October 2008 ESL Newsletter

Hey Everyone!

We hope everyone is surviving these typhoons with no problems! It has been a crazy month so lets hope for some good weather for a while. We have put together another information packed newsletter so sit back, relax and enjoy!

Thanks!
The Reach To Teach Team

Photo Contest

We would like to remind everyone about the Reach To Teach photo contest and that the deadline for all entry's is October 15th! Thanks to those who have already sent in your fantastic photos.

An example of a fun picture of Amanda with her students!

Reach To Teach would like to announce our first photo contest! We want to see pictures of you enjoying your time in Asia, wherever you might be! The winner of the contest will win a 4G brand spanking new iPod Nano (if you want, you can also choose cash)! All entrants will be treated to a couple free drinks at the next RTT event, so everyone's a winner!

Sounds great, right? Here are the rules:

1. You must submit a minimum of five (5) pictures. More is fine!
2. At least three (3) pictures must be of you in your school, preferably with your students
3. The rest of the pictures can be of anywhere or anything in Asia.

How will the contest be judged? Excellent question. We will make judgments based on the following three factors:

1. How clear the pictures are
2. How creative your pictures are (location and poses)
3. Great pictures of you and your students are a definite bonus!

The deadline for this contest will be October 15th. All submissions should be made to Andrew at Andrew@ReachToTeachRecruiting.com

Some of your photos may even end up being featured on the Reach To Teach site!

Environmental Pledge

Each of us here at Reach To Teach firmly believe that we have a moral obligation to do what we can to preserve the environment, which includes our adopted homes here in Asia. We would like to use this space to encourage our teachers to make an extra effort to conserve energy and reduce our negative impact on the world.

To this end we have put together this list of 10 easy ways that you can make a difference right now. It is never too late to make a positive step in the right direction!

1. Switch Out Your Lighting

CFLs (compact fluorescent light bulbs) are well known for substantial energy savings (they use about 75% less energy than standard incandescents), plus they last much longer. Over the course of a year this can add up to a significant energy saving and lower electric bills!

CFLs are easy to identify by their unique spiral shape, but they also come in all shapes and sizes. They are available in most home improvement stores.

2. Turn Off Lights

Your dear old Dad wasn't just being stingy back when he fussed at you for leaving lights on after you left the room. Lighting is responsible for about 11 percent of a home's energy bill. By turning off the lights you don't need you'll begin to see savings right away and this will extend the lifetime of those bulbs you just replaced.

3. Unplug Unused Chargers and Appliances

Even when you aren't charging your cell phone, laptop or other appliances, they continue to draw electricity. In fact we throw away about 8% of our annual electric bills this way, adding up to a tremendous waste of energy and money.

The solution is simple: just unplug them or use a surge protector and flip that switch when your device has pulled enough juice.

4. Wash Your Laundry in Cold Water

An easy way to clean green is to turn the dial on your washing machine to cold. Most loads don't need hot water and 90% of the energy used by washing machines goes into heating. The higher the water temperature, the higher the cost to you and the planet.

5. Water Smarts

Rather than buying single-use bottled water use a water filtration system to filter your local tap water. Filters are safe to use and are very cost effective. Bottled water requires much more energy to produce, store and transport. Barely 20% of those plastic bottles end up getting recycled and most are made out of petroleum.

Buy a reusable bottle to take with you on the go. These are easy to refill from a tap and thereby avoiding bottled water. Stainless steel is a good choice because you don't have to worry about the potentially toxic chemicals that can leach out of many plastics over time.

6. Bag It

When you go out shopping bring your own reusable bags. This preserves resources by cutting down on the huge number of paper and plastic bags that are discarded after a single trip. While you're at it, cut back on your use of plastic utensils and paper napkins. A great tip here in Asia is to bring your own chopsticks whenever you eat out, thereby cutting back on the huge number of bamboo chopsticks that are discarded after only a single use.

7. Install Low-Flow Water Fixtures

Decades ago, toilets used 5 gallons per flush, but these days more efficient models are readily available. Low-flow models use less than a gallon and work great. If you want to do it the McGyver way try placing a brick in the cistern to cut your water usage by up to 50%.

Save even more water and money with a low-flow showerhead, which can slash bathing-water consumption 50% to 70%. These devices are simple to install and start at around $8 USD.

8. Travel Light

When and whereever you travel, plan carefully and take only what you know you will really need. Reducing the amount of baggage we take with us seriously reduces the amount of energy it takes to get us there. If every traveler reduced their travel load by 10 pounds the combined gas savings would equal 350 million gallons over the course of a year.

9. Recycle!

We are not just talking about the simple stuff, newspapers and plastic bottles, but everything in our daily lives. Old cell phones and other electronic equipment can easily be recycled and put to good use. Donate your old clothing to goodwill services. Anything that does not end up in a landfill is helping our environment.

10. Take Public Transportation

By one estimate, the public transportation system in the United States saves 3.4 billion gallons of oil a year (and cuts greenhouse gas emissions by 26 million tons). Get your fair share of the savings by looking up the local bus route or climbing on the subway.

Even better, walk or bike to work or school whenever possible. Every mile you pedal or stride saves you gas, saves you money and puts you in better shape. If you trade in a trip in the average car, you'd save about $1 for every 5 miles you walk or pedal. Use the money to buy a new umbrella for rainy days, or put it into a savings for a rainy day shopping spree!

These are just a few of the ways that each one of us can do to save energy and do our part to preserve the environment for future generations. For more information to find out more ways to help, explore each one of these links.

Thanks!
The Reach To Teach Team

Feature Teacher - Nick Kozak

Nick with one of his classes

Well, where to begin, I guess with birth. I can't say I remember much of it, since my mother opted for pain killers. The miracle of life was overshadowed on my part by a morphine cocktail. Some score of years after that I decided that the womb as well as America was a bit too typical for me and I needed an adventure. To quote the great Iron Maiden, I simply had to "Run to the Hills"

After only six months of life on this small kidney-shaped island, it's already feeling like home. I'm craving more rice than bread, and allowing myself to drive my scooter as if I'm wearing a blindfold. Alright, so it's not really a kidney, maybe an appendix. I'm living and working in Yuanlin, that's in Changhua County. It's referred to by locals as "the bayou of Taiwan." I'm not sure exactly what they mean by that, but I think it's the infectious kind of phrase that should be spread around. Yuanlin also holds the title of the "biggest town in Taiwan," in that it's not large enough to be called a city. I've found this scenario to be really beneficial, since it allots for a private life in a country-esque surrounding while simultaneously being connected to the major cultural arteries of this adrenaline gland-shaped island.

I've got to say though, this whole experience has been extremely liberating. I've gained bucket-loads of confidence in the classroom. I felt very intimidated when I first got here. My major was Art in college, and I had never even heard of the present perfect tense or the grammatical ins and outs of things like type two conditionals and indirect speech. The school I'm teaching at has done a swell job of educating me on the matter. They've also taught me new Briticisms, which for the most part seem as bizarre as Chinese. For example, if you're having a friendly drink with co-workers and one seems to be boasting on and on about something worthless, it's appropriate to say "Ark at ee." Aside from these cultural oddities, the folks I work with are a clean and industrious people. The school I'm at in particular is a great scene. My franchise's owner makes a point to host tons of events and gatherings between the western teachers and Taiwanese teachers. It really promotes a friendly atmosphere and opens up opportunities to make Taiwanese teachers blush and nervously put a hand over their mouth.

I wasn't always so cocky though, it's taken years of social manicuring to get to this point; and I had to reevaluate all those things when I first got here. There was a lot of fear at first, much like Icarus, soaring up into the sky towards the heat of the sun. I didn't buckle under that pressure though, NO! I embraced it. As a result, it's allowed my quirks to come out in class. Attendance, for example, is just a riot. I've got my kids saying "Here I am, Rock you like a hurricane" The Scorpions have not ruled Asia like this since the 1978 tour of Japan! There is one difference though...my kids rock harder!! I even use the song for certain games we play and they freaking love it! I think next I'll introduce them to Sabbath, teach them "I am Ironman" or how to bite the head off a dove. Using heavy metal in the classroom is by no means a new technique. German archaeologist, Adolf Furtwangler created a working parallel between Greek Classicism and the rise and fall of Queen. It's a fascinating read, check it out sometime!

Now, I'm not the type to regret, I am however the type to lament on occasion. There are only two things which I actually miss about America, well, specifically New York. One is burritos. I will not embellish any more on the subject, since it will only upset me. Two is my active vocabulary. I've got a fierce love for words. I will never love a woman the way I love words. They're such a great way to communicate, so much better than grunting and hitting. Let me tell you, that didn't attract a lot of friends when I first came over here. (FYI: It's not that good for job interviews either) I only wish people warned me about it before i got here. In either case, I'm still glad to be in Taiwan even if my vocabulary good isn't so anymore.

So, if you have any comments, concerns, queries, or questions, regarding alliteration, rock n' roll, or what part of human anatomy Taiwan is similarly shaped to, feel free to drop me an email or simply come to Yuanlin. It's on the western railway, just south of Taichung. When you get here, look for the ninjas wailing on guitars like crazy metal gods; my apartment is on the other side of the street just above the noodle bar.

Have some of your own experiences you would like to share? Email us and we will put you in the next newsletter! Mitch@ReachToTeachRecruiting.com

Chinese Lesson

This month's Chinese lesson is all about the noodle shop. No doubt you have found your own local noodle shop just around the corner, but were maybe unsure how exactly to order or what exactly you were getting. Hopefully this lesson will help you broaden your eating habits and try something new and tasty. Enjoy!

牛肉麵
- niu rou mian
- Beef noodle soup. A personal favorite and very easy to eat.
- You may also see 干拌 (gan ban) which means they use dry noodles

排骨麵
- Pai gu mian
- Pork loin soup. Can be harder to eat but is also generally a good meal.
- You may also see 干拌 (gan ban) which means they use dry noodles

肉燥干麵
- Rou zao gan mian
- This is a meat sauce mixed with try noodles. The taste can be very strong.

沙茶干麵
- Sha cha gan mian
- This is an Indonesian meat sauce mixed in with noodles. Again the taste is very strong but good.

榨菜肉丝干麵
- Za cai rou si gan mian
- This is preserved Szechuan pickles combined with a meat chop and dry noodles.

混沌麵
- Hun dun mian
- Hun dun is similar to a dumpling with meat inside. Served in a soup with noodles.

阳春麵
- Yang chun mian
- This is a shallot served in a soup with noodles.

水饺
- shui jiao
- Standard dumplings. Good stuff!

牛肉汤
- Niu rou tang
- Beef served in a soup. No noodles

排骨汤
- Pai gu tang
- Pork loin served in a soup. No noodles

酸辣汤
- Suan la tang
- Hot and spicy soup. Usually pretty good to eat with something else as part of a meal. No noodles

金针汤
- Jin zhen tang
- Lily flower soup. No noodles

榨菜肉丝汤
- Za cai rou si tang
- Preserved Szechuan pickle and meat served in a soup. No noodles

Enjoy!

FYI, a great site to keep learning Chinese on your own is www.zhongwen.com

Tastes of Taipei from the New York Times

Like any great restaurant, Old Wang Beef Noodle Soup King has no sign. It sits on Taoyuan Street, not far from Taiwan's presidential palace, and there are pretty much only two ways you'd know to go there instead of the similar noodle shops that surround it. Either you spy the line, which is long but fast-moving, and figure all those families, businessmen on lunch break and fashionable college kids are onto something. Or you catch the scent of broth - soy, anise, chilies, beef - which draws you inexorably into the dining room, where your intrepidity is rewarded with chewy wheat noodles, a rich and clean-tasting soup and hunks of meat that shred juicily at the slightest pressure from your tongue. There may be no better beef noodle soup in all of Taipei.

Hidden in plain sight, popular but light-years from trendy, surprisingly accessible and instantly enjoyable, Old Wang is also a perfect metaphor for Taipei, the Chinese capital you haven't heard much about in 2008. This was, after all, Beijing's moment in the sun, with the Olympic Games giving it the opportunity to strut its stuff on the world stage.

And Taiwan? The little democratic island of 23 million just can't compete with the Communist state of 1.3 billion that claims it as a renegade province and would react unfavorably if Taiwan's leaders were officially to declare independence. Unless you're in the semiconductor business, chances are you'll choose the Forbidden City over, say, the Chiang Kai-shek Memorial, especially when Taiwan's tourist bureau promotes it with slogans like "Taiwan: Touch Your Heart."

Which is a pity if you like to eat, for food is one arena where Taipei - the world's most underrated capital city, according to Monocle magazine - blows Beijing away. Its food incorporates more influences, spans street food to haute cuisine with greater aplomb and is out and out more delicious than that of its mainland counterpart. Not to mention that its people are perhaps the most comestible-crazed Asians outside of Singapore - no excursion is complete without, say, a bag of stewed duck tongues at journey's end.

My high opinion of Taiwanese food may be somewhat biased: My wife, Jean, grew up in Taipei, and her family still lives there, on the edge of Ximending, an exuberant neon-lighted night life-and-shopping zone that's like a friendlier version of Shibuya in Tokyo. Whenever we visit - as we did for a week last November - her family and friends ensure that we fill our bellies with the best food around.

Want to read on? Follow this link Here to the full New York Times article.