Job Discussion Forums

[markholmes]

Actually in Asia you can see the swastika both ways. Usually the top branch points west in Asia, but not always.

[BigWally]

Okay, now that my curiosity was piqued, I had to go searching for more information about this, and DAAAMN there is a lot more history to the swastika than I ever imagined!!!

I was wrong about it meaning "peace" rather its meaning is "eternality".

For the great legacy of the swastika around the world, check this out.

Here is an exerpt from that entry about the Nazi use of the swastika and Hitlers reasons for using it (seems ironic that it has been used for so long, by so many, but he saw it as an Aryan symbol)

The use of the swastika was associated by Nazi theorists with their conjecture of Aryan cultural descent of the German people. Following the Nordicist version of the Aryan invasion theory, the Nazis claimed that the early Aryans of India, from whose Vedic tradition the swastika sprang, were the prototypical white invaders. It was also widely believed that the Indian caste system had originated as a means to avoid racial mixing. The concept of Racial purity was an ideology central to Nazism though it is now considered unscientific. For Rosenberg, the Aryans of India were both a model to be imitated and a warning of the dangers of the spiritual and racial "confusion" that, he believed, arose from the close proximity of races.

Thus, they saw fit to co-opt the sign as a symbol of the Aryan master race. The use of the swastika as a symbol of the Aryan race dates back to writings of Emile Burnouf. Following many other writers, the German nationalist poet Guido von List believed it to be a uniquely Aryan symbol. When Hitler created a flag for the Nazi party, he sought to incorporate both the swastika and "those revered colors expressive of our homage to the glorious past and which once brought so much honor to the German nation" (red, white and black). He also stated that "the red expressed the social thought underlying the movement. White the national thought. And the swastika signified the mission allotted to us � the struggle for the victory of Aryan mankind and at the same time the triumph of the ideal of creative work which is in itself and always will be anti-Semitic." (Mein Kampf).

Cheers

[Jamer]

[I_is_teach_English]

[kuberkat]

1. Mandarin and Teaching
Jamer wrote:

[kuberkat]

1. Accent

In the last post I forgot to mention that, oddly, the "standard" Mandarin pronunciation in Taiwan is actually much clearer than China (IMHO). The retroflexes (zh, ch, sh, r) don't tangle the tongue quite as badly. On the street, in the country and among older people, the Taiwanese influence is quite strong and these sounds are flattened to sound like "dz, ts, s", which can be confusing since those sounds already exist! Go figure! Also, many statements and exclamations are ended in -a!

2. Taiwanese Students' Aptitude

Another IMHO here. Because of their Chinese learning background, Taiwanese students are excellent at memorizing- a force that often transcends logic. For example, I was once testing spelling when a whole beginner class spelt "pig" P-L-G. It turned out their spelling sheet was badly copied and they memorized the error, although they new the sound of "i".

Cram school students are generally stronger at reading and writing than at listening and speaking, unless they have had a full-immersion English environment before. It is commonly believed that fear of losing face makes learners nervous about speaking, and this is worth considering, especially in the way you correct students' errors.

Chinese culture is very collective and, even in modern times, very prescriptive. Visit an average kindergarten and you will see individualism beaten, yelled or humiliated out of mavericks. Visit an elementary school and you will se how effective this process is. This is so different from our culture's value of individualism, that creativity becomes a lesson as important as the English language when teaching in Taiwan. If your classroom is a safe place to experiment (within bounds, of course!), your results will go far beyond the teaching of a mere language.

Taiwanese students are often overloaded with work and may not have great enthusiasm (or energy) for their studies, but are under great pressure to perform- and usually do. Having left Taiwan, I often miss their sharp minds. Despite the pressures, I have seen foreign teachers turn English classes into the highlight of a long day for their students. If you are firm but kind and make your classes enjoyable, students will learn with amazing results and make personal progress you will not believe.

[kuberkat]

1. Blonde?
Even a blonde should be fine- you're obviously a smart one, which always helps.

2. Girls' Stuff
You are more than likely to find everything you could possibly need, and loads you probably don't, in Taiwan. For some "Western" products you might have to go to a department store, and if you still don't manage, the Tianmu district in Taipei is where the Rich Foreigners Who Don't Teach English live, so you can find anything there. Price tags can be high, though.

Explore and experiment: you will find new things you never imagined, and find decent substitutes for things you miss.

Cosmetics and toiletries are abundantly availalbe, but there often is an Asian twist- for example whitening substances in facial products: read the label carefully. I found prices high at first, but then I came from a developing country!

As to womens' er, special needs, again there is an Asian twist. Many a foreign girl spends much of her holidays abroad in lingerie departments. Why? Every bra in Taiwan seems to be padded (unless it's designed by Calvin Klein). So you might want to stock up. The phrase "my cup runneth over" was meant to be about serenity, not knockers. In another slam-dunk for the Stone Age, tampons have not caught on in Taiwan. However, the ob brand is usually available in a jaw-dropping selection of two designs at large supermarkets like Carrefour.

For any prescription medication, I'd suggest you take two months' supply and the prescription itself. This goes doubly for oral contraceptives: check with a local pharmacy if your brand is available as soon as you arrive, because messing with hormones is mighty dangerous. (And all the guys who are reading this- although they really don't need to- nod sagely.)