Monday, September 04, 2006

classmates - Shida Mandarin Training Center


June 2006 - Pierre, Hyun Ae, and El Spaniard. Only Pierre and Hyun Ae were my classmates. El Spaniard joined their class after I left, so I never got to know him, never got to like him. He didn't speak English, so of course I didn't like him. What is anyone doing in the world not knowing English? I can say that because only English readers can read this!

El Spaniard left to go back to Spain last month, and that was good riddance. He was reported to be hilarious, but I never laughed. Pierre left last week to go back to France, and he was probably the most stable and sane person I know here, so he'll be missed. Hyun Ae may leave in February to go back to Korea, after she's sufficiently fluent in Mandarin. That's the nature of being a language student. By next February, I'll probably still not even be at a 1st grade level. I may leave Taipei at the end of November, but if Hyun Ae is definitely leaving in February, I might stick around for one more term before transfering to Kaohsiung.

For this shot I successfully executed my trick of not showing Bebe until the moment of shooting, ergo their looks of bewilderment. The telltale sign of success is that Hyun Ae had no time to react and put her fingers up in a V. And believe me, she's quick!

iTunes soundtrack:
1. Amor de Loca Juventud (Compay Segundo)
2. Gallows Pole (Led Zeppelin)
3. Happy Jack (live) (The Who)
4. Shane (Liz Phair)
5. Far East Medley (Bela Fleck & the Flecktones)
6. Male Model (Sleater-Kinney)
7. Brandenburg Concerto No. 4, I. Allegro (J.S. Bach)
8. Hold My Life (The Replacements)
9. Rape Me (Nirvana)
10. Tomorrow Belongs to Me ("Cabaret")

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Here we are again. When I say "moving to Kaohsiung" is your hot hot drug...:

« ... I might stick around for one more term before transfering to Kaohsiung. »

Well, thank you anyway. I read these articles for the first time a few months ago, when I was a bit down, and it was a really nice discovery. And I don't say that because I "was probably the most stable and sane person [you] know here".

... you may have changed your mind by now, but I'm not "here" anymore (for now!), so it's ok...