Rainy Weekends and Limited Choices

Tea Time, Artemis Garden

If it's raining on our blessed weekends, my kid and I have no problem making a pot of chai or oolong, indulging in a video in between me doing yoga and her practicing her flute. Sometimes her friend from the 7th floor comes down to play.

I feel sorry for people who come down for the weekend and the weather doesn't agree. If it's sprinkling, I think a hike or swim is perfect. But if its torrential buckets, choices are limited. My suggestions of what to do should you be stuck in Yilan when its pouring:

1. Luna Plaza: It's a shopping mall, so you have tons of food options for various budgets, plus movies and a bookstore (limited English section.) There's underground parking. Across the street is the Yilan Art Museum.


2. Yuanshan's Bee Farm, Jim and Dad's Brewery and Artemis Garden, are all basically next to each other. Hit the brewery first, sample some microbrews then sample the different honey and royal jelly before heading to Artemis Garden for an organic lunch or afternoon tea. While you're in the area might as well stop at the Kavalan Whiskey Distillery.

3. Lanyang Museum is an ultra modern building in the shape of a "cuesta" rock formation that is seen here on the coast. The Lanyang is  near where the boats take people dolphin watching at Turtle Island. It has a permanent exhibition as well as special exhibitions.

 

When in doubt, indoor hot springs either in Jiaoxi, or Datong's Sakura Spa are great choices as well as the indoor water spa in Silks Hotel (a part of Luna Plaza). We've learned to embrace the rain- yet that's easily said dry indoors and not on a scooter!

Next Semester: 3 Teaching Jobs in Yilan

1.Maple Leaf Education Center

Position Available:

Monday to Friday 8:30 - 12:00
20 classes per week (30 minutes each) with the same class
ARC, Health, Statutory Holidays
A Bachelor's Degree Required
Experience Teaching Young Children Essential

Start Mid July/August

Salary 30-33,000 per Month Depending upon Experience
Afternoon Hours may also be Available

Contact: r_l_chew@hotmail.com

(include Maple Leaf in the subject heading)

2.English Teaching Job at Hu Shan Elementary School. It is a government job.

(https://www.google.com.tw/…/data=!4m5!3m4!1s0x0000000000000…)

Teaching Certificate Required
Salary (based on degree) 62,720 - 73,025 per month
Housing Stipend 5,000 - 10,000 per month (w/ spouse)
Sick or personal days up to 14 per year
One month bonus on completion of contract
Airfare stipend up to 80,000 (can include spouse)

Teach grades 1-6 (20 classes per week)
Help Coordinate English Events (up to 4 classes per week)
English Events may include English Club or Speech Contests
Help create an Bilingual Environment
Teachers will also be required to help with Website Management, Festival and Event Planning

Hu Shan is a small school with less than 100 students. It is located in Yuanshan, near the mountains but still close to Yilan City (10 minutes away)

The staff is very friendly and the students are all very eager. They have a new principal starting in September and he is very active and has a lot of great plans.

Please email r_l_chew@hotmail.com (include Hu Shan in the subject so he can spot it among all the spam)Thanks in advance.

2. Teaching Positions at Huey Deng High School, Yilan Taiwan (where I work)

About the School:
The vision of Huey Deng High School is to incorporate international educators to teach several content areas in English. Additionally, Huey Deng is increasing its ability to prepare its students to attend university in English-speaking countries abroad. This vision is based on facilitating teacher and student exchange opportunities between Taiwan and foreign countries.Huey Deng is located one hour from Taipei at the hillside of Yuanshan Township, next to Jiao-Xi River, surrounded by natural environment. The school enrolls approximately 2,400 students from grades 7 to 12. Up to 90% of the school’s students are accommodated at the school’s three residential dormitories, with the goal to cultivate the student’s independence and leadership abilities. As a boarding school, Huey Deng makes every effort to ensure campus safety and provide quality residential life on campus.
Huey Deng High School is seeking qualified candidates to fill teaching positions in English Writing, Reading Comprehension, Environmental Education/Biology and Math, beginning September 1, 2016

Job duties:
1) 20-25 in-class teaching hours per week (overtime pay after 20 hours); 
2) 15-20 office hours (lesson planning and student advising); 
3) administering tests, grading papers and participating in faculty meetings and school events.
Other responsibilities include working effectively with Taiwanese teachers, developing curriculum relevant to all grade levels. Working together, foreign and Taiwanese teachers will identify, adapt, and develop appropriate materials to support and assess student learning.
Grade level: 8-11
Class size: approximately 25 students / per class
Monthly salary: starting TWD $67,000-$ 72,000, commensurate with experience.

Benefits:
1) Reimbursed round-trip airfare, up to USD $1,500.
2) Sponsored Taiwan work visa.
3) Housing assistance. 
4) Teachers are required to enroll in the National Health Insurance Policy and the Labor Insurance Program, and are obligated to pay, in accordance with the laws, at his/her own expense, a portion of the insurance premium in the amount equal to 35% of the total premium charged to him/her under the National Health Insurance Policy.
5) Contract may be renewed contingent on successful teaching performance.
Qualifications:
1) Native English Speaking Teachers with a valid teaching (or substitute teaching) certificate in the subject area or related area. 
2) Native English Speaking Teachers with a valid APRC or JFRV
2) Prior teaching experience. Experience working with youth in other contexts will be considered.
3) Teaching experience with English Language Learners.
Application Procedure:
Send the following to the Center for International Studies at Huey Deng High School at cfis264@gmail.com:
1) a letter of interest describing your teaching philosophy, your vision and conception of being a teacher in a foreign context, and your abilities to be an effective teacher to those learning English; 
2) your current resume;
3) three references.
Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until the position is filled.
(**Please note that only qualified candidates will be contacted)

Yield to Yuanshan

To get off the beaten track in Yilan, which is already in the boondocks, look no further than Yuanshan Township. It still gets a few tourist buses from Taipei, but less so.

Yuanshan's element at first glance is the mountains, but equally so is the water element. There's so many lakes, ponds, rivers, even hot springs.   According to my kid Yuanshan is reknown for having the cleanest water in all Taiwan. Moreover, if I could describe the essence of Yuanshan in contemporary Western music, it's Beck's "Morning Phase". Or maybe I've just made the association  as that's what I'd listen to when my car CD player worked. My daughter and I have this fantasy of our last year in Taiwan. We'd find a traditional home in Yuanshan and get a goat and some chickens. Until then we commute here everyday for my job. It's a gorgeous commute, better on scooter. Driving my car is like living out Mad Max Thunder Road most mornings. Now with the construction of some fancy chain hotel the already small roads are clogged with all kinds of trucks and their equipment. Yuanshan will soon lose its wildness without a sound. See it while you can.

Yuanshan is just outside of Yilan City between county road 7 and Sanxia in the mountains. There are tons of BnB’s, recreational organic farms (scroll to bottom of this post), fishing, and hiking trails. Here are the tourist maps. The crown jewel of Yuanshan is Fushan Botanical Gardens, which is still on my to do list. You need to make a reservation in advance as they limit the number of visitors. 

I recommend renting a scooter from any of the shops across from the bus or train station in Yilan City to explore. Buses are infrequent and stop early in the highlands. A taxi to Dahu Lake or Wanglongpi will cost around 200NT from the bus or train station.

Gregorian chants in Mandarin with this view on a sunny day-timeless!

It becomes obvious soon enough that the most scenic, auspicious spots in Taiwan house all the cemeteries. Yuanshan is no different. The foothills leading into the mountains are speckled with them. Maybe I'm biased but they aren't the total eyesores they are in most places. In fact driving to work in the morning, the sunlight on a clear (rare) morning illuminates their white tiles, making a gleam against the dark mountains and sky. Clouds hover in and out, so that every morning is a different panorama on my commute.

 The graveyards in Yuanshan even has a Catholic section, the first in Yilan with a picturesque chapel over looking the valley. Surprisingly, there are several Catholic churches where one can take mass (in Mandarin and Latin). The most picturesque is in the Catholic cemetery on the hills but there is also one  (Church of the Holy Cross) across the street from Yuanshan Elementary school just off where 7 meet the 9A. 

Yuanshan Memorial Park

To begin a tour of Yuanshan you could start out at the Yuanshan Memorial park next to Yuanshan Elementary school and then head to Pillow Mountain, Dahu (Big Lake), or Hunshan Lake.  The park has a vertical set of stairs for a quick workout with some views of the of Yuanshan mountains that will wet your appetites for some further highland exploration. At the bottom of the stairs are some tanks and horses coming out of the grass which is kind of cool. Otherwise there’s not much else to see here. Elderly people like to hike the paths circling the hill in the mornings.

 

Dahu (Big Lake). My kid's first choice fishing spot  

Wanglongpi lake (望龍埤) is likewise very scenic. There are several hikes you can do from here that take you above the lake and you could continue to little villages further in the mountains. There’s a pizza café opened on the weekends and a coffee shop. You can buy fruit directly from the farmers from their orchards in the valley by the lake. The best place to stay is at the very orange Avignon Bed and Breakfast just down the road from the lake exit. Come early as Mainlanders tend to come here on the weekends, most don't do the hikes. There are more bodies of water too, the Shuanglian and Taiyang ponds popular with birders. 

Wanglongpi lake (望龍埤)

For free coffee (all you can drink) head to Athena’s Bakery (not to be confused with Artemis Garden). The tour buses definitely stop here, but you can sample the cakes and drink coffee for free. The gelato is excellent and flavors change according to which fruits are in season. If the sky is clear have coffee and some cake at the A-Maze Cafe at the top of the hill. If you're lucky you can overlook Yilan City on a fair day and see Turtle Island in the distance. Sadly. they cut down their namesake labyrinth. There are also some bed and breakfasts located on that hill. Accommodation should never be a problem in Yuanshan. Every post has about ten signs pointing to various farm stays. Still I listed the most famous leisure farms a the end of this post.

If you want to sample more than just coffee, Yuanshan happens to have its very own brewery,  Jim and Dad's (吉姆老爹啤酒工場). The owner invested a pretty penny for this top of the line brewery, shipping parts from Germany. They use fruits in season for various ales and stouts. They also serve high quality American root beer and ginger-ale for kids or the responsible driver. Its a little pricey but makes for a nice gift. Its a great venue for parties or live music, with a fun lighthouse. Too bad its such a drive.Taipei Times printed a nice review, " Yilan's Beer Oasis".

Kids might enjoy educational "hands on" tours about bugs at the Honey Bee Museum, Phoenix Beetle Museum (where you could stay the night),  farming,  water weeds, sheep or fish.  Older adults might prefer the Bowl and Dish Museum or the 23 Stone House Nature Culture. As for me, I would recommend my friends to stay at the sublime Beetle Forest. They are technically in Jiaoxi on the border of Yuanshan,  but you wouldnt have guessed. Beetle wise they are more professional than the Phoenix and have a modern BnB set up with a cheerful space. Plus I am friends with the entomologist there.

Bike riding in Yuanshan

Yuanshan is mostly bypassed by weekenders from Taipei stopping in Jiaoxi or further to Taipingshan, but if you want some muted repose, with less crowds, Yuanshan is definitely the peaceful alternative.

Leisure Farms in Yuanshan:
Yosemite
Daan Herbal medicine
Zhen Shan Zhuang Villa
Country Orange Leisure Farm
Hua Quan Living Workshop
Old House
Sansui
Shen Yang

Reverence and Rituals Incarnate: Christmas and New Year

It was that time of year again. If I didn't live with a little spirited elf myself,  I can't imagine Christmas being as jolly or meaningful while experiencing it in Taiwan. You certainly have to cultivate the season of holiness. Its all "Jingle Bells" and "We Wish You" and not enough "Angels We Have Heard on High".

The Yilan weather is more conducive to reflection; with it's somber, sunless skies, the nebulous storm clouds obscure the life source. One light piercing the gloom, a solitary candle in a bitter twilight rain. This is the spirit of Christmas, minus the snow and family. (I couldn't imagine Christmas south of the equator, more like a summer BBQ, but I certainly would give it a try.)

Winter in Taiwan starts with the winter solstice and everyone having to eat the traditional sweet date soup with sticky rice balls (tang yuan). Every school I worked for has served it with lunch. It supposed to mean a year of good luck. I took my 7th grade class caroling to the nearest elderly retirement home, which was a tender experience of connecting with the community for everyone. (Read about it here.)

My arms are too short for selfies!

Christmas Day was austere and subdued. My friend from Tainan made the trip north so it was more festive sharing the seasonal traditions, opening presents by the tree, meditate the blue twinkling lights at night and catch up on midnight merrymaking, Christmas ale toasts and a cornucopia of conversation.

We had a fabulous Boxing Day hike in the Yilan wonderland. The Caoling  Historic Trail (草嶺古道) has been on my list of DO's since moving here. We took the train to Gongliao, rented bikes and biked to the trail head. My kid uphill on a bike was slow going, but she was a real trooper and didn't give up.

We biked along this river for a bit

Then we hiked to Dali.  There were a few interesting rockbound places to rest.

We saw wild grouse, macaques and load of birds  I must learn their names.

A troupe of macaques live in the trees where the silver grass covers the hills

It wasn't blue skies, but it didn't rain, so it was cold enough to dry our sweat at the top and clear enough to see the ocean. Perfect hiking weather.

Views from the top, looking down onto Dali

Best of all we had the whole trail to ourselves, which was surprising considering its such a famous trail and not that far from Taipei.

The next day we decided to soak our weary bones in the hot springs of nearby Jiaoxi.  We lunched at the Slow Train Cafe . There's a reason its called slow, but the coffee was amazing. The ingredients are fresh and we ordered paninis, but it was pretty spare on the fillings- too much bread.

A Grateful Dead dinner at Slobber's

We took  a ten minute train ride and walked to one of our favorite spa hotels but they moved shop. It wasn't a far walk to their new abode but along the way we passed The Art Spa Hotel that Z and I always wanted to check out (because of their massive 4 story winding water slide) so we just decided to give this place a try.  It was mad fun. Z played with the kids in the children's area which was basically a playground submerged in a kiddie pool, while us adults  rotated to different spa treatments, pools and saunas. I got one try down the slide and my kid had 2 (it was a massive line). Living so close we we vowed to return.

The New Years Weekend was entirely a relaxing, sybaritic 3 day weekend. We couldn't rouse the energy to visit Tainan, even with the promise of catching up with old friends, better restaurant options and the Chi Mei museum. Being stuck in traffic in the tunnels on the way to Taipei and circumstancing the zoo of Taipei Main station, the jacked ticket prices for high-speed train south- nah.

New Years Eve dinner was Italian at the Caffe Grazzie in Luna Plaza. Its the only place we can get arugula and we are nuts for it.

New Years Eve dinner, Cafe Grazie. The past has gone,welcome the better year. May you achieve anything your heart desires this new year!過去已矣，來者可追，願新的一年，大家心想事成!

The first day of the year, the sun surmounted the spell of gloom like a promise. So we went to Yuanshan for a leisurely hike. There are several trails near my kid's school that they often take for an extended PE class, so she was my guide. I had a blast. We bought organic oranges from a school mate whose mom was picking them in their family orchard. We caught up on her favorite TV show "Supergirl" and drank pots of chai.  I thoroughly enjoyed her company and didn't regret spending the holiday weekend solely with her without distraction of work or chores. What an undeniable gift.