ㄅㄆㄇㄈ or Bopomofo

Learning Chinese in Taiwan is made easier....The system used to train kids how to read is the equivalent to the phonetic system in English ( more or less). Although it is nice for learning pronunciation in a Taiwanese way it is definitely not a means to the end of learning Chinese.

The picture is an example from a children's book. Notice the Chinese and then those more "simple" looking symbols on the right. Once you learn the phonetics then you can learn the Chinese on the left by association.
Granted one must practicing writing to quicken the mind's reconition just as you did in elementery school for your native tongue.

The interesting thing about bopomofo(Abc's) properly termed Zhuyin Fuhao(Alphabet)--is it's presence in the daily lives of the Taiwanese. It can be seen on billboards occasionally and on TV shows or even be used in daily speech. I guess the last would be nearly impossible to know unless you are certain that no such Chinese word exists. For example I have seen on TV in the subtitles the expression ㄟ or "A" (prounounced like the ketter A). Still not sure if it is nonexistent or just shorthand for that expression though.

When I can find a picture with billboards using bpomofo I will post it here.

In the end I think bopomofo is the one true way to learn the sounds of Chinese. And since it is a limited letter source of 36 letters why not kearn it? It easier than struggling through the pinyin system where one all too easier falls back to the ( in the English speaker's case) English pronunciations of those letters. 36 letters....easier than passing a driver's exam. Lol

Old Street

Any old town with a mind for drawing tourists has retained their "Old Street" or in pinyin "Lao Jie". There are some really stunning examples throughout Taiwan of exquisitely preserved city centers from a bygone era. It's a time that doesn't exist any longer and will never be extant again. Whole streets whose buildings are composed of stone or marble. Each entry way marked with a name or number or both in Chinese. Dragons, eagles, lions and other ornamental carvings adorn the roofs' edges while the street separating the buildings seem to march in between even though they are really paving stones set with such care that not one is misaligned.

Old Street in Da Xi

The interesting things about these old streets in Taiwan is not really the preservation of the buildings (the above example is a rather unusual occurrence from my limited experience) as much as the preservation of the food and the activities, which revolve mostly around food. There's the selling of wares that goes hand in hand with the whole historical experience as well to be sure. Clothes, souvenirs, shoes, bags, traditional Taiwanese wares such as tea and teapots, special dresses just for the sub tropical climate are some of the things that are not for eating.

When it comes to food there are almost twice as many stores or stalls as wares. The list can go from ice cream to squid, dumplings to shaved ice with mango on the top, and rice triangles--called cong zi--to sausage and green tea cookies. There are endless varieties and each region and town has their own take on the local dish. The best of which can be found on a town's Old Street.

Me eating shaved ice with mango ice cream and mango pieces!

Mountains: Jiu Fen

A view from the old mountain mining town Jiu Fen

One of my favorite aspects of Taiwan is the mountainous character of the land. Much of the island is covered in mountains. Some of them jutting up into the sky some thousands of feet and sporting a milder climate with evergreens and deciduous tree, even getting snow on the peaks during the winter. Most of the mountains are covered with lush greenery from top to bottom. As you look into the distance, as you can see in the picture above, it seems like there are layers upon layers of rolling mountains. They look as though they have all been carefully arranged so that they continually get shorter and shorter the farther out you look. As you look from left to right the land looks as though it is moving, spilling into the sea.

This picture was taken from the old mining town of Jiu Fen, in the North part of Taiwan. Though it no longer is a mining town, the locals have found a new resource to "dig" up. Can you guess? You may have known it before I asked since I was there involved in it's business--on the spending end. Yes, it's tourism. The town is fitted into the side of the mountain, almost dangling there on the edge. It's a stunning view as you drive up the mountain getting ever closer to a town that looks small from below but grows to reveal ever more stops and shops. From the top, you are welcomed to the awe inspiring vistas of mountainous land and glimmering sea. 

Looking down a valley on the other side of Jiu Fen (first and last photos are from the same side)

Same direction as first photo but with the soft highlighting of every layer through the mist.

Speaking in Mandarin (Chinese? or Taiwanese?)

What do they speak on the island of Taiwan? Is it Taiwanese? Or do they speak Mandarin Chinese (as many Americans call it)? The official language is Chinese. There is such a thing as Taiwanese that most of the population can understand and roughly half speak on a daily basis. A smaller portion of the island speaks what is known a Hakka. There are actually many more languages and dialects in Taiwan coming from the indigenous peoples who occupied Taiwan long before the Chinese speakers made their way over water to the island.

As you travel along the major highways from North to South you can hear specialty radio stations going to Hakka to Taiwanese. As you stop along the way in the cities and towns the local people also change from speaking Hakka to Taiwanese. The food choices and preparation styles change along with the scenery and the language as well.

Although the vast majority of people use Chinese as their language for business and socializing you do run into some elderly who don't really speak Chinese. I was surprised to find out that many of the older generation grew up speaking either Taiwanese or Hakka and never really learned Chinese properly. Sure they understand for the most part but getting them to speak it....? I have spent many hours in the same car with some older folks who spoke mostly in Taiwanese. That was an experience. Getting to know enough Chinese to enable me simple communication is tough enough without the added Taiwanese. But it was fun to learn a few phrases if for no other reason than to amuse them.

My experience in Taiwan has been surrounded by the Chinese, Taiwanese and Hakka languages. It just so happens that my girlfriend's parents are from two different parts of Taiwan. One from the South and the other from the North. Upon meeting family members from both sides I was quickly asked to memorize a short phrase in Hakka and Taiwanese, depending on which side we were meeting, and recite it to them. These little greetings were all in addition to the new Chinese that I was learning every day. It can be quite confusing as first but after hearing enough of each language I started picking up on the rhythm and intonation of them all. Not that I was easily identifying each one but that I could at least begin recognizing the phrases at times when another said it in a sentence during a conversation.

In conclusion, I would say that Chinese is by far the most useful language in general in Taiwan, regardless of where I went. Everybody can at least understand Chinese. Whether they speak it back to you or not is another matter. If you have the chance to learn some useful phrases from the locals from the North and the South, do it. Taiwanese and Hakka are quite prevalent in their respective areas. In most cases, as long as I was sincere in my approach, people were happy that I was trying to use their language.

Starting a blog about Taiwan

Of the Asian vacation destinations, which countries have you heard of? Japan, Indonesia, China, Singapore, Hong Kong...? Some of you may have heard of Taiwan, or was it "Thailand"? That is how it is for many people who haven't been to Asia and/or don't have any friends from either Thailand or Taiwan. Now that I have been to Taiwan several times I often am asked how my trips to "Thailand" have been and how I enjoy eating "Thai" food while there. I can't really blame those that haven't been there since they probably don't have enough interest to look it up on the map or remember which one is which if they do. After all, I was once one of those getting it confused. I'll insert a map here just so those who are interested in world geography enough to learn where Taiwan is and that it is a very different country from the oft confused Thailand can take a look.

Three things to remember about Taiwan:

1. Taiwan is an island, shaped like a bean as I've heard some locals describe it
2. Chinese is the official language, aka Mandarin
3. Don't get Taiwan confused with Thailand, which has neither of the above. :)

This post is more like a trial, to get the ideas for this blog going. I have a lot of material to write about and pictures to post. First I need to get the thoughts flowing out of the brain and onto this blog though. One of the main reasons I want to write about Taiwan is to share my experiences there. I have seen and read some interesting blogs on Taiwan but there are certainly not saturating the internet. My take on the Taiwanese experience may be more unique than the other blogs besides. Why? For the simple reason that I have never visited Taiwan on my own. Rather I have only ever stayed with native Taiwanese in their homes or riding in their cars or on their scooters as we traveled about the country. My experience is total immersion: eating most meals, going to the night markets, taking day trips or overnight trips together, and joining in the family get togethers. It has always been a great experience only the luckiest have been able to take part in. I hope it will inspire you to visit Taiwan sometime even if you are on your own.