May 16, 2006 15:44
I arrived in Taiwan without a lot of fanfare. It's everything that I remembered. On the landing, we saw a EVA plane with Hello Kitty pictures on the plane. My sister was amused and I was just scared. It's amazing what an obsession this country has with Hello Kitty. They have jewelry with Hello Kitty's face and even cakes stamped with Hello Kitty. It's just too cute and pink for me!
Despite being one of the world's leaders in manufacturing computer chips, which really should lead to a very technological driven society, Taiwan is not nearly as connected as Silicon Valley. This basically means that there is no wireless that I can steal and the internet cafes are a thing of the past. I've finally found one, so I'm not sure how frequently I can update or check my e-mail. On a funny note, my 90 year old grandfather wants internet connection so that he can keep an eye on his stocks and he uses a laptop everyday. I think I have the hippest grandfather ever! Nor do I think I can post pictures of all the yummy food that I'm eating.
Speaking of food...I am eating so much! I swear I'm eating 5 meals a day and then buying 2 meals more as "snacks for tomorrow" though they usually end up being snacks for today. It's kinda sad, but I'm starting to feel fat here. Every girl is skinnier than the last like some sort of competition and I'm losing and proud of it! It means that there are actually clothes here on sale that I can wear! So... starve on tiny Taiwanese women! Clothes also fit me awkwardly here. They say it's because I have long legs, but I'm a little suspicious... how can pants all miraculously end at my ankle?! One thing that I've noticed about Taiwan is that girls are not shy about asking complete strangers how something look on them. They do that frequently in stores and will ask you what you think and that if you were them, what would you choose. They also delve into why you think that something looks good on them. Thank god I've been watching What Not to Wear, otherwise I wouldn't know what to say!
Anyway, needless to say, Taiwan is the place for shopping and I'm taking full advantage.
On a medically note, I've been coughing and the first thing that my parents made me to is to go to the doctor. The line was oh... 5 minutes long on a Sunday morning and the doctor looked at me for 5 minutes and then gave me enough medicine to stun a large elephant. Finally, they charged me $15( with no health insurance, with health insurance, it would be $3) for the entire visit with medicine included! I don't think I can get that in the US even with my medical insurances! Anyway... that's all for now.
P.S. Happy Birthday Lane!