(no subject)
I've been pretty MIA lately with people back home, so I do apologize for being so silent! I said I would send more emails, write more blogs, make more calls on Skype, but I've apparently been quite the liar to most of my friends. However, I will make this entry worth your while--that is if you are ready to read the no doubt long entry I am about to write!
Well, as you may imagine, quite a lot has happened since I have last written. I've gotten settled here in Taipei, and it's been, what, two months now since I have left? I've gotten into my Mandarin classes, which I have everyday for two hours, with seven other classmates. They're from all over the place: three Japanese, two Koreans, one Indonesian, a guy from the U.K. who I've become good buddies with, and then myself of course. I love the internationality of the classes and the building itself, it's great meeting people from all over the world. Sadly, most of the Americans I come across seem to be jerks...
I have quite a few American friends over here already, mostly because three of them came with me and another guy has been here for a while, but I knew him from college. It's very interesting how we all sort of gathered together to come to Taiwan and are pursuing Chinese language studies. I have more friends from my university back in Michigan who are also planning to come to Taiwan when the opportunity arrives. I gotta tell ya, there's something about this place...
I haven't even been homesick once! Getting back into life here has been really easy and fluid. The language barrier does present a problem at times, and it can be very aggravating, but the point is for me to get aggravated to force me to keep on pushing my studies! Living here everyday has been a blast, not a single day has been tedious or boring, and I haven't felt stressed at all, which is a real luxury. I haven't felt that way in quite a few years...
[Intermission! Grab a drink, get a bite to eat, or just close the email, and come on back later!]
I am actually considering starting graduate school here next year, but only if I can get a scholarship to do it, which covers tuition and I get a stipend as well. If not, and just even to check anyway, I plan to get a list together of various American companies that are in Taiwan and visit their offices just to see what opportunities they may have, even if it's an unpaid internship. It's something, and I can get my name out there.
Food has been a blast, and of course there are always the American conveniences of Burger King, McDonald's, Friday's, Chili's (my favorite of the 'family restaurant' chain), Macaroni Grill, Sizzler, Outback Steakhouse, etc. But those are too expensive! It's better to just spend about US$2 on a meal than to worry about all the kinds of foods I had at home.
Let's see.. as for interesting things, I went to Hong Kong for three days in the beginning of October. It was a two-fold trip. One was to take care of getting a new visa, since my old one was going to expire soon. Secondly it was just to visit. I mean, come on, it's Hong Kong! It was definitely an interesting city, to say the least. Don't get me wrong, I am glad I went, but it isn't someplace I'd like to stay for more than a few days and I don't think I could live there. The area we stayed in was definitely as close to a red light district as you can get. Yes, we were getting solicited by prostitutes for sex. One of them even proffered her goods in front of three cops with a canine unit! Which, another odd thing, you barely saw the police in the city. Not exactly comfort inducing!!
Otherwise, it is a very pretty and affords some really great daytime and nighttime shots. I definitely took my fair share of them!
As for pictures, actually, allow me to link you to them!
Hong Kong:
Night (from a mountain): http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2241773&l=0e259&id=22400040
Day: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2241768&l=3ad30&id=22400040
Night: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2241560&l=0026c&id=22400040
Day 1: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2240598&l=31b63&id=22400040
Day 2: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2240999&l=6b6e9&id=22400040
Day 3: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2241082&l=6c733&id=22400040
Taiwan:
Up some mountains: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2240585&l=6df12&id=22400040
Shots around the city: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2234620&l=00780&id=22400040
Whew!!!!
Well, as you may imagine, quite a lot has happened since I have last written. I've gotten settled here in Taipei, and it's been, what, two months now since I have left? I've gotten into my Mandarin classes, which I have everyday for two hours, with seven other classmates. They're from all over the place: three Japanese, two Koreans, one Indonesian, a guy from the U.K. who I've become good buddies with, and then myself of course. I love the internationality of the classes and the building itself, it's great meeting people from all over the world. Sadly, most of the Americans I come across seem to be jerks...
I have quite a few American friends over here already, mostly because three of them came with me and another guy has been here for a while, but I knew him from college. It's very interesting how we all sort of gathered together to come to Taiwan and are pursuing Chinese language studies. I have more friends from my university back in Michigan who are also planning to come to Taiwan when the opportunity arrives. I gotta tell ya, there's something about this place...
I haven't even been homesick once! Getting back into life here has been really easy and fluid. The language barrier does present a problem at times, and it can be very aggravating, but the point is for me to get aggravated to force me to keep on pushing my studies! Living here everyday has been a blast, not a single day has been tedious or boring, and I haven't felt stressed at all, which is a real luxury. I haven't felt that way in quite a few years...
[Intermission! Grab a drink, get a bite to eat, or just close the email, and come on back later!]
I am actually considering starting graduate school here next year, but only if I can get a scholarship to do it, which covers tuition and I get a stipend as well. If not, and just even to check anyway, I plan to get a list together of various American companies that are in Taiwan and visit their offices just to see what opportunities they may have, even if it's an unpaid internship. It's something, and I can get my name out there.
Food has been a blast, and of course there are always the American conveniences of Burger King, McDonald's, Friday's, Chili's (my favorite of the 'family restaurant' chain), Macaroni Grill, Sizzler, Outback Steakhouse, etc. But those are too expensive! It's better to just spend about US$2 on a meal than to worry about all the kinds of foods I had at home.
Let's see.. as for interesting things, I went to Hong Kong for three days in the beginning of October. It was a two-fold trip. One was to take care of getting a new visa, since my old one was going to expire soon. Secondly it was just to visit. I mean, come on, it's Hong Kong! It was definitely an interesting city, to say the least. Don't get me wrong, I am glad I went, but it isn't someplace I'd like to stay for more than a few days and I don't think I could live there. The area we stayed in was definitely as close to a red light district as you can get. Yes, we were getting solicited by prostitutes for sex. One of them even proffered her goods in front of three cops with a canine unit! Which, another odd thing, you barely saw the police in the city. Not exactly comfort inducing!!
Otherwise, it is a very pretty and affords some really great daytime and nighttime shots. I definitely took my fair share of them!
As for pictures, actually, allow me to link you to them!
Hong Kong:
Night (from a mountain): http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2241773&l=0e259&id=22400040
Day: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2241768&l=3ad30&id=22400040
Night: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2241560&l=0026c&id=22400040
Day 1: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2240598&l=31b63&id=22400040
Day 2: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2240999&l=6b6e9&id=22400040
Day 3: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2241082&l=6c733&id=22400040
Taiwan:
Up some mountains: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2240585&l=6df12&id=22400040
Shots around the city: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2234620&l=00780&id=22400040
Whew!!!!