wow. it's been ages hasn't it? Much has been coming, going...doors closing, opening. At this very moment, I have the day off, (due to the prevalent foot & mouth disease (or I'd like to dub "hoof" & mouth) that has shut my kindy class down) and sitting at a quaint cafe called Cafe Bastille in the heart of shi-da night market. A small pitcher of chamomile honey tea is staring at me through condensed glass and a christmas tree is flashing its pretty lights in anticipation of the coming holiday. Recently I have been extremely ungrounded; from general decisions to my [View Full Entry]

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Hey all. I am writing this article in the beautiful and oldest library in taiwan (90 whoppin years old) - the National Taiwan Library (for more info: http://www.ntl.edu.tw/en/home1.php?MainPageID=-1). The website has some interesting history of the library - through the war with the japanese, etc. Sooo yeah - I am writing this entry as a woman w/a new job & a new rooftop studio apartment in Chong Huh. :) - I got both job & home within 24 hours (who's the woman?!) I'm working @ Joy English School (a corporate chain in Taiwan & China) in Yong Huh. I work in [View Full Entry]

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The western side of me is sometimes thrown off guard with certain things & underlying judgements that manifest from my day-to-day life in Taiwan. For example, today....Yours truly was in Jung Hu (pronounced Yung Huh) today, wondering around the beautiful park & library (I applied for my 1st taiwanese library card - yay!), when I saw a blood mobile. So I said why the heck not? I haven't given any blood in Taiwan...(I gave blood bi-annually in the states). I manage to complete the chinese form all by myself (OK...almost all by myself). The nurse, named Amber, then proceeds to ask [View Full Entry]

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No wait - you can't cuz there's a friggin typhoon! Arrghh For those US passport holders who might be interested in visiting Taiwan, please note that w/o a visa, one is allowed to stay for 30 days. After 30 days, one must go for a 'border run' - which is what I had to do before 8/23. And thanks to the typhoon and a 2 hour wait @ the airport for a plane that never showed, I went home & rebooked for a day trip the very next day. (Yes, now I am truly a jetsetter...) Another thing to note is [View Full Entry]

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In the name of randomness - here is one.... Went to Karoke w/the pops & his ol' lady. I was expecting a private room w/a big screen tv & plenty of beverages & snacks (in movies such as Lost in Translation, etc.). Little did I know...we went to this place where my dad's gf knows the woman (sold houses for her). It was a hole in the wall w/no ventilation & complete w/disco ball & karoke girls who sat w/the men (drinking & singing). Wow. There was about 10 songs in the 10 lb. song binder. Nonetheless, I had fun...downed a [View Full Entry]

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Helloooooo from Taiwan! Went to Da Xi - a 2nd home (1 of MANY) for the infamous, fighting hero of the island of Formosa - Chang Kai-Shek. It is absolutely beautiful...I can see why Mr. Chang chose the spot. (I would too!)We stopped at this cafe that had a great 270 degree view & just chilled for a bit. We had some tea & some great smoked tofu w/sweet & hot sauce. As you see from the pics & the video, the scenery...it's just so thick & green. A beautiful river runs through the valley. My dad's gf's god sister was [View Full Entry]

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Greetings all. I have landed in the mother land - TAIWAN...& I must say it's been a bit tough acclemating & getting back into the flow of it all, thus the delay in creating this entry. A quick update: 6 days before I left Indian soil, I went ahead & did more than half of a vipassana (10-days of noble silence & meditation - goenka style). On the eve of the 3rd or 4th nite, a horrible skin rash broke out! I believe not only was it my subconscious mind purifying but also the intense heat of Southern India. The rash [View Full Entry]

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A bit belated, but nonetheless - happy bday to me! =) I spent my birthday in Thiruvannamalai, walking the Arunachala mountain barefoot (wellllllll...half of the 4 miles of it) w/my buddy jorge from ecuador - it's called Giripradakshina (pronounced giri-productiona). It was good times. A bird pooped on his shirt (good omen) & a holy woman gave us darshan. =) Then I just spent the day hanging out...enjoying thiru, as I had arrived the day before. Have been in Thiru (pronounced 'tiru') for the past week & a half- teaching/doing yoga, reading, meditating, cooking up healthy food, & hanging out w/my [View Full Entry]

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Vanakam. Sak yama? (Hello, how are you? In tamil - the language of the south) So i'm going into my 1st week of Auroville - the conceptual town that the Mother has created - with the foundation that everyone works/thinks as a collective whole w/no ownership, & not as separate people from different countries. It's been very, what's the word, interesting. Meeting ppl who have lived in this town from 30 years +. And it's really cool to hear the blood, sweat, & tears that went into building this town - as when it was first being settled, this region of [View Full Entry]

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This page is dedicated to all the amazing people that i've encountered, thus far, in india. Through the good, the ugly, the shitty, the amazing, the funny, & the happy - it's been nothing but perfect. Thanks all. All of you are so dear & close to me...undugu, sandy candy, emma "shoulder bindhi-anada,", neil "semi-cynikananda", & many more.... muaaaaaaaaaah [View Full Entry]

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