Hard to believe I have been here for more than a week! As a matter of fact, I didn't even notice it had been a week until Friday (I left last Wednesday). Let's see...I am starting to learn how to get around and do things by myself which is pretty liberating. I don't feel so dependent anymore. On Wednesday evening, I met up with my friend Cindy and we went to Subway. It was good! Basically the same. She ordered for me but I figured out that if I go there on my own and if the employees don't speak English, I can copy down the Chinese words for what I want, since the menu has pictures and translations and such. It's nice to know I have another comfortable option other than McDonalds or Burger King (where I can hold up a finger or two to tell what I want haha).
On Thursday I met up with Cindy and another NTSU student (who I had not met before) named Audi. He is a ballroom dancer and is going to help me find some classes and events and such! YAY! He is a cool guy in general too, like all of the NTSU students I know. The three of us ate at a Korean restaurant, which was quite delicious and then Audi showed us a fitness center near by. Then we went to a department store and bought French bread and went to a tea shop. I really enjoyed this day. I rode the MRT by myself to meet up with them so I felt very independent and then I really enjoyed their company.
On Friday, Cyndi (yes there are 2...Cyndi and Cindy) and I met up with her friend Jo and went to an exhibit called Body Worlds which is basically the same as the Bodies exhibit that has been in Atlanta for a couple years now. We went to lunch and hung out at the apartment after that and then met up with Cyndi's boyfriend and went to a hot pot restaurant. The guys sitting next to us were speaking in English so I started a conversation with them. One is from Austria and working at a bank here and the other is from Korea and is a student here. After hot pot we went to a night market nearby and then came home.
I didn't do much today, so I guess that is all! haha. Tomorrow I have lots of plans with a few friends that I have not gotten to hang out with yet so I am quite excited!
Saturday, August 20, 2011
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
One downside to the Internet only working on my iPad....difficulty editing a post when you hit the wrong button. So this is a continuation of the previous post. Anyway, thanks again to Mom and Dad for getting me this iPad...it has become even more useful than we realized. My laptop can find and connect to the wireless but the browser won't work/says I am not connected to the internet. I plan to take it somewhere with free wifi and see if it is a problem with my computer or the connection or what. Anyway, this is making it difficult to upload pictures and such put I will try to get some up on Facebook and Picasa soon!
It's been a couple days since I have blogged so I will update y'all on what we have done! On Saturday we went to Danshui and then to Shilin night market. We took the bus for a while and then the MRT (similar to subway or Marta) to Danshui. The views while traveling on the train are so pretty. We got to Danshui and I realized it was one of the places we went while I was here for study abroad two years ago. It is a beautiful area to walk around and shop and play carnival-type games. Oh yeah...and eat. The street food here in Taiwan is so yummy!! We didn't even eat lunch or dinner that day. Just snacked. The first thing we did after getting off the train was to go to Mister Donut. The donuts here taste different than the American donuts I am used to (and that I never eat), so I like these better. I had a chocolate and strawberry one that was quite delicious. We walked around Danshui for a while and then headed to Shilin. Shilin night market is very very crowded (of course). There's lots of food and shopping and games. It is a very popular activity for youth, couples, foreigners, and well...pretty much everyone. We also went here on the trip two years ago. Night markets are quite fun to explore and Shilin is only one if many in Taiwan.
On Sunday, Cyndi went with her boyfriend while he signed a contract for a new apartment. I just chilled in the apartment and finished unpacking. They came back with McDonalds. I was curious to see whether or not it tastes the same here. It does. Haha. We all had big macs and fries. I haven't had a big Mac in years! McDonalds here do offer a few different options on their menu apparently, such as a shrimp burger. I guess I will try it sometime! Speaking of products different than in America...I noticed a blue Sprite in a 711 so I thought I would try it. Turns out it is Sprite with mint. It is not bad but I am not crazy about the Monty aftertaste. Anyway, after lunch we took the MRT to Taipei Zoo. I had not been to a zoo in many years so I was excited. The views from the train were again beautiful. We only had a cole of hours before the zoo closed but it is very cheap so I am sure we will go again sometime. We saw the pandas, penguins, nocturnal house, zebras, camels, and more. It is interesting to see the types of animals they have that you wouldn't typically see in an American zoo such as bison, a horse, and guinea pigs. After the zoo closed, we went to Ikea. As expected, it is pretty much the same as the Ikeas in America. There are a few things that are different but very little. We ate dinner there as well and then went home.
The past couple of days have been pretty chill, which is nice. Yesterday we went to get a cell phone for me. It is small and light and simple...and cheap. So it is a good choice for me while I am here. Later we went to Shilin night market again but this time it was to meet up with my friend Michael who went back to California today. We mostly walked around and talked and I bought a very inexpensive purse. I ate a potato chip swirl thing and Cyndi introduced me to a baked potato type of snack that tasted kind of like hash browns with toppings. I also had some lemonade with some sort of jelly. All of the snacks and drinks were good. We went back to the apartment where Cyndi's brother is taking care of his friend's English bulldog so we played with it for a while. Today we took the dog to a park near Cyndi's apartment and walked around the lake and now I am just watching TV! For those of you who asked me before...yes, there are English stations and yes, they have Chinese subtitles. We have been watching a lot of CSI and The Voice and a few movies. Most of the commercials are in Chinese, and yes, they are different than America's commercials and often more interesting.
Update on the Internet situation...both my laptop and iPad can find the signal now but I can only browse the Internet on my iPad.
On Sunday, Cyndi went with her boyfriend while he signed a contract for a new apartment. I just chilled in the apartment and finished unpacking. They came back with McDonalds. I was curious to see whether or not it tastes the same here. It does. Haha. We all had big macs and fries. I haven't had a big Mac in years! McDonalds here do offer a few different options on their menu apparently, such as a shrimp burger. I guess I will try it sometime! Speaking of products different than in America...I noticed a blue Sprite in a 711 so I thought I would try it. Turns out it is Sprite with mint. It is not bad but I am not crazy about the Monty aftertaste. Anyway, after lunch we took the MRT to Taipei Zoo. I had not been to a zoo in many years so I was excited. The views from the train were again beautiful. We only had a cole of hours before the zoo closed but it is very cheap so I am sure we will go again sometime. We saw the pandas, penguins, nocturnal house, zebras, camels, and more. It is interesting to see the types of animals they have that you wouldn't typically see in an American zoo such as bison, a horse, and guinea pigs. After the zoo closed, we went to Ikea. As expected, it is pretty much the same as the Ikeas in America. There are a few things that are different but very little. We ate dinner there as well and then went home.
The past couple of days have been pretty chill, which is nice. Yesterday we went to get a cell phone for me. It is small and light and simple...and cheap. So it is a good choice for me while I am here. Later we went to Shilin night market again but this time it was to meet up with my friend Michael who went back to California today. We mostly walked around and talked and I bought a very inexpensive purse. I ate a potato chip swirl thing and Cyndi introduced me to a baked potato type of snack that tasted kind of like hash browns with toppings. I also had some lemonade with some sort of jelly. All of the snacks and drinks were good. We went back to the apartment where Cyndi's brother is taking care of his friend's English bulldog so we played with it for a while. Today we took the dog to a park near Cyndi's apartment and walked around the lake and now I am just watching TV! For those of you who asked me before...yes, there are English stations and yes, they have Chinese subtitles. We have been watching a lot of CSI and The Voice and a few movies. Most of the commercials are in Chinese, and yes, they are different than America's commercials and often more interesting.
Update on the Internet situation...both my laptop and iPad can find the signal now but I can only browse the Internet on my iPad.
Innocence
I have come to the realization that I feel much like a small child here. Nearly everything is relatively new and unfamiliar. I have to rely on others for many things, and I get really excited about the small stuff. There are so many new foods, drinks, smells, sights, sounds, etc. I remember when I was a child and first learned to read, I would read all of the signs and billboards as we passed them in the car. I find myself doing a similar thing here. I am constantly quizzing myself on the Chinese characters and words that I know and I seek approval from my friends and get very excited when I get something right. I am certainly unaccustomed to feeling so young and dependent but it is also fun to get so excited and mesmerized by such small things and to have the opportunity to experience new things.
Thursday, August 11, 2011
Finally in Taiwan
After over 24 hours of airports, airplanes, a bus, and a taxi, I am finally in Taipei and at my friend Cyndi's apartment! The flights went pretty well and the 6 hour layover in LA wasn't too bad. For the 14 hour flight, I had a window seat and there was no one in the middle seat...can you say AWESOME? It was nice having extra room to stretch out. They had a lot of trouble with the entertainment system. It took at least 2 hours for it to start running correctly. I attempted to watch several movies but wasn't really in the mood for some reason. I did watch Kung Fu Panda 2 though and it was really great! I was glad I finally saw it. The guy in the aisle seat of my row was pretty cool. We talked for about an hour or so. It was a nice way to pass some time. For the rest of the flight, I pretty much just slept and ate. China Airlines does a pretty good job. Their food is surprisingly good for airplane food (chicken and mashed potatoes for dinner, cheese omelet and sausage for breakfast), especially their dinner rolls. Throughout the flight, the stewardesses/air hostess/whatever the PC term is nowadays would walk up and down the aisles offering tea, water, coffee, wine, sandwiches, snacks, wet hand towels, etc. I am not sure if this is pretty standard for flights this long, but it was a nice touch in any case.
Cyndi, Viola, and Cindy all met me at the airport! It was so nice of them to travel out there to see me as soon as I got here. It is difficult to feel sad about leaving home when you have such great friends to greet you the second you leave baggage claim and customs. Cindy and Viola went back to the school and Cyndi and I took a bus to Taipei and then a taxi to her apartment. She lives in a 3 bedroom apartment in Neihu. It is a nice apartment! I will put up pictures later. So far we don't have many plans other than going to the beach sometime next week. I assume we will probably try to get me a cell phone and exchange my currency tomorrow. I am really thankful to finally be here and that I got here safely!
Cyndi, Viola, and Cindy all met me at the airport! It was so nice of them to travel out there to see me as soon as I got here. It is difficult to feel sad about leaving home when you have such great friends to greet you the second you leave baggage claim and customs. Cindy and Viola went back to the school and Cyndi and I took a bus to Taipei and then a taxi to her apartment. She lives in a 3 bedroom apartment in Neihu. It is a nice apartment! I will put up pictures later. So far we don't have many plans other than going to the beach sometime next week. I assume we will probably try to get me a cell phone and exchange my currency tomorrow. I am really thankful to finally be here and that I got here safely!
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