Month: August 2013

Posted on

5 Reasons for you to spend a year (or more) abroad in Taiwan.

1. Mandarin is THE language to learn, and with over a billion people in the world who speak it, learning even just basic Mandarin will open up a lot of doors for you, especially with Mainland China's economic growth in recent years.

\"2012-08-07

 
2. Taiwan is a safe place to live with a rich cultural heritage. On top of that, the locals are very friendly, and welcoming of Westerners. The people will take care of you and help you out however they can. Whether you are having trouble ordering food at a restaurant, or finding your way around, the majority or Taiwanese are very approachable and willing to help you out. Many Taiwanese are also very interested in learning English and about Western culture, so don't be surprised if random people approach and befriend you. This makes Taiwan an ideal place to pick-up a second language and to learn about a fascinating culture that has been around for thousands of years.
 
 \"DSC06270\"\"DSC06300\"
 
3. Convenience is paramount in Taiwan, and public transportation is excellent. Taxis are cheap, buses run late and to practically any destination you could possibly have in mind, and the MRT system makes getting around Taipei(and now Kaohsiung) very easy. And there are plans to further expand the MRT system, which will eventually run all the way from Taoyuan international airport to Taipei city. Usually in North America, when we say a place is nearby, we mean 5-10 minutes by car. In Taiwan, distances are usually measured by foot(except in the county, where having a set of wheels becomes more necessary). When I get hungry, I just walk downstairs and have a ton of options in the neighborhood, not to mention 7-11 around the corner and the night market just a little further down the road. More on night markets in a future post.
 \"IMG_5527\"
4. Taiwan is a great place for nature lovers. Whether you feel at home surfing or just chilling at the beach, or if a hike through majestic mountains is more your thing, rest assured, there're plenty of amazing places for you to explore. I'll expand on this topic in a future post, but I'll leave you with a few pics of some of my favorite destinations: Penghu and Hualien.
    \"DSC08118\"    \"DSC03682\"
 
5. It's a fruit lover's paradise. Taiwan has a ton of unique fruits which are either uncommon or unheard of in the USA. A few of my favorites are bājiāo(八蕉), a type of short, sweet banana, huǒlóngguǒ(火龍果) or dragon fruit, and shìzi(柿子) or persimmons, but this topic really deserves a future post of its own. Easy access to a variety of fruits and fresh juice stands makes it easy to get a healthy snack on the run!
\"f\"
 
 
 

——————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————

Chinese phrases of the day:

bājiāo(八蕉)= a type of short, sweet banana

huǒlóngguǒ(火龍果)=dragon fruit

shìzi(柿子)= persimmons

——————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————

Posted on

These Boots were made for Walkin\’!

\"IMG_5692\"

(My nice, new pair of Converse I got on my last birthday)

Okay, so not exactly boots. But they were made for walking, so I got that part right at least. Moving on. In my last post I mentioned the significance of the number eight to Taiwanese people. Today I want to introduce my readers to an interesting Chinese superstition,
míxìn(迷信) in Mandarin. In Chinese culture, it is considered taboo, or jìnjì(禁忌) to give your significant other shoes as a gift. The reason being, as I already mentioned, shoes were meant for walking, and if you give your lover a nice pair of sneakers they will use them to walk out of your life. So if you ever give your boyfriend/girlfriend a pair of Converse for his/her birthday, make sure they pay at least a small portion of the price-tag, 100Nt should suffice. That way they aren't a "gift" or lǐwù(禮物).

——————————————————————————————————————————————————————

Chinese phrases of the day:

míxìn(迷信)= superstition

jìnjì(禁忌)= taboo

lǐwù(禮物)= gift

———————————————————————————————————————————————————————

Posted on

These Boots were made for Walkin\’!

\"IMG_5692\"

(My nice, new pair of Converse I got on my last birthday)

Okay, so not exactly boots. But they were made for walking, so I got that part right at least. Moving on. In my last post I mentioned the significance of the number eight to Taiwanese people. Today I want to introduce my readers to an interesting Chinese superstition,
míxìn(迷信) in Mandarin. In Chinese culture, it is considered taboo, or jìnjì(禁忌) to give your significant other shoes as a gift. The reason being, as I already mentioned, shoes were meant for walking, and if you give your lover a nice pair of sneakers they will use them to walk out of your life. So if you ever give your boyfriend/girlfriend a pair of Converse for his/her birthday, make sure they pay at least a small portion of the price-tag, 100Nt should suffice. That way they aren't a "gift" or lǐwù(禮物).

——————————————————————————————————————————————————————

Chinese phrases of the day:

míxìn(迷信)= superstition

jìnjì(禁忌)= taboo

lǐwù(禮物)= gift

———————————————————————————————————————————————————————

Posted on

Happy Fathers\’ Day!

fùqinjiékuàilè(父親節快樂)!

No, that is not a typo, it really is Fathers' Day here, and while it may be coming a few months later than most of you are used to, there is a very simple explanation as to why Fathers' Day falls on August the 8th every year in Taiwan: the words bābā(八八) eight-eight, as in August 8th, sound very similar to the words bàba(爸爸), which is Mandarin for dad.

Eight is also considered a lucky number in Taiwan for this reason, which in my opinion offers us a valuable insight into the importance of family in traditional Chinese culture.

So, other than the date, and the way the name sounds, what's so special about Fathers' Day in Taiwan? Nothing… Except for your father of course! The holiday is celebrated much the same as it is in North America, or the world over for that matter. The family gathers together, celebrates with a cake or pizza, or maybe by going out to a more traditional restaurant.

(Shown below, a Father's Day cake from 85°C, my personal go-to shop for cakes in Taiwan)

\"2012-08-07

Whatever the game plan, Dad is the one that gets to make the calls. After all, this is the one day out of the year you can show your father how much you care, so make it count!

(My father and I the last time I was back in Texas….No, that's not our car, we took my fiance to visit NASA!)

\"DSC09229\"

On a lighter note, Fathers' Day is also a great time to get electric razors at bargain prices!!!

———————————————————————————————————————————————————————

Chinese phrases of the day:

fùqinjiékuàilè(父親節快樂)= Happy Fathers' Day

bā(八)= eight

bàba(爸爸)= Dad

———————————————————————————————————————————————————————

Posted on

Happy Fathers\’ Day!

fùqinjiékuàilè(父親節快樂)!

No, that is not a typo, it really is Fathers' Day here, and while it may be coming a few months later than most of you are used to, there is a very simple explanation as to why Fathers' Day falls on August the 8th every year in Taiwan: the words bābā(八八) eight-eight, as in August 8th, sound very similar to the words bàba(爸爸), which is Mandarin for dad.

Eight is also considered a lucky number in Taiwan for this reason, which in my opinion offers us a valuable insight into the importance of family in traditional Chinese culture.

So, other than the date, and the way the name sounds, what's so special about Fathers' Day in Taiwan? Nothing… Except for your father of course! The holiday is celebrated much the same as it is in North America, or the world over for that matter. The family gathers together, celebrates with a cake or pizza, or maybe by going out to a more traditional restaurant.

(Shown below, a Father's Day cake from 85°C, my personal go-to shop for cakes in Taiwan)

\"2012-08-07

Whatever the game plan, Dad is the one that gets to make the calls. After all, this is the one day out of the year you can show your father how much you care, so make it count!

(My father and I the last time I was back in Texas….No, that's not our car, we took my fiance to visit NASA!)

\"DSC09229\"

On a lighter note, Fathers' Day is also a great time to get electric razors at bargain prices!!!

———————————————————————————————————————————————————————

Chinese phrases of the day:

fùqinjiékuàilè(父親節快樂)= Happy Fathers' Day

bā(八)= eight

bàba(爸爸)= Dad

———————————————————————————————————————————————————————

Posted on

Are you feelin\’ lucky Punk?

These days everybody has a get rich scheme in the works, and why should it be any different in Taiwan? Well no need to worry, today I'm not going to be tipping you off on any shady mahjong dens or local pyramid schemes. So what is this post about, and why should you read it? Well, if you don't like free money, then don't let me waste any more of your precious time. Because time is money, and its lottery time baby!

\"IMG_5545\" \"IMG_5544\"

That's right, the lottery, it's not only the American dream now. In fact, lottery stores on the island are almost as abundant as convenience stores, so on just about every corner, though unlike in America, You can't buy lottery tickets in a convenience store in Taiwan.

So what should you expect when you visit your local Taiwan Lottery store? Well there will be a man behind a counter smiling and ready to take your money, and on that counter will be stacks upon stacks of lottery scratchers, or guāguālè(刮刮樂)as they are called in Chinese. They are arranged by price, which is generally in the 100NT-1000NT price range, though they also have specially priced lottery tickets with a chance for a larger prize on holidays. The tickets are all there at your disposal, so feel free to leaf through and look for your lucky number.

Aside from the 刮刮樂, for just 50NT you can also fill out a card with your lucky numbers for the dàlètòu(大樂透) and wait for the cash to roll in!  Good Luck, zhùnǐhǎoyùn(祝你好運).

\"IMG_5542\"

——————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————

Chinese phrases of the day:

guāguālè(刮刮樂)= Lottery scratchers

dàlètòu(大樂透)= The big lottery

zhùnǐhǎoyùn(祝你好運)= Good luck

——————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————

Posted on

Are you feelin\’ lucky Punk?

These days everybody has a get rich scheme in the works, and why should it be any different in Taiwan? Well no need to worry, today I'm not going to be tipping you off on any shady mahjong dens or local pyramid schemes. So what is this post about, and why should you read it? Well, if you don't like free money, then don't let me waste any more of your precious time. Because time is money, and its lottery time baby!

\"IMG_5545\" \"IMG_5544\"

That's right, the lottery, it's not only the American dream now. In fact, lottery stores on the island are almost as abundant as convenience stores, so on just about every corner, though unlike in America, You can't buy lottery tickets in a convenience store in Taiwan.

So what should you expect when you visit your local Taiwan Lottery store? Well there will be a man behind a counter smiling and ready to take your money, and on that counter will be stacks upon stacks of lottery scratchers, or guāguālè(刮刮樂)as they are called in Chinese. They are arranged by price, which is generally in the 100NT-1000NT price range, though they also have specially priced lottery tickets with a chance for a larger prize on holidays. The tickets are all there at your disposal, so feel free to leaf through and look for your lucky number.

Aside from the 刮刮樂, for just 50NT you can also fill out a card with your lucky numbers for the dàlètòu(大樂透) and wait for the cash to roll in!  Good Luck, zhùnǐhǎoyùn(祝你好運).

\"IMG_5542\"

——————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————

Chinese phrases of the day:

guāguālè(刮刮樂)= Lottery scratchers

dàlètòu(大樂透)= The big lottery

zhùnǐhǎoyùn(祝你好運)= Good luck

——————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————

Posted on

Pancakes!

Who doesn't love them? Especially lathered in butter and dripping with maple syrup! Yum! I'll be blogging about the best place to get pancakes in Taiwan in the second part of this article, but for now I'd like to introduce you to a local equivalent. Chēlúnbǐng（車輪餅）is one of my all time favorite Taiwanese snacks (shown below)

\"IMG_5531\"\"IMG_5534\"

They are called Chēlún= wheel bǐng=round cakes due to their shape. In fact, they are a lot like pancakes in sandwich form, and what self respecting Westerner doesn't like sandwiches?!? In all seriousness, these tasty little treats will fill you up, and it won't hurt your wallet much at 10NT a piece (though some more famous stores can sell them for as much as 20NT). They come in an assortment of favors, such as cabbage, chocolate, peanut, hóngdòu(紅豆) or red bean, and cream….Let's try a bite!

\"IMG_5533\" \"IMG_5540\"

Boy, that was GOOD!

The two most popular flavors by far are cream or nǎiyóu(奶油) and red bean. In fact, they are also often called hóngdòubǐng(紅豆餅), or red bean cakes. Whatever you call them, they're delicious and I'm going to get some! See you at the night market!

——————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————

Chinese phrases of the day:

Chēlúnbǐng（車輪餅）= tire cakes

hóngdòu(紅豆)= red beans

——————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————

Posted on

Trick or….wait, that\’s not quite right…

\"DSC05690\"

But happy Ghost Month all the same!

Ghost Month, or guǐyuè(鬼月) is a period of time when the gates to the underworld open and ghosts are free to roam the Earth. Ghost Month has many interesting superstitions and observances associated with it. According to tradition, during Ghost Month, it is unlucky to move into a new home, buy a new car, get married or even hang your clothes to dry(as ghosts may wear them!). Colorful lanterns are hung all along streets, and lanterns in the shape of houses are painstakingly constructed, only to be later burned.

My first year in Taiwan, I was very lucky to witness a very special celebration in Keelung, where Ghost Month is still an important tradition. The locals assembled at the mouth of a temple in the harbor and a speech was given by the mayor, welcoming all to the year's celebration. Afterwards there were fireworks and martial arts displays, and if this wasn't enough, it began pouring rain.

Rain or no rain, the celebration was just getting started. Parade floats marched through the city in the wake of performers and dragon dancers, loaded with drummers and children tossing handfuls of candy to the masses. It was very colorful to say the least, and I honestly had no idea what to expect next.

I followed along with the procession, which was slow and jam-packed with what seemed like the entire city's population. Slowly but surely we made our way to a beach miles down the coast where the house-shaped lanterns were unloaded and pushed out into the ocean and set a flames.

\"92572\"                 \"92571\"

The ceremony is called fàngshuǐdēng(放水燈) which can be loosely translated to the placing of the water lanterns. This was truly one of the most memorable of my experiences in Taiwan, and I recommend you all to check it out if you have the chance!

———————————————————————————————————————————————–

Chinese phrases of the day:

Ghost Month or Ghost Festival = guǐyuè(鬼月) or ZhōngyuánJié(中元節)

placing of the water lanterns = fàngshuǐdēng(放水燈)

———————————————————————————————————————————————–

The first picture is my own, the second and third are from http://big5.huaxia.com/jjtw/jtzdtw/csxc/2009/09/1557857.html

Posted on

Trick or….wait, that\’s not quite right…

\"DSC05690\"

But happy Ghost Month all the same!

Ghost Month, or guǐyuè(鬼月) is a period of time when the gates to the underworld open and ghosts are free to roam the Earth. Ghost Month has many interesting superstitions and observances associated with it. According to tradition, during Ghost Month, it is unlucky to move into a new home, buy a new car, get married or even hang your clothes to dry(as ghosts may wear them!). Colorful lanterns are hung all along streets, and lanterns in the shape of houses are painstakingly constructed, only to be later burned.

My first year in Taiwan, I was very lucky to witness a very special celebration in Keelung, where Ghost Month is still an important tradition. The locals assembled at the mouth of a temple in the harbor and a speech was given by the mayor, welcoming all to the year's celebration. Afterwards there were fireworks and martial arts displays, and if this wasn't enough, it began pouring rain.

Rain or no rain, the celebration was just getting started. Parade floats marched through the city in the wake of performers and dragon dancers, loaded with drummers and children tossing handfuls of candy to the masses. It was very colorful to say the least, and I honestly had no idea what to expect next.

I followed along with the procession, which was slow and jam-packed with what seemed like the entire city's population. Slowly but surely we made our way to a beach miles down the coast where the house-shaped lanterns were unloaded and pushed out into the ocean and set a flames.

\"92572\"                 \"92571\"

The ceremony is called fàngshuǐdēng(放水燈) which can be loosely translated to the placing of the water lanterns. This was truly one of the most memorable of my experiences in Taiwan, and I recommend you all to check it out if you have the chance!

———————————————————————————————————————————————–

Chinese phrases of the day:

Ghost Month or Ghost Festival = guǐyuè(鬼月) or ZhōngyuánJié(中元節)

placing of the water lanterns = fàngshuǐdēng(放水燈)

———————————————————————————————————————————————–

The first picture is my own, the second and third are from http://big5.huaxia.com/jjtw/jtzdtw/csxc/2009/09/1557857.html