Perspective

Walking a mile in someone else’s shoes. I’ve heard that said, but usually jokingly. I’ve also heard that you can learn a lot about a country and its people by living there. And now I’ve come to see that is true.

For example, I know the Taiwanese would rather ride their scooter to the Family Mart instead of making the 7-minute walk. Why is that? I’m not really sure. I know they don’t like to be exposed to the sun. This results in people carrying around umbrellas when there isn’t a single rain cloud in sight, when the sky is a beautiful light blue.

And now that I’m here experiencing these things first hand, it is also a source of laughter :) It’s hard to not laugh. I was raised with certain beliefs and ideas. Then I find out some people are raised feeling the opposite. Light skin preferred or dark skin? Hide from the natural sun or pay for artificial sun.

Am I sounding professor-ish or what?! The thing that got me started on this train of thought was CNN. It’s their entire fault! They say news happens everywhere. And wherever it happens, “CNN is there.” Anyway, I’ve been watching CNN lately (since it is one of the few channels on my TV in English :) and have discovered a new interest in the current Presidential campaigns.

That isn’t a bad thing at all. But it is interesting to me that it has taken so long. I’ve been able to vote for a few years now. Now I find it fascinating to listen to the speeches and look at the candidates. Maybe it is the historical significance of this race; or maybe it is because I am voting absentee while living in another country.

I’m not quite sure. I only know I am very curious about what is being said. I do think it is sad how the candidates attack each other. Why is that necessary?

Okay, back to happy things (hope I didn’t scare you too much with my philosophical thinking). School is going well. I’ve survived 3 days. They have been interesting since the first week is like one long first day. That’s the best comparison I can make. Everything is being settled still. And you don’t meet all your classes on one day. Some you don’t see until Friday! I have 2 of those. I only see them once a week and it’s on Friday.

I was able to experience an extremely interesting thing that is commonplace in Taiwanese schools. It was a welcome assembly. But it is so different from the ones in America. They came in their homeroom classes. And they marched partway around the school until they were on the field. There they stopped, still formed in classes. And there was a band playing military-like music. All very fascinating.

I counted 18 classes for the first year students. And that is just the comprehensive high school. There is still the vocational school. Those classes weren’t numbered and I lost count. Here are a few pictures. I took some video but missed the moment when the students responded. Makes me feel like I’m in a military camp! And they nearly filled up the field. I don’t think all the 2nd year classes were there, and none of the 3rd year ones were. I don’t think they could have a gathering for the entire student body. There are too many of them! Somewhere near 10,000.

P.S. The start-of-school celebration took place during first period. Yvonne came in and told us first period was postponed and possibly cancelled. It just depended how long the ceremony/celebration took. I think it took the entire 50 minutes. I just know we didn’t have first period. Not that I’m complaining!
See the dragon there? They were dancing a bit but I missed it.

The beginning of the line up - not many students on the field.
Entrance of one class. Looks like class 16, first year students. The man in the blue shirt is the homeroom teacher.
Yvonne explained these students are chosen and help maintain the order of other students. They help in the morning as the buses come in and students arrive at school.
The field once all the students have arrived. See all those white shirts and black heads?! And it goes on in both directions. My lens isn't wide enough.
This might give you a better idea. The group of students still goes on in both directions. They are behind the trees on both edges of the picture.