Is there anyone here from Maryland, Virginia, D.C., Pennsylvania, or Delaware who is planning on going to Taiwan sometime within a year or so? I plan on going back to Taiwan and would like to get together with anyone going there or who has an interest in Taiwan. If there is just a person or two, maybe we can get coffee or something. If there are enough people, it may wind up being a regular (maybe Oriented) event.
Peter
Peter,
I’m not in the area at this point (in upstate NY just now) but you could contact the Experimental Chinese School – they meet in Fairfax County on Sundays. It’s quite a large school for kids to learn Mandarin on Sundays, but there are some foreigners learning there, and also you could touch base with a lot of Taiwanese folks if you wanted to do that. I used to teach there and they’re a nice bunch.
As for “foreigners” who are going to go to Taiwan – have you tried City Paper?
Terry
I come from Maryland, and I’ve been living in Taiwan the last six years.
Mark
Haven’t tried City Paper–will look at that more often. But, there is a Chinese school that meets every Saturday at the University of Maryland, where I work. As far as I know, though, there are only young kids there. I may look into the Fairfax county school you mentioned to see if there’s anyone there. There is a professor at the University of Maryland that speaks moth Mandarin and Taiwanese, and is a Caucasian American. So, I take it he has an interest in Taiwan. I’m thinking of touching base with him and asking a few questions. But, unless he plans on taking a sabbatical, I doubt he’s going back to Taiwan anytime soon for an extended period.
Mark, any chance of you flying back to the U.S. once a month or so for a few hours? On a more serious note, why did you move to Taiwan? Are you an expatriate, learning Chinese, teaching English…?
Peter
I come from Montgomery County Maryland as well and have been in Taiwan for about 6 years like Mark, but I am in Taiwan now so I can’t offer you the support unless I go back home for a vist before you leave. Would be glad to meet up once you arrive here.
Sound like a good idea. We’ll get in touch near to when I leave for Taiwan–It’s looking like sometime in early to mid-spring now. Thanks.
Peter
In response to Peter’s questions above: I got my Master’s Degree in Teaching English as a Second Language from the University of Hawaii, and while I was there, I had a Taiwanese girlfriend, who was a student at Hawaii Pacific University at that time. Both of us came to Taiwan in July 1996. Then soon after arriving in Taiwan, we got married, and we now have a baby girl who is four months old.
The last time I was back in the States was three years ago, and I don’t have any definite plans of going back to Maryland until at least two years from now (when my daughter is already potty trained). But I’d like to meet you when you arrive in Taiwan.
Mark, I’m planning on going back to Taiwan sometime in early to mid-spring for about five years. I’d definitely like to meet once I’m there. It always helps to know people there. I have a friend here whose parents live there, and another friend in Taipei, but other than them, I don’t know anyone there. If you or anyone else who reads this wants to chat some time using an instant messenger, please look for me. Here’s my id’s:
Yahoo IM! edberg1
ICQ: 78577747
AOL IM: PeterHSchwartz
I’m usually online after 10 PM Eastern Standard Time in the U.S. (Usually 10 AM or 11 AM Taiwan time). I stay online for several hours.
Peter