Here’s the first attempt at a small project I’ve been curious about trying out for quite some time. I talk to Taiwanese folks about the many things that I encounter around Taipei, but have always wondered what it would be like for some one else to read a Taiwanese view next to a foreign one without any prior interaction on the subject. Will we mention the same things? will we differ in the way we approach the subject?

So, I’ve asked Taiwanese Jessie that we pick out a very simple subject and then both try and write a few paragraphs about it that would indicate somesort of a view or an opinion. We haven’t discussed anything other than the subject, nothing …

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(This post wasn’t suppose to be posted here. Weird. Anyway, since it’s here, I’ll keep it)
Every once in a while I get some questions about my traveling on email. Here are some of the answers I wrote:
Thailand - Chang Mai
> we read your tips on chang mai. we would like to know more about your trck, who was your guide? do you recommend him? if yes, how do we contact him from Israel. is this treck suitable for kids(7 years old)? we are 6, is the car big enough?I did my treks on my own on the back of a motorbike with a fellow American, which might be very difficult for you and your family to follow. In …

About a month or so ago, we were asked to introduce ourselves in class in Chinese. Since I was the first one to volunteer for the task, I ended up introducing myself in a way a bit different than the teacher initially meant.
Here goes (lots of mistakes, I know, but it can demonstrate my Chinese abilities, however they may be. Since my reading abilities are crap, and I haven’t really learned how to write Chinese in Windows, then there might be some really funny mistakes here that weren’t there originally :P) :

我較 fiLi, 是二十七歲. 是 也 以四列 人.
我到台灣來再二零零五年一十一月.
我有一個弟弟合兩個妹妹. 我的最小妹妹最愛.
我學了 MBA 做生意也工作多年. 因為我太難工作了也太多雪了,我不高興.
我朋友告訴我-如果我去看看外國我會高興. 所以, 我說了再見, 拿了幾些東西也去了.
先, 我九月去看看 Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, 河 …

I’m really bad at politics, I never understand much about what’s going on but it seems as though I do make up my mind pretty fast as to what I don’t like based on lacking intuition. It sometimes irritates people that I question more than I supply answers and therefore might come through as not acknowledging anything. Yet, folks who’ve conversed with me long enough know it’s usually leading somewhere, though they also know - as do I - that we’re both never sure where to. Asking questions and trying to understand people’s opinions, beliefs and views. That sounds like something that I would respect.
I’m really bad with history. I never remember or understand much about what really happened …

My new Mandarin skills have been somewhat helpful with my current guesthouse owners, but - it’s a bit shocking to realize that English here is more common than Mandarin. Most folks here speak Cantonese, which is a totally different dialect. I can’t really tell, but I have a hunch that Mandarin speaking folks are a lot different than the Cantonese folks, just by the way they use the language. Honestly, I believe one of the reasons why I adore Chinese as much as I do is because of Mandarin’s wonderful sound and flow with the cute Sh-Sh sounds and somewhat soft vocals. Cantonese is, ehh, how should we put it, not as vocally attractive. But, I am well aware, that …

“Behold, the ones who live ordinary lives. Beware, for it is the truth and sacred secret that will be spoken to you by thee. As the Giladdah walked the HongKong-yamana world with great humble and brave spirit, he pondered the true nature of humanoid existence. Inner power brought meaningful insight that will shake the face of the earth.”

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“Daridalaldadad, Rolex, boom digi-daga, fake-fake, nishtiminaga, Hashish-hashish, popominglishimo, big breasts”. The HongKong Mansions. This is the lowest of lows I’ve set to in my exploration of mankind. No need to wonder why I did it like that, sometimes I just do.
No shower in 2 nights, no “long toilet” in what seems like forever, I woke up in my crappy room and I knew …