Monday, January 31, 2011

Taiwan 02.2004

           

          At this time in my life, I was restless.  I wanted to do something but I didn’t know what.  At work one day I started to Google my different options.  I found an English Day camp in Southern Taiwan for 4 days.  I emailed the director for more information.  I had never taught English and I wondered how hard it would be.  Leo emailed me back shortly afterwards and said that he would love to have an American English native speaker as a teacher.  American English speakers are preferable over the other native English dialects.  Asia had never been on my top ten list of places to visit.  Heck, I didn’t even eat rice because I didn’t like it.  I didn’t know anything about Asia, the different cultures, or the food.  I bought my ticket and never looked back.  I’d rather create my own opinions about a culture and its people through experiences instead of what I’ve always heard or what I imagined it to be.
            When I told mom and dad what I had done they were excited for me but of course they had reservations.  This wasn’t the first or the last time I would travel across the world by myself to learn about a different culture and more about myself.  Dad had been in the Philippines in the 70s for a West Pacific Tour on a nuclear submarine with the Navy.  He gave me 3 pieces of advice; DON’T take a taxi alone, DON’T walk in the alleys alone, and DON’T go on the rooftops.  Well, within 6 hours of being in Taiwan, I had successfully gone against dad’s advice twice.  Below are my thoughts and accounts of my adventures for my trip to Taiwan in February 2004.  These are words of my perceptions and my reality only.    

02.02-03.2004
At 4:30am I woke up and left for the Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport to go to Taiwan.  I don’t know why but I was so emotional.  I was scared, excited, petrified, and anxious.  I still had no clue why I was going to Taiwan, but I had something to prove and I was going to prove it.
            I left with tears in my eyes and a sharp pain in my stomach.  I went and had four cokes at the bar.  A middle-aged lesbian started talking to me.  We mostly talked about traveling, terrorism, and spoiled American kids.  She worked for AT&T and was talking about how the calls were monitored on September 11th.  She talked about how in their Communications Rooms their monitors were full of calls going from New York to the rest of the country.  I think that we need to tell our loved ones everyday how much we love them and not wait until something smacks us in the face.  The terrorist attacks against Americans on September 11th, changed our feelings about security and the way that we travel.
            I boarded the plane to San Francisco.  I sat in the middle of two men.  The one on my left seemed nice but the one on my right seemed like an ADD drug addict.  He was so tall that he was going into my space and barely touching me the whole time.  He was constantly getting things in and out of his bag and was jittery.  Luckily, it was only a 2 hour flight.
            I landed in San Francisco and checked in for the flight to Tokyo.  I was starving at this point and had two hours to kill so I ordered a pizza and had a beer, Bud Light, gross.  I met Dave who was a Physical Therapist in Atlanta and was only in San Francisco for the weekend.  He was going home to Atlanta and I was flying across the world.  One reasons that I have always loved airports is because of the people that I meet and the stories that I can make up in my head about the people that I watch curiously.  I had a nice conversation for about 20 minutes and then I got bored with him.  The server came over and handed me another beer and said that I was overcharged.  I couldn’t say no to that.  I sat there a little while longer talking to Dave.  He was 32 years old and was afraid of commitment.  It always amazes me how open and honest people can be to strangers.  I said farewell to catch my plane.
            I boarded the plane with myself being the minority.  What an experience!  I wasn’t used to that and knew that I would stick out in Taiwan.  Luckily, I had two seats (a whole row) by the window to myself.  There was a guy in my seat when I got there but he wasn’t supposed to be there and found another one.
            So, I watched a couple of movies, read a little bit, and even dozed off a couple of times.  This was the longest flight ever….  The food actually wasn’t that bad until I started reading about the specialty food and drinks in Taiwan.  They drink Turtle and Snake blood as cocktails.  I think that I’ll pass on that one.
            Seriously, what in the hell am I doing?  I can’t seem to stop asking myself that question….
            I really add to go pee but the toilet looked as though it was clogged.  I told the flight attendant and she that it was okay and to go ahead and use it.  I almost started to gag when I noticed that there was pee everywhere and on everything from the old guy before me.  Gross!!  I was stuck and didn’t have a choice.
            I know that this will be a learning experience but I still wondered what in the hell I was doing.  I had been traveling and awake for over 20 hours.  I was tired and still trying to sort out what I was feeling; apprehension, curiosity, and excited. 
            Getting off of the plane in Tokyo was interesting.  One of the flight attendants was screaming at an old Japanese woman to sit down.  The woman was trying to get off of the plane.  I’d never seen anything like that.  I still don’t know what the whole situation was about.  Surrounding the airport was a forest.  It looked like anywhere else in the USA.  I thought about the history and all of the WWII movies and books that I had seen or read about the war with Japan.  I would have loved to stay in Japan a little longer than three hours to actually see some of the sights.  One thing that I did notice was that they drive on the left side of the road. 
            I went to have a beer and met Mookie and Emanuel.  They were in the Army and going back to Hawaii.  Mookie gave me his email address and asked me to write to him about Taiwan.  I’m not sure I they thought that I was cool or crazy or even both. 
            I slept the whole plane ride from Tokyo to Taipei.  While I walked through security area at the Taipei airport there was a video camera that was like an x-ray machine.  You could see that all of the people were black almost and see through through large monitors on the wall. 
After passing through customs, I picked up my bag and walked to the arrival area but there was no one to meet me.  I waited patiently looking for someone holding a card with my name on it.  After about 30 minutes I went to the information counter for some help.  They made an announcement for the person who was supposed to meet me to come to the information counter but no one came.  I had never felt so alone.  I looked for anyone that could help me and found and asked a white guy if I could use his phone to call the camp.  It was just an answering machine.  I went back to the information desk and asked the lady if she could call the Hostel for me.  She said that she was unable to help because Hostels are illegal in Taiwan and she works for the government.  She saw that I was desperate and about to cry so she made the call.  I talked to Michael at the hostel and he gave me directions via the subway.  It was so late that the subway was closed.  The woman at the information desk wrote down the address in Chinese for me and told me which bus to take.
            I wandered around still looking for my name on a piece of paper with the person who was supposed to pick me up.  I still didn’t see anything so I went outside and waited for my bus.    I found another white guy and asked him what Taxis are safe to take.  He then proceeded to tell me that the drivers are ex-convicts and how he had a friend who had been brutally raped by her taxi driver.  Lovely…..  He left and my bus came.  I was tempted to stay at the airport and take the next plane back home.  I couldn't do anything else but cry. 
I boarded the bus and prayed that I would be safe.  I did sit by the older and younger women towards the back of the bus.  I tried to look for a nice looking person to take a taxi with but had no luck.  At my stop, I got off of the bus and got my bags all while looking completely lost.  I asked a girl close by if she was taking a Taxi but she said no.  Then, this little old woman came up to me and asked me where I was living.  I told her that I needed to get to my hostel and showed her the directions in Chinese.  Both the little old woman and the bus driver hailed a Taxi and told him where to take me.  She told me that it was important to write down the Taxi number in case anything happened.  She spoke to the Taxi driver and told him the address of where to take me.  She also told him that she had written down his information so that if he did anything to me she would call the police.  She was my guardian angel at that moment.  I got into the Taxi and prayed.  It was quiet since the driver didn’t speak English and I didn’t speak Chinese.  I took my pen out of my bag, took off the cap, and held it as a weapon in order to stab him if he tried anything.  Thank goodness it didn’t come to that.  It seemed that the address was hard to find since the driver back to back track a little bit.  Great, he was lost…..  It was about 3:00am in the morning at this point and the streets were empty.  Once he found what he thought was the address he stopped the car, grabbed my bag, and started walking through an alley.  I followed a few steps behind, with apprehension, in case I needed to run away.  We walked through the alley and around a building and he walked me straight to the front door of the hostel.  I gave him an extra tip.  I definitely had a guardian angel looking over me that night.
            The three things that dad told me to stay away from were rooftops, alleyways, and taxis.  Within 6 hours of being in Taiwan, I had successfully broken 2 of the cautionary advice tips that dad had given me…. Great….   
            I arrived at the Amigo Hostel (No. 14 Lane 157, Sec. 2, Yung-Ho Rd. Taipei, Taiwan 0968-526729), safe and soundly, and met Michael, the guy in charge.  I asked him where I could get a beer and he gave me directions to the closest Circle K.  I bought him a beer for his help.  He shared a Chinese pineapple cake with me.  It was a small candy almost, very sweet and delicious.  Michael asked me where I lived, what I did for a living, and how much money I make.  I read about that in the travel book how Taiwanese people like to ask, what Americans would think, are very personal questions.  I started talking to this guy who just got to the hostel.  He was looking for a teaching job.  It seems that most of the people here, at the hostel, were doing that.
            It was the first time that I went to the bathroom and had to throw the tissue in the wastebasket and not the toilet.  I don’t know how sanitary that is.  I know that I got myself into a mess but it is a learning experience.  What a crazy different world, one of which I do not understand nor do I fit in.  I don’t know the last time I prayed so much in one night.  I emailed mom and dad to let them know that I was safe and the journey of my day.  I was exhausted and went to bed on a piece of plywood with a thin mattress on it.  It was freezing cold.  I’m glad that I brought my sheet and warm pajamas.  I still should’ve brought a blanket as well.

Market Stall


02.02.2004
From: Mom
To: Andi
Subject: Hi
This morning after you were already in the air I had such a feeling a missing you.  I know you are having an adventure! Take lots of pictures and we’ll talk all about it next Tuesday night. Miss you!!!  Mom
02.03.2004
From: Dad
To: Andi
Subject: Morning Sis
You should be in Taiwan by now and I wanted to have a note waiting for you. Mom and I area praying you will have an enjoyable experience and a Safe One. I Love You Sweetie. Let us know you how you're doing. Love You
Dad

02.03.2004
From: Dad
To: Andi
Subject: Re: Safe and Sound
Thanks SOOO Much for getting a note off to us so soon.  You must be exhausted.   What an adventure and only in country for 6 hours.   Sis, we have been and will continue to pray for you.   When you get a chance, please give us the name of the "school/camp" and any other particulars that may be useful.    Heck, even if the camp thing doesn't work out, you should have a good time just bumming around town with some of the others in the Hostel.   Are there many people staying there this time of year?    Hope you get some good rest tonight.  Keep us posted on your status.  Love You Sis
Dad
Market


02.04.2004
            I set my alarm and woke up at 7am after having 4 hours of sleep.  I took a shower a got ready.  I now understand why they warn you about the bathroom floors being wet.  There was just one drain in the room, no shower curtain, and no floor divider.  I got ready and no one was up so I left.  I was starving so I went to a little store and bought what I thought was cheesy bread.  It was really ham and cheese in a long bread roll.  It was fresh but I was worried since it wasn’t refrigerated.  It was good though.
            I wandered around and found a fresh market in an alley tucked away.  I walked through it amazed with my eyes wide open.  There were fruits and vegetables that I had never seen before nor did I have a clue what they were.  The meat was another story.  There were live chickens in cages that you can pick which one you want.  Then they kill it and pluck the feathers right there.  There were pieces of meat where the hooves or feet or even the head were still attached.  I saw a pig’s tail with a chunk of meat at the bottom.  I don’t know why you would want to eat a pig’s butt.  The alley was narrow and it was crowded with people.  I wouldn’t even be able to try and describe the smell.  It was very distinct.
            I went back to the hostel and tried to call the camp.  Leo’s cell phone was given to me but there was no answer.  I got directions to the nearest Temple and took the subway.  It absolutely amazed me how clean the city was with millions of people living in Taipei.  The Temple was beautiful.  There were many worshippers lighting candles, dropping pieces of wood, lighting incense, and giving food to either the gods or dead loved ones.  There were monks praying and chanting.  I wondered if the monks eat the food when the people leave.  What did they do with it all?  I wasn’t sure if it was a Buddhist, Taoist, or Confucius Temple.  It was beautiful though.
            I continued to wander and was starving.  I wanted to find a sit-down restaurant but had no luck.  I found a street vendor with pictures of the food and pointed to a chicken and egg sandwich.  I took one bite and threw it away.  The chicken was fatty and the egg was undercooked.  I started heading back towards the subway and found another alley open market.  The markets in Taipei reminded me of the open markets in Israel.  I bought an apple for 50NT which cost more than my sandwich.  It was big, juicy, and made my hunger subside for the moment.  I think that I’d like to buy a tea set before I leave.  There are some very pretty ones in Taipei.  I went back to the hostel and Michael called Leo for me and got instructions on how I can get to the school.  I was to call a cab and have them take me to an office about 45 minutes away from the hostel.  From there, a coworker of Leo’s would pick me up.  I was told that they would pay for the cab ride which was good.  The plan worked out a little differently though.  Michael called a cab for me.  I waited for about an hour watching Legally Blonde until the cab finally showed up.
            The taxi ride was about 45 minutes as promised.  The guy didn’t know where the address was so he kept on making phone calls and making u-turns.  We finally arrived outside an office building. A guy walked up to the taxi but the driver shooed him away.  That guy turned out to be the contact.  I got out of the taxi and hurriedly grabbed my bags.  The contact was in a big hurry and I jumped into a small van where I met Colleen.  I probably wouldn’t have gotten into the vehicle if I hadn’t of seen another American.  The situation was very shady so far.  We drove for about two hours with the air conditioner on, freezing to death the whole way, until the guy stopped the van at an off ramp and said that his friend would take us the rest of the way.  A Volvo showed up shortly after and we transferred our luggage, got into the car, and drove for another hour with the air conditioner on only half of the time.  It was so cold.  This guy spoke absolutely no English.  We got to a city and the guy dropped us off at the corner and made the gesture with his hands.  I had no clue what it meant but Colleen had said that she read in a book that it meant #6.  We had no clue what that meant but found an elevator through a hallway next to an arcadia game store and took the elevator to the sixth floor.  The floor was completely empty.  It looked like a hotel and all of the doors to the rooms were open.  We went back downstairs to find the driver but he had already gone.  I was pissed off by this time.  No one told us what was going on and we were in a small town in Taiwan where nobody spoke English.  We then took the elevator to every floor looking for someone or something.  We found someone who didn’t speak English but he let us use his cell phone.  We called Leo and he said that someone would fetch us on the sixth floor.  I continued to ask myself how this situation could get any shadier or fishy.  Two Chinese kids walked up the steps to come and get us, Daniel and Grace.  Grace ended up being my teacher’s assistant.  They told us to leave our luggage in one of the open rooms and that it would be safe.  I closed the door to the room, just in case.
            They took us to dinner and I asked them to order for me.  I had beef and noodle soup.  I tried dried little fish, with the heads on and all, with bear nuts.  It was gross.  Daniel got some sort of dumplings from off of the street and those were delicious.  For drinks, we had Milk Tea and Pearls.  The pearls were actually flour balls that tasted like marshmallows.
            When we were done, we went back to the shady dark hotel and finally met Leo.  He went over the schedule and I met all of the other teachers.  I never thought that I would teach English in Taiwan and yet, there I was.  This guy named Kevin, a 40 year old ex-actor, went over the schedule as well.  I was so tired and completely overloaded that I was not in a good mood.  I went and found an internet café and wrote to mom and dad and then went to bed.  I slept like a log that night.


 
02.04.2004
From: Dad
To: Andi
Subject: Re: Markets
Well Sis, you are definitely getting a good dose of Asian culture.  Reminds me of Hong Kong, Korea and the Philippines.   A bunch of people who don't speak English, fish heads and whole dead chicken.   Actually, the street food is usually pretty good and that sounds like it hasn't changed much either.   I am so glad you were able to connect with the camp and another camp teacher.   I got your card yesterday.   Thanks So Much.  I Love You Sis.  Have a GREAT Day.
Dad

02.04.2004
From: Mom
To: Andi
Subject: Hello from sunny AZ
Miss you!!!! Glad for the emails as you know your Dad and I are concerned for you! And you know your Dad and how he worries J Aunt Dot said to let you know she is praying for you. Love and Miss you, Mom
02.05.2004
I woke up at 6:40am and got ready.  I met some guys who said that there was coffee available at McDonalds down the road.  I went and got a cappuccino and a Sausage McMuffin.  It was really dry and had no grease.  There were other teachers at McDonalds getting coffee as well so we walked back to the hotel together and took a cab to the school which is really close. 
All of the teachers met each other and then we went to the classrooms.  I was petrified.  Every time I asked a question all of the children gave me blank stares and didn’t answer.  I didn’t know how to reach them. We sang and did dances and made costumes for a play on Saturday.  The kids were 13-14 years old but really looked as though they are 10.  I didn’t even know if they understood me. 
            We did something for an hour and then would take a 15 minute break.  We made name plates and taped them to the desks.  We also learned a bunch of songs and chants.  Each kid was given $8 of fake money.  Every time they spoke in Chinese I was to take $1 away.  I had a hard time doing that.  I made the classroom into a U shape so that it was easier to see each child and so that they could all see me.
            We all met in the auditorium before lunch and sang our class song on stage.  My class decided their name would be the Flocking Birds and our song was the tune of “If you’re happy and you know it”.  It was a disaster on stage and I ended up being the one who sang the most on stage but it was fun.
            We went to have lunch.  It consisted of cold greasy fried chicken, rice, and random vegetables.  I had a lot of rice and made a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.  After lunch, the kids took a nap for about an hour.  What a great idea!
            We had our teachers meeting during nap time.  Nothing too eventful, but I did feel as though I was doing a good job.
            I had to pee so badly.  I was trying to hold it as best as I could but couldn’t do it any longer.  I went and found a hole in the floor toilet.  I squatted and pulled my pants away as far as possible and luckily managed not to pee on myself.  I have never liked or have been very good at squatting to pee, evening when camping.
            We had some more activities and then the teachers switched classrooms.  The first classroom we made name tags out of clay and wood.  The kids were still as quiet as could be.  The second classroom was different.  Colleen just said to beware.  One of the kids said had showed her how well he knew American cuss words.  I went in there and we were only to learn the Chicken Dance and a country line dance.  No one wanted to give a suggestion for movements during the interlude.  I was mad at the boys for not participating so I made the twirl around like little ballerinas.  One boy in particular wasn’t participating at all.  I walked over to him and said that he could either do the motions with his friends or up in the front of the room with me.  He chose to do the dance moves with his friends.
            We then went to the auditorium again.  A couple of groups were chosen to do the dances that were learned and practiced and we were to pick a winner from the groups.  The other team had the youngest group go and the kids were so cute.  We all had to pick a winner.  Both teams were chanting, “We are the winners, They are the losers”.  To me, it just sounded wrong.  You shouldn’t tell a child that they are losers whether it is in fun or not.  One group was chosen the winner and then the kids went home.
            We had yet another teachers meeting after the kids left.  We just went over tomorrow’s agenda and went to find food.  We all agreed on a Chinese food place.  No one wanted McDonalds or so I thought.  After we got to the area of the restaurants almost everyone got McDonalds.  Leo asked me where I was eating.  I told him that I was in Taiwan for a reason and that I was going to eat Chinese food.  He seemed pleased with my answer.  I found a place and ordered after looking at the pictures.  I sat down and had fried chicken, a crusty round ball (which was really good), and rice.  When I was done, I went to throw my garbage away and the lady pointed outside.  I handed my plate to a guy who was standing by the doorway separating the trash.  I wonder if they reuse the plastic plates and spoons too.
            At dinner, these stupid Canadians that started to bash the American culture and America itself.  One Canadian guy was saying how Canadian intelligence is so good that no one had ever heard of them.  I told him no offense but the reason why no one has heard of them was because they were Canadian.  Canada doesn’t do anything.  I didn’t need to fly half way around the world to have my nationality bashed by Canadians.  I left and walked back to the hotel with Ken, the talkative 40 year old.
            I walked to the internet café to check my messages and to send my daily update email to mom and dad.  I then went and got 2 beers and went back to my room to write in my journal.  I started talking to Ken about traveling in Asia.  He was a talker so I went back to finish my journal.  This definitely had been a long day but it was interesting and good.

02.05.2004
From: Dad
To: Andi
Subject: Re: School
Thanks for the note and I am so glad you have internet access at the school.   Your classroom experience sounds interesting.   Apparently your TA is a very important part of this experience and communication with you young charges.  How many do you have in your classes?   You'll have to give us a demonstration of this "Chicken Dance."    Well Sis, I've got to head off to a meeting, so I'll sign off for now.  Love You Sis 
Dad.

02.05.2004
From: Mom
To: Andi
Subject: Thursday Hello
Glad to hear you made it to the school, sounds like a story waiting to tell.  Kids will be kids if in USA or Taiwan, attitude and all. Are they giving you ideas or do you have to make it up as you go?  Glad to hear you will coming up the first weekend, Dad doesn’t get to see you as often as I do and he misses you. Love and Miss you!  Mom
02.06.2004
            I took a nice bath last night and did my hair.  I couldn’t tell you the last time, if ever, that I washed my hair in the bathtub.  I woke up at 7 and threw on some clothes.  I went to McDonalds for some really bad coffee and then got in the taxi for school.  The taxi drivers are certifiably insane with how they drive.
            I started handing out my American candy for anyone who gave me an answer in class.  It was amazing how much the kids were more inclined to participate when there was a prize.  We played Tic Tac Toe.  After that, I blindfolded a student and turned them around to get them disoriented.  I then had the other kids give the child directions, in English, as to how to reach another child who was in a specific spot in the room.
            Grace didn’t show up until the late morning.  When she showed up she said that she was in the hospital for stomach pains.  I told her that she should go to the hotel to lie down.  She said that she felt better and stayed all day long.  I can’t believe that she stayed.
            I switched classes after lunch.  For lunch, we had pork and rice along with some sort of seaweed salad.  It wasn’t too bad.  For class after lunch, we worked on Passport information.  That was a headache.  Once again, the kids in the class just stared at me with blank stares.  It turns out that their birth days are completely different from how the birthdays are notated in the US or in Europe.  They take the year that they were born and subtract 1911, which is the year that Taiwan became independent from China.  So mine birth year would be 1981-1911=70.  My birthday in Taiwan would be notated as 70,05,08 (year, month, day).  Another problem was that their “family” (last) name was what they call their first name.  They also didn’t know how their last name was spelled in English.
            We had two teachers for the Passport portion of class.  Tim, an old Australian guy, came in and stated that all of the kids needed to have a picture for their passports.  I don’t think that he understood that these kids are perfectionists and because of that we were going to run out of time.  I told the kids that what they already had was good and he freaked out.  I told him that we needed to finish.  I walked up to a boy and noticed a razorblade on his desk.  I asked him why he had a razorblade and then I noticed that all the kids had razorblades.  I guess that they use them to sharpen their pencils.  Everywhere else but in the USA would kids be allowed razorblades in the classroom.  I saw someone throw a folded piece of paper and it hit a boy in the face.  I got up and yelled at all of the boys in that direction since I couldn’t tell exactly who threw it.
            At 4:00pm I took 4 kids: Jacky(boy), Jean, Jerry, and Sheila to barbeque outside the classroom while everyone else went to learn campfire songs and dances.  The kids knew exactly what to do and they didn’t really need help or supervision.  Four kids from the class next to us were also cooking barbeque outside but had a fan blowing at the charcoals with sparks flying everywhere including on a wooden chair.  I told the kids not to do that but Colleen said that they knew what they were doing.  It amazed me that these kids are so mature.  We had tons of meat and fish to barbeque, mystery meat to be exact.  Each class had a specific amount to cook.  There were white balls of some sort that I ate.  They were a little fishy so I had asked Grace what they were.  She said “Jelly Fish”.  Weird.  It wasn’t great but it was tolerable.  The kids cooked all of the meat and did everything that needed to be done.  I just hope that everything was cooked properly.  They even cleaned up as well without having to be asked.  These are not your typical kids, or at least the ones that I’m used to in America.  Jacky had taken one of the boxes of matches and they were playing with them so I took it.  I guess that kids are kids.
            We walked back into the square in the middle of the school and there was a ceremony with a bon fire.  They made all of the teachers get up and dance, twice.  They didn’t bother to tell us that beforehand or show us the moves so needless to say, we looked like a bunch of idiots but it was a fun good time.  We chanted and screamed a lot.  Then, there were fireworks that were set off.  They were pretty good ones and of course a big one at the end for the finale.  The fireworks were right next to the bon fire and the kids weren’t too far away.  It was pretty dangerous but no one else seemed to notice.
            The day was supposed to end at 8:00pm, which would have been 12 hours straight with the kids.  It actually ended at 8:45pm with a meeting after that.  I don’t know how these kids can go to school/camp for 13 hours a day.  I seriously thought that the day would never end.  A cool thing was that the teacher assistants did a traditional dance for us with a bunch of incense in their hands.  That was a treat to see.
            I was completely dead with exhaustion.  My body hurt and I was brain dead.  It was a very long but good day.  I never thought that I would be such a good cheerleader.  Only one more day…. I enjoyed the kids that I had in my class the majority of the time. 


 
02.07.2004
            I woke up tired again.  The days were long and so full of activity.  I went to McDonalds again for nasty coffee and very dry English McMuffin.  We had to have all of our bags packed and put into one room, 618.
            I got to class on time and started the last day.  I was tired as well as were the kids.  Now, they wouldn’t be quiet and they wouldn’t pay attention.  I was yelling at them by 8:30am.  I told them that it was going to be a very long day if they didn’t start to pay attention.  We read over the play “Snow White and the Sevens Dwarfs”.  Michael, the smallest boy in class, was going to be the prince.  I asked him to read his part and he just sat there and started to cry.  I then asked Ben to be the Prince.
            Then, we played a bunch of games like “I Spy”, Bingo, and “Ghost”.  Ghost is where the kids were in a circle and they followed the movements of each other and they had to find out who the leader was.  They day went by and it was lunch time.  Once again, it was rice, vegetables, and greasy chicken.  I ate the rice and the vegetables.  Phil came running in saying not to eat the vegetables after I was almost done eating.  I asked him why and he said because some kids found worms/maggots in theirs.  I thought that I was going to be sick.  I stopping eating what was left and walked to town to find something different without maggots in it.  I was still a little hungry and wasn’t sure when we would eat next.  I found a nice bakery and got a pastry.  Then I was able to find some of that delicious lavender milk tea.  Once I got back to the school I noticed that there was a hair deeply imbedded in the pastry.  I threw it out.  I really don’t think that I was supposed to have lunch that day. 
            After lunch and nap time, we worked on our songs and the play.  The kids then had to make some costumes for myself and for Grace.  I handed out the last candy that I had but I was 4 pieces short.  I had to go and find some other candy.
            One of the girls wanted my address.  I put my address and email address on the chalkboard.  Ranny (pronounced Rainey) came up to me and shared her chocolate with me.  That’s so sweet!
            The kids made Grace an Indian Princess and me a Hawaiian Princess.  I had a head-bead, bracelets, necklaces, bra, and a skirt.  They did a really good job!  While I was waiting for the outfit to be finished I asked some kids to write my name on the board in Chinese.  It took them awhile to figure it out.  After they wrote it one the board, I practiced it and they just sat there laughing at me.
            I noticed a boy playing with his phone and I asked to look at it.  It was the smallest phone that I had ever seen.  It was cute.  The technology in Taiwan was different from the technology in the US. 
            We were finally ready for the performances.  The kids went ahead and Grace and I stayed behind with the two students who were going to introduce us.  We had a fashion show in order to show off the outfits that were made for us.  The teachers did a dance and ended up looking really goofy.  Our class was the one who won the fashion show.  We were the best dressed.  The whole production took about 1 ½ hours longer than it should have.  It was sort of sad saying goodbye to the kids.  They were fun regardless of the misunderstandings that we had. 
            We were supposed to leave at 7:00pm but since we didn’t get done with the performances until 6:30pm that obviously didn’t happen.  All of the teachers went to a “Hot Pot” restaurant for dinner.  Leo bought us some beers.  Dinner consisted of more mystery meat and fish in a bowl boiling in water.  It was delicious.  I had blood rice which wasn’t too bad.  I’m not sure what else I ate because I stopping asking.  I figured that was for the best.  During dinner, we were called out one by one to get paid.  I got 11,000NT for the salary and the extra expenses.  It was given to me by Leo in a red money envelope.  I read that all money given, except for funerals, must be given in a red envelope.  Funeral money is given in a white envelope.  Leo sat at our table when he was done paying everyone.  He was a nice guy, had been running the English camp for about 12 years, and had 3 kids.  His eldest daughter, Vita who is 24, showed up on the last day to help.
            When we were done with dinner we all got into a small bus and went back to the hotel.  It was already a tight squeeze and I wondered how we were going to fit all of the luggage along with the people but it worked out okay.  We got another beer and got on the bus to head back to Taipei.  I wasn’t paying attention but all of a sudden there was ton of yelling.  Ken, the 40 year old out of work actor, had been “sick” for the past 2 days and had not worked.  Everyone who had seen him said that he looked fine.  Some even said that he had been out partying all night both nights.  Ken was screaming at Leo that he should pay him.  Leo said that he wasn’t going to pay him because he didn’t work, was out all night, and wasn’t sick.  Ken was screaming and cussing as was Leo.  Leo told Ken to get off of his bus and Ken sat down and told Leo that he would have to call the police to physically get him off of the bus.  One of the guys told Ken to calm down and that the tension that he was causing was not worth the money.  Leo was so pissed off and kept on calling Ken a shithead.  I really thought that some punches were going to be thrown.  Luckily, that didn’t happen.  I was pissed off and scared.  Who the hell was Ken to ruin everyone’s bus ride home?  He was not a salaried employee and had no benefits and therefore he didn’t get the luxury of getting paid for “sick days”.  Sorry, you need to take responsibility for your choices and your actions.  Ken settled down and everyone was silent.
            The bus ride began again.  It was hard to break the silence after that.  I sat next to Liza, who was from South Africa.  I asked her all sorts of questions about living there and what it was like.  I don’t think that I ever want to go there.  She had been stabbed with a screw driver 7 times in her hand and in her chest.  A guy approached her and asked her for money and then asked her for her purse.  She said no and then he attacked her.  She had a large bust and the doctors told her that is what saved her life.  What a crazy and scary story.
            There were two pee stops along the way.  The first stop was at a random gas station and it was a squat toilet.  The second stop was at a rest stop.  The toilet at the second stop looked like a urinal in the floor with a lip.  I peed in the direction I thought was correct and it worked just fine.  After I got in the bus I asked Kendra and Liza about it and it turned out that I peed in the wrong directions.  I guess that you have to face the cup/lip like side of the squat toilet.  No one had explained how to do it.  I was still proud of myself that I didn’t pee on myself.
            Once we started dropping off people along to the way to Taipei there was more room in the bus.  I fell asleep and woke up freezing to death.  Ken had moved to the seat in front of me and had the window wide open.  I asked him if he would close the window because the air conditioner was already on.  He said that he would close the window as soon as everyone in the back stopped smoking.  First of all; get over yourself, grow up, and come back to reality, is what I thought at least.  He must have felt bad because he closed it 30 seconds later.  What a total jerk off.
            So, the second anxiety attack happened when we dropped off people in Taichung.  Patrick, a 55+ year old also out of work Canadian actor, was getting off of the bus and Ken lunged at him.  I don’t think that anyone knew what was going on at first.  It took awhile for someone to pull of Ken from Pat.  Ken was screaming something about Pat owing him 5,000NT.  Pat had said something to Leo about Ken being out all night partying.  Then, Ken was screaming about smoke being in his hotel room.  He could have always asked for the people to stop smoking.  Luke pulled Ken off of Pat and Pat got off of the bus.  Ken started ranting and raving about this and that.  I got up and moved to the back of the bus.  I couldn’t stand being that close to him and I was scared and what was going to happen next.    Poor Vita, Leo’s daughter was really scared too.  She thought that Ken would go after her for the money that he thought was owed to him from Leo.
            It was a pretty quick ride to Taipei after that.  We got to the outskirts of Taipei and Ken started freaking out again.  He wasn’t paying attention and didn’t get off at the last stop where he was supposed to.  Luckily, the bus driver was driving back in that general direction so Ken didn’t get off of the bus when I did at my stop.  I said goodbye to everyone.  Phil gave me a hug and I got in the taxi to go back to the hostel.
            I got back to the hostel and went to Circle K to get a beer.  I emailed mom and dad my latest adventures and talked to Ling for awhile.  She was Australian but her parents were Cantonese (Chinese).  We had a good time.  She taught me how to say hello, goodbye, and thank you in Chinese.  I had already forgotten.  It’s such a hard language.  I crawled into bed and didn’t set the alarm.  I really needed to sleep!!


 
02.08.2004
            I actually slept in until 9:30am.  I think that I woke up to my alarm at 6:00am but not enough to turn it off.  I got up and went to the market.  First, I stopped by the bakery for breakfast and got some sort of roll with ham, cheese, and garlic spread.  The bread here was so fresh and delicious.
            I wandered through the open market again with eyes wide open as always.  The first time I attempted to buy a tea set at a shop the guy shook his head at me like he wouldn’t sell anything to me.  I just walked away to find a place that would take my money.  I found a shop that sold tea sets and got a blue and white porcelain one.  I also bought some tea.
            I found some beautiful fashion scarves and bought two.  The only time that I bartered was when I got Mom’s bracelet.  The price was 1200NT.  It was pretty but not that pretty.  I asked the owner if she would take 900NT for it and she accepted so I bought it.  Everything was so cheap that I left like I didn’t need to barter.  I had never been a fan of bartering anyway.  I then found a miscellaneous store and bought metal chopsticks and soup spoons.  I also purchased some a bunch of wooden chopsticks. 
            I just wandered around savoring the smells and the sights.  After walking through the market my stomach started to growl and I wasn’t feeling too well. Luckily, there was a Starbucks across the corner and I ran to use the bathroom.  I don’t want to think what would have happened if Starbucks hadn’t been in the area.  I ended up making a large circle and I was really close to the hostel so I went back and dropped off my new souvenirs.  I went ahead and took some Imodium AD just in case.  Bathrooms are really hard to find and I didn’t want anymore surprises or problems.
            I waited for awhile to see if I could find anyone who wanted to go sightseeing with me.  No luck.  Michael was there though.  He started showing me how easy Chinese characters are.  He showed me how the word door actually looked like a door 門, and sun looked like a sun , and a person was something like .  It was a very cool conversation but I was getting bored.  I said goodbye and was off again.
            I wasn’t sure where I was going but I ended up taking the subway to Chen Kai-Shek Memorial.  It was awesome.  There were two temples which faced each other with the Memorial in the middle.  I walked up the steps but before I would enter I had to have my body temperature read.  I hadn’t figured that out yet as to what they needed people’s body temperatures for.  There was a huge bronze statue out front of Chen Kai-Shek.  I followed a staircase down and found a museum of sorts with a gift shop.  I walked around looking at pictures and old clothes of Chen Kai-Shek. 
            The Lantern Festival was going on.  It takes place 2 weeks after the Chinese New Year.  I walked along the street shops/bazaars.  I bought mystery meat on a stick with some kind of vegetable, possibly mushrooms.  I’ll never know but it was good, whatever it was.  I bought some regional rice wine and a painting which was done by a man with his mouth who was armless.  I also bought some soft candy of some sort.  I don’t know exactly what it was but once again, it was tasty.  I walked around the whole complex of festival vendors which was a minimum of 1 square mile.  I found another street food vendor and decided to try something that was from the snail family.  As I walked by they invited me to try some of the mystery food.  I had to hold the shell in one hand and suck the meat out.  The first one was a dud so I was given another one.  I sucked the second snail like thing and ate the meat.  It was good aside from the fact that my mouth was on fire for the next 30 minutes.  I was tired so I went back to the subway.  I really just wanted to sit down.
            In the subway, I sat down to rest for a bit.  I didn’t know what I wanted to do but I was so tired.  I literally sat on the floor people watching and the passerby people just stared at me.  I guess that people don’t sit on the ground here.  I decided to stay in the Chen Kai-Shek area.  I found a coffee shop nearby the subway so I got a coffee and a pastry and relaxed.  It had been raining all day and I was completely soaked through.  I was freezing and wet.
            After I had rested for awhile, I went to go and find another market which was supposed to be close by according to the travel book.  I was unable to find it so I just wandered once again.  I found a shop with more tea sets where I purchased another one.  The shop owner started talking to me and once he found out that I was traveling alone he kept on saying that I was very brave.  I was offered some green tea.  The shop owner and his wife were very kind.  He was trying to explain the Chinese way and their culture.  Taiwanese people are very proud of their traditions but they want to be more like the Western countries.  I headed back to the subway to go back to the hostel.
            I sat next to an old Taiwanese man who started talking to me.  He also kept saying that I was very brave.  He had rotting teeth and gums from the beet nut stuff that the older generation chews.
            I got back to the hostel and unloaded my souvenirs and gifts.  I went to the TV room to rest for a bit and to also see if I could get anyone to go sightseeing with me.  Michael started talking to me and asked if I wanted to go and see his daughter perform Karaoke.  I said sure so I went and changed into dry pants and then we walked down the street to where the Karaoke place was supposed to be.  We got into an elevator and went to the 4th floor.  When the elevator doors opened, it looked to be a hotel hallway with individual doors leading to individual rooms.  At first I thought that maybe I misunderstood Michael or he misunderstood me.  I was on high alert and ready to run the opposite direction down the stairs.  I didn’t know what to expect or what I had gotten myself into.  Michael reached a door and looked through the little window.  I guess that we had reached our destination.  After I looked in and verified that yes, it really was a Karaoke room, I walked in behind Michael.  It was a private room and there were about fifteen twelve year olds who were drinking and singing.  I sat down and a twelve year old handed me a Heineken.  I couldn’t help but laugh.  I sat there in awe drinking my beer and watching these children drink beer, dance, and sing their hearts out.  I watching for about 30 minutes and then said thank you and left to go and find food.  I walked for a bit and found a restaurant and ordered mystery beef noodle soup from a picture.
            After dinner, I went back to the hostel.  Ling, the Australian girl, was there talking to a Canadian guy so I joined them.  After awhile, Michael came back to the hostel and the four of us walked to the night market.  I wasn’t too impressed with the night market.  It was still raining and Michael was a little too touchy and a little too close with the umbrella.  I really wished that I had my own umbrella.  I kept as much distance as possible, which wasn’t much.  We ate some street food and Ling helped explain what some of the candy was.  I got dried fish and other random stuff.  I didn’t know what the culprit was but something that I ate was so spicy and my mouth was on fire for once again 30 minutes. 
            We went back to the hostel after about an hour.  I took a shower, packed my bags, and passed out.  It was another long, cold, and wet day.


 
02.09.2004
            I woke up at 5:00am so that I could catch the first subway and then the bus to the airport.  My bag was so heavy with all of my newly purchased Taiwanese goodies.  I successfully made it to the Mingchen West subway station but I couldn’t find the bus station.  Luckily, before I left, Michael had written all the information I needed in Chinese in case I got into trouble.  I went to the wrong bus stop and then had to walk about 1 block to the correct bus stop.  I got on the bus going to the airport.  It only cost 70NT but no change was given after I handed the driver 100NT.  I guess that he thought that was his tip.  It wasn’t like I could argue about it.  I thought that I was never going to get to the right bus.  I think that I got on the bus with the long route to the airport.  The driver would give tickets to people getting on and then take them back when people got off.  I arrived at the airport with not too much time to spare.  I slept the whole way to Tokyo.
            In Tokyo, I went wild in the Duty Free shops and got perfume, sake, and Japanese vodka.  I found a shop and ordered a coffee and a ham and cheese sandwich.  There was an American guy and a girl in front of me but they weren’t together.  She needed change for a $20.00 American bill.  The guy gave her 4 $5.00 bills but as soon as the guy saw the $20.00 bill he wanted his $5.00 bills back saying that the $20.00 wasn’t real.  He said that “We don’t have money like that in the states”.  I offered to give her change.  I looked at the bill and the metal strip was in the bill, therefore it was real.  It was one of the newer bills that were recently created.  That guy was just weird.  I started talking to her and she was getting her Masters in International Relations in South Korea and just got engaged.  It was an educational conversation about International Relations and it really made me want to get my butt in gear with furthering my education.
            I went to my gate to wait for my flight to take me home to the great USA.  I met 31 year old Joel from San Francisco.  He was a nice guy and have been traveling and teaching in Asia for the past 1 ½ years.  We had a nice talk and said goodbye as the final boarding call came.  I slept most of the way to San Francisco.  It was so nice to land on US soil.  It was a long travel trip but definitely worth it.  I would totally do it again!!


Random Thoughts or Lessons
  • I didn’t know that in Japan, they drive on the left side of the road.
  • What I thought was a small red light district were really girls that sell beet nuts from their stall windows.  They walk out to the cars and sell the beet nuts typically to the men.  I’ve heard that it has similar effects to tobacco.  Your gums turn blood red and your teeth rot when you become addicted to it.
  • In both Japanese and Chinese cultures, when you hand something to someone you use both of your hands.  It’s rude to hand something to someone with only one hand.
  • If you want a bus to stop, you must wave it down.  It will not stop if you simply stand at the bus stop.
  • Bars are few and far between.  I still never saw a single one in Taipei.
  • Infidelity is high.  I’ve been told that there are a lot or rent by the hour hotels in the city.
  • A female’s job is to take care of the husband’s parents and raise the children.  They typically don’t have a corporate job.
  • Stores selling the same wares are found on one street.  It’s very segregated.
  • Most taxi drivers are ex-convicts.
  • When a woman is found walking alone and unescorted by a male, it can be assumed that she’s a prostitute.
  • Knowing your blood type is important.  When I wrote down my address in a student’s address book, there was a space for your blood type.  I guess that it’s important to know if you’re compatible.
  • Taiwanese ask very personal questions and it’s completely acceptable if not encouraged.