Meet my students in Taiwan! Much smaller in size and quantity than my class in Honduras, but just as much to love. Brother and sister, Jack and Jessica. The two cutest little nuggets on this planet.
Self Mutilation and Fireworks
April 22, 2013 by 2 Comments
Peanut butter and jelly. Apple pie and ice cream. Wine and cheese. Self mutilation and fireworks? Last night, a religious group in Taiwan hosted a celebration in my neighborhood. It couldn’t be ignored, as thousands of fireworks were exploding for a span of 4 hours. As it turned out ,the Ba Jia Jiang were celebrating one […]
Kaohsiung’s Junk Market
April 17, 2013 by 8 Comments
Every Saturday and Sunday a magical thing happens in Kaohsiung. Vendors, gamblers, animals, penny-pinchers, spendthrifts, perverts, hoarders, and expats alike, flock to a slab of pavement with only a tin roof for cover. And for what reason? To experience the twisted, yet brilliant world of The Junk Market. Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome to the Land […]
Anti-Nuclear Protesters Take Over the Streets of Taiwan
March 11, 2013 by Leave a Comment
An estimated 68,000 Taiwanese protesters took to the streets this past weekend in opposition to the construction of what may be Taiwan’s 4th nuclear power plant. The “Nuclear Go Zero” protests took place all across the country, and were followed by an all night vigil in which the participants stayed up until sunrise. I could see […]
5.6 Earthquake in Taiwan
March 7, 2013 by Leave a Comment
Mother Nature decided to do her sun salutations this morning. I felt it around noon, when she was in the middle of her downward facing dog. Thankfully, I was only on the 5th floor so I didn’t experience too much swaying. Dom was out on his bike, and returned as if nothing had happened. Guess […]
Life as an English Teacher in Taiwan
March 4, 2013 by 3 Comments
Wow. This has been a crazy couple of months. It’s been tough picking up and moving to a brand new city, but well worth it. Dom and I have been in Taiwan less than 2 months, and already we have jobs, an amazing space to call our own, and can already say a handful of […]
Yanshui Fireworks Festival
February 28, 2013 by 1 Comment
The full moon has been known to make people do crazy things. Good thing the final day of the Chinese New year is always planned to fall on one. It’s my theory that the spell of the moon is one of the reasons the Taiwanese have the balls to jump into a sea of fireworks […]
Chinese New Year Day 14: Let’s Blow Stuff Up.
February 24, 2013 by 1 Comment
The Yanshui Firework Festival takes place tomorrow in Tainan, located 40 km north of Kaohsiung. Also known as the Beehive Rocket Festival, it has been deemed the 5th most dangerous festival in the world. The event is compromised of bottle rockets, ritualistic dancing, and good food. Who could ask for anything more? But to make it to […]
Chinese New Year Day 10: Temple Etiquette
February 20, 2013 by Leave a Comment
Day 10 of Chinese New Year doesn’t really have any specific tradition one must follow such as lighting fires, offering sweet foods to bribe the gods, or eating your first born child. Okay. Just kidding about the last one. Today is simply a day to continue praying and to be with family (assuming you are […]
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