As I said last post the hunt was on for a place to live. Not only because I need a place to get my ARC but also because I was getting kicked out of my hotel today (Wednesday the 21st). Fear not because I did some wandering around near Taipei Main Station (Taibei Che Zhan) and found a hostel that could accommodate me. The hostel is super awesome, I couldn't really ask for much more. My rent is $242 a month, which is super cheap compared to other places around my school; that includes everything i need washer, wifi, cable, and electric/water. Another added bonus to the whole hostel thing is that I get to meet people from all over the world on a daily basis. My room (or as we say in Chinese fang jian) is Japanese style and is just fun to be in. I have a place to put all my things and even a bed, okay of course I have a bed.
After figuring out my living situation is was time for another fun adventure. Going to the post office to open a savings account so I can receive my scholarship money. I knew where the Post Office was so that was not a problem but once I got there I ran into a real dilly of a pickle. To open a bank account at the Post Office you have to be able to read a ton of Chinese. I took one look at the application and wanted to cry. So I just sat there searching for a character that I could recognize, anything that could shed some light on what I was looking at... the result, I didn't understand anything. I tried in broken Chinese to make so sense of the matter, but I had no luck... what was I to do? Lucky for me a fellow student at Shi Da, a Graduate Student native to Taiwan but a student none-the-less, could see my problem and offered to lend me a hand. She did more than that, in the end she filled out all my paper work and opened my bank account while I stood next to her speaking about 10 words during the entire process. After I deposited my 100NT, a little less than 3 American Dollars, I decide to offer my savior a bite to eat, my treat. Of course she didn't know my ploy, I needed to find some good veggie dumplings. We walked a few blocks from the post office and found a dumpling shop that served veggie dumplings and I was in heaven. I ended up ordering a dozen dumplings along with some Veggie Suan La Tang (hot and sour soup). The meal was wonderful.
That pretty much sums up the last 24 hours of my life here in Taiwan. I just about got all the bureaucratic paperwork out of the way. I am looking forward to a crazy fun weekend where I don't have to walk around filling out forms that I don't understand.
5 comments:
Okay, so I have no life other than waiting for your posts..... Well, that's not entirely true but I am excited to see what you do post. The food looked so good (I so wish I could eat it. Darned allergies).
I'm glad you were able to get things straightened out. That has to be pretty scary when you have to have that much faith in someone that isn't a parent or other close relative. I don't know if I could do it. Kudos to you for being strong spirited enough to put that kind of faith in a fellow classmate.
It must be the writer in me, but I am so curious to learn as much as you care to tell about the people that you meet in the hostel and elsewhere. I really enjoy observing the different dynamics between people. That was the highlight of the pre-Thanksgiving Day meal I had with other Mary Kay ladies this past Monday. Seeing the way people are when they are away from their families and how they are when they are with good friends compared with someone they just met. The dynamics between two people can change depending upon the status of the relationship between them. It's so fascinating to me. I also love to hear stories about people's lives. Again, it must be the writer in me.
Until next time.... Since I didn't think to check out the websites before writing this post, I'll just say it in English:
Happy Turkey Day!
Stay safe and take care.
Damn, now those are what I call dumplings. The shop you took those pictures at was by far my favorite place to eat. I would go there religiously. By the way, my inspiration for opening a dumpling shop comes from that very location.
I am glad to see you are enjoying the local cuisine. You will have to tell us more about the food you are eating. Any plans for Thanksgiving?
Hey Gao Jian,
So you did find a place...and right by Taibei Che Zhan. That is a pretty bustling area. From there its just a few stops down to Shida, right? Your place looks so nice and clean compared to where I stayed. Nice job!
Aren't Taiwanese people friendly!?
Later
As the blog grows so does the blogger...enjoying reading and chatting about your life in Taiwan, the newness, the delicious details (instant craving for some Chinese food), solving problems and working through the things that give you pause. You said that you didn't want to overdue the photos, sharing etc. because then what would you have to share when you got home? But even at this super early stage of your adventure, it is apparent that the most precious thing you will have to share when you return is you. And that you are and will be sharing yourself for the next 10 months with the people you meet in Taiwan is a wonderful symbiotic process. It's apparent talking to others and reading the comments that you are providing some vicarious thrills to us at home. It's great to feel so connected to you, distance be damned. - Dad
Hi Jake it's your cousin Bret. I don't have an account so I am anonymous, but not really. Sounds like a pretty interesting time so far. I'm trying to imagine how weird it would be to be in a place so foreign that even filling out a form can be such a daunting task. It brings to mind that movie "Terminal." Maybe they'll make a movie about you someday and have Tom Hanks play you haha. Anyways, keep having a kickass adventure.
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