Another Beautiful Day in Sunny Taiwan....
So I woke up this morning, threw on one of my many new skirts, a tank and my $2.95 flip flops, begrudgingly said goodbye to a sleeping Mark and, after failing to kill a speedy cockroach, was on my way by 8:30am. I walked out to my scooter, grabbed my helmet and luckily glanced inside to find a gigantic moth who had made a home in the warm lining. I was forced to delay my departure by a couple minutes trying to shake the critter out who was holding on for dear life. The construction dudes, who have had the road dug up beside my building for the last couple weeks, must have got a chuckle out of the white girl shaking her helmet and cursing. I don't think i've ever really seen them do any work, except for the one night last week Mark and I walked by and noticed one of the guys shirtless down in a hole operating a welding gun of some sort... sparks flying everywhere. There are no safety standards in Taiwan. I never did see where the wasp went but was eventually confident enough to put it's home on my head and head to school.
As usual, I stopped at my favorite Dan Beng stand and was greeted with the standard "Zhow - Pacon Dan Beng?", "Shyie Shyie, han Hong Cha" I happily replied. I waited the 3 mintues for my delicious bacon, egg wrap and ice red tea to be ready and handed over my 20NT - about 75 cents. I proceeded to school on my usual route and at a stop light observed another accident waiting to happen; two workers were disassembling the store sign of our former favortie small grocery store. I watched as they stood on their ladders that leaned against the building and were set up over a parked car. They shook the sign (and themselves) to tear bits of plastic off and threw pieces of the metal back lighting fixtures into the street, the light turned green and I was on my way again.
Everyone I passed on my way to school was sporting long sleeves, pants and proper shoes - most had the type of winter jacket that we Canadians wear to fight the blistering snow when we walk back and forth to school - uphill both ways.
Now I'm at school killing time before my next parent/teacher conference. I've been here about 10 minutes and have heard the garbage truck go by, singing Beethoven's 'fleur de lis', and what we think what a political parade - a series of blue trucks that drove past shouting chinese slogans while someone hit a gong. I think one of the things we're enjoying most about this whole experience are these little everyday moments that are becoming so normal. I'm having a blast, realizing the importance of paying attention to every little wild and wonderful detail that surrounds me and thankful to my cousin that inspired me to take on Taiwan in the first place.
As usual, I stopped at my favorite Dan Beng stand and was greeted with the standard "Zhow - Pacon Dan Beng?", "Shyie Shyie, han Hong Cha" I happily replied. I waited the 3 mintues for my delicious bacon, egg wrap and ice red tea to be ready and handed over my 20NT - about 75 cents. I proceeded to school on my usual route and at a stop light observed another accident waiting to happen; two workers were disassembling the store sign of our former favortie small grocery store. I watched as they stood on their ladders that leaned against the building and were set up over a parked car. They shook the sign (and themselves) to tear bits of plastic off and threw pieces of the metal back lighting fixtures into the street, the light turned green and I was on my way again.
Everyone I passed on my way to school was sporting long sleeves, pants and proper shoes - most had the type of winter jacket that we Canadians wear to fight the blistering snow when we walk back and forth to school - uphill both ways.
Now I'm at school killing time before my next parent/teacher conference. I've been here about 10 minutes and have heard the garbage truck go by, singing Beethoven's 'fleur de lis', and what we think what a political parade - a series of blue trucks that drove past shouting chinese slogans while someone hit a gong. I think one of the things we're enjoying most about this whole experience are these little everyday moments that are becoming so normal. I'm having a blast, realizing the importance of paying attention to every little wild and wonderful detail that surrounds me and thankful to my cousin that inspired me to take on Taiwan in the first place.
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