Bike Trek Photos

Bike Trek Part 1

Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial Hall Day 1 

Day 1 at 7:00 AM

If you haven't heard by now I was able to see the fantastic country of Taiwan by bicycle. The entire journey started out on December the 4th and ended on December the 12th. The nine day adventure included biking everyday and countless sights, sounds, and smells. I owe great gratitude towards my Rotary club who sponsored the event and District 3520 for organizing it. I was accompanied by over thirty Rotarians few of which were my age. Speaking of age, I knew physical fitness for elders was highly valued here but I didn't know seventy five was an okay age to bike around the island. My definition of old age has been revolutionized. I dream of the day I might be able to prove my strength at that age and makes me think could my dad do that?  

The bike travelers gathered early Saturday morning at Chaing Kai Shek Memorial Hall. Registration was accompanied by speakers blaring music. Soon all the bikers were grouped together and led through a stretch routine. After we were loose we listened to several speakers and were reminded of the real reason we were biking for nine days. The bike trek was formed to donate to charities. After plenty of photos we were lined up and off with a gunshot start. 

Language

I've heard Chinese is the hardest language to learn and I might agree with that statement. "Chinese" is a broad category though, not all "Chinese" is the same. The two major spoken Chinese languages are Cantonese and Mandarin. Hong Kong uses Cantonese and Taiwan and Beijing use Mandarin. I found it interesting that my Hong Kong friend speaks English with a British accent. The two major written Chinese languages are simplified characters which are used in Mainland China and traditional which are used in Taiwan. 

Mainland China changed to simplified characters to improve literacy rates, while Taiwan preserved the traditional characters. The Taiwanese are very proud of these characters and great importance is placed on writing them correctly. Each character is represents a word and is supposed to be a picture. Characters can be written from left to right, right to left and top to bottom. Many times I've picked up a book and realized the binding seemed backward. Its an odd sensation. Chinese characters written correctly are supposed to be "beautiful". The strokes  order of the characters are extremely important. In English we have the freedom to write our letters however we please. It doesn't matter. However in Chinese its extremely important. The direction and the order of the strokes have to be perfect and in a certain way. What I haven't seemed to figure out yet is why it matters so much. Only when someone is watching me can they tell if my stoke orders are right. Also slouching or leaning to the side is not permitted. Good posture is a must. All of this drives me up the wall. If anyone's read my hand writing they could attest to my chicken scratch. When I write, I write for content not for it to look pretty and quite frankly all of the strict structure makes me feel like smashing things with a baseball bat. However I've complied and taken the time to make sure my writing looks nice. 

Spoken Chinese is also rather difficult. On the plus side the verbs never change. Verbs are not conjugated for people of tenses. That is a wonderful thing, what's difficult is the tones. To start with Chinese phonetics are almost non existent in the English language. Its as if they have an entirely different alphabet except they don't have an alphabet. The phonetics give my mouth quite the workout. The language is very heavy on vowels which makes it tough for English speakers because everything seems blended together. On top of the heavy use of vowels in the natural words the Taiwanese like to make everything sound pretty which includes adding more vowels to words. "Ah" as in say "ah" is a favorite and used all the time. The pretty factor is probably the largest difference between spoken Mandarin in China and in Taiwan. Apparently the Chinese speak very harshly and is very heavy on "r". I even find some words funny when spoken by Mainlanders. The hardest part about spoken Chinese though is the tones. There are four tones. A flat high pitched tone that is almost in a sing song voice. A falling tone which often sounds like you're angry. A rising tone and a falling then rising tone. People cannot understand what I'm trying to say if I don't use the right tone. It seems ridiculous not to be able to recognize a word just because the tone is different but its a integral part of the word. Using the right tone often proves difficult especially when I'm attempting to ask a question because it's natural to raise my pitch and the end of a question. 

Although there is no alphabet, Taiwan has developed a phonetics system to help children learn. It looks like more characters except its phonetic symbols. It is not an alphabet however, because the written phonetic system does not create words. It just helps children pronounce them. The system is named "Bo Po Mo Fo". I personally don't like to use Bo Po Mo Fo, however many people would argue that its the best system to use because pinyin can not capture the phonetics of Mandarin. Pinyin is a system that uses the alphabet to help Western speakers learn Chinese. Unfortunately pinyin comes in multiple forms and has to create different rules to make up for the apparently strange pronunciations. Suddenly "Q" sounds like "Ch" and "X" like "Sh" and then my world gets flipped upside down. The pinyin I use the most often is in fact my own. I write down spoken words into my own pinyin style to help me remember and re-use words. 

There is a Taiwanese language but it is usually spoken by the older generation and it is closely linked to Mandarin. There is an even older language that exists in Taiwan and that would be Hakka. Most teens my age or younger can not speak Taiwanese very well and few people know Hakka. English pr-schools are every where here and plenty of people speak good English. My friend pointed out the other day that he chose Taiwan because Rotary Exchange students speak English everywhere in the world and only in Taiwan could he learn Chinese and English at the same time. Another interesting concept is that my Brazilian and Mexican classmates can converse with each other in Spanish/Portuguese without any prior knowledge of the languages. 

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Another Life

Throughout my entire exchange year I will live with three different families. Rotary claims that this is so I can have three different perspectives of Taiwan. I think the real reason is so one family doesn't have to put up with me for an entire year. My first host family is incredible, I owe them so much. They took great care of me. Including caring for me while I was sick, and the greater challenge of feeding me everyday. Just when I thought I had it down. When I was completely comfortable. When their house truly became home. When I felt like I fit in, is when I changed host families. The host home is not merely a hotel, and exchange students aren't guests, they are family members. As a member of the family I took care of household chores, and even cooked.

After school on Thursday evening I was greeted by my host mother who told me I'm moving host families that night. All thoughts of turkey, gravy, mashed potatoes, squash, and pumpkin pie left my mind. Thanksgiving was not on the agenda or in my brain. With speed I started throwing all my belongings into suitcases and bags. Amazingly everything was packaged and placed in my host fathers car. After a heart felt goodbye with my host mother I jumped into the vehicle and was sped away by my host father. Upon our arrival I was greeted by my new host mother who helped drag my luggage up to the sixth floor, my new home. After I set my belongings down I had a tour of the house then a walk around outside to see the nearest MRT station and the local park. Much to my surprise and utter delight I discovered that there is a night market within walking distance of my new home. I hit the sack soon after, completely exhausted and fell asleep without the aid of tryptophan.


Friday afternoon was a trip to the theatre. My good friend Dan the Man helped us get tickets with the aid of his host parents. The selected film was Harry Potter and it turned out great. Before going into the theatre Dan's host parents handed me a hot-dog with ketchup and mustard. They said "American food" and before I could say I was full I had a hot-dog in hand. The movie itself was in English with Chinese subtitles.  On the MRT ride home we discussed the irony that I live closer to Dan now than I did when we both lived in New York.  No MRT ride would be complete without bumping into other exchange students and it happened twice.  I was fortunate it happened because I probably would have taken a wrong turn on the MRT to my new home.

Although I "missed" Thanksgiving it doesn't mean it didn't cross my mind. Although I didn't gorge on turkey, I have a full stomach every day and for that I'm thankful. I didn't sit at around a table and say thanks for the roof over our heads, but I consider myself lucky to have a bed and a roof no matter where I've gone.  I missed spending time with all of my family and friends, but I'm thankful for my first host family for being so great to me, my second host family who opened up their house, all of my friends here who make all the difference, and all of my family and friends back in the United States who support me and made this adventure possible. This year I'm thankful for this amazing opportunity to go on an exchange to the other-side of the world, even if it means skipping Thanksgiving. I think the very absence of the holiday made me appreciate it's value even more.



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Routine

My daily life in Taiwan doesn't seem extra ordinary to me but it differs from life in the States. One of my priorities while I'm here is representing the United States and painting an accurate picture of Taiwan for family and friends who aren't here.

At 6:00 my alarm clock goes off and I rise from my deep sleep. Within a few steps I'm in the kitchen and I go straight for the coffee percolator. After my breakfast of peanut butter toast and coffee I'm out the door. On my way out I grab a water bottle and slide off my indoor sandals. I put my shoes on outside of the apartment door and take the elevator down to the first floor. The gate keeper says good morning ( in Chinese) and I reply. On my way to the MRT station I pass the old woman's taichi class. Which involves paper fans, red uniforms, music, and a series of dynamic movements. Most shops and businesses are closed this early in the morning but the twenty-four hour convenient stores like 7Eleven remain open. After avoiding dog feces, motor scooters, and any collisions with bicycles I arrive at the MRT station. The new MRT line whizzes me to the National Taipei University of Education where I take Chinese lessons. I'm in class with Brazilians and Mexicans and I hear about the same amount of English and Spanish with a heavy dose of Chinese.

Class ends at 11:30 and everyone is hungry. Local food shops know our faces by now. Especially the dumpling shop. With dumplings at 5 NT a piece, it's one of our favorite venues. Menus are in Chinese, but it poses no problem now because we've mastered the art of ordering and almost anything that we happen to order by accident ends up tasting great.

When our belly's are full we head back to our high schools. For me this means another MRT ride and a bus ride. While waiting for my ride one day I watched an elderly man hobble off his bus and make a phone call in the middle of the road. He then proceeded to walk off the road unzip his pants and urinate on a fence.

I arrive at Dunxu Technical and Vocational High School around 2:00. At school I spend my time reading anything I can get my hands on. The last book I read was the Theory of Knowledge. In between classes if the weather is nice I play basketball with my classmates. School ends at 5:00. I climb onto bus 508 and head back to Sanchong. I'm home at 6:00 and eat dinner at 7:00. Dinner is always white rice with various vegetables, and meats and is always eaten with chopsticks. Tofu and oyster omelets frequently make the menu and no matter how hard I try my host mother won't let me help with cleaning the dishes. Dessert is always chopped up fruit. Taiwan cooking relies heavily on sodium based flavors. Many Taiwanese don't like sweets and much to my amazement my friend doesn't even like pancakes. Apples are even served with salt on them.

I do my laundry by hand at night. It hang dries outside my bedroom window. When the sun goes down the fireworks light up. The city doesn't sleep which means I've learned to ignore or accept fireworks serenading me to sleep instead of crickets.

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台灣

Never in my life did I expect becoming a "man" would involve a hat with a pony tail attached, a silk shirt, and a lion dance. Well this past weekend my preconcived notions were erased. The Rotary District 3520 succesfully managed to gather every exchange student in the Confucian Temple and dress them in traditional clothes. Furthermore they succeded in creating a memory that will last a lifetime. 

My day started off in a bakery near the Confucian Temple assorting through the various sweets and baked delicacies, I felt like I was in Europe. The pink frosted marshmallows with sprinkles were worse than I remember any Easter candy could possibly be.

My tour of the Confucius Temple was sumplemented by a translated version of the Four Books of Confucism, that I read earlier in the year. At the core of Confucius's teachings is filial piety and following the rites. Confucius is best  known for his golden rule "What you do not want done to yourself, do not do to others". He does have others though including one about how a son should never leave his family to travel to faraway nations.

The temple itself is simple because "no artist dares to show off in the presence of the best teacher". On top of the temple there is a cylinder. The cylinder reminds people of what happened during the Qin dynasty. Emperor Qin had the great wall built but the cylinder is not praising this accomplishment but reminding people of all the books he burned and banned. The top of the temple also includes two dragons (there are nine different dragons). We were told that these dragons like to look around therefore they are able to warn people if the wooden roof catches on fire. The carved birds resting on the ledges are bad but since Confucius is such a good teacher they come to listen. The tour of the temple was put on hold when I stumbled upon a gentleman playing a wooden lute. He had a song for whatever country you were from and plenty of newspaper clippings with pictures and articles about himself. After the tour and a Subway lunch the ceremony began.

At the beginning of the ceremony each student washed their hands to represent the washing away of old habits. Then rows of exchange students stood up walked under a table and sat on stage while their host parents placed hairpieces and hats on their heads. Soon afterwards I performed a lion dance which is traditionally Cantonese.  Other groups performed a dragon dance, tai chi, and a modern techno dance. The pictures in the previous post will do much more justice than any of my words.

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Comming of Age

The Sunny Side of Life

For the past two weeks my Chinese has improved exponentially.  This is due to the language lessons at the Taipei University of Education courtesy of the Rotary Club. While Chinese homework has consumed most of my time during the week, the weekend allowed for quality down time. With all this free time my attention was turned towards my quest for a pumpkin. Although ultimately unsuccessful my pursuit for a pumpkin had its benefits. I bumped into exchange students early Saturday morning at the MRT main station. Soon afterwards I found myself in an Internet cafe playing a computer game. Turns out that computer games just aren't my cup of tea, so I left in search of the ever present Seven Elevens to withdraw some money. The Seven Eleven I entered didn't contain an ATM that would work for me or any pumpkins but it did offer some friends and adventure.

My new acquaintances were from Manila studying Med. and were traveling in Taiwan after their mid-terms. One was originally from NYC and the other from London. Soon the acquaintances turned into friends and I found myself joining them.  After a short MRT ride we ended up at Taipei 101 waiting for someone by the name of Noodles. Noodles arrives and by this time I had abandoned my search for a pumpkin because he had promised the best pearl milk tea in Taiwan. It was an hour commute to the residency of the best milk tea in Taiwan and was well worth every minute. The milk teas restaurant serves full meals and everything served has tea leaves in it. The milk tea is outstanding and we are treated to a free tea ceremony. During the ceremony I discover that the Taiwanese aren't the only ones who look down upon bagged tea. My new friend from London discusses tea with me and much to my surprise the coveted Barry's Tea stored at my house in the United States is poor quality. I am so shocked at this news since until this year Barry's Tea was the best tea I've ever had.

I decided to enter another Seven Eleven to try the ATM. Much to my surprise it was the last time I saw my card. When the machine did not spit my card back out after it denied me access I became worried. Then it became apparent the machine wasn't going to give it back. I didn't want to leave my card in there in case someone else was able to retrieve it. I assumed a fighting stance to guard the machine with my life and called the Seven Eleven employee over. My fears may have been exaggerated because the only person in the store beside the employee was a friendly man who was able to get me on a phone with someone at the ATM service who spoke English. I returned home without a pumpkin, without money, and without my card, but I did return with a light heart.

Later that night I discovered a church that offered an English mass. So the next morning I headed over to the church. After Mass the newcomers were encouraged to stand up and say where they were from. During the coffee social after mass I befriended two men of Nigerian descent. They had family in Vancouver and New Jersey and were teaching English here. After a walk in Daan Park we had lunch near my University. The food here is delicious and cheap. Filling meals are available for under three U.S. dollars.

The next morning I placed money on my Easy Card which allows me to use the convenient public transportation. I never used that card again. Unfortunately my Easy Card became lost in the path between my hand and my pocket. The worst part of this discovery is that it happened while I was already on the bus. A lovely lady gave me the necessary change I needed to get off the bus and find my way back to where I was supposed to be. I owe the people of Taiwan so much.

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Pictures

Our shower head

The Food

Me inside our table

My seat

C'est la Vie

This evening I found myself eating dinner and watching the BBC News and a Bundesliga football game. This led to some pondering. Questions like "When did chop-sticks feel comfortable in my hand?" "Why does rice with cooked lettuce, clams, and egg taste so good?" and "Why did I have to come half way around the world to watch a game of soccer?". The answers to these questions may not ever be answered like many of life's deepest mysteries. Chop-sticks are not only comfortable in my hand, they now feel like the "right" way of eating. As for the food I relish everything I eat, and crave certain foods like dumplings or pearl milk tea. Actually its hard to imagine life without them much like it was hard to imagine a life without Monday night pasta. At dinner I generally write in my dairy or "travel journal". I found myself recording and rereading some of this past weekends events which include fun and furry.

Friday night was a trip to the ever popular Ximen district, where masses of exchange students can be found walking about or eating dinner. That night my personal goal was to dine at Modern Toilet, and eat my dinner out of a toilet bowl. Modern Toilet is a restaurant that servers its meals in miniature sized toilets, while their customers sit on toilets. In fact the entire restaurant is based off of toilets. Some find the idea revolting while others find it incredibly amusing. Regardless of your personal thoughts there may be some cultural significance to Modern Toilet. I've read that Modern Toilet is profitable in Asia because bodily functions are culturally accepted for what they are and not generally fussed about.

Either way my friends and I thoroughly enjoyed Modern Toilet. I was seated on a toilet molded to the ground and the table top was glass over a bathtub. There was even a faucet on the wall. My friends and I found that the difficulty of eating at Modern Toilet wasn't the gross factor at all. The hardest part was preventing your dinner from coming out your nose because of all the laughter. The largest mystery of all was what type of toilet was in Modern Toilet's bathroom. The answer is just a simple squatter.

After all the fun I climbed onto a bus to head back home. After watching for my stop for over an hour I realized that the bus I was on wasn't going anywhere near my house. I was left on the bus with nobody but a laughing child who knew I was lost. To make matters worse it was ten minutes before my curfew and it was late. Luck wasn't on my side and instead of a central bus station I was dropped off at a dark and deserted park. I started walking fast in the direction I'd came from. I didn't find any bus stops that would bring me back home though so I called my host family. I was in quite the predicament because I didn't know where I was and had no way of finding out and my host family didn't know where I was. I found a helpful and nice convenient store worker and asked for help. After she talked with my host father for several minutes she told me to wait there. After mulling around the store for a while my host father appeared.  Expecting furry or disappointment I was greeted with a smile. I owe my host family so much and I'm grateful that they put up with me. They even flatter me by saying I'm good. I wave goodbye to my new friends and climb into the car to find a grinning host sister and a host mother with a plate of fruit. I couldn't be luckier.

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Shool Fair and Double Ten Day

Last Saturday I found myself waking up at 6:00 to go to school. I was more than skeptical about going to school on one of my free days. Still slightly sour at rising so early I found my school transformed into a carnival ground. There was a balloon entrance over the archway and tents set up in the courtyard. Classes were taking out their windows so they could sell food. The day started with a tug of war competition. After several nagging classmates convinced me I should try my hand at tug of war my mood did a one-eighty. I found myself more than happy to be in school even after our team lost in the competition. Our class was selling cold noodles, and other treats included ice cream, dumplings, cookies, foaming soda, sandwiches, noodles, and other fried delights. I didn't try my hand at tossing water balloons at a human target or invest in inflatable swords although both were available. After walking around I was greeted by a group of schoolmates I haven't met before. They were more than excited to talk to me but the conversation was limited by the language gap. The language gap did not stop them from bringing up R-rated material though. Soon after sampling some food and snapping a picture of them I moved on to my tour of the school fair. My home room teacher was kind enough to show me around after my self tour. I sampled some more food, including green bean noodles cooked inside a tofu shell. During my tour I bumped into exchange students from another district. After short introductions and an exchange of business cards I finish my tour with my teacher in the library and a cup of Taiwanese tea.

Sunday is double ten day, which is Taiwan's national holiday. The festivities include a parade and fireworks at night. All the exchange students have sewn a giant international flag together for the parade. We are also expected to represent our country in the parade. We meet at Chiang Kai Shek Memorial Hall to line up for the parade. It's great to see the traditional dress of so many different nations. Some garb includes soccer jerseys, cowboy hats, Obama shirts, flags draped around necks, berets and kimonos. With plenty of face paint and some body paint the exchange students filed into the parade with our giant international flag. The parade was a blast and  heavily covered by the Taiwan media. The Latin Americans in the group brought a tambourine and we're going crazy singing and dancing all the way. Germans were shouting songs at the top of their lungs and a chorus of The Star-Spangled Banner emerged from the Americans. With sticky paint on my body and a rain poncho for a t-shirt I returned home hungry and tired. My host father and I went to Domino's to order dinner and I watched the fireworks show from the apartment's roof. Whenever I find myself in a pizza place I always have an urge to point to the cheese and pepperoni pizza, but I resist because I've had pepperoni pizza my entire life and so far every pizza I've had here has been great even if its topped with pineapple, shrimp, peas, or crab. Actually most of the food here has been good if not great.Yesterday I was eating some delicious dark green treats at lunch and upon closer examination I concluded it was seaweed that I was forking into my mouth. My new discovery didn't seem to effect my appetite because I continued eating plenty of seaweed along with my clams, oysters, and snails.

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School Fair

Big Mike



Tug o War




Friends




School's Birthday




Green Bean noodles cooked inside tofu shell



USA

Ask them why a carot represents Mexico and a bannana represents the U.S.A.

FRANCE

Drummers

Flags of the world

Weekend

Friday I was back in school and afterwards I headed over to my Rotary Counselor's house to spend the weekend. My French friend Benoit was under my counselors care for the time being as well. That night we went out to a fundraising dinner. The Rotary Club here is well off and "rolls" with the "big dogs". The dinner included an auction to fund raise for a man running for City Councilman. Participants casually bidded on expensive alcohols and other items while eating dinner. I witnessed an item go for 10,000 new Taiwanese dollars on the first bid, and no that's not even close to ten U.S. dollars.

The following day started with a Rotary District Conference. Every exchange students brought their nation's flag to be sewn together to make a large international flag. I ended up sewing Sweden's flag because the Swedish exchange student wasn't there. The District Governor made an appearance and the entire event was covered by the media. I was interviewed along with my American friend Dan the Man. News broadcasts are up on YouTube but only my wrist watch makes a brief appearance.

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2x2yHJ83iP8

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m95W97HFKpU

After the giant photo shoot, exchange students split for lunch and a day out in Taipei. I spent my time with Benoit and some friendly Brazilians. It is common to run into groups of other exchange students in the streets of business districts. I would actually be surprised if I didn't see other exchange students and we usually chat for a while as people flow in between groups or form new ones. There are countless things to do, with easy access via the MRT. Weekends are never boring and often times exchange students will just meet at an MRT station and then decide what to do from there.

 After some sushi and Starbucks, Benoit and I returned to my counselor's house. For dinner we went to a European restaurant where I thoroughly enjoyed my spaghetti, some escargot, and the rest of Benoit's lasagna. I did not forget how to use a fork and spoon to twirl my spaghetti although now I find using chop sticks satisfying and not frustrating. ( Most of the time)

The following morning was a trip to the beach. The group included plenty of new faces form the other district in Taiwan and several familiar ones from my own. Upon meeting my new friends I discovered my twin. He is from Central New York, on a Rotary exchange in Taipei,  and he is going to D.C. next year to study international relations. We discussed D.C. and trick or treating at the embassies. We traveled by train and when we reached our destination the weather was dismal. We ate lunch form a local restaurant and I had milk tea. I have concluded that I will really miss milk tea and I suggest anyone to try it if they have the chance. We payed to get into the beach which was beautiful despite the overcast clouds. Soon the heavens opened up and it began to pour. That didn't stop most of the group from swimming in the ocean and neither did the lightning and thunder. Wet and sandy we headed back, the only casualties were a pair of sandals. These were quickly replaced thanks to the convenience of the local 7Eleven.(Open twenty-four seven!) The air conditioning on the train chilled us to the bone. Benoit and I cleaned up at my host counselor's house. Then we went out for dinner with my host counselor. This time it was Thai food, which was incredibly spicy and tasty. For now its back to work and apparently I have school Saturday.

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Sick

Last week I fell ill. I was stuck by a sudden cold and missed school Tuesday and Wednesday. My Cold included a trip to the doctor's where I was prescribed four and a quarter pills to take three times a day. I thought it was a little over the top taking so much medicine but I complied with all the doctor's orders, including his claim that cold water wasn't good for me. There were several other home remedies that conquered my illness as well. I consumed more fruits and vegetables in those two days than I've had in my life. I learned that "I was eating to few before hand". I was also strongly recommended to take a jog to work up a sweat. Much to my concern I was not allowed to consume my precious peanut butter. After asking why I was told that germs like peanut butter and I don't blame the germs, who doesn't like peanut butter?

The highlight of my illness was being able to wear one of the infamous masks to confine my sickness. My only complaint is that Hello Kitty repeatedly appeared on my medicine packaging.

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School

At 6:00 AM my alarm goes off, I rise and fix myself breakfast and pack my lunch. It's another school day except its Wednesday, which means I get to wear real pants and a button down shirt. I'm able to avoid the all to crowded bus by taking the student only bus. Before this discovery I would find myself packed in a bus gripping onto the handrail above, with my elbow precariously hanging above someone's head.

As we cross the Danshui River I take in all the mountains surrounding Taipei. Speeding down the highway next to the bus is a motor scooter. Although only designed for two, the people of Taiwan often fit three or four people onto one. This particular motor scooter held two adults with helmets sitting on the motor scooter and a little girl standing in the front, hair loose and blowing straight back. Most moms I know wouldn't place their child on a motor scooter without a helmet and speed down the highway but most moms I know don't own a motor scooter or live in Taiwan.

I've been told that the Taiwanese can read or share their thoughts while on the road. I think this might be necessary since motor scooters regularly weave through traffic and blow through red lights.

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Sickness, Saxophone, and the beach

The stories for these pictures will be up soon.

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School

I've never been a trouble maker but I feel like stirring things up for some reason. I believe it is the lack of rebels and instigators. From what I've seen in school there has been no insubordination. At the beginning of every class students stand up and say "Lao she hao" which means "Good Teacher". As they say this they bow. Each class has a group leader and everyone follows his instruction. After lunch there is a twenty minute nap time and most everyone sleeps. School is from 8:00 to 5:00 and I don't hear a single groan or even a tired face. Most everyone is filled with child like glee. Tuesday and Thursday mornings are assemblies where students are called to attention and follow instructions to stand up, sit down, stand up, place their hand on their hip, stand at ease, stand at attention, and salute in the blazing sun. Everyone complies to the blaring voice over the microphone and everyone sings the national anthem. I would expect complaining, refusal to follow orders and maybe a mumbled half sung national anthem. It could be argued that this is just what the students expect but i believe its more than that. There is an emphasis in being part of the group and fitting the mold. This attitude contrasts greatly from the American "Rebel without a cause" and "Stick it to the man" way of thinking. This is not to say that the students are perfect or like robots by any means. Students still fall asleep in class and pull out their cell phones when they're not supposed to. However when its pouring rain and the lady with the microphone tells everyone waiting to be dismissed to either sit on the wet black top or squat on their haunches, I don't hear any moans, groans, or whispered curses.

Dress is also quite different. In Taipei school uniforms are the norm rather than the exception. Uniforms range from t-shirts and sweatpants, purple sweat shorts, to button down shirts. Teachers on the other hand don't wear uniforms, they dress extremely casually. Some apparel teachers wear include t-shirt and short sport shorts, t-shirts that say "I'm just a girl" (on a male teacher), or a t-shirt that says "Funk You". This is different from what I'm used to considering my high school gym teacher dressed in khaki shorts with a tucked in polo. Honestly I could care less what sort of garments my instructors are wearing, this is simply a cultural difference that I feel obliged to share.

For now I'm concentrating on subduing the little American rebel within me and stopping the urge to cause a little mischief.

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Moon Festival

The moon is full and round as it will be all year on the autumnal equinox. This marks an important Taiwanese holiday known as the Moon festival. School is cancelled while friends and family spend their time enjoying barbecues and moon cakes. Moon cakes are intricately designed pastries often filled with bean paste. I find them delectable.

After scrambling around Taipei trying to find my friend I was able to to enjoy a grand barbecue. Sitting around a fire cooking meat placed on sticks is cave-man like in nature but extremely satisfying. Once the charcoal grill was started the skewers of meat began to cook. This was unlike any previous barbecues I've been too. We were situated on top of my friend's rooftop balcony, with limited seats but plenty of food. There were no side dishes but an excess of meat to grill. Most of the food was placed on sticks and then set on the grill to cook after a few coats of barbecue seasoning. Then once completed they were set on a platter for anyone to grab. Known to some as the most disgusting food and to others as a delicacy, pig-blood cakes started off the event. I would say they landed some place in between great and horrible. Sausages, chicken legs, and ham wraps made it onto the grill soon after. Some of the more unique entries included sticky rice sausage, mushrooms, tofu, chicken butt, and chicken heart. All were good but nothing compared to the seasoned pork chops I had. With the moon still high in the sky the food continued to pour onto the grill. Later at three A.M. leftovers were consumed with rice over a card game. Soon after this point my endurance ended and sleep called. My bed consisted of a towel placed over a marble floor. Not the most comfortable bed but I slept regardless and I'm still able to move.

On the bus ride back home I was asked why I wanted to come to Taiwan. A common question and often followed with why I didn't go to mainland China. From what I've experienced the Taiwanese don't express particular ill will towards their mainland neighbors but view Taiwan as a separate nation. In this particular case my new friend wanted to know how Americans viewed Taiwan. He thought the U.S. would prevent  mainland China from taking in their Taiwan neighbor. Another common question is what I think of Taiwan. They are often surprised by my comment on the beauty of the surrounding mountains. In particular they want to know how I enjoy the food, and last night I enjoyed it thoroughly.


jlpane2930@gmail.com

Yesterday

Yesterday was my first time out into Taipei without any native Taiwanese to guide me. The two other exchange students from my Rotary Club and I managed to meet at Taipei Main station, find a place to eat, order, and find our way to the Rotary meeting. It was a good experience.  Even though my two friends are from Japan and France the default language is English. Easy for me good for them. Their Chinese and English will be better when they leave Taiwan. The Moon Festival Party the Rotary Club hosted was just as fun as our outing before hand. It included free moon cakes, raffles, plenty of food and drink, singing, dancing, toasts, puppet shows, and merriment. It was a grand time. I was encouraged to do multiple numbers including some Micheal Jackson. I was fortunate enough to have my French friend sing and dance along with me while my Japanese friend played the tambourine.

Today everything is cancelled because of the typhoon, which apparently made it onto the CNN news broad cast. So for fun I cooked my family some french toast and bacon for dinner. The experience was rewarding, especially after I received complements on how good the food and maple syrup was.

Friday night I experienced Ximen with my fellow exchange students, going out of the house the first time by myself. Getting to Ximen was easy returning home wasn't, however after some phone calls home I managed to find my way thanks to the help of some good citizens. After getting off the bus that brought me within a reasonable distance to my home I was able to ride on our family's motor scooter.

I'll try to make an effort this week to cover some more day to day living in the blog. As always emails are more than welcome.

jlpane2930@gmail.com

Hey Jude!

Sunday morning started off with some toast, coffee, and coffee cream puffs. From what I understood my host father was taking me to play soccer. I was overjoyed at the chance to recover the lost ground from yesterday. However I interpreted "Baba's" Chinese incorrectly. We weren't going to play soccer but there were adventures ahead regardless. Slightly disheartened I changed out of my soccer gear and into civilian clothes. Mama, Baba, Baba's sister, and I headed to a traditional market. There my eyes fell upon hundreds of tables with jewelery and small little tea pots for sale. There was all sort's of pieces of jade and different jewelry, a bug trapped in amber, extravagantly carved Buddhas (he wasn't actually fat), rustic swords, bracelets, charms, and many other eye pleasing trinkets.  My host Mother insisted on buying me some jewelery even though I don't wear it and told her so. She still had her way, telling me to give it to someone else. After this we made our way to a temple. Here we proceeded in the process my host mother calls "bai bai" which I haven't quite figured out. From what I have gathered it has something to to with honoring ancestors and keeping bad ghosts away. After placing hand fulls of incense in different alters we departed. After a short drive we arrive at a restaurant for Ann's after concert dinner with the band. Much to my amusement there is a karaoke system. I am convinced into doing a song, if my sister accompanies me. I introduced myself in Chinese with the help of Meme and her friend.
Me " I am John"
The Crowd " Whooo"
Me " I'm from America"
The Crowd "larger applause"
Me " I'm eighteen years old"
The Crowd "more applause"
The Crowd " do you have a girlfriend?"
Me " yea"
The Crowd " Awww"
 Then I sing "You Are My Sunshine" and with some help "Hey Jude" (both in English) My singing is far from excellent or even close to good. Despite my lack of talent cheers of "encore! encore!" erupt from the crowd. I give up the stage instead so someone else can have a turn. I never thought part of being an ambassador would involve karaoke and "Hey Jude" but somehow it seems to be the best work I've done yet.

Hey Jude

From Taiwan with Love

Ice is a luxury not often found in Taiwan. Drinks for the most part are not chilled and ice is rare. This includes the whole milk that I found sitting on the kitchen counter. Luke-warm water or juice is tolerable but the warm milk curdles my stomach. I'll place the milk in the fridge and  twenty minutes later I'll find it out again. This time I let it sit out against years of putting the milk in the fridge immediately after use. The family is a little slow at getting up today after my host sister's big concert last night. Yesterday started off with something I thought I would never be doing again especially in Taiwan. I suppose band shows are on Saturday's all over the world and that it's an all day preparation everywhere too. I played the role of band-parent except I'm not a parent so band booster I suppose. I moved band equipment in my soccer socks and shorts, eager for three o'clock to roll around. Lunch included pizza from Dominos and this time there were no  peas or shrimp on it but pineapple and ham. I was happy to have pizza regardless of what toppings were on it. Although Hawaiian pizza did exceed my expectations. Three o'clock comes and much to my disappointment Mother Nature cancelled the beautiful game. For some reason the habitats of Taipei do not like getting wet. They take this seriously nobody goes out in the rain. It doesn't have to be a downpour or a typhoon just regular rain gets things cancelled. Everyone seems to be prepared for rain as well because umbrellas are carried everywhere. Getting a tan is not fashionable in Taiwan neither is looking older than your age even for adolescents. These are very contradicting to American culture where the youth want to be tan and look older.  My soccer dreams were crushed by Mother Nature's rain but for some reason the sun decided it was okay to come out for the indoor concert. My host sister's concert was at a wonderful concert hall which had "Emergency Slings" on the second floor. I thought that even though soccer was cancelled if I had the chance to use one of the emergency slings my day would be made. These emergency slings had directions with pictures and thank goodness because who knows how to use an Emergency Sling. I read the instructions with care hopping my chance would come. Despite my careful preparation I did not have to attach the sling around my waist or repel down the building wall. The concert was nice and involved performers in between songs with paper fans and then umbrellas. Upon returning home I hear what sounds like the ice cream truck. "Happy kids everywhere racing to get ice cream" What any American might mistake for the ice cream truck however is the garbage truck. It works in similar fashion however the garbage truck plays its fun and slightly annoying song as it drives down the street. Adults and children alike run towards it holding bags of garbage instead of loose change and then deposit their unwanted trash into the truck. It's quite the sight, and I find the humor in the situation entertaining still. I've been told that leaving a comment on this blog is a hassle. I would love to hear from my readers whether you have questions or concerns or anything of the sort. I'd be happy to answer or just listen. Feel free to contact me at jlpane2930@gmail.com

What to eat?

I just finished my dinner and I've come to the conclusion that I never know exactly what dinner is. Its not the language barrier of the question "What's for dinner mom?", its the food itself. My dinner is always a mystery, usually I'm able to break it down into sub-groups. I can always identify the rice and its the one thing that remains the same. Rice yesterday, rice today, rice tomorrow and the day after as well. The rice is always accompanied by some vegetables the peppers and onions are all I'm ever able to identify. Lately tofu has made it into the mix which can look surprisingly like rubbery meat. The other day I realized during the cross examination of my dinner that I was thinking "mmmm tofu, alright, this is good!". I'm sure three weeks ago I would have put my nose in the air to such rubbery and gross looking food or possibly nibbled a corner of one. The meat that is placed on top of the rice is similar each day even though the origin differs. Whether its beef, chicken, pork, or sheep its prepared in either two ways. One is in little strips and bits and the other is balled and fried. I'm never able to identify the meat until I taste it but even then sometimes I mistake one animal for another. Either way I always come across a piece that's not quite edible and then there is no more meat for me for the rest of the night. Occasionally something fishy turns up fish eggs, clams, or shrimp (still with the head on). Although I'm usually the seafood type my appetite for these creatures of sea has disappeared. The last category you could say falls under vegetables but I would disagree the mushrooms and fungi that appear on my dinner plate look and most often taste unlike any vegetable I've ever known. I've tried some odd things but nothing outrageous, such as snake. The wildest I've ventured so far has been fried minnows with their head on of course, pork blood soup, and stinky tofu. The black and white spotted fruit I had was unique but certainly not stomach clenching since it was only a fruit. Dinner is always served with chop sticks and my handles have improved after many attempts. I hear my host mother's pocket translator working away and that can only mean one thing. Host mom will arrive shortly with the pocket translator, and the pocket translator will speak some nonsense English and I won't have a clue what my host mom is trying to say.

More School

I thought I had left flag raising ceremonies in elementary school and Lady Gaga in the States however I was proved wrong this morning. All the students were gathered in the school courtyard and we were called to attention and at ease several times before we started the singing of the National Anthem. Raising the flag followed shortly after being called to attention again over the loudspeaker. It feels similar to something out of a Hollywood film complete with mass amounts of obedient students and mountains in the background however we did not break into karate or listen to propaganda speeches. Music class followed the assembly and much to my amusement we watched American music videos in English. The class started off with Lady Gaga's "Bad Romance" but this was just the beginning and Beyonce's "Single Ladies" followed shortly after. The other videos included the Black Eyed Peas' "Rock that Body" and Eminem's "Not Afraid". I was sporting the school uniform through this and the rest of the day including gym. Generally speaking I think school uniforms would include some sort of dress slacks and a button down shirt possibly a tie but not at Dunxu Vocational High School. Here the uniforms include a polyester t-shirt and sweat pants. Gym class started with an eight count dance. After learning the dance the class split into their preferred choice of activity and I get the idea that they don't change throughout the year. There is the ever popular basketball, pool, and table tennis. When I peaked on those playing table tennis I was severely disappointed that their were no master players and I guess that's what stereotyping gets me. Much to my luck the number of questions I received went down considerably and to top it of I wasn't asked "are you boring?". I haven't quite found an answer to that question yet. My schoolmates' fascination with me hasn't subdued; in fact its grown. I walk through the campus and receive shouts across the halls of "HI!" "Herro" "Nice to Meet You". I'll walk past a classroom and the class will explode and soon banging on the windows and shouts of "JOHN, JOHN, JOHN" begins. There is much more most of it can not be put into words and some of it isn't important enough while many things slip from my memory, but for now I hope I painted a good picture of what school is like.

Many River's to Cross

So the lovely scenic photos up in the previous post were from yesterday's excursion. I was told we were going to the sea. Expecting a trip to the beach I packed a soccer ball, a book, and my shades. Heading towards the door I see my host father dressed in socks and a long sleeve shirt. Maybe its chilly next to the water, I didn't know and scurried out the door with my sandals on. While driving to our destination I was asked if I knew where we were going and I said the sea. They agreed but said we were going to the mountains as well. That would explain their hiking apparel they were sporting. Instead of the sea we ended up climbing a mountain. It was easy going but I felt a little like a monk climbing a mountain in sandals. I felt silly until I saw the lady with high heels on. The view was great, I always loved mountains. We ate at a small restaurant, and I improved my chopstick skills. The soup I was served had enormously long noodles. The proper technique is to grab the noodles with the chopsticks in your right hand and place the selected noodles onto the spoon balanced in your left hand. Not easy to start but I managed to eat. The last stop of the night was at a family friend's house. Where I was encouraged to try, everything they happened to be serving. I was more than happy because I was allowed the luxury of sitting on a couch. It was amazing! When people count their blessing I don't think the couch usually makes the list. It made mine yesterday. We were served some fine Taiwan tea which is brewed in small amounts and served in minuscule tea cups. The tea is great and is constantly brewed to refill the smaller sized cups. A little while later one of the "Bring It On" movies were on TV, with mandarin subtitles. Well I guess that's it my day was made by a short hike and a couch to sit on.

Mountains

That First Day of School

Well school was tough, there's no denying it. As of now I am learning how to become a car mechanic. Similar to a something in a petting zoo I received looks and gawks from many and at some point I recall being surrounded by the entire class. I can see why, without any cultural diversity I look a little bit different from everyone else. Classes are 50 minutes a piece with ten minute breaks. Starting before eight and ending at five the school day is long not to mention the hour commute on good old public transportation. The students and the teachers are all very nice, as far as I can tell. The boys outnumber the girls at least eight to two but I'd say the ratio is more like nine to one. With that being said it is apparently social acceptable for males to tell other males they are handsome because I received this at least three times throughout the day with one being a teacher. I took the compliments with gratitude but I couldn't get the image of Americans snickering at the idea out of my head.  Short basketball games between classes with Big Mike was the highlight of the day and either my stiff back or watching one of my classmates blow his nose on the inside of his uniform was the low point. There is running water in the bathrooms but no soap however you might just be able to purchase some at the school's convenient store. Somethings about schools never change though, school lunch in Taiwan tastes the same as it does in the United States.

The Other Side

The Other Side

In this World

where night is day

and day is night

right is wrong

and wrong is right

Where down is up

and up is down

a frown a smile

a smile a frown

To bow or shake

to shake or bow

ni hao hello

hello ni hao

Pictures

Rice for dessert

Traditional Tea and Writting

Not realy frog eggs but tapioca balls yes

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Taipei 101 &
Chang Kai Shek Memorial at Night

One Week

It's been just over a week since I've touched down in Taiwan. After over 20 hours in the air I was exhausted. So far I've seen everything from Taipei 101, Shihlin Night Market, Cheng Kai Shek Memorial, to four people on a motor scooter, a woman picking up trash and a man defecating on a sewer. Without a doubt Taipei is a beautiful city with a river running through the middle and mountains surrounding it. I have a wonderful host family including two younger host sisters who have the English names of Ivy and Ann. Ivy is on an exchange herself in France and taught me Chinese since her English was stupendous. I owe her a million thank yous or should I say xie xie. Chinese is by no means an easy language but I'll learn. My host mother is like an Italian Grandmother and always wants me to eat, and my host father is a master of chop-sticks. This is an art I have yet to master. The food has grown on me and includes a considerable amount of rice and cooked vegetables. Fish, Soup, and dumplings are also popular. I've had my fill of traditional food and some "famous food" including stinky tofu, night market fried chicken, tofu pudding, and pearl milk tea which includes tapioca balls. I've already had my host district meeting, and they are quite generous. Saturday was my district orientation and regardless of a mandarin exam, Mc Donalds, and hot Rotary blazers it was a blast. Meeting Rotary Exchange Students from around the world is an amazing experience and it never fails to amaze. I met a student from South Africa who knows eight languages. The purpose of this blog is to inform and update those who are curious about my exchange or wondering what I'm up to. This will allow me to inform a large audience at once, so I don't spend hours doing it. That's all folks. Zaijian for now.