Tag: Taiwan

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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!!!

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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\"

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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

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

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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

Posted on

Welcome!

Hello everyone!

My name is Logan, and for the past four and a half years I have been living in Taiwan. Life as an expat is never dull, and is full of both challenges and rewarding life experiences. Over the years I have gained a lot of insight into Chinese culture and way of thought, as well an above average command of the language. But a lot of my knowledge has come  the hard way, though luckily for you, your's doesn't have to! I will be updating advice on how to get around in Taiwan, what to expect and how to cope with the cultural differences you will encounter…basically anything and everything that is Taiwan. I would love to hear from my readers, and encourage you to post any questions you may have and I will answer them as quickly as I can! Taiwan has changed my life in more ways than one, and I hope the same will happen for all of you.

Thank you for reading.