Let me tell you something. While the idea of a typhoon may sound scary (especially with the complicated ph instead of the simple f) it really isn't so bad. Basically the storm began today when I arrived home at about 7 in the morning. It was as if each cloud were a giant sponge being squeezed dry and therefore crapping out pounds and pounds of rain on me. Actually I think it might be a little more technical but that should be close. It has been raining all day today and while I don't mind a little rain it is weird being trapped in one's house all day. The funny part is that even if it were nice out today I would probably still just lay around my house not doing anything. But that isn't the point. The forced confinement is way worse than the voluntary confinement that I often subject myself to each weekend.
So that is what's going on right now, besides the fact that I just lost at cards and got sore about it so I had to leave. Now I can tell you faithful reader, I am trying hard to not simply make a record of my weekend adventures but rather give you something new and intriguing each week. So what I am going to do this time is tell you a small story from an excellent weekend that made many great moments. Than after I do that maybe I will try something else. Maybe I will complain about something or tell you about how much I miss tacos to the point where I would eat one if I saw it laying on the ground. That would be something new right?
Well either way this particular story gave me a bit of a tickle in my funny bone. Well at least it did the next day when I could get over the slight awkwardness of it all.
On Friday night Dunkle and I went to a club/bar with some friends that was called Hips. This particular club is a Latin club in the middle of China where you can be assured to find people from all over Latin America. People have tried to explain to me the complexities of why there are so many Spanish speakers around here and I think I sort of understand.
You see back in the 1950s when tension was growing between China and Taiwan a man named Julio Gonzago came from Panama with an offer that none could refuse. He was determined to sell his famous "Chickititata" plant to the neighboring Chinese people. The Chinese and the Taiwanese were in talks of making a trade embargo that would put them on the map psychologically and fiscally. When the "Chickititata" plant arrived in both countries there were mixed reviews because the plant had very strange ingredients that would make one very slow and unresponsive. While the Chinese did not embrace this plant Julio Ines received rave reviews by the Taiwanese and was elected "chairman of agriculture" for Taiwan. Thus the relationship was made and since then many have come from afar to live, eat "Chickititata" plant and dance salsa in this one club that Dunkle and I went to. Ok I don't really know why there are so many Central Americans here but it is pretty cool because the girls are hot and me like dat much.
Dunkle and I were having a pretty good time and we had met a good amount of people in a quick amount of time. We were having drinks and telling jokes and really just enjoying ourselves. I began talking to a pretty little lady named Leslie and was subsequently dragged onto the dance floor for a little rug cutting and what not. It was a little intimidating because Latin girls always know how to dance well and they can tell that my jumping around throwing my hands in the air is not a rehearsed move I got from my days working with Timberlake. Nevertheless, we were having fun and I was pretty happy with how things were going. Suddenly a girl came up to us with Jorge or Alfonso and I was startled. It appeared that this girl happened to have a twin sister. She tried at first to introduce me and her sister very quickly brushed me off and started talking to Leslie a bit abrasively. After only a minute Leslie ran off like there was a damn fire in the building. I stood there watching her run off and was like, "and who the hell are you making her run off?" I was trying to be somewhat cordial but it seemed like she had said something fiery (as latins often are) to her sister. So I said screw this and walked off.
After pondering what had happened Leslie came back. I started with "What happened? You just ran off."
"Me. You ran off from me. What it that all about?" she retorted.
"Are you kidding I was just standing there and then you just peaced out."
This went on for awhile and we moved on to other things and they were all clouded by this somewhat crappy attitude on her side. I talked to her for a good twenty minutes with many confusing looks made by both of us. I mean it felt like I was talking to an entirely different person, what had happened?
Ahhhhhh, I very lately realized. I had been talking to this girl's sister the entire last twenty minutes. I was completely flabbergasted. I really felt stupid and yet somehow she had not detected that I thought she was someone else. I can't imagine what she said to her sister later but it was probably something along the lines of "that dude is completely off his rocker and has no idea how to communicate with girls."
So I felt pretty stupid about that happening and now that I just wrote the whole story out I am going to have to apologize for it not being very interesting. I guess I thought it was funny at the time but some things grow old with time, even if it is just a weekend. Well they can't all be gold.
The rest of this weekend was followed by many fun times and new people and it ended last night with me stumbling into some Asian people's karaoke birthday party. They immediately invited me in and I sang some duets and drank some of their whiskey. It was fun and we all stayed together until 630 singing and laughing and hanging out. Very fun.
This is quickly becoming an adventure that I will certainly continue to enjoy more with each day. We have now entered a new season and that means new things to look forward to. Who knows what will come with the next day.
Sunday, September 28, 2008
Saturday, September 20, 2008
What a life to lead.
Well I am still here somehow and I am still alive. That is good enough news I suppose. Things are quickly becoming comfortable here in little old Taipei and I think just maybe I am going to be able to survive here. Let's see I suppose a lot of pretty interesting things have happened in the past couple of days.
Let's start all the way back at yesterday. Yesterday was a pretty fun day and it was my first time since I have been here that I voyaged to some other distant part of this island. It wasn't even very hard because I simply had to take the metro all the way down from my house. You wouldn't believe it but if I take the metro, that is directly outside of my house, and I ride it for about 30 minutes, I will arrive at the edge of the island and thus the ocean. It is pretty amazing to consider because I have never lived so close to something as wonderful as water. Now if I actually wanted to go to a swimming beach I would then have to take a bus or something for about ten minutes. But still, there is nothing like eating spicy squid while walking down the fisherman's wharf. And to be honest I don't even know if it was a wharf or if it was the beachfront walkway but it was nice.
I went down with Dunkle yesterday with the intent to meet up with some of his friends from El Salvador to take a nice leisurely bike ride along the river. Now I would have been interested in doing something like this except that it was the hottest point in the day on a day that was already around 94 degrees. Too hot. So instead of trying something that could have easily killed us, we decided to just keep it real in the air conditioned apartment of Flora and Mercedes. This was pretty fun because I got to shyly practice a little bit of some old school Spanish while having a good time with some pretty girls.
After a game of pool in their lobby (which also has ping pong, a movie theatre, a bowling alley, and a library) we decided to go out into the hot ass world in search of some sort of food and drink. This is always the key motivator here in Taipei because it just gets soo hot here that it sometimes hurts to go outside. So it was the two American dudes and the now four Latin girls on a quest to just go hang out somewhere. I can tell you nothing noble but it was all we really needed to do at this time.
After walking around trying to fluff my shirt every five seconds I was getting a little restless. As my shirt developed more and more sweat rings that made me look like a lactating pig rotating over a roasting fire, I desperately needed to go somewhere that would release me from this embarrassing condition I found myself to be in. We found solace in an ideal little shore side restaurant called....... well I can't remember but it was really nice and we were able to get a little food and some ice cold beer. We had a very nice time just hanging out and talking and telling stories about this and that.
After some chit chat and some well deserved shade, we sat in big comfy couches and watched a bright red sun descend into the water. It was a very beautiful sunset on this particular Saturday evening.
Now that we had started the party, the only other thing we could possibly do was to go to a real party. Let me tell you this was a great capstone (or so I thought) to our evening because we had a rooftop party with nachos and good friends. Actually, I had just met all these people but maybe they will be my good friends someday. The best part was being able to see the whole city and bay from the top of the building. By now the sun was gone and a nice wind blew across the balcony and it reassured all of us that maybe life wasn't so bad.
We spent quite a few hours laughing and talking and eating before we realized that it was still only about 9 pm. The girl from Hong Kong had gone as well as the El Salvadorian and Mexican Girls. I was finishing up my conversation with a Turkish couple and a Swedish guy so Dunkle, our Thai friend Steven and I went off to new and interesting adventures.
I will let you know, there was no real reason for any of us three to be going to some other "social" environment except that of our own beds. But certain times, all times, call for just doing whatever you feel like. So after running home and changing into our "sweet douche bag" clothes we were ready for an evening at the uber sheik Club 19. When we arrived to this place, that I could never find again on my own, we were overpowered by a barrage of young go getters excited to spend their next hour waiting in a line in the hopes that their ticket would come and they could go buy overpriced drinks while yelling into peoples ears for an attempt at conversation. I can't say that this place was in anyway my style but considering the fact that I only have one backpacks worth of clothing now, I don't know if I even have a style to stick to.
Nevertheless, I was certainly not about to stand in some line waiting to go to some place. That was when I saw a young gentleman climb out of his Ferrari and go right in. Why couldn't I do that. After some smooth fanagaling, by our friend Steven, we were in da club. No line, no hassles, no pissed off Andrew complaining in a line for an hour. Perfect!
The club was just like any other one where you go in and try to talk to some girl and are finally used to the loud music only to have the volume turned up the second you were going to say something you really thought would win her over. I tried this many times to limited success. The best part of the night was when the three of us said screw this, let's just have a good time. If you can imagine three buzzed up dudes in a club about 8 times too shee shee for them dancing like maniacs to some crappy techno music, you would be accurately picturing us in some Taiwanese club at 330 in the morning. Sometimes I amaze myself. All in all it was the best way to get off all that steam from our earlier stressful day of relaxation and slight flirtations to any girl that would have it.
After arriving home at an hour most certainly too late, Dunkle desperately desired a bit of sleep before he woke up at 7 to take a flight out to the Philippines for a little "visa run." We of course made sure that he was sound asleep before running in his room screaming followed by a nice doggy pile. If only Drew had been there we could have added to our long list of pissed off sleepy people who's only defense is "grow up, you're not a kid anymore." Well I beg to differ. The last part of the night was spent with Steven and I eating Mack's Lounge breakfast (which I totally did not know existed here). He left, and I, eyes closed, stumbled into a most uncomfortable pink bed. A day well spent in Taipei.
Let's start all the way back at yesterday. Yesterday was a pretty fun day and it was my first time since I have been here that I voyaged to some other distant part of this island. It wasn't even very hard because I simply had to take the metro all the way down from my house. You wouldn't believe it but if I take the metro, that is directly outside of my house, and I ride it for about 30 minutes, I will arrive at the edge of the island and thus the ocean. It is pretty amazing to consider because I have never lived so close to something as wonderful as water. Now if I actually wanted to go to a swimming beach I would then have to take a bus or something for about ten minutes. But still, there is nothing like eating spicy squid while walking down the fisherman's wharf. And to be honest I don't even know if it was a wharf or if it was the beachfront walkway but it was nice.
I went down with Dunkle yesterday with the intent to meet up with some of his friends from El Salvador to take a nice leisurely bike ride along the river. Now I would have been interested in doing something like this except that it was the hottest point in the day on a day that was already around 94 degrees. Too hot. So instead of trying something that could have easily killed us, we decided to just keep it real in the air conditioned apartment of Flora and Mercedes. This was pretty fun because I got to shyly practice a little bit of some old school Spanish while having a good time with some pretty girls.
After a game of pool in their lobby (which also has ping pong, a movie theatre, a bowling alley, and a library) we decided to go out into the hot ass world in search of some sort of food and drink. This is always the key motivator here in Taipei because it just gets soo hot here that it sometimes hurts to go outside. So it was the two American dudes and the now four Latin girls on a quest to just go hang out somewhere. I can tell you nothing noble but it was all we really needed to do at this time.
After walking around trying to fluff my shirt every five seconds I was getting a little restless. As my shirt developed more and more sweat rings that made me look like a lactating pig rotating over a roasting fire, I desperately needed to go somewhere that would release me from this embarrassing condition I found myself to be in. We found solace in an ideal little shore side restaurant called....... well I can't remember but it was really nice and we were able to get a little food and some ice cold beer. We had a very nice time just hanging out and talking and telling stories about this and that.
After some chit chat and some well deserved shade, we sat in big comfy couches and watched a bright red sun descend into the water. It was a very beautiful sunset on this particular Saturday evening.
Now that we had started the party, the only other thing we could possibly do was to go to a real party. Let me tell you this was a great capstone (or so I thought) to our evening because we had a rooftop party with nachos and good friends. Actually, I had just met all these people but maybe they will be my good friends someday. The best part was being able to see the whole city and bay from the top of the building. By now the sun was gone and a nice wind blew across the balcony and it reassured all of us that maybe life wasn't so bad.
We spent quite a few hours laughing and talking and eating before we realized that it was still only about 9 pm. The girl from Hong Kong had gone as well as the El Salvadorian and Mexican Girls. I was finishing up my conversation with a Turkish couple and a Swedish guy so Dunkle, our Thai friend Steven and I went off to new and interesting adventures.
I will let you know, there was no real reason for any of us three to be going to some other "social" environment except that of our own beds. But certain times, all times, call for just doing whatever you feel like. So after running home and changing into our "sweet douche bag" clothes we were ready for an evening at the uber sheik Club 19. When we arrived to this place, that I could never find again on my own, we were overpowered by a barrage of young go getters excited to spend their next hour waiting in a line in the hopes that their ticket would come and they could go buy overpriced drinks while yelling into peoples ears for an attempt at conversation. I can't say that this place was in anyway my style but considering the fact that I only have one backpacks worth of clothing now, I don't know if I even have a style to stick to.
Nevertheless, I was certainly not about to stand in some line waiting to go to some place. That was when I saw a young gentleman climb out of his Ferrari and go right in. Why couldn't I do that. After some smooth fanagaling, by our friend Steven, we were in da club. No line, no hassles, no pissed off Andrew complaining in a line for an hour. Perfect!
The club was just like any other one where you go in and try to talk to some girl and are finally used to the loud music only to have the volume turned up the second you were going to say something you really thought would win her over. I tried this many times to limited success. The best part of the night was when the three of us said screw this, let's just have a good time. If you can imagine three buzzed up dudes in a club about 8 times too shee shee for them dancing like maniacs to some crappy techno music, you would be accurately picturing us in some Taiwanese club at 330 in the morning. Sometimes I amaze myself. All in all it was the best way to get off all that steam from our earlier stressful day of relaxation and slight flirtations to any girl that would have it.
After arriving home at an hour most certainly too late, Dunkle desperately desired a bit of sleep before he woke up at 7 to take a flight out to the Philippines for a little "visa run." We of course made sure that he was sound asleep before running in his room screaming followed by a nice doggy pile. If only Drew had been there we could have added to our long list of pissed off sleepy people who's only defense is "grow up, you're not a kid anymore." Well I beg to differ. The last part of the night was spent with Steven and I eating Mack's Lounge breakfast (which I totally did not know existed here). He left, and I, eyes closed, stumbled into a most uncomfortable pink bed. A day well spent in Taipei.
Thursday, September 11, 2008
Long time no blog!
Well life is starting to sort of work out here in Taipei so I am feeling pretty good. Now I have an apartment, my job pretty much has a regular feel to it, and I have even begun to make some friends if you can believe it. You would think I would try to make the excuse that I am so busy but I still have way too much free time and struggle with getting up before 10 each morning. Most of the time I am not able to get up that early.
So let's think about some stuff that I really miss about my wonderful home in the United States of America. Well lately I have really been craving some good spicy Mexican food and they just don't seem to know at all what it is. I talked to one guy who said he went to a "Mexican" place here and they gave him noodles with crappy salsa atop. Not really what I am looking for. I want that big giant burrito that looks bigger than my thigh, or so many tacos that they look blurry when I try to see the end of them, and lets not forget the authentic marg. I mean that stuff is just classic and so great. Oh and I forgot how much I have been wanting some nachos. I would even settle for some gas station style stuff but no goes. In the 7-11s here they have hard boiled eggs soaked in tea and I can tell you I would rather get kicked in the balls 8 times than have to eat one of those turds.
I also really miss just the general variety that we have in our country. I mean you want some of this you go that way and if you want some of that you just go the other way. Taipei has a lot to offer but there really isn't much outside of maybe Chinese or Japanese culture. What does it take to get some real hamburgers or some quesadillas? Maybe I am just hungry. And you know there is one thing that is great about eating here.... it is so cheap. Well actually it isn't soooo cheap but it is cheaper. I still like the food here but I just want some MFin' Mexican!!!
I had a little celebration last night because it was my first day as an illegal immigrant in Taiwan. You see, before I came here I was supposed to get a 90 day tourist visa and then illegally get my real stuff once here. My problem was that I was in Thailand and while I could have gone to an embassy there, I was too busy hanging out on the beach and keeping it real. So when I arrived I was only issued a 30 day visa which I guess just doesn't cut it. But someone is in the process of doing some sort of magic so I am confident that it will all work out. And if it doesn't maybe you can keep the light on for me because my ass will be getting deported. Oh well life is boring when it is legal. I was actually illegal in France for almost two months and that worked out ok.
Overall though I am really enjoying myself here. My job is probably my favorite part to be honest. I really like my classes and they are proving to be a real challenge. Of course a positive one. I am already being emailed by parents who like to give me tips about their kids and one mom called the school and said that because of me she would make sure that all her friend's kids got into our school. Now just let me try this charm in the real world. The strangest part is trying to keep calm because some of these kids are so crazy that I want to slap them across the face. I would never do that but I think if I did it to some they wouldn't even know what had hit them and they would just continue singing while having a seizure and crapping out butterflies. (That crazy.)
Sorry this blog sort of sucked but I am back to writing with a hot ass computer on my lap and all I can think about is the song "chestnuts roasting on an open laptop." I am dying. If you have never had that feeling don't try it cause I am sure I will end up having some three eyed children because of it. Fare well and I will contact you soon.
Oh I forgot to mention that I went to this huge pool party this weekend and it totally rocked because there were movie stars (Chinese movie stars) and all sorts of hot model chicks there. And this weekend I might take the metro to the beach. Life ain't so bad.
So let's think about some stuff that I really miss about my wonderful home in the United States of America. Well lately I have really been craving some good spicy Mexican food and they just don't seem to know at all what it is. I talked to one guy who said he went to a "Mexican" place here and they gave him noodles with crappy salsa atop. Not really what I am looking for. I want that big giant burrito that looks bigger than my thigh, or so many tacos that they look blurry when I try to see the end of them, and lets not forget the authentic marg. I mean that stuff is just classic and so great. Oh and I forgot how much I have been wanting some nachos. I would even settle for some gas station style stuff but no goes. In the 7-11s here they have hard boiled eggs soaked in tea and I can tell you I would rather get kicked in the balls 8 times than have to eat one of those turds.
I also really miss just the general variety that we have in our country. I mean you want some of this you go that way and if you want some of that you just go the other way. Taipei has a lot to offer but there really isn't much outside of maybe Chinese or Japanese culture. What does it take to get some real hamburgers or some quesadillas? Maybe I am just hungry. And you know there is one thing that is great about eating here.... it is so cheap. Well actually it isn't soooo cheap but it is cheaper. I still like the food here but I just want some MFin' Mexican!!!
I had a little celebration last night because it was my first day as an illegal immigrant in Taiwan. You see, before I came here I was supposed to get a 90 day tourist visa and then illegally get my real stuff once here. My problem was that I was in Thailand and while I could have gone to an embassy there, I was too busy hanging out on the beach and keeping it real. So when I arrived I was only issued a 30 day visa which I guess just doesn't cut it. But someone is in the process of doing some sort of magic so I am confident that it will all work out. And if it doesn't maybe you can keep the light on for me because my ass will be getting deported. Oh well life is boring when it is legal. I was actually illegal in France for almost two months and that worked out ok.
Overall though I am really enjoying myself here. My job is probably my favorite part to be honest. I really like my classes and they are proving to be a real challenge. Of course a positive one. I am already being emailed by parents who like to give me tips about their kids and one mom called the school and said that because of me she would make sure that all her friend's kids got into our school. Now just let me try this charm in the real world. The strangest part is trying to keep calm because some of these kids are so crazy that I want to slap them across the face. I would never do that but I think if I did it to some they wouldn't even know what had hit them and they would just continue singing while having a seizure and crapping out butterflies. (That crazy.)
Sorry this blog sort of sucked but I am back to writing with a hot ass computer on my lap and all I can think about is the song "chestnuts roasting on an open laptop." I am dying. If you have never had that feeling don't try it cause I am sure I will end up having some three eyed children because of it. Fare well and I will contact you soon.
Oh I forgot to mention that I went to this huge pool party this weekend and it totally rocked because there were movie stars (Chinese movie stars) and all sorts of hot model chicks there. And this weekend I might take the metro to the beach. Life ain't so bad.
Monday, September 1, 2008
Beef Fried Noodles
This really isn’t a guide to eating here in Taiwan but rather how I have come to survive each day. Like many of you I have just arrived into Taiwan so my knowledge of the language and culture here is at a bare minimum. This makes things like eating a little more difficult but much more interesting.
The key to my limited success has been to be sure to wait about 10-12 hours between my meals. This allows me to be so hungry that I can hardly even think straight. When I am in this condition it makes for some very interesting restaurant choices. Before I embark on a live or die mission to eat I have to decide, “Do I want to try a night market? Should I just walk into the restaurant with the most people inside? Should I let my fear overtake me and just eat a snickers bar from 7-11? Or should I really wuss out and just point to a cheeseburger picture at McDonalds?” I am happy to say that I have only lowered myself to the last option once since I have been here.
Once I am out in the street I really start to feel strange. Not only is my stomach a barren wasteland but I also feel like a cake roasting in an oven. I need food FAST so that I can retreat into my lair of AC. Around the corner is my token noodle shack followed closely by someone yelling for me to try their new deep fried liver sausage (at least that is what I think that is). Hmm… not today. I venture forth.
The places that really intimidate me are the ones that only have a menu in Chinese characters and some old guy cooking on a grill. These places always seem attractive because the prices are often quite low, but require a lot of pointing and unintelligible hand gestures until some sort of agreement is reached. In this way I have had varying degrees of success (hey I am still alive!), but a lot of times I am so hungry that I confusedly wander from restaurant to restaurant hoping that someone will simply say, “I know exactly what you want. Come on in and we’ll get you feeling better.” This might actually be happening to me all the time and I just don’t know it because I can’t understand anyone.
After I have walked for about 45 minutes to an hour around these new streets I realize that a new problem has arrived, I am completely lost. But before I can have a freak out session about finding where I could possibly be, I really need to get full. This is why knowing the phrase for beef fried noodles is so very important. This wonderful dish is good, cheap, and can be found on almost every street. This dish is a safe bet to getting me feeling like a human again and thus being able to take on the new challenge of getting back to wherever it is I came from.
Getting to eat new and exciting things in Taiwan is one of the best parts about it. But sometimes you just need something that will work and will get your brain and stomach back into proper order. Maybe one day I will tire of the beef fried noodles but it is not this day. While living in Taiwan the thing I have found to work best is to not be picky and to always have a fallback plan.
The key to my limited success has been to be sure to wait about 10-12 hours between my meals. This allows me to be so hungry that I can hardly even think straight. When I am in this condition it makes for some very interesting restaurant choices. Before I embark on a live or die mission to eat I have to decide, “Do I want to try a night market? Should I just walk into the restaurant with the most people inside? Should I let my fear overtake me and just eat a snickers bar from 7-11? Or should I really wuss out and just point to a cheeseburger picture at McDonalds?” I am happy to say that I have only lowered myself to the last option once since I have been here.
Once I am out in the street I really start to feel strange. Not only is my stomach a barren wasteland but I also feel like a cake roasting in an oven. I need food FAST so that I can retreat into my lair of AC. Around the corner is my token noodle shack followed closely by someone yelling for me to try their new deep fried liver sausage (at least that is what I think that is). Hmm… not today. I venture forth.
The places that really intimidate me are the ones that only have a menu in Chinese characters and some old guy cooking on a grill. These places always seem attractive because the prices are often quite low, but require a lot of pointing and unintelligible hand gestures until some sort of agreement is reached. In this way I have had varying degrees of success (hey I am still alive!), but a lot of times I am so hungry that I confusedly wander from restaurant to restaurant hoping that someone will simply say, “I know exactly what you want. Come on in and we’ll get you feeling better.” This might actually be happening to me all the time and I just don’t know it because I can’t understand anyone.
After I have walked for about 45 minutes to an hour around these new streets I realize that a new problem has arrived, I am completely lost. But before I can have a freak out session about finding where I could possibly be, I really need to get full. This is why knowing the phrase for beef fried noodles is so very important. This wonderful dish is good, cheap, and can be found on almost every street. This dish is a safe bet to getting me feeling like a human again and thus being able to take on the new challenge of getting back to wherever it is I came from.
Getting to eat new and exciting things in Taiwan is one of the best parts about it. But sometimes you just need something that will work and will get your brain and stomach back into proper order. Maybe one day I will tire of the beef fried noodles but it is not this day. While living in Taiwan the thing I have found to work best is to not be picky and to always have a fallback plan.
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