This past week, I was reminded again of two opposite sides of the coin for students studying under our auspices at the school here in Taipei. The first side, as I mentioned recently, is the incredible array of opportunities that abounds for them to select from and be inspired by. The second, on the flip side, is the immense amount of work they do, and pressure which they sometimes put themselves under, in order to achieve academically.
I accompanied my kids to a puppet master's show of techniques near the end of the week and his skills were superb. He told the kids it takes decades of daily practice to become so skilled. They're often exposed to wonders like this, and I think they so soon realize that these great skills, no matter in what sphere, don't come automatically. Cass, in turn, had a get-together with her friend Kristin during the week and she was flabbergasted at the amount of dedication displayed by Kristin's daughters: full days at school then rosters choc-a-bloc full of sports and artistic endeavours till 8 each night, virtually every night!
This morning I gave the coterie of Grade 5 students whom I teach the chance to choose their work assignment for the morning. I gave them two serious options, but one was far less arduous and tedious. Most of them elected to undertake the harder, more mundane task! We have some standardized testing coming up and they elected to do more practice for a timed essay write, despite doing numerous examples of same in the past couple of weeks. Cassy's kids are similarly preparing and rarely a grumble passes their lips....remarkable!
We had a pleasant evening away from all that pressure (!) when we dined early on Saturday evening at the superb, "The Spice Shop". Its boring moniker belies the varied and tasty offerings that they continue to serve to an eager public many years after their initial establishment. They are one of the great survivors in this city's cut-throat restaurant market, as many fall prey to fickle customers and fads along with fierce competition and concomitant profit margin slashing. We've missed their opening time the past few times we tried, so we were glad to get our fix.
Despite the fact that Cass felt a little less than 100%, she decided to join me on my semi-regular journey up the Tienmu Gudao Steps. I've talked many times about this local challenge, but will comment on a few of the aspects that I've neglected in previous posts. There are a few subtle signs up the lower reaches of the steps warning trekkers to be quiet and be mindful of residents. Some of these houses are a good 300 metres up this narrow set of uneven, granite stairs: with absolutely no other access! The people must be fit as fiddles as they haul groceries, gas and water bottles and themselves and everything else up here at regular intervals. I'll bet they don't often forget to buy the milk on the way home!
Another noteworthy aspect of the steps is the menagerie of wildlife that seems cloistered around the steps and its surrounding pocket of lush forest. After a spitting, intermittent rainfall through the morning, the crowd was whittled down to just a few when we set off, and as we climbed higher we found ourselves disturbing vast flutters of butterflies and other insects as we lumbered by. Taiwan is known as having the largest number of species of butterflies in the world (even though many are under threat) and it's easy to believe at times like this: there were kaleidoscopic waves of colour flitting and dancing all around us as we made our way ever upwards. The Taiwan Macaques were absent today, but we heard large trilling birds in the forest and saw centipedes marching across the steps. We even encountered a playful pair of kittens along the little flat section after the first big climb!
Poor Cassy has succumbed to a bout of sinusitis today but made it to school in her usual stoic fashion: I'd be down for the count! Photos: puppet master, wildlife on the steps, the "Moop" and a thoroughly and disgustingly domesticated animal! There is a video of the puppet master up top, or later, right here.