Happy New Years!

Happy New Years!

No that is not a typo. This year in Taiwan we have had several new year celebrations. We hope that it bodes well for the coming year. Since school was in session for the western new year and since Susan's class was on Friday, she worked on both Christmas Eve Day and New Year's Eve Day. Her students are a mixture of Taoist, Buddhist, and Chrisitian and many students celebrate the western Christmas and New Year Holiday with their friends and partners. She had individual consultations on their final papers during the week of Christmas. Students were required to meet for a 30 minute consultation on that week and papers were due on New Year Eve Day by 6:00 PM. Some students invited us for a traditional new year's hot pot celebration at the department of social work. We thought that it was interesting that students could do this in the school. We found out later that it was not officially sanctioned by the department or university. Everyone brought some kind of vegetable, mushroom or meat. There were vegetarian hot pots and omnivore hotpots.



Even men cook hot pot...

Hot Pot Heaven
The weather has been very cold for Taiwan and you could feel the warmth in the room - from the steaming food in the pots, the spicey Taiwanese pepper brew, and the warm interactions. One of the students, who had not yet turned in his paper, was not expecting to see Susan at this event. It was a bit uncomfortable for him until he realized she was not going to embarass him in front of the others. It is really fun to visit with students in these informal settings. They are very relaxed and because their anxiety is less their English flows more comfortably. Susan finds Taiwanese students friendly, motivated, respectful, and appreciative of faculty. In addition, they have a nice sense of humor once they feel comfortable with you.

Sunny North Shore


No we didn't eat the eel this day...

A colleague graciously took us to the northern coast for a day and it was great to see the ocean and visit with he and his son. We enjoyed the scenery comaradery and flying a kite on the beach, it was great! It made us a little homesick for our own grandsons who will be so much bigger when we return home. It was one of the few sunny days we have had this month.

...but, fish was on the menu.

We also enjoyed some very fresh seafood for lunch. It came from the ocean in the morning and could be seen swimming in tanks in front of the restaurant. It reminded us of our former favorite Hakka restaurant in Honolulu.

Brrrr! and Ahhh!

Beitou Version...

You've heard of shock and awe, this is the sound of us running to the hot spring and sinking into the water.

Weather has been cold so we have visited three hotsprings. Our favorite so far is Beitou - a public hot spring that anyone can get warmed by for NTD 20 or less than a dollar. (There are private and more expensive places, but this one is open to all.) We like this very much about Taiwan that rich and poor can enjoy the wealth of the island. To get to Beitou, you can take an MRT train to Beitou (about a 45 minute ride from out neighborhood)and walk about 10 minutes to the hot spring in the center of town. It is a beautiful spot. There are a series of three pools starting with the hottest at the top of the hill spilling down into the hotter pool in the middle and then the hot pool at the bottom.. The pools in the foreground are cold and colder.Young and old go and it is great to see the number of elders who are enjoying the heat to ease their older bones. We enjoyed it very much. When we left after dark we walked along the lantern lit street. It was beautiful and peaceful --we were at peace.

Jiaosi Version 



We also visited Jiaosi a small city in the beautiful county of Yilan. We went twice once with a colleague who convinced us the weather was just right to sample that hot spring and once with Doug and some friends. On the first visit, we also saw a beautiful waterfall and a flock of Taiwanese bluebirds eating papaya. They are strikingly large bluebirds with white markings along their very long tail. They were feasting on papaya and darting up and down the hill as we walked along the river back from the waterfall.

More about hot springs in a later blog...

We had a visit from Doug Cole, Claude's younger brother. He was a real hit. The Taiwanese heard his name as "dog" so I said that no he is not a rapper and they all laughed. Many older Taiwanese also have a good sense of humor even in English and, like Americans, tease you if they like you. I told them his name was Douglas. That was easier -- they all know Michael Douglas. He was stunned, awed initially and then had a very good time. He has white, very curly hair. The Taiwanese really liked it and many women asked to touch his head to feel his hair. He was amused, but I think enjoyed having the positive response to his appearance.

The morning Doug left for the airport, we left on the train to travel to Hualein for the Fulbright Mid-Year Confernece. We had the Mid-Year Meeting in a lovely hotel in Taroko Gorge. Claude had some down time. Susan had to present her progress report and listen to others. We had visited Taroko earlier in the fall not knowing this meeting would be held there. It was a lovely spot - spectacular views and warm rooms. It was great to hear how everyone's year was going. Most are doing very well. Those senior scholars who only had one semester fellowships are feeling like the time is too short. It very much fun to see how the English Teaching Assistants (primarily recent BA graduates from all over the US -- mostly small colleges and universities) are growing and changing and becoming fluent not only in Mandarin, but also Taiwanese and some of the indigenous dialiects of the students they teach and coach in English.

That all for now. Hope you are well and staying warm. We are trying to do the same.

Susan and Claude