Comments Are Appreciated!

Please feel free to leave me a comment or two if you're reading this stuff. It helps knowing that there are folks out there checking out the blog. You don't have to have say anything in particular, just a howdy would suffice.

This blog is a very therapeutic thing for me, helps me vent. It's also a way for folks back home to have a laugh or two, I hope.

Summer vacation is coming up. Stay tuned for my misadventures...lol.

G-Men & Schedule Changes

Recently, the government has been fiddling around with the foreign teachers rules/laws. As of last month, they are no longer going to allow any foreign teachers to work more than 32 hours per week. This means that my boss is gonna have to reconfigure our schedules to meet with the new law. We currently work somewhere between 30-35 hours per week, when you figure in our office time. Looks like we may have to cut down on our desk time which is cool because it's really not necessary for us to be there so much. I typically teach about 15-18 hours per week. We spend about half of the "office/desk" time messing around and doing absolutely nothing. I find I spend a lot of money during work hours because we venture out often to the local shops. Perhaps a stream-lined schedule will save me money...lol.

Changes like this one will surely have an impact on my upcoming contract negotiations, but that's a whole 'nother post for a whole 'nother day...

Yet Another Boost Of My Ego

I went into work today and started to prepare for my classes, nothing special. Sandy, the Chinese teacher that I share a high-level class with, was at the copier. Let me preface this by saying Brent used to teach this class with Sandy. Brent was a foreign teacher at the school for eight years! I wanted Sandy to know how the class went this past Saturday. We were talking about the class and she happened to mentioned that Sarah's mom, who attends every class and is essentially a student, told her that I am a better teacher than Brent was. WOW! That is an incredible compliment. Brent was considered the alpha-teacher, he could do no wrong. People here generally don't express such thoughts to others, they are very hard to please. This makes this compliment all the more amazing. Brent taught the class for about 18 months prior to leaving Taiwan, so he had plenty of time to iron out the kinks. I guess I accomplished, in 3 months, what he couldn't in a year-and-a-half...hooray for me!...lol.

No Air-Conditioning???

I was talking with one of my students the other day and she mentioned how hot it's been lately. I agreed, whole-heartedly. She told me that her junior high school doesn't have A/C...I just about hit the floor! The temp has reached 95 every day for the past 3 weeks. This amounts to torture on these kids. They cram 50 kids in a classroom with just a handful of fans...that's criminal.

Cops With Cameras

I saw something interesting the other day. I was walking to work when I noticed a police officer on the side of the road taking pictures of an illegally parked car. When I got to work, I asked one of the Chinese teachers what the deal was with the digital camera wielding cops. She said the police here, rather than putting a ticket on your window, take a picture of the offending vehicle and mail the owner the ticket in the mail with a nice shot of the car. What a remarkably clean and efficient way to deal with traffic tickets. She also told me that many of the lights in the busy intersections have cameras mounted on them. The cameras pick off red-light runners and the police send them a thank-you note...lol.

Jose Gonzalez & The Superball Dream

I just stumbled upon an amazing video and artist. The video is for the song "Heartbeats", it's a live performance in London interspersed with the most incredible images. I have watched it about 20 times and it mesmerizes me every time.

This is amazing stuff. The imagery is mind-blowing. It's such a beautiful song accompanied by someone's creative vision. No Star-Wars-like special effects, just a cool idea.

Jose is a classical guitarist with tons of talent.

please check it out:

http://www.bravia-advert.com/music/

After the page has loaded, go down to the area on the right that says "The Music Video" and click on the quicktime link "high"(H. 264). Please make sure you have the speakers on your computer turned on and the volume up, the music jives wonderfully with the images. Be prepared to watch it a few times...

Objects In The Mirror Are Larger Than They Appear

Isn't that what it says on the side mirrors of most cars? It's also a principle that is far too ignored in this country. People here generally have a hard time getting past things that aren't THAT big of a deal. For example, a few weeks ago I had an awful class. It was my Saturday, 2-hour gig. Sandy co-teaches the class with me and she is pretty intense. Anyhow, I changed my game-plan at the last minute for this particular class and it didn't work. I ended up running out of time and didn't get to all the material I should have. Since that class, every time I discuss the class with Sandy, she reminds me not to fall behind again...ugh. It happened one freaking time! I have kicked butt in this class and she seems to be obsessing on that one little bump in the road.

Sandy isn't the only person guilty of this. My boss, Carol, is famous for her harping on the most miniscule problems. I know that is the job of a boss, but come on, get over it. Yet another cultural conundrum.

$300,000,000,000

$300 billion. That is the cost thus far for the "war" in Iraq. What a tragedy. This got me thinking about what our country could've and should've spent that money on. Here are some things that I found after searching on the 'net:

*we could've paid for 38 million kids enrollment in the Head Start program.

*we could've fully funded global anti-hunger efforts for 12 years.

*we could've hired an additional 5 million public school teachers for a year.

*we could've fully funded world-wide AIDS programs for 28 years!

*we could've ensured that every child in the world was given basic immunizations for 96 years.

*we could've provided 14 million students four-year scholarships at public universities.

Instead of using the money towards worthwhile things like those I've mentioned, we are wasting it on the "war on terrorism".

What do we have for our $300 billion?

-2,500 dead kids.
-no control over the region
-no end in sight
-loss of respect and/or credibility on the world stage
-a nation no safer than it was prior to 9/11

What a waste.

Shopper's Paradise

Last week I was on my way to work when the backpack I bought a few months ago decided to fall apart. I guess that's what happens when you pay about $6 American for what should cost a lot more. I was just walking along the subway tunnel when the strap tore off, it was tragic, I liked that bag.

Due to the above tragedy, I was forced to embark on yet another shopping excursion. What better place to go than Shilin Night Market, the biggest and craziest market in the country. The problem with Shilin is it's difficult to get in there and just buy what you need, and not the things that you want. It's a giant maze of enticements. I did OK. I managed to get out of there with just one impulse purchase, and a cheap one at that! Every time I go there the same shop pulls me in. This place is full of silly knock-off stuff, very good imitations of stuff at seriously low prices. I decided to try the new Lacoste cologne for a whopping NT$200 (about $6 American, the same price I paid for the original book bag). It smells great and the price was right. Oh ya, I also found another bag. This one is quite nice. Not a big brand-name bag, but it seems to be well-made. It's got one of those cool straps that goes across your chest to help brace it to your body when it's heavy...pretty neat. This time I paid NT$500 (about $16 American), which is pretty high by local standards. I hope I get my money's worth.

From Cairo to Capetown

One of my good buddies here, Graeme, has decided to take a break from teaching and span the continent of Africa with one of his friends. He left a week or two ago and is trekking through the dark continent...I'm seriously jealous! He said it should take them about a month to reach Capetown, Graeme's hometown. I wish him lots of luck and hope he stays safe.

I have been thinking about a trip to Africa recently. I think I have to visit Egypt before I make it back to the states. It would be silly not to considering I am already on the other side of the planet. I have always wanted to check out that part of the planet, this just might be my chance. I may have to take up a collection amongst family and friends in order to afford it...lol.