Monday, September 15th

Well, we're back. Sort of. Last night I got the inclination to start writing here again, so here I am, writing here again.

The posts will still be sparse until we get a new camera (ehem, Christmas present?) but I'd like to at least start it going again.

Things are going pretty well here, all things considered. Calvin has new abilities and tricks, and he's hopefully in the last leg of his teething.

Eli and Rhiannon are both doing well... We has a barbecue on the balcony over the weekend (for Moon Festival), even though there was a Typhoon on. So, they made grilled cheese sandwiches and corn and got to smoke out the neighborhood. We ran low on charcoal, so we used whatever various wooden objects we had laying around. Driftwood and bamboo and the like. So, we had a nice roaring fire going up on the balcony for a while while the neighbors lit fireworks and firecrackers down below while a Typhoon swept through. God bless Taiwan.

It didn't really rain until Sunday, though. Gosia and the kids went to church in the car, but I made the trip on my scooter. Every Sunday after Mass I teach an English Bible study/reading class, so I have to stay an hour and a half later. Driving back was thrilling. The rain feels like needles going even 30 kph... But I get to drive along the freeway's side road which skirts the rice fields and countryside, so it's really beautiful during a Typhoon.

Teaching has been going well. I teach 9:30 - 11:30 in the mornings, and then 4pm till after 9:30 in the evenings. Plus Saturday mornings for three hours. I'm a full time teacher now, so not all of those are teaching hours. I help around the school, grade papers and homework, things of that nature. Over the last year, I'd forgotten what it was like to look forward to going to work. It's a very different school, more human and less sterile. Lots of plants and paintings. I'm getting to know my kids and I have a lot of control over my classes. I'm on "go" from when I get there till when I leave, but I don't mind. I know what they want from me, they know me... Even as no school is perfect, it's going pretty well. We'll see where things are in a year, but for now, it's going well.

Well, that's all for now. As the posts will be sporadic, I'll put up alerts on Facebook whenever there's something new up.

Ad astra per aspera,

Sean