Thursday, June 30, 2016

Endings Happen So There Can Be New Beginnings



In May, I wrapped up the end of my third teaching year in Taiwan with one of the best classes I'm sure to ever come across. We had field trips, lots of dancing, laughter and of course as many hugs as I could get. 
Our school also put on two different Mother's Day events. One at Nan Men, where each student, along with mom, dad, grandma, and baby siblings got to make personalized photo frames including a photo of the family previously taken. 
Andy, Jo, and Cindy with their handprint flower poem for mom and their self written and illustrated book for mom. We made these in class throughout center stations and two writing periods.
Below is Steven and Cindy with their mom and baby sister. On the right is Annie with her mom.  

At Shang An, I helped to read a short story to all of the parents and children who came. Then everyone went upstairs for Mother's Day stations; a Mommy Massage, Mommy Make-over, a photo booth, and a grocery store to make a meal for mom! While it was crowded and busy, everyone had a great time. I even got a make-over from one of my students whose family came to support and celebrate their wonderful mom. 

Christy was my student this year in Kindergarten. Joanna in the gray was one of my third graders my first year teaching in Taiwan. Jenny, the mom in th middle, also works for our school. This is a loving family and I always enjoy spending time with them. 
Our Amazing Shang- An Team! Front: T.Charvala, T. Roxy, T. Cleo, T. Peggy, T. Penny, T. Elsa,
Back: T. Jill, T. Doris, T. Marcie, Me, T. Michael, T. Brittany, and T. Tyler
Brittany and I did a very fun storytelling event using the story "I Don't Want to go to Bed." We had over 40 kids there that morning from all over Taichung, along with a few of our own Cornel Kids and families. The kids really enjoyed the "Walking in the Jungle" song almost as much as Brittany and I enjoyed using our different animal character voices while reading the story. 
A group of us teachers went to an amusement park called LihPao Land early in May. It was about a 30 minute bus ride out of downtown Taichung. To my surprise the park was not nearly as crowded as most everything else in Taiwan is on the weekend. With the large group we came with, we split up into smaller groups and rode nearly everything the park had to offer. From Merry - Go - Rounds, Crown Swinger, Teacups and Sonic Circles to Energy Storm, Wild River Canyon, and the "world's first off - track roller coaster" Gravity Max. 



The gang with some interesting characters of LihPao Land. 
T. Charvala (MJ) and T. Cherry (MM)
It was an amazing day filled with good friends, hilarious photo opts, delicious ice cream, and tons of screams. I would definitely go again. 
The end of May I spent a rejuvenating solo weekend traveling in Southern Taiwan. I took a Friday off from work and that morning I went to meet Master Hsing Yun's monastery Fo Guang Shan. Founded in 1967 in Koahsiung Township "it has evolved from a mountaintop bamboo forest to the largest Buddhist monastery in Taiwan." There are currently over 200 Fo Guang Shan temples throughout the world "carrying out the goals of propagating Humanistic Buddhism and establishing a Pure Land on earth."
Fo Guang Shan just before sunset. 
I then took a late bus further south to Kenting, where I stayed overnight in a quiet little township near my next destination, The National Museum of Marine Biology and Aquarium. My favorite exhibit was the Waters of the World where you can learn and explore about the beginning formations of the Earth's ocean 4.6 billion years ago. It was amazing to see the virtual animals of our Earth's past and diagrams over the evolution of whales. It also included Polar Seas where they have two very large beluga whales. Although they seemed playful and happy, their enclosure was quite small. The whole museum sits along the coast of Kenting, so when you walk out of each exhibit you're greeted with the ocean and loads of ice cream stands. It's an interactive place with tons of space for its many visitors. 
Did you know?!
Extreme close up of myself as I was trying to catch the Beluga whale in a selfie.
 I did not realize until weeks later that the second beluga had "photo bombed" the picture. Pretty clever creatures.


A few of my students making parade worthy dragons duirng Dragon Boat Week.
The Tao or Yami aboriginal people of Lanyu (Orchis Island).
Here the woman are painted in the stance they take during
traditional dances of their tribes. Learn more by clicking here.  
Early in June was the Dragon Boat Festival. I went with my good friend and diving buddy, Totto, along with many of her friends, to Lanyu for our second diving trip to the beautiful Orchid Island. After our first dive it began to storm pretty badly and when there is lightening in the sky, diving is off the table. On our way back for lunch Eloise and I were in a scooter accident that was caused by tourist stopping abruptly to take photographs. We were very lucky to still be in our wet suits. While my hands were cut up pretty badly, the rest of our skin was saved thanks to those wet suits. Needless to say, I opted out of diving for the remainder of that day and the next. Instead I went around the island twice over the next few days with others who were not divers. We saw quite a few waterfalls due to the heavy rain, rowed in the famous Yami boats of Orchid (Lanyu) Island, and had some of my favorite food in Taiwan; BBQ by the Sea. 


Goats on the run when the rain comes.
There are hundreds if not thousands of goats on the island.
 Be sure to watch your step!
T. Jacklyn and I with a few of our Pirates for graduation photos!
(Side note: I've been thinking my hair is turning red as I get older, these pictures are proof.) 
Daban Classes of 2016: The Tiger and The Pirates!
In our last months at school together, we celebrated our last Pirate Birthday- Annie's. We spent two weeks learning about space and another two weeks discovering the human body. We took a field trip to TGIFriday's and had some pasta with our friends in the T. Brittany's Tigers Class! Yum. 
Front Row: Ryder, Christy, Andy, Steven, Bella, Coco, Jo
Back Row: Sophia, James, Curtis, Cindy, and Annie
Happiest of Birthdays to my best friend abroad, T. Britt Britt!
My roommate, partner in mischief, and co-boss lady!
Love all of the memories we've made in the past three years.
Looking forward to the next year with you at my side. 
As graduation approached we enjoyed singing and dancing to the songs "Drag Me Down" by One Direction and "Dynamite" by Taio Cruz, a graduation version almost every day. I was so proud of their killer dance moves and energy every time we practiced. They looked absolutely fabulous in their costumes on the day of the show. 
Jo won for Top Student and
Annie won Most Improved Student!

Congratulations!  
 

My sweet girls dressed to impress for the graduation ceremony!
After so many smiles in so many pictures, it was time for some silly faces!
And believe it or not, it was time for the new teachers to arrive from Cananda and the USA. Along with that comes the Farewell Teacher's Brunch at Splendor Hotel and officially hitting my three year mark in Taiwan on June 20th. This year we said good-bye to four teachers, both couples found jobs and are going on to teach. Kyra and Eli will be spending the next two years in Italy teaching English. Molly and Brock will spend the next three months in Kenya helping the children there, before returning to Canada to teach. 

Last photo together.  They're ready for Grade 1! ^_^

The last week of June was possibly one of the busiest and emotional weeks of my time here. Not only was I saying goodbye to my words-can't-describe-what-they-mean-to-me kids, but I was beginning my new position as the Head Foreign Director of Shang-An campus along with Brittany and Michael at Nan Men campus. We were responsible for training the new teachers in a variety of workshops from professionalism in Taiwan to Summer programs, to overviews of the curriculum, tours of the schools, and storytelling events. The new teachers were also learning some survival Chinese, observing classrooms, particiapting in panel discussions, and meeting their future students and co-teachers. 

It was a vital and busy week, but when it was over I felt appreciated and excited for the new beginning. The returning teachers were off to visit their hometowns, while the rest of us began a new year on the Fourth of July! 
Thanks for reading. - K