Mandarin Vocabulary Series: Night Market Food

There is no way to learn a language without memorizing some vocabularies. Aaaaa~~~ O_O

To be honest with you, it is easier to memorize those words that you really need to use in real life. Especially when it involves my favourite activity in Taiwan ~~ eating! Yum! 

To start this vocabulary series, why don't we start with those food we often see at night market? 

1. 臭豆腐 chòu dòufu / stinky tofu

2. 鍋貼 guōtiē / fried potstickers

3. 蚵仔煎 kèzǎijiān/ oyster omelette

4. 雞排 Jī pái/ crispy chicken

5. 香腸 Xiāngcháng/ sausages

Sharing these vocabularies make me hungry. Shall I make a dash to the night market now? =P

Taipei Eats: Eating on a Toilet Bowl at Modern Toilet Restaurant, Ximending

It's a well known fact that Taipei has a lot of quirky themed restaurants. And now we are gonna looking into a toilet-bowl theme restaurant. Yes, I am not kidding, you are so gonna eat in the toilet. Don't believe me? The entrance even has a toilet bowl with poop on it. LOL.

Based on the taipei543.com's article, Wang Zhi-Wei, the founder of Modern Toilet Restaurant first got the idea while sitting on...well, you know it, the toilet. And that's exactly where you will sit on if you make a trip to this restaurant. =P

And guess what the table is...a bathtub! What else can it be? =P

You can select a set meal which comes with soup, drink and ice cream. And yes they are served on a mini version of toilet bowl. 

With, again, poop on top. 

My friend chose safer option, Aglio Olio pasta. But it's not fun to eat pasta here because the pasta is not served on a toilet bowl. Kinda miss the fun, don't you think?

As dessert, you can have a swirled ice cream served on another version of toilet bowl. Hmm I should have opted for 100% chocolate, right?

See below for the complete info on Modern Toilet Restaurant. They open until quite late at night, so it's a good place to catch up with friends too. ^^

Address: 2F, No.7, Lane 50, Sining S.Rd, Wanhua District, Taipei City

Nearest MRT: Ximen

Phone number: 02-2311-8822 (Reservation may not needed if you come on weekdays)

Hours: 11.30AM - 10.00PM, 11.00AM - 10.00PM (Holidays)

Useful website to check on typhoon in Taiwan

Six months in Taipei, experienced two earthquakes and two typhoons. Whew. Thanks God it was not that bad.

Actually, typhoon Trami has just passed Taiwan not long time ago when I was typing this. And oh boy, it was raining all days (especially yesterday). I don't know where else to check on the typhoon condition apart from the news on TV. Taiwan's TV station broadcast news in the morning (around 8-9ish), noon, and evening (7-ish).

But...what if you have a TV but don't understand a single thing they say on TV? (chances this will happen to you if you don't subscribe to a cable TV, like me!).

Well, no worries! After scrambling through google websites, I've found a bit of information which may be useful in the typhoon days (hopefully you still have internet connection, even though you don't have cable TV. =P)

1. Where to check the location of the typhoon?

Most countries in the world including Taiwan has its own weather bureau. And the Central Weather Bureau (CWB) website has its English version. Phew. - http://www.cwb.gov.tw/eng/

The website will show you the satellite view of the typhoon. Like this one below. Yes, when I captured this picture, typhoon Trami is still hovering over Taiwan. U_U.

You can click the "Typhoon Warning" icon on the right top of the website to get more information on the typhoon.

For example, you can check the forecasted path of the typhoon under "Path" or "Potential Track Area", which usually ends in China. 

The tab beside "Potential Track Area" tab which is called "Work and Class Status During Natural Disasters" will lead you to the no. 2 useful website in the typhoon days.

2. Do we have work or class on typhoon day?

If you are working in Taiwan, most likely you are expecting the Government to declare "停辦停課"/ "Tíngbàn tíngkè" day, which literally means no work and no class day. The 停辦停課 day is not declared on national basis. Instead, it is based on the township. Town A may not have to go to work tomorrow while town B still have to go to work. 

For complete list of the "停辦停課" status for each city, you can go to this website: http://www.dgpa.gov.tw/ndse.html. 

The website will list down all county and cities in Taiwan and the work and class status during natural disasters. 

That's the two websites that I've found useful during my stay in Taiwan especially on typhoon days. Do make sure to stock up food (at least for one day) and try to avoid going out especially when there's strong wind blowing outside your house. (My classmate's roof got blown by the wind so yeah it can be pretty scary sometimes.)

Taiwan Travel: How to go to Maokong Gondola?

With the unpredictable weather in Taipei, riding a gondola (or cable car) to the top of the mountain can be a tricky affair. Why is it the case? It's because whenever there is any strong wind, rains, or worse, thunderstorms, the gondola will be closed.

On a one fine day with blue sky and hot sun, I decided to use the opportunity and go straight to Taipei Zoo MRT Station. When you have reach Taipei Zoo Station, just follow the sign to Maokong Gondola ( I think it's on Exit 2). You will see a lot of pandas welcoming you to Taipei. =)

There are more signs outside leading you to the Gondola Station. And you can take picture with the sign too. 

The gondola station is located within 5 minutes walking distance from the above sign. 

The gondola ticket counter is located at the level 4 of the station. 

Taiwan Travel: What to do in Taipei?

You may be stuck in Taipei for whatever reason and one day, you realize you do not really know what else to do in Taipei. And you don't want to die of boredom at your own home. What to do??

Well, you can visit tourist information for once (if you haven't done it before) and guess what? Apparently they can be very informative. They have one at Ximen MRT Station, Taipei Railway Station and Shilin MRT Station. I believe they have more locations other than the above three.

When you are there, make sure you grab a booklet called "Spectacular Taipei". They have it in three languages: Mandarin, English and Japanese.

Spectacular Taipei is a bi-monthly booklet and it contains a lot of information for tourists. For instance, it has Taipei map. With clear locations of popular tourist attractions like Taipei 101, Chiang Kai Shek Memorial Hall and National Palace Museum.

And MRT map. This is useful especially when you are not used to take MRT when you just arrived in Taipei. 

It has the list of food-to-try with the address of the restaurant. Hmm, that oyster vermicelli looks kinda tempting. 

Last but not least, it will list down most cultural events and exhibitions which are happening in these two months. This is very good especially when you run out of idea of what to do when there's no class or work. 

Feels like grabbing one of this booklet now? Go for it! =)

Cheapest way to go to Taoyuan Airport from Taipei City

I know that Taiwan's international airport is not located in Taipei, so when I arrived for the first time, my friend and I immediately took a cab to bring us to our destination. First rule of taking a cab in Taiwan is...be prepared with the destination's address in both English and Chinese. I only have the English address of my destination with me at that time and the driver did not really know the place even when he can speak English. Luckily my friend's Mandarin is totally better than mine and she could roughly translate the English address into Chinese address. *phew*.

Other than that, the cab fare from Taoyuan International Airport (桃園機場/ Táoyuán jīchǎng) to the center of Taipei is approx. 1000+ NTD. Pricey! O_O.

I checked if there is any MRT line connecting to the airport and sadly, at the moment the line is not yet built (or in progress, I'm not quite sure). So the only way to go to the airport is by taking a cab or taking a bus. Obviously I was kinda dreaded the so-called taking bus when my Mandarin level is nowhere near basic. =P

But now, as my Mandarin has...improved (I suppose). Taking a bus is my favourite way to reach the international airport. Why? Because it's a lot cheaper than taking a cab. The cons is you need to drag your luggage to Taipei Main Station because the bus terminal is located near here. The bus fare will be 125 NTD (one way) and it takes roughly around 50 - 70 minutes from the bus station, depending on the traffic. 

This one amazing blog writes in detail of how to go to the bus station (i.e. Taipei West Bus Station) from Taipei Main Station MRT: http://taipeitoairport.blogspot.tw/2012/05/best-way-to-get-to-taoyuan-airport-from.html. 

Once you arrive at the bus station, you will see a row of shops and a ticket counter.

Purchase the ticket for the express bus to Taoyuan Airport at Kuo Guang (國光) Bus Ticket Counter (most left counter).

And go to entrance no. 5 to queue for bus no. 1819 which will bring you to Taoyuan Airport.

If you bring luggage, you can pass the luggage to the driver and he will give you a number to collect the luggage later on at the airport. The bus will go to Terminal 1 (1號航站/ 1 hào háng zhàn) and Terminal 2 (2號航站/ 2 hào háng zhàn) of Taoyuan Airport respectively. 

All you have to do left is to sit on the bus and wait until the bus driver tell you that you have arrived at the airport terminal 1 or 2. Easy right? 

Find best hotel deals in Taipei here!

Taiwan Travel: Taipei Hakka Cultural Park, Taipower Building Taipei

One thing that I love about Taipei is...it has so many parks. Which means if I eat too much, I can easily walk of the fat by walking around in the park. If you are staying near Taipower Building MRT Station, you are in luck. Because there's a park just few metres from the MRT station. =)

During summer, the best time to visit the park is in the evening, when the sun is not that hot anymore. 

Oh wow. Gold coin! *gold-digger*

Pretty view inside the park. 

Taipei Hakka Cultural Park is connected to the Taipei Riverside Park (which serves as cycling path too). If you see the way up to the bridge. you can go up and see the sunset from there. 

The view of Taipei city and Taipei Riverside Park from the overhead bridge.

You can reach Taipei Hakka Cultural Park by taking the MRT to Taipower Building MRT and exiting via exit 5. Walk straight for a few metres and you will see the entrance to the park (see map).

Taipei Eats: Shilin Night Market

It is a must to visit a night market (夜市/Yèshì) when you are at Taiwan. It's a culture. An eating culture, you can say. But since this culture involves yummy food, why don't we embrace it as well? =P

If you ask any person on which night market you would like to visit in Taiwan, they will mention Shilin Night Market. Without fail. After all, everyone will not miss the chance to munch that cripsy chicken cutlet and drink the bubble tea or ai yu jelly or papaya milk. Oh gosh, I haven't posted any pictures yet and I'm already hungry. =P

Welcome to Shilin Night Market! Yes, it's always crowded! Be warned!

Shilin Night Market is divided into the food section (both above and under ground) and fashion section. If you enter from the the entry with the sign (see the above picture), you are at the food section. Probably you can tell from all those smell. 

The night market has game stall too. Which are randomly scattered inside with no specific location. XD

This is the basement section of the night market. If you enter the basement around 7ish at night, I can guarantee you that you will not be able to walk without bumping into someone else. 

The fashion street at Shilin night market is not less crowded either. You can get bags, clothes and accessories here at the fashion street section. Remember to bargain! 

You can get Hello Kitty sneakers here at the night market although they are kinda pricey. Especially when compared to the usual sneaker which you can get at merely 390 NTD.

If you are looking for a gift for your beloved furry friends, you can get it at the night market too. How about cute ties for your dogs? =)

I can say that Shilin Night Market is my favourite night market so far. And it's conveniently located as it's just a step away from the MRT. Please note that the nearest MRT to Shilin Night Market is Jiantan MRT Station (Not Shilin MRT Station, weird, eh?). Now go and fill your growling tummy with lots of food! 

Learning Mandarin in 3 months?

As you probably realise by know, most language schools in Taiwan offer courses by term (i.e. per 3 months). You probably wonder how much time should you spend in mastering the language? I suppose the answer depends on each person's background and capability. Let's use myself as an example here.

Background

When I was in my teenage years, my dad forced me to learn Mandarin. The teacher was old and she focused so much on my writing. At least I kinda grasped the idea of the stroke order although I did not really bother to memorise it at that time. Stupid kid, I know. Zzzz.

Growing up, and joining the employment line make me realise that Mandarin is broadly used in the office especially in Singapore (fyi, I works in Singapore). Ack! Thanks to this, I forced myself to learn Mandarin during the weekends (mostly because I don't want other people to talk openly about me in Mandarin without I'm knowing it). And did that work? Uhh probably it will only give you the idea of super basic Mandarin conversation like "How are you?" or "Have you eaten?". In short, it didn't really work for me although I admit that my Mandarin improved a bit and I could sense it if someone is talking about me in Mandarin.

Current study

So with this kind of background, I am practically a complete beginner when Shida asked me a lot of questions about my Mandarin level. So I started from Book 1 Practical Audio Visual in an intensive class. And with this, let's go back to the question "Is 3 months enough?"

If by enough, you mean that you can survive by your level of Mandarin when you get thrown out in a country where no one speak other language, then my answer is...it's not enough. Unless, you can master it like how Benny does it (http://www.fluentin3months.com/).

By the time I finish the first term, my conversational Mandarin is still very basic. And it's tough trying to listen to the native speaker of Mandarin, especially because they naturally speak fast. The fact that Shida likes to emphasise on a lot of grammar and writing doesn't help either.

To summarise, these are roughly the list of conversation that you will learn within 3 months at Shida:
- Introducing yourself: name, nationality, etc
- Hobby
- Number and price
- Introducing your family
- Buy things e.g. clothes/food
- Introducing where do you live (and your place of living)
- Time
- Showing direction and taking transportation
- Visiting doctor
- Taking a trip

The list is not exhaustive and some vocabularies that you will be taught depends on the teacher's style of teaching. Of course, all chapters will involve its own set of grammar.

So, do you think 3 month is enough for you? Think think think...=)

When life just sucks..

I thought today is gonna be like any other day. And it's Friday. Everyone in class happily anticipating the upcoming weekend. "週末快樂" (re: happy weekend) can be heard from every classroom. That's until the end of the first break. 

Suddenly a lot of commotion can be heard from the ladies washroom. There's a loud "thunk!" voice somewhere. A teacher was wondering why one of the cubicle was locked without anyone inside. And yes, someone is committing suicide at the school by jumping from the 9th floor. People are crying. It's a complete mess. Really. 

We totally lost the mood to continue our class. To make matters worse, one person in our class was absent and the teacher was worried that she was the one committing suicide. Thanks goodness it was not her. 

Turns out it was one of the teacher. Does not make it any better though knowing that someone is committing suicide by jumping from the washroom, which is located near to your classroom. =S

I really do not know what to say in this situation. It's just sad. Hopefully people can see the ray of hope even when they walk in the midst of darkness. 

"But in the end, one needs more courage to live than to kill himself." - Albert Camus