Over the past three weeks I have been able to see even more of Taiwan, as well as everyday life here in Taichung. I have started attending a yoga class with one of my LETs (yes it is completely in Chinese!), I am singing in a choir and helping to create a local a capella group, I am more comfortable ordering and/or asking for things in Chinese now, I have started going regularly for acupuncture, and I continue to take my language class twice a week. The list goes on ... It is a wonderful experience to be here and to meet all of the wonderful people whose paths I have been blessed to cross.

English Camp: This past week we went to a wonderful school where the teachers took many pictures. Below you can see some of the activities we organize for our "English Camp" students each week, including a version of "Simon Says" and other games that help students practice using new vocabulary.

Scooters: I realized that I have not yet posted about my scooter!  Many Taiwanese people ride mopeds, more often called scooters in English, and it is a very convenient and practical way to get around the city.  I love my scooter and have been getting more comfortable driving it more and getting gas :) Below the 3 pictures of my scooter, I have included a picture of a typical family scooter situation - notice the child's seat in the front foot area!

Chong Qing Elementary School: Below are pictures of my desk the "Office of Student Affairs." I love being in the middle of everything, and the teachers I share the office with are so wonderful to be around. We are preparing for Halloween festivities, as can be seen on my computer screen ...

Play-Doh ABCs: I recently tried an activity we learned about during our training in August: having students physically make the new letters they are learning about ... with Play-doh! These Grade 2 students LOVED it. It was a fun, alternative approach to helping them internalize letters a through e, specifically targeting more kinesthetic learners (students who need more physical activity in order to better retain new information). Each time we made a letter, we talked about its name and the sound it makes, so it was a review of our phonics in addition to a silly way to recall which letter is which. It was a great opportunity to teach new words in English, such as "Make a ball" in between each letter, and "Roll your Play-doh into a string."  It was also a chance to practice "Thank you / You're welcome" as they received their Play-doh and handed it back to me at the end. The activity also provided a chance for everyone to experience a different form of learning; we played a purposeful game, students interacted with each other, and the teachers (both myself and my co-teacher) were no longer at the center of the lesson. As soon as we started, my co-teacher ran out to get her camera and to tell the homeroom teacher what was happening in her class, and both walked around taking pictures and interacting with the students. Below is visual proof of how much fun we all had :) 

Kenting, Taiwan: Recently we had a a three-day weekend because of the Mid-Autumn Festival (also called the Moon Festival). This holiday comes from the ancient Chinese tradition of giving thanks to the moon and celebrating the harvest. Please click here to read a bit more about the festival: http://ttf.ncfta.gov.tw/en-us/Season/Content.aspx?Para=8. Because everyone gets an extra day off to celebrate the festival, we were able to take a longer trip. 8 of the 10 ETAs in my group went to Kenting, which is the southern-most point in Taiwan.  It has beautiful beaches and was a wonderful place for a bit of a vacation!

Fireworks at a night market to celebrate the Moon Festival