Hello dear readership. Sorry for the long delay, it has been a busy week. First of all, my computer has died. I am freaking out a lot because I'm not sure I'll be able to get it repaired here. I'm going to explore stores that do apple repairs but I don't think they will be able to tell that I have a protection plan and I don't want to pay for repairs. I don't think I felt like I was on the other side of the world until my internet access was limited to asking Sei if I can check my email. (Note to parents: Yet another reason why having an iPhone would improve my quality of life so much it'd be like a chubby kid coming back from fat camp all skinny and happy. Still no? We'll talk.)

Okay so Sei and I decided on an apartment and moved in. It is small to say the least. One room plus a bathroom but it has a little kitchen area, couch, refrigerator, television, and the roof has laundry. We've been here for a few days and I don't feel claustrophobic yet. Its only a short walk from the MRT station which is only four stops on the same line to school. Also the neighborhood is really lively with tons of restaurants, clothing stores, random stores, etc. Basically we were out looking for a pillow which seemed an unlikely find on the street but we wandered into this hodgepodge store right next to us that had everything, including a pillow. Overall, it is just really nice to have a sense of permanance. All my clothes are in drawers, etc.

We had our placement test earlier this week. It was hard. I don't really want to talk about it. The oral test was nice though because finally people were speaking to me in Chinese that I could understand. The locals tend to be pretty forgiving when they realize I can't speak Chinese (which is usually upon seeing me) except for this one lady at a pizza place who didn't seem to get it and just kept babbling. I swear she was speaking Taiwanese and not Mandarin. Anyway... the point is, teachers know to speak more deliberately. I'll get my schedule later this week.

ICLP inexplicably gives us an enormous amount of time between the placement test and the first class. (Like 10 days.) It seems like a luxury at the outset but I've been having trouble filling the time. Sei and I have seen a bunch of the sights and done some reading in the apartment.

We saw Longshan temple which is really ornate and beautiful. I was surprised that on a weekday morning there were a lot of people, young and old, lighting incense and worshipping. I think I need to pick up a book on modern Buddhism because it shocked me to see religion so alive here, especially with China right next door.

Then we saw the National Palace Museum which is really cool. Basically when things weren't going their way, the Nationalists exported a lot of the artifacts and art work from Mainland to Taiwan. Good thing because some say the artifacts wouldn't have lasted the Cultural Revolution. We had a free English tour but Sabrina our sassy old tour guide wasn't so skilled at English. I mostly just wandered around and read the signs. My feet were still killing me from all the walking we'd done in the past few days.

Next up was Shilin Night Market which is... a market you go to at night. It had a ton of food and clothing stores. I haven't bought anything yet because Asian style is a bit loud for my taste. Speaking of which, all of the guys have this ridiculous haircut. Its like an Asian Adam Lambert? I don't know I'll take a picture or something. It is ridiculous.

So far my favorite sight has been Ximending, which is this huge walking district of more upscale shops and food. If you go to the allies though it gets a little seedier with tattoo and piercing parlours and stuff. I swear I didn't see anyone over the age of 30. It was a really young district with a cool vibe.

The best part of Taiwan though? The food. I am continually amazed that so many restaurants can stay afloat because the sheer number is incredible. It is incredibly cheap too. However I'm starting to feel ready to cook for myself because much as fried rice, fried wantons, fried dumplings can be delicious, I feel I'm lacking some balance in my meals. Sometimes I just need the comfort of American food too. I've so far been to McDonalds and to Subway. I know, I feel guilty. But after Sei and I failed to get McFlurries when we said "McFlurry" (She was handed green tea and I got some vanilla ice cream. At least I was close.) we looked it up in Chinese and successfully ordered it on our next visit. Victory! (If you are curious it is bingxuanfeng or icy glittering wind.)

I've been reading a book called River Town on Ellen's recommendation. The author did the peace corp for two years in Fuling. I'm really enjoying it. His experience in a remote area of mainland China in 1997 makes my foray into Taiwan seem a lot smoother!

Anyway, everyone cross your fingers that my computer turns on soon.