new beginnings

life in taiwan has been a ball so far!  since i've last written, i have 'officially'  started teaching, moved into the apartment, survived an 'almost typhoon' and bought a scooter.  so big things are a happenin'.

as far as teaching goes, I LOVE IT!  honestly, i was a bit worried during training.  it seemed like  a lot of information at once and in my head i thought i needed to know it all right away.  thankfully, my school doesn't make me feel bad for making a mistake or asking a million and one questions.  the kids are pretty great too and the school has a genuine interest in wanting  the students to actually learn (which, as crazy as it seems,  is a rarity in terms of private schools in asia.)   all in all, i'm really happy with my school!

on the apartment front, i am really positive as well.  the only downside to it has been that it's about a 15 minute drive from my school.  really, in north american terms, a 15 minute commute to work is nothing.  however, in asia, 15 minutes is more like 15 hours.  i cannot tell you the number of horrified looks i've gotten when i tell one of the taiwanese people i work with where i am living.  "oh, kalie!  so far away!  why do you live so far from school?"  several times i've started to explain how it really doesn't seem very far, but then just end up dropping the conversation because (fair enough) it just doesn't make sense to them.  i'll put  a few pictures at the bottom of this post so you can get an idea of what the actual apartment looks like.  i have done little in terms of decorating, but i hope to get to ikea tomorrow and snatch a few things up!

so about the 'almost typhoon'.  i can't actually say that i have officially taught  five consecutive days.  wednesday, ended up being a typhoon day. for you north americans (specifically canadians and minnesotans),  a typhoon day is the exact same thing as a snow day...but instead of snow, it's heavy, heavy rain.  i say 'almost typhoon' because when it passed by kaohsiung, it had been downgraded to a tropical storm.  but nonetheless, we were given the day off and told to not venture outside.  of course, i did.  i mean, what could a 'little bit of rain' really do to me?  mostly, i saw the day off as a great opportunity to go grocery shopping.  ok, confession time.  up until typhoon day, i had been eating 7-11 food for the past 5 days straight. . . yes, you unfortunately read that last sentence correctly.  7-11 food.  the microwavable, preservative filled, yummy, yummy, 3 minute ready dinners.  i'm sure you can now better sympathize with my decision to brave the weather.  anyways, i ended up being the only person to be seen walking between my apartment and and the grocery store... with good reason.  i didn't really factor in the rain+wind+more rain+heavier rain + more wind+ trying to hold an umbrella with a 40 pound bag of groceries on one arm.  all i can say is it was a near disaster and i certainly learned my lesson.  luckily, i made it back in one (soaking) piece and have now reintroduced fruits and vegetables into my daily diet! (mom, i just heard your sigh of relief!)

the last big event in my taiwanese life has been the purchase of my scooter.  ok, first things first.  i HATE driving.  whether it be open roads without a car in sight, or bumper to bumper traffic, driving has and always will, terrify me.  with that being said, i was really hoping i could avoid having to get a scooter.  the idea of driving is bad enough, but to make it worse, a scooter means driving around on something that doesn't have four sides of metal surrounding it. now add in a massive amount of traffic, unfamiliar roads and CRAZY (i repeat, CRAZZZZY) drivers and the idea becomes even less appealing.  unfortunately, the unavoidable was truly unavoidable.  my other choices were to dish out 8 dollars a day to cabs or bike 40 minutes to work in the zillion degree temperatures, everyday.  both of which, when the options were weighed, seemed less appealing than the scooter.  so i did it. i headed to shop and picked myself out a razzle dazzle pink rider.  the shop kept it overnight to do a last tune up and make sure everything with it was in order and i picked it up this morning.  pleased to say, it was actually quite an enjoyable ride home and i am still in one piece!

other than that, i am just anxiously awaiting the arrival of kris, who gets in on july 4th.  never before have i been given a present to celebrate the fourth of july, but this year, one comes in a BIG way!  i cannot think of a more patriotic gift to receive on this american holiday, than one that is delivered straight from new zealand!

courtyard area

the workout area...

living room

bathroom. everything (other than the sink) has a controller to make it work.

kitchen

bedroom. the only place i've started to decorate. there is also a second bedroom/office that i didn't get a photo of.

i have arrived!

nee-how! (hello in chinese)

i've officially been in the country of taiwan for 40 hours! 

the first thing i noticed as i walked off the plane and into the taipei airport, was the INSANE humidity and heat.  i read a bit about the climate before i came, so i was prepared for heat, but the humidity here is like NOTHING i've ever felt.  being from minnesota, where there is a reasonable amount of humidity in the summer, i figured i'd probably be fine.  also, last year in korea, i lived in a city that was notorious for being both the hottest and most humid in the country.  it was hot and humid, don't get me wrong, even far more than minnesota, but in comparison to taiwan, it was NOTHING! i don't want to spend this whole post rambling on about the weather, but it would be neglectful of me not mention the rain.  right now, we're in a "season" called the "plum rains".  i'm not entirely sure where the rain is coming from, but what i do know is that i need to constantly be carrying an umbrella with me.  it may be sunny and clear-ish skies one minute and the next minute (literally), it can start pouring an unimaginable amount of rain.  pretty interesting to see, but i'm glad it will be ending in a few weeks. 

ok, moving on from the weather.  i feel pretty blessed to have gotten the job that i did.  the school seems to really care about their teachers and want to help as best they can.  i was picked up by the person who hired me (leon), right when i got into kaohsiung (pronounced http://www.howjsay.com/index.php?word=kaohsiung).  i am currently staying at the apartment of a lovely lady named tami.  she teaches at one of sister schools to the one i will be at.  she kindly opened her home to me for the next week and  i am very thankful for her hospitality. 

as of today, i am pleased to announce, kris and i have officially signed a lease for a great apartment, which i will be moving into next weekend!  i unfortunately didn't get any pictures of it today because my camera ran out batteries, but i'll be sure to take some photos and post them when i move in. i actually surprised myself with my negotiating skills.  i was able to talk the landlord down a bit on the price and also get a few extra perks added in!  without going into too much detail about the place (pictures will do a better job of explaining than i can), it's in a quieter part of the city, near a costco, ikea and within a five minute walk of the subway.  the building/apartment are new and kept up nicely.  there is a beautiful courtyard that has lots of flowers, palm trees and tropical sounding birds.  the apartment is decently sized and fully furnished, which is a huge benefit!  there is also a workout room that i'll be forced to walk by everyday. i hope seeing it so often will guilt me into a jog on the treadmill every now and again.

beyond that, there isn't too much new to report.  i start a week long training session at my school this monday and will be full time teaching a week later.  

pretty excited about my new life in taiwan, but certainly missing everyone back home.

xx

small view of the part of the city i am currently staying in. also, mcdonalds anyone?

traffic in asia is crazy! both the amount and the drivers.

so here i am.  48 hours before i start a looooooong flight to the country of taiwan.  i'm feeling moderately overwhelmed.  the feeling is stemming partially from not being fully packed, partially from having done little to no research on the country, but mostly from how quickly my leaving date snuck up on me.  


on march 16th of this year, i arrived back in minnesota after spending a year teaching english at a kindergarten in south korea.  korea was easily one of the best, most challenging/growing experiences i have had in life thus far.  in turn, it's a huge reason why i made the decision to head to another asian land.  but i still don't know how march 16th quickly became june 3rd.  two days before i leave the comfort of my cozy bed, minnesota summer, friends, family and so much more. 


it definitely feels different this time.  leaving, that is.  i can't say i'm a veteran of asia, or even a well seasoned traveler, but i do have a years worth of experiences that will come in handy during the upcoming year.  
asia.  certainly not where i envisioned myself ten, five or even two years ago.  actually, when i think back to two years ago, i was just a fresh college grad.  i had the world at my finger tips, but had ZERO plans to move anywhere outside of minnesota.  it wasn't until a "series of events" happened (i.e. randomly getting an email from a korean recruiter and getting several pushes from friends who had either been to korea teaching or were currently there) that I truly wanted to leave the place i call home.  


most of you who know me well, know that when i get an idea in my head, there is little to no chance that the idea will change.  basically, i make up my mind sometimes (usually) hastily and i very, VERY rarely go back on it.  this characteristic has proved to be both a benefit and hindrance at many different times in my life.  anyways, i got an idea in my head.  the idea of picking up my well established life in minnesota and flying halfway around the world, just to start a new one.  to a place where i had no friends, family, knowledge of the language, or real idea of the korean teaching style.  i was naive to say the least, but i wouldn't change a thing about my decision to go to korea, as it truly was a "once in a lifetime experience".....until i made the decision to return to it's neighboring country-taiwan.


i sometimes wish i was still as naive as i was before i left for korea.  i wrote my grandma an email today telling her a little about how i'm feeling at this moment.  here's a part of the email.  i think it will give a better idea of where i sit emotionally right now.


"This year, although it will still be an adventure, will be my second time living in Asia.  I know what is feels like to not know a language, to not be able to communicate or read what the locals can and I know what it feels like to be constantly uncomfortable in the environment that I'm placed in.  This year, I feel far more prepared for the challenges that I will surely face on a daily basis.  I am practically a professional charades player (having to interact with so many people only through hand gestures).  But the downfall of having experienced being gone for a long period before is knowing how hard it is to be away from family and friends.  Last year, I hopped on a plane and had no idea what to expect.  I had never been away from my family for more than 2 weeks total, so I had no idea how it would feel when those 2 weeks turned into 56+ weeks.  But now I do.  Honestly, probably one of the biggest things I learned being away last year is that family and friends are SOOOOOO important.  Though I had a family in Korea (the friends I made), there is nothing like going home to family that has known you for life.  Home to the people that helped me become who i am and have walked alongside of me since day one.  The group of people that know every little detail about my life without having to tell them.  For as annoying as that may seem sometimes, I now realized the importance of it.  I am so thankful for the internet and being able to send emails and skype home, but there is nothing like a real hug from mom, a foot rub from dad or a day spent with my brother.  So yes,  I am very excited to leave for another year (Be with Kris and teach/travel again), but this time I realize the major sacrifice I will make as I board that plane:  My comfortable bed, my beautiful state, clean streets and parks, the ability to fully communicate, "normal" foods, spending time with my friends, but mostly the unconditional love and support of my family.  Although, that is something I carry with me as I cross the sea, it's a lot less tangible and this time i know it."


with that being said, i have never been more excited to get back to teaching, be able to travel and also meet new people. buuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuut, what i am undoubtedly most excited about is seeing my wonderful boyfriend. it will be almost four months that we've spent apart.  and as thankful as i am for skype, i can't wait to just be together again! 


so here's to you, taiwan.  the place i will call "home" for the next year. the land of subtropical climates, beautiful beaches, low cost of living and monkeys. and the land i will once again reunite with a beautiful kiwi boy named, kris.  


i leave you with a picture of my (almost) packed bags.  this is a proud moment as last year i had the green backpack you see, a (massive) black carry on purse, the big rolly bag you see AS WELL AS a second bag the size of the big rolly one. this year, i have drastically reduced my packing!  hooray for less back aches and unneeded items when i get there! 

cheers to all!