An onslaught of needy parents is not a sight any teacher craves. On Thursday and Friday we were subjected to just this scenario as 100s of kids and parents entered the upper gymnasium like ants to a mound, swarming and settling then swarming again and again.
Sometimes they are needy, but mostly also delightful, respectful and thankful. The newest breed of parent in our environment is seeking the wellness of their child as well as academic success and it's a difficult blend to achieve, a real juggling act. We promote academic rigour, yet we are also cognisant of their mental health needs. The parents sometimes need guidance on these issues along with how to simply improve their overall English grade.
So along with the intricacies of the themes and techniques evident in Fahrenheit 451, we counsel on reading choices and sleep recommendations with everything in-between! Cassy and I had 70 odd and 90 odd respectively to deal with over two gargantuan days. Miraculously, our voices held out and our sanity survived by a gossamer thread: we were certainly grateful when the last party of parents and kids departed at 4 p.m.on Friday afternoon!
What better antidote than a meal at the famous and wonderful Din Tai Feng on Saturday? We thought none better, so we shopped a little at Uniqlo and Cassy's light weight down jacket in tow, we eased down to the basement for our date with dumplings, rice and tea. Satiated, we emerged into a glorious autumn day and wandered home. On the way we amplified my theme of last week: Cass got some clothing, we bought German banana cake, I queried my phone bill and we bought some furniture all in the 10 minute stroll home!
These establishments are all crowded into our tiny yet bustling neighbourhood, as mentioned previously. The Macro Maison furniture store got some more of our custom as we ordered two more wooden "shapes", these two meant to fit inside some we'd already bought, in a kind of table nest style. Cass had the light-bulb moment a while back: it really makes great sense as we can use the same footprint for the tables but get twice as much use. The guy offered us a discount and a lovely gift as we drank tea and waited to sign the forms.
Cass had ordered a replacement watch band (jazzy blue alligator leather) a couple of months ago and Scott from Cartier texted that it had, indeed, just arrived from France. We needed to travel down and across to the XinYi district (famous for Taipei 101) to get to the store so we did just that on Sunday morning. It's a different world down there at the best of times, especially at night, but it was interesting to see it in a more relaxed state. Although still busy and exciting, the later street performers, buskers and dancers hadn't started yet which aided a much more peaceful ambiance. It's just crazy (and a bit sick) to see how many "brand names" are vying for customer attention here: there are three Cartier shops within 2 minutes walk as just one small example.
We did our bit to support the luxury market economy then wandered back via some basement electronic stores where they were selling original vinyl LPs for about $20 each. I wish my record collection didn't sink in the "Pasha Bulker" flood....I could have made a fortune! Food trucks have been set up along tree lined avenues bringing a new funky feel to the pedestrian boulevards around 101. This city never rests on its laurels: there's always something new and exciting popping up.
Enervated from too much product and sensory overload we enjoyed a lazy afternoon after jettisoning home via the subway and a 7/11 to source our "Moris" for tea. Ready for another week of action but, mercifully, no more parent conferences!
Photos: Aussie steak at the supermarket, window cleaners, furniture shopping (wooden shapes at far left) and various shots "downtown". Record video up top for now.