Tidbits from Taiwan

Wow, its already been 5 months. You all know what the means? Its the half-way mark and I only got about 5 more months to cram in some serious Chinese.

So I haven't spoken much since New Year's, so lets start there.

After two months, I have changed home family's again, though my new host family is not really new since it was also my first one. Things are going well for the most part, still studying Chinese, finished with College Essays (goodness...gracious).

Our little group has gone on a serious pool playing craze. This week we must have totalled about 12 hours of pool playing. Its pretty popular here, and we are getting better. We are frequenting the 7th floor pool hall enough so that we just got a "VIP" card from the employees, handed over with a smile. Actually probably just a discount card, but ya know, Chinese - English. Give or take.

I had coffee the other day with an interesting girl from Boston. She, just like us exchangers, is here in Taipei, Taiwan for one year to study Chinese. She gets about all the same benefits except doesn't go to a local high school and instead just gets two hours of classes a day at a college. Pretty nifty, other than that she is completely independent and free with no rules or curfews...nice setup, nuts. Heh, but I still like Rotary.

I also happened to be in Ximen with a particular craving for Fried Dumplings while on our path to the Pool Hall, so when one of the "California Fitness Center" employees approached me with a brochure, I asked where I might get some Fried Dumplings. He of course had no clue, but then asked, "Can I get your number? Maybe we could do something sometime." I guess I am used to this friendly forwardness by now, but, never a dull moment. Turns out he and his friends are pretty cool, we played some serious pool with them then next day.

Yes yes, calligraphy. My teacher is now teaching me about the Chinese Name Stamps and how to copy an engraving or sculpture. Very fantastic, and next time (after vacation I requested he teach me how to draw those really cool Chinese paintings with the bamboo, trees, mountains, water and stuff).

Sunday, we were a little more lazy than normal and met around 1:00 in the afternoon to go up the Muzha mountain. Gaston couldn't be reached, him not having a cell phone (though he just got one, after five months), and Zach came six hours later. So, me a Phillip headed up the mountain and sat down a different tea hut this time. This one though, unlike the other one, has fantasticly prepared noodles and rice. The water for tea is brought to a boil over private warm embers. Chinese mountain music (straight out of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon...not quite) played softy in the background. We played some Chinese Chess, chatted, and watched a good movie on (check this...) Phillip's brand-spanking-new laptop, with built in bluetooth-wifi, 80GB, Computer Case, slim design and just wonderful features, for the cheaper price of around $1,200. He has all the sweet gadgets, seriously, the nice cell phone, sleek iPod, and now this. Garg.

Winter Vacation approached a little quicker than expected, meaning I don't have school for the next three or so weeks. I am planning on taking some long and extensively tiring trips to everywhere. More temples, more mountains, more teapots, and more fun. We did have a small Chinese Test in which we had to read several chinese songs aloud to a video camera. Wasn't too hard though as we had the sheets with Characters and BoPoMoFo in front of us. After the break I plan hopefully to do something different, spending some time somewhere and experiencing more of Taiwan.

Today, very busy, started at 8:30 at YuanShanZhan (Circular Mountain [MRT] Station). Rotary organized a trip to two temples and a night market. It would have been really cool if we weren't in a large tourist looking group and the tour group leader didn't have a micrphone thereby disturbing the worshipers in the temple. Lots of interesting facts though, mostly about how to pray and fortunes.

A Vacation kind of sprung up on me from no where, normally that doesn't happen, but this was special. Starting today is four week vacation (...four weeks...heh) which will be quite relaxing, though I am not sure if I can find enough activities to fill that much free time, but I'll figure something out (more mountain time).

More later. Adios! Zai Jian!

aloha, still miss you kiddo and still hope you're living the dream but get that chinesse down for sure it will VASTLY help you're future. guess i'm the first to read this as its 3am and you just put it up haha. tomorrow i leave for SAS and certainly hope you'll come meet me in HK or shanghai but if not july it is. love always and e-mail me while i'm gone. also, if you send me directions on how to do one of these i'll set one up myself...just a thought