Christmas Eve in Thailand...

It's been weird, being away from home, the cold, and the snow for the Christmas season. There are some things I haven't missed, like the crowds that seem to appear out of nowhere after the Thanksgiving turkey has been cut up and put in the freezer. And then those holiday soundtracks that rarely differ from store to store.

But being in a tank top and light shawl on Christmas Eve? That is weird.

But Chiang Mai has welcomed me (and all of the rest of us Christian-inspired tourists) in with it's holiday charm. Plastic trees were taken out of the storage rooms of guesthouses about a week ago, and the holiday jingles started echoing from a small, but noticeable number of shops and restaurants around the same time. Completely manageable. Not too much; not too soon. Just enough to get you excited just in time for the real deal. It's odd, that a country that doesn't even celebrate a holiday can make me feel better about holidays than my own country ever did.

No station playing "A Christmas Story" all day, but luckily I snagged it from a friend before he departed for Bangkok.

The best Christmas gifts I could ask for will arrive in CHX in less than 24 hours. And will probably be fast asleep, recovering from their travels, this time tomorrow.

Happy holiday wishes to everyone!
B(ee)

I Know I'm Being Influenced...

The first indicator that I have been in Thailand longer than the average tourist, with a map in one hand and a schedule in the other, was that those people started hurriedly passing by me on the street, maps and timetables in hand.

I was that tourist at one point. I creeped up on others and walked closer than usual to pressure them to move faster before dodging between motobikes and parked silaws to gain a few feet on the casual walkers. I was guilty, but I've gotten over it.

I no longer tap my fingers on the table waiting for food to come out. I don't mind if they bring the food out as it's hot, instead of letting it cool down and waiting until all meals ordered are ready. I'm not irritated if getting the bill to me isn't the top priority on their list. I've slowed down. The Thais have made me slow down.

And I think I present myself like this too. Or maybe I've just gained some insight on how Thai business is done. The last two purchases I've made, the Thai buisnessmen (yes, they've both been men), have slashed the price down without any pressure on my part. Maybe it's a courtesy for engaging in conversation and spending more time in their shop than the average passerby. Maybe they can see that I haven't just booked three nights in a guesthouse with the intention of seeing "all the Chiang Mai has to offer". I'm here for more than that, and I think we both know that.

B(ee)

My Onesie...

[The following is a piece I wrote for the community newsletter that I thought warranted a blog post. Pictures to follow!]

In one of our lectures, we learned about the religion of consumerism. Our arjan even proposed that this was the most practiced religion in Thailand, second only to Buddhism.

We’d all like to say we’re frugal. We’d all like to say that we’re “conscious buyers”. But when it comes down to it, when you’re walking around the streets of Chiang Mai and you see something that catches your eye, you can’t help but promise yourself you’ll eat street food in favor of expensive pseudo-Italian for the next three days just so you can buy that perfect item.

For me, it was a onesie. Gray, with a slight hue of moss, amethyst, chartreuse, steel, wisteria --- whatever color you’re looking for, really! It was my idea of perfection, manifest in a garment; an elastic tube top with adjustable straps attached to a pair of high-waisted, loose, cotton pants with pockets(!) and elastic bottoms. It was displayed on a mannequin outside a (literal) hole-in-the-wall shop. I saw, I touched, I swooshed, I admired…

I walked away. I didn’t even look at the price tag. I saw the careful attention to detail of the items around the shop; I saw the quality of the fabric used; I saw a man handcrafting a bag in the back. No way would I spent the last of my stipend on a piece of clothing…I needed to eat lunch!

But my mind did not stray from that glorious item of clothing. I yearned like I hadn’t in a long time. “I deserve a treat,” I told myself. “I’ll at least go back and casually glance at the price tag…” So I did. And to my surprised, I saw three digits on the tag, and the first one wasn’t even higher than I could count on one hand! [Keep in mind, we're talking Thai Baht, here.]

But a onesie? My first onesie since I needed snaps around my legs to facilitate diaper changing. I mean, I did get those fleece spaceship footsie pajamas from my roommate’s mom for Christmas last year, but those are for special occasions! This, was no small deal.

As I tried it on in the make-shift changing room which consisted of a sheet pulled between me and the street-end of the alleyway-wide shop, I didn’t need a mirror to know that I would be eating cheaply for the next few days. As I made the transaction (which, like everything in Thailand, was lackadaisical), I was informed that it was the last one in the shop --- the last one in this line --- my last chance, and fate, working her magic.

And as I wore the onesie around town for the rest of the day, I knew I had found something special. One person said I was channeling an elephant, the animal closest to my heart; another was distracted from her advising session because of the awe-someness of me in my new prize; a random man on the street laughed as I walked by and I like to think it was because he was jealous. Me? I felt comfortable and f-a-b-fabulous for the rest of the day.

A word of advice to all shoppers in, and out, of Thailand, if the love you have for something is so strong that you’re willing to ration your food spending for the next few days, go for it! You have until the day you die to make up for uneaten food. It’s not every day that you come across a onesie that will make you feel fabulous for the rest of your life.

Happy in my onesie,
B(ee)

Happy Birthday, King!

...well, belated birthday. By one day.

The King of Thailand is a lucky guy. His birthday celebration is probably the biggest of any living person on Earth. I thought for a second that it was anyone, and then I remembered Jesus. But are we really sure of that date, anyway?

Yesterday, I had a prime seat in front of the guesthouse's lobby television for the King's drive from the hospital where he's been kept the last two months to the Royal Palace. All along the kilometers of street he drove on (which was all completely shut down) were crowded along the edges with giddy Thais in pink shirts. The station reported that "surveys have shown that Thai happiness level has gone UP in the last week in anticipation of the King's birthday!" And I think that survey may have been correct.

I was talking to the owner of my guesthouse, asking her about what was going on in the scene. She kept reminding me (excitedly) that it was "My King's birthday! My King's 82nd birthday!"

The city basically shut down around 4 o'clock yesterday. Most places didn't serve alcohol for the day. Signs around the city advertized the day as not only the King's birthday, but Father's Day.

Lucky for us, a 3-story Starbucks on the corner of a major plaza in the city was open during the candlelight ceremony last night in honor of the King. A huge, 100-foot tall picture of the King towered over a presentation of cultural dances before a selection of Thai national songs were blasted through speakers as attendees passed a flame from one candle to another.

Had there been a translation, I would have gotten more out of it. But if nothing else, I was assured that the Thai people awefully love their King.

Happy (belated) Birthday, King!
B(ee)

Sunrise Food Drive...

This morning, 8 of us woke up before the rooster across the street, flagged down a tuk-tuk from across the moat and made out way to Nimenhamen Road. We saw signs all over the city advertising a procession of 10,000 monks, but we knew nothing else.

The street was lined, curb to curb, with white canvas tarps with four straight lines of red fabric lining either side of the street. People sat on the tarps with plastic bags, baskets, and laundry hampers overflowing with individually packed, non-perishable food: sealed cups of water, mini cookie waffers, palm-sized packets of rice, and packs of juice boxes.

We entered a fairly empty street; had it not been 5:15 in the morning, I would not have been surprised at the amount of traffic. We sat down along the curb, a bit back from the red tape so as to leave room for those who had come prepared, with alms. As the hours passed, we watched as thousands of laity mingled through the street and sat down on either side of the red lines.

As the sun rose, announcements began pouring over the loud speaker, in Thai and English, and we learned that the alms (food and money) collected from this event would be donated to the monks in Thailand's southern provinces, where oppression of Thailand's religious minorities has forced many to act out in violence.

Not knowing the purpose of this huge event initially, I was intrigued. Essentially, this was a charity event structured around a huge alms offering. As I understood it, the food and money we gave this morning wasn’t even for the monks present. Instead, the alms went from lay hand, to monastic bowl, to large plastic bag, transported later to monks in southern Thailand.

This whole event made me think about the notion of charity and how fundraisers such as this one are a huge reflection of culture. In order to get as much donations as possible, these monks, in efforts to help their fellow, struggling peers, used a daily practice and turned it into a charity event. In America, what would people think if a group of food bank workers advertised a sunrise donation collection on a main city street? Who would have shown up?

Honestly, not me.

Ready for a nap,
B(ee)

Freedom From Fear...

We're almost halfway done with our time here in Thailand, although I have the pleasure of staying a bit longer and introducing my parents to the wonderful things I've found here. Between a life-changing week with elephants, meditation retreats, and inspiring lectures about peace, religion, and culture, I have found space to breath and feel at home. I haven't felt the pressure of our hectic schedule, despite the huge number of activities.

Love makes time fly. As do comfort, relaxation, health, and general happiness.

We had our last lecture series on Wednesday about Burmese politics and the situation of Burmese refugees in Thailand, which was particularly meaningful to me. Since I first learned about the dire situation in Burma sometime earlier this year, I've felt particularly connected to the country. I've followed the news about Aung San Suu Kyi and the U.S. relations with Burma, from both Western and Burmese perspectives.

A Burmese man who called himself a former student activist in Burma talked to us about the history of post-colonial Burma. He had a brilliant light in his eyes, and when his passion for the issues took over him, he talked faster than I could follow. He was a beacon of the Burmese struggle for democracy. And although he was inspirational, his message made me feel hopeless. We asked if he thought that that National League for Democracy (the party following the legacy of Aung San Suu Kyi while she is under house arrest), had a chance of winning the upcoming 2010 elections. He immediately answered "No" and said that it will take a huge force for any significant change to happen in Burma.

Meanwhile, the ethnic minorities in Burma are being displaced from their homes, forced to flee across landmine-ridden fields in hope of a better life in Thailand. Of those who make it over the border alive, only a lucky few make it further than a refugee camp, where their movement is dictated by the Thai government. Often, people in camps can only legally leave their community during daylight hours, and even then, they have to get permission. They have to live in these conditions for as long as 10 years before the Thai government gives them an ID card which permits them to travel further than their village, but often only within their province. Refugees in camps and in cities risk being sent back to their conflict-stricken country of origin if they are caught at any time without proper identification.

The issue is huge (as so many are), too big for one blog post. And it makes my heart ache just thinking about it.

Aung San Suu Kyi, the head of the democracy movement in Burma who has been under house arrest for 14 of the last 20 years, says in her essay "Freedom from Fear", "The quintessential revolution is that of the spirit, born of an intellectual conviction of the need for change in those mental attitudes and values which shape the course of a nation's development." The Burmese people I have interacted with all have that spirit. They are just like me, like you, like us. They, too, know when they are oppressed and seek a better life for themselves. The bravest among them remain and fight for rights of their people. The spirit is there, burning as big as it's allowed to shine.

Hoping, despite my pessimism,
B(ee)

My Name is Nam Pheang...

This weekend, we all went on homestays in a small village about 15 km outside of Chiang Mai. A high percentage of the village (and all the ones we interacted with) were Christians and members of the church in their community.

It was funny, seeing what the assumed about us and how that affected our stay there. Mostly --- they're Americans, so they must be Christian, right? They must want to sing songs about our love for Jesus! And they'll probably have songs about their faith to share with us! Great!

This assumption, mixed with a group of liberally-minded, predominately non-practicing students on a comparative religion program which encourages studying about religions other than Christianity produces a lot of awkward silences in which one side does not know how to react and the other does not know why their guests are beings so quiet.

At one point, we were all asked to come up to the front of the church and profess the great things that God had done for us in the past week. After an awkward moment, a friend (whose father is a pastor) stood up and told the congregation the great things that He had done for all of us by leading us to such a welcoming community for the weekend. The rest of us sighed with relief.

Personally, I eased the awkward tension I felt inwardly by singing the words that I knew to the familiar tunes. The frequently sung doxology here is a favorite ("For all that dwell below the skies / Let songs of hope and faith arise ...) and some others have their UU counterparts as well. Replacing "God", "Lord" and "Savior" with "spirit" and the like also eased some inward struggles.

With that said, we had a wonderful weekend surrounded by people with love pouring out of their hearts. I was graciously accepted into a home, cooked for, entertained, and integrated more into Thai culture all in wonderful company. We learned how to plant mushrooms and make northern Thai desserts which consisted of bananas, sticky rice, and beans wrapped in palm leaves then steamed until solid.

I made a Thai father here named Chang ("elephant" in Thai) who nicknamed me Nam Pheang ("honey" in Thai) because I introduced myself as Bee. Yesterday, he showed up to one of our community gatherings with a liter of honey he had bought for us at the market because of the name he had given me. Later, he got us all mango-wood bracelets and gave me a special one with an elephant on it to remember him by. He gave the sermon today (he's an elder in the church) and talked about Lazarus from Bethany. I talked with him after and told him that that was my real name and he was very surprised at the coincidence!

Blessed,
B(ee)

Thailand, Your Treasures are Endless...

I am still in awe of this place. The smiling faces I wake up to every morning; the beautiful temples that make my eyes glitter; the fabulous food that is sending my stomach in circles. I'm totally in love.

Classes have been great, too! We're doing a program through the Institute of Culture, Religion and Peace through Payap University and the professors teaching us through the program are amazing! The main one is an American-born man who came to Thailand as a Protestant missionary and now, after 40 years in the country, considers himself a Christian Buddhist. He took us around Doi Suthep, a temple on top of one of the biggest mountains to the west of Chiang Mai and basically told us the life story of The Buddha. The temple was one of the reasons I decided I had to come to Chiang Mai in the first place and its beauty did not disappoint.

Yesterday, we had a lecture from an Australian-born man who has also lived in Thailand for 30+ years and started an NGO that focuses on educating Buddhist monks on HIV/AIDS issues so that they can work to halt the spread of the disease in their communities. He was stunning to talk with and a real pleasure to listen to. In the afternoon we visited a clinic that hosts an HIV/AIDS group and heard stories from people living with HIV from the group.

We had a day off today, and I decided to take a Thai massage class with two of my friends here. We were taught by an adorable, tiny Thai woman who owns her own massage place right near our guesthouse. We learned the basics of body, head, and back massage and practiced on each other all day. On top of being completely relaxed, I am now equipped to massage friends and family, assuming I keep practicing for the next few months.

All is well, all is wonderful,
B(ee)

Lanterns, Dancing In The Sky, Like Fireflies...

For the last week and a half, people in the Chiang Mai area have been geering up for Loi Kraton (the "Lantern Festival"). Every night, more and more lanterns filled the night sky and fireworks were going off from sunset to sunrise. It all culminated tonight in one huge soiree of lantern and firework lighting all across the city. We also bought round bamboo boats decorated with flowers, incense and candles and let them into the river carrying our wishes to the water gods.

When I say lanterns, I don't mean dinky little lights. These things are made out of tissue paper and measure anywhere from 0.5 to 4 meters wide and twice as tall as they are wide. They work kind of like hot air balloons, gathering enough helium from the fire at the bottom to rise up for a while and eventually, inevitably, fall. The first night we were in Chaing Mai, we saw maybe 50 or so throughout the course of the night. Tonight, at any one point, you could look in any direction and see at least 150 without moving your eyes. Accompanied by fireworks or assorted sizes, sounds, and types, the night sky was lit up with all kinds of fire, making the scene almost magical.

If I hadn't already fallen in love with Chaing Mai, this festival would have thrown me into this city's loving arms. The charm of the scene and the atmosphere of the whole night threw me into a dream world that I can still hear happening outside my window. The lanterns rose up into the sky and danced their way along with the wind and created beautiful designs in the sky. The way they danced, it was like fireflies that never stopped lighting up. Magical. Brilliant. Dreamy.

I do have to get up at 6 o'clock to head to a meditation retreat/to teach English in a Burmese refugee camp in Northern Thailand, so we'll see if the charm of the fireworks has worn off any after a night of trying to sleep with the constant booming. But considering the short time I slept last night, getting to and staying asleep tonight should not be a problem.

Charmed,
B(ee)

And Then I Fed An Elephant...!

Someone asked me today to describe my vacation week in one word and I chose "life-changing". And it really has! In the last week, I have worked and relaxed, been revitalized and energized simultaneously.

The Elephant Nature Park that a spent my last week at is a truly remarkable place. Their mission is to provide an alternative to the typical experience that tourists have with elephants in Thailand (i.e. trekking, circuses). They had identified major problems with the way working elephants in Thailand are trained to: carry passengers, perform tricks, paint, beg on streets, etc. and are providing an alternative to those methods. They don't force their elephants to work or perform, but instead let tourists interact with the animals on a more personal, physical level.

Here are just a few ways that the foundation is revolutionizing the elephant-tourist industry in Thailand. Instead of beating elephants into submission, they use positive reinforcement (and no sharp implements!) to train their elephants. They only chain the elephants to concrete pillars at night to give their mahouts a well-deserved break from following their elephants around all day. They let tourists feed, bathe, and interact with the elephants a bit instead of making the animals put on a show for the tourists. Yes, there is (as far as I can tell) only one place like this in Thailand.

I saw video footage of the brutality that potential working elephants suffer in their early years, and the only thing keeping me from dissolving completely was looking out the window onto acres of open land with elephants roaming free --- bathing, eating, relaxing in the shade. The contrast made everything so clear. These methods do work, and looking at the success of the relatively young organization, the tourists do appreciate the experience.

The last week has left me with a lot to think about, to say the least. I can't say with any certainty that I'll devote the rest of my life to saving Thai elephants, but at least I have the outlet for that option now.

At peace,
B(ee)

First Full Day in Chaing Mai...

After being pleasantly woken up by some friend who got into town this morning, I had my first (of three) juice shakes of the day at an adorable little restaurant. I had one of their detox juices (carrot, apple, and celery) and felt pretty great afterwards. We took a walk to the area of town where I'll be staying after my elephant adventure and decided to indulge and get a massage...for 150 baht (approximately 5 USD) an hour.

The massage was at this place that is run by a community of blind men and women. They do all of the logistics of running the place and also all the massages. The man working on me cracked my back harder but less painfully than it ever has before. He also made me aware of parts of my body that I didn't even know were in pain. I was told that it wasn't true Thai massage, but more a hybrid of pressure-point acupuncture and Thai massage. Whatever it was, it was a fabulous hour and my body felt very renewed afterward.

On top of the great massage, it was an incredible experience. When we walked in, they immediately felt our presence and jumped up to help us. As they worked on the three of us, they chatted and laughed. There was another woman in the corner doing intricate beaded sculptures. There were some examples of her work for sale and it was phenomenal work.

After two more juice, much more exploring, and a night market that could have easily made me clear my bank account had I not resisted, I'm off to bed to get some quality sleep before leaving for the elephant park in the morning.

I'm ecstatic, to say the least. I love this place, despite its oddities, which I'll discus later.

B(ee)

Swaritka Chiang Mai!

First impressions? Laid back, happy-go-lucky, delicious...wonderful things!

In fact, Thailand is so laid back, that on the bus ride from the airport to the train station (that was already 30 minutes late because of traffic) with ten minutes until our train was scheduled to leave, our driver stopped on the side of the road, talked with a street vendor, went into 7/11 to get change, and walked back out to the bus, picking up food from the vendor on the way. We ended up making our train still, but would have had a fight to pick if we hadn't because of the short pit stop.

We took an overnight train to Chiang Mai and I had the pleasure of waking up to a Thai sunrise! Windows!!! How I love you!!!

After cramming 9 people into a red truck, baggage and all, we arrived at our guesthouse, which is a pretty nice place. A very different kind of "nice" from our last place...bright colors, lounge areas, a pool table, and backpackers galore! It should be a great weekend.

From what I can tell so far, Chiang Mai is about half foreign people (including residents and tourists) and half ethnic Thai. It gives an interested flavor to the city. But so far, I'm absolutely in love! I could not be happier with my new location! Did I mention there are pictures and statues of elephants everywhere?!?!

Blissfilled,
B(ee)

In Love With The World...

So I hit the 2,000 word count on my final paper today and decided to take most of the day off to "reflect" on it...aka come up with 500 more words to add to it...

My time in Taiwan is almost up and I think I'm ready to move on. The bar of soap I started when I got here is almost nonexistent, just another sign that I'm ready to move and go somewhere else, get new experiences and start all over again.

Although I really should be looking back at the last six weeks right now, all I can do is think about the future. I'm yearning for the place that I fell for immediately when I saw it for the first time just over a year ago --- Chiang Mai. I'm trying not to anticipate love, but it's hard to fight instinct. Even looking for hostels for next weekend made me happy, knowing the environment I'll be apart of this time next week.

And then there's the whole week with elephants thing. How could I not look forward right now?

Although I've always enjoyed traveling and being abroad, I've never felt that the travel bug bit me so hard as it has right now. Home is a reminder of unconditional love and comfort, but the beauty of strange things becoming familiar is too distracting right now.

Strongly bitten,
B(ee)

Ask Me If There Is An Article of Dry Clothing in My Bag...

For the last five days, dry clothing has been harder to come across than water in the desert.

After a three-day meditation retreat at Dharma Drum Mountain Buddhist Education Center in a beautiful setting on the side of a mountain in a surprisingly expansive retreat center and monastery, we came back to Sinjuhang for a day of classes before heading off to Hualien, a beautiful nestled between sea and mountains in Eastern Taiwan.

Beautiful it was; rained it did. In fact, it rained so much that the road back to Taipei was blocked by rocks and mud and most of the exciting activities our guides had planned for us, which involved white water rafting and visiting the Toroko marble gorge, were cancelled so we had to rearrange our entire intinerary and trip route. In the end, we drove around the entire island of Taiwan. The entire island! Accumulating way too many hours in a bus along the way. At least the seats were nice to nap in...

But it was amazing to be among trees again. And more than just the ones in the park next door. The whole ride to Hualien, we took the road that hugged the coast. Looking out the left window, it was all sea; you had to angle your head down to see the road or dramatic cliff beneath. And to the right was all mountains, straight up. We wound around hairpin turns like I've never felt a bus wind before. It was fantastic!

The whole trip was filled with encounters with different types of healing. From aboriginal shaman women blessing us and ridding our souls of evil spirits, to hours spent in hot spring pools and showers, letting the sulfer seep into our skin and massage our muscles, to realizing how much this group of 20-odds has truly become a loving, supportive, cuddle-friendly family over the last five weeks: I was healed in every way.

One of the notable healing experience I had was a night we spent with some practicers of Tibetan singing bowls in Hualien. Although they were novices who assumed the roles of professions, cauing some inner controversy in me, the community of sounds that was formed as we sat among these practicers was moving, to say the least. It was different than the meditation we learned at Dharma Drum; I tried that type of meditation, and it didn't work.

But after I had found my place and settled in with the sound and the community, I got in touch with myself, through thinking about other people important to me, and realized how poorly I have treated my body over the last few months. My brief return into carnivorism has left my body full of toxins that make it harder for me to breath, sleep, and wake. I concluded, after coming face-to-face with the horrible way I'm treating my body, to return to my own eating habits after Taiwan and fade out of putting meat in my body for the rest of my stay here.

It will be very different, going back and explaining my habit as a health reason. Not "health" in the Western-sense, as an all-encompassing, universal state of the body, but a personal health.

In love and health,
B(ee)

This One Time, I Ate A Bagel from the Gods...

After only vaguely recognizing an earthquake that measured 6.3 on the Richter while slipping into dreams last night, the group went on a field trip to the northern coast today. Keep in mind, storms are a comin' our way; that typhoon that hit the northern Phillippines last night is headed towards Taiwan right now. We were shooed away from a cliff overlooking the turbulent waters by the police and then headed into the city of Keelung to see a procession of the gods at one of the bigger temples there.

The procession was such an experience. We got there, worked our way to the front of the umbrella-populated, poncho-toting crowd only to have a large firework explode in our faces and float up our nostrils. Smaller, higher-pitched sparklers went off for about 30 seconds. A series of shrines came and went in front of the crowd with policemen directing traffic around the path of the people carrying the shrines. I was without an umbrella and had given my rainjacket to someone else, so I was drenched by this point.

It finally came time for the big shrine to be carried out of the temple! About 10 men wearing elaborate facepaint carried the shrine, covered in plastic wrap, out of the temple and between the lines of the crowd. As they were affiting themselves with ponchos, I started taking pictures of two men in front of me. They noticed me and one of the men reach under his poncho, ripped a bagel-like bread off of a chain of bagel-like breads around his neck and handed it to me.

I'm pretty sure it wasn't the best bagel I've ever had, but it was at the time. I'm not sure whether it was because I knew that it was food from the gods or whether I was just in pure ecstacy after having been recognized in a ritual that I barely understood.

As the procession started its slow, stagnant march around the city block, a Taiwanese man, seeing me drenched to the bone, grabbed me and pulled me under his rainbow colored umbrella with him. He collected more and more of us until there must have been 5 of us squeezed under a cover meant for no more than 2. Huddled together, we started walking with the crowd. Out of nowhere a woman jumped in front of us and handed us her umbrella, insisting we take it from her. This was no dinky umbrella; it had room for at least 4 and a nice, solid wooden handle. She disappeared, leaving her umbrella with us.

Rituals. They are something I have come to love about Taiwanese culture that I don't feel have had a great presence in my life. At least, not in the way that they would had I grown up in Taiwan. Everyday, I see people giving offerings and lighting incense at a corner shrine down the street. Yesterday, when they celebrated the Autumn Moon Festival, the shrine was packed every time I walked by, fire so mighty it made me wonder about the safety of the burning tower in the middle of the sidewalk.

It was a great day in the rain. But it is nice to be showered and in the comfort of a dry sweatshirt.

B(ee)

How Many People Can Fit in a Temple Without Burning Each Other With Their Incense?

The other day, with sky threatening rain but thankfully hiding the sun, we took a field trip over to Longshan Temple, one of the largest temples in Taipei (and a Grade 2 Historical Site...whatever that means...). It was originally an unaffiliated Buddhist temple, but has become a site for all Chinese religions over time.

It was mad there. People everywhere. Tables were filled with plates of: fruit, flowers, candies, cookies, bottled water, Lays chips. The burning of incense made the air inside the top-open enclosure a little bit muskier, but pleasant feeling.

It was a true worship, to me. Everyone was included and did so in whatever capacity they felt necessary. Parents directed their little girls and boys around the alters to different gods, but didn't have to show them what to do when they got there. Along one side of the temple, about 20 elderly people sat and stood with prayer beads and what appeared to be Buddhist scriptures in their hands. Most chatted, laughed, and joked. A few were obviously praying, but snapped out of it when they heard a friend say something funny. At the front main alter, one woman was praying so ferociously, she was sweating visibly. A woman next to her was quietly kneeling, one hand against her chest, tears streaming down her face. Near the exit of the temple, a young monk in light blue robes sat perfectly straight with a set of prayer beads in each hand and an earbud in each ear. As I was watch him, slowly rolling the beads through his fingers, he completed his exercise, opened his eyes, sat still for a minute, then took our a thermos of tea and shared it with the boy next to him.

You could almost see the growth of a life sitting watch the people in the temple. From a young age, these people came to temples regularly for all different kinds of worship and prayer. This was routine for most, but also a place of comfort place to purposefully direct personal prayers and receive blessings.

I purchased some incense and walked around the alters with a few of my group mates. At first, I imitated the motions of the practiced worshipers. Then, as I began moving between the huge golden incense offering structures I took in my surroundings at each place, then closed my eyes and listened to the soft music that was hidden beneath the intense visuals with open eyes. Over the sounds of the crowd and busy street, I could hear myself grow closer to something sacred there. After I was content with my surroundings, I would move on and continue exploring the different parts of the sacred held in that one temple.

I'm not sure I would call it prayer, and I definitely wouldn't call it worship, but I connected to that place and something happened that resembled sacredness to me.

B

That "Continued" Part...

Talk about a rollercoaster of a day. I don't have a picture to share. You'll understand why soon.

This weekend, things just got better and better. On Friday night, we saw a classical Taiwanese puppet show at the hotel we're staying at. It was fabulous! So much more entertaining than I'd expected. It was two puppeteers, one doing all the voices for the puppets and the other just doing his puppet thing. Then there was a 5-person live band playing Chinese string and percussion instruments that was fantastic! After the show we got to play with the puppets. I was quite a puppeteering prodigy --- even the puppeteers were impressed with my ability to throw and catch the puppet on my finger! A few of you may be getting some DIY puppets when I get back. A lucky, lucky few... Friday night a bunch of us went back to a bar we'd stumbled upon earlier that is definitely home-y and wonderful and laid back and perfect for a group of us to just chill at after a busy week.

On Saturday, three of us went into Taipei proper to plan our internal community service project --- a scavenger hunt! We explored an area of Taipei that we've been to many a time, but never had time to look around. We ended up walking around for about 5 hours, in the hot sun/humidity, with a 45 minute lunch break in a food court where we found comfort in the seating area of a Dunkin' Donuts. Yes, the donuts taste different here; no, the coffee is still horribly burned but delightful for that moment in time. We ended up having a grand adventure, but I cannot disclose in case anyone from the trip is spying here...very secretive, we are...

I was determined to stay in and watch a movie that night, after a long day in the hot sun of the city. But when I found out that a big group of people were going out dancing, including our two professors, plans changed. We had a really great time, met some fantastically funny natives, and had a really great (but tiring) night in general, stumbling into the hotel around 3 a.m.

Slept until noon on Sunday (the ONLY benefit of not having a window in my room), and would have slept longer had I not been woken up by my doorbell being rung (have I mentioned the doorbells? No? Well we have them...) by a friend insisting that I go to Danshui, the town north of Taipei where the river meets the South China Sea. I ended up going with the group and having a great time! It was great to be by the ocean and explore an area where the bustling of people and the honking of cars didn't overpower the landscape. It was beautiful. I had my last meal pre-fast (I decided to for Yom Kippur, randomly, the day before) at a wonderful legitimate Mexican restaurant in Danshui.

This morning, I was greeted by a 4:10 wake-up call from the hotel, signaling the start of our early morning adventure to the Confucian Temple for a sunrise birthday ceremony. It was probably the worst three hours of my trip, thus far. The heat and humidity, on top of fatigue and lack of food got to me and I started feeling really faint when the ceremony started and we all had to stand for an hour and a half, starting around 5:45. About fifteen minutes into the ceremony, the pounding of the large drum near my ear made me physically ill, but I managed to hide it well enough that only three or four people around me, who knew I was feeling awful, noticed me get sick. It was a shame, really, missing the ceremony because I was either in an almost passing out daze or kneeling over to keep from passing out the whole time.

I felt pretty sick to my stomach and head for the rest of the day, even after getting some food in my stomach around 7 o'clock. I did complete my mission and fast for a day without too much trouble, other than the whole headache thing, which I'm pretty sure was more a cause of weather and fatigue than not eating. But I think I also got in my head a little too much. I was thinking about the concept of fasting and why I felt intrigued to do it on this particular day. It was almost like my body said: "Alright. You want to be purged of your sins? You want to feel what it's like to not be dependent on food? I can make that happen for you! Here! Rid yourself of the contents of your stomach!"

I apologize if any of this got too graphic. I'm actually quite amused by the way my body decided to treat me when I embraced the idea of fasting.

But really, it was a very revealing experience. I didn't get hungry, but I noticed myself wondering why I would have thought to eat throughout the day if I wasn't in need of food. I've started eating on a schedule, especially since coming to Taiwan. It's lunch time, I should eat. But do I need to eat? Am I eating because I know this is my only opportunity until I'll be hungry again? Or am I forcing food into my body because the two hands of the clock are both pointing upwards, signaling midday, and food time? Questions swirling in my head. Answers formulating somewhere in there.

To break the fast I had milk tea with tapioca balls (aka bubble tea) and fried rice. Not the best choice initially, but some of the better food I've had lately so it evened out nicely.

Finished the day off with a puddle jumping rendez-vous with a few girls from the trip. It was a wonderful continuation of the process of cleansing and renewal.

Happy Birthday Confucius! Happy Teacher's Day to those in my life (and in others' lives) who have given me knowledge, insight, guidance, and so much more. Thank you for your wisdom and willingness to teach me.

Feeling refreshed,
B(ee)

To Be Continued...

Sorry about the lack of blogging lately. Life, both social and academic, has been getting in the way.

This weekend was huge. Great, fantastic, fabulous...and ridiculously busy. Topped off with a 4 a.m. wake-up call this morning to go to Confucius's birthday sunrise ceremony, all in the midst of an unrelated day of fasting for Yom Kippur (random much?), my body is not too happy with me right now. But I'm pushing through, determined to hold out till sunset on only water. I made a promise to myself and goshdarnit I'm going to keep it.

More on all this later, when my body returns to a normal temperature and stops keeping me in a bubble of delirium.

And Then I Realized, "This is Learning"...

The work is piling up. And as it does, I'm realizing how beneficial it is to be here, in this place, learning with my eyes and ears and not just my mind. I'm seeing examples of things I read about, and I'm seeing things that contradict what I read. I guess that's the point, isn't it...

Yesterday, when I was at Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall for the second time to observe the activity there, I saw a group of people, sitting in two lines, on the stone floor around the perimeter of the Memorial. I had spotted them when I went to observe with my group the first time, but their quiet meditation did not captivate me as much as the youth freestyling to Michael Jackson not 30 meters away.

Yesterday, this group was the only activity at the Hall aside from the tourists snapping photos and men dressed in Taiwanese military outfits performing the changing of the guard on the hour. They all bore a yellow top: t-shirt, long sleeve, or vest, that had the words "Falun Dafa is Good" and "Truthfulness, Benevolence, and Forbearance" written on the back and front. Some of them had a lotus flower emblem on them too.

After about a half hour of observing the group, a woman associated with the group approached me. She introduced herself as such and told me about the group's mission: to show tourists from mainland China the religious freedoms in Taiwan. Falun Dafa (or Falun Gong) is a sect of Qi-Gong, closely associated with Tai Chi, but much slower. It includes meditation and five simple exercises. The activity is lay-led and done in groups with a recording in place of a teacher or master.

It began being persecuted from China in 1999 when the practice accumulated such a large following that the government felt threatened by the assumed religious nature of the practice. Some of the more serious followers fled to Taiwan and other countries as to continue their practice. The woman I talked to (who spoke very good English) said she thought Falun Dafa was an excellent practice because it cultivated a healthy, good natured human being.

After we talked with the woman for a while, she saw the exodus of tourists leaving the Hall after the changing of the guard behind us and rushed over, ushering us to come with her. She started speaking loudly in Mandarin saying "Falun Dafa is good!" and other things to spread her message of love, peace, and freedom to practice. Two men near her sneered and said to us (in English) "Falun Dafa is bad." I realized why the woman was doing what she was doing. We thanked her for her time and praised the work that she and her group is doing for religious freedom.

Our "Politics of China and Taiwan" class still hasn't happened, although themes of the tension between the countries have come up at almost every site visit and class. There are still fuzzy areas, that I'm not sure even a person well versed in Chinese/Taiwanese politics could clearly outline. But it's times like this, when I see this woman's mission and the need for her mission in this country to exemplify Taiwan's victory from dictatorship and spread seeds of freedom of spirit to mainland China, that I see the politics here. It's something I couldn't read about in a book, or news article, or see in a video and have the same feeling, the same conviction that I have now after meeting this woman.

In awe, with hope,
B(ee)

One Big Failure After Another...

Last night, after a day filled with relaxed productivity, making the mini lantern in the picture (some of you might learn how to make one when I get back!) and general good things, one plan after another went wrong and we ended up paying about 700 NT$ for taxi rides into and back from the city, after doing nothing but walk around a city block for 15 minutes.

A bunch of us were trying to go to a Discotheque to go dancing together, but there were a lot of us so we had to send groups in three taxis. I was in the first taxi. We had had the front desk write down the address of the place in Mandarin, but they only wrote it once so we showed it to the cab driver, he wrote it down, and told us he knew where it was. No one in my cab spoke Mandarin, so I was self-appointed to the front seat because at least I know my numbers and a few words here and there.

We get into Taipei (pretty fast) and when we're on the street that he wrote down the address for, he drives around the block twice and gets across that the number that we gave him (or he wrote down) for the place doesn't exists. My only choice was to pay and thank him for his services. He tried to charge me 100 NT$ more because we had 4 people in the cab, but I acted ignorant to anything he was saying and gesturing because I saw the number on the meter, and that's what I paid him. So we're left to wander the (relatively inactive) streets of Taipei. At this point, our only choice is to look around. There are a lot of hidden nightclubs in Taipei, maybe it's one of those? Maybe the other groups are on their way to the same address that went extinct? Who knows, as long as he doesn't keep running up our tab by driving around the block. So we get out, wait for the other groups, to no avail, and looked around the area a bit, also to no avail. The place was dead. There wasn't even a 7/11. 7/11 = sign of life in Taipei.

So after capturing the absurdity of the incident, we decide to take a cab back to the hotel and have a dance party in my room. The driver of the cab we chose seemed nice enough. Little did I know he was the slowest cab driver in the world and would take us the most round about way home. I don't think he broke 40 mph the whole way home, which way mostly on a highway. The total for that ride was almost 200 NT$ more than the first.

We look up the address compared to where we were when we get back to my room. We were on the right road, had the right address, in the right city, in the right country...in Section 2, not Section 1, about a kilometer away from our destination. Every other group managed to get there, the address was not written wrong. I'm going to assume good intention and say that he wrote it down wrong, but come on now, really? With all that character reading and you get the section number wrong? Maybe the second driver thought he was taking the fastest route. But I've taken 4 or 5 taxis back from Taipei and he was the only one who went south around the city.

Next time, we'll get our stuff together before midnight and take public transportation in. No questions asked. I'll learn the language as much as I can while I'm here, but I won't be able to have discussions with taxi drivers enough to get to a place I've never been before. Or tell them thanks for taking the long way home.

B(ee)

And Then There Were Maps!

We have finally discovered a way to use Googlemaps in English!!! Life is going to get a lot easier.

And I keep having to pinch myself and remember: "This is college."

B(ee)

24 Plates of Sushi?!?!?!

...at 30 NT$ a plate, which came out to 720 NT$ (~ 25 USD), for the non-math majors out there (do I know any math majors?) for seven people. Did I mention we ate all this in under ten minutes? What can I say, it's hard to resist sushi going by on a conveyor belt after sitting in class for three hours.

I've been having a few pretty fantastic days. I'm finally starting to feel part of all this. Connecting with people on intimate levels, feeling close to each person here, getting the hang of the culture, actually using the small amount of Mandarin I know! It's all really great! Yesterday, I came up with and used my first full sentence of Mandarin, free of hand motions action words! I was very happy with myself --- even if I did only ask someone if this was a certain train station --- my question had a noun and verb. And (I never thought I'd say this) I'm getting used to the weather. My body defies you, humidity!

I'm not feeling like a visiting student anymore. I feel like everyone is on one trip now, we're all in this for the long haul and excited as ever.

Yesterday we went to the Museum of World Religions, which is probably the most beautiful museum I've ever been in. There is incredible attention to detail and each room is a place for self-reflection in itself. The whole flow of the museum is designed to make you interact with the information, which leads you to reflect on your personal spirituality and how it relates to the greater whole. The message of the museum was that love and peace are central to all of us. I would absolutely recommend the museum to anyone visiting Taipei. Go on a tour in the morning and plan to go back through the museum at your leisure after because the guides definitely have an agenda (that is very beneficial to having a general idea of the layout of the museum and the uses of each room), but the guiding definitely inhibited the self-reflection goal that the museum offers.

A few of us had spaghetti at a restaurant near the museum called Go Go Brazil. The whole restaurant was basically one big paradox. Ordering was an issue because there was no English menu and we were without a Mandarin-speaking peer, but the coffee was excellent (and complimentary), so I'm not complaining.

News from home brought me back to the real world and also made me realized that yesterday was the 6 month anniversary of Autumn's departure. K, if you're reading, regardless of the ocean and landmass between our bodies, my heart is with you right now.

With (excited) love,
B(ee)

Made My Day, My Month, My Trip, My Life...

To make a long story short...

Week of freedom in Thailand + Me + Girl on the trip who loves elephants, too + Volunteer opportunity at elephant rehabilitation center + AWESOME advisor who hooks us up = BEST FALL BREAK ANYONE HAS EVER HAD!!!

Neither of us have booked it yet, but it will happen. Soon.

Could I be any happier? I'm not going to say no, but it would be hard...

All smiles,
B(ee)

Pictures are (Finally) Up!

Hello all.

For future reference, all pictures will be kept here.

Note: this is under a different account due to me being silly and having one external and one internal Google account.

Enjoy!

It's Been One Week!...

Barenaked Ladies is going through my head right now...

Let me take this opportunity to state some unexpected advancements in my lifestyle:
1) I have only had coffee twice since getting here, half a cup on the first morning and a little more than a cup today. I have been having tea (sometimes caffeinated, sometimes not) most mornings, and the days I do not consume caffeine, I have managed to get through without migraines. Success!
2) My room has remained clean.
3) I've made my bed (almost) every day.
4) I've even done a bit of laundry out of my sink!
5) I can now walk in front of mopeds without feeling like I'm risking my life. Although, it was only a matter of remembering the "Cairo-technique" of crossing streets.
6) I can identify 50% more of the food in front of me.

I'm really most proud of the coffee thing, but thought I'd turn it into a time to reflect on other changes I've noticed too.

This morning we all enjoyed a 2-hour session of qi-gong (pronounced chee gong) at Fu Jen University. It seemed like it would be no big deal. I was told it was very similar to Tai Chi, but slower and more refined. Man..."no big deal" is the last ways I would describe the experience! That probably had to do with the fact that I hadn't taken the 90+ degree weather or 70% humidity into account. But I did enjoy it! It was very meditative and flowed, once you got the hang of it, that is. It was taught by a man in his late 50s who wasn't confident in his English, so we had a woman translating as he was speaking. The stretches were very obscure, and focused on warming up joints more than muscles, which was something new. We learned one complete motion that invovled slow breaths (hard in hot, humid air in the first place, much less for 10 seconds at a time), twists of all kinds in all kinds of places, and intense flexibility in many different joints. We all came out of it sweating, and kind of puzzled as to how much we sweat.

Then one of our leader/advisor people took some of us to a French fusion cafe near the University that she went to a lot last year. They had French-style coffee, a few different gormet sandwiches, and classic bubble and other milk tea. The coffee gave me the jitters (or maybe it was my new sense of qi from the gong?) and my hand has been shaking a bit all day. But it was excellent!!! 4 stars. For the French fusion cafe.

This afternoon we had our "History of Taiwan" class, which turned into a Q&A of a few different topics that were of particular interest to the class, intermingled with some things about the East and West India Companies, the Dutch in Taiwan, Han Chinese immigrants... The professor was very interesting, though! His name is slipping me now, but he went to graduate school in Germany and studied the Japanese colonization of Taiwan. Although you wouldn't have thought because he seemed like he knew pretty much the history of Taiwan (as a country) AND all the countries that had come into contact with the island during colonization, trading, etc. He also used some really obscure English slang, which gave him major brownie points.

It looks like I'll be leading a series of worships with a couple (yes, Rod, I mean that by your standards) of others. I was kind of appointed to the role after revealing my future ambitions, but I'm also excited for the task! I'm going to try to make the worships as interfaith as possible, but the fact that I'm working with another UU might make that harder. Hopefully the ex-Methodist will keep us in our place...although she's expressed interest in UUsim, so that whole not-necessarily-UU idea might fail...

Another thing: we have a free week in Thailand before classes there. In Thailand, we're going to be expected to do some type of external community service for academic credit. A bunch of places around Bangkok and Chiang Mai offer week-long volunteer opportunities to work with elephant rescues. Hmmmmmmm...!

Sorry! This came out much longer than I anticipated. Kudos if you made it this far. I owe you a cookie when I get back!

B(ee)

FY'allsI: I'm usually on Skype between (all EST) 7-9 pm, and 7-11 am on weekdays. By appointment on weekend. I'm currently exactly 12 hours off, which makes things nice and dandy!

Italian-Taiwanese Fusion Madness...

I just ate penne pasta with chopsticks. Odd and absurd are the only words that come to mind when I try to describe the experience in my head. But absurd in the way that it was completely natural for me to pick up the chopsticks, even though they were situated next to a folk, and find a way to work the pasta into my mouth. By the third piece of pasta or so, I realized what I was doing and what it said about how quickly we've adapted ourselves these last few days. I thought about switching over to the fork, considered it for a good second, and kept on pludging away at the penne, one piece at a time, picking them up through the middle with my two chopsticks. It was comfortable, and I kind of liked it. I also liked that the penne had CHEESE in it. I've been going a week without any cheese in my diet and I was having cravings.

I've been here less than a week. Yet, I feel that Taiwanese culture has been easy to adapt to. The people and the environment are both very friendly. I like Taiwan (or Taipei, at least) much more than I thought I would. I won't say I had low expectations, but I probably never would have chosen Taiwan as a destination. I would never be able to call this home, but it's a great place to spend a few weeks, or a couple months... I'm not itching to go just yet, but come October I think I'll be ready to move on.

A Personal Tour of Taipei?! Nice...

Yesterday we got a personal tour of Taipei by a woman unassociated with the program who wanted to practice her English. It was fabulous. When we met up she handed us our itinerary, which included: all the place we'd visit, how we'd get there, food available to eat for dinner. Her hospitality (and the hospitality of many Taiwanese I've run into) went above and beyond all expectations we had for our personal tour.

We started off at a hotplate restaurant, where you pay $5 and a soup base and eat as much as you want, including smoothies, drinks, and ice cream! When you get your soup they put it in front of you and you pick and choose what meat, vegetables, and other soup ingredients you want and throw them into until you're full. I tried a few things that I wish I hadn't, but overall it was a great meal! I had my first taste of real Taiwanese spice, which was a nice break from the rather bland food otherwise.

Then we took public transportation into Taipei and explored downtown a bit. We saw the second tallest building in Taipei (saw the tallest in the world later) and explored some hidden street markets that we never would have found as tourists. Our guide bought us these FABULOUS pastries, still warm, that were a cake-like bread around a cream filling. I have no idea what they were called, but they were great.

Then, we were to Sun Yat-sen National Memorial Hall, which is a gallery building dedicated to the founding father of modern-day Taiwan. There was an overhang around the perimeter of the building and under it were dozens of Taiwanese youth dancing, both practicing choreography and competing in quasi-freestyle battles with other groups. They were blasting music and taking up almost the whole width of the path in some places. It was a completely odd experience, to see how normal this type of thing was and how undisturbed the older generation walking around the hall were. We sat and watched them for a while, partly for an assignment for class, and really got to know their styles and social dynamics. The hall was clearly a hub for youth social activity, nothing like which would have been allowed in the states.

Taipei 101 (tallest building in the world, until the one in Dubai officially opens) stood a few blocks away, and we chose to see from a distance because our feet were aching at this point.

Our guide showed us the "underground street" which turned out to be a HUGE underground shopping area built between two subway stations. And I do mean huge: about 20 blocks wide and 15 blocks tall. I got a really great egg, scallion, and cabbage crepe-like thing there that might be my new favorite of Taiwan.

Then we went to the number one night market in Taipei (according to our guide). There was TONS of food vendors there, which is the only thing I explored much because my feet were aching from walking around for 8 hours. They had everything from juice and ice cream stands, to oyster omelets and stinky tofu, which is the only thing I refuse to taste, mainly because of how well it lives up to its name. We looked around the merchandise area a bit, but we were too tired to look much. Headed back to the hotel, showered, and rested our feet.

No class this morning, but Politics of Taiwan/China is this afternoon. I'm looking forward to it.

B(ee)

Ni Hao, Taipei!

So after three (really?) days in Sinjuhang, which is more correctly pronounced Hsin Chuang just to confuse residents and tourists alike, I finally ventured into Taipei today! The first was purposefully accidental and the second was purpose-filled.

To start the day off just right, jetlag reminded me that it has not left me, oh no, and decided to shake me wide awake at five o'clock this morning. The lack of windows in my room doesn't help my body adjustments in the least. I decided to watch the sunrise on the balcony of the hostel, which was nice. I came outside to a deep pink sky, shimmers of brighter light, and 80 degree, humid air. Despite the heat and humidity, I managed to take some pictures of the first rays of sunlight hitting the buildings on the Taipei skyline, finish my tea and read some Thich Nhat Hanh before escaping the torturous air.

Late morning I went on an adventure with a girl from my group. She told me her preferred method of traveling in an unknown place: take a random bus, get off somewhere interesting, walk, repeat until heat and/or humidity is too much and get a taxi (or train) home. I agreed to go along with her plan.

Keep in mind: remembering bus numbers was not involved and we didn't have a map so it didn't really matter. Also, street signs are useless because the majority of them are in Mandarin. We first got off at an alley-way style market and walked up and down it. We bought some lycee and I peeled one for the first time. I also discovered what the mysteriously large seed had been in my rice dish the day prior. We then hopped on another bus that took us around the Northwestern edge of the city, very close to the mountains. After a few days of city-life, it was nice to see more green that just the park around the stadium near the hotel. The bus took us around some relatively unpopulated areas so we waited until we were in Taipei (didn't know it right away) and got off right near the subway, a pleasant but unexpected surprise. We made our way home in about 45 minutes, ate lunch and showered. At this point, the temperature had risen 17 degrees and the humidity was at it's worst.

We met up with the larger group later that night and rode the Taipei ferris wheel, situated atop a 6-story mall. I was told the set-up was reminiscent of Pier Park in Chicago.

We then took the subway to a night market closer to downtown, which turned out to be a tourist-y street lined with food, food, food, and more food. Which was a slight disappointment, considering we thought market meant things other than food, some more things other than food, and maybe a dabbling of food here and there to tempt the tastebuds. So we headed back to downtown Taipei to catch our bus.

Finding the bus station became quite the ordeal, but a nice Taiwanese man offered to show us the bus. Little did we know that our bus was the most sought after bus in all of Taipei, maybe even Taiwan! We couldn't manage to squeeze on two consecutive buses, so opted out of that chaos and took a taxi home that was about a 20 minute ride and came out to 250 NT$ (~$7.50) each. Not too shabby.

Overall, life is cheap. I can reliably live off $6 a day for all three meals.

Hello Jetlag Day Number One!

Yesterday ended up being a mixture of exploring the city we're staying in, jetlag naps that left me more confused that refreshed, and trying new foods.

I explored Sinjhuang with another visiting student. We mainly walked around, gawked at the insane number of mopeds on the roads, looked for characters that were similar on store signs, and made our first try at a wet/dry market near the hotel. I ended up paying far too much for asians pears to eat for breakfast for the next three mornings. I payed about 100 NT (~3$) and got three huge monsters of things. But at that point I was just worried about getting something.

After than I adventure, I went back to my room, unpacked some, and tried to avoid my oh-so-comfortable bed. I eventually gave in and took a short nap around 4:30. I woke up more confused and delirious than I have ever been. Luckily (or not?) I had made dinner plans so I pulled myself out of bed to find something to eat.

The two of us (both in delirious, I'm-only-awake-for-the-sake-of-getting-over-jetlag states) walked a block before deciding that really, any restaurant that had meals under 100 NT would suffice. We found a beef soup restaurant right next to the entrance to the hotel and ordered two things that included the characters forwhat our guide had given us for "Beef Soup" on the menu. She pointed out that eating for much of our trip will probably consist of either wishing we knew what we were eating so we could (a) order it again or (b) avoid it later. I completely agree, and last night was no exception. We watched as one lady cut up assorted beef parts and vegetables put them in a broth base on the stove. We got two big bowls of soup: one (hers) had beef chunks and beef and ginger dumplings and the other (mine) had something that looked like maleable honeycomb, had the consistency of rubber, and didn't really have much taste. We ended up sharing the contents of both of our soups. And by that I mean she took pity on me and gave me some of her ingredients to eat.

We promptly went back to our rooms and retired for the night. I made it to eight o'clock simply because Bethoveen was on TV, dubbed in Mandarin.

Up at some kind of normal time, blogging...

B(ee)

My Clock Just Told Me It's Noon...

...alright...?

After a surprisingly unpainful 13-hour plane ride followed by about an hour bus ride, I'm here!!!!!!!!! In Taipei...well Sinjhuang City...but close enough!!!!!

We lost a day getting here, leaving SFO at 1:35 a.m. Tuesday and landing in Taiwan around 5:40 this (Wednesday) morning. I slept on-and-off for 5 or 6 hours on the plane, which is great considering I had a middle seat and food shoved in my face right after we took off. I wasn't sure what meal is was supposed to be, but it seemed pretty dinner-y to me. My body isn't really sure what to think of me right now, after four days of heavy eating and traveling and then plane food and skipping over a few timezones so quickly. I have no idea what time it feels like, but I'm going to shoot to stay awake until 10 o'clock Taipei-time tonight to get on some kind of "normal" schedule.

Everyone (17 students and 2 professors) is really nice and seems excited to start our journey. It's about an even split between enrolled Global College students and visiting students, with a few transfers thrown in.

We're staying in a hotel in Sinjhuang City, about 40 minutes drive from Taipei City. It feels like we're in the middle of everything still, though. Almost everyone has their own room, complete with what seems to be Taiwan's verzion of a full-size bed, a TV that is somewhere in the 24 inch range, small built-in couch, desk, mini kitchen (complete with: microwave, fridge/freezer, drying rack, sink, hot water heater) and a bathroom that is one of the nicest I've seen in a hotel room. It's pretty swanky, actually, and I've been told it's not a hint of anything else to come, which is what I was expecting in the first place so no disappointment here!

First bit of Taiwanese culture I've learned: there's a 7-11 on every block. Over 3,000 in Taipei County alone. They claim they have the most per capita of anywhere in the world (I'll have to check on that one), and it seems like if in doubt, find it at 7-11.

We have the rest of today off. Orientation starts tomorrow and continues until the weekend.

Tempted to nap...tempted...tempted...tempted...mmm comfy bed.

B(ee)

New England vs. California...

I was considering naming this post "Some Tips for New England to Make Itself Better than California And End the Never ending Debate Between the Coasts", but then I realized that there are things that will never change about New England and there are things that will never change about California *cough"perfect"weathercough*.

But first off, a comment on the driving. Whoever claims that Boston drivers are the worst they've ever seen and given truth to the nickname Masshole for people from Massachusetts clearly never drove on California freeways. It's a funny thing, really, because you'd think a motorcyclist that would squeeze him(or her)self between lines of cars on a windy, narrow road through the mountains between San Francisco and Santa Cruz would not back down to people standing to cross the road if they weren't forced to by a red light. But no, California drivers (and cyclists alike) are worse than Boston drivers on the highway, and happy to sit back, relax, and take it easy once they hit the off-ramp. I find it funny, really. I'm not sure there's a name for drivers with aggressive speed but patient pleasure driving habits.

I'll admit: New England will never be California. Unless climate change is more aggressive than I'm imagining it to be, the Northeast will not be able to supply freshly grown vegetables year-round to it's inhabitants. The notion that "we" are "the chosen people" and live in the city on the hill might never leave the mindset of the population of the Northeast. We will probably never have harems of sea lions residing under the docks of popular tourist destinations (oh yeah...). (NB: I did not know that a group of sea lions was called a harem. Thanks, Wikipedia!)

One thing New England COULD do is invite more frozen yogurt/soft serve stores on their side of the country. Because honestly, what is better than self-serve froyo that comes will your choice of 30+ toppings, ranging anywhere from strawberries to cheesecake pieces to Fruity Pebbles? OH, and it only costs 30 cents an ounce. Nothing? Yeah that's what I though.

And using REAL potatoes in your fast food french fries? No freezer frozen fries? And they'll even cut them in a place where you can see to prove it to you. I'm totally for real here.

But for real, fast food, frozen yogurt, and sea lions aside, California is pretty rockin'. Although I'm not digging the idea of no snow and no thunder storms. The idea that human beings and the weather can have a healthy, steady, consistent relationship baffles me. No three weeks of nonstop, downpour rain? No temperatures below 35F? If I'm replacing pressing my nose against a window to watch snow flakes cascade from the icy white sky on my birthday with frozen yogurt and freshly cut french fries, I'm not sure that's exactly healthy. Don't get me wrong, I love good food, but I also like surprises. And my floral umbrella. And my awesome pea soup colored coat.

Did I really just compare food and weather? Does that say something about me?

California has started me off on a good foot. A certain BANK that you can find all over AMERICA threatened to make my life miserable, but it was a mutual hatred. Thankfully it was just a threat and has been resolved, after taking with 5 different representatives (3 on the phone and 2 in person) and a combined 3 hours of service time. The cell phone company that starts with "T" and ends in "mobile" however, has consistently provided me with EXCELLENT customer service: in person, telephonically, and online. A+ to them!

Take off in 26 hours. Could not bet happier. Or more prepared (?). We'll see when I'm there, I guess...

B(ee)

T Minus 9 Hours...

I leave for San Francisco tonight to meet up with my mom and spend a few days visiting friends and exploring the Bay area before I leave for Taipei with my soon-to-be traveling companions at 1:30 am on Tuesday.

San Francisco may not be as exotic as Northern Thailand, but it will be my first time in California (I know...right?). I've been reading an excellent book lately by Alain de Botton called The Art of Travel. He approaches traveling, the human desire to travel and the places that we travel to in a very interesting way. One thought that stuck with me was the idea that our heart pulls us towards the places that we feel most comfortable. We hear about, see pictures of, and read about events in a certain place and we experience an intense longing to feel the comfort of that place. In many ways, this is why I decided to forgo four more nights in the most comfortable bed I've ever lay on and commit to earlier farewells. I've heard from many a person that Berkeley is the place for me. A place I'd fit into. A place that I would surely enjoy. And although the thought of a time in my life void of snow and freezing nose hairs, I'd be willing to give it a shot if it's somewhere my heart finds comfort. I'll be looking at Starr King School for the Ministry while I'm out there, knowing that my post-world-traveler-Div-III-Bethany won't have too much time to visit potential seminaries. Tell me I'm crazy, go ahead. But at least I won't be freaking out as much as I could post-graduation.

The last two weeks have been filled with many see-ya-laters, sandwiched between pleasantly unexpected impromptu visits to see friends who live out of my 40 mile radius. A visit to the Valley let me say a much needed goodbye to friends I haven't seen since Mod45 dispersed. And one last Vermont trip let me see family that I had nearly crossed paths with a few times this summer.

Being at school has certainly distanced me from family and high school friends (in a physical way, at least), but this coming year will be an entirely different experience. Timezones and poor Internet connection (if any at all) will make coordinating Skype calls harder and less frequent. But I'm certain that I will find my way back to the people that I love and love me most, sooner rather than later, when I return to the States.

If I haven't yet exchanged a farewell hug with you, consider yourself Bethany-hugged.

Farewell my friends!

B(ee)

Let The Packing Begin!

My passport came back yesterday (BIG relief), adorned with three new full-page visas for Taiwan, Thailand, and India.

With a week and a half until California and only TWO weeks until I leave for good, I've started packing. Some might think this is crazy. But with my internship over and nothing else to do except prepare for my trip for the next week-and-a-half, packing is the only thing keeping me sane right now.

Over the years, I've gone from chronic overpacker to efficient packer. Correction: I've mastered the art of weekend, 1-week, and 2-week "perfect" packing (not packing more than I'll use). But this whole 9-month, moving at least 5 times, AND leaving room for things along the way is throwing me for a loop. It will surely be an entirely new experience, living out of a bag and backpack for 9 months, but I'm sure I'll come out of it with a renewed perspective on what it really takes for me to get by. I think Mom and I might go out tonight to see if I can find a bag will better suit me than the one I already have.

On a different note, the program guide said that sport sandals were a "favorite among CRC students." As I was already interested in them anyway, I'm thinking this is my perfect opportunity to get a pair. I think they might be nice in addition to the sneakers (and possibly casual sandals) I'll be bringing. I've been looking into Chacos, Keens, and Naturalizers (only ones I've actually put my feet in but ohmagawd-comfy), but I'm not sure what I'll end up with. Thoughts, anyone?

In anticipation,
B(ee)

A Little More Than Two Months Out...

Tickets have been bought! (Final?) tentative schedule has been received! Just waiting on visa and *shudder* inoculation information.

People keep asking me if I'm nervous. I can't really be, yet, because it's all a little surreal still. But the recent advancements are making the trip more concrete in my mind.

B(ee)

What Is This Anyway?

For the 2009-2010 school year, my third year of college, I will be traveling with Global College's Comparative Religion and Culture Program to: Taiwan, Thailand, India, and Turkey. I will be spending 6-7 weeks in: Taipei, Chaing Mai, Bangalore, and Ankara with a week (or more) in between in various other cities.

I'm fairly excited to say the least about my impending travels. I feel very privileged to be able to include this journey in my life. Talking to someone about the slight discomfort I had having received this blessing, she told me that all opportunities are half fate and half preparation. So that's how I'm looking forward as of right now.

I hope that my writing here can serve as effective communication between family, friends and strangers alike. By next May, I will have flown, like a bee, around the world.

B(ee)