Where to begin???

As I flew in to sunny (well actually over-cast and air polluted) Kaohsiung I quickly realized that my life was going to change by living here. I have already had so many new experience, tried new (unrecognizable) food and met many new friends.

Life in Asia is both what I expected it to be and very surprising all at once. The city is such a vibrant place. If you looked out my window you might be fooled in to thinking I was somewhere warm nestled in the United States. However, if you venture out of the streets you quickly realize you're not. Besides the obvious, asian people and chinese written everywhere, the scooters whizzing around and the odd smells make you realize that, "We're not in Kansas any more, Dorothy!"

I am currently living with two couples that teach for my school. They are so nice and have been very hospitable towards me. I am so thankful for this because moving to a new country is quite daunting. They have been taking chinese class for a while now so they are able to communicate with others very well. I hope so do the same after I get settled in.

I am looking for an apartment these days. There are many to chose from and I must decide if I will have a roommate or wait for other people to move here in the coming weeks, to live with.

Now back to the scooters, these things are a fantastic invention! People weave in and out of cars, kids, dogs, carts and buses. Everyone here has one and this could be the main reason we stereotype them as bad drivers back home. There are rules for the scooters but they are seldom followed around here. They are probably totally freaked out that everyone is driving so straight and on the correct side of the road. I recently bought a scooter from one of the girls who is moving away. I practiced driving it last night and I have a feeling that I will come to love driving one!

Much of the food I've eaten has come from small vendors on the streets that are located between buildings. It is almost always something that looks like food I can eat and has turned out to be delish so far! Stinky tofu is one of the oddities that I tried at the night markets. (night market- an every night carnival/fair type of experience with food, games, shopping and tons of people! Great experience) The stinky tofu really does live up to its name. It smells like you are eating fried tofu in the pig barn and the Palouse Empire Fair. Its not something I would like to do every day but the tofu doesn't taste bad at all. However, the tea here is phenomenal!! It is unlike anything you can get at home. Fresh fruit green tea, black tea, milk tea. Anything you pick is to die for. Chinese love their sugar though so I've heard that having a regular milk tea is the equivalent of eating a big mac....I should probably stay away from too many of those!!!

I'm off to look at apartments this morning (its 9:21 am on Tuesday here) then head to training in the afternoon and evenings. Everyone stays up so late here! I am slowly getting use to that. Since I was retired back home this summer I was use to going to bed around 9 or 10...these days its more like 1 or 2 at the earliest! I will post pictures soon and if anyone is even thinking about coming here....DO IT! You wont be let down :)

Taiwan

A few short months ago I was quite certain this day would ever come. As I diligently sent every agency, school and company in Asia my resume and photo, I wasn't sure I would see this day...Within 24 hours I will be on a plane; embarking on my newest adventure in life.
I just got off the phone with a new friend who recently lived in Taiwan with her family. She told me all of the food I have to try. She talked about how friendly people are and how easy it is to adjust to life in Taiwan. She made me that much more excited for my trip.
I will be living in Kaohsiung and teaching English for the next 13 months. I expect everything to be completely crazy and different. I am sure that sometimes I will be homesick and I will miss my family and friends. There will be many times in the coming months that I am pushed from my comfort zone and in to growth. But if I don't do this now I cant be positive that I will ever get this chance again.
I'm moving from small town, Washington to big city, Taiwan. It's frightening, its thrilling and its something that not everyone even thinks about doing. But, for now, I know this is what I should be doing.
I might come back looking different, I hopefully will be more educated and above all humbled beyond belief.
Here's to following our dreams. We have one chance at this life so why not make it spectacular, scary and so FUN!