Sorry that it has been so long since my last post, I had some computer problems so I wasn't able to come online. Since my last entry, we both started our own regular classes and subbed some more. Subbing has been fun, especially on Saturday when we were both at Tung-An School (which is the school where our dorm is located) so we literally had to get out of bed and walk downstairs to get to class. Very easy money, I would love to get a regular class at Tung-An but I doubt I'll be that lucky. It will be easier and less of a hassle to get to class once we own a scooter, let me know if you know anyone who is selling for a reasonable price!
Now I will back track to our regular classes. Mine was a red book (10 years old around) and I was warned, thankfully, beforehand that they are a difficult class. Apparently prior to the teacher I was replacing who just left without saying goodbye to any of their classes, they were without a foreign teacher for four months. Prior to that, they had a horrible Taiwanese teacher who used to hit them. Safe to say, they're not very trusting of teachers and coupled with the fact that most of them are lazy, I did not have fun during this class. They were so hard to motivate and I left feeling so exhausted and worn out. I'm still looking forward to this coming Thursday when I get to see them again though, I've been thinking all week for ways to motivate them and I'm excited to attempt it. Wish me luck.
Rick's two regular classes on Thursday went amazingly. His first one was a Kindergarten Beginners class (we call it a kindy class) so they are usually 5 or younger and this is their first time learning any sort of English. Rick had a lot of fun with them and they liked him a lot, not to forget his amazing coteacher who was with him for his next regular class as well. The next class was a Gloria English 1 class so they have just finished the previous class that Rick was teaching so this class was around 7 years old. Again, he had an amazing time with them and breezed right through it. Rick is so amazing with children, in general, so I would love to get to watch him teach one day. (Don't tell him I said any of this though, I don't want to inflate his ego too much.)
Saturday night we decided to try out the night market again. I couldn't not stop at the pet store and this time I got to hold my little puppy. (Big mistake on Rick's part for letting that one happen considering it just motivated me even more to buy the puppy.) Still working on convincing Rick, help me out! I need more positives to getting a puppy while we're here to bring home, all he can think of are the negatives haha. I went and got the chocolate banana crepe again, except this time Rick was smart enough to get his own and David and Monica were there as well to enjoy it. I swear that lady is going to know me by name the next time I go there. I also tried this baked potato that everyone had told me about and it really did live up to its reputation. It was amazing, and thankfully Rick was there to point out that she was about to put tuna on it and we stopped her just in time.
Tonight we went to see Zero Dark Thirty. Jury is still out on that one. Yes it was an amazing movie but should it really have been made into a movie in the first place? Who knows. Regardless, it was fun to go to the mall. Tomorrow I am subbing a kindy class at Tung-An (YAY) and Rick is at a further school for his second week of subbing two classes there. Sometimes when you get asked to sub somewhere, it will say x3 or x2 which lets you know that they need you for however many weeks.
Maybe the next time I write in the blog, I will have my little puppy named King sitting next to me. A girl can dream...
- Melissa
Showing posts with label taoyuan night market. Show all posts
Showing posts with label taoyuan night market. Show all posts
14 January 2013
10 January 2013
Taoyuan Night Market
Yesterday I was only teaching until around 6 and Rick wasn't teaching at all so we decided it would be a great night to check out Taoyuan city's Night Market. Rick had already been once before when we had first arrived to Taiwan and I was in my zombie-like state of sleeping and sleeping some more. But it was good that he had already been because then he could easily lead us there!
I don't know if Rick was fully aware but on the way there, we saw a pet store. The puppies were way toooo cute and I literally wanted to take home each and every one of them. They were only around $500 CAD, pretty much a bargain, right?! Now I just need to work to convince Rick...
Also on the way there, we stopped at a helmet store because we both need to buy helmets. Even though we don't have our own scooter yet, other teachers have been giving us rides and we have just been using random helmets. I was able to find one I liked for around $25 CAD but Rick wasn't. It is nice to have my own helmet now though.
Around fifteen minutes later, we arrived at the Night Market. Rick said it wasn't as busy as it was when he went, probably because it was earlier and we decided to go on a very dreary, rainy day but there were still so many options. So much food that I had no idea what it actually was and so much cheap clothing! I didn't get to shop a lot but I want to go back already. If only for the desserts that were offered here. We kind of ate dinner backwards as we got out desserts first. The first item we got was basically a small waffle filled with custard, three of them for 25 NT so less than $1 CAD. Then we got these deep fried balls that were filled with cabbage and some meat, they were okay. But my favourite part of the night market was the chocolate banana crepe I ordered. It cost me just over $1 CAD and it was easily the best thing that we got at the night market. Not to mention that the woman who made it was the cutest thing ever. I can't wait to go back!
A funny thing that happened at the night market was Rick tried to order the same beef and noodle dish that he had got last time he was there but we ended up getting something entirely different. We ended up (somehow) ordering a soup that Rick hated, I enjoyed, and that we ended up giving to Sam (one of the teachers in the dorm). But our night was not over yet! On the way back from the night market, we had to make a stop for bubble tea and the fruit and vegetable market.
We had tried bubble tea a week ago and Rick loved it but our friend David got passionfruit bubble tea with jellies (rather than the tapioca bubbles) and we liked his so much more. We decided to try and get it and success! Easily the best bubble tea I've had (keep in mind I have only had two so far). Our next stop was the fruit and vegetable market for some pineapple and to take some pictures of fruit we had never seen before and aren't brave enough yet to try.
With one final look at the cutest puppies ever in the pet store, we were back at the dorms with time to plan my lesson for today and relax. It was really nice being done work by 6. Did I mention that we both start our first regular classes today? Hopefully they don't hate us and aren't asking where their old english teacher was. Wish us luck!
- Melissa
I don't know if Rick was fully aware but on the way there, we saw a pet store. The puppies were way toooo cute and I literally wanted to take home each and every one of them. They were only around $500 CAD, pretty much a bargain, right?! Now I just need to work to convince Rick...
Also on the way there, we stopped at a helmet store because we both need to buy helmets. Even though we don't have our own scooter yet, other teachers have been giving us rides and we have just been using random helmets. I was able to find one I liked for around $25 CAD but Rick wasn't. It is nice to have my own helmet now though.
Around fifteen minutes later, we arrived at the Night Market. Rick said it wasn't as busy as it was when he went, probably because it was earlier and we decided to go on a very dreary, rainy day but there were still so many options. So much food that I had no idea what it actually was and so much cheap clothing! I didn't get to shop a lot but I want to go back already. If only for the desserts that were offered here. We kind of ate dinner backwards as we got out desserts first. The first item we got was basically a small waffle filled with custard, three of them for 25 NT so less than $1 CAD. Then we got these deep fried balls that were filled with cabbage and some meat, they were okay. But my favourite part of the night market was the chocolate banana crepe I ordered. It cost me just over $1 CAD and it was easily the best thing that we got at the night market. Not to mention that the woman who made it was the cutest thing ever. I can't wait to go back!
A funny thing that happened at the night market was Rick tried to order the same beef and noodle dish that he had got last time he was there but we ended up getting something entirely different. We ended up (somehow) ordering a soup that Rick hated, I enjoyed, and that we ended up giving to Sam (one of the teachers in the dorm). But our night was not over yet! On the way back from the night market, we had to make a stop for bubble tea and the fruit and vegetable market.
We had tried bubble tea a week ago and Rick loved it but our friend David got passionfruit bubble tea with jellies (rather than the tapioca bubbles) and we liked his so much more. We decided to try and get it and success! Easily the best bubble tea I've had (keep in mind I have only had two so far). Our next stop was the fruit and vegetable market for some pineapple and to take some pictures of fruit we had never seen before and aren't brave enough yet to try.
With one final look at the cutest puppies ever in the pet store, we were back at the dorms with time to plan my lesson for today and relax. It was really nice being done work by 6. Did I mention that we both start our first regular classes today? Hopefully they don't hate us and aren't asking where their old english teacher was. Wish us luck!
Loving my chocolate banana crepe! Can you see the excitement in my face?
Rick enjoying his amazing bubble tea in a random store
Crazy fruit number one!
Crazy fruit number two!
Crazy fruit number three!
- Melissa
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)