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Published: August 30th 2006
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When I first arrived to Taiwan over two weeks ago I kept asking myself why I just didn't stay home and teach in a small town in Iowa. I would have been in my own comfort zone, culture zone, and with my own close group of friends. The culture is so much different here in Taiwan than the U.S. and Germany for that matter. I never had this big of culture shock when I lived in Germany maybe because I lived and taught on an U.S. army base. The first few days passed and I began to hang out with a group of people, some from Canada, England, and the States all so funny and special in their own ways. We had some good times, at the Aboriginies festival and Son's and William's, even the local pub down by the night market. Anyways, some things I have noticed about Taiwan over the past couple of weeks.....
-People pick their nose in public and fart and burp without saying 'excuse me'
-There are rules to the road, but no one follows them
-The locals do not use umbrellas to block them from getting wet by the rain, but to keep the
UV sun rays away
-NO flushing toilet paper
-The use of Western toilets is almost non existent, it's "pop a squat" or not
-There is a 7 Eleven at every street corner
-The locals drive scooters like they have gone loco
-The corn dogs have swirl coated breading
-The fruit has the most amazing taste in the world..SO FRESH
-It is hard not to get addicted to fresh Mango Slushies
-No chewing gum, drinking, or eating on the subway-you get a big bad fine!
-Lots of cheap cute things
-A lot of arcades...taiwanese like the cute things
-Many, many stray dogs
-They eat snakes and turtles and drink the snake blood
-It smells here
-The garbage trucks sound like the Ice Cream Man trucks
-The locals are very friendly and helpful if you try and speak a little Mandarin
-The foreign men who come to live over here are a tad bit strange
I have decided that Chinese food is so delicous and so natural...the veggies and fruits in the meals make it so much more delicious. Even the Hawiian pizza is amazing...good corn and pineapple. I also love the grape juice boxes from 7 Eleven and mango slushies!!!
Corn Dogs
Pretty nifty eh? I have also seen some amazing scenery as well. Beautiful crafter Temples and mountains every direction!
It has been one week officially in Kaoshiung County and I am missing my new friends like crazy..thank god friday is coming soon and I am heading on the train to see Holly and Rachel and speak English instead of choppy Chingelish!
Last weekend I did meet up with a friend in the city, he showed me around, I even ate fish---we all know I hate seafood and even had some chicken butt. Fun new experience. Saturday night I went out as well and met some other foreigners so nice to have more English speaking people around and to make friends have a beer and eat western food!! I will say that my appetite has gone down quite a bit, i think due to my new surroundings and lack of communication with the locals have kind of put a damper on things. Also, I am living in a gated community in the boonies, where taxi drivers hardly ever know how to get there and have no scooter yet and rely on the teachers, who have been extremly nice, but never can I venture
out at night. Ok well maybe to the fake "family mart' down the street for a coke light...i am thinking this week or early next I will have a shiny new pink, or maybe, silver scooter in my possession. I AM TERRIFIED AS EVER TO DRIVE BUT EXCITED AS HECK!! I have managed to find very cute cheap things to decorate my apartment...I have a western toilet which is a plus but everyday is a fight with the hot water if it wants to kick on for me or not....Today, Wednesday was the first day of classes. By the way, my school is brand new, it is huge, so open, but only two rooms with AC, mine isnt one of them...so it gets a little sweaty!! I had a class of 5th graders today....all with blank stares on their faces as I tried to get them to say their favorite color, food, or drink....oo well its all part of this learning experience. They did enjoy the pictures of my family and the M&M candy game! I have three classes on Thursday and one on two on Friday. Oh yes, my fellow teaching friends back home...I thought you would like to know that I have an 1 1/2 for lunch, 10 minute break periods in between classes...it is quite nice!
UNTIL NEXT TIME
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Da Ge
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comments from Guangfu
Hi mary. I liked your blog, so I flipped the link home to lao-puo suzanne. I knw tat she will be interested.