Bridget's Blog

My wicket Secret Santa prezzie....

2007-12-21T00:11:00.000-08:00

We had our annual Secret Santa gift exchange today at Cornel and I'm dying to know who my secret santa was. I opened my beautiful golden Christmas box to find a leash, a note and...another box.

The note read:

WOO I got you a pet and here's a leash so you can walk it,
pets need exercise you know
otherwise they go loco!

I opened the next box. Inside was a collar, a note and....another box. The note read:

Can't have a pet without a collar.
Denotes ownership, is alarmingly fetching
and attaching a leash to their ear is just so
so... medieval. I mean who DOES that?
Open the next box to say hello to your new friend!

Inside the next box were bones (from a model dinosaur set)...and a note. The note read:

Ahh...hmmmm... I knew I forgot something...
AIR HOLES!

Most excellent Secret Santa present! Hilarious!

Bridget

Beautiful weekend in Lushan

2007-10-17T05:56:00.000-07:00

On the spur of the moment, Olivier and I decided to run off to a hot springs resort for Saturday and Sunday (it was also kind of a one-year anniversary celebration). We liked it so much, we're going to take a day off and book a place again for December! Here are some pics;

The Dark Village

2007-09-10T23:18:00.001-07:00

This was on the BBC News website today. I went to an aboriginal festival in Hualien a couple of years ago, but I didn't know there was a group that didn't have electricity. I think it's interesting that it's the younger crowd that doesn't want power.

Taiwan's dark village sees the light
By Caroline Gluck
BBC News, Hualien county

The Amis tribe is one of 13 official aboriginal groups in Taiwan
High-tech Taiwan is one of the world's most wired societies and one of the globe's largest economies.
So it is something of a surprise to discover that there is still one place where people live - along Taiwan's sparsely-populated east coast - which is not connected to the electricity grid and has no access to power.
It is an aboriginal settlement, known locally as the Dark Village, nestled in a valley in Hualien county.
Legal disputes over the land are the main reason the site never got connected to the mains grid.
Decades ago, the area was taken by the government and developed for forestry.
But today the local people - members of the Amis tribe, one of Taiwan's 13 officially-recognised aboriginal groups - are trying to reassert their ancestral land claims.

Mixed views
As the sun sets, we drive to the Dark Village - about half an hour away down a narrow, dirt road, which was built just one year ago and is often cut off by falling rocks during heavy rains and typhoons.
It is dark - very dark - when we arrive.

The community live in about a dozen basic, corrugated iron houses in the Dark Village for about half a year, during the main planting and harvest season.
The rest of the time they live in another nearby village, Talanpo, which is connected to electricity.
The tribe uses wood fires for cooking and baking their locally-harvested crop, the daylily, an edible flower traditionally used in Chinese cooking.
Oil lanterns provide some light. They have lived like this for decades.
But just a few months ago, the government installed electricity poles near the settlement to pump water from nearby streams to Liushidan Mountain - an increasingly popular tourist spot with stunning views of the island's Central Mountain Range, where restaurants and hotels are springing up.
It has opened up a divisive debate among the tribe about their own future, particularly between the young and old.

The tribe live in the Dark Village during the daylily harvest season
Community elders, like 66-year-old Potal, are keen to see electricity installed.
"I really, really want power in the village," he said. "I've been living there for so long, but now I want to enjoy some modern facilities.
"I'd like to put fresh food in the refrigerator. I don't want to have to heat up wood for fires to cook every time I want to eat. I've been waiting for this for such a long time."
Kiko, a 63-year-old grandmother, agreed. "Not having electricity is like being blind," she said.
I ask her what is the first thing she will do if the village gets electricity. She reels off a list of goods - a refrigerator, a washing machine, a television set and a mobile phone.

Without electricity, people get together after work; they share things with each other, tell stories - Masawo, 28

But while village elders are excited by the prospect of electricity, younger tribal members are less keen.
Masawo, 28, used to work in the city but returned to the village when his parents died.
He talks of a special community spirit, which he fears may disappear forever.
"Without electricity, people get together after work; they share things with each other, tell stories. I think it's a better life.
"It's not necessary to have electricity. You can wash clothes by hand. With no TV, we have more time to chat and discuss together."
And even though the women spend much of the time in the kitchen cooking and cleaning by hand, mother-of-four Okoc is also reluctant to see change.
"I like things the way they are. Here we use oil lanterns, like in the old times. It seems better like that. If you had power, you wouldn't be able to see all the stars, and all the natural living things, like frogs and other animals, would run away."
Christian faith
At day break, I join the tribe, who are Christian, as they head to the fields to pick daylilies - shortly before they set off for Sunday service in church.

Electricity pylons are now making their way onto the landscape.
The daylilies need to be harvested and dried just before they bloom. And everyone pitches in, turning to a traditional Amis work exchange system called Malapaliw, in which farmers help out every family in rotation.
Their Christian faith and a strong community spirit is why younger tribal members now say they do not want to see any more arguments and will respect the views of elders who are so keen to have electricity.
But one compromise could be solar power, which would fit with the tribe's desire to develop projects such as eco-tourism and trekking and retain the character of the local environment.
Presbyterian church leader Rev Chang Ying-mei - who has been instrumental in helping the village think about how it wants to develop in the future - hopes the advent of electricity will bring only superficial changes.
"Power won't change their lives..." she began to say, "but who knows? People's desires are endless.
"I'm positive about the future because the village spirit is strong," she added.
"But one thing will change. The name, the Dark Village, will have to go."

I'm back..............

2007-08-28T22:24:00.000-07:00

.....in the Taiwan. I got back into Taichung late Saturday night (actually 12:30 Sunday morning) and had a wonderful Taiwanese welcome, brought to me by Freego Buslines. After 20+ hours of traveling, we finally pulled up in front of the Sogo Department store close to my apartment. The bus was full - I actually didn't have a seat, but one man put his tiny daughter on this lap and let me sit next to him - hence, there was lots of luggage in the cargo hold under the bus.

The driver didn't bother coming out, he just let me and another girl off and only opened one of the hatches. The girl crawled in and dragged her suitcase out. I reached in and grabbed one of mine (I had 2), put it down beside the bus and saw my other one was out of reach. So I put followed suit and crawled in to get the second one....and then the door closed and the bus started pulling away!

So I yelled "hey!", but the bus didn't stop. And I yelled "hey" again. And the bus didn't stop. So I started yelling and screaming and kicking the door - there was no room to stand in the cargo, I was lying across someone's suitcase. And it stopped and the door opened. I jumped out, put my second suitcase down, looked down the road and saw my first suitcase standing by itself on the side of the road, walked up to the front door of the bus, and Lost. My. Shit. I won't go into details. There was a girl sitting by the driver (actually, she had sat next to me on the plane out of Detroit) and she just kept saying "I'm sorry." I guess it was her job to press the button for the cargo door.

Most of the passengers stood up and gawked out the windows at me. Even if they didn't speak English, they have probably seen enough American movies to get the gist of what I was saying! So, I stuffed my bags in a taxi and went home and stopped shaking about a half hour later. Wheee!

Anyway, back at work, slowly getting over the jet-lag and wonky sleeping patterns (passing out at 9:00pm, waking up 4:30am) and will hopefully be right as rain and a lot less pissed at Freego Bus by next week!

Bridget

In the final stretch!

2007-07-15T07:18:00.000-07:00

Home in 6 days! I keep telling myself I don't have much to do, then I think about it for a few minutes and start twitching nervously! I just got my computer fixed up (it was slow and contrary) and decided to start on one of my biggest, most procrastinated projects - importing my cds on to my computer. Why did I think this would be an easy task? I have a disgusting amount of cds. It's been 2 days and I'm still on the "c's". At the same time, it's so much fun. I have music that I haven't listened to and forgotten about and it's great to relive it. I have 8 Johnny Cash albums!

I have recently moved down to the other branch of my school, the Nan Men Road campus which is where I started out and so far it's been great. More of a commute now, but it's not too bad. I'm sure I'll be whining about it in 4 months though!

Here is some recent oddness for your amusement;

About 2 weeks ago, I was leaving Grooveyard (local live music bar) and was stopped by a Taiwanese man and woman who asked me if I wanted to be in a commerical. Turned out the commerical was for diet pills and they wanted me to be the "before" picture. "You so beautiful, we take picture of you, then use computer to make you slim. We pay you 2000NT up front!" I told them I was not interested, then dragged my deflated ego home.

Last Sunday night I was woken up at 2:15AM by the security guard who knows no English, but frantically managed to communicate I should get out of my apartment. It turned out there was a girl on the floor above me who was threatening to jump out the window and they were scared she would land on my patio. I threw on some clothes and came out to find the cops, an ambulance with stretchers ready to go and the fire department with the trampoline/net thingy set up on the street below. Anyway, I didn't see her jump, but apparently she did and is fine. It's been difficult getting information about it seeing as my Chinese sucks.

Anyway, hopefully I'll be able to get my "A through J" box of cds done before next Saturday! Can't wait for Canada!

Bridget

Hiking pics

2007-06-18T21:14:00.000-07:00

It's the long Dragonboat Festival weekend! And stinking hot! Yesterday we went to Dakeng and Shinshe for hiking. It has just finished raining so it was pretty clear and there were lots of butterflies and bugs around which seemed to have just hatched. Here's a few photos. From my new camera! Ahhh, new toys....

We went for supper at this mountain top restaurant in Shinshe and got to watch the sunset in it's opening act.

A Gloomy Day in Taichung

2007-06-16T07:11:00.000-07:00

It's full on rainy season now and today was one of the first pauses in the downfall. Olivier and I went out and walked around for about 3 hours. I played with my new camera a lot. Here's a few shots. We walked around one of the many canals downtown, took some pretty pictures of balloons and pinwheels and saw some scary razor wire.

A swank dinner and a new Camera

2007-06-16T06:59:00.000-07:00

Yes, I have finally got on my lazy arse, bit the bullet and bought a new camera! It's another Canon, just like my old one. I kept looking at cameras and thinking, "oh, this one's not as ice as my old one, sniff."

On Thursday, Bih Hua took a bunch of us out to supper at a fancy French restaurant on the 46th floor of a building downtown. Here's me trying to be artsy with my new toy.

I am a whiny bitch.

2007-06-01T04:19:00.000-07:00

Oh dear, my poor neglected blog. Today is June 1st and I'm looking at the 3 wee little posts I did for May, and they were all Utube thingys. For shame. Although those Codco sketches rock - if anyone knows where I get find more, let me know!

What can I say? Facebook and work have eaten my life. I love Taiwan, but at the moment I am burnt the frig out. I haven't been home for about a year and half and I cannot, cannot wait to see everyone. I can't wait for the long summer nights and fresh air and Canadian beer! I had these constant fantasies of Cadbury's Cream Eggs for a while and was cursing myself for not bribing people at home to send me some or at least put some in the freezer for me. I have been making lists of things to buy, people to see, places to go, things to eat, music to absorb, movies to watch (Trailer Park Boys will be one of the first) and good haircuts and Shoppers Drug Mart and MooMoo's Ice Cream. Yes, I am excited about going to Shoppers Drug Mart. I'm not ashamed!

On to more complaining; last year, it rained for 3 weeks straight. This year, the rainy season has been replaced with this kind of thick, stagnant, humidity soup that just hangs everywhere and makes your feel like your are coated with a thin layer of hot syrup. It like, totally ruins your hair. The kindergarten students run around for their 20 minutes of outside play and they lose 3 pounds....wait....I should try that....

Anyhoo, it's Friday and my boyfriend is cooking me dinner and we're going to drink some imported beer from Thailand. Life is still good.

Bridget

Lucky Margarine

2007-05-18T06:30:00.001-07:00

I think this is one of my favourite Codco sketches ever. I forgot about the glass eye bit! Enjoy.

Friday Night Girls on Metrobus

2007-05-18T06:26:00.001-07:00

TGIF

Taiwan Drift

2007-05-10T01:27:00.001-07:00

A coworker showed me this at work yesterday. I'm not sure how I feel about the Basement Jaxx soundtrack that goes along with it or the number thing, but it's a good example of the scooter chaos in Taiwan. Enjoy! I do this every day!

Gosh, I'm a wee bit tired.

2007-04-24T04:25:00.000-07:00

Ugh blah ick. Tomorrow I will have been working 11 hour days at work for 2 weeks straight. Every morning I've been subbing for kindergarten and those kids wipe the floor with my arse. And there's this one kid who seems like a definite ADD case. Either that or his parents let him wash down his fruit loops with a hot, steaming cup of liquid gluclose everyday.

We also have the Annual Class Presentations this week (ACPs). I was thinking, "hey, I'm the head teacher, I don't have to do an ACP, this will be great! I'll escape all that pressure..." How silly of me. I've been asked repeatedly for the past 4 weeks about the ACPs and how they're coming along and that I should make sure they're really good and what are the teachers doing and oh my God, I hope the parents can hear the friggin' kids speak and make sure they don't shag up their words and say things like "my home have a computer" oh dear Jesus no.

But on Friday there will be the last ACP and only one day left of subbing and then I can go back to my normal routine where I have time to go for a run and not eat take out everyday! And make phone calls! Whoo-hoo!

And soon (June?) I will have a new camera and upload my own pics for the purpose of making my writing more interesting, instead of stealiing them from the internet.

Bridget

The Name Game

2007-04-12T07:29:00.000-07:00

This didn't work too well with me as my middle name is my grandmother's name, so lots of Catherines...also I didn't grow up on a street 'cause Highlands is just one big, long road with ninety something people living close by it.... I like my spy name and porn star name though.

1. YOUR SPY NAME (middle name and current street name):
Catherine Daie

2. YOUR MOVIE STAR NAME (grandfather/mother on your dad's side and your favourite candy):
Catherine Twizzler

3. YOUR RAP NAME (first initial of first name and first three or four letters of your last name):
Bcan

5. YOUR SOAP OPERA NAME (middle name, and city you were born in)
Catherine Highlands

6. YOUR STAR WARS NAME (first three letters of your last name, last three letters of mother's maiden name, first three letters of your pet's name)
Canownmor

7. JEDI NAME (middle name spelled backwards, your mom's maiden name spelled backwards):
Enirehtac nwoekcm

8. PORN STAR NAME (first pet's name, the street you grew up on):
Poppet Highlands

9. SUPERHERO NAME: ("The", your favourite colour and the automobile your parents drive)

I can't remember what kind of car mom has now - a Corsica? Anyway, I like the one we had in high school....
The Green Beretta

10. YOUR ACTION HERO NAME (first name of the main character in the last film you watched, last food you ate)
Andrew Sweet Potato French Fries (I saw "A Scanner Darkly")

goin's on....

2007-04-12T06:59:00.000-07:00

Busy, busy, busy! Tomorrow I start the first day of 2 1/2 weeks of subbing for a kindergarten class, the teachers at my school have their annual class performances starting in about 10 days and we're trying to organize the new school year, which will start in July. I also just started taking lessons with a private Chinese tutor and a yoga class. So haven't been pausing much lately....in fact, I'm so tired at the moment that the thought of going to sleep gives me a little tingle in my belly. It's pretty bad when closing your eyes and having a little nap is a secret thrill.

My Chinese tutor had a laugh at my Chinese name, which is printed on my ARC (Alien Resident Card. I'm an alien! I always knew it was true). When you're a foreigner and you move to Taiwan, you get a Chinese name which is basically a phonetic translation of your name into Mandarin. For the past 3 1/2 years, I've thought my name (which kind of goes "Boo Jee Er") meant "fresh clean cloth." I was told it was a very pretty name, like pure linen or something. But really, it means a cloth that you clean something with. So I really am just a j-cloth. Sigh.

Tomorrow is Friday the 13th! Oooooooo! Good luck! I hope the little kindys are nice to me.

Bridget

Holy crap, it's April.....

2007-04-06T01:11:00.000-07:00

And the first week of April is almost over! Damn. I am expecting this month to be pretty nuts, I'm subbing for kindergarten for about 2 1/2 weeks, the elementary teachers all have their class performances at the end of the month, I just started classes with a new Chinese Tutor and I'm now taking yoga once a week.

This weekend is a four day one, like a lot of you crowd have at home, but it's not because of Easter, it's due to Tomb Sweeping Day, which was yesterday. And although this weekend is extra long, we have to make up the Friday day off by working next Saturday. It's because of the Lunar calendar, Tomb Sweeping Day lands on the Thursday and they give us the Friday "off" so you get a long weekend, but then that day has to get made up....anyway, it's a new policy the Taiwanese government and workaholic society have come up with! We get another one like this in June for Dragon Boat Festival.

My poor blog, I feel like I've been neglecting it since I recently became sucked into facepage.com. Poor bloggy.

Still no new camera yet, but I might bite the bullet next week! More later.

Bridget

My Celebrity Look-alikes

2007-03-24T22:42:00.001-07:00

My cool celebrity look-alike collage from MyHeritage.com. Get one for yourself.

What I'm listening to and watching and stuff

2007-03-19T22:32:00.000-07:00

I just got me a whole bunch of new music from Olivier and I can't stop listening to Indochine. They've from France and have been around since 1981. They sound a bit like Joy Division and The Cure. And I understand every 4th or 5th word or so.

Blockbuster has finally got the second season of Desperate Housewives and I watched the first 4 episodes on Sunday. I love Edie, she's such a ho.

I just finished reading "Inconceivable" by Ben Elton which was left over from my fluffy vacation reading. Apparently they made a movie out of it called "Maybe Baby" or something. Anyway. It was ok. I hate it when book critics rage about a novel being "uproariously funny!!! Laugh out loud hilarious!!" It sets the bar too high. But I guess "clever and mildly amusing" doesn't sell paperbacks.

I saw "Dream Girls" a couple of weeks ago and it's worth seeing for Eddie Murphy. I also recently saw pirated versions of "The Pursuit of Happiness" and "The Departed". Sometimes I can't believe how easy it is to see movies now. I remember when driving into Stephenville to watch "Splash!" was one of the highlights of the year.

Besides that, I'm looking for a new Chinese Tutor as mine bailed because she's teaching at a university and is too busy for little ol' me. We have a 4 day weekend April 4th - 8th and I'm trying to figure out what to do.

Hopefully I will get a new camera soon and have photos to post once again.

Bridget

My First Bra....

2007-03-14T01:29:00.000-07:00

....bought in Taiwan that is. I finally summoned up my patience and ventured out to find a bra that would fit me here in tiny person land. I have been living here for almost 4 years and have not even bothered trying to see if they have my size, besides a quick glance here and there in a mall and never finding anything bigger than a b-cup. Or anything that is not padded. But I just wanted a new one. Something pretty.... So I went to The Easy Shop. Yes, that's its name. It's a very popular lingerie chain here in Taiwan.

According to Easy Shop standards, I am a size E. I cannot believe it. E for "enormous, compared to our standards! Ha!" Or E for "English Teacher boobs."

In the dressing rooms, there are little buzzers you can press to summon the salesladies. I didn't press it, but the salesgirl came in anyway and showed me how I could make the bra fit better by putting her hand inside the bra (from the side, under my armpit) and shoving my boob and any excess flesh into the cup. "See? Fit much better."

Oh well, I guess it's better than ordering online.

Bridget

More tunnel pics

2007-03-12T04:12:00.000-07:00

Here's a few more shots of the tunnels.

Here's Olivier going to explore. I was scared I would get stuck so I didn't go.

Tourists underground.

Guns and prices.

My blog will look stupid temporarily because Blogspot are a bunch of tools.

2007-03-11T06:17:00.000-07:00

I'm starting to get really annoyed with blogspot. First the whole "we're going Beta!" and forcing me to change the email address I sign in with. Then for awhile everytime I signed in from home it would all appear in Chinese so I had to dick around with that. Now, all I wanted to do was to change one little thing on my template and then it forces me to upgrade to the NEW template changer thingy (giving me no other option) and then fucks up everything. The headers are gone from my links. Where's my goddamn Picasa web albums? Now I have to redo the whole bastardly thing again.

I know it's not a big deal, but you know, it's like when you mop the floor and then someone walks across it with muddy shoes. It only takes a second to sweep it up, but you'd think they'd be more careful. Why do the internets try to constantly fix things that aren't broken? And it's late and I'm tired and I don't want to be on my computer anymore. Grrrrrrr......

tired and annoyed,

Bridget

Cu Chi Tunnels, post 1

2007-03-11T05:41:00.000-07:00

Here's some more pictures from the Viet Nam trip.

The Cu Chi Tunnels were an elaborate system of tunnels built outside of Saigon and took some 25 years to build, initially started by the Viet Minh. The soil in the Cu Chi area is red earth and was ideal for creating tunnels during the war against the French. The VC took over the old tunnels, made new extensions and created this extremely organized network for basing attacks.

If you ever go to Saigon, definitely go on the Cu Chi tour. Our tour guide was this crazy guy who worked as an information officer for the Americans and after the war he was thrown in jail for 4 years. He was very outspoken and interesting. We have a couple of short films of him talking, I'll try to upload them here later (when I figure out how to do that!)

Another thing about the Cu Chi tour is that if you want, you can pay a dollar (US) a bullet and go fire off Russian AK-47s, 30-60 machine guns and many, many other guns from the war in the firing range. So while you're walking around the jungle looking at the tunnels you can hear gunfire off in the distance.

Check out the "klipping armpit" trap and then the kind of childlike illusration of such traps in use! Eeesh.

Here's Olivier in the destroyed American tank.

More photos

2007-03-09T21:35:00.000-08:00

Olivier just gave me some more of our vacation photos, so I'll add them here over the next while.

I got a chance to meet up with my friend Nic for breakfast in Saigon, he and Meghan moved to Saigon in August - they were my neighbours here on Soho Street for awhile.

Here I am obviously saying something amazing and unfrigging believable.

New blogs and cold weather

2007-03-05T17:34:00.000-08:00

Holy crap, it's March 6th! Time is having it's way with me. There are less than 4 months left in the school year, I can't believe it.

Today it is cold and wet. I know I shouldn't complain about the weather as there's no snow here and on Sunday I was hiking in the mountains in shorts and sandals, but riding a scooter in the cold rain really sucks. My fingers are still cold and I've been here for an hour. Maybe I have a circulation problem.

I've added links to two new blogs from friends in the sidebar, fabulous Newfoundland women who are off running around the world! Rhonda Matthews in currently working in Afghanistan and Julia Rogers (formerly Thompson, Strawberry from Hatcher!) who is a bridge officer on an offshore vessel. Such exciting lives! I'm jealous.

Must go, peas out.

Bridget

New web album chock full of new vaykay photos

2007-02-26T06:29:00.001-08:00

I've got all the new photos in the new Picasa web album in me task bar. Checkit.

First day back at work today and I was pleasantly surprised to find my Christmas presents from Liz and Pat on my desk! It was Christmas in late February. I don't know if it's Canada Post or a lack of Taiwanese postal workers that can read English, but my mail has been really pokey lately.

My brother sent me his new album which I am currently listening to for the 2nd time and a plethora of music from Newfoundland with detailed descriptions and all organised in a cd case. Patrick rocks! I showed it to my fellow Newfoundland coworker April (townie), who knows many of the musicians personally and she was all homesick. And Liz sent me more CDs and a cool starfish which many kindergarten students were intrigued with and Smarties, which have already been inhaled. Yay Chinese New Year presents, yay!!!

yay music and photos and chocolate. Whoo hoo!

Bridget

vacation summary so far - mostly up, one big down....

2007-02-20T20:28:00.000-08:00

Thought I'd jot down some of the highlights and the one big dark point of our trip so far....

I met up with Olivier in Ko Tao, Thailand on Feb. 4th and we stayed in a little bungalow on Sairi Beach for about 5-6 days. We swam in the ocean every day and it was very relaxing. We didn't do much sightseeing - one day we rented scooters and drove around to the various beaches, but mainly it was very lazy - just what I needed! I took some pictures with my lovely Canon 512 Powershot.

After Ko Tao, we took a boat and a bus to Krabi and stayed on Hat Ton Sai. The Krabi province is very beautiful, tall limestone cliffs that end in white sand beaches. We swam a lot and rented sea kayaks and paddled around. I took lots of pictures.

We flew from Krabi to Bangkok for a shopping day before heading to Saigon. I was very excited about coming back to Vietnam, I was here in Hanoi a couple of years ago and I was looking forward to seeing the south. And taking lots of pictures with my fancy camera. But, and this is the low part, on our first day walking around Saigon, I was coming out of a temple with my camera in my hand and I was "motorcycle robbed" or however you call it. A girl riding on the back of a motorcycle snatched it out of my hands and it was gone. Took 2 seconds. Needless to say I was very upset and very, very pissed off. Still am a bit, have occasional fantasy where I relive the moment and I picture myself reaching out as they drive off and I grab her by the hair....she had the really bad brassy dye job that a lot of Asian girls get when they try to make their hair lighter...anyway, I won't go into the details of my hostile revenge fantasy.

Besides that, the holiday has still been good. I've been trying not to let it taint my opinion of Vietnam, although I do feel myself feeling quite mistrustful. Olivier has been great and lots of fun to travel with. He took some pictures with his camera so I'll still have some mementos. We went out to Mui Ne, a beach area with fantastic sand dunes and it was really beautiful. We leave to go back to Taiwan on the 23rd and it's back to work on the 26th. Hope everyone is well, will post pictures (the ones that aren't gone forever!! Sob!) soon.

Bridget

In Saigon

2007-02-16T21:04:00.000-08:00

We got into Ho Chi Minh yesterday evening and today is New Year's Day, so everything is very colourful (and there's probably not a lot open). We're here until the 23rd and hoping to make a day trip out to the Chi Cu Tunnels and a tour of the Mekong Delta. My friends Nic and Meg (there are pictures of them here back in August, I believe) moved out here in the summer and I'm hoping to see them on the 20th - right now they're in Laos and heading up to the North on the 21st to meet Meg's folks.

The place we're staying gives us an hour of free internet access each day and I've finally been able to get onto blogger which has been a right bitch lately and not co-operative in most of the cheap internet cafes I tried in Thailand.

Anyway, I will post more trip details with pictures when we return to Taiwan!

Bridget

Alive and in a warm place.

2007-02-06T21:45:00.000-08:00

I tried to post here last week, but my computer wasn't being co-operative, and then blogger itself wasn't being co-operative. So anyway, I've been in Thailand since Saturday, Feb. 3rd and Olivier and I are currently relaxing on the island of Koh Tao. I was here before to do my scuba training, but that ended up taking up most of my time, so it's really great to be here now and just laze around on the beach and drink coconut shakes and Singha. Tomorrow we're planning on heading for Krabi and then Saigon on the 16th. Or around there. I think. Not a lot of planning on this vacation.

Will write again soon. Have important lounging to do.

Muhammad Ali's Birthday

2007-01-17T17:26:00.000-08:00

Wednesday was Muhammad Ali's birthday and the BBC news website compiled this list of famous Ali quotes. I like "I'm so mean I make medicine sick" the best.

ON BEING THE GREATEST
I'm not the greatest; I'm the double greatest. Not only do I knock 'em out, I pick the round.

It's just a job. Grass grows, birds fly, waves pound the sand. I beat people up.

Floats like a butterfly, sting like a bee, his hands can't hit what his eyes can't see.
Before the 1974 fight against George Foreman

I done wrestled with an alligator, I done tussled with a whale; handcuffed lightning, thrown thunder in jail; only last week, I murdered a rock, injured a stone, hospitalised a brick; I'm so mean I make medicine sick.
Again, before the 1974 Foreman fight

I'm so fast that last night I turned off the light switch in my hotel room and got into bed before the room was dark.
Yet more '74 pre-fight build-up ahead of facing Foreman

The fight is won or lost far away from witnesses - behind the lines, in the gym, and out there on the road, long before I dance under those lights.

Superman don't need no seatbelt.

When you can whip any man in the world, you never know peace.

I'm the best. I just haven't played yet.
On playing golf

ON BOXING

Boxing is a lot of white men watching two black men beat each other up.

Champions aren't made in gyms, champions are made from something they have deep inside them - a desire, a dream, a vision. They have to have last-minute stamina, they have to be a little faster, they have to have the skill and the will. But the will must be stronger than the skill.

Only the nose knows where the nose goes when the doors close.

I never thought of losing, but now that it's happened, the only thing is to do it right. That's my obligation to all the people who believe in me. We all have to take defeats in life.
After losing to Ken Norton, 31 March 1973

ON RACE, RELIGION AND LIFE
I am America. I am the part you won't recognise. But get used to me. Black, confident, cocky; my name, not yours; my religion, not yours; my goals, my own; get used to me.

Cassius Clay is a slave name. I didn't choose it and I don't want it. I am Muhammad Ali, a free name - it means beloved of God - and I insist people use it when people speak to me and of me.
Announcing his conversion to the Muslim faith after first Sonny Liston fight

"What's my name, fool? What's my name?"
To Ernie Terrell during their 1967 fight - Terrell had refused to call him Muhammad Ali

I know I got it made while the masses of black people are catchin' hell, but as long as they ain't free, I ain't free.

Why should they ask me to put on a uniform and go 10,000 miles from home and drop bombs and bullets on brown people while so-called Negro people in Louisville are treated like dogs?

I got nothing against no Viet Cong. No Vietnamese ever called me a 'nigger'.

Nobody has to tell me that this is a serious business. I'm not fighting one man. I'm fighting a lot of men, showing a lot of 'em, here is one man they couldn't defeat, couldn't conquer. My mission is to bring freedom to 30m black people.
Before his fight against Jerry Quarry in 1970.

A man who views the world the same at 50 as he did at 20 has wasted 30 years of his life.

What's really hurting me - the name Islam is involved, and Muslim is involved and causing trouble and starting hate and violence. Islam is not a killer religion, Islam means peace. I couldn't just sit home and watch people label Muslims as the reason for this problem.
21 September 2001, in the aftermath of the World Trade Center attacks

ALI vs FRAZIER

Frazier is so ugly that he should donate his face to the US Bureau of Wildlife.
Ali

It will be a killer, and a chiller, and a thriller, when I get the gorilla in Manila
Ali, before the "Thrilla in Manila" against Frazier

Joe Frazier is so ugly that when he cries, the tears turn around and go down the back of his head.
Ali

I always bring out the best in men I fight, but Joe Frazier, I'll tell the world right now, brings out the best in me. I'm gonna tell ya, that's one helluva man, and God bless him.
Ali, after the "Thrilla in Manila"

I said a lot of things in the heat of the moment that I shouldn't have said. Called him names I shouldn't have called him. I apologise for that. I'm sorry. It was all meant to promote the fight. Ali

The Butterfly and me have been through some ups and downs and there have been lots of emotions, many of them bad. But I have forgiven him. I had to. You cannot hold out for ever. There were bruises in my heart because of the words he used. I spent years dreaming about him and wanting to hurt him. But you have got to throw that stick out of the window. Do not forget that we needed each other, to produce some of the greatest fights of all time.
Frazier in reflective mood.

ON OTHER OPPONENTS

Hey Floyd - I seen you! Someday I'm gonna whup you! Don't you forget, I am the greatest!
To then-world heavyweight champion Floyd Patterson during the 1960 Olympic Games

Why, Chump, I bet you scare yourself to death just starin' in the mirror. You ugly bear! You ain't never fought nobody but tramps and has beens. You call yourself a world champion? You're too old and slow to be champion!
To Sonny Liston before their fight on 25 February 1964

I shook up the world! I shook up the world!
After beating Liston

That all you got George?
To Foreman late in the Rumble in the Jungle in Zaire on 30 October 1974

Sunday pre-sunset

2007-01-14T06:01:00.000-08:00

Sunday walk

2007-01-14T06:00:00.000-08:00

Cool sky with typical Taiwanese building and lots of wires.

Sunday, January 14th

2007-01-14T05:57:00.000-08:00

Went for a walk to Donghi University with Olivier and we had some great clouds.

I'm a pokey blogger.

2007-01-10T21:36:00.000-08:00

My God....it's already almost 2 weeks into 2007! I think one of my new year's resolutions was to keep up with my blog....

School is busy with parent/teacher conferences coming up and Chinese New Year. Turns out I'm not going to Iowa now for the hiring. Bummer. The school closes for 2 weeks for Chinese New Year and I'm taking the week off before it. I'm heading to Thailand to lie on a beach and do nothing for a while, then run around a bit and eventually get to Saigon, which is where we eventually leave from. I say "run around a bit" because I really don't know what I'm doing between Thailand and Viet Nam! Hopefully get to Laos and reunite with my friends Nic and Meg who moved to Saigon in August.

Right now I'm reading "The End of the Affair" by Graham Greene. I've been on both a Graham Greene and a Ian McKweon kick for the past few months, I read "The Power and the Glory" (Graham Greene) this summer and "Enduring Love" (Ian McKweon). I've also rented the first season of "Carnivale" which is great! So creepy! And I recently downloaded the new Dashboard Confessional album, which is ok when I'm in the mood for "bite your fist" emo music. I also like The Gossip and am listening to "Standing in the Way of Control" a lot (recommended by the previously mentioned Meg!)

One of my other big resolutions of 2007 is to save money and kick the retail habit that I have picked up over the past year. Some environments are bad to live in if you have a certain habit to give up - living next to George Street would be bad for an alcoholic, living in Little Italy in Toronto is bad if you're trying to lose weight (it was very hard for me being surrounded by Italian bakeries and pizza places). Since I've paid off my loans, I seem to have picked up the Asian shopping disease and it's very hard to shake. Especially since Taichung is one of the biggest shoe producing cities around.....I have 2 pairs of Crocs, one pair of Reeboks, one pair of Birkenstocks, one pair of Converse sneakers, a pair of purple sequined opened toed heels and I can count at least 6 pairs of dressy sandals off the top of my head which I can maybe wear for 3 months out of the year back in Canada....anyway, it's got to stop!

Will pass on progress later.

Bridget

Christmas Eve at Tiger City

2006-12-26T03:06:00.000-08:00

Christmas lights and palm trees.

Christmas Eve at Tiger City

2006-12-26T03:00:00.000-08:00

Olivier, dazzled by the lights, apparently, by the Christmassy carousal.

Christmas Eve at Tiger City

2006-12-26T02:58:00.000-08:00

Olivier's class were singing carols at Tiger City, a local shopping mall and it was packed! Check out this huge pink fuzzy teddy bear! I want one.

Dec. 23rd - staff party - more dancin!

2006-12-26T02:51:00.000-08:00

These are university students from Bih Hua's husband's school (he's the vice president of Chung-Shing University) and they did this Michael Jacksonesque dance for us.

Staff Christmas party - dancing

2006-12-26T02:48:00.000-08:00

Here's my boss and her husband. I think she's invading his dance space.

The boss lady

2006-12-26T02:45:00.000-08:00

This is Bih Hua, the principal of my school and her husband. They're very involved with ballroom dancing, hence the wicked gown. During the party (which was about 5 courses of Chinese food, mostly seafood) they danced for us.

Staff Party on Tip's Eve (Dec. 23rd)

2006-12-26T02:37:00.000-08:00

I got me hair straightened and gots me a Chinese dress! No, I haven't been living here too long! That's Christy, she's due in February.

More Christmas party pictures.

2006-12-22T19:48:00.000-08:00

As I write this, my apartment is a festering mess of post party squalor......

Micki and Lucy doing the Taiwan V-sign pose.

Daniel, Ash and Ryan were just drinking their beers and then Daniel's head became a supernova.
Emily and I, glowing in the flash.

Like my Christmas lights? Here I decided to look hopefully to the future while Olivier shut his eyes and smiled.

Christmas Par-tay!

2006-12-22T19:38:00.002-08:00

Hey, I had a Christmas party last night. Wanna see the pictures? Here da pictures.

Julie, Emily and Mirium posing cute with a bottle of vodka.

Aaron and Jeff looking stern.

Around my picnic table are Amanda, Faye, Olivier, Oliver (yes, both the French and English versions of the name) and Jody.

Me and Olivier, in his toque. It's actually chilly out. I mean, I'm still not wearing socks, but it's chilly out.

Kristy wanted to know if she was the same height as the tree. Indeed, Kristy is tree-sized.

A Christmas Wish from Eric (age 4)

2006-12-21T06:06:00.000-08:00

Some of these kids have strong parental instincts.

The tree Lucy Van Pelt wanted to buy.

2006-12-18T05:36:00.000-08:00

Hack, cough, blech

2006-12-07T00:28:00.000-08:00

Indeed, I am officially sick now. My voice has been whittled down to a low scraping sound. Stupid sinuses. Stupid children and their little cooties and dirty fingers. November was a very stressful month, all the staff were crazy busy, we had a teacher resign and myself and the other head teachers here have been running off our heads trying to find a replacement. Looks like that problem has been solved, things have cooled down and now my immune system has caught up with me. I'm dragging my arse around and everyday I come home to this huge pile of wrapped Christmas presents which I must, I must get in the mail....tomorrow...after I sit down for awhile......and watch eposides of "Entourage" which my friend Robin loaned me on DVD.

But things could be worse. I could have had really bad gas while riding a plane and embarrass myself internationally.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/6213644.stm

My apartment gecko

2006-12-04T03:50:00.000-08:00

Below are a couple of pictures of the gecko that lives in my apartment. He's pale and shy, a bit of a wallflower, or a wall-climbing wallflower. ....sorry, I'm tired and trying to be witty. I like peaceful lizards that eat bugs. I'm trying to think of a good name. Any suggestions would be appreciated. I keep thinking "Simon" but I call everything Simon. Mark C has my old plant called Simon. And I like Bruce too, but I already suggested that name recently to my friend Emily, who took in a stray puppy.

I'm feeling really sooky right now. I have an itchy tickle at the back of my throat and I'm more tired than usual, which means I'm probably getting sick. Stupid germs. And my TV is on the fritz, the screen is doing this skippy, flashy thing. I'm going to go lie down and read - oh, right now I'm reading "Enduring Love" by Ian McEwan which is really dark and sucks you in. I love Ian McEwan, I've already read "Atonement" and "Amsterdam." Yay Ian McEwan.

Anyway, feeling really crappy and going for a nappy!

Bridget

It beats having mice.

2006-12-04T03:47:00.000-08:00

Geckos are our friends.

2006-12-04T03:46:00.000-08:00

American Thanksgiving at the school

2006-11-26T15:45:00.000-08:00

Here's that potluck dinner I was talking about in my last post. Troughs of food! Bih Hua the owner got the turkeys.

Below is Anne and Katherine. Anne is one of my closest friends here in Taiwan. We're in a kindergarten class if anyone's wondering.

Olivier came with me to the dinner. I have that "take the goddamn picture already" look in my eyes.

So we ate a lot and then I went home and passed out, like a regular thanksgiving.

Gettin' ready for lots of eatin'

2006-11-21T18:21:00.000-08:00

Tomorrow is American Thanksgiving and a friend of mine has invited me for supper. Then on Friday the kindergarten teachers have organized a whole day of Thanksgiving crafts with the kids. Then on Saturday, it's the Cornel Thanksgiving potluck at school and most of the staff goes. We all eat in the kindergarten classrooms at Nan Men. Everybody brings a dish and it's a mad eating frenzy with adults on tiny plastic chairs.

One of the Chinese Teachers asked me the other day what the difference is between American Thanksgiving and Canadian Thanksgiving. I told her that in the U.S, Thanksgiving is a major holiday with lots of turkey and a long weekend and it's a really big deal and all the sitcoms create a Thanksgiving special. In Canada, we have Thanksgiving in October and we eat turkey and everyone is happy we have a long weekend. I don't remember ever getting that excited about the pilgrims in school and I don't know why we celebrate it on different days. I don't think she was impressed with my knowledgeable answer.

Anyway, I'll try to remember to bring my camera for this one. And if anyone wants to fill me in on the background of Canadian Thanksgiving, that would be good too.

Da'an Beach

2006-11-15T04:57:00.000-08:00

On Nov. 4th Olivier and I got on his scooter and drove and drove and drove 'til we found a beach (Da'an, it's out by the harbour). We were concerned about pollution, but so far we haven't started mutating or sprouted nasty rashes. It was very shallow, but scenic and there were no other people around except for the occasional crab fisherperson. And I didn't get sunburned! Yay!

The trip wasn't planned, hence no bathing suit and my pants look pretty stupid rolled up.
Me and lots of sand.

That's Olivier in his cool sunglasses. He's so cute, I must take more pictures of him.

Time flies when....you're really tired and there isn't much going on....

2006-11-14T20:49:00.000-08:00

Oops, I've been pretty pokey when it comes to updating this blog lately. I had a small, impromptu party on Saturday with some friends that was lots of fun and I completely forgot to take pictures. And earlier that day, there was a sports day at school with lots of kids running around in potato sack races and with their faces painted....and I completely forgot to take pictures. However, Olivier and I went to the beach a couple of weeks ago and although I forgot to bring my camera, he didn't, so I will post some pictures of that later on. Good to be with people who are on the ball. This way you'll know it's really me writing these posts and not just some crazed blog hacker who has stolen my identity.

We only have one photocopier at work and it's broken and all the teachers are going crazy. Crazy! Arrrggghh! What to do?

Bridget

Happy Taiwanese Halloween!

2006-10-30T16:48:00.000-08:00

Here at the school, we had our Halloween party on Friday as there's a lot of students that aren't here on Tuesdays. So we set up lots of games and face painting and also invited the parents to come and watch. Lots of kindergarten age children, hopped up on sugar and parents with cameras acting like the paparazzi. But fortunately not as chaotic as it seems.

Halloween here always makes me miss fall in Newfoundland and the George Street Mardi Gras.

And yes, it was my birthday on Sunday but it was pretty quiet as I returned from Nepal with a nasty stomach bug which made its appearance last Monday and wiped me out all week. I actually went to the hospital last Monday as I couldn't keep anything down and was really dehydrated. So no big party for me...yet. I might have one in the next week or so. Got some very nice gifts (thanks for the Tragically Hip cds Liz!) and emails and people keep taking me out for dinner, so it's great! And I'm still one year away from 33, the other big celebrity death age after 27 (Jesus, Jim Belushi, Chris Farley, there were all 33!). Gotta be careful about these things.

Off to do work related activities, will post more soon.

Bridget

Web album full of pics from Nepal

2006-10-29T16:10:00.000-08:00

These Picasa web albums are wicked, thanks Liz. If you want to see more of my photos from Nepal, you can click on the album in the sidebar. Warning, I managed to narrow it down to 97 so you might want to use the sideshow and save yourself some clicking. I'm going to try and get some of my older pictures up in web albums soon as well.

Bridget

Mountainpalooza

2006-10-24T17:01:00.000-07:00

Whoo-hoo! Big honkin' snowy mountain. I love my zoom lense.

This is Cohpagnya who was my porter. Trekking guides and porters are a male dominated business in Nepal, but there's a organization called 3 Sisters (www.3sistersadventure.com) that provides female guides and porters. They train women to become guides and focus on enpowering Nepalese women - Nepal is one of the only countries where men outlive women, on average a Nepali man works 8 hours a day, a Nepali woman works 12. Cohpagnya hardly spoke any English, so I asked my guide about her. She is 23 and was going to university in a small town, but the Maoists moved in and she ended up having to leave school. Then she was part of a group that got kidnapped by the Maoists and held in the jungle for a week - the military showed up with helicopters and the Maoists took off. Afterwards she ended up in Kathmandu doing a sewing course when she heard about the 3 Sisters and decided to join them. She's looking into studying music.

Clothesline, palm tree, purple flowers, snowy mountain.

This is back in Pokhara, I took a boat across the lake and hiked up to the stupa and pagoda on the top. There was a nice view of the Annapurnas before it got too hot and steamy.

Stupa and purdy purple flowers.

More trekking pictures

2006-10-23T05:39:00.000-07:00

Here's some more photos of my cloudy trek.

Rooftops of guesthouses.

This is me with my guide Cohmilla (left) and Cohpagnya (right). We're blurry! That German tourist didn't know what she was doing man.

Nothing like hiking uphill for 3 days to stand around in a cloud. This little peek was all I could get of the spectacular views at 3000 M!

Ominous cloudy valley. It started to rain shortly after I took this picture.

Then on the last day, the sky was clear! They put those poles together like that to make swings for the kids.

and some more......

2006-10-22T16:47:00.000-07:00

Here's a few more from around Kathmandu and my trek.

Pack horses comin' down the moutain. You have to jump out to the way so they don't step on you.

Temple action. While I was taking this picture, there was this dog following me around and barking and snarling aggressively. That dog hated me. So I didn't stay at this temple very long.

Pigeon and temple roof freaky head.

Shiva the Aggressor!

Ladies hanging out at the local stupa.

People pics

2006-10-22T16:39:00.000-07:00

Alright, I'm back in Taiwan and I can finally get some pictures up on ze blog.

Street vendor selling different colours of sindur which is a powder you mix with yogurt and rice to create a tika on your forehead.

Bird's eye view of vendors on the street.

Ladies selling beads and sequins.

This guy with his prayer beads kept motioning to me at the Annapurna Temple. That hat is called a topi.

By the way, it' s not cool to just run up and take pictures of people in Nepal, so I gave a couple of bucks or bought something from all the people in these pictures. Except for the market, then I would have been broke.

Bridget

Last day in Kathmandu

2006-10-20T02:00:00.000-07:00

I'm outta here tomorrow, I fly to Bangkok at 1:40 and have to stay the night there. Then the flight to Taipei leaves at 7:00am, which means I'm going to have to get up and leave around 4:00. Ugh. But there's a spa at the hotel which I think I'm going to check out.

I have no energy today. Part of me feels I should go do more sight-seeing....but a bigger part of me feels that I have to work on Monday and start organizing a big Taiwanese Halloween party for the students and I should just sit as still as possible while I can. The big part has won, so today I'm just going to bum around in cafes. And maybe go back to the hotel and lie on my bed and watch Bollywood movies.

I tried to upload more pics, but this time the computer won't acknowledge my camera. If it's not one ting, it's anudder. So next week will be Buckets of Nepal Pictures Week.

I'll think I'll have another coffee.

Bridget

Back in Kathmandu.

2006-10-16T05:26:00.000-07:00

I've given up trying to post pictures for now as no computer wants to co-operate with me. Things are great, I took a hike up the stupa (like a pagoda) on the other side of the lake in Pokhara yesterday and got some nice shots of the Annapurnas hovering over the hills. And I shopped. Too much. Now I'm at Boudha which is a center for Tibetan Buddhism in Nepal just west of Kathmandu. Tomorrow I will go back into town and I may go see some live music as right now "Jazzmandu" is on. I hope they have t-shirts.

Bridget

Annapurna South

2006-10-13T20:34:00.000-07:00

Well, it seems that every time I try to upload several photos at once, it conks out on me. So we'll try one at a time. Here's a money shot of Annapurna South, early Tuesday morning.

Few shots of Nepal....

2006-10-13T04:07:00.000-07:00

Alright, it took freakin' forever to upload these, but here's three, count 'em, 3 shots of Nepal. I have over a hundred on my camera and will try to upload some more later when I have nothin' but time.....

Kathmandu! As seen from the top of Bhimsen Tower. Busy place...
And of course, I forgot to bring the stupid book with me to the internet cafe and can't remember the name of this temple right now, but it was really cool! Pigeons and cows (and most animals) are sacred in Hinduism, hence tons of pigeons.
In Pokhara, hanging out by the lake.

So, I just got back from a 5 day trek and am in Pokhara right now, heading to Kathmandu again on Monday. Nepal is wonderful and I feel like I'm in a movie. I'm alive and well and haven't fallen off a mountain or been kidnapped by Maoists (although I had to pay them a tax thing, more on that later). I'll post again soon.

Bridget

In Kathmandu!

2006-10-07T02:56:00.000-07:00

Hey, I made it! I'm saying in a cute little place called Blue Horizon Hotel in Thamel, which is the touristy area of Kathmandu. Tomorrow I fly out to Pohkara and arrange a trek around Annapurna. I should be hungry, but I'm so full of nervous energy right now, I'm just going to go stomp around with my camera and see what's what. They served chicken tandoori on the plane! Good sign.

Will post more later, I am alive and well!

Bridget

When 9 year olds write tongue twisters.....

2006-10-03T21:00:00.000-07:00

I'm teaching a writing and public speaking class once a week for a group of kids in grades 3 and 4. We had lots of fun making up tongue twisters last week. First, the kids made lists of words that start with the same sound (like chick, chat, cheese, etc). Then the labeled each word as a verb or noun or whatever and tried to make silly sentences with them. I told them it didn't matter if it didn't make sense, it just had to be hard to say.

It worked out really well and I want to use them in class all the time as a warm-up exercise. I might take little Jean's out though. She used bl and oo words and came up with this;

"Black Blane blows a bamboo baboon in a blue balloon."

Try saying that 3 times fast.

Few more pics from Friday and Saturday

2006-10-03T16:18:00.000-07:00

Here's a few more pictures from last weekend. On Friday, I went to see a band at Grooveyard, which is a local bar that has regular live music. It was a Johnny Cash cover band actually, so we were all in good spirits. After the band stopped playing, we couldn't find anything else going on, so I took everyone home with me. Well, me and 7 friends. And we just hung out in my apartment and drank beer and listened to music. 4 of the 7 passed out in various places around the apartment and sauntered out the next day. Good times.

Jason and Jeff, long haired men looking bemused. Yes, I have light blue walls and apple-green curtains in my apartment. I call the decor "clash-fantastic."

This is my friend Ash from London, he's so pretty. That's Laurie in green. She's very pretty too, but she didn't look at the camera.

Me and lovely Emily. I love my black and white setting.

And then it was Saturday and barbeque I posted about earlier. Laura is the girl in red and Mirium is eating a barbequed squid on a skewer.

Start of Moon Festival

2006-10-01T17:07:00.000-07:00

Mid-Autumn or Moon Festival has started up which means BBQ madness. My building had free barbeque for all the tenants (if you signed up beforehand) which means you got a little barbeque, some hot coals and a big bag of raw food to cook. There were also roasting a full pig out on the street (which I didn't get a photo of, sorry). My scooter was parked close by with my helmet on the handlebars and the next day, it was covered with ashes and a thin layer of grease. And my helmet smelled like bacon. Nice.

There was live music too, it turned out to be a great night.

Daniel and Jeff, cookin' and eatin'.
From left to right, Geoff, Phil and Faye, all from the land of Canada.

That's PJ's, one of the pubs at the bottom of my building. Faye is playing and the little boy is rocking out.

And that was Saturday......

I can't believe I'm going to Nepal in 3 days! AAAAhhh! So much to do.... Have to change large amounts of money into different currencies, make a schedule for the upcoming Halloween party so it's set up for when I come back, make sub plans, clean my apartment, find someone to water my plants and go to a few more barbeques. And pack. Right now the plan is to do an 8 day trek in Annapurna, so I'll be packing light. I'm mad, I know.

Okay, will post more later.

Bridget

The Undating Service

2006-09-26T17:36:00.000-07:00

This was on the BBC News website this morning. I guess there's enough chickenshits out there to create a profitable business opportunity.

Agency makes breaking up easier

Three reasons to end the relationship are passed to partners. A German businessman has set up a "separation agency" - a service to inform unsuspecting spouses and lovers their partners no longer want them.
Bernd Dressler will deliver the bad news - for those too scared to do it themselves - for 20 euros (£13) by phone, or for 50 euros (£33) in person.
The efficiency and directness of Mr Dressler's manner has earned him the nickname The Terminator.
The 52-year-old compares his company to a dating agency but "in reverse".
"We have had dating agencies for 30 years. If you want to have a new partnership then you have to quit your previous one.
"I think it's the same market - just in reverse," Mr Dressler told the BBC.
The message can be delivered in a "sympathetic or direct manner". Mr Dressler said that most of his clients do not want any further contact with their ex-partner.
The client is asked to provide three reasons why they want to terminate the relationship - these are then passed on by the agency to the former lover.
"The time is right for this service. Many clients are unhappy in their partnerships and they want to end it in a neutral way," Mr Dressler said.
The former insurance manager said he has been fortunate never to have witnessed any extreme emotional reactions.
"I am only the messenger," he said.

S'more Kenting photos

2006-09-25T16:23:00.000-07:00

Here's a few more photos from Kenting.

Chicks on the beach.

Another speedo clad man. If you want to buy a bathing suit up here, the ladies' ones tend to be rather prudish and reminscent of the 1950s. But the guys likes the skimpy.

Julie and I, she's from Montreal. Even though I reapplied sunscreen at least 5 times and sat under the umbrella the whole time, I still got scorched. The sun does not like me.

The main drag.

Kevin and Laurie, offset by square blue tile.

Spontaneous Trip to Kenting

2006-09-24T16:54:00.000-07:00

So I was supposed to go camping last week with a couple of girls I work with, but it was cancelled due to typhoons - which made it the third attempt to get out of Taichung this month that was twarted (the camping trip was originally going to happen the week before, but the girls decided they wanted to go see West Life in Taipei. I was also planning on going scuba diving this weekend, but it also got cancelled).

So on Friday when my friend Emily wrote me and said "there's a night bus that leaves at 2:00am and gets to Kenting around 7:00, let's go tonight." I said, "shag it, why not?" So we packed our backpacks, went out to a club and hopped on the 2:00 bus. Here are a few pics of the beach and stuff.

Men in speedos! We were trying to figure out where they were from as the Taiwanese usually avoid the sun.

Peachy beach.

Emily and I in the hotel room.

Taiwan boys hopping off rocks.

Me on the street, fresh off the 7 hour bus ride.

Banksy

2006-09-14T17:47:00.000-07:00

I've been reading up on Banksy this week. He is the guerrilla graffiti artist who managed to change the tracks on Paris Hilton's cd to things like "What Am I For?" and "Why Am I Famous?" He also managed to sneak a fake cave drawing of a man pushing a grocery cart into the British Museum and no one noticed it for 2 days (he says 3, the spokesperson for the museum says 2). His paintings on the West Bank security barrier are amazing. I love shit disturbers (is that a compound word? Shitdisturber. Shit-disturber. There must be a proper way to spell this). Here's a link to his site.

http://www.banksy.co.uk/

Planning on going camping in Sun Moon Lake this weekend....of course, there's a typhoon a-comin'. Stupid nature, always interfering with my plans.

Peas out!

Bridget

funny for forty-one

2006-09-12T04:09:00.000-07:00

Hey, I was looking at the "blogger dashboard" thingy and I have 40 posts on my blog. This is post 41. Does that make me a prolific blogger? What do I have to do to be prolific?

Hey, I was looking through my "jokes" folder on my hotmail account (I am sooooo organized with my separate folders! I may even have a folder for the emails that you sent me! That is, if you send me enough emails. You might want to get on that. Then, you'll have your own folder) and I found this thing my friend Anne sent me. It's the best cookbook ever. I think I may have sent it out to people before......anyhoo, here is the description and the link.

The introduction was written by some chick, it's not me, I don't work for a financial publishing company. That's why I'm writing in italics, to be clear that it's not me.

Bridget

Introduction

I work for a financial publishing company. Which means that sometimes, I get some random swag from companies, brokers or mutual funds. Usually pens or those little squeezy stress ball things. That stuff sucks.But one time, a company sent me their employee cookbook. It sucks, but in a completely awesome way.

Basically, this company has a lot of potluck events. The cookbook's intro tells a charming story of favorite dishes and taste-offs and like, five whole requests for a company cookbook. So everyone made their favorite recipe which was then professionally and earnestly photographed using lots of ugly table linens and fake flowers.

Employees were encouraged to tell the story of the recipe ("I done found this recipe on the back of the cereal box") and give a suggested wine pairing ("Boone's").I also think everyone was required to use at least one package of shredded cheddar cheese. Just a guess though. http://www.amalah.com/photos/the_company_cookbook/breakfastthing3.html

p.s.Because Diana is batshit crazy.

It's okay to be jealous of me....

2006-09-11T03:46:00.000-07:00

....because all the cool, choice shit happens to me. I have a horseshoe up my...nose. Check it out.

From January 31st to February 4th I get a free flight and expense paid trip to, Iowa City! While I'm there, I get to meet and interview potential teachers for the school! So four full days of meeting fresh-out-of college, young Americans from the Midwest. Rad shit.

And, I also get to go with Bih Hua, the principal of the school and my boss! I really feel that once we're out of Taiwan and away from the school and the helm of responsibility that she's going to cut loose and par-tay! I foresee a wild road trip to Mexico! Tequila and gigolos! Thelma and Louise will look like a pair of fausty, rheumatic, bingo-addicted nuns compared to us.

Bridget

My brother is a rock star.

2006-09-05T23:56:00.000-07:00

Patrick has put out an album, this is what he has to say about it.

I've finished work on my first solo album and I am releasing it myself right now. The album is just labeled Patrick, but of course if you know me then you know how much I hate titling pieces. its all produced with everything by me except some violins and drums. you can go on http://www.myspace.com/thebookburners to check out some of the tracks. I'm pretty happy with it and it's been getting a good response from the people who have heard it. anyway thats all my news. bye bye.

If I ever get out of here, I'm going to Kathmandu....

2006-09-05T22:48:00.000-07:00

....and I am going to Kathmandu! I leave Oct. 6th and come back to Taiwan on the 22nd! I've always, always wanted to go to Nepal and since this is my last year and since the situation there has calmed down somewhat due to the king reinstating the House of Representatives in April, I said, screw it, I'm going. October is supposed to be the best month to travel there, it's the beginning of the dry season but the air is fresh and clean from the end of the monsoon season. Very, very excited! I'm going to take buckets of pictures and shop with abandon.

Not much else going on....I'm going hiking this weekend and will be trying to hike as much as possible so trekking in Nepal won't completely kick my ass. Next weekend I'm going camping in Sun Moon Lake with 2 girls from work. We were supposed to go this weekend, but they decided they wanted to go to Taipei to see West Life....anyway, no comment. Then on the 22nd I'm going scuba diving in Kenting. So busy but fun times ahead. I haven't been getting out of Taichung enough lately.

My work schedule has changed and I now don't have to be at work until 8:30 am.....change from 7:30 am all summer....which sucked. So, I'm trying to get better at calling and emailing people as I feel I've been really slack lately.

That's all, my boss just walked in and I have to go do work related things.

Bridget

Something I did not know....

2006-08-27T23:29:00.000-07:00

....was that Alice Cooper is apparently, a great golfer. I hope he kicks Bobby Euwing's ass.

Stars' smiles hide golf rivalry
By Nick Dermody BBC Wales news website

Stars turn out for celebrity golf Not everyone takes up golf because they need something to do after giving up hard liquor.
But that is what veteran shock rocker Alice Cooper did.
And 25 years of practice have made him a top shot in the American team in this year's celebrity golf tournament at the Celtic Manor Resort in south Wales.
The visitors hope his five handicap will help them to victory after losing to the Europe team in the final shots at the inaugural event last year.
Professional golfer Colin Montgomerie heads the Europe team, which includes veteran celebrity golfer Bruce Forsyth, 78, and Dutch footballing star Ruud Gullit, who has an impressive seven handicap.

The celebrities attended a gala dinner at the event's opening night on Saturday, and some were frank about the rivalry behind the smiles and camaraderie of the amateur fund-raising three-day event.

Singer Ronan Keating was the most blunt about what was really going through the minds of the guests, who signed autographs for the dozens of fans waiting patiently at the hotel entrance.
He said: "We really want to win. We won the cup last year and we want to win again this year. We want to keep it in Europe."
Bruce Forsyth has emerged as the secret weapon on the Europe team. Not least since he scooped the £10,000 diamond pendant for winning the nearest-the-pin contest in Saturday's warm-up session.

Former Dallas star Patrick Duffy is in the American golf team
It is Cooper who is lined up against him. And perhaps with good reason, as he outworks Tiger Woods when it comes to getting in his practice.
He said: "I play more than Tiger plays. I don't play as good as Tiger plays, but I play more.
"I quit drinking 25 years ago, and I took up golf as the substitute. So I told my wife, 'well I drank every day, so I should play golf every day' and somehow that convoluted logic made sense.
"So that's what I do. I live in Arizona and I get up and I'm on a tee at six-thirty every morning."
And underneath the smiles - there was no make-up - the rivalry runs just as deep. He said: "When you need to make that shot - all of a sudden it's real serious."

These four 15 year olds had a successful day's autographing hunting
The competition was just as fierce among the autograph hunters.
Samantha Stribling, 15, from Caerleon, was the most successful of four friends who spent the day watching the golf and then collecting autographs - and kisses on the cheek - from the celebrities.
Samantha had 33 names in her book. She said: "We met all the celebrities. We came last year and had loads of kisses then. "
The fans queued for up to four hours as the stars made a red carpet entrance to their gala dinner.
But the event may be just as tough on the competitors, whether they want a drink or not.

Cindy's Arostic Poem

2006-08-23T16:04:00.000-07:00

Thought I'd post this as I thought it was funny and it freaked me out a little at the same time. This is from Cindy, she just started grade one. Very smart, high strung little girl. She's infatuated with her classmate Alan and dedicated her arostic poem to him (minus the lines about candy canes). "I like Alan too much." Oh Cindy, it's the only the beginning.

Few more pictures.

2006-08-13T06:38:00.000-07:00

Here's a few more pictures from the party I had last weekend. This weekend was fun too, I just didn't take any pictures of it.

This is April, she's from Sin Jawn's................

.....and Jon Brooks, from Gambo I believe.

Nick doing suggestive things with a bottle of Taiwan draft while Ryan is appalled. Here's a clearer picture of Megan and I so you can see how cute we are.

The Mole Man

2006-08-10T18:38:00.000-07:00

Many of you who I knew in Toronto will remember Laura, my fabulous friend and former roomate when I lived on Roxton Road in Little Italy. She's now living in Oxford and has a nice little blog (there's a link on the right, "Laura in Oxford". Anyway, there was link to this great little story, "The Mole Man of Hackney," check it out.

http://society.guardian.co.uk/communities/story/0,,1839538,00.html

Stressed out? Go beat the crap out of someone.

2006-08-08T18:46:00.000-07:00

This is an article from the BBC news website. I just wonder if they have staff functions where they hire people to dress up as angry custumers for the staff to beat up and in turn, release their own stress caused from the problems of their daily lives. Very glad they have "psychology students" to help out.

Chinese 'anger bar' is a big hit

Customers can release anger caused by the problems of daily life. A bar in eastern China has come up with a novel way of attracting clients - they are allowed to beat up the staff.

The Rising Sun Anger Release Bar in Nanjing lets customers smash glasses, rant and even hit specially trained workers, state media reported.

The owner, Wu Gong, told China Daily that he was inspired to open the bar by his experiences as a migrant worker.

Most of his customers were women working in the service or entertainment industries, he said.

The bar employs 20 men who have been given protective gear and physical training to prepare them for the job. Clients can ask the men to dress as the character they wish to attack.

'Attractive idea'

Passers-by were divided on the idea.
"Pressure in today's society comes from just about anywhere, from family or from work, from your boss or your girlfriend. We get no place to vent anger," said salesman Chen Liang.

"The idea of beating someone decorated as your boss seems attractive."

But another man, Liu Yuanyuan, said violence was not the answer.
"If people really feel angry, they should adjust their lifestyles or seek psychological treatment," he told the daily.

But Mr Wu can meet that need, too. For the most stressed-out cases, counselling is available from psychology students recruited from local universities.

....and yet another friggin' goodbye dinner.....

2006-08-08T07:49:00.000-07:00

.....alright, and this was last night. This is my friend Ryan who just moved back from Alberta. We're in some Taiwanese restaurant with harsh lights called "Fish Beer House" or something where, indeed, we consumed fish and beer.

And that's it, everyone has shagged off somewhere else and I have no more goodbye dinners/drinks/meetings/tearfests in the immediate future. Not until the end of the month when my boss leaves, I'm throwing a barbeque for him as I am a glutton for punishment. And barbequed meat.

The Party That Evolved

2006-08-08T07:42:00.000-07:00

This was my patio at the "happy hour" post-work drink thingy that turned into a party on Friday night. See, I didn't want to have a party as I figured everyone would have plans to hit the town, so I just arranged for my coworkers to come over early in the evening for a couple of drinks and then people would go their separate ways.

Little did I know that these people don't make plans. Good thing I didn't have any either. So people remained on the patio until 3:30am. I put that picnic table together myself. Some sturdy, no?

....and goodbye dinners....

2006-08-08T07:38:00.000-07:00

This is Nick (left) and Ryan (right), Nick is Megan's sigificant other and Ryan (Nick's friend from home) just moved here and inheirited their apartment, scooter, furniture and Nick's teaching position. He is the reaper of the spoils.

More friggin' goodbyes

2006-08-08T07:32:00.000-07:00

This is my friend Megan, she lived on the floor above me and her and her boyfriend Nick just moved to Saigon on Saturday. As I have moaned about in earlier posts, there's been an exodus of my friends lately. It sucks.

Favourite words

2006-08-01T22:22:00.000-07:00

Was sitting around imbibing with friends a while ago and we started talking about words we like. Below are two of my favourites. I'm going to try to start using them in sentences together.

From the Dictionary of Newfoundland English (there's a link to the right)

badness: n Phr for badness: with mischievous intent; for devilment. 1947 TANNER ii, 712 'Just for badness,' as [the Labrador trapper] says. T 100/2-64 He'll tell that story so true, for badness, that the other feller would believe it. T 325-66 Fellers dressed up and frighten 'em. They used to do that for devilment. It was badness they used to do that for. C 71-28 [She] told me that if I stepped on a beetle we would have rain. Sometimes I would step on one for badness just to see the consequences. 1975 LEYTON 33 [He'd do it] just for devilment that's all, just for badness.

And this was one of my "word of the day" emails last year;

booboisie \boob-wah-ZEE\, noun: A class of people regarded as stupid or foolish.

Until then, he'd dismissed Hollywood as a purveyor of machine-made fodder for the booboisie, but he found, much to his surprise, that the movies weren't nearly as bad as he'd claimed. --Terry Teachout, quoted in "Writing Mencken," by Kathryn Jean Lopez, [1]National Review Online, November 15, 2002

He was primarily a radical freethinker who noisily waged war against the booboisie. --Richard Lingeman, "Disturber of the Peace," [2]Washington Post, November 3, 2002 _________________________________________________________
Booboisie is a blend of boob and bourgeoisie. It was coined by H. L. Mencken (1880-1956), American editor and critic.

References 1. http://www.nationalreview.com/ 2. http://www.washingtonpost.com/

Input needed - waddya like?

2006-08-01T07:14:00.000-07:00

I'm currently at my computer adding songs to my MP3 player. I've been listening to a lot of Bloc Party and Clap Your Hands Say Yeah lately. Would like any suggestions as to new music I can check out via the internet or good internet radio stations as the music exposure here in Taiwan is a bit weak. I mean, Air Supply came to Taichung a while ago and apparently they rocked the house, but I still feel limited somehow.

Also looking for input on good books. I just finished reading "The Power and the Glory," by Graham Greene, which was fantastic. Now reading fluffier stuff, "Good In Bed," by Jennifer Weiner, it's about an overweight woman who's exboyfriend writes a column about what it was like to date a "larger" lady. It's good, but it feels like the author watches too much Sex and the City.

Been going through tons of old photo cds trying to make a collection of my favorite Asia pictures. It's tedious. So much shit. So many crappy pics of "this is the hotel room we stayed in," or "this is what we had for lunch." Messy beds and dirty plates. No one ever looks at pictures like this, why take them? Perhaps I'm just not sedimental. Anyway, it's 11:00pm and I'm crapping out. Bed.

Bridget

I can't get the Newfoundland blogroll sign to appear.

2006-07-30T23:43:00.000-07:00

As you can see, I added the blogroll to the side there, but the stupid sign won't come up - it's supposed to be a Newfoundland flag and the title "Newfoundland blogroll." But instead it's just a box with a red x on it. Anyone know how I fix this? Computers are stupid.

Staff outing pictures

2006-07-30T21:19:00.000-07:00

On Saturday, the school loaded everybody onto 2 buses and we went out to a beach resort close to Miaoli. I lost the map and can't remember the name right now.... Anyhoo, it was a good day. There were many activities available for us to do; paintball, horseback riding, repelling, volleyball, etc. I elected to swim in the ocean and lie around on my sarong. It feels so right, it must be sarong! Get it, so wrong/sarong! Har! Here's some pictures.

Here's Josh, Ron and Kim, getting ready to play paintball in the 30 degree heat. I drank a beer and took pictures.

Ze beach.
If you bring your pet pig to the beach, make sure it stays hydrated.

We got to watch an acrobat show when we first got there. They were very flippy and bendy.

I can't do that.

I can't do that either.

This is what the beach was like when we first got there, but it was mad busy by 5 when we left.

This was the beach at the end of the day with low tide. And then we all got on the bus and passed out, salty and sweaty.

Ghost Month Fever!

2006-07-28T16:29:00.000-07:00

This is from the CBC's website a few days ago. It's ghost month, it's really hot and everyone is burning ghost money in front of their homes and businesses.

Pop singers in Taiwan try to appease spirits so concerts won't be spooked 08:50:25 EDT Jul 25, 2006
TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) - Tuesday marked the beginning of the annual ghost festival in Taiwan, and performing pop stars will try to appease the spirits so their concerts won't be spooked, the local news media reported.
Tradition says the month-long festival kicks off when the gates of the netherworld are opened for ghosts to make their annual visit to Earth. It is also observed in other Chinese communities in Asia.
Taiwanese from all walks of life believe that feeding and entertaining ghosts during the festival leads to a year of peace and prosperity.
The Liberty Times newspaper said the American rap band Black Eyed Peas would burn incense sticks and make offerings of fruit, pork and chicken before their Tuesday night concert, the first in a string of musical events during the ghost festival.
Ghost month coincides with the seventh lunar month. This year it lasts until Sept. 21 because of leap year considerations in the lunar calendar.
Another performer observing ghost month this year will be Singapore heartthrob Stephanie Sun Yan Zi, Liberty Times said, adding that she will preside over a ghost-worshipping ceremony at concerts this Saturday and Sunday.
The newspaper quoted her producer, Chen Chen-chuan, as cautioning stage workers against saying anything that might annoy ghosts in the concert area.
Taiwanese TV reports said a third performer, Taiwanese band Nanchuan Mama, would carry lucky charms to scare away the ghosts at its Sept. 9 concert in Taipei, and Irish boy band Westlife would burn incense, link arms and pray for peace at their Taiwan performance the following day.

The internet makes me late.

2006-07-27T16:39:00.000-07:00

Being about 12 hours ahead of everyone back home means I have to make phone calls either late at night or early in the morning - I prefer early in the morning as I'm usually pretty tired by the end of the day. Since the summer schedule started at the school, I have to be at work at 7:30 am, which means I get up at 6:00 am. You don't want to talk to me at 6:00am. So I haven't been calling people much lately (sorry Mom!). But I will get my arse in gear soon and try to be more talky.

Also, I have my first home computer now. I don't know how I lived before without the internet at home. What did I do all the time? Anyway, this is what happens every morning, I get up, I go online, I fart around, I realize it's 7:15, I say "shit" and run out the door. Then I come to work and go on the internet. What is the matter with me? Jesus.

Gotta work, will write more later.

Bridget

Last supper with Kat

2006-07-24T05:27:00.000-07:00

This is my friend Kat from Philadelphia who I met at one of the pubs in front of my apartment building a couple of weeks after I moved in. She's back in the States now and then she's moving to Hanoi in a month or so to start up a business. She is a wicked seamstress/artist/all around person.

Then I had an expresso.

2nd goodbye party weekend in a month. Poo.

2006-07-22T00:27:00.000-07:00

My friends Kat and Kyle are leaving on Monday to go home to the States for awhile, then move to Hanoi. At the end of June, my friends Kelly and Daniel left to travel around China for a month, then return to the States to begin cool grad school programs. On August 4th, my friend Megan and Nick are moving to Saigon. Then on August 9th, my friend Ryan returns to Alberta. That's 7 friends leaving in less than 2 months. Ugh.

This is one of the main reasons why I feel this will be my last year in Taiwan, my circle of friends has changed at least 3 times since I've been here because it's just the kind of place where people come and go. You feel like you just get to know someone and they shag off. And it's pretty hard to take. Sniff.

Boo-hoo for me! Wah! Sorry, I'm hungover and listening to Keane. Next post will not be so whiney.

Bridget

Here's a pic of Kelly saying goodbye to her students as they swarm around her for a group hug.

Patrick's website

2006-07-22T00:25:00.000-07:00

My brother, ze artist, has a really cool website. Wanna see it? Here's the linky dink.

http://www.patrickcanning.ca

Back to the grind.

2006-07-14T02:32:00.000-07:00

Back at work, gotta suck it up!

These were my group of "special" grade ones I taught until the end of June. They didn't pass the school's entry tests at a high enough level to be put the rest of the grade ones. Hence the specialness. Not that they weren't smart, it's just all the others went to good kindergartens that taught them how to read and write English properly.

Anyhoo, I think they're eating chilled firm tofu in a syrupy sauce, I can't remember the name of it. Crazy delicious! Indeed......

Had my first staff meeting on Friday and it went well, it didn't go on for hours or end in a teacher's strike. Yesterday I went to a charity concert here in Taiwan, all the proceeds go to orphanages in India. The music was great, I danced my arse off. Now I am at work, arseless and tired. So tired.

I sent out a mass email telling people about the Thailand photos. What's that, like, blog promotion? Anyway, got a few emails back from people I hadn't heard from in ages. Good to hear from you V! Must write them back.

Better go find work to do. Peas out!

Bridget

S'more Thailand pics

2006-07-13T18:03:00.000-07:00

Spirit houses on the beach. You see spirit houses all the time in Thailand, that's where the spirits go so they don't live in your own house and cause trouble. People also leave offerings outside them for their relatives.

This was the view from the spa I went to on my last day in Koh Tao. I had a herbal sauna (you sweat in a nice smelling place), a aloe vera body wrap, a facial massage and an oil massage, the whole thing was over 2 1/2 hours. Then I had to get on the boat and bus and go back to Bangkok. The whole time I was like, "wow, this bus ride is so long....wow, I'm so soft!

Inside Wat Mathati. These pictures are not in chronological order and I can't seem to figure out how to fix them....anyway, there was a celebration and all these little old ladies made me dance with them and parade around the temple. Then they all came in and had a sit.

On the beach. Just last week. Now I'm back in Taiwan and there's a typhoon and it's raining very hard. Sigh.

Some Thailand photos......

2006-07-13T17:35:00.000-07:00

Here's a shot of Wat Mathati, it's a Buddhist centre in Bangkok.

This was the beach in front where I stayed, the "Tropicana Resort"in Koh Tao.

Lazy cat and shrine.

Little cutie.

Looking up at breakfast time.

Wednesday working

2006-07-11T20:14:00.000-07:00

Back at work and going back and forth between admin stuff, teaching and being Ms. Boss Lady. It looks like it will be a while longer on posting my pictures as my internet access is down at home, for some reason. Sigh. It's one of those things about not being able to fluently speak and read the language in the country where you reside, it takes forever to get things straightened out.

I'm almost finished reading "The Power and the Glory" by Graham Greene and I love it. I read "The Quiet American" a year or so ago and loved that too - it was right before I went to Viet Nam, so it got me in the mood to see Hanoi. I think I'll get into a Graham Greene kick now. Just finished "Oh, Play That Thing" by Roddy Doyle recently too, it's really good. It's the sequel to "A Star Called Henry," Ange sent me a hardcover copy signed by the author. So nice Ange. It's not funny and tragic like the Barrowtown triliogy books like "The Commitments," but it's a really rich read.

Diving done, didn't drown.

2006-07-06T19:44:00.000-07:00

I love alliteration.

Got my dive card yesterday so now I can scuba dive pretty much everywhere! You know what's hard? Taking off your mask underwater and putting it back on again. It was one of the exercises you have to know how to do, you take off your mask, put it back on and exhale through your nose to clear the water out of it. My brain took a lot of coaxing to remember not to breathe through my nose.

Anyway, it's 9:30am on Friday here and I'm going to head to a spa in an hour for a massage and a facial and maybe they'll wrap me up in seaweed or something. I will be human sushi. I have to leave for Bangkok at 2:30 and then tomorrow is my last full day in Thailand. Pooh. I'm excited about buying some rum at the duty free though, you can get Havana Club here, it's non-existant in Taiwan.

Taker e z.

Bridget

Thailand va-kay

2006-07-04T06:18:00.001-07:00

So here I am in Koh Tao, got here this morning after a night bus and a 2 hour boat ride from Bangkok. Got into Bangkok on Sunday night and crashed, spent Monday putting in an order for clothes to be made - I'm getting a suit, 2 tops and a black silk dress to be made - and wandered around a bit. Went to Wat Mathati which is kind of a centre for buddhist studies in Bangkok and there was a cermony going on. Apparently, every 3 months, there is kind of a party where they parade around the temple singing and dancing. Anyway, so I was watching this parade, there were a bunch of children playing music and about a million older ladies shouting, singing and dancing behind them....anyway, the next thing I know, one of the crazy old ladies grabs me and makes me join them. So I got to be part of a parade yesterday! They were all really nice. Afterwards, I went to a religious amulet market which was really interesting and wandered around little India.

Today I basically napped and watched a video on SCUBA diving, tomorrow I have my first academic and primary/dicking around in shallow water with equipment lesson. They usually like to have groups, but as I need to leave Friday night, it's just me and the instructor tomorrow, then on Thursday I join a group of 9, count 'em, 9 Irish people and go on my first dive. Whee! I'm going to take the night route back to Bangkok on Friday, shop my ass off on Saturday, go out Saturday night with Anne (my friend from work, she's in Bangkok doing a massage course) and then back to Taiwan on Sunday night. And then get ready for a new school year on Monday. Gotta love vacations, they leave you so relaxed and ready to start afresh.

Have taken some pics, will post 'em when I get a chance.....which probably means back in Taiwan! Hope everyone is doing well.

Bridget

diet coke and mentos

2006-06-27T04:38:00.000-07:00

Ugh, I'm so neglectful of my blog already. It is the last week of school and so, so busy and I'm so, so tired of being busy and I just want to sit very, very still and do nothing. Ughy mcugh.

However, I did find time to dick around on the internet and find this fabulous short film! Watch it! It will make you smile! It's great and probably was very sticky for the people involved!

http://www.zefrank.com/theshow/php/showmovie.php?id=1

Now that I'm home from work, I'm going to sit in front of my air conditioner and drink wine and eat cheese and watch this film again. Mmmm, pepper gouda. It's so good-ah!

I'm so tired.

Bridget

The droll CBC

2006-06-25T19:21:00.000-07:00

This was on the CBC website today. Oh, those CBC reporters, what cards.

British army goat demoted after head-butting drummer
Last Updated Sat, 24 Jun 2006 18:32:41 EDT
CBC News
A British army goat has been demoted in disgrace after it head-butted a drummer's rear-end during the Queen's birthday parade.

Billy, a six-year-old goat that is the mascot for the Royal Welsh Regiment in western Cyprus, was demoted to fusilier from lance-corporal Saturday after his superior officers ruled that his disruptive behaviour ruined a regimental parade at the British army base in Episkopy.
The parade included several international dignitaries who had been invited to celebrate Queen Elizabeth's 80th birthday.

Billy allegedly darted from side to side, throwing soldiers off their stride. But his worst offence was "trying to head-butt the waist and nether regions of the drummers," said Capt. William Rose.

British army spokesman Capt. Crispian Coates told the Canadian Press: "The goat, which has been the Royal Welsh Regiment's mascot since 2001, was supposed to be leading the march but would not stay in line… He was reported for insubordination, and after consideration the commanding officer decided he had no option but to demote Billy."

The demotion was all the more shocking because Billy comes from a long line of British army blue bloods. His bloodline traces back to 1746 when his ancestor was donated to the Welsh regiment from the royal goat herd.

It wasn't immediately clear what impact the demotion would have.