I am nearing the end of teaching in Taiwan and I have been behind in blogging. So I might back track a little in the posts to come. I have been teaching the basic reading class. It is quite the experience. I have worked pretty much everyday with these kids and now I get them all to myself. Which can be a great thing and a bad thing. My students say the funniest things. For example "teacher may I touch you". Then ask this because I don't have the greatest circulation so sometimes my skin turns red/purple. So they love to grab me. One of my students will just call me over to say teacher I need help( when he really doesn't). While I am teaching him my mad manuscript skills. He immediately grabs my arms and starts staring. I have to remind him to watch how I write the letters. This is also the student that goes into the splits on a daily basis(in his chair). I have to say Frank stop doing the splits in your chair and sit the right way.
Then there is Yoyo one day we were in the kitchen and we were talking about what would happen if we didn't cut our hair? All the boys said "then we would look like girls". Yoyo said and like MJ! He then jumped out of his chair and started singing beat it and doing what looks like a MJ dance. I couldn't help but laugh hysterically. He also occasionally swears which I really don't mind because it makes me laugh every time. I really bring this out in my students mainly because I entertain them and they entertain me. He also is the only one that catches if I swear in class. He will usually laugh like a little girl and say Teacher. I love teaching this age.
Then there is Rolland one of the oddest little Asians I have worked with. He usually is in his own little world. All the sudden he will stand up and start swinging his arms in the air and starts karate chopping the air. I just stare wondering if he is noticing that he has an audience watching. One time we were playing a game where we think of as many words as we as we can that start with a certain letter. Well the letter was "S" and of coarse one students said "Shit" I said ok and just didn't write it on the board. Then Rolland came up to me. He whispered in my ear "teacher and spells S A R S then quickly says SARS" I start to laugh and said very good. I mean these little Asians are well aware of what is going on in the world. I mean I was looking for more of the words like sun or stop but wait to think out side the box. I just couldn't wait until we got to the letter "h" I was waiting for one of them to say H1N1. Well Rolland is a very smart kid. He loves to just come up to me while I'm at my desk and say the most random things. He also tells me to go to Sherry everyday like I am introuble.
Then there is Andy he loves to talk about how one time this died and then that died etc... I think it might be because of the age. His typical response to all of my stories are "I have seen(with of course a head nod)". I always say Andy what have you seen? He usually responds ok ok. Andy is the one that reminds me of the boy off of Indiana Jones. I sometimes can get him to say "Dr. Jones". I love it.
Then there is the girls. They are the talkers. I usually have to say ok teachers turn to talk.
Ella is so adorable she is my favorite. She also reminds me when I am leaving to go back to America. She then will say teacher you should stay I will miss you. Then she says I will cry. She also reminds me that I can stay. But then I remind her that Rae Rae misses me. My students very much so want to meet Grandma Rae Rae.
Ella will say every 2 seconds say teacher I tell you something. This story usually consists of how her brother is so mean to her. Cindy is full of energy and a lot of fun. Then there is Minnie she will put you in your place. She is a very smart girl she is 6 going on 30.
Cindy and Rolland(aka Rolley Poley or Ruler)
Amily she is adorable but sometimes shy
Here is Frank in his signature pose the splits
Emerson the backwards hugger
Minnie and Duncan always up in my business
Yoyo (aka Yoyo Ma) about to hit Andy in the face
Andy telling teacher that I am crazy
Rolley Polely, Cindy and Amily
Me and Miss Ella
Afternoon Basic Reading
Evening Basic Reading Class
The boys are crazy and out of control. I love it.
The Boys
The Girls
Well I have taught these little Asian nuggets for a year solid. So I am very much attached. I am going to miss them so much. I have learned a lot and had some amazing experiences living in Taiwan. I get teary eyed thinking about leaving them. But it is time to move on to the next adventure. They have promised that they will write to me and if they come to America they will visit me. I can honestly say that I have the cutest students alive. These little Asians will always have a place in my heart.
In front of the World Stadium with a little kiwi action going on.
Above and below is in the Kaohsiung Metro Station
A little ferry ride to one of the smaller islands or something like that
Group shots again
Sunny Charles and I doing a little Bye Bye
The love river at night and some fireworks it was quite romantic. Sorry for the picture overload.
I am nearing the end of teaching in Taiwan and I have been behind in blogging. So I might back track a little in the posts to come. I have been teaching the basic reading class. It is quite the experience. I have worked pretty much everyday with these kids and now I get them all to myself. Which can be a great thing and a bad thing. My students say the funniest things. For example "teacher may I touch you". Then ask this because I don't have the greatest circulation so sometimes my skin turns red/purple. So they love to grab me. One of my students will just call me over to say teacher I need help( when he really doesn't). While I am teaching him my mad manuscript skills. He immediately grabs my arms and starts staring. I have to remind him to watch how I write the letters. This is also the student that goes into the splits on a daily basis(in his chair). I have to say Frank stop doing the splits in your chair and sit the right way.
Cindy and Rolland(aka Rolley Poley or Ruler)
Amily she is adorable but sometimes shy
Here is Frank in his signature pose the splits
Emerson the backwards hugger
Minnie and Duncan always up in my business
Yoyo (aka Yoyo Ma) about to hit Andy in the face
Andy telling teacher that I am crazy
Rolley Polely, Cindy and Amily
Me and Miss Ella
Afternoon Basic Reading
The Girls
So teaching the SPE students I have some of my favorites. I taught this groups the majority of the time. This was their last day at the school. Here are some of my favorite students. One is Eric (he is in the front left) he is so excited about learning English and he has a cute British accent because he went to a cram school where British teachers taught him. He gets so excited that it is hard to understand him because he is laughing so hard. One day as my class was getting ready to line up to go. I said to my students if you are wearing white you may line up. He proceeds to line up and one of the girls says Eric you no white you no white. He keeps laughing and says Yes Yes and then drops his pants. There Eric is in his little Asian whitey tighties while laughing saying teacher i have a white. I then say yes you do now pull up your pants.
Then there is William. The photo above is of William and his big gulp sized coke slurpee. He has severe ADHD and is a lot of fun. I always think to myself If I were ever to have a child this is what it would turn out to be. A very hyperactive child who is very entertaining. He has a hard time staying in his chair and I have to repeatedly remind him to sit down. Did I mention that I also have a hard time sitting down as well. William is pretty fast on his feet. It is not uncommon for him to jump out of his chair hop on my back and start giving me a massage. I usually have to get after him and say William get back in your chair. I do have to admit he has definitely improved on his back massage. I also like to tease William. I will say to him William did you say Chinese? He says teacher I dont know Chinese. I always think to myself man that must suck for him. He is the most entertaining student I might just be bored with out him.
Next is Jerry. Featured above and below. He is the most awkward little Asian I have seen. He has glasses and has a longer neck compared to his classmates. He is adorable and hilarious. He wants everyone to follow the rules especially William. It is not uncommon for Jerry to hit William in the stomach for jumping up and down and not folding his arms. William will yell teacher Jerry hit me. Most of the time William is pretty resilient and he just keeps on going. I always say Jerry don't hit anyone. He always replies with the ok Teacher Hanna with a big grin. I laugh at this every time. Mainly because things would really go out of control if it were not for Jerry. One day we were in the gym playing soccer and Jerry got hit in the face by one of the other students. His glasses got lodged down and he went to push them back up and the eye pads got stuck in both of his nostrils so when he turned to me to tell him what had happened. I tried the hardest not to laugh.
So I was called on Friday night by Manti(who I call Moroni) and invited to go biking. He said to invite some friends so I invited my new roomies Tabbi and Tanier. So the next morning we were ready by 6:45. One thing that Asians love to do is to wake up at the butt crack of dawn on a perfectly good Saturday to sleep in. So Manti picked us up and we caught the train. We met up with some more people. We rented some bikes Tabbi and I decided to go with the Tandem bike. It had a awesome basket on the front that said "So Funny". Oh and it was so funny
Riding on a bike trail in the blazing heat was brutal. While peddling one of the Asians in our group rode up to me and said very loudly "you so white" then quickly rode off. It took me off guard I laughed. This bike ride was not too long but the Taiwanese have to stop every few feet to take a picture. I wanted to say to them hey we have to pick up the pace or this whitey is going to be red. We finally made it to the monkey museum and the monkey's I guess migrated to the other side. Whatever. So we opted for the monkey movie which didn't seem family friendly I mean it was in Chinese but all I saw was mating monkeys. Oh and the man in front of me was wearing a bright flowery floral print. I was so disappointed because I was not able to capture this because I did not want to cause a scene with having the flash go off. I also held a huge beetle who really knows why. 
Anyways after the movie we headed back to the train station and I was so sunburned tired and dehydrated. We then went and ate some noodles and some soup. I had the oyster soup and there was some other things in it but I just was so hungry I didn't even ask. I bit into something very chewy and sweet. They then told me it was pig intestine. I thought to myself that explains why my gag reflex what trippin a little. It was a long day in the sun. Now instead of being white I turned to a lovely shade of red. We then took the train back home. Manti asked me do you know Clinton? I said "Oh yeah Bill" like we are on a first name basis. Oh because Steve thinks that you look like him. I thought well I have never been compared to looking like a man or Bill Clinton. So I told myself this is coming from an Asian. I mean the whites all look the same. You can never be offended by Asian comments.
