October 15
1. Where are you going?
Right now I'm going nowhere fast. I'm sitting in the English classroom typing this, and I still have over an hour before I can go home.
I rode my bike to school today, so it's going to be a long, hard ride up a hill before I get home. At least it's not raining?
2. How do you want to send it?
Send what? I haven't sent anything in a while. I believe the last thing I sent was an envelope containing my U.S. tax returns from Pingtung to the IRS place in Texas.
I hate post offices, by the way. I don't hate them as much as banks or hospitals, but I still hate them. Almost nothing gets done quickly in a post office, and very few patrons in those places seem to know how to either line up or wait for their turn.
3. Next!
Well OK then, I guess I'll be on my way...
4. Do you want me to mail this letter?
Only if it pleases you to do so. Is this letter signifying trouble for me in some way? Did I do something wrong?
5. Are you going home right after school?
Yes, I am. I should be home around 5:30. From my school I ride up a hill to the town of Zhiben, take the road along the ridge through town, and then take 9 Alternate to the other side of Fengtian. South of Fengtian I take a weird access road to a bridge over the Taiping River, and on the other side of the bridge I take a right down what I call "the river road" to the intersection of Zhongxing Road and Xinsheng Road. At that intersection I take a left onto Zhongxing, and then follow Zhongxing northeast to the first Family Mart on the right. From there it's another left and then a quick right to my apartment building.
6. What are you going to do after school today?
After I get home? I'll be reading some of the New Gods comix a friend loaned me, and after that I'll either be watching the Ultraseven TV series on YouTube or the new season of Love is Blind on Netflix. I realize that it's very, very strange that the same, middle-aged guy can like both Ultraseven and Love is Blind, but there it is.
I suppose that it ultimately depends on which I'm more interested in tonight, Dan Moroboshi's doings or whatever that crazy Albanian woman has in mind on Love is Blind.
7. Oh no! I think I lost my ring!
I've been there twice. It sucks.
8. Oh no! I think I lost my earrings!
Never been there, but my wife loses hers sometimes. Did you look in the bathroom?
9. How did you find your job?
Hmm... it's been a while since I thought about this. I've been working for the MOE since 2006, so my memory's a bit fuzzy on this topic.
I believe I first visited Taitung, where I still live, in 2000, and from that point onward I planned on moving out here from the west coast. It took some doing though.
If memory serves my wife found something on a website around 2005, and this something led to my establishing contact with the guy in charge of the Taitung foreign teachers. Back then the hiring of foreign English teachers for Taiwanese public schools was managed by county and city governments, and my contact in Taitung was able to get my application process in Taitung rolling.
After some back and forth I was invited to a job interview and teaching demonstration at Tunghai Junior High School in Taitung City. It was a very stressful day but I rose to the occasion. I remember going to a local gift shop afterward, buying a lot of questionable rice wine, and getting roaringly drunk in my hotel room.
10. How was your job interview?
As said above stressful. I don't think they meant for it to be that way, but the communication between interested parties wasn't happening as yet. I had NO heads up on the teaching demonstration, and instead of an interview with one person in English (which was what I was expecting) I had an interview with an entire room of people in Mandarin.
11. What year is it?
It is the Year of Our Lord 2026, Amen. When you think about it we are already more than 1/4 of the way through the present century, and there are a surprising number of science fiction movies which are set in times before this point.
12. What month is it?
It's October, a month which houses my favorite holiday, Halloween.
Double Ten occurred last week, and during the four-day weekend I was in Taipei. Retrocession Day will occur the week after next, and during that three-day weekend I'll be in Kaohsiung.
During our last FET meeting the speaker asked for a show of hands regarding city preference: Taipei or Kaohsiung. I was one of the few who raised our hands for Kaohsiung. Why do I prefer Kaohsiung? For one thing my daughters live there, and for another thing I have an apartment there, but I think the real reason is that it's simply more comfortable for me at this point in my life. I'm there at least once a month and for most of the winter and summer vacations.
13. What day is it?
It's Thursday, tomorrow is Friday, and Friday is usually a good day. The other day I bought a bottle of Midori at a local liquor store, and I'm looking forward to making some Midori sours after work tomorrow.
14 What's today's date?
It is October 15, 2026 in my neck of the woods. In your neck of the woods I cannot say. Those "Why are you still awake?" posts on Reddit always surprise me. Don't they know about time zones? Hemispheres? Or the fact that the world is round?
15. When is your _____?
I don't know, you'll have to be more specific.
Random Vocabulary: faint, dizzy, nauseous, bloated, congested, exhausted, cough, sneeze, wheeze, burp, vomit/throw up, bleed, twist, scratch, scrape, bruise, burn, hurt-hurt, cut-cut, sprain, dislocate, break-broke, swollen, itchy
Maladies I've recently suffered from: bloated, exhausted, cough, sneeze, burp and itchy.
October 16
16. Excuse me, where does the salad fork go?
I have no idea. I wasn't raised to care about stuff like that. In our house growing up we only ever had one fork apiece, and it wasn't until I was much older that I learned that there were specific forks for specific purposes.
17. Excuse me, where does the bread and butter plate go?
I assume it goes next to the bread. I had to cut down on my dairy intake quite a bit after my last trip to the USA. During that trip I discovered that I'm even less lactose tolerant than I was before. Everything over there is cheese, and butter, and milk. My stomach couldn't handle it.
18. Excuse me, where does the cup go?
In your hand. Try this on for size... What do you think? Jameson Black Barrel. Good whiskey for the money.
19. Excuse me, where does the teaspoon go?
If there are cups and saucers in play I assume it goes on the saucer, but as said above I'm not well versed in these things. I remember teaspoons being used as a unit of measurement, but we seldom drank tea and when we did whatever spoon you wanted to put in it was fine.
20. May I help you?
Sure, I'd like a coffee. I'm starting to fade here.
21. What's the ___? / What are the _____?
The _____ is very useful for _____ and _____, but you should never put it in your _____ because that's a good way to get an infection. I cannot comment on the ______ because they're in and not in the box now, and only materialize into being when I lift the lid.
22. Are you sure?
I am almost never sure. I tend to think that most people who operate with a high degree of certainty haven't thought things through. But maybe they're right for not thinking/worrying. There's only so much we can know at any one time.
Back when I was at the University of Washington I had a professor who often spoke of "coming to rest in an interpretation," meaning that there's always a deeper level of analysis possible, but in order to avoid a kind of intellectual paralysis we simply have to assume some things as fact and move on.
23. May I help you?
Didn't you just ask me that? Where's my coffee?
24. Anything to drink?
Coffee? Hello?!?
25. What do you want on it?
On my coffee? Uh... nothing, thanks.
26.What did you do yesterday morning/afternoon/evening?
Yesterday morning and afternoon I was at work. Yesterday evening I did as I said I would do yesterday. After I did all that we went to 大全聯 , where I bought tonic water, lemon juice, orange juice and soda water.
27. What did you do last night?
We got back from 大全聯 around 9, and not long after that I went to bed.
28. What are you going to do tomorrow morning/afternoon/evening/night?
Well I can't go swimming tomorrow morning because there's a triathlon at the Flowing Lake. Instead I might sleep in a bit and then go have breakfast somewhere, probably either 美之城 or McDonald's, but possibly a nicer place if my brother-in-law's with us.
Tomorrow afternoon I have no idea. I want to see Street Fighter sometime this weekend, so maybe I'll be doing that.
Tomorrow evening I'd like to be playing poker but I doubt that will happen. Someone was talking about hosting a game tonight but those plans seem to have imploded due to lack of interest. The guy who hosts games closer to my apartment hasn't said anything yet, so I assume he's either not doing that or other, more eager people have already signed on. I've already passed on his games several times, and he knows I'm a definite maybe at best.
Tomorrow night I'll likely be asleep and that's fine. Can't party ALL the time!
29. What did you do last week?
As said above I was in Taipei for part of that week. The remainder was the same as this week: work, chilling at home and occasional trips to stores or restaurants.
30. What are your plans for next week?
We're going to Kaohsiung for two days on the three-day weekend. I have no big plans for that time, though if it's convenient I might go up to Shanhua in Tainan to take pictures.
31. How many times a week do you have English class? / go to the supermarket? / exercise?
There are twenty classes on my schedule but I don't teach all of them. On average I teach 16 out of 20.
I went to the supermarket yesterday. On average I go once a week.
I exercise 4-5 times a week. I might go running after school today. I still haven't decided.
32. What's your favorite season? Why?
In Taiwan my favorite season is spring, or more specifically the weeks after Chinese New Year, when the weather starts to warm up gradually. That's a great time for exercising and getting out of doors. In the Pacific Northwest, where my parents live, my favorite season is definitely summer, when it's not so dark and gloomy.
33. Excuse me. I'm a new employee.
Cool, welcome to our school.
34. Where's / Where are the _____?
The _____ are in the ______ where you left them. Please discipline them in the future.
35. Where's Tony?
I don't believe I presently know any Tonys. I used to know an Antony from South Africa, but that was years ago. I had a good friend in college named Tony from the Tri-Cities. Tri-Cities Tony was desperately in love with one of our female coworkers at Home Depot, but she wouldn't give him the time of day. I don't think I've ever been that desperately, humiliatingly in love with anyone, and perhaps I'm poorer for it.
Random Vocabulary: courthouse, taxi/cab, taxi stand, taxi driver/cab driver, fire hydrant, trash container, city hall, fire alarm box, mailbox, sewer, police station, jail, sidewalk, street, street light, parking lot, meter maid, parking meter, garbage truck, subway, subway station.
My least favorite of the above places: Tie between jail and sewer.
October 19
36. What do you do?
For work? I teach English in a public elementary school. This is my third year in the same school. Will I (want to) be in this school next school year? I really can't say.
Aside from my occupation a general account of my doings is to be found throughout this entry.
37. What's the problem?
At the moment my biggest problem is that I'm really, really tired. It's not just that it's Monday, but also that I haven't had enough sleep. My cat Mango was up half the night meowing randomly, and to make it worse I had a red tea before bed and the caffeine took A WHILE to wear off. I don't know how many hours I slept last night but it wasn't many.
Sometime after midnight I smacked Mango very, very hard. I felt bad about this afterward. Even so I don't know what else I could have done. There were three of us in the apartment and he was keeping all of us awake. He's a weird, sensitive kitty at times.
38. Can you describe your symptoms?
The symptoms of my tiredness? I probably have dark patches under my eyes, and I'm moving very slowly today. I had a coffee about two hours ago and it's starting to wear off. You can fight the aftereffects of caffeine with more caffeine, but only for so long.
39. What happened?
Just now? In the school meeting? Well, for one thing we were talking about _____, a third grade student who's having a very, very hard time in school. He hits people, he argues with everyone, and his home situation is not awesome. Today many of us learned that his parents recently divorced AND that that he's stopped taking the meds for his various conditions.
Some people don't get a good start in life, and those charged with educating or otherwise looking after them have to do the best we can.
40. May I help you?
Nope, I'm good. I'm just waiting until 12 so I can take a nap.
41. How do you like this tie/shirt/skirt?
Many of the students in our school will receive new, blue T-shirts today. I like the shade of blue they selected. I just wish that the T-shirts had our school's Chinese name on them. It would eliminate a lot of confusion.
42. What size are you looking for?
I already got fitted for a polo shirt. The ones we're wearing on Sports Day. I'm a 2XL. Thankfully this year's shirts aren't pink.
43.Where are you going?
Nowhere, I'm still typing this, but at some point today I'll go over to the office and type out a lesson plan for my Open Classroom thing next week. I've already typed the unit plan part, and I just need to add details about the lesson.
44. Next!
OK, fine then. I'll be on my way.
45. How do you want to send it?
I want to send it with love, the way Steve Perry would.
46. Do you want me to mail this letter?
No, I'll be hand delivering it to my younger daughter when I'm in Kaohsiung. She'll be handing it to the recipient.
47. What are you doing this evening?
I might watch the highlights from the Raiders/Bills game. I've been following the Raiders off and on. When I left off watching that game this morning the score was tied in the fourth quarter. If the Raiders managed to win they'll be at 4-2 in week 6, and that's not a bad place to be, especially if it comes on the heels of a win against the Bills, who are doing well now.
The Seahawks, I'm sad to say, did a shame spiral against the Broncos last Friday. They might think about switching out Sam Darnold for Drew Lock. Darnold just ain't getting it done, and Lock was playing much better before Darnold came back from IR. Our defense is holding the line but that's about it.
The Steelers won though. That's something. Sure, it was against the Bucs, but small victories are still victories.
48. What kind of movies do you like?
I could discuss this topic for hours. My favorite genre is definitely horror, with gangster movies being a close second. Within the horror genre my favorite kind are weird, extremely violent French horror films. I'm also a big fan of anything obscure and/or strange from the 1970s, which is probably my favorite decade when it comes to movies in general.
I saw Street Fighter last Friday, by the way. It won't be winning any Oscars but I thought it was alright. I liked it slightly more than the Brad Pitt vehicle Heart of the Beast, which I thought featured way too many CGI animals. Clayface comes out next weekend and I might see it if the reviews are good. The next big one for me is going to be Avengers: Doomsday, which comes out in a month and a half. Dune: Chapter 3? I'm looking forward to it, but I think it'll be slow.
49. What kind of music do you like?
Lately I've been listening to a lot of jazz. Guys (and they're almost always guys) whose names I can never remember. I have a friend in Hualien who can tell you who played keyboards on every jazz album you've never heard from the 50s, 60s and 70s, but I'm not that guy. Quiz me on late 60s/early 70s rock, sure, but jazz is outside my wheelhouse.
Speaking of music, yesterday and today I watched No One's Disciple, that Neil Peart documentary. It was interesting, even if I continue to find Geddy Lee's voice hard to take. He really can't hit those high notes like he used to, and even when he could I wasn't a huge fan. He's still an amazing bass player, but him singing some of the songs in the documentary was difficult for me. Couldn't they change the keys?
Part of the reason I watched that documentary was a conversation myself and two other guys were having over poker Saturday night. The Canadian to my right asserted that Neil Peart was the greatest drummer of all time, while the Taiwanese-American to my left declared that it was John Bonham. I agreed on Bonham, though I think that ELP's Carl Palmer should also be in that conversation.
50. What kind of programs do you like to watch?
As said above I've been watching Love is Blind. Reality shows? I've seen my share. My all-time favorite reality show is probably The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City, which features some deeply eccentric ladies (and their reluctant husbands) living in the heart of Mormonland.
I also watch a lot of documentaries. At some point last weekend I watched a documentary on the Ottoman Empire. It made me think about Trump and some of the struggles many nations are facing in the wake of resurgent ethnic nationalism.
And oh yeah, Ultraman. If you've been reading my other blog you'll know that I'm a huge fan. At the time of writing I'm about 1/3 of the way through the Ultraseven episodes, though I haven't posted that particular entry yet. "Seven! Seven! Seven!"
Random Vocabulary: first-aid manual, first-aid kit, bandage/Band-Aid, sterile (dressing) pad, hydrogen peroxide, antibiotic ointment, gauze, adhesive tape, tweezers, elastic bandage/Ace bandage, aspirin, non-aspirin pain reliever, CPR, rescue breathing, the Heimlich maneuver, splint, tourniquet.
The main goal of CPR (as I learned in a recent workshop): to maintain blood flow to the brain.
October 20
51. Can you act?
I suppose I can, but does that mean I'm a good actor? I might have thought so once but now I'm not sure.
52. What's the matter?
This week is starting to seem very, very long. There's an outside chance we'll get a typhoon day this Friday, and I'm hoping against hope for that. Two of the models under discussion have the typhoon swinging up north, closer to Hualien, while one of the models has it coming directly for us. I'm not welcoming the destruction that any typhoon brings, but a three-day weekend extended into a four-day weekend doesn't sound bad to me.
53. Does your wrist hurt when I do this?
No, it's fine. Sometimes my wrists get a little sore/tired from extended bike rides, but I'm alright today.
54. How am I, doctor?
I'm not a doctor and I might not know you so I cannot say. Whoever you are and whatever you're doing be careful.
55. Thank you for the teddy bear. It's a very nice gift.
I think you might have me confused with someone else. I've never bought anyone a teddy bear.
56. Can you recommend a good computer?
I'm a terrible source of information on this topic. I only have my phone and an old Asus laptop that somehow keeps running.
You reminded me though, I have a still older laptop in my home which contains a bunch of files I can't access. I keep meaning to take this laptop to a computer place and see if they can get it to start up. The photos on that laptop go back a long way.
57. Where's the hair dryer?
I have one in my apartment, but that's twenty to twenty-five minutes away from here.
58. Where's the soap?
There's soap outside this classroom on each of the sinks. It doesn't work that well though. You have to rub it a long time to make bubbles.
59. Where's the plunger?
I haven't ever needed a plunger in this school. There might be one in the closet next to the new bathroom. I assume they'd keep one there.
Random Vocabulary: watch TV, listen to the radio, listen to music, read a book, read the newspaper, play, play cards, play basketball, play the guitar, practice the piano, exercise, swim, plant flowers, use the computer, write a letter, relax.
Things I haven't done in a long time: read the newspaper, play basketball, practice the piano and I've never planted flowers.
October 21
60. Excuse me. Where's / Where are the _____?
They're wherever you left them.
61. Excuse me. Where can I find a/an _____?
You can find it wherever you can find it.
62. Can you help me? I'm looking for _____?
I can't help you until you stop speaking in _____s.
63. Oh no! I think I lost my ring!
This again? What's the deal with the ring?
64. Oh no! I think I lost my earrings!
Sounds like a problem.
65. What's the matter?
Nothing at the moment, though I'm wondering how to seat the 6th graders better. There are too many larger kids approaching puberty. It's becoming an issue.
66. What's the matter?
Didn't you just ask me that?
67. Are the sleeves too _____?
I'm wearing a T-shirt. Not sure what you're on about.
68. Are the pants too _____?
I'm wearing shorts. I haven't worn pants since I was in the States last summer.
69. Are the buttonholes too _____?
I don't know that I've ever had feelings about buttonholes one way or the other.
70. Are the heels too _____?
I'm wearing sandals. I don't think heels figure into it.
71. What's the matter with it?
With what?
72. Are the sleeves too long?
Again, I'm wearing a T-shirt.
73. Are the buttons too _____?
I have no buttons on my person aside from the single button in my shorts. It seems to be functioning perfectly.
74. Is the coat too _____?
The last time I wore a coat was in Kaohsiung, during the "two weeks of endless rain" I experienced there last August. The problem with that coat is that it's too hot for Taiwan. I can wear it if it's pouring down rain, but at other times I start sweating ten minutes after putting it on. I miss some of my older, thinner raincoats.
75. Is the color too _____?
My colors are fine, I think. I'm wearing a reddish Olympic National Park T-shirt, dark blue shorts and black Tiva sandals. I also have one green and one brown beaded bracelet on my left wrist.
76. Are the lapels too _____?
I can't even remember the last time I wore a suit jacket. It's one of those things I try to avoid.
77. Please shorten the skirt.
As you wish, but I will prove an exceedingly poor seamstress. Or is it "seamster?" Is there such a thing? Or is the male version of seamstress simply "tailor?" And can the term "tailor" be applied to women as well?
78. Where do you live?
I live northeast of here, downtown. I've lived there over a period of 17 years, though during the same time period I also lived in Pingtung for four years. When we lived/worked in Pingtung our Taitung apartment was more of a place we went on vacation.
Random Vocabulary: cereal, cookies, crackers, macaroni, noodles, spaghetti, rice, soup, tuna (fish), (canned) vegetables, (canned) fruit, jam, jelly, peanut butter, ketchup, mustard, relish, pickles, olives, salt, pepper, spices, soy sauce, mayonnaise, (cooking) oil, olive oil, salsa, vinegar, salad dressing, bread, rolls, English muffins, pita bread, cake, flour, sugar, cake mix.
Things I eat regularly: noodles, rice, soup, fish, salt, (white) pepper, spices, soy sauce, bread, flour and sugar. I'm trying to cut down on the sugar though. The trouble is that there's so much sugar in so many thimgs.
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