Friday

I went climbing again today. There weren't as many people there, which was nice, because it is a pretty small gym. It's not really different from American gyms though. Everyone is friendly, and people that are better than you give you advice on problems you can't do, and you try to help people on routes that you've already climbed. And every so often everyone will start working on one route, and everyone helps everyone, and encourages everyone, until the first person gets it. I met a Spanish guy who had actually shopped around, and gone to about 6 different climbing gyms in Taipei, and he said he had heard this one was where all of the good climbers in Taipei go, so I guess I just got lucky choosing the second one that I went to. I also ran into one of the guys I had worked with when I was helping Jerry build the climbing wall. We talked a little bit, and I met another guy at the wall too. After talking to him for a bit, he started talking in English and I didn't really notice, so he asked if it was OK for him to talk in English, and me to talk in Chinese. So, like good a good freedom loving American, I decided to restrict other peoples freedom, and I asked him to speak Chinese too. And like the good freedom loving Chinese person he was, he let me restrict his freedom, and he returned to speaking Chinese. I feel rude when I have to ask people to speak Chinese, but almost everyone tries to speak English (I think I've said this before, but every Taiwanese person who passes through the public school system gets six years of English). People are always really nice about though, and everyone who I've asked to speak Chinese always obliges.

Another thing that is sort of annoying is a sort of reverse condescension. The other day after I bought some groceries the teller held her hands together palms up, with the receipt and change pinched under her thumbs, then bowed as she handed it to me. I know she doesn't do that to Taiwanese people, because I saw here help the people earlier in line. It just seems like an unnecessary farce. Later, I talked to one of the guys at kickboxing about it, and he pointed out that they could just be intimidated, which I guess is a legitimate point.