Three Things I learned in Taiwan this Week
1. There is a saying that seven gods come from one grain of rice. Since this is the case, you are supposed to eat all your grains of rice and never leave any grains on your plate. This is puzzling. Am I supposed to eat the god? And if I do, does this make me stronger? Or is it an evil god and that’s why I have to eat it? Or does eating it make me a better person? Hmmm.
2. The Chinese word for jello is the same as the word for move – “Dong” in the fourth tone. May I have some Dong please? May I have some ‘move’ please? Hmmm.
3. One of my private students informed me that Taiwanese girls will sometimes pretend they are sick on special holidays in order for their boyfriends to notice and take care of them. He knows this because he works in a hospital and on special holidays there is an influx of women taking up hospital beds with ‘unexplainable’ illnesses. As in, there is nothing actually wrong with them. He said often doctors sympathize with this and play along with the game. I wonder if this also happens in North America? Also there are higher rates of suicide on these days. I think Taiwan has a high suicide rate but it’s not often talked about.
1) It’s just a lesson they teach children so they wouldn’t waste food. It doesn’t make sense, but little children will believe anything. For example, it doesn’t make sense why chidlren have to be nice just got get a gift on Christmas? Why can’t kids just BE good. Being good doesn’t mean you do it because there’s a reward, you do it because it’s right.
2) I don’t know excactly what you’re trying to say here? So it’s a homonym, we have those too in English words.
3) LOL that’s just weird even for me, pretending to be sick? That might just scare off the men! “Uh, are you pregnant?”
to point one, superstition by nature is illogical, so there is really no point think about it. Christianity is a monotheistic religion that believes in three supernatural being, the god, the son jesus and the holy spirit. dont make sense neither.
to point three, this seems plausible and interesting. i ask my friends she responded with “most TW girls want to spend special holiday with BF, not lay on hospital bed” hmmm.