I'm off to Taipei for a paragliding convention, green beer, and social interaction. It's about time to be getting out of Donggang; I'm at risk of becoming asocial. Snapshot of my life during the week:
* Imagine conversations between inanimate objects in my house, could they talk.
* I am becoming truly proficient with a slingshot.
* I can tie an alpine butterfly knot behind my back.
* I posted selleckwaterfallsandwich to my blog.
* I am getting really good at the blanket stitch and appreciate its aesthetic.
Showing posts with label Life in Taiwan. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Life in Taiwan. Show all posts
Friday, March 18, 2011
Friday, February 25, 2011
Death Floor
Notice anything strange about this elevator?
Like a missing 4th floor. It's not an accident - all hospitals in Taiwan do this. It's because "four" and "death" share the same sound with different tones.
four: sì (4th tone - falling)
death: sǐ (3rd tone - falling then rising)
Thursday, February 24, 2011
Karaoke
Karaoke is wildly popular in Tawain.
By wildly popular, I mean there is a KTV (karaoke bar) on almost every corner. Think of every bar and gas station in your city. Now imagine those are KTV's. That's how ubiquitous they are.
Also, it's not karaoke like we think of it in the states - get smashed and and scream into the microphone - a contest of outrageous. Here, vocal performance is taken very seriously. Think apples to oranges, the WWF to PGA, Conrad to cliff notes... you get the idea.
Anyhow, it has never really been my cup of tea, but now I'm in a position of beat 'em or join 'em. This weekend I'll take a trip into the mountains with my school and everyone will be singing karaoke during the bus ride (departing at 6:30 in the morning). Sleep is not an option, and it will be more fun being part of the action.
Of course, I can't read the Chinese subtitles so I used google translate to get the pinyin:
Dāng qiūtiān sǎ xià zuìhòu yī bǎ fēngyè shí zhèng shì wǒ yào líkāi de shíhou
kàn zhe shōushí hǎo de xínglǐ xiǎngqǐ yuǎnfāng de nǐ xīnlǐ jìngrán yǒuyī gǔ xìngfú de gǎnjué
jiù zài zhège shíhou dìshàng de fēngyè chànà jiān
fēi qǐlái fēi guòlái fēi jìn wǒ shēn shēn xīnhuái
yuèguò nà níngjìng hǎi chōngmǎn zhe huíyì dì hǎi
nà yángguāng sǎ xià le ài cuīcù zhe wànwù zhànkāi
nà cǎihóng xiàng gè xiǎohái yǒnggǎn de jiāndìng de zhàn qǐlái
fēi guò nà ǎi zhú lí cāguò nà bānbó qiángbì
fā huáng de zhàopiàn li tòngkuài zhe nàme shúxī
bùjīngyì hé nǐ xiāng yù zài tiānkōng piāo zhe xiǎoyǔ
luòxià lái qīngchè de xī tiánměi de měi yīdiǎn měi yīdī
*Fēngyè a zài mǎn zhe wǒ de gǎndòng
fēngyè a qīngtīng zhe wǒ xīnqíng zhōng
shēnqiū li bànsuí zhe liànglì de mèng chōng xiàng wǒ
#huàchéng le mǎn shān hé mǎn gǔ de duì nǐ sīniàn
xiě mǎn le mǎn dì hé mǎn tiān de ài de shīpiān
yǒngtàn zhe shēngmìng dì měilì hé shìjiè de wúxiàn
fēiwǔ zài yǐhòu hé cóngqián tā lián chéng yīpiàn
suí zhe xīliú le qù suí zhe hé yòu liú le lái
lí qù shí xīn gǎnjī huílái shí mǎnxīn qídài
yīnwèi ài suǒyǐ cúnzài lù shī de lǜsè qīngtái
chénxī zhōng yíngfēng ér lái fēi jìn le wǒ xīnzhōng de dàhǎi
I've been listening to it on loop for a couple of hours. Still much more work to be done tomorrow and Friday. (Sidenote, this is a great way to practice pronunciation and intonation.) Wish me luck!
By wildly popular, I mean there is a KTV (karaoke bar) on almost every corner. Think of every bar and gas station in your city. Now imagine those are KTV's. That's how ubiquitous they are.
Also, it's not karaoke like we think of it in the states - get smashed and and scream into the microphone - a contest of outrageous. Here, vocal performance is taken very seriously. Think apples to oranges, the WWF to PGA, Conrad to cliff notes... you get the idea.
Anyhow, it has never really been my cup of tea, but now I'm in a position of beat 'em or join 'em. This weekend I'll take a trip into the mountains with my school and everyone will be singing karaoke during the bus ride (departing at 6:30 in the morning). Sleep is not an option, and it will be more fun being part of the action.
I'm determined to learn one song. I just want one song in my back pocket for all future karaoke endeavors. I think I made a good pick. The song is by a Taiwanese rock singer and songwriter, probably one of the biggest stars in Asia. Here it is:
Wu Bai - Maple Leaf
( 伍佰-楓葉 )
Of course, I can't read the Chinese subtitles so I used google translate to get the pinyin:
Dāng qiūtiān sǎ xià zuìhòu yī bǎ fēngyè shí zhèng shì wǒ yào líkāi de shíhou
kàn zhe shōushí hǎo de xínglǐ xiǎngqǐ yuǎnfāng de nǐ xīnlǐ jìngrán yǒuyī gǔ xìngfú de gǎnjué
jiù zài zhège shíhou dìshàng de fēngyè chànà jiān
fēi qǐlái fēi guòlái fēi jìn wǒ shēn shēn xīnhuái
yuèguò nà níngjìng hǎi chōngmǎn zhe huíyì dì hǎi
nà yángguāng sǎ xià le ài cuīcù zhe wànwù zhànkāi
nà cǎihóng xiàng gè xiǎohái yǒnggǎn de jiāndìng de zhàn qǐlái
fēi guò nà ǎi zhú lí cāguò nà bānbó qiángbì
fā huáng de zhàopiàn li tòngkuài zhe nàme shúxī
bùjīngyì hé nǐ xiāng yù zài tiānkōng piāo zhe xiǎoyǔ
luòxià lái qīngchè de xī tiánměi de měi yīdiǎn měi yīdī
*Fēngyè a zài mǎn zhe wǒ de gǎndòng
fēngyè a qīngtīng zhe wǒ xīnqíng zhōng
shēnqiū li bànsuí zhe liànglì de mèng chōng xiàng wǒ
#huàchéng le mǎn shān hé mǎn gǔ de duì nǐ sīniàn
xiě mǎn le mǎn dì hé mǎn tiān de ài de shīpiān
yǒngtàn zhe shēngmìng dì měilì hé shìjiè de wúxiàn
fēiwǔ zài yǐhòu hé cóngqián tā lián chéng yīpiàn
suí zhe xīliú le qù suí zhe hé yòu liú le lái
lí qù shí xīn gǎnjī huílái shí mǎnxīn qídài
yīnwèi ài suǒyǐ cúnzài lù shī de lǜsè qīngtái
chénxī zhōng yíngfēng ér lái fēi jìn le wǒ xīnzhōng de dàhǎi
I've been listening to it on loop for a couple of hours. Still much more work to be done tomorrow and Friday. (Sidenote, this is a great way to practice pronunciation and intonation.) Wish me luck!
Saturday, February 5, 2011
Chinese New Year
 |
| Inflating for TO |
 |
| Sun almost over the Mountain at the campsite |
 |
| Only Fire and Stars |
 |
| Hot spring at the campsite |
 |
| Catching air |
This is what I've been doing with my Chinese New Year vacation. I'm hard-pressed for internet time, so I"ll put words with the pictures later.
Monday, January 31, 2011
Some Firsts
There have been a few firsts since my last post. Here they are:
First Time I...
...Went To an Office Party
I had my first ever office/work party last week for Chinese New Year.
Generally, I think my colleagues are incredibly reserved and mild-mannered. Not quite walking on eggshells but the guard is always up at work, I feel. At the party, everyone got a little drunk and it was nice to see.
The younger teachers were all sauced on wine and noticeably red-faced. It's acceptable and encouraged to peer pressure the boss into binge drinking. People line up to take shots with the boss like it's a 21st birthday party. What a Western office might call "sexual harassment" the Taiwanese office calls fun: during the shot line, one of the teachers held out her leg and said to the boss hammily, "I'm wearing red panties."
Getting the boss drunk is standard because, next, bonuses and gifts are handed out.
All of the bonuses came and red envelopes in odd denominations. Red signifies luck and joy (ahhaaa, red panties). Even numbers are unlucky, four particularly because in Chinese it sounds like the word death. There isn't a fourth floor in hospitals. The elevator goes from 3 to 5. A lot of things here are dictated by superstition. Gift-giving being a good example, following a complicated set of parameters and protocol.
I think a celebratory dinner like this one also follows some sort of established protocol. Throughout the whole process there were a bunch of theatrics - the Taiwanese love microphones.
Altogether, I was happy with my first office party and of course the extra cash.
...Enjoyed Myself In a Nightclub
Ok, not first, but I could count sincere instances on one hand, nonetheless. A few weekends ago, when the weather was too crummy to paraglide, I took the opportunity and went north to Taipei to visit a friend and go out for a night.
The club was cool because every couple of hours was interjected by a staged performance: flair bartending, dancers, dancers dressed in Darth Vader costumes with light sabers. It broke up the monotony of, well, being in a club.
I met some cool people and drank tequila with them, like this guy from Texas. Whenever I meet someone from Texas, I break the ice by asking, "Have you ever shot anyone?" So far, it has always been well-received. I'll quit using that line when someone replies in the affirmative.
It was also a nice opportunity to hit on blonde girls. Not many, though, in the sea of black hair. Regardless, I was swiftly rejected by like all three of them. Makes sense, I think my lifetime ratio of fail to succeed is in the neighborhood of like 10 or 15 to 1.
Hindsight, I have fallen into a scrub-like state of existence while living in my small village and people in clubs are trendy. Next time, I'll dress up and wear my hollering cap. The hollering cap is an unreleased fitted hat. Whenever I wear it, things fall for me - it's scary. I didn't buy the hollering cap, it came to me during spring break. I was pretty obliterated that entire week so I'm hoping I didn't make a Faustian bargain.
More about the hollering cap later...
... Owned a Paragliding Wing
I am starting to buy my very own paragliding gear, first purchase being the wing. New paraglider smell totally eclipses new car and new shoe smell.
The gear is costly and consumes most of my disposable income, but it's a lasting investment. Also, I got it at akiller really good price.
Today, I practiced some ground handling and it inflates brilliantly.
I don't want to post much about paragliding on stahlamerican, though, because I think it makes sense to start a paragliding sideblog in the spirit of organization and niche readership.
... Ran Completely Out of Contacts
I always test the limits of shipping because I forget to order contacts until I'm on my last pair. This time, it didn't work, and I enjoyed the fruits of my laziness and -1.25 uncorrected vision. My contacts came the same day as my paragliding wing - cosmic sign or coincidence? Whichever, it's sure nice to see individual blades of grass again.
... Am Using My Own Internet (in Taiwan)
And not pirating my neighbor's wifi. I just bought an external hard drive and my moral compass red flags pirating while pirating. Come on, that's just too much pirating. Pirating. I had to.
Pirating.
Done.
...Found a Song That Is Unequivocally Terrible
This is a monumental milestone for me. I've always been hard-pressed to find songs that are without any redeeming qualities whatsoever. Well, I've found one. I dare you to listen.
Xiu Xiu's cover of Fast Car by Tracy Chapman
Furthermore, I dare you to recommend a worse song. It's not likely, but you can try in the comments section.
.
First Time I...
...Went To an Office Party
I had my first ever office/work party last week for Chinese New Year.
Generally, I think my colleagues are incredibly reserved and mild-mannered. Not quite walking on eggshells but the guard is always up at work, I feel. At the party, everyone got a little drunk and it was nice to see.
The younger teachers were all sauced on wine and noticeably red-faced. It's acceptable and encouraged to peer pressure the boss into binge drinking. People line up to take shots with the boss like it's a 21st birthday party. What a Western office might call "sexual harassment" the Taiwanese office calls fun: during the shot line, one of the teachers held out her leg and said to the boss hammily, "I'm wearing red panties."
Getting the boss drunk is standard because, next, bonuses and gifts are handed out.
All of the bonuses came and red envelopes in odd denominations. Red signifies luck and joy (ahhaaa, red panties). Even numbers are unlucky, four particularly because in Chinese it sounds like the word death. There isn't a fourth floor in hospitals. The elevator goes from 3 to 5. A lot of things here are dictated by superstition. Gift-giving being a good example, following a complicated set of parameters and protocol.
I think a celebratory dinner like this one also follows some sort of established protocol. Throughout the whole process there were a bunch of theatrics - the Taiwanese love microphones.
Altogether, I was happy with my first office party and of course the extra cash.
...Enjoyed Myself In a Nightclub
Ok, not first, but I could count sincere instances on one hand, nonetheless. A few weekends ago, when the weather was too crummy to paraglide, I took the opportunity and went north to Taipei to visit a friend and go out for a night.
The club was cool because every couple of hours was interjected by a staged performance: flair bartending, dancers, dancers dressed in Darth Vader costumes with light sabers. It broke up the monotony of, well, being in a club.
I met some cool people and drank tequila with them, like this guy from Texas. Whenever I meet someone from Texas, I break the ice by asking, "Have you ever shot anyone?" So far, it has always been well-received. I'll quit using that line when someone replies in the affirmative.
It was also a nice opportunity to hit on blonde girls. Not many, though, in the sea of black hair. Regardless, I was swiftly rejected by like all three of them. Makes sense, I think my lifetime ratio of fail to succeed is in the neighborhood of like 10 or 15 to 1.
Hindsight, I have fallen into a scrub-like state of existence while living in my small village and people in clubs are trendy. Next time, I'll dress up and wear my hollering cap. The hollering cap is an unreleased fitted hat. Whenever I wear it, things fall for me - it's scary. I didn't buy the hollering cap, it came to me during spring break. I was pretty obliterated that entire week so I'm hoping I didn't make a Faustian bargain.
More about the hollering cap later...
... Owned a Paragliding Wing
I am starting to buy my very own paragliding gear, first purchase being the wing. New paraglider smell totally eclipses new car and new shoe smell.
The gear is costly and consumes most of my disposable income, but it's a lasting investment. Also, I got it at a
Today, I practiced some ground handling and it inflates brilliantly.
I don't want to post much about paragliding on stahlamerican, though, because I think it makes sense to start a paragliding sideblog in the spirit of organization and niche readership.
... Ran Completely Out of Contacts
I always test the limits of shipping because I forget to order contacts until I'm on my last pair. This time, it didn't work, and I enjoyed the fruits of my laziness and -1.25 uncorrected vision. My contacts came the same day as my paragliding wing - cosmic sign or coincidence? Whichever, it's sure nice to see individual blades of grass again.
... Am Using My Own Internet (in Taiwan)
And not pirating my neighbor's wifi. I just bought an external hard drive and my moral compass red flags pirating while pirating. Come on, that's just too much pirating. Pirating. I had to.
Pirating.
Done.
...Found a Song That Is Unequivocally Terrible
This is a monumental milestone for me. I've always been hard-pressed to find songs that are without any redeeming qualities whatsoever. Well, I've found one. I dare you to listen.
Xiu Xiu's cover of Fast Car by Tracy Chapman
Furthermore, I dare you to recommend a worse song. It's not likely, but you can try in the comments section.
.
Friday, January 7, 2011
Incidental Guilt Trip
Nothing motivates me to learn Chinese quite like an incidental, introspection-prompting guilt trip. I'll explain.
Recently, my coworker invited me to his house. His newborn baby turned one month old, and in Taiwan they have a swanky feast for family and friends. I felt all warm and tingly having received an invite - the other foreign teachers didn't. And, it was just a good time (Christmas-ish) to be around a family, albeit not my family.
The party itself was impressive. The food was all catered and the spread was vast and incredible. Giant prawns, a myriad of crabs, mussels, oysters, steamed fish, braised fish, calamari, oysters, I could go on. And my coworker encouraged my consumption: "Tim, eat food. I see you eat like a beast at school." Amen.
During the meal, there were many toasts, cheers, and jollity. I was at the main table with my coworker, Jason, and his family. By default, I was included in everything. I vaguely knew what was going on only because raising a glass and taking a drink is a good clue.
Anyhow, Jason was busy so I mostly talked to his dad. Dad talked my ear off, and I felt like we were constantly raising our glasses - my sparkling apple juice (I had to return to work) to his red wine. I don't know what he said, but he's wicked cool for sure. And funny. Probably. I misrepresented my comprehension using my most adorable student's strategy: nodding, smiling, and saying "yeah" to everything.
I even thought I understood a little. I didn't. Jason confirmed that his dad did not have an apple fruit orchard in a nearby city.
All the while, I'm noticing fleeting glances from another table, mostly family from Jason's side. His brothers, uncles, and of course a crazy aunt are all interested in what the white dude was doing at the party. Jason introduced me and I wanted to field questions, but couldn't. My introduction is short and scripted:
1. My name is Tim
2. I'm american
3. English Teacher
4. My house is in Donggang
5. Taiwan good
My brief Q&A unsatisfactorily ends with number 6.
6. Sorry, I don't speak much Chinese.
I left the party with a fat sack of some really tasty fried rice and seafood.
Again:
Most Thursdays, I'll go to the riverside park and practicing controlling my paraglider. The paraglider is just a giant kite big enough to suspend me in the sky. Big enough to violently drag me around on the ground, too, hence the practice part. Anyhow, the whole process looks pretty cool, and not many people have seen this before. My kiting practice usually draws a curious crowd, mostly transient onlookers, but I don't feel any obligation to indulge them with my attention.
*Really, the paraglider just exacerbates a common occurrence - people approach me, generally interested because I look different and speak English. All too often, I'm propositioned to be friends, become e-mail pals, exchange phone numbers, etc. Most are after free English lessons. I teach English because it pays for my awesome life here. That's all. Thanks but no-thanks middle-aged whomever I have little in common with nor want to sacrifice text messages for. I'll say that at the risk of sounding like a dick. Yes, it's nice making friends, but the crux is selectivity and mutual benefit.*
The farmer across the road is different. Whenever I take a break to hydrate and he isn't working in his field, the farmer will flag me over and pour me a glass of beer. Or sometimes this stuff called "Paolyta" - I'm not exactly sure what that is. More importantly, I think anyone who waves me over and pours me a beer is a cool dude. Also, I've said this before: coolness transcends cultural borders.
That coolness makes all the difference. If people are interested enough to invest in me: fried rice, a glass of beer, climbing lessons, whatever; I don't want to let them down with a shitty shrug and far too few words.
Recently, my coworker invited me to his house. His newborn baby turned one month old, and in Taiwan they have a swanky feast for family and friends. I felt all warm and tingly having received an invite - the other foreign teachers didn't. And, it was just a good time (Christmas-ish) to be around a family, albeit not my family.
The party itself was impressive. The food was all catered and the spread was vast and incredible. Giant prawns, a myriad of crabs, mussels, oysters, steamed fish, braised fish, calamari, oysters, I could go on. And my coworker encouraged my consumption: "Tim, eat food. I see you eat like a beast at school." Amen.
During the meal, there were many toasts, cheers, and jollity. I was at the main table with my coworker, Jason, and his family. By default, I was included in everything. I vaguely knew what was going on only because raising a glass and taking a drink is a good clue.
Anyhow, Jason was busy so I mostly talked to his dad. Dad talked my ear off, and I felt like we were constantly raising our glasses - my sparkling apple juice (I had to return to work) to his red wine. I don't know what he said, but he's wicked cool for sure. And funny. Probably. I misrepresented my comprehension using my most adorable student's strategy: nodding, smiling, and saying "yeah" to everything.
I even thought I understood a little. I didn't. Jason confirmed that his dad did not have an apple fruit orchard in a nearby city.
All the while, I'm noticing fleeting glances from another table, mostly family from Jason's side. His brothers, uncles, and of course a crazy aunt are all interested in what the white dude was doing at the party. Jason introduced me and I wanted to field questions, but couldn't. My introduction is short and scripted:
1. My name is Tim
2. I'm american
3. English Teacher
4. My house is in Donggang
5. Taiwan good
My brief Q&A unsatisfactorily ends with number 6.
6. Sorry, I don't speak much Chinese.
I left the party with a fat sack of some really tasty fried rice and seafood.
Again:
Most Thursdays, I'll go to the riverside park and practicing controlling my paraglider. The paraglider is just a giant kite big enough to suspend me in the sky. Big enough to violently drag me around on the ground, too, hence the practice part. Anyhow, the whole process looks pretty cool, and not many people have seen this before. My kiting practice usually draws a curious crowd, mostly transient onlookers, but I don't feel any obligation to indulge them with my attention.
*Really, the paraglider just exacerbates a common occurrence - people approach me, generally interested because I look different and speak English. All too often, I'm propositioned to be friends, become e-mail pals, exchange phone numbers, etc. Most are after free English lessons. I teach English because it pays for my awesome life here. That's all. Thanks but no-thanks middle-aged whomever I have little in common with nor want to sacrifice text messages for. I'll say that at the risk of sounding like a dick. Yes, it's nice making friends, but the crux is selectivity and mutual benefit.*
The farmer across the road is different. Whenever I take a break to hydrate and he isn't working in his field, the farmer will flag me over and pour me a glass of beer. Or sometimes this stuff called "Paolyta" - I'm not exactly sure what that is. More importantly, I think anyone who waves me over and pours me a beer is a cool dude. Also, I've said this before: coolness transcends cultural borders.
That coolness makes all the difference. If people are interested enough to invest in me: fried rice, a glass of beer, climbing lessons, whatever; I don't want to let them down with a shitty shrug and far too few words.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)