Teacher, One More Time!

For the last month my teaching has been spread over 3 branches. Hess is the biggest English school in Taiwan, and has over 60ish branches scattered throughout the country. I have been subbing kindergarten classes in the morning in a northern suburb called Fungyuen or something like that. Then on the afternoons I have a class of kids that are around 6 or 7 years old at a branch in the central part of the city, but the kids have had pretty intense exposure to English through some bilingual kindergarden. In the evening I have the cram classes. This is an abnormally packed schedule for my contract, meaning my normal schedule will be the afternoon and evening schedules. The children are fairly respectful and very, very busy. Many of them are in school for at least 10 hours a day- not activities, but actual school. There are math cram schools, French cram schools, and any other kind of cram school except for the classic American mix of sports, music, and art. My kindergarteners put and undeniable swing in my step with their cute little outfits and abnormally large heads. They are 3 and 4 years old, but can still lean as much English as some of the kids in my beginning levels of cram school. Basically, they are all bundles of cuteness in cute little sweat suits. And yes, there are fat Asians. They are generally extra cute with pudgy little cheeks and jolly smiles. All the students’ English has far surpassed my expectations, but the catch phrase, “Teacher one more time” always brings a smile to the teachers’ faces.
My main branch, Funjia, is right smack dab next to the biggest night market in Taichung. What is a night market you make ask? It is a big mix of fashion-forward clothes, fried food, fair-like games, and eyeglass shops. It’s the same thing every night… but yet each street is packed every night. I’ve been there a least 10 times and I still feel like an overwhelmed shopper on the day after Thanksgiving. Chinese New Year is quickly approaching, meaning everyone will be cleaning out their closets and homes- and purchasing all brand new items. The night markets are more packed than ever, and the department stores are covered in red banners, lanterns, and photos of tigers. I have tested my shopping skills out in the night market, only to find that my body dimensions aren’t completely incompatible with the Asian styles, but my shoe size is. I did invest in a cute dress for New Years and our upcoming banquet for a total of $30US. Thank you Taiwan, thank you.