H1N1

I am not sure what things are like in America this fall, but out here in Taiwan, schools and the government are on full alert to prevent the spread of H1N1 (formerly known as Swine Flu). In order to ward off any widespread epidemic, there are several lists of rules and protocols that need to be followed to help ensure those that have H1N1 do not spread it to other people. I would like to outline some of those in this post, to give my fellow readers a quick glimpse into the situation over here.

Here at Concordia Middle School students have their temperature taken every day in their homerooms. If their temperature is 37 degrees Celsius (98.6 F), students are required to wear a protectiv mask. This mask is simailar to what dentists wear to cover their mouths and noses when working with a patient. This is mask is to prevent spreading of germs in case the person has H1N1, but the symptoms are not obvious yet. If the temperature is 38 degrees (100.4) or higher, the student is required to go home and needs to go to a doctor to be tested for H1N1.

I also encounter these temperature protocols at church and at the gym. Every Saturday afternoon before Youth Group, all of the teachers and youth have their temperatures taken and recorded. Also, when I go to the gym to exercise, I need to have my temperature taken when I show my membership card at the front desk.

At CMS, if your temperature is below 37 degrees Celsius, you are ok. If not, there is a set of rules that are strictly followed. If a student has H1N1 they are required to be quarantined in their house for 5-7 days. If 2 students in a homeroom come down with H1N1 at during the same time, the entire class is sent home for 5 days.

The classes they miss during the quarantine period at home are made up on Saturday afternoons and possibly Sundays. While these students are home, teachers can post homework and assignments on the school website, that the students are required to check. I have 2 8th grade classes and one 10th grade class sent home because
of H1N1.

In addition to sending students home, the school has rules in place regarding airflow. Classrooms are required to keep the front door and front windows open, to keep the airflow moving. This rule is required even with the air conditioning on. It is still hot here in Taiwan, with temperatures reaching the 80s and 90s, so classrooms have been running the AC all school year. To me, it seems like a waste of electricity to run the AC and have the windows and doors open. However, this is all a result of the post-SARS Taiwan environment.

5-6 years ago, there was an outbreak of SARS throughout Asia, including here in Taiwan. I am not exactly clear on the details, but the disease spread extensively and people did not want to be in confined areas where SARS might be sitting in the air. As a result, windows and doors were left open to air out the room and maintain airflow.

This fear extended beyond the SARS outbreak, and I could see glimpses of this thought even before the current H1N1 situation. In my English office there is a Taiwanese teacher who always opens a window or door to keep the air moving, even when the air conditioning is on. It has been this way all 4 years that I have been in my current office, and is a reflection of how SARS influenced the behaviors of people here in Taiwan.

In closing, I believe these rules were in place for the fist couple months of school, and will probably be reviwed soon. I personally find it frustrating to have an entire class of students missing time, and falling behind the other classes, but also recognize the schools concern in containing the disease.

The closest I have come in contact with the illness was when one of my roommates came down with H1N1, and was quarantined to the house for 1 week. Thankfully, I did not contract the illness, and have not had to miss any school. He recovered and has been back teaching for a couple of weeks. Praise the Lord!

Typhoon Morakot

On August 8th, Typhoon Morakot came through Taiwan, causing flooding and damage to many parts of the island. The worst of it was on the eastside of the island.

I was in America when the typhoon hit, but several of my American co-workers were here in Taiwan. The following comes from a newsletter written by Ben and Amy Riley, and provides their perspective on the typhoon.



This month hundreds were stranded as the water poured down from above. The rivers rose over their banks, causing the water levels to creep over car hoods on the streets and up to the second floor in some homes.

The first reports claimed a thousand people were missing. The death toll began to rise. There seemed to be little hope for many people. At times like these, when the waters are rising, hope is hard to find. But God never abandons His people.

In a community about one kilometer away from where we live, massive flooding occurred. Water reached all the way up to the second floor of some buildings: homes. After the water receded, affected families began putting their water-logged first-floor belongings onto the streets to be thrown away. Men and women cleaned their plastic items salvaging anything that could be salvaged.

Our church went into this community to help. We had to either dig the mud out of people’s homes or push it out using squeegees (since it was very liquidy). There was so much mud, but in the mud was God’s grace.

Natural disasters all over the world are miserable, but God uses these situations to further His kingdom. The tsunami in Indonesia allowed Christians to enter a place previously hostile to the faith. Christians were able to help in China when an earthquake destroyed countless homes, schools and villages. I’m sure you have seen God using a bad time in your life to show His grace and mercy.

This situation in Taiwan was another chance to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ through actions. As we worked, we were able to meet other Taiwanese Christians that had come from the far reaches of Taipei (far north of Taiwan) and Kao Hsiung (the far south of Taiwan) to help. People in mud-filled houses were seeing the love of God through the work of the Church. God opened doors that may not have been opened if the Typhoon had not come.

One boy we worked with was named Frank. He was not a Christian, but was there with a church group (he has family in the area). We entered a conversation and he said he really thinks the Christians are helpful. He said, “A lot of people I know just go out and party every weekend, but you are different. I can see that Christians really like to help people.” I was able to respond that we help others because we know what Christ did for us. The Holy Spirit is working on his heart. It never ceases to amaze me how hard God pursues His creation.

Flemenco Dancing

Well I just wanted to give a quick update on the show. Last night I went to the Flemenco show. This was what I had written earlier about, concerning to previous theatrical experiences that were not that great. So...last night was the third attempt at going to the theater this year.

Overall, the show was pretty good. There was a guy who played the guitar in the Spanish style that is very quick and has a lot of finger-picking. He was extremely talented, and for me he was the highlight of the evening.

The show also had a lot of rhythmic hand clapping to correspond with the guitar and footstomping. The sound of these three together was lively, and unique. On top of the music was singing, none of which I could understand. They people were singing in Spanish and almost wailing or yelling as they sang. This was not something that I was particularily fond of. In addition, I did not really follow any story line, so that made the night a little more boring.

Overall, though it was some great music, powerful dancing, and a nice night out. Much better than the old men wearing underwear and the Buddhist play.

Taroko Gorge

Well last weekend was the four day vacation for Dragon Boat Festival. This provided time for me to go out to visit Hua Lien, which is located in eastern Taiwan. I went road tripping with Kevin, Heidi, Boni, Emilie, and Ray. The drive ended up being close to 8 hours including stops for gas, lunch, and stretching.

It was a tiring trip, but very worthwhile. One of the highlights of the trip was the chance to visit Taroko Gorge. This majestic mountain areas is one of the most famous national parks here in Taiwan. We drove a school van, so we were able to move freely through the mountains and explore the beauty of God's creation. As we drove on the windy roads, we stopped occassionally to take picture or to hike on trails.



One of the hightlights was the Bia Yang trial. It was not an intense hike, but was close to 4 km long. The trail went through the mountains, caves, and included a suspension bridge. Two parts I especially enjoyed include a very dark cave and the "water curtain."

At one point in the trail we went through a large cave that had no lighting. There was a hand rail to guide us along the road, but at several points the room was pitch black. It is a really strange feeling, being unsure exactly of what is in front of you. I did have the handrail to help guide, and before long I could see the light at the end of the tunnel.

The trail also include a water fall inside the cave, which was labeled as the "water curtain." Outside of the cave, everyone removed their shoes and put on a rain pancho, which were provided for free. This was really neat, as I took of my shoes and walked through the cold water into the dark cave. As I approached the middle water began to fall from the ceiling, and it eventually became a steady stream. It was not overly powerful, but really cool and refreshing on the hot day.

Sorry, I could not take any picture, for fear of ruining my camera.

Another highlight of the Hua Lien trip was the opportunity to visit Pastor Lio and his wife Sarah. He served as pastor of Salvation Lutheran church my first two years in Taiwan, but then left to go to a mountain congregation in Rei Schway (about an hour south of Hua Lien).

We were able to see there new church and look at the beautiful landscape. It is set in the mountains, and fresh mountain water flows in streams alongside the church. The entire area is free of much of the smog and pollution that is found along the industrialized westernside of Taiwan. We were able to meet some of the children that attend the church's Sunday school, and were also able to relax in a natural hot spring.



It was such a joy to meet up with old friends, if even for a little bit. And the four day weekend was a great get-a-way to set up the final three weeks of the semester.

Quick Hits: Holidays and Vacation

As a teacher here in Taiwan, our teaching schedule is quite a bit longer than if I were to teach in America. The typical school year runs from the beginning of August until the end of June, giving the teachers only one month of vacation in the summer as opposed to 2 in America.

In the middle of the year is a two week break for Chinese New Year, which is in the end of January or the beginning of February. This usually coincides with time between semesters, so it is also a semester break of sorts.

The first semester has three other days that are considered holidays: Moon Festival (in September or October), National Day (October 10), and the Republic of China Founding Day (January 1).

The second semester has three vacation holidays: Peace Day (February 28), Tomb Sweeping Day (in April or March) and Dragon Boat Festival (in May or June).

For all of these holidays, our school gets one day off...provided that day is on a normal school day. If it is on a Saturday or Sunday, we do not get another day off that week. The weekend is our chance to celebrate.

If the day falls on a Monday or a Friday, this is great because it means a three day weekend.

On Thursday, Taiwan will be celebrating Dragon Boat Festival, which means no schoool, and it also presents another vacation scenario.

Being that the holiday is on Thursday, the school will also take Friday off, enabling us to have a four day weekend. The catch is that the following week schools (and any public institutes that choose to have Friday off), need to be open on Saturday. So that gives me a four day weekend this week, and a six day work week/one day weekend next week.

This is Taiwan!

Now, I can't complain too much because next Saturday is graduation at Concordia. This is a school wide event that will include a ceremony and a school fair following the ceremony. In other words...I don't have to teach class and can just enjoy the fair on Saturday.

As for the four day weekend, I am going on a trip to Hua Lien, which is located on the east side of the island. There is a beautiful national park and a famous site called Taroko Gorge. I look forward to a relaxing trip and some beautiful scenery.

Quick Hits: Scooter Repairs

I had the realization the other day that while living here in Taiwan there have been and are many small stories and every day examples that show cultural differences between life in the U.S. and life in Taiwan. They don't make for much of a story or a long blog entry, but to me they are just interesting in and of the themselves.

I decided that I would start to write about these things as they happen in my life (or as I remember them from the past), and title these entries "Quick Hits." I think the title will help remind me that I don't have to write a novel to describe the situation, and consequently I hope to write them more often...that's the plan at least.

Today's quick hit is about repairs. I don't know about you, but in the United States I was always afraid to take my car into the repair shop...even for an oil change. I usually had to pay an arm and a leg and was afraid that the person would try to tell to me fix something that did not really need fixing. (A disclaimer on this, I did have some good experiences with a church member of my Dad's church and my great Uncle's car dealership).

However, here in Taiwan it is cheap...dirt cheap and fast. The other day I went to get my scooter looked at and had four things I needed to fix. Yes...I was procrastinating about taking it in and probably should have done so earlier. My left mirror was coming loose, I needed an oil change, my odometer/spedometer was broken, and I wanted a new basket for the front.

Without an apointment, I pulled up at 10:00 am and told the mechanic what I needed. He told me that it would be finished by noon. When I returned to get the scooter, the total price for the mirror adjustment, oil change, new wire for the odometer/spedometer, and new basket was a little under $15.00 (US).

I never feel stressed out going to get my scooter fixed, and the people are always really good about getting it done quickly and cheaply.

The Lantern Festival Story

In one of my posts about my about the fireworks in Beijing, I had made reference to an experience here in Taiwan for the Lantern Festival. I said I would post if anyone was interested in reading, and my Grandma emailed me and told me she would want to hear about it. So, here it is...

The Lantern Festival is always celebrated on the fifteenth day after Chinese New Year. This marks the end of the a series of celebrations for the new year, and is a time when people put many red lanterns on display.


My first year in Taiwan, I had the chance to go watch a celebration in a small town near our school. The town's name is She-Kou, and it is the home of a friend from Salvation Lutheran Church. To celebrate vendors set up games that are on the street and sell snacks for anyone who would come out. In the evening there was a parade through the town, and many people set off fireworks.

Much of the significance of the parade was centered around the local temple and other traditional Taiwanese religious beliefs. The main feature of the parade was the "god box" which was taken from the temple and wheeled around the streets of the town. Along the way, the god box/altar would stop at many of the houses and businesses. When the altar stopped at a house, the people at those places would set off fireworks in hopes of scarying away evil spirits.

Other parts of the parade included people dressed up in the form of walking gods, and other colorful clothes. One of the most disturbing things I saw was a man who was walking in the parade. He had his shirt off and was carrying a big knife, almost like a machete. As he walked he would stop and fling the knife over his shoulder and cut his back. As I looked at his back it was full of open knife wounds, and he looked like he had worked himself into a stupor as he pressed on throughout the parade. Honestly, I don't know the exact significance of what this man was doing, but I believe it was some sort of sacrifice or ritual to please the god.

The parade culminated with the god box being brought back to the front of the temple. It was at this point that many people also gathered around the outskirts of the temple and watched what was happening. When the god box got to the temple, then the fireworks really started to pick up.

People would hold boxes that contained a set of fireworks and shoot them all off at one time.


The smoke in the areas was nearly suffocating, such to the point that many people would wear facemasks to filter out the smoke. Here's a picture of my friend Ray, wearing his facemask.

As you can see, I am in the background without one. When I initially got there, I didn't think I would need a facemask. I had no idea what I was in for, and eventually put one on.

As they did this, the god box was pushed around the square, running into all of the people. As I stood there, I needed to move to get out of the way and to keep pace with the crowd. I did not stay for the whole ceremnoy, after awhile I had enough of the smoke, the noise, and the crowds. I assume afterward there was a large spectale in which the god box was put back into the temple. Here is a picture of the people pushing the god box around the temple in the square.


The night was an experience that I will not forget. It was the closest and largest scale that I have ever seen of idol worship here in Taiwan. So it was many things to me...heartaching...frustrating...educational...curious...motivating. It was a motivation for why I am here, which is to share the hope of life in Christ to the people of this island. Even as I sit and type this over 3 years later, I am reminded of that very purpose and goal for which I have come. May God work through me to accomplish his will with the people of Taiwan.