Hairspray in Taiwan

Weekends are tough around here in this paradise. Tennis each morning at 6:00 a.m. with my wonderful Taiwanese fellow tennis players bringing me lychee fruit (a small, bite size morsel grown on a local tree that needs to be peeled and has the consistency of a pear-see picture), oranges, and bananas to make sure I don't fade away to a shadow (fat chance!). Swimming in the ocean each afternoon in 78 degree water. Attending the English service at a demonstrative church Sunday afternoon where they asked me to speak next week (boy, do they not know what they are getting into.) Spending half a day writing and sending my consulting reports back to Maine (what a wondrous world we live in that has the technology that allows me to do this). And celebrating my standoff in my private war (lizard not to be seen and one dead cockroach found!)

But the most fun was walking down the hill Saturday night and attending the University production

of Hairspray. I arrived 15 minutes before curtain call expecting to walk right in to the 2000 plus modern theater with a orchestra pit that has a hydraulic lift. Wrong. The lines of students and locals stretched for a couple of hundred yards in two directions. To say the least, my well laid plans to meet and attend with some of my students went out the window. Now, being a single I did find a seat in the balcony and congratulated myself for getting in.

I must say, having seen Hairspray on Broadway and the Maine State Theater, I was a little apprehensive on how an all Taiwanese cast was going to portray a civil rights issue in the US in the 60's with no black or white actors and while speaking and singing in their second language. And what role would black face acting play in their production, a sensitive issue in the US.

My worries were unfounded. From the overture by excellent musician, I was treated to an energetic and entertaining college student production of an American musical. The dancing was superb and most of the dialogue and lyrics were easily understood except when English words had sounds not typically used in Chinese or when the sound system didn't work in that part of the stage. (Having trouble trying to master some of the unfamiliar sounds in Chinese, I vow to be more patient with those who are trying to master some of the unfamiliar sounds of English.) Taiwanese playing blacks and white subcultures was not problem; the whole musical was a celebration of integration including women playing men and men playing women. Wigs and dark stockings distinguished races. Differences were celebrated on many levels, all sensitively done.

I came away with a greater appreciation of how participating on a dramatic team that works hard for a common goal, just like participating in team sports, can teach invaluable life-long lessons about team work. Dramatic productions will become part of my examples I use in my management classes about how to develop one of the skill sets demanded by modern employers in this global economy.

War!

I have declared war. I know it is a drastic step, and I don't take it lightly. I am sure many of you who read my Christmas missive (thanks Suzi for your backhanded complement about the blog!) are surprised that I have given up my preference for negotiations, but the other side is impossible. And it is a war I can't win, given the eons of history that prove my foe can outlast me. But I must fight anyway.

How did I get into this situation? Well, it came to a head last night after coming home from a concert inaugurating Kaohsiung's new 35,000 seat stadium they built for the World Games that

they are hosting starting July 16th. It is architecturally beautiful as can be seen in the pictures. They invited the Pittsburgh Symphonic Orchestra to kick things off and the orchestra was magnificent in their rendering of William Tell's Overture accompanied at the appropriate times with celebratory fireworks. I felt like a kid again listening to the Long Ranger on the radio. So accompanied by our office manager and friend, Janet, the evening started off well. But I digress.

I get home last night and what do I find on the bathroom floor but another big cockroach on its back, dying I might gleefully add. These aren't small cockroaches I might add; these invaders are at least two inches long and ugly. This discovery would have been OK except earlier in the day, as I was cleaning the the strainer in the kitchen sink, I discovered another cockroach (I assume) trying to eat the garbage from underneath through the holes in the strainer. Obviously, it had come up through the drainage system, the way they invade my abode as I had previously discovered. I immediately sprung to action and attempted to drown the sucker in a steady stream of water from the spigot. It fought valiantly as it tried to hang on to the sides of the drain, but I prevailed and celebrated my victory. Later, I realized it was probably Pyrrhic, as I flushed it down the drain from whence it had come.

Well two cockroaches in one day was too much. I had dreams that these creatures would come in under the cover of darkness and crawl all over me as I slept. This was unacceptable, so I declared an unwinnable war.

As I teach in my graduate classes here, I had to develop a plan. But what would be my objective so that I could have a measurable outcome? I decided seeing no cockroaches in our villa for a week would be an acceptable start. How could I best accomplish this objective? Duh, keeping them outside! So I looked around for the enemies' likely entry points and I discovered we have nine drains in the house (in each of the two bathrooms there is one in the tub, one in the sink, and as I previously explained one in the floor; in the kitchen there is a drain in each of the two sinks; and there is a drain for the wash machine in the laundry room). So I have put poison in each drain. I don't care if there is an invasion of cockroaches in every other room in the dormitory as long as they leave me alone. I know they will outlast me in this guerrilla warfare, but if I can hold them off for four more weeks, I will declare victory and go home.

My apologies to Dostoevsky and any additional advice on how to fight this battle will be greatly appreciated.

Why You Were Lucky You Didn't Come Visit Us in Taiwan?

On a slow weekend I want to share with you 10 reasons you made a good choice to not visit us in Taiwan.

10. I walked outside Saturday (today is Monday morning) only to see a truck marked Animal Control Department. Wrongly assuming they were after the stray dogs or monkeys, I soon found out they were spreading white poison all around each dorm to keep out the ants. Appropriate response in this humid climate, but animal control! (See picture above.)

9. Killed another cockroach in our villa. Found out they come in from the drain on the floor in our bathroom. Why is there a drain on the floor? Because there is no curtain surrounding the tub where I shower and water naturally gets on the floor. (See picture with drain to left of bath tub.)

8. Because ants as well as small moths get into our villa, despite my best efforts, they are followed by lizards and spiders who want to dine. The lizards, et al, come into the villa through the slightly opened window in each room. Why is there a slightly opened window in each room? Because each room needs an air conditioner to deal with the heat and humidity and the retrofit construction just put the drain hose of each air conditioner out the window. Logical?

7. Anyway, I thought I should co-exist with the lizards and spiders as a natural solution to ants and moth problem. That is, until I found out that the lizards are so well fed they leave small deposits that I have to clean up. Part of Sunday was spent with a broom trying to scare the bejeesus out of the lizards so they would exit where they came from. (See pictures with my duct tape solution which only partially works.)

6. For health reasons, according to the Taiwanese, hot meals should be eaten only with hot drinks. I don't like coffee and tolerate tea, so I go thirsty eating out in the student cafeteria.

5. Contrary to rumors, I actually work here which I did most of Saturday and Sunday. Finished a consulting report and corrected student papers. Correcting student papers takes much longer here because the English writing skills of my international students need Betty's editing expertise. (See pictures of my typical filing system and I have recommended that the University open a writing center.)

4. Now that Betty is back in Maine (well actually she is flying today to be with Mom in California for two weeks while Mom is recuperating), I cook and you want to miss that.

3. The waves now suck at this time of year. In fact, Saturday I decided to go to the campus beach with no lifeguard in search of waves larger than six inches. The search reminded me of when I was a teenager in Southern California looking for the best surfing beaches. Just like then you had to be innovative to get to a beach that was not populated by a bunch of tourists. So down I go 201 steps, walk along a six foot wall by the beach looking for an opening, finding one by going under the fence where it crosses the gray water drainage ditch, only to see three wedding parties taking pictures on my private beach. How these beautiful young women got there without ruining their wedding and brides maid's dresses, I'll never know. The waves still sucked and I had to climb back up those 201 steps to get home.

2. The weather is getting sifling. I am playing tennis at 6:00 in the morning and it is still 86 degrees with 90% humidity.

1. The steps!

So now are you glad you didn't come and missed this wonderful experience!

Baseball in Taiwan

As you can see went to the baseball game last night in Kaohsiung (Thurday, May 14th) with eight of my European students (we had the makings of our own team and were featured on the large television screen a couple of times, most likely because we were the only Caucasians there plus my students are very good looking.) For most of them it was their first time at a ball game and it was quite an experience. I spent most of my time explaining the rules of our national pastime, which are not easy to understand, particularly the first time. But we did have time to down a couple of beers (legal drinking age here is 18) and eat a corn dog on a stick, along with some caramel flavored popcorn and ice cream. Game time for the three-hour +, 2-1 (Kaohsiung lost), well played game was 6:30 so we got home via the subway at a very reasonable hour.


Some impressions:

*great seats on the first base side (home team side) for about $9.00.

*game very well played; no errors, two home runs.

*players very talented but not quite as big as players in US.

*not a very big crowd; attendance not announced.

*didn't have a seven inning stretch.

*field immaculately manicured; foul lines 309', center field 400'; seats about 15,000. (see picture)

*three major differences: teams corporately sponsored for advertisement purposes, but less ads than at US ball fields

*and each team had a co-ed cheer leading squad accompanied by drums, trumpets, and sticks to beat (see pictures); most of the fans had these plastic sticks and beat them enthusiastically in time to drums while cheering their heads off; each cheering squad and fans were most courteous to each other, unlike Yankee-Boston fans. (Some of my students really got into it and cheered right along, just like my wife would do if she were here.)

*and the vendors walking around the stadium selling beer were all young, scantly dressed, cute-as-a-button women.

*a thoroughly enjoyable evening.

Played tennis and swam in the ocean again this morning (Friday) at 6:00. The human backboards wore me out in the humidity and 83 degree temperature, but we manged to eke out a 6-6 tie. Again, the evidence is that the elderly Taiwanese are all going to outlive us all. This is an exercising nation. On the way down to the courts there were small groups stretching and practicing tai chi; another 100+ were swimming in the ocean; another 20 were playing tennis, two of which I found out were 82 and 80; another 50 were walking the track and/or doing calisthenics; and another 40 were doing laps in the Olympic size college pool. And all before 8 A.M.

After doing laundry this morning (yes, I didn't get soap bubbles all over the floor) and practicing my Chinese, I am spending the rest of the day catching up on my University of Maine-Darling Center consulting responsibilities. They have created a cool website to help science students and teachers thinks more like ocean scientists do using an educational tool called concept mapping and real time streaming data from the ocean. (http://cosee.umaine.edu/cfuser/index.cfm)As the outside evaluator, I am helping them conceptualize the accompanying training and the effect of the project. I am enjoying interviewing the scientist long distance and trying to find out the scientists' perceptions, along with the perceptions of the users of the website and training. We are constantly trying to improve our product. The annual report to NSF for this three year project is due the week before I get back, so it will be interesting to see how we do writing this continents apart.

Until next time.

What Do Professors Do When the Girls Are Away?

Well, the girls have been gone three days now and you may be wondering what a bachelor professor does while they are gone. Now for the expose.

1. I have been faithful in exercising daily. On the days I teach (Tuesday and Wednesday), I stretch for about a 1/2 hour before my 9:10 classes. And on the other days, I have starting playing tennis at 6:00 a.m. on campus. I have met some very supportive Taiwanese players who have been most welcoming with my minimalist Chinese language skills. We have played doubles and they graciously let me have the best player as a partner the first day, playing against a husband-wife team. They can't hit as hard as I can, but they are all human backboards. To say the least, I was exhausted after one set in 82 degree muggy weather, having played once in the last three months. After being down 0-3, we pulled it out 6-4 thanks to my partner. They invited me back and won't let me play with him again, so I guess I didn't disgrace myself. We'll see if I can keep this early morning regiment up, like my cousin Pete.

2. I have been swimming in the ocean daily. Initially, I went down around 5:30 in the evening to kind of wind down, but the wave suck at that time. After tennis today, I decided to take a dip on my way home. This society is unbelievably exercise conscious. There must have been at least 50 Taiwanese out swimming at 7:30 a.m. and they told me most of their friends already had gone home! Well, the waves were much better this morning, about 1 1/2 feet instead of six inches. I got to both cool down and glide with mother nature. The thrill of riding a wave being propelled by only mother nature must be akin to what my brother-in-laws feel when they are out sailing. I only wish all of you can experience that special feeling of being one with nature, in whatever venue turns you on.

I offered the students in both classes free body surfing lessons (and hoping to see these gorgeous creatures in their bathing suits), but alas no one has taken me up on my offer yet. I think I have diminished my voyeur chances even more by now surfing in the morning, given that these young people often have difficulty getting up for my 9:10 classes on time. Oh well, I'll keep trying.

3. I have taken up Chinese lessons again. I repeat each 1/2 hour CD twice a day. I am surprise how much I have retained, but still can communicate very little. Doing things with more Taiwanese will force me to use more Mandarin, so we'll see if I can keep it up.

4. Now that the girls are gone, I decided to hold my Wednesday class (the small one with only six students that focuses on organizational theory and behavior) as an experiment in my villa. (I never lived on campus before, so I have never had chance to do this.) This new arrangement accomplishes at least two goals for me. It forces me to clean up the villa at least once a week so I don't embarrass myself. And, it allows me to have more informal conversations with my students about their career dreams and how my course can help them get there. I am much less good at this type of instruction (I guess I like to be more sure of what material gets covered each class), but we are now at the phase of my course where we are trying to apply the material learned, rather than learning new material. If I can help my students master the leadership knowledge, skills, and attitudes covered in this and my other course, they will more easily reach their dreams as part of the global economy and fulfil the potential I see in each of them.

5. Tonight (Thursday night) I am going to a Taiwanese professional baseball game with eight of my students who took up my offer to explore a different perspective on Taiwanese culture. For those of you who are not a sports junky like I am, you will recall that for many of the last 10-15 years Taiwanese little leaguers have beat American little league teams each August at the Little League World Series in Pennsylvania, a right we once expected. We will be having dinner together there. In my next blog, I'll share that experience with you with more pictures. (I am not embarrassing myself anymore with photos I take of myself.)

6. I am still having dinner alone so far, but I am working on that. With improved Mandarin, I can more easily strike up a conversation with Taiwanese students having dinner at the same time. The students and I are planning more opportunities to eat together (see baseball game above), e.g., I am hoping to have a weeny roast on the beach some evening, or maybe having a potluck dinner after we climb the hill behind our villa to see the sunset, or maybe all going out to a restaurant together. I have decided for their sake and mine that I will not invite small groups of them over for dinner. We'll see. Any other suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

So I am surviving as a bachelor.

So Sad!

Hi All:

You are stuck with me now to author the blog. Betty and Maren left yesterday morning and I am all alone for the next six weeks! Well not quite really. Let me explain.

Yesterday morning, after having gotten up at 3:30 a.m. because I couldn't sleep thinking about how I am going to not have company eating dinner (the worst part of being away from home alone for me), I took Betty and Maren at 6:00 a.m. to the airport via two taxis (couldn't possibly go in one with all the luggage needed to take back all the things they bought). We been bragging about how kind and caring the people of Taiwan have been to us in previous blogs and how everything about our three month stay has gone so smoothly, but Betty leaves and that perception is out the window. First, after having no problems checking three bags when we come to Taiwan in February, we are told the policy has been changed on the May return flight and we can only check two bags per person free. Well with all that was purchased, that is an impossibility, so Betty and Maren each has to cough up at little over $100 for their third bag. Boy was Betty miffed! Unfortunately, I am likely to do no better when I return June 21st.

We three then enter the lone restaurant in the airport to have breakfast before they are off on their mid-morning flight. I quickly decide that orange juice will have to do until I get home so I can drown my loneliness in my cheerios. No fried squid for breakfast for me.

After sending my two compatriots on their way, I immediately go into my "let's get organized" mode. On the subway home (yes dear, I went in the right direction!), I plan my day. Shop for milk, orange juice, and bread on the way home. Stop in my office to respond to emails and print off stuff I have to edit. Get haircut. Home. Stretch. Breakfast. Chinese tape lessons that I haven't touched for weeks because we have been so busy. Pay bills. Work on joint paper for Taiwan journal Betty, I, and a colleague are writing. Clean. Ocean swim. Glass of wine to watch sunset. Dinner. That should keep me busy for the day so I don't have to think about Betty being gone.

Implementation of great plan starts well. On way to office, chance meeting with one of my students on campus, a tall (over 6 feet) stunning women from the Czech Republic. Expresses sympathy that Betty has departed. Things are looking up.

During haircut phase, get double teamed by the two female Taiwanese beauticians. Things looking up twice. The first washes my hair and gives me a scalp and shoulder massage and the second cuts my hair, all for $9.73 (yes, my anally retentive side keeps a meticulous expense record for tax purposes). Unfortunately, you sometimes get what you paid for, especially when you can't communicate that you want the side tapered and blow drying my hair so it stands up European style is not my look (see self portrait photo holding camera at arms length; not recommended if you have any sense of dignity!).

I stay on track for my plan for the rest of the day with little deviation. Well, I did have a little nap, but I did get up at 3:30. As a reward, I walk down the hill at 5:30 for a swim at our local beach. Surf sucks so wimpy body surfing, but the water is delightfully warm. Ran into four of my Italian students on the beach and exchanged stories about our respective trips to the Philippines and Thailand. They ran into a typhoon! Again, things start to look up.

Up the hill after the swim just in time to have a glass of wine while watching a gorgeous 6:30 sun set from our villa veranda. Because we look directly west over the Formosa Strait, the sunset reminded me of the many sunsets I had the privilege to view from my parent's home in San Diego that overlooks the ocean.

Speaking of Mom, although obliquely, she is now in her home where I grew up, having spent the last four months in rehab learning how to walk again. Although upbeat as ever, even she says she can't do all the things she used to be able to do. After Betty' visit the last two weeks in May, we will have to reassess the care Mom will need. Betty's willingness to help Mom make such a transition in my absence, is just one more reason why I love her.

I decided for dinner that I would get up enough courage to eat out alone, even though I hate that, but maybe I hate cooking dinner more! I went next door to the student cafeteria and for $1.98 had a pork and rice dish that was reasonably tasty. I'm full and I can't cook for that price.

After dinner, I watch the news and then fall asleep at 9:00. Just like Boothbay bedtime hours.

Thanks for reading.

Ted

LAST DAYS in Taiwan

Pictured here is a cook from Tainan (the former capital of Taiwan)
making the Dan-Tsu noodles for which the city is famous.
Pictured also is a woman making the cookies (taste like fortune cookies but are cut into strip shapes) for which the city is also known.











On Thursday, upon our return from Thailand, Maren and I had our hair done for the last time; we look a bit different, but the massage was so worth it!! Then, on Friday, Maren and I went, (for my third but last trip there) out to Lotus Pond, where the beautiful lake is dotted with colorful architecture from Chinese influence; and of course, we walked into the dragon and out the tiger, to dispel all bad luck and gain good luck! And that night (Friday) we asked Janet to join us for dinner and gave her a little gift to thank her for all her help to us while we have been here.











Yesterday (Saturday), Ted, Maren and I were lucky to have a friend, Amber (a doctoral student at NSYSU), to give us a wonderful day's excursion in the former capital city of Taiwan, Tainan! It is a city famous for historical buildings from the Dutch occupation in the 1600's and the Japanese in the first half of the 20th century, etc! Plus, Maren's first husband Smokey (who died of Lou Gehrig's disease long ago) had served in the 1960's at the military base in Tainan, and Maren wanted to see where he had served. Cynthia also joined us while Muhua had to teach an all-day class. The five of us had so much fun!!
We saw several interesting historic buildings, like Confucius Temple (the first such one in Taiwan and also the first school in Taiwan, replete with learning tools such as measuring stones (pictured), steles, etc)), a shrine (called Koxinga's Shrine) to commemorate Cheng Chen-Kung, a famous warrior who helped kick out the Dutch, the Tainan Grand Matsu Temple (Matsu , a goddess of the Sea who is seen as a protectorate of fishermen), and the Museum of Taiwan Literary Achievements (where we also saw a painting of women playing Mah-Jongg!)!




Amber also took us to three different places for delicious Tainan foods: Dan-Tsu noodles in a tasty soup broth also filled with veggies and fish ; fried shrimp and fried oyster rolls; and a very light tofu in a caramel type sauce for dessert.
Then we drove out to the air base, where Maren could see the general area where Smokey served in the Marine Corps.
We ended the day back in Kaohsiung by having an absolutely delightful dinner at a campus located restaurant very near our villa, eating outdoors overlooking the harbor! The weather was delightful, with a warm and gentle breeze, and the food was some of the best we have had here: homemade squash soup seasoned exquisitely with spices (don't ask me which ones!), followed by the best salad ever (fruit, veggies and lettuce and tomatoes gently tossed with a yummy creamy dressing), entree (Ted opted for a small Hawaiian pizza, Maren for a smoked chicken sub, me for steamed chive dumplings).

I close my final blog from Taiwan with a photo of our spectacular view from both the cafe we ate at last night and our villa (which is just above the cafe, basically)! What a fantastic experience we have had here, and I know i will really miss the wonderful people of Kaohsiung and of Thailand when I return home. But I am now ready; it is time.

Hope the readers of this blog have enjoyed it as much as I have had in writing it!
Cheers!
Betty

Our last day in Northern Thailand was Tuesday, May 5th. Once again, Tthasanee and Jaroon did not disappoint. We visited a sunken temple ,the ruins of which have been discovered, fairly recently (1998?) right in the middle of Chiang Mai! Unfortunately, the excavation work has to stop for now, dues to land ownership issues. But to find ruins that date back to the 1700's in the heart of a busy city is rather amazing.



We next went to a place I personally had never heard of before: an elephant hospital! Here, they work with sick or injured elephants to help nurse them back to health, when they then release them into a protected neighboring jungle area! Here we saw one animal with a leg deformity that he had been born with that is now growing a tumor, and another elephant needing IV to bring down a high fever.








Then ,just a short walk down the path, we saw two mama elephants being nursed by their respective babies AND, incidentally, snatching any of the bananas we bought to feed them both, out of their babies' mouths to snarf down themselves! Hmmph!



And what a send-off at the airport. The Thai do not just drop their guests off at the curb and say farewell; no. EVERYONE of our seven AFS friends from Chiang Mai came to the airport with us in a two-car caravan to send us on our way, but not without inundating us with lovely parting gifts. We were imposing on THEIR time and homes, and they give US gifts! What a send-off, with everybody hugging etc! A truly unforgettable experience with new friends, who we hope will come to Maine sometime in their lives (and ours!) They would be most welcome!














And the scenario was repeated when we arrived late at night back in Bangkok where Oi, Sue-Porn and Mr X all appeared to take us from the airport to the apt-hotel for our last night in Bangkok. Before we could say good night, they too showered us with gifts, including AFS shirts from both the Northern Thai and Bangkok gangs!! Wow. The hospitality of these people is over the top!("It is the Thai way" they kept saying when they would refuse our repeated offers to let us buy the meal, treat someone to a trinket, do our own laundry (! )TThasanee's nieces hand washed and ironed our clothes each night! We were allowed, finally, to leave a gratuity for them at the end!!
A fond, fond farewell to one of the warmest, most gracious people ever!

Teaching Three Classes in Thailand!!

On Saturday night, May 2nd, all of us were treated to a fabulous dinner cooked by Da at their lovely home very near Thasanee and Jaroon's. Nirut is seen pictured at the far left in the pink shirt; next to him is Thasanee (who could not be a more caring host to us!), then Gan, the son of Da and Nirut ,shown standing, then Ted at the head of the table, then Am is peeking in, then behind me is Da, a lovely, beautiful woman, then me, then Maren, and then Oye, Gan and Am's cousin and younger sister all at once! The meal was wonderful and so plentiful!! Sticky rice,pork, fried chicken, tropical fruits, vegetable wraps with steamed veggies (yummy) that Nerut kept preparing for us, etc, etc,etc. Plus, they bought us different types of Thai fruit wines as accompaniment!

Then, on Monday, May 4th, Thasannee's school had its orientation day for the freshmen (9 th graders) who came from all different middle schools and so did not necessarily know each other. Ted, Maren and I were on! (We had NO idea before Sunday night, when I was still feeling very queasy from some sort of "bug" I suffered on Sunday, that Thasanee had told her administrators that she was setting up her three Monday morning classes to be taught their English classes by native speakers!)

So, all three of us went into our teacher modes! Maren taught her three classes "You are My Sunshine,"and a tongue twister, "She sells seashells by the seashore!" Ted went into his professorial mode and broke his students into groups of three to role play some "Errors in Communication!" And I divided my classes into five teams of six or so students each, for a spelling bee contest, mainly using English words with "sh" or "ch" sounds, as that was one of Thasanee's goals for her students. In their feedback later, supposedly one student wrote, "We don't need Thai teachers anymore!" We think they liked the participatory nature of our teaching. Beforehand, we were so nervous, but once in front of the classroom, it was fun!

That evening, we went with both Thasanee and Jaroon, plus Da's whole family to a traditional Thai dinner accompanied by a show featuring traditional Thai dances and songs, with one part of the show focusing on native aboriginal peoples, and the other, showcasing students at Chiang Mai Drama School. If you can see the photos well enough, you can see in one of them how long the women's fingernails are, for the purpose of enhancing the gracefulness of their movements!!