Cary in Taiwan

2006-11-03T15:58:00.000+08:00

Look, a butterfly is on my face!

Well, here is our next adventure. Got on our bikes on a Sunday and drove to a waterfall. The pics are a bit random, but you can see the countryside, our bikers group, the waterfall, and me and Jeanette on my bike being silly in the traffic....literally playing in the traffic!

The boys on their bikes, and the girls on mine. 4 hrs driving gives you buns of steal!

Us in the crystal clear, crispy cold water! We swam right under the waterfall for a nice massage!

Me and Jeanette on my bike being silly.

And, a really random wall of artwork which the American in the group was covinced that it was South African....we now have Indians! They are actually the original hakka from Taiwan-the aboriginal group! But, we had pics anyway!
I am standing with Craig, from the UK. He teaches Kindergarten with me.

2006-10-15T03:16:00.000+08:00

Ok, so I've finally been on a trip in this country for longer than one day. We spent three glorious days in Taipei for a night and then off to Toroko Gorge for 2 nights. It was not what we expected..it was far better. We chilled, went on walks and just had a good old fashion break. Being in a polluted city for the past 8 months is not great, and getting out to breathing in fresh air was a pleasure. So search my blog cause all the pics seem to be all over and find the pics of the gorge. Missing you all.

We stayed at Tienhsiang Youth Activity Center. It was really great in a tiny little so called town Tienhsiang which is basically this center, a hotel, a food stand and an information centre. No shops. but its in the moddle of Toroko national Park and our balcony overlooked the river running through the gorge. Wow, it was breathtaking.
The entire gorge is made of marble and there are huge marble pools and boulders everywhere. The water is crystal clear with marble floore, so its amazing.

2006-10-15T03:10:00.000+08:00

Us being a bit crazy and doing arty shots.

2006-10-15T02:58:00.000+08:00

Gregg, me and Dave on a balcony at our hotel.

2006-10-15T02:53:00.000+08:00

Us before we set off on our walk.

2006-10-15T02:47:00.000+08:00

2006-10-15T02:41:00.000+08:00

Us at a waterfall...one of many in Taroko Gorge. The scenery is amazing!

2006-10-15T02:34:00.000+08:00

This is a beautiful waterfall that I got very wet getting to it to get pics. It runs under a shrine built to remember the people who dies while building the Southern Cross highway that runs across Taiwan and through the gorge.

2006-10-15T02:29:00.000+08:00

2006-10-15T02:24:00.000+08:00

2006-10-15T02:17:00.000+08:00

This is our goodbye photo and we are meant to be sad, but unknown to Don and dave...Gregg has just farted!!!

2006-10-15T01:39:00.000+08:00

And here is the end of our trip to Toroko Gorge. Our driver took a detour and stopped at the beach. It is covered with marble stones so we picked some up and then went to catch our train. We had a 3 hr train trip to Taipei and a 5 hr bus trip back home. Then into bed....oh, not to forget a trip to get our fingerprints taken at the police station! but..that's another story!

2006-09-06T20:23:00.000+08:00

Sun Moon Lake. I met up with Jess Gordon on August 30th and we made our way to the lake in the centre of Taiwan. It was beautiful, with clear water like a well kept swimmimg pool. I could not speak at all as i had just had my vocal cord surgery, but we had a good time. The air was clean and the humidity was much less than the city, so it was an absolute pleasure!

2006-09-06T20:20:00.000+08:00

Just more of the beach.

2006-09-06T20:09:00.000+08:00

The sand here is black on the beach. Very strange and still not used to it. It just isn't as inviting as back home, but...it's still the beach!

2006-09-06T20:05:00.000+08:00

The bus seats, and they are cheaper than back home. What you can't see is the massaging chair, the video controls to play video games on your own, private TV on which you can watch anything you want with speakers built into the chair behind your head so no-one else hears it, and the chair and foot rest comes and up and down till you are almost lying down!Tthe only down part, is its very unsociable, but who cares-the chair is your friend!

2006-09-06T19:23:00.000+08:00

At our one month training in Taichung where Jess, Roger and Glen are. We found this really random monster in the street! We trudged around town with our bags and sleeping bags and pillows! But, being foreign excuses you for anything you do!

A nice pic don't you think? Taken about 3 months ao when we went on a night cruise of the harbour. Our city is really beautiful at night, as you can see, and this was taken with a VERY cheap camera!

2006-06-25T02:29:00.000+08:00

One of my upper level classes that I teach in the evenings. This is a really awesome class.

2006-06-25T02:25:00.000+08:00

How thoughtful! The boys thought of me before they left and they bought me a present...a maids outfit! I had to put it on for pics and its now hidden away!

2006-06-25T02:22:00.000+08:00

Me and Don

2006-06-25T02:09:00.000+08:00

Us after whitewater rafting in Meinong on a Sunday afternoon. We flipped a few times and had to be rescued. It was amazing, except that the water level was low and we hit alot of rocks when we flipped. We are planning on going again during typhoon season when its alot more challenging and deeper! Our chinese teachers eventually left our boat cause we were flipping and refuse to come back with us!

2006-06-25T02:05:00.000+08:00

A special bell at Fo Guang Shan that you are meant to ring three by banging a heavy wooden log against it. It is meant to bring you inner peace or sometthing. We thought it was cool to bang it as the entire town hears it.

2006-06-25T02:02:00.000+08:00

Sac, my new house mate, giving the buddha a high five.

2006-06-25T01:58:00.000+08:00

Now this is a big Buddha statue, with hundreds,if not thousands of little ones all around. This place is called Fo Guang Shan and its a huge place full of huge temples and many statues.

2006-06-25T01:55:00.000+08:00

Me and Gregg outside the Science and Technology Museaum in Koushiung.

2006-06-25T01:53:00.000+08:00

A very funny scene of a bushman with a cell phone in the science museum!

2006-06-25T01:50:00.000+08:00

A cool bike that i found! Its about double the size of mine!

2006-06-25T01:48:00.000+08:00

This is my kindergarten classroom.

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My first kindergarten class.

2006-06-25T01:42:00.000+08:00

My flat mates! In the foyer on our hotel floor.

2006-06-25T01:40:00.000+08:00

Us at training again outside our hotel on the night I got a black eye! I collided with a door hook!

2006-06-25T01:37:00.000+08:00

A pic of us at training on our first day in Taipei.

2006-06-25T01:33:00.000+08:00

The Dragon Boat before we set off on our voyage. The officials got a bit annoyed with us because we were messing around and not taking the racing seriously, but we knew we weren't going to race and just wanted to have fun. They eventually left us alone!

2006-06-25T01:28:00.000+08:00

We did the traditional dragon boat racing on the Love River in Koushiung City. We didn't actually get to race on the day because of work, but we did practice.

2006-06-25T01:24:00.000+08:00

This is Gregg. He is smaller and he is starting to love us alottoo, especially when you walk by with food! We had a Don, but he died!

2006-06-25T01:16:00.000+08:00

This is my new turtle, her name is Cary. She loves to be hand fed and eats all day.

2006-04-26T14:56:00.000+08:00

Three men, a lady and two scooters in a new Very big city with no english street signs.... A very bad picture, but it was our first night of getting lost and found again! The three of us and Sac (Carey) from Grahamstown as well!

2006-04-26T14:53:00.000+08:00

On the ferry to Cing Cing island. Scooters and people all at once...what a pleasure!

2006-04-26T14:51:00.000+08:00

Our first phonto with a cginese dragon! Ok, so it was in 3 pieces, but its ok. Found it when expeditioning on Cing Cing island after a VERY hot lie on the black beach.

2006-04-26T14:49:00.000+08:00

Found our first South African spot in Kending beach. Its a SA fish restuarant. Don't know why Don is so happy...he's a vegetarian!

2006-04-26T14:47:00.000+08:00

Our first outdoor experience. We slept on the beach in Kending. We got kicked off at 7 in the morning as you are not allowed to be there at all, ever!!!!!

Taiwan Pictures

2006-04-26T14:41:00.000+08:00

This is my new Taiwanese friend, Jeanette. Ok, so she's actually American, it still counts. She is the new girlfriend of one of my housemates, Don. She's amazing but lives in Taipei! Our phone chats average an hour each! She's great and are quite similar in personality!

15 April 2006

2006-04-15T14:29:00.000+08:00

Been in Taiwan for almost 2 months. Wow, its been a while already. Its starting to feel like home and starting to get used to it now, except the smell! Chinese sounds normal to me now and I am really keen to learn more. I can ask for basic foods at the market and do simple greetings, but thats about it!

A quick update: arrived in Taipei for 10 day training. Had alot of fun and went out almost every night! Now, I work alot! I'm living in a gorgeous bottom level flat. Its double story and has a garden off it. I have my own door leading outside...to the laundry! The guys think its a joke, and meant to be! I live with 2 undomesticated, but wonderful boys slowly becoming men, Gregg and Don. Knew them from SA. It has its moments of me going crazy, but I'm sain alot of the time. Will put pics of house on soon!

I had a Kindergarten class of 2 and 3 yr olds, but they closed my class as there were not enough students for it to be financially viable, so now am sleeping late and only work from 4 to 9 in the evenings. I AM BORED!

Been to a black beach and a white beach (the sand!) Travelled down to a paradise beach last weekend and had a blast. We slept on the beah until the beach police kicked us off at 7 in the morning. You are not allowed on a beach unless its a designated swimmimg area. They are so padantic about people swimmimg unless they are in an area with a huge net around it! Its so annoying that you can't go swimmimg deep. The sun is vicious. Went very brown from being in the sun for about 2 hours with heavy block on. Never happenned back home! I love it!

Teaching is great. The kids are awesome, except for the ones tht are brats...and they are far and few! Will put pics on for those of you who have requested I do as you want to see what chinese kids look like! you are strange! Chinese people are so amazingly great, and very different from my culture in every way. Their culture and way of doing life is so understandable, yet so different, and I am becoming the master of eating rice with chopstix! Can pick them up one grain at a time! I have to teach with an American accent, so be prepared for me sounding horribly annoying when I see you again!
Thats it for now. Will do my best to keep updating. No computer at home yet, but soon... Missing every girl I Knew back home. Sorry guys, but there is way too much testosterne where I am living. Craving the female company like a beast! But miss you all!