2 months at Shida...

Oh my goodness...

...has it really been 2 months already? I can't believe it. You know, the time goes by so fast, I already see myself sitting in front of my computer and writing a blog post with the subject "My first 2 years at Shida..." !

This whole thing is soo enjoyable! I don't want it to be over so fast! What to do?? Hm, well, what about just staying here in Taiwan and not going back, taking every single course that Shida has to offer, until they will tell me: "Sorry, Sebastian. It is REALLY time to move on, you have taken every course we offer, there is nothing more to learn!! GO HOME!!! THERE IS A LIFE OUTSIDE OF SHIDA WAITING FOR YOU!!!!!!"

Haha...let's see what life will bring. That's the exciting thing, you really never know. At the moment, I really feel like I want to go on with this life, going to Shida in the morning, and then after Chinese class to go Taida and do research. I lead a good life here now. But well, this can't go on like this forever. And that's also a good thing because I will graduate in the end of the year and will be a Master of Science in Electrical Engineering. Sounds like working life is coming closer and closer. I will keep you updated with my plans for life here. :)

So what about my Chinese? Did those 2 months at Shida really make a difference for my spoken Chinese?

YES YES YES.

And also I might say: yes.

I made a lot of progress in those 2 months. Especially in my spoken Chinese. The motivation throughout these 2 months always stayed high, because of the fun that we all had in class. I mention it in nearly every post here, just because that never gets old for me. It is one of the best things to directly practice the new vocabulary and sentence structures with your new friends that can just communicate with you in Chinese and not in English. Go for a class with Asians if you are a westerner. Find a class that doesn't have people from your homecountry or that has few or no people that are willing to speak your native language with you! This will force you to really speak Chinese, also in the breaks and I love to do that. That's why my spoken Chinese really improved.

My teacher is a motivational factor as well for sure. I had very good luck that I got her as my teacher and we all think like that. For the next semester we will ask the school to keep her and the class at it is now. You can keep your teacher and the same people if you find 8 ppl who share this wish and the teacher also signs this form. We will do it!

So now, you might be interested in how I use Chinese in my everyday life here. A good example that shows that I really dare to use it out in the streets: I found myself arguing with a waitress in an Italian restaurant here. No, didn't use Italian (which I cannot speak) but Chinese! The service really sucked and I had to release my anger and frustration. And I did that in Chinese. Wow that was interesting. Haha! AND? Yeah, didn't have to pay the 10% service charge because of my outburst of fury. It must have been super funny though. An angry Germany guy in an Italian restaurant in Taiwan furiously scolding a waitress in Chinese...haha!

Okay, looking forward for the last month of my first semester at Shida!

Bye, Sebastian