a quick update and some answers

It's now been almost exactly 7 months since I graduated. I wouldn't have thought about it but for the fact that my hair has grown quite long. I noticed the other day that it is now past my shoulders and thought of my last cut, right before graduation when my hair was right at my chin. It doesn't seem like it's been long enough for that kind of growth, but I guess 7 months is longer than it feels. I will continue to use the length of my hair as a measure of time since graduation if only because it keeps my neck warm. Well that and the typical Taiwanese female haircut is more like a mullet and I don't trust my Chinese enough to risk it.

In other news, my kids did alright in the speech contest. No one won, that honor was given to the kids from the big schools who have lots of private tutoring and Bushiban classes, but they all did really well. None of the total panic that I half-expected and only a few mistakes each. I was very proud and now I'm glad it's over.

I also figured out what people do on Christmas. Most people spend the day with their boyfriend or girlfriend, wife or husband. That sort of makes it another Valentine's day and given that they also celebrate our Valentine's day, Chinese Valentine's day and Jananese Valentine's day. For those of you out there who hate Valentine's day, when February 14 finally rolls around, just be glad you are not Taiwanese.