Last year I went to the Confucious Temple on Nan Men road in Tainan to celebrate teachers day, but unfortunately I missed the celebration. My friend Fili did happen to catch it so you should check out his story about teachers day.

This year was different. I ended up at a free barbecue (did you say free? As Homer Simpson once eloquently said, “if it’s free, it’s for me, I’ll take three”). I made it to this place and had no idea how many people would be there. There were several hundred people though, all packed into a little area in the field area in the back of a nice new school.

There must have been 100 barbecues (all supplied, with coals and food and drinks and everything!) burning at the same time!

People were so close together it was difficult to walk around. Everyone was looking at me as I was the only “big nose” there. I couldn’t breathe. It didn’t stop people from relentlessly fanning the coals on their barbecues.

The fumes from all of those barbecues and the oppressive heat and humidity were causing me to hallucinate (or maybe that was from the deer antler alcohol that MR Huang gave me that is allegedly good for your hips ).

I stepped away to get some air and took some pictures of the nice new school.

At this Taiwanese school they learn English step by step.

I also managed to get some shots of the event from a higher vantage point within the school.

I was told it was a teachers day party, but anywhere I go lately there is a stage with a load of presents on it, complete with supporters of The Taiwanese KMT party and a karaoke machine.

They gave away a lot of presents that day.

I even won a new style shoulder bag thing.

Perhaps it’s a man bag…?!?!?! I’ve learned that it’s not whether or not you have a man bag, it’s what is in your man bag that counts.