Shanhua District, Tainan City 台南市善化區

Shanhua is north of Xinshr and west of Shanshang.  It's also Tainan City's most centrally located district. 善化位於新市北部 、 山上西部 ，也是台南市最中心的地區。

This entry represents my second attempt at Shanhua, an area that defeated me in August.  Back in August I drove the length of the district along Highway 1, but this was during those two weeks of "endless rain," and I wasn't able to photograph (or even experience) much of Shanhua during that extremely moist outing. 這是我第二次去善化 ，  第一次八月的時候我從北往南走台1線， 但是那時候下大雨 ， 沒辦法拍出清楚的畫面。

According to the last census, 53,985 people live in Shanhua. 上次的人口統計，善化的人口是53,985人 。

As you enter the Shanhua Train Station you'll notice these two tourist maps on the wall.  The map on the left shows Shanhua's position in the middle of Tainan City, along with several local tourist sites.  These tourist sites are: an old sugar refinery, a cattle market (?)*, the Tree Valley Life Science Hall (which isn't actually in Shanhua, but rather in neighboring Xinshr), a theme park**, a temple, a community known for its murals, a memorial gate, a distillery*** and a strawberry field open to tourists. 一進去善化車站， 你會看到牆壁上有兩張地圖 ，  左邊的地圖可以看出善化區在台南市的中心 ， 也可以看到善化附近的幾個景點 ，  這些景點包括 : 糖廠 、 牛墟 、 新市區的樹谷自然科學館 、 主題樂園 、 一所廟 、 一個壁畫聞名的社區 、 紀念牌 、 酒廠跟一個觀光草莓園 。

Unfortunately my second visit to Shanhua occurred at 8 a.m. on Retrocession Day, and both the distillery and the cow market were closed.  The other places?  I had little interest in seeking them out. 可惜的是我第二次到善化是在光復節早上八點 ， 酒廠跟牛墟沒開 ，而且我對其他景點沒有興趣 。

Instead I just walked in a big circle around town, taking pictures as I went. 所以我在善化市區繞了一大圈 ， 也拍了些照片。

This is the exterior of the Shanhua Train Station. 這是善化車站的外貌 。

"Shen Guang-wen," the name of a famous local poet.  The memorial gate mentioned above is also dedicated to him. 沈光文是當地的詩人 ， 照片中的紀念牌是紀念他的 。

This is the view down the main road from the front of the train station.  The only places open at that hour were breakfast restaurants. 車站前的風景 ，  那時候只有早餐店開門營業 。

There are a lot of new houses in Shanhua.  Many of them are the result of Taiwan's booming semiconductor industry.  The Southern Taiwan Science Park is to the south of Shanhua. 善化的新房子很多 ， 應該是半導體產業發展的影響 ， 因為南科位於善化南部 。

Residents chasing the local garbage truck.  8 a.m. is really too early to be chasing one of those things. 居民在追垃圾車 。  早上追垃圾車真是太辛苦了 。

Beef pot is the local specialty, perhaps owing to Shanhua's history as a cattle-raising center.  I ate at this place a couple months ago and yes, it was good. 善化的牛肉爐聞名應該是因為這裡早期的牛墟。  這家牛肉爐我兩個月前吃過， 很不錯 。

"Guang-wen tea" in honor of the local hero?  I would have tried some but this place wasn't open. 光文茶的名稱從詩人來的吧 ?  我想喝喝看，可是太早了還沒開 。

Is this the Shanhua Market?  There's no sign on the building, but it's very close to the train station. 這是善化市場嗎 ?  建築物上沒有招牌， 它很靠近火車站 。

Central Shanhua is an odd mix of old and new.  The next train stop south is the Southern Taiwan Science Park Station, so these new apartment buildings make a certain amount of sense. 善化市區呈現出新、舊不同的風景，   火車南下的下一個車站是南科 ， 難怪附近蓋公寓大樓。

Hundreds of scooters, all left here by those commuting to other places by train.  Live somewhere rural, and commute to a factory zone?  Or live somewhere urban, and seek higher paying jobs further and further removed from the city center?  Many people in Taiwan are confronted by such choices, and Shanhua's recent development is a reflection of that. 幾百輛摩托車是通勤上班族留在車站的。  有的人住偏鄉而到工業區上班 ?  或居住城市裡，但為了更高薪而到其他地方上班 ?  很多臺灣人面對這種選擇 ， 善化區的發展也反映了這現象。

Shanhua Train Station again, better lit after an hour or so.  It was getting hot, I was tired, and very little was open.  一小時後的善化車站 。  天氣變熱 ， 我很累了 ， 卻很少店家開門 。

This inside of the train station, looking north.  It was a long ride back to Kaohsiung, but I was looking forward to a comfortable seat on the train. 在車站的月台上 ， 往北邊看 。  雖然坐火車到高雄要一段時間 ， 但還好有舒服的椅子可以坐 。

Shanhua?  Maybe I'll be back someday, probably on my way to somewhere else.  I'd still like to see that cattle market, even if it's pretty far down my list of vacation destinations. 善化 ?  我可能改天再來一次 ， 因為我想參觀牛墟 ， 改天看一下吧 !

Related Entries 相關的文章:

Annan District, Tainan County 台南市安南區

Other Stuff to Do in South Tainan

North District, Tainan City 台南市北區

Forty Days Or Less

*Is it really a cattle market?  I scrolled through the photos on Google and didn't see any cattle.  Some stalls selling beef, but no cattle.

**Permanently closed.

***Another Taiwan Beer/TTL distillery.  I've been to two of these already and I doubt Shanhua's is that unique.  It looks very old.

Annan District, Tainan County 台南市安南區

Annan is north of North and Yongkang districts.  It lies along the Zengwen (Dzengwen) River, and part of it falls within the boundaries of Taijiang National Park. 安南位於北區及永康區的北部 ，  曾文溪也流經過安南區 ， 它的部分也在台江國家公園裡面 。

Around 300 years ago most of Annan was underwater.  What we now know as Annan District is the result of both a land reclamation project begun in the Qing Dynasty and the Zengwen River changing course. 300年前，大部分的安南位在水下 ，  安南是因為清朝的土地復墾工程和曾文溪改道才成為我們現在看到的樣子。

According to the last census, 204,707 people live in Annan. 上次的人口統計顯示安南的人口是204,707人 。

On the west coast of Annan, within Taijiang National Park, is the Luermen Dream Lake.  Getting here involves passing through a large wetland and skirting around the local garbage incinerator. 安南西岸， 台江國家公園內，這裡是鹿耳門夢幻湖 。  來這裡需要經過濕地 ， 繞過垃圾焚化爐的後方 。

Is it "dreamy?"  I wouldn't say so.  It's more of a local fishing spot.  If you climb up the seawall from here there's a good view of both the Taiwan Strait and the mouth of the Zengwen River. 真是夢幻的嗎 ?  我覺得不是 。  很多當地人來這裡釣魚 ， 爬上海堤看到的臺灣海峽和曾文溪口的風景不錯 。

In my opinion the Annan half of Taijiang National Park isn't as scenic as what you'll find to the north in Qigu, on the other side of the river.  The Annan half is very flat, and doesn't look like much from ground level. 我認為台江國家公園的安南的風景沒有曾文溪另外一邊的七股的風景好。  安南的地形平坦 ，平地上看到的風景沒有什麼特色 。

Northeast of the Dream Lake I found this unfinished or abandoned temple.  This is definitely one of the coolest buildings I've seen in a while.  在夢幻湖東北方我看到這所廟 ，  我覺得這建築很酷 。

There was someone living in the red part above, but this structure remains empty.  I climbed up onto the roof and the view wasn't bad. 有人住在上面紅色的部分 ， 可是旁邊這棟是空的 。 我爬上頂樓 ， 風景很不錯 。

The sea air makes everything around here rust faster.  Whoever once managed this place left a lot of expensive stuff inside. 那麼靠近海邊 ，金屬的東西很容易生鏽 ，  以前的主人留下很多寶貴的物品在裡面 。

Further east, down the same road, is the Koxinga Memorial Park.  This park once came equipped with a museum.  By the looks of the museum it's been closed for a long, long time. 同一條路往東邊走有鄭成功紀念公園 ，  以前這個公園內有博物館 ， 只是這裡看起來好像荒廢很久了。

According to the rock above this is where Koxinga landed his ships before heading inland towards Anping.  Thanks to centuries of fish farming and climate change the geography around here is very different now, but this park is still relatively close to the Zengwen River. 石頭上記載這裡是鄭成功登陸的地點 ， 他往安平前先到達這裡 。  經過了幾百年的氣候改變及漁業養殖 ，這個地區的樣貌不一樣了 ， 但這公園仍然靠近曾文溪 。

This is the man himself.  He looms large in local history.  Maybe his park is worth renovating? 重要的歷史人物 。  他的公園應該需要整修。

The two ornamental lakes inside the park are cute.  We had the whole place all to ourselves. 公園內有兩個可愛的水池 ，  我們在的時候沒有其他旅客 。

Northeast of the park is the Luermen Shengmu Temple, one of Annan's two biggest tourist attractions. 鹿耳門聖母廟位於鄭成功紀念公園東北部 ， 是安南區兩個重要景點的其中一個 。

There's a map in the front to help guide you through all of the shrines.  There are a lot of them. 大門附近有觀光地圖 ， 神明超多 。

This is "The Old Man Under the Moon" ("Yue Lao").  His shrine is in one of the upper floors.  To his right are pictures of newly wedded couples. 月下老人 ， 他的位置在樓上 ，  在他的右手邊貼了許多人的結婚照 。

This is the front of the temple, inside the main gate.  The statuary in the front of this complex would be more impressive if it didn't double as a parking lot, but oh well, Taiwan... 廟宇前方 ， 大門裡的前庭 。  這裡的雕像雖然好看 ， 可是這裡也是停車場 ， 拍出來的景象就沒有那麼好了。

Annan's other big tourist attraction is the National Museum of Taiwan History. 安南的另一重要景點是國立台灣歷史博物館 。

South Tainan has a higher than average concentration of museums, owing to all the historic events which have taken place here.  The Museum of Archaeology, the Fossil Park and the Art Museum(s) are all relatively close by.* 台南南部的博物館很多，因為這地區的人類活動歷史長久，  考古館 、 石化園區還有美術館都在附近 。

In my opinion this is one of the best museums in Taiwan, maybe the best.  It really makes history come alive, and it's even better if you're bringing kids. 我覺得這個博物館很棒 ， 有可能是臺灣最棒的 。  在這棟博物館裡歷史是活的 ，很吸引小朋友們的興趣 。

And if you like this place I also recommend the newly opened Pingtung King Boat Museum in Donggang.  That museum definitely took cues from this one, and the two complement each other nicely. 喜歡這個博物館的讀者也會喜歡屏東東港的王船文化館的。 設計王船博物館的人一定注意到了臺灣歷史博物館 ， 這兩博物館的內容互相呼應，很有趣。

Oh, and by the way, I'd recommend against eating in the museum restaurant.  It's overpriced, it's not very good, and there are much better options nearby. 我只想提醒 ， 在歷史博物館外用餐比較好 ，裡面的餐廳又貴又不好吃 ， 博物館附近應有比較好的選擇 。

Related Entries 相關的文章:

Other Stuff to Do in South Tainan

North District, Tainan City 台南市北區

West Central District, Tainan City 台南市中西區

This Blog in 6 Maps

*There are actually several art museums in downtown Tainan, all close to each other.  I linked the most famous one.

Word by Word if Not Side by Side 2

I used a random number generator and a (very old) copy of the Word by Word picture dictionary.  If you're doing free writing in your English class, Word by Word can be a good way of generating more interesting responses to oral or written questions.

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.

Related Entries:

Forty Days or Less

What You Can, Can't, Should, Shouldn't and Might Do in Kaohsiung

Word by Word if not Side by Side 1

So Far, So Good... So What?