Evening all! It's 9:30pm in Taipei, home of Taipei 101, the world's tallest (occupied) building, it's New Year's Eve and it's the last year that the city will be putting on a fireworks display on said tall building.
I am in my pjs and seriously considering having a bath.
Yep, I'm a sad old git and I'm completely gleeful about it! Ahhhhhhh...
Anyhoo, the year in review. It started off as the usual pile of crap for me, but things got going around March when I finally decided to trade in my old life for a new and improved version. Trust me you guys - the hard part is deciding to do it, and the rest is merely budgets and checklists. It took me 5 months.
And now I live in a bat cave in Taiwan, where I am a source of constant entertainment for the locals. Don't even have to try - I am fascinating just the way I am!
Things I liked about 2007: saying goodbye to being a PA. Moving to Taiwan. Trying teaching. Feeling the call of adventure and relishing the possibilities!
Resolutions: the usual. Stop swearing so much (never gonna happen) get more exercise (meh) be nicer to my friends (love you!) appreciate my mother more (I do I do!).
Hope your lists are going well too. Happy New Year. If I don't see you this week, I really miss you.
Monday, December 31, 2007
Tuesday, December 25, 2007
Ho Ho Ho
I'm between functions.
Merry Christmas gentle readers! Hope you're having a good one. So far I've stuffed myself solid with pancakes and bubbly, so not too bad of a day.
Have also talked to my Mum and Tracy, got a full update on the doings of the poodle, received 2 presents (both PREMIUM quality! Thanks Als and Sanchia) and scooped a Christmas stocking's volume of poo. Thanks to Hansel, Huasheng, Horse and Uri for providing the stuffing.
Am feeling ever so slightly homesick, but that might just be the pancakes.
Merry Christmas gentle readers! Hope you're having a good one. So far I've stuffed myself solid with pancakes and bubbly, so not too bad of a day.
Have also talked to my Mum and Tracy, got a full update on the doings of the poodle, received 2 presents (both PREMIUM quality! Thanks Als and Sanchia) and scooped a Christmas stocking's volume of poo. Thanks to Hansel, Huasheng, Horse and Uri for providing the stuffing.
Am feeling ever so slightly homesick, but that might just be the pancakes.
Sunday, December 23, 2007
Saturday, December 22, 2007
Taiwan Day
Man, you try to do the right thing...
I paid some money off my credit card yesterday (or so I stupidly thought) and this morning I got a very excited and concerned call from my bank. The National Bank does not exist. How can this be, you say? It's one of New Zealand's biggest! It's been around for years! It has a website!
It's written right there on your credit card. Underneath the BIG writing that says The National Bank. Squint a bit. There you go... it says "This card remains the property of ANZ National Bank Limited". And as irrefutable PROOF that The National Bank does not exist, some guy at the Dong Hu branch of the First Bank of Taiwan can't find it in his database.
And also, my account does not exist because (wait for it) the number is too long.
After half an hour of incredulous stares at each other, while he shouted "MERGER" at me and I shouted back "SO FUCKING WHAT? IT'S CLEARLY THE SAME PLACE!" I had to fill out all the forms again using the "correct" name of my bank, and put the money in an account with an acceptably short number.
I paid some money off my credit card yesterday (or so I stupidly thought) and this morning I got a very excited and concerned call from my bank. The National Bank does not exist. How can this be, you say? It's one of New Zealand's biggest! It's been around for years! It has a website!
It's written right there on your credit card. Underneath the BIG writing that says The National Bank. Squint a bit. There you go... it says "This card remains the property of ANZ National Bank Limited". And as irrefutable PROOF that The National Bank does not exist, some guy at the Dong Hu branch of the First Bank of Taiwan can't find it in his database.
And also, my account does not exist because (wait for it) the number is too long.
After half an hour of incredulous stares at each other, while he shouted "MERGER" at me and I shouted back "SO FUCKING WHAT? IT'S CLEARLY THE SAME PLACE!" I had to fill out all the forms again using the "correct" name of my bank, and put the money in an account with an acceptably short number.
Monday, December 17, 2007
Chinese Fun
Man, this was a bumper day for posts, wasn't it?
One more...
So, it turns out my attempts at speaking Chinese are just as bad as predicted. There's this whole tonal system you see. And if you don't say each bit in exactly the right tone, the meaning changes completely. I knew this of course, but I'm really bad at remembering which to use where. It turns out that for the past 4 months, I have been telling taxi drivers that I want to go to the "end" of _____, (first tone) but accidently using fourth tone. Which means "fuck". No wonder I get such strange looks!
One more...
So, it turns out my attempts at speaking Chinese are just as bad as predicted. There's this whole tonal system you see. And if you don't say each bit in exactly the right tone, the meaning changes completely. I knew this of course, but I'm really bad at remembering which to use where. It turns out that for the past 4 months, I have been telling taxi drivers that I want to go to the "end" of _____, (first tone) but accidently using fourth tone. Which means "fuck". No wonder I get such strange looks!
Friends - a miniscule selection
As I'm sure you can imagine, I am wildly popular in Taiwan. Here's just some of the better looking people I call friends.
Annie from the States, who is also teaching here. We met on my very first day here, because she was in the same temporary accommodation. We agreed that it was more than nasty, and got the hell out of there as quickly as we could!
Kelly, my co-teacher in the preschool where I don't work any more because of the whole thing. See previous posts on this blog...
Anyway, she's awesome and I miss her and our kiddies every day. She took me shopping at the biggest night market in Taipei, and we got those weird photo sticker things made together. So very Asian! It was fun.
My co-teacher from my class of 7 year olds (they of the frequent group hugs) in the Kids Department, Morning. She usually dresses better than this, but we were at the Christmas fair! I know what you're thinking. Why is Jody doing that cheesy 2 finger thing? Well, it kind of grows on you. Like fungus. Everyone does it here in every single photo, except for when they're doing this other thing that looks exactly like the old and not very politically correct NZSL sign for Lesbian! Man, I laughed when I saw that!
Oh, and yes, her name really is Morning.
Caroline and Rachel, who both teach in the preschool. American, of course. I think Caroline is from Virginia or something. Or maybe New Hampshire? I don't listen. From some small town called Essex, anyway. And Rachel is from Nashville Tennessee. She's EXACTLY how you would imagine!
Annie from the States, who is also teaching here. We met on my very first day here, because she was in the same temporary accommodation. We agreed that it was more than nasty, and got the hell out of there as quickly as we could!
Kelly, my co-teacher in the preschool where I don't work any more because of the whole thing. See previous posts on this blog...
Anyway, she's awesome and I miss her and our kiddies every day. She took me shopping at the biggest night market in Taipei, and we got those weird photo sticker things made together. So very Asian! It was fun.
My co-teacher from my class of 7 year olds (they of the frequent group hugs) in the Kids Department, Morning. She usually dresses better than this, but we were at the Christmas fair! I know what you're thinking. Why is Jody doing that cheesy 2 finger thing? Well, it kind of grows on you. Like fungus. Everyone does it here in every single photo, except for when they're doing this other thing that looks exactly like the old and not very politically correct NZSL sign for Lesbian! Man, I laughed when I saw that!
Oh, and yes, her name really is Morning.
Caroline and Rachel, who both teach in the preschool. American, of course. I think Caroline is from Virginia or something. Or maybe New Hampshire? I don't listen. From some small town called Essex, anyway. And Rachel is from Nashville Tennessee. She's EXACTLY how you would imagine!
Kitties
So far, all 4 cats are alive... Here they are in all their glory!
This one is Huasheng. He and Hansel are in black and white because it's very slimming and it hides many flaws. Including the biggest one for these two - they are GINGAS. Oh, the shame.
His ear got hurt before Alex adopted him, and it's permanently squashed like that. I like to call it his dim sim.
Mr. Hansel "The Toe Monster" Grace-Evans. He's gorgeous and he smells nice. But he's definitely a little rat. Every day he manages to find my foot strapping tape, and he bites it so hard, it's now completely aerated. He's also chewed my Christmas present from Alex and James. Ah boo! Oh yes, and he attacks my feet at night while I'm sleeping.
This little guy is Horse. It's actually a very flattering shot, because in reality, Horse has HORRIBLE breath, googly eyes, a missing tail, a tail stump that is constantly rotating in a most unpleasant fashion, and a tendency to attack. Plus stinky farts. I love him.
No photos of Uri. He's very shy. Or possibly just upset with me for calling him Urinal.
This one is Huasheng. He and Hansel are in black and white because it's very slimming and it hides many flaws. Including the biggest one for these two - they are GINGAS. Oh, the shame.
His ear got hurt before Alex adopted him, and it's permanently squashed like that. I like to call it his dim sim.
Mr. Hansel "The Toe Monster" Grace-Evans. He's gorgeous and he smells nice. But he's definitely a little rat. Every day he manages to find my foot strapping tape, and he bites it so hard, it's now completely aerated. He's also chewed my Christmas present from Alex and James. Ah boo! Oh yes, and he attacks my feet at night while I'm sleeping.
This little guy is Horse. It's actually a very flattering shot, because in reality, Horse has HORRIBLE breath, googly eyes, a missing tail, a tail stump that is constantly rotating in a most unpleasant fashion, and a tendency to attack. Plus stinky farts. I love him.
No photos of Uri. He's very shy. Or possibly just upset with me for calling him Urinal.
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