I just received two update emails from friends back home. One was an update and pictures from married friends about their one month old son. The other was from a friend who had an all night adventure at the bars and casino.
Diversity is wonderful.
I'd just like to thank them and everyone else for keeping me in the loop of your lives back in the States. As much as I love it here, I do miss all of you so it's great to hear from you and how things are going back home.
Keep on keeping on,
JiaFu JiaLuan
September 19, 2008
September 15, 2008
Da Taipei Bears!
It's still raining from the typhoon. It's 1:30am. And the sport doesn't even exist in this country.
And yet, here I am watching Da Bears take on the Panthers on a bright and sunny Sunday afternoon. Complete with US commercials for Taco Bell (It looked good!) and crappy FOX TV shows. Technology is wonderful.
It cost me $200 (US unfortunately) but after that blocked punt, it's already worth it.
Go Bears!!!!!!
And yet, here I am watching Da Bears take on the Panthers on a bright and sunny Sunday afternoon. Complete with US commercials for Taco Bell (It looked good!) and crappy FOX TV shows. Technology is wonderful.
It cost me $200 (US unfortunately) but after that blocked punt, it's already worth it.
Go Bears!!!!!!
September 13, 2008
Taiwan Update? It's About Time
I think a Taiwan update is long overdue. So here goes:
- As of tomorrow, I will have been living in Taiwan for 4 months. 4 months! Oh my that seems like a long time. And while I still feel like an extended stay tourist in many ways, I'm really starting to view this place as my second home. Very exciting stuff.
- Per my previous post, we're in the middle of a rather large typhoon. Because of it, I have a 3 day weekend and, thus, have plenty of time for blogging.
- I have a new work schedule and new classes. The good/bad news? I'm working even more hours than over summer. It's great to make more money but I'm usually exhausted. The great news? No more six day work weeks! And not only do I have two days off now but I actually have a weekend with Sundays and Mondays off. Hao!
- I now have Daycare classes 3 days a week. Just like in the States, these kids get dropped off in the morning, are at the school all day, and get picked up after their mother/father is done with work. They come to my class for 2.5 hours where I mostly practice speaking with them. There's no homework to grade, any handouts are done in class, we basically play games the whole time, and most of the kids are really cute and well behaved. I swear, some of them won't stop smiling and giggling for the entire 2.5 hours though. It's hysterical and always makes me smile. Great classes so I'm glad my boss likes me.
- I also have my first 1-on-1 class. Just like the name suggests, it's just me and one student. That's for 1.5 hours every Thursday with a 5th grader named Sunny. We've had two sessions and she's really, really smart. I can basically talk normally with her and she understands me. We're working on her writing though as her grammar is so so. All homework is graded with her in class so it's fairly easy. Again, I'm glad I'm on my boss's good side.
- From the day I started work, everyone has been nice to me and each other. But I couldn't help but notice that the FT's would stick together for lunch and weekend plans and the CT's would do the same. It's like there was a wall between the groups that didn't permit us to hang out more. Well, me and a few others have slowly been chipping away at that wall and it finally came down.
Last weekend, 12-15 of us (over half of the teachers) went to KTV (karaoke) together. We had a blast. It's hilarious seeing the cultural difference on KTV. One of the FT's and I were the only ones drinking and we were the stiffs in the room not singing until we said "what the hell" after a few drinks. The locals don't need those few drinks to perform. They go right into it and are serious about it. Both Chinese and American songs were sang and everyone had a blast.
Afterwards, I convinced a few of the CT's to join me at a bar called Bliss for a soul music show where I was meeting up with other friends. I thought there was going to be a live band but sadly there was not one. However, it was great to hear some tunes you do not ever hear in this country.
- As of last week, I'm no longer just Teacher Jefu. I'm also Student Jefu. I started a language exchange with a friend of one of the CT's. Language exchange is exactly that: We meet, she teaches me Chinese for half the time, and I teach her English for half the time. It's a great way to learn without paying for a tutor or classes. Her name is Jasmine and we're going to meet twice a week. I feel like I'm doing ok already. I've been practicing the 4 tones (flat, up, down then up, & down) with her a lot. It's something severely lacking with any Chinese I already "know" and it's very important because the tone changes the meaning of a word. I think I'm starting to get it. She says I'm a quick learner but the flat tone gives me the most trouble. The only way I can say it correctly is when I do it really quietly. It's tough but I'll keep practicing. Oh and Jasmine is clearly the prettiest girl in the room as she's a part-time model so that's an added bonus.
- I have a new roommate. My Canadian roommate, Lachy, moved out because he's taking Chinese classes early in the morning on the other side of the city so he didn't want to deal with the commute. Understandable, but sad to see him go as he was a good roommate. Hopefully we'll still meet at Club 7-11 once in a while.
The new roommate is Matt from San Diego. He's been in Taiwan for 2 years and just moved to Taipei. He's been living here for about two weeks and so far so good. He's laid back and we get along well. He also speaks pretty good Chinese so that's come in handy a few times.
- Also on the roommate front, the third one, Liene, is coming back in a few weeks. She's a lot of fun so I can't wait for her to come back. We'll definitely have a party. You're all invited btw so start looking into flights for October.
So a lot of big changes both at work and at home but things are looking bright (not literally, there's a typhoon!) so I'd say things are going really well. And let's keep it that way.
- As of tomorrow, I will have been living in Taiwan for 4 months. 4 months! Oh my that seems like a long time. And while I still feel like an extended stay tourist in many ways, I'm really starting to view this place as my second home. Very exciting stuff.
- Per my previous post, we're in the middle of a rather large typhoon. Because of it, I have a 3 day weekend and, thus, have plenty of time for blogging.
- I have a new work schedule and new classes. The good/bad news? I'm working even more hours than over summer. It's great to make more money but I'm usually exhausted. The great news? No more six day work weeks! And not only do I have two days off now but I actually have a weekend with Sundays and Mondays off. Hao!
- I now have Daycare classes 3 days a week. Just like in the States, these kids get dropped off in the morning, are at the school all day, and get picked up after their mother/father is done with work. They come to my class for 2.5 hours where I mostly practice speaking with them. There's no homework to grade, any handouts are done in class, we basically play games the whole time, and most of the kids are really cute and well behaved. I swear, some of them won't stop smiling and giggling for the entire 2.5 hours though. It's hysterical and always makes me smile. Great classes so I'm glad my boss likes me.
- I also have my first 1-on-1 class. Just like the name suggests, it's just me and one student. That's for 1.5 hours every Thursday with a 5th grader named Sunny. We've had two sessions and she's really, really smart. I can basically talk normally with her and she understands me. We're working on her writing though as her grammar is so so. All homework is graded with her in class so it's fairly easy. Again, I'm glad I'm on my boss's good side.
- From the day I started work, everyone has been nice to me and each other. But I couldn't help but notice that the FT's would stick together for lunch and weekend plans and the CT's would do the same. It's like there was a wall between the groups that didn't permit us to hang out more. Well, me and a few others have slowly been chipping away at that wall and it finally came down.
Last weekend, 12-15 of us (over half of the teachers) went to KTV (karaoke) together. We had a blast. It's hilarious seeing the cultural difference on KTV. One of the FT's and I were the only ones drinking and we were the stiffs in the room not singing until we said "what the hell" after a few drinks. The locals don't need those few drinks to perform. They go right into it and are serious about it. Both Chinese and American songs were sang and everyone had a blast.
Afterwards, I convinced a few of the CT's to join me at a bar called Bliss for a soul music show where I was meeting up with other friends. I thought there was going to be a live band but sadly there was not one. However, it was great to hear some tunes you do not ever hear in this country.
- As of last week, I'm no longer just Teacher Jefu. I'm also Student Jefu. I started a language exchange with a friend of one of the CT's. Language exchange is exactly that: We meet, she teaches me Chinese for half the time, and I teach her English for half the time. It's a great way to learn without paying for a tutor or classes. Her name is Jasmine and we're going to meet twice a week. I feel like I'm doing ok already. I've been practicing the 4 tones (flat, up, down then up, & down) with her a lot. It's something severely lacking with any Chinese I already "know" and it's very important because the tone changes the meaning of a word. I think I'm starting to get it. She says I'm a quick learner but the flat tone gives me the most trouble. The only way I can say it correctly is when I do it really quietly. It's tough but I'll keep practicing. Oh and Jasmine is clearly the prettiest girl in the room as she's a part-time model so that's an added bonus.
- I have a new roommate. My Canadian roommate, Lachy, moved out because he's taking Chinese classes early in the morning on the other side of the city so he didn't want to deal with the commute. Understandable, but sad to see him go as he was a good roommate. Hopefully we'll still meet at Club 7-11 once in a while.
The new roommate is Matt from San Diego. He's been in Taiwan for 2 years and just moved to Taipei. He's been living here for about two weeks and so far so good. He's laid back and we get along well. He also speaks pretty good Chinese so that's come in handy a few times.
- Also on the roommate front, the third one, Liene, is coming back in a few weeks. She's a lot of fun so I can't wait for her to come back. We'll definitely have a party. You're all invited btw so start looking into flights for October.
So a lot of big changes both at work and at home but things are looking bright (not literally, there's a typhoon!) so I'd say things are going really well. And let's keep it that way.
Um...There's a Typhoon Too.
After checking several news websites, it appears that Hurricane Ike is getting ready to knock Texas back to the stone age. Every site I saw (NY Times, Chicago Tribune, CNN, BBC) were just going on and on about the day after tomorrow in the Gulf this weekend. I can't say I blame them for the bleak outlooks though after effing up on Katrina so bad but that's another story...
My question is, why is no one talking about Typhoon Sinlaku??? That's because no one knows about Typhoon Sinlaku. After reading about the front page news of Hurricane Ike and how terrible it will be (and I'm not downplaying it at all, I hope all the folks in Texas will be alright), I couldn't find a single story about Typhoon Sinlaku. Not a single one on any of the "World News" sites. Huh???
You're telling me CNN and BBC aren't even reporting on a storm almost as big as Ike and just as powerful as Ike (Sinlaku would be a Category 3 if they used that system)??? That doesn't seem right. I can even find a story about Ike on the Taipei Times almost as quickly as our on typhoon. Sadly, Sinlaku could actually be "The Storm of the Century" and I'm not sure a thing would change in the news.
Though it saddens me that the news about my new homeland is so second rate that it doesn't even warrant a brief online story, I will relay what I know here on ayj. Typhoon Sinlaku is going to hit northern Taiwan tonight/Saturday morning (Taipei is in the north btw). It's big, it's powerful, and it's moving slowly (not a good combo). Classes were canceled tonight. The city is shut down at least for Saturday and probably Sunday. And my first Moon Festival, on Sunday, is completely ruined.
But not to worry. I plan to hole up in my apartment where my roommate Matt and I will have a Die Hard marathon (assuming we still have power since the lights are already flickering). If not, I've got plenty of homework to grade (just as fun!)
Maybe I'm being too dramatic, but this is just another "eye-opener moment" for me about how the world works now that I'm out of my comfort zone. There's America. And then there's the rest of the world.
My question is, why is no one talking about Typhoon Sinlaku??? That's because no one knows about Typhoon Sinlaku. After reading about the front page news of Hurricane Ike and how terrible it will be (and I'm not downplaying it at all, I hope all the folks in Texas will be alright), I couldn't find a single story about Typhoon Sinlaku. Not a single one on any of the "World News" sites. Huh???
You're telling me CNN and BBC aren't even reporting on a storm almost as big as Ike and just as powerful as Ike (Sinlaku would be a Category 3 if they used that system)??? That doesn't seem right. I can even find a story about Ike on the Taipei Times almost as quickly as our on typhoon. Sadly, Sinlaku could actually be "The Storm of the Century" and I'm not sure a thing would change in the news.
Though it saddens me that the news about my new homeland is so second rate that it doesn't even warrant a brief online story, I will relay what I know here on ayj. Typhoon Sinlaku is going to hit northern Taiwan tonight/Saturday morning (Taipei is in the north btw). It's big, it's powerful, and it's moving slowly (not a good combo). Classes were canceled tonight. The city is shut down at least for Saturday and probably Sunday. And my first Moon Festival, on Sunday, is completely ruined.
But not to worry. I plan to hole up in my apartment where my roommate Matt and I will have a Die Hard marathon (assuming we still have power since the lights are already flickering). If not, I've got plenty of homework to grade (just as fun!)
Maybe I'm being too dramatic, but this is just another "eye-opener moment" for me about how the world works now that I'm out of my comfort zone. There's America. And then there's the rest of the world.
September 07, 2008
Circus Monkey!
Some of my coworkers sang this at KTV yesterday. Not only was it great to hear them sing this because all they have here is pop music, but the music video is amazing. The guy is not happy, there are girls jumping up and down, and best of all, there's a monkey!
September 05, 2008
Mmm...Stinky Tofu
It took me almost four months. Four months of going to the night market, thinking about trying it, smelling it, and deciding to pass. Ah yes, stinky tofu.
Despite several failed attempts to actually eat it, I kept telling myself that one day I would finally gather up the courage and get past the warm dog food smell and try it. No joke, even the locals think it smells terrible.
Well, tonight was that night. I was at the Shilin Night Market with one of the Chinese Teachers and she finally convinced me to try it. So I expected her to order a piece of it for me to sample. Nope. She ordered an entire plate of it. Thanks Drew.
So I'm sitting there shocked to see so much of it and just inhaling that horrible smell. Yummy. I take up the chopsticks, grab a nice chunk of it, dip it in the sauce, and...I liked it!?!? Huh??? What??? That wasn't supposed to happen. I actually liked it. I almost finished the whole plate. I have no idea how to describe it but it was good.
My world has been turned upside down. My prejudice was all wrong. Does this mean I should give warm dog food a shot? Whoa, let's just hold on a second. I think the stinky tofu is talking...
Despite several failed attempts to actually eat it, I kept telling myself that one day I would finally gather up the courage and get past the warm dog food smell and try it. No joke, even the locals think it smells terrible.
Well, tonight was that night. I was at the Shilin Night Market with one of the Chinese Teachers and she finally convinced me to try it. So I expected her to order a piece of it for me to sample. Nope. She ordered an entire plate of it. Thanks Drew.
So I'm sitting there shocked to see so much of it and just inhaling that horrible smell. Yummy. I take up the chopsticks, grab a nice chunk of it, dip it in the sauce, and...I liked it!?!? Huh??? What??? That wasn't supposed to happen. I actually liked it. I almost finished the whole plate. I have no idea how to describe it but it was good.
My world has been turned upside down. My prejudice was all wrong. Does this mean I should give warm dog food a shot? Whoa, let's just hold on a second. I think the stinky tofu is talking...
September 04, 2008
Far Eastern Hospitality
Kudos to Alex, Gillian, and Mark for the House Cooling Party this past Saturday. Not only did I get to enjoy their wonderful company, music, and homemade salsa, but they made some fantastic mojitos as well. The mint was so fresh they were picking it straight from the branches. Que bueno!
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