Chinese Improvement, Hikes, Hot Springs
Can You Speak Chinese? Yes or No
Over the summer when I was filling out the application for the school I am going to, there was a question that read "Can you speak Chinese?" and the only options were "yes" or "no". I laughed, circled "no", and then never thought much more about it. Then, before I left, I was at Simon's Rock having a meeting with my advisor talking about last minute things I should know before going and what not. He brought up that question and said "I have always felt like that the answer to that question was definitely yes or no."
When I got here, I could speak okay, well, well enough to get my point across, but I rarely fully understood what people were saying to me, if I understood at all, that is. Then, the other night I was hanging out with Eric and his friend in my apartment. We were just sitting around looking at pictures and movie clips I have taken that are on my computer. I was showing them a clip from the last time I was in Montreal, and Eric turned to his friend and said (in Chinese) "One time when Andrew was asleep, I got on his computer and looked at all these movies." I wasn't even really paying attention to him, but I understood every word he said! I snapped my head around and was like "You did!?" Both of them stared blankly at me and then Eric said "You just understood what I said!?" It was amazing. They joked about how now they cannot make fun of me in Chinese anymore because I'll understand them. Eric also said he's going to start speaking Chinese to me because it's easier for him and it will make my Chinese get better.
It was so weird how it happened. It was as if one day everything with Chinese just clicked and made sense to me. My professor this week has also been constantly telling me that my tones are noticeably better. I want to try and find some literature about languages suddenly clicking in one's brain or something. It seems so random to me.
We went out again on Wednesday night with two of his other friends and they were constantly making little jokes about me (not in bad intentions) and I pretended not to understand, but one time I burst out laughing and the same thing happened. Both of his friends gawked at me, and Eric said "Yeah, you better be careful, his Chinese is getting a lot better." It's really nice because now I can hang out with Eric and his friends and not have to get them to translate everything they say - instead now it's just like "wait, what does that word mean?"
Day Hike
The plans to go down to central Taiwan hiking were cancelled because the train we needed to take back north was sold out. So, instead, this Saturday we are going to drive a little south of Taipei to this place that I have forgotten the name of and do a little day hike through the mountains. I will most definitely be brining my camera, so expect some major photo updates in the very near future.
Hot Springs
I have discovered the magical wonder that is going to hot springs. I made a friend from Canada who has lived here for about a year and is really into hiking and all-natural stuff (he's the guy that invited me to go hiking on Saturday). One night he called me and said he is going on his weekly trip to a hot spring and wanted to know if I wanted to go slash have ever been. Long story short, I went and absolutely loved it. Now, I go almost every week. It's only like a thirty minute MRT (subway) ride, then a quick bus ride up a mountain, and only costs about five dollars (usd) to get in. It's the most relaxing and wonderful thing ever. I would take pictures, but the only place I have been going to is divided by gender and I'm pretty sure old naked Taiwanese guys don't want me taking pictures of them, let alone do ya'll want to see that, because I know I sure don't.
Over the summer when I was filling out the application for the school I am going to, there was a question that read "Can you speak Chinese?" and the only options were "yes" or "no". I laughed, circled "no", and then never thought much more about it. Then, before I left, I was at Simon's Rock having a meeting with my advisor talking about last minute things I should know before going and what not. He brought up that question and said "I have always felt like that the answer to that question was definitely yes or no."
When I got here, I could speak okay, well, well enough to get my point across, but I rarely fully understood what people were saying to me, if I understood at all, that is. Then, the other night I was hanging out with Eric and his friend in my apartment. We were just sitting around looking at pictures and movie clips I have taken that are on my computer. I was showing them a clip from the last time I was in Montreal, and Eric turned to his friend and said (in Chinese) "One time when Andrew was asleep, I got on his computer and looked at all these movies." I wasn't even really paying attention to him, but I understood every word he said! I snapped my head around and was like "You did!?" Both of them stared blankly at me and then Eric said "You just understood what I said!?" It was amazing. They joked about how now they cannot make fun of me in Chinese anymore because I'll understand them. Eric also said he's going to start speaking Chinese to me because it's easier for him and it will make my Chinese get better.
It was so weird how it happened. It was as if one day everything with Chinese just clicked and made sense to me. My professor this week has also been constantly telling me that my tones are noticeably better. I want to try and find some literature about languages suddenly clicking in one's brain or something. It seems so random to me.
We went out again on Wednesday night with two of his other friends and they were constantly making little jokes about me (not in bad intentions) and I pretended not to understand, but one time I burst out laughing and the same thing happened. Both of his friends gawked at me, and Eric said "Yeah, you better be careful, his Chinese is getting a lot better." It's really nice because now I can hang out with Eric and his friends and not have to get them to translate everything they say - instead now it's just like "wait, what does that word mean?"
Day Hike
The plans to go down to central Taiwan hiking were cancelled because the train we needed to take back north was sold out. So, instead, this Saturday we are going to drive a little south of Taipei to this place that I have forgotten the name of and do a little day hike through the mountains. I will most definitely be brining my camera, so expect some major photo updates in the very near future.
Hot Springs
I have discovered the magical wonder that is going to hot springs. I made a friend from Canada who has lived here for about a year and is really into hiking and all-natural stuff (he's the guy that invited me to go hiking on Saturday). One night he called me and said he is going on his weekly trip to a hot spring and wanted to know if I wanted to go slash have ever been. Long story short, I went and absolutely loved it. Now, I go almost every week. It's only like a thirty minute MRT (subway) ride, then a quick bus ride up a mountain, and only costs about five dollars (usd) to get in. It's the most relaxing and wonderful thing ever. I would take pictures, but the only place I have been going to is divided by gender and I'm pretty sure old naked Taiwanese guys don't want me taking pictures of them, let alone do ya'll want to see that, because I know I sure don't.