Visa Renewal Process

A month or so before leaving Minnesota I had mailed my passport and requested documents to the TECRO office in Chicago. A couple weeks later they mailed it back with my 90 day visitor visa, and hand written instructions on how to obtain my visa renewal. They told me to take my student ID after being in Taiwan for 75 days and go to the immigration office. They never mentioned that if you get a multiple entry visa and leave the country that the 90 days resets itself without needing to go to the immigration office. So I woke up early this morning and accompanied a couple friends to the office without actually needing a visa renewal. It is very hard to get good information about the visa process for Taiwan. They do not have a student visa, and a visitor visa does not seem appropriate. I guess this is something that future students on this exchange should keep in mind.

Chi Kenting ma? Dui!!

This past weekend I headed south for the third-annual Spring Scream Music Festival (usually during the early part of April, www.springscream.com). We took the coolest bus I have ever taken, I mean cool as in COLD. I tried to cover my face and ever part of my body for the nearly 6.5 hour bus ride. My beach towel only provided a little bit of comfort from the chill. We arrived around 7:30 AM and had to wait for our hotel (Hotel California, http://www.hotelca.idv.tw/) to let us check-in. The hotel is located above one of the many surfer shops in town and the stairs are located at the back of the store. The hotel was nice with wood floors, linens  and toiletries provided, our own room, and cable TV. They do not provide towels for guests though, and during windy nights the windows can keep you up during their constant slamming back and forth. The staff is very accommodating, speak English and can give you good information about Kenting. There is also an available computer to use for last minute research or checking email. The rates were not bad (especially during off-season), all-in-all I would probably stay at this hotel again. 

After breakfast, checking in and delicious Thai food we were ready to start wandering around the town. The town was just beginning to wake for the flood of visitors for the two festivals in the area (ours was an indie rock festival and the other was a techno/house music festival). There were street vendors setting up to sell just about everything and anything (clothes, food, beverages, toys, etc.). We gathered our group of 7 and headed to the festival. We managed to catch a ride with a group of Taiwanese heading that way to the festival, well actually we hitched, but almost everyone heading the same way was going. 

We purchased 3-day passes to the festival with the expectation that Saturday was the biggest day for music. I enjoyed the town as much, if not more, than the festival itself. The town is very touristy, but nice nonetheless. We spent most of the long weekend on the beach catching some rays (don't worry I had SPF 45 on the entire time and I reapplied regularly). I still burned as usual. I don't know how anyone would dislike sandy beaches, crashing waves, beach volleyball, sunshine, and music. There were large gatherings of people on the beach outside the Cesar Hotel after the music stopped.

On the last day in Kenting (Monday) we rented scooters ($250 NTD, or $8 USD for 4 hours) from a place on Kenting Road. I was so nervous, because I thought my friend had said he had never driven before. So I was like I guess I'll give it a try. As I was pulling out into traffic trying my best to hold 4oo lbs. plus a bike upright, I turned around and said "I'm so nervous". At that point, my friend asked if I preferred he drove, and I asked if he had ever driven and he said plenty of times. Of course I'd prefer not to die on my first attempt, so he drove until I attempted once again and nearly injured my self on a out of the way road. Lesson of the day "don't try to accelerate through sharp turns even when you can't push the bike along". I still got on the bike and rode around. The bike is easy enough to ride when there is nothing to hit. I thoroughly enjoyed the 4 hour ride around the peninsula and highly recommend it to anyone that wants to do it. I would wait however until the concert was over, otherwise you'll be competing with thousands of cars and scooters for road space. The concert was pretty much dead by noon the last day (Sunday), and the town cleared out even faster. Once there was no more money to be made, the vendors left and shops closed up. 

In the evening we hired taxis to take us to Zuoying (the HSR station outside of Kaohsiung) to take the train home. Most of the tickets were sold for the next two hours or so, we had to wait until 9:30 pm to catch the 2.5 hour train home.

This is Kenting where Spring Scream took place.

Wedding in Tainan!

 
 
 
So a couple weeks ago I was invited to a wedding in Tainan through my language exchange buddy's professor who is also my advisor from Minnesota's cousin. Sorry I know that was a bit complicated, I suppose I could just say a friend of mine invited me. I was so delighted to be invited to a wedding because I had heard during the most recent language exchange about the traditions. 

I was so excited to be invited to a wedding as most of my American-Born Taiwanese friends haven't even been to one. We met up with the Professor who introduced to one of her students taking the HSR (high-speed rail, http://www.thsrc.com.tw/en/index.htm) train down to Tainan, which takes only about 2 hours. For going north to south, the 2 hours is not that bad, by bus the trip would be more like 6 excruciating hours. Once we arrived at the station in Tainan we met up once again with the Professor's student. He rode in a different car on the train that was non-reserved. Although the seats are cheaper, you are not guaranteed a seat, it is the same type of system as in Italy. I once rode 8 hours on a slow train to Rome in a luggage compartment, needlesstosay we reserved our seats for this short trip to Tainan. The weather was vastly different from the rainy and dreary Taipei. The sun was blindingly bright and warm on my pale skin. We found our ride to the wedding, a couple friends came to pick us up. Neither Rachelle or I speak enough Chinese to really understand where we were going or even to ask. I guess we were just in for the ride. 

Finally, we had arrived to the hall. 10 people were seated at each of the twenty-some tables. Courses of food were served, each one more elegant that the previous. I was so excited that I knew all the food, well except for sea-cucumber (that one took a little longer to guess). I had been working on food during my language exchanges. A quick glance I exchanged with my friend and language exchange partner told me that I had made some progress. The others at the table were quite impressed with my ability and knowledge about the food we were eating. After the ridiculously delicious lunch, we watched as the bride and groom (I guess newly married husband and wife) strolled around to each table handing out candy and greeting the guests. One of the close family friends or members came around to collect the gifts or rather "shi" money in red envelopes. We had written on the envelop in a golden ink pen and wished them a happy life together. Someone said one typically gives $1500 NTD or $50 USD at a wedding.

Then the next part occurred after most of the guests left (but we were lucky enough to be with people close to the husband and wife to stay). They handed out tea to their elders, parents, aunts and uncles, a tribute of respect to them. After this cordial tribute, it was once again picture time. We were able to get a picture with the newly married wife and husband in a tuxedo and pink formal dress. The actual ceremony for the marriage took place earlier in the day and only a few family members are present, we were at the part of the ceremony that is shared with family and friends in celebration. All in all this wedding lasted about 3.5 hours.

After the ceremony Yi-Ching set us up with two people to show us around Tainan before we headed home. We saw what is seen as the First Confucian Temple/School in all of Taiwan, built in 1665 during the Qing Dynasty (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tainan_Confucian_Temple). I was amazed at how well preserved the temple and school were. There was a deity for studying, people bring their tests, school materials and grades to the deity to pray for a better grade or score. The second place we visited was a temple across the street. This temple was a Taoist temple and I learned how one actually prays. You pay for what is known as "golden money", which is golden paper that's burned to honor the deities, incense and a food offering. The food is left at the first and primary shrine while one visits the rest of the temple. After praying to the various deities and leaving 3 incense at each of their shrines, all of the "golden money" is burned at once. Two moon-shape pieces of wood are tossed, each time telling the wisher if their wish or thought will become true. If they are opposite three times in a row, the wish will come true, if not then the answer is no. My outcome was that my wish will come true. 

After the temple and school visit we had a brief snack. The snack consisted of a tofu pudding in sugary water and mine had red beans on the side. I found it to be delicious, strange but yummy at the same time. Finally, time to head home and catch the free shuttle (comes every 15 minutes) to the HSR station at the center of town.

Giving Gifts in Chinese Culture, Important Taboos

There are many taboos when giving gifts in Chinese culture and most other Asian cultures. So far I have been able to avoid making any mistakes in this regard. Many of these taboos come from traditions related to death or beloved ones dying.

Items that should never be given as a gift include:

1. White Candles - White candles are usually burned at funerals. Most things that are white and/or incences can often represent death.
2. Clocks - Giving clocks sounds like 'attending upon one's dying parent or a senior member of one's family'. Both said as "song4 zhong1".
3. Hand Towels - In the past, the family of the deceased would give hand towels to people who paid a condolence call, intending to break off their relations with the deceased.
4. Fans - They are cheap and fragile. They are used to relieve summer heat. Since it gets cooler by late autumn, there is an idiom that says "Qiushan Jianqian" (literally, to put away the fan in autumn).
5. Scissors - Scissors are sharp and hurtful, implying to sever relations with one stroke or one cut.
6. Umbrellas - The word in Taiwanese Chinese sounds like 'parting'. In the Taiwan dialect, "伞" (san, umbrella) shares the same pronunciation with "散" (san, parting).
7. Mirrors - Fragile and break easily, and hard to put back together. Metaphorical of a friendship/relationship.
8. Sweet Cakes - Given to deities during festivals or offerings.
9. Rice Dumplings - Another thing given when one is deceased.
10. Ducks - The type of meat women eat one month after giving birth.

Most of the things are bad to give as gifts because they represent death or represent a person's relationship with the other person as being fragile, temporary or unimportant. The best gift to give is something permanent and well thoughtout, which really isn't that much different from Western traditions.

Check out this page for reference on Taiwan http://scenery.cultural-china.com/en/146Scenery2785.html

Utilizing Your Blog

My blog is really just a collection of my thoughts, happenings and pictures gathered while I am abroad. I'm not quite sure if this is interesting for anyone else, but still it provides information about my life to those close to me at home, people I meet and those I wish were with me, but cannot be. I hope that my college, Carlson School of Management, makes the blog a requirement for all of those studying abroad so that the lessons learned from students in programs years before can be a stepping stone for those in the future. I have found blogs to be priceless for information that travel guides and locals cannot tell you. I have been a bit pressed for time in the past month or so, and the conclusion my study abroad is coming up, so I am behind and I hope to catch up in the next week (after studying for my midterms of course). 

I wrote a series of emails while I studied abroad in Milano, Italia but did not provide family and friends with pictures of my experience. I will be adding those to adjunct blog in the next month as a reference for anyone who is curious about my experience. Please send me an email or message if you have any questions esivertson (at) gmail (dot) com. 

In Seoul--Updates Soon!

Hi everyone,

I am currently in Seoul visiting some friends. I have spent the past week visiting the DMZ, markets, the Yongsan Military Command Post and just hanging out. I have really enjoyed Seoul thus far and I still have some updates about Kenting to post to my blog. I hope that others find the time to make trips to other countries to observe the similarities and differences between the two. I keep finding myself wanting to use the limited Chinese over here. So far I have only picked up hello and thank you in Korean :).

~Erica

Up-Close and O'Naturelle

 

A neat flower with a friendly visitor and a what Su called a dog fir plant coiled awaiting for the warmth of spring to come.

  

Left: One of the buddha or taoist sculptures I saw on the outskirts of Taipei near Elephant Shan. Right: A sign that says something about Elephant Shan covered by a lush moss. 

 

Top: Wild berries of some sort that I thought looked pretty cool. Bottom: Wild ginger, it looks pretty strange. I had never seen a wild ginger plant before.

 

Left: The path we took. It's easy to see how lush this high elevation eco-system is. Right: A rusted chair from the acidity of the constant misty rain.

  

Top: Another photograph of wild ginger. Bottom: A photograph from Sun Moon Lake. The hotpink and white flowers are all part of the same flower. I just thought that this looked quite pretty.

 

A reminder of the constant drizzle.

These are some of the pictures that I have taken of nature and things I think look quite cool. 

Most of the pictures are from a hiking trip up Elephant Shan (Mountain) on the edge of Taipei. I had the opportunity to see lots of gorgeous scenery and landscapes of Taipei. I love that there is so much wildlife to explore that is so accessible from the city. I remember missing nature when I spent 6 months in the blacktop-covered-treeless Milano. Green vegetation was one thing I missed in Milano, that I do not miss here, because there is just so much of it all of the time. The campus is adorned with sub-tropical plants and flowers I have never seen. 

  

One picture at the top and the other at the bottom (or gong kai si, at the beginning).

There are many palm trees here that were planted by the Japanese many many years ago pre-1940s. These trees tower over the main boulevard and an adjorning one as well. When I first saw the sign below on one of the trees, I thought it was just another wacky sign, but instead it is a really important cautionary message. Palm tree leaves are HUGE! I would not want to be hit on the head with one, could knock you out quite easily. 

Last night I spent a good couple hours at the library studying. I love the enormous library here, makes me feel like I am back at Coffman or Wilson. I haven't found a good studying coffee shop here yet, either the coffee isn't good or far too expensive for me. I think the library with its 24 hours a day study room will be permanent home for my studying. My dormitory also has a very nice room, which was a closed down coffee shop, but I have bad luck with the internet and get bitten by tons of misquitoes while studying. I am a bit shocked by the daily difficulties with internet connectivity here. I expected a better connection wirelessly and through my ethernet cable. Perhaps, I have been spoiled for too long on ResNet at the University of Minnesota. My room is a bit uncomfortable, mainly because the chair and the desk do not go together. I cannot get my legs under the desk and a couple hours of sitting to the side can be quite tiring.