The Adventures of Menace and Cheddar Bob started with the decision to leave the safety of the bubble at home and travel across the world. We left the comforts of the familiar behind to take on the challenge of teaching english overseas. This is our story....

Saturday, October 31, 2009

Halloween @ Korrnell

Devil's Night 2009 was one of the longest days of our lives! It started out like any other regular Friday teaching our morning classes. Except of course, we were in full costume. Denise and I are avid lovers of the Halloween Holiday season. We want to apologize for our shameful Halloween costumes this year. We were "one of those girls." Yes, we wore cute dresses with only wings and other accessories. We do have an excuse though...We are in Taiwan! We don't speak Chinese! We don't know where anything is! Our sincere apologies.

The afternoon classes were cancelled because kids got trick or treat to different classrooms. The chant they were taught:

Trick or Treat, Smell my feet!

Give me something good to eat!

Not too big, not too small!

Just the size of Korrnell School!

After school hours came the Halloween games. Teachers set up games in the classrooms and hundreds of kids came around to complete them from 7pm until 10pm. But, I will say, the Pizza Hut pizza at the end of the night made up for the long hours slightly.

Although Denise and I were dead tired, our spirits were high! A party at "The Batcave" awaited us. We had no idea where it was, what it was or who was going to be there. All we knew was there was cheap beer - we were there. We trekked to the party with our new buddy Mike and with Chinese directions (with the help of a Chinese teacher, thanks!). By midnight we had made it. Officially Halloween and officially ready for a good time! We made it home around 5:30am after putting a sufficient dent in the beer tub.

With no concept of time and no one to tell us when it's time to go home...I think we may be in trouble!

Teaching in Taiwan

Thursday, October 29, 2009

Cowboy Coffee

We were recently introduced into a new way of making coffee by our buddy Berma. It's rustic but it works.
Water, check.
Coffee grounds, check.
Boil, check.
Let the grounds settle to the bottom, and you've got yourself some cowboy coffee!
We've never been so peppy!

Define That

Yesterday, in my reading class we were talked about immigrants. We are doing a unit called "Coming to America". (I know - they use American books, it's silly. Try to explain money to them, geesh!) I told them an immigrant is someone who comes from another country to live in a different one. "Like you teacher?" one little boy asked.
Sure, we are immigrants.

Nice Package

Everything here, including coffee, comes individually packaged. It's odd. You buy cookies or coffee or crackers and they come either in a bag or a box. Inside are individual sized separate packages of the item. Inside each of those is a stay fresh "do not eat" package. It's a little overboard. And the students had the nerve to ask me what "package" meant! So I drew it on the board - a donut and/or bagel inside a package. I'm no artist, but they got it.

Sunday, October 18, 2009

KTV 101



Carrie's dream came true!! We finally went to a KTV aka karaoke where you get your own room to sing, drink and rock out in. Where have these been all our lives?!? This KTV (The Holiday Star) was about 15$cdn for 4 hours of tunes, an all you can eat buffet and a couple drinks. Let me tell you, this will not be our only KTV experience.

ps. Emily was totally the star of the night!

Taipei 101

Friday, October 16, 2009

Hilarious Answers

Students had their midterms for reading, math and science this past week and after much grading I thought I'd share a few funny answers. The kids of course can't spell a lot of words because English is not their first language but we usually can decpiher their meaning. Also the lower grades aren't deducted marks for their spelling, it's not really fair.
The grade 2 reading midterm had a story about kids breaking a neighbours window playing baseball. The children in the story had to work at the man's house to pay off their debt and had 3 more days of it. The students were suppose to predict what would happen the next day. A good response being they had to go back to the man's house to work.
One kid wrote: "They broke someone else's window." Not a typical answer but I gave the kid part marks...it made me laugh out loud.

Another question related to a story they had read about a boy named David at school. They were asked how David helped his teacher. Correct answers were: he helped catch a lizard, gave the teacher a napkin, found the teacher's glasses and gave the teacher some chalk.
One student wrote: "He gave the teacher the cock." Now, this student received full marks because I knew that he meant chalk.
I'm not sure what's scarier, that I knew what the student meant or that he received full marks for his answer!

Sugar Hangover




Hello, our names our Carrie and Denise and we are sugaraholics.
It is extremely dangerous to have a big tub of candy next to your desk meant to bribe and reward the children. You inevitably eat it.
With Halloween around the corner it doesn't look like our sugar binge is about to end any time soon. We have felt the effects of our candy munching with sugar headaches and sugar stomach aches. I think it might be time to turn to a much healthier addiction....caffeine.

Tuesday, October 13, 2009

Another Birthday Shout Out


Happy Birthday Momma!!

Sorry to broadcast your increasing age via facebook and the blog but I just really like birthdays and YOU!

much love!
xo

Sidenote: In Taiwan it is customary for the children to bring treats for everyone in the class on their own birthday.

Monday, October 12, 2009

Someone's Another Year Older!

Happy birthday daddy-o!!! Hope you have a great day and try not to work too hard!
Love you and miss you! I'm sending you a big birthday hug all the way from Taiwan!
xo

Sunday, October 11, 2009

Oh, The Places You'll Go!


Sometimes we all need a boost, a little reminder that who we are and where we are going have a purpose. For anyone who is stuck or at a crossroads. It does not matter whether you stay or leave, you gave it a shot and that is more then so many others can say.

Keep your head up Jamie!!


Oh, The Places You’ll Go!
by Dr. Seuss

Congratulations!
Today is your day.
You’re off to Great Places!
You’re off and away!

You have brains in your head.
You have feet in your shoes.
You can steer yourself any direction you choose.
You’re on your own. And you know what you know. And YOU are the guy who’ll decide where to go.

You’ll look up and down streets. Look’em over with care. About some you will say, “I don’t choose to go there.” With your head full of brains and your shoes full of feet, you’re too smart to go down a not-so-good street.

And you may not find any you’ll want to go down. In that case, of course, you’ll head straight out of town. It’s opener there in the wide open air.

Out there things can happen and frequently do to people as brainy and footsy as you.

And when things start to happen, don’t worry. Don’t stew. Just go right along. You’ll start happening too.

Oh! The Places You’ll Go!

You’ll be on your way up!
You’ll be seeing great sights!
You’ll join the high fliers who soar to high heights.

You won’t lag behind, because you’ll have the speed. You’ll pass the whole gang and you’ll soon take the lead. Wherever you fly, you’ll be best of the best. Wherever you go, you will top all the rest.

Except when you don’t.
Because, sometimes, you won’t.

I’m sorry to say so but, sadly, it’s true that Bang-ups and Hang-ups can happen to you.

You can get all hung up in a prickle-ly perch. And your gang will fly on. You’ll be left in a Lurch.

You’ll come down from the Lurch with an unpleasant bump. And the chances are, then, that you’ll be in a Slump.

And when you’re in a Slump, you’re not in for much fun. Un-slumping yourself is not easily done.

You will come to a place where the streets are not marked. Some windows are lighted. But mostly they’re darked. A place you could sprain both your elbow and chin! Do you dare to stay out? Do you dare to go in? How much can you lose? How much can you win?

And if you go in, should you turn left or right…or right-and-three-quarters? Or, maybe, not quite? Or go around back and sneak in from behind? Simple it’s not, I’m afraid you will find, for a mind-maker-upper to make up his mind.

You can get so confused that you’ll start in to race down long wiggled roads at a break-necking pace and grind on for miles across weirdish wild space, headed, I fear, toward a most useless place.

The Waiting Place…for people just waiting.

Waiting for a train to go or a bus to come, or a plane to go or the mail to come, or the rain to go or the phone to ring, or the snow to snow or waiting around for a Yes or No or waiting for their hair to grow. Everyone is just waiting.

Waiting for the fish to bite or waiting for wind to fly a kite or waiting around for Friday night or waiting, perhaps, for their Uncle Jake or a pot to boil, or a Better Break or a string of pearls, or a pair of pants or a wig with curls, or Another Chance. Everyone is just waiting.

No! That’s not for you!
Somehow you’ll escape all that waiting and staying. You’ll find the bright places where Boom Bands are playing. With banner flip-flapping, once more you’ll ride high! Ready for anything under the sky. Ready because you’re that kind of a guy!

Oh, the places you’ll go! There is fun to be done! There are points to be scored. There are games to be won. And the magical things you can do with that ball will make you the winning-est winner of all. Fame! You’ll be famous as famous can be, with the whole wide world watching you win on TV.

Except when they don’t. Because, sometimes, they won’t.

I’m afraid that some times you’ll play lonely games too. Games you can’t win ‘cause you’ll play against you.

All Alone!
Whether you like it or not, Alone will be something you’ll be quite a lot.

And when you’re alone, there’s a very good chance you’ll meet things that scare you right out of your pants. There are some, down the road between hither and yon, that can scare you so much you won’t want to go on.

But on you will go though the weather be foul. On you will go though your enemies prowl. On you will go though the Hakken-Kraks howl. Onward up many a frightening creek, though your arms may get sore and your sneakers may leak. On and on you will hike. And I know you’ll hike far and face up to your problems whatever they are.

You’ll get mixed up, of course, as you already know. You’ll get mixed up with many strange birds as you go. So be sure when you step. Step with care and great tact and remember that Life’s a Great Balancing Act. Just never forget to be dexterous and deft. And never mix up your right foot with your left.

And will you succeed?
Yes! You will, indeed!
(98 and ¾ percent guaranteed.)

Kid, you’ll move mountains!
So…be your name Buxbaum or Bixby or Bray or Mordecai Ale Van Allen O’Shea, you’re off to Great Places!
Today is your day!
Your mountain is waiting.
So…get on your way!

Friday, October 9, 2009

More Heavy Gravy?

This weekend at home everyone is celebrating Thanksgiving. We are here missing out on the delicious meals and great company of friends and family. A Thanksgiving tradition with our family is also the endless Seinfeld references from a great episode. "More heavy gravy?" is said around the table more than once. It never gets old.
Of course the myth that turkey makes you sleepy is a popular one but it is not entirely true. The chemical tryptophan is in turkey but there is more than that which makes us crave a little after dinner nap. Eating huge meals, drinking delicious wine and other alcoholic beverages is enough to make your eyes droop.

So while we are here in Taiwan, (where at our school they do have Thanksgiving dinner, but it is of course the American version), we are thinking of you!

Happy Thanksgiving!!


























Thursday, October 8, 2009

Darla

There is a new addition to the Dixon family! I skyped mom and dad recently and saw the adorable little bundle of joy! I'm not sure if Darla is her official name...but it suits her I think.



Don't you just love her already? I asked mom if she could send her in the next care package...she said no. :( We are one impulse buy away from getting our own puppy. Denise is not good at talking me out of things. Uh oh....

Overdue Updates!

We are bad bloggers. We have been neglecting our duties keeping you updated with our life and adventures. We apologize for any inconvenience or withdrawal this left you with.

The past week started with Teacher's Day! A few of our cute little students got presents and cards for us. There were of course some odd gifts (pork chips, vitamin B?). But it's the thought that counts.

Tuesday and Wednesday was the dreaded open house. Parents of the students came in to our classrooms all day long and watched us teach and interact with their children. It was stressful to say the least but of course we made it through with shining colours!

After that week we were in need of stress relief. Friday night we went out in Hsinchu and had a grand old time! Despite the warning of typhoon Parma looming...we were not going to let that stop us!
Saturday night we headed to a nearby watering hole. Denise and I had frequently passed a restaurant called Water Frog BBQ and wanted to see if it was any good. Well....we were pleasantly surprised! This place had a buffet style of all raw meats, vegetables and noodles. You went and picked out what you wanted to eat and cooked it at your table which was equipped with your very own BBQ! We're thinking of opening up our own at home! (Of course waivers and liability would have to be involved). Being the klutz I am...we had a slight fire that had to be taken care of. Oops! All of this food was only 299NT (or about $9CDN) and we ate like royalty! Another fantastic part about the Water Frog is the beer! One glass....multiple kegs....all you can drink - 100NT (or ~$3 CDN). It was like our very own keg party! We highly recommend it!

Our night ended with a little trip to the local 7-11. We purchased some more beer and watched the sights at the main intersection. Unfortunately my camera was running on it's last juice so I didn't get much of a video. But, a local "gang"? was driving crazy at the intersection. Easily amused? You betcha!

Of course, what would a typhoon warning be without a little earthquake. That's right ladies and gentlemen, we had our first taste of a little earthquake action. Saturday night as we were enjoying our 7-11 beer I all of a sudden felt a slight movement. Earthquake? I guess so....
Sunday night, right before I headed to bed I felt a little shake and the table moved. Survived earthquake #2....whew, that was a close one!

Typhoon Parma definitely didn't hit like it was expected to. It did rain and there was wind but apparently it is always that windy in this area and the rain wasn't overly impressive. We were looking forward to our first typhoon day, well maybe next time!

Please find Episode 7 below for your viewing enjoyment...