Saturday, February 28, 2009
One more thought...
I may not have understood this correctly but a man at the run told me that all Taiwanese men are required to go into the Army at age 20. I think he may have said they go for at least 3 years, but then he also said that the war is over so now it's only for 3 months or so. I was a bit confused and not quite sure what war he was referring to. It was scary to think about though and I am so incredibly grateful that I will never be forced into a position like that. I shouldn't be writing deep thoughts like this so late at night :)
I've done it again...hashing, and it was glorious!
I just got back from my second Hasher run a few hours ago. It was very cool again. This time, it was raining the whole time so it made the run a bit more intense. This time around, there was much more bushwhacking involved so very little of the run was actually on any established trails. This meant that there wasn't as much running involved but it was still incredible nonetheless. Near the end, we crossed a river with some very slippery rocks that I didn't really pay attention to and I totally ate it! It hurt pretty badly at the time and now I have a bruise on my leg but it was worth it anyway. Following the run, I participated in the Down Downs and Bash once more, but this time, it was ALL in Mandarin, or something like it. I was talking to a Taiwanese guy who knew English pretty well and was fluent in Mandarin and he told me that he could only understand about 30% of the people at the run. There are about 5 main languages in Taiwan and they were all derived from Chinese but they're different enough that you probably won't understand them too well if you know Chinese.
The run today was called the Taipei Hash, which is an all-male hash that started about 35 years ago and usually has 150-200 people that participate each week. I was the only white guy there. I wasn't sure about eating with them but I was pretty hungry at that point. However, I didn't think about the fact that we were eating in a secluded, mountain restaurant and the food was probably going to be pretty authentic. That fear immediately set in when they brought out the first dish: pork. It was actually pretty tasty but sort of gruesome to look at. There's always a part that looks like a pig's nose. Then they brought whole fish with bones and all, something that looked very odd and I think it might've been a pig's liver in pigs' blood, shrimp, chicken that was cooked I guess but the bones had blood oozing out of them, and a few other mystery dishes. The guys at the table were trying to explain all of the foods to me but that little "language barrier" was getting in the way.
One of the highlights of the day was during the Down Downs when they brought me up to the front and started giving some speech about me in Chinese. People were pointing at me and laughing occasionally and all the while, I had no idea what was happening. I just smiled and stared in amazement at the crowd thinking "I don't know what's going on right now but this is pretty cool anyway!" To sum things up, this run wasn't not quite as enjoyable as the first because it was wet and not nearly as much running was involved, but it was a much more Taiwanese experience and still nothing like I've done before. Thanks Emilie and Kevin and KELLY again for suggesting this group in the first place!
Other than that, another week of teaching down! It was a good week and each day I feel a little more confident with everything. I also became friends with one of the doormen in my building and I've been learning some Chinese from him. I found out that at the end of the term, my main class has to perform some sort of dance/skit, so I'm thinking of doing West Side Story or Grease. Choreographing a dance with 20 third graders could be interesting and frustrating, but when else in my life am I going to have an opportunity like that?
The run today was called the Taipei Hash, which is an all-male hash that started about 35 years ago and usually has 150-200 people that participate each week. I was the only white guy there. I wasn't sure about eating with them but I was pretty hungry at that point. However, I didn't think about the fact that we were eating in a secluded, mountain restaurant and the food was probably going to be pretty authentic. That fear immediately set in when they brought out the first dish: pork. It was actually pretty tasty but sort of gruesome to look at. There's always a part that looks like a pig's nose. Then they brought whole fish with bones and all, something that looked very odd and I think it might've been a pig's liver in pigs' blood, shrimp, chicken that was cooked I guess but the bones had blood oozing out of them, and a few other mystery dishes. The guys at the table were trying to explain all of the foods to me but that little "language barrier" was getting in the way.
One of the highlights of the day was during the Down Downs when they brought me up to the front and started giving some speech about me in Chinese. People were pointing at me and laughing occasionally and all the while, I had no idea what was happening. I just smiled and stared in amazement at the crowd thinking "I don't know what's going on right now but this is pretty cool anyway!" To sum things up, this run wasn't not quite as enjoyable as the first because it was wet and not nearly as much running was involved, but it was a much more Taiwanese experience and still nothing like I've done before. Thanks Emilie and Kevin and KELLY again for suggesting this group in the first place!
Other than that, another week of teaching down! It was a good week and each day I feel a little more confident with everything. I also became friends with one of the doormen in my building and I've been learning some Chinese from him. I found out that at the end of the term, my main class has to perform some sort of dance/skit, so I'm thinking of doing West Side Story or Grease. Choreographing a dance with 20 third graders could be interesting and frustrating, but when else in my life am I going to have an opportunity like that?
Monday, February 23, 2009
China Hash House Harriers
Yesterday, I embarked on the most unique, scenic, and adventurous run I've ever done! Well, to date anyway. I ran with the China Hash House Harriers...my first hash ever. We met in downtown Taipei near a subway station, and we were picked up by two large buses and taken to Da Xi, which I believe is east of Taipei, but I don't really have any idea. The bus took over an hour to get there but the traffic was horrendous. There were about 100 people at the run and I'd say a little more than half of the people actually ran. The basics of a hasher run: a hare starts before everyone else and creates a route by dropping little piles of flour every 50 meters or so. The whole run usually takes around an hour and during that hour, there are multiple check points. A check point is an X on the path. It means that the next trail mark is within 100 meters of the X, so everyone scatters at that point to try and find the next mark. However, false trails can also be created so victims can run on the new trail for a few minutes before finding 3 lines, meaning its a false trail and they have to back track. Once the correct trail is found, the leader yells "on on" and the run resumes.
It's a little hard to explain and do the run justice, but this course/experience was the most unique run I've done in my life. First of all, the way the hash works was so cool! The course itself was awesome, running through bamboo forests, along rivers, through farm plots, up extremely steep terrain, through rock fields, and along the ridges of some fairly tall mountains in Taiwan. Apparently, others in the group were saying that this run was not even the prettiest or most rugged. I'll describe those in detail later when they happen. The run took place mostly on established trails but that's not always the case. Bushwhacking is pretty fun! One thing I thought about after the run is that it's going to be like 90 degrees in the next month or two and that should make future runs a little more interesting. The run yesterday was probably in the 70s. I did not take any pictures because the run was a little too intense but check out www.chinahash.org. That website has some pictures of hash runs in the past.
After the run, there is a lot of drinking and socializing. I met some very interesting people. It made me realize that the US is not the center of the world. More than half of the group was composed of expatriates, but I would say that less than half of them have ever lived in the US or even considered it. In my mind, the US feels like the home base, and that everyone is out visiting somewhere else, but that's definitely not the case in the real world. I did grow up in Boulder so my view of the world is fairly skewed anyway. One funny thing I found out: one of the main coordinators of the hash went to CU, and another guy there, lived in Nederland for 6 years. A few other people had visited Boulder. It's a small world.
Until the next hash...or some other significant happening! The moral of the story, try a hash in your town. You won't regret it!
It's a little hard to explain and do the run justice, but this course/experience was the most unique run I've done in my life. First of all, the way the hash works was so cool! The course itself was awesome, running through bamboo forests, along rivers, through farm plots, up extremely steep terrain, through rock fields, and along the ridges of some fairly tall mountains in Taiwan. Apparently, others in the group were saying that this run was not even the prettiest or most rugged. I'll describe those in detail later when they happen. The run took place mostly on established trails but that's not always the case. Bushwhacking is pretty fun! One thing I thought about after the run is that it's going to be like 90 degrees in the next month or two and that should make future runs a little more interesting. The run yesterday was probably in the 70s. I did not take any pictures because the run was a little too intense but check out www.chinahash.org. That website has some pictures of hash runs in the past.
After the run, there is a lot of drinking and socializing. I met some very interesting people. It made me realize that the US is not the center of the world. More than half of the group was composed of expatriates, but I would say that less than half of them have ever lived in the US or even considered it. In my mind, the US feels like the home base, and that everyone is out visiting somewhere else, but that's definitely not the case in the real world. I did grow up in Boulder so my view of the world is fairly skewed anyway. One funny thing I found out: one of the main coordinators of the hash went to CU, and another guy there, lived in Nederland for 6 years. A few other people had visited Boulder. It's a small world.
Until the next hash...or some other significant happening! The moral of the story, try a hash in your town. You won't regret it!
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
I just uploaded some photos of Taipei so check them out if you want to. Well, I've been sick-feeling since Sunday. This food is wreaking havoc on my digestive system. Maybe it's jet lag, or the polluted air, or stress, or not knowing any Chinese but I'm feeling a little off. The hot dog they fed us from 7-11 at school today is not going to help matters I'm sure. I'm still trying to decide what to say if someone asks "why did you eat a hot dog from 7-11?" It was a first. I also ate a Snickers bar that was made in Russia, but I think they're usually made in New Jersey. It seems like everything is made in New Jersey.
It's been frustrating on and off this week. I had a little freak-out earlier but I feel good now, hence why I'm writing at this opportune moment. The teaching is coming more naturally to me now so that's a relief. I inherited a new cell phone from one of the teacher's at school and, well, it's a dinosaur. It's new to me, but it was new to the earth probably 5 years ago. It's massive, but the price was right so I shouldn't complain. I'm also getting closer to getting a scooter. It sounds very dangerous and it will be scary initially, but that's the thing to do around here so I need to get used to living a real Taiwanese life.
A lot of my frustration is of course being caused by not knowing Chinese. However, I'm hatching a scheme to help combat this problem. I've heard that you can get personal Chinese tutoring for about $12 an hour so I'm potentially going to be starting classes next week. I'll keep everyone posted on that. Ta ta for now.
It's been frustrating on and off this week. I had a little freak-out earlier but I feel good now, hence why I'm writing at this opportune moment. The teaching is coming more naturally to me now so that's a relief. I inherited a new cell phone from one of the teacher's at school and, well, it's a dinosaur. It's new to me, but it was new to the earth probably 5 years ago. It's massive, but the price was right so I shouldn't complain. I'm also getting closer to getting a scooter. It sounds very dangerous and it will be scary initially, but that's the thing to do around here so I need to get used to living a real Taiwanese life.
A lot of my frustration is of course being caused by not knowing Chinese. However, I'm hatching a scheme to help combat this problem. I've heard that you can get personal Chinese tutoring for about $12 an hour so I'm potentially going to be starting classes next week. I'll keep everyone posted on that. Ta ta for now.
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Almost through my first week
As I attempt to write this fascinating blog, I hear some ridiculous digitized chime going off outside my window...it's probably the trash truck. I don't understand the music here yet. I had to go to the medical clinic and on the way we were listening to some sort of flute music with a girl singing. The guy who put it on was the bus driver, a pretty big tough looking guy. In the bookstore today, they were playing this ridiculous teeny bopper music the whole time. It was like a blend of Hanson and Avril Lavigne. Anyway, the first week of teaching is almost over. I've taught three classes so far and it's gone pretty well. The kids are so cute! However, I have no idea what I'm doing. It's going to take some time to get the hang of it.
I just had to check...it is the trash truck. The sounds are so annoying and funny. Maybe I can post them on here somehow. It sounds like a Nintendo GameBoy game. The bell at my school is the same kind of sound. It's a popular thing out here.
I went on my second run today. I ran down the main road in town and needless to say, I did not see any other runners. I did run by the Quanta Computer headquarters. Apparently they are the largest laptop manufacturer in the world. I ran through a massive Technology Park in Linkou. Manufacturing is a major industry here. I'll post some pictures of that later. My co-workers told me that no one runs outside because of how bad the air pollution is. They also told me that every new teacher gets sick soon after they first arrive and their sickness lingers for a few months. That's something to look forward to!
Good god, I can still hear that bell! The truck must be driving in circles. It is so annoying. The chime has completely derailed my train of thought. Once I get a sound clip of that up, you'll understand why it would have such an effect. Check out the new pictures!
I just had to check...it is the trash truck. The sounds are so annoying and funny. Maybe I can post them on here somehow. It sounds like a Nintendo GameBoy game. The bell at my school is the same kind of sound. It's a popular thing out here.
I went on my second run today. I ran down the main road in town and needless to say, I did not see any other runners. I did run by the Quanta Computer headquarters. Apparently they are the largest laptop manufacturer in the world. I ran through a massive Technology Park in Linkou. Manufacturing is a major industry here. I'll post some pictures of that later. My co-workers told me that no one runs outside because of how bad the air pollution is. They also told me that every new teacher gets sick soon after they first arrive and their sickness lingers for a few months. That's something to look forward to!
Good god, I can still hear that bell! The truck must be driving in circles. It is so annoying. The chime has completely derailed my train of thought. Once I get a sound clip of that up, you'll understand why it would have such an effect. Check out the new pictures!
Monday, February 9, 2009
First Blog Ever
So hello to the thousands who will eventually be reading this blog! I'm in my new apartment in Linkou, Taiwan and it's 6:20 AM. I've been up since 1:30 AM. There's a 15 hour time difference between here and Colorado so the biological adjustment is going to take some time. My body thinks it's 3:20 in the afternoon. Oh well. Everything has been very exciting, different, and Chinese so the future will be interesting. I sit it on all of the classes to see how other teachers teach, then I'm on my own starting Friday. The kids are going to be so much fun. I teach 3-6 year olds during the day, and 7-14 year old kids at night. More to come...if I try to kill an hour right now on this blog, you'll only get bored.
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