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.
Saturday, April 25, 2009
Monday, April 20, 2009
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!
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!
Saturday, April 18, 2009
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 ...
"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 ...
Monday, April 13, 2009
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!!
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!!
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