Things You Wouldn’t Hear Or Wouldn’t Happen In America

One of my 10 year old students showing me his new Motorola KRZR phone, worth about 12000 NTD, just about 350 USD. Most jobs at buxibans are paying 50000-65000 NTD a month. Just to give you an example.

One of my 10 year old students telling me that I didn’t meet her mom yet, I met her nanny at PTA.

Kids leaving right left and center to go to Taipei, Japan, Hong Kong and America with their parents.

My mom isn’t here, she is in Beijing until November.

Kids looking for praying mantises, giant grasshoppers and of course, their favorites giant beetles and playing with them during recess.

Kids scoffing at me when I tell them not to draw in their reading books because they cost 3000NTD.

Teacher I can buy 10 of those books with my own money.

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Posted

November 30, 2006

travelogue

range

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6 responses to “Things You Wouldn’t Hear Or Wouldn’t Happen In America”

hellboy

November 30, 2006

is it really like that? omg surely we wouldnt hear such things, world’s changed a lot, im worrying for empty bank accounts, unpaid debts yada yada yada and those kids saying such strange things, i’d have killed them if they told me such things, how can you tolerate?
btw wanted to ask you a long time ago, what’re those lights in your photo? (yes im that stupid but couldnt really figure out 🙂

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Vi

November 30, 2006

I wish I was one of those kids!

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K

November 30, 2006

Kids looking for praying mantises, giant grasshoppers and of course, their favorites giant beetles and playing with them during recess.

Are these students of yours all Chinese? They all like to try every weird looking things they see after recess time, even here my nephews loves to carry a turtle in their backpacks.

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range

November 30, 2006

K: all my students are Taiwanese. I don’t have any foreigner kids in my classes. They do the nuttiest things somethings, like kicking each other in the private parts for fun.

Hellboy: those lights? Well, they are:
1. highway lamps that help illuminate the highway during night.
2. lights of other cars.

Vi: Yeah, I wouldn’t mind being one of those kids too, they seem to have a lot of cool things. I asked one if they had a giant screen to play their videogames on. One said, I don’t but my brother has 50″ plasma panel in his room to play videogames.

Then you see the pressure they are under to perform. It’s not always good. I don’t think that I would want to be them. When I was in grade school, I don’t really remember doing a lot of homework or exams. I spent my time in class and also playing with friends. The kids here finish school at 5PM. Then a lot of them do some after-school work in the after-school program at my school, which helps them do their homework. Others go directly to buxibans until 9 PM to improve their skills. I find that a bit depressing. They don’t have enough fun in my opinion, which is why they act out a lot.

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andres

December 1, 2006

yup, welcome to taiwan

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range

December 1, 2006

Yeah that is how it is! I get more every day.

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