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Taiwan Diary: Lunar New Year Break
Jan. 29th, 2023 10:49 amI definitely needed this week off. There were a lot of household projects that I had been putting off, some since I moved in back in August. I moved the furniture in my living room area to make the space more functional. I don't have room for a dining table but my coffee table can be adjusted to be taller. I bought a little rolling cart as a place to stash all the things I previously dumped on the coffee table and now I have a place to properly sit and eat. I also tackled some chores that I kept putting off, while also tackling the shame that I can't Just Do things. I don't like the way my brain has to warm up like a car on a cold morning before doing something as "simple" as taking my recycling down. But I got it taken care of, so maybe now that the space is clear, visually, I'll be more inclined to take things down daily when I go downstairs for work each day.
I wanted to buy an e-bike this week, but that is a big purchase. The reason I don't buy a regular bike is that I get so sweaty when I even walk, and I do not want to arrive at work dripping with sweat. There isn't any place to clean up before work, either. No staff gym or showers. I live about two miles away from work, which isn't far, but the humidity and heat just kill me. I literally turn into a sweat fountain. It looks like I've stuck my head under a hose, but it's sweat and I smell bad. And the school refuses to use A/C. (This is probably TMI, but I'm saying it partly to remind myself that I am allowed to be as comfortable as possible, especially at work.) An e-bike would be a good compromise. I'm not brave enough to get a moped. Plus, you have to get a special license and take a driving test, and the thought of that bureaucracy makes me queasy. There is an electric moped that you can use without a special license. My coworker has one, and something like that would be perfect, but again, it's expensive. It would cost around 1500 USD, which isn't terrible, considering the cost of taxis over a year (the closest bus stop to work is still a 10-minute walk from the school, so again, sweaty), but it's a LOT to drop. I'm also worried about where I would store it when I go home for the summer. I don't have a parking space at my apartment, and I don't just want to leave it on the street for two months. Parking is a premium here. Sometimes people even buy apartments simply because they come with a parking space to use and then rent the apartments out. Anyway, the whole thing makes my stomach hurt when I think about it, so I'm putting a pin in the idea for now. I'll see what my budget says in the fall. Fifteen hundred dollars is also the cost of a ticket home, and I refuse to give up my visit home this summer.
On a better note, I did manage some touristy activities this week. On Wednesday I joined my friends Sounia and Vika on a day trip. We booked a private car with an English-speaking guide and visited a few places that it's harder to get to if you don't have a car. (The trains are GREAT for getting from one city to another if you're interested in the larger cities, but any parks or mountains or anything outside the cities are really difficult to get to as buses and trains are much harder to find.) We went to Yehliu Geopark, Jiufen Old City, Shifen and stopped at a few photogenic spots in between. It was COLD and blustery all day. I thought I would be okay as it rarely gets colder than 50 during the day, but I didn't factor in the humidity and wind. I did okay with my denim jacket, but I could have used a scarf and gloves!
On Friday I went into Taipei alone and visited the National Palace Museum. Despite the crowds (small enough that I had a decent personal space bubble, large enough that people kept cutting in front of me when I tried to look at things), I really enjoyed the museum. It is basically a museum of Taiwan's material culture. There were exhibits on calligraphy, pottery, and jade objects among many other things. I really liked the pottery and ceramics displays. I am fascinated by the way humans make their daily lives more beautiful. Many of the items were made for and used by wealthy people. The museum showcases the finest examples of these crafts. Sometimes it makes me a little sad -- I saw some ink cakes that were several hundred years old, and while I was grateful I got to see these beautiful objects, they were also meant to be used.
After the museum, I took the metro to the Wenchang Temple. It is a temple dedicated to gods of study and education, a popular place for students to visit, especially around exams time. I didn't go in as there were quite a lot of people worshipping, and I didn't want to be rude. I'd like to visit as many temples here as I can, and I hope to find some when they aren't too busy so I can take some photos without disturbing anyone. I think it's okay to go in as long as you aren't getting in the way of worshippers, but I'd rather err on the side of politeness. I mean, I've gone into cathedrals and churches and taken photos as long as it was allowed and there wasn't a service going on, but since this isn't my culture, I tend to stand back.
I wish I still had time off, but I am looking forward to getting back to the actual teaching part of my job. I was going to catch up on some grading today, but then I decided not to. I'm not paid to work on weekends or holidays, so I'm not going to do it (as much as possible). I have prep periods tomorrow, so I'll have to really buckle down and use the time wisely. I did spend some time making weekly schedule templates on Canva. I like messing around with stuff like that. I don't have my lesson plan book with me, so I can't fill in the schedules, but that's what tomorrow is for!
I wanted to buy an e-bike this week, but that is a big purchase. The reason I don't buy a regular bike is that I get so sweaty when I even walk, and I do not want to arrive at work dripping with sweat. There isn't any place to clean up before work, either. No staff gym or showers. I live about two miles away from work, which isn't far, but the humidity and heat just kill me. I literally turn into a sweat fountain. It looks like I've stuck my head under a hose, but it's sweat and I smell bad. And the school refuses to use A/C. (This is probably TMI, but I'm saying it partly to remind myself that I am allowed to be as comfortable as possible, especially at work.) An e-bike would be a good compromise. I'm not brave enough to get a moped. Plus, you have to get a special license and take a driving test, and the thought of that bureaucracy makes me queasy. There is an electric moped that you can use without a special license. My coworker has one, and something like that would be perfect, but again, it's expensive. It would cost around 1500 USD, which isn't terrible, considering the cost of taxis over a year (the closest bus stop to work is still a 10-minute walk from the school, so again, sweaty), but it's a LOT to drop. I'm also worried about where I would store it when I go home for the summer. I don't have a parking space at my apartment, and I don't just want to leave it on the street for two months. Parking is a premium here. Sometimes people even buy apartments simply because they come with a parking space to use and then rent the apartments out. Anyway, the whole thing makes my stomach hurt when I think about it, so I'm putting a pin in the idea for now. I'll see what my budget says in the fall. Fifteen hundred dollars is also the cost of a ticket home, and I refuse to give up my visit home this summer.
On a better note, I did manage some touristy activities this week. On Wednesday I joined my friends Sounia and Vika on a day trip. We booked a private car with an English-speaking guide and visited a few places that it's harder to get to if you don't have a car. (The trains are GREAT for getting from one city to another if you're interested in the larger cities, but any parks or mountains or anything outside the cities are really difficult to get to as buses and trains are much harder to find.) We went to Yehliu Geopark, Jiufen Old City, Shifen and stopped at a few photogenic spots in between. It was COLD and blustery all day. I thought I would be okay as it rarely gets colder than 50 during the day, but I didn't factor in the humidity and wind. I did okay with my denim jacket, but I could have used a scarf and gloves!
On Friday I went into Taipei alone and visited the National Palace Museum. Despite the crowds (small enough that I had a decent personal space bubble, large enough that people kept cutting in front of me when I tried to look at things), I really enjoyed the museum. It is basically a museum of Taiwan's material culture. There were exhibits on calligraphy, pottery, and jade objects among many other things. I really liked the pottery and ceramics displays. I am fascinated by the way humans make their daily lives more beautiful. Many of the items were made for and used by wealthy people. The museum showcases the finest examples of these crafts. Sometimes it makes me a little sad -- I saw some ink cakes that were several hundred years old, and while I was grateful I got to see these beautiful objects, they were also meant to be used.
After the museum, I took the metro to the Wenchang Temple. It is a temple dedicated to gods of study and education, a popular place for students to visit, especially around exams time. I didn't go in as there were quite a lot of people worshipping, and I didn't want to be rude. I'd like to visit as many temples here as I can, and I hope to find some when they aren't too busy so I can take some photos without disturbing anyone. I think it's okay to go in as long as you aren't getting in the way of worshippers, but I'd rather err on the side of politeness. I mean, I've gone into cathedrals and churches and taken photos as long as it was allowed and there wasn't a service going on, but since this isn't my culture, I tend to stand back.
I wish I still had time off, but I am looking forward to getting back to the actual teaching part of my job. I was going to catch up on some grading today, but then I decided not to. I'm not paid to work on weekends or holidays, so I'm not going to do it (as much as possible). I have prep periods tomorrow, so I'll have to really buckle down and use the time wisely. I did spend some time making weekly schedule templates on Canva. I like messing around with stuff like that. I don't have my lesson plan book with me, so I can't fill in the schedules, but that's what tomorrow is for!
