台灣 | Taiwaneers

Emily the Award-Winning Photographer

Michael's Posts, Our Taipei Life, Taiwan, Taiwanese Culture, Travel & Exploring 3 Responses »

Mar 162011

100 Fun Things To Do In Taiwan

A few months back we heard about this contest for expatriates living in Taiwan. The idea of the “100 Fun Things To Do In Taiwan” contest is to have foreigners living here share experiences they’ve had and pictures they’ve taken and memories they’ve made. Each entrant creates their Fun Thing To Do page and then tells everyone they know to vote for it. Then after the entry cut-off, judges pick the winners. According to the rules, number of votes accounts for 40% and what the judges think accounts for 60% in terms of who wins. The top fifty entries receive cash prizes ranging from $50,000 NTD to $5,000 NTD.

Well I heard about this contest and took a few minutes to throw up a few of Emily’s amazing photos and a few lines of text describing the highlights of our scooter trip around Taiwan last winter. Then I linked our Fun Thing To Do page on facebook to tell our friends to vote for us. I thought we’d get a few votes and that would be the end of it. About a month later, a few weeks after the contest ended, we received an email informing us that we won 14th place and a cash prize of $10,000 NTD (About $337 USD). We were so surprised and excited.

Yesterday I attended the awards ceremony to receive our prize. If anyone has ever been to a Taiwanese awards ceremony you know exactly what I’m talking about when I say it was comically formal and informal at the same time. Hype’ing consisted of the host asking all of us award-winners if “Taiwanese people are the friendliest ri–igghhht?” and all of us responding “Yes” and clapping a little and then a few minutes later him asking us if “Taiwan is so beautiful ri–igghhht?” and all us responding “Yes” and a little more clapping. A representative of Taiwan’s Tourism Bureau in a full-suit with a corsage gave a speech in Mandarin and the host kindly translated the very best lines like “Taiwanese people are so friendly to our foreign friends.” All of this with cameras snapping and camcorders capturing the amazing moment and tons of the organizers moving about in what looked like mass confusion. The best part was when they had one winner from each category get up on-stage for a photo op while holding an Ed McMahon sized check. Also throughout the event we were repeatedly encouraged to tell all our friends about how amazing Taiwan is and that they just have to come and visit. So without further ado, let me tell you all that Taiwan is very amazing and you all just have to come and visit.

Seriously though it was a great contest. I think the idea of having tourism encouraged by those who have experienced the product themselves is a great idea. I’ve looked at some of the other entries and they make me want to visit Taiwan, like this one that took second place, and I already live here. I really hope that the organizers consider the contest a success and build on the idea in the future.

I’d also like to thank the sponsors:

Free Tip: For all you expats who missed this contest, Tealit was telling all of us to check their website for more of the same in the future.

Lastly, for all of you who voted for us a big and hearty 謝謝!

****EDIT*****

If you were wondering, and I just know you were, here are some of the aforementioned photos for your viewing pleasure:

Back in 台灣

Michael's Posts, Travel & Exploring, USA 2 Responses »

Sep 142010

Well it looks as if this past summer vacation is our worst to-date in terms of keeping the posts flowing here on the blog. Since arriving in Taiwan three years ago we’ve had at least one post every month. But now that has all changed with the gaping hole known as August, 2010. Oh well.

Since the last post there has been way to many happenings to document them all so I guess I’ll just hit the high points.

Owensboro was a great experience. Columbia Sportswear Company turned out to be nice job. Our boss, Janice, in the Quality Assurance department was a wonderful lady who kept us busy inspecting products and weeding out bad ones. I even got trained on operating a cherry-picker and spent many hours zipping around the warehouse, retrieving boxes from up and down the thirty foot high shelves…it was pretty fun! Janice really befriended us and even had us over to her house one night for dinner along with her adult children.

Janet, our hostess in Owensboro, became a dear friend as well. She and her daughter were so kind to us throughout our stay. They talked with us about our days, cooked dinner for us several times, and even took us out to Red Lobster one night. They exemplified, in every way, southern hospitality. Janet’s other daughter who is now married with children was also very kind. She had us come to her birthday/house party and we all enjoyed some camaraderie with people our age.

Our visits with the grandparents and Aunt Winnie were exactly what we hoped for. We were able to get past the three-day vacation-mode conversation style that we normally get into when visiting and just had good times sitting together and eating together and running errands together and the whole bit of every day life. Thank You Jesus for such a precious opportunity.

After a trip down to Chattanooga, TN, to visit the other side of Emily’s extended family, an awesome time with just too much to talk about, we headed back to Michigan. In Indiana the unfortunate reality that many older car owners face came knocking at our door as well. Our ’95 Oldsmobile’s engine, with over 230,000 miles logged on her odometer, seized and died. My kind, sweet, merciful father drove the two and a half hours, one-way, in the middle of the night to retrieve us and a few days later I went back, cleaned out the car, and sold her down the river to a junker. Goodbye old friend, goodbye.

We had a few more good weeks with the families and friends in Michigan and then flew out to SoCal to visit our friends there. We rented a car in LA and drove down to San Diego for a night with my buddy Marty. He then let us use his car to drive down to Ensenada, Mexico for a few days with our friends Tammy and Eddie and their daughter Esthela. Too much to talk about happened and it was wonderful.

Back up in San Diego Marty gave us a tour of his Naval Base and took us hiking and fishing and cooked for us and all kinds of good things…along with meeting his girlfriend Mel, whom Emily and I both find to be a great addition to our list of people to see and visit with…way to go Marty!

Then we drove back up to LA, visited a little with Gen and Kevin over dinner and returned the rental car and got on our plane.

Now we are back in Taiwan and classes have started. I for one was aching for Taiwan at the end of the summer and I am so happy to be back in my house, on my island, with my wife, living the life God has put before me.

Life is Like a Box of Chocolates…Once You Open it Up, it’s Gone Before You Know it

Michael's Posts, Taiwanese Culture, University No Responses »

Jun 252010

I am one, procrastinated step away from finishing my junior year of a Bachelor’s of Business Administration degree. I have spent over 2,160 hours in class with the same group of awesome classmates, hailing from all over the world. This core group of students has welcomed transfer students and said goodbye to others. We’ve sat through classes that ‘never ended’ and learned about the 2008 financial crisis more times than can be counted. We took finals that were worth 40% of the grade and finals that were worth 10%. We’ve had teachers with perfect English and teachers with ‘no’ English. And now I am realizing that we, classmates, have spent more time together than we have left before we part ways. In fact, some of my classmates are already finished with us and will be traveling to different countries next year as exchange students.

Here in Taiwan it is quite common for people to remain close to their high school, or even junior high school, classmates throughout their entire lives. Many of my Taiwanese classmates spend weekends throughout the year, going back to their home city to visit with a group of high school classmates that planned a get-together. A fifty plus year old Taiwanese man we know went on regular walks with one of his high school classmates up until his untimely death. While these are only two examples there are countless others.

I am understanding more and more why this is the case. Like my current university program, Taiwanese high school students spend every day and every class with the same group of students. It is bonding to say the least. Everyone knows exactly who the slackers are and who the hard workers are. Everyone knows who is getting into playing guitar and who is getting into partying. Everyone knows everything about everyone.

At first, I think it was pretty strange for us as foreigners. But I have to say that after three years of it I have really come to enjoy it. There are definitely the clicks and groups and all that. But at the same time there is definitely an overall togetherness amongst us. I am hopeful that this bond remains even after graduation. Next year won’t be the same with Gina and Jennifer and Ken and the rest of my classmates who will be exchange students away in their various locales.

While I disagree with educational philosophy and practices here in Taiwan in many regards, I have become a big fan of grouping students into classes that remain together throughout a program’s duration.