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)
16 September 2009
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!
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!
15 September 2009
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!
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!
14 September 2009
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.
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)
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)
12 September 2009
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.
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 $6 a day for all three meals.
10 September 2009
Hello Jetlag Day Number One!
Yesterday ended up being a mixture of exploring the city we're staying in, jetlag naps that left me more confused that refreshed, and trying new foods.
I explored Sinjhuang with another visiting student. We mainly walked around, gawked at the insane number of mopeds on the roads, looked for characters that were similar on store signs, and made our first try at a wet/dry market near the hotel. I ended up paying far too much for asians pears to eat for breakfast for the next three mornings. I payed about 100 NT (~3$) 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)
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)
09 September 2009
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)
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)
07 September 2009
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)
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)
03 September 2009
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)
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)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
