Paragliding In Taiwan

Sooooooo, this is awkward....

And just like that I let my blog slowly die.

However, I've been up to a lot in Taiwan and abroad. Follow me at the new sites:

www.outdoorstaiwan.com is about paragliding in Taiwan.

www.facebook.com/paraglidingtaiwan is about the same. Check 'em out!

My friend and I will co-author a blog, mostly about flying and Taiwan. Enjoy!

Best,
Tim 

Assorted Links

What's more fun than telling long-distance friends how much nicer your weather is? Doing it graphically! My most recent bookmark: WeatherSpark.

E.O. Wilson's TED wish, a collaborative biology wiki, the Encyclopedia of Life. I hope to contribute some images of Bungarus multicinctus before leaving Taiwan.

A new data and statistics search engine, Zanran. Check out this search of "accidental deaths in the United States". The preview feature is nice, huh?

Boracay

Boracay is really beautiful and overrun by tourists. I enjoyed both.

Below are some snaps. It was nice finally giving my underwater camera (Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS2) a workout. Lighting is tricky underwater, and I was at the mercy of sunlight. Next time, I'll bring a lighting source. 

Also, can anyone help identify what picture five is? Snake or eel?  

I am...

...not drinking an avocado smoothie anymore! Sorry about the lack of posts. I've been lazy. Really lazy.

Anyhow, I am going to the Philippines for a few days.

It's much needed - teaching is awful. I'd like to think I'll come back rejuvenated, with renewed enthusiasm, but that's unlikely because teaching is awful. I'll Tell you about it when I'm back.

And so much more.

Also, I'll take lots of pictures above and below water.

What I'm Drinking - Avocado Smoothie

I don't have a sweet-tooth; I have an avocado-tooth. So, naturally, I was overjoyed to find a mom-and-pop smoothie place that had avocado smoothies. Don't think avocados would be good in smoothie form? Think again. This is one of many things the Taiwanese are incredibly adept at turning into drinks.

Jamba Juice has nothing on this place. Well, other than a menu I can read unassisted, of course.

                      

My smoothie consumption and quality of life covary more than I'd like to admit. 

Spring Scream - 2011

Last weekend I went to Kenting for Spring Scream music festival - the party of parties on the island. It lived up to the hype. Beach by day and music and fireworks all night.

Here are some pictures:

Tiny McDonald's

With enough care and sustenance this fragile little McD's seed will blossom into a giant, red and yellow McDonald's flower! 

I'm American. I Speak American

Yes, I know the "I'm abroad and learning languages is difficult" posts are trite. Sorry, but god damn it. 


Just god damn it! 


I'm really grappling with Chinese. Sometimes, I think I'm getting the hang of it but I'm not. Take away the context and I'm sunk. Just about every time I get in a taxi and try to get to the train station, for example. It usually goes something like this: 

     Me: Wǒ yào dào huǒchē zhàn. (I want to go to the train station.) 

     Driver: Zài nǎlǐ? (Where?) 

     Me: huǒchē zhàn (Train station) 

     Driver: (tilts head slightly) 

     Me: (huǒchē zhàn) (Train station) 

     Driver: (raises eyebrows, careens neck towards me, pivots head a little) 

     Me: A lo ha. (Aloha - bus company near the train station.) 

     Driver: Aloha?  

     Me: Dway, fùjìn huǒchē zhàn. (Yes, near the train station.) 

     Driver: Ohhh,[shakes finger] huǒchē zhàn. (Ohhh, t-r-a-i-n   s-t-a-t-i-o-n) 

     Me: God. Damn. It. 

It's the tones. The "Wǒ yào dào" part is fine because context is there - remember I'm in a taxi. It's the "huǒchē zhàn" that always gets me. It's not for lack of practice, either. I say it to myself over and over and it absolutely completely sounds correct in my head, but I can't vocalize it. I know this will just kinda work itself out. After all, at first I couldn't distinguish individual words but now I can. Eventually the tones will similarly follow suit. 


Until then, my strategy of saying a phrase with a bunch of different tones on each word is less than ideal. Take "huǒchē zhàn" for instance. Three words with four possible tones each, 4^3 gives me 64. Sixty four possible combinations. (That's a lot.) Pragmatically, it's a race to the bottom - say the fewest words and therefore combination possibilities to convey my message. 


And that's my Chinese language paradox: The less I say, the more I will be understood. The less I say, the less I will understand. 

Given my exasperation, I empathize w/ this kid. I'd totally jump on this bandwagon if I were not on foreign soil...


Patriotic Teen Fails Spanish

PS, If you appreciate this video for reasons other than its snarky hilarity, please stop reading my blog. Thanks.
.

Guilty Pleasure - Seagal Flicks

Of course, some are better than others. Still, look at this and tell me what is terribly wrong:

There's a grievous, maybe accidental, mistake with this rating. I mean, a 3.9. Come on! More like 3 million .9.

*Spoiler Alert* Did people even SEE the part where Forrest Taft blows up an entire oil rig after disarming and arm-breaking hundreds of mustached bad guys?! Obviously not.

Life In The Village

I'm off to Taipei for a paragliding convention, green beer, and social interaction. It's about time to be getting out of Donggang; I'm at risk of becoming asocial. Snapshot of my life during the week:

* Imagine conversations between inanimate objects in my house, could they talk.
* I am becoming truly proficient with a slingshot.
* I can tie an alpine butterfly knot behind my back.
* I posted selleckwaterfallsandwich to my blog.
* I am getting really good at the blanket stitch and appreciate its aesthetic.