SonyBaloney

Well, I got a Sony Ericsson cellphone on Friday (K700i model)... it connects to my computer wirelessly through "Bluetooth", sort if like wireless internet. Well, it didn't work, and my computer wasn't finding anything, just what I need is another computer problem. Today I found out that my computer doesn't actually have bluetooth, just a slot to put one in if I buy the component.

Anyways, my crappy old phone was carried around today rather than my $400CAN Sony phone. You pay $30 for a phone and they will invest $30 worth of complicated features into it, pay $400 and they will throw in a 300 page Chinese User Manual in the box. I think I can configure it to navigate me across the moon if the problem ever arises. Sony has never been known for simplicity. It can play my MP3 music and display the person's picture when they call. It also has a decent digital camera and will synchronise with my computer through my infra-red port as my bluetooth doesn't exist and I won't pay the $100 to get one.

Tomorrow, I will exchange it for a Nokia camera phone. It seems to get lower reviews and has less memory, but maybe it won't piss me off. I honestly don't know why I hate my Sony, but I do... resistant to change? I don't need the camera as I have a nice one, I don't need the MP3 player as I have an iPod. But.... umm.... oh! I don't have an FM radio, and the phone does!

I didn't pay for it, I got it in leiu of rent from Jam who has now found a nice apartment to live in and I need a new phone as my old super-phone ($30) doesn't work because I gave it the New Orleans special treatment as it was in my waterproof OUTSIDE pocket in a typhoon and I didn't close the flap on the pocket. It's replacement keeps turning off from being dropped too many times by whoever had it before me.

Jenn, stop laughing!

This is not a bad post.

Unfortunately my past has come to haunt me. You can run from it, but never hide. Well, I like to sing in class while my students do their work, no harm in a little English sentence structure... besides, I am the teacher and no one will argue with that. Well, they can sing maybe 6 songs that I know, the latest is "Where are you going?" by the David Matthews Band, it's kind of a new song for me and I really like it. Well, it goes something like this:

"Where are you going?
Where have you been?
I am a superhero"

... and on. So, I finally burnt it to a cd and played it for the class. They were a wee bit pissed at Mr. Knows all this cool music teacher. I guess the cd player is broken because what came out of that stupid contraption was:

"Where are you going?
Where do you go?
I am no superman, I have no answers for you.
I am no hero, oh, that’s for sure."

In the middle of class, I was taken back to driving from S'toon to N.B. with Jennifer and we played one of her favorite songs, Elton John's, "Piano Man." Something about the song that I always sang, and that she had learned from me, and the one that Sir Elton forgot the proper lyrics to were not even close except for the first verse and the tune. She was a little annoyed that I can't seem to get lyrics right even though my lyrics made sense, rhymed and fit well.

Other popular classroom titles are: Get off my cloud (The Briggs and The Stones), Honey, Honey, Sugar, Sugar (dunno), Yellow Submarine (Beatles), and... unfortunately... Piano man.

So, I will be bringing the lyrics for them to learn (as well as myself) to learn which may substitute for "The Ants Go Marching," and other stupid kids songs that I have also forgotten the lyrics to. As long as they learn some good speech patterns and have some fun, who cares... besides, wouldn't it be great if one of these songs came up on the car radio and the kid belts out to it infront of the parents? That won't happen with Twinkle Little Star, will it? Let's just hope Piano Man never makes it to the Taiwanese radio waves.

Ah, tabernaque!!! I've been robbed.

Well, I got robbed today. Jam and I went to see the fireworks show at the river and picked up some lasagnas for dinner on the riverbank. We wanted to see the Wedding crashers movie but it wasn't playing when we checked the theater. We came out to our bikes and our lasagnas were missing from her basket on her scooter! But, her $100 helmet was there along with a few other things of minute value. So, I guess some family who can't afford food is eating the best damn lasagna in Taiwan, courtesy of me. I was very suprised but not pissed. If it was a true thief, they would have taken the helmet sitting on top of the seat, if they need food bad enough to steal unknown leftovers sitting in the 30 degree heat for an unknown amount of time, I am more than happy for them to have this much needed food. They only took what was needed which is ok in my books. I went and bought some Japanese Tappanyaki (Edo of Japan kinda thing) and came home to watch "The English Patient" on dvd.

I think Jam found an apartment, with three French students, they seem pretty cool. Ah Tabernaque, ou est le bibliotheque?

But it started so well...

My day started so well...

I was invited to go camping in some little aboriginal village this weekend and there was some special ceremony going on. Well, that sounds nice, but I'm not making any plans for anything. I borrowed Paul's tent just in case. Jam wanted to come also. So, Friday night, I called my friend who invited me and he said it didn't start till 6pm, so, I could leave catching (my home) at 5pm Saturday. Sounds great, we'd even go have a BBQ at a waterfall on the way to this village.

I woke up late, so good... 12:00, I decided to go pick up my busted computer, the screen hinge broke and they fixed it for free. Well, at 1:15 my friend calls me and says it starts at 3:00, uh-oh. I book it to the computer place, pick up my computer, phone in an order at Smokey Joe's for two BBQ Pork buns and go to Smokey Joe's for pre ordered dine in... what a scam! Well, my scooter starts acting up as we get close, it's hesitating and it's pissing me off. It's running really choppy... oh, the needles on E. The cute foreign girl behind me had turned off a block before and so I guess I'm out of luck getting someone to push me to the next station. I push it to a mechanic who gives me 75cents of gas for $2 but whatever, I don't have to push. We go to Smokey Joe's and it was nice, sit down and the food comes right away, sweet! We ran home and picked up some stuff, I grabbed some shorts and my camera equipment and dropped off my computer. Oh... I also grabbed my map. I had no idea where I was going, so I asked my security guard to show me on the map, he couldn't find it but I knew the train went there, so I pointed to each station till he found the town. We made good time and met up with my friend.

We arrived as everything was starting, it was like a Cree circle dance. People were wearing feathers in their headresses and wearing traditional clothing that jingled. Actually, if there was a hoop dancer and a tipee, it wouldn't have been much different. Anyways, my friend (Joe) and I got dragged into this dance, it was kind of relaxing, everyone stepped, kind of like a box-step, but the circle rotated, everyone was kind of swaying. They came and offered us some sort of drink, it was served in a tree trunk thingy? It was carved and painted absolutely beautifully and it had two cups carved into it. There was a catch to this offering. Someone had to drink from the second cup... our nice hostess? No. Someone young and beautiful. Joe was offered first, but our host wouldn't share it, she dragged a very beautiful young (20?) girl up to drink with him. He was a little embarrassed and was unsure of this greenish liquid. To be polite, he decided that he would just drink it down and smile for everyone, if he drank it fast enough and it wasn't that good, then he would not taste it much. Unfortunately, my friend Joe overlooked one thing. The beautiful damsel was drinking 14" to his left from the same carving, as he tipped his cup to gulp it all down in one shot, she was wearing her half. Oops! He smiled after he finished, only to become engulfed in fire shooting from her eyes, he said sorry and felt bad. She was a little annoyed. I was the next chosen one... they just don't learn do they. I thought the first girl was pretty, the girl chosen to drink with me was even better (I love mountain women). I did it nice and slowly and then we danced some more. It was some kind of home made green screech, but it was pretty good. Probably the smoothest eight thousand proof I have ever had. I saw the girl that Joe dumped the juice on and told her that he didn't know and that he was sorry, she smiled and said it was ok, I think she realized that his intentions were noble and that he was a little new to this. Pretty cool, but it was bloody hot and was being held under a tin roof and the breeze was a little choked so we left for the waterfall.

Just a short 5 minute drive away was a beautiful waterfall. Can't really describe it except that it looked like a set form waterworld. There were steel and bamboo ladders HANGING from the rocks going up the waterfall. There was a post and a makeshift platform to sit on and enjoy the falls. The chairs had one leg on the support and some chains on the backs to a pole so they didn't fall. I like to try new things, but not this. Joe's girlfriend (Taiwanese) didn't want him to swim in his undies as he forgot a suit so Joe told her that I had forgotten mine and was going to swim in my undies. So, my underwear is wet and my swimsuit is still dry but Joe got to swim.

We finished up and Jam was having a headache. We went to Joe's students "restaurant"(shack in the mountains) and ate some moon cakes.

One the way home, Jam got sick and I had to pull over. As soon as I stopped, she whipped off her helmet and as it got to her nose this torrent came from her mouth. Then again, and again. Anyways, as she was finishing up, she bumped my bike and it fell over into an irrigation ditch. The helmets, previously on the side view mirrors, made their way into the water part of the irrigation ditch. The helmets splashed and the bike quit, so I managed to right the bike and then it was a journey into the ditch. One question, how to you climb into a cement ditch that is 4 feet deep and 4 feet wide and has slime on the sides? Very carefully. My helmet was ok, but Jam's got soaked. I wiped mine off and strapped hers to the back of the bike... her choice, it was soaked. She wiped her leg, foot and shoes from the previous escapade and we went home. I bent the front brake handle on my handlebars, so I'll have to get that fixed but the bike seems ok. Did I mention that we got lost on the way home.

Tomorrow, I will go for another road trip, alone. I just don't know where.

P.S. I know the pic is sideways, give me a break, trying new things.

Never ending rollercoaster.

Well, Keith (Boss) talked to me on Friday about time off for when my parents come. He had said that unless we lose a teacher (sick, whatever), Theresa can sub my afternoon and he will do the rest for me. Well... Friday I asked him what he wants for a lesson plan, he wanted to make sure everything was straight and clear. So, we went into a classroom and Keith invited the ass. manager in. He told me that he was going away for 3 weeks (Which I knew) and that when he gets back he can't promise anything. Maybe I can get two or three evenings off or maybe none if a teacher is sick. This is far short of the one and a half weeks from last weeks talks. I told him that he has to look out for his school number one and that the tickets have already been booked. I also told him that I understand that if a teacher drops out, I might have to teach but I don't think I was too enthusiastic about my two or three possible evenings off. He said he's sorry that he cannot promise anything but he'll try. I finished the conversation with telling him that all I can expect is a good honest try for that week and a half, the rest will have to wait till the time comes.
Anyways, I don't think I really said anything or did anything, but I don't think I was percieved as being very happy with our chat. Before my last class, Keith and Andy were talking and he told me that they might just know a guy to do my classes for the two weeks. I said that that would be great and that I have to get to class. I don't think I was overly happy then either but was on a positive note on the possibility.
This crap really pisses me off, all the flip flopping. Anyways, I've got my week and a half off because I have other things than the school to worry about. If I have to teach for an evening or two, that's ok, or if another teacher gets sick or something. I really like my school, but everything has limits, even me.

So, my cash flow seems to be really good, and my parents are coming, what could be better? So, I will dump some cash into my scooter to make it parents worthy and I should have enough money to do anything I like for the 2 weeks. Yipee for me!

Methanol flavored toothpaste.

I forgot what prompted me to post last time...

It was late at night and I needed to go buy some toothpaste before bed (my emergency hotel tube ran out) and so I hopped on my bike to go to the 24hr store. Remember when I said motorbikes are awesome and idiot proof because they have a reserve gas tank? Well, I have adjusted to this and can now drive 5 days on the reserve... yes, I know. Well, this fine evening was the beginning of day 6, but I was smart... then smarter. I decided that gas should be the first thing, and then, I saw the rack of toys to reward me for my patronage. Filling with gas is just like going to the dentist, after, you can pic a toy from the toy chest. Usually, you can get a bottle of water or box of tissue for your $4CAN fill. I put in $14 and... BEHOLD!!! A tube of toothpaste was at my disposal!!! Not just a little tiny tube, but a big tube of Chinese toothpaste, approved by the Taiwan Dental Association and recommended by 3 out of 4 Dr. Wangs.... or the sticker simply says, "To help keep your canine's canines strong and healthy." Whatever it is, it tastes good and says it has flouride and DCP. It's probably made by foreigners for foreigners cause the brand is WHITEman's toothpaste. The Chinese side probably says YELLOWman's toothpaste, but who'll know the difference?

So, I did something new last night. It's very hot (32C) in Taiwan right now and I only have air conditioning in my room so I leave the windows open and the patio doors. Well, the screens were gone on the patio doors were gone and I haven't been able to find a shop to replace it. My new neihbour had some screen in her garbage box outside her door and Ii asked where she got it from and if she might write me a note. She simply told me to have hers, so I did. There was barely enough to do my doors, it was easy enough to do, but I wound up going around the door 3 times until I thought it was tight enough.

Things at school are melting down nicely, I'm ready to duck and cover. I'm fine and things are going well for me, but one of our 4 secretaries' father wound up in the ICU at the hospital, Keith is leaving for 3 weeks on Friday and we have run out of classrooms and things are getting changed around... meaning mixed up. So, after Keith leaves, no one will be freaking out but things will continue into thier spiral of chaos.

When he gets back, I am on vacation and he is subbing my classes, poor kids.

Dishing it up.

Well, as I sit at my computer, finally ressurecting my massive music collection, I ran across an old tune. Spoonman, by Soundgarden, it's heavy metal music that I used to listen to in my walkman while I delivered newspapaers when I was 14. I bought the Trouble In The Henhouse album from my paper money and used a crappy cassete player walkman with 99 cent earphones as I cruised the streets with my bag o' papers. Kind of brought me back for a minute, kind of nice. Wow, that was so long ago, I feel like I'm living in a time warp.

That was 10 years ago and it feels like one. My life is speeding beyond control, and I have nothing to show for it... or do I? I have had almost every job known to man. I have been a:firefighter, undercover security officer, auto mechanic, florist, cashier, grocer, pizza delivery, pizza cook, video store clerk, orderly, paperboy, and... now a teacher; all I need now is to drop off an application off at 7-11 and I'll have had it all.

I have also been to some pretty cool places, been to Mexico, even into the city, Australia, China, Korea, Thailand and Taiwan (they are NOT the same place).

I've also done things like drive a tuk-tuk (3 wheeled taxi), a firetruck, a motorbike, motorbike taxi, scooter, skidoo, seadoo, boat, grain truck, tractor, bulldozer and a horse. I have jumped out of planes, stayed in burning buildings (shouldn't it be the other way around?) and just about any other stupid thing I could get my hands on (except bungee jumping, because I think it's boring). I've also been 150 feet under the sea 3 feet from the most poisonous snake in the world sharing an underwater cave with me with nothing but an overinflated thermos of air strapped to my back. With all of this, I have only one little scar from going down a hill on a sled in the middle of a city park.

I have managed to become proficient in Chinese and forget almost all of my French (not that there was alot to start with) and some of my English suffered for a while, but I think it's back.

I think I am growing in many ways here, I am immersed in much of the culture and I think I am bettering myself, even though I should focus more on my physical health and all that stuff that breaks a sweat and doesn't taste as good. But... when I went home, I didn't like the frozen food much and I could taste the preservatives in everything... I didn't like it. McDonald's is my only vice and I can think of a million reasons to not have it but not one for.

I have become many things I planned on not becoming. I have more art than I have walls, some of it is even mine. I am still cleaning out a room for my art, I found an oil paint set for $350 Can that has everything I need... debating, clean the room first. I love art, I never really did, I love nature and I am scared of almost nothing (as shown by how I drive), I had a couple bumps when I got here from my bike and I have learned that I bounce. Also, I'm not a complete idiot, I got rid of my two-stroke racing bike when I popped a wheelie at 70km/hour with someone on the back on a test drive. He didn't buy the bike, something about killing himself, that's when I decided the same thing and made sure I sold it. I always wear a full face helmet and if the buildings look fuzzy, I wear a breathing air filter mask.

My mom always told me, "Time flies when you're having fun." It's the saddest truth she has ever told me, I wish it were the other way around; I'm having a blast but I feel like I'm missing out, on home, my family and the farm. I'll come home someday, hopefully everything will still be there, I think this may be my only fear... only having one fear is pretty good, huh?


I'll update this later.
P.S. I was getting my students to give me "because" sentences and they were stumped. I asked Nancy why I was so handsome, she said "You are so handsome, because you have no hair." hahahaha, I promptly threw the baggie of paper towel at her.

Oh yeah, how cool is this? Today, one of my students held my bottle of Ice Tea infront of the air conditioner to keep it cool, that's dedication!

Square One

Well, I was trying to decide where to go for supper today, it's Saturday and that means I can go at a time where everyone's open. Well, there is my favorite restaraunt, it's a pasta restaraunt in a tiny alley downtown. They don't take reservations and you have to wait in line for about an hour to get a table and by then, there is a 50/50 chance they have run out of lasagna, the whole reason for going. So, that wasn't my thing even though it's dirt cheap. So, I went to Mamamia's pasta, part of the Amy's restaraunt group for foreigners that includes Smokey Joe's. Well, I had French Onion soup, Salad, Beef Ravioli, a banana milkshake and a piece of Oreo cheesecake for dessert. Well, that was $20CAN wasted, the Onion soup looked like gravy, it wasn't good, the salad had some super sweet mango dressing or something, yuck, the pasta was 50 percent garlic and it was chopped so fine that I couldn't pick it out, and the Oreo cheesecake was mediocre. The shake was good though.

I have decided to eat at a new place every night till my parents get here. This will let me lose weight (cause the food will suck more often than not) and maybe I can find a place I like. YOU try going to a restaraunt and looking at the Chinese menu and ordering the 27th thing on the menu because you can't read it. So, this is my new quest as I have decided that there are only 2 good places in this town. One only has lasagna on weekends and waiting sucks, and the other get's tiring.

Hmmm... not too much interesting, my place is livable, my laundry is done, and I still don't have cable... I don't miss it.

Two birds.

Well, I bought my old scooter back form Nick. It needs a bunch of work as Nick's specialties are better in computers. Anyways, I put new brakes in the front and back because they were beyond gone. Jam helped me take the bike home because I also have my motorbike. I drove my bike and she drove my scooter. I stopped at the bottom of the ramp to open the door to the bike garage and I hear, "Aaaaahhhh, no brakes!!!!!" Hahaha, too funny.

SLAM! She rear ends me, I looked at the scooter and could get it to rear up and do a nose stand using the brakes, no problems there. Nothing was broken, but I still have no idea how she managed to do it. So, I managed to crash both my bikes at once.

Work was ok, but my weekend trip seems to be cancelled... something about finishing setting up and there is another big typhoon coming tomorrow. It's out for dinner I go, not even excited about it, all the restaraunts close at 9:30 or 10:00 and I finish work at 9:15. Maybe I'll try the foodstands.

Yeah, unpacking might be nice. I need to put some hooks in the walls and hang my paintings that are on my 4 mattresses up against the wall in the guest room. Then I can put one of the mattresses on the floor and put sheets on it and set up the spare room. Then I can deal with my suitcases on the computer table, then I can set up my computer desk and clean all the computer stuff off the sofa. Then I can rearrange my livingroom furniture and then decide where the paintings should go. Then I can go buy nails for the wall... there's a hole in the bucket dear Liza, dear Liza.

Mmm, diner time.

Farewell Sir Snick.

Well, our beloved roomate, Sir Snick (A.K.A. Nick) has departed for greener pastures and cleaner nostrils... he'll be back, oh yes... he will be back. Once he faces the stench of $1.35/l gas, and G8 living costs. Oh, parting is such sweet sorrow.

Anyways, he was the coolest roomate I've ever seen. Paul and I both got ditched by Sir Nick, something about T-3 hours and he's not done packing. So, we had a packing party. My Chinese skills were tested as Nick wasn't going to make the original bus, I called to schedule the next bus.

Last night was Sir Snick's goodbye party. We (Theresa, Sandra, Paul, John and I) took Sir S. out for greek food at John's restaraunt, "The Parthenon." It was ok, I had Mousaka, it was kind of like a crappy lasagna/sheppards pie but there was little cheese, the mashed potatoes were baked flour and water and it was exquisitly small. It was fairly good actually. Then we went to my old place to have a few drinks before we made any decisions. Everyone was up for taking Nick to the "Crazy Horse" dancing bar. I would call it a strip club, but the girls don't really show anything, it's more like a bikini show... they even keep their tops on!!! The girls even tried to motivate Nick for an hour or so, but could only get an "Oh, I don't know, I have stuff in the morning, tomorrow night, I promise." Well, it WAS his last real night, but he didn't go so the girls went home at 2am as we had to work today. Paul and I got in on him and we had some more drinks. Then, we went managed to get into a cab. Well, with me sleepy in the back and Nick not being able to speak Chinese, Paul was the man of the hour. Paul had been drinking, too. So, Paul started shouting off random street names and that's where the cabbie went. The cab fare is about $120NT ($5CAN) so, after we hit the $300NT mark, Paul mentioned about the high fare and how the cabbie is trying to rip us off... nope, Paul was trying to rip us off, the cabbie was taking the most direct routes to our screwed up directions. Finally, Ii came to my senses and said "Crazy Horse" in Chinese, the cabbie knew of the bar and got us there in $20NT. So, $330NT for the city tour with our celebrity guest guide, Paul, and another $20NT to get to where we wanted to go. Well, we made sure Nick had a good time and somehow managed to get another taxi home... $120NT.

I was sooooo tired this morning. I got home at 6am, I was drinking, and I had done the dubious thing and had offered to go early and hand out flyers for my school in the morning. I was at work at 10:30AM, I NEVER start before 1:30PM, so this was early. I drank 2 liters of Lipton Ice Tea and felt fine. I cleaned my apartment and got ready for work again.

My 5:00 class rocked today. I was kind of tired so I told my students to do everything for me today. Well, I think I might do this every day. Ivy did roll call for me, then we played a game, then I wanted to do our novel so Nancy came and took my clipboard, put it in my basket and handed me my reader book. Vincent came and took my Ice Tea and held it infront of the air conditioner for most of the class... how cool is that?!?!?! I had my students write EVERYTHING on the board for me instead of me doing it today. Pretty cool group of kids. For breaktime, I grabbed a huge puzzle of the earth and tossed the pieces on the floor and said "breaktime." Vincent came and put the small garbage can under my feet for the 10 minute break and Annie offered me a shoulder massage which I had to decline. Then I was off work, I came home to deal with the landlord coming to fix my shower and stuff. It was all good.

Cheers Nick.

English Poison.

Well, we made it to Sun Moon Lake ("Ruey Yuey Tan", say that 5 times fast, don't forget the tones "\/, \/, -"). We decided to take the 8:00AM train, NOT my favorite time, but at least I don't piss the day away sleeping on the train cause I'd just sleep in bed anyway. This was the first trip I have been on for, where I was not the one running the show. Sandra's (Theresa's friend) grandparents were visiting. They are old and a little slow (like grandparents should be), but really cool people. Sandra had the whole trip planned out. Next thing we know, there are 8 of us going form a 3 person trip. Sandra, her g'rents, Theresa, Arianna (new teacher form work), Kate (another new teahcer from work) and Kate's boyfriend. So, our boss was a little uneasy when he found out that half of his staff went on a trip to the middle of nowhere. We took a train to TaiJung city and then were to hop a bus to Sun Moon Lake. We arrived and found that the bus would not leave till 3:30PM (it was 11AM). This taxi driver was trying to hustle us for a fare but we wanted to check the busses first, nope, gone. So, he said he'd take us for $3000 ($120CAN) to the lake with 2 taxi's. Well, I'll take a taxi over a bus anyday. We decided it was the best way and we (I) talked him down to $2000 ($80).

This guy spoke pretty damn good English... unfortunately. Well, it all started with him and I speaking Chinese and English. Then him bashing the fact that I learned Chinese. I should learn Taiwanese (the local original language). Everyone in Taiwan speaks Chinese except the small mountain villages and the great grandparents, even most of these people speak Chinese. Most people over 40, speak Taiwanese also, the kids must take it in school. It's a dying language. But, this fabulous dying language isn't a communist evil language like Chinese. Taiwanese is patriotic and it doesn't support the EVIL China. Well, I prettymuch told him that I'm not going to learn a language that is only supported by a country that doesn't use it anymore anyway. Secondly, if I can speak English and Chinese, I can go ANYWHERE in the world and someone can help me... except for Northern Africa, but that's where French comes in, oh, and in Newfoundland, but scientists still can't figure out which language applies there. So, he didn't care how useless Taiwanese was. Next came him asking is I knew ANY Taiwanese. Nope, not really only like two words. He pretty much demanded to know which ones. "Tie Jien" and "Tai Lan" meaning "Unich" and "Kill you". My students taught me these, the Tai Lan came form me saying I went to Thailand, they said "You went to KILL ME!?!?!" as they screamed and ran around, actually kind of funny from 7 year olds. The Tai Jien cam from my upper students, the proper "See you later" in Chinese is "Zai Jien" but change the Z to a T and you have Taiwaese for Unich. Well, the cabbie grabbed his crotch a dozen times and kept saying that Tai jien meant none of these, just incase I didn't fully understand. Then it came to the EVIL Chinese communist dictator kings kept many Tai jiens to tend to thier women, I didn't bother pointing out that it was two of those communist kings that started Taiwan. Then he wanted to know how to say it in English (the grandparents were in the back). So, Sandra told him. Whatever, on the way home, I took the other taxi. It was a long 90 minute taxi ride but definately the way to go.

Sun Moon Lake was nice, the air was fresh, we wanted to find some scooters, but the shop was closed. We went on a boat tour and went to a small island and a fishing village. The next day, we wanted to go to the temple across the lake, well, we aimed to hail a cab (non existent) but we found the scooter shop to be open, so we rented scooters and went. It was great. They decided to go shower and stuff before going home, we returned two of the scooters and I kept the one with the most gas. I drove around the other side of the lake.

I stumbled upon a bunch of people in kayaks, they were doing a course or something because they were in a little protected area with little floaty walls and stuff. Wrong, they weren't the simple chickenshit afraid of the water locals. They were playing water polo, in kayaks!!! Iit was sooo cool. I mean these guys were damn good. They were smacking this volleyball around with their paddles and hands, they all had facemasked helmets on. But they would get wedged between two kayaks and they would drop their paddle and wiggle forwards so get a better shot. The "lifeguard" was the ref. One guy was ready to take a shot and another guy came alongside and gave him a light shove on the shoulder... well, facefirst and upside down into the drink he went, I just about killed myself laughing. It took him a second to roll himself back so his head was above the water cause he had ditched his paddle to take the shot. I was impressed.

Well, we taxied back to TaiJung and I went into the train station and checked for an earlier train rather than waiting the hour and a half. We switched our tickets. Ii feel bad because we went to the fast "no credit card fast line" and asked to change tickets. We got on a fast train earlier, I said sorry for his time, he simply said "No, thankyou very much, it in my honor to service you." WOW!!! Where can you find that in Canada?!?!?! We had just enough time to hit McDonalds for some takeout for the train.

Went to work today, yep. After work, I took my bike to get the battery changed, I've had to kick start it a couple times. They said it would take an hour and they had lent out all their bikes, so I went next door to get a haircut form my future wife. She is hot, beautiful and doesn't speak a word of English. I met her my first week here and really liked her, she's very nice. I see her every haircut, so my hair is usually well trimmed. She also works 66 hours a week for 18,000NT a MONTH ($720CAN). She asked me why I wanted to learn Chinese, I told her so that I could speak well enough to take her out for coffee. She thinks my Chinese is getting much better as well as my hair is getting thinner. Anyways, she's nice, she doesn't ask me what I want anymore and she lets me just sit there when I don't feel like talking.

I'm buying my old scooter back form Nick, it's been crashed a bunch of times and has a new 150 engine. So, I need to do some stuff on it, just new brakes and to fix the headlight alignment and put a heat shield on the muffler... maybe a new seat. It was a good bike before I sold it and now it is close. I want a scooter anyways and this one should have the power I desire. Moving stuff on a motorbike sucks, shopping with a scooter is great.

Off to make a cd for Theresa of our Sun moon pictures.

From sordid to sorted.

Being in a school with many English (England) people, I tend to pick up silly words only heard in the movies and stage plays. Many words such as: lift, knickers, boot, garage (with a long a), meself, mobile (cellphone), at the weekend (on the weekend), and my favorite and it is now part of my everyday speech.... CHEERS! I say cheers for EVERYTHING, goodbye, hello, thankyou, you're welcome and bottoms up. Anyways, the title of this post has been brought to you from England, the place where English never grew up.

As for the title, my apartment was left in a mess, I kind of know the girl who was here before me and she's not the type to do that, I know for a fact that she was doing things and only made it to the airport one hour before her flight off this R.O.C.k. So, it was dirty and messy. But now, it's clean... and less messy. I have my bedroom set up, the livingroom set up, all the stuff that should be in the kitchen on the kitchen counter (cooking is something that Taiwanese people do, Jennifer is the only foreigner that I know who cooks here) so due to the lack of cooking, it doesn't matter. The clothing pile is shrinking with every washer load and the clothes racks are becoming stocked. I don't have cable yet, nor can I justify getting it. Most of the cable is Korean and Japanese old style shows with Chinese subtitles... I'll probably get cable anyway.

It's nice having my own place, Jam is living here for a week till she finds a new place, her last roomate moved to another city and she couldn't afford the whole place by herself. But, the rules have been laid out and she's ok with them, so I can prettymuch do anything I want to, and she can't. But, I don't want a roomate, so I think these unfair rules are fair, I don't even know if she's going to kick in rent, not that I care cause I'm sure she'd do the same for me.

This weekend I have decided to get my place COMPLETELY set up... nope, screw that, It's been a day since the last typhoon and the next one won't come till Monday, I'm going to Sun Moon Lake!!! I can set up durring the week. Still gotta hang some paintings and stuff.

Let's hope the typhoon doesn't wash us down the mountain, there are about a dozen of us going.

Typhoon city.

Well, Kaohsiung has just been blessed with a 2 for 1 special. One super Typhoon came today and a follow up appointment is scheduled for Monday. Schools and government offices are closed. So I have the day off tomorrow... looks like the xBox is getting a workout tomorrow. Why can't they give days off for being too beautiful to work.

My afternoon class sucked today, I had half the class writing lines for various reasons. Then my next class, my favorite class. It started with my favorite and brightest student taping his eyes shut and throwing a bag of facial tissues at me, then searching for it on the floor and trying it again... whatever keeps the kiddies (and teacher) entertained. It was a pretty fun class. Also, my boss came in as we were playing teacher says, I told the students to die and they all fell to the floor like a sack of hammers, my boss was suprised.

Went to Paul's tonight, watched a movie, then almost got stormstayed... don't worry, stupidity got the best of my and I drove my motorbike home, I hit three trees driving the 1/4 mile home, they were all laying on the street. Two were pretty small, one was a little big, but I made it.