Judvic said:
If you are from Madagascar maybe you speak French. Do you know this Verlaine verse: "Pars si tu le dois, reste si tu le peux" (leave if you must, stay if you can)
No… I don’t come from Madagascar; Aye-eyes (Avatar) come from there... But thanks!
I’m speaking from the UK, but my Mother is French so I should know some… Sadly, not a lot, my Mum didn’t teach me much French as I was growing up, she had it hard enough just trying to teach me English.
Manitoban said:
I think that many people involved with the Work don't have friends around that are also in it. I know I don't, but with the support of the people in the groups here it seems to me that it is still possible to continue working towards awakening.
The C's have said, not sure of the exact quote but something to the effect of it doesn't matter where you are, but what you know that is important.
That is true; I didn’t need to be overly pessimistic.
However, I was contrasting the state of having friends available here who ARE involved with the work and having NO friends there. Surely it would be more sensible to stick with people who understand the value, and the proper methodology of networking right?
Scio said:
Do you have wondrous dreams? Is that what is making you go to Taiwan? If so, is it something you could share? Dreams don't have to be something we "fall into", they could be something we "rise to achieve" if they are a realistic goal, but if they are wishful thinking, then there's a problem.
Well yes, good point, I do have wondrous dreams (goals) for going… But, that wasn’t what I was referring to by stating that there are many “dreams to fall into”.
I was talking about fantasies and false work disguised as real work, which are real dangers lurking that, if I’m not careful, I could easily “fall into” because I’ll be surrounded by “new and wonderful things” that are unfamiliar and thus quite alluring.
Scio said:
You never really said why you're going to Taiwan. Did you find a job there? Or you just have an urge to suddenly go to Taiwan?
I’ve been planning to go back and regain full fluency in Chinese for about 5 years now, I just didn’t have the courage, money, qualifications and a plan I was happy with up until now.
Scio said:
Do you have any job there? Or will you begin looking only after you move?
Judvic said:
My wife had a job offer there and the terms were good.
Regarding the job issue, the facts stand as follows:
1.I don’t have a degree, so finding a job there is a bit dubious to say the least. I have a Cambridge accredited certificate in teaching English as a foreign language (TEFL) and an adequate understanding of the English language to teach it (After all, that’s what the TEFL is supposed to prove), but, alas, it’s not a degree.
2. This TEFL certificate is meant to be recognised world wide as what an English teacher needs to teach, but places like Taiwan are stricter than most countries, and they demand a degree. While in places like China, (OSIT) just having this certificate should do it (In some places, having a foreign face is enough!). So, that said, I may feel inclined to travel elsewhere if Taiwan doesn’t work out.
3. I think I’ll be able to teach English privately, or maybe other opportunities will arise, I can’t know until I am there basically. But, I do know that there is a huge demand for learning English there, so I’ll find a way I reckon.
Scio said:
I'm not really expressing my "feelings" as much as I'm just confused about what your initial reason for going to Taiwan was. Not the cons or pros - just what the reason is. Is it because you wanted to learn Chinese and Taiwan seems like a good place to do that? Is there any other reason, or is that it?
Ruth said:
Yes, I'm curious too, why Taiwan? Why not Bangladesh, Japan or the Netherlands?
Indeed... Depending on what happens, it may happen.
The reason why I am going is further down, but I chose Taiwan in particular to learn Chinese because:
1. China uses the simplified form of Chinese, which is, quite frankly, like the equivalent of the mobile phone texting language commonly used when compared to traditional Chinese, with much of the etymological roots lost forever.
2. Taiwan allows me access to SOTT(For now), but not in China.
3. The political hot bed that is Taiwan is fascinating, worth studying IMO.
Novelis said:
I’m going there to learn Chinese, in the vain hope that I could translate/interpret some of the material on these websites into Chinese, since there is no one else in sight that is filling the gap.
Scio said:
That's a lofty goal - to learn a language well enough to translate pretty complicated and involved writings into it. Might take you a few years. But this surely cannot be your only motivation for going? It would be much easier to find someone who already knows the language to help translate, osit.
The goal may not be as lofty as you might think.
Firstly, I lived in Taiwan for 9 years; in fact, Mandarin is practically my mother tongue. About 5 years ago, I moved to Leeds, where I heard Chinese spoken around me quite often. This distressed me a lot because I realised how much Chinese I had forgotten. I don’t expect many people to understand how that feels, to lose the language you grew up with, but I had to get it back, it’s an imperative for me, so I’ve been relearning it ever since.
Secondly, my Taiwanese girlfriend is living there now, and she promised to help me. Her current job requires her to translate quite a lot, so with a lot of dedication, there is a chance we could make a difference.
Peam said:
Couldn’t you learn Chinese where you live now Novelis, or is that out of the question?
Sure! I have been doing, but ever so slowly… Total emersion is not only the fastest way; it’s also the most efficient and detailed way of learning a language. I suppose speed takes precedent because I don’t think there is a lot of time left for us all.
Scio said:
I'm just confused about what your initial reason for going to Taiwan was.
Ok, in my opinion, who we are now has a lot to do with the language we used in our formative years, a vital time when the building blocks of the personality are formed, solidified, and often impossible to undo.
Language contains within the essence of culture, history, psychology... etcetera. Learning Chinese again has been like remembering how to express myself in familiar ways that were forgotten once English took over as the predominant language used to “think”.
Remembering that lost expression/art is not only an immense joy, it’s necessary (IMO) for working out who I am, why I use the words I use, what words actually mean to me, and how to be a better communicator.
That’s the (all too) lofty dream, to learn what I can about the literature, culture and history, not through the blurry lens of interpretation/translation, but to see for myself what I can from a more neutral perspective.
Grok said:
do you know or practice Taï Chi Chuan and Qi Gong ?... It could be a mean to know yourself more, in depth; there are some true Taï Chi Chuan and Qi Gong masters in Taïwan.
Yes I do, I’m quite into it.
Lots of martial artists escaped to Taiwan during the revolution, so you might be right. You see people up at 5:00am doing their daily Qi Gong practice, even the very old and frail make an effort! it’s certainly healthier than popping various pills and ignoring the problem like a lot do in the west.
Plus, studying the literature behind Qi gong and martial arts is one of my hobbies. What does Tai Chi mean? What’s Qi? Etymologically, historically, culturally and linguistically, the objective answer lies in the language. OSIT.
Anart said:
It's rather interesting that you bring this subject up here after you've already made the decision to go. If you're looking for someone to say, "oh, no, it's a great idea, don't worry at all..." - then you've most probably come to the wrong place - at the wrong time.
Yes, you are absolutely right, as I said in my first post; I know this is not really adding anything to the forum... About seeking emotional support, yes, in a way, I am. But not in the way you are referring.
I posted because I couldn't find any real/valid/relevant advice anywhere else, and wanted to “put it out there”, not because I was expecting a kiss on my boo-boo to make everything alright...
Although that would be nice (holds arms out waiting for a hug).
Ahem, no, although I’ve wanted to go for a while, the hope of translating articles from SOTT gives me a real and challenging goal to work towards that might actually make a difference, and that in itself was the kick in the backside that made the plunge.
Anart said:
I also think it's important to point out that it's not really about 'people or things there to help you awaken' - it's about you. No matter where you are or what you are doing - it is about you. There is no escaping you, no matter how far you travel.
Thank you, I will remember this on my travels.
What I received was exactly what I needed to screw my head on tight, thanks everybody, I wasn’t expecting all that!
