Acclimating

With every day comes a new and exciting adventure (I know it sounds cheesy, but I have no other way to describe my life right now).  Another week of teaching and another weekend of adventure have come and gone.
I already have a fairly regular schedule at work, which makes me feel even more at home in the school (and also saves me because one of the frustrations that comes with my particular school branch is the fact that we are not provided with our following week schedule in advance (meaning I will be planning and teaching my Monday lessons in the same day)).  This will be the first full week without the teacher I am replacing around the school, which means that starting Monday I am Shane English School (Homei)'s 3rd full time teacher!
On Tuesday of this past week I experienced my first night market, which appears to be a common occurrence in most cities.  The night markets of Taiwan typically consist of a vast array of food, some drinks, limited shopping, and games of 'hoopla' (but perhaps this is just the review of Homei's night market).  Among my friends it is commonplace to convince the newcomer to eat some of Taiwan's less-popular foods (less common among the foreign population, I am under the impression locals enjoy them).  My first food test was Stinky Tofu, which is a fried tofu dish most commonly known for its fragrance (which has been described as smelling reminiscent of gym socks and/or garbage), and less known for its taste (which is borderline flavorless).  I also enjoyed quail eggs on a stick, and shaved milk with mango.  The highlight of my night however would have to be winning a bottle of non-alcoholic champagne in Hoopla (a 'standard' game of ring toss, where the targets range from liquor/beer to small toys).
Saturday was a my first Shane School function.  All teachers and TA's from the four franchise schools in my region all got together for a complementary dinner at a local barbeque called Bake Shape Ape (which we all agreed was an excellent phonics lesson, but a horrible restaurant name).  The style of the restaurant was unlike anything I have been at before (though I don't believe it is unique around here).  Each table is sunk into the floor and has places for people to sit around them (also on the floor).  In the middle of each table is a place to cook food hot-pot style and barbeque style, and raw meats/veggies are served to the tables to be cooked to each person's individual liking.  Lunch included more meat than I have had in weeks, and included various parts of pork, chicken, beef, and seafood animals (the most exotic of which was chicken heart). Following lunch was a night of partying and dancing for my friend Derek's birthday.

Several of the Homei TA's and teachers enjoying our barbeque lunch.

We're about to eat chicken heart for the first time.

Today was a day of exploration is the small town of Jiji.  The day started with the intent to go go carting (which did happen), but there were other highlights.  The most hauntingly beautiful sight of the way was the Wu Chang Gong Temple.  This is a temple which was leveled years ago by a powerful earthquake, and now all that remains is a partially intact roof.  Many pieces of sculpture-work from the roof, as well as the overall shape of the roof, have been left in place.  One of the highlights of the day was the train ride home.  Because we tend to be the only foreigners the Taiwanese people see on a regular basis, they are always fascinated by us.  On the train we had a Chinese lady feeding us Tangelo, and a Taiwanese lady feeding us dried plums (though she told us they were mangoes, and they tasted like tomatoes), and dried bananas.

Walking the streets of Jiji

The remains of the Wu Chang Gong Temple.

One of the quirky superstitions in the United States is a fear of the number 13, and I have learned in Taiwan that there is a similar fear related to the number '4'.  The number '4' in Chinese is similar to the word for 'death' in Chinese (which I believe are both 'si' with varying tones) which is the basis for the phobia.  As a result, many buildings will not have a labeled 4th floor and will instead skip to the 5th floor or have a 3A and 3B floor.  In apartment buildings the main result is that foreigners (including myself) live on the 4th floor.

It is time to get my lesson plans together and get some sleep! Goodnight friends!