Month: October 2015

FaithLeave a comment

The Rock Cafe 磐石咖啡館: You just must GO!

Catherine Lee

If you’re anywhere in the Tamsui (Danshui) 淡水 area of Taipei, and you haven’t been to the Rock Cafe, then you have to go.  Honestly, GO!  It’s such a great place! The Rock is a outreach ministry of YWAM Taipei offering ‘English. Coffee. Truth.’ A great combination!  It’s really the top 2 floors above some shops in the main night shopping street of Tamsui, and is open every weekday evening for free English conversation, helped along with free coffee, and staffed by YWAM workers and volunteers, young people from all over the world. Last night we took our St. John’s University … Continue reading The Rock Cafe 磐石咖啡館: You just must GO!

Advent Church, TaiwanLeave a comment

Congratulations Mo-Huan, again!

Catherine Lee

In July last year, as reported in my blog post here, we gathered to congratulate one of our former students, and son of one of our church members, Mo-Huan, on his successful admission to Police College ~ after a long year of studying English with me, Maths with Rev. Lennon Chang, and generally getting up to scratch for the Police Entrance Exam, with encouragement from our church members, former police officer Ming-Chuan and his wife, Meng-Jen.  After a lot of hard work, Mo-Huan got the required grade, yippee! And we had a great dinner to celebrate, hosted by his mother. And … Continue reading Congratulations Mo-Huan, again!

Taiwan1 Comment

Sanzhi 三芝 Lions Health Walk

Catherine Lee

And quite an amazing event it turned out to be! Every year the Lions Club of Sanzhi 三芝 runs a ‘health walk’ through the countryside for anybody and everybody, ending with a huge gathering for a lucky draw.  And so it was that by 6:45 am this morning, huge crowds had gathered at Sanzhi Junior High School for the start.  Me too! Met some people I knew, and a group of children who I didn’t, but they were so lovely, and we spent half the walk going through all the English vocabulary they knew ha ha! And so off we set.  A … Continue reading Sanzhi 三芝 Lions Health Walk

TaiwanLeave a comment

Water Bamboo Time!

Catherine Lee

Yep, finally it’s harvest season for all the zillions of water bamboo (or water oats 茭白筍) growing all over Sanzhi 三芝 area. The plants are now huge – up to people height, but are being cut and bagged up ~ the actual vegetable is a bit like a leek.  All along the roadsides are people selling bags of the stuff…. It’s also known locally as ‘Beauty Legs’  美人腿 after their shape… well, enough said! And next weekend Sanzhi District Council is holding a Water Bamboo Festival ~ and excitement is mounting! Continue reading Water Bamboo Time!

Taiwan1 Comment

Taiwan prepares for turmoil as China watches its elections from afar | World news | The Guardian

Catherine Lee

The basic question before voters in next year’s poll is not what kind of country they want to become in the future but whether they will still exist as a country Source: Taiwan prepares for turmoil as China watches its elections from afar | World news | The Guardian Continue reading Taiwan prepares for turmoil as China watches its elections from afar | World news | The Guardian

St. John's University, Taiwan2 Comments

THE VIEW!

Catherine Lee

On Tuesday and Wednesday lunchtimes, up I ascend to the top floor (10th) of our highest building at St. John’s University to the Dept of Applied English for ‘chatroom’ classes ~ real live conversation in English which students can sign up for in one’s and two’s for an hour at a time…. Good exercise of course, walking up all those steps, and occasionally I’m rewarded with the most wonderful views at the top, like today…. in all directions! And great chat, of course ~ as always with lovely students! Continue reading THE VIEW!

St. John's University, TaiwanLeave a comment

Learning English Jenga-style…

Catherine Lee

‘Relaxed English’ as a title for my student class is a bit of a misnomer, as those 2 words do not naturally really go together ~ so Jenga to the rescue! The class is run through St. John’s University Chaplaincy, held in Advent Church and open to any of our students, but especially the first-years ~ ‘n this semester we have a great group of 12-15, mostly boys, and including several from Hong Kong and Malaysia…. Anyway, Jenga is a good way to take the focus off the English ~ and so it was last night that the students got … Continue reading Learning English Jenga-style…