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Letters to Lisa Part 9
Me and Foreigners (part one)
Dateline: Everyday
Dear Lisa,
I think this will be relatively short. I think….. lol
Quick background.. When I first got to Taiwan, the only foreigners I ever saw were co-workers. Then one day I saw some foreigners on the street. I smiled real big and gave them a hearty Midwestern “HI!”. They looked at me like I had the plague and walked away. “Hmmm…. What’s up with that?” After having this experience several times, I decided just to not try to talk to foreigners. I just pissed me off. How dare they be so smug, they are foreigners in this country too. Oh, by the way, they were all white.
Then one day, I saw my first Black foreigner in a Blockbuster. We both looked up with similar amazement and trepidation. I’m thinking, “Is he gonna blow me off too?” The difference is he smiled and me and smiled at him. Then I got the courage to talk to him. He was a nice guy; part African part Taiwanese.
Then I saw a few more black people, again African. They were university students. Another black guy saw me on the street. He was on a motorcycle. He stopped and came back to meet me. Again, he was from Africa, an engineer. No… I don’t know why I keep running into Africans.
I’ll tell you a secret. Yes, I did ask them if they had they same experiences with white people. Yes, they did. Also, did they find have the same experiences with women. Yes, they did.
What does it all mean? Who knows? And for me at this stage of my life, it’s really not worth the extra brain energy it takes to figure it out. But I have to say, it was comforting to be affirmed in my own experiences and feelings.
Thursday, September 2, 2010
Letters to Lisa Part 10
Letters to Lisa Part 10
Me and Foreigners (part 2 – Co-Workers)
Dateline: Everyday
Dear Lisa,
This will be super short. (OK, you can stop mocking now.) ;-)
I write this largely because my Taiwan friends really don’t understand me sometimes. They understandably feel that as a foreigner I would seek the company of those like me, also a foreigner, so I don’t feel so lonely. I do not have foreigner friends, not even the 7 foreign teachers that are my co-workers. Let me define friend. A friend is someone I do stuff with. I spend time with them. I can call them at a moments notice and say, “Let’s do something.” And more importantly, I tell them what I really think and how I’m feeling. I tell them my secrets. They are IN my life.
My co-workers are people I work with. They are nice. Some are funny and I will have the occasional meal or beer with. But I don’t talk about personal stuff. They don’t know my secrets. With exception of Alex, they are not my Facebook friends. (Alex is a letter for another day.) I am quite fond of a few of the guys. Maybe someday they’ll be Friends. Or maybe we will stay comfortably in the co-worker zone.
Here is the one thing that truly separates me from the overwhelming majority of the foreigners I know. I want to immerse myself in Taiwan life and culture. I want to live like Taiwan people. If wanted to be around westerners, I should have stayed in the US. Besides, the foreigners I know here are not people that would be my friends in the US. So why would I hang out with them here?
My philosophy in this experience is, I’m an empty cup. I want my cup to be filled with Taiwan.
Me and Foreigners (part 2 – Co-Workers)
Dateline: Everyday
Dear Lisa,
This will be super short. (OK, you can stop mocking now.) ;-)
I write this largely because my Taiwan friends really don’t understand me sometimes. They understandably feel that as a foreigner I would seek the company of those like me, also a foreigner, so I don’t feel so lonely. I do not have foreigner friends, not even the 7 foreign teachers that are my co-workers. Let me define friend. A friend is someone I do stuff with. I spend time with them. I can call them at a moments notice and say, “Let’s do something.” And more importantly, I tell them what I really think and how I’m feeling. I tell them my secrets. They are IN my life.
My co-workers are people I work with. They are nice. Some are funny and I will have the occasional meal or beer with. But I don’t talk about personal stuff. They don’t know my secrets. With exception of Alex, they are not my Facebook friends. (Alex is a letter for another day.) I am quite fond of a few of the guys. Maybe someday they’ll be Friends. Or maybe we will stay comfortably in the co-worker zone.
Here is the one thing that truly separates me from the overwhelming majority of the foreigners I know. I want to immerse myself in Taiwan life and culture. I want to live like Taiwan people. If wanted to be around westerners, I should have stayed in the US. Besides, the foreigners I know here are not people that would be my friends in the US. So why would I hang out with them here?
My philosophy in this experience is, I’m an empty cup. I want my cup to be filled with Taiwan.
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
Letters to Lisa Part 7
Letters to Lisa Part 7
Bad Driving Theory (Are Your Eyes Open or are You Using the Force?!)
Dateline: Early April
Dear Lisa,
This letter is kinda long. Get some coffee and a muffin.
I’ve told you, and anyone else who would listen, how terrible and dangerous the road are here. And me being the chronic “thinker” that I am really wants to make sense of this. I want to figure this out for different reasons: 1) survival of the fittest. My daily brush’s with physical harm is a tremendous incentive! 2) Taiwan people seem to have a Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde personality in relationship to motor vehicles and walking. They walk at a snails pace on the sidewalk, but drive like someone set their hair on fire. 3) There seems to be no moral compass or logic when it comes to driving, parking and spacial relationships.
Having read those comments, you might think that I hate it here. On the contrary! I like it here very much. I just want to understand. Is it part of Taiwan’s culture to drive bad? Here’s my theory, based on nothing more than my observation and meandering experience.
I am no social scientist or expert on Taiwan history and am a relatively smart guy. This is what I know for sure. Taiwan came to the Industrialization party late. Taiwan industrialized about 50 years ago. And they did it very quickly.
Unlike the US, who developed the motor vehicle and use of it and roads over many, many years. It seems Taiwan got these things, motorbikes and cars, fully developed with virtually no idea how to use them “properly”. One day they had bicycles and the next they had a motorbike. Logic, or at least my logic, dictates that if you give somebody a new machine with no rules or history on using the dang thing, then you will develop a lot of very BAD habits, very quickly. If there are no boundaries at the beginning, the first uses of these machines become the norm and are passed from on generation to the next. With each generation habits remain the same but the advancement in technology, the machines get stronger and faster. The need to do things fast and efficient in a sense drives a self serving need on the roads, leading to what I, with my US sensibilities, would call very reckless and care-less driving. People just don’t care about others on the road.
Does that stem from an uncaring heart? I don’t think so. It’s got to be cultural….right. It would seemingly stem from the need to get from point A to point B as quickly as possible. I understand that. What don’t understand is the seemingly lack of acknowledgement that some practices are inherently dangerous and what one person does effects the others around him/her causing of chain reaction of events with the other drivers. If it were one person behaving in this way, no problem, but, everyone behaving this way, creates a never ending stream of negative actions and reactions, making traffic slower, not faster. For instance; A bus has stopped because it wants to turn left. Several people pass the bus, on the left hand side and crossing over the yellow center line to do so. The bus can’t turn and people in the oncoming lane have to avoid the person/people that are passing the bus. It creates all sorts of turmoil beside and behind them. All of this is not to mention what’s happening on the right side of the bus with scooter and cars trying to pass there. Now add me and several other people who are walking along the side of the road because there is no sidewalk or because there is no place to walk on the sidewalk because scooters are parked there. My ten minute walk to school is always some combination of shock, fear, annoyance and sometimes humor. (I learning not to take it so seriously.)
Maybe there is some sort of symbiotic relationship with Taiwan people and driving. One that I just can’t see because you’d think there would be dead people lying all over the place. There isn’t. I know a little about Chaos Theory, not much but a little. In Chaos Theory, everything looks totally random on the surface, but if you study it long enough, you’ll see patterns. Again, just another stab in the dark to find some meaning.
I have no doubt that if you grew up in this mass of driving craziness you might not see the inherent problems in it. But maybe they do. I know many people do. I know people in Taiwan who do not ride scooters or will not allow their children to ride scooters because the traffic is too dangerous. Also, you can ask ANYONE if the traffic is dangerous and they will give you an unequivocal YES.
I know there are established laws and rules of the road. Just like the US, you have to have, or at least you’re supposed to have, a drivers license. And to get a drivers license you have to take a test about the rules, etc. You see where this is going, right. But the rules just simply don’t apply. It really is every man for himself, survival of the fittest.
Yes, I know, the US, especially Columbia with its college students, has it’s share of knuckle heads behind the wheel. But it still is NOT a common practice, as it is here, to honk your horn to warn other drivers that you are running a red light. As if, honking your horn first somehow makes it more safe or acceptable.
There are Public Service Announcements for people to use the cross walk. That’s great, but what would be better would be if drivers actually acknowledged the cross walks. It doesn’t matter if you’re in the cross walk, the rule of the road is cars and motorbikes first, pedestrians second. I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve almost been hit in the cross walk usually from behind or being blind-sided. It is also a very common practice to ride your motorbike on the wrong side of the road going in the wrong direction.
I’ve learned to look 360 degrees when I cross the street, but people seem to come out of nowhere sometimes. And some look at me like, “What are you doing?! Get out of the way you idiot.” Dude! You’re the one on the wrong side of the road going the wrong way! But most people don’t acknowledge me, as a person, at all. I’m just another obstacle to negotiate in their path. But here’s the trick. As I’m trying not to get hit by this person, I sometimes almost get hit by another person that is going around the person on the motorcycle that is about to run over the idiot foreigner in the road. People, I’m in the crosswalk!!!!! Are your eyes open or are you just using the force!
The key is adaptability. Remember the survival of the fittest nature of the road. I’m still a brown rabbit in the arctic, but I’ve adapted. My vision and hearing has improved. So I can usually see or hear the wolf or hawk that’s trying to eat me before it’s too late. But even the keenest rabbit can get eaten. I only hope they can find smaller weaker rabbit to eat in stead of me. Hahaha!!! I plan to be an old grey haired rabbit that will die fat and happy in his bed.
Sorry, this turned into another rant about the traffic. Back to the Conclusion of my Theory…
Everyone knows the right way to drive. Everyone knows that traffic is dangerous. BUT, nobody is going to change. I believe, the driving practices here are too embedded in the culture. They began badly and now it’s the norm. Rules, laws, are merely suggestions. The police seem to acknowledge this. It is a rare event to see someone stopped for a traffic violation.
A world view perspective is I know there are much worse drivers in the world than Taiwan people. I’m told surviving on the roads in India is nothing short of heroic. You’ve got to deal with crazy traffic AND cows!
So, as I say my prayers at night, and I do say my prayers at night, I thank God everyday that I didn’t get hurt and I didn’t have to avoid crashing into a cow. (Ironically, something I actually have had to do in the US while attending Baker U. Lots of farms around there with the occasional stray cow.)
Sorry for that rant in the middle.
Wish me luck.
D
Bad Driving Theory (Are Your Eyes Open or are You Using the Force?!)
Dateline: Early April
Dear Lisa,
This letter is kinda long. Get some coffee and a muffin.
I’ve told you, and anyone else who would listen, how terrible and dangerous the road are here. And me being the chronic “thinker” that I am really wants to make sense of this. I want to figure this out for different reasons: 1) survival of the fittest. My daily brush’s with physical harm is a tremendous incentive! 2) Taiwan people seem to have a Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde personality in relationship to motor vehicles and walking. They walk at a snails pace on the sidewalk, but drive like someone set their hair on fire. 3) There seems to be no moral compass or logic when it comes to driving, parking and spacial relationships.
Having read those comments, you might think that I hate it here. On the contrary! I like it here very much. I just want to understand. Is it part of Taiwan’s culture to drive bad? Here’s my theory, based on nothing more than my observation and meandering experience.
I am no social scientist or expert on Taiwan history and am a relatively smart guy. This is what I know for sure. Taiwan came to the Industrialization party late. Taiwan industrialized about 50 years ago. And they did it very quickly.
Unlike the US, who developed the motor vehicle and use of it and roads over many, many years. It seems Taiwan got these things, motorbikes and cars, fully developed with virtually no idea how to use them “properly”. One day they had bicycles and the next they had a motorbike. Logic, or at least my logic, dictates that if you give somebody a new machine with no rules or history on using the dang thing, then you will develop a lot of very BAD habits, very quickly. If there are no boundaries at the beginning, the first uses of these machines become the norm and are passed from on generation to the next. With each generation habits remain the same but the advancement in technology, the machines get stronger and faster. The need to do things fast and efficient in a sense drives a self serving need on the roads, leading to what I, with my US sensibilities, would call very reckless and care-less driving. People just don’t care about others on the road.
Does that stem from an uncaring heart? I don’t think so. It’s got to be cultural….right. It would seemingly stem from the need to get from point A to point B as quickly as possible. I understand that. What don’t understand is the seemingly lack of acknowledgement that some practices are inherently dangerous and what one person does effects the others around him/her causing of chain reaction of events with the other drivers. If it were one person behaving in this way, no problem, but, everyone behaving this way, creates a never ending stream of negative actions and reactions, making traffic slower, not faster. For instance; A bus has stopped because it wants to turn left. Several people pass the bus, on the left hand side and crossing over the yellow center line to do so. The bus can’t turn and people in the oncoming lane have to avoid the person/people that are passing the bus. It creates all sorts of turmoil beside and behind them. All of this is not to mention what’s happening on the right side of the bus with scooter and cars trying to pass there. Now add me and several other people who are walking along the side of the road because there is no sidewalk or because there is no place to walk on the sidewalk because scooters are parked there. My ten minute walk to school is always some combination of shock, fear, annoyance and sometimes humor. (I learning not to take it so seriously.)
Maybe there is some sort of symbiotic relationship with Taiwan people and driving. One that I just can’t see because you’d think there would be dead people lying all over the place. There isn’t. I know a little about Chaos Theory, not much but a little. In Chaos Theory, everything looks totally random on the surface, but if you study it long enough, you’ll see patterns. Again, just another stab in the dark to find some meaning.
I have no doubt that if you grew up in this mass of driving craziness you might not see the inherent problems in it. But maybe they do. I know many people do. I know people in Taiwan who do not ride scooters or will not allow their children to ride scooters because the traffic is too dangerous. Also, you can ask ANYONE if the traffic is dangerous and they will give you an unequivocal YES.
I know there are established laws and rules of the road. Just like the US, you have to have, or at least you’re supposed to have, a drivers license. And to get a drivers license you have to take a test about the rules, etc. You see where this is going, right. But the rules just simply don’t apply. It really is every man for himself, survival of the fittest.
Yes, I know, the US, especially Columbia with its college students, has it’s share of knuckle heads behind the wheel. But it still is NOT a common practice, as it is here, to honk your horn to warn other drivers that you are running a red light. As if, honking your horn first somehow makes it more safe or acceptable.
There are Public Service Announcements for people to use the cross walk. That’s great, but what would be better would be if drivers actually acknowledged the cross walks. It doesn’t matter if you’re in the cross walk, the rule of the road is cars and motorbikes first, pedestrians second. I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve almost been hit in the cross walk usually from behind or being blind-sided. It is also a very common practice to ride your motorbike on the wrong side of the road going in the wrong direction.
I’ve learned to look 360 degrees when I cross the street, but people seem to come out of nowhere sometimes. And some look at me like, “What are you doing?! Get out of the way you idiot.” Dude! You’re the one on the wrong side of the road going the wrong way! But most people don’t acknowledge me, as a person, at all. I’m just another obstacle to negotiate in their path. But here’s the trick. As I’m trying not to get hit by this person, I sometimes almost get hit by another person that is going around the person on the motorcycle that is about to run over the idiot foreigner in the road. People, I’m in the crosswalk!!!!! Are your eyes open or are you just using the force!
The key is adaptability. Remember the survival of the fittest nature of the road. I’m still a brown rabbit in the arctic, but I’ve adapted. My vision and hearing has improved. So I can usually see or hear the wolf or hawk that’s trying to eat me before it’s too late. But even the keenest rabbit can get eaten. I only hope they can find smaller weaker rabbit to eat in stead of me. Hahaha!!! I plan to be an old grey haired rabbit that will die fat and happy in his bed.
Sorry, this turned into another rant about the traffic. Back to the Conclusion of my Theory…
Everyone knows the right way to drive. Everyone knows that traffic is dangerous. BUT, nobody is going to change. I believe, the driving practices here are too embedded in the culture. They began badly and now it’s the norm. Rules, laws, are merely suggestions. The police seem to acknowledge this. It is a rare event to see someone stopped for a traffic violation.
A world view perspective is I know there are much worse drivers in the world than Taiwan people. I’m told surviving on the roads in India is nothing short of heroic. You’ve got to deal with crazy traffic AND cows!
So, as I say my prayers at night, and I do say my prayers at night, I thank God everyday that I didn’t get hurt and I didn’t have to avoid crashing into a cow. (Ironically, something I actually have had to do in the US while attending Baker U. Lots of farms around there with the occasional stray cow.)
Sorry for that rant in the middle.
Wish me luck.
D
Letters to Lisa Part 6
Letters to Lisa Part 6
Paul
Dateline: March
Dear Lisa,
I’ve been talking to Paul a lot more lately. He doesn’t frighten me anymore. I understand him more now. He is actually a pretty cool guy. Intense yes, but it comes out of a passion for this school, these kids, and the desire to have good teachers for them. In this, Paul and I are identical. We both tend to be extremely sensitive. I was too sensitive to him before, hence my fear and uncomfortableness. He bounces ideas off me now regarding things in the office and life in general.
Paul is now one of the few people I actually spend time in conversation with. What a turn of events that is! And as I learn more about the school and see some of the things he deals with regularly, I have a better understanding of why he “seems” so intense. He has frustration from some really ridiculous situations that I’m afraid I can not talk to you about. (You’re a manager so I know you understand personnel stuff.) But I get it now. I’m his sounding board now.
Sometimes we strongly disagree on things, but it’s always work. We know work is work, and relationship is relationship. If we get into about a work issue, we can still be friends afterward. It’s nice to be able to do that. There’s usually a little bit of a short cooling down period after, then everything’s ok.
Paul told me recently he’s moving back to Thailand, were he taught before. If I have a Taiwanese soul, Paul’s is in Thailand. I wish him well and will miss his camaraderie in the office.
Everything else is just daily life. I get up, go to work, go home, relax (eat dinner, watch a movie, talk to friends etc.), go to bed and do it all over the next day. Life he is just like in America. You have routines you follow as you live your life. The only difference here is everything is in Chinese. I am ever aware of being a foreigner. On the days, I don’t think about or feel my foreign-ness are good days. It means I didn’t get any crazy looks, nobody asked me to take a picture, and I was able to communicate in Chinese relatively easily. Those are very good days!
Zijian, (See you later)
D
Paul… Post Script. It’s the end of May now and Paul has moved back to Thailand. I’m the Lead Teacher now. Meaning, I’m the intense asshole everyone treads lightly around. I so completely understand why Paul was grouchy at times. It’s funny how life is so circular sometimes. My boss even comments sometimes..”You remind me so much of Paul.” In this case, I take it as a compliment because I know it’s meant as such.
Paul
Dateline: March
Dear Lisa,
I’ve been talking to Paul a lot more lately. He doesn’t frighten me anymore. I understand him more now. He is actually a pretty cool guy. Intense yes, but it comes out of a passion for this school, these kids, and the desire to have good teachers for them. In this, Paul and I are identical. We both tend to be extremely sensitive. I was too sensitive to him before, hence my fear and uncomfortableness. He bounces ideas off me now regarding things in the office and life in general.
Paul is now one of the few people I actually spend time in conversation with. What a turn of events that is! And as I learn more about the school and see some of the things he deals with regularly, I have a better understanding of why he “seems” so intense. He has frustration from some really ridiculous situations that I’m afraid I can not talk to you about. (You’re a manager so I know you understand personnel stuff.) But I get it now. I’m his sounding board now.
Sometimes we strongly disagree on things, but it’s always work. We know work is work, and relationship is relationship. If we get into about a work issue, we can still be friends afterward. It’s nice to be able to do that. There’s usually a little bit of a short cooling down period after, then everything’s ok.
Paul told me recently he’s moving back to Thailand, were he taught before. If I have a Taiwanese soul, Paul’s is in Thailand. I wish him well and will miss his camaraderie in the office.
Everything else is just daily life. I get up, go to work, go home, relax (eat dinner, watch a movie, talk to friends etc.), go to bed and do it all over the next day. Life he is just like in America. You have routines you follow as you live your life. The only difference here is everything is in Chinese. I am ever aware of being a foreigner. On the days, I don’t think about or feel my foreign-ness are good days. It means I didn’t get any crazy looks, nobody asked me to take a picture, and I was able to communicate in Chinese relatively easily. Those are very good days!
Zijian, (See you later)
D
Paul… Post Script. It’s the end of May now and Paul has moved back to Thailand. I’m the Lead Teacher now. Meaning, I’m the intense asshole everyone treads lightly around. I so completely understand why Paul was grouchy at times. It’s funny how life is so circular sometimes. My boss even comments sometimes..”You remind me so much of Paul.” In this case, I take it as a compliment because I know it’s meant as such.
Saturday, August 21, 2010
Letters to Lisa
The next series of post will be dedicated to my friend Lisa.
I know there are different people who like to read the blog, so they can keep up with me. But when I was home in January, Lisa, more than anyone, encouraged me to keep up the blog. She wanted vicariously in Taiwan through me. Well… if you've read the blog in the past, you know I have been terrible at keeping up the blog this year.
I didn’t write for a long time simply because it just was not safe for me to do. “People” were reading my blog and giving me no peace. It caused more grief than it was worth to me. So for my own sanity, I went quiet.
Now, I’m more comfortable writing and every time I think of the blog, I think of Lisa and feel a little guilty for not writing. So Lisa, this is for you…. Let us begin.
Part 1, the 15 minute girlfriend.......
I know there are different people who like to read the blog, so they can keep up with me. But when I was home in January, Lisa, more than anyone, encouraged me to keep up the blog. She wanted vicariously in Taiwan through me. Well… if you've read the blog in the past, you know I have been terrible at keeping up the blog this year.
I didn’t write for a long time simply because it just was not safe for me to do. “People” were reading my blog and giving me no peace. It caused more grief than it was worth to me. So for my own sanity, I went quiet.
Now, I’m more comfortable writing and every time I think of the blog, I think of Lisa and feel a little guilty for not writing. So Lisa, this is for you…. Let us begin.
Part 1, the 15 minute girlfriend.......
Letter to Lisa part 1
Letter to Lisa, Part 1
The 15 Minute Girlfriend.
Dateline: the end of February
Dear Lisa,
I made it back to Taiwan safely. If you ever come to visit, take Eva Airline, they’re great!!!
Some parts of this story is rated somewhere between PG13 and NC17. You can decide if you want Kurt to read it. haha
On my way back I really looked forward to seeing my friends, but one in particular. (While I am very confident she will not be reading this blog, I’ll change her name to …. Hmmmm Nancy.) Nancy is from Thailand. I actually showed you a very unflattering picture of her when I was home. In person she’s REALLY cute. When I was home there was nothing more than friendship between us, but deep, deep, deep, deep down (OK, maybe not that deep), I hoped it might be more in the future. So after I got back, I said why not give it a shot. There seemed to be some interest on her part. Her English wasn’t great, but good enough. I gave up on trying to learn Thai about 20 minutes into trying.
After a little effort things seemed to be going in a positive direction. Then “IT” happened. Wink, wink .. When I saw her naked, I wanted to salute the flag of Thailand, and the sex definitely made me want to defect!! It was one of those rare occasions were fantasy and reality collide. It took about a gallon of orange juice, 12 hours of sleep and a half bottle of ibuprofen to recover. In all seriousness, Nothing can make a smart man stupid faster than a hot woman….. and sports. But my daddy didn’t raise no fools, OK!
I’ve always been the type of guy who gives his heart too easily, but I’m not a young man any more so the giving of my heart is always tinged with caution. Living as a foreigner who makes well above the average Taiwan salary, I have to be careful. There’s a line from a Kanye West song that applies here, “I ain’t sayin’ she’s a gold digger…” But better safe than sorry.
It quickly became clear our relationship was… very complex in it’s simplicity. We talked a lot about home, family.. you know all the stuff people talk about when getting to know each other. But as you peel away the layers it came down to she liked my wallet and I liked her body. On days when I was going to see her, I took my vitamins and she made room in her purse. Thus the relationship lasted a metaphorical 15 minutes. A fool and his money are soon parted. Well remember, my daddy didn't raise no fools.
At the end we both called no harm, no foul. No hard feeling for either of us. We both got what we wanted out of the relationship such as it was. I actually ran into not long ago. It was a cordial friendly meeting. I was glad about that, but double checked if I still had my wallet when I walked away. :-)
There’s actually a Taiwanese woman I like quite a lot, but I don’t think I’m in her league. I’ll keep you posted. Until then..
D
The 15 Minute Girlfriend.
Dateline: the end of February
Dear Lisa,
I made it back to Taiwan safely. If you ever come to visit, take Eva Airline, they’re great!!!
Some parts of this story is rated somewhere between PG13 and NC17. You can decide if you want Kurt to read it. haha
On my way back I really looked forward to seeing my friends, but one in particular. (While I am very confident she will not be reading this blog, I’ll change her name to …. Hmmmm Nancy.) Nancy is from Thailand. I actually showed you a very unflattering picture of her when I was home. In person she’s REALLY cute. When I was home there was nothing more than friendship between us, but deep, deep, deep, deep down (OK, maybe not that deep), I hoped it might be more in the future. So after I got back, I said why not give it a shot. There seemed to be some interest on her part. Her English wasn’t great, but good enough. I gave up on trying to learn Thai about 20 minutes into trying.
After a little effort things seemed to be going in a positive direction. Then “IT” happened. Wink, wink .. When I saw her naked, I wanted to salute the flag of Thailand, and the sex definitely made me want to defect!! It was one of those rare occasions were fantasy and reality collide. It took about a gallon of orange juice, 12 hours of sleep and a half bottle of ibuprofen to recover. In all seriousness, Nothing can make a smart man stupid faster than a hot woman….. and sports. But my daddy didn’t raise no fools, OK!
I’ve always been the type of guy who gives his heart too easily, but I’m not a young man any more so the giving of my heart is always tinged with caution. Living as a foreigner who makes well above the average Taiwan salary, I have to be careful. There’s a line from a Kanye West song that applies here, “I ain’t sayin’ she’s a gold digger…” But better safe than sorry.
It quickly became clear our relationship was… very complex in it’s simplicity. We talked a lot about home, family.. you know all the stuff people talk about when getting to know each other. But as you peel away the layers it came down to she liked my wallet and I liked her body. On days when I was going to see her, I took my vitamins and she made room in her purse. Thus the relationship lasted a metaphorical 15 minutes. A fool and his money are soon parted. Well remember, my daddy didn't raise no fools.
At the end we both called no harm, no foul. No hard feeling for either of us. We both got what we wanted out of the relationship such as it was. I actually ran into not long ago. It was a cordial friendly meeting. I was glad about that, but double checked if I still had my wallet when I walked away. :-)
There’s actually a Taiwanese woman I like quite a lot, but I don’t think I’m in her league. I’ll keep you posted. Until then..
D
Letter to Lisa part 2
Letters to Lisa Part 2
Work and Paul makes me crazy!!
Dateline: March
Dear Lisa,
Everything is going ok. My third graders are so cute! I really love these kids. I’m most happy when I’m in the classroom. No news on the Taiwanese woman I mentioned before. We go to the movies and dinner, but ALWAYS in a group. It’s really hard to get to know her. Chinese women are a tough nut to crack.
(As a quick aside here. I will use the terms Taiwanese, Taiwain People and Chinese interchangeably. These are all words that people in Taiwan use to describe themselves. After being here a year, I have a sense of when and with whom to use each term. But it’s too complicated to detail here. We can talk about it the next time I come home to visit. For now just know it all means the same thing.)
At work we have two new foreign teachers. Tina is ABC (American Born Chinese). She was actually born in Taiwan, then her family migrated to American when she was 2 years old, is a naturalized citizen and carries a US passport. She seems a sweet girl. 26 years old, funny and strangely innocent. Getting to know her will be interesting. The other new teacher is Oliver. He’s my age and from New Zealand. But get this, he’s as black as I am. When he told me he was from New Zealand, my response was “HUH?!” His story is even more complicated than mine. The short version: born in South Africa, but is of India decent. Grew up in S. Africa had a family, moved to New Zealand 13 yrs. ago, became a citizen there. Recently divorced and now teaching in Taiwan. Oliver is a funny dude. Light-hearted and kind. I look forward to getting to know him better.
Now, let me tell you about Paul. Paul is British and…..very intense. He is also the Lead Teacher amongst the foreign teachers. All of our lesson plans flow through Paul. I used to worry that I could never get them right. Well because quite frankly, I couldn’t. But I’m learning to write my plans in a way that work for him. The more we talk about my plans I’m learning that problem is in terminology, not in the idea or even the application. But because of his rather intense nature, we’re all afraid of Paul. I sit next to him. He’s a movie buff like me. So when we talk movies it’s great. When we talk work, I say little and just listen. My motto is it’s better to be the devil’s ally than be in his path. I wish the other teachers would learn this. We’d all be happier.
Paul is definitely on the inside with the Chinese administration here at school. They love him. I don’t get it. he’s rude and ill-tempered. But, maybe that’s just the difference in my mid-west U.S. upbringing and his British/European, “we’re god’s gift to the world” upbringing. BTW, Europeans in Taiwan do truly have an elitist air about them. And they really think American is stupid. Canadians are a little better, but only marginally so.
Anyway, Paul is special, and he scares the crap out of me. Everything I say to him is always safe.
Wish me luck.
D
Work and Paul makes me crazy!!
Dateline: March
Dear Lisa,
Everything is going ok. My third graders are so cute! I really love these kids. I’m most happy when I’m in the classroom. No news on the Taiwanese woman I mentioned before. We go to the movies and dinner, but ALWAYS in a group. It’s really hard to get to know her. Chinese women are a tough nut to crack.
(As a quick aside here. I will use the terms Taiwanese, Taiwain People and Chinese interchangeably. These are all words that people in Taiwan use to describe themselves. After being here a year, I have a sense of when and with whom to use each term. But it’s too complicated to detail here. We can talk about it the next time I come home to visit. For now just know it all means the same thing.)
At work we have two new foreign teachers. Tina is ABC (American Born Chinese). She was actually born in Taiwan, then her family migrated to American when she was 2 years old, is a naturalized citizen and carries a US passport. She seems a sweet girl. 26 years old, funny and strangely innocent. Getting to know her will be interesting. The other new teacher is Oliver. He’s my age and from New Zealand. But get this, he’s as black as I am. When he told me he was from New Zealand, my response was “HUH?!” His story is even more complicated than mine. The short version: born in South Africa, but is of India decent. Grew up in S. Africa had a family, moved to New Zealand 13 yrs. ago, became a citizen there. Recently divorced and now teaching in Taiwan. Oliver is a funny dude. Light-hearted and kind. I look forward to getting to know him better.
Now, let me tell you about Paul. Paul is British and…..very intense. He is also the Lead Teacher amongst the foreign teachers. All of our lesson plans flow through Paul. I used to worry that I could never get them right. Well because quite frankly, I couldn’t. But I’m learning to write my plans in a way that work for him. The more we talk about my plans I’m learning that problem is in terminology, not in the idea or even the application. But because of his rather intense nature, we’re all afraid of Paul. I sit next to him. He’s a movie buff like me. So when we talk movies it’s great. When we talk work, I say little and just listen. My motto is it’s better to be the devil’s ally than be in his path. I wish the other teachers would learn this. We’d all be happier.
Paul is definitely on the inside with the Chinese administration here at school. They love him. I don’t get it. he’s rude and ill-tempered. But, maybe that’s just the difference in my mid-west U.S. upbringing and his British/European, “we’re god’s gift to the world” upbringing. BTW, Europeans in Taiwan do truly have an elitist air about them. And they really think American is stupid. Canadians are a little better, but only marginally so.
Anyway, Paul is special, and he scares the crap out of me. Everything I say to him is always safe.
Wish me luck.
D
Letter to Lisa part 3
Letters to Lisa Part 3
I see White People!
Dateline: everyday
Dear Lisa,
I’m still trying to get my brain around some parts of Taiwan culture. The only that I find most difficult and troubling is the notion that to be white is to be beautiful and the whiter the better.
Growing up, I was always …. different. I was often accused of wanting to be white. While I fully admit that when I was a kid there were times I often had much difficulty in expressing or identifying with my afro-centricity, BUT, I never wanted to be white. I knew that there was more the word had to offer than what I was getting in my neighborhood. I genuinely believed Jessie Jackson back in 1978 when he said, “you might have been born in the ghetto, but the ghetto wasn’t born in you.” I say all of that to give context to the rest of this letter. I’m different in America, but I am definitely Black. My whole experience in the world revolves around being Black, Male, and born at a time when segregation was still the law of the land in America.
Now you know me. I ain’t got no beef with white people. But I do like who I am. I know racism is still a critical issue in American, in spite of Barrack Obama being elected president. This is something Taiwan people really have a tough time understanding. They really America in it’s purest, most ideal, best.
Taiwan is a very, very small island. I once said that Chicago was close to my home. Maybe only an 8 hour drive. They were shocked that I considered that close. You drive 8 hours in Taiwan and you will either be in the Sea of Japan, the Pacific Ocean, or you’ve drive around the whole island 1 and a third times!! Meaning, Taiwan is very homogeneous. They have different (races for lack of a better term). There are Taiwanese, Hakka, and Aboriginal, Taiwan’s Indians, people. But culturally, they are all very much the same. America, by contrast, is a mish-mash of people from everywhere, and while we are all American, we do have very different cultures based on race, geography, original country of origin. You get the idea.
But we’ve also worked pretty hard to rid America of the notion that one color of skin is superior than another. That is NOT the case in Taiwan. Whiter is better, period, end of discussion. AND White people (foreigners) definitely get preferential treatment. They know it and act accordingly. I know my Taiwan friends will cringe and strongly protest that I’ve said such a thing. But from my perspective and more importantly my experience in Taiwan, I say it IS a true statement, made without malice or discontent.
Now, having said that, does it mean, they don’t like me because I’m black, NO. Black people are seen largely through the view of stereotypes. We’re strong, good athletes, good singers and dancers. All qualities that Taiwanese people really like! And even some famous black actors and sings are seen as handsome or beautiful. But if given the choice to ‘look like’ me or a white person, they would choose the white person. There is a saying in Chinese, “one white can cure/cover three uglies.” I wonder were this thinking comes from? But, I do say have very dear and special friends in Taiwan. I have a good life because of them.
I have talked to Chinese people about white people in the context of beauty and the most beautiful women are white, blond hair and blue eyes. I have even seen this play out with Taiwan boys all mid 20’s. This white girl walked by and they all got giddy and excited!! My response was, “DUDE!! Cut it out! There was nothing special about that girl. In my home that girl was totally average. She looked ok, but nothing worth that response.” Columbia is a total college town. You can’t swing a dead cat without hitting a cute white girl with blond hair. So I was totally under-whelmed. But you would have thought a Sports Illustrated swimsuit model just walked by. And just for the record, they say pretty much the same thing to me when I talk about the beauty of Chinese women.
The next mark of beauty is thin. But that’s a letter for another day.
In the meantime, I will continue to try and understand the beauty of white. Recently I heard a conversation between two women. I am NOT making this up! It went like this….
Woman Number 1: Hi, Nice to meet you.
Woman Number 2: Hi, Nice to meet you too.
Woman Number 1: You are so white.
Woman Number 2: Thank You!! (Big Smile)
Yeah, I’m NEVER gonna understand that. I am so tempted to say it when I see a friend. I wonder what she will say?
D
I see White People!
Dateline: everyday
Dear Lisa,
I’m still trying to get my brain around some parts of Taiwan culture. The only that I find most difficult and troubling is the notion that to be white is to be beautiful and the whiter the better.
Growing up, I was always …. different. I was often accused of wanting to be white. While I fully admit that when I was a kid there were times I often had much difficulty in expressing or identifying with my afro-centricity, BUT, I never wanted to be white. I knew that there was more the word had to offer than what I was getting in my neighborhood. I genuinely believed Jessie Jackson back in 1978 when he said, “you might have been born in the ghetto, but the ghetto wasn’t born in you.” I say all of that to give context to the rest of this letter. I’m different in America, but I am definitely Black. My whole experience in the world revolves around being Black, Male, and born at a time when segregation was still the law of the land in America.
Now you know me. I ain’t got no beef with white people. But I do like who I am. I know racism is still a critical issue in American, in spite of Barrack Obama being elected president. This is something Taiwan people really have a tough time understanding. They really America in it’s purest, most ideal, best.
Taiwan is a very, very small island. I once said that Chicago was close to my home. Maybe only an 8 hour drive. They were shocked that I considered that close. You drive 8 hours in Taiwan and you will either be in the Sea of Japan, the Pacific Ocean, or you’ve drive around the whole island 1 and a third times!! Meaning, Taiwan is very homogeneous. They have different (races for lack of a better term). There are Taiwanese, Hakka, and Aboriginal, Taiwan’s Indians, people. But culturally, they are all very much the same. America, by contrast, is a mish-mash of people from everywhere, and while we are all American, we do have very different cultures based on race, geography, original country of origin. You get the idea.
But we’ve also worked pretty hard to rid America of the notion that one color of skin is superior than another. That is NOT the case in Taiwan. Whiter is better, period, end of discussion. AND White people (foreigners) definitely get preferential treatment. They know it and act accordingly. I know my Taiwan friends will cringe and strongly protest that I’ve said such a thing. But from my perspective and more importantly my experience in Taiwan, I say it IS a true statement, made without malice or discontent.
Now, having said that, does it mean, they don’t like me because I’m black, NO. Black people are seen largely through the view of stereotypes. We’re strong, good athletes, good singers and dancers. All qualities that Taiwanese people really like! And even some famous black actors and sings are seen as handsome or beautiful. But if given the choice to ‘look like’ me or a white person, they would choose the white person. There is a saying in Chinese, “one white can cure/cover three uglies.” I wonder were this thinking comes from? But, I do say have very dear and special friends in Taiwan. I have a good life because of them.
I have talked to Chinese people about white people in the context of beauty and the most beautiful women are white, blond hair and blue eyes. I have even seen this play out with Taiwan boys all mid 20’s. This white girl walked by and they all got giddy and excited!! My response was, “DUDE!! Cut it out! There was nothing special about that girl. In my home that girl was totally average. She looked ok, but nothing worth that response.” Columbia is a total college town. You can’t swing a dead cat without hitting a cute white girl with blond hair. So I was totally under-whelmed. But you would have thought a Sports Illustrated swimsuit model just walked by. And just for the record, they say pretty much the same thing to me when I talk about the beauty of Chinese women.
The next mark of beauty is thin. But that’s a letter for another day.
In the meantime, I will continue to try and understand the beauty of white. Recently I heard a conversation between two women. I am NOT making this up! It went like this….
Woman Number 1: Hi, Nice to meet you.
Woman Number 2: Hi, Nice to meet you too.
Woman Number 1: You are so white.
Woman Number 2: Thank You!! (Big Smile)
Yeah, I’m NEVER gonna understand that. I am so tempted to say it when I see a friend. I wonder what she will say?
D
Letter to Lisa part 4
Letter to Lisa Part 4
Chinese Teacher, “The Other Woman” and Chinese Culture
Dateline: March
Dear Lisa,
I don’t have a Chinese Teacher anymore. My teacher is a graduate student in Astronomy. Studying astro-physics isn’t easy on a simple day, but her workload has increase as she is getting close to graduating this summer and she has to finish her thesis. I’m kinda bummed about this. I wasn’t always the best student, but knowing I had a lesson on Saturday did keep me a little honest.
Mei-Ling is a very good teacher and friend. I’ll miss meeting with her very much.
You remember back in February I told you there was a Taiwanese woman I liked. At this point, I give up. She is what people would say is very beautiful in a Chinese way. Meaning she looks very Chinese, not Taiwanese. Yeah, I know it difficult to understand, but living here I sort of get. I think it is part of what I can only say is Taiwan’s schizophrenic relationship to Mainland China. Anyway, the nut has been too difficult to crack. She is in her 40’s like me, never married and very very nice, but also very shy. I just don’t know what to do or say more. I can’t tell if she likes me or not. People give me advice but I never know what to do. You see, the advice of others also changes with different people and sometimes even with the same people.
It is always a moving target. I’m sure it makes some sense to Chinese people, but to me the women here are a complete mystery. Understanding American women was no walk in the park for me, but at least I understood the cultural boundaries. In Taiwan, all bets are off. Man/Woman “friendship” and dating is beyond me. But I know there’s hope. There just has to be. This is another case, sadly, where white is definitely a preference. Goofy looking, loser white guys can get a “girlfriend” here with seemingly little effort.
Again, I can only say that it seems to be something embedded in Taiwan culture that I haven’t unlocked yet. But, in time, I’ll figure it out.
Time is my friend.
Darryl
Chinese Teacher, “The Other Woman” and Chinese Culture
Dateline: March
Dear Lisa,
I don’t have a Chinese Teacher anymore. My teacher is a graduate student in Astronomy. Studying astro-physics isn’t easy on a simple day, but her workload has increase as she is getting close to graduating this summer and she has to finish her thesis. I’m kinda bummed about this. I wasn’t always the best student, but knowing I had a lesson on Saturday did keep me a little honest.
Mei-Ling is a very good teacher and friend. I’ll miss meeting with her very much.
You remember back in February I told you there was a Taiwanese woman I liked. At this point, I give up. She is what people would say is very beautiful in a Chinese way. Meaning she looks very Chinese, not Taiwanese. Yeah, I know it difficult to understand, but living here I sort of get. I think it is part of what I can only say is Taiwan’s schizophrenic relationship to Mainland China. Anyway, the nut has been too difficult to crack. She is in her 40’s like me, never married and very very nice, but also very shy. I just don’t know what to do or say more. I can’t tell if she likes me or not. People give me advice but I never know what to do. You see, the advice of others also changes with different people and sometimes even with the same people.
It is always a moving target. I’m sure it makes some sense to Chinese people, but to me the women here are a complete mystery. Understanding American women was no walk in the park for me, but at least I understood the cultural boundaries. In Taiwan, all bets are off. Man/Woman “friendship” and dating is beyond me. But I know there’s hope. There just has to be. This is another case, sadly, where white is definitely a preference. Goofy looking, loser white guys can get a “girlfriend” here with seemingly little effort.
Again, I can only say that it seems to be something embedded in Taiwan culture that I haven’t unlocked yet. But, in time, I’ll figure it out.
Time is my friend.
Darryl
Letter to Lisa part 5
Letters to Lisa Part 5
Pubs, Discos, and Bars
Dateline: everyday
Dear Lisa,
I have two basic groups of friends in Taiwan. I have Pub friends and non-pub friends. My non-pub friends are quite literally shocked when I tell them there are pubs in Jhongli. I am quite literally shocked in return at this acknowledgement. I’ve had this conversation many times with non-pub friends:
Me: I’m going to the Pub tonight.
Friend: There are pubs in Jhongli?
Me: You’re joking right?!
Friend: No. Really. There are pubs in Jhongli?
Me: You are from Jhongli, right.
Friend. Yes.
Me: You grew up here, right?
Friend: Right.
Me: And you have no idea that there are pubs in Jhongli?!
Friend: Really. Where are pubs located in Jhongli?
Me: About a 3 minute walk from here.
Friend: REALLY?!?!
Me: REALLY!!
Friend: How many pubs?
Me: In 3 minutes you can walk to umm…(thinking) 6 pubs. That’s not counting the “bad” KTV’s.
Friend: “Bad” KTV’s?
Me: Stay focused, that’s another conversation, but yes, bad ktv.
Friend: OK, 6 pubs in three minutes walking.
Me: Yeah, but I walk like Taiwan people ride motor scooters. You walking might be 7 minutes.
Friend: (Laughing)
Me: In 3 minutes, I can get to 6 pubs. If I walk 10 minutes I can get to 20 pubs. Again, not counting the bad KTV’s.
Friend: 20?!?!
Me: Dude, I’ve been in Taiwan 1 year. You’ve been here your whole life. How do you not know this?!
Friend: 20 pubs. How do you know where all the pubs are? I get bored and walk everywhere. I’m learning my world in Taiwan. In my world, there are pubs. I thought it was normal.
Friend: No, it’s not normal.
Me: Trust me. It’s normal. There are 20 pubs, just in this area. People in Taiwan drink their asses off. Especially men. Trust me.
Friend: You know drinking is bad for health.
Me: Stop! I’m a grown man. Don’t give me lecture on drinking.
Friend: Ok, sorry.
Me: No Problem. Thanks for caring.
Pub is a universal name for a place to go get a drink. There are three basic types. I’ve been to all three here in Jhongli. There is what I would call a bar in America. You might even call it a Pub. You go in sit drink, shoot the shit with your friends or sit alone at the bar and talk to the bar tender or other customers. Then there is the Pub/Disco. Yes, they use the term disco here, ugh. I would say night club or club. Someplace like Déjà vu. There’s drink and dancing. Don’t waste your money going to those places here in Jhongli. The cover charge is way too high. It’s supposed to be all you can drink. But you spend the whole night standing in line to get a damn drink. Seriously, there’s always in the neighborhood of 30-40 people standing in line for a drink and service is terrible. The music is at a decibel that I have never heard before. I made the mistake of going on a school night my first time and I couldn’t hear my students in my first two classes. My ears were just numb. Additionally, don’t go there because people in Jhongli are too shy to dance. The whole scene is very surreal. There is a dj that puts on a show, of bad mixes, and maybe some girl dancers. In Taiwan, it’s considered sexy. In the US, nowhere close to sexy. It’s somewhere in the range of dance team in short skirts with a bikini. The guys think it’s so hot and I yawn thinking, what’s the big deal. It’s a big big, cultural difference.
(As a quick aside, I once described an American strip club to some friends here. The looks on their faces were a mix of shock and horror. It was a slightly better, when I remembered to explain a dollar in America is paper money. Here a dollar is a coin. A completely different mental image. Hahaha!!!! Based on the trauma I caused that day, I don’t talk about strip joints anymore. I am continually amazed at how naïve some of my friends are. Again, a big cultural difference from America.)
OK, lastly, what is most commonly known as a pub in Taiwan, is a place where you can go have a drink, but there is a girl that will come and sit with you and have conversation. That’s all, just conversation, or maybe play some drinking games. The place where I go most often now is this type of pub. It’s a chance for me to try my Chinese, learn a different aspect of Taiwan’s culture, and meet new friends. Remember I’m a Panda. So, there is almost always someone interested in at least having a drink with me. If it’s busy and there’s no one to talk to, I study my Chinese. Yes, I’m a goof and take my Chinese book to the pub with me. If I run out of conversation, the girls will practice with me. They learn a little English, I get some Chinese practice, it’s all good.
Does it mean anything that I study better in a pub than I do in a coffee shop? That wouldn’t never happened in the US that’s for sure.
I’ve been told the pub/bar scene in Taipei is different. It is a lot more western. I don’t know and don’t care. Jhongli is my town, my home in Taiwan. Taipei has little to offer me. Especially if I gotta hang out with western people. More on that later.
See ya later,
D
Pubs, Discos, and Bars
Dateline: everyday
Dear Lisa,
I have two basic groups of friends in Taiwan. I have Pub friends and non-pub friends. My non-pub friends are quite literally shocked when I tell them there are pubs in Jhongli. I am quite literally shocked in return at this acknowledgement. I’ve had this conversation many times with non-pub friends:
Me: I’m going to the Pub tonight.
Friend: There are pubs in Jhongli?
Me: You’re joking right?!
Friend: No. Really. There are pubs in Jhongli?
Me: You are from Jhongli, right.
Friend. Yes.
Me: You grew up here, right?
Friend: Right.
Me: And you have no idea that there are pubs in Jhongli?!
Friend: Really. Where are pubs located in Jhongli?
Me: About a 3 minute walk from here.
Friend: REALLY?!?!
Me: REALLY!!
Friend: How many pubs?
Me: In 3 minutes you can walk to umm…(thinking) 6 pubs. That’s not counting the “bad” KTV’s.
Friend: “Bad” KTV’s?
Me: Stay focused, that’s another conversation, but yes, bad ktv.
Friend: OK, 6 pubs in three minutes walking.
Me: Yeah, but I walk like Taiwan people ride motor scooters. You walking might be 7 minutes.
Friend: (Laughing)
Me: In 3 minutes, I can get to 6 pubs. If I walk 10 minutes I can get to 20 pubs. Again, not counting the bad KTV’s.
Friend: 20?!?!
Me: Dude, I’ve been in Taiwan 1 year. You’ve been here your whole life. How do you not know this?!
Friend: 20 pubs. How do you know where all the pubs are? I get bored and walk everywhere. I’m learning my world in Taiwan. In my world, there are pubs. I thought it was normal.
Friend: No, it’s not normal.
Me: Trust me. It’s normal. There are 20 pubs, just in this area. People in Taiwan drink their asses off. Especially men. Trust me.
Friend: You know drinking is bad for health.
Me: Stop! I’m a grown man. Don’t give me lecture on drinking.
Friend: Ok, sorry.
Me: No Problem. Thanks for caring.
Pub is a universal name for a place to go get a drink. There are three basic types. I’ve been to all three here in Jhongli. There is what I would call a bar in America. You might even call it a Pub. You go in sit drink, shoot the shit with your friends or sit alone at the bar and talk to the bar tender or other customers. Then there is the Pub/Disco. Yes, they use the term disco here, ugh. I would say night club or club. Someplace like Déjà vu. There’s drink and dancing. Don’t waste your money going to those places here in Jhongli. The cover charge is way too high. It’s supposed to be all you can drink. But you spend the whole night standing in line to get a damn drink. Seriously, there’s always in the neighborhood of 30-40 people standing in line for a drink and service is terrible. The music is at a decibel that I have never heard before. I made the mistake of going on a school night my first time and I couldn’t hear my students in my first two classes. My ears were just numb. Additionally, don’t go there because people in Jhongli are too shy to dance. The whole scene is very surreal. There is a dj that puts on a show, of bad mixes, and maybe some girl dancers. In Taiwan, it’s considered sexy. In the US, nowhere close to sexy. It’s somewhere in the range of dance team in short skirts with a bikini. The guys think it’s so hot and I yawn thinking, what’s the big deal. It’s a big big, cultural difference.
(As a quick aside, I once described an American strip club to some friends here. The looks on their faces were a mix of shock and horror. It was a slightly better, when I remembered to explain a dollar in America is paper money. Here a dollar is a coin. A completely different mental image. Hahaha!!!! Based on the trauma I caused that day, I don’t talk about strip joints anymore. I am continually amazed at how naïve some of my friends are. Again, a big cultural difference from America.)
OK, lastly, what is most commonly known as a pub in Taiwan, is a place where you can go have a drink, but there is a girl that will come and sit with you and have conversation. That’s all, just conversation, or maybe play some drinking games. The place where I go most often now is this type of pub. It’s a chance for me to try my Chinese, learn a different aspect of Taiwan’s culture, and meet new friends. Remember I’m a Panda. So, there is almost always someone interested in at least having a drink with me. If it’s busy and there’s no one to talk to, I study my Chinese. Yes, I’m a goof and take my Chinese book to the pub with me. If I run out of conversation, the girls will practice with me. They learn a little English, I get some Chinese practice, it’s all good.
Does it mean anything that I study better in a pub than I do in a coffee shop? That wouldn’t never happened in the US that’s for sure.
I’ve been told the pub/bar scene in Taipei is different. It is a lot more western. I don’t know and don’t care. Jhongli is my town, my home in Taiwan. Taipei has little to offer me. Especially if I gotta hang out with western people. More on that later.
See ya later,
D
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
What the Heck!! (post script)
In the next post you will read about my thoughts from December 16, 2009 as a new owner of a motor scooter in Taiwan. Now that it has been another 8 months let me update you on my adaptation to this aspect of Taiwan life.
Taiwan people in cafe's, on the sidewalk and other places are kind and generous. On the street on their scooters or in their cars....... well, that's a completely different story.
People in Jhongli are freakin' maniacs on the road!! I've been run off the road by a taxi, my first and hopefully last crash on brutus. But the number of near misses, because I got cut off, or they stopped suddenly, or I stopped because the traffic cop signaled to stop but no one else did, so I almost got hit, AGAIN, by a damn bus that screeched to a halt because I stopped and he wasn't going to. DUDE!!! The cop signaled to stop! Don't look at me like I'm crazy!!!! (and thank you Jesus for stopping the bus.)
I know there are indeed traffic laws in Taiwan, but they seem more for reference, guidelines if you will, no actual hard and fast rules or laws with enforcement.
Have I become a crazy Taiwan driver... well, not yet. Am I more comfortable than I was 8 months ago and drive differently, YES. Do I take foolish chances, NO. Do I curse a lot, yes. Do I still thank God every night when I say my prays that I travelled safely, you bet I do.
If you want to do something foolish on your motorbike, its stupid but your right I suppose, but you DO NOT have the right to put my life and safety at risk. That's all I'm sayin'. If you must be stupid and dangerous, try not to do it around me.
I'm old enough to realize I'm mortal.
Peace
Taiwan people in cafe's, on the sidewalk and other places are kind and generous. On the street on their scooters or in their cars....... well, that's a completely different story.
People in Jhongli are freakin' maniacs on the road!! I've been run off the road by a taxi, my first and hopefully last crash on brutus. But the number of near misses, because I got cut off, or they stopped suddenly, or I stopped because the traffic cop signaled to stop but no one else did, so I almost got hit, AGAIN, by a damn bus that screeched to a halt because I stopped and he wasn't going to. DUDE!!! The cop signaled to stop! Don't look at me like I'm crazy!!!! (and thank you Jesus for stopping the bus.)
I know there are indeed traffic laws in Taiwan, but they seem more for reference, guidelines if you will, no actual hard and fast rules or laws with enforcement.
Have I become a crazy Taiwan driver... well, not yet. Am I more comfortable than I was 8 months ago and drive differently, YES. Do I take foolish chances, NO. Do I curse a lot, yes. Do I still thank God every night when I say my prays that I travelled safely, you bet I do.
If you want to do something foolish on your motorbike, its stupid but your right I suppose, but you DO NOT have the right to put my life and safety at risk. That's all I'm sayin'. If you must be stupid and dangerous, try not to do it around me.
I'm old enough to realize I'm mortal.
Peace
What the Heck!!
Where in the World is D Today?
Contemplating the extinction of Dinosaurs and Survival of the fittest.
(I orignally wrote this on December 16, 2009 and forgot to post it. I actually said "what the heck" out loud a few moments ago when I found it.)
Let me first begin with, I believe completely and without reservation, that God created the heavens and the earth. No doubt in my mind at all. So let's take that off the table. But I also know there is some scientific evidence that some species have indeed developed, adapted, changed, dare I even say "evolved" over time. I don't know enough about the science of it to speak as an authority. I'm clearly NOT. If I were to combine the two ideas of creation and the idea of survival of the fittest, I would have to quote the comedian Katt Williams when he spoke about the guy who got killed in a tigers cage at the zoo. "If you are an adult, and If you get killed by a Tiger, And you get killed by a tiger in a zoo, AND you get killed inside the tigers cage at the zoo, Then I think God's will has been done for your life." (Think about that for a minute or two before you read on.)
Some things are naturally easy for me; for example dancing. Some things are naturally difficult; for example swimming, and mathematics. And some things I can learn to be competent at inspite of the difficulty; for example learning Chinese. Note I didn't say I was the best dancer or fluent in Chinese. I said it came naturally or I could be competent. The difficult things, well if I had to swim farther than 30 meters or do Calculus to save my life, start making the funeral arrangements. I physically can not manage swimming well. I've tried to learn to swim and I'm just really, really bad at it.
Now I find myself on the streets of Taiwan on a motorscooter. I am not culturally suited for it. We love our cars in the U.S.A. BUT I do have enough eye hand coordination and sense of balance that I am becoming more and more competent at it. Will I ever drive like a Taiwan person who probably quite literally grew up on a scooter? Not likely. I am less nervous today than I was 2 weeks ago. My senses, especially visual, have gotten sharper. I see things more clearly now and my reaction to them is quicker. A good way to describe it is when I first began to ride, everything seemed a little out of focus because there was so much new information being processed. Now, it's the same in formation, but now, it is all in focus. I am in essense becoming more fit for survival. I'm adapting.
So what does this have to do with the extinction of dinosaurs? Well, there is a body of evidence that supports a huge event, such as a large meteor crashing into the earth, that in essence caused the dinosaurs to die. In short, adaptation had nothing to do with it. The dinosaurs were doing just fine. They were minding there own business, when this huge thing falls out of the sky and wreaks havoc in the dinosaur world. Talk about having a bad day. Try having a meteor fall on you while you're eating a tree for lunch.
My ultimate point here is that none us are entirely insulated from the winds of chance. I can learn to drive my motorbike safely and effeciently. But you never know when an idiot is going into a tigers cage. Bad drivers don't only exist in Taiwan. Where ever there's a motor vehicle and a person in the world, there's going to be "those" drivers.
I still believe in the basic goodness of people, but I trust more in the hedge of protection that so many pray for on my behave. In either case, I'm gonna be OK on my scooter, and my feet don't hurt as much!
Good Luck
戴格智
Contemplating the extinction of Dinosaurs and Survival of the fittest.
(I orignally wrote this on December 16, 2009 and forgot to post it. I actually said "what the heck" out loud a few moments ago when I found it.)
Let me first begin with, I believe completely and without reservation, that God created the heavens and the earth. No doubt in my mind at all. So let's take that off the table. But I also know there is some scientific evidence that some species have indeed developed, adapted, changed, dare I even say "evolved" over time. I don't know enough about the science of it to speak as an authority. I'm clearly NOT. If I were to combine the two ideas of creation and the idea of survival of the fittest, I would have to quote the comedian Katt Williams when he spoke about the guy who got killed in a tigers cage at the zoo. "If you are an adult, and If you get killed by a Tiger, And you get killed by a tiger in a zoo, AND you get killed inside the tigers cage at the zoo, Then I think God's will has been done for your life." (Think about that for a minute or two before you read on.)
Some things are naturally easy for me; for example dancing. Some things are naturally difficult; for example swimming, and mathematics. And some things I can learn to be competent at inspite of the difficulty; for example learning Chinese. Note I didn't say I was the best dancer or fluent in Chinese. I said it came naturally or I could be competent. The difficult things, well if I had to swim farther than 30 meters or do Calculus to save my life, start making the funeral arrangements. I physically can not manage swimming well. I've tried to learn to swim and I'm just really, really bad at it.
Now I find myself on the streets of Taiwan on a motorscooter. I am not culturally suited for it. We love our cars in the U.S.A. BUT I do have enough eye hand coordination and sense of balance that I am becoming more and more competent at it. Will I ever drive like a Taiwan person who probably quite literally grew up on a scooter? Not likely. I am less nervous today than I was 2 weeks ago. My senses, especially visual, have gotten sharper. I see things more clearly now and my reaction to them is quicker. A good way to describe it is when I first began to ride, everything seemed a little out of focus because there was so much new information being processed. Now, it's the same in formation, but now, it is all in focus. I am in essense becoming more fit for survival. I'm adapting.
So what does this have to do with the extinction of dinosaurs? Well, there is a body of evidence that supports a huge event, such as a large meteor crashing into the earth, that in essence caused the dinosaurs to die. In short, adaptation had nothing to do with it. The dinosaurs were doing just fine. They were minding there own business, when this huge thing falls out of the sky and wreaks havoc in the dinosaur world. Talk about having a bad day. Try having a meteor fall on you while you're eating a tree for lunch.
My ultimate point here is that none us are entirely insulated from the winds of chance. I can learn to drive my motorbike safely and effeciently. But you never know when an idiot is going into a tigers cage. Bad drivers don't only exist in Taiwan. Where ever there's a motor vehicle and a person in the world, there's going to be "those" drivers.
I still believe in the basic goodness of people, but I trust more in the hedge of protection that so many pray for on my behave. In either case, I'm gonna be OK on my scooter, and my feet don't hurt as much!
Good Luck
戴格智
Monday, February 1, 2010
Where in the World is D Today?
Wondering what in the world happened?!
What do I mean by that? Well, something has shifted in my brain. I love my family deeply. Family is everything when you think about it. They will love you even when you’re being a jackass. They know most of your secrets and end the end they will choose you and stick by your side when everyone else has left you. At least that’s how my family is. If your family isn’t like mine, that is really too bad, REALLY? Anyway… I digress.
My point before was that as much as I love my family, there was this HUGE thing inside that could not wait to get back to Taiwan. My life here is anything but perfect, but this NEED to get back here was…. well…. WEIRD. I don’t really know where it came from. That’s why I wonder what happened? When did this shift happen in me? I don’t have a girlfriend, so I wasn’t rushing back for that. I did miss the food greatly. But, I ate great food in the U.S. My Chinese is mediocre at best on a good day. Meaning I spend a good portion of my life completely in the dark and confused. So the joy of confusion was not what was eating at me. And as I’ve stated many times to friends and family, at the end of the day, I am ALONE in Taiwan and that can at times be very lonely. Nonetheless, I missed my life as a Panda.
Here’s what I “think” may have happened. I am a guy in transition in his life. Transformation takes time. I have on occasion said “Taiwan was my destiny.” I didn’t then and still don’t now, fully understand the impact of that statement. I just know that things worked out in a way that seems as though I’m suppose to be here doing…. Something. What? I have no flippin’ idea.
This is what I DO know. When I came back, I could breathe. My chest was just lighter. When I walked down the street, people smiled and sometimes waved. I could be wrong, but I think my neighborhood missed their community Panda. Well, that’s my story and I’m sticking to it. My first 24hours back were just awesome. I was Happy. I don’t say that often! Really, I just felt Happy. Comfortable. I spoke the best Chinese I could muster and it was good enough. They understood me and I them. When I had my first meal back, it was simply heaven in my taste buds! And the weather was AWESOME! (I've never loved the cold of the midwest in winter. Tolerate, endure, yes. Love? Nope, not ever gonna happen.)
So the question is do I miss my family and friends in the U.S.? ABSOLUTELY! As much as I miss my family and they miss me, I know that just want me to be happy. Like I said before, family sticks with you through whatever. They know I’ll return someday to be in their presence. In the meantime, I will enjoy their support as I continue to try to figure out what it is I want to do when I grow up.
Wondering what in the world happened?!
What do I mean by that? Well, something has shifted in my brain. I love my family deeply. Family is everything when you think about it. They will love you even when you’re being a jackass. They know most of your secrets and end the end they will choose you and stick by your side when everyone else has left you. At least that’s how my family is. If your family isn’t like mine, that is really too bad, REALLY? Anyway… I digress.
My point before was that as much as I love my family, there was this HUGE thing inside that could not wait to get back to Taiwan. My life here is anything but perfect, but this NEED to get back here was…. well…. WEIRD. I don’t really know where it came from. That’s why I wonder what happened? When did this shift happen in me? I don’t have a girlfriend, so I wasn’t rushing back for that. I did miss the food greatly. But, I ate great food in the U.S. My Chinese is mediocre at best on a good day. Meaning I spend a good portion of my life completely in the dark and confused. So the joy of confusion was not what was eating at me. And as I’ve stated many times to friends and family, at the end of the day, I am ALONE in Taiwan and that can at times be very lonely. Nonetheless, I missed my life as a Panda.
Here’s what I “think” may have happened. I am a guy in transition in his life. Transformation takes time. I have on occasion said “Taiwan was my destiny.” I didn’t then and still don’t now, fully understand the impact of that statement. I just know that things worked out in a way that seems as though I’m suppose to be here doing…. Something. What? I have no flippin’ idea.
This is what I DO know. When I came back, I could breathe. My chest was just lighter. When I walked down the street, people smiled and sometimes waved. I could be wrong, but I think my neighborhood missed their community Panda. Well, that’s my story and I’m sticking to it. My first 24hours back were just awesome. I was Happy. I don’t say that often! Really, I just felt Happy. Comfortable. I spoke the best Chinese I could muster and it was good enough. They understood me and I them. When I had my first meal back, it was simply heaven in my taste buds! And the weather was AWESOME! (I've never loved the cold of the midwest in winter. Tolerate, endure, yes. Love? Nope, not ever gonna happen.)
So the question is do I miss my family and friends in the U.S.? ABSOLUTELY! As much as I miss my family and they miss me, I know that just want me to be happy. Like I said before, family sticks with you through whatever. They know I’ll return someday to be in their presence. In the meantime, I will enjoy their support as I continue to try to figure out what it is I want to do when I grow up.
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Yeah, You Can Go Home Again. But it's still a little weird.
Where in the World is D Today?
Feeling less like a Panda?
In my last post I pondered a few aspects of culture shock as they pertain specifically to me.
Being in Missouri the weather, or should I say the temperature, is much more palatable than Chicago and Galesburg. The weather here has been gray and gloomy, much like Taiwan was when I left.
I drove my car for the first time in a year. I actually worried a bit if it could still manage the gearshift without seeming like a beginning. My worries were unfounded. My body remembered the car quite well and it felt like the car remembered me too. It was a very pleasant experience driving my car again. I missed it more than I knew.
My Dear, Dear Friend Lyn gave me a coming home dinner party with my "Obama Buddies", Peter and Ty, Kurt, Lisa and their son Jake, and Charles and Monica. Lefty progressives all! It was fun to talk politics and culture. I was in a room of people who "got" me and I "got" them. Food and drink and lots of laughter. It was shear bliss.
I spent time with three of my former students yesterday, Duane, Dart, and Jerry. Most of the time was with Dart and Duane. I was very close to these guys as a teacher, mentor and role model. We laughed and clowned around just as before. I nagged Dart about his sagging pants and Duane about his smoking, just like before. Just as before, out of respect for me, Dart pulled up his pants and Duane didn't smoke in the car. Jerry was as "thought full" as ever. I always like that about him. A thinker, that my kind of guy!!
I've had a few Chinese moments along the way since being here. My desire to maintain what little ability I have to speak Chinese has prompted me to bold as I would not have been, nor needed to be in Taiwan. I've approached a few people that I thought looked Chinese and spoke to them in Chinese. It was both terrifying and gratifying at the same time. They clearly did not expect me to speak Chinese. And they were so pleased that I did. Most importantly, They Could UNDERSTAND me!!!!!!!!!! Say it with me people.... AWESOME!!!!! I now truly understand what it must feel like to a stranger who approaches me in Taiwan. They want to talk and are genuinely interested, but KNOW their language ability is limited.
My time with Sean and Marcy has been fun. They were at the dinner last night and was able to see a part of my world that they had never really seen been apart of before, me interacting with "my grown up friends".
Things ARE beginning to feel "normal". I still need to get to KC to see the rest of the family and my friend Tracy. There are still many people to see here in Columbia. Time is becoming a factor now. But I am not going to let myself get stressed by it. (Yeah, Right!! LOL)
In the U.S. I'm not so much of a Panda. I know the rules and the culture intuitively. I've always been a bit of an odd nut here. The difference is how I "choose" to be an odd nut here and in Taiwan, I am an odd nut by mere virtue of my existence.
But I'll tell you a secret. I miss my life as a Panda. It is often uncomfortable for me in Taiwan. But, I do have dear and trusted friends and allies in James, Ray, Jack, Will, Claire and my Starbucks buddies. I miss my Taiwan family of May, Ken and Kevin. I miss Even, Hao Ting and my Chinese Teacher Zoe. I miss the adventure of living as a foreigner. I don't love the challenges, but I always manage to get over and around them with the help of my friends. I have a GREAT support system! AND, I miss the food soooooooo much!I've said it so many times since I've been here. Taiwan food is DELICIOUS!!
So, yeah, you can go home. It's familiar and comfortable again, and still a little odd. BUT... I like CoMO (Columbia, Missouri) my friends and family. I remains true as I said in a blog post some months back, America is my home. I will always be her son. Someday I will return for good. In the meantime, Taiwan calls me and I must answer.
Peace
戴格智
Feeling less like a Panda?
In my last post I pondered a few aspects of culture shock as they pertain specifically to me.
Being in Missouri the weather, or should I say the temperature, is much more palatable than Chicago and Galesburg. The weather here has been gray and gloomy, much like Taiwan was when I left.
I drove my car for the first time in a year. I actually worried a bit if it could still manage the gearshift without seeming like a beginning. My worries were unfounded. My body remembered the car quite well and it felt like the car remembered me too. It was a very pleasant experience driving my car again. I missed it more than I knew.
My Dear, Dear Friend Lyn gave me a coming home dinner party with my "Obama Buddies", Peter and Ty, Kurt, Lisa and their son Jake, and Charles and Monica. Lefty progressives all! It was fun to talk politics and culture. I was in a room of people who "got" me and I "got" them. Food and drink and lots of laughter. It was shear bliss.
I spent time with three of my former students yesterday, Duane, Dart, and Jerry. Most of the time was with Dart and Duane. I was very close to these guys as a teacher, mentor and role model. We laughed and clowned around just as before. I nagged Dart about his sagging pants and Duane about his smoking, just like before. Just as before, out of respect for me, Dart pulled up his pants and Duane didn't smoke in the car. Jerry was as "thought full" as ever. I always like that about him. A thinker, that my kind of guy!!
I've had a few Chinese moments along the way since being here. My desire to maintain what little ability I have to speak Chinese has prompted me to bold as I would not have been, nor needed to be in Taiwan. I've approached a few people that I thought looked Chinese and spoke to them in Chinese. It was both terrifying and gratifying at the same time. They clearly did not expect me to speak Chinese. And they were so pleased that I did. Most importantly, They Could UNDERSTAND me!!!!!!!!!! Say it with me people.... AWESOME!!!!! I now truly understand what it must feel like to a stranger who approaches me in Taiwan. They want to talk and are genuinely interested, but KNOW their language ability is limited.
My time with Sean and Marcy has been fun. They were at the dinner last night and was able to see a part of my world that they had never really seen been apart of before, me interacting with "my grown up friends".
Things ARE beginning to feel "normal". I still need to get to KC to see the rest of the family and my friend Tracy. There are still many people to see here in Columbia. Time is becoming a factor now. But I am not going to let myself get stressed by it. (Yeah, Right!! LOL)
In the U.S. I'm not so much of a Panda. I know the rules and the culture intuitively. I've always been a bit of an odd nut here. The difference is how I "choose" to be an odd nut here and in Taiwan, I am an odd nut by mere virtue of my existence.
But I'll tell you a secret. I miss my life as a Panda. It is often uncomfortable for me in Taiwan. But, I do have dear and trusted friends and allies in James, Ray, Jack, Will, Claire and my Starbucks buddies. I miss my Taiwan family of May, Ken and Kevin. I miss Even, Hao Ting and my Chinese Teacher Zoe. I miss the adventure of living as a foreigner. I don't love the challenges, but I always manage to get over and around them with the help of my friends. I have a GREAT support system! AND, I miss the food soooooooo much!I've said it so many times since I've been here. Taiwan food is DELICIOUS!!
So, yeah, you can go home. It's familiar and comfortable again, and still a little odd. BUT... I like CoMO (Columbia, Missouri) my friends and family. I remains true as I said in a blog post some months back, America is my home. I will always be her son. Someday I will return for good. In the meantime, Taiwan calls me and I must answer.
Peace
戴格智
Friday, January 15, 2010
Can you ever go "home" again?
Where in the world is D Today?
Sitting in the Gizmo, the student cafe at Knox College.
Tim is in a scholarship meeting now so I got some time to kill. So I thought I'd share some of my inititial unfiltered thoughts on being back in America.
If you are a traveler let me recommend any airline other than American Airlines. I will never EVER use this airline again. It was a HORRIBLE experience from beginning to end. And more importantly to me, they were not "nice" as I was getting screwed over. There was a serious f u buddy attitude the whole time.
On the Other hand, if you were ever to travel to Taiwan, I Highly recommend EVA Airways! They were gracious, caring and gentle with all of their travelers. I experienced it from the moment of trying to check in to the moment I stepped off the plane.
OK, so much airline reviews....
I've been back in the country for approximately 4 days now and I've found America to be.......... an uncomfortable place to be.
First of all it's physically uncomfortable. It's so cold. There is snow everywhere. I didn't like snow before I went to Taiwan. I really hate it now. Also, I've been bitten by some time of bug all over both of my legs. itch, itch.. scratch, scratch.
Second, The people here are so..... BIG! Both in height and girth. I feel very small.
I don't look like a Taiwan person, but I FEEL more like a Taiwan person right now.
I love being with Tim, but it's more and more clear we see the world very differently. That's really ok. Every man must find his own way. But as is often the case with youth, he feels he has all the answers. We are talking... correction, he's talking and I'm listening. Maybe he'll convince we. I am all ears. The kid is smart so it does my heart good to listen to him speak with not only intelligence but passion. Problem is smart passionate young people are not particularly good listeners.
The food tastes funny. I miss Taiwan food. And I want to use my chop sticks. Forks are too awkward. (Haha- I would have never said that a year ago.)
This is so odd, because I am going through a cultural transition in Taiwan, and now I'm going through on here. Is there anyplace I can feel "at home"? Today I feel most home in Taiwan. I'll keep you posted over the coming weeks.
Peace
戴格智
Sitting in the Gizmo, the student cafe at Knox College.
Tim is in a scholarship meeting now so I got some time to kill. So I thought I'd share some of my inititial unfiltered thoughts on being back in America.
If you are a traveler let me recommend any airline other than American Airlines. I will never EVER use this airline again. It was a HORRIBLE experience from beginning to end. And more importantly to me, they were not "nice" as I was getting screwed over. There was a serious f u buddy attitude the whole time.
On the Other hand, if you were ever to travel to Taiwan, I Highly recommend EVA Airways! They were gracious, caring and gentle with all of their travelers. I experienced it from the moment of trying to check in to the moment I stepped off the plane.
OK, so much airline reviews....
I've been back in the country for approximately 4 days now and I've found America to be.......... an uncomfortable place to be.
First of all it's physically uncomfortable. It's so cold. There is snow everywhere. I didn't like snow before I went to Taiwan. I really hate it now. Also, I've been bitten by some time of bug all over both of my legs. itch, itch.. scratch, scratch.
Second, The people here are so..... BIG! Both in height and girth. I feel very small.
I don't look like a Taiwan person, but I FEEL more like a Taiwan person right now.
I love being with Tim, but it's more and more clear we see the world very differently. That's really ok. Every man must find his own way. But as is often the case with youth, he feels he has all the answers. We are talking... correction, he's talking and I'm listening. Maybe he'll convince we. I am all ears. The kid is smart so it does my heart good to listen to him speak with not only intelligence but passion. Problem is smart passionate young people are not particularly good listeners.
The food tastes funny. I miss Taiwan food. And I want to use my chop sticks. Forks are too awkward. (Haha- I would have never said that a year ago.)
This is so odd, because I am going through a cultural transition in Taiwan, and now I'm going through on here. Is there anyplace I can feel "at home"? Today I feel most home in Taiwan. I'll keep you posted over the coming weeks.
Peace
戴格智
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
2009 a year in review
Where in the World is D Today?
Being his typical reflective self. Because that’s what Panda’s do.
It’s been almost a full year in Taiwan. Some of it has been really great. Some of it….. not so much. Let’s take a look back.
January 5, I get an email from Jack, not motorcycle Jack, Dewey Education Services Jack. Dewey services the contract for the Taiwan government. BTW Jack is a very common English name for Taiwan men. The short version…
“Do you still want to teach in Taiwan?”
“Yes, I do.”
“Can you be here February 1?”
“?!?!?!..... Ummmm… Let me see what I can work out.
Yes, I will come.” *gulp!*
A lease is signed to rent my house. (This is a subject I have said absolutely nothing about on my blog. But those close to me know it was easily my worse decision of 2009. It led to the collapse of a friendship, the pre-mature selling of my house and HUGE, we’re talking 5 digits, financial loss for me. Not to mention the shear emotional and mental stress to deal with some 7700 miles and weird time zones. What can I say, it seemed like a good idea at the time.)
My first 24 hours in Taiwan, is a series of comical miscommunications. Some of which I have yet to figure out “why” things happened the way they did. And I end up with Josh as my roommate. Josh and I are totally incompatible as roommates. And I end up getting my own apartment. I will say that I am very happy to report, that now that I don’t live with Josh, we get along quite well. I’ve watched him grow this year. He’s a decent fellow with a good sense of humor. And from what I can tell, he’s a good teacher. I’ve watched his rapport with the kindergarten kids and it’s pretty cool! I would have never guessed at the beginning of the year. Two thumbs up Josh!!
Met my first friends in Starbucks. I call it Ground Zero for the beginning of “life” in Taiwan. Coke was the first, then Timmy. Followed quickly by Shaq, Pie and Cindy. Who would eventually me the greatest Chinese name EVER, 戴格智 Then I got to know the staff and they got to know me. Winnie, Sylvie, Bryan, Elma, Dolphin, Rain, Eddie were my life-savers. These folks were my first up close experiences with Taiwan culture and Chinese language. For a long time I was as come to Starbucks as coffee. This is also when I first begin referring to myself as a Panda.
Discovered the sheer joy of KTV in April. Laughing, eating, drinking and singing. It doesn’t get better than that! KTV is a 24 hour a day deal. Going to KTV at 3 am is normal.
I experience my first Earth Quake ever at 2:00AM in June. This is a very bad way to wake up! Tears and vomit ensue. It was probably one of the most insecure moments of my life. My body and nerves where thrown completely out of whack. I’ve been through other earthquakes since. I still HATE them, but I don’t freak out either. There was a “big one”, by Taiwan standards, the week before Christmas. I was having dinner with friends. It would have extremely serious for if I would have been in my 14th floor apt.
Experienced my first Typhoon in August. I’d have to say it was a bit anti-climactic for me. Here in Jhongli, it was pretty calm. But unfortunately in the south many people died. It was quite horrible down there. And news reports had friends and family on high alert in the U.S. It’s nice to know people care if you live or die.
The food in Taiwan is simply delicious. Unfounded worries of me losing weight because of the food. If anything I’ve gained weight.
I began seriously with Chinese lesson in the summer, July. My Chinese is well, not very good in my opinion. 我覺得中文很困難. But the things I can say, I say very well with a decent Taiwan accent. I, like everything else in my life, have taken a more difficult path in learning Chinese. I am learning Chinese in a way that children in Taiwan learn Chinese. I am learningㄅㄆㄇㄈ , a phonetic system for learning sounds in Chinese. If I don’t understand a word when people say it, they can write it this way and I will understand better. Or at the very least add a new word to my vocabulary.
I joined a gym in March. Love the showers. Hate the number of men that walk around naked. The staff is cool, but not as cool as Starbucks. I do a body combat class twice a week to mix up my workout. I tried a step class… twice. I sucked both times. Step class is Taiwan is WAY different from the U.S. The routine just builds and builds. It seems you start with step one. By the end of class you are on step 37. It’s one long continuous routine. That’s fine. I am good through the first 5-6 consecutive steps, then I get very confused. The steps are much more difficult AND the instructions are in Chinese. I don’t feel too bad, because there are Taiwan people who can’t figure it out either..and they speak Chinese!
Found a church in the summer. It was definitely an answer to prayer at the time. I don’t attend as regularly as I did before. The language barrier is to great. 2010 will have a search for an English speaking church.
The fall led to the discovery of Thai Massage. Please resist the temptation to attach something sexual to it. It isn’t. Trust me when I say I there were, I sure as heck wouldn’t tell the whole world on my blog. It’s just a great massage. And by U.S. standards is super cheap. $1000NT for 2 hours, that’s about $34 US.
My latest adventure is riding Brutus, my motorbike. My friend Randy Rook once said God protects drunks and idiots. I’m not a drunk, so that only leaves idiot. I have felt that protection from time to time. I am beginning to ride more like a Taiwan person. I don’t know if that is necessarily a good thing, but it is certainly critical for survival on the streets of Jhongli.
All in all, it’s been a good year of growth. I still feel very much like a man in transition. There is much I haven't written about, but I think you get the point of my life. I re-signed my contract, so I will be in Taiwan another year. I am hopeful at the possibilities. I am hoping to become a better teacher, a better speaker of Chinese and maybe…. just maybe, I can find a girl friend. Wish me Luck.
Peace.
戴格智
Being his typical reflective self. Because that’s what Panda’s do.
It’s been almost a full year in Taiwan. Some of it has been really great. Some of it….. not so much. Let’s take a look back.
January 5, I get an email from Jack, not motorcycle Jack, Dewey Education Services Jack. Dewey services the contract for the Taiwan government. BTW Jack is a very common English name for Taiwan men. The short version…
“Do you still want to teach in Taiwan?”
“Yes, I do.”
“Can you be here February 1?”
“?!?!?!..... Ummmm… Let me see what I can work out.
Yes, I will come.” *gulp!*
A lease is signed to rent my house. (This is a subject I have said absolutely nothing about on my blog. But those close to me know it was easily my worse decision of 2009. It led to the collapse of a friendship, the pre-mature selling of my house and HUGE, we’re talking 5 digits, financial loss for me. Not to mention the shear emotional and mental stress to deal with some 7700 miles and weird time zones. What can I say, it seemed like a good idea at the time.)
My first 24 hours in Taiwan, is a series of comical miscommunications. Some of which I have yet to figure out “why” things happened the way they did. And I end up with Josh as my roommate. Josh and I are totally incompatible as roommates. And I end up getting my own apartment. I will say that I am very happy to report, that now that I don’t live with Josh, we get along quite well. I’ve watched him grow this year. He’s a decent fellow with a good sense of humor. And from what I can tell, he’s a good teacher. I’ve watched his rapport with the kindergarten kids and it’s pretty cool! I would have never guessed at the beginning of the year. Two thumbs up Josh!!
Met my first friends in Starbucks. I call it Ground Zero for the beginning of “life” in Taiwan. Coke was the first, then Timmy. Followed quickly by Shaq, Pie and Cindy. Who would eventually me the greatest Chinese name EVER, 戴格智 Then I got to know the staff and they got to know me. Winnie, Sylvie, Bryan, Elma, Dolphin, Rain, Eddie were my life-savers. These folks were my first up close experiences with Taiwan culture and Chinese language. For a long time I was as come to Starbucks as coffee. This is also when I first begin referring to myself as a Panda.
Discovered the sheer joy of KTV in April. Laughing, eating, drinking and singing. It doesn’t get better than that! KTV is a 24 hour a day deal. Going to KTV at 3 am is normal.
I experience my first Earth Quake ever at 2:00AM in June. This is a very bad way to wake up! Tears and vomit ensue. It was probably one of the most insecure moments of my life. My body and nerves where thrown completely out of whack. I’ve been through other earthquakes since. I still HATE them, but I don’t freak out either. There was a “big one”, by Taiwan standards, the week before Christmas. I was having dinner with friends. It would have extremely serious for if I would have been in my 14th floor apt.
Experienced my first Typhoon in August. I’d have to say it was a bit anti-climactic for me. Here in Jhongli, it was pretty calm. But unfortunately in the south many people died. It was quite horrible down there. And news reports had friends and family on high alert in the U.S. It’s nice to know people care if you live or die.
The food in Taiwan is simply delicious. Unfounded worries of me losing weight because of the food. If anything I’ve gained weight.
I began seriously with Chinese lesson in the summer, July. My Chinese is well, not very good in my opinion. 我覺得中文很困難. But the things I can say, I say very well with a decent Taiwan accent. I, like everything else in my life, have taken a more difficult path in learning Chinese. I am learning Chinese in a way that children in Taiwan learn Chinese. I am learningㄅㄆㄇㄈ , a phonetic system for learning sounds in Chinese. If I don’t understand a word when people say it, they can write it this way and I will understand better. Or at the very least add a new word to my vocabulary.
I joined a gym in March. Love the showers. Hate the number of men that walk around naked. The staff is cool, but not as cool as Starbucks. I do a body combat class twice a week to mix up my workout. I tried a step class… twice. I sucked both times. Step class is Taiwan is WAY different from the U.S. The routine just builds and builds. It seems you start with step one. By the end of class you are on step 37. It’s one long continuous routine. That’s fine. I am good through the first 5-6 consecutive steps, then I get very confused. The steps are much more difficult AND the instructions are in Chinese. I don’t feel too bad, because there are Taiwan people who can’t figure it out either..and they speak Chinese!
Found a church in the summer. It was definitely an answer to prayer at the time. I don’t attend as regularly as I did before. The language barrier is to great. 2010 will have a search for an English speaking church.
The fall led to the discovery of Thai Massage. Please resist the temptation to attach something sexual to it. It isn’t. Trust me when I say I there were, I sure as heck wouldn’t tell the whole world on my blog. It’s just a great massage. And by U.S. standards is super cheap. $1000NT for 2 hours, that’s about $34 US.
My latest adventure is riding Brutus, my motorbike. My friend Randy Rook once said God protects drunks and idiots. I’m not a drunk, so that only leaves idiot. I have felt that protection from time to time. I am beginning to ride more like a Taiwan person. I don’t know if that is necessarily a good thing, but it is certainly critical for survival on the streets of Jhongli.
All in all, it’s been a good year of growth. I still feel very much like a man in transition. There is much I haven't written about, but I think you get the point of my life. I re-signed my contract, so I will be in Taiwan another year. I am hopeful at the possibilities. I am hoping to become a better teacher, a better speaker of Chinese and maybe…. just maybe, I can find a girl friend. Wish me Luck.
Peace.
戴格智
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