Oops. I had 'finished' my MA in FLL at NCKU, practically, and already been accepted to the PHD program, when they told me I was ONE CREDIT SHORT! So I need an extra semester... however in order to get the Taiwan Scholarship like I want I actually have to wait until Fall 2010 to start my PHD. OMG! Basically, I have to wait a whole year just for one tiny freaking credit. That's stupid, and it sucks. On the other hand: I wasn't feeling happy about doing the same old thing anyway, I've been dreaming about travels and adventures and now that I have an extra year, I can work on some goals that aren't school related. And that's GREAT. 1) I'm getting healthy. Today I'm cooking a healthy chicken soup. I'm not eating sugar, bread, processed foods and lots of other bad things. 2) I'm determined to learn Chinese, at least more, so I don't feel like an idiot. 3) Now that I can't depend on the scholarship, I'll actually get a job and save some money 4) I want to go to Japan for a few months (probably teaching English), I also want to spend a month in India, and travel to China and Vietnam. These are all things I can do in this 'extra time'. If I have leftover time, I can improve my thesis, try to publish a book, have some exhibitions and.... rule the world? Who knows. But probably I need a bread from the paths and goals I've been relentlessly pursuing, to do some things just out of interest or fun.
Meanwhile, I've been reading Ayn Rand's "Virtue of Selfishness", which is concretely identifying some of the problems in my psychology and thinking, and urging me to chose a wiser, more intelligent lifestyle based on reason, not emotion. :)
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
Monday, May 11, 2009
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.
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?
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?
Sunday, May 10, 2009
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
Friday, March 27, 2009
Spring Scream Metal Detecting
Ok - I've been busy. Update: I just applied for my PHD program in Foreign Language and Literature. This means
A) That I know a lot about living in Taiwan, Teaching in Taiwan, Studying in Taiwan and other things.
B) That I'm going to be here for a long time
C) That I'll be able to brag and show off because I have a fancy degree.
D) That I get to read a lot of books next year and hopefully be back on the Taiwan Scholarship.
I've been nothing but painting for the past several months....and I'm not quite ready to crank out my thesis before May and graduate in time. So - after a few parties this weekend, including my oil painting opening exhibition/cocktail event party, and after trying to finish a bit of editing work, I'm planning a 4 day camping trip down to Kenting, which will coincide with Spring Scream, Taiwan's biggest annual party. Mostly, I'm looking for an exciting time. But I will also bring down my Fisher Metal Detector and sweep the beaches. My goal is to find a couple pieces of pirate gold before the crowds come, and a few cameras, cellphones and diamond rings after they leave.
A) That I know a lot about living in Taiwan, Teaching in Taiwan, Studying in Taiwan and other things.
B) That I'm going to be here for a long time
C) That I'll be able to brag and show off because I have a fancy degree.
D) That I get to read a lot of books next year and hopefully be back on the Taiwan Scholarship.
I've been nothing but painting for the past several months....and I'm not quite ready to crank out my thesis before May and graduate in time. So - after a few parties this weekend, including my oil painting opening exhibition/cocktail event party, and after trying to finish a bit of editing work, I'm planning a 4 day camping trip down to Kenting, which will coincide with Spring Scream, Taiwan's biggest annual party. Mostly, I'm looking for an exciting time. But I will also bring down my Fisher Metal Detector and sweep the beaches. My goal is to find a couple pieces of pirate gold before the crowds come, and a few cameras, cellphones and diamond rings after they leave.
Saturday, March 21, 2009
Art Exhibition in Tainan!
Oh yes, it's an exciting year. I'll admit, I'm an awful blogger. It's a skill I'd like to develop. Luckily, I'm a damn good writer and a pretty interesting person. Next week I'm giving a speech about my art to 100+ undergraduate art students to open my art exhibition at NCKU. Frankly, that's amazing. In a few years (or sooner!) I'll be selling my paintings for thousands of dollars - and even if I don't, as an 'emerging artist' I can take advantage of some amazing art residency programs all over the world. I have my eye on one in Japan right now - a beautiful, huge studio space for 3 months ending with an exhibition. Wouldn't I love to do one of those every year!!
And fortunately, my paintings are unique, striking, interesting... and novel enough to stand out which is a pretty good thing.
Ok - they're strange. But they're the kind of thing that makes people think I must have some kind of vision or message. People want to know "WHAT DOES IT MEAN!?!" and look to me to supply answers. That's a strong position to be in. What does it mean? Only that I have a sardonic, dark sense of humor and anti-religious tendencies.
Anyway - visit my art blog at www.derekmurphyart.com to see all my paintings!
And fortunately, my paintings are unique, striking, interesting... and novel enough to stand out which is a pretty good thing.
Ok - they're strange. But they're the kind of thing that makes people think I must have some kind of vision or message. People want to know "WHAT DOES IT MEAN!?!" and look to me to supply answers. That's a strong position to be in. What does it mean? Only that I have a sardonic, dark sense of humor and anti-religious tendencies.
Anyway - visit my art blog at www.derekmurphyart.com to see all my paintings!
Thursday, December 18, 2008
Chinese Pod and Chinese Language Learning Software
I've studied languages my whole life, and been an English teacher for the past 6 years; so I have a pretty good idea about how to learn languages. Specifically, I'm an independent student and therefore have enjoyed the rise of various language learning software and mp3/podcast courses that I can follow at my own pace.
Why software? While books are great for visual learners and classrooms, I find it much more difficult to sit down and study; it is just too easy not to. If you stick with books, then you need to set a time and preferably pay for a tutor or standard classes. But this post isn't about books, so moving on, here are the following high-tech language learning courses to learn Chinese quickly:
1) Rosetta Stone
Rosetta stone is a computer program for learning languages that follows a "pick the right flashcard approach". Surprisingly, this format is very versatile and even fun. It's a little like playing a video game. First, they'll show you each card and you listen to the corresponding word or sentence. Some pictures are repeated, for example, they might show you "a cat", and later "the cat is on the bed", and finally, "the black cat on the bed is smaller than the ugly dog under the chair," etc.
Then, they'll repeat the word or sentence and you pick the right picture. The software will helpfully keep track of your mistakes, and recycle lessons you need to work on. They even have voice recognition software built in that analyzes your pronunciation.
The drawbacks of Rosetta Stone are also it's strengths: it doesn't immediately focus on useful vocab. You learn a lot of trivial stuff, they way you learned your first language naturally, and then build up on it. You might not be able to say anything useful for a long time, and suddenly realize you've learned how to say absolutely everything; therefore if you want to really learn a language well, and can focus for about 45minutes a day (the average time to get through a standard lesson) Rosetta Stone is great.
Unfortunately - at somewhere around $200 if I remember correctly, it's not cheap. Their ad-campaign featuring a poor farmer in love with an Italian supermodel is fabulous if unrealistic; where'd he get the cash to buy not only the program but the computer to run it on? And shouldn't he be working?
2) Sybervision/Pimsleur
Pimsleur has been around for a long time - since the days of cassette tapes. :) My uncle used to run their marketing and so I got several sets to try out when I was a teenager. I used it to learn Spanish, German and French. Pimsleur is, in my mind, the ideal way to prep for a holiday abroad. There a 30, 30 minute lessons; one for each day. The content is very useful and very repetitive. It goes something like this: "Hello." "Ni Hao." Say hello in Chinese. "Ni Hao." Say it again. "Ni Hao". Listen again. Is your pronunciation the same as the native speaker's?. "Niiiiiii Haaaaoooooo." On and on.
It is perfect for absolute beginners and can bring you up to an intermediate level very quickly. (You would need Chinese 1, 2 and 3) to get to intermediate level.
Like Rosetta Stone, Pimsleur comes in all kinds of languages. A huge advantage, however, is that you can now get it on mp3 format (if you search hard enough, you can even find the mp3's for free on sites like Limewire.) This means you can listen to it while driving, while shaving, while painting your house or doing the yard work. It's just so easy. Again, Pimsleur is highly recommended for useful, specific language tools that you would need on a holiday or business trip, like booking hotels, going out for a drink, or dealing with problems.
3) www.chinese-course.com
Worth mentioning is Chinese-course.com. Due to my learning style preference, I enjoy their sentence-based teaching method. They give you a big, long, challenging real world sentence both in English and Chinese characters. You can listen to it being said, and isolate each character. You can add characters from the sentences into your personalized "practice words" and set the sentence frequency to your liking. There is a small charge for higher membership levels.
Chinese course is probably best for an already intermediate student who wants to learn some very useful, general comment-type sentences about life, politics, global warming, appearances and other topics. This is a Taiwan based company so they use traditional Chinese characters.
http://www.chinese-course.com/
4) Chinese Pod
And finally - my current favorite - Chinesepod.com.
Chinese pod offers a bunch of 'podcasts', or mini-mp3 lessons. Each 10 -15 minute lesson (or less) offers a dialogue, story, joke or something else of interest, probably based around a topic. The two commentors then discuss, joke and break down the conversation, isolating tricky vocab and grammar, commenting on cultural background and life in China (they are based in Shanghai) and generally having a good time. What makes Chinesepod so refreshing is that, rather than a boring Chinese lesson, the dialogues are usually useful and interesting, and the commentators are informal and fun to listen to.
I like to 'let it run' and listen to about 10 in a row. They have I think at least a couple hundred lessons for each learning level (beginner, intermediate, advanced etc.), so you could really learn all sorts of great stuff without running out of materal.
I love having my hands free to do whatever I need to be doing, and playing Chinese pod in the background. (I've been in Taiwan six years without breaking into the 'upper intermediate' level; and yet alternative forms of study haven't been attractive enough to stick with them. All my books are gathering dust.)
Go check them out - I believe they also do other languages as well and I can only assume that they're great as well.
Chinesepod.com.
Why software? While books are great for visual learners and classrooms, I find it much more difficult to sit down and study; it is just too easy not to. If you stick with books, then you need to set a time and preferably pay for a tutor or standard classes. But this post isn't about books, so moving on, here are the following high-tech language learning courses to learn Chinese quickly:
1) Rosetta Stone
Rosetta stone is a computer program for learning languages that follows a "pick the right flashcard approach". Surprisingly, this format is very versatile and even fun. It's a little like playing a video game. First, they'll show you each card and you listen to the corresponding word or sentence. Some pictures are repeated, for example, they might show you "a cat", and later "the cat is on the bed", and finally, "the black cat on the bed is smaller than the ugly dog under the chair," etc.
Then, they'll repeat the word or sentence and you pick the right picture. The software will helpfully keep track of your mistakes, and recycle lessons you need to work on. They even have voice recognition software built in that analyzes your pronunciation.
The drawbacks of Rosetta Stone are also it's strengths: it doesn't immediately focus on useful vocab. You learn a lot of trivial stuff, they way you learned your first language naturally, and then build up on it. You might not be able to say anything useful for a long time, and suddenly realize you've learned how to say absolutely everything; therefore if you want to really learn a language well, and can focus for about 45minutes a day (the average time to get through a standard lesson) Rosetta Stone is great.
Unfortunately - at somewhere around $200 if I remember correctly, it's not cheap. Their ad-campaign featuring a poor farmer in love with an Italian supermodel is fabulous if unrealistic; where'd he get the cash to buy not only the program but the computer to run it on? And shouldn't he be working?
2) Sybervision/Pimsleur
Pimsleur has been around for a long time - since the days of cassette tapes. :) My uncle used to run their marketing and so I got several sets to try out when I was a teenager. I used it to learn Spanish, German and French. Pimsleur is, in my mind, the ideal way to prep for a holiday abroad. There a 30, 30 minute lessons; one for each day. The content is very useful and very repetitive. It goes something like this: "Hello." "Ni Hao." Say hello in Chinese. "Ni Hao." Say it again. "Ni Hao". Listen again. Is your pronunciation the same as the native speaker's?. "Niiiiiii Haaaaoooooo." On and on.
It is perfect for absolute beginners and can bring you up to an intermediate level very quickly. (You would need Chinese 1, 2 and 3) to get to intermediate level.
Like Rosetta Stone, Pimsleur comes in all kinds of languages. A huge advantage, however, is that you can now get it on mp3 format (if you search hard enough, you can even find the mp3's for free on sites like Limewire.) This means you can listen to it while driving, while shaving, while painting your house or doing the yard work. It's just so easy. Again, Pimsleur is highly recommended for useful, specific language tools that you would need on a holiday or business trip, like booking hotels, going out for a drink, or dealing with problems.
3) www.chinese-course.com
Worth mentioning is Chinese-course.com. Due to my learning style preference, I enjoy their sentence-based teaching method. They give you a big, long, challenging real world sentence both in English and Chinese characters. You can listen to it being said, and isolate each character. You can add characters from the sentences into your personalized "practice words" and set the sentence frequency to your liking. There is a small charge for higher membership levels.
Chinese course is probably best for an already intermediate student who wants to learn some very useful, general comment-type sentences about life, politics, global warming, appearances and other topics. This is a Taiwan based company so they use traditional Chinese characters.
http://www.chinese-course.com/
4) Chinese Pod
And finally - my current favorite - Chinesepod.com.
Chinese pod offers a bunch of 'podcasts', or mini-mp3 lessons. Each 10 -15 minute lesson (or less) offers a dialogue, story, joke or something else of interest, probably based around a topic. The two commentors then discuss, joke and break down the conversation, isolating tricky vocab and grammar, commenting on cultural background and life in China (they are based in Shanghai) and generally having a good time. What makes Chinesepod so refreshing is that, rather than a boring Chinese lesson, the dialogues are usually useful and interesting, and the commentators are informal and fun to listen to.
I like to 'let it run' and listen to about 10 in a row. They have I think at least a couple hundred lessons for each learning level (beginner, intermediate, advanced etc.), so you could really learn all sorts of great stuff without running out of materal.
I love having my hands free to do whatever I need to be doing, and playing Chinese pod in the background. (I've been in Taiwan six years without breaking into the 'upper intermediate' level; and yet alternative forms of study haven't been attractive enough to stick with them. All my books are gathering dust.)
Go check them out - I believe they also do other languages as well and I can only assume that they're great as well.
Chinesepod.com.
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