The last few weeks I have been ill ( Read more... )

It seems that my horrible math ability is actually better than my horrible Chinese ability. As anyone in my family can attest Peter is not very good at math. I sometimes have to do simple calculations on paper or on a (surprise!) calculator. Despite this ineptatude twice in the past 3 days have I had to correct store clerks. In both cases I ( Read more... )

While waiting to cross the street to take the MRT to work a man looked at me and started talking to me. I took out my earphones so I could hear what he was saying. I did not understand all he asked, but I did get the fact that he was asking (in Chinese) if I was an American ( Read more... )

I really don't think Für Elise is trash, but now every time I hear it I think of garbage. Much like the Ice Cream truck playing Scott Joplins rag "The Entertainer", the garbage trucks in Taipei City play Ludwig Von Beethoven's bagatelle to announce that they are there and ready to pick up the refuse ( Read more... )

It has been said that when you are a foreigner in another country you should wait for the locals to start before you cross the street. It is pretty good advice and advice that for the most part I have followed. I have been in Taiwan for 6 months now and admit that I have on occasions been lax regarding this truism. Complacency perhaps has set in ( Read more... )

Maybe not 100 words or less, but there is not much to write about ( Read more... )

The ShiDa Dragon Boat team was supossed to be just one team: a mixed team (12 boys, 8 girls). They were to race in the Taipei City Dragon Boat Festival. However, they will not be. The reason is that the dates for the festival have not been "confirmed". I find that hard to beleive as the race is a month away. There is another reason I think and ( Read more... )

I decided today to stop practicing with the Dragon Boat Team. This decision was based on 2 main factors ( Read more... )

After doing tryouts and working out/practicing for a week they selected the 2008 ShiDa MTC Dragonboat team. I was not among those selected ( Read more... )

Yesterday my eye was itchy and red. So I did not wear my contacts. Today it was worse. So bad that one of my students before class asked me what was the matter. I told her I wasn't sure. She said she would take me to a local eye doctor that was very good. So in my hour break between classes this evening I was diagosed with Pink Eye. I do not ( Read more... )