Friday, May 12, 2006

Happy Friday

Even though it has been a light week, I am ready for the weekend. To make things even better, two of the roommates are travelling this weekend. Not that I don't love them; but the fewer flatmates, the more tranquility. Last night I got a frantic call from my elementary school supervisor. The Taipei school board people were visiting to assess the English program and our principal really, really wanted English Corner to come back. English Corner was a year long experiment that required all the foreign teachers to take turns reading stories during the breaks between classes. Not that it was too much work, but our audience dwindled and it seemed like an unnecessary task. But, with school evaluation, I was enlisted to pretend that we still had English corner (as with many things here, it's all about appearances). So, a class of second graders were marched in and threatened by their teacher ("The principal is coming: I mean it!") I sat on a chair, read "Elmer and the Lost Teddy" in my most animated voice, stopping for comprehension questions and everything. The officials walked by, watched for a minute, took a picture and moved on.
Acting job complete.


Yesterday we went on a teachers' retreat to a hot springs spa in the mountain. Ummmm. It was fabulous. We just sat in different sulphur pools and jet spas overlooking the clouded mountains. During dinner, I learned another Chinese good luck custom. I'm beginning to think whoever made up the luck rules in this country was having a laugh! For example, if you step in dog poop, it is supposed to bring good luck: you'll win the lottery! And, I know now, if I drop a chopstick on the floor during a meal, that's good luck too. In fact, in Taiwan, if that happens in a resturant, your meal is free! Weird, eh?
Can you imagine eating at Swiss Chalet, dropping your fork and having the waiter rush over saying "Congratualtions, lucky duck, dinner is on the house!"

Posted by Kathleen @ 3:24 PM