckily, someone else was getting off, which bought me some time. The bus was completely full so I sat on the entrance steps (I felt like I was back in Israel for some reason—maybe that was due to the Russians behind me). As usual, I was laughed at (nicely) when I asked a fellow step-sitter to take my picture.

The beach, bus rides, and even parts of the metro journeys could not have been more gorgeous. My trek began in the mid-afternoon and ended around sunset. At the end of the day I went back to my host’s apartment and had my second home-cooked (by someone else!) meal of the week.