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)