Seems everybody I talk too has lived in Taiwan since the days of martial law. Curious as to how long those from the Oriented Community have been here for?
I’ve done my 20.
I’ve served 13+ years, but less time off for good behaviour, it actually comes out to 11+. Doesn’t seem that long however. I keep thinking I’ve only been here a couple of years - 3 or 4 maybe. Going through old photographs is a bit of a shock - I saw a picture of myself recently celebrating my 22nd birthday here. I’ve spent most of my adult life in Taiwan. Who’d have thunk it?
I came over on the Mayflower… no, wait… that can’t be right.
Damn this short term memory loss! Where was I going?
“How long have you lived here for?”
You wouldn’t be an English teacher, would you?
“You wouldn’t be an English teacher, would you?”
You wouldn’t be annoying, would you??
Terry
Too damn long, is always the correct answer, unless you have a connecting flight.
T-minus…
Wolfie,
Since ORIENTED (and the like), is an online written discourse community which draws many obvious elements from spoken discourse, then it is perfectly acceptable to end sentences with prepositions:
“Where’s the remote control at?”
“Where’d you get that from?”
“Who’d you come here with?”
So, in answer to,
“How long have you lived here for?”
“Too damn long already, but probably a while longer”
quote:Yeah, the dangling preposition thingy bugged me too, but I thought if I mentioned anything people would write me off as an anal-retentive pedant. [img]images/smiles/icon_razz.gif[/img]
Originally posted by wolf_reinhold: "How long have you lived here for?" You wouldn't be an English teacher, would you? [img]images/smiles/icon_confused.gif[/img]
Ha ha, Wolf, you should go and live in Edinburgh, where they end every utterance with either “but” “ken” or “likes.”
“Ur youse gaun up the toon but?”
“Only if yir gaunny stey oot ay the boozer, ken?”
“Ach come on, wir jist eftir wan wee gold felly, likes.”
There is nothing intrinsically wrong with ending a sentence with a preposition. There is no rule against it. Those who believe otherwise are wrong.
“How long have you lived here for?” is awkward not because it ends with a preposition but because “for” is unnecessary. But this is informal here, so no big deal.
To get back on topic: I’ve lived here for nearly seven years. But I think I aged more during my one year in China.
I’ve decided to start injecting a little variety into such exchanges but varying according to whim the amount of time I say I’ve been here, ranging from “I came over with the G-mo” to “Can you tell me where Tai-pei Main Station is?”
Wow, some of you guys are pretty sensitive. I will try to be less annoying.
I don’t know what I was doing it for.
Wolf, I think it sounds pretty darn good. I suppose I could eliminate the preposition debate by renaming the topic “How long have you been here fore WANKER’S” I’d probably get more responses too. Ah but what do I want to go and do that for?
Alien, you may speak like that (“Where’s the remote control at?”), but I don’t and none of my friends or associates do either. But it’s a free country; you are allowed to be as uncouth as you wish.
Maoman:
quote[quote] ...people would write me off as an anal-retentive pedant. [/quote]I COULDN’T HOLD IT IN!
(Dang me! Was that there a preppysition I just blasted out of my asp?)
quote:
Originally posted by wolf_reinhold: Alien, you may speak like that ("Where's the remote control at?"), but I don't and none of my friends or associates do either. But it's a free country; you are allowed to be as uncouth as you wish.
Way-ell, Wolf sweetie, yo sho ain’t never been t’th’ south then. Ifin yo did, yo might talk somethin like:
quote[quote]Alien, yo' may speak like thet ("Whar's th' remote corntrol at?"), but ah doesn't an' none of mah friends o' assosheeates does eifer. But it's a free country; yer allered t'be as uncouth as yo' wish. [/quote]But I reckon you really speak like:
quote[quote]Alien, yer may speak like that ("Where's the remote control at?"), but I don't and none of me muckers or associates do eever, right? But it's a free country; yor allowed ter be as uncouff as yer wish. [/quote]And if you were cool, you’d say:
quote[quote] Alien, ya' may rap likes dat ("Where's de remote control at?"), but ah' duzn't and none uh my homeys o' associates do eider. Ah be baaad... But it's some free country; ya' is allowed t'be as uncoud as ya' wish. Lop some boogie. [/quote]
I’ve been here since late 1993, but spent 18 months in Manila in between.
Did a year’s sentence in martial law, only-one-McDonald’s, “be ready to resist the Communist aggressor” painted on all the mailboxes Taiwan of 1984; after that I’ve been here since 1993 except for a year and something in the States in between.
Look out, Wolf, or Juba will chastise you for allowing multiple threads about ending a sentence with a preposition. Run for your life!
Terry
First came here in 1981 and left in 1983, returned in 1990 leaving again 1993. Came back this time in 2000 with no plans for leaving this time.
My first stint was as a student at Shida 2995-1997.
This time around I arrived in late 2000 and I’m not leaving soon.