Shock of the Day

This is for yesterday, June 27, Day One

Well, it's not surprise that lugging around heave luggage is more than cumbersome.  What I didn't anticipate was the fact that I wouldn't have a place to put them.  My suitcase and backpack are substantially big and I was hoping to do as we did in Japan - place it in a locker for a day and forget about it.  

Well, it didn't quite work out that way and I was hauling all my crap with me everywhere I went.  I still hate looking extremely out of place, i.e. walking into a mall with huge bags that weigh a ton!  

....So, I didn't.

I had 3-4 hours to kill at me meeting point with my couch surfers and I stayed there and just waited.  It brought me back to the time when I was CSing in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam and I had to do the same thing only...all day long.  That wait back then was brutal but I didn't mind.  I did a lot of people watching and sat waiting for my host.  This time around was a piece of cake and I also had my computer but didn't really use it.  

I met my host and then they were nice enough to drive me back to their place and we chatted, ate and I walked around trying Chinese Pancake - I can't remember how to say it - but it was delicious!  I need to start taking pictures of these things.

Shock of the day:  Taiwan is like Japan...only with Mandarin and Taiwanese language :P

It's immaculate and orderly and clean.

OH!  And they drive on the same side of the road as we do in the US.  Everything is so orderly and nice that even I - I don't enjoy driving like I used to - would feel comfortable jumping in a car and driving.  Hooray!

Had a great time see new things and meeting my hosts.  I stay with them again this evening and then head to Tainan.  

I'll keep you posted!

Preparing for Two Months of Exchange in Taiwan

I'll be leaving for Taiwan on Monday and it's funny, even though it's only two months, I'm more nervous about this temporary displacement when compared to my first international move from US to Thailand and even my upcoming move from Thailand to China.

Granted there are a few uncertainties with this move, finance - not having income or a job for the time being, so I have to budget well - new setting, new language and new set of friends to make on my own.

Probably the aspect of being on my own for the first time in a long time with out a network of people I've never met is a bit daunting but I guess it will be the first time since I was on my own in 2007-08 when I was in Japan.

I'm also preparing to move out of the apartment since we will be staying with friends when we move from Thailand to China so packing has also become a purge of sorts.  Luckily we live in a tiny apartment and I've only been here 6 months so I haven't really had the chance to really hoard many things.

Thailand's cost of living is rather cheap, and apparently so is Taiwan but seeing as I don't have any steady income, I'll have to budget and really plan out the next two months.  Maybe I'll be fine after the first week, but I'll be curious to see if I'm still pretty nervous about the situation or not after that point.

I do look forward to seeing a new country and location but at the moment, it's not at the forefront of my mind and once I get over the initial shock of being on my own (sorta), I'll should be fine.

For the time being, I will try and do what I did during my last trip of posting shocks of the day in Taiwan because I realize it's a great gauge on my own expectations as well as how my view of living and culture around me may change over time.

Until next week when I post my first shock of the day, I'll be posting from Taipei and hosted by a couch surfer.

See ya then!

I Hit 150 Posts! WooHoo! Favorite Movies List

I've compiled a list of movies that I love to watch and recommend to other but it's hardly a complete list.  

Animated: The Little Mermaid or Ningyo Hime (Mermaid Princess) by Toei Animation NOT Disney

Disney: Aladdin

Book made into Movie: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

Book Made into Cartoon: The Last Unicorn (ITC)

Computer-Animated: How to Train Your Dragon

Puppet Movie: The Dark Crystal 

Muppet Movie: The Muppets (2011)

Anime Movie: Sailormoon R (Romance)

Studio Ghibli: Spirited Away or Sen to Chihiro no Kamikakushi

Fantasy Movie: The Fall (2006)

80's Fantasy: Legend

Holiday Movie: The Muppet's Christmas Carol

Cartoon and Live Action Massup: Who Framed Roger Rabbit? / Anchors Aweigh

Disaster Movie: Twister

Parody: Spaceballs

Alien Invasion: Independence Day

Superhero Movie: The Dark Knight

Horror Movie: Exorcist

Spy Movie: The Man of U.N.C.L.E

Bond 007 Movie: Skyfall

Comedy Movie: Dogma

Science-Fiction Movie: Bladerunner

Adventure Movie: Indiana Jones (all by the last one)

Musical: Little Shop of Horrors

Zombie Movie: Zombieland

Mafia Movie: The Godfather

Coming of Age: The Breakfast Club

Crime: Snatch

Suspense: Momento

Mystery: Bone Collector

Thriller: Silence of the Lambs

Based On A Video Game Movie: 

Comic into Movie: Deadpool

Action: True Lies

Romance: Anne of Avonlea 

Western: The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance / The Quick and the Dead

Spaghetti Western: Once Upon a Time in the West

Biography: The King's Speech / Kundun / Elizabeth

French and Indian War: Last of the Mahicans 

Revolutionary War: The Patriot / 

World War I: ...???  Need to find one 

World War II: The Way Back / The Flowers of War

Korean War: My Way

Vietnam War: Apacolypse Now

Modern Warfare: Hurt Locker

Historical: Doctor Zhivago

Samurai: Seven Samurai or Shichinin Samurai

Found Cabbages & Condoms Restaurant

I finally found it!  I heard about Cabbages and Condoms Restaurant from a guide book but it's actually a fun little place to check out.

 When you walk in, the front door actually has cabbages growing out front but also mannequins as well as various other items of decor armored in condoms.

From what I gather, the original intent for this place was to promote safe sex as well as planned parenthood.  The owner wanted make planned parenthood (PP) available to all in Thailand and so a portion of the proceeds go to PP organizations and clinics around the country.  He also wanted the availability of prophylactics like condoms to be as common as cabbages so after every meal, patrons of the restaurant will get a condom instead of a breath mint.

LOL, this is one of the first things you see when you walk in

I remember walking in and wondering what the heck that was and realized that the lamps and teddy bears were lined with condoms.  We didn't eat there because we were on our way to Terminal 21 (I'll write a blog about that place) but I definitely want to come back and see how the food is.

Have fun but stay safe!

Going to Taiwan for Two Months!

This an update brought to you by my recent purchase for a ticket to Taiwan!  WooHoo!

While it'll be all fun and games and hobnobbing while I'm there, I do have a purpose of going to Taiwan so suddenly.

One, I was chosen to be recipient of the TUSA or Taiwan-United States Sister Relations alliance (TUSA) Summer Scholarship Program 2016 (Wow, that's a mouthful).  National Cheng Kung University will be hosting us during this time and our classes, private tutors, excursions and home stay experiences will all be covered by the scholarship.  

Mission Statement:
“Promote peace in the world by creating closer friendships and understanding between the people of the United States and the people of Taiwan.”

The other main purpose of this program is Chinese language intensive studies and Taiwanese cultural education.  There are supposed to be a variety of electives that we may choose from to enhance our experience but I'm not quite sure what they are.

I'll be doing this summer program from June 30 - August 24 so I'm crossing my fingers and hoping I can pick up the language much better when immersed in it.  

One thing I'm encountering when trying to learn Chinese is since my brain is so familiar with Japanese, the similarities I find between the two languages are throwing me off, especially the written portion.  Both the simplified writing as well as the meanings can be slightly different but that small change is to confuse me. 

I think one of the things I'm going to do while I'm here learning is keep a blog as I did of my travels about the things I learn during my trip to Chiang Mai and Krabi.  It'll help keep me writing as well as reflect on my experiences in a new location.

I'm nervous about what I need to bring and not bring but mainly it all pertains to my budget.  Cost of living in Taiwan looks to be comparable to where I'm at now so I'm trying to see if I can plan out my budget as I'll have limited funds to make this work.

I'll have fun no matter what though.