School Music Group

基隆市100學年度學生音樂比賽瑪陵國小，這是我們20年來再次的參加團體的性的音樂競賽，對一個指有46人的小學校來說，參加一個有節奏有旋律的音樂表演是非常的困難的­。這次競賽我們跟信義國小並列優等雖然沒有拿到代表權到全國比賽，但是這樣的成績讓我們有更進步的空間，也代表我們努力的成果。要感謝蔡、巫兩位老師兩年來的指導，也感謝­各位家長、老師、及工作同仁的協助配合，我們相信明年，我們會有更好的成績，大家加油!

This was the first time in TWENTY YEARS that Maling Elementary School made it to the Jilong Student Music Contest.  Now, their school has only 46 students, so to be even able to put together a music group is quite an achievement.  Even though they didn't make it to the national contest, they are going to work superhard to make it next year!  (Their teachers are from the renowned Ju Percussion Group, and the kids are extremely lucky to have them come to teach them every week.)

In case you can't work out which one is Kyle, he is back left, the little guy with the big big drum.  He was the youngest in the contest.

Back in Taiwan, Back in the Swing of Things

We got back from NZ over a month ago now.  The kids went right back into school, and I went back into Taiwan life.  Back into driving my sweet baby, the little red March, back into school life with the kids.  Not yet back into gardening, though!  It's looking at me, waiting for me to take hold of the weeds.

Hannah is doing great in kindergarten.  The NZ experience really brought my daughter out of her shell, and now she is very outgoing and active in her classroom.  I'm doing a little class there once a week, which is also going well.

Likewise, Kyle is doing just fine.  He suddenly became more organised, more responsible, and more capable and willing to do his studies in Chinese.  Kyle has a percussion contest in November, and an English speech contest in October.  So far, he is much more willing to go to the music class than last semester.

The past few weeks, the kids have been plastering our house in notes and drawings.  Here are a few of the highlights:

by Kyle

A Kyle Monster

You Broke My Heart - by Hannah

Product Adjustment - by Kyle

Thanks to everyone who helped me had a great NZ winter!  It was so very memorable.  Look forward to seeing everyone again!!

Out of the Mouths of Babes

Hannah: "Mum, say goodbye to Barbie." "OK, bye. Where is she going?" "She's dead." (Noting the lipstick blood on her head and neck) "What happened to her?" "She got old. So we killed her..."

End of (An Academic) Year

What on Earth I am doing up posting at 1am I don't know.  Maybe it's the anticipation of a trip back to New Zealand, maybe it's the thought of packing, maybe it's the laundry laughing at me from the corner of the room.  Maybe I am just enjoying another evening without pain after having my tooth fixed (which has been affecting me since May last year). Whatever it is, I could reflect a bit on the academic year of living in our cottage and the kids attending school.

Hmm, what is a mum to say?  Hannah no longer eats only the chocolate options at preschool, but eats things "that look funny, too".  Kyle has started rebelling against homework and independent thinking.  Hannah can add up numbers under five, Kyle can read and write stories in Chinese.  Hannah volunteered to be in the Graduation show, Kyle got to read the farewell to sixth-graders speech by himself in front of the school.  Hannah likes to do her hair in the fashion of Crystal Bowersox, Kyle likes to dance like the guys in "America's Got Talent".  Hannah helps me find the coffee at the 7-11, Kyle gives me a lecture on the poisonous chemicals in bought drinks.  Hannah gives me massages.  Kyle finds my phone when it rings.

As for me, I have had some success with the herbs but not the vegetables in the garden.  I can now manage to put together something for guests to eat and drink from our selection.  The dog is still alive, the goldfish are dead.  I've almost managed to give my inlaws their rooms back, but not quite.  I'm putting together some goals for the next academic year, in general terms of being a better housemanager, getting healthier, and making more money.  First there is a summer to get through, though.  I do want to add, that the last few days I have felt really well, which makes me realise how unwell I had been the past few months.  I guess that is what happens when health slowly slips out of you.  And it is amazing how the tooth affected my whole system.  Dad used to tell me that was how people died young, and now I can see what he was talking about.

Seeing as that is about as reflective as I can manage, I will stop and get some sleep.  Let's see what the beautiful morning will bring.

Happy Un-Easter, Visitations

Well, I certainly missed Easter this year.  The three Kinder eggs are still in my drawer.  I had plans to give Richard, Kyle, and Hannah one each (the kids' first at-home Easter experience), but a wake-up call from a classmate's mom at 8am made me miss the moment.  I had the Cultural Education class at the kids's school at 8:30, so Richard nicely looked after the three girls that came to visit for the morning, and some of the afternoon.

We did actually go to an Easter picnic yesterday, with Taipei City Playgroup.  It was really a lot of fun, despite the worry about Skippy running around our countryside with a three-meter chain dragging behind him.  (Skippy is our three-legged Taiwan mountain dog that a friend rescued and gave to us.  He escapes daily, bringing a new dimension to my already interesting life.)

Kyle with his basket.

Hannah, not sure if she wants her picture taken.

Case of the sneezes.  This is a really nice park.

Running around looking for the dads who were hiding with candy to give the kids.

We have a group of expat parents that meet a few times a year for big events, and weekly with a playgroup for kids not yet in school.  It's a very nice group of people and it's fun to catch up with families I might only see once a year or sometimes even less often.  People here are quite transient, so they may go back to one parents' country for a while, then return again to Taiwan.  It makes it hard, saying goodbye so often, but I have learned that many times, there will be a hello a few years down the road.

After the picnic, the worry about the dog was too much (the neighbor had called), so I canceled my other plans and we headed back home.  When we got to the driveway, there was Skippy, bouncing around without his chain.  Someone had taken it off him.  I am telling myself some nice old lady needed the chain to make her quota for the metal recyling, and that I have inadvertantly done a good deed.  I didn't know whether to laugh or cry, as I now had no plants, no library books, and no new clothes from the bargain store where we had just been in town, and here was the dog, wagging his happy tail at us.

I came in, put my things down, and the phone rang.  Richard's parents were on their way, to stay for dinner. Panic!  I threw together a salad, curry rice, dumplings, and fruit, made some lemon and mint tea, and ran around cleaning up enough to look like we care.  Richard was at the car repair shop for the day, so it was all on me to entertain and provide. I'm so lucky to have easy-going in-laws!

The kids and grandma and grandpa went for a walk and then we sat down and had dinner. We had finished just about everything when Richard called to tell me he and two friends would arrive in five minutes and they hadn't eaten.  Richard's mum helped me make the leftovers look like they had been prepared for the three guys, and I cooked some more rice and put beer in the fridge.  Luckily, those guys are easy pleased when it comes to food, too.  I was running out of supplies seeing as the grocery trip had been cut off by the dog.

About 9pm, Richard drove the guys back into town and I got the kids ready for bed.  Hannah collapsed before she even got a shower, but Kyle managed to stay awake.

Next morning, Sunday, I got up at 7am and started to get ready for the Cross Cultural Education class at school.  Kyle had been sneezing all night so I gave him the day off table tennis.  At 8am, Hannah's classmate's mum called to ask if she could come over...now...  Richard said it was fine, so she and the three girls headed over on their scooter (yes, four people, one scooter, one helmet).  I passed them on the way to school and she said, "I'll see you this afternoon when you get back."  Indeed, they were there when I got back and ended up staying until 2pm.  Richard helped turn the curry rice leftovers into enough for the eight of us.

At the class, the school principal had me dress up in Vietnamese wedding gear so she could take pictures of me.  She had visited a Vietnamese woman and picked up a lot of artifacts for the upcoming school cultural exchange day.  We read some interesting books, including one "The Night Tree", which I recommend as an alternative, environmental Christmas story.  It's not about the religion, it's about the custom of tree decorating. The family go and visit a tree they are growing in the woods.

Anyway, I came back home to the family and the neighbor's daughter playing with the kids, and the mum waiting patiently on the sofa.  Richard and I got some lunch together and I had a chat with the mum.  She finally got up the courage to ask me how much Richard had paid for me and how to arrange the broker.  Her brother is divorced and needs another mother for his children.  I was tempted to throw out a large number proving my worth but decided to be truthful.  I can understand why people think Richard bought me.  It is what they know based on their experience.  This family has some financial difficulties, raising three girls on Taiwan's low salary, but the mum helps out by collecting recycling stuff with the eldest daughter on their bicycle.

Talking to all these people, the biggest realisation is, no matter where you are from, you have the same base wishes and desires, and troubles, too.  Circumstances may well be very different, but the heart is often very similar.  Being a mother with children in public school has opened up a whole new area of Taiwan for me, as has getting out of the Taipei city.  Life is definitely a journey.

The girls having lunch.

big sister looking after Hannah

Hannah's classmate

So, once again it is Monday morning.  We have "no" food in the house, the floor needs a good clean, and I still haven't tidied the pile of stuff on the sofa.  But, looking back, it's the people that matter.   (Anyone want to come mop for me?)

What a Week!

Sick kid, runaway dog, disorganised business, school pick-ups and classes... it's been quite a week.  I should be pushing ahead with class preparation and organising product descriptions and lists, but I really wanted to update the family about life here.  So, here goes, the power-post.

Dog:  Skippy is a great dog, really. He just has this really really REALLY bad habit of running off when we are not paying attention.  He has found the chicken farm and restaurant down the bottom of the hill, which means at least I know where he goes.  But, having a dog hang around the prep area of the restaurant is not ideal, especially as in Taiwan it is habit to prepare food like raw chickens on the concrete ground outside.  At least Skippy likes his doghouse and will settle down in there for the night.  For a dog with three legs, he sure can run fast!

Hannah:  My little girl has been home for the week, with a throat infection and fever.  She is actually well on the mend today, and will have to come to school with me in the afternoon when I teach.  There is nothing like a child at home to put constant interruption and chaos into a day.  Everything around me is suffering.  But, at least she can stay home and get better.  When I think of all those parents still looking for their children in Japan after the tsunami, I realise how terrible it is to think "I wish I had some time alone."  We are so lucky to have our children by our sides.

Kyle:  This morning, Kyle is off to compete in an inter-school dance contest.  Dad was a bit late getting him to school and his poor teacher called me in a panic.  I reassured her he would be there.  With such small class sizes, your child becomes a very important of every team, group, and community he or she joins.  I think this is a really good thing when the children are so young, to feel needed and not easily replaced.

Kyle is also in the school percussion group, which will perform in April.  He wasn't happy about it as the teacher gave him the cymbals.  This week, the child playing the big drum didn't want to play anymore, so Kyle got his dream of playing the drum fufilled.  Now, he LOVES percussion group.  On Sundays, Kyle goes to table tennis, and that seems to be going well, too.  The biggest challenge of all is for his mum to remember where he needs to go and where.  Again, the positives of a small school come out.  All these activities are free and taught by professional teachers/coaches from outside the school.

Business:  It seems to be picking up a bit, which wouldn't be hard compared to last year.  If only I had hours at a time free to think and arrange and update and promote.  With kids around, you only get a minute or so before someone calls, which makes it hard to sit down and really concentrate on the hard stuff.  With Richard going on a 10-day business trip recently, both kids sick (one after the other) and now Richard having to spend Saturdays at the car repair shop to fix his van (involved in four-car crash), as well as traveling to the inlaws' two days a week, I'm really running on the reserve battery.  I often think of that line that became the slogan for bullying: It only gets better.  Maybe tomorrow, I will get to sleep in after 6am, go to sleep before 1am, sleep all night or at least three hours straight without an interruption, or even go out alone.  If not, at least I have people big and little in my life who need me.  And a dog...

Have Tent, Will Camp

Dog In The House

Skippy

The PTA and Me, Multculturalism and Maling

The PTA and Me

The children's parent-teacher meetings were on Saturday afternoon.  They are both doing well in school.  Their school is trying to develop their program to be more progressive.  That means more opportunities for children to learn more things outside the basic curriculum.  I'm quite excited by that possibility, as children do need to know more about life than what is in their language textbook, and as the principal said, elementary school is the best time to broaden children's horizons.  Kyle's teacher is going to teach her class watercolor painting and music.  She is also starting them on writing Chinese stories in the proper format.  She posted a few pictures the children had drawn outside her classroom.  This one of Kyle's brought such happiness to me.

Hannah is a very happy little student, too.  We had a funny incident in class regarding the Flora Expo.  I didn't realise how much she wanted to go, and kept telling her we are waiting until a bit later to visit.  Her class is going on a field trip there.  She piped up, "Mummy won't let me go to the Expo!"  The teacher had to double-check with me. 

Both children are well-known for their love of reading.  Teachers were asking me how I got them to read so much.  I explained how I read to them every night before bed.  This is not something Taiwan families do.  Of course, I also love books and reading.  My big mouth then got me into trouble of sorts.  I have been put in charge of upgrading the school library, to make it "more like a Western school library."  Part of me is going to love this, and another part is thinking, "WHAT WERE YOU THINKING??"  Afterall, half the library is in Chinese...

And then we move on to languages.  I have been working as a volunteer mother a morning a week, teaching children English while the teachers have their meeting.  This semester, I have been hired to teach extra afternoon classes.  These classes, and the others offered at school like Taichi and calligraphy, are mostly free for students.  So, if you would like your children to learn these things but don't want to go to afterschool classes, consider moving to our school.  Friday is my first day to teach the afternoon sessions.  I was looking at the textbook last night and the realisation that I am reentering education hit me.  Now I am a little nervous.  But, it's also exciting to be helping these students, many of whom are very different from the wealthy kids I taught back in cram school before I got married.  I even made my first poster to hang up at school!

So, now one of my projects when I go back home is to dig around my old school library and see what I can adapt to put into the library here.  Wouldn't it be great to have a fun, dynamic library in the school, where children can really actively learn how to research and be passionate about literature?  Oh, me and my ideas.  When I told Richard about this, he just laughed and said, well, you do love the library.

Multiculturalism and Maling

When we put the kids into this school, I didn't realise how multicultural it is.  Kyle's class has six students.  Three mothers are not from Taiwan.  Hannah's preschool is also half-filled with mixed-culture children.  There are also a number who are being raised by grandparents or who are in single-parent families.  As a result, teachers try not to send too much homework home, as many children just don't have support to finish it.  And, as one teacher said, the aim of homework is not learn anything or test how much you know, but just to give the average student a little more practice.  Very capable students don't need it unless it is special extension work, and students who need help need to get extra tuition and support at school.  So, there is a homework support system for students who really need it.  Then, there are extra-curricular classes for other students.  I am keenly awaiting that list to see what Kyle can do. 

Hannah's teacher is doing a study on multicultural families and how they handle education of their children.  She has asked us to take part in her study.  This could be quite interesting, to see how she interprets our views and experiences.

Chinese New Year Cottage Style

It's been quite a week at the cottage.  Today is the last day of the Chinese New Year break.  And the only day we don't have plans for people to come over to the cottage.  Including children, we have had around 100 people come and enjoy a break here over the past five days.  Richard's parents have stayed over, we've been to two dinners, and visited Richard's uncle in hospital.  I think this is the first time I have sat down in a farily relaxed state, and my legs have started to shake.  I enjoy having people over, but I could not be a professional caterer.  My hat goes off to my mum and my sister for the work they have done in that area.

I sat down with great intentions of tales of the week, but now I am here, my mind is blank.  I guess I will put up a few recent photos instead.

Quick Quotes

Just a couple of gems from the past week.

Hannah's weekly school report:
We have been timing Hannah and how long it takes her to unpack her schoolbag.  In the past it has been 20 to 30 minutes.  The last two days, we are down to 15.  Well done!
...contents of a four-year-old's schoolbag?  Three bowls...

Hannah and Lady Gaga - minds alike:
Lady Gaga: He ate my heart and he ate my brain
Hannah (brandishing plastic sword): So I took my sword and cut his head right off!

Kyle on the challenges of science:
I need a sperm donor.
(me):  Whatever for?
So I can put sperm under the microscope and watch them move.  I can't see them in my wee-wee, so I need a man to give me some.
...any takers?

Our Retaining Wall

Here are a few pictures of the retaining wall Richard has been working on this month.  It looked pretty rough at first, but it's coming together.  Richard paid a guy who has been building these, and doing up old buildings around the island, to teach him how to build the wall.

A new year, a new post

I am so happy to report I got what I wanted today.  We had a wonderful day with friends and their children, at our cottage.  The men sat outside cooking on the barbecue and having man-talk, and the women sat inside enjoying good company and drinks.  The eight children ran around the house, through the house, around the garden, and through the garden.  We even got to play some card games, reminding me how much fun it is to play games with children.  It was a very successful start to 2011.

I've also had a few things happen the last month or so that I should write about.  The first one is, I started teaching at Kyle's school, as a volunteer mother.  It's just one class once a week.  It's really a lot of fun.  The children seem to enjoy learning English .  And now, I will be teaching two classes a week, paid, at the school.  I'm really looking forward to it.  It should be a bit of a challenge after so many years away, but it is something I love to do.

Ok, next is, I have been trying my hand at gardening (again).  I was planning on having an organic garden, but after the incident a few days ago, I really don't know if it is possible in this environment.  At 10:30am, I was looking at my beautiful row of brocolli, about break out from the leaf-state it was in. I told myself I should take a picture of it to send to my dad.  I had a shower and did a little work.  When I came out at noon to get the kids from school, I had to rub my eyes and look again.  Every piece of leaf on my broccoli plants were gone.  I imagined a giant praying mantis coming in for the attack.  Gone, all gone.  I had tears in my eyes on the way to school, but on the way home I felt a little anger.  How DARE anything eat my hard work?  I was tempted to make up a spray and wait for the next bug that came along.  After a few days, I am now considering a Net Against Nature.  We have an old mosquito net from the four-poster-bed Richard made us a few years ago that I may well cut up in an attempt to protect my future projects.

Kyle is doing very well in school.  He consistently gets 100% in his tests, and really enjoys all his classes.  He volunteered us for the Christmas show, resulting in the two of us singing a song on stage and then performing four magic tricks.  The teachers constantly tell me how great he is, as if I don't know already.  Kyle is still determined to move to an English-speaking country, as his true love is reading English (although today he told me he loves rollerblading even more - Uncle Neil will not be impressed!)

Hannah is also a star in her preschool.  She loves all her classmates and they all look after each other very well.  Hannah is always preparing things from our house to take to school to share with everyone.  I think the low student numbers in the school really help the children to settle in and make themselves a social group more easily than the larger numbers in other schools.

Seeing as I haven't posted anything for a long time, I have a lot of pictures to choose from. Here are a few:

Kyle with grandparents at Christmas show

Hannah right after her performance

Hannah's letter to Santa

Kyle's letter to Santa



Cousins at our house on Christmas Day



Hannah on the scooter Nana gave her

Kyle with sunglasses that were in his stocking