Also, guess what?!?!?! I finished packing!!! I actually finished last Tuesday. I have two check-in bags that are practically impossible to pick up, one carry-on roller bag, and my laptop bag!
Today I had to research what would be better: bring 2 overweight bags on the plane or bring 3 acceptable weight bags (you only get to check-in 2 bags for free). Seeing as I can barely pick up my two check-in bags, I'm leaning toward having 3 lighter bags. Well, it's $32 a bag if they're over 50 lbs, and it's $89 for an extra bag. I will try and weigh my bags on a scale tomorrow to see how much over they are.
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Anyway, I went to Washington D.C. last week (July 13th-15th). People keep asking me how I enjoyed Washington, but I don't really think I can adequately answer them. Most of my time there was spent in a hotel's conference room. We spent hours on end sitting in rooms being instructed about TESL and classroom management instruction. Being a MA-TESL student, much of it was a repeat of the general information I had drilled into me in Grad school. The facilitators did an AMAZING job at synthesizing the essential information of the TESL field, but because it was so generalized it became even more un-applicable. And us MA-TESL people thought all the theory we learned was hard to translate into our real world classrooms, but it's nothing compared to sitting in a room for 3 hours straight getting a simplistic overview of pronunciation and CLT instruction.
However, we did get a certain amount of time where we spent time with returners of the program and we got to ask all of our questions concerning the program in Taiwan and what to expect in the classroom, daily living, transportation, eating, etc. That was really the most beneficial part of the entire orientation!
Things I learned:
- I will be in Kaohsiung County not specifically Kaohsiung City so I might be placed in an Aboriginal school and not the main city. (This really disappointed me, I thought it was certain I would be in the city)
- Most everyone in past Taiwan trips got a scooter or motorcycle as transportation... I really didn't want to get one. I think I would be extremely dangerous on it. I really hope I get to use public transportation instead.
- I will have my own room in my apartment but sharing the living spaces with my flatmates.
- Allergies are magnified in Taiwan because strains/allergens are different there so you have to build up the anti-bodies all over again.
- There will be racism, sexism, discrimination and prejudice for us while in Taiwan... From what was said, the only problem I will probably have is people being rude about my weight. Hopefully I just lose a lot while I'm there!
- There's A LOT more, but I can't remember right now
Also, meeting all the other Taiwan grantees and actually all the East Asia ETA's was the most AWESOME part of the trip. It's crazy how easily we all got along. I feel that as long as we have each other while we're there in Taiwan we'll have support and friendship the entire time we're there! Everyone is just so excited to go and teach! The fact that we all have such diverse backgrounds is really great as well! They're all people I'm proud to experience this with! Even if I am the oldest of them all! =)
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Raeha (best friend from Central Christian College of Kansas) was here this past weekend! We didn't do a whole lot, we watched Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2, had dinner at Kim Wah, had a cookout at Mary's, and watched stuff on my computer and TV! Just spending time with her is the BEST!!! I needed a Raeha fix before I left!
And Harry Potter!!! OMG!!! I was crying the WHOLE time!!! I wish I had taken a picture of myself after I left the theater... my eyes were SOOOO bloodshot from crying so much! The movie was brilliant in so many ways. Of course it had it's cliche and corny moments, and I think the editor could have done a MUCH better job, but overall... It was SHEER BRILLIANCE!!! I'm so depressed now... There's no more Harry Potter in my life anymore. I'm so gonna watch HPDH2 at the IMAX before I leave.Oh yeah, I was in Washington when the premiere for HPDH2 happened, so I wasn't able to watch it opening night. I haven't missed an opening night premiere of HP since Prisoner of Azkaban... to say that the disappointment was soul crushing is an understatement. There is something so magical (excuse the pun) about watching HP opening night. You're surrounded by all the fans who love the series as much as you, and the majority of them are the BOOK fans. Watching it after the premiere night never has that same feeling where you're one big family watching the film together. I'm so upset I missed that for the LAST film. I can't wait until I come back to the U.S. and the Alamo Drafthouse has an HP marathon and they play all the movies at once like they did for the premiere because I would so do it!!!
Gah, Ok, I wrote A LOT!!!!!! I'm gonna go now, but I will try to post more often before I leave!! <333
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RANDOM FUN FACT: "Although DC residents pay taxes to the federal government, they do not have a voting representative in Congress. That's why you may see license plates on cars that say “No Taxation without Representation."
I actually learned that while I was there. I thought I was in Virginia... but was told that D.C. would actually be in Maryland, but it's really the District of Columbia and it is a principality or something like that. So it's not represented in the house of representatives or congress!
