Chosen – they picked me

The wait had seemed unending

And yet the year has passed so quickly 

Time has come to go back home

Opportunities to see, to do, to be 

In a place on the other side of the world

Leaving my friends and family behind

And in the process, gaining new friends

Able to see incredible displays of a creative designer

Ocean splendor,

Waves pushed by an incredible force,

Beaches full of treasures 

Beauty in the wings

Of a seemingly unending variety of butterflies

Flowers in the wild that reminded me

Of special gifts at home – Easter Lilies, poinsettias

Students who told me they were learning English

Because they weren’t afraid to try any more

Students who had no desire to speak a different language

Sleeping through most of my classes

Chinese classes that were such a challenge

Wanting to quit at times when I felt so overwhelmed

Learning how my students may feel when I am speaking

Using words that make no sense at all to them 

我可以講漢語的一點

English class for adults wanting to improve their skills

Using the Bible for the textbook – reading, listening, speaking

Learning so much about life and about who God is

All the while becoming close like a family 

Father Beauregard, a 94-year-old Jesuit priest from Canada

Spent one year imprisoned on mainland China

Now busy ministering to the ‘old folks’ in the rest home

Getting around on his new scooter

Precious babies were gently held

Waiting for new parents to welcome them home

All the while I was learning many life lessons

From their sweet caretaker

A man who came almost every day to help the cafeteria crew

Unable to speak, able only to do menial tasks

Reminded me that life is precious in God’s eyes

No matter what we see on the exterior of the person

Coming to the end of any school year can be difficult

This one even more so

Students whose lives will continue without me now

Co-workers who will continue with their daily assignments

Did I make any difference?

Are the students better because I was here?

I only know that I am different

Taiwan has changed me 

             June 2008

             Marilyn Hodgin

             English teacher at Nanao Jr/Sr High School

             Yilan County, Taiwan

What a month it has been – for the world.  Earthquakes, storms in Myanmar, and the middle states in the USA.  Just a note about all of that – my pastor was reading from Matthew 24, and it says not to be afraid, because those are signs that Jesus is planning on coming back soon.  I hope you are ready when He comes! 

What a month it has been for me – family visiting from Costa Rica and Seattle.  My brother who is a missionary in Costa Rica came, as did my daughter and her boyfriend from Seattle.  I just about wore them out, but we sure got a lot packed into the short time they were here!  My students were so enamored with all of them – to be able to see foreigners here at school was so amazing for them. 

I put Rachel and Matt to work, in fact I saved the M&M Math lesson for when they were here so I could have extra hands for that day.  The rest of the classes all wanted to get pictures with them.  It wasn’t all smiles, though!  They did get to have some time to play basketball with the students. 

At the bed and breakfast where they stayed while in Nanao, they had to remember to take off their shoes before entering the rooms, too!  We went to the beach one morning.  After enjoying the sand and waves, they walked out along the protective barrier – where they had a beautiful view of the ocean.             

We had dinner Friday night with some friends, then went to their home for tea.  Saturday, we went to the Home of God’s Love – and David was quick to pick up a baby and even fed some of them.          

We were able to do some sightseeing in Taipei, too. We visited the zoo – even though it was quite rainy!   We also took a ride on the MaoKong Gondola.  We stopped for a bite to eat before heading back, then for a sampling of tea.  By the time we finished, the sky and cleared, and we headed to Taipei 101.  We got to see it, inside and out.  We went to the observation floor – the elevator took 39 seconds to get to the top – and it didn’t even feel like we were moving!  We got there in time to see the city in the day, and then to see it at night with it all lit up.  The observation deck on the 91st floor was open, too, so we were able to go out there. 

David left early on Monday, so Rachel, Matt, and I visited Pinglin, a city well-known for its tea production.  We ate at a restaurant where everything is cooked in tea.  Quite interesting!  Then, that evening, I headed back to Nanao, and Rachel and Matt headed back to Seattle.  What an enjoyable visit! 

And also – my birthday is in May.  Some of my students surprised me with a cake and some special cards. Here is one of them – a hand-made likeness of me! 

 I visited The Home of God’s Love orphanage on the weekend of my birthday.  Many times a bakery in town will bring breads and baked goods that were not sold that day and donate them to the orphanage, which they did that night.  One of the items was a birthday cake – I guess God sent me that one! 

On Friday, May 23, we had a meeting with the MOE, the contact teachers from each school, and the foreign teachers here this year.  The meeting was to see what could be done to make this adventure better for the next group that will be here.  It was so good to see all the teachers again, and to see some of the new friends we had made in the MOE (Ministry of Education). 

Some of us stayed over so we could have a little vacation.  Betty (my friend who went to the Philippines with  me) and Rose stayed in the same hotel, so we went sightseeing together, along with some Taiwanese friends that Betty knew in Taipei.  We had breakfast at New York Bagels – I had real bacon!  That was something I really miss.  By the way, while I was there, my doctor from the clinic here in Nanao walked by.  We were both surprised!! 

We went to New York New York, which is a shopping area, with several movie theatres all together.  We saw that Lady Liberty really does get around – she’s been shopping there, too, right in the shadow of Taipei 101! 

We went walking around with some of Betty’s friends, and saw some very beautiful scenic spots in the area where we were staying.  We also got to see the changing of the guard at the Presidential Palace.  All the traffic was stopped, until the ceremony was finished.  The soldiers were still marching off, but traffic was back to usual within seconds! 

At night, we went to Shilin Night Market – there were people everywhere.  I don’t remember seeing that many people before!  I also noticed a parking lot – but it was mostly all motorcycles!! 

So, this month has been busy – to say the least!  The ninth grade students had their BC (Basic Cometency) Test last weekend.  It covered all subject areas, including English.  The grade they earn will determine which school they can attend for high school.  Graduation will be June 13 for the ninth graders and twelfth graders.  They are so ready to be done with school! 

My plan is to head back to the States on July 15, with a visit in Seattle for a couple days, and then arriving in Arkansas on July 17.  I have to be back at my school in Rogers on August 11, so I will have enough time to at least get over jet lag!  And see some friends too! 

Tuesday as I was heading to the train station to travel to Luodong for the English Bible Study, I was delighted to see a rainbow!  I had to go back and get my camera so I could take a picture of it.  I don’t know if you remember when the first rainbow was or not, but it was after Noah came out of the ark.  God made a promise that He would never flood the earth again.  When I see a rainbow, it reminds me that God keeps His promises – all of them.  Look real carefully and you can see the rainbow!

Until next time . . .

On one of my many walks around town, I saw some beautiful colors of spring flowers.  It was interesting to see where they were growing – the first picture is up close, and the second one shows the setting around the flowers.  We can learn a lesson from flowers – beauty shows up in some of the most unique places! 

I was invited to take a trip to visit Turtle Island on April 15 along with nine students from Nanao and a fellow teacher, Mr. Wei.  I didn’t even think of a special deadline in America while I was sailing over the ocean!  Turtle Island is an island made from a volcano.  There are several hot springs along the coastline coming up from the deeps somewhere.  The color of the water has a marked difference where the hot springs are, and there is the telltale sign of the smell of sulphur.  

 The purpose of the trip was for a special rite-of-passage for the eighteen year old students in Yilan County.  The students go to the top of the island (1,700 steps to the top) where a special ceremony is conducted by the chief administrator of Yilan County.  I am sorry to say, I only made it to about 425 steps, then came back down with some girls who did not fare so well on the boat ride over.  My concern anyways was the trip down – that is harder on my legs than going up!  But I got an award anyways saying that I had reached my goal of adulthood — in case any of you were wondering when I would ever get there!! 

There were special fun events planned for the students – hula hoop relays, hat relays.  We walked around a small inland lake before we had lunch which provided some very beautiful sites to see.  We were also able to go down into some military tunnels used for protection of the island during previous war times.    The warning sign at the entrance warned of several things – including poisonous snakes.  I’m happy to say we did not encounter any!   

Earlier this month, the villages of Nanao held some competitions – mostly sports activities with elementary and secondary students competing against each village.  There are seven small villages that make up Nanao.  It was interesting to me that some of the students were there competing in the events, while the rest were still in school.  On the weekend, however, there were more events, and some students were assigned to help explain to me what was going on.  Three young men were right beside me through several events, to make sure I wasn’t by myself.  I always enjoy seeing community gatherings – from babies to grandparents, all enjoying those events. 

On April 25, our school had a special celebration.  I think it was an anniversary of the school, but I am not sure which one.  The day’s events began with a tug of war competition between classes.  Later, some dignitaries from the different villages were there to watch some of the special events.  The school’s native aboriginal dance team sang a special song.  It was beautiful.  An awards ceremony followed for special jobs some of the students had.  There were several different competitions - some of the homeroom classes had dance competitions against each other.  Some of the outfits were very creative!  One class switched gender roles, and there were some very interesting ‘girls’ – for sure!!   In the afternoon, there were some athletic competitions between the different classes, and awards given out for the top contenders.  One of the students got too excited, nervous, or hot, and fainted, so the ambulance had to come get her.  Notice the number to call on the window.  Other than that, it was a really great day – with good weather, and lots of good fun.   And the mountains, as always, provided such a pretty backdrop for the day.

In one of our English Club classes this month, we worked on asking and giving directions.  We had a worksheet that we went through together, but I wanted to make it more practical for them.  So, I  wrote some directions for the students to follow to go on an adventure to find a treasure!  Each student had a slip of paper with instructions for each step.  They had to read the words, and then follow the directions.  We actually ended up back where we started, but it was sure fun to see them reading, and figuring out what some of those words meant.  The ‘treasure’ was a bag of cute little Chinese snacks wrapped in paper that made them look like little people. 

In my special classes I have been teaching this semester, we have been doing some interesting things – at least they seem to be mostly interested!  We just finished up Humpty Dumpty – with extension activities using shapes, colors, and patterns.  We used tangrams one week, and made some different shapes with them.  The students had a task one of the days to draw a shape out of a bag, and they needed to identify the shape and the color.  I have a set of magnets that are different fruits – so as I was creating a pattern, we would say the names of the fruits.  It was a great way to repeat the fruits and have a purpose in doing it that was useful!   

As the school year is winding down to an end, the students are showing some progress in the English acquisition over the year.  In several classes, the teacher will let the kids listen to what I say as I explain something further, and have them try to translate into words they understand.  I am amazed at some of the students who are really picking up words and concepts from the lessons!  The students are doing better reading, and some of them are even asking me questions showing some depth of understanding of the language.  It sure does this teacher’s heart good to see that!  (Is that correct English??) 

This past weekend has been a busy one – with invitations to special events.  There was a family get together to celebrate a grandfather’s 80th birthday.  One of the grandsons and his new wife were on their honeymoon here from America – to celebrate with the grandfather.  The extended family gathered at the house, sang songs, read the twenty-third Psalm, and shared some thoughts together.  I had been asked to share a little in English for the new couple.  Then the family adjourned to a local restaurant where we had dinner – food, food, and more food!  Delightful evening. 

Sunday morning was filled with firewords going off for some reason – which I found out later to be in celebration of a god’s birthday this weekend.  There were fruits and flowers set up in front of many homes and businesses, with incense burning alongside them.  The temple was full of people, gods, music, and flags. 

After our church was finished, the pastor and family were going to an engagement party which started at the home of the bride’s family.  They sang songs and read scripture there, too – this time the love chapter, I Corinthians 13.  Then, the family adjourned to a restaurant downtown for dinner.  Again, food, food, and more food!  I was very honored to be able to be a part of all of that. 

It seems that at the end of every school year, the question comes to mind about my effectiveness – did I do a good job this year, did my students learn enough, did I make a difference?  I have found that the most difficult part of teaching English is an accurate assessment.  Many of the students are still in the pre-production stage where they are just hearing the words but not able to produce them.  Then, there are students who are ready to try saying anything because they are so hungry to learn more words, and the rest of the students are somewhere in between. 

I have decided that for the rest of the school year, I want to teach a motto to my students that challenges each of us to keep striving to be better – to do our very best.  I hope they can all say this at the end of the year – “Good, Better, Best!  Never let it rest!  Until your Good is Better, And your Better is the Best!”  I challenge you to keep striving, too! 

Beauty – flowers beginning to bloom

 These were taken in Taitung on Saturday, April 5 – the air smelled sweet from all the flowers.

Here is a picture taken of a palm tree – while I was on a hike in Jiaosi.

 I have enjoyed working with my new classes this semester.  Because I am coming up with my own curriculum, it requires more preparation, but that is fine.   We started out with “Five Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed”, and a review of the alphabet.  I have an alphabet chart with pictures, so I am teaching the vocabulary for the pictures, too.  I also made up Alphabet Books for each of them using the picture for each letter, and making sentences using the most frequently used words from the Dolch list. 

Our next thing was to work with colors, so I used Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?  I introduced the colors and the color words, as well as the names of the animals in the book.  I made up a book for each student so they could read along with me.  This last week, we were reviewing the colors, words, as well some of the vocabulary in the book.  If the students could find the answer correctly (even with help), they got some bear snacks!  That worked well in getting even the reluctant students to speak up and participate. 

Early in the month, the school had a vocal music competition for the students.  Many of these students have incredible voices.  They enjoy singing and dancing so much.  It was very enjoyable to watch the students get up in front of the student body and sing – some got too nervous, but others really surprised me at their ability.  As the judges were tallying up the scores, they needed some fill – so the principal asked if I would sing.  One of my co-teachers and I got up and sang Beautiful Sunday.  We had sung that with the students before, so they sang along with us! 

Many of the students in the school here are aboriginal.  Some of the students were in a dance competition, dressed in their traditional dress.  Here is a picture of some of the girls.

This semester I have seen the students reading more – and it seems as though they understand!!  This last week, one student translated back into Chinese the reading selection I had read to the class.  These students have been amazing me even more! 

Some of the foreign teachers here in Taiwan took a trip together to visit an island that is part of Taiwan, but is very close to mainland China.  We were never able to see the mainland because it was too foggy.  Two teachers on Kinmen, for their second year, were our tour guides.  It was so good to see everyone again, and such a special visit.   We were able to see a beach that is still off limits because there are still some land mines buried there.  As you will notice, it was a very windy day (that picture was taken by Edi Campbell, one of the teachers on the trip).  We also went into a tunnel that had been used by the military there.  That island is still used for military training – we saw many soldiers there on our visit. 

We visited the workshop of a man who makes knives from old bullet casings.  He did a demonstration for us – the knife he is holding is what he was working on in the first picture. 

We strolled through a small village built like a Chinese village.  The houses were simple, with subtle differences, such as the type of roof design.  Certain designs denoted social status in the community.  Even through there was not much grass, they still had many flowers around the village, including some bonsai plants. 

One of the special things we saw was a memorial to the first United States military person killed in action ono Kinmen.  He was from Michigan, which is where I grew up, so that made it very special to me.   

Here in Taiwan, there is a national holiday called Tomb Sweeping Day.  The families go to the cemetery and clean them up, and place flowers on the grave. The picture is of a Catholic cemetery with families together at the grave sites.   One of my co-workers told me that some people actually go to worship their ancestors on that day, and they leave some food on the graves for them.  My hope is that someday more of these people will come to see and understand why Jesus came – to give life, a life of meaning and purpose here, and an assurance that we can have life forever with Him in heaven. 

Just one more picture of flowers, and I’ll be done for this time.  This was taken early in the month, before there were many blossoms on the trees.  This is one of the early cherry blossoms.  This island still has a lot of Japanese influence here.  As your springtime comes, I sure hope you take time to enjoy the changes this season brings.  Remember, springtime is a celebration of new life!

So what have I been doing?  This month has brought a lot of introspection – looking at where I am in the year, what I have done with the students up to this point, areas where improvement could be made, desires and goals for my students – just to name a few.   As I look ahead at this last semester, I want to become more challenging with the students to take what we worked on the first semester, and begin to use it more.  I have seen that with some of the students, and it has been delightful to see them progress.  Here are a few pictures of some seventh grade students working hard on a quiz over vocabulary words.  I was pleasantly surprised! 

Sonia, one of my co-teachers, has been using some hands on activities for the students to be involved in the lessons.  After introducing vocabulary for a new lesson, two students at a time were called to the board to see who could correctly identify the word that she called out.  It got pretty exciting, as some students were working harder to keep their opponent from touching the word than trying to touch it themselves.   

The twelfth grade class was working on identifying places of interest around the world.  Because Sonia had visited Niagara Falls, she had some souvenirs from her ride under the falls.  A young man who actually has already done some professional modeling volunteered to model the raincoat and the sandals for the class. 

 I have not been able to visit The Home of God’s Love as much as I would have liked this month.  I was able to visit one weekend, and take some quilts my sister had made for them.  She used some fabric that belonged to our mom, who has been gone now for almost twenty years.  To me, that gift was just an extension of what our mom started years ago.  She would have a box under her bed into which she would put towels, quilts, crocheted items, and anything else she thought missionaries would like.  When we had missionaries visiting our home, the box was pulled out, and they could choose anything they wanted from the box.  What a sweet blessing for those babies, and for Beverly as I shared about the fabric my sister, Esther, had used. 

On February 28, which is a holiday in Taiwan, some fellow-teachers invited me to go with them to Hualien.  One of them was able to drive for us, and after quite a curvy drive, we arrived at Taroko Gorge, and did some sightseeing.  What an incredible view it was – mountains that were steep, with valleys running between them, with special places to stop to enjoy the view.  There was a hedge of blooming azaleas, and some of the cherry trees had blossoms on them.  After our time there, we visited a beach in Hualien – with water that was so beautiful.  The camera couldn’t do it justice.  We hunted for rocks on the beach.  One of the girls found a marble stone in the shape of Taiwan.   After our visit there, we went into town to enjoy a snack and drink at a beautiful little coffee shop. 

Second semester has brought English Club back – with some of the former club members, and a few new ones.  The first assignment was to interview a partner, and then introduce them to the other club members.  They were given a list of questions to ask, and a place for them to write their answers.  They were able to practice with each other, and then they had to go in front of the group to complete the task.  Some of the students were so nervous, but I was so proud of them.  Here are the members of the club introducing each other. 

Every job has some very special things that we get to do, and some unique aspects.  It seems like with teachers, a common gift is food.  One of the teachers in my office was given a very special treat.  I think I will just stick with an apple!! 

So, until next time . . .

Betty came on a morning train so she could see where I live and teach.  After showing Betty around NanAo in the morning and walking to the beach, we had lunch with my pastor, his wife, and his mom and dad.  They took us to visit a place where the man loves cars – an old Cadillac, a fancy old car, and two Hummers.  He also had a garden with a fountain in the back of his house, lots of dogs, and a dog house with two big turtles in it.  All that here in NanAo, and I had never seen that before! 

Our flight to the Philippines left Taipei around 11 p.m., arriving at around 1 a.m.  We rode to the airport with a taxi driver that knew how to get his vehicle between small spaces at a high rate of speed.  Quite an experience.  So, we flew from Taipei to Cebu.  Our connecting flight left at around 1 p.m.  We managed to sleep on one of the benches in the airport – we arrived tired. 

Cathy and Terry Wedel were waiting for us outside the gate at the little airport in Cagayan de Oro.  They took us out to eat, and then went shopping for a little bit – but we were pretty worn out from the trip.  We eventually arrived at the home of Ed and LouAnn Shackleford, the team directors for the Wedels.  Here is a picture of Terry and Cathy, Lou and Ed, and Betty and me at their home.

Sunday, Terry left for church early in the van.  Cathy, Betty and I took some public transportation a little later.  The first vehicle was a bicycle (bicicleta) with a seat – the poor man really had to work with us three ladies in it!  Then we got in a jeepney and rode the rest of the way to church.  That Sunday was a very significant day for the church – they were asking questions of a man who had been recommended to be their pastor.  He is a teacher at the LRF, Life Resource Foundation, where Terry teaches.  They were still asking questions of him when we arrived.  Terry preached that morning, and then the church wanted to vote then.  They were also voting on two men to be elders – and both votes were 100% in favor of!!

We ate dinner in town at a great restaurant, stopped at the grocery store, and then headed to Ilegan where the Wedels live.  The road was along the beach for a great part of it – beautiful scenery. 

 In the evening after supper, we went for a walk that is about 4 kilometers long.  We had lots of people greeting us – very friendly folks.  Here is a picture of Terry and Cathy at their house, and pictures from their front porch.

On Monday, we headed to a beach that the Wedels had taken their children to many times.  Terry had picked up some lunch on the way – rice, chicken prepared a special Philippino way.  We girls walked up and down the beach, enjoying the water and the beauty.  We met a man from England, Dave, who is a professional photographer.  He could have talked with us all afternoon – he had so many stories to tell, and we think he missed having someone he could speak English with. 

When we got home, us girls went to a neighbor’s house who did manicures and pedicures.  That was the first time Betty had ever had one done, and it was my second one.  Then, after supper (lasagna and a salad), we were each given a massage by another neighbor. 

On Tuesday, Terry had to go to the LRF for some final exams.  Betty and I got up very early and went to the market with Cathy.headed to do some shopping for the week.  It was so interesting to see the way people responded to her.  Then, we went sightseeing at some waterfalls in town.  We stopped at the Maria Christina Falls which supplied power to an electric plant.  Not only were the falls beautiful, but the drive back to see them was like driving through a tunnel of trees.  After stopping there, we went to see Tinago Falls.  To get there, we had to drive for quite a ways, and then we had to climb down about 450 steps.  The beauty was almost unbelievable – all around there were little falls to big falls all landing in a pool of aqua blue water.  I took lots of pictures there.  We ran into Dave, the photographer we met at the beach, and he took some pictures for us, too.  Then, we had to climb back up those same steps – stopping along the way to rest. 

After lunch at the house, we headed up into the mountains where Cathy has her Bible studies.  She took us to visit the ladies in their homes.  Most of the houses were made of wood, and built on stilts.  The floors were of bamboo – providing ventilation in the very hot months.  The weather was pretty cool there (that’s what they said).  There were many times I had sweat running down my back!  Cathy took us way back into the hills on a path that she says is sometimes up to her knees in mud.  She had prayed that it would be dry for us – and God still answers prayer!  We walked quite a ways back – visiting ladies all along the way. 

Because of the love Cathy has shown the ladies, there were two who were in tears only minutes after we got there.  They knew they could tell Cathy their hurts.  One of the other ladies made sure she came to her neighbor’s house because she didn’t want us to see her dirt floor.  Each home has a picture or two on the walls, but many of them we sat on the floor with the ladies.  In all of them, we took off our shoes before we went in. 

What a day – down and up to see the falls, and then walking back over the path which included rocks and rivers, up hills and across valleys.  My legs were sore for a few days – that’s for sure!  We headed home for a great supper of calico beans.  We went for a walk again after supper, too!  I was so thankful that both Betty and I could do all that walking.

Wednesday, we went to see the campus of the LRF – Life Resource Foundation – where Terry teaches.  We met many of the missionaries there.  We saw some of the students, and enjoyed the gardens around the buildings.  Cathy was having a discipleship time with four girls who are graduating, so we sat in on that for a little bit.  When they finished, the girls asked if I would play something on their little keyboard.  It took me a few attempts to figure out how to play it correctly, but then, they sang some songs while I played.  What an honor to play on top of a mountain way over in the Philippines. 

After lunch, we packed up and headed back to Cagayan de Oro because our flight was scheduled for ‘early’.  We had supper with the Shackleford’s again – then headed back to their house.  LouAnn had some interesting displays of woven things, such as the hats on the wall.

Thursday, we got up early to a breakfast already prepared for us by their house helper.  How sweet that was!  We headed to the airport – thankful for a great visit, and wanting to visit again because it was so short!  We made it back to Taiwan in the early afternoon – going through some serious turbulence due to the clouds, heavy rains, and strong winds.  What a change from the sunshine and very warm weather!  Betty and I had lunch, and then we each boarded a bus to go to our next destination.  Betty was going to visit some people she had met when she was here seven years ago.  I was going to head back to NanAo.  I arrived safely just before eight in the evening – tired, but ready to be back to my dorm room!  I headed for bed very quickly! 

I was so thankful to see Terry and Cathy where they live and work – to see the people they are able to work with, and be able to experience some of what they do every day.  In the midst of poverty, there was beauty.  In the midst of struggles, there was hope through God’s Word. 

School is half over for this year now.  The last three days of school were the semester finals.  And much like some of the students back home, there were some who studied.  Being in a different school system has shown me many things – and one of them is that people are pretty much the same the world over!  Imagine that!  

I had mentioned that a large percentage of my students are aboriginal.  A few weekends ago, I spent some time with one of the students and his family, who has a store that sells aboriginal art.  Here is a picture of my student and me wearing some vests his mom made.   

 Did you enjoy doing puzzles when you were younger?  It was a favorite Sunday afternoon pasttime for our family.  Well, I have been enjoying doing puzzles here – and have had help from a teacher and student as well.  I got to see some things I haven’t seen yet except as a picture.  Do you know where these are?  Have you been there? 

My Chinese class in Yilan has finished.  When I get back after winter vacation, I will begin taking Chinese lessons with my pastor here in NanAo.  At this point, I feel that my vocabulary is expanding, and I am starting to put sentences together!  The English Bible study is still going on – we will take a break during the vacation.  Here are a couple pictures from some times together. 

Just a quick update before I head off for vacation.  I think the Chinese New Year is very comparable with our Christmas season – families get together, and have special traditions they do every year.  I will tell you what all I learn, and share what I get to see and do. 

 Happy New Year - Simplified Chinese : 新年快乐 ;Traditional Chinese : 新年快樂 ; Pinyin : Xīnnián kuàilè

But, the most important one was ‘to teach overseas for a year’ – and that is what I am doing!  This time in Taiwan has been such a great learning adventure. 

Looking back over December – the month went quickly.  The teachers from NanAo went on a field trip early in the month.  We had a tour bus, equipped with a tv/dvd/karaoke.  So, we sang for a lot of the trip.  My goodness, some of the teachers really have incredible voices.  We visited an old village with some very scenic spots.  The other teacher is Sonia, one of the English teachers. 

Then, we visited a commercial nursery – full of beautiful fields of flowers.  Wei Fu Chan is standing in a field of flowers – the math teacher who happens to be very good with his English. 

 I had a very different, but a very delightful Christmas.   I taught a unit on Christmas.  Here are some students reading in English.

On Christmas Day, we had school.  Christmas is not a national holiday here in Taiwan.  Here are some pictures of our rally on Christmas morning.  Please note the different attire – the Administrator had a winter coat on, the students were wearing only shirts. 

 The weekend before Christmas, the foreign teachers had a Christmas weekend together.  We visited the National Palace Museum and Taipei 101.  (If you would like to see the New Year’s fireworks display from Taipei 101, visit http://3c.msn.com.tw/soapbox101.asp.)  We also had a special Christmas dinner celebration at a restaurant that had some very nice jazz music – full of Christmas songs.  Here are some of the pictures of us together for that weekend. 

One of the things I really missed from back home was all the decorations, and the lights.  So, here are some things I did get to see.  My desk, bamboo trees at school, Christmas display at Taipei 101, a huge tree at the Taipei Main Station, the tree at the church in NanAo, and the tree at The Home of God’s Love orphanage in LuoDong.  There were a lot more decorations than I thought there would be. 

I even got to see Santa at Taipei 101.  He must have lost weight from running up and down so many chimneys!! 

Now, here we are at the beginning of a New Year.  Today I visited the first beach I saw when I came to NanAo – watched the waves crashing on the shore, listening to the sounds of the water.  The power behind those waves continue to astound me. 

I was doing a study for the English class I teach on Tuesday nights.  The character we are studying is Elisha, a friend and successor to Elijah.  I came across something that Chuck Swindoll had written about this man, and I want to end with this thought. 

“Shortly before his death, Samuel Taylor Coleridge wrote Youth and Age in which he reflected over his past and the strength of his earlier years.

To me, the most moving line in this quaint work is the statement: “Friendship is a sheltering tree. . . .” ”

I, too, have come to realize what a wealth I have in friends.  So, this year, I want to encourage you to be a sheltering tree to a friend who needs you.  Also, make sure that you have friends you can go to when you need a place of shelter. 

As the New Year begins, make this year count.  I have challenged my students to find an area in their life where they want to be better.  I challenge you as well.  Make a difference in someone’s life this year, and start with your own.

 Happy New Year from Taiwan

  Our principal ready to start         Boys’ team ready to play

I have also been hearing some students sing some Christmas carols and some songs in English they are learning for the year-end celebration here at school.As always, I hear the sounds of the trash truck as it makes its rounds to the accompaniment of Fur Elise. If you want your garbage picked up, you have to hand it to the person walking behind the truck, so the music is to notify you of their arrival.

As far as Christmas decoration, a few stores have some lights. Our school has some lights put up for Christmas. There are decorated trees in many places around the school campus.  Some of the decorations they leave up all year long. Many of the churches around have a few lights up.  I do miss the lights and decorations that we have in the States. I enjoy so much just looking at all the lights in the stores and the malls and in the different neighborhoods. I have downloaded some pictures of lights from the Fayetteville square, and pictures from previous Christmases at my house. That has helped a little bit.

  My door – I do have snow!      Our tree, right next to tropical plants          Church in Wutai         Christmas colors in NanAo

The curriculum for one of the grades has a unit on the different holidays here in Taiwan and in America. We started out the month with vocabulary pertaining to the different special days in both countries, which included names of the months and ordinal numbers. It seems as though several of the dialogues in the lessons in each grade for this month are more usable to the students, so it has been more profitable to them, resulting in better participation. One of the English teachers used Charlotte’s Web to go along with the unit of study. Because there are not farms in Taiwan like we have in America, the vocabulary from a farm setting provided many opportunities to introduce new concepts and have some fun with some animal idioms.

  Students reading – can you read what is on the board?

One afternoon this month, the entire student body went out into the villages and did some community service – with rakes, brooms, dust pans, and tongs.  What fun that was – even though it was very hot!  Here are some pictures of some of the clean-up crews.  Before, during, and after.

The language barrier has continued to be a challenge.  I would like to be able to just sit down with some of the students and have a talk with them – to hold them to a higher standard than they are holding for themselves. For others, I would like to encourage them to keep trying because anything worth having is worth working for. Many of them have so much potential that they are not using. However, when I think of students back in the States with whom I could speak the same language, many times being able to talk with them was not effective. Because I don’t know these students’ backgrounds, their abilities in the classroom, and even what they are saying some times, I have come to realize that at times that has been an asset. I don’t know what they can do or can’t do, so I just expect them to try right along with everyone else.

Less than a week until Christmas.  I have been using a Christmas unit provided for us when we were in Sansia to use for the different holidays throughout the year.  There are vocabulary cards with pictures on one side and the word in English on the other.  The unit talks about the first Christmas when Baby Jesus was born, as well as Santa and his helpers.  Because my students enjoy music so much, I also taught them the choruses of Jingle Bells, Go Tell It On the Mountain, and We Wish You a Merry Christmas.  All of those songs provided opportunities for more vocabulary, too.  For extra practice, I copied pictures of the vocabulary words, and created a word search with more words pertaining to Christmas.  If the students got all the words, they got a sticker with English words on it.  I must say, stickers just might be worth their weight in gold!!  (Have you taught that idiom yet?)

 This will be my first Christmas away from my family.  My youngest daughter said she hoped I would be with people who treated me like family.  The people here in NanAo have accepted me with open arms and hearts.  They are making me feel so very welcome here.  I have had gifts from my coworkers, cards from my students, and even words of encouragement on this Christmas season.  A sweet message from my student Chinese ‘teacher’ said she would ‘accompany’ me so I wouldn’t feel lonely. 

My student Chinese ‘teacher’

 With as many students as we have, I somehow came down with a very sore throat.  My co-worker, Felice, took me to the clinic today right after rest time (we had to sit quietly because the doctor was still resting).  The young doctor checked me, and wrote up some prescriptions for me – my throat was infected.  As we sat there, the two workers and the doctor turned to look at me.  Felice had told them my age, and they couldn’t believe it.  They thought I was their age!  I have no idea what their age was, but it was definitely younger than mine!  Sure did my heart good!!  My visit was soon over, we were leaving with my prescription – all the medicine I needed to take in individual dosage packets to be administered per the instructions. 

I will be going to Taipei this weekend to celebrate Christmas with the foreign teachers who were all in Sansia in September.  Hopefully I will be able to include some pictures in my next post.  On Christmas day, I will be teaching classes as usual, then going out for dinner in LuoDong with my English Bible study group.  They really do treat me like family!

 So, Merry Christmas to all of you!  Enjoy your holiday.  Do something for someone without letting them know it was you.  Be sure to tell someone you love them – especially someone you haven’t told for a long time.  They would be happy to hear that – it might just be the best gift they get. 

When I was teaching kindergarten at Immanuel Christian Academy, a poem I taught my students was “What Can I Give Him?”  It goes like this

What can I give Him, poor as I am?

If I were a shepherd, I would bring a lamb.

If I were a wise man, I would do my part.   

Yet what can I give Him?  Give my heart.  - Christina Rosetti

We give because Jesus gave first – He gave us His life, became one of us, because He loves us.  Amazing!   We also give like the wise men who gave precious gifts.   I hope one of your gifts this year this Christmas is to give Him your heart.

Merry Christmas from an Yingwen Laoshi in Taiwan!

As I have had extra time during my days, I have been doing some searches for ESL teaching ideas.  My goodness, there is so much available out there.  I type in whatever I am teaching (for example – ‘adjectives’), or the type of lesson I am looking for ( such as ‘conversations’), and I have been amazed at what all is out there  If you teach ESL, I would encourage you to spend some time looking on line for some ideas to use in your class.

Because a large percentage of our student body is aboriginal students, we have been trying to teach with things they are good at.  This student body is very musical, so with the older grades, we have done some oldies songs with some highly repetitive words.  In the twelfth grade, we used ‘Hey, Jude’.  The teacher said that if she saw them anywhere and began to sing ‘Hey, Jude’, the student was to continue the song in English.  One of the students and I were reading the words and singing on the platform at the train station.  That was fun!   

Another teaching device I have been using with the students is the dialogue journal.  I wrote an initial letter to them, with questions about themselves, their family, and their interests.  It was ok if they wrote back in Chinese, or used pictures.  The teacher helped translate the letters, and I responded with some open-ended questions for them to answer.  That worked well for the first few weeks after introducing it, but I have not gotten very many of late.  I am going to give an assignment to them with questions they can answer, about some topic they are familiar with.  Many of them want to write, but don’t know what to say.  So, I want to step back, and provide opportunities for them to use more of what they have been working on in class.  I’ll let you know how it works. 

Once or twice a month, we have the English club.  We have been focusing on specific topics, working on vocabulary pertaining to that topic, and setting up opportunities for them to practice some dialogues together.  This month we did money vocabulary, with some shopping dialogues.  We also did some ‘hand’ turkeys – using the thumb for the head, and the four fingers for feathers.   We created a word bank on the board with things they said they were thankful for, and they then wrote that on their turkey.  The time goes by so quickly when we are in the club – even though it lasts for two hours!  Here is a picture of me teaching about the first Thanksgiving. 

Many of these students can read English much better than they can speak, so our goal is to help them improve their listening and speaking skills.  My actual goal with the student body here is to have them all speaking English fluently by the end of the year.  However, goals need to be realistic and attainable, so the amended goal is to have some of them speaking more English than they are now. 

One example of the difference in the students’ desire to learn English showed up at my desk last week.  A young man, Michael, who is very good with his English, brought another student down to read English sentences to me.  Michael is his private tutor!  He told me later that was the first time his friend had spoken English like that on his own.  The student below drew a picture for me with a note of thanks for teaching her English. 

I am going to include some pictures I have taken as I have been on walks around here in NanAo, and some in LuoDong as well.  The scenery here is beautiful. 

          A mountain stream, a beautiful hibiscus in November, a beautiful butterfly and then a bird in a cemetery, a mountain walkway

Here are some pictures from school – some students           

Co-worker, Sonia, with one of our students

Thanksgiving was spent at The Home of God’s Love – an orphanage in LuoDong.  This is an annual event for missinaries and foreigners who enjoy the traditional Thanksgiving fare.  We had upwards of 70 people, including all the missionary children there.  Two Fulbright people, the director and one of the teachers, were able to have dinner there, too.  The pictures are of our table, my two teacher friends – Katie Hodges and Tim Collins, and then a Thanksgiving prayer. 

I would enjoy hearing from some of you who get a chance to read my ramblings!  Thanks for visiting.

   One more month in 2007 – looking forward to a new month.

Marilyn – teaching in Taiwan