Turnaround
My attitude toward Taiwan has completely and utterly changed. I’ve now watched many people come and go – some stay less than a month! They wonder why I stay but I can fully tell them now the reasons and what they are, whereas before I really couldn’t answer that question.
Firstly, I actually like my job. Half of my job right now is teaching students in classes I actually like because I started teaching them from scratch and I spend more than one day a week with them. I know exactly where their strengths and weaknesses lie. The other half of my job is in conjunction with my work (Genius in Kaohsiung) and the Kaohsiung government. I teach local businesses English classes (adults) and then I go to visit the businesses and evaluate them on their English skills for the World Games. As such, I can have the power to give them a rating of 3-5 stars, just like evaluating a hotel or whatnot. Not only that, the random photos mean that I will probably end up in more than one tourist guide in the future for the World Games or Kaohsiung! I don’t really mind. I have also kept one of my A+ private students and I like going to local businesses and talking with them, or also accepting jobs editing their menus. It’s a great opportunity, and definitely fits more the picture of what I would be doing here and what I could put on a resume for the future.
Aside from work (which is huge!) I am also hoping to accomplish a few other things while I’m here. One is to get my scuba certification (finally!) and the other is to travel the trans-Siberian railway before I leave.
Some people have asked me in the past, after travelling so much, what is the most beautiful sight or country I’ve ever seen. Before it was definitely a toss-up. Do I answer ‘Canada’ my home country? Do I mention the beauty of Spain, or the mountains and slow life of Slovenia? Now I would have to say in answer to this question:
The most beautiful image in my mind, that stands out above all others is this:
December 2008, on a plane, somewhere between sleep and awareness. Somewhere between awake and dreaming. Looking out a 10×10 inch window at the scene below. Watching an iceberg break away. Looking down at the brightness of the light over the Arctic and Siberia. Seeing nothing, absolutely nothing below except the bluest blue and the whitest white. That is the most beautiful image that stands out in my mind, and I hope that one day I can see it up close – as in less than 30,000 feet. It’s going to happen within the next two years, and hopefully it will happen with the person I love.
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