FAUNA

Fauna in Taiwan has been harder to observe. What I mostly get to see is what is living with in the city.  The packs of stray dogs in the city I live in, are a large majority of the wild life I see. There are of course the tame beasts, like the dog that is chain by the school most of the time. I named him Bruno. I love to see the butterflies here, when I'm outside with my kindergartners I can but be just as distracted as them  as  a 7 year old is, when they flutter by.  I have yet to see monkeys but I know that there is a large population of them on the island so it's only a matter of time. The other animal life I encounter on a daily bassets are the Kindergartners.  I find that there habits and social structure are similar to ours. Thought I love these kids I some times see myself as a animal trainer.  Having them curb there animal tendencies for at lest three hours a day.  "Sit nicely", it's almost a command that you use on a dog, and here I say it almost 15 times a day to the children. They do fallow the command,  it doesn't last long, but I do enjoy the few seconds that they do as I say.  Then there is the getting to speak English at all. Of course like any animal trainer I use rewards. We token here when they something that we want them to say. I doll them out like doggie treats, trying to make sure that everyone gets some, but then I can't give them anything if they don't speak.  But I know that's just a matter of time before the hunger of getting a token will work its magical properties and words will fly out of their mouths, into my ears, and a token will go into their open and ready pocket.