My first week of school is over and I can already tell that it is going to be rad. The primary reason for this is that part of the deal I made here so that I could stay in level 4 and keep my fellowship was that I couldn't attend group classes. Oh darn! As most of you, especially you Bloomington folks (who have allowed me to drink your martinis and to weep on your shoulders and who have generally been very tolerant of all my pouting), I'm not really a big fan of the grinding humiliation of going to Chinese class. However, I love the language and find it very rewarding when my skills improve. So basically, having two hours a day of one-on-one time with Chinese teachers is the best possible thing. I couldn't have dreamt of a better outcome.
Unfortunately I am rather out of sorts as I still have much of the weekend ahead and all of my homework already done. Jeez, what gives laoshi? (teacher) aren't you supposed to be terrorizing me with the Chinese educational system? It's not so much that I want to spend all day cooped up in the library, but at least it is air-conditioned there. Every day the heat index is in the 90s (today it is 104) and it really makes exploring the city unappealing. Besides, I came to study and I want as many opportunities as possible to do so. Therefore, I make my own opportunities. I try to think in Chinese as much as possible. So when I find my mind wandering over a particular conversation or plans for the day, I try to translate whatever it is. All of my to-do lists are now written in Chinese. Also, when I get a song stuck in my head, for example Hall & Oates' "Out of Touch" (thanks a lot rydo), I try to translate the lyrics as best I can. Unfortunately I'm not very good at this, so I often end up with a rather unwieldy chorus (in the case of the former, it becomes bu baochi lianluo, or 'not able to maintain contact'), but at least I will surely never forget how to chide my Chinese-speaking friends for not staying in touch.
I do have a couple of Taiwanese friends here and they are a great help, even when they allow me to cheat a little too much with English. Yesterday I went to Taipei 101, the tallest building in the world, with my friend Carrie (an English alias, her real name is Bohshuan). I was very much looking forward to it, but didn't expect to enjoy it quite so much. The views were just spectacular, and I had forgotten what a heady feeling you can get from really extraordinary architecture. I took lots of pictures, but it will be a few days until I can post them.
Afterwards, we went to her friends' going-away party at a place I never could have imagined: a fancy (and rather expensive) bagel restaurant.
11 comments:
Bagels with Bohshuan... alliterative be thou.
Thanks for the cultural moments even though I'm still recovering from the images of the mostly hairless fuzzball.
ha ha, the transformation in Erkia's brain is coming along nicely! (giggling somewhat sinisterly) Pretty soon she will be merging English and Chinese in her brain, and start thinking in an unholy pidgin! (more maniacal laughing)
Dad:
I know that's you, Mr. 'anonymous'
jessica:
I do like the idea of thinking in a unholy pidgin, especially if it means I will thenceforth be known as 'Erkia'
Erkia, leave your Dad alone.
Hey rydo (aka, "Hi Sailor" ;-)...
Do you think that now that she's admitted to Erkia, could an announcement about her heretofore hidden brother Erkle be far behind?
http://www.nowandfutures.com/grins/movies/YngFrank/sweetmystery.wav
BRBD (ask Erkia what it means... if you dare ;-)
Mr. Kuever, please stop winking at me. Erkia's getting jealous.
blogging from China is so 2009, you're way ahead of your time
How is that at least 4 different towers can call themselves the tallest? We're gonna have to compare photos.
Erkia is actually pretty cool. How come you get so many awesome nick name?
WE LOVE YOU! (John too)
That's all I was trying to show you about!
rydo:
ok, but only because you said so.
'anonymous':
hello! thank you very much for your comment. please do come again.
mark:
there is actually an organization that certifies the rank of the tallest buildings. Taipei 101 is tallest in 3 out of 4 categories, but it will be overtaken soon. you can actually get a postcard comparing it with a bunch of other well known structures (the space needle is about half its height). and I really think that Erkia looks better than it sounds, but I have no idea why I am so easily monikered.
montana (and john):
right back atcha!
all the blog stuff is in Chinese here, so I had to get out my dictionary just to figure out that the above said "post has been deleted by the author". that was you, huh? for a second there I thought they had finally found me.
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