Yes, there was an earthquake here yesterday. Yes, at first I thought the building shaking was my neighbor on our rooftop moving furniture, or something hectic, until I realized that my neighbor isn't strong enough to shake the entire building for several minutes. Dur. Yes, everyone is fine in Taichung, except for my student Jeffrey's fish, who died due to the earthquake. Yes, I brushed up on my earthquake safety knowledge, just in case... Taiwan is basically a giant fault line.
Hope you are safe and grounded! Happy New Year!
26.12.06
Good times...
Merry Christmas! Happy Kwanzaa! Happy Hanukah! Happy New Year! I hope all of you are doing well and enjoying a fulfilling and relaxing holiday season. Where have I been these last few months? Still in Taiwan, just busy and a bit preoccupied with some hiccups in life. Here are the highlights of what I've been up to:
Wedding/Engagement Party
A few months ago, a manager at my school asked me if I'd like to go to Teacher April's wedding. A Taiwanese wedding? I've been wanting to go to one since I got here. Of course! Teacher April is my afternoon bilingual teacher and I see her for a total of 2 hours a week and we don't talk very much because her English is limited and my Chinese is practically non-existent. Weddings are a big industry in Taiwan and I see so many wedding cafes, which are businesses that usually are a few stories tall and the street side is only full of windows with lots of dresses and people sitting at tables planning their weddings. Once I was approached by a man as Si and I walked by a wedding cafe in Taipei. I was so tempted to act like we were getting married, just so I could see what the deal is, but I refrained.
So, I get the invitation to Teacher April's wedding and realize that her name is Teacher Apple. Oops. I've been calling her the wrong name, for about, uh 4 months. April does sound like Apple and no one had corrected me. O.k., got it. The invitation is very fancy, all pink and all in Chinese, so I can't read it. But, with a little help, I learn that her wedding is on a Sunday at noon and everyone tells me that I can dress casually. I keep thinking that's so strange for a culture with somewhat fancy taste. Many women wear high heels here on a daily basis. I've even see women up near the waterfalls, where I sometimes stumble a bit with my birkenstocks, wearing high heeled shoes. Maybe not the smartest fashion decision, but they always look great. There is a picture of Teacher Apple and her fiance Ming in front of the playground at our school. Their hands are making an arch of a heart together. It's just so cute!
When we arrive to the event, I learn that we have not been invited to her wedding, but the equivalent of an engagement party in the western cultures. The Chinese believe if you have this party before the wedding and invite a lot of people and they come, then more good fortune will come your way. There were about 300 people there and the buffet was delicious. On the 17th floor (that's pretty high, for Taichung) of a hotel, we ate a delicious lunch and sat with the owner of my school and other colleagues. There was a very detailed slideshow video of their actual engagement and I really felt like I was part of the engagement process. The photo documentation was unreal: where they visited, what they ate at various meals, the cake that was presented for the big question, friends who were on the trip with them, the walks in the woods, etc. I felt like I was there...
They did a karaoke song together, which was really special. Little children from our class came out, all dressed up and handed out roses to the women at the event. There were lots of toasts and speeches. Apple asked if all women attending would wear something pink, even if it was just a pair of earrings or a bracelet, because she loves the color so much. I bought some cute and a little blingy pair of pink rhinestone earrings and all of the women wearing pink, made 2 lines and she walked through the center, passing out candy. It was a wonderful event.
Blue Girl
In November, just before Thanksgiving, I struggled with depression, which was a fairly new experience. I've never felt very sad about my life overall, before. Also, being away from family and friends for this long (with a little break this past summer) has started to take a toll on me. Finally, not being able to speak the language bothered me more than I had thought it would. After a few weeks of feeling sorry for myself, the cloud lifted and I am mostly doing just fine.
Learning Chinese: Ni hou ma?
I've been taking Chinese lessons about 4.5 hours a week, during my lunch breaks. I take a private lesson with a friend, so the environment to learn and try a new language is very relaxed and as minimally scary as possible, I think. My friend, Angela, has been living in Taiwan for a few years and her understanding of the knowledge is quite good, but now she is just learning more vocabulary, grammar, etc. I am much more new to the language so struggle a bit more.
The first few weeks, I thought I had made a big mistake. We were only learning pronunciation and tones, which are very specific and of course, all sound very similar to me. I really feel that I repeat sounds and words, just like I am hearing them, but they are in fact, very different.
I recently learned of an interesting study, where children age 10 were tested from tonal based cultures (like Chinese) and non-tonal based cultures (like English). When asked about different tones heard, the children from tonal based cultures heard over 360 different tones. The children from non-tonal based cultures, only heard about 60 different tones. So, if not surrounded by various tones and pronunciations pretty much in the first 10 years of life, learning the sounds later as an adult has a difficult angle. When I learned about the study, I actually felt a little better about my pace in learning Chinese. Phew! I'm not the only one who can't hear the different sounds. :)
In all reality, being able to speak to people around me, has been really wonderful. I can't have very lengthy conversations, but just little bits of communication have been such a big help. I often feel less isolated.
Crash!
Also, in November, I was in a potentially bad scooter accident. It was completely my fault the driver of the other scooter was fine, thankfully. I suffered from a concusion and some aches and pains, but was very lucky. For a few days, I had a sore head, Simon watched me for worry of hematoma developing and I needed a few different x-rays done, just make sure everything was AOK. I also was very fortunate because a good Taiwanese friend accompanied me to a Dr. appointment just to make sure I understood everything. I'm back on the roads now, much more cautious and a bit more timid, which is a good thing, I think.
Merry Ho ho ho!
Taiwan doesn't really celebrate Christmas (or other western holidays) as it's primarily a buddhist country. However, schools often celebrate the holiday and in my kindergarten class, we practiced songs and dances, have read stories, made ornaments, decorations, etc. all for Christmas. Simon dressed up as Santa Clause for the school play/performance, which was fun. I have one American boy, who eyed Simon skeptically from the side, not sure what to make of this thin, younger version of Santa, but he happily received his gift when his name was called.
Because Taiwan doesn't celebrate Christmas, adult views of the holiday differ. For example, in my class are twins Sam and Samuel. Apparently, at home, Sam breaks his toys. I don't know if it's intentional or just by accident, but it's enough that his parents wanted to teach him a lesson. So, they wrapped his broken toys and Santa gave them to him at school. All the while, his twin brother, received a new toy form Santa. I fully understand that children much learn lessons about taking care of their belongings, but dragging an innocent Santa and wonderful holiday like Christmas into the mix, seems a bit mean. Needless to say, Simon wasn't very happy to learn that he had given Sam broken toys. :(
As for our own holiday celebrations, my school gave all english teachers a 5-day weekend, which is really cool. On Saturday, we attended a fun holiday party and caught up with friends. Then on Christmas Eve, attended a potluck dinner party with friends in a more intimate setting. On Christmas day, we had a nice lazy day, then met up with friends for a vigorous walk in the mountains and a nice dinner at a restaurant that serves western food. Yum! Simon and I enjoyed creating some new traditions together, definitely.
I also became an auntie recently. My sister Christine, gave birth to a beautiful boy named Kelan. I'm having my Dad give him lots of kisses and reminders of his Auntie Mari until I can deliver that love in person next year. Welcome Kelan!
May this post find all of you, happy, healthy and in great spirits. Much love to each of you from Taiwan!
Wedding/Engagement Party
A few months ago, a manager at my school asked me if I'd like to go to Teacher April's wedding. A Taiwanese wedding? I've been wanting to go to one since I got here. Of course! Teacher April is my afternoon bilingual teacher and I see her for a total of 2 hours a week and we don't talk very much because her English is limited and my Chinese is practically non-existent. Weddings are a big industry in Taiwan and I see so many wedding cafes, which are businesses that usually are a few stories tall and the street side is only full of windows with lots of dresses and people sitting at tables planning their weddings. Once I was approached by a man as Si and I walked by a wedding cafe in Taipei. I was so tempted to act like we were getting married, just so I could see what the deal is, but I refrained.
So, I get the invitation to Teacher April's wedding and realize that her name is Teacher Apple. Oops. I've been calling her the wrong name, for about, uh 4 months. April does sound like Apple and no one had corrected me. O.k., got it. The invitation is very fancy, all pink and all in Chinese, so I can't read it. But, with a little help, I learn that her wedding is on a Sunday at noon and everyone tells me that I can dress casually. I keep thinking that's so strange for a culture with somewhat fancy taste. Many women wear high heels here on a daily basis. I've even see women up near the waterfalls, where I sometimes stumble a bit with my birkenstocks, wearing high heeled shoes. Maybe not the smartest fashion decision, but they always look great. There is a picture of Teacher Apple and her fiance Ming in front of the playground at our school. Their hands are making an arch of a heart together. It's just so cute!
When we arrive to the event, I learn that we have not been invited to her wedding, but the equivalent of an engagement party in the western cultures. The Chinese believe if you have this party before the wedding and invite a lot of people and they come, then more good fortune will come your way. There were about 300 people there and the buffet was delicious. On the 17th floor (that's pretty high, for Taichung) of a hotel, we ate a delicious lunch and sat with the owner of my school and other colleagues. There was a very detailed slideshow video of their actual engagement and I really felt like I was part of the engagement process. The photo documentation was unreal: where they visited, what they ate at various meals, the cake that was presented for the big question, friends who were on the trip with them, the walks in the woods, etc. I felt like I was there...
They did a karaoke song together, which was really special. Little children from our class came out, all dressed up and handed out roses to the women at the event. There were lots of toasts and speeches. Apple asked if all women attending would wear something pink, even if it was just a pair of earrings or a bracelet, because she loves the color so much. I bought some cute and a little blingy pair of pink rhinestone earrings and all of the women wearing pink, made 2 lines and she walked through the center, passing out candy. It was a wonderful event.
Blue Girl
In November, just before Thanksgiving, I struggled with depression, which was a fairly new experience. I've never felt very sad about my life overall, before. Also, being away from family and friends for this long (with a little break this past summer) has started to take a toll on me. Finally, not being able to speak the language bothered me more than I had thought it would. After a few weeks of feeling sorry for myself, the cloud lifted and I am mostly doing just fine.
Learning Chinese: Ni hou ma?
I've been taking Chinese lessons about 4.5 hours a week, during my lunch breaks. I take a private lesson with a friend, so the environment to learn and try a new language is very relaxed and as minimally scary as possible, I think. My friend, Angela, has been living in Taiwan for a few years and her understanding of the knowledge is quite good, but now she is just learning more vocabulary, grammar, etc. I am much more new to the language so struggle a bit more.
The first few weeks, I thought I had made a big mistake. We were only learning pronunciation and tones, which are very specific and of course, all sound very similar to me. I really feel that I repeat sounds and words, just like I am hearing them, but they are in fact, very different.
I recently learned of an interesting study, where children age 10 were tested from tonal based cultures (like Chinese) and non-tonal based cultures (like English). When asked about different tones heard, the children from tonal based cultures heard over 360 different tones. The children from non-tonal based cultures, only heard about 60 different tones. So, if not surrounded by various tones and pronunciations pretty much in the first 10 years of life, learning the sounds later as an adult has a difficult angle. When I learned about the study, I actually felt a little better about my pace in learning Chinese. Phew! I'm not the only one who can't hear the different sounds. :)
In all reality, being able to speak to people around me, has been really wonderful. I can't have very lengthy conversations, but just little bits of communication have been such a big help. I often feel less isolated.
Crash!
Also, in November, I was in a potentially bad scooter accident. It was completely my fault the driver of the other scooter was fine, thankfully. I suffered from a concusion and some aches and pains, but was very lucky. For a few days, I had a sore head, Simon watched me for worry of hematoma developing and I needed a few different x-rays done, just make sure everything was AOK. I also was very fortunate because a good Taiwanese friend accompanied me to a Dr. appointment just to make sure I understood everything. I'm back on the roads now, much more cautious and a bit more timid, which is a good thing, I think.
Merry Ho ho ho!
Taiwan doesn't really celebrate Christmas (or other western holidays) as it's primarily a buddhist country. However, schools often celebrate the holiday and in my kindergarten class, we practiced songs and dances, have read stories, made ornaments, decorations, etc. all for Christmas. Simon dressed up as Santa Clause for the school play/performance, which was fun. I have one American boy, who eyed Simon skeptically from the side, not sure what to make of this thin, younger version of Santa, but he happily received his gift when his name was called.
Because Taiwan doesn't celebrate Christmas, adult views of the holiday differ. For example, in my class are twins Sam and Samuel. Apparently, at home, Sam breaks his toys. I don't know if it's intentional or just by accident, but it's enough that his parents wanted to teach him a lesson. So, they wrapped his broken toys and Santa gave them to him at school. All the while, his twin brother, received a new toy form Santa. I fully understand that children much learn lessons about taking care of their belongings, but dragging an innocent Santa and wonderful holiday like Christmas into the mix, seems a bit mean. Needless to say, Simon wasn't very happy to learn that he had given Sam broken toys. :(
As for our own holiday celebrations, my school gave all english teachers a 5-day weekend, which is really cool. On Saturday, we attended a fun holiday party and caught up with friends. Then on Christmas Eve, attended a potluck dinner party with friends in a more intimate setting. On Christmas day, we had a nice lazy day, then met up with friends for a vigorous walk in the mountains and a nice dinner at a restaurant that serves western food. Yum! Simon and I enjoyed creating some new traditions together, definitely.
I also became an auntie recently. My sister Christine, gave birth to a beautiful boy named Kelan. I'm having my Dad give him lots of kisses and reminders of his Auntie Mari until I can deliver that love in person next year. Welcome Kelan!
May this post find all of you, happy, healthy and in great spirits. Much love to each of you from Taiwan!
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