Taiwaneers

Last Semester of the First Half

Michael's Posts, Our Taipei Life, University 2 Responses »

Mar 142009

Well school has been back in session for a few weeks now. Its strange to realize that at the end of June I’ll have finished two years of my four year degree program. “Time, time, time, see whats become of it…” as Simon & Garfunkel said.

I’m excited for this semester. So far I like all my professors. I feel like I will be challenged by many of the classes without being overwhelmed….yes indeed, that mythical feeling exists.

My schedule:
Mondays: Global Industrial Analysis in the morning and Visual Basic Programming in the afternoon
Tuesdays: International Economics in the morning and Statistics in the afternoon
Wednesdays: A glorious morning of freedom followed by Academic Writing in the afternoon
Thursdays: Physical Education in the morning and Marketing Management in the afternoon
Fridays: Environmental Issues in the morning and International Trade Regulations in the afternoon

As you can see my classes are delving even deeper into my major, International Business & Management. I’m guessing this will be one of the busiest semesters I’ll have here. The classes are getting more demanding but the schedule hasn’t let up, as it will in 3rd and 4th year.

I’ve been elected Vice-Class Leader again and have become a defacto union leader of the MCU International students. I have a lot of respect for union leaders. Balancing the anger of the mob with actually getting things accomplished has been an interesting skill to try and learn. I’ll give you an example.

Last semester we had a class with a very poor teacher. Her English abilities were severely lacking and her classes consisted of really crappy powerpoints that were read to us by her. Her tests consisted of us regurgitating her powerpoints word for word onto a piece of paper from memory. Well none of us liked her. We had several discussions about her with our department’s director. We talked with upper classmen as well who said they couldn’t stand her either. Not that she’s mean or anything, she’s just a crappy teacher. Towards the end of the semester realizing that she was scheduled to teach several of our future classes we took more direct action. Everyone in the class, except one person, signed a petition asking MCU not to have her teach us again for the remainder of our time at Ming Chuan University. We submitted it to the Dean of MCU’s International College. I also emailed the university where this teacher said she got her Ph. D from asking if I could read her dissertation. They told me they had never heard of her before. I then emailed the teacher asking her for a copy of her dissertation or to tell me what name she published under so I could find it myself. She never emailed me back and then right before this new semester was about to begin the teacher emailed our entire class letting us know that she had been reassigned to teach graduate level classes so she wouldn’t be teaching us again this semester. Needless to say I was amazed and happy! I have no idea which of the class’ actions are responsible for this victory but we are sure its a victory! The key now is learning how to duplicate this victory. Most of the “union” work I do at MCU isn’t aimed at actually making my experience better. I’ve realistically set the goal that I want the problems and kinks worked out for the students who come after me. Now there is a new dilemma and I feel like the best thing would be to give a gift back to the administration by not making a big deal about it. Appeasing the wrath of mobs isn’t easy though so we’ll just have to wait and see.

In other news my Chinese is improving. I’m learning new words and remembering them. My neurons seem to be getting along better with Chinese and I’m starting to really enjoy practicing words with friends and classmates. Recent additions to my vocabulary include: Toilet, I think, Please speak slowly, Fat, Skinny, Mean person, Looks like. To reinforce them into my memory I’m constantly asking classmates if they want to go to the bathroom or asking them if they think so-and-so looks like an elephant. Its fun!

Unfortunately I have had my last, at least for the present, tutoring session with my exceptionally excellent student Joshua. I began tutoring him in English back when we lived in Taoyuan and we’ve been meeting once a week for the last 14 months not counting when I was home for summer break. Its a bummer to lose the income. He has become a good friend and we’ve said we’ll keep in touch.

Now I’m going to go work on editing some more of our Korean vacation video!

Travel Log Korea – Entry 1

Korea, Michael's Posts, Travel & Exploring 1 Response »

Feb 122009

Today was quite a day. We began by packing and getting the house ready for departure. Once it came time to locate our passports we ran into difficulty though. Emily had lost hers. She researched what she could do on the interweb lickity-split and set off to the Taipei Immigration Office, then on to the American Institute in Taiwan (aka USA embassy) and then back to the Taipei Immigration Office securing her temporary passport in the nick of time.

We decided to screw the cheaper option of taking the bus to the airport and took a taxi instead (I hate shelling out money) because of the time crunch we were now under.

Once we got to the airport we got through everything just fine with time to spare and boarded the Korean Air flight without any more problems.

After the million hour flights from the US to Taiwan this measely little 2 hour 20 min flight to Incheon International Airport outside of Seoul, South Korea was nothing.

After touchdown we got through immigration and customs no problem. Then we tried to use our credit card at an ATM to get some more cash as we only had a little bit. Here is where the next fiasco overtook us. Neither of us could get our credit cards to work in the ATM because we couldn’t remember our PIN numbers. So without much cash we got on our free shuttle from the Airport to the Airport Backpacker Guesthouse where we are staying tonight. After 2 minutes in the car we got to our hostel. It is really really really nice and is only $35ish USD a night for two people….I am very impressed.

I got on the internet and made some international phone calls on my cell phone (I am not looking forward to seeing the bill) to get the credit card situation sorted out. After talking to VISA representatives it seems as though I’ll be able to get cash without my PIN by going to banks and showing my passport. They also told me I shouldn’t have a problem using it for purchases so hopefully we’ll be okay.

Those few hours thinking we were stuck in Korea for the next week without any money or way of getting any was quite the stress-test though. Needless to say we recommend everyone to locate their passports and double-check their methods of obtaining cash before traveling by at least 24 hours if not more.

On a pleasant note: Its great here. Our plane got in after dark so I can’t really see much but stepping outside of the airport into the cold winter air made me feel like I was home. It was real winter air where you could see your breath and needed a coat. It felt great!

We are excited to greet tomorrow, fix the money situation and make our triumphal entry into Seoul.

Reading in the Park

Michael's Posts, Our Taipei Life, Taiwanese Culture 3 Responses »

Jan 292009

Sunday was a beautiful sunny day. After church Emily fell asleep for a nap on our bed basking in the warm sunlight coming in massive amounts from our room’s wall of windows. I decided to bicycle down to a big park not far from our home on Taipei’s southwest side and do some reading.

Arriving at the park I continued biking through it looking for a good place. I found it in a bench on the edge of a big area of red dirt with tall, hardwood trees every couple of square-meters or so. The sunlight could still reach me nicely but filtered through the trees. Bright enough to enjoy and dampened enough to make it easy for my eyes to focus on my book’s pages without needing to squint. The area’s purpose seemed to be to give people a comfortable place to walk barefoot on the hard-packed dirt. Except for the trees the dirt was bare.

In the middle of the area was a woman. She was dressed in normal, everyday clothes. Very close to her she had a little push-cart. On the push-cart was a stereo that was playing “Taiwanese exercise music.”

I don’t know what else to call the music. Its very mellow, methodical, and simple. A voice every few seconds alternates between two commands in Chinese which probably mean “up” “down” or something like that. It’s the kind of music that never seems to go anywhere. There are no climaxes, no beginnings, middles, or ends. It just plays with the Chinese voice every second or so alternating commands.

The music is turned up loud enough to be heard in about a 50 meter radius but echoing through the trees its high volume doesn’t hurt your ears no matter how close you are. Scattered around this area of music are people. Men and women, all at least 40-something up to those whose bodies are so weathered from life that one thinks this might be there last Sunday exercise. None of them stand together. They aren’t lined up following the leader. It isn’t a crowd but a gathering of people exercising in unison.

The exercise is like a dance and everyone knows the steps. The Chinese voice says a command and everyone bows forward, sweeping both arms to the right of their body up past their back with a graceful control of fingertips. As they reach their body’s flexible limit in that direction the Chinese voice gives the alternate command and everyone reverses the direction of their arms without any lapse in motion. Timing is perfect. Everyone knows the music and motions well.

One very old lady not far from where I’m sitting is too old to be graceful. She makes all the same motions as everyone else. While everyone else perfectly times their movements so that as they reach the end of one direction they begin their reverse she doesn’t. She begins each movement with a push and thrust. Willing her body to movement she gets her arms and legs going. Instead of fighting momentum to increase grace she embraces it, needs it, to make it to the next exercise.

This is the setting I had for the next few hours while I finish reading Descending From Duty by J. Ryan Fenzel. Life is good.