The weather all last week and over the weekend was amazing, clear blue skies, comfortably warm with a cool breeze...just beautiful. It made me realize that I love living on a tropical island.
Today I woke up to grey skies and a blast of cold air as I walked out the front door of the building, it was as if we skipped the gentle autumn and was slammed by winter overnight. The tropical island melted, and I was suddenly taken back to where I was around this time last year, freezing my heiny off in northern Europe...brrrrrrrrrrr!!!
Oh well. Next week I am going to Kenting at the southern tip of the island, which is supposed to have SoCal weather all year round. Hello sunshine!
Monday, December 22, 2008
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
That Time Before Noon
Thus far, I've been very fortunate in having the ability to pretty much get my first or second choice of class times, and since I am so NOT a morning person (as many of you know), I've been able to get classes that start at 10am or later. I had a 12:20 class last quarter, which meant that I could sleep in relatively late, but not necessarily sleep more hours because I tend to stay up very late.
Since the start of the new quarter last week, I've had to get up really early for an 8am class every morning. Don't think I didn't already try to switch to a later class, because sadly, all of the 10am classes were already full. What to do but continue to go to my 8am class, which despite the fact that my brain is still asleep, is a pretty interesting class on Chinese idioms. We get out at 10am, and there's still quite a bit of morning left to enjoy.
At home, I usually have some buttered toast (sometimes with blueberry jam) and a mug of tea for breakfast. Lately, I've been rushing out the door trying not to be too tardy for class, which leaves very little time for toast and tea, so I decided I'd start treating myself to a Taiwanese breakfast of 飯團 or stuffed rice balls (a large glutonous rice ball stuffed with various pickled vegetables, Chinese donut for crunchiness, and a few other things) and warm cup of fresh soymilk...mmmmm!!! I walked over to the park and strolled with my cup of soymilk (having already wolfed down my rice ball on the walk over to the park a block away), watching the old people doing tai-chi, listening to the chirping of the birds, walking on the little stone path, breathing in the crisp morning air before it gets adulterated by the day's bus and scooter exhaust, and basking in the warm sun.
I then walked over to the traditional market, all abuzz with grandmas and grandpas poking and picking from the colorful vegetables and fruits in plastic crates. The lady at my favorite vegetable stand tries to sell me a little plastic bag filled with green snap peas, a few slices of carrots, and mushrooms, all ready for the wok, but I refuse. Instead I buy a few potatoes, a large onion, and some shiny red and green bell peppers. At the fruit vendor, I buy some bananas and spot some orange persimmons (looks a bit like an orange roma tomato). These persimmons are RIPE, the skin so soft you can feel the squishiness of the meat inside. It's very important to only eat them when they are ripe, otherwise they will leave your mouth with the foulest grainy aftertaste that can't be washed down with water. On the way home from the market, I notice that one of the persimmons was accidentally squished and bleeding into the plastic bag, so I sat at the edge of the park and consumed it - the sweetness and juiciness was sublime, and the best part was the slimy gelatonous innards, makes me salivate just thinking about it.
Wow, this is what morning feels like!
I'm pooped and could really use a nap before lunch...zzzzzzzzzzz
Since the start of the new quarter last week, I've had to get up really early for an 8am class every morning. Don't think I didn't already try to switch to a later class, because sadly, all of the 10am classes were already full. What to do but continue to go to my 8am class, which despite the fact that my brain is still asleep, is a pretty interesting class on Chinese idioms. We get out at 10am, and there's still quite a bit of morning left to enjoy.
At home, I usually have some buttered toast (sometimes with blueberry jam) and a mug of tea for breakfast. Lately, I've been rushing out the door trying not to be too tardy for class, which leaves very little time for toast and tea, so I decided I'd start treating myself to a Taiwanese breakfast of 飯團 or stuffed rice balls (a large glutonous rice ball stuffed with various pickled vegetables, Chinese donut for crunchiness, and a few other things) and warm cup of fresh soymilk...mmmmm!!! I walked over to the park and strolled with my cup of soymilk (having already wolfed down my rice ball on the walk over to the park a block away), watching the old people doing tai-chi, listening to the chirping of the birds, walking on the little stone path, breathing in the crisp morning air before it gets adulterated by the day's bus and scooter exhaust, and basking in the warm sun.
I then walked over to the traditional market, all abuzz with grandmas and grandpas poking and picking from the colorful vegetables and fruits in plastic crates. The lady at my favorite vegetable stand tries to sell me a little plastic bag filled with green snap peas, a few slices of carrots, and mushrooms, all ready for the wok, but I refuse. Instead I buy a few potatoes, a large onion, and some shiny red and green bell peppers. At the fruit vendor, I buy some bananas and spot some orange persimmons (looks a bit like an orange roma tomato). These persimmons are RIPE, the skin so soft you can feel the squishiness of the meat inside. It's very important to only eat them when they are ripe, otherwise they will leave your mouth with the foulest grainy aftertaste that can't be washed down with water. On the way home from the market, I notice that one of the persimmons was accidentally squished and bleeding into the plastic bag, so I sat at the edge of the park and consumed it - the sweetness and juiciness was sublime, and the best part was the slimy gelatonous innards, makes me salivate just thinking about it.
Wow, this is what morning feels like!
I'm pooped and could really use a nap before lunch...zzzzzzzzzzz
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
Japanese English
(this photo was taken in San Francisco, not Japan)
Not sure if you know this, but there is a fair bit of English in Japanese, although when uttered we may not always know it because it may not sound like English. More amazingly, a few words that I thought were Taiwanese (a dialect of Mandarin Chinese) turned out to be Japanese, which in turn were derived from English!
How the heck did this happen, you may ask. The Japanese occupied Taiwan for 100 years before the Nationalist Party took over after World War II. During their occupation, Japanese was the official language and it was taught in schools during my grandparents' time. From exposure to the West and rapid modernization, a number of English words made it into the Japanese lexicon. Words such as radio, coat (pronounced coh-toh), names for newfangled items that were never before seen in the East and for which there were no names in Japanese, were adapted from English names and became so ingrained into Japanese culture that it was disseminated as part of the Japanese spoken in colonial Taiwan.
Two of my Japanese friends love to teach me Japanese English, and we giggle uproariously as we exchange pronunciations. Oftentimes, stressing the syllables slightly differently and/or removing the "u" or "o" sound added at the end of the word will give you the original English word. Here are just a few:
sebu-m-elebu = seven-eleven (7-11)
stah-baku-ss = Starbucks
maku-donaduno = McDonald's
beginah-zi-lahku = beginner's luck
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Phew!
Just completed my first quarter at the National Taiwan Normal University's Mandarin Training Center, today being the last day of class. Boy oh boy, and what a quarter it was -- I entered a Chinese competition and didn't end up with $3000, played Life (the board game), stayed up until the wee hours of the night looking forward to two grueling weekly tests, racked my brain for topics for my weekly class presentations, and was tirelessly entertained by the antics of the Hat Guy in our class (who wears a faux-fur-lined winter hat in the heat of Summer, and no hat at all during most of the chilly Autumn). Yep, fun times.
Friday, November 14, 2008
Lanyu Island 蘭嶼島
I went to Lanyu Island with a friend last weekend, and little did I know that our quick 2-day trip would be extended to 5 days. Lanyu Island is off the eastern coast of Taiwan, accessible only via a tiny 19-seater passenger aircraft, the occassional ferry, or cargo ship. The island has been home to the Yami tribe of aboriginies for over many centuries.
Here are my top 5 highlights from the trip:
5) Getting to drive a scooter, without a license or helmet (hardly anybody wears a helmet), on the one ring road at night, and getting home alive.
4) Spending evenings at the WaWa bar, where we chatted with its owners and the waitress, played poker with three Dutch friends, using little crackers that looked like miniature bread buns as poker chips, and getting the rare opportunity to briefly sate our internet habits. On our 3rd evening there, the owner baked us to a home-made chocolate cake with frosting, what a treat!
3) Chatting with local boat carvers who have honed their craft for a lifetime. We visited their workshop with our three newfound Dutch friends, and they recounted the history of the island, from when the Dutch occupied the island over a thousand years ago, how they hid a treasure chest in the heart of Mantou Mountain, how the locals dug it out and found gold and many other valuables, how the island had used Dutch gold to stop bleeding, and how the locals were fooled by the Chinese to trade these treasures for worthless items. How the wealthiest families would have hats made from pounding Japanese silver coins into long thin sheets that were then stapled together to form a conical hat that is only worn for important ceremonies, such as the building of a new house or launching of the boats. How there is a small tribe on the island who still carries the Dutch bloodline because they are taller and paler than other islanders. Such were the many tales we heard as they patiently carved their wooden boats.
2) Riding on a 19-seater aircraft with only 4 passengers, and if you look down the aisle you can see straight to the pilot's cockpit and windshield. The winds were pretty strong in the area surrounding the island, and the turbulence caused a friend of mine to shriek in terror (which was met by a stern gaze from the pilot) and others to feel nauseous. For my part, I just pretended that this was a roller coaster ride, tried to enjoy the moment and not think about who gets to jump out of the emergency exit first if the aircraft became a fiery ball of flames crashing into the choppy waters. Yes, think happy thoughts.
1) Snorkeling and getting the chance to see the coral reefs. I thought this was something you only saw in pictures, so experiencing it in real life was extraordinary. I spotted lots of clown fish (orange with white strips, think Nemo), beautiful grey fish with a bright blue stripe, a black spiky poisonous creature that had retreated into its little hole inside a rock, black fish with a white tail, black fish with bright yellow stripes, and a ton of other little fishes for which I have no clue what they're called. The coral reefs were the colors of the rainbow - purple, pink, blue, green, orange - basking in the water-filtered sunlight.
Here are my top 5 what NOT TO DO's if I ever come back:
5) NEVER leave home without a pack of cards and a change of clothes.
4) NEVER try to stick an American credit card into a Taiwanese ATM machine that only accepts cards with a little imbedded microchip, not the magnetic stripe. And bring extra cash because credit cards are rendered useless here.
3) NEVER go on a trip thinking it will only be a 2-day trip and leave my cell phone charger at home.
2) NEVER go to Lanyu in the winter, when boats and flights are unpredictable and often cancelled. We had to wait through 3 anxious days for the planes to start flying again. On our 5th day, everyone waiting in the airport cheered as we heard the first aircraft touching down on the tarmac, that was how desperate we were to get out.
1) NEVER doubt the advice of an experienced local who tells you before your departure flight that the flights are probably going to be cancelled tomorrow.
Here are my top 5 highlights from the trip:
5) Getting to drive a scooter, without a license or helmet (hardly anybody wears a helmet), on the one ring road at night, and getting home alive.
4) Spending evenings at the WaWa bar, where we chatted with its owners and the waitress, played poker with three Dutch friends, using little crackers that looked like miniature bread buns as poker chips, and getting the rare opportunity to briefly sate our internet habits. On our 3rd evening there, the owner baked us to a home-made chocolate cake with frosting, what a treat!
3) Chatting with local boat carvers who have honed their craft for a lifetime. We visited their workshop with our three newfound Dutch friends, and they recounted the history of the island, from when the Dutch occupied the island over a thousand years ago, how they hid a treasure chest in the heart of Mantou Mountain, how the locals dug it out and found gold and many other valuables, how the island had used Dutch gold to stop bleeding, and how the locals were fooled by the Chinese to trade these treasures for worthless items. How the wealthiest families would have hats made from pounding Japanese silver coins into long thin sheets that were then stapled together to form a conical hat that is only worn for important ceremonies, such as the building of a new house or launching of the boats. How there is a small tribe on the island who still carries the Dutch bloodline because they are taller and paler than other islanders. Such were the many tales we heard as they patiently carved their wooden boats.
1) Snorkeling and getting the chance to see the coral reefs. I thought this was something you only saw in pictures, so experiencing it in real life was extraordinary. I spotted lots of clown fish (orange with white strips, think Nemo), beautiful grey fish with a bright blue stripe, a black spiky poisonous creature that had retreated into its little hole inside a rock, black fish with a white tail, black fish with bright yellow stripes, and a ton of other little fishes for which I have no clue what they're called. The coral reefs were the colors of the rainbow - purple, pink, blue, green, orange - basking in the water-filtered sunlight.
5) NEVER leave home without a pack of cards and a change of clothes.
4) NEVER try to stick an American credit card into a Taiwanese ATM machine that only accepts cards with a little imbedded microchip, not the magnetic stripe. And bring extra cash because credit cards are rendered useless here.
3) NEVER go on a trip thinking it will only be a 2-day trip and leave my cell phone charger at home.
2) NEVER go to Lanyu in the winter, when boats and flights are unpredictable and often cancelled. We had to wait through 3 anxious days for the planes to start flying again. On our 5th day, everyone waiting in the airport cheered as we heard the first aircraft touching down on the tarmac, that was how desperate we were to get out.
1) NEVER doubt the advice of an experienced local who tells you before your departure flight that the flights are probably going to be cancelled tomorrow.
My Chinese At Its Best Competition
A few weeks ago, my school put on a competition clumsily translated into English as "My Chinese at its Best" where we compete with other students at our level for a chance to win cash prizes. Two of my classmates and I signed up as a team, calling ourselves "We Won $3000" which would have been the cash prize for 3rd place (we had initially considered, but decided against naming ourselves "We Won 1st Prize" on the off chance we didn't actually get the 1st prize).
They had some really interesting challenges, one where I had to write a Chinese character with my finger on the back of one teammate, that teammate had to guess what it was and write in on the back of another teammate. Or another challenge where we played "telephone" and had to whisper a very long phrase to one teammate, that teammate in turn would whisper it to the third to see which team came out with the accurate phrase, every word intact. These were really hard. On the other hand, we totally aced the dictation challenge, thanks in large part to my Japanese teammates who already have a pretty good background in Chinese characters.
Team "奪得三千塊" (roughly translated as "We won $3,000") posing before we pummelled all the other teams with our expertise in Chinese and lightening fast reflexes in the lightening rounds.
Incidentally, we placed 4th, and sadly we didn't win $3,000, but we certainly had a great time.
They had some really interesting challenges, one where I had to write a Chinese character with my finger on the back of one teammate, that teammate had to guess what it was and write in on the back of another teammate. Or another challenge where we played "telephone" and had to whisper a very long phrase to one teammate, that teammate in turn would whisper it to the third to see which team came out with the accurate phrase, every word intact. These were really hard. On the other hand, we totally aced the dictation challenge, thanks in large part to my Japanese teammates who already have a pretty good background in Chinese characters.
Team "奪得三千塊" (roughly translated as "We won $3,000") posing before we pummelled all the other teams with our expertise in Chinese and lightening fast reflexes in the lightening rounds.
Incidentally, we placed 4th, and sadly we didn't win $3,000, but we certainly had a great time.
Monday, October 27, 2008
Why are all the yummy fruits bad for you?
We are starting a lesson that deals with food today, and our teacher told us that the Chinese have a long-held belief that food (fruits and vegetables, but not meats) can be categorized in two categories -- heaty and chilly -- and that the objective is to eat a balance of foods. Should one be out of balance, traditional Chinese medicines or a diet of certain kinds of "bu" foods are prescribed (more on "bu" later).
Heaty foods are foods that cause your body to produce heat, and too much of it may cause a bit of discomfort, such as dehydration or dry mouth. These include mangos, dragon eye fruit, lychees, all of which are the most sublimely delectable summer fruits that one should, based on their heatiness, avoid during the summer (so long mango shaved ice! adios refreshingly juicy fresh lychees!). Chilly foods are foods that causes the body to cool down, and too much of it may result in cold hands/feet, which includes melons. Ironically, hot beverages are believed to have a cooling effect, while cold beverages raise the body's temperature. Ergo, one should drink hot tea in the summer, and iced tea in the winter. It's all very counter-intuitive for my feeble Western mind.
Health seems to be a national obsession. Based on my experience, the typical Taiwanese love to discuss their health, take medication, and eat "bu" (foods with high medicinal value which often includes all sorts of exotic endangered species and other cute critter parts) to address a plethora of non-existent deficiencies. There's a night market in Taipei that specializes in snake meat, which I think is meant to boost virility. I recall my parents once bought a few slices of of deer antler from a tribe of aboriginal Taiwanese, and when I told a friend of mine about it, she explained that deer antler is supposed to be amazingly "bu" and good for health. Incidentally, also during that little shopping trip, the aborigines were selling bottles of honey complete with a section of honeycomb and a few bees marinating in the honey. Another friend recounted a childhood horror story when she discovered a dark package wrapped in thick plastic in the freezer, and when she inquired about it, her parents replied that it was a bear's paw (yup, my friend was totally freaked out too).
Well, if you think about it, I suppose these exotic cures are not entirely unheard of, I mean humankind has been employing natural cures for thousands of years now. After all, many of us grew up being told that fish is brain food and eating it will make us smarter. I recall reading about how the Arabs used to produce a concoction called "mellified man," wherein the corpse of an old man soaked in honey for 100 years, the resulting honey infusion is then used to cure broken bones. Did it work? Who knows. I think I would still prefer wearing a clunky cast.
I don't honestly recall whatever happened to our deer antler slices.
A few other "bu" foods:
Are you grossed out yet? I am.
Heaty foods are foods that cause your body to produce heat, and too much of it may cause a bit of discomfort, such as dehydration or dry mouth. These include mangos, dragon eye fruit, lychees, all of which are the most sublimely delectable summer fruits that one should, based on their heatiness, avoid during the summer (so long mango shaved ice! adios refreshingly juicy fresh lychees!). Chilly foods are foods that causes the body to cool down, and too much of it may result in cold hands/feet, which includes melons. Ironically, hot beverages are believed to have a cooling effect, while cold beverages raise the body's temperature. Ergo, one should drink hot tea in the summer, and iced tea in the winter. It's all very counter-intuitive for my feeble Western mind.
Health seems to be a national obsession. Based on my experience, the typical Taiwanese love to discuss their health, take medication, and eat "bu" (foods with high medicinal value which often includes all sorts of exotic endangered species and other cute critter parts) to address a plethora of non-existent deficiencies. There's a night market in Taipei that specializes in snake meat, which I think is meant to boost virility. I recall my parents once bought a few slices of of deer antler from a tribe of aboriginal Taiwanese, and when I told a friend of mine about it, she explained that deer antler is supposed to be amazingly "bu" and good for health. Incidentally, also during that little shopping trip, the aborigines were selling bottles of honey complete with a section of honeycomb and a few bees marinating in the honey. Another friend recounted a childhood horror story when she discovered a dark package wrapped in thick plastic in the freezer, and when she inquired about it, her parents replied that it was a bear's paw (yup, my friend was totally freaked out too).
Well, if you think about it, I suppose these exotic cures are not entirely unheard of, I mean humankind has been employing natural cures for thousands of years now. After all, many of us grew up being told that fish is brain food and eating it will make us smarter. I recall reading about how the Arabs used to produce a concoction called "mellified man," wherein the corpse of an old man soaked in honey for 100 years, the resulting honey infusion is then used to cure broken bones. Did it work? Who knows. I think I would still prefer wearing a clunky cast.
I don't honestly recall whatever happened to our deer antler slices.
A few other "bu" foods:
Are you grossed out yet? I am.
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Soliciting Topic Suggestions
It is something that I have come to regret. On one of the first days of class, my teacher told us that in some previous classes, her students took turns making short presentations about various topics of their choice, and the whole class got to learn some interesting things like karate, dancing, and the like. Most importantly, these presentations help break up the monotony of the lesson and is good speaking practice, so she asked us if we would be interested in doing this. There being five people in our class, we would each need to present once a week. I didn't think it was a big deal at the time, so we all agreed. Damn, if only I had known.
We are about halfway through our quarter, and so far everyone has put on pretty good presentations on topics ranging from embarrassing moments, favorite foods, foods that make us sick, Japanese tales, good movies, and the like. We've all been pretty much prepared to go come our day to present, with the exception of the Korean guy who rarely shows up and thus has only presented twice so far (once he had to think up a topic on the spot, and chose to talk about the differences between Korean and Taiwanese drinking habits). As for myself, I've talked about Halloween, a great novel I read ("Perfume: The Story of a Murderer"), interesting Taiwanese night market treats, the architecture of historic streets, and voting in the upcoming election.
Here's the deal: I'm running out of things to say. I had a brainstorming session with my best friend back home, and we came up with a few good ideas, but not enough to last me until the end of the quarter. I asked my other Japanese classmates, and they too admit that they are running out of things to talk about. So...I'm looking for suggestions. Any good ideas out there, please post on this blog or email me directly. Your input will be much appreciated!
P.S. I've just mailed in my ballot today, postage for the oversized envelope cost 80 big ones, but worth every New Taiwan dollar!
P.P.S. My school is putting on the "My Chinese at its Best Competition" next week, and I along with two of my classmates have signed up as a team to compete. It is basically a competition to see which team knows more Chinese, should be good fun. Keep your fingers crossed for us!
We are about halfway through our quarter, and so far everyone has put on pretty good presentations on topics ranging from embarrassing moments, favorite foods, foods that make us sick, Japanese tales, good movies, and the like. We've all been pretty much prepared to go come our day to present, with the exception of the Korean guy who rarely shows up and thus has only presented twice so far (once he had to think up a topic on the spot, and chose to talk about the differences between Korean and Taiwanese drinking habits). As for myself, I've talked about Halloween, a great novel I read ("Perfume: The Story of a Murderer"), interesting Taiwanese night market treats, the architecture of historic streets, and voting in the upcoming election.
Here's the deal: I'm running out of things to say. I had a brainstorming session with my best friend back home, and we came up with a few good ideas, but not enough to last me until the end of the quarter. I asked my other Japanese classmates, and they too admit that they are running out of things to talk about. So...I'm looking for suggestions. Any good ideas out there, please post on this blog or email me directly. Your input will be much appreciated!
P.S. I've just mailed in my ballot today, postage for the oversized envelope cost 80 big ones, but worth every New Taiwan dollar!
P.P.S. My school is putting on the "My Chinese at its Best Competition" next week, and I along with two of my classmates have signed up as a team to compete. It is basically a competition to see which team knows more Chinese, should be good fun. Keep your fingers crossed for us!
Saturday, October 11, 2008
Democratic Party, NOT Democratic Progressive Party
It just occurred to me that I live in an English-speaking household where I'm the only native English speaker. In case you are wondering, my other roommates are Taiwanese, French, and Dutch, it is like that movie "Auberge Espanol," except that I think my flat is much better furnished and there isn't nearly enough drama in this household to provide material for a movie, at least not a very interesting one.
The other day, I received my absentee ballot in the mail, along with an "I voted" sticker, and I was soooo excited. Never have I been this excited to put on my "I voted" sticker, but I am resisting the urge until I actually mail in my ballot. Later that evening, my French roommate asked if I knew if there was going to be some sort of rally or event on election day because that would be so cool and he would definitely want to go. I did a Google search, but the only thing I could pull up was the Democratic Progressive Party, which is a political party under fire right now in Taiwan due to the last president's (of the DPP party) embezzling scandal. Still no luck in finding an election day party.
A few days later, the Dutch asked if I was going to vote and then asked to see my absentee ballot. When he returned my ballot, he said that there were simply too many things to vote on. What do you mean too many things? Well, apparently an American ballot would drive the Dutch mad, they don't want to have to make so many choices, they would much rather elect someone to make all these decisions for them. No, no, no, that would not do in America, at least not for some things like tax hikes, bonds, building more prisons, same-sex marriage, and the like. Then we got into a discussion about the voter turnout rate, which I know is dismally low in the U.S., struggling at around 40-50%, which lamentably, is worse than India's. In contrast, around 90% of Taiwanese vote. So how does a democratic nation function when only half of its population bothers to vote? Whose voice gets heard? You can bet that MY voice will be heard, and I look forward to wearing my little sticker!
Check out the voter turnout in US federal elections
How the US compares with other democracies: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Voter_turnout
You too can get your roll of 1,000 "I Voted" stickers...woohoo! http://victorystore00.stores.yahoo.net/roof1ivost.html
Friday, October 3, 2008
The Game of Life
I have the hardest time remembering people's names, especially Japanese names which are usually 4 characters long, one character longer than traditional Chinese names. It's hard because I'm not used to these kinds of names, so I've decided to come up with new names for them:
Sleepy/Lush Japanese Guy - I initially called him "Sleepy Japanese Guy" because in the first few classes, he always looked so tired, and a couple of times he admitted that he just woke up (class is at 12:20pm).
Japanese Girl - She is the only Japanese girl. She is not demure and all cutesy and shy like many of the Japanese I've met, and has a pretty good sense of humor.
Other Japanese Guy - A baby-faced, laid back and good-natured guy, has a good sense of humor.
Korean Guy - This guy is a riot. He showed up the first two days of class, then took off for 4 days, then showed up for another day or two, then disappeared, then showed up, then disappeared...essentially, nobody, not even our teacher, really knows when he will show up. He is always late, strolling in in the middle of a class or during the break. We're always a little surprised to see him, and he has the worst timing, coming to class on days when we have a test, or when it is his turn to give a presentation (we do presentations on a rotating schedule). One time after class, the Japanese Girl said to him "See you tomorrow," and everyone started laughing. I hear he works at a waitress bar and goes home to sleep at 6 or 7am, which is why when he does show up for class he looks pretty worn out.
Canadian Guy - He came in last week to audit and sign up for the class, but doesn't officially start until October. We've had 3 days of classes in October now and there is still no sign of him.
So the other day, the Japanese girl brought in a big white shopping bag, and we were all curious so she told us it was the boardgame "Life" in Chinese, and asked if I wanted to play after class. I said sure, and after class, the Japanese Girl, Other Japanese Guy, two other Japanese students who they were friends with, and myself went out to lunch at the student cafeteria, and we played "Life" afterwards. I remember the original "Life" game, but this one is all vamped up, with new professions, the opportunity to get promoted, opportunities to change careers, a section where you get lost in a maze, and chances to buy a house and souvenirs that can be sold back for mucho bucks later on. The game came with a Taiwanese board, and an extra "International" board, all of it written in Chinese.
So I ended up being the first to finish, but second in wealth because I was a poorly paid designer/architect, but what I lacked in wealth I made up for in speed, plenty of promissory notes for purchases I couldn't afford, and traffic accidents. It was good practice for us, and I was pleasantly surprised that we didn't have too much trouble figuring out what we were supposed to do. The next round is this coming Tuesday, so I'm told.
Sleepy/Lush Japanese Guy - I initially called him "Sleepy Japanese Guy" because in the first few classes, he always looked so tired, and a couple of times he admitted that he just woke up (class is at 12:20pm).
Japanese Girl - She is the only Japanese girl. She is not demure and all cutesy and shy like many of the Japanese I've met, and has a pretty good sense of humor.
Other Japanese Guy - A baby-faced, laid back and good-natured guy, has a good sense of humor.
Korean Guy - This guy is a riot. He showed up the first two days of class, then took off for 4 days, then showed up for another day or two, then disappeared, then showed up, then disappeared...essentially, nobody, not even our teacher, really knows when he will show up. He is always late, strolling in in the middle of a class or during the break. We're always a little surprised to see him, and he has the worst timing, coming to class on days when we have a test, or when it is his turn to give a presentation (we do presentations on a rotating schedule). One time after class, the Japanese Girl said to him "See you tomorrow," and everyone started laughing. I hear he works at a waitress bar and goes home to sleep at 6 or 7am, which is why when he does show up for class he looks pretty worn out.
Canadian Guy - He came in last week to audit and sign up for the class, but doesn't officially start until October. We've had 3 days of classes in October now and there is still no sign of him.
So the other day, the Japanese girl brought in a big white shopping bag, and we were all curious so she told us it was the boardgame "Life" in Chinese, and asked if I wanted to play after class. I said sure, and after class, the Japanese Girl, Other Japanese Guy, two other Japanese students who they were friends with, and myself went out to lunch at the student cafeteria, and we played "Life" afterwards. I remember the original "Life" game, but this one is all vamped up, with new professions, the opportunity to get promoted, opportunities to change careers, a section where you get lost in a maze, and chances to buy a house and souvenirs that can be sold back for mucho bucks later on. The game came with a Taiwanese board, and an extra "International" board, all of it written in Chinese.
So I ended up being the first to finish, but second in wealth because I was a poorly paid designer/architect, but what I lacked in wealth I made up for in speed, plenty of promissory notes for purchases I couldn't afford, and traffic accidents. It was good practice for us, and I was pleasantly surprised that we didn't have too much trouble figuring out what we were supposed to do. The next round is this coming Tuesday, so I'm told.
Update: Milk Scare
I was in the reading room at at school yesterday, perusing a few English newspapers, when one of the headlines caught my eye - KLIM milk powders have been taken off the shelves. Now folks, if you read and remembered Jean's Milk Powder Selection Methodology entry from a couple of months ago, you'll know that I drink KLIM milk powder because the can is a pretty color, there were a few English words on it that suggested it was nutritious, but mainly because I liked their play on words. KLIM is made by Nestle, and turns out that while their products initially tested negative for melamine and declared safe about a month ago, the government is now conducting new tests that can detect even trace amounts of melamine. Some of KLIM's milk powders are made in China, and the new tests show that there are trace amounts of melamine, although they assure us that it is not enough to be harmful. In the article, the company's CEO was shown drinking a glass of KLIM milk to demonstrate that it is still safe, but they have agreed to pull their products off the shelves anyways. I think I'll toss the rest of my can of milk powder too.
My teacher was telling us how they've also discovered melamine in Oreo cookies. She is a mother, and expressed the horror as she remembers buying Oreos for her children, although she herself has not liked them because, as she claims, they are a little dry (I was tempted to tell her that to eat Oreo cookies properly, you need to first dip them in a glass of milk, but stopped short of this advice given that milk has become the new four-letter word).
I've become ever more careful about the food that I buy, especially when it comes to milk. I've cut down on desserts and ice cream that contain milk, and even my beloved pearl milk teas. This really sucks.
My teacher was telling us how they've also discovered melamine in Oreo cookies. She is a mother, and expressed the horror as she remembers buying Oreos for her children, although she herself has not liked them because, as she claims, they are a little dry (I was tempted to tell her that to eat Oreo cookies properly, you need to first dip them in a glass of milk, but stopped short of this advice given that milk has become the new four-letter word).
I've become ever more careful about the food that I buy, especially when it comes to milk. I've cut down on desserts and ice cream that contain milk, and even my beloved pearl milk teas. This really sucks.
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Milk Scare
Not sure if this is affecting countries outsides of Asia, but there is a massive milk scare with the recent discovery that melamine, a toxic industrial chemical, has been added to milk powders and baby formulas produced by several manufacturers in mainland China. And yes, the manufacturers knew that melamine was toxic, but apparently it increases the protein content of the processed milk, which is a huge selling point, and they kept quiet about it even after health problems began to surface. As it is a chemical, melamine is difficult for our bodies to absorb. Rumor has it that consuming small amounts of it is not terribly hazardous as it can be expelled through excrement, but consuming large amounts may result in the product getting stuck in our bodies. Scores of babies in China have been diagnosed with kidney stones, a rare occurrence at that tender age, and the death count from this toxic milk is also on the rise. It's not enough that this stuff is added to processed milk, it is an additive in some fresh milk too.
There's a scare that these powders are also being consumed in Taiwan, and already there are reports of a few vendors using Chinese milk products. Yesterday, my teacher was telling us that the Taiwanese government is conducting tests on a lot of products that may contain milk powder, and in the last two days, it came to light that the very popular Mr. Brown coffee brand uses Chinese milk powder in their coffee mix. One of my Japanese classmates, who likes to drink their coffee mix, was thoroughly horrified. Ovaltine is also being tested, which makes me really nervous because I love Ovaltine and its malty goodness, and bought a big jar of it recently thinking it might be safe because it was manufactured in Thailand (not China), but with our global Fordist economy, I suppose one would have to question if Ovaltine imported the milk powder from China, mixed it together in Thailand with ingredients from half a dozen other countries, before packaging it in a nice shiny jar to be imported into a supermarket shelf in Taipei.
Maybe I should stick to soymilk for the time being.
For extra credit, you can check out these articles on the scare:
Bitter taste over China baby milk
China's growing scandal involving milk powder suggests the country is still not able to protect its citizens from tainted food products. (BBC News)
Chinese milk fears spread in Asia
Countries across Asia are testing Chinese dairy products as fears spread over melamine-tainted milk - and some have banned these products outright. (BBC News)
More materials tainted with melamine
CRISIS: Officials said that it will confiscate and destroy contaminated raw materials and that it has instructed local health authorities to track down all tainted products (Taipei Times)
[CJL: Taiwan is doing a total crackdown of dairy products, requiring massive recalls, and offering free health exams!]
There's a scare that these powders are also being consumed in Taiwan, and already there are reports of a few vendors using Chinese milk products. Yesterday, my teacher was telling us that the Taiwanese government is conducting tests on a lot of products that may contain milk powder, and in the last two days, it came to light that the very popular Mr. Brown coffee brand uses Chinese milk powder in their coffee mix. One of my Japanese classmates, who likes to drink their coffee mix, was thoroughly horrified. Ovaltine is also being tested, which makes me really nervous because I love Ovaltine and its malty goodness, and bought a big jar of it recently thinking it might be safe because it was manufactured in Thailand (not China), but with our global Fordist economy, I suppose one would have to question if Ovaltine imported the milk powder from China, mixed it together in Thailand with ingredients from half a dozen other countries, before packaging it in a nice shiny jar to be imported into a supermarket shelf in Taipei.
Maybe I should stick to soymilk for the time being.
For extra credit, you can check out these articles on the scare:
Bitter taste over China baby milk
China's growing scandal involving milk powder suggests the country is still not able to protect its citizens from tainted food products. (BBC News)
Chinese milk fears spread in Asia
Countries across Asia are testing Chinese dairy products as fears spread over melamine-tainted milk - and some have banned these products outright. (BBC News)
More materials tainted with melamine
CRISIS: Officials said that it will confiscate and destroy contaminated raw materials and that it has instructed local health authorities to track down all tainted products (Taipei Times)
[CJL: Taiwan is doing a total crackdown of dairy products, requiring massive recalls, and offering free health exams!]
Saturday, September 13, 2008
Does the Sky Ever Run Out of Rain and Going Stir Crazy
Well folks, we are in the midst of another typhoon, Sinlaku, and it started off the eastern coast of Taiwan and wound its way north. As of right now (11am on Sunday), its epicenter is just off the northern tip of Taiwan. The Central Weather Bureau announced a Typhoon Day at 5:21pm on Friday afternoon, and the evening classes at my school were canceled so that people had time to get home safely.
As you may recall, I was terrifically excited over the first typhoon, Typhoon Fung-Wong, and went to some lengths to stock up on food and supplies just in case a deluge overwhelms the city and I am trapped in the apartment for a week. Turned out Fung-Wong lasted about half a day and then things started getting back to normal later that afternoon. I didn't make the elaborate preparations this time, thinking it will be another disappointment like Fung-Wong, another part-time typhoon. I was proven wrong. It rained cats and dogs and the winds howled like a coyote all through yesterday. While the winds have died down today, it continues to rain without sight of ceasing anytime soon. I've been holed up in the apartment for over a day now, and am beginning to wonder if the sky will ever run out of rain so that I can go out and play.
What I've heard is that 7-11, which is normally open 24/7, sticks to their promise and stays open during the typhoon. Wow, talk about dedication! Actually, I feel quite sorry for these underpaid workers who not only must work during a typhoon while everyone is safe at home playing mahjong and drinking Taiwan Beer, but also having to commute to and from their shifts in the midst of heavy rain and winds strong enough to blow the lollipop out of a toddler's sticky hands.
Looks like the winds have died down a bit, I think I will head down to the nearest convenience store. Toodles!
Sinlaku's aftermath (view from my street) - no flooding, just very wet streets
As you may recall, I was terrifically excited over the first typhoon, Typhoon Fung-Wong, and went to some lengths to stock up on food and supplies just in case a deluge overwhelms the city and I am trapped in the apartment for a week. Turned out Fung-Wong lasted about half a day and then things started getting back to normal later that afternoon. I didn't make the elaborate preparations this time, thinking it will be another disappointment like Fung-Wong, another part-time typhoon. I was proven wrong. It rained cats and dogs and the winds howled like a coyote all through yesterday. While the winds have died down today, it continues to rain without sight of ceasing anytime soon. I've been holed up in the apartment for over a day now, and am beginning to wonder if the sky will ever run out of rain so that I can go out and play.
What I've heard is that 7-11, which is normally open 24/7, sticks to their promise and stays open during the typhoon. Wow, talk about dedication! Actually, I feel quite sorry for these underpaid workers who not only must work during a typhoon while everyone is safe at home playing mahjong and drinking Taiwan Beer, but also having to commute to and from their shifts in the midst of heavy rain and winds strong enough to blow the lollipop out of a toddler's sticky hands.
Looks like the winds have died down a bit, I think I will head down to the nearest convenience store. Toodles!
Sinlaku's aftermath (view from my street) - no flooding, just very wet streets
Monday, September 8, 2008
Skype Rocks!
Skype IS the best thing since sliced bread, and this is why:
I've been Skype-ing with my best friend from back home for months now, we both have a webcam installed into our laptops so we're able to see each other while talking. Video conferencing for free - can it get any better? Why, yes it can!!!
My good friends from back home, threw a Tomato Party (they like to throw themed parties, such as Midwest Fest) and invited everyone. My best friend from home brought her laptop to the party, hooked it up to the world wide web, and soon enough I was video conferenced into the party. I had a chance to chat with lots and lots of old friends whom I miss dearly, and even met some new people! It really felt like I was at the party, I could hear the music, see people walk by, and had a chance to chat without having to shout above the din. It was a real treat to be able to see and talk to my friends again, and I really enjoyed meeting the new people too. I found myself wearing a grin for quite a while after we ended the call.
In the spirit of Budweiser Beer, Mr. Free Internet Video-Conferencing Programmer you're a "Real Men of Genius" - you sure beat out Mr. Hawaiian Shirt Pattern Designer in my book!
I've been Skype-ing with my best friend from back home for months now, we both have a webcam installed into our laptops so we're able to see each other while talking. Video conferencing for free - can it get any better? Why, yes it can!!!
My good friends from back home, threw a Tomato Party (they like to throw themed parties, such as Midwest Fest) and invited everyone. My best friend from home brought her laptop to the party, hooked it up to the world wide web, and soon enough I was video conferenced into the party. I had a chance to chat with lots and lots of old friends whom I miss dearly, and even met some new people! It really felt like I was at the party, I could hear the music, see people walk by, and had a chance to chat without having to shout above the din. It was a real treat to be able to see and talk to my friends again, and I really enjoyed meeting the new people too. I found myself wearing a grin for quite a while after we ended the call.
In the spirit of Budweiser Beer, Mr. Free Internet Video-Conferencing Programmer you're a "Real Men of Genius" - you sure beat out Mr. Hawaiian Shirt Pattern Designer in my book!
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
Monkey Magic
There's a very old and famous work of Chinese fiction called The Westward Journey (西遊記), which is an epic about a Buddhist monk, a magic monkey king, and a fat and lazy pig-man who journey from China westward to India to retrieve some Buddhist texts. The journey is wrought with mischief and danger, magic and trickery, battles amongst humans and supernatural creatures, and valuable words of wisdom with moral lessons learned the hard way. This fantastic tale is actually loosely based on reality - there really was a Chinese Buddhist monk who made the arduous journey to retrieve Buddhist texts in India.
So all this is leading to a conversation I had with my British roommate about Taoism, and how some Taoists actually built temples to worship the fictional pig-man and monkey king. While The Westward Journey embellishes on a slice of Buddhist history, Buddhists as a rule do not worship characters from a fictional work of literature. To my astonishment, my roommate started telling me the story, the background of why the monkey king wears a tight crown on his head, and other little details of which I had had no idea seeing as I've only ever briefly heard of the story but never actually read it or sat through the numerous television series that have been made from this classic tale. Apparently, the Japanese made the story into a television show geared towards children in the 1970s, and it was later dubbed in English, renamed "Monkey," and broadcasted to a generation of British children. My roommate used to love this show, and was sad when it was cancelled after the second season. This was also one of the first media exports from East Asia to Britain, this and Bruce Lee.
Check out the first part of the first episode if you don't believe me:
http://tw.youtube.com/watch?v=-gmABsTi1-k
So all this is leading to a conversation I had with my British roommate about Taoism, and how some Taoists actually built temples to worship the fictional pig-man and monkey king. While The Westward Journey embellishes on a slice of Buddhist history, Buddhists as a rule do not worship characters from a fictional work of literature. To my astonishment, my roommate started telling me the story, the background of why the monkey king wears a tight crown on his head, and other little details of which I had had no idea seeing as I've only ever briefly heard of the story but never actually read it or sat through the numerous television series that have been made from this classic tale. Apparently, the Japanese made the story into a television show geared towards children in the 1970s, and it was later dubbed in English, renamed "Monkey," and broadcasted to a generation of British children. My roommate used to love this show, and was sad when it was cancelled after the second season. This was also one of the first media exports from East Asia to Britain, this and Bruce Lee.
Check out the first part of the first episode if you don't believe me:
http://tw.youtube.com/watch?v=-gmABsTi1-k
Monday, August 25, 2008
Facebook Addict
Sorry I haven't posted anything in a while - I'm alive and well, honest.
Been spending waaaay too much time on my computer, mostly playing silly games. I've become a veritable Facebook addict (for those of you not acquainted with Facebook, it is a networking website where you can see what your friends are up to, share your own activities and photos, join groups, and play games. Some people are in it to see how many friends they have and to check up on their friends.
I initially only signed on because I enjoyed being able to refer to myself in the third person with clever little status updates, such as my current status which reads: "Jean is a dork who forgets to take her dental floss out from the pocket of her bathrobe before throwing it in the wash." I've played games on it on and off, usually the type of games where you're a character and you add a few points today, then wait until tomorrow to add more points; in essence, these are very slow games that require only a few minutes a day, and you build it up little by little. This is what keeps people coming back to Facebook.
Lately, I've been playing two very addictive games: My City and Elven Blood. My City is a game for urban planning nerds (like myself) and anyone who has ever dreamed of building a city. Little by little, you populate your city with different kinds of people, which in turn corresponds to the city's physical development. The best part, because the people are creative and funny, such as "flying terrorist," "anarcho-syndicast," "rock star," "facebook addict," and the like. Each type of person has different point values, and you keep track of how your city is doing by the cumulative points of all the characters. Most characters have both positive and negative points, while others are purely positive or purely negative. You have a quota of how many characters you can add in a day, and once you use it up, there's nothing left to do but wait for this quota to be reset the next day. It got even more fun after I started adding to other peoples' cities, and they reciprocated by adding to my city, it's a never-ending cycle of fun. I've been playing this for a couple of months and have over 400 people in my city.
This next game is extremely, dangerously addictive. Elven Blood. You're an elf, and your king has gone crazy, so it is up to you have to go battle to rescue your buddies and knock some sense into the king. You also earn gold to go shopping for weapons, and can wage war with other players. Unlike the other games, your life and stamina points slowly replenish over time so that you are ready for another battle in another hour or two. Also, you need to keep inviting friends to join your team in order to continue to advance. It is definitely keeping me hooked, so much so that checking my life and stamina points has become the first thing I do when I turn on my computer and get online. To be honest, now that I'm describing it, the game doesn't really sound all that awesome.
Will I never learn to stay away from senseless and time consuming computer games? *sigh*
Been spending waaaay too much time on my computer, mostly playing silly games. I've become a veritable Facebook addict (for those of you not acquainted with Facebook, it is a networking website where you can see what your friends are up to, share your own activities and photos, join groups, and play games. Some people are in it to see how many friends they have and to check up on their friends.
I initially only signed on because I enjoyed being able to refer to myself in the third person with clever little status updates, such as my current status which reads: "Jean is a dork who forgets to take her dental floss out from the pocket of her bathrobe before throwing it in the wash." I've played games on it on and off, usually the type of games where you're a character and you add a few points today, then wait until tomorrow to add more points; in essence, these are very slow games that require only a few minutes a day, and you build it up little by little. This is what keeps people coming back to Facebook.
Lately, I've been playing two very addictive games: My City and Elven Blood. My City is a game for urban planning nerds (like myself) and anyone who has ever dreamed of building a city. Little by little, you populate your city with different kinds of people, which in turn corresponds to the city's physical development. The best part, because the people are creative and funny, such as "flying terrorist," "anarcho-syndicast," "rock star," "facebook addict," and the like. Each type of person has different point values, and you keep track of how your city is doing by the cumulative points of all the characters. Most characters have both positive and negative points, while others are purely positive or purely negative. You have a quota of how many characters you can add in a day, and once you use it up, there's nothing left to do but wait for this quota to be reset the next day. It got even more fun after I started adding to other peoples' cities, and they reciprocated by adding to my city, it's a never-ending cycle of fun. I've been playing this for a couple of months and have over 400 people in my city.
This next game is extremely, dangerously addictive. Elven Blood. You're an elf, and your king has gone crazy, so it is up to you have to go battle to rescue your buddies and knock some sense into the king. You also earn gold to go shopping for weapons, and can wage war with other players. Unlike the other games, your life and stamina points slowly replenish over time so that you are ready for another battle in another hour or two. Also, you need to keep inviting friends to join your team in order to continue to advance. It is definitely keeping me hooked, so much so that checking my life and stamina points has become the first thing I do when I turn on my computer and get online. To be honest, now that I'm describing it, the game doesn't really sound all that awesome.
Will I never learn to stay away from senseless and time consuming computer games? *sigh*
Sunday, August 3, 2008
Culinary Escapades, Part Deux
Definition of "refreshing:" Lychee smoothie with a twist of lime is the perfect summer treat!
A slice of chocolate-blueberry cake is practically the only way I can get my blueberry fix.
Enjoying a Tsing Tao beer with a view at Fisherman's Wharf in Danshui, just north of Taipei City.
Taiwanese Mexican Pita Meal - pita bread stuffed with a slice of yellow processed cheese, lettuce, and salsa; tortilla chips with thousand island dressing on the side (apparently, they ran out of salsa). I don't think Mexican Pita even exists in Mexico! Thousand Island dressing was the first salad dressing to become popular in Taiwan, and holds the same status as Italian or ranch dressing in the States.
Sunday, July 27, 2008
Typhoon Day!
I'm so excited, tomorrow has been declared a Typhoon Day!
Today started out beautifully, temperatures in the low 90's with a good breeze, and it was not too humid. By early evening, the breeze turned into a strong gust and it started to rain. It is around midnight right now, and it is raining cats and dogs. I head over to the supermarket at 9pm, and it was buzzing with people stocking up on instant noodles and talk of typhoons.
The City of Taipei has declared tomorrow (Monday) a Typhoon Day (Typhoon Fung-Wong), which means government offices are closed, as well as schools and businesses (it's like a Snow Day, but with rain and strong wind instead of snow up to your elbows). It also means no class and no work for Jean...whoopeee!!! A Taiwanese friend prepped me on how to brace for a typhoon - stock up on water, instant noodles, bread/non-noodle foodstuffs, and candles/flashlights. She also informed me that playing mah-jong, watching DVDs, and drinking are mainstays of typhoon day culture (I like that she listed drinking as an activity).
I remember when I was just a wee lass growing up in one of the desert suburbs of Los Angeles, having heard that other kids get to stay home on Snow Days, and wishing so hard and long for a Snow Day that never came. As I recall, there was a brief hailstorm once in the mid-80s in sunny Southern California, but the hail pellets just dusted the ground, never accumulating enough volume or posing a sufficient threat to close down the school. I felt cheated.
Technically, this is not my first Typhoon Day, I remember having experienced one in my youth on one of my vacations visiting Taipei with my family - staying indoors all day playing (and fighting) with my siblings, and when finally allowed to go out to the streets, only to see a ghost town with not another person in sight, bits of broken signs and wreckage strewn all over. Because I was on vacation that time and didn't have to take a day off from school, I can't really consider that to be a proper Typhoon Day, after all, taking a day off from my vacation would mean that I'd have to go to school, right? Tomorrow will be my first REAL Typhoon Day because class will be cancelled. Never mind that I came here on my own volition to learn Chinese and am hungry to soak up every bit of Mandarin that comes my way, I still get a thrill from being a student, and as far as students go, a day without class is a good day.
Today started out beautifully, temperatures in the low 90's with a good breeze, and it was not too humid. By early evening, the breeze turned into a strong gust and it started to rain. It is around midnight right now, and it is raining cats and dogs. I head over to the supermarket at 9pm, and it was buzzing with people stocking up on instant noodles and talk of typhoons.
The City of Taipei has declared tomorrow (Monday) a Typhoon Day (Typhoon Fung-Wong), which means government offices are closed, as well as schools and businesses (it's like a Snow Day, but with rain and strong wind instead of snow up to your elbows). It also means no class and no work for Jean...whoopeee!!! A Taiwanese friend prepped me on how to brace for a typhoon - stock up on water, instant noodles, bread/non-noodle foodstuffs, and candles/flashlights. She also informed me that playing mah-jong, watching DVDs, and drinking are mainstays of typhoon day culture (I like that she listed drinking as an activity).
I remember when I was just a wee lass growing up in one of the desert suburbs of Los Angeles, having heard that other kids get to stay home on Snow Days, and wishing so hard and long for a Snow Day that never came. As I recall, there was a brief hailstorm once in the mid-80s in sunny Southern California, but the hail pellets just dusted the ground, never accumulating enough volume or posing a sufficient threat to close down the school. I felt cheated.
Technically, this is not my first Typhoon Day, I remember having experienced one in my youth on one of my vacations visiting Taipei with my family - staying indoors all day playing (and fighting) with my siblings, and when finally allowed to go out to the streets, only to see a ghost town with not another person in sight, bits of broken signs and wreckage strewn all over. Because I was on vacation that time and didn't have to take a day off from school, I can't really consider that to be a proper Typhoon Day, after all, taking a day off from my vacation would mean that I'd have to go to school, right? Tomorrow will be my first REAL Typhoon Day because class will be cancelled. Never mind that I came here on my own volition to learn Chinese and am hungry to soak up every bit of Mandarin that comes my way, I still get a thrill from being a student, and as far as students go, a day without class is a good day.
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
If ever you need a pick-me-up
For a cheap thrills, just wander over to your nearest store selling Japanese beauty products. Without fail, I find myself in a fit of giggles soon after I browsing the Japanese beauty products aisle. Why, you ask?
They've got stuff to correct things you didn't know needed correcting, like a little plastic clip to place on the bridge of your nose to lift the height of your nose bridge, a little plastic clip to correct the size of your nostrils, plastic rods that stretch out your lips to correct your smile, and even sheets of little slivers of shaped sticky tape for your eyelids! They've kicked the usual beauty gadgets up a notch. There are electronic eyelash curlers, tiny eyebrow razors, and a plastic "Y" shaped tool to help you make sure your new newly plucked/shaved/waxed eyebrows are even (actually, this might be one tool that is marginally practical).
It is the most disgusting fad, but so many people are walking around with ridiculously fake eyelashes. I've had to put these on once, for Halloween, and the pain of pulling them off at the end of the evening makes me never ever want to put on another pair of fake eyelashes. These fake eyelashes puts the U.S.'s eyelash fad in the 60's and 70's to shame. The eyelashes come in all different styles, some have straight lashes, others are cross-hatched at the base, some are sparkly, and all are curled to touch the sky.
It really makes me wonder why Japanese women think there is so much wrong with them? I mean, sure women in practically every country pit themselves against impossible standards, but to say that your smile needs to be corrected takes this insecurity to a whole new level. The fact that these items are being sold in Taiwan makes me wonder too.
They've got stuff to correct things you didn't know needed correcting, like a little plastic clip to place on the bridge of your nose to lift the height of your nose bridge, a little plastic clip to correct the size of your nostrils, plastic rods that stretch out your lips to correct your smile, and even sheets of little slivers of shaped sticky tape for your eyelids! They've kicked the usual beauty gadgets up a notch. There are electronic eyelash curlers, tiny eyebrow razors, and a plastic "Y" shaped tool to help you make sure your new newly plucked/shaved/waxed eyebrows are even (actually, this might be one tool that is marginally practical).
It is the most disgusting fad, but so many people are walking around with ridiculously fake eyelashes. I've had to put these on once, for Halloween, and the pain of pulling them off at the end of the evening makes me never ever want to put on another pair of fake eyelashes. These fake eyelashes puts the U.S.'s eyelash fad in the 60's and 70's to shame. The eyelashes come in all different styles, some have straight lashes, others are cross-hatched at the base, some are sparkly, and all are curled to touch the sky.
It really makes me wonder why Japanese women think there is so much wrong with them? I mean, sure women in practically every country pit themselves against impossible standards, but to say that your smile needs to be corrected takes this insecurity to a whole new level. The fact that these items are being sold in Taiwan makes me wonder too.
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
Urban Art
When I'm on the streets and I see an exceptional piece of graffiti or public art, I take a picture of it and take it home with me. Lately, I've been noticing that some of the ones in my stomping grounds bear the same mark "BBrother," so I googled it and found out that he is a local stencil artist. Cool beans!
A Bbrother piece spotted on my walk home from school.
Wednesday, July 2, 2008
Culinary Escapades, Part 1
Super mango shaved ice (a mountain of shaved ice topped with fresh mangoes, sweet condensed milk, and topped off with a scoop of mango ice cream) at Ice Monster on the culinary experience that is Yongkan Jie. Mmmm...doesn't it just make your mouth water?
Celebrating Dwan Wu Jie (Dragon Boat Festival) with rice tamales "zhong zi" (glutonous rice, shittake mushrooms, nuts and spices wrapped up in a bamboo leaf, tied with twine; non-veggie version has meat things). Tamales is actually a pretty good translation - like tamales, they are steamed and then served with the leaf intact. There are sweet ones as well, but I don't like them as much. Legend has it, during the period of the warring states before China was united by the first Qin emperor, a great patriot of another state drowned himself in a river rather than submit to living under Qin rule. His countrymen stuffed bamboo leaves with rice and tossed them into the river in hopes that the fish would not devour the dead patriot's remains. Today, the tradition continues with eating rice tamales and racing dragon boats to commemorate the day he died.
A "Healthy Sandwich" as it was advertised (no joke): deep fried baguette stuffed with cucumber slices, a GENEROUS spooning of mayonnaise, two slices of black "1000 year old egg," a slice or two of tomatoes, and a few other veggies. This can only be found at the famous Keelung Night Market, about an hour's train ride northeast of Taipei, look for the "Healthy Sandwich" sign! A friend told me that Keelung is a harbor city that has long been exposed to foreigners (hence the baguette and concept of stuffing things into it to make a sandwich), and locals have been eating this sandwich for about a century. Back in the day, when diets were quite poor, this was considered a healthy meal! It truly was a tasty treat, but like a donut or deep fried twinkie, moderation is key. If you ate this everyday, all that health will probably kill you.
When it rains, it pours!
This has certainly true for the weather in Taipei lately! It rains on a dime, not just in little misty, drizzly drops, but big fat globules with as much water as you can pack into a drop of water and still call it a drop. There's talk of typhoons, and a few students in my class got a bit excited at the prospect of a "typhoon day" (similar to a "snow day," when the weather conditions are so dangerous that schools and businesses close down for the day).
At any rate, I realize that I've been neglecting my blog, so I too shall be showering updates on the recent past, present, and that which is yet to come...mwahaha
At any rate, I realize that I've been neglecting my blog, so I too shall be showering updates on the recent past, present, and that which is yet to come...mwahaha
Tuesday, June 3, 2008
Chinese Curses
We're working through a couple of lessons in class on Chinese beliefs that are mostly rooted in Taoism, which, by the way, is very different from Buddhism.
I could go on for a bit about the religion, but I bet you're anxious to learn some Chinese curses, eh? (Note: While the following curses, beliefs, and lessons in amateur witchcraft were disseminated in class for the purpose of helping us hapless foreigners to better understand Chinese beliefs, I want to emphasize that neither my teacher nor my school endorse the following. By reading further, you agree to hold the author and her affiliated school, teacher, schoolmates, and the Chinese and Taiwanese civilizations harmless of absolutely ANYTHING that may result from your decision to unwisely implement any of the following, including, but not limited to, being socked in the face for shouting "jue zhi jue sun" at someone.)
End of the Family Line Curse: Chinese society values family and continuation of the family line, which is why the following line is such an offensive and devastating curse:
Revenge: Red is usually a very auspicious color, symbolizing good luck and fortune, hence red envelopes contain lucky money, couplets written on red paper on door convey good wishes, and brides and grooms of old wore red gowns. The only time that red is not a good sign is when it is used for revenge. Someone who wants to wreak the ultimate revenge will wear red from head to toe to commit suicide because it is believed that their spirit will come back to haunt their nemesis. You're dead, your nemesis is alive, who gets satisfaction?
Paper Dolls: The Chinese equivalent of a voodoo doll is a paper doll. Basically, you make a paper doll, write on it the name of the person you despise, and then stomp on the doll with your feet. The Japanese believe that once you are done playing with a paper doll, it needs to be burned. Thank goodness I wasn't a big fan of paper dolls in my youth.
That's enough for today. If you're in for a good thrill, you should check out Thai horror films, which I hear are unspeakably disturbing.
I could go on for a bit about the religion, but I bet you're anxious to learn some Chinese curses, eh? (Note: While the following curses, beliefs, and lessons in amateur witchcraft were disseminated in class for the purpose of helping us hapless foreigners to better understand Chinese beliefs, I want to emphasize that neither my teacher nor my school endorse the following. By reading further, you agree to hold the author and her affiliated school, teacher, schoolmates, and the Chinese and Taiwanese civilizations harmless of absolutely ANYTHING that may result from your decision to unwisely implement any of the following, including, but not limited to, being socked in the face for shouting "jue zhi jue sun" at someone.)
End of the Family Line Curse: Chinese society values family and continuation of the family line, which is why the following line is such an offensive and devastating curse:
絶子絶孫 "jue zhi jue sun"
Literal translation: End sons, end grandchildren
Meaning: May your family line end
This one made me think a little. If someone said that to me, I don't think I would be offended because, as you may know, I don't wish to have offspring, which logically translates to not having any grandchildren either. Therefore, for me and people like me, this isn't so much a curse as it is a dream come true.Literal translation: End sons, end grandchildren
Meaning: May your family line end
Revenge: Red is usually a very auspicious color, symbolizing good luck and fortune, hence red envelopes contain lucky money, couplets written on red paper on door convey good wishes, and brides and grooms of old wore red gowns. The only time that red is not a good sign is when it is used for revenge. Someone who wants to wreak the ultimate revenge will wear red from head to toe to commit suicide because it is believed that their spirit will come back to haunt their nemesis. You're dead, your nemesis is alive, who gets satisfaction?
Paper Dolls: The Chinese equivalent of a voodoo doll is a paper doll. Basically, you make a paper doll, write on it the name of the person you despise, and then stomp on the doll with your feet. The Japanese believe that once you are done playing with a paper doll, it needs to be burned. Thank goodness I wasn't a big fan of paper dolls in my youth.
That's enough for today. If you're in for a good thrill, you should check out Thai horror films, which I hear are unspeakably disturbing.
Friday, May 30, 2008
Ten-cent Tour Around Town
These are just a few sites I've explored around town these past two weeks.
Taipei Fine Arts Museum
They had a great exhibit called "Open City: Architecture in Art" when I visited last week. One of the coolest exhibits was a room with a projection screen and a square with an "X" marked on the floor with tape. Visitors were instructed to walk around the room and stand in the X. When you stand still, the graphic of collage pieces gets assembled into the image of a building, and as you move, the building deconstructs and reconstructs to follow you. You can imagine me prancing around the room with glee. Really cool.
Stencil graffiti
I've seen urban stencil graffiti in some European cities, but did not expect to see it here. I spotted this little gem on a wall facing a small parking lot on my walk home from school.
Preserved Traditional Courtyard House on the Campus of a Middle School
You won't see too many of these around town anymore, especially ones that are quite so well preserved with the courtyard intact. The rounded roof ridges is a feature of traditional Fujian architecture, and is used for typical households. Households with a high-ranking official would typically have roof ridges with pointed ends.
National Taiwan Democracy Memorial Hall, formerly the Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial Hall
This was completed in 1980, and I remember scurrying over here as a child, since my childhood home is only a stone's throw away. The statue of Chiang Kai-Shek seated in an armchair in the pavilion of that pointy building in the background is reminiscent of the statue of Abraham Lincoln in the Lincoln Memorial or on the "tail" side of a penny. You can spot groups of people doing Tai Chi here in the morning.
Presidential Office Building
Why there is Western colonial architecture in Taiwan? Most colonial-style buildings are a relic of the Japanese occupation of Taiwan.
One of four original city gates, now just a pretty ornament in a traffic circle. The four gates were once connected by city walls, now long gone. The size of the original city is pretty small, it only takes about 15-20 minutes to walk from one gate to the next.
Taipei Fine Arts Museum
They had a great exhibit called "Open City: Architecture in Art" when I visited last week. One of the coolest exhibits was a room with a projection screen and a square with an "X" marked on the floor with tape. Visitors were instructed to walk around the room and stand in the X. When you stand still, the graphic of collage pieces gets assembled into the image of a building, and as you move, the building deconstructs and reconstructs to follow you. You can imagine me prancing around the room with glee. Really cool.
Stencil graffiti
I've seen urban stencil graffiti in some European cities, but did not expect to see it here. I spotted this little gem on a wall facing a small parking lot on my walk home from school.
Preserved Traditional Courtyard House on the Campus of a Middle School
You won't see too many of these around town anymore, especially ones that are quite so well preserved with the courtyard intact. The rounded roof ridges is a feature of traditional Fujian architecture, and is used for typical households. Households with a high-ranking official would typically have roof ridges with pointed ends.
National Taiwan Democracy Memorial Hall, formerly the Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial Hall
This was completed in 1980, and I remember scurrying over here as a child, since my childhood home is only a stone's throw away. The statue of Chiang Kai-Shek seated in an armchair in the pavilion of that pointy building in the background is reminiscent of the statue of Abraham Lincoln in the Lincoln Memorial or on the "tail" side of a penny. You can spot groups of people doing Tai Chi here in the morning.
Presidential Office Building
Why there is Western colonial architecture in Taiwan? Most colonial-style buildings are a relic of the Japanese occupation of Taiwan.
One of four original city gates, now just a pretty ornament in a traffic circle. The four gates were once connected by city walls, now long gone. The size of the original city is pretty small, it only takes about 15-20 minutes to walk from one gate to the next.
Saturday, May 17, 2008
A Correction and an Amendment to Jean's Powdered Milk Selection Methodology
Powdered milk as far as the eye can see.
Freebies are attached to cans as big as your head.
It is not often that I say this, but I stand corrected. The powdered milk can with the young Asian woman doing yoga is not purple, but PINK. Please make a note of this for your powdered milk excursions in the near future.
I also realized that I had omitted a very significant (and possibly overriding) criteria when I went back to the powdered milk aisle tonight because my supply of baby blue gringos is starting to run a bit low.
JEAN'S POWDERED MILK SELECTION METHODOLOGY is therefore to be amended as follows:
add Criteria 5: Check out the freebies they give away with the purchase, which is usually shrink-wrapped together with the can.
The larger cans tend to have the freebies, which can range from pink little plastic microwaveable containers with a matching pink nylon strap and a clasp that looks like a cute little cow, to a travel mug with a cute little cow on a green pasture. And then I spotted a little glass teapot that looks like a tiny coffee pot, no cows or anything fancy, it is small but still big enough to hold about two cups of tea. I could get more use out of the teapot for sure, the only problem is that it was attached to the geriatric milk, and it even says on the can that it is formulated for those 50 years and over - I don't care if they were giving away their mascot cute cow and a 50-acre pasture for it to graze, I'm not ready for this milk.
In the end, I chose a small glass jar with a lid, it has a picture of a little cow on a green pasture (the pasture also comes in baby blue and pink, collect them all!). Oh yeah, it came with a pink can that is as big as my head.
Thursday, May 15, 2008
"Teacher, three air conditioning units are really expensive!"
My class is two hours long with a 10 minute break in between. Our teacher usually takes this opportunity to correct our homework and chit chat. So here's an abbreviated version of how break time went today:
Thai boy asks Teacher: Why are Chinese characters so hard, a little dot here or a stroke there changes the meaning of the word.
Teacher: English is hard too, a slight misspelling and you get a different word.
Me: But in English, if you just get the first few letters and last few letters of the word right, people can usually figure out what you're trying to say.
Thai boy: Yeah, I always get "is," "are," "am," and "were," mixed up, but it's still ok.
Brazilian guy in the back: Teacher, three air conditioning units are really expensive!
Me: (chuckle, chuckle, amused and wondering where the hell that comment came from)
(Bell rings, signalling the end of the break)
Teacher and Brazilian continue to discuss where he gets his quotes, that each store tells him something different about what needs to be installed, how to figure out who is telling him the truth.
Brazilian guy: I also need to set up Channel 4 (cable TV) and broadband at home.
Me: I'd recommend getting roommates and getting them to set it up. (a knowing grin and a nod, and even more amused with where this conversation is going)
Teacher, Brazilian guy, and South African guy discuss how to get cable, and Teacher talks about how back in the day, a lot of people would steal cable so you could see a bunch of lines connected to one cable line, and how that doesn't happen anymore because they lock the lines.
Brazilian guy: How do I set up automatic payment for my bills?
Teacher: You need to go to the bank and ask them to set it up for you.
Brazilian guy: But what if the name on the bill and the bank account holder are different people?
Me: (I don't know why I thought it was so funny, but I just lost it and couldn't stop myself from going into a giggling fit, almost slipped off my chair too. Almost.)
Teacher: I don't know. I live with my parents, so my Dad pays the bills.
South African guy: How do you open a bank account?
Me: You need two proofs of identification and a chop.
SA guy: Where can I get a chop?
Me: You need to have it made at a chop shop.
SA guy: What does it look like? What sign should I look for?
Me: (Pause, thinking about how to describe a chop shop) If you want, I can show you one after class.
Teacher: There's a place down the street. (She draws a map of the block and points him to the place across from McDonald's on the next block.) You can get them very quickly, a machine makes them now and it just takes minutes. It would take forever to carve them by hand.
Me: I got mine in an hour and they told me it was hand carved.
Teacher: How much did you pay for your chop?
Me: NT$1000
Teacher: (flabbergasted) Is it made of a precious stone?
Me: Bull's horns
Teacher: Some go for like NT$25. What do you need with such a fine chop?
Me: Because it's pretty.
I felt really bad thinking that the Brazilian guy might think I was making fun of him, but I wasn't really laughing at him, I just found the randomness of the conversation so incredibly entertaining. After class, I explained and apologized to him. Thankfully, he wasn't miffed, or at least he didn't look it. Still, I hope he won't stop asking these random off-the-wall questions every once in a while.
Note: No bulls were harmed in this blog. The lady at the chop shop assured me that their bull's horns are harvested humanely, without killing the bulls.
Thai boy asks Teacher: Why are Chinese characters so hard, a little dot here or a stroke there changes the meaning of the word.
Teacher: English is hard too, a slight misspelling and you get a different word.
Me: But in English, if you just get the first few letters and last few letters of the word right, people can usually figure out what you're trying to say.
Thai boy: Yeah, I always get "is," "are," "am," and "were," mixed up, but it's still ok.
Brazilian guy in the back: Teacher, three air conditioning units are really expensive!
Me: (chuckle, chuckle, amused and wondering where the hell that comment came from)
(Bell rings, signalling the end of the break)
Teacher and Brazilian continue to discuss where he gets his quotes, that each store tells him something different about what needs to be installed, how to figure out who is telling him the truth.
Brazilian guy: I also need to set up Channel 4 (cable TV) and broadband at home.
Me: I'd recommend getting roommates and getting them to set it up. (a knowing grin and a nod, and even more amused with where this conversation is going)
Teacher, Brazilian guy, and South African guy discuss how to get cable, and Teacher talks about how back in the day, a lot of people would steal cable so you could see a bunch of lines connected to one cable line, and how that doesn't happen anymore because they lock the lines.
Brazilian guy: How do I set up automatic payment for my bills?
Teacher: You need to go to the bank and ask them to set it up for you.
Brazilian guy: But what if the name on the bill and the bank account holder are different people?
Me: (I don't know why I thought it was so funny, but I just lost it and couldn't stop myself from going into a giggling fit, almost slipped off my chair too. Almost.)
Teacher: I don't know. I live with my parents, so my Dad pays the bills.
South African guy: How do you open a bank account?
Me: You need two proofs of identification and a chop.
SA guy: Where can I get a chop?
Me: You need to have it made at a chop shop.
SA guy: What does it look like? What sign should I look for?
Me: (Pause, thinking about how to describe a chop shop) If you want, I can show you one after class.
Teacher: There's a place down the street. (She draws a map of the block and points him to the place across from McDonald's on the next block.) You can get them very quickly, a machine makes them now and it just takes minutes. It would take forever to carve them by hand.
Me: I got mine in an hour and they told me it was hand carved.
Teacher: How much did you pay for your chop?
Me: NT$1000
Teacher: (flabbergasted) Is it made of a precious stone?
Me: Bull's horns
Teacher: Some go for like NT$25. What do you need with such a fine chop?
Me: Because it's pretty.
I felt really bad thinking that the Brazilian guy might think I was making fun of him, but I wasn't really laughing at him, I just found the randomness of the conversation so incredibly entertaining. After class, I explained and apologized to him. Thankfully, he wasn't miffed, or at least he didn't look it. Still, I hope he won't stop asking these random off-the-wall questions every once in a while.
Note: No bulls were harmed in this blog. The lady at the chop shop assured me that their bull's horns are harvested humanely, without killing the bulls.
Saturday, May 10, 2008
TGIF in Taipei, and All the Little Voices
My Aunt treated us to dinner at TGI Friday's in Banciao last night. To my surprise, the restaurant is exactly like its American counterparts, down to the servers singing to anyone celebrating a birthday, and all the hoopla and embarrassment that is normally bestowed upon the birthday guest (she was at the next table). We had a TGIF feast (thanks Aunt Michelle!), and even my grand-Aunt Jimbo had two cocktails. Afterwards two of my cousins and I took a stroll around the mall, playing air hockey and shooting some hoops at the arcade, totally fun. I took home two bruises on the base of my thumbs as souvenirs, for grabbing the handles too tight while playing air hockey. You know how competitive I get with air hockey. You know.
I had to change buses at the Taipei Main Station on the way home from dinner. There was another girl waiting at the bus stop, I'm guessing she is probably in her late teens or possibly early 20's since Taiwanese women can look deceptively young (take myself, for instance ;)). She's on her cell phone and talks in a high-pitched, soft, kitten-like voice, very similar to the voice of a young child. Then she is on another call, and I know because she is using her normal speaking voice, which is a few octaves down from kitten, and much more assertive and adult sounding. A 3rd call is greeted with yet another voice, this time a mix of the kitten and the adult, sort of medium high-pitched. Why a grown person would talk in the voice of a child, I don't know. Even more bewildering to me is how she can manage to remember which voice to use on whom.
I had to change buses at the Taipei Main Station on the way home from dinner. There was another girl waiting at the bus stop, I'm guessing she is probably in her late teens or possibly early 20's since Taiwanese women can look deceptively young (take myself, for instance ;)). She's on her cell phone and talks in a high-pitched, soft, kitten-like voice, very similar to the voice of a young child. Then she is on another call, and I know because she is using her normal speaking voice, which is a few octaves down from kitten, and much more assertive and adult sounding. A 3rd call is greeted with yet another voice, this time a mix of the kitten and the adult, sort of medium high-pitched. Why a grown person would talk in the voice of a child, I don't know. Even more bewildering to me is how she can manage to remember which voice to use on whom.
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
KLIM
Milk in Taipei is expensive! Half a gallon of the fresh stuff will set you back NT$120, or about US$4!!! There aren't as many choices either - full-fat or low-fat only, none of the fancy schmancy 2%, 1%, or skim that I've come to take for granted.
Powdered milk is much more affordable at about half the price of the fresh, so roughly about what a gallon of fresh milk would cost at home. The powder comes in cans, and my goodness the breadth of choices can be dizzying! One whole aisle in the supermarket is devoted to milk powder, and you can buy it according to the nutritional needs of your age group. So how do you know which one to buy, especially if you're like me and have a very limited Chinese vocabulary? After meticulous research, I've developed...
JEAN'S POWDERED MILK SELECTION METHODOLOGY:
1. Look for a name you can trust or have tried before.
I wouldn't dare buy any that was produced in China or Southeast Asia. KLIM was a brand I've come across quite often in the homes of my relatives, and it tastes pretty good (I sometimes think it tastes better than fresh milk). KLIM, as it turns out, is made by Nestle, a Swiss multinational conglomerate hell bent on dominating the world one chocolate crunch bar at a time, so I figured they know what milk should taste like.
2. Look at the picture on the can.
Some of them have pictures of babies, which I gather is formula for babies. I wouldn't go for the ones showing the old couple with cheeks radiant from drinking milk, or quite possibly Metamucil. Maybe the young gringos frolicking, or the young Asian woman doing yoga. As for the cans without pictures, I'm afraid they were some of the first to be eliminated from my careful selection process.
3. Read all the English on the can.
Some of them are fortified with vitamins, "Calci-N," or have the word "super." I also like the play on words with "KLIM" - get it? It is "milk" spelled backwards!!
4. Go for a pretty color.
I have to look at this can day in and day out while I slowly deplete its contents, so it might as well be a pretty can. Let me tell you, it was a toss up between the purple yoga lady and the baby blue gringos.
In the end I chose the gringos, mainly because the word "Super" along the bottom of the can (Criteria #3) tipped the scales.
Powdered milk is much more affordable at about half the price of the fresh, so roughly about what a gallon of fresh milk would cost at home. The powder comes in cans, and my goodness the breadth of choices can be dizzying! One whole aisle in the supermarket is devoted to milk powder, and you can buy it according to the nutritional needs of your age group. So how do you know which one to buy, especially if you're like me and have a very limited Chinese vocabulary? After meticulous research, I've developed...
JEAN'S POWDERED MILK SELECTION METHODOLOGY:
1. Look for a name you can trust or have tried before.
I wouldn't dare buy any that was produced in China or Southeast Asia. KLIM was a brand I've come across quite often in the homes of my relatives, and it tastes pretty good (I sometimes think it tastes better than fresh milk). KLIM, as it turns out, is made by Nestle, a Swiss multinational conglomerate hell bent on dominating the world one chocolate crunch bar at a time, so I figured they know what milk should taste like.
2. Look at the picture on the can.
Some of them have pictures of babies, which I gather is formula for babies. I wouldn't go for the ones showing the old couple with cheeks radiant from drinking milk, or quite possibly Metamucil. Maybe the young gringos frolicking, or the young Asian woman doing yoga. As for the cans without pictures, I'm afraid they were some of the first to be eliminated from my careful selection process.
3. Read all the English on the can.
Some of them are fortified with vitamins, "Calci-N," or have the word "super." I also like the play on words with "KLIM" - get it? It is "milk" spelled backwards!!
4. Go for a pretty color.
I have to look at this can day in and day out while I slowly deplete its contents, so it might as well be a pretty can. Let me tell you, it was a toss up between the purple yoga lady and the baby blue gringos.
In the end I chose the gringos, mainly because the word "Super" along the bottom of the can (Criteria #3) tipped the scales.
Friday, April 25, 2008
The Clam, the Crane, Crusts, and That Hard Thing On Toast
One of the lessons this week is about a crane who spots a clam sunning itself on the beach. As the crane pokes its beak to extract the tasty clam, the clam clamps down on the crane's beak. Neither would budge, waiting for the other to die of thirst or hunger. A fisherman sees them and snatches up both of them with his net. The moral: When two people fight, someone else stands to gain from the conflict.
We're learning the word for shell, "ke" 殼, as in clam shell, and the same character can be used to describe the Earth's crust. So I ask the teacher if it can also mean a pie crust, pizza crust, or crust on bread. She says, "No, there's no term for that in Chinese because these are foreign items, they would just say "that thing on top of the pie" or "the thing along the side of the pizza" or "that hard thing on toast."" Then we talk about how to say a loaf of bread as opposed to a slice of toast. My teacher used the same phrase to refer to both toast and a slice of bread, to which I had to explain that toast is a slice of bread that has been toasted, and that a slice of untoasted bread is still just bread. She gave me a blank look, then said, "That distinction doesn't exist in Taiwan."
Maybe Eskimos have the same frustration when we refer to the cold white stuff as simply "snow."
We're learning the word for shell, "ke" 殼, as in clam shell, and the same character can be used to describe the Earth's crust. So I ask the teacher if it can also mean a pie crust, pizza crust, or crust on bread. She says, "No, there's no term for that in Chinese because these are foreign items, they would just say "that thing on top of the pie" or "the thing along the side of the pizza" or "that hard thing on toast."" Then we talk about how to say a loaf of bread as opposed to a slice of toast. My teacher used the same phrase to refer to both toast and a slice of bread, to which I had to explain that toast is a slice of bread that has been toasted, and that a slice of untoasted bread is still just bread. She gave me a blank look, then said, "That distinction doesn't exist in Taiwan."
Maybe Eskimos have the same frustration when we refer to the cold white stuff as simply "snow."
La Vie Revee des Anges
Found a happy place in my happy place, a little cafe/bar in Danshui called La Vie Revee des Anges, which means the dream life of angels.
Check out my photo journal of an afternoon in the fishing town of Danshui http://picasaweb.google.com/heebyjeany/FortSanDomingoSunset
Check out my photo journal of an afternoon in the fishing town of Danshui http://picasaweb.google.com/heebyjeany/FortSanDomingoSunset
Thursday, April 17, 2008
Everything and the Kitchen Sink
So I was wiping down the kitchen counter last night, and was rinsing the rag in the sink, and then suddenly I felt a rush of water on my feet. Water was coming out of the cabinet underneath the sink, and when I opened up the cabinet, I saw that the pipe that was connected to the sink drain came loose and the black electrical tape that had held it together came undone...I could not believe it! I calmed down by the time I was done mopping up the kitchen floor, but I still could not imagine why anyone would employ such an obviously temporary solution when it is not much more expensive to install a more permanent and durable attachment. It was 11pm, and a bit too late to call the landlord to get someone over to fix it, and because I wasn't planning on doing any heavy-duty cooking for the rest of the evening I figured I'll call the landlord the next day.
Next Day: Got home around 8:30-ish after a long day of classes and studying at the library, and was getting ready to call the landlord, when I noticed that 1) the door to the balcony via the kitchen was closed and locked - we rarely close it and NEVER lock it, and 2) the "Sink is out of order" note I had posted above the sink the night before was now lying face down on the small dining table, and 3) my curiousity got the best of me, so I opened up the cabinet underneath the sink, and lo and behold, the pipe had been reattached, this time with YELLOW tape. So obviously, my lock-happy landlord had been here, perhaps at the beckoning of one of my roommates. I don't know what it is with fixing things with tape. I mean, seriously, it's like using bubble gum to plug up a leak. It is working fine for now, but I'm a little more cautious about using the sink. Maybe he figures this is a good way to get us to mop up the floor every once in a while?
Next Day: Got home around 8:30-ish after a long day of classes and studying at the library, and was getting ready to call the landlord, when I noticed that 1) the door to the balcony via the kitchen was closed and locked - we rarely close it and NEVER lock it, and 2) the "Sink is out of order" note I had posted above the sink the night before was now lying face down on the small dining table, and 3) my curiousity got the best of me, so I opened up the cabinet underneath the sink, and lo and behold, the pipe had been reattached, this time with YELLOW tape. So obviously, my lock-happy landlord had been here, perhaps at the beckoning of one of my roommates. I don't know what it is with fixing things with tape. I mean, seriously, it's like using bubble gum to plug up a leak. It is working fine for now, but I'm a little more cautious about using the sink. Maybe he figures this is a good way to get us to mop up the floor every once in a while?
Land of the Hot Springs
I am feeling a bit deprived of fun lately. My class is working me pretty hard, and I often find myself studying and trying to finish up homework until about 2 or 3am, then going to bed, then waking up in time for my 10am class.
I had been hankering to go out and explore Taipei more, especially with the decent weather we've been having, so I went up to Beitou on Tuesday to check out the newly renovated Taiwan Folk Arts Museum, perched up in the lush hills, which was originally built by the Japanese as an officer's club and used by kamikaze pilots during the Second World War. This itty bitty island in the Pacific is actually host to some of the best hot springs in the world, and the hills of Beitou are well known for the many natural hot springs and hot springs resorts. I remember spending time up here as a child, occassionally boiling eggs in the sulfuric pools bubbling from the ground, and once during the Lantern Festival, my brother and I paraded through the dark hilly streets carrying round red plastic lanterns lit with a long red candle.
A few weeks ago, my Aunt sent me an email with photos of the new branch library in Beitou. The library looks like it was ready built for a cover spread in Modern Architecture magazine, and I've been itching to check it out since it is right in my 'hood. The building is supposed to be one of the greenest in Asia.
Here's a great article about the Beitou branch library and green buildings in Taipei: http://www.culture.tw/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=242&Itemid=157
Here are some photos from my afternoon in the land of the hot springs: http://picasaweb.google.com/heebyjeany/Beitou
I had been hankering to go out and explore Taipei more, especially with the decent weather we've been having, so I went up to Beitou on Tuesday to check out the newly renovated Taiwan Folk Arts Museum, perched up in the lush hills, which was originally built by the Japanese as an officer's club and used by kamikaze pilots during the Second World War. This itty bitty island in the Pacific is actually host to some of the best hot springs in the world, and the hills of Beitou are well known for the many natural hot springs and hot springs resorts. I remember spending time up here as a child, occassionally boiling eggs in the sulfuric pools bubbling from the ground, and once during the Lantern Festival, my brother and I paraded through the dark hilly streets carrying round red plastic lanterns lit with a long red candle.
A few weeks ago, my Aunt sent me an email with photos of the new branch library in Beitou. The library looks like it was ready built for a cover spread in Modern Architecture magazine, and I've been itching to check it out since it is right in my 'hood. The building is supposed to be one of the greenest in Asia.
Here's a great article about the Beitou branch library and green buildings in Taipei: http://www.culture.tw/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=242&Itemid=157
Here are some photos from my afternoon in the land of the hot springs: http://picasaweb.google.com/heebyjeany/Beitou
Monday, April 14, 2008
Tibet
I'm a little disappointed that I've missed the Tibet protests both here in Taipei and in San Francisco. There was a 49 hour sit-in at the Chiang Kai-Shek/Taiwan Democracy Memorial in late March, on the very day that I had arrived in Taipei, but I didn't hear about it until a few days later. I guess I will just have to make do with wearing my displeasure with China on a t-shirt...anyone know of a good place to get politically inflammatory apparel?
Ancestors are Not For Rent
Chinese lesson for the day --
There is a subtle difference between the Chinese character for "ancestor" 祖 and for "rent" 租. That's Chinese characters in a nutshell - tiny strokes can represent something completely different.
My friend gave me a handy little black Moleskine notebook, and I've been using it to jot down some of the words and phrases I encounter. Here is a sampling of some of my favorite entries:
There is a subtle difference between the Chinese character for "ancestor" 祖 and for "rent" 租. That's Chinese characters in a nutshell - tiny strokes can represent something completely different.
My friend gave me a handy little black Moleskine notebook, and I've been using it to jot down some of the words and phrases I encounter. Here is a sampling of some of my favorite entries:
- 阿華田 "ah hua tien" for Ovaltine
- 虎頭蛇尾 "hu toe sheh way" which translates to tiger's head snake's tail, which means to start something with vigor but fail to see it through
and my personal favorite
- 江洋大盜 "jian yang da dao" which means notorious bandit leader. Incidentally, one of my local friends told me never to say this because it's archaic and people will think I am weird, and she will pretend not to know me, haha. Still, my biggest deterrent is the fact that the opportunity to bust out with this choice phrase is virtually non-existent in modern Taipei.
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
Tomb Sweeping
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Grow cupcake. They say that more it grows, the more your wealth will grow. If only it were that simple!
Extended members of the clan hiking through the bamboo forest.
A stone lion protects my ancestor's grave.
The Land God watches over the land.
My hard-boiled egg.
Long overdue blog entry about my first ever Tomb Sweeping. Tomb Sweeping Day is a national holiday that falls on the April 4th, the deadliest day of the year because the number 4 sounds like the Chinese for death, and so it is associated with death. You've probably heard that a the superstitious will avoid living on the 4th floor, phone numbers or street addresses with the deadly digit, and it is a definite no-no to give anyone anything in 4's. The actual tomb sweeping can occur on any of the days preceeding, on or following April 4th, and many families will spread it over several days. In my case, I went on the 4th and the 5th.
Tomb Sweeping - Day 1
Our clan chartered a tour bus to transport about 50 of us to two gravesites that are across town from each other, and finishes with a family reunion luncheon.
The first site is that of the 14th generation patriarch, who was the first to settle in Taiwan. He left Fujian Province, China with nothing but the shirt on his back and an umbrella, and ventured his way to the "New World" of Taiwan to seek his fortune. Over the years, he became a shrewd and prosperous farmer. We're told that in an extreme act of filial piety, he took went back to China, unearthed the bones of his parents from their resting place in the dead of night, and brought them over here to Taiwan to be buried. I guess he wanted to be closer to his folks. His final resting place was up high in a beautiful bamboo forest, where you get good feng shui and a great view. We followed a little brook up a hill, negotiating over fallen tree trunks and rocks slippering from moss and yesterday's rains to get to his final resting place. I thought we hired caretakers for our family's gravesites and that the sweeping was more or less a symbolic gesture of our reverence. Not so. We brought machetes and knives to cut through the overgrown brambles and bushes, felled a small tree, and swept the grave's courtyard of all the weeds and dirt.
Then some members sprinkled color strips of "grave paper" on the grave mound, which symbolizes putting a roof or cover over it, for protection I'm guessing. Then there's the burning of the ghost money, lighting of incense, and making food offerings. They handed us each a hard-boiled egg, which symbolizes a new beginning with the cracking of the shell, and the shell had to be sprinkled on the grave, then we all ate the egg. Some people added a bit of salt to their egg, no symbolism there, it's just for taste.
We hopped back on the bus and headed over to another site, but this one was actually kept up pretty well so no maintenance work was required. Again with the grave paper scattering, ghost money burning, incense and food offerings, and one more egg with the scattering of the shell.
Afterwards, we headed to Banciao for the annual family post-tomb sweeping luncheon. Family members came out of the woodwork for this free meal. I looked around, but did not find a strong family trait or facial feature running through our shared bloodline. The fact is, I wouldn't be able to recognize most of these people on the street.
Tomb Sweeping - Day 2
We visited the Lin Family Mausoleum, which is perched on a hill that over time has become developed and a bit dilapidated (the hill, not the mausoleum). Back when it was built, the hill was just in the outskirts of the city and probably offered a good view of the skyline. Currently, there are mid-rise apartment buildings surrounding the foot of the hill and blocking the views, plus there's trash strewn along the paths to the graves, which I find simply disrespectful and irresponsible.
Some family members from the 15th, 16th, and 17th generations are kept here, and there's room for more. I belong to the 19th generation, but honestly have no intention of ending up here if I can help it. Same ritual as in Day 1, but much, much warmer weather and more mosquitos.
Saturday, March 29, 2008
Cats and Dogs
It is raining like cats and dogs today, with 94% humidity. It's not as bad as I thought it would be with the atmosphere being mostly water or water particles on the verge of being formed, it's not like I'm dripping water or anything but it is definitely humid. Thank goodness it is still reasonably cool, but I'm told that the typhoon season is coming in May and it gets both hot and humid and very wet. I guess I had better start praying.
Friday, March 28, 2008
The Sky is Falling
Back in Taipei.
The City of Taipei is divided into districts, and each district has a separate district office that manages the full range of city services. Over the past decade, there has been a real push to improve customer service and make the visit as pleasant as possible. When I walked into the district office yesterday to get my new I.D. card, I was greeted by a volunteer who directed me to go to the 4th floor to the Household Registration Office. I was greeted by another volunteer on the 4th floor who helped me get a number and told me to make myself comfortable on the overstuffed leather couches in the waiting area until my number was called, and I can help myself to some fresh-brewed tea in little ceramic cups, peruse the assortment of newspapers on the rack, use the free internet terminal, browse through the rummage sale in one of the conference rooms, or just enjoy the classical string quartet at the far end of the room that is getting ready to belt out some lovely tunes from dead German composers. Now that's what I call customer service!
I had the opportunity to hang out with my Aunt and Uncle (my Mom's older sister and younger brother) yesterday, we met up for lunch and then had dinner. My Uncle has some "interesting" views of the future that he wanted to share with us, information he culled from a Brazilian guy in his 40's who has predicted, among other things, that the Earth's average temperature will rise to triple digits in 7 years. The heat wave will start out in Africa, killing all of the people on that continent before moving onto other parts of the world. Here's what else the future holds:
--Later this year, Japan will suffer from a massive earthquake, setting off a tsunami with 30 foot tall waves.
--In two years, the US will suffer from a devastating man-made disaster.
There were a number of other things too about the US stock market crashing, and other disasters, but I cannot remember them all. My Uncle also claims that he single-handedly kept 5 typhoons from hitting Taiwan too hard last year through the power of his prayers.
So what does all of this mean? Who knows. All I know is that everything is going downhill from here and we have 7 more years before mankind is wiped out from planet Earth, so you'd better start putting down the deposit for that condo on Mars.
The City of Taipei is divided into districts, and each district has a separate district office that manages the full range of city services. Over the past decade, there has been a real push to improve customer service and make the visit as pleasant as possible. When I walked into the district office yesterday to get my new I.D. card, I was greeted by a volunteer who directed me to go to the 4th floor to the Household Registration Office. I was greeted by another volunteer on the 4th floor who helped me get a number and told me to make myself comfortable on the overstuffed leather couches in the waiting area until my number was called, and I can help myself to some fresh-brewed tea in little ceramic cups, peruse the assortment of newspapers on the rack, use the free internet terminal, browse through the rummage sale in one of the conference rooms, or just enjoy the classical string quartet at the far end of the room that is getting ready to belt out some lovely tunes from dead German composers. Now that's what I call customer service!
I had the opportunity to hang out with my Aunt and Uncle (my Mom's older sister and younger brother) yesterday, we met up for lunch and then had dinner. My Uncle has some "interesting" views of the future that he wanted to share with us, information he culled from a Brazilian guy in his 40's who has predicted, among other things, that the Earth's average temperature will rise to triple digits in 7 years. The heat wave will start out in Africa, killing all of the people on that continent before moving onto other parts of the world. Here's what else the future holds:
--Later this year, Japan will suffer from a massive earthquake, setting off a tsunami with 30 foot tall waves.
--In two years, the US will suffer from a devastating man-made disaster.
There were a number of other things too about the US stock market crashing, and other disasters, but I cannot remember them all. My Uncle also claims that he single-handedly kept 5 typhoons from hitting Taiwan too hard last year through the power of his prayers.
So what does all of this mean? Who knows. All I know is that everything is going downhill from here and we have 7 more years before mankind is wiped out from planet Earth, so you'd better start putting down the deposit for that condo on Mars.
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Zai Jen, California!
Zai = again
Jen = meet
I hop on a plane back to Taipei in a little over 13 hours, and I'm going to be pulling an all-nighter packing up my things. This stay has been way too short, and I've come to realize how much I miss California and how much I took it for granted.
Here are some glimpses of the world from my camera lens.
Still Pictures: http://picasaweb.google.com/heebyjeany
Moving Pictures: YouTube, search for "thecjl"
Jen = meet
I hop on a plane back to Taipei in a little over 13 hours, and I'm going to be pulling an all-nighter packing up my things. This stay has been way too short, and I've come to realize how much I miss California and how much I took it for granted.
Here are some glimpses of the world from my camera lens.
Still Pictures: http://picasaweb.google.com/heebyjeany
Moving Pictures: YouTube, search for "thecjl"
Tuesday, March 4, 2008
Full Circle
I'm finally back in the Bay Area! Made a full circle around the world. Here's a run-down of my itinerary the past 4 months:
October - Santa Clara, Amsterdam
November - Berlin, Prague, Vienna, Rome, Florence, Siena, Cinque Terre, Florence, Pisa, Paris, Bruges (Belgium), Bath
December - India (New Delhi, Jaisalmer, Jodhpur, Udaipur, Jaipur, Pushkar, Bharatpur, Agra, Varanasi, Kolkata, Hyderabad)
January - Bangkok, Taipei
February - Taiwan (Taipei, Nantou, Danshui)
March - Santa Clara
Got back Monday morning, and am feeling much more normal now that the jetlag is wearing off. I am sooooooo incredibly glad to be back and want to soak up this area as much as possible while I'm here. Give me a call and let's catch up!
October - Santa Clara, Amsterdam
November - Berlin, Prague, Vienna, Rome, Florence, Siena, Cinque Terre, Florence, Pisa, Paris, Bruges (Belgium), Bath
December - India (New Delhi, Jaisalmer, Jodhpur, Udaipur, Jaipur, Pushkar, Bharatpur, Agra, Varanasi, Kolkata, Hyderabad)
January - Bangkok, Taipei
February - Taiwan (Taipei, Nantou, Danshui)
March - Santa Clara
Got back Monday morning, and am feeling much more normal now that the jetlag is wearing off. I am sooooooo incredibly glad to be back and want to soak up this area as much as possible while I'm here. Give me a call and let's catch up!
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
Final Exam
These past two days, I've been practically living at the coffee shops, helping my friend study for the exam that her boss is giving her today. I don't mind helping her, and sometimes it's even a bit fun, particularly since I'm the one throwing out the questions. Poor thing, my friend works at a hotel and has had to cram a lot of what I consider to be useless information these past two days, stuff that can be easily referenced on a computer system or cheat sheet and that is a waste of valuable time and talent to commit to memory (i.e., type of room, type of bed in each room, business hours for all the restaurants, 3 pages of acronyms, codes for different types of guests, etc.). But she works at a top notch establishment, and I guess this is part of the service you get for the exhorbitant prices you pay.
My Chinese studies are going well, and is a breeze and delight compared to working in hospitality.
My Chinese studies are going well, and is a breeze and delight compared to working in hospitality.
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