My first week in Taipei
Thursday August 30 Went back to the school today. We had to meet so that some other students can take us to get our Alien Resident Certificate(ARC). This allows us to stay in the country for a year. I had no idea where we were going. Two of the students that came with us are from Indonesia. Apparently there are a lot of Indonesians that come to study Chinese. There were also some that spoke Spanish. It was really amusing hearing them speak Spanish. They came because some of the new students spoke Spanish. When I was in the office this weird guy turns to me and starts speaking. I don't know what he said, but after he asked if I was Japanese I think he was speaking in Japanese. He's a very forward guy he just goes up to my dad and starts speaking. I"m like why is he talking to my dad. He's German. Anyway so we go to the place to apply for ARC. So the new kids are all from either Europe or Latin America. So they speak Spanish which I of course wished I could remember how to speak Spanish. They speak very little English. And they know NO Chinese. They are doing this program or something where they study at the language center for one year and then they spend the next 4 years in the regular college studying Chinese. Which means they are all like 17-18 years old well most of them at least. They haven't gone to college yet. We had to wait a long time, I didn't expect it to take that long.
When we got back, finally, we went back to the apartment to make payment on the rent, which requires us to pay 6 months in advance. The room includes a TV, a refrigerator, a dresser, nightstand, a bed and a desk and has AC and I have my own bathroom.
Friday August 31 Today we decided to go check out Taipei 101. It's the tallest building in the world. This time we went on our own. So we had to ride a bus to the nearest MRT (subway)in 新埔(xinpu). Then we wrote the MRT(捷運 jieyun)to Taipei City Hall, then walked to Taipei 101. There is 2 parts I think the main building is office building but the part we went to was the mall. There is a huge food court on the bottom floor. Its a huge mall and we discovered that the higher you go the more expensive stores there are. We wonder how they are able to stay in business since they are way too expensive for locals. After eating lunch we just walked around. Outside they have the dancing water fountain so we go to watch a bit of that. Then we took the crosswalk to New York New York, another shopping mall. This one was smaller. Some of the floors weren't even finished yet. Then I think we just went back. We found out that there is a free bus that takes us from Taipei 101 to the MRT station.
The hotel is right across from the XinZhuang Auditorium and luckily this week they are showing Mamma Mia. I've been wanting to watch this show for a long time. We were able to find cheap tickets and the seats weren't that bad. We bought the tickets right before the show. It's not in a theater, but well an auditorium where they only block off the short side for the audience and add chairs on the floor and put up a stage. The actors are all British so they script has a few British words. They displayed the Chinese on screens next to the stage. It was a good show except that the sound was way too loud. Like you have to cover your ears at the beginning to prevent yourself from going deaf. There were plenty of empty seats so a bunch of people who had seats at the top or on the sides decided to move to the center aisles even the areas that were more expensive. It was fun and at the end they have 3 encores and everyone gets up and dances. I would sing along with the songs. FUN!! I do though still want to watch it back in the states.
Saturday September 1 Today I checked out of the hotel and moved into the apartment. Moved some furniture around so it doesn't look too crowded. So basically spent the day unpacking and finding a place to put everything. Then afterward we found a supply store to buy some supplies. Its a pretty cool place. They have school supplies, and bath stuff, and electrical stuff... etc. Then next door is a smaller shop where we bought some other stuff too like a shower curtain because my bathroom doesn't have a shower curtain or a tub. :( There is also a Carrefour down the street. It is a French supermarket chain. Its a really cool store. I went to it in Shanghai. Downstairs are small clothing stores. Upstairs is the supermarket. Bought some food to store in my fridge. Then we ate dinner downstairs in the food court (Burger King). Tonight is the first night I slept in my new home.
Sunday September 2 Woke up early to attend church on campus, luckily English mass. There are a lot of Filipinos. The priest was Latin American and we couldn't understand what he was saying. They also sing a lot of songs more than I"m used to like they sing everything. Anyway he asked for all the new students to stand up and I was forced to. Afterwards ate lunch at Subway. hehe I know American food, but I haven't gotten used to the Chinese food yet and it was the most familiar and I was hungry. Then we all went back to Taipei City Hall. We were looking for another mall. Unfortunately it started pouring. So instead of walking around trying to find the other mall we just took the Taipei 101 bus again and went back to Taipei 101. There is this toy store and I walked in to see what they have and they have like this huge collection of miniatures. It was crazy. I think they come in like small box sets. And they have everything from furniture to different types of food like sushi. They were so cute, but there was so many different sets.
When we got back, finally, we went back to the apartment to make payment on the rent, which requires us to pay 6 months in advance. The room includes a TV, a refrigerator, a dresser, nightstand, a bed and a desk and has AC and I have my own bathroom.
Friday August 31 Today we decided to go check out Taipei 101. It's the tallest building in the world. This time we went on our own. So we had to ride a bus to the nearest MRT (subway)in 新埔(xinpu). Then we wrote the MRT(捷運 jieyun)to Taipei City Hall, then walked to Taipei 101. There is 2 parts I think the main building is office building but the part we went to was the mall. There is a huge food court on the bottom floor. Its a huge mall and we discovered that the higher you go the more expensive stores there are. We wonder how they are able to stay in business since they are way too expensive for locals. After eating lunch we just walked around. Outside they have the dancing water fountain so we go to watch a bit of that. Then we took the crosswalk to New York New York, another shopping mall. This one was smaller. Some of the floors weren't even finished yet. Then I think we just went back. We found out that there is a free bus that takes us from Taipei 101 to the MRT station.
The hotel is right across from the XinZhuang Auditorium and luckily this week they are showing Mamma Mia. I've been wanting to watch this show for a long time. We were able to find cheap tickets and the seats weren't that bad. We bought the tickets right before the show. It's not in a theater, but well an auditorium where they only block off the short side for the audience and add chairs on the floor and put up a stage. The actors are all British so they script has a few British words. They displayed the Chinese on screens next to the stage. It was a good show except that the sound was way too loud. Like you have to cover your ears at the beginning to prevent yourself from going deaf. There were plenty of empty seats so a bunch of people who had seats at the top or on the sides decided to move to the center aisles even the areas that were more expensive. It was fun and at the end they have 3 encores and everyone gets up and dances. I would sing along with the songs. FUN!! I do though still want to watch it back in the states.
Saturday September 1 Today I checked out of the hotel and moved into the apartment. Moved some furniture around so it doesn't look too crowded. So basically spent the day unpacking and finding a place to put everything. Then afterward we found a supply store to buy some supplies. Its a pretty cool place. They have school supplies, and bath stuff, and electrical stuff... etc. Then next door is a smaller shop where we bought some other stuff too like a shower curtain because my bathroom doesn't have a shower curtain or a tub. :( There is also a Carrefour down the street. It is a French supermarket chain. Its a really cool store. I went to it in Shanghai. Downstairs are small clothing stores. Upstairs is the supermarket. Bought some food to store in my fridge. Then we ate dinner downstairs in the food court (Burger King). Tonight is the first night I slept in my new home.
Sunday September 2 Woke up early to attend church on campus, luckily English mass. There are a lot of Filipinos. The priest was Latin American and we couldn't understand what he was saying. They also sing a lot of songs more than I"m used to like they sing everything. Anyway he asked for all the new students to stand up and I was forced to. Afterwards ate lunch at Subway. hehe I know American food, but I haven't gotten used to the Chinese food yet and it was the most familiar and I was hungry. Then we all went back to Taipei City Hall. We were looking for another mall. Unfortunately it started pouring. So instead of walking around trying to find the other mall we just took the Taipei 101 bus again and went back to Taipei 101. There is this toy store and I walked in to see what they have and they have like this huge collection of miniatures. It was crazy. I think they come in like small box sets. And they have everything from furniture to different types of food like sushi. They were so cute, but there was so many different sets.