Re-defining Taiwan and Taiwan's cultural and historical legacy has become a major endeavour in recent years. Taiwan's thinkers and politicians are busy trying to work out how best to unravel the reality from the propaganda a make a new sense of identity for the Taiwanese people.
Being from the UK I can identify strongly with this process and cultural shift. The UK and Taiwan are both islands and both have a long history of invasion and absorption of different cultures and peoples.
Rather than Taiwan seeing itself as a Chinese backwater, it is now seeing itself as a unique entity with a long and colourful history of cultural development leading to it becoming the first constitutional democracy in Asia, something that the Taiwanese now seem determined to maintain despite antagonisms from across the water.
Multiculturalism is at the heart of this new identity for Taiwan. Different from China's Han superiority "we won't hassle you, as long as you do as we say" approach to ethnic minority management within its own boundaries. Taiwan is learning to embrace all under one.
9 Sept 2007
8 Sept 2007
Out of hiding soon
The time is coming soon to come out of hiding and spend some time outside. As reported back in May the Summer is too hot here to venture outside for too long, but now the weather is starting to cool down.
My wife is starting a photographic course at the end of this month, and we'll be going out most weekends on shoots, so hopefully we'll have some nice pics to share and something interesting to write about.
We are not the only ones that hide indoors during the Summer so don't think us too weird, most of the adults I teach English to also hide away during the hot season, only venturing out because of necessity.
During these last few months I have basically been working six days a week and in my spare time brushing up on my Chinese and other stuff. Nothing much exciting has been happening, just the usual routine.
Anyway October should see some fresh and more interesting posts on this Blog, be back soon!
My wife is starting a photographic course at the end of this month, and we'll be going out most weekends on shoots, so hopefully we'll have some nice pics to share and something interesting to write about.
We are not the only ones that hide indoors during the Summer so don't think us too weird, most of the adults I teach English to also hide away during the hot season, only venturing out because of necessity.
During these last few months I have basically been working six days a week and in my spare time brushing up on my Chinese and other stuff. Nothing much exciting has been happening, just the usual routine.
Anyway October should see some fresh and more interesting posts on this Blog, be back soon!
13 May 2007
It ain't half hot Mum!
It's only early May and we here in Taiwan are already having temperatures up to 32 degrees Celsius, I'm really not looking forward to the Summer!
Today was the first Sunday that I've had off for sometime so we decided to go up into the mountains to look at some green stuff. Even with the mountain breeze to keep us cool, it's still bloody hot up there!
We've decided that the best antidote for the hot summer is to basically stay indoors, and go sightseeing during the cool Winter months. That seems to make a lot more sense.
Fortunately our flat is big and cool even on hot days, and we only require ceiling fans to keep us cool [so far], no need for air conditioning which I'm very pleased about.
We have been out buying plants again for our balcony as we've decided that we are going to bring a touch of the countryside to our own living environment, instead of going outside to be incinerated under the Summer sun!
As with the rest of the world Taiwan is getting hotter as each year goes around, next year we'll try to get back to Europe for a few weeks to escape the worst of the heat. But, maybe it'll be just as hot there, who knows?
Today was the first Sunday that I've had off for sometime so we decided to go up into the mountains to look at some green stuff. Even with the mountain breeze to keep us cool, it's still bloody hot up there!
We've decided that the best antidote for the hot summer is to basically stay indoors, and go sightseeing during the cool Winter months. That seems to make a lot more sense.
Fortunately our flat is big and cool even on hot days, and we only require ceiling fans to keep us cool [so far], no need for air conditioning which I'm very pleased about.
We have been out buying plants again for our balcony as we've decided that we are going to bring a touch of the countryside to our own living environment, instead of going outside to be incinerated under the Summer sun!
As with the rest of the world Taiwan is getting hotter as each year goes around, next year we'll try to get back to Europe for a few weeks to escape the worst of the heat. But, maybe it'll be just as hot there, who knows?
5 Apr 2007
Party in the graveyard!
I haven't been writing blogs here for a while, not because nothing has happened, but because starting my new career has absorbed all of my creative energy so far! And, as I am working seven days a week, I have spent my spare time doing other stuff!!
But, today is Tomb Sweeping Day, and as anyone familiar with Chinese culture will know, that is the day once a year where everyone turns up to "party in the graveyard". Well not exactly party, but it's certainly a time for families to get together at the ancestors tomb side and clean the place up and pay some respects as well. There is also some food, drink and some joviality involved as well for some families.
So Tomb Sweeping Day means a day off for me [although unpaid], and a chance for a well earned rest! This morning we went to a family member's grave to pay our respects and place some flowers there, at lunchtime we ate some local delicacies from Clear Water Village and then I went home to sleeeeep! Aye, I needed some extra shut eye!
I am working mornings and evenings at the YMCA, which on some evenings means working until 10 pm and as I am a newbie at the job, I am clearly making it more effort than it need be, but it will get easier with experience I know. So the last few weeks have been pretty intense getting to grips with my new career, but I'm really enjoying it now. And, more importantly I have finally found a career where I can actually use the stuff that I learnt at university. Both, the Chinese Studies and E-business degrees are proving very useful indeed for English teaching in Taiwan, especially for teaching advanced adult learners. Taiwanese, in general, are pretty smart, and like to know as much as they can about the latest technology and the outside world. So E-business knowledge keeps me current and Chinese Studies helps with meanings and translations, pretty cool!
As you probably know I am also learning a new style of Taijiquan, and that is also keeping me occupied as well. As with all things new it takes time to familiarise oneself with the whole thing [or part of a thing in this case].
Anyway, everything is pretty cool here in Taiwan, but I am not looking forward to the summer when the place gets incinerated under the Summer sun, and on top of that Summer is also Typhoon season, and they can be pretty extreme here too!
So back to work tomorrow and off to Hong Kong at the weekend for a quick visit. Life here is keeping me busy and tired too! It's all go! Be back soon!
But, today is Tomb Sweeping Day, and as anyone familiar with Chinese culture will know, that is the day once a year where everyone turns up to "party in the graveyard". Well not exactly party, but it's certainly a time for families to get together at the ancestors tomb side and clean the place up and pay some respects as well. There is also some food, drink and some joviality involved as well for some families.
So Tomb Sweeping Day means a day off for me [although unpaid], and a chance for a well earned rest! This morning we went to a family member's grave to pay our respects and place some flowers there, at lunchtime we ate some local delicacies from Clear Water Village and then I went home to sleeeeep! Aye, I needed some extra shut eye!
I am working mornings and evenings at the YMCA, which on some evenings means working until 10 pm and as I am a newbie at the job, I am clearly making it more effort than it need be, but it will get easier with experience I know. So the last few weeks have been pretty intense getting to grips with my new career, but I'm really enjoying it now. And, more importantly I have finally found a career where I can actually use the stuff that I learnt at university. Both, the Chinese Studies and E-business degrees are proving very useful indeed for English teaching in Taiwan, especially for teaching advanced adult learners. Taiwanese, in general, are pretty smart, and like to know as much as they can about the latest technology and the outside world. So E-business knowledge keeps me current and Chinese Studies helps with meanings and translations, pretty cool!
As you probably know I am also learning a new style of Taijiquan, and that is also keeping me occupied as well. As with all things new it takes time to familiarise oneself with the whole thing [or part of a thing in this case].
Anyway, everything is pretty cool here in Taiwan, but I am not looking forward to the summer when the place gets incinerated under the Summer sun, and on top of that Summer is also Typhoon season, and they can be pretty extreme here too!
So back to work tomorrow and off to Hong Kong at the weekend for a quick visit. Life here is keeping me busy and tired too! It's all go! Be back soon!
28 Feb 2007
A new career in a new town
On Monday I started my new career as an English teacher, finally I have found an organisation that is willing to take me under their wing and give me a chance to get started. Many thanks YMCA!
The job consists of teaching 50% kids and 50% adults. I started the kids classes this week, the adults will start next week. I was/am really nervous about teaching the kids, but actually it is working out much better than I thought. My confidence is growing already!
But two days into the classes the we have yet another holiday in Taiwan. It is 60 years since the Chinese took control of Taiwan, and systematically carried out a crackdown on an islanders' uprising against what they saw as an invasion. You can read more about it on BBC here.
As for the English teaching, I have to keep in mind that if I can succeed at it, then I can find work pretty much anywhere in the world. This is a very important motivation for my wife and I, as it is likely that we will not settle permanently back in the UK again.
The job consists of teaching 50% kids and 50% adults. I started the kids classes this week, the adults will start next week. I was/am really nervous about teaching the kids, but actually it is working out much better than I thought. My confidence is growing already!
But two days into the classes the we have yet another holiday in Taiwan. It is 60 years since the Chinese took control of Taiwan, and systematically carried out a crackdown on an islanders' uprising against what they saw as an invasion. You can read more about it on BBC here.
As for the English teaching, I have to keep in mind that if I can succeed at it, then I can find work pretty much anywhere in the world. This is a very important motivation for my wife and I, as it is likely that we will not settle permanently back in the UK again.
20 Feb 2007
Chinese New Year!
Chinese New Year is upon us in Taiwan and the night markets are already bustling and packed with throngs of people, noise, flashing neon and of course food stalls. Taiwan has so much good food to eat!Actually there is so much to describe that I am not sure where to start, but the most interesting experience so far has been a return visit to the temple in Da Jia.
Visiting the temple to burn incense and to pray for good fortune in the coming year is a fundamental part of the Chinese New Year celebrations and festivities.
The temple in Da Jia is one of the most famous in Taiwan and today it was even more packed than usual and at times it was almost impossible to breath through the clouds of incense smoke.
I knelt down at the alter to Guan Yin next to my wife and let her do the praying this time, as I am sure I made a hash of it last time. As we stepped outside we were confronted with the traditional Lion Dance, the lion being lurid pink, I don't think that is a traditional colour.
We walked around the the local streets absorbing the sights and smells of local snacks being cooked at the side of the road. My wife bought a local delicacy that had enough garlic in it to scare off even the most determined vampire, but she loves to eat it that stuff, so what can I say!
18 Feb 2007
Lots of choice words!
As I have been recently unemployed and consequently much spare time on my hands, I've tried to use my time constructively. Thus I present a new dictionary of essential Taiwanese for foreigners, in no particular order and to be updated as new entries are acquired. Transliterations are only approximations and should not be taken as an accurate tool for pronunciation, please seek a native speaker for added authenticity.
1. Hwanna = uncultured foreign ba*t*rd
2. Kwasasha = what the h*ll are you looking at?
3. Chongsasha = what the h*ll are up to?
4. Adogha = foreigner
5. Kartchun = one's anus
6. Kowyow = what the h*ll are you whining about?
7. Ohbahsan = stuffy old woman
8. Ohjeesan = boring old man
9. Ahdohbai = motor scooter
10. Gan ni nyangh = f**k your mother
11. Soolah = d**khead
12. Yookee lahmay = hot-chick or jail-bait (depending on the age)
13. Goyginnah = monkey boy or odd looking juvenile
14. Tsan gyowah = farmers who made a stash selling their land
15. Gyewkee = something that has shrunk or otherwise distorted
16. Joo Joo = cute sound used as a euphemism for a man's ****
1. Hwanna = uncultured foreign ba*t*rd
2. Kwasasha = what the h*ll are you looking at?
3. Chongsasha = what the h*ll are up to?
4. Adogha = foreigner
5. Kartchun = one's anus
6. Kowyow = what the h*ll are you whining about?
7. Ohbahsan = stuffy old woman
8. Ohjeesan = boring old man
9. Ahdohbai = motor scooter
10. Gan ni nyangh = f**k your mother
11. Soolah = d**khead
12. Yookee lahmay = hot-chick or jail-bait (depending on the age)
13. Goyginnah = monkey boy or odd looking juvenile
14. Tsan gyowah = farmers who made a stash selling their land
15. Gyewkee = something that has shrunk or otherwise distorted
16. Joo Joo = cute sound used as a euphemism for a man's ****
14 Feb 2007
Flickr-Ralph in Asia
I have created a Flickr profile for all to view here
More photos to come later, I'll try to make it as interesting as possible...
More photos to come later, I'll try to make it as interesting as possible...
6 Feb 2007
A visit to Clear Water Village
When I visited my wife here in Taichung three years ago she took me to her hometown, at least the place she spent her early years. At that time I wasn't really familiar with the environment and geography of the area, so I only remembered the town centre (although vaguely) and the art museum, although I hadn't realised that was actually in her hometown. All lost in the mists of time, I'm afraid, or maybe just another sign of old age!
During her time in the UK, she has described many of her early memories to me and one in particular related to her grandfather's house. You know the Taiwanese have a problem, and that is they spent the last half of the 20th century in catch-up mode and lost sight of how to appreciate some of the more natural things in life, and so consequently urban Taiwan is generally a sprawl of randomly designed, randomly planned high rise and low rise, with the odd park thrown in as a gesture towards a real desire to appreciate things more natural. Even then the park must be manicured to perfection, forgetting that in general little bugs and birds don't like things so perfect.
Anyway, after living in the UK for three years, my wife has learnt to appreciate the peace and tranquility of more natural parks and gardens, and now often reminisces about her grandfather's big walled back garden that she loved to play in as a kid, with its tall bamboo, guava and mango trees, water pump and flowers and butterflies everywhere. Sounds idyllic, right? Sounds like something to preserve and enjoy, right? Wrong! Although my wife enjoyed the garden she was also deeply embarrassed by it, because it was not "smart and modern" like the city.
So, my wife decided, with her new vigour for appreciating things natural, to visit the place where her grandfather lived to see if the garden had survived the ravages of Taiwanese mindless urban development. We walked from the town square, with its large traditional temple, out towards the railway line (as she can remember the sounds of the trains going by whilst playing in the garden). We walked through small lanes lined with now largely decrepit traditional bungalow style houses and the odd secret temple, down the hill towards the main road. She remembered the old factory building, which we found. She said that she can remember looking up at the factory through the trees in the garden, so suddenly we knew we were in the right place.
But, she said that she couldn't exactly recognise anything. We found an old house on the edge of what is a new road heading back up the hill towards the town centre, a kind of tumble down wooden build with a remnant of garden left to go wild. Was that her old grandfather's house? She thought that maybe it was, but not convinced about it. We wandered around for a while looking at the row of ugly concrete buildings that lined the road and searching around for clues. We found ourselves down a small alley, where we came across a very old guy standing out in his small garden. My wife, reluctantly at first, asked him in her now dodgy Taiwanese, if he knew of her old grandfather's house. The old guy was kind and friendly and proceeded to try and help us find it. We walked together back through the network of small lanes and alleyways to the place opposite the factory, where now stood the blocks of concrete with windows. He was sure that was the spot where the romantic garden was, but now all was gone! We thanked him for helping us, and felt saddened that the garden was no longer there, but at least some her relatives have some old photos that we can take a look at.
The old factory opposite has been out of action for more than 30 years, but is still standing today , empty and unused, which to me is kind of symbolic of the randomness of the "town planning" in Taiwan! The Taiwanese developers are more than happy to build a road and concrete blocks over what we would perceive as a lovely garden, and yet leave an old factory standing and rotting for so long, just a few metres away! There are many, many similar examples of this type of development all over Taichung and it makes me wonder how many decades it will take to tidy the place up again and go some way to revert it back to the beautiful place it must have once been.
During her time in the UK, she has described many of her early memories to me and one in particular related to her grandfather's house. You know the Taiwanese have a problem, and that is they spent the last half of the 20th century in catch-up mode and lost sight of how to appreciate some of the more natural things in life, and so consequently urban Taiwan is generally a sprawl of randomly designed, randomly planned high rise and low rise, with the odd park thrown in as a gesture towards a real desire to appreciate things more natural. Even then the park must be manicured to perfection, forgetting that in general little bugs and birds don't like things so perfect.
Anyway, after living in the UK for three years, my wife has learnt to appreciate the peace and tranquility of more natural parks and gardens, and now often reminisces about her grandfather's big walled back garden that she loved to play in as a kid, with its tall bamboo, guava and mango trees, water pump and flowers and butterflies everywhere. Sounds idyllic, right? Sounds like something to preserve and enjoy, right? Wrong! Although my wife enjoyed the garden she was also deeply embarrassed by it, because it was not "smart and modern" like the city.
So, my wife decided, with her new vigour for appreciating things natural, to visit the place where her grandfather lived to see if the garden had survived the ravages of Taiwanese mindless urban development. We walked from the town square, with its large traditional temple, out towards the railway line (as she can remember the sounds of the trains going by whilst playing in the garden). We walked through small lanes lined with now largely decrepit traditional bungalow style houses and the odd secret temple, down the hill towards the main road. She remembered the old factory building, which we found. She said that she can remember looking up at the factory through the trees in the garden, so suddenly we knew we were in the right place.
But, she said that she couldn't exactly recognise anything. We found an old house on the edge of what is a new road heading back up the hill towards the town centre, a kind of tumble down wooden build with a remnant of garden left to go wild. Was that her old grandfather's house? She thought that maybe it was, but not convinced about it. We wandered around for a while looking at the row of ugly concrete buildings that lined the road and searching around for clues. We found ourselves down a small alley, where we came across a very old guy standing out in his small garden. My wife, reluctantly at first, asked him in her now dodgy Taiwanese, if he knew of her old grandfather's house. The old guy was kind and friendly and proceeded to try and help us find it. We walked together back through the network of small lanes and alleyways to the place opposite the factory, where now stood the blocks of concrete with windows. He was sure that was the spot where the romantic garden was, but now all was gone! We thanked him for helping us, and felt saddened that the garden was no longer there, but at least some her relatives have some old photos that we can take a look at.
The old factory opposite has been out of action for more than 30 years, but is still standing today , empty and unused, which to me is kind of symbolic of the randomness of the "town planning" in Taiwan! The Taiwanese developers are more than happy to build a road and concrete blocks over what we would perceive as a lovely garden, and yet leave an old factory standing and rotting for so long, just a few metres away! There are many, many similar examples of this type of development all over Taichung and it makes me wonder how many decades it will take to tidy the place up again and go some way to revert it back to the beautiful place it must have once been.
5 Feb 2007
Cute little fella!
This morning when I went to the kitchen to make some breakfast, I moved a plate standing on the drainer and low and behold their was a cute little fella sitting on the back of a plate, much like the one in the photo. In Taiwan these little House Geckos are known as Bihu 壁虎 or Wall Tiger, presumably because they like to hunt down bugs that live in the house.But, I decided to move it quickly before my wife got up, because I know that she would start panicking and making a fuss about it. So I picked up the plate and carried it out to the balcony, me staring at it and it staring back at me as if to say, shit am I gonna get eaten here or something.
I placed it outside on the wall and it sat there for a while trying to blend in with the tiled surface as best it could.
When I lived in Xiamen China, the people there simply let them live in the house, because they know that the Wall Tigers will hunt down all the undesirable bugs and eat them for lunch. If I had the choice I would do the same, but you know who's boss in this house don't you?
Anyway, if another appears I will quietly place it outside out of harms way, ha!
3 Feb 2007
Tiger Roaring Central Village
That is the literal translation of the name of the new community that we have joined. We moved house this week and have rented a rather nice apartment, although in a slightly dodgy area ("dodgy" in Taiwan means that it is a fairly run of the mill area, but a bit quiet and without streets lined with bars and restaurants).Tiger Roaring Central Village is a fine example of Taiwan's "affordable housing", which means that the local government has built a few big blocks or small housing estates across the city, that are made available cheaply by means of a lottery or application. Actually, they are nothing like the so called affordable housing that we have in the UK, where you can buy a percentage of a "rabbit hutch" and end up paying your mini-mortgage, rent and service charges together (which are not really affordable at all and works out just as expensive as buying your own place if only you could raise the mortgage). The affordable housing apartments that I have seen here are "BIG", big rooms, big balconies, big buildings and big gardens, and cheap to buy or rent!
But, big also means cold, and Taiwan's winters are cold, much colder than I imagined! The cold air must be blown down from the mountains or something, because the air is damp and gets right into your bones. Apartments do not have central heating either, which is a bit of a bind. So we have two choices I suppose, buy a heater or keep moving around to keep warm.
At least with this place we have all the furniture and household stuff included in the rental cost, which is a big help.
We are looking forward to warmer days, hope they come soon!
Photos coming soon, once we get our new PC.
25 Jan 2007
A mosquito's weakness
We are going to move this weekend from our very humble studio flat into a much smarter 3 bed affair on the other side of town. Probably one of the most irritating things about living in the studio, is our little buzzing friends that arrive most evenings to terrorise us. Mosquitoes have a canny ability to just appear in our room (we have stuffed obvious cracks with little plastic bags) soon after it gets dark outside, but the most important thing is, they are smart. Yes, a mosquito can hide itself, waiting and waiting until the lights go out and just as you are about to nod off, the buzzing noise starts around your ear, as it senses for a place to land and get sucking.
There are two responses at this point, either hide under the cover and try to ignore them and go to sleep, or jump up, turn the light on and see if you can spot the little bastard.
It is not easy, I assure you, to see them when you are half a sleep and under the grey white light of a fluorescent bulb!
But, mosquitoes have a weakness, that is having out smarted you and managed to suck your blood, they get lazy. Surfeit on blood they seem to lose their previously mentioned ability to hide and just sit on the wall, apparently intoxicated, and an easy target for a quick whack with a heavy magazine. Blood spatters on our nice clean white walls, lay testament to the fact that mother nature has given the humble mosquito a design flaw.
Anyway, we have found a nice clean place to live now, and we are looking forward to leaving this room with its squashed mosquito carcasses decorating the walls. Life will hopefully take on a semblance of normality once we move, but I think we still have a way to go yet before it feels completely comfortable for us.
There are two responses at this point, either hide under the cover and try to ignore them and go to sleep, or jump up, turn the light on and see if you can spot the little bastard.
It is not easy, I assure you, to see them when you are half a sleep and under the grey white light of a fluorescent bulb!
But, mosquitoes have a weakness, that is having out smarted you and managed to suck your blood, they get lazy. Surfeit on blood they seem to lose their previously mentioned ability to hide and just sit on the wall, apparently intoxicated, and an easy target for a quick whack with a heavy magazine. Blood spatters on our nice clean white walls, lay testament to the fact that mother nature has given the humble mosquito a design flaw.
Anyway, we have found a nice clean place to live now, and we are looking forward to leaving this room with its squashed mosquito carcasses decorating the walls. Life will hopefully take on a semblance of normality once we move, but I think we still have a way to go yet before it feels completely comfortable for us.
16 Jan 2007
It has been a strange week...
Last weekend we went to visit a very famous temple near my wife's hometown with the intention of asking the "Gods" for a little assistance with finding work, which we did. Of course that was all a little new to me. I followed my wife around the crowded temple trying to breath through joss-stick smoke, praying to the various "Gods" for a little help.
Low and behold on Monday the "Gods" appeared to have been listening and I suddenly seemed to have some success with my job hunt. I struck up a great rapport with a manager from a rather well presented adult language centre in the better part of town, who insisted that I was perfect material for his school and that he could mould me into a perfect teacher to match his vision for the school. I should have known he was a "fruit cake" from that moment, but when you're feeling desperate your vision can be a little clouded.
On Wednesday I returned to school having prepared a couple of short teaching demos (bear in mind that I have not a jot of English teaching experience), but nevertheless he seemed suitably impressed and wanted to "train" me to be a teacher. He said that he thought that I was very creative and had a lot of potential, weird right?
On Thursday evening I returned to the school to take part in the "training", which was meant to consist of sitting in on a couple of lessons and then working with my new mentor on how to conduct a class. It is true that I did sit in on a couple of classes, but the mentoring was a little short of the mark in terms of being of any use whatsoever. It was training of the "erh, just do it like this and like that" school of thought, but anyway I was still feeling good about the whole thing. I was invited back for the next day to take part in a class with my mentor and then to put together another demo and have a go again.
So, I arrived there again on Friday with my wife who was there to offer support, as she has a lot of teaching experience.
Suddenly, the whole feeling about the situation had changed (I don't think that it was to do with my wife being there as they had met before), my mentor seemed tense and uneasy, but nevertheless invited me to prepare for another demo, although he "no longer had time" to let me help him with a class.
I prepared for the demo which took a little longer than it should have due to computer problems (I know that is not a good excuse). The demo was completed and certainly went a little better than the first two that I did, so I felt quite pleased about that.
There is one character, however, that I haven't mentioned in this little story yet, that is my mentor's manager, a local Taiwanese guy, who spoke pretty good English (all learnt from watching movies, he told me, yeah right!). I had a long chat with him outside after my Thursday evening "training" session, and I think that is when my fate was sealed. Although the guy was all smiles and chatty (imagine the Japanese soldier smiling as he slits your throat), I am now sure that I pissed him off somehow, and the word was passed to the mentor not to hire me.
Although I was allowed to go through the process on Friday, it was when I was told, just as I was leaving, that the mentor had gone home and that he would "call me later in the evening" that I knew things had gone horribly wrong somewhere. My wife had sensed it also. The call never came.
So here I am back at square one! I am not sure if I am going back to the temple again this weekend to pray for help as it didn't seem to work, or maybe the "Gods" are just pissed at me for not praying in the right way or something and wanted to teach me a lesson, who knows?
Anyway, I am going to try and chill out a little this weekend and make an attempt at feeling normal again, Taiwan style!
Low and behold on Monday the "Gods" appeared to have been listening and I suddenly seemed to have some success with my job hunt. I struck up a great rapport with a manager from a rather well presented adult language centre in the better part of town, who insisted that I was perfect material for his school and that he could mould me into a perfect teacher to match his vision for the school. I should have known he was a "fruit cake" from that moment, but when you're feeling desperate your vision can be a little clouded.
On Wednesday I returned to school having prepared a couple of short teaching demos (bear in mind that I have not a jot of English teaching experience), but nevertheless he seemed suitably impressed and wanted to "train" me to be a teacher. He said that he thought that I was very creative and had a lot of potential, weird right?
On Thursday evening I returned to the school to take part in the "training", which was meant to consist of sitting in on a couple of lessons and then working with my new mentor on how to conduct a class. It is true that I did sit in on a couple of classes, but the mentoring was a little short of the mark in terms of being of any use whatsoever. It was training of the "erh, just do it like this and like that" school of thought, but anyway I was still feeling good about the whole thing. I was invited back for the next day to take part in a class with my mentor and then to put together another demo and have a go again.
So, I arrived there again on Friday with my wife who was there to offer support, as she has a lot of teaching experience.
Suddenly, the whole feeling about the situation had changed (I don't think that it was to do with my wife being there as they had met before), my mentor seemed tense and uneasy, but nevertheless invited me to prepare for another demo, although he "no longer had time" to let me help him with a class.
I prepared for the demo which took a little longer than it should have due to computer problems (I know that is not a good excuse). The demo was completed and certainly went a little better than the first two that I did, so I felt quite pleased about that.
There is one character, however, that I haven't mentioned in this little story yet, that is my mentor's manager, a local Taiwanese guy, who spoke pretty good English (all learnt from watching movies, he told me, yeah right!). I had a long chat with him outside after my Thursday evening "training" session, and I think that is when my fate was sealed. Although the guy was all smiles and chatty (imagine the Japanese soldier smiling as he slits your throat), I am now sure that I pissed him off somehow, and the word was passed to the mentor not to hire me.
Although I was allowed to go through the process on Friday, it was when I was told, just as I was leaving, that the mentor had gone home and that he would "call me later in the evening" that I knew things had gone horribly wrong somewhere. My wife had sensed it also. The call never came.
So here I am back at square one! I am not sure if I am going back to the temple again this weekend to pray for help as it didn't seem to work, or maybe the "Gods" are just pissed at me for not praying in the right way or something and wanted to teach me a lesson, who knows?
Anyway, I am going to try and chill out a little this weekend and make an attempt at feeling normal again, Taiwan style!
12 Jan 2007
Gissa job mate!
Looking for work in Taiwan is perhaps not as easy as I thought. Being a man of more mature years (apparently 45 is really old these days!) it is not easy to be taken seriously in terms of finding work. This seems to be especially the case in Taiwan where basically men over 40 cannot find a job to do, unless they are exceptionally talented, or want to work as a security guard etc. It seems that the expectation is that by middle age an individual will be compelled to start their own business in some way shape or form.
Actually that is one of our objectives, that is to develop a business idea that we can take back to the UK, but in the meantime we both need to work and I am now worried that it will take some time to find a stable job, hrm!
The two main career choices for English speakers in Taiwan appear to be either an English Teacher for some kind of educational establishment, or a Technical Writer for some kind of IT company. A good English teaching job seems to pay more, but I am applying for both to see what comes my way.
Another important thing that is working against me is that I am not American, and Taiwanese love Americans, especially when it comes to learning English. I mean, to me I don't think it is a good idea to focus on any particular accent when learning a foreign language. For me it is most important to speak clearly and make yourself understood, my first Chinese language teacher gave me this advise when I first started out learning Mandarin. Imagine if I had focused on a heavy Beijing accent (the considered standard for Mandarin speakers), I would now sound very strange here in Taichung where Mandarin is heavily influenced by the accent of the local Taiwanese dialect.
Personally I think the focus the Taiwanese have on American English comes from a desire to have some of the USA's success rub off on those that learn it, and a slightly desperate desire to be perceived as being an integral part of the international community. Hrm, I am not sure that I agree with that approach to language learning, but then I would say that wouldn't I?
Actually that is one of our objectives, that is to develop a business idea that we can take back to the UK, but in the meantime we both need to work and I am now worried that it will take some time to find a stable job, hrm!
The two main career choices for English speakers in Taiwan appear to be either an English Teacher for some kind of educational establishment, or a Technical Writer for some kind of IT company. A good English teaching job seems to pay more, but I am applying for both to see what comes my way.
Another important thing that is working against me is that I am not American, and Taiwanese love Americans, especially when it comes to learning English. I mean, to me I don't think it is a good idea to focus on any particular accent when learning a foreign language. For me it is most important to speak clearly and make yourself understood, my first Chinese language teacher gave me this advise when I first started out learning Mandarin. Imagine if I had focused on a heavy Beijing accent (the considered standard for Mandarin speakers), I would now sound very strange here in Taichung where Mandarin is heavily influenced by the accent of the local Taiwanese dialect.
Personally I think the focus the Taiwanese have on American English comes from a desire to have some of the USA's success rub off on those that learn it, and a slightly desperate desire to be perceived as being an integral part of the international community. Hrm, I am not sure that I agree with that approach to language learning, but then I would say that wouldn't I?
3 Jan 2007
Taichung scooter city
Detroit is known as Motor City, Taichung could be known as Scooter City! If you are fan of scooters then this is the place for you! Taichung is the definitive scooter lovers paradise, complete with clouds of two stroke engine fumes and very few laws to control their usage.
True, I can understand why people like to ride scooters, because Taichung streets rarely have side walks and those that do exist have often been utilised as business space for road-side eateries, of which there is an unnecessary abundance I would suggest. Also, there is little place to park a car and a randomly designed and unlinked bus service with which to navigate around the city, makes life here without a scooter pretty inconvenient.
The modern scooter is a bug-eyed pest carrying all and sundry on their daily routines, from little old ladies to traffic wardens to entire families. The spread of this vermin across Taiwan has remained unchecked by the government and now there is pretty much a scooter for every person in Taiwan today, that is 23 million scooters, argh! Making the air in urban areas pretty much unbreathable without the aid of a mask, this is especially true at a main junction during rush hour-don't forget your respirator!
Take a look at this Flickr link and you'll see what I mean!
True, I can understand why people like to ride scooters, because Taichung streets rarely have side walks and those that do exist have often been utilised as business space for road-side eateries, of which there is an unnecessary abundance I would suggest. Also, there is little place to park a car and a randomly designed and unlinked bus service with which to navigate around the city, makes life here without a scooter pretty inconvenient.
The modern scooter is a bug-eyed pest carrying all and sundry on their daily routines, from little old ladies to traffic wardens to entire families. The spread of this vermin across Taiwan has remained unchecked by the government and now there is pretty much a scooter for every person in Taiwan today, that is 23 million scooters, argh! Making the air in urban areas pretty much unbreathable without the aid of a mask, this is especially true at a main junction during rush hour-don't forget your respirator!
Take a look at this Flickr link and you'll see what I mean!
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