The Taiwanese value their teachers so highly that they have created an entire national holiday just to celebrate them. I was forewarned that this day was approaching, but did not fully comprehend what all it entailed. Last Monday, I had cards, drinks and food showered upon me continuously throughout the day by my children. At the end, I took a picture of my desk. Everything you see, including the plant, was a gift. The only thing missing from this picture was a ginormous bouquet which I received a few minutes after my photo shoot. The bouquet had everything from gobs of tissue paper to candy to a little stuffed lamb sticking out of the middle.
The cards themselves were very precious. Here are some of my favorites:
"To - Grace.
Hi! I'm John, I'm a little teacher, you are a great teacher, you are very beautiful and funny, Happy Teacher's Day!
from - John." (John is a seventh grade teacher)
"Dear teacher ~ Grace
Happy Teacher's day!
class 202 wish you happy every day happy forever!
By 202 all students"
"Dear Teacher Grace
This is first time we write this card for you! We wish you are happy in Ming Hua!
Happy Teacher's Day!
Love You
Class 102
Happy Forever
Always Love"
"Dear Grace =
Thanks for teaching us for these past few weeks. At the beginning, I was pretty afraid to talk to a foreigner, but after the first time, I'm getting used to it. Thanks for helping me overcome my fears. It's really lucky to meet you and be your student.
HAPPY TEACHER'S DAY
THANK YOU FOREVER AND ALWAYS!!
214 Cindy"
Hi Grace. I found your blog as I was attempting to find a picture of Taiwanese people riding their scooters in the rain.
ReplyDeleteThanks for your posting on Teacher's Day. NOW I know why my children had the day off! (They go to an int'l school and I'm quite embarassed that I had NO idea what this was about).
We just moved to Taipei from California on Sept 25. My husband is Taiwanese, but has lived in CA most of his life. I've NEVER been away from the suburbs, let alone a country where I cannot speak the language.
Much like you, I'm finding this adventure amazing and very exciting. This new life here is full of new twists and turns.
I hope you don't mind me following your blog. i find it interesting to see Taiwan from an American point of view (other than my own!).
BTW...we were thinking of heading to southern Taiwan over the X-mas break...any tips on where to stay? We were thinking Kenting or Kaoshung. Any travelling tips (e.g. hotels, etc.) are MOST appreciated.
Happy travels to you!
-Lesly Mohr (Mohr or Less)
Hi Lesly!
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad my blog came in handy for you! I have a lot of fun living over here, so I am more than happy to share my experiences with others.
I'm sure Taiwan must be quite the culture shock for you (though Taipei prob feels the most western of any place here I have been to so far, so good luck...) - have you never studied the language before? Despite having studied Chinese in college, I am still at a complete lost 85% of the time. Life is an adventure, as always. :) What are you and your husband doing over here?
I would definitely recommend coming south - it is beautiful down here! And currently much drier than Taipei, from what I hear. Kaohsiung is a lot of fun - big city, but extremely laid back, and lots of interesting touristy things. I would recommend the Hotel Kingdom, where we stayed when we first moved here. Lovely, good service, and good location downtown near the Love River and Xizhiwan. Kenting is also lovely - more of a beach resort, as there is great snorkeling (mini coral reef) and scenic national parks. The beaches are great for lying out on (which of course, the Asians are all forgoing lol), but not so much for swimming, as the waves are pretty flat (not sure if this is usual, or just our experience). Very scenic and very relaxing. When we went, we stayed at a hostel, of which there are many. Both Kenting and Kaohsiung have famous night markets (Kenting's is the longest in Taiwan, I think?) which you will want to visit - trendy shopping and crazy amounts of food. Hope this helps and good luck with everything!
Grace