Taste of Taiwan: My first (typhoon free) weekend

My first classes went well on Thursday evening. I still have a lot to learn and figure out about teaching, but that will come with more time and experience!

I am exhausted after a great weekend of getting out to see the city! Friday I observed the Y class at school (3-4 year olds who were on their 9th day of learning English). They're SO cute and seem to be learning very quickly. That class is only one hour and nice because they have no hw or quizzes I have to grade! Friday night I met up with a girl I met at my temporary apartment (another teacher with my company). She was having drinks with people from the program she came over with at a (very westernized) bar :) So through that I met a bunch of other teachers and some people I will definitely keep in touch with! Saturday I observed one of the more advanced classes at school which wasn't too exciting, but it was good to see. Saturday afternoon I went on a hike up a mountain (about a 20 min motorbike ride away from our school) with two other teachers. It's funny here because it's just city, then mountains (no suburbs). So we pretty much walked up stairs the entire way to the top. AH! It reminded me how out of shape I am, but I tried to not look like too much of a wimp. There were a few temples at the top and AMAZING views of the city. I was kicking myself for not having brought my camera! But I think they go every week, so I will go again. After the hike one of the guys I went with took me to the night market by my apartment to get some real Chinese food. He actually speaks Chinese so he ordered me some really good food. Later that evening I met up with my roommate and some of her teacher friends at a Japanese BBQ place--you cook your own food in front of you. Too bad I'd already eaten dinner, I will have to go back and try it sometime.

Sunday I met up with a Taiwanese girl (a friend of a friend). She has spent a total of about 5 years in the US so her English is perfect, literally no accent, and she was an excellent guide around the city for the day. We ate brunch at Taipei 101 (currently the tallest building in the world). Then went to the Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall and the Sun Yat-sen Memorial. Sun Yat-sen is considered the "founder of modern China" and Chiang Kai-shek assumed the leadership after Sun Yat-sen died. He went on to lead the national government of the Republic of China from 1928 to 1975. Chiang Kai-shek's Memorial was under some construction so I will have to go back when that is over. We then went to afternoon tea at the SOGO department store (a very expensive store in downtown). I had the best tea I've EVER tasted there (Calif. Fruit Tea--amazing.) After that I met my friends, an American couple, for a real Chinese dinner. It was SO good. Whoever knew mango and shrimp (two of my favorite foods) could be mixed together to be an awesome dinner dish? So I'm definitely making up for not having eaten much Chinese last week (Okay, Dad?!)

I begin an almost full schedule of teaching this week. Tomorrow evening I have two classes. Well, I need to get some sleep after this busy weekend! Below are a few pictures from my sightseeing.