I love me a song with a banjo.

a Hsinchu Christmas!

If I think about the last Christmas that I spent away from home and away from my family, I am taken back to Vietnam. It felt nothing like Christmas where we were but we made calls home from some internet cafe, anyway, wishing everyone a Merry Christmas even though it felt a bit surreal to be saying those words to anyone when it was surely 40 degrees outside without any Christmas music or movies to accompany the festive season.

Aside from the blow-up snowmen we had seen the day before, the real feeling of Christmas was just not quite in the air in Vietnam. This time around, however, it has felt a bit more Christmas-y; lights strewn all around our neighbourhood, our school's winter performance on Christmas eve, wine, mamosas, soju (!), food, friends, dancing, presents under the Christmas tree, Home Alone and lots of christmas music, of course! It truly has been a great Christmas, despite being away from home, I was incredibly lucky to spend Christmas the way that I did.

Here is a picture of my students performing "If All The Raindrops". They were adorable!

another day, another 'quake.

In case I had forgotten, for a second, where in the world I was living these days, I would say that big time earthquake that happened last night was enough of a reminder. We've had a few little ones here and there, but none that made me feel nauseous (and a bit scared for my life?).

I was only slightly nervous because Beth and I happened to be shopping at the time this was happening, and we also happened to be in an aisle where a LOT of large items could have fallen on our heads had they wanted to. It was... interesting, looking to the top shelves of these aisles to see all of the giant boxes wobbling back and forth. We found comfort, however, in seeing all of the other people going on with their business, as if nothing was happening...

To help paint a better picture(at least of this earthquake's magnitude), we came home to Beth's bathroom ceiling partially collapsed-- but fixable, and the water from our fish tank splashed half way across the living room floor. Luckily, no fish were injured (or humans, as far as I know!).

brrrrrrrr!

... it's 12 degrees in Hsinchu today. Perhaps the coolest it's been so far this year? It feels like -70 (okay, okay, I'm exaggerating). But we've been extremely spoiled thus far, so this is a bit of a shock!

I am learning that is helps to wear your jacket at ALL times (no heating in our school...), and borrow the kids' napping blankets if you get really desperate! Also, I was given some "Little Hotties" hand warmers which I think will be coming in hand-y (pun, totally intended!) prettttty soon!

This has got me wondering: cool-ish temperatures with no heating? or snow with fireplaces and heating? Not that I have much of a choice at this point, really. It looks as if I best be nuttin' up!

dang.

I guess links don't work on my blog anymore? I did, however, find out how to "embed" links so that videos will be able to play right from my page! Oh, how exciting is MY life?!

Sweet beard. Sweet tune.

flickr: updated!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/emeliza/

'tis the season...

I've heard that it is Winter and almost Christmas elsewhere in the world? Could have fooled me. Last week-end I went downtown to do some Christmas shopping. I felt warm all day and this sign helped me figure out, why, perhaps, I was feeling so hot... in December! It's been silly here; way too nice. These temperatures, however, do not help me get into the Christmas spirit at all, but thankfully there are lots of Christmas lights hanging off of surrounding balconies and people (like the guards at our apartment building, who wear Santa hats) help us to remember what time of year it is! We are also quite proud of our $6 artificial Chritmas tree... proudly displayed in our living room, without lights on it or gifts underneath, but we're getting there. Baby steps...

a venus fly trap garden?

When my students were asked "what kinds of things would you like to grow if you had a garden?", some of the responses were as follows: carrots, corn, cabbage and turnips. Sure, these were the answers I was looking for BUT they were all a bit "safe", too. However, one student had to throw VENUS FLY TRAPS into the mix... likely just to see what my reaction would be? It is worth mentioning that this was the same boy who said that magma was a resource that we could not live on this earth without--enough said.

there's no such thing as a cuter song than this one.

so romantic; in love with the lyrics/music/video/band...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YHKuB85EgnI