My School

There are a few photos from my school. I am sure you are wondering where I teach!

TOP: This is my fourth floor classroom. I spend many hours here with chalk on my hands and clothes, often telling students to stop lying on the floor or to stop singing, "Who LUCKY dogs out?" at the top of their lungs. I have grown to love my students in this classroom as well.

MIDDLE: The school recently changed ownership, and with it came a beautiful renovation. This is a new display of the school's teaching materials which can be found upon entering the school.

BOTTOM: (From left to right) James, one of the very kind owners, two students: Angel and Ginger (only western names are used in the school), myself, and Sharon--the sweetest, sharpest teaching assistant there is. **I should also note that about a week after this picture was taken, I saw my FIRST, enormous cockroach on that yellow wall. It was terrifying!

To Shrubba

"Smile when it hurts most."

"If you realized how powerful your thoughts are, you would never think a negative thought."

"Few things in the world are more powerful than a positive push. A smile. A word of optimism and hope. And you can do it when things are tough."

"An optimist is a person who sees a green light everywhere, while a pessimist sees only the red stoplight. . . The truly wise person is colorblind."

"The optimist sees the rose and not its thorns; the pessimist stares at the thorns, oblivious to the rose."
(all quotes from thinkexist.com)

To Rob, my brother, friend and example of positive behavior.

Please write one comment on what you appreciate about Rob.

PLEASE DONATE to The Loeys-Dietz Syndrome Foundation http://www.loeysdietz.org/

I strongly encourage all concerned individuals to create a new post on their blogs regarding donating to The Loeys-Dietz Syndrome Foundation.

-Kevin

Cabbies and their cabs

Kevin and I are seasoned taxi passengers, and love the myriad of personalities, smells, and sights to be discovered during each ride. While the typical cab generally consists of a tacky seat cover and smoky odor, every once in a while we come across a driver or decor that is worth noting. We once found ourselves in a nearly broken down Toyota with a driver who may or may not have been sober. In another instance, I was told through a friend that the only cab drivers to be trusted were male vegetarians. Yes, vegetarians. As of late, we took a cab that was neatly decorated with furry, stuffed pals situated nicely on the dashboard. And while he may not look too friendly in this photo, the cabbie was a dear, kind man (he must have been a vegetarian :).

A Few Weeks Back

Jana is posing next to Tigger. I like how the Taiwanese used him has their icon for the Chinese New Year festival. Since it's the year of the tiger and our neighborhood has many families, this icon is perfect.

It was insanely crowded during the festival.

After Jana posed for this picture, a Taiwanese woman posed the same way with her friend.

Google Earth Tour

The first city is Minneapolis. Can you see the Guthrie Theater on the bottom left?

Next we go to Taiwan!

We end with our apartment building in Taichung.