Top 5s from January

I didn't have time to write out my top five lists for each week in January. Instead, here is a list for the entire month! I divided it up into categories so it would be a bit easier to read.

Chinese Learning

1. Reading a novel in Chinese is painfully difficult but so worth it

I’ve been reading The Magician’s Nephew in Chinese. I still haven’t finished the third chapter (and I’ve been reading for months) but I’m learning a lot of vocab and I can tell my pace is speeding up.

2. Focusing on thinking in Chinese helps me learn faster

Recently I’ve been working on switching my brain over into Chinese as much as I possibly can. I’ve noticed it’s been working!

3. I have half of the Mass parts memorized

Without trying, I was able to memorize the responses to half of the Mass. It is nice to know that my subconscious brain is helping me out!

4. Recording myself helps with my tones

I’ve been working on improving my tones. I’ve found that writing out all the tones above each character from a reading passage and then recording myself saying it is a very effective way for me to learn.

5. I can give a presentation about a pretty complex topic

I recently gave my midterm presentation on the Taiwanese view of monks, priests and nuns. When I came to Taiwan, I had almost no religious vocabulary but after just a few months I was able to research and present on this topic!

6. My economic vocab is improving a lot

We recently did two units in class about consumer disputes. We are now working through two units on the stock market and investment. I’m learning a lot of specialized vocab!

7. Chinese puns are the best

Chinese puns are super clever! Because there are so many words with the same pronunciation, puns are easy to make. For example, one of the restaurants I like is called 好食間. 好 means good. 食 means food but has the same pronunciation as 時 which, when combined with 間 means time. I guess the English translation of the name would be Good Food, Good Times. But the pun doesn’t translate over.

8. I speak way to much English

This was my most important realization this month. I recently spent some time thinking about how much English I speak and realized it’s a lot. I’m really placing my focus currently on cutting out English from my routine so I can best take advantage of the few months I have left here.

Food

9. I now like to drink coffee

I was 100% not a fan of coffee as a high school student. I’ve now drank too many cups to count here in Taiwan.

10. The brunch place by my house is amazing

I went out for brunch at the same restaurant with my host sister three times this month. I had the best burger I’ve had in Taiwan! I hope I have the chance to eat there again soon.

11. I’m turning into a chef

I almost never cook in the US. However, I cooked twice this month. The results were quite delicious although all I did was follow a recipe, convert measurements to the metric system and google some substitutes for ingredients not sold here.

12. Milk Shop’s green tea is delicious

I ordered a drink from Milk Shop for the first time this month. I just got a simple green tea with 珍珠 and it was so good! I’ve already ordered it again on multiple occasions.

Activities and Places

13. Playing board games is an effective way to learn new vocab

I learned how to play three new board games this month. Learning new games and playing them helps me learn lots of help vocabulary words!

14. Bowling in Taiwan is a lot of fun

We went bowling for my birthday! The bowling place looked just like your typical American bowling alley, even the animations used on the screen were the same with the exception of Chinese substituted for English. I really enjoyed the experience.

15. The Donutes near my house is a great place to study

I finally went to study at the Donutes near my house. Not only do they sell an amazing fruit tea I really enjoy, the atmosphere is also great. Because the weather has been so cool I was able to sit outside which I really enjoyed.

16. Alishan is absolutely beautiful

Alishan is hands down one of the coolest places I have ever been. It was gorgeous! I’m so grateful I had the opportunity to visit.

17. Cijin is one of my favorite places in Kaohsiung

I went to the island once back in October and then didn’t go again until January. I went twice this month and absolutely loved it. The old fort is such a cool place to read and the lighthouse is of course beautiful. I hope to go back a lot more before June.

Shopping

18. Glasses are really cheap here

I bought a pair of glasses this month for about a third of what I would normally pay in the US! The frame quality doesn’t seem quite as good as a US pair of glasses but the lenses are high quality and they work!

19. White chalk is impossible to find

I wanted to buy white chalk to use for the Three Kings Blessing but I wasn’t able to find white chalk anywhere. The stationary store had orange, pink, blue and red. I ended up going with blue, which works too!

Other

20. The Chinese car sickness remedy is ingenious

I normally don’t get car sick but driving on winding roads in the mountains here in Taiwan often makes me a bit queasy. However, my host mom has this mint liquid you put on your neck and it works like magic!

21. Construction signs are on the next level here

Instead of having a slow down sign, there are mannequins set up letting you know to slow down! This was quite disconcerting the first time I saw one!

22. All the patterns of the aboriginal beading represent something

We had the chance to make beads a few weekends ago on one of our culture trips. I learned that each of the patterns represents a different month, object and some sort of trait.

23. Recycling is really important in Taiwan

We went to a recycling center this month. People in Taiwan take recycling super seriously and their system is really effective!

24. My host sister takes really professional pictures

My host sister took so many pictures the last two trips we went on. Her pictures are incredible and look super realistic! I’m so grateful she takes so many pictures because I rarely take any.

25. I only have 4 months left

It's hard for me to believe I've already been here for 5 months. I'm now over half-way down with my NSLI-Y program. I am really excited for the next four months and all the chances I'll have to learn Chinese!