Ni hao!
I’m sitting here writing today in what appears to be the tail end of my first typhoon! Typhoon Sinlaku is moving away from Fongyuan and is focusing it’s eye on Taipei, so we got lucky this time. But it has trapped most citizens indoors for the weekend so I finally get to update. I keep telling everyone I’ll be sending something soon – there’s just so much to do here! Plus asking the right person to hook up internet in my apartment has been the big challenge seeing as how my Chinese speaking abilities are quite limited still – I haven’t had the confidence to flirt in Chinese with the cute Taiwanese girls who work at the school yet, and most of what I say to them in English is lost in translation, but its still fun to try!
So wow, a lot has happened in the month since I left most of you, so let me try my best to catch up from where I left off…
I’m finally traveling on my own after talking about it for so long! And though living in another country isn’t exactly ‘traveling’ per say, I’m on my own, very far from home…on the other side of the world to be exact. And this in a way is exactly what I wanted/needed. I found myself floundering towards the end of my time in Harrisonburg, looking for identity in a familiar place, with amazing friends and support. Though I loved Harrisonburg both for its beautiful geography and its beautiful people, it is a place one can get sucked into for exactly those reasons and be perfectly content settling in. Or for me, it was a place I realized I have grown up and out of. I couldn’t find my identity anymore for multiple reasons, but the main one being school was my reason for being in Harrisonburg. Spending a year just living there afterwards, I realized that at some point, my friends would leave that place, too, and move on. You can always see your friends if you want to, but it is important to keep moving, keep growing. Let it be known, however, the first place to visit once I get back will undoubtedly be that place I’ve consider home for the past six years (wow, Justin, seriously?!)and my amazing friends who've helped me through it all.
With that being said - greetings from Taiwan! I know most of you knew my hesitations about coming here; about how I said I wasn’t sure if it was the right place for me. Turns out you can’t really know until you get somewhere. I love it here - the people, the mountains, the temples, the food and smells (most of them anyway), and everything in between. In such a modern society as Taiwan I am amazed at how much ancient culture has made it through time. There was a large temple just across the street from where the HESS (my employer) main office was in Taipei (pop. 3.2 million). On any given day 1000s of Taiwanese come in and out of the temple to pay their dues and offer prayers, food and incense to their ancestors or deities, while right across the street foreigners are teaching 4 year olds how to read and write in English. The temple in my own town of Fongyuan (pop. 136,000) has a cell phone store next door right beyond the alley of wonderful and bizarre food vendors where my roommates and I can get dinner for around $1. And this food is amazing and probably really bad for you, so I can't wait to put on 20 pounds finally!
I must say I haven’t been alone in this adventure. Everyone in my training group was extremely helpful and supportive to anyone who needed it. It helps to be in a foreign place with others who are experiencing the same things you are: inability to communicate the most basic needs, separation from the comforts of home, no teaching experience for most, and the desire to connect with others (which can make for some interesting nights). Then, others have a hard time adjusting, and we lost 3 out of our 40 trainees because they couldn’t handle the transition. People have come here for so many different reasons, but I find we’re all here mainly for a new adventure. Now that my 40+ new acquaintances are scattered all over the country, finding something to do has not been a problem!
Well this is all for now. Coming up next will be my trip to Kenting and all of my adorable 3 year olds! I’ll also post my address as soon as I can find someone to write it in English. Xie jien!
And if you have moved within the past 6 months or so send me an updated address because I probably don't have it. Also, I'm starting a competition. If I get a letter from you first I'll be sending you a case of Taiwan Beer! Whoo! Tastes better than warm pee, but not better than cold pee.
