Learning Chinese in Taiwan

I've recently become determined to learn Chinese. I'm 'lower intermediate' now, I can talk on the phone and order things and introduce myself. I don't have any problems getting what I need which is why I haven't gone to the next level.

BUT: people judge your intelligence by your language ability. It's sad but true. So in my first couple years in Taiwan, people would say - "you've only been here how long and you can speak Chinese? You're so smart!" and now people say "You've been in Taiwan how long and you still can't speak Chinese?!" and I feel kind of dumb, which is humbling for me because I like to think of myself as a smart person. Ergo - time to study.

I just signed up for a private teacher from NCKU university (minimum 2hours a week, about 390nt an hour). That's a pretty sweet deal. So I'll do that plus 2 language exchanges and a lot of homework and see where that gets me.

For all the Tea in China

I may have mentioned before about how Taiwan is experiencing a post-colonization period of western culture. Call it globalization or connectivity, but the manifestations of it are all things white and foreign becoming popular and common. SUV's, golden retrievers and huskies, the English language, camping, hiking and bicycling (is this chinese? Even when they buy the full-body bicycling suits?), red wine and cheese (about as non-asian as you can get), and of course the respect and deference given to (White) foreigners.

No where is this more readily seen than in the many coffee shops popping up around Tainan, Taiwan. Not just starbucks, of which there are many, but quaint independent little cafes that serve pasta, sandwiches and coffee. Of course, there are still millions of drive-away tea shops where you can get iced tea to go for 20nt, and nicer sit-down tea places with tea for around 70nt. But here's my problem: I'm addicted to green tea and like to have a cup before breakfast, before I eat anything. So I either have to go out and get a cup and come home again, or go out and sit and do my work somewhere where I can get it... and increasingly, places like this are hard to find!

I went around to the cafe shops around the university the other day and found only coffee and sometimes red tea (and of course, fruit smoothies, herbal teas and other exotic drinks). But c'mon! No green tea in Taiwan?? What the hell. Several times I'd sit down, look over the menu, and leave again. There's just nothing else I want first thing in the morning (which for me is around 1pm).

What do you think about the way Taiwan is turning white?

Summer English Camp in Tainan

I've been busy! Finished my thesis for my MA literature at NCKU - now I'm working on a new business, a summer English camp program. I've got the space at NCKU so all I need are students. Tonight I snuck around putting up posters: it's easier to put them up if you don't have to ask and if there aren't many people around. That may seem dirty but I'm counting on an aspect of Taiwanese culture, which is:

Most Taiwanese employees don't have the authority to do anything, or make decisions on their own, and the bosses aren't usually around. If they don't already have a policy on posters, and if you ask them, they'll probably say "No" or "I don't know, ask my boss" - neither is good for me. But if you put them up at night, chances are nobody is going to care enough to remove them... at least that's my theory. I put them all over Tainan city, places where young kids hang out. Let's see how long they last! BTW - the link to the camp is www.ecc-ncku.com or www.englishculture community.com