Meriting the Madness of Love

“Soulja boy is coming!” – local intern Sylvia, about ten minutes ago, said in a hushed giggly whisper in our office.

 

Two months of cultural exchange, and on our part imposing the most obnoxious aspects of American culture on Taiwan’s most innocent, have led up to that quote. I’m sure quiet-as-a-mouse Sylvia had never heard of the Soulja Boy before she came face to face with USC’s global fellows. But before the end of the day we’ll have her, along with my boss Sean, cranking it in the Washington State Trade Office.

 

It’s going to be a hilarious last day.

 

Since this is my summation post (with a possibility of more to come), the summation word of my two months in Taiwan is epic. That’s the word the group agreed upon, and I like it. The epicness of this experience has made itself clear in the wonderful, enlightening, and oftentimes crazily random adventures and interactions we’ve had.

 

This past week I’ve been consumed with a little bit of desperation. I figure I probably won’t be coming back to Taiwan anytime soon, so I better make the most of it while I’m here.  Thus visits to some of my favorite places – the hole in the wall restaurant near our hotel with the best beef meal I’ve had here (or anywhere), Ice Monster with its indescribably delicious mango shaved ice, and the Shilin Night Market with its aisles and aisles of amazing food choices– were naturally obligatory.

 

Saturday I spent most of the day resting and watching movies, because everyone needs a day in sometimes. It was nice to relax. And that night I was able to do one of my favorite things, even in scorching hot and humid weather on an island in the Pacific: ice skate. Taipei has an open-year-round rink where people go to skate with friends, take dates, and play ice hockey. Yes, ice hockey. Hockey seems as out of place here as bobsledding does in Jamaica. It worked in Cool Runnings, right?

 

The next day was jam-packed with touring the north coast of Taiwan like the obnoxious foreigners we are. The amazing bosses of the Pennsylvania and Washington trade offices rented a bus and carted us to Danshui, Jo-Fun (which is definitely not how you actually spell it), and Keelung. The towns were all very charming, and we were able to take in some great views of the coast.

 

We did more eating that day than actual sightseeing, which of course I’m not complaining about! I had my favorite bowl of noodles to date in one restaurant (covered in peanut oil) and gorged on fried local specialties at the various street markets we visited. Not being constantly presented with delicious and cheap food on the street is going to be one major drawback of returning to the good ol’ USA.

 

My hair had been getting unattractively long, and I decided Monday it would be a fun adventure to get it cut in a country where I speak three words of the language. I was definitely a little nervous because I didn’t want to return home looking like a pixie. But luckily one person in the salon spoke enough English to communicate that I didn’t want all my hair to be chopped off. I’m very pleased with the result.

 

A great thing about getting your hair cut in Taipei is that it comes with many “extras.” For the price of a hair cut and a shampoo, I got an amazing head rub and neck massage + delicious milk tea. Definitely a good decision, and an amazingly inexpensive one.

 

On Tuesday we got to check a big one off our “list of things you must do in Taiwan.” We ladies have been working next to the tallest building in the world for two months, and finally we went to see what the fuss is all about. After work, and after a big storm threatened our plans, we took a high speed elevator to the 89^th floor of Taipei 101. Forty-five seconds later we stepped onto the indoor observation deck and took in scenes of Taipei at night.

 

I’m glad we did it at the end, rather than the beginning, of the trip. I was able to point out places we’ve gone in the last two months and reflect on the great ride it has been.

 

We’ve had three farewell events so far, one being last Friday night for another U.S. intern Chris who became a great friend, one Wednesday night with the USC Taipei office, and one Thursday night with our friends from NTU. I never like goodbyes, and it has been hard to let go of the wonderful people who have enriched our two month tenure in Taiwan.  

 

More so than tangible experiences I can check off a list or read about in the Lonely Planet, the interactions I’ve had with Taiwanese people – friends and random strangers – have been the experiences I’ll most cherish. I had a great conversation yesterday with a man on the MRT who commented on the cake box I was holding. And for several weeks, I often bumped into a middle-aged Taiwanese man named Blue on my morning bus ride to work who tried to teach me life lessons. He was very eager one day to share with me his experience watching the movie Closer and his personal revelations about love that resulted from it. “To merit the madness of love, one must abound insanity,” Blue told me.

 

Admittedly I wouldn’t be so keen on taking love advice from a stranger on the bus in the U.S., but that’s part of what makes Taiwan so great and what has made my time here so fulfilling. I feel honored to have been in the company of people who exude simple innocence and warmth. It’s been a humbling experience to have been constantly surrounded by people who always put others before themselves.

 

I’m leaving Sunday to head back to exotic Baton Rouge, Louisiana and I’ve been feeling a mix of emotions for the past week. While it will be hard to say goodbye to Taiwan and the many wonderful people I’ve met, I’m content with my experience and am excited to share it with my friends and family.

 

Taiwan’s tourism slogan is “Taiwan: Touch Your Heart,” and while it is painfully cheesy to say so, Taiwan has touched my heart. To mimic Jerry from Heavyweights, this has been the best damn summer of my life!

Apple Bottom Jeans, A Reprisal

It’s raining, it’s pouring. There’s a typhoon skirting past Taiwan and we’ve been experiencing its effects since yesterday. I really hope it lets up for our last weekend.

 

Umbrellas are a fashion statement here. Taiwanese women carry umbrellas in every color and pattern. Thank goodness I brought a hot pink one.  When it rains almost every day I guess it makes life a little more fun to avoid boring black

 

Last weekend began with a night out at a club called Primo, a pretty swank place with terrible music and a large American attendance. We ran into some students from Berkeley outside and of course whipped out the SoCal Spellout and our victory signs to assert USC’s superiority. The Trojan Spirit (and competitiveness) is something that lives on all over the world.

 

That night brought a painful encounter with a stiletto heel for me, and an even more painful encounter with my boss. Yep, there he was, a 35-year-old American professional in a room full of Asian teens and twenty-somethings. He was easy to spot, standing out like a sore thumb with his iridescent skin on the side of the dance floor. We felt his eyes on us dancing interns and decided the least awkward move to make would be to go up and talk to him. I can only describe what ensued as mortifyingly hilarious.

 

Saturday offered me the chance to get some much-needed rest, and I ventured out alone in the early afternoon on a souvenir hunt. Now that my time is winding down in Taiwan, I’m feeling the pressure to get people back home mementos from my trip. Luckily I was able to make some progress at a market near our hotel. Haggling is one of my favorite sports in the U.S., and I’m still able to do it here, despite the fact that I don’t speak the language. Woo hoo for good deals on old-looking Taiwanese stuff!

 

That evening a group of us took a highly-anticipated ride on the Maokong Gondola. Questionable weather foiled earlier plans, but Saturday evening was perfect. We sailed into the sky on the gondola just as the sun was setting over Taipei. It carried us into tea country, and we had a relaxing tea service at a delightful place with a great view of the surrounding mountains. An obligatory Asian experience, I think.

 

Sunday brought a very early wake up for three of us. Getting up at 5 a.m. wasn’t fun, but our experiences that day more than made up for the sleep deprivation we brought upon ourselves. The Lonely Planet has a beautiful picture of Sun Moon Lake in its photo pages, and I wanted to see it. After a four and a half hour bus ride we arrived next to the lake, Taiwan’s top tourist destination. It’s stunningly beautiful, especially from the top of a temple and a pagoda.

 

Waking up Monday morning was quite a hard thing indeed, but I knew I had a great week ahead of me.  I was 19 when I arrived in Taiwan, and now I’m 20. That’s right, this week included MY BIRTHDAY! We celebrated July 15 in typical Taipei Fellows fashion at a karaoke place with some of my favorite songs. I had a great time and am excited to enter my twenties. Shout out to everyone who helped me to have such a wonderful day!

 

The party continued Wednesday night featuring Flo Rida (who is “unsurprisingly” from Florida, can you guess why?) aka rapper of “Apple Bottom Jeans.” Why Flo Rida was performing at a relatively small venue in Taipei when he has the “number one song in the world” is beyond me. But we rolled into the club around 11 (yes, on a work night) and waited two hours for the dude to come on and perform that one song.

 

Worth it! Although I was practically sick with exhaustion the next day and covered with scuff marks from overly excited Taiwanese people, being able to get on stage and dance while Flo Rida  performed “Apple Bottom Jeans” made up for it. Those of you who read my blog religiously may remember that song was the first I heard upon my arrival in Taipei, so the night was really coming full circle for me. Covered in sweat and the champagne with which Flo Rida’s side kick had doused the audience, I left the club exhilarated and just a little bit nostalgic.

 

Thursday brought rest, and today, Friday, will bring a night out on the town with those I”ve shared this wonderful experience with for the past seven weeks. It’s gone by quickly and has been full of adventures I won’t soon forget. But I’ll leave the sappiness for next time. One more week to go!

Insert Creative Title Here

I've spent the last twenty minutes trying to think of a cutesy title for this post, but I've got nothing. Sorry to disappoint you, folks.

 

Friday. The day I’ve waited for all week. It’s finally here, and I refuse to do research on pet supplements, damnit!

 

I shouldn’t complain so much about work, I really shouldn’t. But scanning business cards for one and a half weeks can make a girl crazy. I curse the person who decided business cards merit their own scanner, and also the person who decided pets need to take vitamin supplements. My little weenie dog manages just fine on her diet of pet (and sometimes human) food.

 

Despite enduring the boredom that spans the hours of 9-6, I’m still sane and thoroughly enjoying my experience here. As day melts into night, and as Friday day becomes Friday evening, I leave work at work and explore all the wonderful things Taiwan has to offer.

 

Last weekend was especially nice because it was especially long. As I mentioned before, we got the 4^th of July off. Itching to get down to where we could see the ocean again, we took an overnight bus Thursday night.

 

When I heard overnight bus, I imagined an environment that would be conducive to sleeping. Lights out, no stops, right? Wrong. This bus was the overnight bus from hell. As we zoomed between Taipei and Kaohsiung, stopping frequently at random street corners, the bus driver would turn on harsh overhead lights and scream in muffled Chinese over the intercom.

 

Being a light sleeper anyway, I clocked 0.0 hours of sleep and arrived in Kaohsiung frazzled and not refreshed in the least.  Luckily I can appreciate the hilarity of situations as they happen.

 

The bus from hell became the van from hell as we made our way from Kaohsiung to Kenting. This hell included a mandatory 5 a.m. viewing of a performance on a DVD the van driver blindly plucked off the shelf at some store. Damian, who the New York Times dubbed the “Virtuoso of the Pan Flute,” filled our van with music as the sun rose over the South Pacific. 

 

The van driver probably thought Damian was his ace in the hole for entertaining foreign clientele, and he was right. Watching a sleazy Romanian man fervently playing some sort of flute while already in a state of delirium is exactly how I would like to spend the hours between five and seven in the morning. I was laughing hysterically for pretty much the entire van ride.

 

We arrived in Kenting before anything but the beach – and luckily McDonald’s – was open, and I napped on the sand as the day heated up Taiwan-style. We rented scooters from the same place as before (no I.D. required there) and zoomed off to one of the prettiest beaches I’ve ever seen. The water was blue and clear, the sand was pseudo-white, and the sun was high and bright. We swam for a bit and rested under a large beach umbrella.

 

After driving along the coast and getting some tasty fried rice at a restaurant for lunch, we checked into our abode for the weekend. While the promised private surfing beach was not so private and not so picturesque, Winson’s Surf House was perfect for a group of college kids looking to have fun and relax at the same time. Our balcony looked out onto the blue waters of the Pacific and at night provided an amazing place to stargaze.

 

On Friday night we Americans were hungry for American food. What’s the 4^th of July without a hamburger, right? So we went to a place called Smoky Joe’s and I had a pretty good bacon cheeseburger. I’m still not really craving American food yet, but it provided a nice break from rice and noodles at every meal.

 

Saturday was a lazy day. We woke late and had a long breakfast at the snack bar at Winson’s. It was long because the service was excruciatingly slow, even though there were about six people staffing the bar and the food was as simple as it gets. But my coconut paste toast and milk tea were well worth the wait. Mmmmmm.

 

The rest of Saturday consisted of a nice drive on a scenic road that curved around a rocky shoreline, some lazing on the beach, and napping. A walk over a hilariously lame suspension bridge and two weenies on a stick ended the day right. I feel any experience would be improved by a Taiwanese weenie on a stick.

 

Sunday was another lazy day, but we had to make it back to Kaohsiung to catch the 6:00 bus so there were things to get done. We checked out of Winson’s and had a little more time in Kenting before we returned the scooters and hopped into another van. The sounds of Damian were absent from this one, which was a good thing since we had to cram nine bodies into an eight-person car after three full days of sweating from every pore in our bodies. I think more Damian would have set us over the edge.

 

The bus back to Taipei felt longer than the bus to Kaohsiung because it actually was longer. We hit some traffic and arrived back in Taipei at midnight completely exhausted. Unable to sleep on the bus, I entertained myself by watching a Taiwanese game show on the bus TV. The contestants were given several stressful tasks, including popping huge balloons between their legs (very difficult for Asian women with stick-thin thighs), sliding a cracker from their foreheads to their mouths without using their hands, and blowing a ping pong ball out of a huge vat of flower. Taiwanese entertainment at its best.  

 

On Tuesday we went to a Taiwanese baseball game, which featured the best team in the top league here and was still only attended by about 1000 fans. But even though the stadium was empty, the fans of the T-Rexes and the Elephants were hardcore. They performed cheers and chants when their own team was up to bat, waved balloons, and beat shakers together. My favorite part of the night was when the fans of one team popped their large, pink, hot-dog-shaped balloons simultaneously, causing them to shrink and wave away into the night sky.

 

Other nights this week included a trip to a lovely park with a view of smoggy Taipei by night and two games at a bowling alley. I bowled better than I ever have in my life, and I’d like to take the opportunity here to thank Taiwan for that.

 

NEWS FLASH: We just experienced an earthquake! The World Trade Center started swaying back and forth and of course I had no idea what was going on. I’m still a little shaken up. My first real earthquake (that I was awake for)!

 

Come on, weekend!

Everything's Smaller in Asia

It’s Thursday afternoon. Usually that would mean I would have one more loooonnnnggg work day to go before the weekend, but not this week! We get the 4^th of July off, even here, and we’re going to celebrate right.

 

Tonight at midnight we’ll board an overnight bus for Kaohsiung and then it’s back to Kenting. We have a beach house for two nights. It’s probably a beach shack because everything’s smaller in Asia but we’re going to have an amazing time no matter how tiny our place is, how exhausted we are, or how long it takes to get there.

 

But more about that next week. It’s time to reflect on days past.

 

Last weekend started with the USC office’s monthly Happy Hour. It was held at a bar near Taipei 101, and we rolled in around 7:00 to mix and mingle. I met alums, new students, and those with no legitimate connection to USC, including a random American guy wearing a shirt with license plates all over it. But even despite the interlopers the Trojan Spirit was palpable. There’s something pretty neat about traveling halfway across the world and going to a gathering where the USC flag hangs proudly.

 

After Happy Hour our group hit up a local club called Babe 18 for a fun night. We were like rock stars again, practically the only non-Taiwanese people there, so in typical Global Fellows fashion drew a lot of attention to ourselves. That night brought my dancing on stage in Taipei tally to three.

 

Saturday allowed a little bit of sleeping in, as we didn’t have to be at the SCendoff until 1:00. For those not affiliated with USC, a SCendoff is a gathering where incoming USC students can get a little more information about how to prepare for their transition to USC and meet other incoming students from their area.

 

SCendoffs are held across the U.S. (not in Louisiana, though, it’s apparently too hick or something to merit one) and also in many international locations. The one in Taipei drew a crowd of about 110. Taiwan is something like the number five exporter of students to U.S. places of higher education and USC has a large international student population especially in its graduate schools.

 

As we Fellows instinctively put up two fingers in the USC victory sign and started fighting on while on stage in front of all the students, I was reminded that their experience with the Trojan Family had not really begun yet. Some people followed our lead and enthusiastically put up the victory sign, some did so more shyly, and some didn’t do it at all.  But that’ll change soon.

 

I can’t imagine what it’s like to move to an entirely new country for college: I was a nervous wreck just moving to another state! I really admire the students from Taipei who are going to make such a big journey in August and wish them all the best.

 

Following the conclusion of the SCendoff we joined some alums plus Pei and Jeanie from the USC office and had a gluttonous dinner at a delicious restaurant. It was one of those places where the food just seems to keep coming and coming, and where you start to feel your stomach expand to pregnancy status. We were hungry, and it was good.

 

A pleasant stroll on the streets of Taipei back to our hotel ended the activities of the night. I love that it never gets chilly here. Yes, it is sometimes uncomfortably hot during the day but the nights are mild and warm. It has been wonderful not to have to worry about bringing a sweater wherever I go. Just an umbrella.

 

On Sunday I got some much-needed rest, waking up around noon refreshed and with no thought of needing more sleep. I hopped on the MRT and went alone to the National Palace Museum, which has in its collection more Chinese artifacts than any other place in the world – including China.

 

I’ve never been a museum person, but as the National Palace museum is a must-see in every guidebook I felt obliged to check it out. The exterior is vast and stunning with huge, white, temple-like buildings carved into a hill.  My camera was out of battery power, otherwise I would have taken pictures.

 

The inside of the museum was standard. I always feel guilty when I go to museums that guide books or culture/art aficionados rave about because I just don’t get it. I stop and look at things that catch my eye, but there’s no way I would ever read every information card or spend more than a few seconds at a porcelain bowl. So I powered through the museum in about an hour and peaced out in the pouring rain.

 

After returning to the hotel and drying off – thunderstorms in Taipei are powerful – I joined some other members of our group for a visit to the Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial Hall. Chiang Kai-Shek led the nationalist party exodus to Taiwan in 1949 and is a controversial figure, since he ruled as a dictator. But his hall is definitely nice to look at. We were there at night with barely any other tourists wandering the plaza.

The ground and the grandiose buildings were glistening in the gentle rain, and all the buildings were illuminated.

 

After making our way up the stairs on one of the buildings to get a nice view of the lovely plaza and taking obligatory pictures, we jumped back on the MRT and made a return to the Shilin Night Market.

 

It was sensory overload round two as we traipsed throughout the various food stalls, munching on favorites and new items. I’ve developed an affection for hot dogs here, as I’ve mentioned before, and I had a delicious one with a rice bun and some dumplings. That plus mango milk juice made me feel as though I were going to explode, so I had to turn off the eating for the rest of the night. My sister recently suggested I rename my blog “fatass” and I guess I don’t really have any room to argue with that.

 

This week’s weeknights were pretty chill; they mostly involved eating dinner around the hotel and relaxing. I tried Tuesday night to buy a swim suit for the umpteenth time in the past couple weeks but had no luck. I stupidly only brought one, and I guess it will just have to do. Being an American girl shopping for a bathing suit in Taiwan is just not a pleasant experience. The styles are blah and the sizes are tiny. Saleswomen push you into a miniscule dressing room (note: a curtain hanging from the ceiling that I could see over while standing flat-footed) and recommend styles to try-on. I would just crinkle my nose, shake my head, and walk out feeling defeated.

 

Last night we had a pre-party for Cyndy’s 21^st birthday at Alleycat’s, recommended by the Lonely Planet as having the best pizza in Taipei and the only place to get hard cider on tap. The pizza was so-so (I like my crust thicker) but the cider was really good. It was somewhat like beer, but sweeter.

 

The party continues in Kenting this weekend! Wahoo it’s almost the weekend!

Lost - or gained - in translation

I just cracked and had McDonald’s for lunch.

 

But before you look down on me for abandoning my promise to fully immerse myself in the culture here, let me explain. Maybe 60% of my decision to go for the burger and fries rather than some Taiwanese dish was actual desire for greasy fast food. But the other 40% was curiosity.

 

The fries tasted the same as they do in the states, although they were skimpy on the ketchup. They’re very protective of their condiments here. But the burger was a different story. Instead of having a bread bun, it came with a bun made of – what else? – rice. It was actually pretty darn good.

 

The way I ordered the McDonald’s is indicative of my supreme fish out of water status in this random, but lovely, place. I had to walk behind the counter in order to point at the burger on one of those large display boards, and of course caused a scene doing so. I can only imagine what people think of me as I consistently make a fool of myself using mock sign language to attempt to order food, take the bus to the right place, and find the bathroom. Hopefully I come off as a loveable fool, but I’m sure to some I’m just a fool. To use a word we taught the local interns: whatevs.

 

Since last week’s update, I got through another week of work at the fabulous Washington State trade office, where I’m currently tasked with updating an information packet for potential investors that has not been updated in ten years. Gotta love the efficiency of American government.

 

On Friday night we went to see Sex and the City on its opening night in Taiwan. While I’m not really a fan of the series, the movie was actually pretty good despite the fact that our seats weren’t ideal. Tickets to movies here have reserved seats, and ours were the best in the house: in the very front row. But that wasn’t so bad, and the real fun of the experience was watching it with a Taiwanese audience. It seemed as though they were watching an entirely different movie, laughing when I didn’t think anything funny was happening. I guess some things are lost – or gained – in translation. 

 

On Saturday morning we left at the crack of dawn for Kaohsiung with a group of USC alums. The “tuna gathering,” as they called it, was really all about tuna. After a one and a half hour trip on the high speed train and a ride on a bus, we pulled up to a restaurant and feasted on fish dish after fish dish. I liked the raw tuna the best.

 

The alums then accompanied us to a local temple and a fish market. The market was just like the ones you see on TV when you’re watching a travel show about Asia. Men were hacking away at huge just-caught tuna, which can apparently retail for up to $200,000 NT or about $7,000 USD. In two weeks it makes its way into sushi restaurants at every podunk town across the U.S. It was fun to see, but not to smell.

 

We parted ways with the USC group and we fellows continued on to Kenting, which is as far south in Taiwan as one can go. My eyes were glued to the windows of the bus as we made our way further and further down the island. It was nice to see the ocean again after being landlocked in Taipei for three weeks.

 

We checked into our hotel in Kenting and then hit the beach, which was very crowded even in the evening. We watched the sun set as we frolicked in the Pacific and laughed at a group of Taiwanese men being pulled out to sea on a giant hot dog.

 

Nighttime brought dinner at a Mexican place (when will we learn that we’re simply not going to find good Mexican food here?), a stroll through the touristy Key West-esque town of Kenting, and a trip to a local bar/club.

 

Sunday was probably my most favorite day of my adventure here so far. After checking out of our hostel we rented scooters and drove (don’t worry, I didn’t actually drive, I rode!) down the island, past the southernmost point in Taiwan, and up the other side. We stopped to swim in turquoise water in a pool under a large rock, where American male (of course) 20-somethings were acting like American male 20-somethings.

 

We had a pancake lunch, complete with an allotted half-a-shot-sized container of syrup (and there was really no getting more), and then kept riding to a beautiful lookout point and a practically-deserted white sand beach. It was perfect/lovely/beautiful/insert adjective meaning sublime here.

 

After returning the scooters we were picked up by no-name, crazy, chain-smoking Taiwanese guy who cut our trip time down by an hour by obeying absolutely no traffic laws and almost killing a pedestrian. But anything to make it to our train on time, right?

 

A HSR ride brought us back to Taipei, and consequently back to another loooonnnngggg week of work.

 

This week’s outings have included a trip to Ice Monster and to the hot springs in Beitou. I’m trying to think of an American comparison to Ice Monster, but nothing is coming to mind so I’ll just describe what we ate. It was basically a mountain-sized serving of shaved ice covered with fresh mango and syrup and topped off with a scoop of mango ice cream. All the people here are crazy about it, and it’s easy to see why.

 

The entrance fee to the hot springs in Beitou was approximately $1.33, but that just goes to show you don’t have to spend a lot of money to have a good time. We hopped on the MRT right after work and walked to the public springs, which are really just glorified hot tubs. It felt very nice to soak in the hot water after a long day of staring at the computer screen. We were (almost) the only non-Taiwanese people there and I felt as though I was observing some sort of ritual. We heard the waters have magical healing abilities, but my legs are still covered in mosquito bites so I’m not a believer yet.

 

Random musings:

 

1. People won’t stop staring! My boss, Sean, said foreign women are a rarity in Taipei and it seems our group of girls brings delight to many Taiwanese men. I can sense stares pretty much wherever I go. It is becoming annoying, but at least they’re not vulgar like some American men. One Taiwanese man chased me out of the 7-11 just to ask if I wanted to “make friends” with him! I prefer that to a cat call any day.


2. The heat is not as bad as I thought it would be. Being raised in Louisiana has given me a pretty high tolerance for heat and humidity. Take that, wimpy Californians!


3. 7-11 hot dogs are God’s gift to meat lovers. I’ve had more hot dogs from 7-11 here than I had in the U.S. all year. I’m not exactly proud of my convenience store hot dog obsession, but they’re irresistible.

Mike Huckabee and I Share a Tailor

Yesterday I spent a good chunk of my afternoon going to a tailor in Taipei to get fitted for a custom-made shirt, the typical gift of the state offices to their interns. Such is the randomness of my work days here. They’re long, and I stare at a computer for most of them, but I’ve fallen into a comfortable rhythm. And there’s usually at least one somewhat interesting excursion to break up the day, like the mentioned trip to the tailor.

 

The tailor had pictures of the “famous” people he’s made clothes for on the wall. The most famous customer: Mike Huckabee. Apparently he’s a regular in Taiwan and a very nice guy. I commented to the other interns that we were walking on hallowed ground (JOKES!). On the bus ride home I taught Sharon, one of the local interns, Pig Latin.

 

Today I spent two hours of my work day gorging on international food at a food trade show.  The state offices get free tickets to such events and always give us the chance to go, probably because they know the rest of the work is pretty darn boring. While I was biting into a rice slushie (sounds yummy, right?) and talking to the first tall Taiwanese women I’ve seen here (show girls), a Taiwanese news crew came up to me and asked me to take a bite on camera and tell them if I liked it.  I’m going to be star!

 

While work consumes our weeks here, we’re really working for the weekend. We’re trying to see as much of Taiwan as we can, and we started venturing outside of Taipei last weekend. Early Saturday morning we took a high speed train to Taroko Gorge National Park (or, rather, to a small town a pretty good distance away from the park entrance). We hiked on the road, took some pictures with locals (their request), and then arrived at one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever seen.

 

I still don’t really know what a gorge is, but it sure was nice to look at after only seeing concrete for two weeks. Everything was lush and green, and we were surrounded by towering peaks overhead a rocky river. And that was just at the visitor’s center.

 

After taking a rather precarious bus ride on a steep road carved out of rock we made it to the hostel, threw down our bags, and went on a hike to a waterfall. Dark tunnels which seemed not to end comprised most of the hike, and we pretty much just held hands and walked into the unknown.

 

The “Catholic Hostel” where we stayed provided me with my worst night’s sleep yet thanks to a mattress made of hard straw and 6 a.m. mass, that, from the sound of it, was well attended. But it worked just fine, and I was ready to go Sunday morning for more park exploration. We chose a pretty strenuous hike and climbed to a pavilion in the sky which straddled two peaks.  The beauty of what we saw and the feeling of accomplishment I felt is hard to put into words; pictures will be provided later to those who want them!

 

After exploring a temple and some sort of tower that had a beautiful view of the park, we returned back to Taipei on a train in which we had no seats. Sitting on the floor was fine, though, because we met some very nice people as we always seem to do here.

 

We were exhausted Monday, but it was one of the fellow’s 21^st birthday, so we went to a karaoke place in Taipei to celebrate. They had a surprisingly comprehensive English song collection, and I was able to perform my specialty, You’re So Vain. We had a really fun time, and that’s all I’m going to say about that.

 

Work’s over in 12 minutes, WAHOO!

 

Random thoughts: my legs itch! (the Taipei fellows from last year did not tell us Taiwan’s nick name should be “land of killer mosquitoes”), I’m laughing about the teacher who allowed one of the local intern’s friends to chose “banana” for his English name, and curse business card scanners!

Teaching "English"

The state offices took the interns to an appreciation dinner last night at an Italian place near Taipei 101. I wouldn't say the food rocked my world - squid ink pasta, anyone? - but it was fun to converse with the local interns. They're very curious about how we do things in the good ol' USA, and last night afforded Kili, Cyndy, and I the opportunity to teach them some important expressions. If you see a Taiwanese girl in the states anytime soon, here's what she might be saying:

1. That's WACK
2. Keep it on the DL
3. Sketchy/Shady
4. Tight/Sweet
5. Let's BOUNCE!
6. PEACE OUT homie.
7. My Bad
8. Sexiled
9. Fugly
10. Mind's in the gutter

One of the girls took careful notes, and I think we've made a lasting impact on her vocabulary. A change for the better, I'd say.

Now I've got to PEACE OUT and get to work!

Thank you, Cotillion

Saturday night's NTU prom was an experience I don't feel I'll ever be able to adequately describe. A middle school atmosphere + ballroom dancing + random 80s pop songs + eccentric performances made it a hilariously awkward night, although I'd say much more fun than the "Singing in the Rain" SJA prom debacle of '06.

My years of Cotillion training finally came in handy, and I guess being able to whip out the waltz in Taiwan made all those years of forced hand holding with clumsy middle school boys worth the humiliation. We brought the party, starting a train throughout the auditorium that attracted probably half of the attendees to get on board and being called up to the stage to lead the Taiwanese bunny hop. Who knew standing out could be so much fun?

Sunday was the Dragon Boat festival, and after an ill-fated trip to Danshui we traveled to the river to watch the grandiose boats racing one another. It was a scene straight out of Ben Hur, with buff men in tight outfits pounding their oars into the water. Damn they moved fast.

The ladies took pictures with a dragon boat team (yeaaa) and we walked throughout the food stalls. I had a corn dog, which was very similar to the ones I had in my high school cafeteria (and loved) but with a little more spice. Really good.

A spontaneous storm hit as we were walking thoughout the festival and made me feel as though I were back in Louisiana. Years of enduring extreme humidity and fickle weather have prepared me for this experience. I relish the evening time, when the hot day cools into night, but still with enough warmth to preclude the necessity of long sleeves or pants.

I had a piece of white toast with jam this morning, the first actual bread I've eaten on this trip. I don't miss it at all and find myself craving meat instead. The food continues to be an experience. When two guys in our group ordered rice pudding last night they were brought chunks of pigs' blood. Mmmmm.

The fascinating task of finding a Taiwanese distributor for wooden windows and doors calls, so I must alight (what Subway signs here say in reference to leaving the train). It's gonna be a long day, and I hope I'm sufficiently caffinated.

Point and Smile

A week ago at this time I was in L.A. or almost there. But what a difference a week makes.

One of my fellow Global Fellows commented last night that this place is starting to feel like home. It is. In the past week I have adjusted to a day to night time change, started a brand new job, embraced Taiwanese cuisine, and made some awesome new friends. Oh, and developed a somewhat Diet Coke-esque addiction to milk tea, which I am enjoying as I write this.

I mentioned in the last post how friendly the Taiwanese people are, and this has only become more evident in the last few days. The state offices where three other fellows and I are working also have local interns, extremely sweet girls who are as curious about our culture as we are about theirs. It makes for a very interesting flow of information.

The J-O-B is good, if a bit long and tiring. I spend pretty much all day researching Taiwanese companies on the internet, trying to find local distributors for such exciting Washington State products as stucco and wooden doors. It's a very laid-back environment, though; my boss is quite a character and the other girls and I have been sampling local restaurants for lunch.

THE FOOD IS AMAZING and deliciously cheap. I passed on the pig's ear today at lunch, but other than that I've been pretty adventurous about eating everything that's placed in front of me. I've found it's more fun to put something in my mouth and decide if I like it that way before finding out what it is. I had a delicious red bean donut a few days ago and some amazing cuttlefish (a.k.a. squid- who knew?) soup. And last night we went to this world-famous dumpling restaurant where we pigged out on everything under the sun wrapped in soft dough. Mmmmm...

But enough talking (and dreaming) about the food. It may seem like it from this account, but I promise I'm not shoveling food into my mouth every second of the day. My time has been better spent doing things like...shopping! Jeannie, who is a super fun employee of USC Taipei, took us to a shopping area on Wednesday night that we dubbed "The Grove on Crack." What's great here is that the vendors welcome haggling, and armed with Jeannie's knowledge of Chinese and English I was able to get a fun bag for a really good price.

The language barrier hasn't really been a problem since our host students/Jeannie/the local interns usually translate for us. But even when we're alone, the smile and point tactic works pretty well. The smile is usually returned here.

This weekend we're going to be rolling in style at the NTU prom as guests of Chris, who is a graduating graduate student. I'm definately more excited about it than I was for my own prom, details to come! I wonder if the NTU students know the Soulja Boy? We'll find out!

Apple Bottom Jeans

I slept through an earthquake last night. My first one, even after living in California for two years, and I missed it!

My first impression of Taiwan was from the back seat of a taxi to the
tune of "Apple Bottom Jeans." Definitely not what I was expecting to
hear after traveling halfway across the world, but I guess the best
music has no borders (JOKES). What I saw as the radio blared Western
hip hop songs was a huge city, illuminated at night, not very much
different than the one I had left fourteen hours earlier.

But when the cab driver tried to hand back the tip money I had given
him, I knew I wasn't in the U.S. anymore.

My hotel room, as expected, is slightly larger than a shoe box. My
head almost hits the ceiling when I stand in the shower, and my body
is too long to lie in the bath tub. There is no top sheet on my bed,
only a down comforter, and I wake up in the middle of the night
drenching in sweat. But I love it here.

I have been struck with the niceness and genuineness of the Taiwanese
people. They put Southern Hospitality to shame. A group of students from National Taiwanese University volunteered to be our hosts for our stay here, and we have explored the city with them during the last couple days. They are possibly the single nicest group of “young people” I have ever had the pleasure to meet. And they think we’re hilarious, which I think is hilarious. Last night while I was unsuccessfully attempting to eat an oyster pancake at the Shilin Night Market, my chopsticks abilities failed and the pancake fell first onto the table and then out of my mouth. All of the NTU students were hysterically laughing.

Night markets are basically huge food bazaars where gorging is pretty much required. The Shilin Night Market is the largest in the city and features booth after booth of delicious types of Taiwanese food. In the span of about one hour, I had the mentioned oyster pancake, fried squid, stinky tofu (which tastes exactly like it sounds), mango milk tea, a dumpling, and a Taiwanese hot dog, which is a vast improvement over its American counterpart.

Yesterday we also went to the Longshan Temple, a stunning Buddhist place of worship. Our Taiwanese friends explained to us what everything represented, and we had our fortunes read. I’m not going to recant mine here because doing that would take all the mystery away.

Today I started my J-O-B at the World Trade Center. My boss is very nice, as are everyone else in the offices. I’m honestly not stoked to have to work from 9-6 everyday, but I hope I’m able to make some sort of contribution to the State of Washington while I’m here. We’re right next to Taipei 101, which is currently the tallest building in the world.

Random thoughts: I could write an entire blog about all the food I’m going to eat on this trip, working on a computer with a Chinese operating system is mighty difficult, and Taiwanese boys have more sense than American ones – Chris, one of our NTU host students, actually asked for directions when we were lost yesterday!

Well, here I go...

Countdown: 5 days until I arrive in Taipei!

I must admit lazing around with no responsibilities has been a very nice and relaxing way to start the summer, especially after a particularly challenging semester. But too much down time can make a girl crazy, so I'm itching to start my summer adventure!

I'm off to Taipei, Taiwan for two months as part of USC's Global Fellows program. I'll be interning for the State of Washington's trade office there (random, right?), doing what I don't know. Probably a good amount of office work and the occasional trade show.

But the job will only be one part of it. I'm hoping to have some amazing experiences while being completely immersed in Taiwanese culture. That I speak not one word of Chinese is a little concerning, but I'm confident I can make it. I'll document my adventures (and likely misadventures) here.

Good bye Louisiana and hello Taiwan! I'm ready for the summer of my life!

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