As some listeners reflect the high demand to comprehend the content in Mandarin, I decided to record this episode with my friend Heidi, who is half-American and half-Taiwanese, to talk about her experiences of living in Taiwan, learning Mandarin, and making friends in English. I figured that might strike a chord with most of my listeners.
Listen on Spotify
Take Away Messages from Heidi:
- It’s difficult to set a boundary if you’re interacting with Taiwanese.
- Taiwanese value harmony among groups due to our collectivist culture.
- It’s pretty difficult for some Taiwanese to tell how they truly feel.
- Advice to those who want to make Taiwanese friends: Do not be afraid to make mistakes
Vocabularies and Phrases:
很台 (hěn tái):
English: Very Taiwanese
Japanese: とても台湾的
很好玩啦 (hěn hǎo wán la):
English: Very fun
Japanese: とても楽しい
注音 (zhù yīn):
English: Zhuyin (phonetic notation system in Chinese)
Japanese: 注音
聯絡簿 (lián luò bù):
English: The Communication Diary is a notebook designed for children in elementary school (up to grade 9) to record their homework and to-do lists. It serves as a means for parents to gain insight into their child’s activities at school. Additionally, parents and teachers can exchange notes within the diary, enabling them to monitor the student’s academic progress and behavior in the classroom.
Japanese: 連絡帳
破音字 (pò yīn zì):
English: heterophone
Japanese: 同字異音語
你們外國人很開放 (nǐ men wài guó rén hěn kāi fàng):
English: You foreigners are very open-minded
Japanese: あなたたち外国人はとてもオープンマインドです
和諧 (hé xié):
English: Harmony
Japanese: 調和
看不出來 (kàn bù chū lái):
English: Can’t tell
Japanese: わからない
年長者 (nián zhǎng zhě):
English: Elderly person
Japanese: お年寄り
耳機 (ěr jī):
English: Earphones
Japanese: イヤホン
助聽器 (zhù tīng qì):
English: Hearing aid
Japanese: 補聴器
