About the city

In rainy Taipei, the Presidential Building:



Red Pavilion Theatre:




Further depths of Ximen:




I felt like I was back in Tokyo.


Snake Alley Night Market:






I wasn't supposed to take a picture of the snakes. When I took out my camera to take a picture of an ointment that claimed to cure of some type of bodily infection (photos to prove it), the elderly woman started grumbling and got out of her chair to block her display. That's when I took out my handy 2 x .... I mean, that's when I put my camera away.


Longshan Temple:



Shihlin Night Market:

Speaking Contest

The final Speaking Contest was held today (we had a practice round last week). Each student had to read and perform a short poem. This week they read much better. Last week some students didn't want to go on stage, and some forgot large portions of their poem.

One month

One month till my flight back to Canada. I'm looking forward to it because I miss my people! That being said, it's sad and strange to think about leaving after being here for this long. Only four weekends left, so I need to chose my outings wisely. I'll have to brace myself for culture shock once more.

Lunch inTaipei

I had lunch with friends in Taipei today. I planned on visiting a few other places, but a tropical downpour helped me change my mind. Unusually, I was without umbrella or raincoat.

Neighbourhood KTV, birds

Games we play

Kindy placement tests

Today I gave kindergarten students the oral component of an English placement test to see what level English class they are eligible to enroll in. Some did well; they knew their colours, numbers, and were able to answer basic questions.

One student didn't answer any oral questions posed to him, he simply repeated the question I asked him.

More than a few students can fly.

I don't think one boy blinked throughout the entire oral exam.

What happened to your face?

Perhaps one of the best ways to be greeted.

Well, if you must know, a mosquito kissed me on the cheek the other night.

How many times have I said "This is the last time I open my window"? Yet, time and time again I feel like letting some 'fresh' air in. Occasionally, mosquitoes make their way in. (This never happens to my co-worker who lives in the same building as me!) It's not a good night sleep when you hear the bastard buzzing by your hear, and, unable to locate and destroy it, you know you'll begin your day with 2-3 bites.

Bread

The Land of Furniture

For lack of moisture

I was looking for a moisturizer at a drug store. There are officially a zillion types of cleaners available, but the moisturizer selection is mostly catered to older women looking for the tiny potted variety. Climate will do that.

Alien

Last week I filed my taxes at the Alien Services Counter. Though I'm an alien here, this past year I qualify for the lower resident rate of tax according to the number of days I've been in the country. Things seemed to just squeak by on that one; my Hong Kong trip had the potential to mess up my days-in-Taiwan number.

The good thing is that I get a refund, however global warming or weapons of mass destruction may have eliminated large portions of Earth as we know it by the 2-3 years time it takes to receive the refund. I have this conspiracy theory brewing that hypothesizes (out of unfounded thin air) that the tax officials behind the refund are just hoping that individuals will forget about their refund after those several years.

Locals receive their refunds within approximately a year and a half, which is still quite a while.

Food for white people

A friend invited me over for dinner. Her friend/co-worker made Italian noodles and everything else seen here. Very good, especially considering that it was her first attempt making this meal. It was made in honour of my foreignness.

In Search of

At Search nightclub the already low cover charge includes unlimited drinks. I can't imagine this working in Canada. I had several Sex on the Beach and a Blue Hawaii.

Banana green tea

A repeat of yesterday: rain and perishable-doling. This time it was banana-flavoured iced green tea. At least, I think there was banana flavour in the drink. You never know with translation issues... Who cares - it tasted good!

Strawberry cake for a rainy day

A co-worker bought a strawberry cake for the office staff today. Why? It's a rainy day. Sounds good to me!

Most people in my apartment building leave their umbrellas in the hallway to dry. In Taiwan that's common. Shoe racks outside your door are also the norm.

Ha ha!

The guy being spun around was randomly selected from the audience.