I couldn't find a title for this post, then this Sara Bareilles song came on:
It's going on the soundtrack, ha ha.
Not much is new, we had another MEV on Wednesday. It was on top of a hill.
But it was (in my opinion) one of the best MEV's we've had. The kids were great, and everything went smoothly.
I've now been here 13 weeks. I've done 10 weeks of school. That's 91 days, almost three months, and I'm a fourth of the way done with my time here.
This weekend, I went to Taichung to shop with Peggy and Thomas. Talking over lunch at Chili's, we discovered something we all have in common. Things are becoming routine. So routine that I frequently forget for a minute where I am. Then all of the sudden it hits me. I live in Taiwan. I'm becoming a part of this town. I saw a shirt here once that said "Every morning, wake up, put on your costume, and decide what part you're going to play." So I guess I've found my "role" here, and I'm learning to play it well. A year ago, I didn't know where Taiwan was. I've come a long way since then.
Walking all over Tongxiao is not a big deal anymore, I don't get stared at as much. Lots of people say hi, they know who I am and what I'm doing here. Today I was waiting to go to the ATM, and a man stepped out of the little room where the machine is. He said "ni hao," I said "ni hao." Then he started up a conversation. In Chinese. I think he asked me if I'm the English teacher at Tongxiao. I understood the word for elementary school, but I just smiled and nodded. As he continued to talk, I shook my head and said sorry. I always try to be polite, and remember that I may be the only American they have ever met, and whatever impression I make, is how they are going to view all Americans for a long time.
Speaking of money, I saw some chairs that I liked at a store in Top City Mall. I sat down in one of the desk chairs, and I liked it. I asked about the price, thinking that if it was reasonable, I might get one. It was 75,000 NT. Pretty close to $2,600 dollars. I've never jumped out of a chair that fast.
One of the biggest things that I've learned since I've been here is not to rely on a credit/debit card. At home, my paycheck was direct deposited, so I never carried cash. I would go shopping for groceries, or whatever, and never pay attention to prices. If I didn't have enough cash, I used the credit or debit card without a second thought. I used a debit card to pay for $3.00 purchase once. Very few places in Tongxiao will take plastic, maybe 7-11 or the train station. As a result, before I leave the apartment, I have to check how much cash I have, and watch the prices as I shop. Definitely a habit I'll keep when I come back to the US.
This upcoming week should be interesting. I'm going on a "field trip" on Monday with the Miaoli County FET's to Taipei. We're having Thanksgiving on the 23rd, and then I'm going on a weekend trip here the next weekend. It looks amazing.
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