The Mountain Staircase

 

 

Step after step we hiked up the steps of the through the thickly over grown jungles of the Feng Yuan mountains. Creaking old bamboo a mile high swayed in the jungle wind, filling the air with sounds chanting monks as we continued to to climb the mountain. Switch back after switch back of arduous stairs was like climbing the spine of an ancient stone dragon that tossed and turned with every step. We finally reached the top of the penrose staircase to gaze upon a sloping hill of tranquil tangerine trees and in the distance the bustling city of Tai Zhong.

Creativity From Chaos

Creativity some times comes from not knowing enough and you really screw with the established rules and end up discovering something with out knowing it. Julia is one of my students in 5th grade and she struggles with spelling, reading, writing, in fact if  you can name it she struggles with it. Today in class we played boggle ( you take one big word and use the letters from it to make other words ) and instead of looking for words that she knew, Julia just used the basic rules of word construction and smashed random combinations of vowels and consonants together not knowing if they were words at all. In the end she was so quick with basic combinations that she came up with more unique words than I did in the time frame that was given. She beat the class 15 to 3. I hope that this victory gives her the motivation to step up her game and improve her English.

Marooners Island and Night Markets

Taiwan, it has been amazing two weeks and fabulous first week of teaching. Some days it feels like two months have gone by already and  others the reality that I've only been out for two weeks hits me and I crave the smell of home made bread and nickels.

Today is Sunday and my first time to go to church in Tai Zhong which is only a ten minute train ride away . Of course I didn't take the train and took the bus because it is cheaper by ten NTD which translates out to thirty one cents USD. This little decision took me on a little wild goose chase resulting in a personal tour by buses 63  and 81around the perimeter of Tai Zhong for two and a half hours. After arriving at the right street  and another thirty minutes later of walking around the wrong part of Tai Zhong because the address I was given was missing the character for south, a  kind old Taiwanese lady perceived my lost behavior. Cindy ( the old Taiwanese lady ) and I drove around for the next fifteen minutes until we finally arrived at church.

Be Surprised

One of the most fascinating things to me is our ability learn. As I try to wrap my mind around how the brain can make perpetual microscopic connections between understanding . Then I  think of all the different things there are to learn in English alone and then think someone in a different part of the world, in a different language has made all similar connections. Learning has taught me one thing so far and that is I will always be surprised.

The Art of Eating Without Tasting

The Art of Eating Without Tasting

1. Forget All Preconceived Feelings About That Food

2. Stick Tongue to Roof of Mouth

3. Open Mouth and Insert Food Under Tongue

4. If Needed Chew and do so as Fast as Possible

5. Swallow... Quickly

6. Smile You Just Ate Something Exotic For Your Taste-buds

7. Hope You Aren't Forced To Eat More

Note: When Food is in Your Mouth You Must Intensely Focus Your Thoughts On Not Tasting (This Might be Accomplished by Thinking About Nothing)

 

** This post was inspired when spending this last weekend and going down to Tai Nan with the Mangan family. Often when going to a foreign country I always have to eat at least one thing that is just assaulting to the taste-buds and like a kamikaze, I dive in. Every thing from wriggling octopus tentacles to duck grey matter and every now and then something mysterious that actually tasted good or even amazing. The important note to take from the experiences are that I tried it and experienced something new even though I had calculated that getting explosive diarrhea  was 2 to 1.  

Just like with food there is an important skill of eating without tasting when experiencing new cultures and religions. Especially step one, "forget all preconceived feelings about that food." Even though you might never believe what they believe or live the way they will live, it is important to be civil when "tasting" the aspects of another culture. Appreciate the experience for what it is and take from it what you can. Who knows you might even discover something you like in the process.

Good Bye Frosty... Psych!

So I thought I'd be avoiding the cold by coming to Taiwan. A quick cut and run from the Utah icebox but that is a funny joke now. It got down to 5 degrees Celsius last night and has been freezing cold all day. I hate the winter!

New Years Beginnings

Through out my life this time of year has socially been a time to reflect on ones life and decide what changes you can make and goals to set for the next year. While this is a good idea to make goals for new steps forward every year the sad thing is the vast majority of  of them are forgotten as soon as they are thought of. It is such a common occurrence that as I've gotten older new years resolutions have become a laughable farce surrounded with the proverbial knowledge that they will not really happen. The sad irony is that for ever 20% of effort needed you get 80% of the results you wanted. Change is not a hard thing to come by for those willing to do the work asked. God has been teaching us this from the beginning of time. For 10% of our income we get 100% of his blessings. I just started to read  THE ONE THING by Jay Papasan and the majority of the book addresses the idea that of "the one thing". To put it  simply put your energy where you want results and results will come but it come at a cost. That cost is simply saying no to the things that get in the way of accomplishing your goals. Stop for a second and think, what are your goals? Are they worth fighting for? Are they worth saying no for? A Russian proverb says "If you chase to rabbits you wont catch either." So I ask you one last question what is your second rabbit?