THE CLI-FI REPORT

Phil and Annalicia Niemela of Cokato recently returned home after teaching English as a second language in Taiwan, writes Kristen Miller, a reporter in the USA:

COKATO, Minnesota – Traveling to another country is not a foreign concept. However, for Phil and Annalicia Niemela of Cokato, living and working in a different culture was an experience in and of itself.

After graduating from North Dakota State University in 2008, the couple thought about going to South Korea, but they decided to stay put, Annalicia said.

Instead, the couple got part-time teaching jobs – Annalicia at Montrose Elementary and Phil at Dassel-Cokato Middle School – teaching physical education.

After the school year was over, they had “a flash of inspiration” to look into teaching in Asia once again.

“We both value traveling a lot and thought this would be a great way to do it inexpensively,” she said. This would also be an opportunity for them both to have full-time employment.

Annalicia looked online and found ''Footprints Recruiting'', a recruiting agency for teaching English as a second language.

On Aug. 1, 2009, the couple landed in Taipei, Taiwan, its capital city. Taiwan is an island nation just south of Japan and near South Korea and the Philippines, too.

The couple lived in Douliu in Yunlin County. For Annalicia, this was also where she worked. That wasn’t the case however for Phil.

Phil commuted to his school, where he taught English to seventh and eighth graders in Huwei.

This required a 10-minute bike ride to the bus station, a 30-minute bus ride, and 10-minute walk to school.

“And I was just a half a block away from my school,” Annalicia said with a laugh.

Needless to say, Phil began to appreciate the quality of Taiwan’s transporation system.

In Taiwan, the people speak Chinese, Taiwanese, Hakka and many Aboriginal languages. The couple was embarrassed to say that they didn’t even know how to say “hello” -- in hao -- upon their arrival.

By the time they left Taiwan to come back to the USA, the couple had learned quite a bit of the language, though mostly only what they called “survival Chinese and survival Taiwanese Hoklo.”

Since they were there to teach English, many of the people wanted to practice their English with the couple so it wasn’t much of an issue inside of school, according to Annalicia.

The couple both taught in what are called ''English villages''.

Unlike the typical classroom setting, ''English villages'' are rooms have been transformed into airports, airplanes, restaurants, grocery stores, hotels, and more. The idea is to teach students English in popular settings where they would likely visit in their travels to the US.

Their job as teachers was mostly to get the students excited about learning English, as well as teach them about the American culture. The students had formal English classes with other teachers.

They learned how similar the students were compared to those they taught the previous year in Minnesota.

“Kids are kids, is what we found out,” Phil said, explaining that the girls are still “giggly” and the boys are boisterous and like to play rough.

Learning another culture and the language barrier were the most challenging aspects of their time in Taiwan, but there were a lot of highlights, as well.

For instance, they were able to create a lot of connections and good relationships with people; both Taiwanese and other foreigners. The couple also found the different world views of others “eye-opening and refreshing.”

Aside from their full-time jobs, the couple was able to do a lot of traveling around the nation, too.

“We didn’t realize what a great travel destination Taiwan is,” Annalicia said.

Phil explained how the geography is so diverse throughout the small island nation, from mountains to beaches.

One of the most beautiful places they visited was Taroko Gorge National Park, on the scenic east coast of Taiwan.

For example, the couple tried and enjoyed eating ''cho dofu'', or stinky tofu. This is considered a comfort food (like French fried potatoes are for Americans).

The couple learned a lot about the Taiwanese culture, and that “normal” is a relative term.

NOTE: Phil is the son of Bonnie and Aaron Niemela of Cokato, and Annalicia is the daughter of Randy and Lynda Johnson, also of Cokato.

For more stories about their time in Taiwan, the couple has a blog:
http://bloggintw.blogspot.com/