Oh it's so great to meet a fellow Taiwanese on Gaia! emotion_c8
Most of my family also lives in Taiwan. Some in Taipei, Taichung and Taitung. I (and my parents and my sister) used to live in Xindian, Taipei before we moved to South Africa 10 years ago. Now we live with my aunt and uncle.
South Africa's not a bad place to live in, if you ignore the fact that crime is very bad here...which you can't...on a positive note the country is extremely diverse in culture. Like, 11 official languages...but thankfully we only have to learn 2 at school smile The weather here is moderate, hardly any natural disasters or anything but the wind blows 24/7 in Port Elizabeth aka The Windy City, which is where I live.
And um, wild animals like lions and elephants don't roam around in our streets, they are either kept in zoos or in game reserves. (sorry, I had to mention that, because I get that a lot - I think it's just a stereotype people have on African countries though sweatdrop)
South Africa is not entirely poverty-stricken either, there are cities such as Cape Town and Johannesburg that are as cosmopolitan and fashionable as any big American cities!
And you? Were you born in the US? Or did you move there? And can you communicate in Chinese?
It's nice to meet you, too! It's so rare to find other Taiwanese people on this site! c:
Oh wow, how windy does it get in Port Elizabeth? Does the wind blow everyone's umbrellas inside-out, or is it usually just a gentle breeze?
Pffft, haha! I guess everyone thinks that most of Africa is just grasslands and wild animals. That's what I used to think, but then I met somebody who also lived in South Africa for a while, and he told me that South Africa, at least, is pretty modernized. I've always lived in the US! And sadly, I only know a few words in Chinese... My parents wanted their kids to be as "American" as possible, so they didn't teach me Chinese. I did pick up some vocabulary from listening to them, though!
Most of the words I know are profanities, huehuehue emotion_awesome
Well there is a reason that Port Elizabeth is known as the "Windy City"...and it's because there is hardly a day that goes without wind. The wind here ranges from a gentle breeze to a gale force and it depends on the weather.
You know, I really can't help myself but laugh when people (mostly people on Gaia) ask me if I can see wild animals like lions and elephants outside my front yard. It just sounds so absurd!!! Like I said before, that is the image that Africa has on people who hasn't been in Africa...heaven knows what those people think citizens here wear..loincloths? Hahaha...
Anyway, South Africa IS pretty modernised, I even read somewhere that South Africa is the richest country in the African continent or something like that. But a large percent of people still live in poverty here.
Oh why did your parents want to raise you up "as American as possible"? Although I've lived here for 10 years, I'm proud to say that I'm still patriotic about Taiwan3nodding My dad is always on about how important it is to keep our heritage. I even went to Chinese school every Saturday since I came to South Africa, until it ended last year. We speak Chinese at home but I'm speaking English more (to my sister) now. Sadly my Chinese is getting worse gonk
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Most of the words I know are profanities, huehuehue emotion_awesome
Haha you got me there..I just burst out laughing..I know a Taiwanese guy here, he came to South Africa a year or two after my arrival here and he didn't know/speak English very well and during one of the Chinese classes he was telling me that the only words he knew very well in English are the swear words mrgreen
I really think you should learn Chinese though, even if it's knowing very little, I think it's better than nothing. Chinese is very useful nowdays, and being bilingual in both English and Chinese it can benefit you in the future. (well, that's what my dad has been telling me for the past 5 years)
Anyway, I hope you have a good Christmas and a happy New Year smile
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