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Archive for June, 2006

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Homeward bound

Thursday, June 22nd, 2006

I arrived to Hong Kong today. I leave for Paris tomorrow and arrive on Saturday morning. The end is drawing near, it’s all almost over!

I know I haven’t written a lot on Taiwan, but will post an udate on that leg when I get home. We were super busy! 

Actually, I ‘lost’ my camera the day before I left Tapei to head south for Tainan. I think it was pinched but can’t be entirely sure. Luckily I saved most of my pictures onto CD… phew! So I haven’t got many photos from Taiwan, but I have some from Pei-jen’s mum’s camera that I’ll put on the next post.

Taiwan was really great and I am so glad that I went. Many thanks to Pei-jen, Kuei, their families, all the students I had the fortune to teach, and all the other people I met that showed me the warmest of hospitality. Taiwan is a very friendly and generous place.

It’s Pei-jen’s birthday today, Happy Birthday Pei-jen!

I’m going for my last vegetarian meal in Asia now and then a hunt for my last smelly fruit fix before I leave. It’s very smelly, but tastes amazing!

Will catch up soon

Take care….

Posted in King Kong Hong! | 1 Comment »

Jhongshan Junior Highschool

Sunday, June 18th, 2006

1st years2nd years

Jhonshan Junior High school is where Pei-jen and Kuei (who stayed with before PJ arrived) both went to school. It’s a regular high school but with a special dance department.

Every time Pei-jen comes back to Taiwan she gets hunted down and asked to do some teaching there. And this time as she had a laowai with her, her old teacher was even more insistant in her coming. So… we were drafted in on a tight schedule.

The all-giggling-girls school is from 11-14 yrs over 3 years of study. Pei-jen was asked to choreograph a piece for the 2nd years for next March and I was to be technique teacher and assistant (PJ to translate of course!).

These kids work hard, long hours and very committed. Not all the pupils do dance, only about 20 in each year. They are committed. Even in on weekends to practise and rehearse as well as keeping up their other extra-curriclular activities they all do.

Over the next 10 days or so it was so nice to spend time with these young ladies. They were all such characters and very talented, and very, very bendy! On one of the last days I made a deal with the 1st years that I would show them one of my kung fu forms if they showed me some of theirs. They we great, and legs up to their ears. Very impressive, I almost chickened-out of showing my stick form… not as bendy but I did shout a bit which they seemed to like.

They took well to my floor work, which is quite different to their balletic training. I soon had them running across the studio like monkeys!

We worked really hard and by the end made a really nice peice,  the only problem is they perform it in March – 8 months away!! I hope they remember it!!

On the last day with the 2nd years, PJ and I took them and their teacher out for bubble tea. They are all really bright with great senses of humour. On the photo moving clockwise from me, is: XiaoTse (Little Kindness), Elephant, Teacher Sky-Honesty/ Innocent (HA!), Smelly fruit Durian, Shrek, Pear, Pig and back to me. Their names are all Chinese translations, nicknames or part of their names. Whacky! ^o^

Out to bubble tea

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Green Island

Friday, June 16th, 2006

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Taipei – hot, wet and sticky!

Friday, June 2nd, 2006
 Taipei 101 I am here... To be honest, I haven't got my head around Taipei yet. It seems to be a right mixture - a bit like Japan, a bit of Hong Kong, quite a ... [Continue reading this entry]

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