…in which he starts a more exciting reading program.

I just wrote about my reading sessions at the library. In the last week, I’ve started something I find a great deal more exciting. When I bought up a bunch of books on eBay I wasn’t totally sure what I’d do with them. I wanted to have them to read to the kids, but I was also thinking about ways to get them into the kids’ hands. I came up with a plan. I’ve got all these Dr. Seuss books and more than a few are duplicates. When I was buying and shipping these books I kept very close tabs on what I was paying for everything. I was able to get all those books here for under $4 per book. Similar books on the shelf in stores here cost around $10. Also, those shelves are few and far between.

To continue the set-up, some of the kids here have English books at home. But not nearly all that want them and not nearly as many could really use them. So we’ve got high demand and a fairly cheap product in low supply. This problem isn’t too tough to solve.

Here’s how I’ve started. I bring a stack of the books with me several times a week. The kids look through them and find one they like. Then I explain the deal. If they can read the whole book to me right there, they get one signature from me and they take the book home. Then they have to read it once at home and have their parents sign off. If they have a younger brother or sister, they have to read the book to them and write down a short reaction. “It was funny.” “I didn’t like it.” Whatever they say. Those homes with the younger siblings are my prime targets. If they do this for four weeks straight, they can keep the book and come back for a new one. No money, not too much required of their busy parents, easy to execute.

The very first student I approached with this, a girl named Sherry in my grade 2 class, balked at the idea. She read one of the books to me with ease and then I gave her the deal. She just said she wasn’t interested because she had English books at home with more available at our English school. I thought I had made a big mistake in my analysis of the situation. It turns out that my mistake was in who I asked. (But ten points to anyone who sees the larger problem indicated by this case). When I asked Sherry if she wanted to try this we weren’t in a classroom with a bunch of other kids. The next day I brought the idea into the classroom. I got a much bigger response, including a positive one from Sherry. The kids thought the books looked cool and they really wanted to pick their books and take them home. The girls were more interested than the guys, I can’t say just why.

Not everyone who wanted a book could take one right there. We hit two limiting factors. First, I’m insisting that the kids sit down and read the entire book to me. This isn’t to weed out kids, it’s to insure that the books end up in the hands of kids who can read them. It’d really be a waste if they went out to homes where they would sit there unread. Second, it takes time for the kids to read an entire book to me. A number of the books are better than fifty pages. Even if they only have one sentence per page that can still take quite a while. I think I’m averaging between fifteen and twenty minutes per reading right now. I’m worried it’s just too slow. That first class, I only had time to hand out one book though more students were willing and able. At this point I’ve handed out six or seven books. I’ve got records, but I’m not looking at them right now. I think this is going to be popular, but there are problems I’m aware of that I haven’t resolved yet.

1. The problem that I offered ten points for is this. By requiring the kid to be able to read the entire book, I’m selecting a set of kids that is far more likely to already have decent access to English language material. The ones who really need help can’t read these books and they probably don’t even go to my school.
2. There is a bottleneck in the requirement that the kids sit down and read to me. It takes so much time that it severely limits the number of kids I can get involved. I may move to require that they read me the first five pages and come back to me with any words they find they don’t know. I also might try to get the other English teachers to help out.
3. The books I have right now are fairly homogenous. They appeal to some, but not to others. If I get more books I’ll try and get some that are shorter and easier and some that are longer and more challenging. I might even try to get some comic books or magazines, they might go over well.
4. The program isn’t self-sufficient right now, though the circumstances seem right to move it in that direction. Between the generous offers of books and shipping assistance from some family members and the positive reception of this project in the community here, I believe I can find a way to make this a low cost and self-sufficient operation. Thinking big for a moment, I’d love to get someone interested in turning this model into a functioning business. There are cheap books in homes across the US that Taiwanese children would love. Right now I can get these books from door-to-door for under $4 per book. I bet a formal business, properly run, could push that even lower.

Crazy ideas for the future:

1. Recording books on CD that the kids can listen to while reading the book. They have CDs for their English textbooks and I half-wonder if they play them while they sleep. Jason H., if you’re reading this, I’d be coming your way for advice on the easiest cheapest way to do this, so heads up.
2. Making copies of books to distribute with these CD might be a way to reach out to the kids that can’t just sit down and read them already.
3. Open hours at the library or at McDonalds might be a way to improve access for the kids who want to get in on this but don’t see me on a daily basis. A nod of recognition to foreign teacher Michael here for the McDonalds idea.

I’m listing these problems and crazy ideas because I want to hear back from you. Doing something good isn’t about waiting until you find a perfect idea. It’s about trying a good idea and working to make it better and better. I’ve got a decent start, but I’d love for you to all help me make it something really special.

…in which Bagels gets spayed.

Bagels was sleeping peacefully when I snuck up on her and stole her uterus and ovaries.




Of course I was worried going into it, but I actually got to watch the surgery through a viewing window. I’m glad that I did because it made the whole thing much less magical, more comprehendible. She spent the week in TaiZhong at the vet hospital because she needed some more shots and to have the stitches removed. The journey was too rough on her the first time to make her go through it any compromised state. The trip into the city was a real nightmare the first time. I took a shuttle with Bagels and the driver decided it would be a great idea to take the winding back road in a vehicle that rocks like a boat. Bagels decided that the best response to this was to vomit all over the van despite not having eaten anything in 18 hours. Nobody was pleased at the end of the ride…except over the fact that it was done with. The surgery and the week went without incident. Now she’s back home, her stitches are out and her cone is off. She’s sleeping peacefully once again.

…in which he reads at the library.

I’ve set up a little reading program at the library here in town. A bit more than a month ago I began building a small collection of English children’s books. Because of my fond childhood memories they’re mostly Dr. Seuss books. I bought some online from here in Taiwan, but I found most of them on eBay. I had them all sent to my parents’ home in North Carolina where my dad kindly offered to repackage them and send them here. The books arrived in excellent condition. I went to the library to try and set up a time I could come in and read. I walked into the library and I was instantly impressed. The atmosphere was quiet, but comfortable and inviting. There were some plants and many places to sit and read. It wasn’t too large. In that respect I’ve probably been permanently spoiled by the Upper Arlington library that I grew up with right down the street. My dad always made sure I knew how great it was. Eventually I got it; the message wasn’t lost on me. But the MingJian library is nice too. It has a children’s room with bright colors and plenty of windows to give it an open feel. There’s also a large class room that I’ve seen them do art classes in. But the large room that you see when you first enter is what really surprised me. Not everything is nice here, not everything is attractive in appearance. I was glad to see how much care had been invested there.

When I first went to the library, there were two women sitting at the front desk. With only my English children’s books and my meager Chinese I tried to convey what I wanted to do. It actually came out fairly well. I was able to explain that I wanted to read my books and have kids listen. I said that I would like to do it on Saturday. After that, things got a bit fuzzy. We were getting into details and I couldn’t understand the librarian’s questions. I told her that I had a Chinese friend at work who could help me and asked if we could call later. We exchanged phone numbers and I left. It really went as well as I could have expected considering it was all in Chinese. Later, Mia (in the read and grey t-shirt in a previous post) gave them a call and we got the details sorted out. I would come to read on Saturdays at 2:00.

Saturdays are not a day off for me (sorry Meredith). I have class from nine to noon and then I have the library reading at 2:00. I’ve also added another reading activity that I look forward to discussing in another post. I used to have just two hours of class, but I picked up another hour because of a disagreement between a foreign teacher and a Chinese teacher. The difference between two hours of class and three hours of class may not seem substantial. However the way you feel coming out gives evidence otherwise. Two hours was a really pleasant way to wake up on Saturday mornings. It kept me from sleeping in too much and wasting part of the day. I would come out of those two classes ready to get some more work done. Bagels and I would go for a long walk or I might type a letter or a blog entry. But now, after three classes, I take a nap, a break, a rest. The third class isn’t so much more unruly than the other, but I come out feeling like I’m running on fumes. Then I find something to eat while I walk Bagels and I’m off to the library by 2:00. Saturday is a busy day. If it sounds like I’m complaining, then I should also add that I’d much rather have it as busy fulfilling day than otherwise.

I’ve done my Saturday sessions at the library three or four times now and I’ve fallen into a habit of arriving precisely at 2:00. I always try to arrive a bit early, but I haven’t gotten it to work out that way yet. The manager of the library greets me at the door and he escorts me back to the children’s reading room. He speaks some English, but I get the sense that he can read it better than he can speak. He always stays for the session with the kids and he really helps by getting into it. He isn’t the only adult. I’ve attracted some parents who really want to encourage their kids and I think they want to practice some too. The manager calls the kids to gather and I pull out the books I’ve brought for the day. I can usually get the kids to stay for two books, but sometimes, even that is a stretch. From now on, I’m going to open with Dr. Seuss’s ABC book as a warm up, with a bigger book to follow. Just like my elementary school teachers so many years ago, I try to read the books holding them up high so everyone can see the pictures. If there is a particularly funny tongue twisting text I like to read it very fast. Everyone seems to get a kick out of that. Then I go back over it slowly. If it isn’t too complex I’ll try and explain the complete idea for the page with a heavy reliance on the pictures. If it seems too difficult, I’ll pick out some key vocabulary that I can point to and have the kids (and adults) repeat. Then I reread it to transition to the next page.

In my mind the primary goal of these sessions is to familiarize my audience with the sounds of the English language. I can’t count the number of times growing up that I knew the sound of a word before I knew the meaning, the proper usage. I got all those sounds from the books that were read to me and I kept a valuable collection of those sounds. Over time, my formal and informal education helped me organize that collection. At the very least, that’s what I hope to achieve with these kids. I’m not expecting anyone to spontaneously learn English without formal education. My hope is that my readings will aid their education by allowing them to grasp and retain English more quickly and more readily.

The pictures here are from my first session. It went pretty well. I was very pleased with the number of kids that came. Since then I haven’t had quite as many kids, but I think I’ve had at least a couple more adults. Thanks again dad, for helping me get those books. Everyone who is reading this, thanks for checking in on me.

...in which he tries lamb stir-fry.

I've been here in my rural town of MingJian for three months now and last week I started to get bored of the food. I mostly eat noodles and soups. Sometimes I find rice dishes or boiled greens. I enjoy all those things, but I wanted some meat, I wanted some variety. I went to Mia, our English-speaking boss/friend, and I told her I was looking for something different. I was thinking stir-fr, a nice combination of meat and vegetables. "What kind of meat do you like?" I wasn't picky, but it was easier just to say "beef" and see where it got me. She spoke with Joy in Chinese briefly and came back with good news. There was place next to the laundromat that had good stir-fry. She wasn't sure if they had beef, but she knew they had lamb. "Wow!" I said. I love lamb, but I haven't seen it here before. Giving me the Chinese Mia said, "For beef stir-fry say, 'niu rou hui fan' and for lamb, 'yang rou hui fan'.














I went down the main street, past this pile of bricks, to the restaurant. In Chinese, I asked if they had beef stir-fry. "Mei you. You yang rou." That means, "we don't have that. We have lamb." I ordered a plate of the lamb stir-fry and I sat down. When it came I wasn't disappointed. It was meat with sauce and veggies over some simple white rice. It tasted good and it was a very generous portion, plenty for two normal people...or for me. I paid for my lunch and as I was making my way out I noticed a large picture of a goat at the front of the restaurant. That made me think back to the field trip we took last month to the goat farm. Now that's a story all its own, but I remember that they told me how to say goat. You might have guessed, it was "yang." I had a lovely lunch of goat meat.

I went back to work and I confronted Mia. I told her that 'yang rou' didn't mean 'lamb'. I feigned offense at the affair but we both ended up laughing about it. Mia was really surprised. It turns out that 'yang' means both goat and sheep. You can clarify, but most people don't bother and just say 'yang'. Mia assumed that since they were the same word, they would be the same meat. They aren't terribly similar in texture or flavor, but I did enjoy my meal and I've been back since then. I love to try new foods, but I prefer to know when I'm doing so.

…in which he vows not to look at too many photos from home.

I was looking through the photos on my computer Saturday afternoon. Nostalgia didn’t wash over me, it sucked me in like a deadly undertow. I immediately tried writing to exorcise what I was feeling. I came up with words like ‘urgent’ and ‘sentimental.’ I even had a final line forming about how I took the photos to help me, but I didn’t expect them to leave me longing for a hug. I scrapped the whole thing because I didn’t want anyone thinking I’d gone all weepy.

With that in mind, I do miss you all very much. I miss the wonderful visits to my grandma in Cedar Rapids and the Casavants in Iowa City. I miss the time with Grandma Jean and Meredith and my Parents in Naples. I miss my BBQ’s with friends from college. I miss Beth and the time we spent in Wisconsin and Columbus. I miss hannah and our policy sessions. I miss Jason and Tine and James and Jess and our late night runs to Steak ‘n Shake. I miss Katie and our lunches. I miss Zak and the fun we had after WILD last spring. I miss Chris and the time we spent hanging out in Taipei. I miss Sandra and our tea time in the kitchen. The pictures really brought all of that out.

A nap and a night with friends helped me realize that I’m doing ok here even if all those wonderful things are mostly pictures and memories now. When I was much younger I visited my grandparents from Iowa. At the end of one of those visits, I remember my Grandma Lauree was crying. She was upset because we had to leave and she enjoyed our visits so much. I was a little kid, so I didn’t fully understand, but of course I wanted my grandma to be happy. I told her to think about how happy she was when we first arrived. If we didn’t leave too, then we couldn’t arrive again. She kind of laughed and stopped crying and we were both ok. She reminded me of that several years later but I had never forgotten. Now when I think of that and I think of all the good things I’ve done, I suspect that all these things are so good because they are so fleeting.