Out and About in Taichung

On Friday night all of the new teachers ventured out to a nearby mall. It was the first time on our own in Taichung and our first time truly dealing with a language barrier. In the basement of the mall was a food court, where we found a fast food Hibachi to eat at. The staff at the restaurant spoke little English, so we found ourselves relying on charade-like gestures to order. We each pointed to what we wanted on a menu with English and shook our heads when we did not want something. In return, the waitress would pretend to wipe her face and point to where the napkins were.  We could mostly understand each other without speaking. It was still a little concerning when someone is trying to tell you something and you have no idea what they are saying. 

Picture from Teacher Scott

I've had people say that I will pick up the language and come back knowing Mandarin. I won't. It is a very hard language to learn with five different tones. One word, depending on the tone, will have five different meanings. The teachers who have been here for a year to know how to order tea and to varying degrees other phrases. I also spend the majority of my time teaching English and speaking English with other English speakers, so I am not fully immersed in Mandarin. I am so glad that I took a community education Mandarin class before I left. I didn't think I would remember anything, but I have found myself remembering phrases and being able to hear the tones. I hope to learn as much Mandarin as I can. 

After Hibachi, we took a cab to an arcade/bowling alley. Most cab drivers do not speak English, so we showed them the address that had been written down for us in Chinese. At the arcade, we played games and bowled. A friend had warned me that in some places in Asia they have toilets that are a hole in the ground and you squat over them to use the bathroom. At the arcade, I experienced my first squatty potty. It was also BYOTP (bring your own toilet paper). Toilet paper is also often thrown in the garbage instead of flushed down the toilet due to plumbing issues. 

Who needs to go to the gym when you can do squats in the bathroom?

On Saturday we went to a graduation ceremony for the kindergartners and 6th graders. All of the pre-k/kindergartners performed a song and dance and it was adorable. It was a big deal for many families to have a student who was graduating kindergarten. Many families brought huge bouquets of flowers or presents for their student. Each student also got a diploma. Get ready for some adorableness.

The staff performing their own dance number. 

Some students performing a reader's theater.

On Saturday night we went out to do karaoke. The karaoke place mostly had songs from the 1990s and early 2000s, which are my jams. It was a great time.