Dinner with Cerita & family

Cerita is the director of English Education at Siang-He elementary school. She and her husband and I (and Myra) went out for dinner to a special seafood restaurant recently. I really appreciate Cerita - she's done a lot to help the English program be successful and has been a good friend as well.

(The food was really good, too, as far as seafood goes. They served many other special things, including fried bees! I would have tried a fried bee just so I could say that I ate it, but they were out. How sad.... =D )

Rose Garden Cafe

Last weekend I met up with a friend in Chiayi City and she took me to a lovely little tea place called the Rose Garden Cafe. I didn't know any place like this existed in our little part of Taiwan and it felt just like home. I especially enjoyed some good Earl Grey - something I haven't had for over a year! Now it won't be too long until I can enjoy it again. 22 days, folks, until I fly home! =)

Dragon Boat Festival

Today is a holiday - the Dragon Boat Festival! A couple of the teachers from school drove us out to the harbor to watch the goings-on. There were races (about 30 teams), plenty of food and a general atmosphere of fun! I've been told a couple of versions of the legend behind the Dragon Boat Festival. They all seem to surround a patriotic poet who, ages ago, did a lot of good for the Emperor. Some people didn't like him, and lied about him to the Emperor. The Emperor was so upset that he had the poet thrown into the river. Many people mourned for this poet and went out in boats to search for his body. Now, this day celebrated every June with boat races and a day off work & school. Yay!!

Dragon Boats

Peter

This is Peter. In Taiwan classrooms, children with special needs are not separated. Peter is a special child in one of my 1st grade classes. He is SO sweet! I LOVE this little boy. He tries so hard to form the letters in his book - when he understands that's what he is to do. He loves to be called upon for anything. The other children are really kind to him, and many of them come alongside to help him. I love the upper right picture of this grid - Apple is showing Peter how to make the traditional Taiwan pose with his fingers (two fingers means "happy" in Taiwan). By the lower right picture I think he's sort of got it!!

Koko

Please, please, please, can I take you home?

More Teaching in 2nd Grade...

Checking workbook work... hmm... behind my right hand I see a boy with a ruler. This reminds me... the kids here love to chop their erasers up with their rulers. They create a bunch of tiny eraser pieces and then start making little piles of eraser dust. Every class of first and second graders does this and I constantly have to confiscate rulers/erasers during my teaching. It's a funny memory, though.

"Teacher, Teacher, me! Pick me!!"

Another class of fun 2nd graders. Out comes the camera and out come the silly faces (from those in the front row, anyway).

English Teaching in 2nd Grade

"What is it?" ("zhe ge shi shen ma?")

Oh, English teaching is SOO exciting!! "Bat - yay!! Everyone say BAT! B-B /b/b/b/ bat, bat, bat!!" "Good job!" "Hear the /t/ sound? T-T /t/t/t/!!!" (I get a little bouncy sometimes...)

"Sit" ("zuo xia"). "Uh huh. Okay, everyone... stand up! Good! (Jason, stand up! No, not on your chair. Bill, get off your desk!) Okay, everyone... sit down! Good. S-I-T. S-S /s/s/s/!! Who can say 'sit'? Very good!!"

This is one of my absolute favorite classes of 2nd Graders.

A Taiwan Graduation

Last Saturday I was invited to attend the graduation of one of my student's mothers from medical school. She is to the right of me in the picture above together with her son (my student) Sam. I don't know her whole story, but she is a single mom (very rare here in Taiwan) and has worked very hard at her job, and then at school on weekends for years. Her children came with her to many classes. She's worked so hard to provide for her children and is very committed to spending time with them and I appreciate that a lot. She had no family to come to the graduation and so asked if I could be there as a "sister". They've come to church a couple of times. I love her two children and pray that they'd all come to the Lord someday.

Dinner with School Nurse

Last Tuesday the school nurse (with whom I've become great friends) and I went out for dinner. This was one of the nicest restaurants I have ever been to and we really enjoyed sharing together over it. Here we are. Happy times. :)