Saturday, December 29, 2012

I gave a talk in Mandarin!

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NTNU library
Thursday, I achieved one of my long-term goals: To give a professional speech in Mandarin! I gave a talk to 30 faculty colleagues and a few students and staff at National Taiwan Normal University. It was a simple 10-minute speech about my my current Fulbright project on discrimination and educational challenges of Atayal aboriginal students, my family and cultural background, my professional history, and my research interests. My students and friends helped me with the new vocabulary and pronunciation. I showed various slides on powerpoint to match my speech. The faculty generously laughed at my jokes, were very forgiving with my mistakes, and seemed to appreciate my effort. I was really nervous but I am so proud I did it.

Friday, December 28, 2012

Why are there so many 7-Elevens in Taiwan?


Variety of pork buns at 7-11
winter meals at 7-11
7-11 quick meals
Taiwan has 4,800 7-Eleven (7-11) convenience stores, making it the third highest in the world regardless of geographic size (Taiwan is about the size of Connecticut!), and the densest internationally. There is a 7-Eleven at almost every single gate of Taipei Main Station (TSR) and many neighborhoods in Taipei have them on every block. Why are there so many? Coming from the US, I was accustomed to thinking of 7-Eleven as a desperation road stop for directions, a dirty bathroom, lottery tickets, or for a giant slurpy. But in Taipei, 7-Elevens offer services and quality goods that are impossible to imagine: order a 10-course Thanksgiving dinner, you can pay all your bills,  buy tickets to a remote village, purchase tasteful winter clothes, find rare California wines, obtain a rental agreement, send a fax,  develop pictures, mail packages, or surf the web. Apparently, 80% of people in Taipei visit 7-Eleven at least once a week. I buy my tickets to Nan’ao using the Chinese-only ticket machine (took me 3 times to memorize the characters), for  prepared salad (hard to find), and freshly-cut papaya and guava. My cell phone plan is with 7-Eleven. One time I was looking everywhere for shoe polish, I searched at least 20 stores. Where did I find it? 7-Eleven. A Fulbright colleague once told a group of us that 7-Eleven shipped a large live fish to a remote mountain so his friends could make sashimi! I am definitely partial to using the independent shops and food stalls in Taipei for my meals and goods and I don't think anyone wants 7-Eleven to take over the quaint and unique aspects of Taipei markets. But for paying bills, buying tickets, and the occasional salad it’s wonderful.

Thursday, December 27, 2012

Atayal patterns and design

photo by Mikael Owunna
Atayal (泰雅) art can be seen in everything: their clothes, buildings, murals, hats, jewelry, weavings, and vases. It is simultaneously bold and intricate. It is not only beautiful and unique, but Atayal patterns, design, and colors have deep cultural significance. For example, there is an old story in Atayal culture called Rainbow Bridge. It is said that ancestors live in a beautiful mountain. In order to get there you must complete the tasks that are important in your life. For an Atayal man, it means to be a good hunter and be able to protect your home. For a woman, it means to be a good weaver and take care of her family. If you fulfill your mission while on earth, the ancestors will take you to Rainbow Bridge, which leads to this mountain. If you look at Atayal weavings, they often include horizontal lines and bright colors which represent Rainbow Bridge. Diamonds are important because they represent the ancestors eyes. The eyes are watching you and protecting you. The color red represents blood, life, and strength. In our most recent session with the Atayal children, we taught them how to replicate meaningful Atayal symbols using clay. Their designs were beautiful and culturally relevant.
mural behind Nan'ao Elementary School

Sunday, December 16, 2012

How to eat Xiaolongbao!


Xiaolongbao chefs at Dintaifung
Dintaifung's traditional pork xiaolong
What is the proper way to eat xiaolongbao (xiao long bao 小籠包)? Xiaolongbao are a type of baozi or steamed bun originally from Shanghai. They are steamed in bamboo baskets (xiaolong literally means "small steaming basket"). I always assumed they were dumplings, but in fact they differ in many ways from traditional jiaozi 餃子; xiaolongbao are made from raised flour so the texture is more translucent and fluffy, they are also created with a circular twist at the top of the bun, whereas jaozi are folder into a semi-cirle and pinched on the sides. Xiaolongbao are especially delicious and unique because they are filled with juice (often referred to as soup). According to Wikipedia, the juice in the buns are "created by wrapping solid meat aspic inside the skin alongside the meat filling. Heat from steaming then melts the gelatin-gelled aspic into soup." I had no idea! I kept picturing some sort of elaborate injection technique to get the delicious broth into the buns.

Like many people living in Taiwan, I have been on a quest to find the best xiaolongbao in Taipei. I have been to 7 XLB places so far and enjoying this type of comparative research tremendously. So far, there is not a definitive winner. Din Tai Fung is the most famous xiaolongbao place in Taiwan and definitely has the large presence and loyal following. Their xiaolongbao are incredibly fresh, perfectly created, and unbelieveably juicey. They also offer efficient and educational service where they teach you how to properly eat the xiaolongbao for optimal flavor and how to avoid the oh-so-embarrasing premature puncture and release of the juices! To avoid juice splatter, follow these steps on how to eat xiaolongbao--see also this helpful youtube video:

1). Add soy sauce and vinegar to ginger
2). Gently lift the xiaolongbao with your chopsticks and dip in soy sauce mixture.
3). Place xiaolongbao into soup spoon.
4). Use your chopstick or teeth to create a small hole in the bun so a little juice comes out into the spoon. This also cools the bun a little to the best temperature for eating.
5). Fee free to add some ginger at this point.
6). Lift the spoon and eat the whole thing including the soup.
7). Enjoy!

I also like putting the whole bun in my mouth and hoping I won't leek juice or squirt my neighbor! One place I have been researching and really like is Fangs restaurant in Tienmu. Fangs has a wonderful family atmosphere, a low key but authentic and clean xiaolongbao assembly area, and a fresh and flavorful menu. Their xiaolongbao are beautifully created, bursting with juice, and always fresh. I think they are a strong contender for best in Taipei but I need a larger sample size to base this decision on. My quest continues....

Sunday, December 9, 2012

Atayal words and language


photo by Mikael Owunna
photos by Mikael Owunna
For the past few weeks, I have been teaching an incredible group of Atayal (泰雅) students in Nan'ao (南澳) with my Fulbright colleague, Mikael. The program focuses on using creative activities and exercises to foster cultural pride and empowerment. The first session focused on teaching students to write their own name in Atayal. Most of the students did not know how to do this since they typically write their name in Chinese characters in school and they are unfamiliar with the English alphabet (used to write Atayal). In the second class, they learned several Atayal words and they selected one to begin to describe themselves as an Atayal. Each week, they also perform an art project using Atayal designs, and symbols to incorporate their learning with creativity. These activities will culminate in a project called "I am Atayal" in which the students take photos of themselves and their cultural lives and use Atayal and English words to describe themselves. Mikael is teaching them how to take photos that have cultural relevance and my University of San Francisco colleague Professor Leyla Perez-Gualdron generously donated disposable cameras to all the students. 

photo by Mikael Owunna
While there are between 85,000-90,000 Atayal living in Taiwan, the Atayal language is perhaps only spoken fluently by about 35,000. In fact, while the younger generation may hear Atayal at home, they are required to learn Mandarin Chinese and English in the classroom at school. Only a few school programs--such as one in Wulai--offer Atayal as an extracurricular option for students. While the pronunciation is similar to other Austronesian languages, it does take a fair amount of practice. Here are some interesting words:

對人正面形容的泰雅語
編號
泰雅語
國語
English
1
ms’su
正直
honest, disciplined
2
mkala
活潑
active
3
qniyat
勤奮
diligent
4
mhoway
慷慨
generous
5
mintunux
聰明
smart
6
sgalu lungan
充滿愛心
caring, attached
7
myasa lungan
善良
nice, good
8
klokah lungan
意志堅強
strong-minded
9
baq r’maw
熱心助人
helpful
10
raban skutaw
有骨氣
undying spirit
11
ini sbrus
真誠
sincere
12
lokah s’yapas
幽默
humorous
13
hopa lungan
膽大
bald
14
r’ro
帥氣
handsome
15
minmyasa
美麗
beautiful
16
hopa
高大
tall
17
ciput’
矮小
short
18
lhbaw
thin
19
usuw
heavy
20
mhekan
thin
21
mthwey
fat
23
klokah
健壯
strong
24
tmlux
安靜
quiet

There are limited resources about the Atayal language written in English. I have been reading Atayal-English dictionary by Søren Egerod (1995), but it focuses more on documenting the language, rather than teaching it. Here are some Atayal language games, and a youtube video of student speaking Atayal. Given that Atayal is primarily a spoken language and is not being systematically taught in schools, it is unclear how much longer the language will last. The fear of diminishing indigenous languages is present all over the world and we need to actively join forces to raise awareness and fight for students to be able to learn in their native language. 

Tuesday, December 4, 2012

I love my Ukulele!

I just got a new concert ukulele for my birthday and I am stoked to start playing. I have been thinking about learning a new instrument for a few years and after hearing some amazing ukulele in Hawaii and Samoa, I thought I would give this a try. Although I am a lefty, I decided to try to play right-handed since the strumming feels more natural that way. I'm going to join a group class on thursday nights and will try to pick up tips on line. This five-step guide is awesome with a great video. Today, I selected my first song--Stand by me--and am following this online tutorial. Some of my favorite songs on youtube include Jake Shimabukuro's Bohemian Rhapsody (crazy good), Israel Kamakawiwo'ole's What a wonderful world, this baby playing Jason Mraz's I'm Yours, and anything by Sungha Jung! I also met some incredible ukulele players at a shop in Shilin and they let me try out a shiny red electric uke! I've only been playing a few days but so far the hardest thing has been "chucking" a strumming technique that makes a percussion sound. According to many ukulele players, it replaces the beat of a drum. I've seen some cool chucking tutorials online but like this one in particular.

Sunday, December 2, 2012

Atayal facial tattoos



photo by Mikael Owunna
The Atayal (泰雅) or Taya, or Tayal (aboriginal tribe in Taiwan) place great cultural significance on their facial tattoos (ptasan). According to legend, a stone called Pinspkan split open and three people emerged. One returned to the stone and the other two fell in love. However, the man was too shy to tell the woman he loved her. So the woman put coal on her face to change her appearance so he could speak openly to her. It is believed that facial tattoos are used (like the coal) to symbolize maturity. Girls receive them when they are "ready for marriage" and have learned how to weave. in fact, like the Truku (太魯閣族) and Sediq (賽德克族) tribes, the intricacy of the tattoo design can reveal the expertise of the weaver. However, there are few living Atayal women with tattoos. You see, in the 1930's when the Japanese ruled Taiwan, they outlawed tattooing because they believed it was barbaric and a symbol of headhunting. So women who have this special tattoo are around 100 years old. Facial tattoos are viewed negatively by many in Taiwan because in the dominant Han society, facial tattoos have been used to mark people as criminals and outcasts. 

There have been recent attempts to preserve this important tradition. In 2008, an Atayal woman and her husband got Atayal tattoos; the first Atayal facial tattoos in nearly a century. Atayal elders have also called for the preservation of this tradition and many cultural events include temporary facial tattoos. My Fulbright collaborator, Mikael Owunna, recently photographed a student at Nan'ao elementary school wearing a tattoo for an Atayal dance performance (photo above). See the rest of his beautiful photos here. Some people, like Kimi Labal (Atayal photographer) have spent years documenting the remaining elders with Atayal facial tattoos. Unfortunately, the disappearance of the Atayal facial tattoos is symbolic of the numerous ways that aboriginal communities have been forced into assimilation and hence lose critical aspects of their culture. 

note: the image of the Atayal woman above is from http://www.culture24.org.uk/art/art13151

Monday, November 26, 2012

Taroko Gorge-ous!

we hiked to the top of this temple

Bamboo rice at an aboriginal restaurant


I just returned from a four day visit to Taroko Gorge in Taroko National Park (太魯閣國家公園) in the Eastern mountains of Taiwan. Taroko means "magnificent and beautiful" in Truku (太魯閣族), which is one of the indigenous tribes in Taiwan. Taroko Gorge is Yosemite times 1000! It is just that spectacular, with mist lined mountains rising sharply from the white marble gorges. There are waterfalls, jagged cliffs, suspension bridges, caves, and temples everywhere and you feel as if you have magically walked into a Chinese painting. See the temple in the first pic, we hiked to the top of it! We stayed in a cabin at the Bulowan aboriginal village of the Truku tribe and enjoyed delicious tribal feasts and meaningful cultural performances. The feasts included wild boar, bamboo stuffed rice, bitter melon soup (now we're talking!), millet wine (you drink from a clay boar cup), mountain vegetables, steamed fish, and numerous noodle and side dishes. The performances included songs and dances by local Truku children, lubu (or mouth harp), and wood carved xylophones. We also saw the Amis performances at Tiansiang. While the dances and food definitely offer a wonderful opportunity to experience unique aspects of a culture, I most appreciated the time I spent talking with members of the Truku and Amis tribe during my visit and learning more about their complex history and disputes for recognition. In fact, the Truku were the 12th indigenous tribe to be recognized in Taiwan and this did not happen until January 15th, 2004. Over the years, the Truku language and culture have been diminishing due to displacement and assimilation from the Han Chinese culture. Bulowan seeks to preserve and raise awareness about this important aboriginal community. 

Sunday, November 25, 2012

Small sausage in a big sausage

Well, I knew it wouldn't be long until I found a night market snack or xiaochi (小吃)--small eats--that would be blogworthy. We were at an aboriginal marketplace in Tiansiang (天祥) when I spotted what looked like a hot dog. But no! It was a small sausage wrapped in a large sausage, but the large sausage was split to look like a hot dog bun. Not only that, but the large sausage was white which made it look even more like a Wonder-bread bun! Apparently, dachang bao xiaochang (大腸包小腸) is a very common and popular street food in Taiwan. It is comprised of a pork sausage wrapped in a glutinous (or sticky rice) rice sausage. The little sausage is then covered with chopped cilantro, peanut powder, and pickled cucumbers or bok choy. Unfortunately, I didn't try it. 

It seems as if the Taiwanese are obsessed with finding ways to stuff one food with another similar food (like the meat on meat reference above). For example, we live next door to a breakfast spot that serves fan tuan (反團) which is youtiao (油条), or deep-fried donut wrapped in glutinous rice and stuffed with pickled radish, and rousong (肉松, dried pork powder). They also serve xiao bing which is youtiao (donut) stuffed in sesame bread! Why, would you stuff sesame bread with a deep fried donut or a sausage with another sausage? I believe the real question is--why not?

note: this entry is dedicated to keith weiss (aka bobby flay)!!

Wednesday, November 21, 2012

Sacred beads of the Paiwan tribe

Paiwan beads

chart of beads and their meanings
Beads have special spiritual meaning for many Taiwanese aboriginal tribes. The Lazurite beads of the Paiwan () have been used to represent social identities, status, and respect. What I find most fascinating about the Paiwan beads is that each one represents a unique legend or story that has been passed down for generations. Beads have a specific design with colors and lines that are a sign of a particular cultural asset. For example, Names of beads include: Mulmulidan (beads of dignity and beauty), Za-aw (beads of Peacock, Lozegnagadaw (Tears of Sun), Magazaigaw (beads of hands and feet), Cadacada-an (beads of land), Pumacamaca (beads of eyes), and Malaligai (beads of Warrior). The beads are used in Paiwan culture in a way that reflects their meaning. So when warriors win a battle and return home, they are given the beads of warrior from the chief as a symbol of their warrior strength and spirit. I visited the Shung Ye Museum for Formosan Aborigines in Taipei where they showed me charts detailing the meaning and story behind each bead. How amazing is that?? I think it would be interesting to share these stories with the aboriginal children I am working with and connect artistically with the students by recreating the beads' beautiful design in a way that creatively resonates with them.