February 17, 2005

Hi Everyone! Ni Hao (Hello, How are you?)Today has been a ery busy day. I got up at 6:30 am, had a greasydonut stick, sweet rice milk, and an orange. Everyone of us (thereare 11 Canadian teachers, 2 British Teachers and all of our co-teachers from our schools) get on the bus and go into Taipei to auniversity for the day and learn chinese- it is very overwhelming-It is only a crash course- how can anyone learn so quickly- theytell us. We are to go into Taipei again tomorrow to have anotherwhole day of chinese instruction. I love to learn about it, but itis so much.After the training, we walked to a resturant and had traditionalchinese mainland supper- hot cabbage, rice, sweet shrimp, stringybread, dumplings with meat in them (my favorite of the meal), stinkysweet and sour soup- I hate this and refuse to eat it- eww..., friedsquid (chewy), cabbage boiled, cabbage soup, cabbage everything...ahhhhh... and for dessert it is a rice ball with red beans- a sweetthing and orange slices. I make it seem... maybe bad or maybeglorified, I'm not sure. So far the food has left so much to bedesired for. All I want is a good pizza... ahhh...For the weekend we should be going to visit museums and othertouristy places. Yesterday I went to a temple- ery wierd to seepeople bowing and worshiping a god that they have made. I am havinga had time understanding this. Then we walk through the nightmarkets- the city does not come alive until about 4pm and themarkets stay alive all evening. I do not think people own kitchens-they eat out so much- what a culture- I think I could get used tothe eating out, but it is not foods I enjoy- still so much to getused to. The staff tells us with a smile that we are still inthe 'honeymoon' stage of the experience- I am finding it hardalready- I am looking forward to leaving the big city and seeing mycommunity and school. I fly out on wednesday and I guess they areholding a celebration and welcoming supper in our honor- I do feeloverwhelmed and I am glad that they told me- so that I can beprepared to be on my best behaviour??Well, the night is winding itself to a close. I hope that you areall keeping well. Love you lots!Faith