The Art of Tug of War

At my school in the States, I have seen my fair share of Tug of War competitions. It involved staff and students, and generally was a friendly competition.

At Er Shin...Tug of War is no joke.

I heard from the other English teacher that every year there is a pretty serious Tug of War tournament. My initial thought: Ok, well it is Tug of War. How serious can it get?

Little did I know...

I decided to go and check it out during my lunchtime. I walked into the gymnasium and students were crowded up to the viewing rope to see the beginning of the competition. Each class had participants on the boys team and the girls team. I realized that one of my students was standing next to me watching, so I asked her why she wasn't participating. Her response: "I am too small. The teacher told me no."

They have cuts...for Tug of War...I mean...??

Granted the girl was small, still...it is TUG OF WAR! Everyone should have the chance to play Tug of War!!

That may have been the first clue that this was a little more than a friendly competition.

I saw the kids getting ready for their first set of games. The last kid had on a weighted vest, and the two "anchors" wore helmets.

That was definitely the second clue.

The gymnasium wasn't necessarily packed, but it was LOUD. Each homeroom was cheering on their team (because remember, not everyone made the team). One team even brought their own noisemakers - water bottles with little pellets in them - and used them while cheering.

There were referees and the beginning of the competition started off with the sound of a cap gun. Umm...at this point I realized there were more than a few clues...this tournament was serious stuff. I mean, they wore pinnies with numbers on them!

When each competition started, I noticed how seriously the kids and the teachers took this, and it was actually kind of amazing. They seemed to take the same approach and focus on the tournament, as they do in the classroom when it comes to work. It was rather strange. It just goes to show how apparent the work ethic is here! It even spills over to Tug of War!

It was really a great experience to see my kids outside of the classroom, and I could tell they appreciated my interest in watching them. Here are some pictures from the day!

Here are the boys:

First, the vests...weighted vests...



Of course, the boys need a peptalk before they compete:




In action:






Unfortunately, a loss. Look at how devastated they are!



Here is a short clip of the boys. Look at how that little guy in the front gets thrown around :(




And here are some shots of the girls:







And a clip of the girls:

雞爪

雞爪
Jī zhuǎ

This week I started tutoring a little girl...and she might be the cutest little girl in the world. A friend of mine who has been working with her while living in Taiwan, passed the job along to me when she moved back home.

Meet Iris:



Iris is three years old, and understands English like a native speaking 3 year old. She loves to color and do different activities...and just like any other three year old I know, she has a really hard time staying put doing one thing. So, it is really important that I switch things up every 10 minutes or so. The part I love the most about this new little side job is that Iris tries to teach me some Chinese, too. Yesterday, when I was over, she taught me how to say Chicken Feet. Although I don't think I will ever need to know how to say that, unless I say 我不要雞爪 (Wǒ bùyào jī zhuǎ or I don't want chicken feet), but I think it is cool to learn Chinese - regardless of what it is! Here is how it happened:

After I finish our lessons, Hannah, the housekeeper, fixes a nice dinner the three of us sit and eat it. Now, Hannah doesn't speak much English either, but we still try to have a conversation. So, we were eating this delicious soup that Hannah made. It was a light broth with ginger and chicken in it. First, I served myself some noodles (because...in Taiwan no meal is complete without noodles) and then I poured some of the chicken and broth in. I was eating it, and loving it! I was wondering why Iris kept saying something in Chinese over and over again. Then I realized she was pointing into the pot of broth. I grabbed the big ladle and scooped around trying to figure out what she was showing me. Then, when I scooped up a black chicken foot, she screamed and clapped her hands.

"Jī zhuǎ!!! Jī zhuǎ!!!"

My first thought: Wow, there is really a chicken's foot in there.
Then, I realized that Iris wanted me to repeat it, so I did. After a while, she was trying to get me to try it. But, I didn't.



Now, I am not saying I won't try it, but honestly I was full because I had eaten already. I will admit though, that I kind of want to try it because of the way Iris ate it. She sucked that thing off it's little feet bones so fast and so intently. It was like that little chicken foot was the only thing that mattered once it was in front of her. There were only two of them in the soup, and after Iris realized I wasn't going to try it, she scooped up the second one.

Here is Iris enjoying what seems to be her favorite delicacy.



All in all, it was a great day with Iris...and I now know how to say Chicken Feet in Chinese!

A lesson on getting lost

“A good traveler has no fixed plans, and is not intent on arriving.” – Lao Tzu

My alarm went off, and as I opened my eyes I groaned. I didn't want to get up...at all.

I had to meet someone...someone I had already decided was strange. He had agreed to take an afternoon off from work to take me to Taiwan's version of the DMV to switch ownership of his car to me.

Yes...I bought a car in Taiwan.

Long story short, after an hour and a half in the "DMV", I paid him the equivalent of $1000 USD and he handed me the keys to my car. After congratulating me with a handshake, he was gone. I got in my new ride about to venture off onto the streets of Taiwan.

And then I realized I had NO IDEA where I was going or how to get home...

A moment of relief flushed through me when I remembered that I grabbed a map from the train station. I took it out, and...

Of course it was in Chinese.

For some reason I convinced myself I would be able to "figure it out", so I started the car. Off I went...

I must have had a momentary lapse of sanity, causing me to forget that 1) I don't speak Chinese, and 2) I don't know what cities lie North, South, East, or West from where I was. Not ideal...at all.

I ended up traveling from below Taipei all the way to Keelung. Again: not ideal.

What was I thinking?

By this point I had the car for about an hour, and I didn't even want it anymore.

I pulled into a gas station. I figured it couldn't be too hard to ask for gas. All I had to do was point to it and give the man money. He smiled. I asked him if he knew how to get to my destination: Danshui. He continued to smile gently at me...but I knew he couldn't understand me.

I whipped out the map in Chinese, and played charades to ask him where on the map we are. Luckily, he understood and pointed to a spot way North in Taiwan.

Ok...not too bad.

I gave a whirl at the Chinese pronunciation of Danshui, and although it was less than perfect, he figured out I was asking how to get there. He traced his finger along the map.

Got it!

So, I got back in the car again...still mad at my stupidity for thinking that driving in Taiwan would be like navigating my way to Boston from the Mass Turn Pike. FAIL.

Now it was pouring, and just as I was starting to see smoke coming out of my ears from anger at the situation and complete waste of my day off...something happened.

I drove around a turn and all of the sudden, I saw it: the powerfully churning, mysterious, never ending ocean outlined by magnificent cliffs.

I pulled over and took a moment to just soak it in (and take some much needed deep breaths!)




I realized that I had almost missed a magnificent view...unable to truly soak up it's beauty because I was too consumed by feeling annoyed about being lost.

But sometimes, getting lost is just part of the journey.


It may not have been ideal, but what a great story it makes, and what an accomplishment!! In hindsight, I replay the day back in my head, and I have to stop and give myself a big pat on the back. With no English map, no useful Chinese, no experience driving in Taiwan, no CLUE where I was or where I was going...I somehow made it to my destination.

So, to me the purchase of this car is the beginning of a new journey. One where I will challenge myself to become more independent and resourceful; one that will push me to step outside of my comfort zone and try to speak Chinese a little more than I have been; one that will surely help me get the most out of my time in Taiwan!!

Here is my new ride!!

"I am thankful for Dear Ree" -- Class 101

Every now and then I have a moment in the classroom, where the responsibility of my job overwhelms and amazes me. Usually it is triggered by the looks of 25-50 inquisitive little eyes, all eager to hear what I am going to say and how I am going to say it.

I haven't had one of these moments yet in Taiwan, so I guess it has been a long time coming.

I am still not used to how serious the students are. They don't laugh very often, unless of course their crazy foreign English teacher is doing an impression of Lady Gaga or a modified Thriller dance. Their demeanor sometimes makes me wonder if I am impacting them at all.

I see my students twice every week, which I do not think of as a long time. However, that doesn't negate the fact that I have pairs of eyes focused on me...watching every move I make...listening to every word I say - for a solid hour. Still, I feel like there is a lack of connection between us. For starters, I have around 55 kids in each class. I barely remember their names and classes are short, so there isn't much time for the "getting to know you piece". I often feel like they aren't affected by me...at all. It really made me miss the relationships I built with my students back at home. I guess I felt like I was at a standstill while trying to build a relationship with some of these kids. I wondered if some of them even knew my name!

This week I realized that just because they don't always show it...doesn't mean it isn't there.

I had my kids do an activity where they wrote down a list of things that they were thankful for. Of course, I had to have the discussion about being thankful for "special" things versus being thankful for just "things". It all started when one of my students said he was thankful for his computer. I tried to get him to understand that although you may LOVE your computer (who doesn't?), you aren't thankful for it the same way you are thankful for your parents...or your sight...or your freedom. They started to get it, and no longer did it become an activity to just randomly write down any vocabulary word (some kids put things like clock, pencils, pens before this conversation)...but instead it became an activity where they thought of something special in Chinese, and then with a partner figured out what it meant in English.

I then handed out a worksheet where the students filled in what they were thankful for inside leaves. They colored them in and cut them out so we could hang them inside the classroom.

As the students handed them in, I adored their work, and let them know how proud I was of them.

I am thankful for my body.
I am thankful for myself.
I am thankful for my freedom.
I am thankful for Taiwan.
I am thankful for my dreams.
I am thankful for my sight. I am thankful for my hearing.

I also noticed something else. Many of them were thankful for me. They came in...one after the other...after the other.



I was flooded with warmth and pride.

I am so thankful that I have the opportunity and the pleasure to facilitate learning in a room of anxious and motivated students. I am thankful that they respect me, and that they appreciate what I do. I am thankful that I have the chance to learn from them, just as much as they learn from me. I am thankful that even though my time each week may seem limited, that I am still able to build relationships with them regardless of a language barrier. Most of all, I am thankful that I truly love, value, and own the tremendous responsibility of being a teacher.

Three months in, and my students have continued to amaze me. It is moments like these that make me realize how lucky I am to have found my passion.

Have a look at some more of our Thanksgiving Day work!

Never underestimate the power of the hand turkey!

The Subtle Disappearance of the Hand Soap

Heard the alarm. Hit the off button. Got out of bed. Toothbrush. Toothpaste. Face wash. Scrub. Glanced up from the sink.

With bubbles covering the majority of my face, I peeked through an opening and noticed something: my hand soap was almost empty.

This is how it started. This is how I began to notice that time was flying by. First, it was the hand soap. Then, I realized my shampoo and conditioner were on their way out. Finally, it hit me: time was passing, and it wasn't happening slowly.

I sat in the cab on the way to work this morning trying to make sense of where all the time had gone. I couldn't believe I have been here for almost three months!!

Bottom line: time is flying. I don't want my time in Taiwan to fly by, but I suppose it is a good sign. Hence the saying: Time flies when you are having fun!

I couldn't help but think back a few months ago. I was homesick right away. I instantly yearned for my friends, who I hadn't gone a few days without seeing. I missed my family, and I thought I wouldn't be able to survive without the Gnocchi Sorrentino from the Italian restaurant down the block from my apartment in Boston. But...as time passed, it got less and less difficult, and a whole new world opened up right before my eyes.

When I first got here, I found myself shying away from interactions with restaurants that weren't English friendly. I wasn't always willing to exchange a game of charades in the hopes that I would get the meal I wanted; I wasn't always up for eating soup with chopsticks and a weird spoon. (I mean...really?) I wasn't always in the mood for stepping outside of my comfort zone. I was embarrassed that I didn't know any Chinese, to the point that I wouldn't even attempt it. I even had a slight breakdown when the trashman yelled at me in Chinese because I was not putting my trash out properly.

But now, I embrace who I am in the experiences that I encounter. I attempt Chinese, even though I haven't the slightest clue, because I realize how far an attempt goes in this culture. Most Taiwanese people I have tried to converse with apologize that they do not speak English (which I find crazy that THEY are apologizing to ME...I mean, after all it is their country). Either way, I know they understand how I feel. They are willing to play charades with me or sit through a round of "guess what I am drawing". I welcome any opportunity to try something new, and even find normalcy in it. I even consider myself a professional when it comes to separating and putting out my trash. But, I still can't help but wonder - When did this happen?

Just like the subtle disappearance of my hand soap, the slow but apparent transformation of me into this confident, willing, and unafraid ex-pat has occurred. I can't help but realize that after three months of living abroad, so many things have happened, and so many things have changed.

This just may have been the best decision I have made in my life. What a long way I have come from the sleepless nights I spent wondering if my decision to move to Taiwan was the right one.

Well, you can't win the lottery if you don't buy tickets!!

My Home Sweet Home

People keep asking me what my apartment looks like, so I figured I would do a quick post to share.

Many schools often provide housing, which means that you would live on the school's campus. My school does not have on campus housing, so they provide me with a stipend in addition to my salary that is meant to go towards rent to subsidize the cost. In Taipei, there are a number of options you have in terms of living. You can share a large apartment with others, or you can live in a small place alone. I wanted to live alone, and I didn't want to worry about cleaning a big apartment. So, when I arrived to Taipei, my first mission was to find a place to live.

I was eager to find an apartment, and hoped I could do so right away. The agency that was helping me was kind enough to pay for my hotel until I found a place, so it wasn't like I HAD to find a place right away. The first 3 places we saw, I began to get nervous because none of them were anything close to a place I would live. I don't think I am too picky, but the thing with me is that I am definitely a "nester" and need to be 100% happy with my apartment...even if it is small. I also worried about my location. I knew I was in Taipei, but I wanted to find a place that was close to the MRT station (subway) and that also had access to some good western places to eat, along with other things to do. The places I had seen so far, just weren't okay with me! The bathroom was the thing that got me!! Most of the bathrooms I have seen in small apartments in Taiwan have a toilet, and then that area seconds as the shower. No door...no separation.

I know that Taiwan has cockroaches...trust me: I heard about them before I came. BUT I do everything in my power to make sure they stay out of my place. I don't even have a kitchen, and I clean this place non-stop. I also have a weekly spray session to make sure they don't try anything funny! I have seen only 1 cockroach and that was when I first moved in. I think not having food or a kitchen really helps. If there is nothing here for them to have...they won't come!

So my little apartment is very small, but cozy. It has no windows (which I thought would bother me, but it doesn't) but it has bright blue walls - which brightens it up. I have a large bed and a little couch with a coffee table. I have a flat screen TV, free internet, and it is a stone's throw away from the MRT. There is no kitchen, but I have a little fridge if I need it. I also have a kettle to boil water for tea. The bathroom is a regular bathroom with a nice shower! That was kind of the selling point for me! There is a washer right outside the unit, so I am able to use that as well, and then hang my clothes dry. I am really happy with my place, even if it is a glorified dorm room!

THRILLER

It's close to midnight and something evil's lurking in the dark
Under the moonlight, you see a sight that almost stops your heart

You try to scream but terror takes the sound before you make it
You start to freeze as horror looks you right between the eyes

You're paralyzed...

I found myself singing this song in my head over the weekend while practicing a VERY modified version of the Thriller dance. (If you know me well, you know that I am by no means a dancer.) You see, I have learned that if you want to have fun in class, and you want your students to have fun in class, you CANNOT be shy! In the beginning, this was hard for me, but now I embrace it.

Every time I sit down to write my lesson plan, I think of how I can make each article more engaging. When I saw an article in the magazine on Michael Jackson and the 29th anniversary of Thriller's release, knew I had something to work with!

I began the lesson with a visual hook, so I printed out various pictures from the Thriller video. I put little magnets on the back of them, and right before the bell rang for the start of class, I hung them up. These were the two most popular ones (according to the kids' feedback!)

As soon as the first one went up, the kids looked at it and the buzz began spreading around class. Now, clearly I couldn't understand what they were saying about the pictures because it was all in Chinese, but they were smiling and I could hear: "Michael Jackson" every now and then. When the bell rang, they sat down with excitement and waited to see what I was up to this time.

We continued with the vocabulary from the article, and then read about Thriller and it's 29th anniversary. They got a kick out of knowing that the song was as old as their teacher :). After they answered the comprehension questions, and we finished talking about the article, we moved on to the fun activity: singing and dancing.

First: I gave out a copy of Clozed Thriller Lyrics. Basically, the lyrics were written down for them, and every line they had to listen to the song to fill in the proper word. (i.e. It's close to ____________ and something evil's lurking in the dark)

We listened to the first three verses about 2 times each so they could fill in the blanks. At the end of each verse, they tallied up their points. Then they totaled up their verse points up at the end of the game. Some of the kids got all 20 words, and some only got 6 words right, but we all had fun!

After the clozed activity, we sang it together, and of course I whipped out a small and very modified version of the dance. The kids got a kick out of it for sure. I mean...I was acting like a complete fool in front of them...but that is ok, because they followed suit! :)

Here are some pics from our day!!



Definitely a lesson that I enjoyed, and I am pretty confident the kids enjoyed it as well -- especially the part where I danced for them! :)

A Look at Education Around the World: #1 - FINLAND

Being in a different country sparked my curiosity about education and what it looks like around the world.
I'd love to travel the world, and study each country's education system. What is it exactly that makes or breaks a system? I know people have their theories, and trust me...I have my own, but what is the answer?
Why are the highest performing countries at the top? What are they doing that other countries aren't?
I am going to start looking at different countries and the systems they have in place. I will research and question, and see what differences exist. I mean, after all, Finland, who is considered the top performing country has a VERY different philosophy than Korea, who also ranks very highly. I know there are cultural factors there, but I want to look at other reasons. So, today I begin.
Today I took a look at Finland, who has been at the center of this topic for quite some time now. With high performance scores in comparison to other countries, here is a quick look at the facts...

• When a child is born in Finland, the family receives three books as part of a maternity package. One for the mother to read to the child; one for the father to read to the child; and one for the child. This is believed to foster a culture of reading early on.


• Finland has access to free universal daycare for children between the ages of 8 months and 5 years. (This has been in place since 1990) If a mother decides to stay home and care for her own child, she can receive money to do so, as long as the evironment for her child is considered appropriate (which is regularly checked up on).


• Basic early is fostered under the idea that children learn through playing. They are not "taught" they learn.


• Since the early daycare is free, this "headstart" is not dependent upon socioeconomic class, but rather seen as an opportunity that all children should be afforded.


• Early childhood education is not mandatory in Finland, but everyone uses it (Maybe because it is affordable?)


• Main school starts at age 7 so that kids are not already burnt out from learning when they haven't even started (remember the statement above: they are not taught in basic school...they learn) The idea is that by the time they are 7, they will be ready to learn!


• At main school almost every lesson is taught with an additional teacher in the classroom. This is to support the students that are struggling. Since this is done early on, it prevents studenst from continuing to fall behind. (This would eliminate a student not being able to read in the 6th grade, or a student not being able to complete his timestables when the rest of the class can. Prevention rather than intervention...wow, what an idea? Maybe one day we can figure that out!)


• Regardless of ability in a particular subject, students are kept in the same classroom. There is both a focus on the struggling students and the brightest students.


• The Finnish spend the LEAST amount of time in school in the world.


• There is no disruptive transitional phase between primary and secondary schools, and the teachers follow their kids. One teacher stated how this helped her understand her students and allowed her to act as "their school mother". Basically, the teachers watch them grow up.


• There are no mandated or standardized tests. There are no rankings, comparisons or competitions between students, schools, or regions.


• Homework is minimal.


• Their education system is publicly funded and run by educators (no business people, military leaders or politicians.)

Here are some other things that have significant impact:

• There is a very strong culture of reading and family communication with educators in Finland.


• More on the cultural impact: the learning environment is casual and informal, which may allow for students to deal with less pressure and stress than some of the other top performing countries.


• Teaching is a prestigious career in Finland. They are highly valued, but they are held to very high standards.


• And quite possibly the biggest two: 1) Finland has low levels of immigration, which means that the majority speak Finnish as their native language. This eliminates the struggles that other educational systems face with ELL students. 2) There is not a large disparity between economic classes in Finland, unlike most other countries in the world; and of course, it is obvious that large economical differences are accompanied by learning deficiencies.

Teachers are the single biggest profession in Finland. Of course, I had a burning interest in how the teachers were selected, and why they were so highly valued, well besides the obvious, which sometimes people in the US forget: that they are teaching the future of the country. I mean, I'm just saying...

Here are some facts about teachers in Finland:

• All of the educators are selected from the top 10% of the nations graduates to earn a master's degree in education. So basically, in order to be a teacher, you have to be in the top 10 of your NATIONAL graduating class. (I am pretty sure I wouldn't make the cut to be a teacher in Finland. Imagine that...not making the cut to be a teacher.)


• Here are some hard numbers I found to illustrate this: In 2008, 1,258 undergrads applied for training to become elementary-school teachers. Only 123 were accepted into the 5 year training program. That's 9.8%! And apparently this is typical. *This was taken from Time Magazine's Finlands Education Policy Successes.


• Although this mandated 5 year training is expensive, this helps to create a highly respectable profession that is honored and appreciated in society. In February of last year, the first ever International Summit on Education met in New York. There was an article written in the Washington Post by Linda Darling-Hammond that describes the biggest differences regarding teacher training, specifically focusing on the US, Finland, Singapore, and China. In fact, in order to make teaching in Finland even more attractive (which at this point is hard for me to imagine possible) a salary is given to those teachers who are completing their 5 year training. Most importantly, I believe the key to Finland's teacher training is the selection process. There are many people that want to be teachers, and unfortunately many people choose the teaching career in the US because...well, simply put: they believe "it is easy". Sure, everytime I hear this my blood boils, because I KNOW it is not; but the difference here is that teachers can get away with doing very little. Perhaps making it a little more difficult to "become" a teacher wouldn't hurt.


• Schools get to draw from a pool of these teachers once they finish their 5 year training in education. (All teachers MUST have their Master's, and not in education but in the FIELD THEY WISH TO TEACH. Want to teach Literature? Well, you need a Master's in Literature. Want to teach Math? You will need a Master's in math.) It is almost like an NBA or NFL Draft, but for teachers. Imagine that?

The "Whatever it takes" educational attitude in Finland is surely the reason that they seem to have done a pretty good job in educating their people. In fact, I also read that 45 years ago, Finland's education system was in terrible condition. So they seemed to have gotten their act together in about 40 years. This gives me some hope. Maybe there still is a chance for our education system. Bottom line is: although we have large economic disparity in America, parental and poverty problems are eliminated by schools performing well.

Oh Finland...thank you!

What the heck is Gaelic Football?

When I was little I could never decide what sport I wanted to play. I bounced back and forth between soccer and basketball. I remember crying and being torn about which tournament to attend over the weekend. Do I go to my AAU Basketball tournament in New Jersey, or do I travel to Maryland with my soccer team? Is there a way I can do both? - Oh and trust me...I tried! In the spring, I remember going to Lacrosse practice right after school, and then rushing 45 minutes away in traffic to my travel team soccer practice, and then heading an hour and a half out to basketball (or another soccer practice for another team.) In the fall it was school soccer and then club soccer, and in the winter it was basketball and indoor soccer. Talk about running myself tired. Thank god my parents were so supportive of me in my sports endeavors.

Anyway, the point of bringing this all up is that I NEVER could decide what sport I liked best. I liked them all! I eventually played soccer in college, but I always missed all the other sports I gave up.

Just when I thought there was no answer to the "favorite sport" question, I found the answer. I have been in Taiwan for about 2 months, and spent the majority of my first month sending millions of emails out searching for a soccer team I could play with. I thought it would be a great way to meet new people, and play some soccer while I was at it. Unfortunately, everything turned up empty. There were no soccer teams on the internet.

Right when I was about to give up, I found something about a sport called Gaelic Football. Having no idea what it was, or if it even allowed women, I sent an email off asking whether they had room for one more player.

A month later, I found myself standing on a field in Korea at the 2011 Asian Gaelic Games representing Taiwan as a member of the Taiwan Celts.

Here is a picture of our club after the men won their first Asian Gaelic Games Plate!

What is Gaelic Football?

So, there is a field (pitch) with two H shaped goals. To move the ball each player can take 4 steps and then he/she must either bounce the ball OR solo it (which is basically a single juggle off the foot while running). They cannot do two bounces in a row, but can do as many solos as they like. To pass, a player must either volley with the foot to someone on their team who then catches it OR they must hand pass, which is like a volley ball serve. You cannot throw the ball. If the ball drops on the ground, a player can dribble it like a soccer ball, and even pass it like one, but remember that anyone can bend down and pick it up. Hands are allowed. If a player falls, they cannot touch the ball while they are on the ground. Instead, they need to get up and then pick the ball up. There is no tackling, but a player can play defense and steal the ball by punching it out of another players hands with one hand. I think the defense you play in Gaelic is very similar to the defense you play in basketball. There is little contact. The way you position yourself on the field is very similar to both lacrosse and soccer.

A team scores when a player from their team scores a goal when shooting at the goalie, OR when they kick a field goal. A goal is 3 points, and a field goal is 1 point. When there is a foul there is a free punt, and if you are close enough to the goal you can either shoot or go for a field goal. When the ball is out, there are no throw in's, and the ball is punted in play.

Ok, so I only went to one practice before the Asian Gaelic Games in Korea, but after the 1st game I understood it a little more. I was clumsy on the field, and very out of shape, but I had so much fun playing for Taiwan.

Our first game we beat the Seoul Gaels. The second game we played Singapore, and also beat them. Our third game we played Japan, and beat them as well. Our last game was a draw (tie) and then the next day we lost to a team in the quarter finals. Even though we lost, I think we did pretty well considering we have barely played together! This was the first time the women's team had a full team to compete with. Very exciting!

Our guys team won their division for the first time in Taiwan Celts history!! That was probably the highlight of the trip...and watching and cheering them on was so much fun!

I am so lucky to have met so many awesome people and new friends, and I cannot wait for the 2012 games!!!

Cheering on the guys while they played in the finals!

The guys in action.

Champions!!

We went out for a club dinner to a restaurant, and I battled a ball of noodles.

This weekend reminded of the reasons I loved being an athlete in high school and college. I forgot what it was like to travel with team mates and bond on and off the field. That is how friends are made, and memories are never forgotten!! Thank you to the Taiwan Celts for taking me in last minute and letting me be a part of such a wonderful organization!!!!!

Happy Birthday Winnie the Pooh!

A voice we all know, and a belly we all love. Winnie the Pooh is a character that has played a big part in most youngsters lives...mine included.


Everyone knows Winnie the Pooh, and this month he turns 85! What a perfect focus for a lesson and an opportunity for some fun arts and crafts for my 7th graders.

In class, we read an article about Winnie the Pooh and A.A. Milne. I taught the kids the vocabulary the lesson centered around, we played games, and then I had them sing Happy Birthday to Winnie the Pooh, which was quite entertaining! Since they have exams this coming week, I thought I would give them homework that was a little more "fun" than usual. Their assignment was to make birthday cards for Winnie the Pooh in English. Inside they had to use some of our vocabulary words.

I figured since I am was having so much luck with the stickers as motivation, that I would make this into a contest. At first, they weren't sure about the word conTEST because all they heard was TEST. Realizing this as soon as I heard their groans and saw their faces, I quickly picked up a piece of chalk and wrote on the board: Contest = Game. Cheers erupted!

I explained to them how it would work. Of course I had the help of a class translator (there is usually at least one student in each class that is able to translate for me!). They would each make a card, and I would select 10 cards for them to vote on. Then, they would choose which one would receive 1st place; one would receive 2nd place; and one would receive 3rd place.

The prizes were as follows:
1st place: a homework pass and three stickers
2nd place: two stickers
3rd place: one sticker

I am happy to share some of the cards...along with one that just really impressed me. One girl created a pop-up card, and it was pretty amazing! Although it didn't win 1st prize, I thought it was the best!


Here are some more of the cards!


And finally, some of the winners!!

An Angry Bird, a few stickers, and some home-made homework passes

It has been about a month and a half...and they are FINALLY starting to speak!

If you have read my blogs before, you will know I am talking about my students. My 7th grade classes were (and still are) painfully quiet, unless of course I am playing charades with them and acting like a complete fool. In that case they are rolling on the floor laughing. Hey, that's something isn't it?

The weeks have passed, and I have to stop a second and give myself a pat on the back. I have been killing myself trying to think of ways to get the students to participate in class, and I think I have started to find it. I wish I knew that all it took was an angry bird, a few stickers and homemade homework passes!

The second week of school I was in Ximen, which is a market where they sell almost everything. I found a little red Angry Bird, and immediately realized THAT was what I needed in my classroom.

I throw the Angry Bird to the students who have their hands raised. It helped a little bit with their willingness to participate, but I wasn't happy yet. There was something else I needed to do...so I went back to the drawing board. I walked through the stationary store by my house one night, hoping to find an idea from something I saw. Right as I thought it was hopeless, I saw the stickers. BINGO!

I bought about 9,000 little smiley face stickers; half of them are blue and the other half are pink. Whenever a student does their homework (which is all the time) they get a blue sticker. This is a way to get the kids who are shy started with some stickers. Then throughout class, I write down the names of the students who raise their hand and participate on the board. Each student has to participate more than once (but sometimes I bend the rules for the shyer ones!)

Each class usually ends with a game, like BINGO or something. The winner(s) receive an additional sticker. So, in reality a student could potentially get 3 stickers a day. I tell them that for the first round, they have to get 10 stickers to get a homework pass. When I announced the homework pass, they were like, "WOW!" and literally could not believe I would actually allow them to not do their homework!

Okay...so maybe I have something here.


Was I right or what? My class went from 1 or 2 kids raising their hands, to kids jumping out of their seat for me to call on them and throw them the Angry Bird. I actually have to pick kids, and that part is hard. Take a look at this!

Is my job done yet...ABSOLUTELY NOT. I still see kids without their hands up, but I have to say the ones that do have their hands up certainly seem to REALLY want to be called on! At least I know it is not fake! I am pretty excited.

A few thoughts on this whole process:

1) When I first started rewarding the stickers at the beginning of class as I did homework checks, I realized that it took quite a bit of time. I forgot for a moment that I have about 55 kids in one class. I have since then, started giving the kids a game or exercise that they can do while I complete the homework check - maybe a word search or a word scramble. I am also teaching them how to crack coded messages, which they L-O-V-E.

2) I think I may actually stop using the stickers, and find myself a stamp. It would be a lot faster. I waste a lot of precious time peeling off the stickers and putting them onto the students' index cards. However, that will be a while because I did buy around 9,000 stickers!

So...I am getting there! My kids are starting to open up and participate, and I couldn't be happier.

Tigers...Lots of Tigers...

The Tiger, the living symbol of strength and power, generally inspires fear and respect.

I have been absolutely fascinated by the idea of "Tiger Parents." I am sure it has something to do with the fact that I now live in Asia, but I am completely blown away by the values and work ethic instilled in the majority of the children here. How can it be SO very different from back home? What are they doing that Westerners aren't? Answer: They become Tigers.

A few days ago, I finished reading Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother by Amy Chua. I am still processing my thoughts on it...

Are Western parents too lax? Do they need a reality check? Do we, as a Western society, praise children when it isn't even deserved? Is Chua completely off her rocker? Are we missing something?!

All these thoughts...and I just don't know what to say!

Chua has been harshly criticized for her memoir, and to be honest there were parts that made me cringe. Specifically the part about a home-made birthday card. It was her birthday, and her husband, Jed, forget to make reservations at the restaurant she wanted. Things were off to a bad start...and they were just getting worse. They finally were sitting down having dinner, and Jed asked Chua's two daughters (9 and 12) to give mommy "their special presents". They both pulled out cards from under the table and Lulu, the littlest gave her card to Chua first. Chua took one glance at the almost bare card, made with red construction paper. It had a few flowers and I love you! Happy Birthday to the Best Mommy in the World! #1 Mommy! Chua looked at it and threw it back at Lulu. She simply said, "I don't want this." In fact, while drawing on a napkin with pen Chua said:

What if I gave you this for your birthday, Lulu. No - I get you magicians and giant slides that coast me hundreds of dollars. I get you huge ice cream cakes shaped like penguins, and I spend half my salary on stupid sticker and eraser party favors that everyone just throws away. I work so hard to give you good birthdays! I deserve better than this. So I REJECT this."

So you can see why I would cringe. How horrible! However...is there some element of truth to it? Even if there is, I would NEVER do something like that, but could she have a point? Why should she accept anything less than her daughters best - even if she is talking about a birthday card?

Her daughter later on wrote a letter to the NY Post, in which she explained she, herself, didn't feel rejected.

Everybody’s talking about the birthday cards we once made for you, which you rejected because they weren’t good enough. Funny how some people are convinced that Lulu and I are scarred for life. Maybe if I had poured my heart into it, I would have been upset. But let’s face it: The card was feeble, and I was busted. It took me 30 seconds; I didn’t even sharpen the pencil. That’s why, when you rejected it, I didn’t feel you were rejecting me. If I actually tried my best at something, you’d never throw it back in my face.

I would have handled the situation a little differently. Maybe a simple, "How long did it take you to make this?" would have sufficed. But, I suppose that would be just the kind of "lax" attitude Chua refers to when it comes to Western parenting? However, I think it is more along the lines of having a heart!

Clearly, I am not a parent. Any connection I have to this book is solely through teaching. However, I believe that when the time comes to have children, my teaching is going to impact my parenting dramatically...and vice versa. As a teacher in an urban school for 7 years, I have seen some of the worst parenting, but I have also seen some of the best parenting. However, when I look at children in the US as a whole...there is something different. Obviously, there is a huge cultural difference, and it is quite apparent.

I ask my students in Taiwan what they do over the weekend, and all of their answers include: study and cram school. (Cram school is additional schooling for kids. Almost ALL of them attend.) No one goes away for the weekend. No one hangs out with friends. They essentially have no childhood.

This past week, I finished up frequency adverbs with one of my classes, and as an assessment I had them write out a description of their daily routine using them. Literally, every single kid wrote the same thing. All they seem to do is eat, sleep, go to school, and study. It was frightening.

When I told them that my students from Boston would go to school from 9:30 - 3:30, they gasped...and I mean G-A-S-P-E-D! (I probably would t oo if I were going to school from 7am until 7 pm 6 days a week!)

But...then again: when I look at the hard facts, part of me wants to say, "Who needs a childhood!?"

These kids are able to do math problems in the 7th grade that I don't think I have ever seen in my life. Their writing in English is nearly perfect, and even in the basic classes the verb tenses are SURE to be correct. (I mean, in addition to my clas s they also have 1 hour of grammar everyday, so I should expect that). My advanced classes write better English than some of the students I taught in Boston and New York. These kids eat, sleep, breathe, and drink SCHOOL, and it is not JUST at my school. It is part of the Asian mentality.

And then I find myself snapping out of it.

There is one thing that is completely missing from the kids I see here in Taiwan. To me, that one thing is the most important thing I have learned in my life. It is the thing I use everyday. It challenges me to push myself in ways I never thought I would go. My creativity is something I am grateful for, and couldn't live without.

My parents were not lax at all. But they weren't crazy either! I probably got less of the strictness because I was the second child, but my mom was one tough cookie!! My dad wasn't necessarily strict, but he wasn't a pushover either.

My brother, Tim, and I had to earn our television time with test scores, and it was limited to an hour during the week. We also had to earn our social ti me. Ok, so before you say that my parents were Tiger-esque, hear me out.

Tim was WAY smarter than I was. He is currently a Top Gun fighter pilot, so you can take a guess of what his grades were like throughout his life. He wouldn't have to study and would get A's. I never understood it. I would study for hours and would barely get a B. Two times my mom made Tim tutor me in Physics, and both times he left my room yelling, "How do you NOT get it?!" (Thank goodness he didn't end up as the teacher!)

So, my mom decided that in order to earn our TV time, we had to earn a certain grade. If we wanted to "go out" we had to earn it. Of course when she said this my face dropped, because I knew that I would never earn TV or a night out with my B's and C's. But, she made it to suit us both. Tim had to get A's to go out...and I had to get B's. She told us she valued the hard work, and those were the grades she knew we would get if we worked hard.

In my mind it was a little Tiger, and a little empathetic, which Chua would have initially described as lax.

Chua sort of changes a bit...she doesn't have this huge epiphany, but she says she was humbled by her 13 year old daughter. She also says that the book doesn't say raising your kids the Chinese way is right. She says it is about a story about how she knew best, and after years of doing what she did, she finally stepped back and listened to her daughter crying out to her. Did she back down? No...but she "opened up" and thought about things.

I am a teacher and I think I am good at my job because I am constantly REFLECTING. I talk about my craft with other teachers. I listen to constructive criticism when I receive it. I always challenge myself to do more...it is never-ending; But I love it.

I don't know what parenting is like, but I think it may be a bit like teaching. If I think I know everything...and have the my way or the highway th ought...I am toast! But if I engage in conversations with others and evaluate my whys and hows, I have no doubt I will become a good parent.

Isn't that what this book is all about? It brings a very personal and uncomfortable topic to everyone's minds. How are you parenting? Kudos to Chua for that!

And so...although I will not throw back and reject home-made birthday cards, or forbid my children to be in school plays and attend sleepovers, but I will definitely be somewhere in the middle.

If you have a chance, Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mom is a quick and interesting read. It will really make you think about your childhood, and how you raise your children!

Passports please!!

I got a passport when I was in college. I wanted to go and visit my friend who was lucky enough to be studying abroad in Florence, so I needed one. I had no idea where that passport would eventually take me...


Florence: that was where it all started...the travel bug officially bit me, and left a big impression. Now...I live in another country!

Ok, why am I writing about a passport? Well, today was the first day of my English Passport group. Let me start by explaining what it is: The kids get these passports, which by the way look pretty legit. There are two groups that visit with me. One group are 8th graders from my advanced class, and the other group are 10th graders from my advanced class. These kids have had their passports since 7th grade, and none of them have ever lost it. They know better! They would lose all of their stamps, and would have to start over.

Like these kids, I also always worry about losing my passport. Obviously for the reason that it would be really annoying to replace, but also because it is like a scrapbook of my travels. I would have to start all over. I would lose my visas and stamps from many countries like India, Cambodia, Thailand, Austraila...I mean that would be devastating. You see, I am proud of those, just like these kids are proud of their passports.

The English Passport club is as informal as it gets at Erh Shin Junior Senior High School, which means it is not super informal, but we are allowed to just sit and chat with the kids. At the end of the session, which is 30 minutes long, we stamp their passport and they are on their way. It is a great way for me to learn about each student individually, and the collective culture of Taiwan. It is also a great way for them to build their English speaking and listening skills and gain some confidence. Let's just say that this may be my favorite part of teaching here so far.

Today I met with three of my 8th graders: Lily, Sam, and David. We sat for half an hour in my office and just talked. I told them how excited I am to learn about their country, and I was interested to hear what made them proud about being Taiwanese. I fell in love with their answers.

Lily is 14 and she has a younger brother. She says he bugs her sometimes, but not too much. It was quite funny because when I used the word "bugs" she looked quite confused. When I further explained it, she laughed and replied, "Yes he bugs me sometimes, but it's ok!" She told me her mom usually brings home dinner, because she didn't have time to cook for their whole family. (Take out is very common in Taiwan.) She said she loved Taiwan because the people here are kind and friendly. She went on to explain that if she is ever confused or needs help with anything, she knows that someone would be more then willing to help her. She really trusts everyone in Taiwan, and I could tell she had reason to. I was amazed, and I shared my experiences that illustrated her exact thoughts. I talked with all three of the students about how many times people in Taiwan have apologized to me for them not being able to speak English! I told them how this amazed me, because I should be the one apologizing! After all, I am in their country!

This is when Sam chimed in. He said, "Yes but everyone needs to know English. It is the international language." Right on Sam, but I guess at least a reasonable attempt on my end is deserved! You know, I often hear stories about how people perceive Americans as getting annoyed when they travel and some people can't understand them. I mean...come on! Respect the country you are in and at least try to speak the language. Even if it is a bad attempt (trust me, mine are horrible). I refuse to ever be that American!

Sam is also 14 and he spoke the best English out of the 3. He told me a little about himself. He is an only child. He is an exceptionally bright and hardworking student. He attends CRAM school (which is additional school) on Saturdays for 6 hours! He explained why he liked this better than attending during the week - because it was too much work on school nights to go to school, after school, and still get homework and studying done. Umm...yea, I think he is right! He doesn't seem to mind CRAM school, and said that grades are very important to him and his family. Well, clearly...it shows!

Then there was David. David said his favorite part of Taiwan are the night markets. When David started talking about the night markets, his face lit up. Then, the three of them explained the importance that food holds in Taiwanese culture. They described how food is used, just like many cultures, to bring people together to celebrate important holidays, but also to interact on a daily basis. Many families eat take out and often will sit at little tables right outside the stand they buy food from. I realized how many times I often walk down my street and people are barbecuing right in front of their house on a little makeshift grill with turned upside tubs to sit on. THAT is Taipei, and I love it!

When the bell rang, they handed their passports to me. I wrote different little comments in each one...but in all three I wrote: Thank you! I am so lucky to have the opportunity to teach a language to amazingly driven and focused students...and in return to learn an unbelievable amount about their culture, values, and themselves.

Teaching IS learning!!

That's it for today!

This is why I blog...even if it is for myself!

When I was little, I played soccer pretty much all the time. I loved it! Every fall weekend I have memories of my family and I driving in the family van and staying at hotels for tournaments out of state. I loved playing on my team growing up, because we were good! I trusted my teammates, and quickly learned how much we needed each other if we wanted to keep winning! That was something I was taught from a very early age. But I also learned to appreciate smaller things. I may never have showed it, but there are memories from soccer that I still think about - ones that may not have seemed very important to me at the time.

ONE of the things I remember very vividly about growing up and traveling every weekend for soccer, were the patches I collected from each team we played. For some reason I may never be able to explain, they were really special to me. After every game at tournaments, teams would line up with patches and when we shook hands, we would trade them. I could look at the patches and know exactly who we beat, and by how much. We used to meet up with other players and "trade" the patches, too. I guess this is what kids did during tournament breaks before having cell phones to text their friends or update their status on Facebook.

I loved trading patches, but there were two types I would never trade: 1) Teams that we almost lost to or 2) Teams that we did lose to. Those were the patches that reminded me of why I worked so hard. I collected patches from the age of 10 probably until 14 when it didn't become cool anymore. I had a jacket and my mom sewed them all over it and I used to wear it around with my Umbro shorts and sambas. Hey...it was the 90's.

So, why am I telling this story?

I've been thinking. I haven't written in a couple of days, and truth be told I think it is because right now, I feel just a little lost. Ok, maybe a lot. I guess I have been avoiding writing because I didn't want to admit it to myself -- or to anyone who is reading my blog. No one wants to move to another country and feel at any point like they are lost; but unfortunately I have learned, when you move alone...and know no one...and don't speak the language...that is how you are going to feel. I have been thinking a lot about challenges the past few days...working towards something, and somewhere I was lucky enough to fall back to the story of the patches. It was then I realized this:

It is difficult not being surrounded by people who know you, and understand the work you are putting into something. If we don't hear someone say something supportive or feel someone patting our back every now and then...we feel a little lost. I loved those patches when I was a kid because it was something that showed my passion to everyone, especially myself. It made me realize my journey, instead of focusing on one game or one tournament. I used to look at individual patches and remember either great things I did or things I got yelled at by my coach for doing. It reminded me of the process. So I thought, 'Isn't that why I am here?'

Today, I realized that although I may not have soccer patches to remind me of my journey, I still am on one! This is 2011, and I am blogging, tweeting, and posting pictures...THOSE are my patches! In 1992 my patches showed a journey of scoring goals and winning state championships, but now I am taking on the world!

I have celebrated my first Moon Festival with some of my new Taiwanese friends; I am teaching children who have never met an American before; I am stepping out of my comfort zone at least 5 times a day; I am eating chicken hearts, and cow ears, and ducks blood...all because I know I only live once, and the only way to live is to experience. Who would have thought that getting the right garbage bag would include 7 trips to the store, 5 attempts of "garbage bag" in Chinese, 1 failure that forced the garbage man to yell at me in Chinese -- which of course put me in tears, and 1 unforgettable moment when that same man that yelled, smiled at me because I finally figured it out -- all on my own! Forget a patch...that is trophy worthy!

There are things I have yet to figure out, like How will I get the majority of my students to talk in class? Where will I find sheets that are comfortable? How long IS it going to take my clothes to dry? What kind of iced tea do I like (they are all in Chinese!)

So, I am proud to show off some of my "patches", and to say that I have promised myself to continue blogging, even if it is a tough day!

Some great experiences:

1) Falling in front of 55 students in my first class on my first day.
2) Pulling the fire alarm on my second day. (I thought I was flushing the toilet)
3) Eating what I thought was ToFu only to have my colleague tell me it was ducks blood.
4) Walking past Stinky ToFu thinking..."never will I eat that." but knowing I probably will.
5) Making new friends that don't speak a lot of English, but working through it to share our languages with each other.
6) Explaining the word envy to my advanced class, and asking the students to use it. The response: "Miss Miller I envy you because you are a beautiful person." (how sweet)
7) Eating an amazing dumpling everywhere I turn.
8) Sitting in the movie theatre for 10 minutes only to be told that I am in the wrong seat AND the wrong movie. (yes, they have assigned seats here...FYI)
9) Sitting on a rooftop restaurant overlooking the ShiDa nightmarket while eating dinner, enjoying wine, and reading a book.
10) Going for a morning run along the river to kick my day off.
11) Attending English Meditation Class with other people who speak English.
12) Enjoying Vietnamese Pho with a new friend from San Diego who is also teaching in Taiwan.

oh and many many more to come. I haven't even been here for three weeks! Stay tuned!!!

Some photo memories:My school and students, which are both amazing! :)



One of the drawings my students made for the word cruel during Pictionary. I love it!!!



I met him on the way to the market!

Celebrating Moon Festival at a BBQ with my new friends...and trying chicken heart for the first time!

Dumplings, duck, beef noodle soup...and the Dragon Lady (Dragon Fruit Cocktail).