"Sometimes it's the journey that teaches you a lot about your destination."

Thanks to Michelle Huffman for catching this shot of me in Kenting just before my dive.

Oh where to begin. Let's start where I left off in Taiwan. Thanksgiving. Cornel staff and parents gathered around a half a dozen tables filled with food. A blessing was given, then every one ate and mingled. This year I made homemade peanut butter cookies with the Hersey kiss on top!

Teacher Brittany, Teacher Angel, Sarah, and I pose with some kindy
students and siblings after playing in the ball pit after our Thanksgiving meal.

It was a bit over crowded so a group of us gathered in a circle on the floor. Uncle Michael played on the guitar and I helped him lead the song "Take Me Home, Country Roads." It was a comforting evening.

Uncle Michael with the guitar, to the right is Teacher Lulu, Teacher Diana, Teacher Sabrina, Teacher Kerry,
Principal Bih Hua, Teacher Kyle, the dance instructor from Serbia, myself, Teacher Josilin, and Teacher Taylor.

Teacher Tonya, John, Michelle, and me at Shang An Thanksgiving.

Fireflies around the Thanksgiving turkey!
Later they got to "try the turkey," they were really eating chicken.

Happy Avengers :-)

That weekend a majority of the English teachers joined in with Uncle Michael and his wife on a day trip to Chiaya, Taiwan. Beautiful landscapes, flowers, and mountains. It was a warm, sunny day and we got to see the dance for burning paper money outside a larger temple in the Alishan district.

I live here. Almost two years and it's still unbelievable.

The most exciting thing I've done since my last update, was my second set of dives (November 15 + 16; Dive #5-8). Michelle, Karl, and I headed on an overnight bus, then taxi, to Kenting to meet up with Nigel, Paul, and their whole gang of divers. Little did we know the bus/taxi rides would be so quick. We arrived at 5 o'clock in the morning, as it's pouring rain. We wandered around for a dry place in the middle of nowhere Taiwan. Luckily, Michelle had internet and Karl has a good sense of direction. We found the dive shop, a dry place with a few benches and miserably but gratefully slept for the remaining hours without sunlight.

Loaded up with the tanks and gear. Off to the first dive spot!

Once morning really arrived, we greeted everyone, laughed at our night, got some breakfast, and suited up. The first dives of the day have proven to be the lesser of the two each and every time I have dived. Not having your own equipment, means you never know how it will work or feel once your in it and in the water. The second dive was much clearer, less people, we were under for 36 minutes and went down about 35 meters (114 feet. I will have to re-learn some diving equipment switching metric systems back in the states.)

Boat diving!

Day two was the real adventure. My first boat dives! I hadn't thought much of the difference in a boat to shore dive, just had hoped I'd see some more marine life. It was heart-stopping for me on my first entrance into the water. Before, I could always see the bottom or some rocks, something to tell me where I was. Now all I could see was blue. Deep, endless blue. And while everyone continued on to deflate their BCDs and adjust themselves, I had to mentally tell myself to calm the (you know what) down! (Truly the best thing advice I'd give for diving is to stay calm and keep your breathing steady and slow.) Michelle had her GoPro and we had fun taking underwater photos.

Playing. :-P

We saw a school of fish, puffers, dozens of colorful coral fish, and along the bottom I enjoyed the coral that looked like something Dr. Seuss drew up. I even softly touched a sea cucumber too! We swam single file through a tunnel of rocks (heart-pounding) on the second boat dive. Great visibility and so many colors!

The Kenting weekend dive crew!

The last weekend in November, Kelly, Brittany, and I went to the 2014 Flower Festival in Dakeng for the second time. We weren't as clear on what the theme was for this year, but it was a wonderful day, including the scoot ride through the mountains to get there and the amazing pizza we had afterwards!

Display to honor  the white dolphin's in the Taiwan seas.
Click here to see what Taiwan is doing to help save these creatures from extinction.

All you need.

I feel pretty.

Early December I went to Cambodia. See previous blog.
When I returned, it was about time for Christmas and contracts.
We chose Secret Santas at work, I got our boss Rhonda and Brittany had me, she bought me a selfie stick! Birthday's have been flying by. We had dinner at one of our favorite Greek restaurants Uzo for Kerry's. Then ice skating for Krista's, with Mike, Kerry, Michelle, Kelly, and Britt. There were multiple young Taiwanese men and children literally spinning circles around us. Womp womp.

Kelly and I

The Kindy Christmas party was a huge success. Games, crafts, a special appearance from "Santa" whom provides presents to all the Daban, Jungban, Shoban, and Yoyoban (kindergarten levels in Taiwan). I felt it went much smoother than last year. I helped with a craft that didn't involve glue so that could be the entire reasoning for it running smoother for me. I love being surrounded by the kindergarteners. They would listen intently to follow directions carefully or be a little timid of an English teacher they weren't familiar with, or like most, beam an excitement that was contagious.

Can you spot me?

The following Monday "Santa Visits Cornel" and all the Yves Elementary students, my Grade 1 and Grade 3, receive a present given to the school by the parents of each child.
Legos were a hit this year, was this the same in America?

Being silly with the Avengers.

Funny faces with the Fireflies!

Kelly, Brittany, and I went up and down Taichung Port Road taking pictures
with the exquisite Christmas displays set up in parks and malls across the city.
I meant to turn the photos into a Christmas card for our families like last year,
but left for Cambodia and the photos were never used. Oops!

Goofy, goofier, goofiest.

Just a girl and her best friends.

On Christmas Day we, the English staff, are given the day off. It was a Thursday this year, and similar to last year we had a "Pot Luck" at Red Door House. I use quotations this time because the food ended up being a major disappointment to last years. Last year it was all girls and we each assigned ourselves a food item to bring. As for myself, I brought a mixed salad with all sorts of veggies and dressings. This year, the hot item was desserts, and by 5:00 you are all sweetened up and sipped up on wine that you want the real food. Luckily, Kelly, Brittany, Michelle, and I saved Christmas by having a Taiwanese dinner at a local pub we call Mike's Bar. It's real name is the Fisherman's Warf.

The whole gang at Red Door  on Christmas Day!

My little Taiwan Family at Mike's Bar.

I've gotten to substitute for a class taught by Teacher Christiana called the Wizards. Ten adorable new-to- English students who melt my heart. Surprisingly, only three boys are in this class.

The Wizards

For New Year's Eve, Brittany and I both worked past 7:00 P.M. While most people were leaving Taiwan for the four day weekend, we took the High Speed Rail to Taipei 101 to wait for the display of fireworks. Amazing to see, (AND something to cross off my Taiwan Bucket List!) but there was no countdown, no music even. The people cheered for maybe 30 seconds, the entire thing lasting what I'd guess to be one minute.

Taipei 101 just before blast off.

We had an epic New Year's after successfully finding a bathroom which come sparingly in public locations here. We decided that New Year's was an okay time to spend a little more for a fancier club. After checking bags, we went straight to the roof top. (Another TBL) Live music outside and a DJ on the inside. Quiet the night!

No words needed. :-)

Conferences for both grades have come and gone. I had most of my parents show up. Which I consider a good thing.

Kitty and Ariel

Yoyo and Alvin playing dinosaur verses robot.

Eeny-meeny-minny-moe

Edward and Ango. Best friends for the week.

Jeremy and Linus.

The "Cornel Crew" and I have been slowly accepting that we're no longer the newbies in Taichung, and blend in with the crowd (sorta). We've played a weekly pub quiz at one of the foreign hotspots, Early Bird, three times now. We even managed to get second place the last time!

Went to my first movie in months after a failed attempt to go strawberry picking. Kerry, Taylor, Britt, Kel, and I went to American Sniper. I'd give it an 8.8.
Currently I'm on my seventh book out of my goal of ten for the year!
Doing yoga 3 times a week. Love my yoga girl Jessie for pushing me!
Been working on going to a new restaurant or out with someone new at least once a week. Discovered an adorable, french-style pastry parlor with a Japanese chef, called Moon Lovers.
And many, many new pizza places.
Pizza always leads to a good evening. Whether it's going to Salut to meet up with any or all the wbs, scooting to Slice -n- Dice to watch him prepare the best hand-made crust, traveling down south to the only place that offers deep-dish style, enjoying an 'I've-never-heard-of-this-beer' beer and mmmmm goat cheese at Exchange. Pizza has become an ode to Joy .

Night out with Taiwanese friend Gina and her girls, and me with mine!

Annual Class Performances, ACP's, are just around the corner. My Grade 1 Fireflies' theme is "Garden Sweet Garden." I have realized one of my favorite things to teach about is anything to do with nature or our planet. (Last year the theme was "Everyday is Earth Day!") My Grade 3 Avengers is still a work in progress, but it is based on sports since my first idea of rainforest animals was taken.

One of the sweetest, and definitely the smartest students I've ever met in grade 1 left at the end of January. I cried on his second to last day, but the last day I was filled with joy at how much love the other students gave him. Chanting his name, giving him hugs, and asking for photos together. Sweethearts.

Everyone loving on Yoyo!

Good-bye from the Fireflies!

This Chinese New Year almost swallows up February. I have ten days where I will go to Japan with Kelly. Brittany will meet up a few days later for Tokyo. I get to be in Osaka, Japan for my 26th birthday!
Also because of Chinese New Year we are on winter schedule which means I get my Avengers from 10 A.M.-12 P.M. instead of 5-7 P.M. which is WONDERFUL! I wish it could remain this way.

T. Kelly and T. Kalee :-)

So the BIG NEWS: I started applying to other overseas schools. Even had an interview that went exceptional.  I knew I needed another year overseas, but deciding to stay, or go somewhere new, was the debate.

A new place with new travel options would be more than I could ask for, but I would I save money? Would it be as safe as Taiwan? Did I really want to start over again after gaining a mini-family in Taiwan? I knew what Taiwan could offer me, and by the time contract negotiations came around, and after losing my heart in Cambodia, I resigned for the 2015-2016 school year as a Daban Teacher for Cornel.

Matthew's Birthday!

Now for that personal junk, my family. I miss my family dearly. Getting emails from my Grandma Lamp has continued to be the highlight of checking my email. This year I've also had more emails with my mom and Skype dates with my Cousin Ashley. It's unbearable to face the reality that I am missing watching my nephew Dominic be a toddler and I haven't even held baby Kameron. I look forward to seeing everyone this August when I come home for a month before my return to Taichung.

Photo of my mom with Kameron and Dominic trying to help out.

Thanks for the support and remembering me. :-) Lots of love, K