Happy Lunar New Year!
We have now entered the year of the dragon! Last week was a week of holidays for us. For Taiwanese, Chinese New Year is usually a time for family. For us ex-patriots, it’s a chance for us to relax and recharge our batteries. Of course, for expats and Taiwanese alike, many take the chance to do some traveling. Two of our teachers went to Australia for their holidays, and one went to Indonesia. A couple of others did some traveling inside Taiwan. As for me (Teacher Jonathan), I recently moved into a new apartment in downtown Taipei City, so the holidays were a great chance for me to set up and organize everything how I want it. Of course, I was also able to participate in some local festivities here, including a friend's party that had numerous entertainers, some of whom did the traditional 'dragon dance' which was a sight to behold!
On the weekend before Chinese New Year, we had our year-end party for both the Sanxia and Banqiao schools. This year our party was at LazerTreks, a laser-tag facility in downtown Taipei. After a buffet-style dinner, we were ready to have the different teams square off! I was lucky, because one of the Chinese teachers couldn’t play, as she had to take care of her daughter. So I took her spot and got to play twice as often! In each game, your team is assigned one color and you have to shoot (with a toy laser gun) the people on the opposing team. Each team also has a ‘sentry point’ and a ‘home base’ they need to guard. At the risk of sounding boastful, I can say that I quickly learned how to aim and time my shots for maximum impact, and every time I played my team was the winner.
There were also many prizes awarded throughout the night, and I was lucky! I won a Mr. Brown coffee mug, as well as a Coach handbag. The bag is too feminine for me to use, but I have a female friend who I believe will really enjoy it.
The year of the dragon is considered the luckiest year in the Chinese Zodiac. Many Taiwanese will attempt to give birth during this year, so we can expect a baby boom on the way. Let’s hope that in a few years, when they are old enough, many of these kids will find their way to Uncle Sam American School :)
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