Taiwan is a unique place where you can find quite a large number of people who are well into their 20s and still have never kissed anybody. If you have been reading this blog with any consistency you can probably figure out some of the reasons why this occurs. As a teacher it’s something that you always have to be cognizant of. You don’t want to have students talking about bf/gfs or first kiss stories, or something like that, and make the other students feel uncomfortable. Granted things like that are a big part of people’s lives and things that they like to talk about, so being a teacher is definitely a juggling act.
Of course this is less of an issue with the younger generation as they are more and more like westerners. However it still surprises people when I talk about my first kiss. I’m not exactly sure if it counts, but it was in pre-school. I was pushing this girl I liked (and she liked me, I don’t want to sound like some predator) on the swing, and one time on the way back I stopped the swing and kissed her. Yes it may sound sweet, but I must have been a six year old playboy, cause I don’t even remember the girl’s name. Oh well, you just can’t tie six year old me down.
I think of this every time I pass by a swing. But recently I discovered something very sad. When I now swing on a swing, my stomach feels uncomfortable. It’s depressing because I used to love swings as a kid and try to go as high and fast as possible and then jump off. Now I’m some old man with motion sickness. I probably can’t even ride a roller coaster anymore. I guess I peaked at six, and it’s all just been down hill from then.
