An update....

Wow... does anyone actually read this thing?? I've had a few visitors since my last post back in May - mainly from people stumbling across it. I hope my short time in Taiwan was of some use to those who found this site.

Well - it's the middle of September, and a lot has happened. A few days after I got home, I was hired at Paramount Canada's Wonderland. What was supposed to be a "for now while I get settled" thing turned into a rather enjoyable summer working in a good theme park. I was hired a Supervisor in the maintenance department, in charge of the waste collection, recycling, upkeep and landscaping of the "Medieval Faire" section of the park. It was a good job, a hell of a lot more enjoyable than the last time I worked at the park. The pay was good, my crew was great and I got to carry a radio. It can't get any better than that :)

Well, summer is over, and things seem like they've worked out rather well for me since I got home. I had ZERO luck getting any jobs in broadcasting over the summer, but near the end of August I lucked out. I am now a full-time Master Control operator at a major Toronto TV station. They are launching their own MCR facility after relying on other stations to do their playout - so I'm starting fresh with a team of nine guys in a brand new facillity full of brand new equipment. Nice!!

This new job of mine is located very close to where I used to live back when I was married. It seems that part of Toronto keeps re-entering my life somehow.

A good friendship has turned into a great relationship - my friend Ann and I have started dating, and things are going well in that respect. Everything, except for my attempt to learn Korean (her native tongue). Chinese was easy - but Korean, man.. that's a tough language.

I'm still living at home in Brampton, but I'm hoping to move out very soon - maybe around Christmastime or just after the new year. I plan on paying down my debts first, then we'll see what happens. My sister has moved out to go to school in Orillia, so I'm sure my parents are happy at the idea of getting the house to themselves!!

Anyhow, that is all. I had toyed with the idea of starting up another blog.. but.... bleh... what's the point? Am I that vain in thinking anyone cares about what I have to say about my life? Fuck that - go visit Hamsexy..... I've got enough on my plate keeping that pain in the ass on the air.

Thanks guys for all your support!!

http://www.hamsexy.com

Epilogue

Yes, the rumours are true. I have left Taiwan for good and have returned home.

I am sorry that it took so long for me to write about it - but honestly, the trip home totally wiped me out. Jet lag is indeed a cruel mistress, and it took me a few days to recover.

Alright, that's total bullshit. Honestly, I didn't really know what to write.

But here it goes....

Things haven't been very good between me and my school's management for quite some time. I got the impression that they weren't happy with how I was teaching (or something), and their attitude towards me was indicitve of that.

I was called by my supervisor and told that, due to a police investigation, I am being transferred to another branch. But, they can't cover all of my shifts, so they have me back working at my old school once or twice a week (despite the fact I was told that being transferred was 'for my own good', since if the cops caught me working illegally, I would be instantly deported (their words, not mine). It mustn't be a very big investigation if I'm back working at my old school whenever it suited them.

Secondly, the fact that I was working illegally without my knowledge drained the last of my resepct for the school and my supervisor. Truth be told, I wouldn't have cared one way or another, but they least they could have done was TOLD me about it.

Thirdly, the move to the new school meant my already low hours were cut in half. I can't survive on five hours a week, even in Taiwan.

Fourth, The job market in Tainan was really bottoming out. Some other foriegn teacher friends of mine were getting their hours cut. My plane ticket home expired in June, and there was no way I could live AND afford a new ticket home with what I was making now.

And, finally, I'm no teacher. I love the kids and love to play with them and interact, but when it comes to teaching them - forget it. I don't have what it takes!!

So, with only a handful of trusted friends in the loop, I planned my return home. My numerous visits to the Kaohsiung Airport the last few weeks in Taiwan were arranging my ticket home. Many thanks to my mother, who spent time on the phone with Continental trying to find out how to get my ticket re-booked. Thanks to her, I was able to get it re-booked for May 16th with only a $150 US change penalty. I thought for a moment that I would have to go to Taipei or even Hong Kong to get it taken care of, but thankfully Continental has a desk in Kaohsiung Airport, so it was all taken care of.

The planning of my return rivaled most military operations. Here was my plan:

May 15th:

Work my 5pm to 6pm shift
Pick up my pay in Guei Ren
Return Rented Scooter
Meet friends for last beer
Finish packing

May 16th:

Take car to airport at 4am
Board plane at 7am
26 hours later, I'm home!!

As with most well-hatched plans, things didn't go to plan. Even though the 15th is my payday, my school in Guei Ren didn't want to pay me (a good way to end my time in Taiwan). They said to come back next week, and then tomorrow, for my pay. Needless to say I internally panicked (I think they suspected something), but lied and told them I was buying a scooter that night. I said that not only to get them to pay me, but to make them not think I was 12 hours away from boarding an airplane and heading home. Reluctantly and with much gnashing of teeth, they paid me my full amount. Whew.

I had planned on dropping my scooter off before the rental place closed, but the temptation to meet Erick for one last beer and dinner was too strong. So I met him at the Armoury and had a great time with him.

After leaving Erick, I head back to my apartment to meet with the couple who will be taking over my lease. My landlady was great, so I felt the least I could do was find her another tenant to take over for me. I got a couple in just under the gun to take the place, so another problem solved. Whew!!

So, after doing some last minute souvenier shopping, I head off to the scooter place. My plan was to leave the scooter out front, and drop the keys off in their mailbox. Uh oh. No mailbox. Nowhere to leave the keys, and I wasn't about to leave the keys in the ignition. I look across the street - there's a 24 hour scooter parking garage right next to the train station. I go over there and stumble through an explaination of what's going on in broken Chinese. I'm not sure if they guy understood or not, but I left the keys in the scooter and the rental place's business card under the mirror. Hopefully they get the scooter back in one piece...!!!

I walk home, and spend the next few hours making sure I haven't forgotten anything. After a failed attempt at taking a nap, I get all of my shit together and head downstairs. After locking the door for one last time, I lug my stuff down to the street to await my airport car, graciously arranged by my good friend Yolanda.

The car was booked for 4:30am, but it didn't show up until closer to 5:30. It unloads me at Kaohsiung airport just after dawn, and I head in to start my journey home.

My flight home was a mirror image of my flight 5 months ago. A 90 minute flight from Kaohsiung to Hong Kong, a 15 hour flight from Hong Kong to Newark, New Jersey (five hours less than my original flight to Taiwan), and another 90 minute flight from Newark to Buffalo, New York - where my parents met me to drive me home to Toronto, Canada.

It was a pretty good flight.. I was able to book a decent seat on the HKK-EWR flight (nice asile seat, not jammed into the middle of the middle row like last time). Plus, being five hours shorter, the flight was a lit more enjoyable.

But, it's good to be home. My cat remembered me (thankfully), my Motorcycle runs great and my bed is comfortable as hell. Now all I've gotta do is work on getting a job.... sigh....

Anyhow, here are some photos of my flight home.

Some airplanes at Kaohsiung Airport.



This is what I love about foreign airports - seeing airlines you don't normally see at home. A trio of Boeing 737-800s - China Airlines, Vietnam Airlines and Malaysia Air.



Waiting to board Flight 98 in Hong Kong. Hong Kong's airport, much like the rest of the city, is beautiful. I wish I had more time to visit HK - maybe next time.



Our route home. Straight over the top of world. This photo was taken about 200 miles south of the North Pole (everywhere is south of the North Pole!!!!)



Another view of our route home. Because we flew "over" the night terminator, the entire trip was in bright sunshine.



It gets a little chilly up there at 39,000 feet!



Almost home



Continental's new Boeing 777-800's are quite comfortable. This is the middle Economy class cabin. Even a man of my carriage was quite comfortable



The longest leg of my flight home behind me, all I've got to look forward to now is a quick 90 minute flight to Buffalo in this Embrarer ERJ-145. A plane so small you don't so much ride in as put on and wear. The ride home was a little uncomfortable, as we went through some nasty pockets of turbulence. Not some "oh crap my coke sloshed a little bit over the edge of my cup" turbulence, we're talking "plane falls out from under you,leaving our stomach in your throat and your head pinned against the bulkhead" turbulence. At least two people got airsick on the flight (not very pleasant considering the close quarters of the plane). This was also the first time I've ever flown with an all-female flight crew.



But, I'm home...!! This is also my last entry in this blog. I will keep it online, for those who might want to learn more about teaching English in Taiwan. Thanks to everyone from around the world who read my writings on a regular basis - I appreciate your comments, questions and words of encouragement!! Take care, everyone - and Zaijian!!

It wasn't a chicken....

sotohP

Hard at work. For a lot of Taiwanese students, time is wasted unless it is doing homework.



Hiding in the stairs at the Ren De school.



A fellow teacher, smiling for the camera



Some kids in the school's computer lab. SOME kids spend all their time doing homework. The other kids spend the time playing computer games



"Not Teacher Bryan and that damned camera again.."



Goofing around before class.



This adorable little girl used to be terrified of me. When I first saw her, she would stand up straight and wave her arms at me and say "No! You have no hair! I don't like you! You have no hair!" in Chinese. Her mome came over, said something to her, and she walked over and gave me a big hug. So everytime I see her she says "hello! Hello!" and gives me a hug



B&Q, a large hardware/home improvement store - exactly the same as Home Depot or Rona at home. Many of the larger stores are imported from Europe, including B&Q (UK), Carrefour (France), Tesco (UK), among others. Other popular stores are 7-Eleven (Japan) and Costco (USA).

While Taiwan has the third largest amount of 7-11s in the world (Behind the US and Japan), the population versus number of stores means that Taiwan has the largest concentrations of 7-11s per person (about 1 store to every 6000 people, compared to 1 store to every 50,000 people in the USA). The separation of 7-11s in cities here are literally hundreds of feet. There is a street here in Tainan where you can literally see four other 7-11's from the doorstep of a single 7-11 - and yes, they all do quite well!!



Wellcome, a chain of Grocery Stores.



A gas station. The Petroleum industry in Taiwan is wholly government owned by the Chinese Petroleum Company. The CPC is Taiwan's largest company, and owns everything from the oil pumping platforms, the refineries to the roadside gas stations. Taiwan consumes 100% of it's own oil, and exports oil to other countries, which means that worldwide oil prices mean nothing to the domestic price of gasoline. 94 Octane Gasoline (the lowest blend available here) is currently about $2.60 US per gallon, or $0.76 a litre Canadian.

Teaching Video

I took a video of one of my classes on Wednesday. This is a typical Stage A class, playing a game identifying items relating to "Springtime".

I call the students up by numbers, and they identify photos of Spring-related items. The winner gets to roll large plush dice to determine the amount of points (stars) they get. If there is a tie, it's "Paper Scissors Stone".



Just for fun :)

It's election time!

Last week, these signs started popping up along the rural townships outside of Tainan City. It seems that some sort of election campaign is underway in Tainan County. The election signs are absolutley hilarious - rather than the simple "Vote for so and so" signs at home, the candidates go all out on their signs. They present themselves with powerful yet sincere poses and slogans portraying themselves to be respectful, honourable and effective candidates. It seems that a common theme among the election posters are expensive suits and confident displays of one's clenched fist.

I took the camera with me today and rode around Ren De and Guei Ren to get some images of the election signs. I have no idea what the election is for, or when election day is. May the sexiest fist win!


Vote for "The Taiwan Buzzcut of Justice", runner up in the 2005 Mao Tse-Tung look-alike contest.



See? I'm so serious about governing, I won't even smile on my sign. I'm that serious.



Vote for me and I'll let you hear what my truck's airhorn sounds like. Honk Honk!



I don't know how well you can see it, but this guy has a enormous bruise on his forehead in his poster photo. Do you really want to vote for a candidate who can't handle himself in a fistfight?



Vote for me! I'm so easy going, I'm not wearing a suit jacket!



A vote for me is a vote for my HUGE MAGIC RING OF POWER



Vote for me and I'll show you what I'm holding in my hands!

Even more photos

Since the tap water in Taiwan is undrinkable (it contains Arsenic and harmful microrganisms), you can obtain potable water either from bottles at the store, or from roadside machines. The machine water is very good and very cheap ($5 NT will fill my five litre jug (which cost $70 NT when I bought it fresh at the 7-11). If you have large containers to fill, a gas station-style nozzle is available to use on the side of the machine. Often times families will bring dozens of containers on the back of a truck to fill up. The water here is fine, however, to bathe and wash clothes in, but not to drink.



Some students from my Stage E class



Some more of my Stage E students goofing around



More goofing around



Some Stage A students flashing some gang signs. Ren De crips, reprahsent. Time to bust a cap and do the c-walk.



The Taiwanese public works mindset: "Let's see.... it's 4pm friday night, it's the only road into Taiwan's 3rd largest city from Taiwan's only freeway and it's 38 degrees celsius. Fuck, let's pave!!!"



Bunny!

Night time photos

I met up with my friend Ivy tonight for a drink. I had something I had not had in a while - an ice cream float.... quite good :)

My friend Ivy



An interesting restaurant. The entire floor of the restaurant is a pool of water, you walk on wooden planks to get to your secluded booth, also built above the water. The food is expensive and VERY salty.



Some government building on the side of one of Tainan's many roundabouts (traffic circles)



A small road-side temple in downtown Tainan



Oops!! A common sport in Taiwan is overloading whatever vehicle you happen to driving, especially scooters and bikes. Often times, a road-side failure of the load is the result. Amusing when it's a shitload of cardboard. Not so amusing when it's five kids and nine bags of groceries.



I was parking my scooter in the downstairs parking area of my building when I noticed some movement out of the corner of my eye. It was a lizard friend!! I snapped a photo of him



Another shot of my lizard friend. He is a common house gecko, very common here. I used to have them scurrying around my apartment when I had a cockroach problem. Once I got rid of the roaches, the Geckos moved on. Their primary food are cockroaches.