This document is a school newspaper from Kang Chiao International School that discusses various topics related to a Grade 10 cycling trip around Taiwan.
The first article summarizes interviews with current Grade 11 students about their reactions when they first heard about the cycling trip last year. Many were skeptical and called it "mission impossible." They encourage younger students to challenge themselves with the trip.
Another article provides safety tips and an equipment checklist for students preparing for the long-distance cycling, including proper clothing, medical supplies, and an alternative plan.
Additional articles describe culinary projects in foreign language classes where students made and learned about traditional Mexican foods like tortillas, salsa, and churros. Recipes for making these dishes at
1. Special Feature . . . “Cook’s Daily” : Tribute to
Super Staff of Kang Chiao’s Canteen . . . page 3
of significance to us as an experience
of our original power.
We are young, and it is Spring !
Impressively, I still remember when
I reached the apex of the mountain,
and I remember feeling that I could
not reach anything of such propor-
tion until that time . . . it’s amazing!
In ceremony, I received my honors.
Because we view present occur-
rences of the time with certain per-
spectives, choices and consequences
empower us to grow through pain.
When I returned home, I felt
excited !
I believe Rainbows come through
formidable circumstances readily.
When I was on the way to Kang
Qiao International School in Taiwan,
I saw the Pacific Ocean . . .
“We always need to keep
going persistently. When
we cannot persist, we need
to think of something that
is of significance to us as
an experience of our
original power.”
“Because we view present
occurrences of this time
with certain perspectives,
choices and consequences
empower us to grow
through pain”
KangChiaoTimes
~ The Cycling Issue ~
Purples In The
Hottest Summer______________________
By Ruby Yang
KCT Correspondent
______________________
By Marissa Xiao
KCT Correspondent
______________________
By Ray Chen
KCT Correspondent
Kang chiao cyclists Accel !
Stories from the Road in taiwan... page 5
Sports. . .
Backcover
Badminton, volleyball,
& More . . .
Cycling Taiwan
Grade 10 Prepares for
Rite of Passage
The Taiwan cycling trip has already
become an indispensable activity for the
Grade10studentsofKangChiao. A12day
riteofpassage,thejourneyfromTaipeihas
been consistently testing students over the
past 5 years, as a way to temper students’
willpower, character, and endurance.
Needing to overcome all kinds of
factors such as climate, topography, and
weather, some of this year’s G10 stu-
dents will also be traveling to a strange
land as they embark on 12 days of
true grit and determination to “steel”
themselves for life’s challenges ahead.
For many high school students, one of
the most important things in life is to
have the opportunity to attend a well
known university; and one of the sim-
plest ways in which to prepare for uni-
versity life is to participate in more
activities as a way of enriching one’s
knowledge of self, and as a way of hav-
ing a “life changing” experience to share
as part of one’s university application.
Kang Chiao has designed a strength
and endurance training program , as
well as dietary coaching, to help stu-
dents prepare their bodies for the dif-
ficult task that lay ahead of them in
February and March. About Every 2
weeks from the end of October, grade
10 students have been going on extend-
ed cycling trips to Suzhou, which is a
kind of trip they will do during the first
3 days in Taiwan as a type of “warm-up”
for the long journey around the island.
Kevin Cheng & Kang Chiao Cyclists of 10A brave the heat and humidity during their tour of Taiwan last July.
Strength, Courage, & the Will to Persevere
In this Issue . . . The Complete Cycling Companion . . .
3 pages of cycling articles, photos, and fun
documenting Kang Chiao’s Students’
Taiwan Adventure . . . page 4
Food & Culture . . .
Follow the fabulous photos
and stories from the road,
listing the luscious delights of
Taiwan’s cuisine, sensational
sights & magickal landscapes
pages 4 thru 7 . . .
Sports . . . page 8
~ Volleyball, Football, Badminton & more
Fad & Fashion . . . page 3
~ Student Fashion Designers & KCIS Uniform Policy
Kang Chiao News . . . p. 7
Stories that are important to you !
Our life is like one journey . . .
Nevertheless, there will be situ-
ations that are unanticipated which
will be debated and experienced
without any prior preparation.
A few weeks ago, when I thought
about Spring I realized that it is not so
far off, it is coming to get closer to us.
This Spring of 2016, I, and my
classmates, have traveled to Taiwan to
share one cycling journey of 996km
around the entire island.
When we first arrived there to
dwell in the Platinum Hotel it was
raining, and I was still having some
daunting feelings; however, eventu-
ally, through the clouds I came to see
the sunshine.
We always need to keep going
persistently. When we cannot persist,
we need to think of something that is
In the future, last years’ 10th graders
from Kang Chiao International School
East China Campus (KCISEC) might for-
get what “Cos” means; they might forget
how to use grammar correctly; and they
might forget how to greet each other in
Spanish, but they will never forget how
hot it was in Taiwan last July.
On the 6th of July, 2015, immediate-
ly following their final exams, last years’
10th grade traveled to Taiwan to embark
upon their cycling adventure. The 12 day
journey started from KCIS Xiu Gang
campus, and ended at the same place.
Amazingly, all of the students complet-
ed the mission “impossible” successfully.
However, not all of the students had the
same ability to cycle. Some of them were
accomplished at riding a bike but some
of them were not. As the elder students,
the current 11th graders wanted to share
their stories with their peers from grades
9 and 10, in hopes that it would encour-
age them. Some excerpts from these in-
terviews follow . . .
“What were some of the first com-
ments you heard from your friends about
cycling around Taiwan?” The response
from almost all of the interviewees was a
laugh and an amazing smile.
“The school was crazy.”
“First time when I heard this news?
Nuh… I cannot do it. I doubted myself. ”
“It is interesting, but how could that
be possible?”
“When I first heard of this activity”,
Miss. Natany laughed,
“I think the school is out of its mind!
It is mission impossible! ”
This was the most common answer
from the elder students. Furthermore,
while students were preparing themselves
during the training period, the possibility
of completing the journey was doubted
and questioned by many students, who
gave the Taiwan journey a name: “The
Mission Impossible”.
Whether you can see a problem ap-
proaching or not, it will eventually hap-
pen. The 11th grade students did not want
to foreshadow what will come after the
training. However, they did encourage
younger students to join the adventure
and be ready for the challenge.
Miss Jessie from 11th Grade suggest-
ed, “Once in a lifetime, although it seems
crazy, this journey can bring you to a new
wonderland. Do not waste the chance to
see the world differently.”
(Story Continued on Page 5)
photos by Carrie Xu
Cycling is also sport for which the
athlete must prepare quality safety equip-
ment as well as proper safety precaution.
In this way, some of the potential danger
is eliminated and both student and parent
can feel more relaxed about challenges of
the cycling journey.
A general prep-list for the journey
is as follows . . .
1) Proper amount of layered clothing,
which is important for the winter months
2) Long Distance Cycling Equipment;
including water, energy bars, and other
liquids
3) Medical Care
4) Alternative Scheme, in case of
weather or surprise occurrences.
(Story Continued on Page 5)
Spring Edition May, 2016 East China Campus
Culinary Delights
of Collaborative
Learning & Foreign
Language Culture . . .
page 2
Special football features !
stones photo by Hasel Wu
photo by Ray Chen
photo by Ruby Yang
photo by Carrie Xu
photo by Jimmy Jin
2. Page 2
Food & Culture
Feasting On Foreign Delectables
Students Delight in Foreign Languages’ Project Based Learning
______________________
By Nancy Gao & Claire Huang
KCT Correspondents
Meanwhile, back at Kang Chiao in Huaqiao . . .
“Hey, Jacob. Where are the tenth
graders?”
“They are in heaven!”
“What?”
“Oh . . . I mean cycling around
Taiwan.”
“And the rest of us?”
“Stuck in our usual cage, of
course.”
“Shhhhhh, DSA might hear us !”
“Well, anyway at least we can find
out what that smell is…”
“What ???????”
It was already the third week of
school. What made students in Kang
Chiao so excited? We followed this won-
derful smell down to the end of the third
floor hall and found a classroom full of
laughter and food ! Luckily, the next day
our journalism class visited the very same
language classes again and discovered the
secret of Mexican soul food . . . Tortillas
and Salsa ! Students and teachers in the
classroom “kitchen” not only made the
food on their own, but they also learned
about a new and different culture. Let us
have a look . . .
According to Mrs. Shipman, Mr.
Quezada, and the video they provided,
the original idea of the triangle shaped
tortilla chip was developed by Rebecca
Webb Carranza. During the late 1940s,
Rebecca and her husband established tor-
tilla factories in southwest Los Angeles to
produce their delicatessen foods through
mechanized methods. However, at first,
many of the corn and flour disks were
misshapen and had to be thrown away. By
cutting the tortilla disk into triangles and
frying them, Rebecca was able to sell for
10 cents a bag. Later, the tortilla snacks
became popular in America. As a result,
Ms. Rebecca greatly contributed to the
Mexican food industry.
The history of Salsa sauce is that it
originated in Inca, a part of the Yucatan
Peninsula, and what is now Mexico.
Salsa is a combination of tomatoes, on-
ions, garlic, chillies and other spices,
which is traced to the Mayans and Incas
of the ancient Yucatan. When the Span-
iards arrived in Mexico and conquered it
as their colony, they then had their first
experience of the fantastic fruit, or vegeta-
ble – tomatoes. Aztec lords came up with
a creative idea which combined tomatoes
with ground squash seeds, and chili pep-
pers, and consumed them as a condiment
served on turkey, venison, lobster, and
fish. Then, in 1916, in the great American
City of New Orleans, Louisiana, Charles
E. Erath became the first person to manu-
facture “salsa”, and set up factories to mass
produce his salsa recipe. Later, the indus-
try of salsa began to spread westward to
the city of Los Angeles, California, and
eventually around the world.
Luckily, our journalism class also got
a chance to make and taste those amaz-
ing foods. Most of the students from the
Spanish and French Classes, as well as our
Journalism class, enjoyed the food a lot.
According to Mr. Jimmy, he doesn’t like
the smell of onions. However, after he
tasted the salsa, he soon fell in love with
the whole creation, even the chunks of
onion within it. Furthermore, Mr. Con-
nor said that he saw “hot” Mexican girls
and beautiful views of South America
while the salsa danced in his mouth.
“I am in the paradise,” Miss. Ruby
praised, “and I just can’t stop eating this
stuff.”
You must have eaten Youtiao in Chi-
na. But have you ever heard of churros ?
To put it simply, churros are “Youtiao” in
Spanish.
According to our research, the pop-
ular modern history of the churros is that
they are a kind of traditional Spanish des-
sert which were created by Spanish shep-
herds. They lived on the top of mountains,
so fresh baked goods were impossible to
come by. Those ingenious, nomadic folk
of the hills came up with a delicious cake-
like, cylindrical, daily staple which they
could cook in a pan over an open fire.
This was the birth of Churros ~ or was it ?
Originally churros were made in the
similar sizes as breadsticks. The differ-
ences between them are that people usu-
ally eat churros plain or rolled in cinna-
mon sugar. In Spain and other European
countries, churros are very popular for
breakfast, although they have become
a necessity at noon teas as well. Howev-
er, the presentation and types of churros
may have some differences because peo-
ple who live in different regions of Spain,
or in different Spanish speaking countries
have different tastes.
However, according to an article by
Laura Cronk in ThePrisma called “Chur-
ros: a secret history”, churros were origin-
ally discovered by the Portuguese when
they visited China and first sampled “you-
tiao”. The Portuguese took them back to
Europe and covered them with sugar in-
stead of salt. This tradition then migrat-
ed to Spain where the story of the origin
of the “youtiao” was lost. The Spanish
shepherds then made them into a shape
that resembled the horns of their churra
sheep, after which the ancient “youtiao”
became known as “churros”; and since
that time, churros has traveled from Spain
to Central and South America, and on to
many other Spanish speaking countries.
The most common way to eat churros
is plain, or rolled in sugar. Then, a hollow
and jumbo-sized churro were created,
and stuffed with all kinds of delectable
fillings such as chocolate, dulce de leche,
and fruit. You’ll find both the original
Churro (Churrito), and the stuffed, jum-
jumbo-sized churro (Churrisimo), served
at Churrisimo Café eateries.
Now that you have learned about Chur-
ros being the very popular snack of Spain,
would you like to make them in your own
kitchen? Actually, the process and ingre-
dients are very simple. Many people can
make churros at home.
Here we go . . .
Ingredients: butter, flour, milk, eggs,
hot water, sugar, salt
1. Put the butter, flour, hot water, milk and
eggs in a big bowl
2. Mix the ingredients together in the
bowl until the all of the materials com-
bine with each other to the ropy liquid.
(You should make sure there are no massy
clumps of flour or butter in there.)
3. Add the flavors of sugar and salt in it,
and then mix it again
4. Put the liquid into the pastry mecha-
nism to make it into tubes, and fry it in
hot oil.
5. Then flavor them as you like, with sug-
ar, cinnamon, chocolate or many other
things
6. EAT IT!!!
As you can, see the process of making
churros is really easy. This is why many
people like to make them at home and
enjoy them anytime they want; especially
while watching a football match.
Tortillas & Salsa
The Secret to Mexican
Soul Food
EatingSunshine
French Crepes Celebrate
Return of the Sun
______________________
By Ruby Yang, Jimmy Huang,
& Connor Zhou
KCT Correspondents
______________________
By Louis Lin, Dustin Ye,
& Stephen Fang
KCT Correspondents
Recipes from the Foreign Language Department . . .
Brittany Style Crepes
The recipe for crepes is really easy, which is one of the reasons why it
has become a daily food. What we need is one cup of flour; 1 spoon of
sugar; one quarter spoon of coarse salt;1 or 2 cups of milk; 2 or 3 large
eggs; 3 pieces of butter.
First, combine all the materials in a blender, mix it until it is smooth
and have bubbles on top. Then, pour the mixture into a oiled and heated
pan, until it is the size of crepe that you want. Fry for 2 to 3 minutes until
underside of crepe transfers to a golden brown. Flip it over, and fry the
other side to golden brown. Now spread it out on your plate and fill it
with whatever you want in. It becomes your own crepe ! Bon appetit !
Chile Style Churros
Ingredients: butter, flour, milk, eggs, hot water, sugar, salt
1. Put the butter, flour, hot water, milk and eggs in a big bowl
2. Mix the ingredients together in the bowl until the all of the materials combine
with each other to the ropy liquid. (You should make sure there are no massy
clumps of flour or butter in there.)
3. Add the flavors of sugar and salt in it, and then mix it again
4. Put the liquid into the pastry mechanism to make it into tubes, and fry it in
hot oil.
5. Then flavor them as you like, with sugar, cinnamon, chocolate or many other
things
6. EAT IT!!!
Mexican Tortillas & Salsa
Most of you may have eaten a lot of
junk food at McDonald’s, like hamburgers
or french fries. They have too much ener-
gy that people can not digest. As a result,
it gives you a fat body. But what kind of
healthy food we can eat in our daily life?
The secret is with the French class at Kang
Chiao.
Crepes, a kind of traditional French
food, which also is called “Sun cake”, is
a French kitchen specialty consisting on
a very thin piece of dough, spread on a
frying pan and fried lightly to golden
brown. Actually, crepes are not a spe-
cialty anymore, as they spread through-
out the world and are considered to be a
kind of French-style pancake which can
be dressed up with sweet things such as
jams and fruits, or savory things such as
sautéed vegetables and cheese. Thus, they
can be as a dessert or as a meal, although
they are commonly served as dessert or as
a very tasty breakfast.
According to our research, as well
as speaking with Mrs. Perrot, crepes are
one of the symbols of the French region
of Brittany, where this wonderful food
was created, and were originally called
galettes, meaning flat cakes. Buckwheat
grew abundantly during the 12th centu-
ry in the region of Brittany, and because
it contained all the essential amino ac-
ids and higher proteins, it made an ideal
grain for the making of these flat cakes.
Crepe making has evolved during recent
century from wood fire to gas or electric
heated. People now are using electric pan
and flipped with spatula. In the local areas
of France, crepes or galettes are tradition-
ally served with wine.
On February 2nd, to celebrate the
return of the sun, the French observe a
holiday known as “Crepe Day”, during
which they do not only make a lot of the
crepes, but, while they are cooking, they
also hold piece of gold, or a coin, in one
hand and the frying pan in the other.
They flip the crepe by tossing it in the
air with a sudden upward jerk of frying
pan, as a master chef would do it; and if
the crepe is properly flipped and caught
with the frying pan, then the whole family
will be rich. Throughout the day people
are dancing and eating crepes in order to
celebrate the return of the sun, the abun-
dance of spring, and the hope of a good
harvest in the autumn.
What do we need for salsa?
2-3 fresh Large tomatoes,
Half of the onion.
1 jalapeño chile, remove stems & seeds
Juice of one lime
Salt, Caraway, Garlic
Roughly chop chile, onion, tomatoes,
& garlic ~ Put mixture into food
processor, squeeze in lime, add pinch
of Caraway & Salt to taste, then pulse
processor & blend until “finely diced”
What do we need for Tortillas
1. Tortilla-flour, oil, hot water, & salt.
2. Mix them together like bread dough
& make them as thick as a coin & large
as your face.
3. Fry them on a hot oiled pan until
each side is golden brown.
Spread tortilla on plate, add your
homemade salsa, and grated cheese if
you wish ~ Salud !
photos by T/Th Journalism Class
3. Page 3
Cook’s Daily: 11am,Time to Eat !
Cafeteria Staff Commited to Support & Service of KCIS
Food & Fashion
______________________
By Cindy Duan
KCT Correspondent
______________________
By Esther Wang
KCT Correspondent
______________________
By Esther Wang (story & photos)
KCT Correspondent
Have you ever thought about where
the food you eat at school comes from?
Do you want to know how our canteen is
run? Well then, turn back the clock before
dawn.
It is 3:30am when the whole of
Huaqiao is full of darkness, and the
lamps in Kang Chiao canteen are lit.
In the middle of the kitchen, there is a
row of pots which are full of porridge.
Under the steam from the pots there are
some vegetables which may appear to be
indistinct.
“Every morning the workers start
to prepare food by 3:30, especially the
porridge; and work for preparing the ta-
ble wares starts at 6am”, says Head Chef
Charles, “And at 6:30, it’s time to eat.”
At 8:30am, when students are
having their first class, workers start to
clean the canteen and prepare for lunch.
Usually the canteen staff is classified into
two different groups, one group who
works in the canteen, and the other group
who works on floor b1 .
First, workers put all the dishes into
the carts, tip out the rubbish, and then put
the plates together. Second, the workers
who work in the canteen itself start to
clean the tables and floor, then carry the
dishes and plates to floor b1. Third, the
ground floor workers clean all the table-
ware and sterilize them. Then, they carry
the clean dishes to the canteen and give
them to the workers who finish the rest of
the cleaning. All these steps are complet-
ed in 2 hours, and by then it is 10:30am,
and time for lunch.
Ailing Han is one of the workers who
works in the kitchen and who’s main job
is making the sandwiches. When it is 7
7:30am, she starts to wear her apron and
make the sandwiches for lunch. As we all
know, making a sandwich is not difficult;
all Han needs to do is wash the
vegetables, cut them into shape, put the
vegetable, meat and bread
together, and finally give the sandwich a
sterilization. However, she needs to do
this process at least 300 times in 3 hours.
“It’s busy but l feel joyful be-
cause l love the students”, says Han, with
a big smile.
At 10:30am, the first group
of students to arrive in the canteen for
lunch will show up in only ten minutes,
and then the line for sandwiches will be
packed with people. Three hours later,
the second general cleaning of the day
begins.
At the other corner of canteen,
Ms. Ding is preparing the noodles for
supper. At 4:50pm, Ding uniformly re-
leases all of the noodles at the table, just
in time for supper. Gradually, students
come into the canteen, and the boiling
noodles make a tiny noise which sounds
like ’ci’…finally, Ding picks them up with
the colander, then putting it down, pick-
ing up; and if there is only one student
who wants noodles, then she only needs
to do this action once. Gradually Ding‘s
face becomes more and more red, while
some little droplets emerge on her face.
Finally, after half an hour’s work with the
noodles, the dinner comes to an end.
“Healthy happiness, that’s the wish
for every student from me. l love this job
and l see it as my responsibility; because
it’s the only thing l can do for the future
of China,” says Ms. Ding; after which she
departs for home at 8:30pm.
No one is in the canteen anymore,
except the moonlight waiting silently for
the morning to bring 6:30 once again.
Varied Uniforms Of Kang Chiao
Offer Insight On Academic Life
The Future of Fashion
The Student Designers of Kang Chiao
Nowadays, fashion design is like a
delectable fruit that makes people drool
just at the mere mention of it. Fashion
is a form of free speech. It embraces not
only clothing, but also accessories, jewel-
ry, hairstyles, beauty and body art. Cur-
rently, more and more young people pre-
fer to follow a career in fashion, so that
fashion designing has become a popular
job. Fashion designers creates clothing,
including dresses, suits, pants and skirts,
and accessories such as shoes, for con-
sumers.
There are many students at KCIS who
want to be fashion designers. My class-
mates Angela Li and Jenny Ye also have
a fashion dream, so I asked them some
questions about their opinions on fash-
ion. Angela Li wants to be a fashion de-
signer because she thinks a designer can
create clothing for other people, and she
believes that it would make her satisfied
if people choose to wear the clothes that
she designs.
When Angela watched a video about
fashion week in Paris, she saw models
wearing designer’s clothes and walking
down the runway; their clothes really at-
tracted her. At that moment, she felt that
she also wanted to design clothes like the
designers who were at the show. Angela
wants to be a shoes’ designer because ev-
eryone wears shoes everyday. Shoes are
vital in our daily life, and she also believes
that a pair of shoes shows the taste of a
person. So, she wants to design shoes for
people. Angela thinks if people like her
clothes and are willing to wear them,
then she will commit to being a fashion
designer. Karl Lagerfeld is Angela’s favor-
ite designer because he is a designer for
both Channel and Fendi. He still works
as a designer now, although he is already
eighty-two years old. He can create popu-
lar clothes that affect the fashion industry.
Even though the competition is fierce,
Angela will try her best to design clothes
and become a professional designer.
Jenny Ye wants to be a fashion de-
signer because she is interested in colors
and patterns which inspired her to be in-
terested in designing clothes. That special
moment that inspired her to become a
more colorful, and it is also a pursuit of
high quality of life.
It is good for life not only materi-
ally but also spiritually. People express
their ideas through their design products.
Fashion covers a wide range of things and
many people are attracted to them. It is
generally known that fashion changes
our life, and has a huge influence on our
perception. The development of fashion
is rapid so that the tendency of fashion
is also ever changing. The expression of
fashion can be everything, as for me, any
small charge can cause an explosion of a
fashion cycle, and the designers’ works
can reflect it.
Fashion designing is really an amaz-
ing job. We are all in a fashion world.
Student designers at KCIS are studying
hard and they are preparing a big fashion
show. They are the future of fashion. Last
but not least, I hope that each one of you
who has a fashion dream will realize her
dream. Although becoming a designer
may not be easy to achieve, one’s striving
for her dream will make her an excellent
ending on her fashion path.
(The artwork displayed in this article was taken
from the International Dept’s bulletin board)
fashion designer is when she was watch-
ing the fashion show. The fashion show
always inspired her, and gives her the
opportunity to experience different emo-
tions. Jenny wants to be the fashion de-
signer who majors in clothes. Because
through the evolution of the era, more
people cannot be satisfied with the old
types of clothes. So she wants to be the
kind of designer who “stands out” in a
“Fashion Revolution”. Vera Wang is Jen-
ny’s favorite designer because she did not
start her “Fashion Revolution” until 40
years old. Although Vera Wang’s wedding
dresses are not complicated, they really
please Jenny’s tastes in fashion, and Miss
Wang also has fighting spirit that will not
ever allow her to give up. Jenny thinks
that although the competition is intense,
her real ability of designing things can
make her stand out amongst the competi-
tion, and that she can always use her own
ability to prove herself.
I had many deep feelings after inter-
viewing my friends. Everyone has differ-
ent points of view about fashion. I think
fashion is a lifestyle that makes our life
Miss Linda
Miss Angel Ge
Miss Chocolate
Miss Hillary Miss Somnus Liu Miss Corina Chong
The school uniform is not only help-
ful in facilitating the management of the
school, but is also conducive to supporting
the physical and mental health of students.
There are two kinds of uniforms
in Kang Chiao, formal wear and athletic
wear. Students need to change their uni-
form according to the curriculum they
are attending. Although formal wear is
much more elegant than the sweat suit,
students prefer to choose the convenient
and cost efficient one.
There is a school logo on the uniform
which symbolizes to humanity, self-im-
provement and amity. Student uniforms
encourage unity, are beneficial in cultivat-
ing the students’ team spirit, strengthen
the school’s overall image, and enhance
the collective sense of honor. School uni-
forms can also produce a feeling of equal-
ity, to avoid comparisons amongst peers
while on campus.
Kang Chiao has many strict rules re-
garding uniforms, including that students
must wear school uniform in the school.
If someone does not wear uniform, he
will be send to DSA and have detention.
Many students want to wear their own
clothes because they think it can show
their character and style. But Kang Chiao
does not allow them to do it.
In the school, not only students but
also teachers have school uniforms.
Teachers wearing the uniform in some
special occasions. Many teachers have
excellent dress sense, which can help stu-
dents to have a desirable mood, and to fo-
cus in class. It also makes the school look
more attractive and professional.
In conclusion, there are many sides to
this conversation; many students prefer
to wear the school uniform, and some of
them do not. In the end, Kang Chiao has
a lot of room for improvement in regards
to having everyone feel satisfied and enjoy
a healthy study environment.
photo by Cindy Duan
photos by Carrie Xu
4. Stories From the Road
Page 4
It was a difficult “war” to fight, and
it was a day you had to fight for yourself.
The Fifteen days of cycling Taiwan
started on February 23rd. Students from
Kang Chiao comforted themselves on
their bicycle and promised each other to
cheer for the final victory together. It was
a big challenge for 10th graders to insist
on riding forward through the wind and
the rain, or whatever came. They deeply
felt their cheering, laughing, fearing, and
crying on that island where they gave
their effort and perspiration.
Ms. Stephanie said:” I will never for-
get that day we were riding in the big rain;
I couldn’t even see the road in front of
me. I used up all the energy in my body
to climb up those steep slopes.” She also
shared that the team cooperation part
touched her: “To win the competition in
the morning, which was about our daily
habits, our class rearranged our personal
belongings and carefully cleaned our
rooms to help gain the class honor.”
When I asked her to imagine what the
11th graders’ cycling trip would have been
like in 2015, she showed her admiration
and surprise, and said that it was hard to
believe that they finished the cycling trip
during the 40 degree summer weather.
To understand how the 11th grad-
ers finished their cycling trip last year, we
found Miss Ruby to answer some of our
questions.
“Hello Miss Ruby. This is Carrie from
Journalism class. I have several questions
for you about the cycling that you and the
11th graders did last summer.”
“Sure.”
“The first one is, we heard that when
you were climbing the postcard mountain
that it was above 35 degrees. How was it
that you never gave up? What is the thing
that encouraged you all?”
“Well, I think it was the sense of unified
response from class. We had the cohesive
power of shared suffering. Whenever any-
one was in trouble, the rest of us would
cheer her up and ride behind her to keep
her from being taken over by the class
who was following us.”
“Wa, that’s really awesome. You all are
such a fabulous class.”
“Thank you!”
“The second question is which part of
the journey was the most challenging for
you?”
“I think it was when I had finished the
whole cycling trip. To be honest, I didn’t
know how to ride a bike at all before
cycling Taiwan, and sometimes I had to
ride alone. So I felt proud of myself for
insisting on finishing all of the miles.”
“That’s really amazing! Thank you for
your help. I really appreciate it.”
“You’re welcome. It’s my pleasure.”
As one can see, cycling Taiwan is not
easy to accomplish. However, there were
no difficulties that could shake us out of
our conviction. It was our war! It was our
war that we had to fight for ourselves!
TheBigFight
KCIS Cyclists Battle
To The Finish . . .______________________
By Coco Zhou & Carrie Xu
KCT Correspondents
______________________
By Kimi Lu
KCT Correspondent
______________________
By Jimmy Jin
KCT Correspondent
______________________
By Kevin Meng & Delbert Ye
KCT Correspondents
______________________
By Jason Ou
KCT Correspondent
The Many Spectacles of Taiwan
Vast and Varied Sights of a Magical Island
The 10th grade students of Kang
Chiao International School went on a 15
day cycling trip around Taiwan during
Feb 23rd to March 9th. Even though the
temperature and weather became ob-
stacles, witnessing an amazing series of
sights made it worthwhile, and most of us
put up a fight to struggle and finish the
tough adventure.
For the first few days, our mission
was to get used to our new bicycles, so we
cycled around the bicycle paths continu-
ously. Although we were always cycling
on the same path, we saw some creative
wall paintings on the side of the walls.
There were all kinds of paintings such
as the cartoon bear called Kumamon.
Kumamon was drawn on the walls with
different types of positions and actions.
Other paintings were full of words
which were drawn in different forms and
styles, showing the painters’ ingenuity.
Some of the paintings were drawn with
bright and dazzling colors and a few of
them were decorated with different little
shapes. Those paintings were extremely
rare in the world today, especially since
some countries have banned wall paint-
ings in public.
As we rode through the cycling path,
we could see the Taipei 101 building
clearly in front of us. Taipei 101 is one of
the most famous places in Taiwan. It has
101 floors and all the shops are all major
international brands. You can see the en-
tire region of Taipei from the top of 101.
Daytime and nighttime views have their
own merits. I, however, prefer the night
view. You can get recorders in different
languages to translate the writing at each
viewing station so you can learn a little
about Taipei’s history.
The elevator ride up on 101 is pretty
fun as well. It was really fast and had lights
up on the ceiling of the elevator to resem-
ble the night sky.
Night markets in Taiwan are the best
place to take a glimpse of Taiwan culture.
Food is important for Taiwanese, and
‘Shilin’ night market is a massive exhibi-
tion of Taiwanese food. There are lots of
food choices and an array of clothes and
toy shops. Everything you might want to
eat or find is available at the night market.
Prices are usually accessible for all people
and negotiations are accepted by many
business owners. I guarantee that night
markets in Taiwan are a sight that should
not be missed.
These sites can rarely be seen in any
other place around the world. In Taiwan,
there are still a lot of places that are fasci-
nating. I would recommend going to Tai-
wan at least once, and I promise the trip
would be fantastic.
Taiwan’s Triple Phenomenon Experience
The tenth grade students of Kang Chiao
international school went on a 15 day bike
trip around Taiwan during February 23rd
to March 9th. Despite having body fitness
training for one semester, most of us put up
a fight and struggled to finish the tough ad-
venture. During such a meaningful event, I
personally discovered three amazing phe-
nomenon including; “tired but fulfilled”,
“there is always someone to cheer you up”,
and “the food always tastes nice and the
bed is always comfortable.”
I figured out the first phenomenon on
the third day. It seemed to me that all the
food was especially delicious, and all the
bed looked so tempting. Although I knew
that it is only because we were tired and
mostly hungry on the bike, it is still nice
to have plenty of yummy food to eat, and
not have any trouble falling asleep at night.
I discovered the second phenomenon
on the sixth day of my cycling trip. I
found this strange pattern that no matter
where we would go or visit, there was al-
ways someone I did not know that would
cheer me up. Once they had seen with the
bike and my uniform, they would cheer
for me as if I was a warrior.
I found the third phenomenon when
I actually finished my journey of cycling
around Taiwan. That feeling was similar
to winning a championship after years
and years of fighting. It was one of those
few times that I felt like I was proud of
what I had done.
In conclusion, the Taiwan trip was
deeply rewarding and meaningful. I liter-
ally grew “bigger” and “stronger” by gain-
ing some weight. I am also rewarded with
skills to cooperate and communicate with
others. Although the journey was harsh I
would do it again if I had the chance.
Ila Formosa
& Personal Victory
FeelingDead
Struggling to Finish
photo by Hasel Wu photo by Hasel Wu
photo by Hasel Wu
photo by Hasel Wuphoto by Lucy Lu
Taiwan, a beautiful island off the east
coast of China, was once called the “Ila
Formosa,” meaning “Beautiful Island.”
The name was given by Portuguese sail-
ors, after they discovered the island previ-
ously unknown to Europeans.
Taiwan is known as being a “foodie’s”
paradise and is able to fulfill virtually any
travel dream you might have. However,
could it fit the bill if you were going there
to cycle for fourteen days?
Kang Chiao offered 10th graders a pre-
cious opportunity – to cycle around this
beautiful island of Taiwan. We headed to
Taipei on Feb. 23rd and conquered many
places there, the most important being
what we conquered in ourselves.
It’s not an easy feat to cycle 60-100
kilometers each day, up and down hills,
in rain and 30 degree weather. All of us
wanted to quit at some point. But we had
made a commitment, to ourselves and
each other, to persevere until the end !
Who would have thought, a mere three
months ago, that I had no experience with
cycling! Now, as of March 9th, I have a
fourteen day, 969 kilometer cycling trip to
claim as a personal victory!
I felt dead when I was in Taiwan.
The mountains were high, and the road
was crooked. When I arrived in Taiwan,
it rained for 5 days. That’s why I felt dead.
Most people talked about how Taiwan is
a fairyland, but not when we were biking.
We biked what felt like 100 kilometers
a day! Every day was a challenge. On the
first day, I thought to myself, “How dan-
gerous could this be? I won’t die here.” For
the next few days, everything was great!
I felt fine and ready to bike; however, by
the fourth day, I felt like dying. We had to
ride the bicycle up a high mountain.
When I reached the top of the moun-
tain, I saw the downhill, and it was dan-
gerous. Since it was cold and rainy, the
roads were dangerous. I tried to be care-
ful, but my speed kept getting faster and
faster. I was going so fast I thought I
would die. Soon, I hit a post and fell off
the cliff, but my hands caught me and I
was safe.
Lesson learned: don’t think everything
can be okay. You never know what can
happen next.
photo by Connor Ma
photo by Hasel Wu
photo by Jimmy Jin
photo Ray Chen
5. Stories From the Road
Page 5
______________________
By Ruby Yang
KCT Correspondent
______________________
By Ray Chen
KCT Correspondent
______________________
By Ice Wu
KCT Correspondent
- Magical Tales From The Road -
Stories Of Pain, Courage, and Inspiration
Have you ever cycled around Taiwan?
Do you think that’s a difficult and impos-
sible assignment? Now I can tell you. I
have, and I think that it is entirely possible
and everyone can do that with endeavor,
confidence, will, and perseverance.
Everyone at KCIS knows that the grade
ten students cycle around Taiwan with
their classmates unless, for some reason,
they are unable. Being in grade ten my-
self, I have just completed this difficult
task.
The tenth grade students prepared for
an entire year for this cycling journey, in-
cluding cycling training, and gathering all
of the necessary clothing and equipment,
such as proper riding gloves and clothing,
as well as raincoats, helmets, and water
bottles. We were all so excited and expect-
ant about the trip. We also heard a lot of
reverie about it from those who had gone
before. Before we left for Taiwan, we all
thought of the trip as if it were some kind
of a daydream which would be impossible
to do.
We were kind of afraid, a little bit ner-
vous, but the most exciting thing we had
was expectation, and the anticipation of
the trip.
Following are some of the unforgettable
stories from the road…
On February 23rd the entire Kang
Chiao 10th grade students and teachers
fly from Shanghai Pudong Internation-
al Airport to Taipei. We were so excited
to have the opportunity to go on a long
journey with our classmates. My Dad,
Mum, and my little brother saw me off
and blessed me, encouraged me, gave me
courage, hope and a sense of security. I
love them so much and I promised that I
would try my best to take care of myself,
and be safe and sound.
On the third training day, after being
in Taipei, we cycled to visit the original
Kang Chiao school at Xiugang campus.
The magical campus is on the top of a
mountain and It was difficult for us to
ride to the school. After we had arrived
we were very tired, but the campus was so
beautiful that it seemed to be just like a
wonderland. The students there were very
welcoming and very enthusiastic toward
us. We communicated with them and
played games together happily. I liked the
other KCIS in Taiwan, and the students
there, very much.
One of the most difficult challenges of
the entire trip was waiting for us on the
first day of the official start of the jour-
ney; BeiYi Road, or the “ROAD OF THE
DEAD”. The weather that day was very
wet and cold with continuous bouts of
heavy rain.
Although we wore our raincoats, our
clothes still got wet, and we were became
very tired from the riding. Shivering in
the cold wind, we shared our noon meal.
The most noteworthy things about the
day was that one of the strong boys in
my class gave me his coat because he saw
me shaking violently from being wet and
cold. I was so moved about that my face
almost filled with tears.
On the Eighth day of our cycling jour-
ney, my class was first in line. From Dapo
Pool to Zhiben, was about 69 kilometers’
distance. When we reached the Dapo
Pool we stopped to enjoy the beautiful
view there. The afternoon riding con-
tained some hard climbing, and by the
time we had reached this fourth day of
riding, we had already mastered the skills
of controlling uphill and downhill speed.
What is more, was that our physical
strength and endurance were also gradu-
ally increasing day by day. But there was
still pain and tiredness with us every day.
Girls who were at the end of my team’s
line had physical strength that was not
as good as the rest, and although I was
one of them, I still struggled to keep up
with my team. Along the way we admired
some of the beautiful roads of Taiwan, its
mountains, its fields’ unique beauty, time
and time again enjoying the easy and
comfortable riding after struggling uphill.
We were able to see many rare fruit trees
on both sides of the roads, such as dragon
fruit, banana, mango and more. In addi-
tion, we saw natural things which were
peculiar to the region of each section of
the road, such as betel nuts, Shijia, Lian-
wu.
The ninth day also was one of the
most difficult days during our distance of
travel. Yes ! On this day we defeated the
“BIG DEVIL KING”; the mountain called
“ShouKa”. We rode along the coast of the
Pacific Ocean, and the sunshine that day
was very bright and hot. Although we
were dead tired, the view along the coast
was really wonderful and nice. I have
never seen such blue ocean under the
bright sunshine before. After that we
began riding up to ShouKa. It was
so hot and we had 12 kilometers of
steep uphill climbing without any down-
hill riding. I had a bad headache when I
climbed to the top of the mountain, but I
defeated this challenge in the end and felt
very proud of myself.
The ninth day also was one of the most
difficult days during our distance of
travel. Yes ! On this day we defeated the
“BIG DEVIL KING”; the mountain called
“ShouKa”. We rode along the coast of the
Pacific Ocean, and the sunshine that day
was very bright and hot. Although we
were dead tired, the view along the coast
was really wonderful and nice. I have nev-
er seen such blue ocean under the sun-
shine before. After that we began riding
up to ShouKa. It was so hot and we had
12 kilometers of steep uphill climbing
without any downhill riding. I had a bad
headache when I climbed to the top of the
mountain, but I defeated this challenge in
the end and felt very proud of myself.
On March the 9th, the last day of our
cycling trip in Taiwan, we rode to the
third Kang Chiao School in Taiwan called
Qinshan campus. We were so excited
because our parents were waiting for us
there. Although my dad and mum didn’t
come I know they loved me and missed
me, and I was excited, too to meet my
friends’ parents. At last we climbed to
Qinshan campus, which is on the same
mountain as Xiugang campus, but it is not
as high as Xiugang campus. We rode in
on the red carpet, where the teachers and
children of the Kang Chiao kindergar-
ten, as well as our parents, were already
waiting for us. We were given flowers and
much applause. They were so proud of us
and we were proud of ourselves too. The
next day we would be back in Shanghai!
Finally, we finished our trip on March
the 10th, flying from Taiwan to Shanghai.
I missed my parents so much. Before
boarding the plane home, we went shop-
ping in Taimao shopping center. I select-
ed some presents for each family member
and some I bought in the duty free mall of
the airport. When I arrived at Pudong In-
ternational Airport, I was so moved to see
my father waiting for me with a bouquet
of flowers. I can tell them my stories from
the road for a long, long time . . .
Beautiful views, sweat, pain . . . they all
will be our own life experiences. There is
no doubt that it is a really a long and diffi-
cult journey, but we have courage, perse-
verance, and solidarity.
Purples In The
Hottest Summer
(continued from front page cover story)
(continued from front page cover story)
Cycling Taiwan
Grade 10 Prepares for
Rite of Passage
“What challenged you the most? Have
you any regrets about any decisions?”
(Students were touched deeply when they
refreshed their memories. There were
crying and laughing all throughout the
hall because cycling around Taiwan is as
a dream and a memory that almost all of
the 11th grade students share.)
“Yes, definitely! I got my period while
I was climbing the mountain; therefore I
pretended as if it hurt a lot so that I can
take a rest for a day. Everything went well
and it all was good for me until I saw my
diploma afterwards,” Her eyes turned red
and her sight became blurred. “I did not
get the full credit because I chose to take
a rest day for convenience. Unfortunately,
I cannot change this anymore.”
“After all those difficulties, what are
some memories that you will never for-
get?” Even though Miss. Natany lost parts
of records, romance usually happened af-
ter the difficulties to make up for the loss.
“My boyfriend fixed my bike for me on
the last day.” According to Miss Natany,
her boyfriend was a good rider; howev-
er, instead of leaving her alone, he slowed
down his speed in order to finish the trip
along side of her.
Cycling Taiwan can be a difficult ex-
perience, but it can also create amazing
memories. Surprisingly, students make
many new friends through the experi-
ence of the journey. Even though high
school is a small soceity, we did not know
everyone in our grade very well. Those
people who helped you during the whole
journey would likely become your friends
in the future.
Students of 10th and 11th grade en-
courage the students of the 9th grade to
get prepared for their cycling trip in Tai-
wan; at the same time, the elder students
also wanted to share the importance of
enshrinement and enjoyment. It will
be difficult for those students who have
completed the journey to forget how
the cut once hurt their knee, or how the
sunlight burned their ankle, because the
memory of cycling Taiwan will live in
their hearts and minds forever.
Following is an interview with John,
a grade 11 student who has already com-
pleted the cycling of Taiwan last summer
break . . .
Q: Was the Taiwan trip the first time
that you cycled in that way ?
A: Yes; except when I was very young,
I rode around my housing estate many
times (he says laughing).
Q: that’s a magnificent feat for a child
that age (laughs); Do you think that cy-
cling around Taiwan is a difficult job for a
student in the 10th grade ?
A: Well, that would have been quite
a difficult job for myself before I had
trained properly with the other students;
and the school ‘s arrangement for this
training was very reasonable and help-
ful. Also if you finish the entire journey,
then the challenge of the experience will
change you qualitatively, from the body to
the mind.
Q: That sounds cool ! I’m looking for-
ward to that change. And Finally, What
would you like to say to the grade 10
mentees ?
A: Just go for it ! Don’t be afraid about
the difficulties during the trip; keep your
mind on the roads, highways, and the ter-
rific scenery in Taiwan. However, just do
the best that you can do; that’s it.
Q:Thanks for your time. I hope you
have a nice evening.
J: you too.
After grade 10 completes this activity,
Kang Chiao hopes that the students can
give more care to their mind and their
body’s health, and to their life; as well as
become enriched with knowledge, experi-
ence, and wisdom because of the journey.
Featured
Artist:Cindy Duan
Miss Cindy Duan, of grade 10, is the
featured artist for the May edition of the
Kang Chiao Times.
Her delicate pencil shading techniques,
and her soft water colors (left column) are
a delight to the eye . . .
6. Page 6
Stories from the Road
Taiwan’s Tasty Treats______________________
By Kelly Chen & Tina Yin
KCT Correspondents
______________________
By Alex Chen & Stephen Fang
KCT Correspondents
______________________
By Lucy Lu
KCT Correspondent
The tenth graders went to Taiwan for
fifteen days after Chinese New year. We
found a lot of different local customs and
practices, and I also found some delicious
food, so let me introduce you to some
tasty shops.
The “Cake of New Taiwanese”, former-
ly known as “Day to the House”, is a cake
shop which has a 50-year-old heritage of
generations. It was operated by the Japa-
nese in the early period, so it made Japa-
nese-style pastries. After the recovery of
Taiwan, the staff of the store took over the
shop. They maintained making the Japa-
nese-style pastries, and renamed the shop
“Cake of New Taiwanese.” As the first
cake shop in Chiayi, it has already has one
hundred years of history. The hand-made
cakes and pastries of this family’s cake
shop are of all kinds of sweet delicious-
ness, especially the pineapple cake made
in the shape of the island of Taiwan.
Today, the store still serves pastries
that existed during the Japanese colo-
nial period, such as crystal almond cake.
The store also has Shenmu jelly, red bean
cakes, Japanese cakes, cashew nuts, and
other sugar bread with a variety of flavors.
Daifuku burn looks like Dorayaki fruit,
but it tastes relatively denser. It is filled
with honey, brown sugar and red beans
mochi. They are all delicious traditional
cakes that are worth the try. The store also
serves a variety of Western-style cakes
and breads that are also very popular.
“Square Crisp with Grace” was cre-
ated by a veteran who was the leader of
the party in 1971. It was named Grace
because the leader of the party from an-
other province loved to play the classical
TV series within the palace. A sentence
of “thank emperor grace” unintentionally
became synonymous with this special-
ty of Chiayi. This party leader once won
the island’s elderly long-distance running
championship and he worked genuinely
without improvisation. However, when
he became older and there were no
successors, the current trend began to
decline. After it was successfully known
as a biscuit by-product, it suddenly
became a famous specialty in Chiayi.
Grace is a crisp pastry snack with a
variety of flavors. This local snack tastes
sweet, and it is popular because of the se-
cret rolling of the dough technique. These
cakes are made from flour, butter or lard,
roasted sesame, sugar and other raw ma-
terials. Its shape was a square block and
it tastes crispy and crunchy. With a thick
cream and sesame, it is excellent to cou-
ple it with tea. Many veterans also opened
similar shops, so the competition is quite
fierce. Some people modified the crispy
biscuits into box cakes, and the reaction
of the market was wonderful. In the com-
petition, the most well-known grace cake
store is the original one, as well as a new
one named “Yang shop”.
These are the wonderful shops in Tai-
wan where one can buy cakes and biscuits
then walk alone in the city. This is a differ-
ent feeling, isn’t it?
Hotels We Lived In Those Years
During the trip of Cycling
Around Taiwan, we had seen a lot of
beauty. When on the vast fields, one sees
nothing but the wheat billowing in the
wind. When on the golden beach, one sees
nothing but the foam of breaking waves is
drifting and swirling. When in the silence
of the mountain forest, one sees nothing
but the mists ascending from the valley.
However, there is one invisible beauty
hidden among us….
Platinum Hotel . . .
The longest hotel stay of the trip. It will perpetuate the precious memories we have of Taiwan . . .
The natural beauty of YOHO’s environment helped to connect us to our inner stillness & beauty
The Lazy River Water Resort was Miss Lucy’s Favortie
Do you remember the day we rode
down in Shouka? OF COURSE! But do
you remember the fantastic hotel we lived
in that night? It’s the YOHO hotel village.
The spiritual characteristic of YOHO
Beach Resort, YOHO Buddy, possesses
all you needs for entertainment while on
vacation. YOHO Buddy is also a helpful
assistant for parents and a best friend for
our youngest guests, the children. Every
guest of YOHO can find herself a great
helper with YOHO.
Nature, ecology, happiness, and health are the symbols of Zhaofeng Farm. Only slow down a bit, so that you can taste the unlimited
joy of nature. Do you remember the pink flamingos ?
These beautiful hotels hold the
most precious memories in our
life. Maybe one day, we will turn
back and view the beauty of Tai-
wan, with new life and new feel-
ings. When that day comes,please
always remember the hotels we
lived in those years.
5 Secrets From Taiwan
Winkle . . .
There was a very popular teacher
called Winkle who taught swimming
and worked for DSA at Kang Chiao in
Huaqiao. He had a reputation among
students as the most severe teacher. He
made students struggle and suffer, and yet
they grew as students under his respon-
sible care. He was a teacher both feared
and loved.
One day, after students returned from
summer vacation, they found that Winkle
was no longer around, and someone else
has taken his place. There were heated
debates among students about his disap-
pearance; some said he had been fired,
and some that he had gone to another
school to advance his career. But no one
had proof to support their claim.
That is, until we visited the KCIS
campus in Taiwan during our Cycling
Trip, and found him there, teaching
swimming! So, 9th graders, (and other
students who might one day do the trip)
if you want to meet this legendary teacher,
don’t miss the Taiwan Cycling Trip!
Abandoned ?
On day 8 of Cycling Around Taiwan,
we had lunch in a high school. The school
seemed to be abandoned and had a deso-
late feeling. As we stood in the parking
lot, flies buzzed around us and bad odors
filled our noses. The building was tightly
locked and through the windows we saw
debris scattered around inside. It seemed
it hadn’t been used in a long time. “What
happened here,” we wondered. The build-
ings should be filled with students and
laughter, not trash and bugs!
What really happened? I’ll keep the an-
swer a secret, so you can discover on your
own. In order to do so, you’ll have to join
the Taiwan Cycling Trip next year!
The Road of Death . . .
The day after our Pre-Trip Training, we
all had to ride up two big mountains on a
road called BeiYi Highway. It is one of the
most dangerous roads in Taiwan because
it is so windy. Because so many accidents
happen there, the natives have given it a
frightening name: The Road of Death.
When you are climbing that mountain, it
might seem tedious and boring, yet riders
beware!
So, all you 9th graders who are up for an
adventure, The Road of Death will be a
challenge to both your faith and perse-
verance.
Path to Heaven . . .
Maybe you have heard this already, but
there is only one path to reach ShouKa,
and all the riders on the Taiwan Cycling
Trip admit that it is the most difficult part
of the trip! It is a grueling ride uphill of 12
kilometers, and is guaranteed to exhaust
all your energy and strength! As you as-
cend the mountain, you see many spent
riders walking to the top. If you can fin-
ish riding this road, your are truly a gifted
rider and athlete! And along the way, you
can realize and appreciate why it is called
Path to Heaven, for you see the wonderful
landscapes below from the lofty altitude
you have reached.
The Road of the Brave . . .
The second day of the Taiwan Cycling
Trip was scheduled for a visit to the KCIS
campus in Taipei. But to get there, we had
to ride up a road called Hua Cheng Road,
otherwise known as The Path to Heav-
en. It was the most difficult and danger-
ous part of our journey – narrow, windy
roads, steep inclines, rainy and close to
a 50 degree incline – and 12 KILOME-
TERS of it! These conditions proved to
be the greatest challenge for me, one that
gave me the opportunity to show my true
strength and power to myself, my class-
mates, my parents, and my teachers and
supervisors. It was a way to test myself,
and I’m glad to say that I passed the test!
Papago International Resort: The most beautiful and peaceful paddy field in the world.
(Left to Right) Grace Shi, Kelly Chang, Niki Chen,
Peter Sheng, Carrie Xu, & Mike Chen
Baidu
7. Page 7
Kang Chiao News
______________________
By Stephen Fang
KCT Correspondent
______________________
By Marissa Xiao
KCT Correspondent
______________________
By Kimi Lu
KCT Correspondent
KCIS Construction
A New Life for Students ?
Have you heard the noise outside the
window? Does it disturb your concentra-
tion when you are focusing on a project?
Do you want to know what has happened
in our school? The new Kang Chiao’s con-
struction has begun, and it is creating a
whole new life for pupils! There are going
to be new places to study soon. Howev-
er, not all students are thrilled with this
development. I asked my roommate Infi
how he felt about the new construction,
he said, “The school should have finished
it early last semester, before they recruited
new students.”
Actually, I had the same opinion as
he. The school has too many students this
semester; we could not have the same life
as last year. For example, when you have
lunch, the canteen is overflowing with
students; it is even hard for students to
move. It resembles the Shanghai Metro at
7:30 am on weekdays!
The new construction has begun, and
with it, comes the noise. It is too noisy
outside to concentrate on our studies. It
also affects the younger students as well.
They are now sharing the same building
with high school students, but after the
new construction is finished, they will
be removed. They are going to have a
new canteen and new classrooms so that
students can be separated into different
groups; they will not be able to influence
each other.
From the time when you went to Kang
Chiao school to have the interview test,
the model of the whole school appeared
in front of you, and the director told you
that, “The school was still in construction,
we only finished the main construction
and the dormitory, as well as the play-
ground, but it will all be finished soon.”
For a long time I thought about this. This
was the first time I had seen an interna-
tional school. It attracted my attention a
lot.
First of all, I could see the ground with
trash all around, and there was a huge
amount of ashes rising up in the air, which
is bad for our health. Secondly, the school
is still not in its complete form, and the
construction is not finished. People might
think about what they are doing here. It
is possibly ok for high school students,
because I am fine with this. Younger stu-
dents though, should not have to endure
polluted air. These students are still grow-
ing up, and they have to stay in healthy
places for the future of their health.
Since the new construction started
appearing, it brings lots of garbage. Al-
though, adventures still happen. When
one imagines the situation, the school be-
coming bigger with this new place, there
will be new desks and new rooms. Just
imagine a clean new school: whatever it
is, it is going to have a new life.
In conclusion, the new construction is
raising the school up. We will have more
new buildings in our school, meet more
new students, and have more fun things
to do. Although you are not the one using
it, we can still enjoy it. Just remember, it is
a whole new life.
Special Thanks . . .
Special thanks go out to Miss Muller, Mr. Fairchild, Mr. Burton, and
Mr. Sawchyn for their willingness to assist in the editing process.
Also, a very special thanks to Mr. Lent for all of his excellent efforts
regarding digital layout and photography last semester, as well as the last-
ing influence his photography club students have had upon the appearance
of this, and future editions of the Kang Chiao Times.
Qingming Festival...Pure Brightness
And Celebrations Of The Ancestors
Having more than 2500 years of tradi-
tion, Qingming Festival, Tomb Sweeping
Day, or Day of Pure Brightness, is cele-
brated on the second of 24 solar terms on
the traditional Chinese Calendar, or on
the 4th or 5th of April.
This year’s festival saw many people
promenading to the sacred sites of their
ancestors while hearing the song of the
rain. Qingming is a time when people
are start to become active out of doors
and enjoy the warm and wet weather that
comes with spring.
Qingming is an an important day of
sacrifice for people to go and sweep tombs
and commemorate their ancestors. Tomb
sweeping is one of the most important
and popular activities to show respect to
ancestors. Some people show their re-
spects to their ancestors by laying wreaths
in the front of the graves.
People also have activities like partic-
ipating in a sport to ward off the cold in
anticipation of the arrival of spring. The
festival integrates both reverence and fun
through its customs. Tread green means
a spring outing so people go outside to
enjoy the full bloomed flowers .
Flying kites is also an important
custom enjoyed by many people, young
and old, during the Qingming Festival.
During Qingming Festival, people
wear soft willow branches and touch the
branches around the edges of gates and of
front doors. This practice of the willows
is mainly a Buddhist influence meant to
bring peace to the ancestors and to ward
off dark spirits.
Many traditional foods are shared
during this time, such as sweet green rice
ball, a popular Qingming food, which are
made of a mixture of glutinous rice pow-
der and green vegetable juice, and stuffed
with sweetened bean paste. How delicate
it tastes . . .
Qingming Festival is a national hol-
iday in China. Many Chinese people will
spend 3 days during the holiday to relax
with their family and go on the ancestral
journey.
Recycling Kang Chiao . . .
Can We Be a Model Green School ?
Can you imagine what the
world will look like in the next several
decades if we keep using resources and
polluting the earth like we are currently?
More importantly, what kind of world
would our children will be living in?
In order to know the answer to
this question about our future, we must
examine our present carefully, examining
deeply how human activity is causing the
Earth, and all her precious ecosystems,
to suffer. We are overusing resources to
fulfill our endless desires. We seem un-
aware of the consequences of this mind-
less consumption. Yet the world, and all
its creatures, are not unaware; they are
threatened by it.
For instance, according to re-
search from the United Nation’s Food and
Agriculture Organization (FAO), an es-
timated 18 million acres of forest are de-
stroyed each year and half of the world’s
forests have been cut down. Sadly, most
of us don’t recognize how our need for
wood, paper and beef are threatening our
ability to breath. (we all know trees supply
us with the oxygen we need to survive!)
Continuing this massive deforestation
will cause a tremendous catastrophe. For-
tunately, there are some who have
recognized the problem and are dedicat-
ing their life energy toward solving it.
KCISEC is organizing a recycling pro-
gram, with the intention of raising the
awareness of the need for sustainable liv-
ing, and giving every student an oppor-
tunity to practice doing so. These efforts
are being coordinated by Mr. Burton, an
English teacher from the International
Department, as well as the core members
from the student groups DAY (Dream
Action Youth) and TBE (The Butterfly
Effect).
“My vision is to help the school tran-
sition to becoming a ‘green’ school, and
to have KCIS be a model green school for
not only the area but also for all Chinese
schools, and perhaps even for all develop-
ing countries,” said Mr. Burton.
Educating and training students and
increasing their awareness about the dev-
astating environmental problems we face
in the world, and their potential solutions,
is the major focus of the program.
Mr. Burton, DAY, and TBE have
already started recycling at the school, in
the swimming pool and library buildings.
The intention is to expand the program to
the entire school next school year.
Let’s hope more and more
youth will help make this vision a reali-
ty. Let’s make the “butterfly effect” come
true!
photos by Cindy Duan
photo by Cindy Duan
photo by Sue Moon
“As simple as 1, 2, 3, 4, 5“
Miss Muller displays the paper recycling box in
her classroom as an example of just one of the
many easy ways in which students and faculty
can help the recycling process at Kang Chiao.
“My vision is to help the school
transition to becoming a ‘green’
school, and to have KCIS be a
model green school...” Mr. Burton
photo by Kimi Lu
8. Page 8
Sports News
Stadium Sweat, Podium Pride . . .
Men’s Football Hope to Make Run for 1st Place
“Super” Sonic on the Pitch
Kang Chiao Team Captain, Tom Shen (a.k.a. “Sonic”) attempts to strip the ball from an opponent during last week’s home match
______________________
By Jason Kuo
KCT Correspondent
On the Kang Chiao football field
there is a player who runs as fast as the
wind, and is as quick as lightening . . . He
is “Sonic”, the fastest man on the pitch.
Certainly, he is also the Captain of our
football team. He is the chosen leader not
only because he is the fastest player, but
also because of his positive mind and the
outgoing quality of his personality which
encourages his teammates greatly. There-
fore, he is fortunate to be chosen captain
of the football team.
It is not easy for someone to be the
leader of a team. First, one must be the
strongest and wisest player on the team,
so that the other team members are able
to trust you. Because of this, Sonic always
requires much of himself in training and
in practice. He will do 100 push up every
day, as he lifts the ball around the football
field. In summer, even though it may be
hotter than 40 degrees, and whether it is
raining or not, he runs 5000m every day, .
He does his practice every day and never
gives up.
Second, having a positive mindset
is very important for a leader. When Mr.
Sonic meets stronger opponents than he
is, he never avoids the challenge; he just
smiles and enjoys the game. As soon as
he starts to have fun playing the game, he
just looks like Sonic. He wills himself to
be stronger and faster than any one else;
then he begins to overtake the stronger
and taller players. This is the why, even if
his team loses the game, there is always a
smile on his face; and after the football
match is over, you will still find him prac-
ticing in the gym or on the football field.
Finally, Sonic’s outgoing personal
quality really helps him and his team a
lot. These skills help the team to be more
powerful and kind. It seems that they are
like the net and each thread connected to
each other. They can not lose any one or
the net will be broken. The certain center
and core strength of this net must be the
leader of the team, captain football ! He is
the most courageous player on the team.
Consequently, the Kang Chiao team
is a great, and it works through Sonic.
Actually, he does not have a huge dream
for football team this season; instead, he
prefers that more people will be able to
pay more attention to the football team
so that he can show the students of Kang
Chaio just how fun football is, then they
will try their best to win the champion-
ship. Sonic and his team will greatly enjoy
football not only for high school, but es-
pecially throughout their whole lives.
Women’s Volleyball...
Ready to Serve Up Some
Serious Competition
______________________
By Kendall Emmerson Ross
KCT Coordinator
______________________
By Alex Chen
KCT Correspondent
Have you ever heard those hard
training boys on the pitch? Have you ever
seen those gentleman show their wild face
in the heat of battle? If not, then you are
outdated; because soccer is one of the hot-
test games in KCIS, and the school team
is one of the idol groups of our students.
According to Captain Prince Wang
and Coach Forsyth, the teammates have
all worked very hard this season and their
skills are much better than last year.
Captain Prince shared his feelings
about the team as a unit. “Everyone is
training hard and you can see that there is
no arguing between our teammates. This
is a real team and we regard each other as
a big family. As a captain, I can tell you
responsibly, there is no problem that we
can’t conquer.”
Our boys ushered in and defeated
YWIES, their first opponent this semes-
ter. In the week prior to the match expec-
tations and hopes for the outcome were
high, and playbills and team propaganda
filled the halls.
On game day, crowds of students and
fans had surrounded our pitch, singing
and cheering for the home team to begin
the contest with great force in hopes of
setting the pace of the match.
However, this was a strong opponent,
and we had a difficult start. But our boys
did not keep us waiting too long, offer-
ing up a goal by Samuel Zanellati at the 5
minute mark.
With team morale nicely consolidat-
ed, the Gators pushed on with another
half-volley net finder by Tom Shen at
minute 17.
With only 10 minutes gone in second
half Roger Huang went on a solo run to
make it 3 to nil in favor of the KCIS Ga-
tors.
The scoring was not over though, and
with only 60 seconds remaining in the
contest, Captain Prince Wang hit a dead
angle to the back of the net.
With a 4 goal to nil victory over YWI-
ES, our Kang Chiao team had laid a solid
foundation for rest of the soccer season,
and generated high hopes for the Gators
to better their 8th place finish from last
year.
In there second and only other match
this season, Kang Chiao defeated Chinese
International School by a score of 3 goals
to 1.
When asked about team camaraderie
and their potential, Coach Forsyth shared,
“The biggest problem of an unsuccessful
team is the disharmony in the team, but
our boys are fantastic; they are very good
friends on the pitch. I believe they can
win the championship next year.”
Team Roster follows . . .
1:Captain- Tom Shen /
Position- All-round
2:Trump Card- Prince Wang/
Position- Midfield
3:Fans’ Favorite-Alex Chen/
Position-Forward
4:Net finder-Bon Lee/
Position-Forward
5:Fierce Arrow-Roger Huang/
Position-Wing
6:Violent Storm-David Hsing/
Position-Wing
7:Tackle organizer-Andy Chin/
Position-Midfield
8:Feral Bull-Kai Yu/
Position-Defense
9:Defensive Rock-David Chen/
Position-Defense
10:Rigid Wall-Kevin Meng/
Position-Defense
11:Goal Stopper-Charlie Ling/
Position-Goal Keeper
12: Samuel Zanellati - striker
Make sure you come on out and cheer
our team on to victory at their next home
match ! Home Match Schedule follows . . .
4/27 KCIS vs. WELLINGTON (home)
5/11 KCIS vs. SUIS (home)
5/26 KCIS vs. SHSID (home)
Christine Kao prepares to serve as Maggie Chen steadies herself during a recent match
Balance or Tumble...
Badminton Team Keeps it Balance______________________
By Louis Lin
KCT Correspondent
Kang Chiao has a badminton club team
which trains a few times per week. The school
sports’ group leader, Mr. K said, “We will have a
badminton [training session] November 18th.
The competition will be very exciting.” He said
this because the school has many high level
badminton players.
The badminton school team includes 12
high school students and 8 middle school stu-
dents. The boys and girls are mixed together.
Mr. K also stated that Kang Chiao has a pro-
fessional badminton coach named Mr. Gavin.
He has the responsibility of teaching us bad-
minton during our 90 minute training sessions.
When players train, they are divided into
two groups. One is group is for boys, and the
other is group is for girls. Mr. Gavin said when
boys were training they focused more on how
to hit a moving birdie; such as the overhead,
and moving quickly to the net to hit the birdie
very tightly, as well as moving to the end of the
court with a low profile a to hit very powerfully.
I also spoke with some students who played
on the badminton A Team. One young man
said his coach taught him some skills in which
he focused more on hitting the moving ball.
He went on to say that his coach was not very
talented in real competition, but that he has
much knowledge in his mind. Another student
who is part of the social badminton club told
me that when they are having the training, they
were very free, and simply playing badminton
with another student in the club. He said that,
his coach never taught them skills, he just let
them play safely, and he said his club teacher is
is very simple and kind. Although the student
was not interested in the training information,
he still enjoyed the club time. He said playing
badminton is just his interest, and that he does
not need to play very well or win competitions.
So let us wish our school team well in next
week’s competition, and hope that each club
member will enjoy playing in the competition,
and the opportunity to represent Kang Chiao.
Frank Fang prepares to return serve
during competition earlier this season
The women of the Kang Chiao volley-
ball squad began their journey this season
with little knowledge of the game, or the
ability to play competitively.
However, as many things in life, this
changed.
During a brief interview, Head Coach
Shane Charnas shared, “Although our re-
cord for the season is currently at 1 win
and 6 losses, we have been competing in
some very closely contested matches.”
Coach Charnas went on to say, “The
improvement in the playing ability of
these young women from the beginning
of the season up to now is amazing; and
to such a degree as to make them almost
unrecognizable as the same players and
team that began the season.”
Certainly, to challenge one’s self and
one’s teammates to learn new skills, take
new risks, test one’s abilities, and to grow
mentally, emotionally, and physically is
what being involved in competitive
sports is all about.
At the SSSA Tournament in October
KCIS won the Sprotsmanship Award giv-
en to the team who exemplifies the high-
est qualities of fair play and team effort.
This past Saturday the Women’s Team
competed in the SSSA Spring Tourna-
ment where they made the semi-finals,
and team captain Kathy Zhang was her-
alded as the tournament’s Most Valuable
Player (MVP).
“It’s been really enjoyable to watch this
team improve week to week, both in their
individual skills and in their teamwork”,
said Coach Charnas, “This is a result of
their own hard work and application.”
“Having a young team like this means
a few more years of having them together
and continuing to become a unit.”
Coach Charnas continued with his
praise of this years team saying,“We have
improved a lot this year, and the outlook
for next year is quite positive.”
The women’s team conclude their
regular season play at home on May 11th.
photo by Carrie Xu
photo by Shane Charnas
photo by May Xu