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Taiwan Diary: Mid-Autumn Festival
Sep. 10th, 2022 11:14 pmHappy Mid-Autumn Festival! This is one of my favorite holidays here. I mean, who doesn't love the moon? And the little rabbit imagery because of the moon rabbits! Love it! Here in Taiwan, it is a family holiday, with people getting together to have BBQs, so that's a bit lonely for a visitor, even though I don't have the emotional association that local families have. I went for a walk this evening, hoping for some nice moon-viewing opportunities, but alas, it was too cloudy and I got tired and went home.
We'll be back in person at school this week, which is a huge relief. The government has moved to a "test to stay" protocol. Basically, if a student is exposed to a classmate with COVID, they must present negative tests for 2-3 days in a row in order to be allowed to come to class. If a student is exposed through a household member, then they must quarantine for at least a week, but their classmates don't have to quarantine. I feel like we'll be more vigilant with masks. Kids have been pretty good, but two and a half years in, we were all slipping. Thankfully, in the outbreak that sent us online, only two or three staff members fell ill and I think only four or five students were ill, none seriously as far as I know. I think the protocol strikes a reasonable balance between protecting the school community and effective teaching. Online just doesn't work as well on the whole. Like I've said before, there are some kids who thrive with online learning, and it should always be an option going forward (with virtual schools, not hybrid classes). Work from home should be available for many jobs, for any employee who wants it. I do not want it if I can help it.
I've been in Taiwan for four weeks now. I feel pretty settled in my apartment and city, and now I'd like to start exploring. The island is small enough that it's easy to take weekend trips, especially with the high-speed rail system. I've decided to go to Taipei next weekend. I spent a weekend there back in 2019, but to be honest, I didn't see much. I was also sick with what turned out to be a horrible case of bronchitis, which didn't help. This coming weekend, I plan to go up to the observation deck in Taipei 101, a skyscraper that was, for six years, the tallest building in the world. It is currently the eleventh tallest building in the world. It's 90 meters shorter than the Ping An Finance Center in Shenzhen, which I never got the chance to check out. I hope it's not too scary. >_<
Oh! I have managed to do a little writing over the last few days. Nothing I want to share yet, but I'm making progress on a few things, which is a really nice feeling.
I hope you all have a nice week!
We'll be back in person at school this week, which is a huge relief. The government has moved to a "test to stay" protocol. Basically, if a student is exposed to a classmate with COVID, they must present negative tests for 2-3 days in a row in order to be allowed to come to class. If a student is exposed through a household member, then they must quarantine for at least a week, but their classmates don't have to quarantine. I feel like we'll be more vigilant with masks. Kids have been pretty good, but two and a half years in, we were all slipping. Thankfully, in the outbreak that sent us online, only two or three staff members fell ill and I think only four or five students were ill, none seriously as far as I know. I think the protocol strikes a reasonable balance between protecting the school community and effective teaching. Online just doesn't work as well on the whole. Like I've said before, there are some kids who thrive with online learning, and it should always be an option going forward (with virtual schools, not hybrid classes). Work from home should be available for many jobs, for any employee who wants it. I do not want it if I can help it.
I've been in Taiwan for four weeks now. I feel pretty settled in my apartment and city, and now I'd like to start exploring. The island is small enough that it's easy to take weekend trips, especially with the high-speed rail system. I've decided to go to Taipei next weekend. I spent a weekend there back in 2019, but to be honest, I didn't see much. I was also sick with what turned out to be a horrible case of bronchitis, which didn't help. This coming weekend, I plan to go up to the observation deck in Taipei 101, a skyscraper that was, for six years, the tallest building in the world. It is currently the eleventh tallest building in the world. It's 90 meters shorter than the Ping An Finance Center in Shenzhen, which I never got the chance to check out. I hope it's not too scary. >_<
Oh! I have managed to do a little writing over the last few days. Nothing I want to share yet, but I'm making progress on a few things, which is a really nice feeling.
I hope you all have a nice week!
