The Moth That (Probably) Would Be King

A tale of tragedy and intrigue. Of kindness and honor. I am hardly (probably because I am not looking sometimes) surprised anymore here in Taiwan, but today was one of those days in which I was...delightfully surprised!!

This morning in my KBR class during out trip to the bathroom and to drink water. The kids started pointing at something chatting amongst themselves. I walked over to find out what they were looking at. There precariously perched on the door was a moth! A medium sized light brown moth. The kids were all excited. It was beautiful, there was no denying it.

I decided that I was going to save it. I ran over to the little refrigerator in the secretaries area and grabbed a cap and then got a piece of paper to go save the moth. I went back to the door and pushed through the crowd of children. I put the paper cup over the moth and then slid the paper underneath. I unwittingly, while sliding the paper under, ripped off the wings of the moth.

I took the moth outside and upon entering the kids all asked: Where is the moth? I said: it is outside! and then I had to admit to them that I had killed it! :( They all wanted to go outside to look at the moth. I told them to line up.

I went about my business feeling sorry about the moth, but didn't think they would be anything else. I look over and the kids are standing near the door with the hands held together and they were bowing. They were praying over the moth in unison. They were doing "bai bai" for the moth. I asked them what they were doing and they replied: We are helping the "butterfly"!

Spell Checker and Grammar Checker

I found this great spell checker and grammar checker. It is great!!! It is good. You just copy and paste text into it and wham-O! You can get a thesaurus as well!

Here it is... http://www.spellchecker.net/spellcheck/

Happy Chinese New Year & Ershuei & Life...

Happy Chinese New Year...even though I am very late in saying it! I spent two days in Haulien and seeing Toroko Gorge. It was breath-taking and I am so glad I went. Then I spent three days in Taipei and I even cooked dinner for Steve. It was quite yummy. I tried spaghetti. The tomato sauce I made from scratch with tomatoes, green peppers, mushrooms, and garlic, and salt of course. I had bought these fresh noodles which I hoped foolishly would be like spaghetti noodles...they totally weren't and they were disgusting! So Steve cooked rice. On Wednesday I went to Jiufen with Kelly and Sunny. It was raining heavily the entire time, but it was enjoyable. Steve was not able to come because his leg is still in pain and he cannot walk on it very much. The bones need to heal he said.

Then on Thursday I came back to Taichung and registered for classes. Taught on Friday (we had to come back for one day) and then spent a pretty relaxing weekend around here. On Sunday, Amy, Brandon and I went to Ershuei to see the monkeys. The last time I was there and actually saw monkeys was about 9-10 months ago with Connie. I kept remembering those good times. But I needed to see monkeys again. I wish we had had time to go biking like when Connie and I went, but we had to make it in time for church. Amy had to be back to teach primary and I had decided to go that day. It was sort of in exchange for her coming to see the monkeys, but in that I didn't really have to twist her arm to come.

This weekend was really nice to relax and I hope to relax again this coming weekend. As yet, I don't have any plans to go up to Taipei. Probably just chill here and kick it with my hommies. Get some organizing done, study Chinese, etc...

Well, I am just happy this post isn't about me staying longer in Taiwan, although I am doing that as well.... HA HA...(still need to figure out the plans for when this contact is up...) I've got to get on that.

I wish everyone a happy and prosperous new year!

Needles and Syringes

Oh what a place!? Today I was in Taipei and was doing a little shopping for my boyfriend who recently got into a bad scooter accident. I walked into a drug store and was perusing the items next to window. I saw Syringes sitting there on the shelf and I thought okay, that is a little unusual but oh well. But then next I saw the needles. I thought no way! There they were. I guess any person can buy them. Cool. That is all.

Titled 'Untitled'

Dear Reader,

Whoever you are, I would like to wish you a happy new year! It is believably unbelievable that it is 2010 already. What was I doing ten years ago. 2000. Well, I wasn't freakin' out about the Y2K bug. Place in the world/universe: Richland, Washington. Age: a holy-cow young age of 15! High School: Hanford High School. Grade: 10th grade. Yay! Oh wow, somehow ten years seems like forever ago and get it seems like yesterday. Was I really that different of a person? What did I look like? Younger, yes. More dedicated to studying 'stuff' and working hard? Yes! More serious-minded? Yes, in that I wanted to be a grown up. Now I find myself wanting to be a kid again. Well wanting to be a kind in the sense that I wouldn't have to worry about adult stuff and issues. Like maintaining my livelihood and other stuff like that.

Where am I today? It is now January 2010! I am living in Taiwan teaching English. It would seem that many things have changed for me. But somethings have remained the same. Like my name. It is still Erin Kathleen Shaw. In my family, we've had many additions. My two oldest brothers are married and have kids. My only sister and one-step-above-me brother are out of my parents house. And my youngest brother is now in his first year of college. Back then he was in elementary school or middle school--I cannot remember! Oh well.

Well, it is certain that ten years have passed. In 2000 my mom and dad worked for the US Census Bureau and I thought that would be a cool 'seasonal' job and even told myself I wanted to work there in 2010. I am glad I am teaching instead of doing that although it might've been really interesting.

This year I was home for the change of the new year. I was with my oldest brother and his family in Utah, USA! It didn't seem all that miraculous. Then I come back here to Taiwan. Get here on the birthday and start the party again the next day. The party being teaching. I like my new classes.

I miss my friend Connie being here. That is a really new change. More than the changed from 2009 to 2010--I mean she not being here is more of a change for me that the silly new year. I miss having her around. I have other friends, but not a good girl friend around me. Connie you are missed.

Who knows where I will be in 10 more years. Maybe my last name will change. Maybe I will not live in Taiwan. Well, to put it, it is very unlikely that I will be in Taiwan in 10 years. I love Taiwan, but don't want to stay here forever. But for now it is good. My boyfriend lives here and that is good.

Well reader, happy new year!