by Eugenia Chao (Eugenia, a former staff member of The Foreign Exchange, is studying this year at Trinity College, Dublin)
Bookstores: Heaven on earth. Traffic: Pedestrians absolutely ignore traffic lights. People show no fear towards the fierce, lunging, double-decker buses. There are no pets on the sidewalks but overfed (touristfed) pigeons everywhere. There are, occasionally, horses pulling carriages (which contain tourists) or bearing policemen (in uniforms resembling those of Taipei trash collectors). Local TV: I am an unfair judge as we only have two channels at home, with daily soaps and news in Irish and English. Shows are alternatively in black and white, in color, or non-existent, depending on the degree of windiness (signals are bad, very bad). Food: We tried one traditional Irish restaurant. We had boxties (potato pancakes wrapped around meat/sausage). It took me forever trying to keep my sausage one intact while gracefully sawing off bite-size proportions and forking them into my mouth. I eventually gave up upon discovering that I was the only one left with food in my plate. We also had some Irish coffee with plenty of whiskey but not enough sugar in it. However, restaurants are only for the deep-pocketed. From sandwich bars to good restaurants, prices here are invariably, obscenely exorbitant. We poor students live on humble home-cooked potatoes, frozen Brussels sprouts (my new favorite veggie, very cute), pasta, sandwiches, and yogurt. Meat is very expensive, as are ingredients for Chinese food. A puny piece of tofu costs two quid (80 NT dollars) at the Asian market. Yogurt is not bad, inexpensive, and comes in every flavor imaginable. Pubs: The best Guinness I ever had. We sat by French windows (wide open) overlooking a stone-paved street, watching schoolgirls in skirts and sleeveless tops in 12’C weather trot by and drunk singers/singing drunks stumble along the streets. A bloke with dark glasses fumbles near our window. “This is the way out, no?” he slurs. Blimey. Blind, drunk, and trying to leave through second story window. “No, don’t go that way, it’s, um, a window. Go down the stairs.” The blind bastard takes off his glasses, blinks, gawps. “I can see, I can see…it’s a miracle!” Formerly blind man’s friend joins in: “So you speak English! Why did you ignore me a while ago?” He is again ignored. They are ignored. The worst pickup act I ever saw. School: I am here to study. So why is nothing said about school? Because lectures don’t even begin until October. I have been to school only for orientations, wine receptions, and more wine receptions. At orientation, a British professor explained that Irish students show friendliness through rudeness. If an Irish student begins to make fun of you, it is a sign of friendship. You should then make fun of him or say something rude to show that you like him, too. Also, students here pretend, and only pretend (or so the teachers hope) not to study. Do not be fooled into “not studying” as well. Student societies: The Literary society: showed no signs of literacy. But they served nice red wine…we shall see. The Drama society: a couple of nuts. But if you can’t beat ‘em, join 'em. The Filmmaking society: showed, uh, interesting student films. One was about necrophilic serial killer who is eventually buried alive. Another was about a priest who kills two boys in the lavatory then calmly picks up a bible and leaves. Weather: According to reliable sources, since our departure it rained continually in Taipei. Upon arrival in Dublin the sun has upon us smiled incessantly. (We must have stolen the sunshine from home.) It is getting windy recently, though, which makes our flat sound haunted. The temperature changes all the time. Walking along the street for fifteen minutes can involve the act of taking off and putting on your jacket thrice. All in all, life here is okay (pronounced oak-ai, Irish working class accent.) Cheers. #Volume 7 Issue 1 a
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The Taida Student Journal has been active since 1995 with an ever-changing roster of student journalists at NTU. Click the above link to read about the authors Archives
May 2024
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