Taking on Taiwan: Ch-Ch-Changes

Recently, I explored some old posts of mine, just to see if I think the same way I did back then about things.  It was rather interesting, reading it and remembering exactly how I felt.  At the same time, however, I have to admit, I have trouble associating with who I was back then.  Just remembering the things I used to see daily in university and back home compared to the things that I am used to now makes me realize how truthfully different my life has become.  If you want a glimpse of it, check out this post.  Contrasting them is trippy.

Taking on Taiwan: The Ups and the Downs

During the first six months of my time in Taiwan, the world was shiny and new.  I remember–quite vividly–walking into any store (even a 7/11) and being over the top excited about everything that I saw.  The snack packs of seaweed, sushi, soy milk, Coca-Cola, tissue, toiletries, disposable underwear, literally everything I saw, because everything was new.  And for a long time, that’s what life was like in Taiwan: a mix of terrifyingly brand new and exciting.  There is, however, that time when your everyday life becomes the norm.

Taking on Taiwan: Hiatus in Hsinchu

Most days, I feel like I am on a speeding train, with no stops in sight.  I have, fortunately and unfortunately, made it so my life is bustling with activities and tasks to complete, which I am grateful for 98% of the time.  It’s true: I love feeling like there’s always something to do or work towards.  Without a goal or a destination, I feel aimless and I get restless, and then get irritable.  But I made sure that upon 2018’s end, there would be no such hectic planning or too many commitments to attend to.  New Years’ was more or less a hiatus from the norm.

Taking on Taiwan: A Change of Heart

Vividly, I can recall, the various mornings I’d rise early, go to my notebook, and sit by the window.  After about five or so minutes of staring out to the lake daydreaming, I would put my pen to the paper and write.  I couldn’t tell you how long I would write for, because I’d get lost in my fantasies.  Every time I write–even now–I forget all sense of time.  An hour or so later, I’d be ten pages deep into my scribbling and ranting.  Someone from my family would inform me it was time for breakfast and I’d leave my imaginary world, knowing I’d return to it shortly.  That, then and even now, is one of my favorite times in the day: writing time.

Taking on Taiwan: The (Not so) Skinny on Street Food

If you’ve ever been to America, grew up, or lived in America at some point during your life, chances are you have been to a farmer’s market or two.  You’ve walked along the street, glancing at all the fresh produce and baked goods, and tested a couple of items before you decided to purchase something, or maybe walk over to the corner store to pick up something different.  Open air markets, from my experience, were not a plenty in Taiwan.  Which is why upon coming to Taiwan, night markets were one of the most amazing spectacles I’d ever laid my eyes on.

Taking on Taiwan: Learning the Lingo

Ah, Mandarin Chinese.  I’m sure many of you know that it is one of the hardest languages in the world to learn, for speakers of alphabet based languages, that is.  Here in Taiwan, Traditional Mandarin Chinese is spoken.  It is nearly the same as Simplified Chinese when you hear it spoken, but taking a look at the characters, you notice the difference.  Traditional Mandarin Chinese has more strokes and more complexity to it.  Taiwan has kept the traditional writing alive despite China’s transition to a simple version of the original language.

Taking on Taiwan: Not-So-Little Hehuanshan

One of the many places I have always wanted to go in Taiwan was Hehuanshan.  My curiosity for the destination started when I first got here, listening to fellow teachers of mine talk about how beautiful it was, and more specifically, the sunrise.  Part of the central mountain range, Hehuanshan rests right on the edge of Hualien County and Nantou County, making it possible to see both the sunrise and the sunset.  As a lover of nature (perhaps an obsessed one at that), I have had this peak on my Taiwan bucket list nearly since the beginning.  And I finally made it.