Well, we are no longer at the hotel. I am staying with a coworker from the school. She is very nice. She has given me informed me on what I needed to know before I got here as well as teaching me new things while I'm here. I thank God for allowing her to be my blessing. I will apartment hunt today online and then tomorrow we will go look at a few of the places. The cost of living here is cheaper, but I would like to save money as I take care of things in the States. Again, I have to say that the scenery is beautiful! The site of how busy this place is makes me wonder if people at home view me the same way. I fully understand how working so hard can make you fail to see what is around you. The people here work about 6 days a week. Studying hard begins at an early age. Your test scores in elementary determine what school you get into for junior high. Your junior high scores determine your high school. Your high school scores determine what college or if you will go to college. At Ramay, our students are shown their test scores and are advised on study habits and future plans. They are shown a chart called "Career Explorations." This chart tells them what career works best for them based on their test scores. In Taiwan, some students face similar challenges. Some are taxi drivers because of it.
I rode the MRT for the first time and it was very quick. You can use the MRT to get around anywhere in Taipei. You have to scan your card before and after you get off the train and the bus. There are no food or drinks allowed at the MRT station. There is a 75000 TWD fine if you violate this law. So far, I have been asked to take 1 picture, but have received some looks. I have to remember that for some of these people, it is their first time ever seeing a foreigner. Imagine how they felt when they saw Monica and me walking down the street. Two foreigners of different races within 2 ft! How overwhelming! One little girl spoke to her mom and called us "Americans!" This morning another little girl's mouth hung open in amazement. After we passed her, she finally got over her shock and spoke to us. She asked how we were doing. She was adorable.
I'm still waiting on culture shock to hit me. I find myself waking up several times throughout the night. I guess my body is still trying to adjust to all the changes, sites, sounds, and smells. I definitely have to continue to work on my Mandarin. By the way, they speak Tawanese here too! If I can get out of Spanish mode, then maybe I will pick up a little Tawanese. I get too see my school on Monday and I will probably have my phone by then. If you want to reach me, then you can reach me thru Skype. Just remember that I am 13 hrs ahead of you.
