Summer days in Indiana

As part of the daily lab exercises in the CLI program, we're having our students design blogs. They are required to type a few things in Chinese each day about what they've learned and encouraged to upload videos and pictures of cultural practices that they've learned/experienced, the goal being that they have something to mark their time in the program and a way to inform their family and friends of all that they're learning here (they can include English translations). I helped a few students create names for their blogs today and it got me thinking about my own.

It's not too often that I go back and re-read posts, but I do every now and then, and each time it brings me right back to life in Taiwan. I'm approaching the one-year mark of my departure from Taiwan, and it's one of those periods of time when I find myself daydreaming about my life there.

Noah's just left for an internship in the Philippines, an exciting opportunity that didn't seem real until the day he was actually leaving, and his return to Asia has sort of stirred my own longing to go back.

I'm required to use Chinese with the students as much as possible and while it's been getting a bit easier now that I'm speaking quite a bit every day, it has been challenging. I notice that I'm slower, that I don't seem to be as articulate, and although I'd like to think that my severe lack of sleep over the course of this program (we're only on day 8) is the main contributing factor, I'm starting to get that nagging feeling I have when I feel my skills starting to slip away.

I have been pretty honest about my confusion over the past year about what I really want as I started with research proposals, moved into the pedagogical aspect of my studies, and began teaching, and while I'm enjoying working with 22 high-schoolers who have traveled from around the country to attend a three-week intensive Chinese class, I still think that that happiest I've felt was teaching English while really being immersed in what I love. These students are hard-working and I'm happy to share what I know with them, but I really excel when I rely on my own language skills to communicate and complete tasks.

I've been pretty honest about the confusion I've felt over the past year as I began my first semester with research proposals, moved into pedagogy and my first formal teaching experiences in the U.S., and tried to figure out what comes next, but from where I stand now it seems that this was all part of the process. I've been able to narrow my search for the type of career I want, and I guess I'm realizing that knowing what you probably don't want is half the battle (although it's hard to see it that way when you've just discovered you need a new plan). Maybe I wasn't ever really that lost after all.

A little spring in my step

I opened my computer this morning and had a message from Julianna. When I first returned to the States last summer and began grad school in the fall, I was "homesick" for Taiwan. As I got more comfortable with my life in Bloomington that feeling gradually went away, but I've found myself occupied with thoughts of Taiwan for the past month or so. I realized that it probably had to do with the fact that it was once again Chinese New Year and one year since my friend Jenni had come to visit me in Taiwan. I had also received an earlier message from Peiwen and we finally found time to Skype just as the lunar new year was about to begin. I looked into flights to Taiwan, but tickets for the weeks I thought I might be able to go were outrageously expensive. So I turned to my trusty method of browsing a hungry girl's guide to taipei to ease my sadness of missing dear friends and some of my favorite spots.

Back to this morning. For some reason or another I started thinking about my blog and remembered that the last post I wrote was a bit negative and not really reflective of my current thoughts and feelings. Last semester was difficult just because it was all new, but I also realized that I was taking a number of basic classes that I was interested in, but weren't really helping me figure out my exact niche in my studies. This semester's classes mostly focus on Chinese linguistics and pedagogy, so I'm starting to delve into the heart of what I wanted to do. I feel like I'm really starting to define who I want to be as an academic and my classes are giving me the information I feel like I need to set me in the right direction.

In other good news, I had begun looking for a part-time job late last semester as I realized that I'd really need to supplement my income to get through the holidays. As anyone who knows me well already knows, I've dreamed about working as a florist since middle school. The closest I got to the action was the summer I interned at The Carter Center and worked part-time for an ice cream shop that shared space with a florist and a cupcake shop. It was pretty much my favorite place in the world. Then in Taiwan, I met Sonia, a self-taught floral designer. I went to the flower market with her and watched her and her partner arrange beautiful bouquets of dark red roses interspersed with little bright red flowers that looked like prickly mini strawberries.   A few months ago I had contacted the owner of a local florist with really stunning creative, contemporary designs. She wasn't hiring at the time but did recently contact me for an interview and I'm keeping my fingers crossed that I'll finally get the opportunity to be a part of something so inspired.

By this time next week I'll be home, having just begun my spring break. I am so excited to have another spring break at home-- it's been three years since spring break of my senior year at Lawrence. My brother Phillip and I also have the same break, which would never have happened while I was at Lawrence, so it's really great to know that we'll be at home together.

Well, that's all for now. It's time for a little brunch!

Back in America

I realize that I have yet to finish my entries about Jenni's visit to Taiwan and the second part of my weekend in Hong Kong, but I'm feeling the need to start a new topic.

Quite a few people have asked me if I have a blog about my life in the States now and I think "why would I?" Life has gone back to "normal", except it's not really normal at all because everything about my life is new. Time seemed to fly by in Taiwan, but I found that when back home and thinking about the last time I had been in America, it seemed as if it had been so long ago. The last time I was in the States I was graduating from college! And now, here I am, a grad student in yet another new place trying to figure out what exactly it is that I'm supposed to do with my life.

It's important to note that as I'm writing this we're reaching the end of week 14, and week 16 is finals. That means that I'm at the height of the most stressful part of the term. So I suppose this could be a little biased. Still, throughout the term I've been wondering if this is for me. I have wonderful professors and my classes are interesting, but I'm not super excited about devoting my entire life to research at this point. I'm finding that good grades are no longer a strong motivating factor for me in the sense that, while I care about doing my best work, I'm not all amped up to start/complete a particular assignment because in the end I'll have the personal satisfaction of getting an A. The problem with grad school is that there's always work to be done, so even if you've "finished" the work you have to turn in or present on for one day, you're never EVER done. And then there's knowing that it only gets more difficult from here on out.

Here's what I know about myself: I'm a people person. I'm curious. I learn quickly. I'm thoughtful and I like to reflect on things. I do not like picturing myself as a person of authority (intellectually that is). I'm happy to simply be a sponge. Success and feeling good about myself comes in many different forms. Having a really great conversation with someone new, using Chinese to speak with someone I may not otherwise be able to communicate with, doing something nice for someone else, these things bring me a lot of joy. And so does getting comfy, turning on my chili pepper lights, and watching a movie as I fall asleep on the couch at 10pm on any given night when I just feel that that's what I need to do. So you can see why I'm having doubts about my potential to be a great researching mind. I simply enjoy life too much.

I miss Taiwan. It's not quite as heartbreaking as it first was when I had no idea what the hell was going on here (at least now I have a routine), but I still really miss the things I did. I taught kids every day. There were definitely some days when I did not feel like teaching, but I loved that that could all change as soon as I walked in the school that day. I loved feeling invested in them, knowing their strengths and weakness, and feeling like I was making an impact. I loved meeting new friends and practicing Chinese just because I love to. And I even loved my classes that I took just for my own benefit, not even for a degree. I loved having the chance to travel back to Kaohsiung and see my dear friends, or take a weekend and explore another part of the island. I just felt that I was always learning and discovering more.

And the advantages of being in the US? Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying I don't like it here. I finally experienced fall again. And being able to drive to the grocery store and get whatever I want to make whatever I want. I was able to make turkey for Thanksgiving (my first time making one ever!) and see snow for the first time in two years. But what has meant the most to me is being able to pick up the phone and call my friends and family whenever I'm thinking about them, whenever I have something to say. I'm so thrilled that I'll be home for Christmas this year and I'll actually get to spend it with my loved ones instead of talking about what we're doing for the holidays on the phone.

But my everyday life? Well, that's a toss up. And I know that life in Taiwan was easier, but I don't think that's why I miss it. Would I want to do exactly the same thing I was doing forever? Well, no. But what if I switched directions and taught ESL at a university there. What if I explored something more permanent?

Well, these are all just thoughts, and I will finish my MA before I move on to anything else. It's still early in the game. I've just been thinking more about what I'm capable of doing/should be doing and what I want to be doing. I have a process: I ask advice from every single person I can think of before I deciding that my own instincts were right all along. So, any advice?

Hong Kong Part I

Most of you must know that I'm back in the States now, but there's more to say about my time in Taiwan. I haven't even covered Jenni's visit, which was one of the best memories I have, but for now I'll skip ahead and write about Hong Kong. I had to make the trip at the beginning of June when my student visa expired to get an entry permit that would allow me to stay for another month. Again, I was originally not crazy about the idea since the ticket came out of my pocket and I would be traveling alone. Since I had spent the money, however, and I had just finished my classes, I was determined to have a wonderful time. I took my journal so I could write about the experience as it happened, and now I'm going to transcribe what I wrote on my trip.

6/5/10

Things seemed to be off to a rocky start when I first got to Hong Kong. With no checked bags I was able to move to the HSR equivalent quickly and figured out how to get the ticket easily enough. Once I got to Central on Hong Kong Island though, things became more difficult. I knew the MTR lines only by color, not by name, but thankfully the woman in me stopped to ask for directions. It was quite a trek to the platform, and I made it with just four minutes to spare before the last train for the night left.

I had written down directions from the Mongkok MTR station to the hotel, but it hadn't given me a clear exit number. I headed toward the one that listed a street in my directions and then the fun began. Somehow I got turned around so that I was actually walking in the opposite direction from the hotel. I was hot and thirsty, but I wasn't quite sure if I should stop since I seemed to be lost, and didn't quite know who to ask since it was about 1am and I wasn't sure about the crowd. My instincts were right, and I used Mandarin to speak to the food vendors and clerks. The 7-11 woman only spoke Cantonese, and since I had been going in the wrong direction, most people didn't know how to direct me. Eventually I got so thirsty that I found one of the nicer tea stands with clerks who seemed like they could point me in the right direction and ordered a drink (ironically, it was a Taiwanese chain). The guy was incredibly helpful and spoke excellent Mandarin, and the milk tea was delicious. It turned out that all I had to do was go completely back the way I had come and then I got my bearings. I was really proud of myself for not panicking and simply jumping in a cab. I finally go to the hotel around 2am and got settled in.

I was a little disappointed that the concierge didn't seem more friendly. I found out I'd have to pay for internet, and computers were only available from 8am-4pm. I took the "lift" to my tinnier-than-expected room on the 7th floor, and quickly showered off  the day's grime. When I finally got reception, which I originally thought could only be achieved by sticking my arm out the window (which is how I discovered my excellent view), I called Noah to let him know I was safe. I looked over the places I wanted to go on Day 1 and then settled in to bed.

It was late by the time I got to bed, nearly 3 or later even, so I thought I'd be exhausted when my alarm rang at 9. Turns out I was wrong. I think I was still a little nervous about finding my way around a brand new city in a foreign place for a whole day, so I ended up having strange dreams. I woke up first at 7:30 and then at 8:30. I didn't feel very tired either time, but when my alarm went off at 9, it suddenly hit me.

I took a shower and got ready for the day, planning to stop in the cafe to cash in my breakfast voucher and get nourished up while giving myself a bit of time to build up courage. It wasn't phenomenal, but I was full after the hard-boiled egg, banana, and toast, and I was ready to get out of the tiny hotel.

I was so excited about shopping that I had to do that first. Since I was staying in the area with the markets (Ladies' Street, the goldfish market, and Flower Market Street), I decided I'd take it easy by getting to know my neighborhood first. I stopped at the ATM to got money and solved one problem after another when I realized that I hadn't informed my bank that I was traveling, and they did, indeed, lock my card. I got turned around just a bit, but figured it out very quickly, and thought that I was at least getting better.

I got to the streets that supposedly had the markets but saw nothing but empty tents. Ladies' Street was just getting set up, and it turned out that there were two flower streets (how silly!). The one with the market was actually farther away. I thought this might be the case, and the empty hunt--and the 7-11 woman who spoke enough Mandarin for me to understand "very far"--confirmed it. I did see part of a cool traditional market, and then just decided to move on to the real shopping.

H&M was my first stop since it happened to be at Central, the transfer station. As soon as I got out of the platform area and into the station, I saw a Mrs. Fields. I squealed with delight and said a bit of thanks when I saw the glorious bakery. I passed on the cookies, having eaten nothing that I could say was legitimate Hong Kong food, but seeing the shop that I often cross in Montgomery Mall and White Flint was treat enough. I felt like the day was looking up.

I wasn't quite sure how to get to the store, but I let my instincts about the position of certain types of stores guide me, and turns out I'm not too bad =). I first went to HMV, another store I had found online that was a popular spot for music. I'd recently discovered what seems to be some new jazzy, French, English sort of covers by Asian singers that I really liked, and since it was hard for me to download Chinese music online, I took the opportunity to get a few CDs. I got to test a few great new ones, and left feeling happy to have made my first purchase in a way that seemed somewhat intellectually stimulating.

Confident, I walked down the street a bit further and saw the big H&M sign. I immediately started looking for clothes suited for me and was surprised to find some new styles that I hadn't tried or hadn't been able to find before. I finally got one of those dresses that is sort of like an army surplus sort of jumper. I had wanted a dark grey/green one, but they only had a black one in my size, and it turns out to have been a better pick (way more versatile). I got a cute pair of earrings for Emily (she got me an amazing necklace in Bali and great earrings in Thailand), and finally got out after numerous trips to the fitting room.

With my CDs and my new clothes in tote, I thought I'd head to another mall a few stops aways that was supposed to be good for its food court fare, especially dim sum. Since I was in Hong Kong I felt it only proper to have the traditional dim sum, but on my way there, I figured I'd better stop at Admiralty since I could get to The Peak for sunset.

It was around 3pm and I hadn't eaten, plus my feet were killing me, so I stopped to relax for a bit. I couldn't find the restaurants at the huge station, and walked around and around, finally choosing a small "restaurant" that turned out to be called Satay City or something. I wanted to have something that was as authentic as possible, so I finally chose a pork and leek dumpling soup. I was a bit skeptical as soon as I entered the restaurant since it smelled of paint and there was only a woman with her young son there, but the soup turned out to be quite good. Feeling a bit more energetic, I began my walk back to the MTR.

I headed to another exit so that I could catch the bus/tram to The Peak. I thought I'd be taking both, but it turned out that the bus took us all the way up. The view was stunning, and it was super cool to be sitting toward the front on the top of a double-decker bus. Driving the hilly roads reminded me of California, but the store fronts didn't quite fit. The area seemed a lot more antique than what I'd seen in Taiwan, and although I'd been in clean areas, Hong Kong in general seemed a bit more shabby in central locations. I think more people tend to smoke in Hong Kong as well. I was really impressed with all of the people who were so patient and willing to help, even when they didn't speak English (and only Cantonese).

Back to the ride. Going over the hills was amazing, and I was happy to be sitting next to a girl close to my age who seemed to be traveling with her friends/sisters/cousins who were taking their family around. They spoke Mandarin together, but they were also speaking another dialect--it sounded like there was a bit of mainland retroflex going on. It was fun to listen to, and the view really was great, but all of the walking around had left me exhausted and I dozed off.

When my bag of CDs fell to the floor, I woke up startled and stayed alert for the rest of the ride. I couldn't believe that we had already gotten so high up and were still climbing. I realized that there would be no tram, but I did come upon the trail Helen had told me about. It was much cooler on the path that wound around the mountain and into the trees. I got to the waterfall that she had mentioned and took a few shots along the way. By the time I made it back, the sun had started to sink in the sky, and I got some great shots of the skyline.

Inside the looking tower I forgot that I wasn't working in NT anymore, and bought a small hand-woven picture for 240HKD, about 30USD. It is quite beautiful, even if more expensive than I originally thought. I waited for the sun to completely set, and then I got in line for the tram. I did make sure to get one picture of me first though, the only one taken on the trip.

The tram was...scary. I wanted to see the view, but I didn't have a seat and the car had filled up when they motioned me on, so I was facing downhill. We were moving quite quickly and I was doing everything I could---twisting my thumb and forefinger backward to clutch the rail behind me--not to just go catapulting forward. The woman in front of me seemed pissed off by the presence of people and was certainly not in the mood to realize that I desperately needed to brace myself against that bottom panel behind her. I was looking at possibly falling straight down the aisle, and at some points that was a 24 degree fall! All I could think was that if the thongs on my flip-flops broke, I was done for. It was a beautiful ride, but I was so glad when I stepped off.

I made my way towards the MTR, and it was quite a walk. I think I took the long way despite thinking it was a shortcut. Even so, I got to take a beautiful downhill walk and pass Hong Kong Park, the zoological/botanical gardens, and see some pretty cool buildings.

I was in need of some serious rest and re-hydration, so I finally made my way to Causeway Bay for dim sum. Too bad it's only served at lunch. At night the restaurant becomes a rather expensive family-style meal setting. Everything looked like it would be unaffordable and way too much for one person. I saw a Thai restaurant, and when I took a look, the prices were very reasonable. I still didn't know if these kinds of restaurants did tables for one, but I sat right down and ordered a delicious char-grilled steak with green curry. I devoured it and then ordered the sticky purple rice with fresh mango and coconut milk for dessert. It was the perfect meal after a long, eventful day. And it gave me just enough energy to get back to the hotel.

I saw another Mrs. Fields, and I felt like it was OK to give in this time. I bought two soft, semi-sweet chocolate chip cookies, a bottle of water and ventured home.

It's spring again...

I haven't written in a very long time, and I apologize to anyone who was using the blog as a main source of finding out what I was up to. I always try to respond to emails that I get, but I don't send out as many emails as I should given the number of people I think about everyday.

The pasts four months have flown by. Almost immediately after I wrote my last post I decided that I was, in fact, going to fly to Japan to take the GRE so that I could apply to graduate school for the 2010 year. I crammed all my prep into the month of November, and flew to Japan in the second weekend of December hoping that the last minute $300 purchase (plus a $180 registration fee) would be worthwhile.

I was lucky enough to stay in Tokyo with Rie, a good friend from college, and her family. I hadn't seen her since my trip to Japan in 2009, and it was a really cool feeling to be gong back to Japan for the second time. I flew in on a Saturday evening and Rie picked me up at the airport. Her birthday was that Monday, so we had a wonderful dinner with her family and her fiance at the Tokyo Disney Resort. The meal was traditional Japanese and very delicious (there were about 7 perfectly portioned courses), and at the end the waitress brought out a beautiful strawberry and cream cake that had two pieces of white chocolate with "Happy Birthday Rie!" and "Welcome to Tokyo Nicki" on it.

After dinner we snuggled in their very comfy car and drove home to settle in for the night. I had to be at the testing center by 8am and Rie's mom suggested that we leave the house around 6:30, which meant having a feast of a breakfast which she prepared at 6am. Rie's dad drove us to the center and we arrived so early that we had to wait for them to unlock the doors. I appreciated the extra caution used in planning the morning--it would have been horrible if after all that I missed the test. I took the advice in the prep book and wore layers and it turned out to be a good decision; it was freezing outside but the testing room felt like a furnace. I put on my game face and started plugging away. Just when I thought I was going to have to ask for a bathroom break I realized I was done. I was so relieved when I saw my score and realized that it would be enough to get me through. One of the happiest moments of my life so far. Huh...guess I hadn't really thought about that. I suppose it seems a little silly now, but at that moment I was ecstatic.

Rie was wedding planning, but her mom (who looks like a Japanese version of Angelica Huston) had the afternoon free, so she picked me up from the test center and we went for a nice lunch and an afternoon of shopping around Tokyo. I saw that there were tons of boots on sale and decided it would be a good time to buy a pair should I happen across some. Unfortunately, it's probably even more difficult for me to find my size in Japan than in Taiwan, and we tried dozens of stores. After the first batch of tries, I told Rie's mom that it was okay, it probably wasn't meant to be, but the woman was on a mission. Of course the ones that fit the best were about 20,000 yen, which is $200 and it was just out of the question. Soon after Rie and her fiance came to join us at the mall, and we just wandered around browsing the shops. As I was looking at an accessory stand (I had clearly given up the search), Rie's mom called me over, excited that she had found black AND brown boots in my size. She even insisted on buying them as an early birthday present/souvenir of the trip, and Rie got a pair too.

After we left the mall we walked down some of the alleys, all decorated with Christmas lights. It was quite cold and it was the perfect holiday atmosphere. When I saw a GAP, I just had to enter, and I asked if it would be okay, promising that it would be the last stop. I found a great sweater that I thought would be a perfect Christmas gift for Noah, and it was even cooler that I got to buy it in Japan! Having made the purchase, we took the subway/train for about an hour or so until we reached a district near Rie's house that had a good sushi restaurant. Rie's mom ordered enough food for an army, and I tried to eat as much as I could, but Rie's fiance was a good sport and took what I couldn't eat. With my test out of the way I could enjoy all the plum wine I wanted, and we all had cocktails with dinner (the family had encouraged me to drink the night before--beer is a favorite for both men and women--but I opted for a celebratory Sprite instead given my big test).

Back at home we got into our warm PJs and huddled around the couches to watch T.V. In the living room there was a short table that had blankets attached to it. The table itself has a heater under it, so you can put your feet/legs under the blankets and get toasty warm. It seems that most homes don't have central heating, so as soon as you come home you turn on the heater for the room you want to occupy and then close the door to let it warm. They put me in my own room in one of the most comfortable beds I have ever slept in. It looked to be an air mattress or something of the sort, but it was really a wonderfully padded mattress of sorts with layers and layers of blankets. In the evening you turn off the heater before you go to bed, so each morning I woke feeling incredibly warm and snuggly. I dressed very quickly since the air outside of the nest of blankets was quite cold. It was really nice to warm up inside the house instead of walking into a temperate room. And although I was a little afraid of the icy chill each morning when I left the covers, I also felt very refreshed and awake.

Rie had to work on Monday, the day I left, but her mom made me a HUGE traditional Japanese breakfast. It was traditional in the sense that everything was common Japanese food, but no one would ever have such a spread for an ordinary breakfast. She made fish, chilled tofu with soy sauce, spinach, salad with a sesame dressing, rice with dried seaweed (a common everyday breakfast), sweet black beans, miso soup, and nato. Rie's mom asked me if I'd be daring enough to try nato, warning me that many Japanese do not like it. It's fermented beans that are incredibly smelly, slimy, and sticky. When you take a bite, silk-like threads form strings from the nato to the chopsticks, making it hard to swallow quickly, unfortunately. I made a face, Rie's mom laughed, and said she'd have it for breakfast. She ate it quite gracefully, moving her chopsticks in a quick whisking motion to break the stringy threads. We watched T.V. for a bit and drank tea, and then she packed me a bag of Japanese snacks and sent me to the bus station.

I had such a wonderful time in Japan with Rie's family. I've never been treated so well and yet felt entirely comfortable with my host. I had not been thrilled at the idea of leaving for a weekend just to take a test in a place I was unfamiliar with, but it turned out to be a wonderful trip and a really relaxing mini vacation, especially after the test was over! It was also nice to have people wishing me luck before and congratulating me after.

The weeks leading up to my trip to Japan were a bit stressful just because I was studying Chinese, working, applying to grad schools, and using whatever spare time to prep for the test, but there were also a lot of great times, too.

Noah and I had been planning a "Thanksgiving dinner" since January, and we never actually got around do doing it until it was actually Thanksgiving, which made it a huge deal. Thanksgiving came on a Thursday and we both had to work late, so we decided to celebrate on Saturday. We got up and spent the morning shopping for fresh bread, cheese, and Ikea meatballs (to serve as the main course). My aunt had sent me a casserole dish along with the ingredients for green been casserole (which I tried last year for the first time and absolutely loved!), and I had picked up a pumpkin pie and a bottle of wine from Costco. We got back around 4 in the afternoon and immediately started dinner prep. I've discovered that once Noah gets cooking he likes to do things a certain way, so I was on bread/cheese and green bean casserole duty and he made the sour cream mashed potatoes. It was a feast fit for a king and a queen. We seemed to achieve food comas even without the help of turkey, and took a walk down to the Chiang Kai-shek Memorial.

A few weeks after Thanksgiving Noah's dad came to visit. There were things in Taipei that he had to see, so I got to spend some time with them on their Taipei part of the trip. The first day we went for lunch at a Vietnamese restaurant near National Taiwan University, not too far from my house, and eventually ended up at the biggest night market in Taiwan. We pointed out some foods and snacks that we thought were worth trying, but our favorite was the almond milk shaved ice right across the street from the market. On our second trip around Taipei we had dinner at Din Tai Fung, a famous soup dumpling restaurant, and tried to make it to Taipei 101. They had already closed the observatory deck and it had started to rain, so we walked around for a bit and headed back to my apartment. We turned in early; I left for Japan the next morning and Noah and his dad headed to Hualien.

In the following weeks of December we celebrated my birthday, Christmas and New Years. Noah had a week off for Christmas break, so he stayed with me for the week. On the 22nd my gifts from home arrived, and I unpacked all THREE boxes and placed them under my little Christmas tree. Noah and I were both working on our computers, but we stopped at 12:00 am sharp to exchange gifts. My main gift was a hot pink cashmere scarf/wrap, which I love and wore all through the winter, but I was really impressed by the bouquet of dried lavender that he gave me. We were at a coffee shop in Kaoshiung once and saw lavender milk tea on the menu. We both like the scent, so we decided to give it a try. Just a few months before my birthday we were walking around a department store on a rainy day and came across a really cute shop with dried flowers and tea. We saw a barrel of dried lavender, and it reminded me of our lavender tea. I was so surprised that he had remembered the store and went back especially for that. Noah loved the sweater I had gotten in Japan, and I was so happy that it was a successful gift (the first thing that I ever gave him was a shirt that I bought so that he would have something clean to wear when he came to visit me...it's only made 2 or 3 appearances).

My birthday was even better than I expected. My Chinese professor from Lawrence had contacted me a few days before to say that she had arrived in Taiwan and wanted to have tea. It happened that the 23rd worked best for both of us, so we met at a nice little German bakery/coffee house near National Taiwan University. It was so good to see her again--I hadn't seen her since graduation. Coincidentally, a few days before I had run into her on the street, and I couldn't have been happier to actually run into someone from back home. We said a quick hello--I was off to class and she to another part of the island--and agreed on a proper meeting. I filled her in on what life had been like for me since I moved to Taipei, and we talked about grad school applications and programs since she had been writing recommendations for me. We talked about Lawrence and the changes that have happened since I left. After a while her daughter came to join us with her friend who is studying at National Taiwan Normal University's M.A. program for teaching Chinese as a foreign language. It was so nice to chat with people who are interested in exactly the same things I are and from whom I can learn a lot, so I stayed as long as I could, not wanting to leave, and rushed off just in time to get to work.

When I got to work everyone complemented me on my outfit and wished me happy birthday right away. I was very touched when two of my students gave me hand-wrapped gifts with cards they wrote. In the middle of my first class, the director of our program and the other staff and teachers rushed in with a small birthday cake lit with sparklers and sang "Happy Birthday." I split the cake with my students and we read a great Christmas story to end the class.

After work we all headed to Gordon Biersch, a popular restaurant/brewery from the States, for a late dinner and drinks. Emily bought a bottle of wine to celebrate, and we sat out on the heated porch overlooking the tremendously large Christmas tree and the rest of the shopping complex. Noah joined us a little later, and we all sat around talking and laughing. Back at home I opened the birthday gifts my family sent me. It was a great birthday.

The next day I went to class and then came home to get a little more rest. I had only one class to teach that night, and Noah and I met at the department store with the best supermarket in it to buy ingredients for a birthday/Christmas Eve dinner. We had planned on making chicken marsala, my absolute favorite, but when we couldn't find the proper wine, we decided to head out for dinner that night and bought groceries to make Christmas bruschetta. We ended up at New York Pizza kitchen, a restaurant that we had just discovered a few days before as we happened to walk by. Many other people must have had the same idea to go out for Christmas Eve, because there was a group of 6 Taiwanese girls doing a gift exchange on our left, and a table of 4 Japanese/Taiwanese/American friends on our right. It was very cozy and cheery inside, and it just felt like a special night. We had the meal for 2, which included a really good Caesar salad and cream of crab soup, followed by a pizza with chicken, beef, and seafood (not so good), and a chocolate lava cake a la mode (super good) for dessert. Back at home I played Christmas music and got ready for the holiday. 

On Christmas morning I refused to go to class, choosing to wake up the way I wanted instead. I Skyped my family around 9:30 am to open all my presents. I had a lot of great gifts, but I have to say that the grey suede slouchy boots that I got took the cake! They fit perfectly! I had talked with my aunt about different kinds of boots I liked this year, but knew from reviews that the sizes differ drastically depending on cut and brand. She happened to get just the right size and the style was exactly what I wanted. I also got a great smoky grey sweater that is an excellent match for the boots.

There was a minor mishap, however. When I thanked my family for all of the presents I got, my aunt was confused as to why I hadn't finished opening all of them. I didn't have any left and then I looked around the room to double check. There was nothing left under my little tree and all of the boxes had been unpacked and broken down, so there was nowhere else for me to look. We came to the conclusion that when she was packing them at the post office (she had a big box packed just to fit but it was just a bit over the size requirements and she ended up having to buy three separate boxes and repack everything at the post office) a few of them had been swiped. After I had looked everywhere I could think of we accepted the loss and she told me what had been in them, which made me even sadder. I felt bad for her having bought them in vain, and I just felt sad that someone would do that. After I hung up with her I told Noah that someone had stolen my Christmas (I guess I was being a bit dramatic). As I leaned over to his side of the bed I saw that a few packages had fallen between the bed and the wall. I then realized that I had piled all of my presents on the bed, some on top of Noah as he was still reading under the covers. He must have kicked them off at some point and neither of us took notice. I called my aunt back and opened up the last two gifts or so. I hadn't known the specifics of them, so there was even a surprise element to it. I felt kind of bad for assuming that they had been stolen after that....

Noah and I made the bruschetta soon after and had kind of a lazy Christmas afternoon together. He had to fly out that night to Thailand for his visa run, so I took him to the main station, and then decided that I should make sure that the rest of my Christmas was special. I went for dinner at one of my favorite Thai restaurants (not a traditional Christmas dinner, but I found it fitting given the circumstances), and ordered three of my favorite dishes, knowing I'd have plenty of leftovers for the weekend. I then browsed the area which is full of side alleys with tons of cute shops, and went into my favorite store. In the store a beautiful dress just caught my eye and I decided I had to at least try it on. I wasn't sure that it would actually work on me, but when I got it on I fell in love with it. I decided it would be my Christmas gift to myself. I took the MRT back home and stopped at the Dunkin Donuts in the station for a little dessert. I came home and realized it my family would just be opening their presents back in Maryland, so I Skyped them and this time my video chat worked quite well. They took a little break in the middle as always to take out the cinnamon rolls and coffee, and it was only fitting that I make a cup of the spiced hot chocolate that my aunt sent in my stocking and have my donuts. I called Peiwen and Julianna and their families to let them know I was thinking of them and chatted with some friends. I went to bed with the feeling that I couldn't have had a better Christmas.

Noah came back from Thailand that Sunday, and we had that week together too. Peiwen called me early that week to say that she and Shenrong had decide to rent a room at the Grand Hyatt right across from Taipei 101 and invited us over to watch the fireworks. I was so excited that I'd get to see them in Taipei, and even more excited that we would be spending the new year together.

On New Year's Eve Noah and I met at main station after I got off work. We were both craving ice cream and I happened to have a buy 1 get 1 free coupon at Coldstone, so we decided we'd have ice cream first and a proper dinner after. We decided to head over to the hotel right away to avoid a mad rush as the hour got closer. As we came out of the station we saw a quaint little restaurant on the corner called Soup & Bread. It seemed like the perfect light dinner to follow our ice cream appetizer. The yummy new find got us even more excited, and we rushed over to the hotel around 10 to meet Peiwen, Shenrong, and Yuki.

When I rang the doorbell Yuki and Peiwen had just washed up and were in their comfy clothes. Yuki was SO excited and started dancing around the room. I pulled out my camera and she took a lot of pictures--I've always been amazed at how well she handles the camera, especially given its size and the fact that she's 4 years old. Shenrong was out getting snacks and a new outfit for Yuki, which she put on immediately after he got back. It was really cute to see how good he was at picking out an outfit for her. It was absolutely 100% Yuki. He also happened to buy a brand of crackers called Yuki as well, which made her even more excited.

The five of us stayed in the hotel room, watching the various celebrations around Taiwan on the T.V. and moving to the hotel window every now and then to check out the action below. Taipei has the biggest celebration in Taiwan--I think they reported that about 1 million people would attend--and it was really cool to be right next to everything as it was all unfolding on T.V. It was quite a chilly night, but we wanted to be right up front for the fireworks, so at a quarter to midnight we hurried downstairs and found a spot right underneath the building.

We counted down in Chinese (I'm glad I practiced last year) and then the fireworks began. It was one of the most stunning things I've ever seen. They lasted for a good 2 or 3 minutes and then the side of the building lit up with the words "Taiwan Up." The phrase is endearingly Taiwanese English, up here being a verb and the whole phrase sort of meaning "Let's go, Taiwan!" It was an amazing thing to see, and we were still talking about it as we huddled back inside the lobby and took pictures in front of one of the biggest Christmas trees I've ever seen.

Back at the room we said our goodnights and then Noah and I headed down to the hotel restaurant as we tried to wait out the crowd of people heading back on the MRT. We stayed for an hour or so, listening to mellow live music and drinking our tea.

When we finally left the hotel, the streets were pretty clear, but there was a pileup of people at the MRT station. The train was so full from the stops before our's that we finally just decided to take the train in the opposite direction, away from the center of the city, all the way to where I work (a good 30 minutes away), and then take a taxi back. The cold I had had over my birthday returned with a vengeance that night, so I used Noah and his jacket for a bed and pillow, and slept all the way home. By the time we got back and washed up for bed it was just before 4 am.

January is mostly a blur. I had most of the month off from work, but I spent all of my time working on graduate school applications. I was also getting ready for Jenni, one of my best friends from Lawrence, to visit me at the beginning of February.

At the end of January on a random Thursday, Noah surprised me by working extra earlier in the week so that he could have that night and all day Friday off. When I got back from class on Friday, the sun was out and the weather was beautiful. We were both in the mood to get out, and we started playing around with the idea of going on a short trip. We considered Kaohsiung, but the tickets alone would be quite expensive, and I knew that we'd be going with Jenni just a few weeks later. Noah took his dad to Taroko Gorge when he was visiting and had mentioned that it was a place he'd like for us to go together. I had been asking him about it since I had never been and wanted to take Jenni for sure. It seemed like the perfect opportunity to have a little vacation for the two of us and get myself familiar with the area. We searched online and called a few hotels/B&Bs to see if anything was available. I was really impressed by how polite and friendly one woman had been when I called, and so we decided to take that room. We hurriedly packed our things, hardly believing that we were taking a last-minute trip, and stopped at one our favorite restaurants for dinner before we left town.

We were lucky enough to catch a fast train, so the ride was only 2 hours. When we got there we rented a scooter and drove to the B&B. It turned out to be even cuter than we imagined and the staff was ridiculously nice. Right away it was a sort of make-yourself-at-home feel--we were given our key and no one said a word about paying for the room.

We actually ended up in the room I had seen online that made me want to stay there in the first place. It was the first time I had ever stayed in a canopy bed and I was so excited! We went out for a late night snack and then turned in.

When we woke up we had missed the normal breakfast hour by just a bit, but when we got downstairs the owner was there to greet us and asked if we'd like some breakfast. I asked her if that would be okay and she acted like it was silly for me to think that she'd let us go without being fed. She fixed delicious Taiwanese-style hamburgers for breakfast (and they think Americans eat hamburgers all the time) with some sort of potato/corn salad and some mixed fruit, and then packed a bag of wax apples and dates for us to take to the gorge. We met Niu-niu, the pet parrot and Money, the pet sugar glider. Niu-niu is a sweetie (and a talker) who loves attention and licks fingers with his tongue (it's a very odd sensation)! She gave us a map and told us about some extra trails we could take in the park and on our way back. They suggested we leave all our heavy bags and come back to pick them up before we headed to the train station.

On our way to Taroko we came across a big field of giant flowers. I got so excited that Noah made a u-turn and we stopped to check out the field. It seemed to be quite a photo opp. for many, and I couldn't resist either--when do you ever come across a field full of 4-foot tall wild flowers?! I thought that if I was already this delighted with the drive on the way to the gorge, then the gorge itself must be totally surreal.

It was breathtaking. It is Taiwan's equivalent of The Great Wall. The weather was perfect and we arrived ahead of all the large tour buses. Driving a scooter we were able to park on any leg of the road with even a small bit of a shoulder and do a little bit of hiking. I became quite good at snapping shots from the back of the scooter while in motion, anxious to capture everything I saw.

Our timing was perfect and we made it out of the park just as the sky turned a strange grey tinged with green. We stopped at the 7-11 for a snack to hold us over until we got back in the city for dinner and decided that we should by rain gear. It hadn't actually started raining so we were thinking about waiting to put it on, but as we were putting on our helmets, a truck coming from the direction parked in front of us; it was covered with rain. We put our rain gear on and started the drive back. At first it was just a sprinkle and then 10 minutes or so in it was pouring. Since I was sitting on the back of the scooter, the poncho wouldn't cover my lower legs, and my jeans were soaked. It was perfect then that we drove past a Japanese barbecue restaurant and decided to stop for dinner. The fire from the barbecue had us mostly dry by the end of the meal. Warm, full, and happy, we headed back to the hotel to chat for a bit with the owner and her staff before we caught the train back. It was a perfect day.

Happy October Days

October started out just as it should, with Mid-Autumn Festival and a typhoon. Mid-Autumn Festival is one of the three most important holidays in Chinese culture, the other two being Chinese New Year and Dragon Boat Festival. It's the most important holiday for family reunions, and people all over the island take trains back to their hometowns to meet with their extended families. Traditionally, little round cakes that resemble a full moon are eaten to symbolize togetherness, and gatherings take place outside so that everyone can admire the moon. In recent years, thanks to a barbecue sauce TV commercial that came out around the time of the holiday, it's become popular to barbecue as well.

I celebrated the holiday with Dajie (literally 'older sister' in Chinese), Peiwen's sister-in-law and family who live in Taipei. The last time I went to stay with Peiwen in Kaohsiung I met Dajie very briefly as we were dropping Yuki off at her grandparents'. They took down my number and called the day before the festival to invite me to celebrate with them. Peiwen and her family were still in Kaohsiung, and although I didn't really know Dajie, I was still super-excited to visit with them.

They picked Noah and me up the next afternoon at the MRT station and drove us to their home which faces a mountain. They had a small grill set up outside where they prepared thick strips of beef and scallops for the kids (I definitely snuck a scallop or two...they were so delicious!). They had also bought a mandarin orange and shrimp salad from Costco, as well as a Japanese seaweed salad with something untasty in it. Noah warned me not to eat whatever this slimy vegetable/fruit thing was, but I thought of my try-everything-once-policy and ate it anyway. It was not pleasant. Dajie prepared a variety of fresh mushrooms, scallions, and garlic, and we made vegetable pockets with aluminum foil that could also be grilled. The kids loved it. I made many a pocket with the youngest one, and I don't think he ate any of them; the fun is all in the making.

Dajie has three young boys, ages 5, 7, and 9. I think I have their Chinese names memorized but I tend to forget who is who. They are all very cute, but quite naughty from the stories she told me. We were playing tag in the back of the apartment patio where there is a pool without water (all year round), but it soon switched to sword fighting. Possibly my favorite part of the night was when the littlest came up to me as I was eating and said in Chinese "in a little while, I will beat you continuously." Dajie is a supermom, always planning activities for the three of them in attempt to keep them semi-quiet. That night's activity was a musical performance involving a few violins, a cello, a xylophone, maracas, and a recorder. My ears were ringing after, but it was precious. The boys also have a "laboratory" zone where they are allowed to keep an assortment of exotic animals (mini turtles, and insect that resemble a dung beetle, other beetles, etc.). As long as they stay in the little enclosed outside bubble that is off the living room, Dajie lets them do what they please with them. She's a very brave woman.

It had begun raining mid-way throughout the evening, and when we got back to the area around my apartment just around 8 pm, it was a cool, misty night. We stopped at McDonald's for Happy Meal dinners, and then at 85 to buy some jasmine green tea to go with the moon cakes Dajie had sent us home with. We watched Milo & Otis, a favorite childhood movie of mine that I bought over this summer for $5 at Target, and had a very lazy evening. Around 2am there was an earthquake that lasted for about 30 seconds or so. It was apparently a 6 or so, but the epicenter was in the ocean, so it didn't feel quite that strong. It was much stronger than the baby one that lasted for about 10 seconds last year when I was in Kaohsiung. I had been asleep and when I realized what was going on, my first thought was "I hope Leo doesn't fall into the floor."

The next day was also a bit dreary, so we got some coffee and headed for the park near Shida. It's a pretty large park for being located in the middle of the city, and it was nice to experience something that reminded me of my time spent near the Cultural Center last year. The winding paths and layout of the trees also reminded me a bit of the Botanical Gardens that Shana and I visited in Sydney. The dress rehearsal of an elderly choir that struggled to dance in unison as they sang traditional Chinese songs and the light drizzle made it a perfect park experience.

I've been in need of a haircut and a retouch of the curls since I came back to Taiwan, and this week I finally found a place. I noticed that the bus stop near my work has quite a few surrounding hair salons, some that look more legit than others. I chose the trendiest looking one with the black marble staircase and different colored lights. I noticed there were TVs attached to each styling mirror, so I figured it was a higher-end salon. The price, however, is exactly the same as what I was paying in Kaohsiung, and although I love New Art near the Cultural Center in Kaohsiung, Mentor, my new find, was quite impressive. They use the latest curling technology which is just so bizarre looking that I had to ask them to take pictures. Well, actually, I mentioned that I wish I had brought my camera and they volunteered to take pictures for me. Taiwan is photograph-happy, so it worked out nicely. The quality of the curls is better, and my hair is overall not so curly as it was before. They suggested that I keep some length (I had always just accepted whatever the stylist wanted to do before, and all of them chose to cute it quite short), and I really like it. I had a really nice time chatting with the stylist and her assistant, and it was a really relaxing experience. I always love getting my hair done!

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Halloween!

It's been a couple of weeks since I first began working on this entry, and Halloween has now passed. We had a costume contest at American Eagle, the school where I teach English, and all the teachers were required to wear costumes as well. I've always loved dressing up, but this year was even better because all of the teachers wanted to rent costumes! Kaohsiung didn't have much in the way of costumes, so I bought blank cat and butterfly masks, and painted them to my liking. I had brought my cat ears from home and made my own tail for the cat costume--it was really cute. In Taipei, however, there is an area called Ximen, often frequented by the teenage crowd, that has tons of costume shops. Connie, Ben, Emily and I drove there one night after work in search of the perfect costumes. Ben already had his heart set on being a Japanese samurai, and found exactly what he was looking for. I though I might be a princess although I wasn't sure which one. I had tried on a peacock dress with a matching headdress that was absolutely awesome, but it looked more suitable for a Halloween ball than an elementary school party. I turned out to be a perfect fit for the Alice in Wonderland costume. Emily was the sexiest Little Red Riding Hood I've ever seen, and Connie was the students' favorite, wearing a long black velvet gown, a black veil, and a lot of scary makeup. She remained silent for the whole night, lurking in corners, and walking around with her thin arms outstretched. The kids loved it! The director of our school wore a beautiful mermaid costume and covered her face and neck in aqua colored gems. I asked her how she had done her makeup, and found out that she used to do couture makeup in Canada! How cool! The kids also had their midterms that week, so when they were finished they went downstairs and watched the Disney movie Haunted Mansion. I took my class down since all of my students finished early, and it was so fun to watch! It reminded me of all the days I spent on my aunt's bed watching Casper and Prancer. Hocus Pocus was also a big favorite of mine--all of my roommate's watched it last year for Gered's birthday which also happens to be on Halloween. I missed Hocus Pocus this year, but it was still a great Halloween nevertheless!

"What do you do in Taiwan?" "I stud..well, I tea...I do both!"

This is the first chance I've had to write since work and classes began three weeks ago. Things have been a little more hectic than I thought, but I finally have a routine down. That routine will need to change, however, because my plans for the next few months have as well.

Where to begin? I was placed in a class that's actually quite perfect for me. The content of the textbook is mostly what I've learned at some other point, so many of the things I already know how to say. I have forgotten how to write a great deal, however, and anything I remembered from before was simplified, so it's great review in terms of writing. I'm also learning more specialized vocabulary and brushing up on those more formal grammar patterns. I am the only American in my class; most of the students are from other Asian countries. There are two boys from Indonesia, a girl from Thailand, two girls and one boy from Japan, a nun from Vietnam (she's probably my best friend in the class), and a married Mormon couple from England. I had no idea they were from England until I heard them speak English...their Chinese accents are pretty good, and any hint of a foreign accent sounded American to me. In addition to discussing the text we talk about our experiences in our own countries, and it makes for a really interesting 2 hours. We all have very different reasons for studying Chinese and goals for what to do with it, and studying together has been quite a good experience so far.

My standard class is from Monday-Friday from 8:10-10am, which is about 10 hours a week. Because I have a student visa, however, I need to take an additional 5 hours of class to be selected from a list of lecture-style classes. These were the supplementary classes that I was so excited about taking, but, unfortunately, the most interesting ones all take place from 2-4pm when I have to be on my way to/at work. I won't be able to take those Taiwanese classes or the singing and cooking classes. The only classes offered in the first two weeks were ridiculously simple and not incredibly well-organized, so I sat through a few of them and then made up the rest of the hours in the library doing individual study. They do show quite a few movies each week, so I'm looking forward to going to those.

When I applied for my visa to Taiwan I applied as a student, which is what I thought you had to do if you wanted to formally be enrolled in a university here. I should have known that they'd be willing to take my money regardless of the type of visa I had, in which case I could have applied for a visitor or working visa and saved myself the extra 5 hours of class per week. There are also some strict requirements about how often I can miss class (not very often), and getting above an 80% on each assignment. All of this seemed doable until I got to the part about extending my student visa. In order to be granted an extension, I have to pay next semester's full tuition a week before the expiration date. This semester doesn't even finish until the end of November, but if I want to get the extension, I have to pay tuition by the second week of October. Not happening. I work Monday-Friday from 4-8 on three days, and 4-6:30 on the other two. It's not too many working hours, but it takes me an hour just to get there (and an hour to get back). My class ends early enough, so sometimes I come home right away, but other times I need to stay to get those 5 hours in. It would be really difficult for me to pick up another job, which is what I'd need to do if I wanted to keep this up. In addition, I have to apply to grad school this term, and I simply won't have time if I continue with my schedule now. It would be incredibly futile to keep attending classes to brush up on my Chinese if I can't even complete my applications on time.

So. All of this has led me to decide that after November, I won't be taking classes. And I feel good about this. Most of my deadlines are between January and March (with a few in early December), and this gives me plenty of time to prepare. It also gives me the chance to pick up more hours at my current teaching job if they are available and hopefully I'll be able to save a little money instead of merely covering my living expenses. If I have the time and finances to go back in the spring, then I certainly have that choice, but for now I think this is what I have to do. I've been sort of dreading the application process just because it's so much more important than anything else I've done, and I think I can better prepare if I treat it like a full-time job.

On to another topic. I moved into my new room a month ago this Saturday. It's a very nice room with a big, comfy bed. I hung little white lights around the wooden bookshelf that Andy left when he moved back to Canada, and I've hung pictures of my trips to Japan and Australia all over the room. The painting I bought last year in Kaohsiung when I was really missing the colors, smells, and sounds of fall made the journey with me, as did all of the gifts I received from friends last year and the engraved ceramic vase given to me by Wenfu. I made an ikea run on Sunday, the day after I moved in, and bought a really cool lamp and new sheets now that my bed is big. This year I also have a whole drying rack to myself! I remembered how the four of us used to fight over it last year (not really fight, but you know...), and decided that it was worth buying one for myself. There are many things that I will do Taiwanese style, but drying my clothes outside in the humidity and pollution is not one of them.

This past weekend Noah and I went back to Kaohsiung to retrieve Leo. We took the bus down on Saturday afternoon and got there around dinner time. We went to all of our favorite places, starting with the department store near my old apartment where we'd go for late lunches and Baskin Robbins. We headed down the street to walk around the Cultural Center, and watched as people set up their stands for the weekly craft fair. Julianna and her family came to pick us up at the Cultural Center and took us to this great restaurant for dinner. We ordered many family-style dishes along with sushi and sashimi, Steven's favorite, and shared them. We sat around enjoying the food and chatting, and then Frank, Julianna's husband, reserved a room for us at a nearby hotel and dropped us off there. We ended up staying very close to the train station in central Kaohsiung, so it was really easy to continue making stops at all of our favorite places. We walked to the MRT and went back to the Cultural Center to have a midnight "snack" at our favorite late-night restaurant. We said hi to all of the workers there, our favorite being a young-middle aged woman who absolutely loves AJ Burnett of the Yankees. If the Yankees are playing, they've always got the game on. After the customers are served, they'll sit down and watch it too. After dinner, we walked back toward the park in the middle of the Cultural Center, stopping at McDonald's for cappuccino and cake (both of which are surprisingly delicious). We said goodbye to the Cultural Center, and walked to Central Park, which is about 20 minutes away. We used to walk there and back on the weekends if we went to get dim sum or wanted to go to the night market. We had discovered a maze there one day, but every time we went back it had always been freshly chopped. We checked this time, too, and were very sad to see that it's still in hedge form. It was quite late by then, and Kaohsiung, is indeed, hotter and more humid than Taipei, so we caught a cab and headed back to the hotel.

The next morning I met Dr. Chiu at the animal clinic to pick up Leo. He was a little spiky from the move, but he seemed to recognize me. The clinic isn't far from Central Park, so we walked back in that direction to have a dim sum lunch. After the usual meal of steamed pork buns, dumplings, spring rolls, and tea, we went to the bus station to head back to Taipei. It was a Sunday and traffic was crazy, so it took us way longer to get back than expected. By the time I got home it was already after 9pm, so I got to work setting up Leo's home. I took him out of his little travel cage and held him for a while, and he didn't seem to mind at all. He didn't try to bite me, which means he absolutely recognized me. I let him wander around on my bed, one of his favorite activities, and introduced him to my three very curious roommates. Yumi got some great pictures of him.

It was great to go back to Kaohsiung, especially with Noah, but I'm looking forward to staying here this weekend. It's always nice to travel, but I feel like I miss out a little on relaxation time. I'd really like to plan another weekend there when I can leave on Friday night instead of Saturday, and do some day activities like going to the beach and the old British Consulate. There's a great Thai restaurant there that we didn't have time for, which is too bad because I have been craving Thai food! Better start planning my next visit...

I should probably wrap this up and get to bed (even though it's only 9:55...see what's become of me?), but there's one thing that's been on my mind lately. I really am enjoying class and I know that just a few weeks of writing practice has already helped me improve, but I miss feeling live I'm living here. That was probably the most valuable part of my experience in Kaohsiung, and between classes, studying, and work, I'm not finding the time to explore and meet friends. Last week I was running late for a meeting so I hopped in a cab and realized that it was the first time in a while that I'd had a great conversation with a stranger. Classroom learning is always valuable, and it's certainly what I need to focus on at this stage, but I'm sad to see that other part slipping away. Maybe I can change that next term after I finish my classes, because I really don't feel like Taipei is my city right now. And I know that I've been biased, but I would hope that with the chance to really get to know the city, I could learn to find the same sort of things that I love about Kaohsiung.