Attitude Adjustment

Teaching is hard....really hard.  And living abroad in a new country without friends or family around makes it even more challenging. This week I recognized that I need a little attitude adjustment. I've been feeling overwhelmed, frustrated and a bit alone and it all came to a head during the past 2 weeks. My patience has worn thin and my reserves are on empty. I've was beating myself up about it but then realized that I have to take control of things again, recognize that it's okay to feel like this now and again and then do something about it. We all go through this stuff right? I'm only human and it's okay to feel frustrated, sarcastic and negative every now and then. Right? I hope you're nodding your head in agreement right now.

On Wednesday I decided to walk home from school as part of my putting things in perspective. I haven't walked home since I got my bike in August so this walk was a 45 minute reflection on how much my life has changed in the past 7 1/2 months.

I remember taking this walk the second day I was here when it was 200º with 1000% humidity. Okay, I'm exaggerating a bit here but that's what it felt like when I first got here. 

 I took a right onto Cuehua (near my school) and began my leisurely stroll home.

 Many apartment buildings look a bit like this, especially in the neighborhood near the school. It is pretty much apartment living in Kaohsiung.

Although there isn't really a winter here (it never gets below the high 50's), it is officially spring and so much is beginning to bloom.

 You will find little carts and shops selling food along pretty much every road in Kaohsiung. My walk home is no exception.

 This is someone's front yard. Clothes are hanging out to dry and flowers are fragrant and blooming.

 Plants are everywhere...on balconies, in pots, little gardens and even nailed into the side of trees.

When I first got here there was so much to adjust to....smells, heat, noise, language, culture. On my walk I realized how much it all seems familiar now. The smell of a small food cart selling sausages mingling with the smell of burning incense outside the temple is comforting. Hearing Chinese spoken, although still indecipherable, now piques my curiosity. The greetings as I pass by bring a smile to my face.

This is a good way to begin my attitude adjustment therapy.