Saturday, August 15, 2009

The rooftop

A few pictures I took a few weeks back from 
the roof of my apartment building, another rather idyllic place that I will miss in the coming stressful months.
Laundry! When you sweat as much as I do in this climate, you use this a lot.

Taipei 101 at sunset.

More sunset
My favorite swing ever. The sun sets right between those two buildings.





Signing off

Wow where to begin? Final posts seem so conclusive that I've been sort of afraid to write this for a few days now. I'm sitting in my empty apartment, packing bags and doing laundry because I'm heading to the airport super early tomorrow morning. Most of my friends left this morning.

I suppose I should first say thank you to all those who expressed concern for me after the typhoon. Luckily Taipei only experience a lot of rain. No mudslides and other scary things that made the American news. I was in fact in Hong Kong last weekend when the typhoon hit so I was utterly unaffected except that my plane was delayed. I would describe my weekend in Hong Kong if we didn't have so many other things to discuss. Suffice it to say: Hong Kong is the bomb. I loved it. Everyone should go. 10 points for Asia. But seriously, if you can give anything to disaster relief organizations, please do. 

I feel really bittersweet about leaving Taiwan, which is a good thing I suppose. Kelly and Erica stressed that upon departure we would be at a low point on our emotional graph or whatever it was they showed us at orientation, but I'm really not. As time passed I only continued to improve and accustom myself to this place. 

Sei and I have gone to this restaurant next to our apartment at least three times a week since the beginning of the summer. I once jokingly dubbed it "the best restaurant ever" but the name stuck. Seriously though, best kung pao chicken in the world. While we assumed that our persistent attendance and endearing foreignness would create an automatic inroad to the heart of the woman who owns the place, we continued to be rebuffed. (Okay, not rebuffed. But she didn't exactly mother us.) But this week as we were leaving, she asked Sei if she was Taiwanese. Sei replied in the negative, but as I walked by I quipped, "I'm Taiwanese, though." She proceeded to smack me, but seemed to find me entertaining enough. (Lord knows I crack myself up.)

Anyway, this breakthrough came about eight weeks too late because we had to say goodbye last night. It was, however, a really fitting measure of our progress in Taiwan. We had a long conversation (about Korean jinseng of all things) and she seemed genuinely upset to see us go. Which was awkward when I showed up for dinner tonight, explaining that it was Sei's last night before, but this was mine. As I ate my fried rice all by my lonesome, she brought over some soup as a nice gesture. I'm really going to miss that place. 

[Probably skip the next two paragraphs: an evaluation of my Chinese program] On a different note, I think I will miss ICLP least of all. We had our last class on Friday and boy was I ready for it to be over. As the summer continues I grow ever more angry that I stayed in my original class assignment. I think I really missed an opportunity to learn more this summer by sticking with my teacher's recommendation. As a measuring stick for all of you, I was using the same textbook as the Yale kids who had just finished 1st year. (I just finished second year.) And they got further into the book than I did by the end of the summer because their classmates could handle a faster pace than mine. This makes me so angry I can't even really put it to words. I have to reassure myself with the knowledge that I made the best of my situation by taking on a third textbook. And improve I did. It would be impossible to go to 15 hours of class a week in the middle of Taiwan and not improve. They had us retake the placement exam that we took at the outset and my score went from 61 to 100.  I'll chalk a lot of this improvement up to the fact that I'd already taken the test once before. But nevertheless, I suppose I can't be too angry with the results. Plus, I'm heading into a really intense semester this fall so I've definitely enjoyed the lighter pace and the ability to explore Taipei. 

I think ICLP has potential to be a really strong program. My teachers were wonderfully competent and their textbooks are great. The school just accepted a record number of summer students for which they really didn't have the capacity. For instance, placing 130 students was such a mess that they got lazy and stopped allowing people to move around to their appropriate levels. Most of all, I just think that ICLP creates a really relaxed environment. Their goal doesn't seem to be to replace a full year of study at an American university, probably because most of their students aren't American university students. The summer seems to be a good time to take an easier course load and brush up before continuing with ICLP in the fall. I think that until they design the summer program to match the goals of summer students looking to study hard, I would recommend that Yale kids study somewhere else. There are other ways in which ICLP just didn't facilitate the creation of a more intensive environment. I was sometimes really frustrated that my classmates had prepared significantly less than I had, and a lot of my class time was spent catching them up, but my teachers never suggested that they put in more effort. The "Language pledge" which only took effect on two floors of a building slowly deteriorated through the summer. (I won't claim innocence on that one.) Its really the student body that makes a school and I think ICLP can't afford to accept so many students if it means such a disorganized and lax environment. 

I went to tea with Lu Laoshi (my former Middlebury teacher) this afternoon as well as a few of his ICLP students. He and I compared the two programs a bit and he seemed to have similar impressions of ICLP's comparative lack of organization and pace, but he did say that the ICLP teachers were generally more experienced. Anyway I got to ride to the tea house on the back of his motorcycle which was really exhilarating and something I think you have to do before you leave Taiwan. There are bazillions of scooters on the streets of Taipei and now I've seen the view from atop one. (Sorry Mom, but I'm alive and I'm leaving tomorrow so you don't have to worry about any repeat offenses.) Again it was one of those really encouraging experiences where we had a long afternoon of conversation in Chinese. I'm really glad I've been able to connect with Lu Laoshi through both summers, because he's been able to watch me progress from someone who spoke no Chinese to someone who speaks... well, some Chinese. Haha, likewise I've seen him progress from a pretty nervous teacher to a pretty confident one.

Probably the most relieving aspect of this summer is that I actually really love Asia. Had I decided that Chinese culture just wasn't for me, this would have been a big waste of Chinese classes. But I'm pretty strongly considering declaring a double major in Chinese when I get back, which seemed really unlikely heading into the summer. This means I'll definitely be back to this continent sometime soon. Now is probably a good time to give my hearty thanks to the Light Fellowship. I would absolutely not have come without their financial support and travel advice and they really did provide me with everything I could need in terms of funding. I genuinely thank you, and not just so I can start sucking up to reapply next year. :-)

Bittersweet is I think the best word for my feelings all of today. I videochatted with Jake for about two hours this morning which got me really excited to see family and friends again. But I'm straight up terrified for school this semester. Trying to balance Yale Daily News editorial board elections and a cappella auditions is already an insane task. Trying not to fail out of Yale while doing so, so that I can continue to be involved in both organizations is another thing entirely. I think I will most miss the regularity of this summer. I really learned the rhythms of this place. The weather here might be hot and humid, but at least its always that way. New Haven never lets you know what's ahead. But humid or not, I suppose I must leave. So thank you everyone who made this summer so wonderful, and all of you for following me and this blog. I've missed you all and cannot wait to see you all soon. 

-藍瑞康 (Eric)

Monday, August 3, 2009

Pictures!!


Yet another picture post. The first few are from the weekend, the last few from my family's visit.


OK, Chinese names for family members are insanely complicated, (think: oldest daughter of my father's brother vs. younger son of my mother's younger sister, etc.) I will not attempt them. From left to right: Andrew, me, Andrew's cousin, and Andrew's other cousin's wife (or ex-wife. I was confused.)
We visited a koi pond, not for the scenery, but for the smoothies. As I said, our only purpose this weekend was eating.
I won't use this picture to reinforce any stereotypes about this continent's preoccupation with photography, but I will say that Andrew's cousin had some interesting demands for photo taking at this very random train track. (A train raced by about two minutes later. We scurrried.)
My kind of wine vendor.... 
Proof my sister Emily was in Taiwan. ^She and I laughing at something that i do not remember, but which was most certainly inappropriate.
Another entry in my long-since abandoned favorite crazy sign contest. This was a map in the Yangmingshan Park.

(Photo credit to Sei for the crazy signs. She donated them to my contest.) 



Double Double Taizhong and Trouble

Dearest Reader,

Welcome once again to my wondrous blog of adventure and trial. Sit back and relax as the tales of a hapless waiguoren overwhelm you with a sense of pity. 

Just kidding, I had a pretty good week so no need to feel any sort of regret. Monday through Friday passed as usual so i don't have much to report there.

Anyway, on Friday, Andrew invited me to stay with his aunt and his cousins in Taichung (台中)which is Taiwan's third-largest city (and a sister city to New Haven CT, according to Isaac.) Lonely Planet described it as less than a must-see for the short term visitor but a nice weekend away from Taipei for the long-term expat. I don't know what category my 9 -week stay qualifies me for, but it was certainly fun. My teachers agreed that one goes to Taichung to eat. And eat we did. Andrew's family spent Saturday essentially driving us from restaurant to restaurant. I took the opportunity to try some traditional Taiwanese food that I hadn't had before. Most notably I ate a bite of stinky tofu which is a big deal for me. This tofu is prepared in some sort of rotting sewage marinade to which it owes its name. (Sei actually didn't believe that it was food rather than open sewer when we walked by it once.) Luckily, it tastes a lot weaker than it smells. I wouldn't order it on purpose, but I will no longer cringe when my teachers mention it. (I think they mention it because they enjoy my instinctual facial tic.) Other strange offerings included this weird caked duck blood thing. Also not that flavorful and rather palatable. 

Otherwise it was just a weekend of hanging out in the air conditioned room of their apartment or the movie theater. (I saw "Up." Pixar, I love you.) and feigning understanding of Chinese. 

I got back pretty late Sunday night. Now I'm heading into the final stretch of ICLP. Two weeks! This week my classmates and I will be preparing a skit which will constitute my final oral exam. There is no written exam which is a huuge relief because I won't have to relearn thousands of characters. Instead they are asking us to retake the placement test to gauge our improvement. 

Alrighty, pictures to come soon!

Sunday, July 26, 2009

Okay blogger just deleted this entire post which I had written out. So now I'm really really pissed off. This will be reflected in the post to follow.

Anyway, hello dear followers. Sorry for my long absence but I had a really hellishly busy two weeks. 

This past week was defined by midterms, family, and unhealthiness. So my sister Emily and my mother decided that they wanted to visit Taiwan, using my presence as an excuse. They booked the tickets awhile ago before anyone knew that my midterms fell on the same week. Since tickets are cheapest from Saturday to Saturday, this meant we had to do all our quality time on weekdays. Which was fine except on Sunday my ear began to throb. Being afraid of the Taiwanese hospital, I took some advil and hoped for the best. 

Anyway, despite the stress, having the two of them here was really fun. It gave me an excuse to do my work really quickly and then get out to see parts of the city I hadn't gotten around to seeing yet. Like the zoo. Giant pandas are sweet it turns out. The zoo is only two subway stops from me and really cheap. Win. 

Also the two of them were staying in this sick hotel between school and my apartment which meant I could take advantage of the really really cool rooftop pool which had an incredible view. Double win. 

Anyway, although my ear ache wasn't getting any better, it became the least of my problems when Wednesday lunch I went to a fried noodle place. Walking back to the hotel, my face started to feel funny and when I got to the room, my eyes were swollen nearly shut and I began to rather unpleasantly 瀉肚子。(No translation on that one.) I began to freak out since I have no known food allergies. My mother took pictures and Emily made us cringe with her suggestion that I was probably just "finally becoming Asian." Anyway, the Benedryl eventually fixed things, and I'll just cross my fingers that it was some fluke and that I'll get through the summer without another incident. Anyway at this point I was feeling pretty low, but whatever. We took a trip up to the mountains to have tea which was pleasant. 

On Friday though I finally broke down and went to see the ENT doctor at Wangfang Hospital which is like a 45 second walk from my apartment. After a strugglicious conversation where I tried to register and book an appointment, I received one for about two hours later. The doctor spoke English, took one look in my ear, pronounced that I had an ear infection, gave me pain killers and antibiotics, and sent me on my way. The whole visit cost about $400 NT or like $13. Sweet. I don't even think I'll apply for reimbursement with insurance. 

So yeah, I wrote this post (the first time... grrrr) while lying on my side with ear drops in. I've taken my exams and seen my family off. It was really nice having them around because it gave me the chance to see how comfortable I've become here in Taipei.  Now I'm about to start my third to last week of class. How the time flies!

Saturday, July 11, 2009

Oh, Jianada!

Hey all! 5-day a week class really provides a regularity to life that detracts from epic blog post opportunities so this one is more stream-of-consciousness than anything else. Anyway, on Friday David and I continued our Friday swim tradition at the pool which was fun as always. Then we went to the Marimar Mall with a group of Yalies. After dinner in the food court, we took a ride on what is billed as the world's second largest ferris wheel. The trip up was pretty serene until people started shooting off fireworks from the street right below. Looking down on the fireworks I felt a bit disconcerted, as in "please don't aim to your left..." but it was a nice belated 4th of July event. The mall itself was enormous and well lit. It sort of resembled a Vegas casino. Sadly it was closed when we got off the ferris wheel. 

Next, we caught up with some ICLPers at a club called Luxy. Although my U.S. club going experiences are limited... I imagine that Taiwanese clubs aren't all that different. People danced. People drank. The bartenders did a cool fire throwing routine. Yeah. 

Anway, Saturday night I went to Taipei 101 (once the world's tallest building for those who don't know... is it still? I can never keep up) for the view and for dinner. We got there at dark and the city looked really nice all lit up. Although it seems to me that once you've been up a tall building, you've been up them all. I've been to the Sears tower, and this was similar. I'd like to go on a clear day though so I could see further out into the mountains. Illinois has less of that to boast. There was a really weird coral museum slash store at the top of the building. Probably the coolest part was the ride up in the world's fastest elevator which took forty-something seconds to get us all the way to the top. You couldn't even really feel it accelerating which was incredible. So after descending, we had dinner in the food court and then walked around the district. Sei waited in line for about half an hour for Cold Stone. We saw a fake statue of liberty right outside the store. Lady Liberty had apparently partaken a bit too much in the ice cream because she was a lot chubbier than the original. The weather was breezy and cool which was an INCREDIBLY welcome change so we sat around a bit before returning home.

Anyway no more exciting excursions to report so I'll just post some general observations: 

Before arriving, I read in the guidebook that the Taiwanese are incredibly gracious hosts, perhaps because they are so happy that a foreigner has chosen to come to their often unrecognized island. This I've found to be true in a lot of cases. Although, while polite in conversation, people are often horrific when it comes to waiting in line or yielding on a crosswalk. That's okay, I forgive easily.

Anyway, this leads into the somewhat hard to notice but omni-present tenuous political equilibrium Taiwan has reached with the People's Republic. I make the following comments not to offer original or in-depth analysis but rather an on-the-ground. This situation fascinates me because it seems like such an odd position for the two countries to have reached. For instance, Lu Laoshi took me out to lunch this week (he was my level one teacher at Middlebury) and mentioned that one needs a visa to travel to mainland, which I found so counter-intuitive to the ROC's official claim that Taiwan is part of China. But yeah, you make new rules and overlook certain things I guess for the sake of peace.

Sei also pointed out that the airport in Taipei changed its name from Chang Kai Shek airport to Taipei International Airport when it started making flights to the Mainland. Good burn, Taipei. Good burn.

Last week, I was sitting in the computer lab at school and incredibly loud sirens started sounding. I sort of looked around at the other people in the lab to discern what one does in the case of nuclear annihilation but apparently what one does is continue to do homework. Turns out they have these drills a lot and  I missed the memo. I asked my one-on-one teacher about it and she seemed surprised to hear that we didn't have regular bomb drills in the U.S. (not for half a century anyway) but I pointed out that China is quite a bit further away from us than it is from Taiwan. She laughed, but I guess it wasn't really all that funny.

One other curious thing I've noticed: A common question that teachers ask in class just by way of practicing various grammar patterns is which countries you've been to before. I'll start listing "France, Italy, Mexico, Canada..." and at "Canada" the teacher, no matter which one, invariably gives this sort of incredulous look or snort that means to say "Canada? No, no, I said foreign country not 51st state. Silly waiguoren." It is in these times that I like to write a rhetorical letter. It reads: "Dear Taiwan, you are in no position to judge Canada's sovereignty ... Love, Eric." Maybe I'm developing some weird Canadian pride because I've been asked if I were Canadian at least three times. (???) At Carrefour, a free sample lady just pointed and David and me and said "Jia na da?" ("Canada?") I responded "No we're American," in Chinese to which she responded that we spoke very well. Oh, what would I do without the lowered expectations for white guys who speak Chinese.  This can be another example of the extreme politeness of strangers here in Taiwan toward foreigners. (Would we Canadi- sorry - Americans ever compliment an Asian tourist in a supermarket who managed to stumble through the sentence "I'm from Taiwan" on their superb English? Maybe we should start.)

In other news, a little boy got on the subway with his father and loudly announced, "爸爸,後面有一個外國人!" (Dad, there's a foreigner behind you!) The dad slowly turned around and politely smiled. I made no attempts to reveal that I understand Chinese to avoid embarrassing the dad. Anyway, Erica warned us that this would happen but I'd gone a very long time without it and was starting to worry. Too many of us in Taipei to be all that notable I guess. 

Okay, until next time...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XFyAJhueDJA&feature=related

Monday, July 6, 2009

Pictures of the 4th

Pancakes with banana and oreo. Our forefathers put it all on the line so someday we could make insane dessert-breakfast fusions... while not on American soil.
They also put it on the line so that I could look like a tool. What could be more American than vintage cars, double-stuff oreos, remnants of faux-hawks and completely incomprehensible text? I don't know.