Saturday, September 02, 2006

I Feel SOOO Loved!

Friday was a day of mood swings. I have to admit I've been a little bitter about the changes this semester. We all have a much heavier and more stressful class load while being paid less (when you think about it, seeing as the Taiwanese dollar keeps dropping in value). It's nobody's fault, but it frustrates me sometimes. Three of my days have six teaching hours each (spread between 8:30-4:45). Carole may be the only one to truly appreciate how overwhelming that can be: especially my Tuesday afternoon when I have two grade 9 boys classes and two grade 8 boys classes all in a row.

Anyway, in spite of my rough morning, it was a lovely day. My 4-4:45 class is grade 8 girls: I love them and they love me. They were all so excited for the class and one girl even wrote "I love Miss Nickle" as one of her "2 Truths and a Lie" (a truth, of course).

After class, I went to the post office to pick up a package. I had received a post card in the mail- all written in Chinese except for my name. Thankfully I noticed it and picked it out of the recycling bin (where all the Chinese mail ends up). The teachers at work told me it was a package claim slip and I should go to a certain post office near the apartment. Before I tell you how thrilled I am about the package, let me tell you about the trials and tribulations required to get it!

Everyone should know by now my opinion of the postal system in Taiwan. For an advanced country it really is something out of the dark ages. I went to the "Postal Services" window and handed them my card. She chided me in Chinese and finally found someone to translate that I needed to go outside and to the second floor. Okay, I thought, setting off around the building, no problem. I got all the way around the building without finding any signs (Chinese or otherwise) or stairs. I ended up at a guard gate to the postal truck parking lot. So... back to the window. Another worker, apparently fed up with my stupidity, called me around - behind the counter, past all the mail and through to the back parking lot. Yep, I was supposed to walk through the lot, past the trucks and find an industrial entrance. Once there, I was supposed to pass the dirty containers, bags of mail and uniformed workers to climb a set of stairs. On the second floor, where of course there were no signs, I was supposed to wander through the mail cubbies until I found a worker willing to take me to the back. Once in the back, he took my postcard and rummaged through an old, dusty desk. He produced a set of keys and slid open a big filing cabinet. And there, past the trucks, the mail, and the desk, was my package.

My super cousin Jill sent me a package from Korea! A no-reason, brighten-your-day kind of thing. It came on the perfect day at the perfect time: I felt so loved. It has some candy and an adorable pencil case full of school and home goodies. I would like to take this opportunity to thank Jill for her thoughtfulness, generosity and overall fabulousness. (I would also like to note that both Carole and Michelle have done such things in the past and therefore are also in the super relative category).

I ended off a week of insanity with a yummy dinner with Julia at the Outback Steakhouse. I'm at the office today (on Saturday) in the hopes that next week will not be quite so crazy.

Posted by Kathleen @ 3:11 PM