Its Saturday afternoon and I'm doing the same thing I've been doing for this entire 4 day weekend. Sleeping in as late as I can, eating cereal, drinking coffee, tooling around on the computer and looking forward to meeting up with one of my new friends in the evening.
I arrived in Chiayi, taught 2 classes and then it was time for a 4 day weekend because of Dragon Boat Festival. I'm not going to lie, I feel like a bit of a loser because I haven't done much all weekend. It would have been a really good time to travel to a new city or visit some of my friends from training. Despite the losery feelings, I think I made the right decision to stay around Chiayi. I have made major progress in cleaning my apartment and making it feel like my own place. Yesterday I bought plants from the nursery across the street. They are different than any plants I've seen in the states, so I hope I don't kill them!
Since I move in here, I've had the worst time sleeping. Every morning I wake up around 5 am and then sleep fitfully for a few more hours until I give up and get out of bed. Since I don't go to bed until 12 or 1, this makes for some very short nights. Plus, when I'm trying so hard to sleep, I start having all kinds of unpleasant dreams. Including, birds attacking my head just like in the movie The Birds. Susana, one of my new friends, suggested that I get some dark curtains to block the sun. For some reason, I never considered that the sunlight was the problem. Susana took me to the fabric store and helped me buy dark fabric, and yesterday I pinned it up. I would like to say that last night I slept like a baby, but unfortunately I had accidentally watched a movie on HBO about a psychopathic killer and was too scared to fall asleep for a long time. Luckily, the exhaustion beat out the paranoia and I did sleep last night. But I also had the typical dreams in the early morning, this time it was about being in the airport and saying goodbye to all my friends and family, again!
Considering my sleeping problems, and the fact that I'm scheduled to teach 14 classes next week, I don't think it's a bad idea for me to take it easy and chill for the weekend. Plus, I have gotten to hang out with new friends and that is really great.
On Wednesday night I met a bunch of people. First, I went to a game night at my neighbor's house and met Susana. She took me out to the pub where I met almost all the other foreigners in Chiayi. Apparently, Wednesday night is the big night to go out and drink because its all you can drink for $250 NT, which is about $8 USD. Susana is really cool, she's from Germany and Spain and is married to a guy from the US and Spain. They haved lived here for about 4 months and took a Chinese class so they know a little more than I do.
Thursday, Susana took me around Chiayi on her scooter to help me learn the streets and point out where the good shopping places are. We also got our hair washed, which took an hour. Hair washing is wonderful, I love discovering things like this in Taiwan. You go in to the shop and they lather up your hair and massage your scalp for about 30 minutes, then rinse the soap out while you lie in a massage chair, then rub your neck and shoulders with lovely mint lotion. Lastly, they dry and style your hair. Ahhh. All for the low low price of $110 NT, which is about $3.25 USD. Then we ate delicious Vietnamese food. Chicken and cabbage salad, beef noodle soup and spring rolls, which also cost about $3.25 USD.
Friday night I met up with Rachel, who is a Chinese teacher at my school. She gave me a ride on her scooter and I was actually a little nervous. She drives fast! We went to the night market and tried all kinds of food. I had grilled corn on the cob with all kinds of seasoning and spice. Quail eggs, which taste pretty much like a tiny version of a chicken egg. Chicken butt actually tastes good too, because they skewer it on a stick and grill it with good seasoning. Then I had the best chicken of my life. Its a "chicken steak" in Chinese, I don't know what to call it in English because I've never seen it before. I think they must pound the chicken breast down so its big and flat. Then they batter it and deep fry it, then they grill it on the bbq with sauce. Yum yum yum! Definitely the best thing I tried the whole night. We got watermelon juice to drink, then sat down to eat an oyster omlette. I don't think I've ever had oysters before, but the omelet was pretty nice. It came with a slightly sweet sauce. Lastly, we tried stinky tofu. After my first experience with stinky tofu, I vowed that I would never eat it again. Rachel was enthusiastic about the idea, so I decided to go for it. This time it was prepared differently and it was much drier. It came with some kind of soy sauce and pickled cabbage on the side. Overall, it wasn't my favorite dish of the evening, but I ate my half of the portion, so it was much better than my first experience.
Tonight, Jenny, another neighbor, invited me over for dinner and a movie. She is from Michigan and has lived here for a couple years, so it should be nice to talk with her about Chiayi and her experiences.
Friday, May 29, 2009
Monday, May 25, 2009
Wondering
Its Monday morning. I slept until 10 am, which is not a bad way to start out the week. This afternoon I'm supposed to observe classes and tomorrow I get to teach my first one. I'm nervous to teach my first class, but I'm also ready to really start working instead of sitting in other people's classes and feeling bored.
Saturday was a big day. I broke down and cried in front of Will because I didn't have the internet, or a bike and my apartment was disgustingly dirty. He was so great and stayed late at school to give me a ride home, bought me lunch, went with me to the grocery store to buy cleaning supplies and then brought his friend Doug over to help me clean. I still can't believe how great he was about that. He also loaned me his bike so now I can at least get myself around town. So now my biggest challenge is still to figure out how to get the internet. I'm actually feeling a little more peaceful about not having it, even though its 9 pm at home and no doubt some friends would be online if I could get on right now. It feels great to know that my apartment is pretty clean and the bike is so nice.
Yesterday a bunch of teachers went to Jinshuan Fancy World together. When I saw the name of the place I knew it had to be a hilarious day. Its an amusement park with a water park in the middle. So you can ride all the usual rides and then swim when you get hot. The rides weren't much compared to Magic Mountain, but they did give me a little thrill. I had a great time getting to know the other teachers and some of the Chinese teachers. I had a little moment in the middle of the day where I started feeling nostalgic about my childhood and all the fair rides and water slides that we enjoyed. It made me really miss my family...but also made me sad because that family doesn't exist anymore. We are all grown up and moved onto our own things. It will never be the same as those fun family vacations where all we cared about was going down the slides as many times as we could.
I was happy the other foreign teachers wanted to go swimming. I was really hot and the wave pool looked like fun. The Chinese teachers either didn't bring their suits or didn't like to swim. So we got changed and tried to swim but got kicked out because we didn't have swimming caps on. I've never been required to wear a cap anywhere that I've gone swimming. My theory is that people are more worried about hygiene in Taiwan because there are so many people. After we bought swim caps for $100 NT, which is about $3 USD, we were in business. That was my favorite part of the day. We started out in the wave pool, floated around the outside of it on inner tubes, and then went down a big slide. I didn't want to go down the slide at first, but Doug and George were all about it. I ended up being glad because it was really fun. I rode with George and I think the two of us weighed more than most Taiwanese so we went really fast.
Moving to a new country and culture is so intense. I think I will lose weight because my apartment still grosses me out and I lose my appetite. Also, I feel intimidated to order food from any of these little stands on the street, so I end up eating potato chips in my room or something. I'm sure I will get over my fear of trying to order food soon enough. There are so many little stands to try. At work I am feeling intimidated too. Every time I start a new job I'm nervous to speak up for myself when I need help or have a question. It seems like everyone else is so busy with their own stuff and I don't want to bother anyone. However, they are supposed to help me if I need it, thats part of their jobs too. I think I will try to be bold and smile more. That makes it easier to interrupt someone or bother someone.
Saturday was a big day. I broke down and cried in front of Will because I didn't have the internet, or a bike and my apartment was disgustingly dirty. He was so great and stayed late at school to give me a ride home, bought me lunch, went with me to the grocery store to buy cleaning supplies and then brought his friend Doug over to help me clean. I still can't believe how great he was about that. He also loaned me his bike so now I can at least get myself around town. So now my biggest challenge is still to figure out how to get the internet. I'm actually feeling a little more peaceful about not having it, even though its 9 pm at home and no doubt some friends would be online if I could get on right now. It feels great to know that my apartment is pretty clean and the bike is so nice.
Yesterday a bunch of teachers went to Jinshuan Fancy World together. When I saw the name of the place I knew it had to be a hilarious day. Its an amusement park with a water park in the middle. So you can ride all the usual rides and then swim when you get hot. The rides weren't much compared to Magic Mountain, but they did give me a little thrill. I had a great time getting to know the other teachers and some of the Chinese teachers. I had a little moment in the middle of the day where I started feeling nostalgic about my childhood and all the fair rides and water slides that we enjoyed. It made me really miss my family...but also made me sad because that family doesn't exist anymore. We are all grown up and moved onto our own things. It will never be the same as those fun family vacations where all we cared about was going down the slides as many times as we could.
I was happy the other foreign teachers wanted to go swimming. I was really hot and the wave pool looked like fun. The Chinese teachers either didn't bring their suits or didn't like to swim. So we got changed and tried to swim but got kicked out because we didn't have swimming caps on. I've never been required to wear a cap anywhere that I've gone swimming. My theory is that people are more worried about hygiene in Taiwan because there are so many people. After we bought swim caps for $100 NT, which is about $3 USD, we were in business. That was my favorite part of the day. We started out in the wave pool, floated around the outside of it on inner tubes, and then went down a big slide. I didn't want to go down the slide at first, but Doug and George were all about it. I ended up being glad because it was really fun. I rode with George and I think the two of us weighed more than most Taiwanese so we went really fast.
Moving to a new country and culture is so intense. I think I will lose weight because my apartment still grosses me out and I lose my appetite. Also, I feel intimidated to order food from any of these little stands on the street, so I end up eating potato chips in my room or something. I'm sure I will get over my fear of trying to order food soon enough. There are so many little stands to try. At work I am feeling intimidated too. Every time I start a new job I'm nervous to speak up for myself when I need help or have a question. It seems like everyone else is so busy with their own stuff and I don't want to bother anyone. However, they are supposed to help me if I need it, thats part of their jobs too. I think I will try to be bold and smile more. That makes it easier to interrupt someone or bother someone.
Friday, May 22, 2009
Later that day
Maybe one day I'll be happy that I couldn't get internet at my apartment right away, since its giving me plenty of time to record my feelings about my first day in Chiayi. Right now I'm annoyed and I feel lonely in my new place all by myself with no contact with the outside world. I haven't even been able to tell friends that I have a new cell phone #.
Today I got a ride with Will to observe his class and then an older class with a Chinese girl named Pallas. Pallas did her class almost exactly out of the book, but Will's was all over the place. Very different styles. There is definitely going to be a tough learning curve for me with these classes. Wow. The guys seem pretty cool though.
I can't wait to get a scooter! I walked home from the school today and it took 40 minutes. It was night time, so the heat wasn't too bad. But I was still sweaty and tired when I got home. I don't know what I'll do when I have to get there during the day. Maybe I should go to the temple and pray for a bike of some sort. Jenny, my head teacher, was telling me about temples and how you are supposed to go into some at night and some during the day. You have to tell the gods your name and where you live and ask very specifically for whatever you want. At this point I'm not sure how else to get a scooter so maybe I should give it a shot!
All day I've been doubting my decision to take the apartment. There was another one that was pretty nice for 1/3 of the price and right next door to the school. I should have taken that for 2 months, gotten settled in and then moved over here or in with a different roommate or something. It would have made my start up costs so much lower. I do have enough money for this apartment, I did all the figures. But it wouldn't have hurt to get a super cheap place for awhile to sort out my budget and be more sure that this will work. I just got enamored with the view and the space and the ability to have such a nice apartment for the first time ever. Another downer has been the cleaning. I can't believe this tradition of cleaning up the last tenant's mess when you move in. Yuck! I worked all day on the kitchen and haven't even touched the cupboards yet...which smell super funky when I open them. Ew. And then there's the bathroom...mold, soap scum, the works. I just hope that I bond with the place through scrubbing down every inch.
But I did choose this apartment, so now I need to enjoy it. Maybe I'll be able to find a roommate later on. That would definitely help with the cost and the loneliness. In the meantime, I'm on the lookout for a cat. I already know where to get litter and food, so now I just need to find a pet store.
So right now I'm in need of a cat, a bike and the internet...none of which I feel capable of securing by myself. I wanted an adventure, and this is part of it!
Today I got a ride with Will to observe his class and then an older class with a Chinese girl named Pallas. Pallas did her class almost exactly out of the book, but Will's was all over the place. Very different styles. There is definitely going to be a tough learning curve for me with these classes. Wow. The guys seem pretty cool though.
I can't wait to get a scooter! I walked home from the school today and it took 40 minutes. It was night time, so the heat wasn't too bad. But I was still sweaty and tired when I got home. I don't know what I'll do when I have to get there during the day. Maybe I should go to the temple and pray for a bike of some sort. Jenny, my head teacher, was telling me about temples and how you are supposed to go into some at night and some during the day. You have to tell the gods your name and where you live and ask very specifically for whatever you want. At this point I'm not sure how else to get a scooter so maybe I should give it a shot!
All day I've been doubting my decision to take the apartment. There was another one that was pretty nice for 1/3 of the price and right next door to the school. I should have taken that for 2 months, gotten settled in and then moved over here or in with a different roommate or something. It would have made my start up costs so much lower. I do have enough money for this apartment, I did all the figures. But it wouldn't have hurt to get a super cheap place for awhile to sort out my budget and be more sure that this will work. I just got enamored with the view and the space and the ability to have such a nice apartment for the first time ever. Another downer has been the cleaning. I can't believe this tradition of cleaning up the last tenant's mess when you move in. Yuck! I worked all day on the kitchen and haven't even touched the cupboards yet...which smell super funky when I open them. Ew. And then there's the bathroom...mold, soap scum, the works. I just hope that I bond with the place through scrubbing down every inch.
But I did choose this apartment, so now I need to enjoy it. Maybe I'll be able to find a roommate later on. That would definitely help with the cost and the loneliness. In the meantime, I'm on the lookout for a cat. I already know where to get litter and food, so now I just need to find a pet store.
So right now I'm in need of a cat, a bike and the internet...none of which I feel capable of securing by myself. I wanted an adventure, and this is part of it!
1st day in Chiayi
Its my first morning in my new apartment in Chiayi. I had a hard time sleeping last night...maybe because my new bed is so hard. I was also feeling excited and nervous. Right now I'm feeling anxious, and I'm not sure why. Maybe its because I put my clothes in the washing machine that is all in Chinese...and I have no idea what setting its on! I really wish I had the internet now, because I feel really disconnected from friends and family without it. And its 8:40 pm in Montana/Colorado...the perfect time to chat with someone. :( Its ok though, I'll get it set up soon and I'll have plenty of mornings like this when I can talk to people.
I went to the store this morning to buy some cleaning supplies. A big grocery store is really close to my place, so thats great. On the way back I was walking with 2 big bags of stuff and a Taiwanese girl stopped to give me a ride on her scooter. She said it was too hot to walk. She spoke great English and had a gorgeous golden retriever with her who just trotted along beside her. I should have gotten her name or something...but she just gave me a ride to the apartment and helped me figure out how to get in through the gates. Haha. What a dork I am, I didn't know how to get into my own apartment. Oh well, I figured it out.
Wow, I'm having a hard time right now. I'm trying to listen to music and everything reminds me of home, and friends. I feel so isolated. I'm doubting my decision to get this apartment by myself. I could have moved into one with a roommate for only $120 a month, and it was located right next to the school. But this one is awesome. And it has a great view. Plus, I can get a cat. I need to try to find one asap. The thing that sucks about this apartment is that its not too clean. For some reason people always clean when they move in, instead of when they move out. So I tried to buy some cleaning supplies but was confused about what kind of products I was supposed to get. I ended up with something that says bathroom cleaner, and figured that I could use it in the kitchen too. I also need to buy a broom because the one that was here is broken.
I went to the store this morning to buy some cleaning supplies. A big grocery store is really close to my place, so thats great. On the way back I was walking with 2 big bags of stuff and a Taiwanese girl stopped to give me a ride on her scooter. She said it was too hot to walk. She spoke great English and had a gorgeous golden retriever with her who just trotted along beside her. I should have gotten her name or something...but she just gave me a ride to the apartment and helped me figure out how to get in through the gates. Haha. What a dork I am, I didn't know how to get into my own apartment. Oh well, I figured it out.
Wow, I'm having a hard time right now. I'm trying to listen to music and everything reminds me of home, and friends. I feel so isolated. I'm doubting my decision to get this apartment by myself. I could have moved into one with a roommate for only $120 a month, and it was located right next to the school. But this one is awesome. And it has a great view. Plus, I can get a cat. I need to try to find one asap. The thing that sucks about this apartment is that its not too clean. For some reason people always clean when they move in, instead of when they move out. So I tried to buy some cleaning supplies but was confused about what kind of products I was supposed to get. I ended up with something that says bathroom cleaner, and figured that I could use it in the kitchen too. I also need to buy a broom because the one that was here is broken.
Saturday, May 16, 2009
First day off
So, the verdict is still out on my teaching placement. I really won't know what its going to be like until I get there. Every Taiwanese person who I talk to says that its a tiny town and I will be bored. Most of the foreigners who have visited say its a really pretty area and the town is not too special but its near some really great mountains and not too far from the beach. I have decided that Taiwanese people have a very different idea of "small town" than me. So, I decided to stop asking for other's opinions and just wait to see when I get there.
As for the phone call debacle with my new boss over a swimming pool...she called me back the next day to tell me that one of the other teachers at the school lives in an apartment complex with a pool! and a gym! She didn't know if there were any vacancies or the price, but I was very happy to hear that this might be available after all. I have to shake my head and laugh to think about how hearing that I couldn't live near a swimming pool caused me to feel so emotional. But this whole thing is stressful, and that was the small thing that sent me over the edge. Haha. Now I think it will all be ok, even if I don't get a pool in my complex, at least I know they have some in the city!
Today was my first day off after 5 days of training. We start again tomorrow, so its a short weekend. Last night I went out with all the other teachers and we walked around for an hour looking for a restaraunt that ended up being 3 blocks away from our hotel. Sigh. But, once we got there we all started drinking beer and felt much less frustrated about the confusion.
This morning I went with 4 other teachers to Danshui, which is right on the Danshui River, close to where it empties into the ocean. It has a beach town feeling with lots of street vendors all along the river bank. We were so excited when we first got there that we started buying different foods and trying all kinds of things. Brave Stephanie (in the picture) decided to get some stinky tofu...which I thought was crazy because it smells so bad, why would you pay money for it? The crazier thing was that she actually ate it! I had a bite and wanted to spit it out immediately, but managed to chew and swallow. There is no way I would ever eat a whole skewer of that stuff! I was proud of myself for trying a bit, but I'm sure I'll never eat it again! It tastes like chewy, smelly socks. Bleck. Then I had fried fish on a stick, a dish of fried calamari and a bowl of pork dumplings. After that I was thirsty so I drank a taro milk tea. Half way through the tea the intense heat and humidity combined with loads of unfamiliar food had me feeling pretty queasy. The other 4 were in the same boat, especially Stephanie who ate the stinky tofu. We were so happy to get on the air conditioned train and go back to the hotel for a nap. So, my day off was exciting...I visited Danshui, ate lots of food, got sick to my stomach and came home. I think the score is Danshui 1, Delight 0.
As for the phone call debacle with my new boss over a swimming pool...she called me back the next day to tell me that one of the other teachers at the school lives in an apartment complex with a pool! and a gym! She didn't know if there were any vacancies or the price, but I was very happy to hear that this might be available after all. I have to shake my head and laugh to think about how hearing that I couldn't live near a swimming pool caused me to feel so emotional. But this whole thing is stressful, and that was the small thing that sent me over the edge. Haha. Now I think it will all be ok, even if I don't get a pool in my complex, at least I know they have some in the city!
Today was my first day off after 5 days of training. We start again tomorrow, so its a short weekend. Last night I went out with all the other teachers and we walked around for an hour looking for a restaraunt that ended up being 3 blocks away from our hotel. Sigh. But, once we got there we all started drinking beer and felt much less frustrated about the confusion.
This morning I went with 4 other teachers to Danshui, which is right on the Danshui River, close to where it empties into the ocean. It has a beach town feeling with lots of street vendors all along the river bank. We were so excited when we first got there that we started buying different foods and trying all kinds of things. Brave Stephanie (in the picture) decided to get some stinky tofu...which I thought was crazy because it smells so bad, why would you pay money for it? The crazier thing was that she actually ate it! I had a bite and wanted to spit it out immediately, but managed to chew and swallow. There is no way I would ever eat a whole skewer of that stuff! I was proud of myself for trying a bit, but I'm sure I'll never eat it again! It tastes like chewy, smelly socks. Bleck. Then I had fried fish on a stick, a dish of fried calamari and a bowl of pork dumplings. After that I was thirsty so I drank a taro milk tea. Half way through the tea the intense heat and humidity combined with loads of unfamiliar food had me feeling pretty queasy. The other 4 were in the same boat, especially Stephanie who ate the stinky tofu. We were so happy to get on the air conditioned train and go back to the hotel for a nap. So, my day off was exciting...I visited Danshui, ate lots of food, got sick to my stomach and came home. I think the score is Danshui 1, Delight 0.
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Email to friends
Hello friends!
It is my 4th morning in Taiwan and I have been wide awake since 5:30 am. I guess I'm still getting over jet lag, because that is definitely not normal for me! Then I remember that 5:30 am here is 3:30 pm the day before back in Denver, so it makes sense that I might not feel like sleeping.
Anyway, the flight over was long, but I read an entire book, watched Marley and Me and slept a bit, so I survived. I'm staying at a hotel with about 20 other new teachers. We have been in training for 2 days so far and it is pretty fun. I'm looking forward to teaching, but they are really cramming a lot of information into these days, so I really hope I can remember it and use it by the time I get to my school.
Yesterday I got my assignment for the branch of the school where I'll be teaching...and it was not what I wanted. I will be in Chiayi, which is a town I had never heard of until yesterday. I was hoping to be somewhere near the coast, but I'm not. However, they said this city is near an awesome mountain range with lots of cool hikes and stuff like that. So, I was thinking it would probably be ok. Then the head teacher from my school called me on the phone last night to talk about what kind of apartment I might want to live in, so she could help me find one. I asked if any apartment complexes there have pools, because it would be so nice in this hot weather. She paused, then she said something like this, "Oh...we don't have anything like that in this city...its a very small city...didn't you know anything about this place before you decided to come here?" Hmmm. That was not what I wanted to hear, and I immediately got these images of living in Taiwan's equivalent of Winnett, only scalding hot and humid, with no swimming pool in the entire town, no friends, no social life...and pretty much started crying but tried not to let her hear and the rest of the phone call went down hill from there. Finally, she said she would call me back tomorrow night to talk again when she hoped I wouldn't be so tired.
So, that was rough, and embarrassing. I really did not expect to wind up in a small town and was totally caught off guard. Then I researched a little more and found out that the population of Chiayi is 270,000. Apparently, Taiwan's idea of a small city is different than mine. Now that I've had a night to sleep and recover from the surprise, I think it will be fine. I had a great time in Chile, and Punta Arenas only had 100,000 people and it was super isolated. In Chiayi, I can take the high speed train and get to Taipei in 1.5 hours for about $30.
I will really find out more next Thursday when training is over and I actually travel to the city and get a chance to check it out for myself. As far as the school goes, I guess there are 3 or 4 guys working there and I am the first female teacher they've had in a long time. Working with guys should be cool...and I suppose the kids will get excited about meeting me if they've just been around foreign guys.
Well, better get going to breakfast. They serve chicken nuggets and onion rings every morning...ha! Living the life.
Delight
It is my 4th morning in Taiwan and I have been wide awake since 5:30 am. I guess I'm still getting over jet lag, because that is definitely not normal for me! Then I remember that 5:30 am here is 3:30 pm the day before back in Denver, so it makes sense that I might not feel like sleeping.
Anyway, the flight over was long, but I read an entire book, watched Marley and Me and slept a bit, so I survived. I'm staying at a hotel with about 20 other new teachers. We have been in training for 2 days so far and it is pretty fun. I'm looking forward to teaching, but they are really cramming a lot of information into these days, so I really hope I can remember it and use it by the time I get to my school.
Yesterday I got my assignment for the branch of the school where I'll be teaching...and it was not what I wanted. I will be in Chiayi, which is a town I had never heard of until yesterday. I was hoping to be somewhere near the coast, but I'm not. However, they said this city is near an awesome mountain range with lots of cool hikes and stuff like that. So, I was thinking it would probably be ok. Then the head teacher from my school called me on the phone last night to talk about what kind of apartment I might want to live in, so she could help me find one. I asked if any apartment complexes there have pools, because it would be so nice in this hot weather. She paused, then she said something like this, "Oh...we don't have anything like that in this city...its a very small city...didn't you know anything about this place before you decided to come here?" Hmmm. That was not what I wanted to hear, and I immediately got these images of living in Taiwan's equivalent of Winnett, only scalding hot and humid, with no swimming pool in the entire town, no friends, no social life...and pretty much started crying but tried not to let her hear and the rest of the phone call went down hill from there. Finally, she said she would call me back tomorrow night to talk again when she hoped I wouldn't be so tired.
So, that was rough, and embarrassing. I really did not expect to wind up in a small town and was totally caught off guard. Then I researched a little more and found out that the population of Chiayi is 270,000. Apparently, Taiwan's idea of a small city is different than mine. Now that I've had a night to sleep and recover from the surprise, I think it will be fine. I had a great time in Chile, and Punta Arenas only had 100,000 people and it was super isolated. In Chiayi, I can take the high speed train and get to Taipei in 1.5 hours for about $30.
I will really find out more next Thursday when training is over and I actually travel to the city and get a chance to check it out for myself. As far as the school goes, I guess there are 3 or 4 guys working there and I am the first female teacher they've had in a long time. Working with guys should be cool...and I suppose the kids will get excited about meeting me if they've just been around foreign guys.
Well, better get going to breakfast. They serve chicken nuggets and onion rings every morning...ha! Living the life.
Delight
Friday, May 8, 2009
May 8, At the airport
I'm at the gate waiting to board my flight to Taiwan. I'm all by myself and headed across the world to a country where I don't know anyone. I feel a little sad to be leaving all my friends and family behind, but mostly I feel relieved to have finally said goodbye to everyone and be able to start my new adventure. The weight of saying goodbye was heavy, and I feel much more free now.
Being alone in a big group of people is nothing new, and doesn't feel strange. What does feel odd is that I don't have a cell phone anymore. It worked out perfectly that my carrier shut off my service today since I didn't pay my bill for the month. I honestly don't need my phone today...but I feel isolated without it. I miss being able to send out random text messages to friends about whatever I'm doing.
Even though I don't know anyone in Taiwan, I have a bunch of phone numbers that I can call when I get there. My friend Brett knows a couple girls in Taiwan and gave me one of their phone numbers. Apparently, this chick is super excited to meet me and even offered to meet me at the airport...and said that I could move in with her if I wanted to. Whoa. Maybe that's a cultural thing? She wants to be welcoming so she offers that, even though she doesn't know me. Maybe its the polite thing to do, and I'm not supposed to take it seriously.
A young Asian guy just walked by. He is wearing super tight, white jeans and actually carrying a purse. Wow. This is going to be interesting...and very fun to people watch.
In addition to Brett's friend, my aunt knows a woman named Shu Yuan who is Taiwanese and lives here in LA. I met with her last night and she was sooo excited that I was traveling to her country. She was talking really fast and moving her hands a lot. She gave me a long list of her friends who speak some English so that I could call them when I get there. Apparently, she already started calling them this morning to let them know that I was coming and ask if it was ok for me to call them.
I think this flight is going to be pretty full. They just announced that if anyone is holding a boarding pass that was issued by a domestic airline, they are subject to be offloaded. That sounds inconvenient, I'm glad that my ticket is for China Airlines, now I don't have to worry.
I see a whole group of people wearing powder blue polo shirts and passing around hand sanitizer. One of them walked by and I thought her shirt said something about a pony club. They all look about my parents age, or older. One of them is taking a video of the plane, sitting parked outside.
They make me think about the last time I went to Asia. I was in a big group like that, only we didn't have matching shirts and we were all in college. We took a flight from here to Tokyo, and it was 12 hours. I thought that was the longest flight ever. The one I'm about to board will be 14 hours. Whew. Even though its lonely to be flying somewhere alone, I think I prefer it to traveling with that huge group. It was a little more stressful to have a professor herding us around. I feel quite capable of finding my way around by myself.
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