sometimes my life feels like a movie

It's been awfully long since I've had an update here; though, it's been awfully long since anything new has happened. Since I last wrote I've been working insane hours each week at a sports pub in the city. I quickly learned how to waitress and bartend and then quickly got bored. Though I'm glad I acquired knowledge on how to run a bar and restaurant smoothly (this will undoubtedly help me if I'm ever strapped for cash in the future), I've been feeling so under-stimulated for the last 2 months! After being thrown challenge after challenge in Taiwan with language barriers, cultural differences and classroom management, I suddenly found myself in a cushy job that required little to no creative thinking and no challenges in the future. So, long story short, I started browsing job websites last week with the intention of finding a short term contract that would plunge me in the deep end - exactly what I've been yearning for: to once again be in over my head.

On Friday, I came across a posting for an English teacher needed urgently in China. I called the recruiter, put forth my qualifications and set up an interview for Monday morning. I spent all weekend mentally preparing myself for the possibility of getting the job, especially since it was an urgent replacement - I had to be ready to leave ASAP. Monday morning came around and the interview was great! I became more and more confident in my ability to do the job and so did the interviewers and by the end, they offered me the position!

It's such an amazing opportunity for me. Victoria University is the university that recruited, interviewed and will provide me with the teaching materials (and in addition they pay for travel and health insurance, all vaccinations/travel immunizations, hotel accommodation and all flight costs!!) and Henan University (in Kaifeng, Henan Province, China) is the university that will be paying me a generous salary. I will be teaching university students a fixed and supremely organized curriculum - focusing on essay writing and oral presentations (which are thankfully, my specialty!) This program has been running for over 10 years so I'm really confident about the support and team atmosphere it's providing me - nothing like what I got in Taiwan!! And perhaps the best part is that I don't have to lift a finger until I start teaching! I'm continually getting phone calls from a woman named Marina about when this vaccine appointment is, and when this flight is, my visa's been approved, do I want coffee with that? haha

So, the next few weeks are going to be full of the challenges I've been looking for. Firstly though, James and I are taking a well-deserved holiday in Sydney (and surrounds) for a week. We're flying there tomorrow. I'm looking forward to taking it easy; we'll have a car so we're planning on seeing a lot of great things while we're there. Hopefully this vacation doesn't go by too quickly, because I leave for China in 9 days! I'll undoubtedly update this blog heaps while I'm there and include lots and lots of photos! The contract finishes on Dec 18th so I'll be able to fly somewhere for Christmas. Any ideas?? Maybe even Canada!!!

xo lots of love from Melbourne.

Melbourne Month-a-versary!

I’m coming up on my one month-iversary in Australia. I can’t believe how fast the time has flown! I’ve been working for 2 weeks now at a bar called The Turf in the city. I’m mostly waitressing but being trained on the bar as well. I really like working there! I work with a very diverse group of people which keeps things very interesting. I figure that if I get experience in bartending, it’s a great skill to bring with me on my future travels. If I get stuck in Europe and run out of money, I can always bartend for a few weeks. Another great advantage of working in hospitality here is that most of my coffee, alcohol and food is free or extremely cheap! I ask the chefs to make so many modifications on dishes, that they’re actually healthy by the time they’re finished!

The last time I wrote I was still living in a temporary share house, waiting to move to Fitzroy. Well, I’ve moved in and I’m loving it! My house mates are all so lovely and crazy in their own ways. I’m constantly entertained! Paul is a 34 year old artist (painting/drawing mostly) who also works short contracts in web design. He works from home mostly, so he’s always there for company. Next is Jo, a 29 year old, retail manager for a store called Jack London. She’s a vegan who brings home awesome pizza and she loves coffee almost as much as I do! Finally, Sabine is a 30 year old writer/editor who speaks fluent German and loves to go out. Everyone is so relaxed in the house and really generous with their things and time. My window faces North and so I have sun beaming into my room most of the day. The best part is that I wake up every morning with the sun warming my face! You can see some pictures of my house and surrounds in Melbourne by clicking here.

So for now, I’m focusing on working a lot (since I’ve got this annoying Canadian OSAP loan eating away at my bank account every month) and enjoying Spring! Yes, I know it’s Autumn for Canada… so crazy! I just keep following summer around the world! Next week I’m starting an 8-week belly dancing class. I love the dance and I can’t wait to see if I’m any good at it! Also, I’m starting to volunteer at a soup kitchen near my house. I’m sure I’ll have some really touching stories sooner rather than later!

Some plans for the (near) future include: a trip to do some backpacking in New Zealand, a trip up the East coast of Australia, a bike riding trip around Tasmania AND a trip back to visit HOME! I’ve found a deal with Korean Airlines (… I know, sketchy… but it’s the cheapest) to come home in February for a couple weeks. No promises, but I really am starting to have heartaches when I think of my family and friends. By February, it’ll be due time for a visit! Until next time, xoxoxo

Well I've been here for just over a week now and I'm finding more and more reasons to love Melbourne. One of which is the coffee. I have never tasted such wonderful coffee before! They say it's because of the Italian immigrants way long ago who brought espresso machines over. Whatever the case, Melbournians are very particular about their coffee. They cringe at the idea of drip brewing (the way we generally brew in North America) and large 'to go' cups from places like Tim Hortons. Here, to have a coffee is to pay at least $3, to sit in a cafe and to sip from a small cup. If I ask for 'a coffee' at a cafe in Melbourne, I'll be met with a puzzled look; one must order a 'tall black,' 'short black' or a 'flat white.'

I've been living in a share house since last Saturday in a suburb called Brunswick, about a 20 minute train ride from the CBD (Central Business District). It's alright in Brunswick but I've been trying to find a place in a suburb called Fitzroy. It's where all the cool people live, haha. Fitzroy's just loaded with cool places to wine & dine. It's really close to the city too, only about a 10 minute tram ride or a 20 minute walk. Some people say it's a suburb that's overrated and overpriced, but I'm going to give it a shot. I wasn't happy with where I ended up living in Taipei, so I really want to make sure I'm in a good spot for now in Melbourne. So after some searching (not too much, I actually got really lucky) I've found a new place to call home in Fitzroy. I'm moving in on Monday! It's another share house and I'll be living with one guy and two other girls. It's a great location, great house and a very close neighborhood 'family' I'm told. Now to find a bed and other bedroom furniture!

As for work, well there have been some developments but nothing is set yet. I started working for this Lebanese pizza man in his shop The Oven. The job is just waitressing, but I'm not happy with it. It looks like I might start waitressing and bartending at a place in the CBD starting next week. Also, I might be interviewing for a marketing position with an ATM import company next week. Pretty random... I know. I just want to make some money and keep busy for now! It's too cold to do much else! haha

Lastly, I mentioned in an earlier blog post that I was writing an article for The Epoch Times newspaper. Well, it's been published!! Here's a link if you're interested to read what I've written! Epoch Times Article.

Laura's Down Under!

I arrived in Melbourne on Wednesday, Aug 5th! I had a fabulous flight (I love flying) and even had three seats to myself on the long 11 hour flight! I used all the cushions to make a lovely bed. Everyone around me was very jealous. I spent my first three nights couch surfing (see the website here) with these awesome two Aussie girls. They laid out a great mattress for me near the heater (it's 10 degrees Celsius here!) and it was more comfortable than my Taiwanese mattress! Just today I settled into a room in a share house for a week.

As it's quite cold here and I'm generally the type of live-in, long-term, make-a-nest-first type of traveler I'm now looking for a temporary job in Melbourne as well as accomodation. I'd love to be a barista for a while so I'm going to visit cafes next week and see how it goes.

In regards to the city, I LOVE MELBOURNE! Especially coming from Taiwan, it feels like I've just come home. Not that it's like Southern Ontario, but that I felt at home right when the plane landed. Being surrounded by English again (albeit crazy accents) feels so great and I'm in love with the food, coffee, culture, style, everything! I don't have any exciting stories yet or pictures (in fact, I haven't taken any!) but all in good time.

a step towards something

I've been giving a lot of thought to writing lately. It sounds wild, but since I started journaling (around 12/13 years old) I've probably documented more days than not. My writing highs usually occur during a period of transition or high emotion; these times I might even find myself writing 3-4 times a day. Depending on where I am when the urge to write strikes, my tablet could be a napkin, a word document, one of my many journals or even my schedule. If I've got no way to write it down, I usually call someone to talk things over. Those who know me well, know that I don't keep much inside.

So as I said, I've been giving a lot of thought to writing lately. Not only am I doing tons of it (with my big move to Australia coming up) but I'm also starting to see a future in it. I know that I would never enjoy writing political news articles or anything like that. I see myself more as an Arts & Entertainment or Life columnist, where I talk about what's interesting around me. I enjoy moving away from fact and just focusing on opinion. That being said, something has happened this week that feels like a step towards something for me.

On Tuesday night, I went with a few friends to see my co-worker and friend Lucia belly dance. My friend Nick took lots of great pictures of the performance, here are some of the best.

Lucia and I

Aren't they amazing photos? Nick put them on facebook and the following day his friend (who works for The Epoch Times Newspaper) asked him if he could get an article together with some pictures for the World Culture section. Remembering that I write, Nick asked me if I'd like to write the article!! So here we are, my first chance at writing for a newspaper! If I get published I will be sure to give everyone the link! Wish me luck!

EARTHQUAKE!!

On Tuesday morning at 2:05am I was woken rather suddenly by the world moving around me! My blinds were rattling, the floor was shaking beneath me and after my mind realized what was happened, it was running a mile a minute! It was an earthquake! In my half asleep stupor I managed to get positioned under my doorframe. While I waited it out, hoping that it wouldn’t get any worse, all I could think about was that if injured, I would be found in nothing but my underwear!! Luckily, it lasted only a minute and soon I was under my covers trying to fall back asleep. It wasn’t until the following morning that I assessed the damage… there wasn’t really any. All that I could see were small cracks in the walls of my apartment, like spider webs almost. The bathroom wall in my school cracked in two as well. But other than that, I can find no other physical effects of the tremors. Never having experienced an earthquake before, this was quite exciting for me! I just thank God that it wasn’t a large earthquake, one big enough to do some serious damage to things as well as people.

In other news, something quite nice happened in the apartment today. If you’ve read earlier posts in this blog, you know that I live with a Taiwanese “grandma.” She’s old and Taiwanese and so Kate and I started calling her “grandma” and the name just stuck. Beyond, “hello” and a few beginner phrases I’ve mustered out in Chinese, I haven’t been able to communicate with her and vice-versa. Once she said “good morning” in English to me and it made my day. We’ve also shared lovely moments on the street when we recognize each other and wave vigorously as we walk by. But beyond simple communication, I feared that grandma and I would always remain strangers under the same roof. Until today.

I was leaving my room to head out for work and I noticed that her bedroom door was open, a rare occasion indeed. As I was lacing up my shoes in the hall I heard her say, “Shiao Jay” ("Miss." In Chinese). I turned to face grandma and I noticed that she had a hand-written note in her hand, written in English. She handed me the note and then started chattering away in Chinese. I apologized and “Ting bu dong”-ed, but I took the note and read it. Here’s what it said,

Hello, Miss,

It’s so sad for my grandmon that you’re going to leave here, my grandmon tells me you’re a very nice lady, and she’s so happy she can be your neighbour, although in a few months. As Taiwanese tradition and careness, she’s so curious about where you will move and stay. If you could tell her, please leave a message here then I’ll translate for her, thank you very much!

I was so touched and looked up at grandma with tears in my eyes! After all these months I assumed that she wasn’t such a big fan of Kate and I. What with all my singing off-key in the shower, all those nights that we arrived home at 4 in the morning as loud as could be, commandeering the washing machine and hogging the kitchen counter space. It means so much that grandma will miss our presence in the apartment! I gave her a hug and communicated as best as I could that I would write her back. I walked to work smiling at the world.

As my time here in Taiwan comes to a close I’ve been doing a lot of reflecting. I’ve been thinking about all the experiences that I’ve had and all the lovely people whom I’ve met. It’s touching to know that I’ll be missed by a woman who I barely had the chance to get to know. I think it was the Christmas cookies I made her that really did it! hehe

Recently, I filmed my favorite class singing "Skinamarink" (from Sharon, Lois and Bram I believe). Before they start singing, they say, "HI LAURA'S MOM!" hehe, and some of them start a little quarrel in the middle of the song. Here it is!

** if you can't view the video in this email, you can click on the blog address at the bottom of this email and view it on the actual blog website**

Chinglish, Part 3 - Back by Popular Demand!

Well, I’m sitting in my favourite café listening to Christmas music (yes, it’s June, but I don’t think this particular café cares) and I’ve got a list of Chinglish phrases in front of me. I’ve kept a running list for a few months at work hoping to capture the top ones… let me know what you think!

• Teacher, today is you? translation: “Teacher, are you teaching us today?” This is said by my favourite student, Baku. I teach his class 4 days a week and he still has yet to figure out that Thursday is the day that “is not me.” So I get to answer this particular question everyday when I get to work. I haven’t bothered correcting him because it’s too cute… I guess that makes me a bad English teacher! Haha

• “9, how many?” translation: “What day in September?” Another Baku-ism. He doesn’t like to refer to days of the week and months of the year by their English names, instead he uses numbers (the Chinese language uses numbers to refer to days and months so this isn‘t that strange). I was telling them that I was going to be flying to Australia in September (back when I was leaving in Sept and not Aug) and he wanted to know exactly when. It took a bit of thinking on my part to figure out what he meant by this question.

• “Teacher, they always that one.” translation: haha, I have no idea! This phrase is particularly funny because my one class will always say “that one” when they don’t know the English word for something (which also seems to come directly from Chinese as far as I can tell). I think that other students were picking on Betty and she was trying to tell me “Teacher, they are always picking on me,” but that’s just my best guess.

• “___________ don’t have come.” translation: So and so isn’t coming to class today.” Simple enough to understand.

• “Teacher, so ouch!” translation: “My knee, eye, mosquito bite, cut, head, etc…. hurts!!” This is said in a very whiney voice by my 8 year old class. The nice thing about being a foreign teacher is that I can just say “awww,” kiss the boo-boo and send them out of class to have a Chinese teacher take care of the rest! (it’s not that I’m lazy… it’s that I can’t communicate with the kids as well as the Chinese teachers and with the younger kids especially important conversations are usually over-run with frustration on both ends)

• “So not easy!” translation: “This work is hard!” or “I don’t want to do this work!” Again, said in a whiney voice, but this time I have less sympathy for them!

• Lastly, a cute story goes along with this one: When my younger class is doing writing activities in their workbooks I always walk around with an eraser and erase any work that is messy so they can write it again (mean, I know, but they are soooo lazy with their English writing). I erased some of Edward’s work and said, “Edward, that doesn’t look like a capital ‘W’…” Frustrated, he responded with, “No teacher, that’s because your eyes is so broken.”

That might be all the Chinglish I have for you! But I will probably post one or two more blogs before I depart from Taiwan en-route to Melbourne, Australia! My blog name is going to have to change and I’m taking suggestions!! I was thinking along the lines of… “Laura in the wonderful land of OZ” but please tell me what you think!

a short update

After much deliberation and weighing of circumstances, I have finalized my next destination. Once I saw the teaching schedule for August, I realized that I wouldn't be making enough to stay here for my final month. Because of summer vacation and the economic crises (which has also hit Taiwan) I only had 10 hours of teaching scheduled each week! This reality means I would have less money to fly around and backpack as I had originally planned. So I have opted to save my backpacking through South East Asia dream for a little later and fly straight to Australia.

So the final decision is: I am flying out of Taiwan on August 5 en route to Melbourne! I'm in the process of getting a 1 year Working Holiday Visa which will allow me to stay in the country for a year and take on casual jobs as I go. I'm not sure how long I'll stay, but I'm happy to have the option to stay for a while.

That's about it! Nothing is new lately. I'm just working away and now planning for my departure from Taiwan. Though I love it here, I'm really excited to live in an English-speaking country again! The glass wall that seems to be between me and everyone else will vanish once I get to Australia! Yay! more friends!!

how I spent the Dragon Boat Festival

Last weekend was significant for a couple of reasons: 1) It was the Dragon Boat Festival in Taiwan so we got a 4-day weekend! 2) Friday was my 23rd birthday! Mike and I decided to use the four days to take a scooter road-trip down the East coast of the island. Rather than write all about the weekend, I'll just show it to you!

But first, here's two of my favourite students (Baku and Helen) posing with a card their class made me! (notice all the dinosaurs! one kid said, "don't worry teacher, they are GIRL dinosaurs!")

Mike and I drove our scooters first to a place called Daxi and spent the night on the ocean listening to the waves! The following day we drove to a place called Yilan where we learned there isn't much to do. We walked through a market and made quite an impression on all the vendors (my blonde hair is a magnet for attention in small towns). After I took this picture, the butcher yelled to his friends in Chinese, "I'm going to be on the internet!" (and he is...)





After Yilan, we drove all day through the East Coast mountains. Driving through the mountains is really something else. Everywhere I looked, I saw mountains. The roads were curvy and we had to stop many times so that we could really take in the beauty around us. It was raining for part of the journey... rain isn't very enjoyable on a scooter. But nothing makes me laugh more than how ridiculous I look in my Taiwanese rain-gear (perhaps the greatest indicator of how Chinese I'm becoming!)











Here is one of the fantastic views that we pulled over for. It's really quite something to ride through this scenery!







We spent the next night in Hualien City in one of the worst hostels I've ever stayed in! The bathroom floor was flooded with 2 inches of water all night, our "room" was a basement (with no door) that had zero ventilation and 4 people sleeping in it and to make matters worse (this one's my fault) I lost my earplugs and there were 2 loud snorers in the room! ah! I did manage to sleep a bit though and woke up to my birthday! We spent the morning at Liyu Lake eating Taiwanese food and watching dragon boat races! We were quite far away from the action as you can tell by this photo!

In the afternoon, Mike and I got back on the bikes and drove to Taroko National Park where we spent hours driving through Taroko Gorge. Taroko means, "magnificent and beautiful" and that's exactly what it is! As we wove through the marble walls and tunnels (the gorge contains an abundant supply of marble and even jade) I was in awe. I couldn't believe how much beauty there was to see! While so much of this island has been tainted by humans, the gorge remains almost entirely untouched. It was so refreshing to explore this part of Taiwan!

The following day, we took a train back to the city (and shipped the bikes back too). It was sad to leave the beauty behind me, but I know there will be plenty more in my future! My time in Taiwan is coming to an end. I will be leaving on September 1st and flying to Hong Kong for a 10-day Vipassana meditation retreat. After that, I plan to explore some of South East Asia before I fly to Australia to meet up with my little brother Derek who has been there since Dec '08. I'm not too sure what I'll do in Australia yet, but that just makes things more exciting now doesn't it!?

"I'm sorry Mr. Shrimp, but you're just too delicious"

Last weekend Katelynn and I took another trip down south (I love it there)! Our Taiwanese friend Veronica is from a small community called Puzih which is about 30 minutes outside of Chiayi City which is a good 3 hour bus ride from Taipei City where we all currently live. We went to visit Veronica's family and to attend her cousin's traditional Chinese wedding.


While the north (mainly Taipei City) is dominated by global business and trade (and consequently, heavily influenced by mainland China, Japan and other countries), the south of Taiwan is where one finds the true, untainted Taiwanese culture. In the city we're surrounded by apartment buildings and high-rise buildings, but in the south families tend to live in traditional Chinese-style houses because there is far more space. I particularly like the south because the day to day living is much more relaxed and easy-going. In the city I feel the need to constantly be busy and not 'waste' any time; whereas in the south, taking a 2 hour nap after lunch is perfectly acceptable and in fact, the norm!

When we arrived on Friday evening, Veronica's family had a birthday cake waiting for us! They sang "Happy Birthday" (in Chinese of course) and we all feasted on cake, mangoes and watermelon! We were especially touched by this surprise because we aren't able to celebrate our birthdays (which are a mere 6 days apart!) with our own families this year. Once we met Veronica's family, it was easy to see why she is such a sweetheart. Even though we couldn't speak with her parents (beyond the simple Chinese that we can muster between us both), it felt so nice to be surrounded by a family again.

On Saturday morning, we biked into town. I had my first experience as a passenger of a bicycle (the true Chinese way to travel!) and let's just say, my knees were not very happy with the arrangement! When we returned to Veronica's house it was time to get ready for the wedding! Now, traditional Chinese weddings are not like weddings back home. In fact, they are basically just a big big meal (and by big I mean 14 courses! no joke). In the south, weddings often have over 800 guests, a stage with live music/karaoke and some even have exotic dancers! The wedding that we attended had 1000 guests (!!!) and a stage with live music... no exotic dancers though. We were the only foreigners there (in fact we only saw 1 other foreigner the entire weekend) and so we got more attention then the bride! Veronica's dad was so proud of us, he kept bringing his friends over to our table to "cheers" us. Many of them could only say "okay" in English, so most of the conversations went like this:

Chinese man: okay okay!
Kate: cheers!
Chinese man: chru..... (trying to say 'cheers' but can't...) okay! (raises his glass)
Laura: okay!
Kate: okay okay!
Chinese man: okay!
(we all drink)

The food was absolutely spectacular! You can see the pictures of all the courses if you click on the link at the end of this post. But for those who don't... this is what we ate:

Course 1: A whole chicken served in a soup/broth
Course 2: A fish (cooked fish here is more often than not served whole, eyes and all, and you scoop the meat off it's body and leave the carcass on the platter)
Course 3: lobster pizza (a lobster with cheese, veges and olives on top - looked like a pizza!)
Course 4: congealed fish eggs (I wasn't a big fan of this dish)
Course 5: radish and vegetables
Course 6: fish ball soup
Course 7: crab (the most delicious crab I'll ever have!)
Course 8: black rice cupcakes
Course 9: more soup (didn't have it... not sure what it was like)
Course 10: another fish/stirfry type dish
Course 11: lamb
Course 12: shrimp (legs, eyes and all - I love it, but I can't eat these shrimp without apologizing to them while I rip off their legs and faces...)
Course 13: fruit
Course 14: ice cream

There you have it. Now you can see why I had a 2 hour nap after lunch! Poor Veronica acted as a translator most of the weekend as very few of her family members spoke any English beyond, "okay" (see above conversation with Chinese man). Kate and I were asked some very funny questions about Canada and might as well have been applauded when we picked up our chopsticks to eat (they were so surprised to see that we could use them!)

On Sunday, Veronica's mom drove us to Tainan (a city about 45 minutes away from their home) to watch a spectacular festival/parade put on by a local temple. Most temples have this type of celebration (where gods are paraded through the neighbouring communities for about a month and then are returned to the temple with a big hoo-hah on the final day); however, this particular one is the biggest in the south of Taiwan. I'm told that many foreigners don't have the chance to see something so culturally-rich because they don't know where or when to find it. We were so fortunate to have Taiwanese friends to bring us there! The colours of the costumes, the sounds of the firecrackers, trumpets and gongs and the smell of the incense burning throughout the temple will forever remain in my memory.


All in all, the weekend was a refreshing and much-needed getaway from the city and a fantastic encounter with true Taiwanese culture. I invite everyone to take a look at my pictures of this weekend, just click here.

how Chinese I am

Last night I was waiting for Katelynn at an MRT station in Yonghe. Having nothing better to do, I started pounding my arms and legs with my fists to get my chi flowing. It wasn't until about 2 minutes into this exercise that I realized exactly how Chinese I've become. Here are some more examples:

• More often than not, my breakfast, lunch, snacks and dinner come from 7/11
• 7/11 has taken the place of Tim Horton's in my life
• I check my blind spots when walking
• I like to challenge myself to see exactly how much I can carry on my bike before I: a) fall over, b) can no longer see infront of me or c) look even more Chinese than the grandmothers who do the same
• I find myself staring at foreigners
  
• I find myself staring at everyone... unaware that once they catch me, the polite thing to do is look away
• I now prefer squat toilets
• I have the biggest collection of plastic bags that you've ever seen
• I no longer notice the smell of tea eggs when I enter 7/11... in fact I enter 7/11 in order to buy tea eggs
• I think everything is "cute"
• I shower at night
• I eat dumplings like it's my job
• I collect 7/11 stickers and exchange them for free stuff
• I eat a LOT of fish
• I'll eat anything... even if it still has eyes
• Rice is the staple food in my diet
  

Thankfully, I've still held on to most of my Canadian/Western-isms and proudly, I'm still committed to using "eh" with as much vivacity as before. I'll be sure to update if it ever gets to the point where I use an umbrella in the sun or buy "whitening" creams because they enhance my pale beauty.

stranger in a strange land

Here are some funny things that have happened to me this week:

I went to a place to order my favorite dessert here in Taipei: Taro in grass jelly (usually with sweet potato or red bean). I figured since Taro root is native to Taiwan (or something like that) the Chinese name would probably just be "Taro." I asked the employee for some "Taro" and it turns out my reasoning was wrong... there is a different Chinese name for taro root. As a result, the girl had no idea what I was asking for, realized that I barely spoke Chinese, froze in horror and then started running down the street - this is no joke. I stood at the counter, shocked and quite embarrassed that I sent a girl running, while the other patrons just stared at me. A few minutes later, the girl returned with a man - I'm assuming his purpose was to translate. However, the man's English was as bad as my Chinese so I ended up just pointing at a picture and hoping for the best.

Yesterday was a beautiful day, the temperature reached 30 degrees Celsius and so I wore a sundress (as I do most summer days). The responses I got at each job were quite funny. The teachers at the kindergarten couldn't believe that I stood in the sun while the kids played at recess (I just wanted a tan!) and the students kept saying "Teacher, so beautiful!" Perhaps the funniest comment came from a ten-year-old student of mine who usually doesn't see me in anything other than my red uniform t-shirt. She stopped, stared with an open mouth and then said quite seriously, "Teacher, you are HOT!" I immediately laughed but she maintained a serious face. I think she meant "Teacher, you're wearing a dress because it's hot outside" but it was funny in Chinglish.

Last night I was meeting a friend to see a play at the Taipei American School. I was early so I went to the store beside the school to kill some time. While I was browsing in the store, a small boy (couldn't be older than 2 years) came up to me (he measured up to my mid-thigh) and looked up and gaped. I've become pretty good at ignoring and/or not noticing stares by now so I continued on browsing the store. Suddenly I felt a hard smack on my left thigh, he whacked me! The little 2 year old just up and hit me! I was at first stunned and turned to look at him. He just continued staring. I started laughing and then continued on my way.

Oh, the hilarity of being a stranger in a strange land.

just "ting bu dong" it

If you want to feel completely useless... move to a country where you don't speak the language.

The title of this post was the philosophy that I lived by for so many months here in Taiwan... "ting bu dong" means "I don't understand" and I learned it long before I even left Canada (knowing that it would be handy). This phrase has served me well for the past 8 months: wrong numbers (incoming and outgoing), annoying salespersons or even just letting someone know not to bother with me (in these cases I usually accompany it with an equally useless facial expression). For a while, the very fact that I could say this phrase and be understood allowed me to fool myself into thinking that I really was learning Chinese.

After many clueless months, "ting bu dong" is getting old and I find myself craving conversation with anyone and everyone. Grandma (the old woman who lives in our apartment and doesn't speak a word of English), the numerous 7/11 employees with whom I come into contact many times a day... even the street animals... I'm getting tired of walking into a store and having the employees freeze and run to get the "best English speaking Employee" to help me (even if that person happens to be the dish-washer or the garbage man). It's even to the point now where I'll settle for people thinking that I speak and understand Chinese. If I'm with a bilingual friend who is conversing with someone in Chinese I find myself nodding along with their conversation. It gets quite awkward when I throw in a laugh and realize soon afterwards that it doesn't fit the topic...

Luckily I've got some great English-speaking friends here who definitely lighten my language difficulties and allow for some great conversations. One thing is for sure, if I return to Taiwan after my travels (even if it's just for one year) I'll be studying Chinese!

something cute

Yesterday, one of my kindergarten students said this while examining his Nike shoe:

"Teacher, the check mark means that the shoe did a good job."

... this is what happens when you use check marks on the board to reinforce good behaviour in the classroom ...

the longer I live here

The longer I live here, the more I love about this island. While I’m sure a lot of this has to do with the fading culture shock and the making of more and more friends, I am happy to say that my Taiwan experience isn’t going anywhere but up.

The past two weekends have been filled with so many wonderful sights and memories-in-the-making. We spent the first weekend of April in Kenting, the very south of Taiwan. A music festival called “Spring Scream” drew us there (as well as hundreds of other 20-and-thirty-something year olds) but it was the beauty of the south that really blew me away. The festival was set in Erluanbi, the southernmost point of Taiwan and there were at least 8 stages set up all around the area. We saw everything from Japanese punk rock to Korean rock to French rock to Taiwanese heavy metal/scream-o to Taiwanese/American jazz (which was my favourite). The food was fantastic (as all food is in this country) and the friends we went with were even better. After each very long, tiring (but awesome) day, we returned to our temporary home… a single room with 5 beds where 11 of us slept! Not quite the Ritz, but endearing enough for me to miss it.

Having rented scooters for the weekend, we took advantage of our mobility and drove along the coast on our last day there. Imagine: 30 degrees Celsius, the sun on my face, wind in my hair, doing nothing but driving along a breath-taking shoreline… coming back to the city was such a bummer… I want to move down south!

Without looking at a Western Calendar, you’d never know that this past weekend was Easter! I didn’t see one indication anywhere; no chocolate eggs, bunnies or even religious reminders! Some of you are probably jealous (as Easter is so commercialized in the West) but it was quite strange! We attended Easter mass on Sunday morning and spent the rest of the day in Wulai (a small town in the mountains south of Taipei City). It takes about 1.5 hours to get to Wulai from where we live (which is a tad North of Taipei City), an MRT ride followed by a 40-minute bus ride through the mountains (which can either mean extreme beauty or extreme car-sickness depending on who you talk to). Highlights of Wulai included: tasting all the delicious specialties the Aboriginal culture there has to offer (notably the bamboo rice, the rice wine and the deep-fried taro balls), taking a gondola to the top of a mountain (with an amazing view of the waterfalls on the way) and bathing in the wonderful hot springs at the end of the day!

I’m excited to share with everyone my upcoming travel plans! In August I am taking a week or two to travel around Taiwan itself. I’ll be taking a scooter and basically just seeing all that I can see in the time that I have! I want to make sure I thoroughly explore this beautiful island in case I don’t return for a second year! Come September I’ll be leaving Taiwan… destination: somewhere in South East Asia! (Probably either Bali, Indonesia or Bangkok, Thailand). I will be starting in one decided location and basically just making it up as I go along, depending on what I like and whom I meet. The plan is to explore South East Asia for two to three months (or for as long as my money will support me!) If anyone has any suggestions for where I should go… please let me know! I love to hear about other people’s travels… I’m really interested in natural beauty and culture (if that helps with suggestions).

Until next time, Tsai Jian!

Me and my scooter!

Saturday afternoon at the concert... so relaxed and loving the sun!

At the Southernmost point of Taiwan... I climbed the monument

Kate and I on the beautiful coast!!

Chinglish & Other Observations, Part 2

As promised... here are some more Chinglish phrases from the great city of Taipei. I love the response that I got from Part 1! One friend even printed the post off and read it to her friends when they were on a trip together! Wicked stuff! I apologize beforehand if this post ends up being as long (or even longer) than the last... I get carried away most times :)

"Teacher so good, Lahhhhhhh?"
Translation: This is my new favorite. The students in my one class have started to add "Lahhhh"" to the end of everything: "No you can't, Lahhhhh?" "Teacher I have use, Lahhhhhh?" (this contains more Chinglish than Lahhhh, obviously)... It's pronounced like "Lah" but they drag the ending up as if to be asking a question. I have dissected this with other teachers and here are two interpretations:
1 - It could be compared to the Canadianism "eh?" It's asking for verification through question form. In other words: "teacher, my work is so good, isn't it?" There's no room to argue here, the only answer is: "yes! it is."
2 - In order to form a question in Chinese, you must add "ma" to the end of the sentence. I believe that my students may be bringing this over in their heads when translating to English and just throwing "lahhh" in there at the end...
Whatever the reason may be, it's hilarious to listen to and very difficult to correct!

"I can eat now, Lahhh?"
Translation: there's that "Lahhh" again. My students form questions in the strangest ways. Instead of switching the "I can" to "Can I"... they add "Lahhh" and raise the last syllable of the phrase in the way that we ask questions in English. It's often hard to tell if they're making a statement or asking a question.

That's all the quality Chinglish I have for right now. As for "Other Observations," I've got some very entertaining excerpts from my multiple visits to Veteran's General Hospital last week. Before you worry, I was just getting testing done all week for my lovely screwed up stomach (that I'm sure most of you have heard about on more than one occasion).

Visit #1
alone, trying to figure out where to check-in, already been yelled at outside for parking my bike "illegally," finally find where to bring my doctor's referral... the woman calls someone... I'm sent to another building. I wander to Floor 12F... realize I have no idea how to read the door names so I stand helpless for about 10 minutes before a woman approaches me, takes the papers from my hands and brings me to where I need to be (Kate and I have learned that if we look as helpless as possible, someone who speaks English usually comes up and helps us - this saves asking everyone you see if they speak Chinese). Meet with the doctor, he orders tests, I go downstairs and try to figure out how to pay... finally I pay. Then I try to figure out how to pick up my prescription... finally get that done (by again, looking helpless)... finished for the day!

Visit #2
Kate accompanies me (awesome cousin that she is). I've already been fasting for 2 days so I'm completely disoriented. We get to the correct building and correct floor (huge accomplishment). We enter a waiting room full and I mean FULL of old people. There's people chugging these mixtures left right and centre... I'm worried I'll have to do that. We quickly realize that the nurses don't speak any English. Convienently... a man pops out of no where and offers to translate. perfect! I now spend 5 minutes explaining to this stranger that yes, I've been fasting; yes, I'm all 'emptied out'... meanwhile he's telling the nurse all this in Chinese and all of the old people in the waiting room are listening intently. I'm mortified of course.

After a couple shots of God knows what into my arm... (in the waiting room of course... everything pre-treatment seems to be done in the waiting room for efficiency reasons I'm assuming) I'm hoping that I'll soon be knocked out for the test... I'm brought into the procedure room... nope, no anesthesia... no nothing. Apparently I was supposed to ask my doctor for that weeks ago... That's the Taiwanese hospital efficiency for you, if you don't request and pay specially for anesthesia... you don't get it (at least for these types of tests).

Visit #3
Kate and I arrived later that week. While we're waiting in the waiting room, we're talking to each other... a man sitting in front of us turns around and says loudly with a raise of his hand: "KEEP SILENCE!!!" hahaha. We lower our voices a bit and then he turns around again.. this time to give us the "thumbs up"!

My turn.. someone offered to translate again (so handy!)... I was given throat spray (along with 5 other people in the waiting room... "assembly-line medical care" I like to call it). Kate and I walk into the procedure room and we're met with an old man with no pants on... we immediately start laughing and turn away, but he just pulls his pants up and walks out of the room saying "it's okay, it's okay" in Chinese. They really rush you in and out here! geez!

Time for the last test... a sonograph. Kate and I wander until we find where this test takes place. The humorous part of this test was that the entire time, Kate and the doctor played "Name Laura's Organs." Kate was testing her knowledge of anatomy and the doctor was educating her further... meanwhile I'm hoping nothing is wrong with me!! haha

All in all, I came out pretty clear! So again, no need to worry. To sum up my impressions of the medical system here (for those of you that skimmed, I don't mind:) ):
- Confidentiality is nonexistent... I had people in the waiting room asking me what's wrong... what are my symptoms and telling me ALL about theirs!!
- Efficiency comes first (which is understandable, given the population of this place!) This is apparent in the "Assembly Line" way of running tests
- For the most part, even testing rooms have an "open door policy"
- Everything is extremely well organized but appears to be utterly chaotic

Now that you've got a nice insight into some of the medical care here, I'm off. This weekend Kate and I are heading to Kenting, the southernmost part of Taiwan, for a 3-day music festival called: Spring Scream. We can't wait! My best to everyone!!

"Chinglish" & other observations: Part 1

Chinglish (also: chingrish) is a portmanteau of the words Chinese and English and refers to spoken or written English which is influenced by Chinese.

Wikipedia bundles it up quite nicely here; however, my own personal experience of Chinglish is a little more complicated and a lot more hilarious. I've been compiling a list of Chinglish and other observations over the past 6 months so that I could write this blog entry, so here goes:

Laura's Biased and Fragmentary Chinglish Dictionary

... from my students

"Teacher, he used me"
Translation: Teacher, he hit me. Apparently, in Chinese the word for "used" also means "hit." I didn't know this for a long time and you can imagine my confusion...

"Teacher, I have use?"
Oh, that word again... Translation: Teacher, can I use this (eraser/pencil sharpener/etc...). Though, it could also mean: Teacher, can I turn on the air conditioner/turn on the lights/take down the chairs/etc... Don't ask me why... I just learned with time

"Teacher, you KNOW?" (with a lot of stress on "know")
Translation: Teacher, do you understand (what this means/what I'm saying/basically anything...)
Related story: My students were chatting in Chinese after class one day and I overhead one boy say a Chinese phrase meaning: "I don't understand." I looked at him and said sternly, "what don't you understand?" All the students then stared at me with open mouths and said, "Teacher, you KNOW?!" (This of course, would mean to them that I had always understood their Chinese discussions when they had believed I was ignorant of the language; which, of course I am!) It's fun to mess with the students sometimes.

"Teacher, my writing/coloring so beautiful!!" (said by male students)
I find this one hilarious. "Beautiful" is one of those words that my students learn very early on in their English studies, mostly because its a culture so obsessed with "cute" and "beautiful" things. Unfortunately, the words gets over-applied and suddenly, everything that is not hideous becomes "beautiful." It just cracks me up to hear 6 year old boys arguing about who has better handwriting: "My writing so beautiful!" "NO! Cookoo! My writing so beautiful!" "Teacher, my writing so beautiful, right?!" (they also love to call each other "cookoo"... so much so that I had to ban it as a bad word in my class!)

... from a Chinese co-worker

I was leaving work one day when a co-worker stopped me and handed me an envelope saying, "this came from your Lord." I looked at the envelope which was covered in Chinese characters and thought to myself, "God, if you're going to write to me... why would you do it in Chinese?!" I brought the envelope home with me and after a futile attempt at trying to decode it's contents I finally realized what it was: the electric bill from my landlord!

... a series of emails from a modeling agency that I was auditionning for

Hi Laura
Receives your mail to be very happy
My English not been good.
Please do not mind.
Ask that you will speak Chinese?
I want approximately the time to try on clothes with you
This week may give me a time?

Wishes you Happy New Year

Dear Laura

Your facial features are very suitable we the catalog flavor
So we hoped that has a look at you with own eyes
Tries on clothes to have a look
We approximately in Saturday 10:00
My company address FL. 10, NO. 42, SEC. 1, CHENDE ROAD, TAIPEI, 103, TAIWAN
Thank you so much

Dear Laura

This photography time approximately 8hours The payment is NT$6,000.
Did not understand the place may Saturday explain
The anticipation sees you

I don't think these require any explanation.

A Few More Observations

• Taiwan is littered with "squat" toilets (toilets that are just a hole in the ground over which you must squat and carefully aim in order to do your business cleanly and efficiently... though this rarely turns out well...) I guess many women have become accustomed to squatting while they pee and so they find it difficult to manoevre around a Western-style upright toilet... I say this because more often than not in public washrooms, a Western-style toilet will contain shoeprints on it's toilet seat!
• The differences that one notices in gift-giving can serve as a very clear window into the culture of the gift-giver. This year at Christmas, the teachers at my school had a small gift exchange. The amount spent could not exceed 300NTD (about 10CDN) and had to be useful. I gave a martini shaker. From a Chinese teacher, I received toilet paper. The British teacher that I work with gave pickled eggs. You may draw your own conclusions.
  
• I have deduced that THE UMBRELLA is to the Taiwanese as duct tape is to Westerners. Here is a non-exhaustive list of uses for the umbrella that I have learned in Taiwan:

1. protection from the rain
2. protection from the sun
3. protection on an overcast day when there is nothing to seek protection from
4. a cane to aid walking
5. a weapon to swing at cars when they drive too close to you
6. an instrument to prop open a door
7. a vehicle on which to express your inner personality (there IS umbrella bling)
8. an axle; when placed between two wheels it creates a vehicle
9. just use your imagination... and I'm sure I've seen it done!

I'm dying to write more, but this entry is already long enough! I will have to name this entry "Part 1" and follow it up with many more. However, the longer I live here, the more "normal" things become to me and I find myself trying to remember how we would do it back home! So here's an appeal: to anyone that would like to come visit Taiwan, you are very welcome!! I need your fresh perspective on this crazy island!

... and now for some unrelated pictures

We went to a lantern festival in Pingxi and sent a lantern up into the sky (I know... extremely bad for the environment, but awesomely traditional!) We chose a green lantern to represent good health. I wrote the names of my family on it, along with good intentions and song lyrics.

Up, Up and Away! (all of the dots are either other lanterns in the sky or rain drops)
This evening was chaos... you can imagine how dangerous this already seems... Just add in millions of people, millions of umbrellas, and electrical wires littering the streets (many lanterns would catch on electrical wires and catch fire... naturally we would all run for cover!)

Pretty awesome photo!! (if I do say so myself) This is a view of the street from our viewing-point

Dear family and friends, Gong Xi Fa Cai!! – Happy Chinese New Year! It is now the Year of the Ox and so far, the ox is treating me very well. Despite some terrible ‘fortunes’ I’ve received lately (one from the Kwan Im Thong Hood Cho Temple in Singapore told me to "Be prepared for the worse"), good blessings have fallen upon me. Firstly, I want to share some news from the trip that Kate and I took during our Chinese New Year time-off. We were gone for a total of 10 days: 3 nights in Singapore, 1 night on a sketchy sleeper-train (I do not recommend traveling this way!) and 5 nights in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. All followed by an unexpected but warmly welcomed up-grade to first class on the flight home! (I maintain it was because when we got our boarding passes we looked like lost gypsies, unshowered and wearing all of the mis-matched clothing we had purchased during our travels).

Singapore is a clean, friendly and very easy-to-navigate city. Coming from Taipei where everything is in Chinese (with English words scattered here and there though usually used in the wrong contexts), it was a treat to read English billboards, overhear English conversations and ask directions in English again! Out of all the experiences that we had in Singapore, here are my top two:
One – living in Little India. Our hostel was located smack dab in the middle of Little India. (Singapore also has a Chinatown section that we visited on the last day; it felt like home) We visited many Indian eateries and shops and though we weren’t truly in India, the culture was all around us. It was so nice to be away from all that’s familiar (Western and Taiwanese) once again. This picture is of Kate and I eating at the Banana Leaf Apollo. In keeping with custom, we ate our food directly off of the banana leaf “plate” and used our hands as utensils. (on my left wrist you can see the henna that I got)

Two – Underwater World on Sentosa Island. Sentosa Island is an island strictly designed for tourists and entertainment. Regardless of how touristy it was I really enjoyed walking through a tunnel under an aquarium and watching a shark feeding. We also saw a pink dolphin show on the island! The picture below is the view from the gondola that we took from the mainland to the island.


As I mentioned before, from Singapore we took an overnight train to Kuala Lumpur, the capital city of Malaysia. There are a number of reasons why I wouldn’t recommend this type of transportation, but mostly because: a) you never know who you’ll end up sleeping close to/who might watch you all night while you sleep! And b) lets just say the cleanliness of the sheets is less than satisfactory! Anyways, we arrived in KL at 7am on a Sunday morning and found our way to the hostel quite easily. Malaysia’s signs and street names are in Malay, but luckily Malay uses the Roman alphabet, so the city is still very easy to navigate. I slept for a few hours that morning and then we set off and started exploring KL! I want to make a top three list for Malaysia, but there are far too many ‘tops’ to narrow it down to just three! Our activities in Malaysia included: visiting cultural centers of the city (government buildings, mosques, the Petronas Towers, etc…), beautiful orchid and hibiscus gardens, a butterfly park, the Batu Caves (famous Hindu worship caves near the city), an Elephant Sanctuary and taking a day-trip/bus tour to Melaka, Malaysia’s historical city. A highlight of the trip was meeting up with friends of my family who live in KL, the Lims. Marge, her husband KC and one of her daughters, Nique (the other daughter is at university in Ontario), welcomed Katelynn and I with loving, open arms and really gave me a much-needed sense of home and family during the time that we spent with them!

The famous Petronas Towers at night

42.7 meters high, the world's tallest statue of Murugan, a Hindu deity - this was at the Batu Caves, just outside of KL

Feeding deer at a sketchy place called "Deerland"

Red Square in Malaka, Malaysia

All in all, and despite being a little sick during the middle part, this trip really recharged me! Interestingly, one of the coolest things was the feeling I had upon returning to Taiwan. It was the first time that Taipei filled me with such a strong sense of home. The familiarity of the city, the smells, sights and sounds all resume as they had when I left, but somehow they have gained new meaning with me. I left with an optimistic attitude, believing that teaching, finding a morning job, making friends, etc… would be easier once I had a fresh perspective… and they really have! I’m enjoying teaching more now than I had ever before, I got a morning job very quickly and I start next Monday (yay!) and new friendships (and even tutoring jobs) are blooming all around me. I am really thankful for this new outlook as loving where I live is very important to me. Despite this new dream of mine to become a professional backpacker (inspired while staying at hostels with some really cool people), I am happy to be home in Taiwan.

On the North East coast of Taiwan last weekend

Happy New Year! (Xin Nian Kuai Le!)

Ni-hao Family and Friends! I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas and New Years! It was very different for Kate and I this year, but very memorable all the same! As it grew closer and closer to Christmas more and more stores were setting up decorations and blasting “Last Christmas” (by WHAM!)… Seriously, we were beginning to think that is the only Christmas song they know here! Turns out the students also know “We Wish You a Merry Christmas.” Despite having to work on Christmas Day, Kate and I did our best to celebrate together. On Christmas Eve we went to the Shangri-La Far Eastern Hotel with some friends (our “family” here) to eat at the best buffet that you can possibly imagine! There was Chinese, Indian, Italian, Japanese and a smattering of other cultural food to choose from… and there was turkey! Here is a family photo that we took by the hotel’s fake hearth.


On Christmas Day Kate and I exchanged small presents (we’re trying to save money for the big trip at the end of January), went to Christmas Mass and came home to eat French toast and call our families (for whom it was still Christmas Eve). That’s about it! A simple Christmas that served to remind me of how important my family and friends are and how unimportant the material side of the holiday truly is! I miss my family tons; my younger brother Derek also had to miss Christmas as he is living and working in Australia right now. Yes, the Thissen family is slowly covering every continent… Just a different Christmas for all of us this year!

I met a German woman named Silke at yoga a few months back and she asked me if Kate and I could show her son (Rene) around the city when he came to visit her for the holidays. Being on the lookout for more friends, I happily agreed to acting as a hostess in a city that I barely know for two weeks. Rene turned out to be a really cool guy and Kate and I miss him now that he’s gone back to Germany. We spent our New Year’s Eve with Rene and his family and friends (our ‘adopted’ German family) at a rooftop party hosted by a German satellite company in Taipei. We had a perfect view of Taipei 101 and it’s 21 million dollar firework show at midnight!! I encourage you to watch the 4-minute firework show on You Tube (click here) as it’s really something! Funny thing is, I returned to work a few days later to hear the kids say that it wasn’t as good as last year’s! Could’ve fooled me.


We had a lot of dinner get-togethers over the last few weeks and have made many new friends! It’s quite uplifting to meet other young foreigners who are also taking in a new culture. We have a lot of fun exchanging stories and talking about our first impressions of this crazy city. Though, just last night Kate and I were saying how quickly we got used to this place! We remember looking at photos of the city on Google before we left and thinking about how bizarre it was! Now, that’s just part of everyday life!

I’ve acquired one tutoring job for now. It’s a pretty great deal! I meet Michael at Starbucks on Sunday mornings and I make a nice amount of money for conversing with him and teaching him English idioms. Afterwards, he takes me out for lunch somewhere! It’s a good way to get to know new restaurants without having to spend any money!

In regards to my teaching job… I hate to say it but it’s the only part of Taiwan that’s causing me grief. I’m very tired of the dominating “business” factor of the school; it’s all about the money… an idea that is quite foreign to me having worked mostly for non-profit organizations. I have very difficult classes where I’m teaching one or two students and the rest are throwing things above my head or at me, speaking in Chinese so loud that I can’t hear myself think (they aren’t allowed to speak Chinese in English School) and just coming and going as they please, ignoring my “no bathroom” policy.

Many of you are probably thinking, why doesn’t the school just kick out the bad kids? My thoughts exactly… but it’s a business, not a school. As long as those kids’ parents are paying tuition, I am required to ‘teach’ them. I’m told the most important part is making sure the kids fill in their workbooks so their parents think they’re doing work and more importantly, learning English. So I have to write all of the answers on the board so that the kids can copy them into their books. It’s really wearing me down, this false atmosphere of a school. It seems that the other teacher’s cope by putting up a barrier and just treating it like any other job. Unfortunately for me, I take just as much from my working environment as I give; that’s the way I’ve always been.

In happier news, Kate and I are leaving for Singapore and Malaysia in less than two weeks! Hopefully this trip will give me a nice reminder of why I’m here! To travel and experience more cultures! Then maybe I will start viewing teaching here as more of a means to an end. Thank you to everyone who sent Christmas and New Year’s cards and emails! I will write an update after our trip and soon I also plan to write an entry strictly on some of the many funny every-day occurrences in Taiwan. My family really gets a kick out of some of my stories so I’m sure everyone else will too!