american in taiwan

flashback

2007-11-29T07:07:00.000-08:00

Fall 1981. Fair Warning was released. Maybe the best rock album released between 1980and 1985. I devoured this album. I remember I was at a friend's house on a Friday night. There were girls and everything. The LP was on. When "Sinner's Swing" was on, I couldn't control myself. I started singing the song word for word.

The chorus of the song is "Get get get get get out and push," repeated. I knew that and sang as such. One of my friends laughed at me and said that I got it wrong. He made some stupid comment about "bush" being in the song. Everyone agreed with him. i was embarrassed and could not sell my version. IT WAS THE ACCURATE VERSION !!

Now, flash forward. I had the album on my ipod. I had not heard the song in a very long time. When the chorus came on, I remembered that traumatic evening. I promptly went home and found the lyrics on the internet. Vindication.

2007-08-19T14:30:00.000-07:00

2007-08-14T12:26:00.000-07:00

2007-08-14T11:14:00.000-07:00

I miss my babies!!!!

2007-08-14T11:00:00.000-07:00

I am preparing to begin my third (holy shit!) year in Taiwan. I will be at the school that originally hired me to come to Taiwan. My last year was eventful, even though I did not manage to document any of those events here. Sorry. The school I just finished at turned out to be a bad place. The owners are complete asses. The kids, however, are the sweetest, cutest, most fun people I have ever been around. I miss them already. I will see them again, but it won't be the same as having them all day, five days a week. They'll be fine, but I'll be a blubbering mess.

Aahhhhh!!!!!

2006-09-22T04:23:00.000-07:00

Moments after snapping this photo, my limbs were ripped from my body by seven bloodthirsty lions.

We all should have shirts like this

2006-09-22T04:18:00.000-07:00

Mine would read "I lost my virginity in the frontseat of a Datsun B210 hatchback" or "I lost my virginity in a depressingly short amount of time."

Mountain scenery

2006-09-13T22:47:00.000-07:00

This isn't even that far into the mountains. This is a place called "Lion's Head Mountain." There are many, many temples here, and it is a very peaceful place to sit and do nothing.

This is the Stairway to Heaven

2006-09-13T22:45:00.000-07:00

some more cute kids

2006-07-26T23:28:00.000-07:00

These are some of the "graduation class of 2006." They are ready to take on the world, as you can see.

These are pics of a typhoon taken at dawn

2006-07-24T22:50:00.000-07:00

2006-07-24T22:48:00.000-07:00

work work work

2006-07-11T19:20:00.000-07:00

I seem to have bitten off a little more than I can chew. In May, I accepted a position with a kindergarten. My schedule was going to be a little full, I thought, as I would teach from 9 to 9 with a two hour break in the middle of the day. I can handle it, I foolishly thought.

Well, it's kicked my ass. May was tough, June was absolute hell, and July is only bearable because I know this is the last month. Starting in August, I can be lazy with just one job. It's just so draining. It takes all my energy. On Friday nights, after I teach my last class, I can barely make it past midnight. For me, that is unheard of. No job or class, no matter how grueling, has ever stopped me from partying. But, all I want to do is have a few drinks and go to bed.

Okay, all complaining aside, I would much rather be doing this than anything else right now. I will really like the kindergarten job. I will have time to travel and do things in the evenings, which is a rarity for most teachers here. I'm leaving my first school on a good vibe. The owners are treating me very well (I shouldn't say that. It's like airlines touting a safety record just before a huge plan crash.). I'm doing okay. So enough of that.

Teaching English or refereeing a wrestling match?

2006-07-10T22:03:00.000-07:00

the latest

2006-06-20T07:34:00.000-07:00

You may be wondering what the fuck I have been doing. Well, I'll tell ya.

I am now working two full-time jobs. One is at a kindergarten, where I will be working next year. I am a teacher and operations manager there. The other is still the night school. I am leaving there at the end of July, eleven months after I started.

The kindy job is great. I'll have a normal schedule, 9-6. The last month has been an ass-kicker, though. 9-9, non-stop. It's not like an office job, either. Teaching kids requires that you be on all the time. I'm talking, on my feet for 10 hours a day. But, I'm saving a ton o'money. Even with the one job this Fall, I'll be able to keep socking it away. I'm looking forward to having my evenings free.

Life is good. Just busy.

planning for next year

2006-05-03T21:48:00.000-07:00

I'm in my 9th month of my contract at my night school, so I am starting to ask around and get information on some other schools. I might have a job at a kindergarten already. I'll find out soon. That would be nice in a lot of ways. The schedule would leave me with my nights free. I think teaching kids would be great. So we'll see.

The picture below, of the puppies, is one I took where I live. A ferrel dog had three puppies. Their eyes are open, and they are running around. I feel like taking all three of them, but there is no way I can do that. Right now, they are in that "they're so cute" stage. Soon, lack of training will render them into nuisances. I can't have a dog. I can't have a dog. I can't...

i'm alive and well in taiwan

2006-04-29T22:58:00.000-07:00

I finally got rid of my cold. I am happy that the weather is warm. Life is good.

life is a bowl of puppies

2006-04-29T22:56:00.000-07:00

no internet access

2006-04-16T23:20:00.000-07:00

The good news- I moved to the new place. It's in the mountains, very peaceful. The bad news- I have no internet access out there. There aren't even secured wireless networks. This is probably good for me, because I was using the internet instead of going out and exploring. Now that the weather is warming up, I really need to do some more things on weekends. My schedule had changed as well, so now I don't work on Saturday afternoons or evenings anymore. That is very good for travelling and such.

A random observation about Taiwan. People take responsibility for their stupidity. As an example, when you buy plastic wrap, the little serrated edge that you cut the wrap with is on the top side of the box. It isn't safe, but it's the way it has to be to cut the wrap and not get the wrap all stretched and twisted. I remember that plastic wrap boxes used to be like this in the U.S. when I was little, because you had to be careful not to cut yourself. Someone must have sued, and then the thing was turned upside down for the sake of safety. Just a little difference, but I prefer the wrap in Taiwan to the U.S.

don't get sick in taiwan

2006-03-21T05:48:00.000-08:00

I know I have health insurance here. But I'm not going to a doctor for a fucking cold. Having said that, most of your realy interesting cold and flu viruses come from Asia, and I seem to have come down with something.

Most of the time, I get a cold that starts in my nose, then it either goes away or it gets worse by settling in my throat and lungs. A few more days of fluids and sleep takes care of it. Not so here. So many people are sick. It's just normal to be sick for weeks at a time. Plus, I am around kids all day. Cute kids, ugly germs.

My lungs seem to be really good at collecting mucus. I didn't know it was possible to cough up phlegm on a regular basis for a week. I don't feel bad enough to let it stop me from working, so I don't need a doctor, right?

what a slacker

2006-03-12T00:36:00.000-08:00

I have officially become really bad about adding new info to this blog. It's not that there aren't interesting things happening or anything. Here is a short grocery list of news items in my life-

1. I am moving- fucking AGAIN !!!- It's okay, because I am going to be saving money. I took the option of leaving my apartment after 6 months and forfeiting half of the deposit. I was never really into the idea of finding another roommate, so I was paying too much rent for this place, but still liking the privacy. The owner of my school came back from England for a few months and offered his house to me while he is away. The rent is less than half of what I pay now, so it was really not too much to think about. I had another option of moving in with some other teachers into a really nice apartment downtown. My only issue with that was with the extra-curricular stuff. This is the group that introduced me to the drugs in Taiwan. I'm not judging them, but rather, I'm judging myself. I can control myself when I can control my environment, meaning I won't go out looking for chemicals that often. But, when the chemicals are readily available, and I do not have enough compelling reasons to refrain, I'm not fooling myself into thinking that I can be a casual user. Maybe I could, but I'm not willing to challenge that theory anyway.

2. I'm pretty sure that I will do another year here. There's a lot to see and do here, the money is too good and I really like teaching kids. Another decision that did not take too much thought.

3. I developed a new analogy for life. This was done during a "Chinese hotpot" lunch. Nutshell- a big, steaming cauldron of soup at your table, in which you put uncooked vegetables and meats of your choosing. Anyway, life is like eating crab from the shell. It's largely a pain in the ass, you often question why you bother doing it, seriously consider quitting at least a few times while you are doing it, but then you stumble onto some really good bits, and it all makes sense. It really is worth the trouble after all. The end.

4. Kids in Taiwan are about the cutest, sweetest things around. This place has really spoiled me. There's no way I want kids of my own now (not that I wanted them too much before), because I cannot conceivably produce, or half-produce, off-spring that would approach the level of beauty in children here. Terribly sorry friends and family. I will not rub your noses in it, but kids here are cuter than your kids.

I guess that's about it for now. I will post more often.

6 months

2006-02-13T13:55:00.000-08:00

Wow. I find it hard to believe, but it has been 6 months since I arrived in Taiwan. My contract started on September 1st, so I am almost halfway done with that as well. I have been giving thought to what I will do when this year is over, but I haven't decided on anything.

I could go back to the U.S. at the end of the summer. That would be okay. I'd have money saved enough to take some time off. But, I am also thinking about another year here. The ability to save money starts to increase dramatically for teachers who stay here longer than a year. It makes sense, really. A person makes some large purchases in the beginning, like a scooter, computer, whatever, and then doesn't have to make those purchases again. Also, as a teacher gets to know the layout here, there are more and more jobs available, and the jobs are better-paying.

Having said all that, I did not come here to get rich. So I do not want that to be the deciding factor. It will play a part in the final decision, but not the starring role, as it were. The other factors that will, I hope, are my happiness, my comfort level, and also my ability to travel some more in Asia.

Chinese New Year was really good. Due to the weather, I did not go camping. But I was able to relax, read some books, see some movies, sleep late, shop, eat a ton, all that. A great week. The weather here is supposed to get warmer in a month or so, and there will be good opportunities for camping and exploring.

upon reflection

2006-01-24T21:54:00.000-08:00

I spent a good week going over my vitamin k experience. It was very positive, all in all. I analyzed the specifics of the trip, tried to connect the dots and definitely gained something from it. Having said that, I probably won't do it again, at least not until I need to reboot my system, so to speak. I know people here who use it regularly. Somehow, I think they miss the point. Like anything else, an introspective person has to be careful when indulging in these things. There is too much of a good thing.

Starting January 28, Taiwan celebrates the Lunar New Year. I am off work, paid, for a week. It will be a good opportunity to do some exploring. I am not going to another country, but there are some great sites here to see. I want to try and head into the mountains for a few days. A week off will be great.

drugs are illegal in taiwan, but...

2006-01-15T05:55:00.000-08:00

I have tried hallucinogens in my life, not a lot mind you. I've always felt that tripping is a very special thing to do and I never wanted to have it become in any way routine. Plus, I trip pretty hard. It takes a day or two to recover. I've said all that to say this. I tried ketamine recently. Holy shit. This is not a drug for the weak-willed. If you do enough of it, you trip hard and fast. The insane thing is that the trip only takes a small amount of time, but it can seem like days or weeks when you're in it. Everything is compressed. The ride up, the trip, the ride back down, it all takes just a bit of time. I was sitting down and was out of my body for just a few seconds, but I lived another lifetime. I'm not sure if I liked it or not. I do not think I will do it again. But, holy shit.

a little nightlife- asian style

2006-01-11T21:08:00.000-08:00

Last weekend, I went to KTV for the second time since I've been here. This time, the whole group was foreigners like me. We represented most of English-speaking countries, I think. England, Canada, America, South Africa and Australia were all represented. KTV is like karaoke on steroids. A group of people will rent a room for as long as they want. The room has a sound system and song machine, usually very comfortable furniture and its own bathroom. The bathroom is a nice feature, because in order to have a proper KTV experience, a person needs to drink. Alot. Did I mention that it is important to drink a lot if you want to KTV?

I have to state, for the record, that I am opposed to karaoke to my core. I can think of many things I would rather do than karaoke. Some that come to mind are watching infomercials, reading junk mail, giving myself paper cuts and stubbing my toe. KTV is different, although I've only done it twice in more than four months, which is about the right amount for me. Don't get me wrong. The quality of the singing is no better than your average karaoke. But I guess I like the fact that I know the people upon whom I'm unleashing my limited vocal skills, and vice-versa.

This night was a typical KTV night. I drank way too much, ended up going to a friend's apartment with a couple of stragglers from KTV, listened to more music, drank more, and woke up on a sofa just before noon with a really bad hangover. I wasn't aware of any demons lurking inside me, but if there were any they are dead now.

What is funny to me is that Taiwanese people do the same thing when they KTV. I have seen people coming out of KTV buildings, assisted by their friends, throwing up on the sidewalk or in the street. So, it's not just the foreigners who drink too much. I wouldn't have it any other way.

not an idle threat

2006-01-03T20:26:00.000-08:00

I find this terribly amusing. A Taiwanese teacher, who I work with at the kindergarten, is leaving after the semester is over. She found a better job at another school. That is not the amusing part. That is a crappy part, because I really like Amy. She is super nice and treats the kids very lovingly, which is one of the reasons she is leaving. The principal thinks she isn't strict enough with the kids and he has been giving her a hard time about it. But, he actually cut her pay because of it. She said, the hell with this, and found another job. Now, I can't speak to all of Amy's teaching, because I only see one hour a day. But I think she is a really good teacher who would rather hug a child than slap his hands. In Taiwan, this is not a good thing. A lot of the parents want the schools to be very strict. Worse yet, grandparents will even come to the kindergartens and night schools and hang around the classes. They will even come into the classrooms and complain about a teacher. I have not had this happen to me, but I know people who have had it happen. Anyway, a couple of grandparents had complained about Amy's lack of discipline and are taking two of the kids out of her class. This was told to her after she found the other job. She has not told the school that she is leaving yet.

The last bit about the grandparents really pissed her off. Her children are pretty well-behaved, and she really felt this was insulting. So, in a moment of anger, she told the class that if they didn't behave and start acting better, she was going to leave. Rememember all those threats that parents make to children, like "I'm going to stop this car and go back to the house, and we won't have any vacation," or "I'm going to send you to the orphanage if you don't behave." Well, this was like that, except she is going to leave, and the children are going to have to deal with it. They will think that she left because they didn't start behaving.

When she told me this, at first I was a little shocked. I told her that she was going to give them a complex. But now I just think it is funny.

The Christmas Turtle

2005-12-25T03:11:00.000-08:00

Once, in a land far away, lived a turtle named Edgar. He was a happy turtle. He lived in a pond. He spent his days as turtles do, sunning himself on a rock to get warm, then sliding into the water to cool down and to catch fish and other water dwellers. He had a favorite rock that he used most of the time, except for when a particularly stubborn goose wouldn't budge from it, but then Edgar had a second-favorite rock that did just fine. Edgar wanted for nothing, and grew and grew for years and years. In time, he grew so big that the pond could no longer provide him with enough fish and other water dwellers to eat. Edgar had to move.

Moving day is quite perilous for turtles. They have to leave the only place they've ever known and move, slowly, to try and find another, bigger pond or swamp or stream. Even if they find one, it may be already inhabited by another turtle or something even bigger and stronger, like a crocodile or snake that might like to have a turtle for a snack. So it was with a heavy heart and a timid spirit that Edgar made his move. He lumbered on and on for what seemed like days, not quite finding what he felt he could call home. He grew tired. And weak. He even thought that his old pond might do just fine if he could just slow down his eating a little. But he knew, deep inside his reptilian brain, that his old pond really wouldn't suffice. So he ambled on.

Finally, Edgar came upon a lake, with lots of trees around and many rocks and muddy piles that were perfect for a turtle to sun himself upon. He stopped and waited. And waited, to see if there was anything already in the lake that might not want him there and that could stop him from living there. One hour, two hours (although turtles don't really keep time that way) he waited. Then he inched slowy into the water, and waited some more. Nothing came to eat him. Edgar could hear fish jumping and frogs calling out, and he thought to himself that he could stay here for a long time and get even bigger without worrying about eating too much.

As he slid into the water, Edgar looked up at the sky, which was turning dark. He saw two, strange animals looking at him. He had never seen their likes. They stood on two legs, had huge heads in proportion to their bodies and had long, gangly arms. Edgar did not know what to do.

"Shit," he thought, sinking further into the water. "If these freaking things live here, I've got to find another place to live." He decided to hide for a while, then move out when it was darker.

Two people, a man and woman, happened to be strolling by the lake on what happened to be Christmas day. "Honey," the man asked the woman. "Did you just see that big turtle? He just slid into the water."

"No, why?" the woman asked.

"It was the damnedest thing," said the man. "It looked like he looked at us."

"Yeah, right," said the woman. "Why would he care about us?"

"I don't know, but he looked pissed."

"Maybe he was mad that you didn't wish him a Merry Christmas," she teased. Then, to the middle of the lake. "Sorry, Mr. Turtle. Merry Christmas."

please give this story a title

2005-12-11T00:16:00.000-08:00

Sometimes, my instincts are spot on perfect.

In my morning classes, I teach two classes. The first is a class of thirteen children, aged 5 and 4, by Western years(you are one year old here when you are born). It is an unruly class. The children fight each other, do not stay in their seats, do not pay attention, all that. I like them, though. They're not mean, just unruly. They do pay attention when they are having fun. Unfortunately, I can't play games and wrestle with them all class, as much as I would like to. So anyway, the class is just what it is- imperfect, but still beautiful.

There is one boy, in particular, named Jack. He is a big boy, a real butterball. I bet he weighs at least 80 pounds. He is really strong for his age as well. He is sweet, but he also picks on the other children. I have tried to prevent this, but if I am more than grabbing distance away, he is pretty much the bully. I noticed the Chinese language teacher treats him differently from the other kids, largely because of his size. I think that is true for most children who are bigger than normal. We expect that they will act more maturely. I think this must be very frustrating for them. I do a lot of picking up the children. They hold their arms straight up, and I pick them up by their hands and lift them as high as I can. I even tried with Jack, but I can't get any leverage under him, so I can only lift him maybe six inches off the ground. This is not terribly fun for either of us.

I had fought the impulse to try and pick him up any other way, because the kids all want to be treated the same. The only reason I started picking them up at all was that I made the mistake of doing it once with one child. I was immdediately swarmed by all the children, all of them lifting their arms and telling me, in Chinese, that they wanted their turn. As mistakes go, it is one I'm glad I made, because I get to see the looks in their eyes as I pick them up to my face level and above. These looks are of absolute, unmitigated joy.

So, back to Jack. He is the one boy who I can't pick up this way. The other day, he was chasing another child around, and as he came by me, I arm-tackled him, and picked him up by cradling him. He was shocked silly. His eyes lit up, he almost peed himself laughing. I let him down, and he ran off, but turned around and ran back at me. Then I just dropped down to my knees and bear-hugged him, then stood up. He was in heaven. I wondered when was the last time anyone had picked him up, including his parents.

Later, I was saying goodbye to the class, which is usually when they want to be picked up. Jack was grabbing me, so I just thought, fuck it, and grabbed him under his armpits and lifted, hoping against hope that I was strong enough to pick him up. I think that children's laughter must give us extra strength, because I was able to lift him up over my head, and give him a litle toss as well. I had so much fun that I had to do it a couple more times. This boy was just transformed from a bully into a quivering, laughing, little kid.

So now I have a new exercise, because all the kids want to be picked up like this. The lifting by the hands thing is so last week.

a cool bridge in taipei

2005-12-01T07:20:00.000-08:00

all i want for my birthday is an ice cream

2005-12-01T07:19:00.000-08:00

birthday in taipei

2005-12-01T07:13:00.000-08:00

An interesting month

2005-11-29T21:44:00.000-08:00

Looking back, I think that I will find November was a pivotal month in my experiences here. I feel less like a tourist now, although I do not feel like a local, either. I know pretty much how my day is going to be when I wake up. I'm keeping fairly busy, I'm still exercising. All told, I've dropped about 16 pounds since I got here. That, I have been pleased to find, is the opposite of what happens to most Westerners when they get here. I have not been trying to lose weight, though. It is crazy. I am not snacking as much, but not out of self control. I'm not hungry, I swear. I couldn't be happier about that.

I also have been dating a local woman, for about six weeks now. That also is going very well. She speaks excellent English, teaches English herself, and is a lovely, talented person. I am learning Chinese from her. Why she likes me is beyond me, but I am happy about that as well.

I think one thing that I am questioning about being here is how useful I am as a teacher, especially to children. Not just me, I mean foreign teachers on the whole. Taiwan places this huge value on English, but it's very hard to learn it when you're only exposed to it twice a week in the evenings. I think that most students in Taiwan are way over-worked, so that English is just one more thing that they have to worry about. The English that they are exposed to in their normal schools is taught in large classes of at least 30 students, and teachers I know from junior high and high schools just teach out of a book. The children don't speak very much. Then, they have their English classes in night schools, twice a week. Here, they get to practice English. But they don't know enough to have conversations. They have to speak out of a book. I equate this style of learning to trying to get stronger by doing 15 pushups twice a week. I am doing my best, though, and my students try in my classes, so maybe I will be surprised in a few months by their progress.

Reality has set in in a few other ways. My scooter decided to breakdown a few weeks back, at 1:30 in the morning maybe three miles from my house where there was no chance of getting a taxi. So, I walked about an hour to get to my place. Work the next morning was not too fun, seeing as I was dead-tired.

I also am living alone. After one month, I kicked my roommate out. He seemed to think that he could pay rent whenever he wanted. So, I payed the rent, changed the locks, and told him that he needed to move his shit. The lease is in my name, he has had a bad history of irresponsibility here, but blew his one chance with me. I am looking for some new roommates. Ahhh, life. It just goes on.

I am happy. No regrets so far.

they're thinking- you're not going to post this on your blog, are you?

2005-11-20T06:20:00.000-08:00

these kids make teaching fun

2005-11-20T06:17:00.000-08:00

busy busy busy

2005-11-09T15:16:00.000-08:00

Wow! I didn't come here to make a lot of money. I was content with saving a little with which to travel while I'm over here, pay some bills I still have in the U.S. and bring a little nest egg home with me when I'm done.

Having said that, it is pretty easy to make decent money here. I work approximately 30 hours a week at my school. That is where my bread is buttered, so to speak. The school sponsors me for my work visa, and my health insurance comes through them. A few weeks ago, I began working at a kindergarten four days a week, for two hours in the morning. This pays well, and I get a free lunch out of the deal. The kids are adorable, and it is really easy to teach. I pretty much figured out that if I can make them laugh a little, then I've got their attention for maybe ten minutes. After that, it's just a cycle. Make them laugh, teach for ten minutes. They really don't even mind if I use the same material each time. Kids are a bad comic's perfect audience.

So, I'm working less than 40 hours, and am in a position to save a lot of money. A teacher at my kindergarten approached me about private tutoring, which is even better money. All this is happening because I show up to work and try my best to do a good job. I'm no teacher-of-the-year here, just someone who enjoys his job. I feel odd mentioning money, but it's weird how quickly things have fallen into place. While I was at American Century Investments, at first I was seduced by the professional atmosphere and the slick environment. It was my first corporate gig. All that comes with it is intoxicicating, from the underground parking to the manager buying her team expensive lunches every few weeks. Then, the intoxication ends. I suspected that I wasn't really cut out for it, and now I have proof. When you really enjoy what you do, things do take care of themselves. Either you start making money, or it truly doesn't matter because the work is satisfying enough. I'm fortunate right now to have a little from column A and a little from column B.

i hate it when i'm stupid

2005-11-09T15:13:00.000-08:00

I have not been able to post pictures for the past week. I foolishly let Picasa upgrade to a newer version, and it is beyond me.

2005-10-31T08:04:00.000-08:00

I love the optimism of youth. These two spent at least fifteen minutes trying to untangle that string. Fifteen minutes was all I could take, because I knew that soon a harsh reality would set in, where they learned that sometimes, no matter how hard you try, life will not allow you to fly a kite.

2005-10-31T06:50:00.000-08:00

food food food

2005-10-25T21:19:00.000-07:00

Yes, it's come to that. A little about the food here. Come on, we've all had Chinese food before. If you wanted to eat nothing but Chinese food like you get in any city in the U.S. you would have no problem here. There are healthier alternatives, however. Obviously, rice is big here. Sadly, not brown rice. It's not even easy to find in stores. People here have told me that brown rice is not used in Taiwanese dishes because it isn't sticky enough, like white rice. Yes, but it's way healthier! Doesn't matter.

Anyway, a person can walk into most any roadside restaurant and, by pointing, smiling and maybe a little Chinese, can walk out with a big serving of rice, three sides of vegetables and some kind of meat, usually chicken. It may also come with a little tofu or something that the owner feels like throwing in. I got a chicken drumstick one day, brought it, wrapped, to my school before class, and when I opened the box was oh-so-happy to see a boiled squid on top of my chicken and rice. Bonus. It smelled so bad and looked so gross. I couldn't throw it away inside the school. I had to walk it out to a trash can outside. I eat most things, but squid, whole and boiled, just doesn't do it for me.

Protein is not eaten as much, in proportion to carbohydrates, here. Like I mentioned, people usually eat two or three servings of vegetables to one serving of protein. One thing I love about being here is that I'm only fifteen minutes away from a harbor where I can get fresh seafood. A fairly large tray of sashimi is only about three U.S. dollars. Not bad. That is my weekend treat.

But, the world is getting smaller. McDonald's is big here, as is KFC and Burger King. Even Subway is here. Frito Lay and Mars Candy have their greedy, fat fingerprints all over here. I still eat Doritos, occasionally, damn it. Kids like sweet things here, too, so they are getting fatter.I'd still take any ten Americans in a tug-of-war, but in twenty years, there's no telling.

have scooter, will travel

2005-10-20T18:20:00.000-07:00

There are milestones in our lives. The first steps, the first words, the first day of school, things like that. Then there are defining moments in our lives, like the first kiss, the first time we fell victims to peer pressure, all that stuff. I don't know into which category owning a scooter in Taiwan falls, but it is flipping awesome. Understand that there are more scooters per capita in Taiwan than anywhere in the world, so scooters rule the roads here. Scooters get to drive anywhere, on any side of the road, run red lights, pass cars on the right or left, and the police do nothing! The only laws that seem to apply to scooters are those of physics and those of evolution. The first three days I had my scooter, I was scared as hell. Any road I turned onto was frought with peril. From a bike to a scooter, things speed up tremendously. I had thoughts that maybe I would not be able to adjust to the scooter, that I was stuck on a bike, which would severely limit my ability to travel. After the third day, I found myself doing better. Somewhow I had learned to relax a bit. I liken it to those 3-D pictures, where you have to focus without focussing on any particular point. You have to take in the whole scene in front, beside and behind you, and trust that your reactions are quick enough. That is me on a scooter. It's so fun. I think it is more of a defining moment, at least for my time in Taiwan.

2005-10-17T10:43:00.000-07:00

This little guy was playing hide and seek. He thought I couldn't see him behind that tree.

a coy koi

2005-10-15T18:15:00.000-07:00

new things, old things

2005-10-12T18:13:00.000-07:00

Taiwan is a fairly proseperous country. I remember seeing "Made in Taiwan" labels and stamps on all kinds of products, mostly crappy, plastic toys and knick-knacks. Taiwan used to be a kind of island sweatshop, and the average person here did not make much money, certainly not enough to have more than the basic creature comforts. This was the case even into the 80's.

Then, Taiwan started to go high-tech. A combination of local business savvy and other countries needing to outsource labor made this the perfect place for computer manufacturing. The county's economy exploded. All the good and bad came with that. The standard of living here is among the highest in the world, the education system seems to be strong, but also consumer craziness took over. Everyone wants the latest gadget and convenience. It is such that, I would say the average Taiwanese office-worker or salesperson is every bit as materialistic as the average U.S. corporate lackey.

On top of that, there is a bit of a problem with computers. Taiwan was so good at what it does (did?), that the wages here are now too high, and labor is being outsourced, mostly to China. There is some concern here about keeping up the economy and keeping the country in business. That, coupled with the fear of China acquiring the island as its own, keeps people a little concerned here.

2005-10-10T18:31:00.000-07:00

Like magic, I am in the sculpture.

2005-10-10T18:30:00.000-07:00

This reminds me of Chicago, but this isn't so much a bean as it is a shiny, symmetrical sculpture. Still I call it mini-bean. I do know the real name of the Chicago sculpture, Sky Gate.

2005-10-09T17:46:00.000-07:00

A real. modified AR15 assault rifle for a children's game. I think it is a great idea to associate automatic weapons with fun and prizes. This was taken at an open-air flower market that is open on weekends. Children get bored easily, so there are booths with games to keep them occupied. To keep the proper balance between sex and violence the market could use a sex-game booth, where children place the big, multi-colored, inflatable penis inside the talking, cartoon vagina. Maybe I can make some money on the side.

2005-10-09T17:38:00.000-07:00

A nice, calming photo after the last one. Life is best in its extremes.

2005-10-07T17:18:00.000-07:00

Another market shot. In the foreground is a cart that is attached to a bicycle. Taiwan is an amazing mix of old and new. The person with this cart has probably been coming to this market with this cart for years and years, but now he's being passed by scooters and 700 series BMW's as he pedals down the road.

2005-10-07T17:15:00.000-07:00

Doors outside a temple in Hsinchu.

2005-10-07T17:14:00.000-07:00

column in a temple in Hsinchu

the more things change...

2005-10-06T18:48:00.000-07:00

Yeah, I'm living in an exotic place. Whooooo! Big fucking deal. There are foreigners (remember, you= foreigner) here who may as well be living in the suburbs of, say Kansas City, which we all know of as hell, right Mr. T?

Point being, you can be anywhere and still be closed off to anything new. I do not count myself as one of them, although I could be more proactive about learning Chinese. I am meeting many new people, foreigners and locals alike. I am wandering around in the city, visiting street markets and strange stores with strange items, or going into temples and watching how people here practice their spirituality. But you know what? If a person chooses to make his or her life adventurous, it is not necessary to go anywhere. We can find adventure in our bathroom if we want. God knows I have.

I see some people here, and have seen them everywhere for that matter, who feel entitled to be entertained, like it's life's fault if their lives are boring as hell. I've done that before. But, for fucksake, life owes us nothing!!! I did not come here to be entertained. I came here to learn about myself, learn things that I could not learn if I was comfortable in a big, American city, where I can, by virtue of speaking the language and earning a decent living, have pretty much everything at my disposal. I want to be challenged. I insist on it.

I could see myself staying here for another year after my initial contract is up, but not in the same school, because that would be too comfortable. I am also flirting, coy little devil that I am, with going to Japan for a job with a business-English firm. That is a good lesson in and of itself, never to burn bridges. I'm still in this owner's good graces after he sent me a job offer from Japan that would have necessitated my leaving Chicago immediately. But we worked it out, and he feels obligated to giving me another opportunity with proper notice sometime.

I'm on my way to a language exchange.

2005-10-05T11:57:00.000-07:00

A dog day. There are many stray dogs in Taiwan, and not so many stray cats. Cats may be better at hiding, I suppose. This little guy was just chilling out in front of a dress shop, and the owners did not seem too bothered by his presence. You don't have to worry about strays very much. They're very docile, and Taiwan is rabies-free.

jumping in (feet first)

2005-10-03T20:42:00.000-07:00

I found an apartment. It is a really nice place, furnished, that I share with another teacher. No pictures yet, because we want to spruce it up a little. It is in a big complex about fifteen minutes from downtwon Hsinchu. We're on the other side of these foothills, and the air and scenery are really beautiful. It's so quiet and serene out here. I don't see many foreigners out this way, either.

I'm starting to meet some locals. It is pretty straightforward if you want to try and learn some Chinese, because you can set up a language exchange situation, where you meet at a coffee house or wherever and do some English conversation and then practice Chinese. I posted an ad on a local web site, and had a lot of responses. It's a good way to make friends, plus it's good to meet people other than foreigners.

So, now that I've got the teaching more or less down, I'm finding new ways to entertain myself. We plan on having a party within the next few weeks to break in the apartment properly. If anyone is in Hsinchu, you're welcome to come. Life is pretty good right now.

2005-10-01T22:08:00.000-07:00

I have to be crazy, but I am leaving my apartment that I share with two women. The lovely woman with the toothbrush is Carissa, and the woman on the sofa is Sarah, another lovely. The school provides teachers with an apartment rent-free for the first month, then we are charged rent. The nice thing about the place is that it is very close to the school. But it doesn't have a proper kitchen, and we have to share a bathroom. Neither of the girls liked my idea of group-shower night very much.

2005-09-27T21:29:00.000-07:00

My name is Michael Chan.I'm legal now. I have my residency card and my work visa. I had to take a Chinese name to get a signature stamp here. You can pick any name you want, because you don't really have to be called by the name. But in order to sign contracts or buy things like scooters and cars, a stamp is necessary. People don't sign their names. This is a self portrait taken in a parking garage mirror. I call it "portrait of the artist as a middle-aged man."

2005-09-25T18:17:00.000-07:00

This is where they get the expression "getting all your ducks in a row." Of course, it's easier when they're all dead. You can pretty much line them up any way you want. The food on display here takes a little getting used to. In markets, meat is all over the place, on tables, blocks, in coolers. I've seen the locals grilling and they seem to prefer well done meat. This is probably more for health than taste. There are grocery stores that have meat wrapped up, but they're a lot more expensive than the markets. I prefer to buy vegetables and eat less meat. I think that is why I've lost close to ten pounds since I've been here.

my presence is entertaining

2005-09-20T10:37:00.000-07:00

It's funny to me when locals stare. It is very common here, whether I'm biking or running or shopping or whatever. Any westerner gets it when here. We're not unique, but fairly uncommon, so that a local person may only see one or two of us in a day. I had a good realization the other day though. I was biking downtown and came upon a stoplight. Just in front of me was a dwarf- Taiwanese. He was on a scooter. In the next lane, there were some children on the back of a scooter. They gave me a cursory glance, then shifted their attention to the dwarf. He was quite interesting to look at. I definitely took my turn. After the kids checked him out, making sure he didn't do any tricks or anything, their attention was then focused back at me. I smiled at them and made a funny face. They laughed, then the light turned green, and they waved at me as their mom pulled away. So my realization was this. In Taiwan, westerners rate just below dwarves on the attention scale. I found comfort in this.

leisure time

2005-09-19T22:17:00.000-07:00

The teaching week is only about 30 hours long here. That allows for a lot of down-time activities. I still get up pretty early. Most of the time, it's before 8 am. That doesn't sound very early at first, but my workday doesn't start until 3 pm. Many teachers fall into the habit of going out after work and sleeping late. Then, they grab some lunch, watch some television or play around on the internet before heading to work. While this is fine and relaxing, I do not want that kind of lifestyle. I may go out after work a couple of times a week, but even then I don't stay out very late. I'm older and I feel the need to justify my off-hours, at least some of them.

When I wake up, I hit the road for a little run. I'm slowly adjusting to running in 90% humidity and maybe 88 degrees fahrenheit, even at 7:30 in the morning. Right now, I'm running 5k. That is along a hilly course, so I know that I could run at least 5 miles on relatively flat terrain. I also combine that with some strength exercises. This park that I run in has pullup bars and a lot of good stretching devices. I haven't mastered them all yet, but I watch the locals and learn from that. I have probably lost 10 pounds since I came here. I've leaned up a much-needed fair amount.

After the exercise, I come back to my place for a little caffeine, either tea or coffee. Then, I write for an hour. I can then eat something and head out to one of the many markets in town. I got a bike a few weeks ago, so I can pedal around places fairly quickly. Plus, it's more exercise. I also just bought an acoustic bass when I was in Taipei for the day this past weekend. One of the restaurants I go to is owned by an Australian expat named Jack. He used to be a professional musician in Australia, travelled here a few times, decided he liked the country and settled here. So anyway, he is a really awesome guitar/banjo player and he likes bluegrass. I told him I used to play bass, and he talked me into buying one and playing with him and some friends. I've picked it up fairly okay, but I have time to noodle around every day and practice. I'm basically in a bluegrass band. In Taiwan. I know.

So, everything is pretty good here. In a few weeks, I may own a scooter, but I still need my work permit to be able to buy one and register it. I'm told it should arrive this week. Then, weekends will be open for exploring the mountains. This tiny island has mountains that are almost 4000 meters tall. I'm all about hiking and camping, and I know some people who are down with that. Not bad for five weeks in the country.

2005-09-17T03:04:00.000-07:00

Ahh, ain't it cute? Mickey is a bit of a whore around here. He's everywhere.

2005-09-17T03:03:00.000-07:00

I grew some balls and took some pictures inside some temples. This speaks for itself, I think.

Making new friends

2005-09-12T22:26:00.000-07:00

I'm remembering what it's like to be overseas, although the last time I did it was in Europe 12 years ago. Unless you go somewhere without any foreigners (like you or who speak your common language), you will in short order find yourself meeting fellow travelers. Here, it's mostly teachers, but we're still travelers. Travelers get pretty good at giving up their life stories over a beer or a short walk. It's amazing the details people will divulge to relative strangers. I'm guilty of this.

It reminds me of kindergarten. How did you manage to make friends in kindergarten? You just met other kids. Hi pretty much did it. Then it was off to the swingset or monkey bars.

What gets really weird is after a few times of hanging out and trying new adventures together, friends run out of things to talk about. The struggle is to figure out if they like each other because they're compatible and have similar tastes and sensibilities, or if they were a little desperate to find friends and told a few too many intimate details over a beer.

I think that travelers also tend to be a little strange, myself included, because we are going to strange lands and getting out of our comfort zones, plus we don't like to be grounded for very long.

2005-09-06T20:09:00.000-07:00

A market scene. The temple from the picture below is surrounded by this huge market where anything can be purchased, from clothes to fresh seafood. Notice the person on the scooter. She just stopped before I snapped the shot. The alley is maybe five feet wide, but people ride their scooters around the market. No one minds. Taiwan has just recently started to be a prosperous country. It started around twenty years ago, and the country has changed so much that it's really a modern-day wild wild west. The police are way too busy to stop a scooter that is riding on the wrong side of the road or that runs a red light, largely because most scooters do that. These vendors probably pay little or no income tax. Organized crime has a large presence everywhere but in Taipei in the north, also the capitol city. All these things make Taiwan a very vibrant, exciting place to be.

2005-09-06T07:12:00.000-07:00

Here is the inside of a temple. This particular one is filled with gods who punish evil-doers. It's not the best of pictures, but look at the fangs on the blue guy. If you saw him in a dark alley, you might want to run away.

scooter crazy

2005-09-03T06:13:00.000-07:00

I'm going to have to do it. I'm going to have to buy a scooter. That is how everyone gets around. I am going to bow to the peer pressure. I'm waiting on my work visa, then I will be able to buy one legally. I thought I could hold out longer, maybe a couple of months. I can't. I want to hang with the cool kids. I've made a couple of friends who are willing to go exploring on weekends. With a powerful enough scooter, you are able to drive on the secondary highways, and basically get anywhere on the island. It's going to cost about $500 American dollars. It's really cheap, actually, and I have the cash for it.

You'd be amazed at the number of scooters here. I will get some pictures, but they won't do it justice. Scooter drivers obey very few traffic rules. They tend to obey the rules of physics, but that's about it. Don't hit large, moving objects like cars and trucks. Pedestrians are advised to get out of the way of scooters, even in crosswalks. It's not done in a mean-spirited way, that's just the way it is (some things'll never change). Sorry about that.

One thing that I want to prepare you for is the multiple riders on scooters. In America, it's not uncommon to see two people on a scooter, when you see scooters. Here, and I am not making this up, families of four ride on one scooter. You will have to see it to believe it. Right now, my holy grail of pictures is a five person shot. Someone told me that he's seen it. I have not, but I have seen four. It sounds dangerous and crazy. It probably is. But I'm just one guy in a country that is scooter crazy. You see how this post wrapped back to the beginning? Pretty cool, huh?

about teaching in taiwan

2005-09-01T20:45:00.000-07:00

People seem to think otherwise, but teaching isn't easy. I guess that's what makes it worthwhile. A lot of English speakers come over to teach and they are hired more as entertainers and speech models than teachers. Or, if someone has a teaching certificate from the U.S. or other English-speaking country, then that person can teach at an elementary school. With a master's in education, someone can teach at university. My situation is a little different. The school I'm at is owned by an Englishman. English speakers at my school are expected to do more than entertain. We actually cover grammar rules and teach from textbooks. A student attends class twice a week. One day, a Chinese speaking teacher teaches, and the other day the English teacher has them. To teach two classes, I need about ninety minutes to prepare. The most I work, including prep time, is about six hours a day. Not bad. I am learning a lot from the owner of the school. I think in a month, my comfort level will be good. Right now, I'm comfortable half or two-thirds of the time in class.

In the states, I've trained and taught and tutored before, with a certain level of efficacy, but that was to an audience of English-speakers. If I ran out of material, I could move off topic or take some questions. Here, it's the material or nothing, especially with the beginning levels.

Luckily, kids in Taiwan are much better behaved than kids in the states. Students respect the teacher here, even if he is new and really doesn't know what he is doing. I shudder when I think about what we have in store for us in the states as all the baby-boomer generation's kids grow up. I'm seeing a little of it with my nieces and nephews and their friends. It ain't pretty. But I digress. What I am learning here, I think, are skills that I will be able to use to get another job here when my current contract is up. I'm viewing what I do now as an apprenticeship that pays pretty well. But, since I am learning lesson-planning and how to make text material into class activities, I will be more desireable to schools in 12 months.

One thing I may do after I feel a little more grounded is private tutoring. That will pay pretty well, and that money just goes into savings. My business background will help get me into adult tutoring. There is a big science and industry economy in Hsinchu. A lot of engineer-types want to learn business-speak. As disgusting as that sounds, there is pretty good money in it. So, I need to be patient and keep my eyes and ears open.

2005-08-27T06:59:00.000-07:00

This is one of many Budhist temples here. I'm not brave enough to take pictures of the inside yet, plus this is "ghost month" which is the holiest month in Budhism. The temples are pretty full, so maybe I'll be braver when not so many people are around.

2005-08-27T06:56:00.000-07:00

Damn it, when will we learn.

a step back

2005-08-24T21:29:00.000-07:00

I've only been here for twelve days or so, but I have had time for some initial observations. But first, I would like to tell a story about Chicago, the city I most recently inhabited before coming here to teach.

On August 11, I woke up early, having slept fitfully at best for maybe five or six hours. This was the day I left Chicago for Taiwan. I wasn't afraid. I had already gone through that. The saying "be careful what you wish for, for you just may get it," is a very fitting one. As a matter of fact, it's one of the most profound ideas I've ever encountered. I spent probably three weeks coming to grips with the idea that I was finally going to do exactly what I had been wanting to do for the last eighteen months, probably longer if I were completely honest with myself. As a pessimist, this is tough to make peace with, this getting what you want.

So anyway, I said my goodbyes to my roommate and good friend (one person), and got myself ready to begin my journey. I had one problem, however. My luggage weighed a ton. More accurately, each of the bags I was checking weighed 65 pounds, and my carry-on bags weighed another 50 pounds easily. They didn't have wheels, either. I had picked them out of thrift stores for their big size and junkiness, because I did not want to worry about them getting beat up on the flight, which they were. To make matters worse, it was really hot and muggy outside. I was going to get a great workout, just what you want when you're going to be traveling for twenty-some hours. The great workout was the least of my worries. After I got about halfway to the blue line stop, I was completely wiped. My lack of sleep, the mugginess, my lack of eating anything much that morning and the previous day, all these conspired to shut down my energy. In short, I was fucked. I've pressed more than two hundred pounds. I know I can carry 80-pound dumbbells all over the place. But luggage is not the same.

I was semi-seriously thinking that I might unpack the bags right there on the street to lighten them up, or leave one, go a street over where I could catch a taxi, then come back, pick up the bag if it were still there, and pay the taxi fare to the airport. This would have cost a ton, especially compared to $1.75 that I had planned on paying to ride the subway. The other idea was to stop every twenty feet or so, catch my breath, then move another twenty feet. I only had two blocks to go. I figured that was the way to go. The thing was, I was already wiped. I needed a break already. Plus, I felt like a fool, red-faced, sweat running down my face, trying to ignore peoples' looks.

Out of nowhere, I hear a guy's voice ask me if I'm going to the train. I look up and see someone I've not seen in the nine months I've been in the neighborhood. I nod, yes, and he grabs one of the heavy suitcases, says he'll help, and we're off. He even commented on how heavy the one was. I explained through gasps of air that I was going away for at least a year and needed to pack my life in these bags. He had been going to the post office, which was not very far from where we started, but decided to help me instead. Once we got to the station, we negotiated the stairs down into the train stop, and he was going to use his card to get me onto the train. I already had my card out, so it was unnecessary. I was ready to take the bags from there, because for him to go any further, he would have to pay the fare as well. But he yelled to the booth attendant that he was helping me, and she opened a gate to let him through without having to pay. He then grabbed both of my heaviest pieces, leaving me with just the carry-on, and said to hurry because there was a train coming. It wasn't necessary that I catch that train, but he didn't know, he was trying to make sure I got on the train. All I could do was shake his hand and say "God bless you" before the doors closed.

As soon as the doors closed, I realized that I didn't even get his name. At the airport, someone else asked me if I needed help. I was touched, but somehow, the previous episode had given me my energy back. I didn't need any more help lugging my baggage to a baggage cart, nor did I need any help once I ended up in Taiwan. Thank you, Chicago.

Jetlag over- let the fun begin

2005-08-22T00:09:00.000-07:00

It takes about a week to get over jetlag. I've only experienced it once before when I went to Europe, but it was nothing like coming here. For the record, Taiwan is 13 hours ahead of American Central Daylight. You have no control over your body- as far as energy level and sleep goes. I woke up everyday at 3 am for the first five or six days I was here. Finally, last Friday, I was able to sleep in. Yay!!!

I think I will like teaching. I'm still training, but I have also taught classes. The classes range in age from 7 to 17. All students in a class are at the same level. I'm better at older kids for now, but I'm surprised at how much I like working with the youngsters. They are really sweet.

There are hiking trails really close to where my apartment is. Everyday at 6 am, they are filled with locals of all ages. They hike, stretch, do calisthenics, tai chi, it's amazing to see. They are also curious about this white guy who is trying to jog/briskly walk. I just smile and nod a lot- I suppose it's good exercise as well.

The weather here is hot. Don't let anyone tell you that they can handle heat because they came from the Midwest. I thought that. It's a different kind of heat here. Moist and really flipping warm- like 90's all the time. It maybe cools down to high 80's at night.

I had a "lost in translation moment" last Friday. A fellow teacher took pity on me and invited me out with some friends. Through random connections, I ended up very drunkly singing at a karaoke room- a private room- with some other teachers and Taiwan mob-connected people. No kidding. I was up until 8 am, very drunk and tired. They were incredibly gracious. I assume that they saw me as no threat. I'll talk more on that later. Just know that I am well and learning a lot.

okay for now

2005-08-15T00:21:00.000-07:00

I won't be attaching photos for a while. In order to get internet service, I need to have all my working papers. The flight was okay, but I have to say that jetlag is no picnic. I haven't been able to sleep past 3 am yet, and I'm told that this may take more than a week. They should call it something that gives the true feeling of the experience, like jetdeath or jetdragass.

2005-08-04T20:49:00.001-07:00

this wall doesn't exist anymore

2005-08-04T20:49:00.000-07:00

view from the river

2005-08-04T20:48:00.002-07:00

2005-08-04T20:48:00.001-07:00

american might

2005-08-04T20:48:00.000-07:00

2005-08-04T20:47:00.000-07:00

2005-08-04T20:46:00.000-07:00

These are photos from Chicago

Flickr

2005-08-04T17:46:00.000-07:00

This is a test post from , a fancy photo sharing thing.

Preparing to go halfway around the world

2005-08-03T08:13:00.000-07:00

I fly out of Chicago on August 11. I've spent the last few weeks paring down my clothes and posessions. I've found that, especially with clothes, I have a tendency to have way too much stuff. I enjoy going to thrift stores and picking up items, mostly clothes, books and maybe kitchen items. In a relatively small amount of time, it is very easy to amass a bunch of crap. Individually, these things are fairly harmless. But put together, they become fairly anchor-ish, if you will.

I have bagged and thrown out a lot. Being in Chicago is good for that, because there are folks who cruise the alleys everyday to turn your trash into their treasure. So, there's little guilt about throwing away perfectly good items. Someone will use them.

I'm going back to Kansas City this weekend to store some things that I do not want to lose entirely- a computer, some furniture, books and most of my winter clothes. Taiwan just doesn't get down to below-zero temperature. Plus, I'll get the official goodbye from my parents. I know, it may sound odd to be 38 and going through that, but I am the youngest of five children. Long ago, I accepted the fact that I will always be a baby to my mom. I can't change it, so I just roll with it. Also, I must face the possibility that one of my parents (both in their 70's) may not be around when I return, especially if I spend more than a year in Asia.

Add that to the fact that I am doing something that I should have done when I was fresh out of school so I feel like I'm regressing, and I am having a little trouble keeping it all together. I haven't smoked weed in over a month, because I will get tested at a physical in Taiwan in order to obtain a work visa. I'm not going to lie. Pot is a good friend and coping mechanism. Al-ky-hol- not so much for me. When I'm worried about something and try to drown my sorrows, it rarely works out well. So, this is a good period of character-building. I always knew that being raised Roman-Catholic would pay off.

testing 1,2,3

2005-07-18T10:10:00.000-07:00

Hello. I am a 38-year-old, getting ready to go to Taiwan to teach English on a 12-month contract. I have never been to Asia, have never taught English and do not speak Chinese (none of the many dialects).

A little about me- I decided in Spring 2004 that corporate America was not for me. I've had experience in finance, approximately 5 years with one company, but I've always had the suspicion that I would never get too far from a career standpoint because I could never buy in to the various philosophies and credos that go along with the business field. Finally, at 37, I decided, for the present, I'd had enough. I quit my job, took the summer off, got certified to teach English as a second language (TESOL certified for those keeping score) and started to look for overseas opportunities. I also started having more fun, making myself relax and not worry about the future. People much wiser than I have told me that the future tends to take care of itself, and making oneself happy, or at least working towards making oneself happy, is an end in itself. I'd had the good fortune of living in Germany for about 18 months after college and decided that I would like to see Asia. That is me in a nutshell. I'm leaving August 11 for Taipei. I will be working at a small, private school in Hsin Chu, which is a suburb of Taipei.