The Wind 風

They never tell you about the wind.  Up to a few months ago I only came here in the summer, when the sky is blue and the weather's hot, and I never thought about the wind unless I went to the beach and saw the red flags flying. 人們不會跟你說的是風有多強!  我以前都是夏天來恆春， 看到的是藍藍的天空 ， 感受到的是炎熱的天氣 ，在沙灘上偶爾看到代表風浪強的紅旗跟著風搖來搖去。

In the winter it's another story.  In the winter the wind is everywhere, and even in the confines of my house I can hear it shrieking through the trees, pushing things over, and making a nuisance of itself in other ways. 這裡的冬天完全不一樣 。  冬天的時候風無處不在， 連我在房子裡都能聽到風吹打樹木的聲音， 或是推倒其他東西的碰撞聲。

At night, when I'm trying to sleep, I can hear the wind raging against the walls of my house.  I take some comfort in the fact that this house was built long ago, and has withstood many such onslaughts, but just the same it's hard to ignore the fury of the wind.  I hear the metal shutters outside my bedroom window complain, I hear the window frames slap together, and I hear the groan of trees across the street.  The wind will not let anything be. 晚上睡覺時會聽到強風撞擊著房子的牆壁 ，  還好我住的舊房子頂住了多年的強風仍屹立不搖，  只會聽到外面的風聲而已 。  我會聽到窗戶外面鐵門的拍打聲、窗框＂咖咖咖＂的撞擊聲， 和外邊的樹枝樹葉摩擦搖晃的聲音。  風不會讓任何地表上的任何物品鬆口氣！ 

It's the same when I ride my bike to school.  Sometimes I have to think about what I'll wear each day, avoiding any loose clothing.  I often have to hold my hat upon my head as I ride out of the village, and when I near the big temple gate I have to bow down low, straining my legs against the force of the wind.  As I struggle forward I see bits of plants and plastic that the wind has sent hurtling across the road, each bit destined to land in some other place, far beyond my sight. 我騎單車到學校也一樣 ，  我有時候要考慮一下當天要穿什麼衣服 ， 不可以穿寬鬆的衣物 。  我從村子出發的時候要用手壓好我的帽子 ， 靠近廟的牌樓時要彎腰 ， 並用力踏單車的踏板 。  風那麼強大 ， 連路邊的雜草和塑膠垃圾都被吹到莫名其妙的遠處 。

The wind.  Occasionally it's a perfect day, with the sun shining just as brightly as it does in the summer, but then the wind reasserts itself, reentering the towns and villages with a vengeance.  We'll have a moment of peace, only to have that moment disturbed by overturned scooters, lost umbrellas and scattered items of clothing. 那個風 !  偶爾天氣很好  ，像夏天一般艷陽高照 。 可是風會突然復活 ， 火大地回到各鄉村裡 。  只有一下子的平靜 ， 下一刻就是倒了的機車 、 不見了雨傘和找不到衣服的情景。 

There are times when I'm angry at the wind.  "There are things I want to do today," I protest, "But you're making them difficult." 我有時候跟風生氣 :  "我今天有想做的事 !" 我抗議 ! "你讓那些事變得難以達成 !"

There are times when I'm almost at peace with the wind.  "Rage on!" I yell, "I will not fall off my bike today!  I will press forward!" 我有時候可以接受強風的挑戰。  "來啊 !" 我大聲罵風 ， "我今天不會掉下腳踏車 !  我會一直往前走 !"

There are even times when I like the wind.  I'll be at home, in the midst of my cats, drinking a beer or watching a movie, and the sound of the wind's passage will make the inside of a living room seem more special, and more secure. 我有時候喜歡風 。  那是我在家跟貓咪一起坐在沙發上喝啤酒或看電影的時候 。 風在外面呼嘯的聲音讓客廳顯得更溫暖 ， 更牢固 。

The wind, the wind, the wind.  When will it stop?  When will another season arrive, so that I can go back to all my swimming and beachgoing, hiking and lazing in the sun?  None can say with certainty, but most of us are hoping that day comes soon. 風 、 風 、 風 !  風什麼時候會停下來 ?  下一個季節快到了嗎 ?  我很想游泳 ，很想到沙灘上， 很想去爬山 ， 也很想去曬太陽 。  沒有人可以肯定的說出那個時間， 但我們都希望那天早日到來。

They never tell you about the wind, but then again why would they?  The wind is a thing they'd like to forget, and not a thing to carry around in your thoughts on summer days.  The wind will disappear in the summer, when the sky is blue and the weather's hot, and at that time we won't think about the wind unless we go to the beach, and see the red flags flying. 沒有人會跟你說風的強大 ，為什麼要說呢 ?  他們都不要把風放在心上 ， 沒有必要在夏天想到 。  夏天的天空很藍 ， 天氣很熱 ， 只有去到沙灘看到紅色的旗子才會想到 。

But maybe the wind has other plans.  Only the wind can say. 也許風有其他的計畫 ， 那只有風可說 。

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Random Thoughts at the End of the Semester

Welcome back everyone, it's time for another round of "Random Thoughts," in which I try to amuse myself (if not others) with musings on various topics until the end of the semester.  As I type this first paragraph it's January 9, and I have exactly nine more days of work to go.

January 9

1. My wife went with our younger daughter to Taipei last Saturday morning, so it was just the cats and I all weekend.  My wife and younger daughter are visiting family up north, and also scouting hotels where my daughter might work next summer.  I had to work last Saturday so I wasn't able to go.

I watched four movies over the course of Saturday evening and all of Sunday, all of them from the 70s.  I watched a couple Russ Meyer movies (Supervixens and Up!), neither of which I liked, Operation Daybreak, a WWII film starring Timothy Bottoms and The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes' Smarter Brother, which Gene Wilder wrote, directed and starred in.

Russ Meyer movies are all basically excuses for boobies, but they have a huge cult following and I feel like not seeing them and claiming to know a thing or two about 70s movies is weird.  For those who take them seriously, Russ Meyer movies can seem extremely misogynistic, but my chief complaint about them is that they're boring and don't make a lot of sense.  In this respect Up! is far worse than Supervixens, but both movies are still bad.

Operation Daybreak is a solid movie.  It's a bit slow in the beginning, but after the assassination attempt it gets very interesting.  I was surprised at how much I liked the Gene Wilder movie.  I've found him very annoying in other things, but Adventures is pretty funny.

Besides watching movies and drinking beer in my living room I rode my bike to Nanwan.  Along the way I followed some strange roads up into the hills and also around Longluan Lake.  I think I'm starting to get a feel for the geography of this area, how development is taking place, and how to adjust to the weather.  The wind was very strong for most of my ride south, but coming back north was relatively easy.

Nanwan was empty by the way.  I got there just before noon, and for most of my stay there wasn't a single person in sight aside from myself and the three women working at the Cowboy Bar & Grill.  I had a burger and a Coke, and after a short chat with the owner about the weather and the lack of customers I headed home.

And may the good Lord bless the girl at the bar who asked the owner if I was single.  She was shot down immediately ("He has a wife and kids.") but it did my heart good to hear it.  I turn 48 years old next Saturday, and it's nice to know that someone was interested.  I wasn't looking for that kind of attention, but it felt good to be noticed.

I only have two classes today, both in the afternoon.  From today every class I have will be the last class of the semester, and that's a great feeling.  I still don't know what next week's schedule will be, but if I have any classes they'll be remedial classes and I won't be taking them that seriously.  The students with the wherewithal to do so are going on a camping trip in Tainan for three days, and if I'm teaching anyone it'll be the few kids without resources to go camping.

I'll probably be reading this evening.  I'm 1/4 through The Best Science & Nature Writing of 2021.  COVID, COVID and more COVID.  I'm almost through the part that's explicitly about COVID, and hopefully the rest of the book is more interesting.

2. Oh yeah, I had my observation last Friday and it went well.  Everyone here seems happy with me so far.  As a result of that observation, my wife finding a job in Manzhou, and inquiries regarding going back to work in Taitung, I've decided to stay in Hengchun next year.  This decision isn't set in stone or anything, but barring some unforeseeable circumstance I should be in the same place, at the same times, next school year.

January 10

1. Starbucks and McDonald's aren't special for me anymore.  Back when I lived in Fangliao the nearest Starbucks and McDonald's were 25 minutes away by car, and even when I lived in Taitung getting to those two places involved some effort.  Now?  McDonald's and Starbucks are right on my way to school, and as a result I don't enjoy either place as much as I used to.

I had McDonald's for breakfast today.  Going to that restaurant before 7 is kind of annoying.  You can't order a latte off of the computer before 7, and if you try to do so you get a message that tells you lattes aren't available.  It matters not that you're placing an order at 6:59.  Not a great difficulty in my life, but definitely irritating.

2. Had three classes at the elementary school this morning.  The kids were very hyper, but other than that the classes were fine.  We played Jeopardy! online, read out of the textbook and wrote sentences for a bit.  Tomorrow's three classes will be my last there this semester.  I won't see them again until February.

3. After work I'm going to try to run to Guanshan.  In case anyone in Taitung is reading this, there's another Guanshan in Hengchun.  The Guanshan in Hengchun is a small town atop a hill.  There's an overlook there that many tourists visit on New Year's Eve, and the view up and down the coast from that point is impressive.

January 11

1. Last day of classes at the elementary school this semester.  Toward the end of the last class the "co-teacher" and I got to talking about department stores in Kaohsiung.  Apparently her favorite is the Hanshen Department Store near the Athletic Stadium MRT stop, though we agreed that it's a terrible place to eat lunch.  According to her that department store has the best selection of perfumes.

2. I still have two more classes at the junior high school this afternoon.  I'm fairly certain that 703 will be terrible, and that 706 will be much better.  The last time I had 703 they locked one of their classmates on the deck just before class, and the classmate trapped on the deck was using a dustpan to try to break the door open.

3. My wife and daughter returned from Taipei last night, and after I went running we drove down to the Kenting night market looking for dinner.  The stall selling fish and chips was closed and there wasn't much open.  I ended up eating soup dumplings, French fries, fried pork and a "meat ball" (肉球) that made me very sick.  On the plus side I found some of the Lithuanian IPA I love at the Hi-Life.

4. Today the powers that be decided that yes, I'm going with the students on the camping trip in Tainan.  I am OK with this decision because a) I won't be responsible for anyone's behavior and b) it's better than sitting in an office for three days.  Once I get back from the camping trip I'll be driving to Taitung, where I'll spend Chinese New Year in our apartment.

5. I've decided that for my birthday this Saturday I'd like to be in Kaohsiung.  I don't have any clear plan as yet, but I'd like to go to a nice restaurant that has a decent beer selection.  There are a couple bars/restaurants near Pier 2 that I'm considering, but I don't want to make any decisions until Friday.  BeerTalk doesn't have the best food but it's a fun place to sit.  There's also a cool Japanese restaurant we recently discovered on the other side of the port, closer to the 85 Skytower.

While we're in Kaohsiung I'd also like to visit the Eslite Bookstore in the FE 21 Department Store.  They don't have the best selection of books but I'll take what I can get.  If I have time maybe I can also find a used bookstore in the area.  If I recall correctly there used to be one near the Kaohsiung Train Station.

January 12

1. I'm spending the morning in the office because the students are taking their third semester test.  I am at peace with this development.

2. They're building something BIG behind my junior high school.  No idea what it is, but the hole they've dug is huge.  I went to the gate used by the workers to access the site but couldn't find that green sign that explains what the construction project is.

This construction project is right next to the Hengchun City Wall, a historical relic dating back to the Qing Dynasty.  Looking down at the big hole from the third floor, I couldn't help but wonder how many construction projects in Taiwan have uncovered bones or other archaeological finds that they either didn't recognize or which they quickly covered up.  Would there be an incentive to "overlook" such finds?  In this particular case I doubt it. -- the Hengchun Municipality Office is in charge of the project, and they seem to value such discoveries.  But would a private company be so forthcoming on finding something of historical/archaeological value?  I'm not sure.

3. While I was busy doing nothing this morning I called my dad in the States.  According to him my cousin has "given up teaching" in exchange for an administrative job in downtown Seattle (?).  I get it.  Teaching in the States isn't an easy thing now, marked as it is by both a strange lack of leadership and a lack of trust in individual teachers.  They ask for so much and give so little back.

4. Last night I watched 1976's At the Earth's Core, a hilariously bad science fiction movie starring Doug McClure and Peter Cushing.  It's a combination of Journey to the Center of the Earth, The Time Machine and a Japanese monster movie.  I loved the moog sound effects and the the flying rubber dinosaurs.

5. I'm really not sure if I'll be able to endure 1+ week of half days in the office.  After Chinese New Year I'll have to come back and sit here for a while, a thing I didn't have to do before because previous principals just let me go during the winter and summer vacations.  I plan on taking three days off during that time, but even so the prospect of sitting in this room for that long is daunting.

January 13

1. The bureaucratic aspect of my junior high school really irritates me.  I have to take three work days (公假) off next week to attend the school camping trip.  Why is this necessary?  Who is it helping?

2. Walked over to where they're doing the construction this morning.  It will be a "folk song hall."  Honestly, it's not like the old folk song hall was that popular to begin with.  Just building a park would have been better.

3. We're going to see Avatar 2 tomorrow.  I'm not that excited about it, but we couldn't think of much else to do before dinner.  We'll be spending the night at the mom-in-law's in Qiaotou, and the next day we'll be driving back.  For Saturday dinner I've decided on one of the seafood restaurants near The Drafthouse.

4. I'm finding this school very annoying today.  I feel like I'm surrounded by people who've been institutionalized, and who are institutionalizing others in turn.  "Socialization" some might call it, but even socialization isn't always good (or worthwhile).  I often resent the authoritarian way things are done here, and even though they seem to value my expertise my opinions don't always seem to matter.

Or maybe I'm just annoyed because T, one the teachers I find myself avoiding, asked me if I'll be in the office after Chinese New Year.  This was annoying for not one but two reasons: the first being the general fact of sitting in this office for so long, and the second being the idea of her seeking me out when I'm trapped here.  I REALLY don't want to have any discussions with her about my class next semester.  I don't think her input has much value, and she can be extremely overbearing at times.

January 16

Forgot to write here yesterday.  

In the morning the school held a running activity.  We ran from the gate behind the school to a temple gate at the bottom of a hill about 2 km away.  This activity turned out to be the best part of yesterday.  I was told I finished in the top 10, which for a guy who just turned 48 isn't bad.

Today I'll be joining the seventh and eighth grade students on their camping trip in Tainan.  I've never been to the place they're going, and I'm interested to see what that part of Tainan looks like.  I was told the place where we're camping is very famous.

My birthday?  After driving to Kaohsiung we went to Good Rolling, a burger place really close to the 85 Skytower.  Best burgers I've ever had in Kaohsiung.  After that we went to the Eslite Bookstore in the FE 21, where I bought some books.  We then saw Avatar: The Way of Water.  We ended the day with dinner at a Japanese barbecue place near the Aozidi MRT Station.  All in all a good birthday.

We'll see how today goes.  Hopefully it won't be miserable.  I keep having to remind myself that Chinese New Year is on the other side of the next three days.

January 17

School camping trip in Tainan.

January 18

School camping trip in Tainan.

January 19

School camping trip in Tainan.

Xinhua District, Tainan City 台南市新化區

Xinhua is north of Guanmiao and Longqi.  The western half consists of farms and small factories, while the eastern half is where the mountains begin. 新化區位於關廟 、 龍崎北部 。  新化西邊主要是農場跟小工廠 ， 東邊則是山區 。

Xinhua has a long history, and has been a distribution center for local farmers since at least the Qing Dynasty.  In older times it was known as "Damujiang" (Tavocan), a name given to it by the Siraya Tribe.  There are Siraya villages in Xinhua to this day. 新化的歷史久遠 ， 清朝的時候就是周邊鄉鎮的農產品集散中心 ，  更之前，新化是西拉雅族的 "大目降"。 目前在新化區仍有西拉雅部落 。

According to the last census, 43,418 people live in Xinhua. 上次人口統計表示: 新化的人口是43,418人 。

This is the "Gua Gua Garden" Sweet Potato Tourist Factory, also known as the Sweet Potato Ecological Story Hall.  A variety of sweet potato products are sold here.  It's south of central Xinhua. 這裡是新化市區南部的瓜瓜園地瓜生態故事館 。  這裡販賣很多不同種類的地瓜產品。   

There's a small museum next to the store.  I would strongly urge you to NOT buy the sweet potato tea. 商店旁邊有一個小博物館 。  我強烈建議不要買店裡的地瓜茶 。

This is inside the museum.  As these types of places go this place is very clean and well organized.  There's a small concession area selling pizza, sweet potato fries and other snacks near the entrance. 這是博物館裡面 。  我覺得這裡很乾淨，又整理得好 。  他們館外有個小廚房賣披薩 、 地瓜薯條跟其他小吃 。

On my way out I bought a bag of the spicy sweet potato chips.  They weren't bad.  Sweet potato wine?  Not interested. 出來的時候我買了一袋辣味地瓜酥，  我覺得不錯 。  地瓜酒呢 ?  我沒有興趣 !

We found this temple down an alley near the Xinhua Old Street.  It dates back to the 1700s, and many of its architectural details are very interesting. 這棟廟宇靠近新化老街 ， 它有三百多年的歷史 。  建築很有特色也很有意思 。

Tainan is a place where Taiwan's history feels very much alive. 台南是個能在生活中感受到歷史的地方。

Around the corner from the temple.  If I lived here I doubt I'd own a car. 廟的後面 。  我如果住在這個地區的話 ，我大概不要開車 。

The Yangkuei Literature Memorial Hall, celebrating the life and works of a famous local writer.  It's within walking distance of the Xinhua Old Street. 從新化老街走到楊逵文學紀念館很近。

The Township Hall Restaurant.  We briefly considered eating here, but decided against it.  I haven't had good luck with Western-style restaurants in rural areas.  For all I know the food here is excellent, but in this case I felt like the odds were against me. 這個歷史建築地標是家餐廳 。  我們原來想在這裡吃午餐，只是我們在鄉下地方吃西方料理的經驗不太好，所以後來決定不要了。 有可能這裡的料理超好吃 ， 只是那時候我覺得自己的運氣不會那麼好 。

The Xinhua Old Street.  This is one of the better preserved old streets I've been to, and if you've been following this blog for a while you'll know that I've been to A LOT of old streets. 新化老街 。  我逛過很多老街 ， 我覺得這條老街維護發展得不錯 。

Your first thought might be "sex shop" but no, these modes of support are meant for injured or aging bodies.  For many local residents years of farming have taken a toll. 你會以為這是情趣商店 ， 錯了，這裡才不是 !  他們主要賣給年長者或受傷的人 ，  當然農夫也是他們的重要客戶。

Toward the eastern end of the district is the Xinhua Tree Farm, which is managed by Taichung's Jungxing University.  It's a surprisingly scenic place, and MUCH better than the nearby Forest Park in Guanmiao. 往新化區的東部，你會來到中興大學管理的新化林場 。  這裡的風景很不錯 ，也比附近的關廟森林公園好很多。

。

Thankfully we didn't see any monkeys.  I hate monkeys.  Snakes and stinging insects I can deal with, but I despise monkeys. 還好我們沒有碰上猴子 ，  我很討厭猴子 。  我可以接受蛇和毒蟲， 可是我痛恨猴子。

We walked through about half of this place, and I was most impressed by the wetland area.  I wouldn't mind visiting again and exploring the rest of it. 我們只走了一半的林場， 我覺得濕地是最美的部分 ，  改天我還想回去走另外一半 。

Still further east is the Siraya Green Valley, a spot popular with local hikers.  This is where the mountains really start, and the road to this place is a mix of cemeteries, strange temples and aboriginal villages. 更往東邊有綠谷西拉雅 。  很多人從這裡開始登山 ，往這邊的路上有公墓 、 廟宇跟原住民的部落 。

Just look at those trees.  Part of me wanted to hike in a little ways, but I was a little tired from the Tree Farm. 樹林很美 。  我想走近一點 ， 可是剛剛的林場健行已經讓我夠累了 。

Back west a little ways is the Hutoupi Reservoir.  Hutoupi is Taiwan's oldest reservoir and a popular recreation site in the summer.  As it was the cold wind was blowing off the water, the place was packed, and we didn't stay long. 迴轉往西邊是虎頭埤水庫 。  虎頭埤是台灣最舊的水庫 ， 夏天是熱鬧的休閒景點 。  從水面上吹過來的風很冷 ， 而且到處都是人， 所以我們在那裏停留的時間很短 。

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