These past two years have been very busy for me. In one week, I will graduate from Monterey Institute of International Studies with a Master's in Teaching Foreign Language (specifically Chinese). However, ironically, I will be teaching English for the next year. I won a Fulbright Grant for an English Teaching Assistantship (ETA). Fulbright ETAs are sent to countries all over the world to provide language and culture exchange and promote diplomacy. I will be going to Kaohsiung, Taiwan! I don't have all the details hammered out yet, but I sure am excited! I'll be able to practice pedagogy and classroom management, immerse myself in Chinese, and of course, experience the beauty of Taiwan. I hear that it's great for birdwatching! 

However, due to the circumstances, I do not know how active I can be on deviantART while I am working in Taiwan. Internet access should be available, but the question is whether I have to go to cyber cafes for it, or whether I can pay for it in home, and of course, how much it will cost. Fulbright ETAs get a limited stipend. So, this blog is a heads up that I might not be as active as I am currently.

Also! I mentioned earlier that Fulbright scholars are supposed to act as cultural diplomats, especially of American culture. I've already planned with one of my Chinese teaching friends to do a pen pal exchange. She will be teaching Chinese at a high school in Hawaii, so it's a great opportunity for those kids. If you're American or have lived in America and would like to interact with Taiwanese kids learning English, please let me know! The exchanges could take the form of email pen pals, Skype calls, interviews... I'm sure my students would be very excited to have the chance to practice English with Americans (or residents of the USA). If you're interested, please comment here or note me, and tell me a bit about your background - where you live, what you do, your language background, and anything else you can think of. The more diverse the better! After all, the US is a salad bowl of cultures! Every time I plan an interactive activity, I will ask you first to make sure you are okay with it.

Aaand let's end this journal with a feature! Here are some recent faves I picked up, aren't they lovely?