Me and my plan
So essentially this is an online diary/journal I am creating and while I have never had much luck with those before I am sure I would be plagued with a tinge of regret if i didn't try to document the biggest adventure in my life so far. After all isn't it the hip thing to do on a study abroad? So here I'll attempt to share with honesty all the good, the bad, and the grey in between that I experience living in Taipei and studying at National Chengchi University. For my sake and for any who decide to tune in (but mostly just or my sake) my plan quite simply is to live it up to the fullest and "explore fearlessly!!!" so that I can report back here with a countless number of amazing stories to tell. With that in mind, I should probably get out of this dorm room and into the lively streets of Taipei. 拜拜!! :)
P.S. to family and friends: I love you and miss you, and wish you happy adventures of your own!
P.S. to family and friends: I love you and miss you, and wish you happy adventures of your own!
Guilty of neglect
2012年10月16日
So my last post was a month ago today, oops. I mentioned I had never been good at doing the whole journal/diary bit and this is exactly why. I had actually posted maybe about 3 weeks ago about a very fun weekend I had going to the zoo, traveling out on my own to taipei main station(actually that part was a bit boring, I can be contently alone in nature, but not in the city), going on a hike with rewarding views of the city, and eating at Ding Tai Fung (I would eat there every night if my pockets were so deep). I have some amazing photos from that weekend, but I still am not able to post them because my laptop is incapacitated :(
On the up side I suppose you could say I have begun to get into my groove here. At first coming to Taiwan there was this sense of urgency to meet people and always be engaged in some sort of activity, it is a similar feeling to when I was a college freshman. This created a feeling of lonely restlessness every time I went back to my room or whenever I ate alone. It was fortunate for me that I had found a friend who I could talk out my frustration to, she lent a sense of clarity that helped me re-analyze my situation and this is what I came to find: The world that I have lived in up until this point in my life has been quite small. Even in the big step of going to University I ended up in an environment with a very small centralized community, with University of the Pacific being at the heart. So of course everyone lives on UOP or by UOP, hangs out at UOP, and parties together at houses that are very near UOP. NCCU is a big campus in a big city where there is a lot to do. People are scattered all over, so you can't expect to run into friends everyday at the cafeteria, or run into them at a house party, or even expect to run into them on campus randomly yet frequently like at home. When I was able to review these facts I was able to realize I wasn't a lonely outsider, it is just a further step to living in the wider world, and living independently without the need to find yourself constantly immersed in interaction. Since being able to make a conscious adjustment to my outlook, I've been able to relax and let the good times roll, no need to rush around in search of the events that make life lovely, because they just happen, and in the last month I have made friends and gone on adventures and I can savor the delight so much more.
So my last post was a month ago today, oops. I mentioned I had never been good at doing the whole journal/diary bit and this is exactly why. I had actually posted maybe about 3 weeks ago about a very fun weekend I had going to the zoo, traveling out on my own to taipei main station(actually that part was a bit boring, I can be contently alone in nature, but not in the city), going on a hike with rewarding views of the city, and eating at Ding Tai Fung (I would eat there every night if my pockets were so deep). I have some amazing photos from that weekend, but I still am not able to post them because my laptop is incapacitated :(
On the up side I suppose you could say I have begun to get into my groove here. At first coming to Taiwan there was this sense of urgency to meet people and always be engaged in some sort of activity, it is a similar feeling to when I was a college freshman. This created a feeling of lonely restlessness every time I went back to my room or whenever I ate alone. It was fortunate for me that I had found a friend who I could talk out my frustration to, she lent a sense of clarity that helped me re-analyze my situation and this is what I came to find: The world that I have lived in up until this point in my life has been quite small. Even in the big step of going to University I ended up in an environment with a very small centralized community, with University of the Pacific being at the heart. So of course everyone lives on UOP or by UOP, hangs out at UOP, and parties together at houses that are very near UOP. NCCU is a big campus in a big city where there is a lot to do. People are scattered all over, so you can't expect to run into friends everyday at the cafeteria, or run into them at a house party, or even expect to run into them on campus randomly yet frequently like at home. When I was able to review these facts I was able to realize I wasn't a lonely outsider, it is just a further step to living in the wider world, and living independently without the need to find yourself constantly immersed in interaction. Since being able to make a conscious adjustment to my outlook, I've been able to relax and let the good times roll, no need to rush around in search of the events that make life lovely, because they just happen, and in the last month I have made friends and gone on adventures and I can savor the delight so much more.
In the Heart of Taiwan
2012年09月16日
So this weekend was a fun filled adventure into Nantou, the county in the very center of Taiwan, with the CIEE program. First things first I must give a shout out to Christie, Naomi, April and all of the ambassadors who really made this trip extraordinary. The trip was so planned and the places we stayed and the sites we were able to visit were fantastic.
Upon arrival in Taiwan one thing you notice first off is that Taiwan is very green. Well Nantou is greener than green, with little explosions of color sprouting on the side of the road, fluttering through the air with velvet textured wings, hanging from a plant ready to be plucked and eaten, or hanging from a web and ready to do some eating. I can't stop gawking at the beauty of this place, and I can't imagine that 10 months from now will be any different. Mom you would be in heaven seeing all these cool plants and especially the gigantic butterflies!!! .... Except there are also gigantic snails.
Friday afternoon we loaded up our super pimpin' tour bus and took off. We arrived to our first stop, Zhuo Ye Cottage, at night and even it the dark it was already a beautiful setting. The traditional architecture and gardens had a mystical quality, I felt like I was walking into a Miyazaki movie. I can't think of a way to exalt it any higher than that. We got to chow down Hakka style, and the food was as delicious as the surroundings were beautiful. I won't do the favor of providing a history of the roots of the Hakka people, but "the Jews of Asia" is a coined term to describe them. The Hakka people are said to be very thrifty and resourceful and this is reflected in the cuisine. Ingredients like root vegetables, mushrooms, and easily cultivated and preserved plants reflect the connection between the people and the places which they adapted to and made into home. Here I got to try many new delicious things and I finally got some 火锅 (hot pot)! 好吃 indeed!
That first night, was a fun- filled evening of karaoke, lots and lots of karaoke. I think I put down the mic and called it a night somewhere around 2 am. The next day we first took a little hike down to the old Qi Zhong train station which is no longer in operation but retains its use as a tourist destination with many cool little shops. Afterward, we ventured on and around Sun Moon Lake and got to watch and participate in some aboriginal dancing. On Sunday we headed out to the Hugosum tea farm, to make our own 红茶(literal translation: red tea, actual translation: black tea) and while waiting for it to dry we got to do some arts and crafts and make the packaging for our tea, such fun!
After lunch and the special celebration of some wonderful September babies in our group we went to our final stop on the journey, the Chung Tai Chan Monastery, and oh my Buddha was this place spectacular! It was more like an art museum than anything. I don't know exactly how many floors this place is but we went as high as the 16th floor. Picture the J. Paul Getty Museum dedicated to Buddha, actually the Getty definitely pales in comparison because this place is just massive and then the actual museum is next door, with an even bigger museum being constructed. I'm gonna quote a friend who basically summed up my own surprise at all the exquisite luxury "for a a religion that is non-materialistic they sure have a lot of materials." I would say the part at which I was most in awe would be on the 16th floor in the Hall of Ten Thousand Buddhas, where there is an actual seven story pagoda, the symbol of the medicine Buddha that is constructed jigsaw puzzle style without using any nails. A 7 story building on a single floor of his HUGE building!!!! Not to mention the walls are completely covered in hand cast bronze tiles of the Buddha, thus the name of the hall. I would definitely like to have a chance to return there again with more time to explore the grounds.
From this trip I have gotten many happy memories, but also polka dotted legs, but I guess that's just a part of life here. Well that wraps up this post, classes officially begin tomorrow, so wish me luck :)
So this weekend was a fun filled adventure into Nantou, the county in the very center of Taiwan, with the CIEE program. First things first I must give a shout out to Christie, Naomi, April and all of the ambassadors who really made this trip extraordinary. The trip was so planned and the places we stayed and the sites we were able to visit were fantastic.
Upon arrival in Taiwan one thing you notice first off is that Taiwan is very green. Well Nantou is greener than green, with little explosions of color sprouting on the side of the road, fluttering through the air with velvet textured wings, hanging from a plant ready to be plucked and eaten, or hanging from a web and ready to do some eating. I can't stop gawking at the beauty of this place, and I can't imagine that 10 months from now will be any different. Mom you would be in heaven seeing all these cool plants and especially the gigantic butterflies!!! .... Except there are also gigantic snails.
Friday afternoon we loaded up our super pimpin' tour bus and took off. We arrived to our first stop, Zhuo Ye Cottage, at night and even it the dark it was already a beautiful setting. The traditional architecture and gardens had a mystical quality, I felt like I was walking into a Miyazaki movie. I can't think of a way to exalt it any higher than that. We got to chow down Hakka style, and the food was as delicious as the surroundings were beautiful. I won't do the favor of providing a history of the roots of the Hakka people, but "the Jews of Asia" is a coined term to describe them. The Hakka people are said to be very thrifty and resourceful and this is reflected in the cuisine. Ingredients like root vegetables, mushrooms, and easily cultivated and preserved plants reflect the connection between the people and the places which they adapted to and made into home. Here I got to try many new delicious things and I finally got some 火锅 (hot pot)! 好吃 indeed!
That first night, was a fun- filled evening of karaoke, lots and lots of karaoke. I think I put down the mic and called it a night somewhere around 2 am. The next day we first took a little hike down to the old Qi Zhong train station which is no longer in operation but retains its use as a tourist destination with many cool little shops. Afterward, we ventured on and around Sun Moon Lake and got to watch and participate in some aboriginal dancing. On Sunday we headed out to the Hugosum tea farm, to make our own 红茶(literal translation: red tea, actual translation: black tea) and while waiting for it to dry we got to do some arts and crafts and make the packaging for our tea, such fun!
After lunch and the special celebration of some wonderful September babies in our group we went to our final stop on the journey, the Chung Tai Chan Monastery, and oh my Buddha was this place spectacular! It was more like an art museum than anything. I don't know exactly how many floors this place is but we went as high as the 16th floor. Picture the J. Paul Getty Museum dedicated to Buddha, actually the Getty definitely pales in comparison because this place is just massive and then the actual museum is next door, with an even bigger museum being constructed. I'm gonna quote a friend who basically summed up my own surprise at all the exquisite luxury "for a a religion that is non-materialistic they sure have a lot of materials." I would say the part at which I was most in awe would be on the 16th floor in the Hall of Ten Thousand Buddhas, where there is an actual seven story pagoda, the symbol of the medicine Buddha that is constructed jigsaw puzzle style without using any nails. A 7 story building on a single floor of his HUGE building!!!! Not to mention the walls are completely covered in hand cast bronze tiles of the Buddha, thus the name of the hall. I would definitely like to have a chance to return there again with more time to explore the grounds.
From this trip I have gotten many happy memories, but also polka dotted legs, but I guess that's just a part of life here. Well that wraps up this post, classes officially begin tomorrow, so wish me luck :)
Pour the Urine in the Urine cup and then pour into the urine tube
2012年09月10日
That's quite a title isn't it? Let me explain, so as a student enrolled at NCCU it is necessary for me to have a health examination. These health exams happen for all the students from 9-12am on campus. This is quite a lot of students to attend to, so the process is like mass production style, without the conveyor belt.
So first things first you fill out you health examination about name, contacts, medical history blah blah blah and then you move up stairs to be weighed and measured. Then you continue to the next section and they give you a little tube in a paper bag/envelope and instruct you to pee in it, so you move downstairs and outside there is a row of porta-potty's where students are lined up. Me and the other exchange students in my program line up partly in shock and also cracking up perhaps a bit immaturely. So the title comes from the signs hanging on the porta-potty. As you read above, you pee in the cup, which is actually that little paper bag they gave you the tube in, while your doing your best to avoid contact with the pee of other people with poor aim. So when my turn was up and I get in there and it is squatter style of course and I just can't do it, it's part psychological and part dehydration, I've never been under so much pressure to pee on command. So I get out of there and go to buy a bottle of water from the vending machine, chug it down, get back in line and mentally will myself to pee. Second time is the charm. So I go to hand in my tube, thinking the worst is over, yay! I continue on through the stations to check my vision, blood pressure, oral exam, heart rate, and then at the next station they hand me some tubes. Ohhhhhh noooooo!!!! I recognize them, blood tests :'( I'm kind of squeamish when it comes to needles, but I put on my big girl face and just get it over with making sure not to watch. You finish up the run through with a chest x-ray, no removal of metal and no protective vest, and you are free to go. Mental recuperation at Juicy Bun with a hot and spicy kimchi burger and afterwards a nap.
That's quite a title isn't it? Let me explain, so as a student enrolled at NCCU it is necessary for me to have a health examination. These health exams happen for all the students from 9-12am on campus. This is quite a lot of students to attend to, so the process is like mass production style, without the conveyor belt.
So first things first you fill out you health examination about name, contacts, medical history blah blah blah and then you move up stairs to be weighed and measured. Then you continue to the next section and they give you a little tube in a paper bag/envelope and instruct you to pee in it, so you move downstairs and outside there is a row of porta-potty's where students are lined up. Me and the other exchange students in my program line up partly in shock and also cracking up perhaps a bit immaturely. So the title comes from the signs hanging on the porta-potty. As you read above, you pee in the cup, which is actually that little paper bag they gave you the tube in, while your doing your best to avoid contact with the pee of other people with poor aim. So when my turn was up and I get in there and it is squatter style of course and I just can't do it, it's part psychological and part dehydration, I've never been under so much pressure to pee on command. So I get out of there and go to buy a bottle of water from the vending machine, chug it down, get back in line and mentally will myself to pee. Second time is the charm. So I go to hand in my tube, thinking the worst is over, yay! I continue on through the stations to check my vision, blood pressure, oral exam, heart rate, and then at the next station they hand me some tubes. Ohhhhhh noooooo!!!! I recognize them, blood tests :'( I'm kind of squeamish when it comes to needles, but I put on my big girl face and just get it over with making sure not to watch. You finish up the run through with a chest x-ray, no removal of metal and no protective vest, and you are free to go. Mental recuperation at Juicy Bun with a hot and spicy kimchi burger and afterwards a nap.
Adaptation to immediate Changes
2012年09月09日
I have been living in Taipei for just five days five days now and it's been a whirlwind of activity and exploration. There are certainly a lot of differences from life back home, some adjustments are easy to make, the adjustment to prices here above all things, I feel rich! Some concrete examples: for a regular sized water bottle you shouldn't pay more than 10NT or about $0.30, a delicious boba tea or other yummy drink you can get for around a $1.50, yesterday I paid 130NT($4.50) for fried ramen with CRAB MEAT AND SHRIMP! The day prior I got a delicious breakfast of dan bing with chicken nuggets and a large glass of green milk tea for 65NT($2.20). I realize my examples are entirely food focused revealing where my priorities lie but I assure you non-edible goods are cheap too, cab fare is inexpensive especially when split, and clothes and shoes are infamously cheap, unfortunately being big of foot as well as quite tall with a large frame I can't go on a spree and gush about that stuff.
The mattresses you buy for the dorms I have decidedly put in the good/ easy to adjust to category, for some they may be difficult to adjust to but I actually kind of like mine. They are slightly padded with cloth material on one side for the winter and bamboo mat on the other side for the hot months. I really like the bamboo, it keeps you cool. At home I do have a tendency to turn on my side, but that isn't so easy to do here because it will give you a sore hip, but I can deal. I hear sleeping like that is bad for your spine anyway.
The bustling streets can be a good or bad depending on personal preferences. There is a lot of traffic, predominantly scooters and the streets are filled with people, I imagine it is a thing you can get tired of pretty quickly, but for right now it is a nice change of pace, it makes the city feel very alive and wondrous.
On the dark side of adaptation there are some changes more difficult to be acclimated to, such as the humidity. I knew it would be bad, but in the back of my head I had naively hoped that it wouldn't be too much harder to handle than the dry heat of LA. NOPE!! when you leave a room of air conditioning into the outside it's like hitting a wall, the impact is instantaneous and so is the reaction from your skin.
Having that said the tropical climate here makes perfect habitat for a lot of insects. I really like bugs actually, I have found some super cool looking dead ones(which if live I might not be so happy to encounter) while walking around campus and many beautiful butterflies with intricate wing patterns of stunning colors do flit around frequently. The pest bugs however are the ones that really make their presence known. This morning I woke with quite a collection of bug bites from being out the night before I haven't actually seen of the mosquitoes responsible but there is no ignoring their existence. Another type of bug that proliferates here, and that I wish were as invisible as the mosquitoes is roaches. First night here when I came back from my shower I was greeted by the site of the unwanted little guests on the floor in my room, like a welcome party. They pop up to say hello every once and a while.... ahh there goes one now. Annoying as the little house roaches are I'll take them any day over the big bad ass roaches that live outside. Last night as I was walking to my building one scurried by just a foot in front of me and for a second I thought it was a mouse; a huge sucker!
Another matter of concern which requires cultural as well as physical adjustment is toilets and bathrooms in general. Squatting toilets are the norm even though you can find western style toilets which are usually available for the purpose of accommodating the handicapped. Using the squatters requires an extra amount of skill and focus, and a lot more effort since you pretty much have to take your shorts off of one leg to remove them from the line of fire, which is annoying if your wearing tennis shoes. Throwing away the toilet paper rather than flushing it though has been the hard part to wrap my head around, it does leave the bathroom with a faint lingering smell of excrement, but really not that unbearable. After you wash your hands however there is no paper towels available to dry your hands with, it is a small thing, but I really do miss paper towels.
This is just the beginning of the adventure and so I've only just realized the immediate differences that come with making the adjustment to another culture and environment. There will be much more to come and I'm looking forward to it.
I have been living in Taipei for just five days five days now and it's been a whirlwind of activity and exploration. There are certainly a lot of differences from life back home, some adjustments are easy to make, the adjustment to prices here above all things, I feel rich! Some concrete examples: for a regular sized water bottle you shouldn't pay more than 10NT or about $0.30, a delicious boba tea or other yummy drink you can get for around a $1.50, yesterday I paid 130NT($4.50) for fried ramen with CRAB MEAT AND SHRIMP! The day prior I got a delicious breakfast of dan bing with chicken nuggets and a large glass of green milk tea for 65NT($2.20). I realize my examples are entirely food focused revealing where my priorities lie but I assure you non-edible goods are cheap too, cab fare is inexpensive especially when split, and clothes and shoes are infamously cheap, unfortunately being big of foot as well as quite tall with a large frame I can't go on a spree and gush about that stuff.
The mattresses you buy for the dorms I have decidedly put in the good/ easy to adjust to category, for some they may be difficult to adjust to but I actually kind of like mine. They are slightly padded with cloth material on one side for the winter and bamboo mat on the other side for the hot months. I really like the bamboo, it keeps you cool. At home I do have a tendency to turn on my side, but that isn't so easy to do here because it will give you a sore hip, but I can deal. I hear sleeping like that is bad for your spine anyway.
The bustling streets can be a good or bad depending on personal preferences. There is a lot of traffic, predominantly scooters and the streets are filled with people, I imagine it is a thing you can get tired of pretty quickly, but for right now it is a nice change of pace, it makes the city feel very alive and wondrous.
On the dark side of adaptation there are some changes more difficult to be acclimated to, such as the humidity. I knew it would be bad, but in the back of my head I had naively hoped that it wouldn't be too much harder to handle than the dry heat of LA. NOPE!! when you leave a room of air conditioning into the outside it's like hitting a wall, the impact is instantaneous and so is the reaction from your skin.
Having that said the tropical climate here makes perfect habitat for a lot of insects. I really like bugs actually, I have found some super cool looking dead ones(which if live I might not be so happy to encounter) while walking around campus and many beautiful butterflies with intricate wing patterns of stunning colors do flit around frequently. The pest bugs however are the ones that really make their presence known. This morning I woke with quite a collection of bug bites from being out the night before I haven't actually seen of the mosquitoes responsible but there is no ignoring their existence. Another type of bug that proliferates here, and that I wish were as invisible as the mosquitoes is roaches. First night here when I came back from my shower I was greeted by the site of the unwanted little guests on the floor in my room, like a welcome party. They pop up to say hello every once and a while.... ahh there goes one now. Annoying as the little house roaches are I'll take them any day over the big bad ass roaches that live outside. Last night as I was walking to my building one scurried by just a foot in front of me and for a second I thought it was a mouse; a huge sucker!
Another matter of concern which requires cultural as well as physical adjustment is toilets and bathrooms in general. Squatting toilets are the norm even though you can find western style toilets which are usually available for the purpose of accommodating the handicapped. Using the squatters requires an extra amount of skill and focus, and a lot more effort since you pretty much have to take your shorts off of one leg to remove them from the line of fire, which is annoying if your wearing tennis shoes. Throwing away the toilet paper rather than flushing it though has been the hard part to wrap my head around, it does leave the bathroom with a faint lingering smell of excrement, but really not that unbearable. After you wash your hands however there is no paper towels available to dry your hands with, it is a small thing, but I really do miss paper towels.
This is just the beginning of the adventure and so I've only just realized the immediate differences that come with making the adjustment to another culture and environment. There will be much more to come and I'm looking forward to it.