This No Scooter Thing Has Worn Incredibly Thin

I must say, that this has to be my first "bitch post" on this blog, but I've had it! I need a scooter!!

What has brought this on?

Well, nothing really, but I've been sick for a couple of months now and have been trying to get better. I had the flu this past weekend and am STILL recovering from that as well! I have Chinese classes this morning, but I cannot go because 1. it is raining and cold. 2. the one chance that I had to get a proper raincoat(suited for bike/scooter riders) and I didn't do it and have completely forgotten to buy one since and am kicking myself profusely right now and 3. I have my bike and because of 1&2 if I go out in the rain riding my bike to Chinese class without a proper raincoat, I will get sick again and I CANNOT afford to!

This may not seem like a big deal but I really enjoy and need my Chinese classes and I hate missing them! I had to miss Friday's lesson because of the flu and now today and I'm really peeved...at myself mostly, but am also cursing the rain gods.

So now you are probably asking, "So what does a scooter have to do with this?"

Many reasons. My bike is good exercise and I like it, but when it is raining, it is the BIGGEST pain in the ass to ride my bike in the rain. I am left wet, cold and eventually sick. My immune system still seems to be getting used to Taiwan and teaching kids (who constantly cough WITHOUT covering their mouths) does not help the situation. So when it is raining, it is a lot better to have a scooter. Also, when I have been sick, I've had to take a taxi and even though taxis are cheap here (Unlike Amsterdam where it is so effin expensive), it would still be better for me to drive myself to the clinic. I cannot ride my bike when I am sick obviously, but a scooter isn't a lot of effort and would make it better.
A scooter can take me farther than a bike in a shorter amount of time. This aspect concerns shopping. Usually on weekends, I need to go to places like Carrefour and buy toilet paper, laundry detergent, fruit, etc, etc and I like to buy bulk because I don't have time to go every couple of days like I did in Amsterdam. I usually go every couple of weeks. Plus my grocery store isnt across the street like it was in Amsterdam. And Carrefour and all those other places are pretty far and actually pretty dangerous by bike. Very busy area, massive traffic and not exactly safe for a bike rider. And I always rely on Boyfriend and I don't want to have to rely on him. He's busy enough as it is.

There are soooo many other reasons, but it is silly to list them all.

So that is my rant. Next month, come hell or high water I am buying a damn scooter!!!! And once I have more time and money, I am going to go another clinic to help me get rid of this post nasal drip that I've had for like 2 months and to another Chinese medicine doctor to help KEEP me healthy...I'm so fuckin sick of being sick all the time!

Hopefully my next blog post will be somewhat more positive :)

Spring is Here!!

Yay! The weather in Taiwan is getting warmer and sunnier, the birds are singing, I can sleep with my window open now, and Boyfriend and I are giving it another go!

So, of course you are wondering about me and Boyfriend and...his family. We have decided to work things out and just see what happens. We are happy with each other despite what his family says and we will face that obstacle when it comes to it, but for now we are happy :)

Onto work: very good as usual, but I am sooooo busy! Plus, I got the flu on Thursday and am still recovering but it's coming along!

Oh no! I've run out of things to say!! I hope this doesn't happen often!

OK, I need to finish grading HW and do more travel research :)

I'll write when I have something more interesting going on!

My Weekend at Sun Moon Lake

A pic of me in traditional Ami tribe(Hualien) dress


Wow!!! What a weekend!!!!

Ok, I have a VERY busy week so I won't be able to type a lot in this post, but I had a wonderful weekend!

So after teaching, met up with my colleagues for the company trip to Sun Moon Lake and the Formosan Aboriginal Cultural Village. We took those comfy tour buses that have ugly decor, but so comfy!

So first on the list was the Puli Shaosing Winery where I had a taro flavored rice popsicle which is one of the things they are famous for! I also got to try some Taiwanese liquor, wine and these yummy red wine plums which I bought a package of for myself ;)

Rice Popsicles they are known for: this one is taro flavored...YUM :)

I also bought a bottle of cheap plum liquor for when I have friends(or dates if that ever happens) over.

Then we went to our lodging whch was the Sun Moon Lake Youth Activity Center....We were a 5-10 minute walk to Sun Moon Lake and the scenery was breathtaking! I had to room with 3 girls who I didn't know very well at all and we had to share beds which made me uncomfortable(I am oan only child-I like being alone) but the rooms were nice! Here's a link:
http://sun.cyh.org.tw/eng/

So then after we got settled in, I met some of the male colleagues and one who I was in training with and is from South Africa so we walked down to the lake and took pictures and I met some more people! Then we had dinner and then got lanterns(because by then it was dark) and walked down to a part of the lake where there was a big outdoor dance performance with aboriginal dances going on...BUT...there was also SHOPPING there so needless to say I didnt watch the performance long! Too many cool aboriginal things and food stands!!



Hot Aboriginal Guys dancing at Sun Moon Lake :)


My one colleague was impressed that I could speak Chinese and ask questions to the salespeople as well as know what half of the food and drink was that most of us westerners wouldnt have a clue about...and after only being here for 6 months...I have give my ex part of the credit because he always took me to places where there were almost NO foreigners as to immerse me in the culture so that helped, plus my awesome chinese classes ;)

So after that, I did some gift shopping (for others AND myself of course) :) Then while I was waiting for everyone to meet up I walked by this Thao(A Sun Moon Lake aboriginal tribe) Restaurant where a man there told me a brief history of the tribe and encouraged me to take pics of the authentic paintings and craftwork of the restaurant!

Then I met up with some colleagues and went to a cafe, and then walked back where we met up at someones cabin and drank and was taught how to play a drinking game called Zuma Zuma. It was ok, but I am not into that anymore. After living in Amsterdam where a night of drinking includes, going to a pub and talking "grown-up"things with people older than me and then going out dancing...it was a little digressing to be playing a drinking game at a cabin-I wasn't really enjoying it really. But it was nice to get out and socialize :)

Then today, we went to the Formosan Abroginal Cultural Village and it was amazing!! It is an amusement park with amusement park rides but above it is a whole GIANT area dedicated to different aboriginal tribes of Taiwan with the houses, craft-making, aboriginal dance shows and etc. It was so great! I learned so much and even got to wear a costume and have my picture taken wearing it!!

Some Aboriginal food I had for lunch: sticky rice in bamboo, sweet potato, stickyrice with taro wrapped in a leaf...It was VERY good!!

It was so funny because before I was putting it on there was no one really around(although the park was crowded today) and doesn't it figure? As soon as I was ready to go out and have my picture taken, there was a CROWD of people in the area and once I did ALL these girls were saying in Chinese "OH! Beautiful!" "Beautiful!" "Can I have a picture with you?!" It was HILARIOUS!!!! I was the only westerner in the area and the only one (well, at that time) willing to try on an aboriginal costume! My colleagues were quite bored so I had to hurry it up, but I did like the attention ;)

It was just nice to do some walking (well, I did a LOT of walking this weekend HAHA!) see soem things, lear a LOT and do some shopping!!!!!!!! :)

I would write more, but I have 75 more pics to upload and 3 videos, 3, YES 3 lessons to plan, one pile of homework to grade, unpack my suitcase, check out my gifts etc etc etc...!

If you want to look at pics, go to my photobucket page ;)

Or look at the slideshow here :)

I Yearn for Palm Trees, Warm Sunny Beaches & the Beauty of Nature

I like to change my backgrounds according to mood and or season. My Myspace background is actually of the "Sleeping Beauty" rock on Green Island. I found that completely by accident!

So I have been planning my trip to Green Island in May. I was originally supposed to go on a glass-bottom boat since I am afraid of snorkeling (actually, I'm afraid of the jellyfish and sharks), but for some reason there is no glass-bottom boat tour (I assume there aren't enough people for it) so my travel agent is having me go snorkeling with, as he put it "hot aboriginal guys"- Haha!! So since he put "hot" in there, I thought that OK, I will give it a try ;) You know, as long as a "hot aboriginal guy" can take care of me if I get stung by a jellyfish..;) Haha! Just kidding!

Actually, it's not really about the aboriginal guys, but I decided I should do it once in my life! Although I want to take pictures underwater! I would love that!!

I still have to pay the money for the trip but have no time now. Unfortunately (or fortunately considering I will be getting PAID next month-haha!) 2 teachers quit and now I have to work my ass off. The teaching isn't so bad, but grading the homework is what does me in! I also have to commute every Tuesday and Friday but it is only a 5-10 minute bike ride from my apartment so it's actually not so bad and the classes are good and so are the CT's!!

As for Green Island...once I pay that money I am good to go!!! the weather is starting to get hot here in Taiwan...well the sun is anyway and it is putting me in a good mood! But now I'm getting antsy for wearing sandals and laying out on beaches and visiting hot springs!!!

OK, I need to go and grade homework...all this talk about beaches, hot springs, snorkeling with hot aboriginal guys is making me even more antsy!!

I forgot to add one thing. A nice "Beachy" video that always puts me in a good mood!

"Upside Down" by Jack Johnson from the Curious George soundtrack

Long Time No Write...Again

I haven’t written in a while because nothing special has really happened lately. Just busy with teaching. Although, I have been contemplating a lot. Nothing bad, of course, just plans about the near future : )

But am also working hard to maintain a good mood and have been completely and utterly elated this week until I decided to rent both Bridget Jones movies which are not good even if you know you don't need a man because you can support yourself, but find yourself yearning for a sweet, smart, upbeat and SEXY male companion to enjoy life with and if you ever find one, will/do they fancy you back? Ahhh, such is life as I always say....

So this weekend was very nice! I met a Taiwanese friend at the art museum. We walked around there a little bit and then went to the Viva Café where we had a great meal! The theme was Austria so we had some very nice food and drink! OK, OK so you are all dying to know what we had so here it is:

Appetizers:

“Mite Smoked Salmon with Vienna rice on a slice of imported zucchini”

“Vienna mixed ham with pickled gherkins”

Soup:

“Pumpkin soup with pumpkinseed oil and bread”

Main courses:

“Roasted Spring Chicken Vienna Style”

“Roasted prime rib-eye steak with onion sauce”

Desserts:

“Marble Cake”

“Pumpkin Pie”

Drink:

Hot Peach Tea

Glass of iced rose tea

After dinner we got to watch a Belly Dance show which was really good! I wanna do that! Then at the end of the show they had us come up to the stage and taught us how to shake our booties and then we had to do it for ten minutes…One of the belly dancers said I was good…Little do people know that at uni, I had a bellydance video and used to workout to it all the time! : ) Haha!

It was a better than nice weekend ;)

Today, I went and bought a small suitcase and matching small carry-on from the “Elle” bag store. It is black with pinstripes. Actually, I think it’s for men, but I love pinstripes! So professional and stylish for men and women! I wanted something professional yet stylish because I feel like I am somewhat losing my professionalism. Anyways, it’s nice and ready for my trip to Green Island!

As for my contemplations, I am trying to figure out what kind of a scooter to buy:

Old or new?

Environmentally conscious or gas guzzler? (I prefer the former, but unfortunately my budget and resources reject this idea)

50CC, 90CC or 100CC engine??

Pink, green, purple, black, white or gray?

Kymco, SYM or some other brand?

Well, that is all for today! My absoluuutely lovely weekend has been finished off with a YUMMY Greek Salad, finishing some work, Chinese homework and watching Bridget Jones, Bridget Jones the Edge of Reason and Clerks II!

The Break-up

I don't want to talk too much about this as it is my own business, but as of this weekend, Boyfriend and I are no more.

There are MANY reasons as to why we have decided to go our separate ways, but one reason was his family. His family(or probably his mother) said I was "not tall enough and not thin enough" for him. I guarantee these aren't the ONLY reasons why she objected to us being together as I am super liberal and American and NOT Taiwanese.

There is a lot more to this story, but I don't feel right talking about it in a blog. I just wanted to mention that because that is a big cultural difference between Chinese/Taiwanese culture and Western culture.

Now I know why I have yet to see a Taiwanese man with a Western woman. Taiwanese men seem get a LOT of pressure from their families about everything.

I also seem to have a problem with mothers-in-law. They never like me. Maybe because they feel threatened by me. I say this because my star sign is Cancer and Cancers sometimes have that "Motherly instinct" Now of course I DON'T want to be a mother to my boyfriend..that's just odd, but I want to make him happy and take care of him-it's just my nature.

So anyway, I've been a mess and yesterday was absolutely depressed. Today, I feel better. I am not going to talk about it anymore because it makes me feel bad and it is none of your business. The good thing is is that once I started teaching, the kids made me feel better without them realizing it and after teaching I felt like my positive self again and was reminded of why I am here: for the kids.

OK, so Saturday I went to the Taichung Park to see what they had going on for the Lantern Festival...it was nice, but it started to pour so I left an hour after I arrived. Here are some pics and video:





Other than that, I know nothing. I am just taking it day by day and staying positive. I just want him to be happy and I feel that this decision is the best thing he needs to search for true happiness in EVERYTHING. I am going to miss him dearly and hope that one day we can be friends. If you ever read this; Thank you for everything.

Couples Who Karaoke Together...

Stay Together!

Tomorrow, February 14^th 2008 (coincidentally the Westerner’s Valentine’s Day) is the Lantern Festival and if I’m not mistaken, it signifies the end of the Chinese New Year.

This week has been a week of relaxation, cultural education and spending time with family (even though I wasn’t able to spend it with mine).

Wednesday was my first day off and since Boyfriend had to prepare with his family, I decided to take a taxi to Iie Jong Jie by myself and do some shopping. I bought my candied tomatoes on a stick, bought some cute shirts for only NT$150 each (about €4) and some other small things. Afterwards, while walking home, I stopped in a small store selling tea. The owner was really nice but I kept trying to tell him in broken Chinese that his tea was too expensive for me. It was packaged tea from all over Taiwan! Alishan, Sun Moon Lake, Hualien, etc. So finally he showed me a “High Mountain Oolong” tea from Sun Moon Lake and brewed up a pot for me. He is a tea connoisseur and seeing as I am a tea snob, I couldn’t say no! Unfortunately, his English was limited just as my Chinese is limited, but ironically, we communicated through Yahoo! Taiwan’s online translator on his laptop. It was really good tea so I bought a couple packages and he threw in a ceramic tea steeper thing for free! My rest of the night was followed by relaxing, laundry and watching DVD’s and movies on TV…Ahhh…such bliss! J

Thursday was interesting. I wasn’t expecting to hear from Boyfriend as he was busy with family stuff for the new year and even though the night before he said he would ask his parents if I could go to the temple with them, I still didn’t count on it. But, as I was in the video store I got a call from Boyfriend telling me he would pick me up in 5 minutes to go to the temple! So we first went to his parents’ house where I met his parents again (his mom even gave me a red envelope with some money in it!!!!) and I met one of his sisters for the first time! So we went to the temple and prayed and I admired the big gold Buddha and the architecture and the garden. The good thing is it is right by my neighbourhood! After that, we went to a Japanese style fast-food restaurant (Tonkatsu- it is actually one my fave restaurants…OK, OK I have a LOT of faves J ). We then walked around the park near NOVA and the One building and then Brian took me home.

Friday,I had lunch with Boyfriend’s family before going to the Changhua Flower Festival. His mom had cooked a whole goose (head, neck, butt and all) and some yummy veggies so we ate that. I was so glad she didn’t have us eat the head, neck or butt otherwise I probably would have gotten sick! But I did take photos! I have to say it was SO nice to have a home cooked meal! I swear… if my grandma (American one from the South, not the German one) were Taiwanese that would probably be what she would have made! It just tasted like comfort food!

Goose head staring right at the camera!!

Goose butt (middle) or in Chinese: Goose Pigoo!!

When we got to the flower festival it was evident that I truly was the only foreigner there!! I know because Boyfriend and I were looking for other foreigners! The entire time, I got nothing but children staring and pointing me and saying in Chinese, “Foreigner!!”, “American!!” (Please note most Taiwanese consider any foreigner to be American)

Anyway, there was a lot of food and a lot of booths selling flowers. Here is the food I ate:

1. Little fried bird eggs covered in tomato sauce on a stick (see photo)

Little girl frying up the bird eggs to put on a stick...

2. Fried Digua (Sweet Potato) ball

It's purple, don't ask me how or why...

3. Glutinous sweet rice dim sum
4. Strawberries and cream
5. Yummy fruity yogurt drink
6. Yummy and hot flower seed drink (what is cassiae, by the way?)
7. Cotton candy of course
8. And some more dim sum

Boyfriend was craving squid and he was whining to have one but I told him I refuse to eat squid!! But I did take a photo of the grilled squid on a stick!

It turned out that Boyfriend bought 3 miniature rose plants and got a 4^th one for free. So he gave that one to me! J Afterwards, we went home and we ate the leftover goose and veggies his mom made as well as this REALLY good radish/turnip soup his sister made! Then all of a sudden, Boyfriend disappeared and I was stuck at his parents’ house watching a Taiwanese dynasty soap opera with his brother and sister not knowing what was going on. Then his parents made it back home and I soon found out Boyfriend went to take a nap. So then they turned on the karaoke and we all sang! I was horrible but it was fun! His parents were sooooo cute singing Chinese songs together!! Then after everyone went to bed, Boyfriend woke up and was singing Wang Lee Hom songs for me J Asians truly love their Karaoke/KTV(KTV is karaoke but with the original voice still on the track) and just as my title says, “A couple who karaokes together, stays together!”

As for Saturday, I didn’t really do anything, but Boyfriend and his brother and I went to RT Mart and I bought a water cooker so that I can have hot tea in the morning as well as instant noodles and soup. It is sooo cold here and since I don’t have heating of any kind, I need hot tea! After that, I watched TV and read my printouts on Green Island as I want to go there in May.

Sunday, Boyfriend had to visit relatives with his family and so while he was doing that I rode my bike to the Science Museum and Botanical Garden. I went to the Botanical Garden first and although it was nice, it was smaller than I expected and it made me sad as I want warm weather again and I want to travel around Taiwan and see waterfalls, and flowers and all that!!!

After that I went into the Science Museum and met up with boyfriend there where we walked around the Chinese Science, Medicine and etc part as well as the exhibit on Austronesian Aboriginal Culture. It was nice. So I finally got to see the Water Clock as well as some other things. Then we went to a Teppanyaki place nearby and for dessert I had a fried banana drizzled in honey while boyfriend had fried taro drizzled in honey…YUM!!! I want more!

So, all in all, I’d have to say that my first Chinese New Year was just right! I’m happy with it, although the weather is freezing cold here! It wouldn’t be so bad if buildings had heating here, but oh well. Now, I’m yearning for sandy white beaches, warm sunshine, hot springs, waterfalls, etc, etc, etc. I have caught the travel bug and plan to travel once the weather gets warm.

Before I go, here is one last Chinese New Year related photo:

This is a photo of radish plants that symbolize something good for the Chinese New Year...