The Afternoon after the speech contest

A speech contest is really important at our school. Lots of pressure to do well, for the students and us. Most parents come to the speech contest - especially in the lower level elementary. This is really different than my experience in Hawaii. It was tough to get parents to come to a class in Hawaii. In Taiwan, at this school parents come to class. Of course they bring with them their concerns which is also good. But sometimes it can go awry. I'll see. I've been warned of parents with too much influence affecting classes. I'll see soon.

So here are a few of us celebrating the end of the speech contest. My biggest problem was that students showed up with big bags of props to use in their speeches. Huh? These are first graders. They never practiced with the props. I mean, I have a hard time using new props without practice. They're first graders for ***** sakes! It actually ruined some of the student's speeches. Oh well.

This story is not over. I have to choose two from each of my classes to go on to the finals. I do have a big star in one of my classes. And many good 2nd candidates that with a little more coaching and practice could end up a "star." The unknown factor is the parents and the school's reaction to the parents. The final is in two weeks and the finalist will be picked in a couple of days.

Science Club - Soap Boats

It's amazing what you can do with cardboard, soap and a bowl of water. You cam make soap boats. The students had a good time and so did I. All you do is cut a piece of cardboard into the shape of a boat. Put a notch in the back for the motor and put a small piece of soap in the notch, set it in the water and watch it go. You can also drop a little dish soap on motor and watch it go. It all has to do with water surface tension. You have to change the water after each run. Really fun.

Typhoon Mitag

The typhoon seems to be coming this way although the wind speed has dropped. We are supposed to get rain from it starting today.

Typhoons - strange

It's so strange, these are all happening at once. Speaking of the word once, how do you define it to an ESL student?I do wish my teacher training included more ESL studies, but I didn't know I'd be here.

The typhoon action is so strange. Is this climate change? Here are three.

Dinner Movie

I have many movies I want to put here but the upload won't work.

More dinner experience

This is Queenie.
This is May and Amy

What a fun dinner. Li-Wen, has really nice friends. This was the first dinner in our home. Good fun!
This is my honey and I.
This is Amy. She is single and not wanting to be.

Who is this?

Dinner!

We had our first dinner party last night. yummmmm!

Typhoon crazy

What a crazy storm. Will it come here? It seems no one knows. It may not even go across the PI. There is another forming east of PI. Is it normal to have so many typhoons form this late in the year?

November Typhoon? Mitag

I've been watching the late spawning storms. Most go East or West depending on where they were born. This one was born in the in between these places. Now it seems to be turning North. The worst thing that could happen here is the storm goes in the channel between Taiwan and Mainland China.

Li Wen said that a typhoon that reaches Taiwan during this time of year has to be very strong.

Taiwanese Baseball Fans

Taiwanese baseball fans are wonderfully insane. I went to the USA vs Chinese Taipei game this week. The USA (we) won but it was a good game - 10 -7, lots of hits and 2 USA home runs.
Check the video clip below. I'd think all that crazy stuff was because something amazing happen. But really, it was just for a strike or an out... RE ALLY FUN!

Big Island Snow Mauna Kea

Now this photo taken November 4, 2007 by my friend Jeff really is making want to go to Hawaii. Beautiful snow on Mauna Kea - so early in the year - and banana leaves at the bottom of the picture. Love it. Thanks Jeff.

Baseball is very, very good to me - US vs Mexico

Friends from work. Meredeth, Eamon (from Canada) Eamon's dad (Really cool guy) Pam (Taiwanese girlfriend of Aussie Joe) and Aussie Joe. We had a good time at the game. Not many people at this game but the games between Chinese Taipei (a name forced upon the Taiwanese by mainland China - because of independence confusion) are packed with crazy Taiwan fans. Can't wait!
The US team. They weren't very friendly or talkative in the field but they played like professionals. And they won.

US scoring runs.
Mexico had more spirit. Lots of, "Vamoose!" It was cool.

Baseball is very, very good to me - Japan vs Mexico

This was really fun for me. But few people went out to this game. Japan won 15-3. They were a fun team and had lots of chatter, all the time.

Uh Oh... The Mexico manager thought the Japan baserunner went out of bounds - and he did. But Japan got the call. Not that it mattered much. Mexico couldn't get much going against a really good Japan team.
After the game I stopped by the night market to get a wrap. Very good or Hoe Jah! in Taiwanese. Saying Hoe Jah gets me a lot of smiles and friendliness.

Baseball is very, very good to me! The ride to the game!

This is the scooter ride to the old stadium. Such fun. Every trip on a scooter is more dangerous than chest pains. Really, you have to pay really close attention or else. I've seen "or else" and it's well, as Forest Gump said in the movie, "that's all I've got to say about that." It is kind of fun though. There are two ways to drive your scooter. Very fast or very slow. It's more dangerous to drive in the middle.

Costco comes to Taichung

This is what I got. Now...how do I take it all home on a scooter?
Costco opened yesterday in Taichung. I went even though I knew it would be crowded - but not this crowded. This is on my way out about 8 PM. It's a little bit of home. I look around of all the stuff here and think I wouldn't buy most of it even if I was living in the US. But here, well it helps with the reoccurring homesickness.

Sunday Morning 8 - Adding to the Blog

Well, here I am at home entering my Sunday blog.

I'm listening to "Car Talk" on a pod cast in addition to "The Thundering Heard, Football Today," and "Around the Horn." What a Sunday. The markets and the ride was fabulous.

As you see the previous 7 posts, click on some of the photos to enlarge and get more detail. Some are pretty wonderful.

A Sunday Morning 7 - Going Home

I found a new way home. It took me by the Taichung Metro Park. Not sure about the park. I didn't stop this time.

In the science park on my ride home, here is a building coated in solar panels. Whew home. Now I'm spending two hours or so, putting all this Sunday on the blog. So, one more photo, which you already have seen in Sunday Morning 8.

A Sunday Morning 6 - The Ride Home

Scooterized. My I am getting old. I should get a better helmet. One with a chin guard.

The rice is almost ready to harvest. It's really special. Like the corn in Ohio.
Rice and Road
Rice and Scooter

Rice and Scooter again.

A Sunday Morning 5 - Color and Vegies

The veggies are here. There's been a shortage or price rise since the last Typhoon. Seems to be settling down now.
This is fish and vegy stuff used in hot pots - another story. The colors are amazing and probably artificial. But it does taste good!


Garlic, onions and ainge - or sweet potatoes. The sweet potatoes are great for keeping your morning routine on a routine - really!

A Sunday Morning 4 - The Fish

Fish. Get your fish here! Fresh and dried, it's at the market! (also fresh ginger and garlic and the exchange of money) This is my favorite market photo.!
This fish smelled really nice too. Fresh for sure unless someone thought of a way to give fresh fish smell to bad fish - it's really possible.