Kyle & Jenny's Blog

Christmas and New Year Photos

kylemullaney — Fri, 01 Jan 2010 13:56:23 +0000

Here are a few more photos from Christams and then our New Year photos.

Unwrapping Presents

kylemullaney — Wed, 30 Dec 2009 05:51:08 +0000

Here are photos of us unwrapping a second wave of presents!

Christmas Videos

kylemullaney — Fri, 25 Dec 2009 07:30:45 +0000

Here are videos of us opening presents. They are long because they are for family. I hope you enjoy!

Christmas Part 1

Christmas Part 2

Photos Mid December

kylemullaney — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 15:28:13 +0000

To let you all know we had plans to return to the states at the end of January and into February. Our plans fell through. We are planning to visit in the summer. We will let you know more as we know.

We have a christmas party on Saturday and then another on Sunday so we should get a good bit of Chrstmas ‘Cheer’.

Here are some photos taken recently:

Kaohsiung 22-10-2009

thetscc — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 09:15:48 +0000

Photos of Amanda

kyleandjenny — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 04:49:27 +0000

September 2009

thetscc — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 08:10:34 +0000

It has been a while since I posted. The delay is due to a busy summer and laziness.

Much has happened so I will be quick. Jenny has begun her masters program in Taichung but our move has been delayed. We have delayed in moving because Jenny got a full time coaching position in a town not far from pingtung. She signed a 1yr contract so we cannot move till next summer.

I am doing well. I am working at the same job as before. The cricket season is underway again. We have a big tourney this coming weekend. It should be fun.

Amanda is doing well. She is growing and of coursing running and getting into everything. This past weekend we were in Taichung visiting friends who married about a year and a half ago and have been in South Africa and are back on vacation. Amanda was running about and fell and knocked out a tooth. We tried to save it but the dentist said it ould not be put back in. Now Amanda looks like a proper Kentuckian!

When I get some photos up I will let you all know!

~Kyle

Update June 15th 2009

kyleandjenny — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 09:09:34 +0000

Dear all we have been somewhat busy traveling the island not for fun but for various other reason. I realize that there maybe some confusion about Jenny’s current situation so I will clear that up.

In May Jenny took a placement test for a masters degree at the PE college in Taichung. She passed the test and then went through the interview and she got in. At the same time she has been looking for a teaching position. When she applies for a teaching position she also has to take a test. In my last report I said she was going to Taichung for a test that was for a teaching position. She did not make it to the interview stage. Since then she has taken at least two more test; one was this weekend. She has a test in Kaohsiung next Sunday (most are on Sundays) and then the day after she has one in Chiayi, about an hour south of Taichung. Do you get the feeling that every school has their own test? It seems like they do; she missed several tests last summer when we were in America. Sometimes the school announces the test 1-2 weeks before so you have little chance to prepare. They make their own test on what ever they want also. Jenny will go to Taipei in July to take a test that all schools island wide will have access to. Why don’t all schools just use that test? No bear in mind they take 6-12 people for interviews so if you pass the test you still have to back for an interview. But, before you can even take the test you usually have to apply in person so you have to make at least two trips to the school before the interview! The weekend that Jenny did not have a test in Taichung she was there applying for two tests. As you can tell I am quite perplexed by this system because it seems to defy logic; make one test in the three big cities can call it a day. This country loves tests! !here is a test for everything! Once a month from grade one to grade 12 there is a big test (three days worth). A test for primary school students to see which middle schools they can go to. Then a test for what high school middle schoolers can go to; the results limit students more than the SAT limits an American student’s choice of college there is no flexibility, basically tyhe results tell you what school you go to. Then there is of course a test for what college you go to. Then you have to test to get into the major you want and if you want to change majors you take another test. With all these tests you would think you would be done once you have graduated college but no you have to test for certification in your professional area (in most cases) and then I am sure companies giving tests to applicants is common. I can see where every school having their own tests comes from but I also know it would no sweat for them to arrange a mass test in several cities; they do it all the time. Under the current system we cannot go anywhere, i.e. out of country, because we don’t know when or where the next test will be. I would love it if a school would schedule a test in Thailand or Korea or Hongkong. I would gladly make that trip!

Two weekends ago we had a day of cricket in Pingtung there are photos and a write up on on the cricket team website. I scored 17 runs. Is that good? My average has been 2 so for me that is quite good. This weekend’s cricket was rained out so hopefully we can play next weekend.

Amanda is doing fine. She is making the ‘indian’ ah wa wa wa sound and buzing here lips and flipping her fingers across them. She grabs everything she can reach but is getting better at listening.

I will get pictures up soon.

~Kyle

May 19th Update

kyleandjenny — Tue, 19 May 2009 02:49:21 +0000

I have a bit of exciting news. Jenny is apply to a fulltine position in Taichung on Friday. Should she get the job we will be moving. She is not very confident about it so please pray for her. There are three steps in this process: application, test, and interview. We will know the result in early June.
I am headed to Taipei this weekend for the final cricket tourney of the season. It is a big one involving eight teams. A little too big I think. I should get several chance to bat. I will also be meeting a Christian brother who I have been talking to for months. He plays for another team. I will be staying with him Saturday night. I am taking the highspeed rail up; I will get photos because this train goes 187mph. By car it is a four hour trip. By normal train the trip is 4-5 hours. On HRS it is 1hour and 30minutes.
My current job us going great. It will be hard to leave. My boss and her family are Christians and she is very easy going. She actually started her school because she did not like the stress of working at other bushibans and kindergartens. She is Taiwanese and she has a masters in TESOL from Barry University in Florida.
We are going to Taichung next weekend for the long holiday. We will be seem members of a church in Texas who come every year for two weeks to work with the missionaries. It is always a joy to see them. Pray for then abs their work. One guy had his carry-on stolen during a layover, I think. We are not clear about the exact circumstances but we know his passport and money are gone.
Amanda is doing well. She and jenny went swimming Saturday. I could not go so we will go in three weeks when we have time again. Below are pictures of Amanda swimming.

Update May 5th 2009

kyleandjenny — Wed, 06 May 2009 09:02:35 +0000

Well we have excellent, though bittersweet news. Jenny passed her interview and test; she had the highest score and was the only female among the finalists. We do not know the full scope of the ramifications that come with this news. For example, we do not yet know if she will have classes one two or three days a week. It is possible that she will have more than that. All that we do know is that the program starts next fall. At this point she hopes to hold of moving until after the first semester of classes. We will see how that goes.

Amanda is going well. She is walking and getting into everything. She is eating from our plates. Also, she constantly says “Ah Yo!” a Chinese expression similar to “wow” and “ah no”. I often ask why she says it constantly and she replies, “Ah Yo!”.

I am working at a full time job now. I did not realize how much I enjoyed eating my dinner in anonymity while riding the train. Now I have 10 sets of eyes watching my every move, my every bite, my every sip of a drink, every stroke on the keyboard; it’s going well.

I have a few weeks off cricket before a big tourney in Taipei. Jenny and I are filling that free time with plans. Saturday we are planning on going swimming at a gym where her friend works in Kaohsiung. After that we are going to an Andy Warhol exhibit in Kaohsiung. We will see how Amanda does at a museum.

At the end of the month, the week after my big tourney, we will be seeing some friends from Texas. They come every year to work with the IMB missionaries in Taichung or Kaohsiung. This year they will be here during the dragon boat festival so we have a long weekend to go see them.

Other than that all is going well. I will keep you all updated on any changes.

Also I was in the national newspaper with my cricket team last week. Here is the link to the article. I put it on the team website.

Here are photos of Amanda playing with her present from Grandpa. Also, there are a few pictures of her demonstrating her lack understanding concerning the intricate relationship between gravity and her drinking a bottle!