Party in the graveyard!

I haven't been writing blogs here for a while, not because nothing has happened, but because starting my new career has absorbed all of my creative energy so far! And, as I am working seven days a week, I have spent my spare time doing other stuff!!

But, today is Tomb Sweeping Day, and as anyone familiar with Chinese culture will know, that is the day once a year where everyone turns up to "party in the graveyard". Well not exactly party, but it's certainly a time for families to get together at the ancestors tomb side and clean the place up and pay some respects as well. There is also some food, drink and some joviality involved as well for some families.

So Tomb Sweeping Day means a day off for me [although unpaid], and a chance for a well earned rest! This morning we went to a family member's grave to pay our respects and place some flowers there, at lunchtime we ate some local delicacies from Clear Water Village and then I went home to sleeeeep! Aye, I needed some extra shut eye!

I am working mornings and evenings at the YMCA, which on some evenings means working until 10 pm and as I am a newbie at the job, I am clearly making it more effort than it need be, but it will get easier with experience I know. So the last few weeks have been pretty intense getting to grips with my new career, but I'm really enjoying it now. And, more importantly I have finally found a career where I can actually use the stuff that I learnt at university. Both, the Chinese Studies and E-business degrees are proving very useful indeed for English teaching in Taiwan, especially for teaching advanced adult learners. Taiwanese, in general, are pretty smart, and like to know as much as they can about the latest technology and the outside world. So E-business knowledge keeps me current and Chinese Studies helps with meanings and translations, pretty cool!

As you probably know I am also learning a new style of Taijiquan, and that is also keeping me occupied as well. As with all things new it takes time to familiarise oneself with the whole thing [or part of a thing in this case].

Anyway, everything is pretty cool here in Taiwan, but I am not looking forward to the summer when the place gets incinerated under the Summer sun, and on top of that Summer is also Typhoon season, and they can be pretty extreme here too!

So back to work tomorrow and off to Hong Kong at the weekend for a quick visit. Life here is keeping me busy and tired too! It's all go! Be back soon!