these here are the tales of...

Belarus (2) Canada (7) China (2) creative (4) Czech (5) dance (4) design (1) Egypt (3) Estonia (3) family (10) festivals (2) health (6) Indonesia (1) inspiration (14) Japan (2) Korea (1) language (11) Lithuania (1) London (2) nature (24) philosophy (6) photos (8) politics (5) roadtrip (4) studies (8) sustainability (8) Taiwan (38) teaching (5) Thailand (9) Turkey (2) video (3) wisdom (3) workie (2) yummm (6)

HOME - an amazingly beautiful wake up wall to what our planet is facing

HOME - an amazingly beautiful wake up wall to what our planet is facing
PLEASE WATCH. TELL OTHERS. ENJOY. REFLECT. MAKE A DIFFERENCE.

Friday, July 3, 2009

Captain's Log: The Heat and the Madness

Uh... wow, it's July!!! Heh... well, let me catch you all up a little...

True to this entry's title, there is a lot of heat and a fair amount of craziness.
I feel like we are melting from the inside out. How else could a person possibly sweat so much? I'm certain my brain is leaking out of my pores as it's definitely not functioning as well as it should if the whole thing was still up there. I remember going on about how I disliked air conditioners and avoided them at all costs... Those days are certainly long gone. I can't imagine living through a summer here without "climate control." I mean, I'm sure I could... But I'd rather not think about that possibility.

The official temperature reading usually hovers around 30C... but add in 75% humidity (akin to walking through a steamy shower) and it's whole different ball game...

Luckily, we recently acquired a second-hand tent from a young Scot returning back to the highlands. We've yet to set it up outside of our living room, but I keep talking about it!.. haha... We're also getting a scooter from a friend who's heading back to the States for a month, so there will be a lot more scoot(er)ing on out of the city.

In other news... just over 2 weeks of the second semester left in Chinese school. We're flying through chapters fast enough to get whiplash, so everyone is really looking forward to the 10-day break at the beginning of August. Maybe Rich and I can make it down south to the infamously amazing beaches of Kenting for a long weekend, as I'm still working Monday-Thursday. But instead of English grammar, I'm teaching 9 hours a week of cooking, art and story-reading classes. It's been great fun. Here are some flowerpots and cards the kids decorated.


In Buddhist news, I've been nominated to be the Smile Ambassador of the foreign group of students at our centre! The idea is to spread infectious smiles until everyone is naturally happy and relaxed. I think it's a fabulous way to remind me to set my own mood and start all interactions on a good note. Plus it'll cut back on the sulking.

We're moving at the end of the month! Our new apartment is just a 3 minute walk away, so the move will be breezy and we're still in the convenient locale we've come to love. We're also getting roomies - Bob and Nicole, who pretty much introduced us to all things Taiwan and it was Bob who had recommended we come see what the country is all about. And our new place has 2 rooftop terraces that no one currently uses! These are my before and (proposed) after pictures.










Last but not least, to my Dad's delight I am sure, we visited the popular Modern Toilet restaurant for a friend's birthday. Don't go there for the food, but the decor is pretty fun. Here is a sample of how dishes are served.

On that classy note, I hope you are having a wonderful summer! Be sure to spend time with the ocean and the trees! : )

No comments: