Time stands still yet the earth is shaking

It's November and I still wear sleeveless dresses to school and tank tops for running.  Most days in Hsinchu City temperatures reach the mid-eighties with high humidity.  The lows are in the mid-seventies.  I feel as though time is standing still.  In addition to the weather, holidays and special birthdays are not being celebrated.  July 4th was just another day.  Halloween had just some recognition at school.  Although we have plans to go to two Thanksgiving gatherings, the holidays will not feel the same without celebrating with our wonderful family.  The leaves have not changed colors.  The fruit and vegetable seasons have little meaning to us here either. **The Taiwanese seem to think just because it is November, they should dress warm.  TAs at my school come to school wearing scarfs and puffy jackets.  Seriously?!**

While time is standing still, the ground is moving.  I arrived home from teaching one Thursday night to our 5th floor apartment at 8:00 pm.  I was preparing to take a shower (since I still sweat on my walk home from school).  After bending over, I felt a bit dizzy, like the room was spinning.  I went to sit on the bed and I realized our standing broom and dust pan was clearly moving back and forth.  Umm...yes...there's an earthquake!!!!!!  I quickly threw on my clothes, grabbed my keys and ran into the hall expecting to see residences running down the stairs.  Our neighbor's TV was on and there was no movement in the stairways.  Also, all of the scooters and cars were still driving down the road. I came inside and my phone started ringing.  James called me to make sure I was ok.  He was about to leave his school. The earthquake did not phase any of the students or teachers at the school.  Anyway, the earthquake occurred on the east coast (6.3 magnitude).  Fortunately, no one in Taiwan was hurt (except my mental state of being).

Well, there was a little bit of damage from the earthquake. The generator which keeps the giant inflatable rubber duck inflated stopped working.  So, the giant rubber duck along the coast of Taiwan became deflated.  My students told me "the duck went boom!" Yes, the giant rubber duck.  It's a huge craze here, because the Taiwanese LOVE their cute stuff. The giant inflatable rubber duck is a piece of artwork created by a Dutch artist.  It is "on display" in Taiwan as well as in several other places around the world.  There are multiple ducks.  There are "cute" rubber duck items being sold at every street corner here.  The line to see the duck on opening day (about an hour north of Hsinchu City on the coast) was 3 km long.  They decided to open the gates one hour early due to the length of the line.  James and I hope to visit the duck at some point.  I also hope to create a giant inflatable panda to put on Taipei 101 so I can become rich like the Dutch artist ;-)

http://www.weather.com/travel/giant-rubber-duck-falls-victim-taiwan-earthquake-20131104

We have heard that for weddings, people give cakes and cookies to literally everyone they know before the wedding.  After the wedding they buy presents for everyone who gave you money.  I thought that thank you letters were tough!  Ha.  In addition, one month after you have a baby, you are to give cakes to everyone you know.  As if that's what a mother with a one month old feels like doing at that time!  We received our first elaborate pre-wedding cake from one of my TAs.  Myself and the other teachers did not even realize she was getting married in late November.  Check out this crazy, beautiful box and treats:

This should have said, "For: Teacher Rachel's husband."

Layer #1 - Cake

Layer #2 - Cookies/Layer #3 - Red Bean Cakes

Speaking of the generosity in Taiwan, our Taiwanese mother treated me to a special lunch at her home.  I also have a "Taiwanese Aunt Annie." It's one of our Taiwanese mother's friends whom I have also taught her daughter. Unfortunately, James was working so he missed out on the gathering.  However, they sent me home with loads of food to share with James.  It was just like visiting my mother at home for a meal :)

Yum!

Left to Right - Taiwanese Aunt Annie, Me (obviously), and Taiwanese mother

Her daughter apparently loves my voice.  She tries to speak English with my voice at home.  This is a really cute recording of it! http://youtu.be/WWKEwkiyCzQ

Both of our schools celebrated Halloween.  I played "pin the nose on the jack-o-latern" as my classroom game.  James actually had a lot of students dress up at school.  There are a lot of pictures of my Halloween game on my facebook.  If you don't have facebook, you may still be able to view them on my school's facebook page - https://www.facebook.com/shanehc1

Please notice the duck shirt.

I like to tease my students with candy. 

Batwoman (that's me) and ugly monster faces!

Of course the teacha has to play, too!

My youngest and craziest class!  They wear me out. 

What are they doing to Teacha James?!

More of James' wild students. 

We have still been enjoying our typhoon-less weekends with day hikes.  Last weekend, we hiked up a mountain with several different terrains including cedar trees, pine trees, high grasses, bamboo forests, and dinosaurs roaming the earth.  Although it was a wet, cloudy day, we enjoyed a lovely "sea of clouds" view at the peak!  At the end of the hike as we were changing out of our wet clothing, I noticed something on my shoe.  Instinctively, I picked it off.  Well, the darn thing stuck to my fingers and suddenly I panicked.  It was a leech!!!!!!  After much jumping around and wiping my fingers on every leaf and branch in the area, it came off.  However, after James changed into his flip-flops, he noticed something on the arch of his foot.  Ohh, no...a leech sucking his blood.  Those flip-flops really get him in trouble around here!

I should have worn pants...

Sea of Clouds

the peak

Today, we hiked with the "Hsinchu Outdoor Club" again.  James is the co-founder and Vice President! Although the temperatures were unseasonably warm in the mid-eighties, we enjoyed the lovely hike at Lion's Head Mountain (the place with the monasteries on the mountain top we visited this summer).

The sign reads, "Announcements: This trail is a high-difficulty hiking oath along with steep slopes.  The path is also very difficult for rescuing.  For your safety, please check your equipments and physical condition before entering."  At the end of the hike, James told me this would be a great running trail...hmm. 

Good view!

The non-official Hsinchu Outdoor Club

I am not learning much Chinese here, but I am learning some interesting facts about Chinese.  Since the language is based upon four tones, singing is near impossible to understand in Chinese.  Chinese music is accompanied by lyrics. In addition, most television stations include subtitles since the tones can be hard to interpret.

As we enter the "winter," we will be continuing our freshmen year of partying and excitement while thinking more about our future.  At the end of the winter, we will need to notify our schools if we plan to return for a second year.

One more thing!  My brother, Greg, has now joined us on the eastern hemisphere and has agreed to be our emergency contact!  Just kidding, no one would want to be my emergency contact with my high injury rate. Anyway, he has arrived safely in Alice Springs, Australia and already started working. Welcome neighbor and g'day mate!

Here are a few random pictures:

A typical fruit and vegetable stand at a trail head.  Have I mentioned how awesome the persimmons are here?!

James had some great pictures from the Yangmingshan Trail Race.  Mine on the other hand were not so flattering.