following an unknown path

blessings on door frames

I know Chinese New Year was two weeks ago, but I've been on vacation since then and am just now getting around to blogging about it.  In past years, I just haven't blogged about Chinese New Year since I couldn't blog in "real time."  But this year, I set a few short autoposts before I took off on vacation (worship, candy, blessing fruits), and for the rest of this week I want to share a little more about some of the customs and traditions that surround this all important holiday. 

So, let's talk today about red papers.  In the first two photos below, you can see one of my bestest friends in the whole wide world and her father pasting red papers around the door to their home and place of business. 

Each year new "spring couplets" (春聯) are posted around the door frames of homes.  They are left up all year--or until they come down on their own accord.  Some get quite weathered and/or faded as the year passes, but they are left till the following year, when they will be replaced by new papers. 

These spring couplets can either be purchased factory made, handmade, made to order (while you watch the guy paint/write), or you can make your own.  The characters on the papers are written in either black or gold ink--but the paper is always, always red.

My friend's grandfather made the single four word "blessing" (not "couplet") that hung on my door when I lived in Kaohsiung.  The video below shows a man writing the words for blessing that was hung on my Taiwanese father's home.

These "spring couplets" aren't simply lines from poems.  They are often "lucky words" or words that tell people how to treat others (kinda like the Chinese version of the "golden rule"). If Christian families in Taiwan want to paste "spring couplets" they will choose verses from Scripture or phrases that proclaim how great God is. 

I'm not sure why, but calling them "spring couplets" doesn't quite capture it all.  There is also usually a third paper that is pasted on the top of the door and is written horizontally. 

In addition to the "couplets," the words "blessing" and "spring" are written on squares of red paper that are at an angle so they look like diamonds. 

And, not always, but commonly, these two words are hung upside down (like the gold character in the photo where the man is looking at couplets that are for sale). 

Why are they upside down?  Glad you asked.  In Chinese when you say "your blessing is upside down" it sounds like you are saying "your blessing has arrived."  It's a homophone thing. 

(One couple has posted many kinds of factory made "spring couplets" into a flickr set.  Worth a quick look if you want to see some of the things that were for sale this past Chinese New Year here in Taiwan.)

Another red thing that gets pasted on both doors and windows throughout Taiwan at this time of year are papers depicting gods.  Perhaps he is (they are) the door god(s), but I don't know.  On the main door of the home, usually five papers get pasted.  Additional "god papers" are then pasted on to every window and every additional door--both inside and outside. 

According to my Taiwanese friends, the Taiwanese believe that by hanging these papers over the doors and windows of their home they are protecting their home from evil spirits.  The papers are part of the baibai table on New Year's Eve, and are pasted up after that.

Is it possible that pasting red papers on door frames once a year has ancient roots in the blood of the lamb and passover??  I don't know, maybe.

I do know, however, that God loves the Taiwanese and wants to bless them like they never been blessed before. 

happy chinese new year!!!

Happy Year of the Rat!! 

This photo above was taken at the day market on the morning of Chinese New Year's Eve a few years ago. During the Chinese New Year time, every store sets out candy and every home has a tray of candy set out for guests.

Perhaps it is to wish friends and neighbors a sweet year--that's just a random guess on my part. :)

(I'll try to share some more Chinese New Year traditions with you next week.)

Here are some more photos of Chinese New Year candy for sale.  Some are in the shape of firecrackers, some in the shape of an ancient weight for currency, and some look like Chinese lanterns.

blessing fruits (updated)

At Chinese New Year, everything is a little more festive--including the fruits that have "blessing" values assigned to them.

I forget which blessings pineapples and oranges are supposed to bring.  Perhaps wealth--anyone know for sure?

UPDATE: In the comments, Lawrance, answers my question.  I put his reply here to make the answer more accessible to others.  Thanks for clearing up my vauge impression, Lawrance.

Pineapple means prosperous because of it sounds like "prosperity come"(旺來：旺--prosperity，來--come) in Taiwanese.

Orange means auspiciousness because of it sounds like 吉子 in Mandarin.(吉：auspiciousness，子--children). Parents hope gods can bless their children with auspiciousness.

at 7-11

In Taiwan there is literally a 7-11 on every corner, sometimes even TWO at one intersection.  When you have something like 22 million people squeezed into something the size of 1/15 of Texas, it makes sense.

So, today when I was playing 20 questions with my students, I thought it quite clever when nearly every group included the question "can you buy it at 7-11?" in their process to figure out what the item to be guessed was. 

I've never heard that question asked when playing in America . . . . just one more fun little part of life here.

come see the beauty!

“Come see the beauty of the Lord!” 

As we sang this song during the English worship service, an image of the gargantuan, dark idol on top of a temple in JhuNan flashed in my mind’s eye. 

How very different our God is!  He is beautiful.  He is clothed in majesty and glory.

Please pray with me for the Lord to open the eyes of the Taiwanese people that they may see His beauty. 

~in joy~    
amanda    

Picture Description:     A close up of the idol’s angry glare.  He is a god of medicine—worshipers plead for health at this temple.  Click here for more pics taken at this temple.

Originally posted on my no longer active website on Sept 25, 2003.

wanna learn something new?

My father instilled in me at a very young age the importance of learning.  And isn't there a saying about how we should learn something new every day?

Well, I highly encourage you to hop over to SIMPLICITY and learn something new about these young warriors in Kenya.

Moran trainees, originally uploaded by Boyznberry.

a cold joke

In Chinese the idiomatic expression "cold joke" refers to a cheesy or lame joke.

Monday one of my students was on his toes when he made a cold joke in the middle of class.

We were discussing onomatopoeia  for animal sounds.  You did know that dogs go "woof, woof" in English but "wang, wang" in Chinese, right?  Onomatopoeia is not only a fun word to say, but it is also a very fun thing to discuss with people from other cultures/languages.

Anyway, they were shouting out names of animals, and I was giving them their English sounds.  One of them asked for "deer."

And just like I said for rabbit and mouse, I replied "deer don't make sounds."  And another student said, "Yes the do.  They say 'honey.'"

Ha. Ha. 

But, actually for an EFL student to make a play on the words "deer" and "dear" right there in class is pretty impressive.

proof i was not exaggerating

Yesterday, when I talked about all the fireworks and firecrackers and all the noise I could hear, I wasn't exaggerating for effect.  You don't have to take my word for it, you can actually see and hear for yourself.

Another foreigner living in Tainan also wrote about the temple celebrations that went on this weekend.  He even went to explore the reason for the celebration and took videos of some of it.

He reports: "that temples from all over Taiwan came to Tainan to throw a party for the 300 years birthday for one of the oldest temples in Taiwan - the Koxinga temple. Zheng Cheng Kung, Koxinga, is a Chinese-Japanese local hero who 'liberated' Taiwan from the Dutch during the 17th (?) century, and who [his] university is named after. Since they celebrate this event every 30 years, this was a 10th anniversary for the 30th anniversary."

He captured some of the non-stop fireworks:

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He also captured one of the idols being carried "over the firework remains in a strange go-forward go-left go-right go-back kind of dance."  This is in fact how all idols (that I've seen at least) are carried when they are marched down a street or go on a "god parade."  This carrying of the god can be seen about 30 seconds into this video:

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And, he also captured one of the dragon dances I guessed were happening:

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Right in the middle of the street!  This video is of fireworks and part of a god parade with some of the music I told you I could hear in my living room:

steps in tainan

Before I moved to Tainan I posted a video showing life in Kaohsiung.  I recently found one showing a little bit of what Tainan--my new city--has to offer.

green tea latte

I never had the chance to try Starbucks' Red Bean Frappuccino (Stacy, did you ever actually try it?), but I did try their "new" Green Tea Latte.

Now, I love green tea.  And I really love anything with mauh-cha (green tea powder) in it--ice cream, Kit-Kats, cheese cake, donuts.  And, I've even had a similar green tea drink at a local restaurant.

But this drink from Starbucks?  Not worth it.  It was ok, but just barely ok.  I'll stick to coffee from Starbucks, and green tea greatness from the local tea places.

When you go to places like Starbucks, do you venture out and try their "new" drinks or do you stick to your favorite standbys?

little changes

I shocked myself this week when I drank American Kool Aid for the first time in perhaps 2 years.  I found some that I'd kept in my freezer and decided to whip up a batch.  When I first got to Taiwan, I drank Kool Aid all the time as a comfort drink.  Tiny packages make for easy transport over the ocean, and the dividends are huge.

It called for 1 cup of sugar--I added less than a 1/4 cup of Splenda.  I already knew to add less "sugar" for my new Asianesque tastebuds.  However, I was not prepared for the explosion of overpowering sweet cherry that was about to pour over my taste buds. 

Wow!  That's some strong stuff!  I seriously was overwhelmed by black cherry Kool Aid.  I watered it down--1 part kool aid and 3 parts water--and enjoyed it much, much better.

Who'd a thunk it?

taiwan hearts FOOD

When I asked some teachers this summer in a week long English camp to list the top ten things to do while in Taiwan they listed number one as "eat" and number two as "eat some more." 

When I asked my kid brother what I should make sure to take our cousins to do and see, the first 75% of his list was all about food!!

When I show my students a picture of an armadillo, the very first question they all ask is either "how do you cook it?" or "does it taste good?"

Anyone who has been to Taiwan knows that Taiwanese people LOVE food. 

Every city, every county, every village has a food that it is famous for.  And, please do not return back to your hometown and tell people you didn't try the famous foods of the place you just visited.  This is a major faux pas. 

Oh, and instead of bringing back "My grandma went to LA and I all got was this t-shirt" gifts, all you have to do in Taiwan is bring back a box or bag of famous snacks from the town you visited and everyone will be happy.

Yes, it is true, the Taiwanese LOVE food.

When Sandy posted a youtube video on stinky tofu, I just had to go check it out.  I was pleased to find that there are actually a total of six videos on (bizarre) foods in Taiwan.

Part 1: Stinky Tofu
Part 2: ShrLing Night Market
Part 3: Herbal Foods
Part 4: A Food Court in 101
Part 5: Foods from Tea
Part 6: Aboriginal Foods

If you wanna know more about Taiwan, you can learn quite a bit (not just about food) through this Travel Channel show broken into 6 parts.  But, if you only have time for one . . . you gotta watch the first one on stinky tofu--THE national food of Taiwan--that "stinks even worse than it sounds." :D

But, my two "gripes" with this show are (1) he never leaves Taipei County and (2) they are mostly all unusual foods (not the things we eat on a daily basis). :)  But, the name of the show is "Bizarre Foods: Taiwan" so number 2 makes sense.  Oh, and he never tried the 1,000 year old egg that was on his plate. . . he is weak I tell you, weak.

All kidding aside, I would love for someone to make a show of this quality about the GREAT, unique foods ALL of Taiwan has to offer.  I would buy a copy of that DVD for sure!!

What's the most bizarre thing you've ever eaten?

dun xia

Tiffany and Rebecca have been having fun trying to "dun xia" (蹲下) (ie. squat down) like the Taiwanese do:

The only way Tiffany and Becka can do it and still keep their feet flat on the ground without tipping over backwards is if they are on an incline:

Tiffany and Becca's adventures--day 5

This day started off by just going to a local mega-mart for lunch and a little shopping.  We had "teh ban tsao"--food that is prepared right in front of us.  It was yummy if I do say so myself. 

The girls get a kick out of the prices here--because here the dollar sign is sometimes used for New Taiwan Dollars, so things seem really over priced (like these $990 t-shirts).  There are also many things for sale here that you would be hard pressed to find in the States. 

Mega-marts here are multi-level complexes.  So, the "escalator" is actually an inclined people-mover that has special tracking for locking in the wheels of the carts. 

After our shopping trip, Andy (one of my former students) took us to Lotus Lake for some sight seeing.

First up was the Tiger and Dragon pagodas, but sadly they were under construction.

So, we went to the Spring and Autumn pagodas next.

Before going in the dragon and inside the dragon.

After exiting the dragon. 

We then toured a Taoist Temple.  Seeing people actually bow and worship idols for the first time can be a life-altering event.  At the very least it gives new perspective to the book of Isaiah and the rest of the Old Testament as well.

 

We stopped briefly to enjoy a water lily pond.

Then we saw a huge idol which is actually a temple.  There are two more likeness of this same god of war inside the huge one.

As we walked around the lake to the different sites, we stopped and took some fun pictures. :)

Our last stop on Lotus Lake was a Confucian Temple.  A volunteer came and gave us a guided tour.  So, I learned a lot of new stuff--I'll pass on my new knowledge on another day.

For dinner, we had Japanese/Korean style BBQ.  Where we cooked our food on a BBQ grill right there in the middle of our table.  Pretty cool, huh?

It was an "eat till you are full" resturant, so here are Andy and me with the "menu" where you can keep ordering from for up to two hours.

More Day 5 pictures can be found on my flickr account.

it's all about the 'tude

My parents taught me very early about the importance of attitude.  Learning how to adjust it was a very important part of my up-bringing.

However, I first heard about the "10/90 rule" in regards to attitude and life during my teen years from Charles Swindoll.  I had the following quote posted in my closet during high school so I could be reminded of its truth daily:

“The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life.  Attitude, to me, is more important than facts.  It is more important than the past, the education, the money, than circumstances, than failure, than successes, than what other people think or say or do.  It is more important than appearance, giftedness or skill. It will make or break a company . . . a church . . . a home.  The remarkable thing is we have a choice everyday regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day. We cannot change our past . . . we cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way.  We cannot change the inevitable.  The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude.  I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% of how I react to it. And so it is with you . . . we are in charge of our Attitudes.” (Charles Swindoll)

This is always true, but it is especially true when dealing with living in another country.  I must carefully guard my attitude and reaction to the things around me.  Sometimes it is a self-talk discussion where I must tell myself to choose to think and, thus, feel a certain way.

Let me give you an example. 

I live among thousands of Taiwanese people in a huge apartment complex.  I don't get a lot of mail, so I check my mail box regularly but not often.  The apartment complex has security guards who are supposed to watch the comings and goings of the people and open the safety bar to allow residents to park in the basement. 

These security guys also tell me when I have mail. (This is not part of their job description.)

At first, it was only when I got a package that they would gesture making the shape of a box and shout "package" in Chinese at me when I rode in on my scooter.  Then they started telling me about every.piece.of.mail--every postcard, every bill, every advertisement.  Friday night, one of them even ran down from his basement bar-opening post, shouting my name in Chinese as I disappeared up the stairs in order that he might get to my mailbox and open it so that he could be ready to help me retrieve my electricity bill.

So, I have a choice. 

I can (A) feel annoyed that I and my mailbox are being watched so closely and/or feel annoyed that these men don't think I am adult enough to check my own mail or (B) be grateful that the security guys care about me and want to make sure I get my mail in a timely manner.

It might not seem like it, but I tell you sometimes B is a really hard choice to choose.

And this is just one example.  Here are some more:

People stare at me.  Do I (A) decide this is rude and start to harbor negative feelings towards all strangers or (B) remember that I might be the first or one of the few white people they've ever seen in person and be grateful for their interest in me?

Children and teens shout strange things to me in English.  Do I (A) ignore them and grumble inside about how bad their English is or (B) with a smile and a glance in their direction, shout a pleasant reply back because really they might be trying to be friendly?

Complete strangers ask me stupid questions. Do I (A) put them off and get offended by their nosiness or (B) try to be as friendly as I can as I once again answer the same stupid question for the umpteenth time this month, being thankful for their interest in me?  (Actually, even the fact that I am choosing to call it a "stupid question" lets you in on the fact that I am choosing to think these questions are stupid when I could choose to think of them as friendly "get to know questions" instead.)

And the list goes on . . . and on . . . and on.

And again, it might not seem like it, but I tell you sometimes it is really hard to choose B.

But, let me tell you this too . . . when I do choose B, life is OH SO MUCH better.  Sweeter.  Enjoyable.  The world is friendlier and living here is great. 

And, in reality, because I am supposed to be salt and light, choosing B makes sharing Christ's love so much easier.  Not just because "they" see a changed person, but also because my 'tude is right and I can actually feel loving towards "them."

When I start to choose As more often then Bs it time for me to spend some extra time alone with the One who excels at 'tude-adjusting.

can you read chinese?

I get asked this question A LOT!!

I usually answer with "I can read on about a second grade level--you know basic stuff like signs and menus."

Apparently, my best friend thinks the answer to that question is "YES!"  She sent me a postcard, and it was written completely in Chinese. 

At first, I freaked out.  I was like "WHAT!?!?!  How I am supposed to read this!?!?!  How on earth did she forget that I was American!?!"

Then, after I looked at it a little more carefully it started making sense. The biggest challenge turned out to be that it was in handwriting and not "typed."  Apparently, my best friend knows my reading level right on. 

So, Ellen, what would say my Chinese reading level is?  Thanks for the postcard!!  It made me quite happy to get it.  I miss you and can't wait to see you too!!  And, once again, happy birthday, girly!!!

this made me LOL

“Americans who travel abroad for the first time are often shocked to discover that, despite all the progress that has been made in the last 30 years, many foreign people still speak in foreign languages” (Dave Barry).

Yep.  They do.  I promise!

photo hunt: fake

I've actually posted about burning fake money before.

The money might be fake.

But the fire is real, as is the reality of lostness.

Theme: Fake | See More Fake Stuff

At first, I didn't think I had a photo of anything fake.  But, thanks to Jimmie and her photo hunt picture, I thought of this.  So, thanks for the prompting, Jimmie. 

what is Kaohsiung like?

Well, check out this 4 minute video to see every day stuff you are likely to see in Kaohsiung City, Taiwan--a harbor city on a tropical island. 

Even thought I live in Kaohsiung County and not city, these are still things I see daily.

(If the song is too much for you, turn down/off the volume.)

Dragon Boat Races (video)

I found one of Sam's videos from last year and some of mine from 2004. 

So, below you can see and hear what Dragon Boat Races are like--at least here in Kaohsiung, Taiwan! :) 

Here is Sam's video:

Video from the beginning of a race:

Video from the end of another race:

If you want to pretend you are actually here watching, you will need to go find a steam room or some place where you can feel extra sticky from all the humidity. :)

Graduation Taiwanese Style

Saturday night, I went to the graduation ceremony at my school. This was not a new experience for me, but because two bloggers recently commented about the whole Taiwanese graduation experience on their blogs, I paid more attention to the culture differences myself.

Charlotte did a great job describing exactly what a typical high school graduation is like here in Taiwan.  There are a few differences between high school and college graduations, but on the whole they are quite similar.

Taiwanese graduations tend to be quite informal, and there is no focus on the individual achievement of the students.  Ours even included a rock concert at the end (although about 75% of the graduates had left by that point).  At least at our school (but it seems like at others too) students take pictures the entire ceremony (such as the one above) and wander around at will.  No other teachers were present except the "mentor teachers" (or class adviser).  (I showed up because the students had asked me to--not because I was required to be there.)

At one point, after some dancing and bar tending on stage, the top student of each department was called on stage to receive in honor of all students in their department a diploma.  All the graduates stood and were pronounced graduated.  The dean of each department then went through the crowds and moved the graduates tassels from the left to the right.  This however was the first time I had seen this happen.  Then some awards were given to top students in each class.

Diplomas will be passed out to those who can receive them later--ie have actually passed all their classes and only took senior courses this semester.  If they have to attend summer school (or even one more year) or are are still taking a junior class (which isn't completed until the first week of July) they can attend the graduation ceremony but will not get their diploma.  The receiving of your diploma is a very informal thing done with no pomp and circumstance at all. (One or my former students told me that at his current school, they actually "graduated" before taking finals.)

Char makes two points I whole-heartedly agree with, first, she points out that unlike our western focus on the individual, here in Taiwan the "students were graduating as a class, as a grade, as a school."

It is another example of the "Big Me" (society) vs. the "Little Me" (the individual).  In Taiwanese culture the Big Me always outshines the Little Me.  In some ways I like that they were together as a class--that they were able to graduate with friends.  I remember in high school, college, and grad school graduating next to perfect strangers since my friends were not next to me alphabetically.

Char also points out that by only allowing the top students to be recognized on stage, "it doesn't do a lot to encourage the majority of the average or even mediocre students. They should be given the chance to feel proud of their achievement, even if they weren't number one in their class."  I agree. 

I would add to this that the focus is not at all what any of these students have done.  When I told my students "congratulations" in English or Chinese they were kinda dumbfound and would tell me "congratulations to YOU."  The short speeches made during the ceremony mostly wish the students good health in the future--one VP even reminded the students to exercise so they could live longer.  Nothing is said about "you worked so hard and we are proud of you."

Instead it is more like a goodbye or going away party.  The ceremony starts off by talking about what a sad day it is and how hard it is to leave and say goodbye to friends.  It ends with groups of students hugging and crying tears that can't be stopped--and this in a culture where displays of affection and emotion are very rare.  It is further not about their accomplishments because some of them won't even be graduating for another month, summer, or even school year.

Some other things of difference to note:

• "The graduation song" in Taiwan is actually the one we sing on New Year's, "Auld Lang Syne."  And it is played at the end, as in "And now we will play our graduation song."
• The red roses and ribbons they are wearing say "graduating student."  They all wear these--just like at weddings here the father of the bride wears one that says "father of the bride."
• Something Sandy has pointed out is the lack of family and friends who attend graduation ceremonies in Taiwan.  She is right, and this just goes to further support the idea that this is not about celebrating a great achievement, but is rather a goodbye party for the graduates.
• There are no graduation invitations to send or mail out.
• There are no individual graduation parties or dinners--it is all about the class and classmates and saying goodbye.
• Graduates are given flowers.  That might be the only sign of individual "congrats" given.  I don't really think they are given any other kind of graduation gift from family or friends. 
• This year, the entire time of diploma and award giving music--which sounded like it was from a movie soundtrack--played, which created an air of anticipation and suspense.  Later songs about "new worlds" and "good friends" from Disney movies were played, which helped encourage the emotional break-down.
• This year they students didn't march in or out.  Many left after they "stood to graduate" and their cap's tassel was moved over.
• Since we were outside this year and it was at night, we also had fireworks to go off near the end.
• There is only one graduation ceremony a year even for college students.  Graduating students finish the spring semester an entire month early.  And then graduate 2 or 3 weeks before the school holds finals for all the other students.