Survival - making it to the first weekend

When you are preparing and doing last-minute packing (or last second changes at the airport), the base-root question (as opposed to the square-root question...) is "will I need this?". It comes in the form，　ｈｏｐｅｆｕｌｌｙ　ｌｅｓｓ　ｏｆｔｅｎ， of "Will I need this blow-up inner tube or will I　ｎｅｅｄ　ｔｈｉｓ outfit I haven't worn in 2 years, but just maybe I'll wear it now?". Don't be ridiculous. My dad tells me on a monthly basis that we only use 20% of our clothes 80% of the time (80/20 principle in action). Bring that 20%.

Believe it or not, but those info sheets found in the "study abroad packets" that not many people (excuse me, students) read have some helpful info. It's hard to find some products (like deodorant) in China, but easy to find others (like ginseng toothpaste). Clothes, so long as you are medium sized, are also really really really cheap at the night markets - and come in bad English or cute patterns depending where you shop.

I don't like money belts/purses (whatever you want to call them). Yes, the keep your "goods" safe, but it's a hassle to access at the airport and on the street. Get a bag with an inside zipper or hook if you want "anti-theft" proof.

Also, bring your favorite over-the counter medicine. You will get sick. Don't believe that you are "invincible", because you're not. You will also get diarrhea. The great food in Asia comes at a price for the 1st week. But after the 1st week, if you try to eat American "greasy" food, you'll have a stomachache. Oh, the irony.


Prepare for slight different ways of doing normal things, such as using squat toilets and getting take-out soup in a bag (they assume you have your own bowl). Garbage cans are hard to find (subway stations always have them). Always keep an open mind. Always. Smile a lot. And you'll be just fine, just fine.

Space and Living Areas

Room and board for me is super cheap in Taiwan. Currently I am living in an "International House" off on the south end of Taipei city for only $74000 NTD (new taiwan dollars) per month. This includes a bathroom, sink, shower, bed & bed set, air conditioning, a balcony AND a roommate =D
Once I figure out how to post pictures on this thing, I will do so.

Why is it that when I get a cheap hostel room, everything is provided, while, in America, when I go to my dorm room I'm expected to bring my own sheets? You'd think it'd be the other way around. On top of that, there are caretakers who come in an clean once a week. This happened both here, in Taipei, and the university I stayed with during Asian Con in January (Beijing). Is it job opportunities? Some factor about the culture?.....

Lacking

A lot of you asked what I would be doing while I'm in Taipei and what kind of internship it was. I held these questions at bay because I actually had no idea...until now.

I currently am the foreign summer intern at the Begonia Foundation. They are a very small body of people (8 total) that organize other (hundreds)of NPO's and NGO's (non profit/gov. organizations) in order to help current disasters, fundraisers, and other welfare events.

Theoretically I am going to help them by doing a couple different things. One big job is translation - no one in the foundation can speak or write English fluently. I have spent the last day and a half translating some very flowery and formal "thank you" notes from an international conference's attendees. How do you translate "most cordially"???? I have also started to compile a list of vocabulary that I needed to look up on nciku.com (online Chinese dictionary). It is now 4 pages long, and counting (from these letters). Here is one of the letters (in very, very poor chinese grammar) -- good luck translating back into English:
朋友们和同事，

官教授和Dr. Lu, 谢谢您们。再一次你们的有扰和会议的条理超过了我的预料。因为我是一位住在日本的意大利的学者, 我真认为你们的组织的方法和使别人更舒服的方法都很重要。我觉得意大利应该学习您们的榜样。
对您们的SE 文章，我非常感谢。您们的陈述很有意思。我也认为这个会议提供在中间和里边亚洲国家的SEs 的机会学习。这个会议的陈述, 讨论和问题帮助提高我们的SE知识，还把一些看法成为清楚。一方面住在亚洲国家以后，我学 给别的同事指责是不好的事，因此 这样的行为 不应该做。另一方面，因为在英国上学，我也学给别的同事这样的指责是很好的事，对别人工作的发展是最重要的方法。我们的主意和看法 不同的时候，我还认为共享 看法虚虚心心的很重要。如果我们的活动是这样的，因为我们的合作很亲密，很永恒， 所以我们可能建立一个基础。
有一些与会者已经联系了我。因为他们对未来 合作的活动有兴趣，所我真知道这个会议促进了很大的合作精神。明年我们已经有一些对比研究。在别的亚洲国家我们可能做陈述这个对比研究。不带说，如果您们跟我一起想合作，我可能。对在外边和里边的日本学者 的评论和怎么发展我的工作的主意, 我都感谢。
有的人在伊斯坦布尔我可以看，有的人我希望未来 看。

Kind Regards, Rosario

For a good number of you, that was just a bunch of nonsense. All you need to know is that translating formalities into chinese (like "fruitful treasure") has interesting consequences.

Today, however, was the rehearsal for a large conference that is happening on the 8th. I'll post pictures tomorrow! (I hate taking photos. Don't ask me why. I don't know. probably because I'm awful at it).

Food

I suppose I'll start off this blog with a favorite pastime. 
One of the largest differences between Eastern cities and Chicago, let's say, is the sheer number of places (and variety!) that one can find something on the go, sitting down, while driving your flashy moped, etc.  Food and drink is cheap and everywhere in Taipei.  Even if you were to have no home, car, air conditioning, job, or true love - this is still at least one thing you can still buy: the baozi on the nearest street corner.  A person could live on $1 USdollar a day if they knew where to go.  And this isn't just market snacks, but actual meal stuffs.  On the other hand, those who were hit hardest during the most recent turn of the economy in America know all too well that $1 is less than pocket change - good for a snickers bar, if even that.

Even more interesting is the art of food-getting in the narrow streets, often smelling of steamed something or hairy pig.  The other day my coworkers shepherded me around some of these streets getting the day's lunch.  I expected us to choose a sit down noodle restaurant and then return to the office.  I wasn't joking when I mentioned I was being shepherded around.  We ended up going to 6 different places, picking and choosing what looked good and compiling it all.  It was like going to a Forever 21 store*** and sailing among rows of food.  This, I was okay with.  This, I could definitely live with.

As I sat down to partake in the many things in front of my face (and stomach), I wondered what exactly made getting food in Taiwan exciting.  I know that the fact that America doesn't offer certain kinds of things (like pig's feet, a green vegetable I'll call "spicy plant", taro root, etc) as a "regular" meal (but, of course, can be found....).  But it's something else.....maybe the fact that something so necessary and foundational to any place is so easily accessible.

***Forever 21: clothing store that is brimming with anything and everything.  A guy's worst nightmare.

Arrival

After 6 hours of delay at San Fran and another 40 minutes delay at Narita, I arrived only 30 min after my expected arrival time at the TaoYuan Airport.  Upon my first step into the I-House (International House) after bending time and space, I was cheerfully greeted by the managers, who proceeded to talk with me for the next 50 minutes about what the IHouse offers and how to get around, etc etc.  My first night couldn't have been better.  The room is comfortable and has a personal bathroom and airconditioning -- neither of which I was expecting.

Yesterday night was awesome. 
Today at work was also awesome.  But right now, all I can think about it is sleeping.

So, hang tight and I will get back to you.