Silly King

Marshall,
This afternoon, I got to dress up like a silly king and climb up onto a roof. It was kind of scary because it was so high. But it was fun. Some of my students from last year are doing a project and I'm one of their "actors". I have to dress up in crazy clothes and wear a strange crown.
Anyway, here's a picture of a Silly King on a roof.
I love you very much!
And miss you,
Uncle Mut

Christmas is coming!

Marshall,
The other night, I was able to hang out at one of the dorms where some of my students live. The dorm-parents were going out, and so they needed someone to be in charge in case there were problems. It's kind of like when I take care of you and Stewart if your Mom and Dad can't be around.
Anyway, it was a lot of fun, and they had a Christmas tree up. Do you have your Christmas tree up yet? I think Pa Tom and Nana Jan put a Christmas tree up recently.
So here is a picture of my friend Semantha and a cool Christmas tree.
I love you VERY MUCH! And miss you.
Uncle Mut

Turkey Day

Marshall,
I didn't take this picture; I found it on the internet. But it's cool anyway, isn't it? Turkeys are funny looking. The good news is that they taste really scrumptous, especially with mashed potatoes. Do you think turkeys are friends with potatoes? Maybe that's why they taste so good together.
Parsnips are the enemies of turkeys and potatoes, I think. Pa Tom told me that you guys were talking about parsnips. Pa Tom doesn't like Parsnips AT ALL!
Happy Thanksgiving to you! I will call you later.
Uncle Mut

Learning to Save Lives

Marshall,
I learned something really cool yesterday! I went to a class called "CPR/First Aid" where I learned different things to do when someone is not breathing. So if anything bad happens, I'll know more and have a better chance of helping. It was interesting.
This picture is of the "dummy" that I had to practice my techniques on. I would press on its chest 30 times, and then breathe two "rescue breaths" into its mouth. It was hard work, actually.
Hey, can you do me a BIG favor? Can you give Stewart a big hug and tell him it is from Uncle Mut? Thanks. Then give Nigel a small gentle hug, too, OK? Thanks.
I miss you guys.
Love,
Uncle Mut

3 New Friends

Marshall,
I went to something called "Junior Carnival" the other night. The 11th graders make a festival of games for little kids, and there are lots of fun games. I was in the "Sponge Throw Booth", where people could throw sponges at my face. It was fun!
This is a picture of three of my new friends. There's Victor, and Vicky, and Claire. Actually, Vicky isn't in this picture, but the girl in the middle didn't tell me her name. She was shy. And Vicky was off playing a game somewhere when I took this picture.
You would have liked them!
You can also see my other friend Walter behind them. I taught Walter last year. He's a really good basketball player!
Guess what? That's right!!!!! I LOVE YOU!!! You're so good at guessing that!
Love you,
Uncle Mut

10 to 7

Marshall,
I went to a baseball game the other night! The United States of America was playing against Taiwan, and it was a really close game. It was 1-1, then it was 3-3, then it was 6-6, then it was 10-6, and finally it was 10-7. The United States won, but it was really close. Taiwan (they call their team "Chinese Taipei") almost came back to tie it at the end.
Do you remember the baseball game we went to this summer with Kaori and Uncle Dave and Amy? Well, this game was much more exciting and it was very loud. The people were VERY proud of their team. There were a few of us who were Americans, and we were proud of our team, too.
Love you!
Uncle Mut

Funny Girls

Marshall,
Sorry it has taken me a while to write a blog entry!
Here's a good picture of two of last year's students. They kidnapped my camera and took this picture. They seems pretty silly to me...what do you think?
Guess what? I've been really busy because basketball season has started. We decided on who will play on the Varsity, JV, and JV-B teams, and now we're practicing for our first games.
Are you having fun with Lauren and Chloe? Tell them I say hello!
Love you!
Uncle Mut

Treat for Marshall!

Marshall,
If I was there in Indiana, I would make you some cookies like these and give you some.
What are you going to dress up as? Are you going to be a spider? A wolf? A window-washer? A cowboy? An airplane? A zebra? A celebrity? A video game player? Maybe a soccer ball? Hmmmm, what are you going to be?
And what is Stewart going to be? A rattlesnake? A telescope? A camera? The color green?
And what about Nigel? Will he be a crying baby? A rock star? A rock? A star?
Hmmmm. I don't know what I'll be, but hopefully I'll get some cookies.
These cookies weren't mine, actually. Somebody else took this picture.
Love you TONS,
Uncle Mut

Music From Unlikely Areas

Marshall,
Hi! So today I was in my classroom and I was giving my students a test over a book. The book is called "The Scarlet Letter". Anyway, I suddenly heard beautiful music coming into the room, but from the back of the room, where my desk is. I looked out the window and some students were playing music with violins and other cool instruments. There weren't any pianos, but it was a very beautiful sound. You would have liked it.
I think music should be played inside, outside, beside you, beside me, and EVERYWHERE. I love music. Do you love music?
Love, Uncle Mut

Golf

Marshall,
Do you remember how I liked to watch golf at your house sometimes last summer? I especially liked watching Tiger Woods because he's the best golfer. Have you ever played miniature golf? Maybe we can play when I visit next summer.
Well, this is a picture of where I took my P.E. students to practice their golf swings. It's called a "driving range", but it's not like driving a car. In golf, they call hitting the ball the first time "DRIVING" the ball. The students had fun, I think...they're already MUCH better than I am.
Do you see all those little white spots? Those are all golf balls! There was a HUGE net in the distance keeping the balls from going too far.
Guess what? THAT'S RIGHT! Good guess!!!! I LOVE YOU, MARSHALL! Please tell Stewart and Nigel that I love them, too.
Uncle Mut

Dora Exploring Taiwan

Marshall,
One of my students was carrying Dora around on his bag. Because I knew about Dora (thanks to my nephews!), I asked him about it. He said he didn't know anything about it...it was just a bag his Mom gave him. So I had to tell him all about Dora and her friends and how she speaks Spanish words. Then I took Dora's picture so that you can see she is in Taiwan. Cool, eh?
Love you!
Uncle Mut

Tree Trouble

Marshall,
Check out this tree! I don't know what happened to it, but it looks like maybe it was hit by lightning. Maybe even a couple of times! There were some squirrels playing on this tree, so now I know that squirrels live in Taiwan, too. I hadn't seen any here before.
How was your soccer game? What position do you play? Do you ever get to shoot at the goal? Next time you play, imagine me cheering you on BIG TIME! "Go Marshall! Yeah!!! Way to go!" And I might say "Jia yo!" which means literally "Add gas!" in Chinese. But it's really an encouragement!
Love you tons!
Uncle Mut

Giant Goat (or Super Sheep)

Marshall,
When I went to the park this afternoon, I saw a huge statue of a goat. It wasn't a real goat, of course, but it was probably at least 60 feet tall. I've never seen such a huge goat or sheep before. Have you?
Right next to this statue there was also a sign that had 3 pictures on it. The first symbol was for "No"; the second symbol was a hand dropping food pieces; the third symbol was a bird. I guess the park doesn't want the people to feed the birds. That seems pretty mean to me, but maybe they have a good reason.
There was also a sign next to a small pond. It had 3 symbols as well. The first symbol was for "No"; the second was a hook; the third was a fish. This one made sense to me...they don't want the people killing the fish.
Doesn't it seem weird that they want to help the fish but they don't want to help the birds? Maybe you can explain it to me if you figure it out.
Anyway, here is a picture of the goat.
Love you!
It was SO GREAT to hear your voice yesterday!
Uncle Mut

Finally!

Marshall,
I'm sorry that I haven't put any blog entries up recently. I've been having difficulty finding pictures you'd like...it's been very dreary and gray here recently. Hopefully, the weather will clear up and I can send you some good shots.
This picture is one I forgot to send you. At my school, we had Spirit Week; this is a picture of some students trying to drink a whole 2 liter of Coke as fast as possible. The winner got points for their class. Of course, it was kind of gross because a few of them threw up after they drank so much so fast. It was yucky, but they had fun competing.
I love you!
Thanks again for the "Happy Birthday" wishes!
Uncle Mut

Statue of the Thinker

Marshall,
I visited a school in Taipei yesterday. The volleyball and soccer teams went up there for some competition with Taipei American School, our "rival". The volleyball team won a VERY close match!
Well, I took this picture of a cool statue they had there. The girl is one of my students...her name is Jareena and she is very funny. When I put Far Side comics up (ask Paw Tom about those!), she makes funny comments. Anyway, this statue is good to have in a school because school makes you THINK. Are you learning neat stuff with your classes?
One time your Mom gave me a gift that was like this statue, but it was much smaller. I used to keep it on my school desk. Sadly, one of my students accidentally knocked it off and broke it. Oops!
I hope you're having a great Sunday!
Love you!
Uncle Mut

Frisbee

Marshall,
I've enjoyed imagining you playing soccer with your team. It sounds like fun!
In my P.E. class, we're playing a game that's like soccer in a way. It's called "Ultimate Frisbee" and it's a lot of fun, too. You throw the frisbee to your teammate, and if they catch it, you run down the field so they can throw it to you. You can't run with the frisbee...you have to throw it.
The only bad thing is that it is SUPER SUPER SUPER hot these days, so it's hard work. : )
I can teach you how to play sometime.
Miss you!
Love,
Uncle Mut

Fireworks in September

Marshall,
Hi again! I wanted to send you this picture I took from the roof of my apartment building tonight. Do you remember the fireworks we saw this summer? That was on the fourth of July. But here in Taiwan, fireworks are common at all different times of the year. Anytime there is going to be a "moon festival", people all over the city will light fireworks through the night. It can get pretty loud sometimes. You would like to see them and hear them, I'm sure.
I love you and miss you!
I hope your soccer game went well!
Uncle Mut

Spider

Marshall,
Can you see the spider? Look carefully.
Do you know how spiders make their webs? Now that you're in school, you should ask one of your teachers that. Ask your Mom, or ask Nana Jan in Spanish, or ask your Dad, or ask Paw Tom. Paw Tom would LOVE to explain it, I'm sure.
I think spiders are pretty neat.
Love you!
Uncle Mut

Davey Jones the Gecko!

Marshall,
Unlike that last picture of a dinosaur, this picture is of a REAL reptile! This is Davey Jones, the gecko that lives in my classroom. He usually says "Good Morning" to me during 3rd period of the day...he makes this sound that's very loud and like a deep song. He's very shy to be around people, though, so it's difficult to get a picture of him.
Can you see him here? He was running away from the camera and hiding under the doorway, but I took his picture anyway.
His name is Davey Jones because my students voted and gave him that name last year.
You would like him!
Love you,
Uncle Mut

Dinosaur!

Marshall,
Today all the teachers at my school went on a retreat. A "retreat" is a time away from the normal things you do...a time when you can relax and think about your life. We spent a lot of time praying to God for our students, and we also spent some time alone.
Well, the park where we went had a few "dinosaurs" around. Of course, they weren't really alive, but they still looked pretty scary. I thought I would send you a picture of one of them. Neat, eh?
I love you very much and miss you!
Please tell everyone there that I miss them and love them.
Uncle Mut

Softball

Marshall,
I saw the picture of you playing soccer (SO COOL!) and I thought I would send you a picture of what's going on in my P.E. class. We just finished a unit on softball, and we had fun. I didn't play, but I watched. I was also the umpire.
Now I'm teaching them how to play a game called "Ultimate Frisbee"--maybe your Dad can teach you how to throw a frisbee and we can play next summer. What do you think?
I LOVE YOU!
Thanks for all your wonderful blog entries! It makes me happy to think of you.
Hugs for everyone,
Uncle Mut

Is this a new species?

Marshall,
I was walking across the plaza this evening and I saw this sight. There was a chair sitting on a branch in the tree! Can you believe it? How do you think it got there?
Maybe a bird got tired of standing on the branch and decided to buy a chair. Or maybe a monkey lives in that tree, but forgot to put his chair away. Hmmmm...it's a mystery.
I love you!
Uncle Mut

30 years ago today...

Marshall,
Today is your Uncle Dave's birthday! Please give him a big hug from me when you see him! And don't forget to wish him a "Happy Birthday"...can you believe he's 30? Time flies.
The first memory in my life was the day that Uncle Dave was born. I remember sitting in the car with your Mom (she was really little...around Stewart's age then...and very cute) in front of the hospital. We waved up at the window and we were both so happy that we had a little brother. The story goes that he was born so fast that the doctor had a difficult time catching him! He was always full of energy when he was little, so that doesn't surprise me.
Enjoy the special day!
Love,
Uncle Mut

Recycling Neighbors

Marshall,
Here in Taiwan, recycling is VERY important. Everyone is required to recycle all of their trash into different groups. So instead of putting all of your trash, you must separate the plastic, the paper, the glass, the metal, and the food scraps. In my apartment building, I could get a really expensive fine if I don't recycle.
Well, some of my neighbors were doing some major recycling, and so I took a picture. When I took the camera out, there were four ladies in the picture, but three of them ran away from the camera! I guess they didn't want you to see them! Ha, ha, ha. Look at all of the bags of plastic containers! Wow!
I love you!
Uncle Mut

Found it!

Marshall,
I found my lost head. It was in the mirror of my scooter, underneath my helmet, in front of my favorite Taiwan bread store. I hadn't thought to look there before, but there it was!
That will make tomorrow easier, don't you think? It's difficult to go around without a head!
: )
Love,
Uncle Mut

Where's my head? Hmmmmm...

Marshall,
In my apartment building, there is an elevator. I live on the ninth floor; I'm very happy that I have an elevator and I don't have to climb the stairs to get to my apartment. That would be very tiring.
Anyway, I took a picture of the inside of the elevator, but something happened to my head. I couldn't find it! And I got a whole lot skinnier somehow. Can you explain this to me? I'm confused.
I love you!
Please give everyone a big hug from me!
Uncle Mut

P.S. Are you always obeying your Mom and Dad? I hope so.
P.P.S. I'm SO proud of you!

Volleyball team

Marshall,
This is a picture of the volleyball team I am helping. I am the assistant coach. They are all very nice girls and they are improving all the time. Yesterday we had two matches. We lost the first match but then we won the second one. So we're improving, which is one of our goals. Do you like volleyball? Maybe we can play that next summer when I visit again.
Guess what?
That's right, good guess. I LOVE YOU!
Uncle Mut

41-10

Marshall,
Did you hear that the Colts won? I didn't get to watch the game, but I heard about it. Was it fun being downtown before the game? Did you see any players? I like the picture you put on your blog. Here's another one. But I didn't take it because I wasn't there. I just borrowed the picture from the internet. Cool picture, eh?
I love you and miss you!
Uncle Mut

Downpour

Marshall,
I heard that you had a great first day of school! That's awesome! I want to hear all about it...about what you're learning and what you like the most. Don't forget to keep taking pictures, OK? Also, make sure that you do all your work!
Here in Taiwan, when it rains, it usually comes down really hard! Today we had a really short but intense downpour. It was like a flood of water falling from the sky. Then, half an hour later, it was gone. You can see in this picture how amazing the rain is.
Do you like the rain? Do you like storms? I do. I know that Nana Jan likes storms, too.
Please tell everyone that I miss each one of you.
I love you!
Uncle Mut

Guarding the Firewood

Marshall,
I had to go in to school to make some copies this afternoon, and when I was leaving, there was a group of kids guarding some firewood. They didn't want any big people to come and steal the wood. I didn't get the whole story, but apparently, there are people who like to steal firewood. These people must not have enough of their own firewood to make fires. Anyway, they were doing a good job guarding the firewood. Then I took their picture and they all left. I didn't understand why they left. Maybe when I took the picture of them guarding the firewood, they felt like it was safe. Any ideas?
Love you!
Uncle Mut

Fish!

Dear Marshall,
I went to the market today and even though I didn't buy any fish, I thought you'd enjoy seeing this picture of some of them. They are dead already and are on display. Right behind this vendor, there is a stall with chickens in cages. They are still alive, but if you want fresh chicken for dinner, they are available. I didn't take a picture of them...they look very sad in their cages.
I have some funny friends who won't buy chicken at this market, but they will buy chicken at the grocery store across the street. Isn't that funny?
Guess what? (I'll wait until you guess...)

THAT'S right...I DO love you! Good guess!
Uncle Mut

Fire Station

Marshall,
Do you know how Uncle Dave is training to be a fire fighter? Well, if he is hired, he will be riding on big fire trucks. Here in Taiwan, the fire trucks are VERY LOUD, but they look a bit different. Also, there are funny animated characters on the building where the fire trucks are--like cartoons. Here is a picture of the station near my apartment.
Love you!
Uncle Mut

Procrastinating my Chinese homework! : (

Marshall,
"Procrastinating" means waiting until the last moment before doing what you're supposed to do. It's a bad habit, so I hope you won't do this. But you can see from the picture that I had to do my Chinese homework this afternoon after church. I videotape the class and then I watch it on my computer. The notebook there is for all my practice with Chinese letters. They are hard to write. Next summer I'll show you what I can write.
Love you!
Uncle Mut

Church

Marshall,
Hi! I took a picture of where I go to church so that you could see it. We meet in the basement of a really tall building. It's full of friendly people. After the service, they serve lunch to anyone who wants it upstairs. Today we had a really good Chinese meal. Sadly, though, I bit down on a bone, which kind of ruined the rest of the meal. : )
I miss you!
Love,
Uncle Mut

Multi-layers of Clouds

Marshall,
I like this picture, but I can't remember when I took it. I think it was in between storms. Aren't the clouds cool? Do you know the different types of clouds? There are names like "Nimbus" and "Cumulus" and some others. You should ask your Mom or Dad what the difference is between them.
I heard that you're taking piano lessons! Wow! Do you practice on the keyboard in your house? Tell me all about it sometime. Who is your teacher? What notes are you learning?
My first week of teaching is done and I am tired. : )
I love you!
Uncle Mut

Ben and Teri

Marshall,
This is a picture of two great people...Teri graduated last year and she is really funny. She always goes to buy me a "Passion Fruit Green Tea". Ben is her good friend and he is always making really funny faces. Ben and I are sad because Teri is leaving next week to go to Vancouver, Canada. She will be going to college there.
Love you!
Uncle Mut

Some of my Students

Marshall,
Well, the school year has started. Here is a goofy picture of one of my classes. There will be a serious picture on my other blog soon, but I thought you'd like this one. They are very nice kids and I'm glad to be their English teacher. Of course, I've already assigned them homework.
I've also started taking a Chinese class. It's pretty difficult and it keeps me busy.
I'm also helping to coach a volleyball team. I'll post a picture of our team soon.
I miss you!
Love,
Uncle Mut

Playground with Cool Tree

Marshall,
I'm not sure if my last post was published, so I'm trying this out to see if there is a problem.
This is a picture of the playground at my school; I like the picture because of the red blossoms on the tree.
Love,
Uncle Mut

Guard Friend

Marshall,
This picture shows one of my friends...he is a guard (of apartment buildings) on my way to work. He looks very serious in this picture, but he smiles and laughs a lot. I always try to get him to help me with my Chinese, but he only wants to talk in English. He's trying to learn English, and he is doing a lot better. Almost everyone here in Taiwan is nice and friendly, and they LOVE little children. Many Taiwanese people would be very impressed with Stewart's blond hair because there aren't too many people with blond hair here.
I've been busy trying to get ready for the start of the school year. School starts on Monday.
Love you!
Uncle Mut

Beautiful Moth

Marshall,
I don't know if you like moths, but this one was really cool. I saw it at school today and I took its picture. It was a friendly moth and didn't seem to mind at all. In fact, I was able to convince the three science teachers to leave it alone rather than catch it for their collections. : )
I enjoyed your latest photos and blog entries. Wisconsin sounds like a fun place! I wish I had been there.
Love you!
Uncle Mut

Exercise Bike

Marshall,
I've decided to get in shape because I know it's going to be tough to wrestle with you next summer. You're already so strong! I've got to be ready for when you're even stronger. Well, one of the ways I'm getting in shape is by biking. However, I don't have a a bike like yours. My bike is a stationary bike and it sits in one of my apartment's rooms. I have it facing the window so that I get a good view of the city. It's fun to bike when it feels like you're high up in the air.
I hope you had a good camping trip! I miss you!
Love,
Uncle Mut

Temple in Taiwan

Marshall,
Hi! This is a picture of a temple one block away from my apartment. It is a very big temple. Temples here are types of churches for some of the Taiwanese people, but sadly, they often honor objects or statues or dead people instead of the God we know. Sometimes it gets very loud in the courtyard when they play music and chant to their gods.
One interesting thing that happens here is a women's exercise/dance class. They meet in the courtyard in the evenings, and sometimes there are over 100 women at once. They play some American music! In fact, I have seen them exercising to COUNTRY music. Can you believe it?
Do you like the decorations on this temple?
Love you!
Uncle Mut

Taroko Gorge

Hi Marshall,
I just returned from an exciting trip to Taroko Gorge. This is a very famous place in Taiwan because it has HUGE steep rock walls with incredible waterfalls and great views. It is an amazing place and I'm very glad I visited it.
While we were there, a typhoon hit the island. A typhoon is a really big storm that brings a lot of wind and rain. This was a pretty small typhoon, but there were quite a few landslides and lots of rain! I actually saw a landslide. Here they call it a "Rockfall" and there are "Danger--Rockfall" signs everywhere.
My friend and I had rented scooters, so you can imagine that we got very wet when we were driving. You won't believe me, but I crossed a suspension bridge ON MY SCOOTER! Since it seems unbelievable, my friend videotaped it. I will send that to you.
We also went on a really long hike that really made my knees sore. It was much steeper than our hikes in Brown County, but I can't say that it was more beautiful. Both places are VERY beautiful. I prefer Brown County because I was there with my nephews, who are awesome. Yes, I'm talking about YOU, silly. You and Stewart and Nigel. : )
I had a very good time.
I miss you!
Love,
Uncle Mut

Ecuadorian Flag in Taiwan

Marshall,
In front of the school where I teach, you can see a whole long line of flags. These flags represent all the countries where our students come from. If you look closely, you can see the Ecuadorian flag. There aren't very many Ecuadorian people in Taiwan, but two of our students are Ecuadorian! They are the sons of the Spanish teacher at our school.
When I look at this flag, it reminds me of where I grew up. Uncle Dave and your Mom and I went to a great school there called The Alliance Academy. Maybe you'll visit there someday.
I love you!
Uncle Mut

Planes and Tanks

Marshall,
Today I worked on making a video about our adventure at the Indianapolis Zoo. You will really like it! It has some great video clips of you, Stewart, Nigel, your Mom, and Uncle David. I will send it to you later this week.
These pictures are from a park that is near my apartment. There are several airplanes, several tanks, and some other military stuff. I don't know much about the history of these things...all of the signs are written in Chinese. I haven't learned how to read Chinese yet!
I miss you!
Love,
Uncle Mut

Cat Claws

Marshall,
Well, I told you about that house that was being torn down. This morning I went back to get a picture and the house was all gone! You can see in this picture where all the remaining trash is. This "CAT" machine did the work...watch out for cats, I say! Yesterday you wouldn't have been able to see the road or the fruit stand across the street. Now, it's all cleared out.
Guess what? "What?" No, guess. "You love me?" Good guess! I love you, Marshall. Hello to everyone.
Uncle Mut

View on a (pretty) clear morning

Marshall,
Here is the view from my 9th floor apartment. There are 12 total floors, and so I'm about 3/4's of the way up. When there are earthquakes, the building shakes and shakes. But it's safe. You can see the mountains from my apartment, but only when it's a clear day. I'll send you a picture from the roof one of these days.
I walked to McDonald's for breakfast this morning. When I was walking back, I saw a big machine tearing down a building. It was pretty exciting; unfortunately, I did not have my camera with me. Boooo! I have to remember to take it with me.
How was your Mom's art show? Did you like it? I'll bet it was really cool.
Love you!
Uncle Mut