Page 236 - 國立竹科實中創校40週年紀念特刊

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standing argument was that the school had not note that said, "I told you there was a cobra."
been originally wired for classroom AC's (only When asked why it was dead, he said he and

退 師 教 休 for the principal's AC!), and the electrical some other teachers had found it coiled on the
overload would burn down or at least bankrupt little kids' playground. That risk outweighed

the school. Not sure what changed, but we any rat-catcher benefits, and the cobra was
did get classroom AC, thanks to the parents' humanely (?) euthanized and preserved as a
offering to pay for the electricity. And the lab specimen.

school did not burn down. My final time-machine memory involves
In the miscellaneous old anecdote Donald and the radioactive steel. At one
department, I can give two, both related to my point in the 90's, there was a national scandal
second flatmate whom I will protect by calling involving illegally re-cycled steel from a
"Donald." Teachers were provided with quite decommissioned nuclear plant. Apparently,

large, comfortable Park apartments within 12 some cold-hearted crook got hold of the
minutes walking distance of the school, but it dangerous steel and sold it to contractors for
was necessary to share with at least one other use in new construction. Donald the scientist

BD teacher. (That usually worked out well— scared me when he pointed out that the steel
although not always!) Donald was one of the re-cycling had occurred about the time that the
good flatmates. He taught science. We talked Science Park and its school were being built.
a lot, and I remember two topics of great Some buildings in Taipei had been found to
interest. One was cobras, and the other was contain low-level radiation danger because

radioactive steel. that steel had been used in their construction,
Donald taught in a first-floor science so Donald convinced me that we should
lab, and he told me that there was a resident investigate any local dangers for ourselves.

cobra living in the storm drain, just outside Fortunately, we found nothing to fear when
his door. Now, Donald was a great joker, we took the lab Geiger counter and tested all
so I was never sure whether he was kidding the rooms in our apartment and our teaching
or not. I asked why he didn't do something areas at school. This story has a boring end,
to solve the problem, but he said it wasn't a but it is the kind of story that you want to have

problem. Storeroom rats were his problem. a boring ending!
They would come in under the door and If we had found that our school contained
eat his chemicals. To him, the cobra was a a radiation hazard, I don't think we would be

blessing; it would eat the rats that were eating having a 40th anniversary celebration right
the chemicals. Scientists! I told him I did now. It would probably still only be the 37th
not believe him, but one morning, when I or 38th year of the rebuilt NEHS!
went to my desk in the teachers' room, there Anyway, Happy 40th Anniversary,
was a huge jar full of liquid holding a large, Bilingual Department and NEHS!

dead, pickled snake sitting on my desk with a

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