Half-way Point - Zhanghe 6

Thursday, July 30, 2015 marks the half-way point of my teaching experience here at Zhanghe. I can say that I've completed the first two weeks of lessons. It came and passed by so fast, without me realizing it. Interestingly, I'm going to be teaching the same students with new teachers; one for the grade sevens, and one for the eights. I'm going to miss Sandy, even though we only had a few short interactions before and after class, I feel that we've bonded over our short two weeks together!

Today, it's the Friday after, and I've been working in the office putting my lessons and PowerPoints together. Last night I realized that I didn't get the chance to get a picture with Sandy while we taught together, and it's put me in such a reflective state. It doesn't help that I'm going through my grade 12 performances for my lesson plan on Visual and Performing Arts (VPA), at the same time. I don't know, today's a very quiet and relaxing Friday. The kids have the day off, and it's just "chill", I s'ppose. Haha, Like I said before, it put me in a reflective state - I'm feeling nostalgic over something that happened two weeks ago!

Today made me realize, after time and time again, just how fast life goes and time passes. I can't believe I left home over a month ago! It's profoundly awakening, and scary to say the least! It seems like it was just yesterday that I took the stage to perform. Yikes. I still think it's 2012 sometimes, haha.

“The bad news is time flies. The good news is you’re the pilot." – Michael Altshuler
(a quote I'm going to share in my last lesson - no tears I hope)
I've been listening to a lot of music reflecting my current state. I've been listening to Kina Grannis, most notably the "Stars Falling Down Remix, ft. Paul Dateh" (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3_bScDCbFjI). And I've been listening to Gina Darling's "Moon Song ft. David So" on repeat (https://youtu.be/X2A_hlGChDY?t=3m29s)

The lyrics for the second video are as follows: I'm lying on the moon
My dear, I'll be there soon
It's a quiet starry place
Times were swallowed up in space,
We're here a million miles away

There's things I wish I knew
There's nothing I keep from you
It's a dark and shining place
But with you, my dear
I'm safe and we're a million miles away

We're lying on the moon
It's a perfect afternoon
Your shadow follows me all day
Making sure that I'm okay
And we're a million miles away

Bonus material that I found:
Grade 10 Band - Pandora (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1LLvsEt_6RA)
Grade 12 Choir - Gloria (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uuQLXyDOATc)
Grade 12 Theatre - A Typically Atypical Day (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OhjxEAfoDrI)

Nostalgically yours,
JC(3.14)

Zhanghe x Beijing - Zhanghe 5

What a crazy day Wednesday, June 29th was. On this day, one of Zhanghe’s partner schools, from Beijing, came to Taiwan. More specifically, Taipei. Throughout the day there was a flurry of commotion and uproar from everyone involved. Zhanghe students were showcasing a dance in the middle of the courtyard, the principle’s voice could be heard throughout the P.A. system throughout the morning, and kids were running and screaming (okay, the last one happens regardless, but it was chaotic nonetheless).

I had three classes scheduled on the date, and the first two ran as they were normally scheduled, Modern Canada (Winnipeg) was the first, and Canadian History the second. The third class would be about Modern Canada (Winnipeg) – I teach different section at different times. This was the class that stood out the most. The students from Beijing, along with a few of their administrative staff, those who journeyed to Taipei, were invited to sit in and watch. Aside from that pressure, my boss, Justin, sat in too. It was a little nerve wracking, I felt responsible for Zhanghe’s image in front of people from Beijing. BEIJING. I managed to keep my cool, and made the class fun (as usual). I believe they enjoyed singing “Let it Go” from the Frozen soundtrack, and dancing to “Louder” by Charice; both of which have become a tradition in my class. Walking down the halls after class felt like an accomplishment; Justin even shook my hand and said “thank you”. That was unexpected – later that day I was told that he liked the singing and dancing, haha! It’s sort of my thing, and what I’m known for, I suppose. Walking back to the office, I held my head up high.

Right before I entered the office, three girls, students of mine, ran up to say hello, giggled, and then ran off. Before they were out of distance, one yelled out “I think you’re cute!” That was surprising! Prior to that, I thought that I perpetually looked sweaty, greasy, and gross. At the time, I didn’t know which one of the three said it or if she said it because I give students candy, or because she actually believes it (I still don’t know). It was both flattering and weird to hear, haha… Little did I know, I would see her again later.

After lunch, some students from Zhanghe and the Beijing group travelled together, hence this post’s title. I was told we’d be heading to Jiufen Old Market and Yehliu Geographic Park. An interesting aside: Jiufen Old Market inspired Spirited Away, a Studio Ghibli animated movie. Walking down the Old Market’s street was really refreshing. It was like a night market, but much more traditional. One of the girls (yes, one of the three) even bought me a lollipop. How kind is she? After walking around, I saw a mini lion costume; the type that they use for Chinese festivals. I told myself that I wouldn’t let this one pass (I didn’t buy one in Tamsui). The owner replied $350NT, and I bought it! I knew that there was a good reason why I didn’t buy the $500NT one in Tamsui, hehe. After walking through the market, we had to descend a whole crapton of stairs. If you know me personally, this is a problem. At the midway point, there was an old fashion theatre that looked really neat! It was well preserved. Anyway, we stopped there and took a short break before we started again.

It took me several breaks and clinging onto Justin to get me to the bottom, but I made it. Only the bottom was uneven ground, and I ended up bailing in front of everyone. How embarrassing… Everyone seemed really worried, and even some of the adults and students asked me how I’m feeling. It was really nice to hear them try to speak English just for that. That was something that brought my mood back up.

I can almost see the spirits from Spirited Away.
After that fiasco, which wasn’t a fiasco at all, we went to Yehliu Geographic Park. “Yes”, my heart cried for joy, more walking (sarcasm). But I figured that I had come to Taiwan to experience Taiwan, and went along with the group. The park was beautiful and really reminded me of British Columbia, and it felt like I was home, in Canada. I took numerous breaks and simply enjoyed the scenery around me. Interestingly, this was a hot tourist spot known for its "Queens-head" shaped rocks! There were a lot of tour guides, and me and Lynn made a point to point and giggle to ourselves after seeing each one.

The sun was setting and we left to grab dinner. We had AMAZING seafood that was fresh and delicious. I didn’t get the chance to take photos, as I was planning my strategy, and trying to get my money’s worth (even though I didn’t pay…) >:) Satisfied, we left. I thought we were going home, but the other adults had something else in mind…

I did manage to get a picture #trueasian (I wrote this post before looking at my photos...)
台北一O一 (TAIPEI 101)

It was now night, and I’d be able to see a city of lights. We got to the base of the station, and grouped up beside Din Tai Fung. They asked me if I’ve ever been/heard of it, to which I replied, “wo ai xiaolong bao” (I love soup dumplings). I think that caught everyone off guard, haha. Moving inside we waited at the base of the elevator for our turn, and just as quick, rocketed to the top! It was at the top that one of the three girls, that I mentioned before, ran over to me and said “you’re cute!” I really hope this doesn’t become a trend… But it’s funny to hear; I feel like a kpop star (wow, fantastic baby *intense music* - this is from a Big Bang song by the way…).

Lynn and I atop Taipei 101.
I digress. Last time Judy and I went to Taipei 101, it was during the day, and there was a thin veneer of clouds covering the city – albeit, I enjoyed this more because it made the city, and being that high above it, magical.

At nighttime everything was lit up, and I really enjoyed the magnificent view! There’s not much to say, so I’ll let the photos do the talking.

I returned home pooped, but triumphant.

He who trips over his own feet,
JC(3.14)

Future AIESEC-ers - Zhanghe 4

It is July 22, and the second day of classes. The first day, yesterday, went smoothly. However, there were little bumps, but now I got the feel of how to teach the students, what their English level is, and how to best communicate to them. It's been amazing to say the least. I feel like a rock star - everyone runs up to me on campus and says hello to me, it's insane in the best way possible. It makes me feel really warm when I hear the students say their thank you's and goodbyes when the class is over. I'll never forget their smiling faces.

I plan on teaching my students about Canadian culture, its history and European roots, modern Canada, and divulge the remaining time on things that are dear to me: story telling, VPA, dreaming, and etc. I hope I'll be able to make an impact on all the students that I get to meet, and inspire them with the stories that I share. I have a month and a half to go!

Aside from teaching grade 7 and 8 students, I've been asked to teach kindergarten students, as well as the Handball and Basketball team, which I gladly accepted. I want to teach as many students, and meet as many people as possible!

I tried to do karaoke with the students, but the songs I choose were to fast, and I suppose the words too complex (damn you Lost at Sea). That was on the first day, and really didn't work out too, too, well. So now, I show them an AIESEC dance. More specifically, my favourite AIESEC dance, Louder by Charice. The teacher even asked me to do it daily so the students learn the dance moves. Yes and YES!!! It makes the idea of class even more fun. The kids will be ready for when they join AIESEC in university, I suppose you can call this an early recruitment.

I believe, and have been told, that I'm the only English teacher that's ever taught dances, and danced with the students. I hope that's what they'll remember me as - "the crazy Canadian that made us dance after teaching us English."

AIESECly,
JC(3.14)

Field Trip #2 TW/TY - Zhanghe 3

On the 14th, I participated on another field trip to Taoyuan! This time, though, we were paired different students, and went to a farm. As you can Imagine, it was another early morning, followed by a hour+ bus ride, activities, then another hour+ bus ride. I'm getting tired just thinking about it!

As you can imagine from the last sentence above, it was a struggle to get out of bed - but I did it nonetheless. In fact, I was even early #proudofmyself! Anywhoo, I digress. We got there, and I didn't think of it too much, because its front looked like a normal two-story house. I would later find out that the giant, and visually stunning, farm was located behind the home. The house was located near hills, so that even added to the beauty of the land.

The day began with a tour of the land. A tour guide showed us the various plants that were there. I was encouraged to touch, feel, and smell everthing - to which I did. It was like walking into a fragrance store and having an assistant show you various products to try (but better of course!).

. There were bushes and trees all over the farm with signs like this! Aside from the various forestation they had growing, they had an area for livestock. I saw chickens, goats, ducks, and even deer. They let the ducks freely walk around the farm, which I'm sure the students enjoyed, I did so my self and even got a picture with them.

I remember walking away from the ducks, then hearing them honk/quack, turn around and see kids chase them - it was hilarious and cute, something you'd find in a television cartoon.

Walking around the farm, we found these giant-a** beetles. Fear compelled me to stay away, but curiosity compelled me to close in, to which I did. What was interesting about the beetles that we saw was that one seemed to be eating/having its way with half-dead one, then a larger one came and fought with it. The larger one won the "battle", then proceeded to eat/have its way with the half-dead one. The smaller, first one, moved about half a foot away in shame, and watched the scene. It was profoundly gross!

We returned to the back of the home and had lunch. I know, you're thinking "how could you eat after seeing that?", but the guide brought out huge containers of food that smelled absolutely delicious. There was rice, a chili, and some melon soup that is commonly eaten in Taiwan. She explained that the farm is their #1 source for getting ingredients to make healthy dishes like the ones before us, and asked the children to come forward. Letting the kids dash off into the lines that formed, and seeing their bowls filled with food brought my appetite back, quickly.

We walked around the farm to pick herbs and vegetables for pizza. Yes, we were making pizza too. Yes, I was full. Yes, I still wanted to eat the pizza. Aside from getting veggies for our 'za, we also got the chance to pick some rice. I've never felt more Chinese, wearing a rice-picking hat, and picking rice.

It was pretty fun to watch a swarm of children, all wearing this hat, run around and collect food for pizza. And, as promised, when we got back the students split into groups to make pizza And they did. And it was tasty. I thought I wouldn't get the chance to eat pizza in Taiwan! I'm glad I can check that off some pseudo-list!

[I'll continue this at another time when I can add photos]

Field Trip TW/TY - Zhanghe 2

On the ninth of July, it was planned that the students would go on a field trip to see courses offered at a junior high school in northern Taipei, and then a factory in Taoyuan. As you can imagine, there was a lot of time spent on the bus - it was very draining.

For this trip, I had to be up and ready to go at 7:30am. I didn't exactly get a good night's rest, but I didn't let that stop me. It was a wet day, and a bit chilly, but it was okay! I'm doing it for the children. Our first top was about 45 minutes away, close to Tamsui. The school looked really nice, I'm starting to get the feeling that they all do now. This school, though, had luscious greens, and lots of flora. One of the first things I saw there was a frog.

The court rd of the school was stunning, the photo above is just an example of how beautiful the school was.

During our time at the school we got to experience two of their classes. The first class was a graphics art class, and the second was a sort of survival class? In the first class, we each received a stamp holder, to which we would then create a stamp. We used a computer program to make a stamp with a picture of our choosing. I chose a picture of Disney's Pluto, because Disney is still fresh in my mind, and I love dogs. Besides Pluto was my Chinese name, 朱永強, I wanted to show them that I could "hang". Then they were printed, and put onto a stamp. I kept my stamp separate from the holder, because I thought Danny would appreciate the Thomas the Tank Engine holder much more than I. Once everything was completed, we were ushered up stairs to take part in what I think was a survival class. I think so because we were taught the different types of wood, and making stuff out of wood that you'd find/cut in the woods. I had a table to myself, filled with different sticks and branches, and decided to make a mini-tipi.

As you can see, all I was missing was a cloth/fabric to surround my tipi. Inside my tipi was a life form enjoying the shelter from the strong winds (from the fan), lounging on a sofa (branch). Like they say, you can take the boy out of Canada, but you can't take the Canada out of the boy.

After that was another hour+ bus ride to Taoyuan. I thought the next time I'd be there was when I was leaving Taiwan. I was wrong. The factory we went to had a lot of Thai influence, though I'm not really sure of the history/relationship (damn my inability to communicate in Mandarin). Before we explored the factory, we were brought to a little Thai restaurant on the grounds. In this restaurant we, the students and I, made Papaya Salad.

Interestingly, on the second floor of the restaurant was a mini-museum, I couldn't really understand, but there was an abundance of history in their.

After sampling some of our creations, we were shown the plantation of soap, the processes, and even got to sample/try washing some clothes. I would have took more photos, but my phone's battery was almost out. It was an interesting time, nonetheless.

After the hour+ bus ride back, I was set to meet Gida at Shilin Market in ximengding, the biggest night market in Taiwan. It was a bit sad, because it would be her last day in Taiwan. She even wrote me a card, to which I had found out before I arrived (reminder: send her a post card from Winnipeg). We met at the summer camp, and became quick friends, as we were the only two non-Taiwanese people there! It was my second time there, and being there was still lots of fun (I was there earlier in the week), going to night markets is something I'll never get sick of. The only bad part about being there was that it was raining. Ultimately, we did not find the bag that she wanted, but we still had. The night ended with getting a bubble tea, and we said our goodbyes.

It was a long and tiring day.
Love always,
JC(3.14)

Getting Around on My Own - TW Adventures

As you may know, I took the buses and MRT (subway) to get to the the meeting place before the summer camp. I completely forgot about the returning trip, and the experience I had.

I situated myself nearby the entrances on the MRT, right beside the "Priority" seating, for the elderly, pregnant, and etc. I sat my heavy bag beside me, and part of it covered a portion of the nearest priority seat (it was inches, nothing too extreme). After a couple of stops, an elderly woman came wobbling towards the priority seat. I moved my heavy bag, and situated it on my lap. Upon doing so, the woman looked at me, squinted, and began saying something in Chinese to me. I began to panic, saying mmm, mhm, and and assortment of grunts. I had no clue what she was saying to me, but she would go on, and on, and on. She took short breaks, but started again every now and then. Then she said, and I understood the translation, that this was her stop. She thanked me, and sat there silently. Before the door opened, I tapped her on the shoulder and said goodnight. She returned the greeting, and left with a pleasant byebye. I have no clue what she said to me beforehand, and I'll never know, but it was reassuring and pleasant.

I don't speak Chinese,
JC(3.14)

One of he World's Largest, Taipei 101

I was fortunate enough to be asked by a friend to meet up at Taipei 101 on Sunday, June 6. I must say, it looks larger in person, and much, much, much more magnificent. It's hard to believe that I was in front, and inside, one of the world's largest buildings. What's interesting is architecture of the building itself. It's not like you're typical rectangle building, but it juts out.

It's funny because I saw the building from afar, and thought nothing of it. It was when I emerged from the MRT station, that I truly acknowledged it's beauty.

As you can imagine, I walked around the outside, taking pictures of anything and everything of interest. I passed by a trade show, but I'll divulge more on that later in this post. As I was walking, a young Chinese fellow came up to me clamoring in Chinese. I wasn't really sure what he was asking, but I told him that I didn't speak Mandarin. He said "oh..." and left just as fast as he came. I disregarded it, as this happens quite often, and hurried towards the entrance. On the outside I saw the infamous "LOVE" logo, where the LO are on top of the VE.

I used to have a shirt with this logo, and seeing this brought back fond memories of home and highschool.

I made it to the base of the magnificent tower, and hurried on in. The inside was just as beautiful and modern as the outside. It was if I entered a whole new world. Of course, a lot of people were wearing suits and dressed to impress. After all, Taipei 101 is a world trade centre. Here's a picture of some sheep that greet you upon entering:

After roaming around, and meeting up with friends, I found out that it nearly cost 800 to travel to the top. I suppose that I'll save this for when I get the chance to go with my partner.

My time at Taipei 101 was short lived. My friends opted to check out the adjoining mall, to which I did not disagree - I hadn't eaten, and it was nearly two. I missed my bus stop, and went on an adventure, let's leave it at that...

The mall was just as glamorous and prestigious as Taipei 101. Everything shown, and everyone wore suits, even the shop keeps. But that's a given, since this mall contained the creme de la creme of shops, the a-listers, the stores that separated who that have and those who have-not. Looking around, one song came to mind: Gucci, Gucci, Louis, Louis, Fendi, Fendi, Prada. Basic bitches wear that shit, so I don't even bother.

Everything about this mall was perfect. I wish I lived here. Perfect.

Like I mentioned before, there was a trade show next door. Our gracious hosts brought us there, and we traveled around. It was so cool, a trade show that focused on both traditional Asian instruments, as well as modern instruments. I got to play on a lot of pianos and try out a lot of electronic drum kits. Both were very fun, even though I've lost 99% of my drumming and rhythmic skills.

There was also a bunch of performances from various genres, and I even saw someone in a Hatsune Miku, from Vocaloid, cosplay. That's what I love about music, it brings me a plethora of emotion!

It was a fun filled day, and I want to return to Taipei 101.

I want a Rolex,
JC(3.14)

P.S. here's a photo of me in the Taipei 101 elevator:

and here is me squishing Taipei 101 :)

Disney in Taiwan - AIESEC 3-Day Summer Camp

This trip, which took place on the 1st of July to the 3rd, marked the first time that I traveled alone. I took a bus, MRT (the subway), and walked by foot. I must say, traveling alone was liberating event. After getting to my destination on my own, I felt a sense of accomplishment; getting around now seems a lot more do-able. I even passed by a store that had a pretty sweet Ironman suit:

The summer camp was set to take place in Taoyuan, an hour away from Taipei, in an elementary school. The camp was Disney themed, this includes the presentations, name tags, programs, and activities. How could anyone not look forward to a Disney-themed three days? It was a little intimidating, being brought onto a bus and not knowing anyone. But that fear would subside as the trip rolled on. As we traveled, we passed by a Pizza Hut and a Domino's; it made me miss home. At that moment I craved a Canadian Pizza with stuffed crust from Pizza Hut, one of my favourites.

When we arrived, I was amazed by how beautiful the elementary school was. Like many other schools in Taipei, the school was large, and magnificent in grandeur.

Day 1: After arriving, we found ourselves in the basement, in a large room. At this time, we did an introduction of who we are, what year we are in, and what program. Of course, there were only two international students there, who did not know everyone, Gida and myself. The act was more for us, than everybody else. We then formed a circle, and this gave the Taiwan university students to ask the international students questions about how we like Taiwan, and various questions about our home country. It, too, was a little intimidating at first, but that, too, subsided. After that, we roamed the school, and left to get dinner. Interestingly enough, we had icecream first at a grocery store, then ate appropriate food.

We returned and played cards, and after showing them Old Maid, and being shown some games, I decided to shower. I found the right room, but the wrong tap. I thought the shower tap was the half-way tap at the end of the bathroom, which architecturally makes sense, but it wasn’t. I had to crouch down, and shared the tap with a spider. Awesome. I thought this was how they do it in Taoyuan, so I pushed myself out of my comfort-zone. Later that night, I was told that I was wrong, the actual shower was in the “priority” stall.

The location of the school was much more peaceful than in Taipei. It was quiet, crickets cricket-ed, and there was very little sound pollution, it was beautiful. During the night, I wandered out into the school halls (which are not enclosed) to watch the night sky. A friend approached me, while I watched the night, and asked if it was okay if he joined. We had a long meaningful conversation about our experiences, where we came from, the similarities, the differences, business (what we’re both studying), dreams, and life lessons. It was a pretty long talk, and I didn’t expect a talk like this one to happen on the trip. It surely was memorable.

We then decided to sleep and joined the others in the room. What’s interesting is that we were all given a sleeping bag without a pillow. We unwrapped our sleeping bags, and slept on the floor. Just a side note, I can’t remember the last time I slept without a pillow…

(our icecream run team)
Day 2: This would be the day that we would have our first interactions with the students that are taking part in the university. We woke up early, and I got to admit that I slept pretty well; I slept through the night. It was really cute to see the students pile in, with a look of eagerness on each of their faces. They split up into teams that were predetermined and, along with the university students, developed chants. We got together and began to deliver our presentations. My presentation for the day was about Nemo and the ocean. Presenting gave me my first glimpse of what it would be like to teach students English. The students seemed pretty interested, but their attention wavered at times, which was expected. We did give them stickers to encourage their engagement. After that, games were set up for the teams to travel around the school and take part in. At this time, I walked around and asked teams if they had any questions for me – they had to ask in English of course. It was interesting because the kids seemed to be interested in my relationship status, and I was repeatedly called handsome; kids will do anything for a sticker, apparently.

While walking around, I noticed that a young girl was hiding behind a pillar, not joining the others. It was because she didn’t want to get her dress dirty. I decided to wait with her, and keep her company while the other kids played. At first she was really shy and didn’t seem to want to talk to me. Eventually, she decided to show me her bag, and all of the stuff she kept in there – she really likes cats. She showed me the picture she made that day, and I put a sticker on there for her to keep (I didn’t know at the time that she would then proceed to follow me and ask for more stickers).

The day was done and followed a similar routine – prep. for the next day, cards, and then sleep. During this prep. time, I was given a lot of helpful feedback from the others, and a lot of people even helped me to include Mandarin in my PowerPoint. They told me that I’m a “true AIESEC-er”, I told them that more people must embrace humility, and acknowledge it.

Before I slept, I again decided to spend some time to enjoy nature. However, that day, a group of the university students approached me. It was revealed that they wanted to talk to me, but were too scared to do so in English. We then had an impromptu English Q/A, although a lot were still reluctant to speak in English. They even asked me about my ring, to which I explained that it was a symbol for the most perfect partner in the world. I began to gloat about how Judy makes me feel, and how much I missed her. We decided to go inside to continue this conversation, all the girls crowded around, and seemed to be really interested in hearing about my relationship. That’s how the night ended, getting to talk to people about my favourite person. . P.S. babe, you now have a lot of people that want to meet you now :)

Day 3: This was the last day of our summer camp, and it followed a similar routine. I gave my PowerPoint on Up, which was focused on South America, and got a rather uproarious response from the students. Before I started, I got the students to chant my name as loud as they can, and this was what set the tone. After the presentations students made snowmen, made from various ingredients. The whole process was messy, and the room was covered with the materials used. Some actually made snowmen, while others were forced to be creative to make their pile into a snowman – it was cute.

We had pasta for lunch, which is always nice. After letting our bellies rest, we moved to the court outside to play games together. It was awesome to see how much energy the kids still had, though not that surprising! The kids seemed to enjoy the chaos of the games, and so did us older kids. After that, we were all brought to a large room, and this is where the closing ceremony took place. Winners were named based on which team had the most stickers, a video containing pictures from the camp was included, and students exchanged little cards reflecting on their fond memories of one another, and their camp experience. It was a very touching and inspiring moment. After that, the students left, and we grouped to reflect our experience. It should be noted, that the others found my Up presentation to be much more impactful than the previous one. I have the team that I was with to thank for that, it wasn’t a one person thing. We climbed on to the bus, tired, sad, and inspired. Our time at the elementary school was over.

The camp was truly an amazing experience to take part in. I met so many great people, both the students and team members, and was inspired by both. Reading the cards that everyone wrote to me made me feel an immense sense of happiness, accomplishment, and belonging. They brought tears to my eyes when I first read them – I can’t believe that the camp was only three days, it both passed by fast and felt like a longer time. I am grateful for the experience and am glad to know of the impact in which I had. I hadn’t realized how much my work had inspired the children, or others, but am glad to know how much it meant to everyone. It was really nice to interact with others, to learn and teach, and just generally exchange perspectives.

I really am honoured to have been invited to take part in this camp. It was such a memorable experience. I hope to stay in contact with everyone that I met, and see them again in the future, time and space permitting. Like I’ve posted before on Instagram and Facebook, I never have experienced anything like this summer camp before, and it has taught me many things about Taiwan, teaching, and most importantly myself. I definitely feel a sense of personal growth from this experience, it was such a blessing.

Video here!!!

Love always,
- JC(3.14)