Monday April 28th, 2008 ... still ...

All eight divers have been rescued. They were floating for nearly 40 hours after strong currents carried them about 50 miles away from their boat. Pretty amazing ...

Monday April 28th, 2008

Photo: James Earl Photography

For the first time in weeks, the front page of the newspaper doesn't show the name 馬英九. It does, however, contain a story of concern. On Saturday morning, twelve divers jumped in the waters near 墾丁 scheduled to return an hour later ... only four came back.

Eight missing divers is HUGE. Apparently a similar accident happened in the same area nine years ago ... six divers were washed away by strong ocean currents but four were later rescued. It's Monday morning and no one has been found as of yet.

Yesterday morning I happened to be doing some research and number crunching as to my next dive vacation. I'm considering Green Island, an island off the eastern coast of Taiwan, or the Philippines.

The story in today's paper leaves me feeling a bit hesitant. Very sad news, indeed.

Thursday April 24th, 2008

My short rugby life might not be so short-lived after all. I was in for most of the two games played on the weekend. We lost the first game, won the second. My knees aren't feeling that bad. Not 100%, but well on the way, I hope.

Reading the newspaper may have come to a halt for the next while. I love taking a stab at the crossword puzzle, which I'm getting better at all the time. Yesterday's paper contained a story about two boys in grade nine. In front of their 高雄 high school they thought it might be fun to set a puppy on fire ... douse it in gasoline and set it on fire. When the three month old puppy started running around in bursts of flames, yelping, the boys didn't know what to do so they ran away. Surroundings don't fair too high on my priority list at the moment. Perhaps going back to living in my own little world is the better place to be. If it wasn't for that crossword puzzle ...

Physiotherapy should be over by Monday or Tuesday ... it's going to be nice to have my mornings back ... now if only the weather would cooperate. I think I may get back into some Chinese classes a couple of mornings each week. With thoughts of leaving at the end of the year, I find myself questioning the importance of Chinese. A new teacher may present inspiration ... we shall see ...

Levi and I are having a bit of a fight over here ... I think I'm winning as I have the ability to lock her in the cat carrier ... she, however, has a real set of lungs for a little thing ...

I have no class tonight which I'm very thankful for. I now find myself working for a family eight hours a week in the evenings over four nights. I'd like to keep up with my language exchange but having two partners and only one free night ... I want to keep it as mine. I'm working most of the day on Saturdays as well ...

Suppose that's the way it goes ... work hard, play hard ... I'm anxiously awaiting playtime which never comes fast enough!

Thursday April 17th, 2008

Blogging, blogging, blogging ... I find myself without new photos ... without words. I am reminded that this is meant to be a journal of my journey in this thing we call life. Life I have been living ... so much, in fact, that I don't find myself sitting in front of my two computers. Perhaps one too many for a girl that lives alone ...

I've been reading a lot of news lately ... trying to increase my knowledge of things that surround me in this world. The map above tells me there is this huge existence that's really unknown. People have views and ideas and even lots of facts ... I would like to know what's really out there.

I've been working like a dog ... and by that I mean 30 hours a week. I suppose to some this sounds like nothing and to others, they would be thankful for each and every one. I find my feelings in the middle.

I see the doc on Monday ... he says I'm done after this appointment. Do my knees feel any better? Not really ...

My rugby team will be playing two games this Saturday. Depending on the size of the field, I may try and sub for the second game as the extra legs will be needed. I played around a bit last weekend ... not sure my knees feel better for it. I'm trying, desperately, to avoid a trip to the hospital for an MRI. After six weeks of physiotherapy ... it may be coming down to just that.

I have a level one class at school ... Uranus Class ... I could go on about the jokes I make ... no one really gets it ... the kids are six and seven.

I shaved my head on Tuesday ... a number three. Four times in the past two days I've heard, "Teacher Jenny, your hair is white." I told my one kid that it means I'm getting old ... he proceeded to tell me in very fast, broken English that people with white hair are too old to work ... with these big scared eyes he then asks me if they will be getting a new teacher. I wonder how old he thinks I am?

Thirty two, fast approaching thirty three ... I'm running to keep up with time. This year is going to soar ... and another year in Asia it is.

A part of me is beginning to question what comes next? There's always a next, isn't there? The options seem endless which is not good. As I glance at my map again, the big question is, 'do I stay or do I go?'

Life in Taiwan is grand. Things are rapidly developing ... although, some days not fast enough. A typhoon is in the area ... I hope it doesn't effect the games on Saturday ... not that I'll be playing much. Sad to say ... I think my short rugby life is coming to an end ...

And so it goes ... a day in the life of ...

Taiwan ...


What I like about the above map is this ... the lake you can see right smack in the middle is where I will be this weekend.

Years ago this lake was commonly referred to as Lake Candidius ... today it's known as 日月潭 or Sun Moon Lake. Some facts from the ever so handy Wikipedia ... the lake is located 748 meters above sea level. It is 27m deep and has a surface area of 7.93km².

Now, if one were to go back and look at the size of the lake on the map knowing it's not even 8km² ... it really shows how tiny Taiwan is.

The weekend weather calls for sun and heat. Apparently people aren't allowed to swim in the lake ... we shall see about that!