Over Christmas, my roommate Kenzie and I went to Bali for a week. We saw monkeys, went scuba diving in a shipwreck, watched traditional Balinese dancers, and relaxed on the beautiful beaches.
It was a great break from the cold weather in Taipei, and lots of fun....although strange to see so many foreigners (ie white people) again!The beginnning of January was filled with preparing for our Chinese New Year show at the school. The holiday is a big deal (bigger than Christmas in the west,) so there was lots to prepare. The kids learned dragon and lion dances, played drums outside, and blessed their parents in a tea ceremony. It was fun to learn more about a holiday that I have only heard of before.
And now...it is time for Chinese New Year holiday! Almost everyone in Taiwan gets a week break and Kenzie and I are heading to Vietnam, which is only about 3 hours plane ride from Taipei. We are planning on travelling the same style as in Bali, ie not booking any hotels etc so we can decide our plan along the way and see where we end up. That being said, we do have SOME plans - fly into Hanoi and make our way South to Ho Chi Minh City (over 1,000 miles in 9 days...) while seeing caves, taking trains, doing boat tours, visiting floating markets, and going scuba diving along the way. It should be adventure filled!
Oh yes, and because I have enjoyed my time here so far and like teaching the little ones, I have decided to stay on another year!
<--The North-east coast of Taiwan, where I drank a local beer made from green algae~
Watch for another post after I return from Vietnam...
