The Talking Traveller

O yes, don't be fooled by my silence or even absence on writing on my blog. I am indeed still contemplating on a new mantra, I have had many ideas and the last few weeks I have come upon the material of before mentioned "Anthony Robbins" whose blog engine would pick up his name with 3 seconds of this post being published. Famous people hire software companies to search blogs and other webpages for whenever their name is being used. So Mr Anthony Robbins, if you can hear me! Leave a comment! :) Anyway, I'm working through his 30 Audio Program called "Personal Power 2" I'm currently at day 18. It addresses all the issues I'm so concerned with regarding changing beliefs, values, behavior and seeking pleasure in life.

It is summer break here in Taiwan so I have some time on my hands. Instead of falling in a swamp and thinking “I have so little work!” “ I have so little money!” I have changed that around and I’m saying” I have so much time to explore!” “ I have enough funds to do WHATEVER I want if I work carefully” For example, rather that buying 120 NT$ takeaways or a beer , I can fill up my scooter with petrol and go on a 5 hour pleasure cruise! I have had the second round interviews for adults and can file those as positive speaking experiences with no further obligation. I can use that valuable knowledge to prepare more thoroughly for the next ones! This has enabled me to have open time slots wherein I can fit Chinese classes at a university. This will last from September until January at 4 hours per week. Plenty of speaking opportunity for which I am actually paying, better shape up Hein!

My stutter is creeping back up on me again with my lack of proper excercise and sloppyness in informal situations. Hear me everybody…… I will stand up again, and kill it again, and again and again. I am getting smarter every day. I will never feel ashamed or incompetent or experience any other bad feelings because I keep on trying. So there!! You can clap hands now and make me feel good, I am smiling and sitting up straight :) Thank you for listening.

Check out some of my exploring photos.

I have tried many new tastes in Taiwan . One of these for which I have developed an overwhelming likeness to is that of Bubble Milk Tea or “zhēn zhū nai chá”, in Mandarin Chinese. This beverage is very popular in Taiwan and I guess in China as well. Tea overall, hot or cold, is very popular, and the streets are laden with small teahouses where one can quench thirst and curiosity for only a few dollars.

What is so unique of this tea is there are small black jelly balls at the bottom of the cup. You get a big straw with you purchase with which you firstly pierce a hole in the cellophane cover and then use to carefully suck up the chewable jelly delights. It is said that your culture integration can be measured by the amount of pearls left when your tea is up. It is indeed a fine art to equal the amount of tea consumed and to parallel that which the amount of pearls left. At this stage I have around 15 pearls left when my tea is up, which is a sign that I still need to work on my culture integration. Practice, practice ,practice.

These last 2 weeks I have been teaching small children in the mornings. After four of these “teacher monkey” classes my heart is usually warm and soft my throat is sore and dry. On my way home I stop at a tea house and with my best, but still very hesitant Chinese say “Wo yao yi bei zhēn zhū nai chá “. I then hopefully receive a cup of pleasure for the mere price of 25NT ( R5.30, 0.55EUR, 0.37GPB).

                                    

The last month or so I have seen some more of the splendor of Taiwan. Me and a few friends went to Tairoko Gorge which is a famous nature reserve with amazing scenery. We also went to see the dragonboat festival where teams compete to see who can row a boat the fastest.Some new photo's are uploaded in the Taiwan album. This weekend we will celebrate a birthday in a Water-park that is said to have a 400m slide....

Pushing myself I went to another job interview monday afternoon. The was more for adult teaching and on a very high level. I really wanted this job and felt motivated to give myself over as a speaker in control. I did 1 hour breathing and speech practice before the interview, dressed in my best set of clothes, and wore a friendly tie. The interview went very well. My speech was controlled and I had roughly three "stumbles" that I cancelled out immediately.I released once again that practicing and getting "speech fit" with the right attitude, makes the difference. I should really start preparing more for my language exchange also, there is way to much "sloppyness" going on there... I will get a call on Wednesday, whatever happens, I will add this interview to my treasure chest  of positive speaking experiences.