Running to something

As I'm preparing to leave on Wednesday, I can't help but think about all the new adventures that are waiting for me just around the corner. Skiing in Japan, my first 1/2 marathon in Taiwan, a two week trip to Thailand, and a possible month long trek in Nepal up to Kyazu Ri and so much more. Every day will be filled with challenges that I will have to figure out. I will be uncomfortable most of the time, out of my element and I'm sure a little confused but I can hardly wait.

If you would have asked me eight months ago when I was laid off from my job what my life would be like come December, I'm sure I would have described something completely different. I think the biggest lesson I have learned is that you really have no idea what the future has in store for you. Life is full of so many unexpected things. True, not everything that happens feels fortunate but in the end, it all leads you exactly where you are meant to be.

As for my last few days here, I'm trying to soak it all up. Spend time with friends and family, get some good workouts in, and I even went skiing last Tuesday up at Crystal. Life is pretty good. In the end, I feel like I am running to something pretty amazing and will welcome this new life with open arms.

It's a pretty big world out there...

And I have finally decided to take full advantage of it. As of December 9th, I will no longer reside in Seattle, Washington and instead call Jongli, Taiwan home sweet home. I decided to move to Taiwan on top of a mountain about a week into my trip. What may seem likely a hasty decision is actually one I've been thinking about for a very long time. Maybe not Taiwan but overseas for sure. It just so happened that everything fell into place nicely and I will begin what could be a very interesting 'career' teaching English to little Taiwanese children. Now I know what you are thinking. How can someone who barely speaks proper English herself teach children the language. Well, my answer to that is: I have no friggin idea but I suppose that is part of the challenge and excitement and I'll figure it out along the way.

The next 6 months are about just that. Figuring it out as I go and being hopeful. I've lived a charmed life here in Seattle and have been quite fortunate and blessed It's time I set out on a little adventure and see where it takes me. Maybe back to Seattle or maybe on to a different country. Who knows. All I am sure of is that this decision feels good and right and that is all I need right now.

I hope you all had a Happy Thanksgiving and I'll be here until the 9th of December. Oh, my phone will be disconnected on December 8th....

So long Taiwan but I'll be seeing you soon...

I leave in a few hours and I am overwhelmed with emotion. My time here has been nothing short of amazing and my eyes have been opened to so much and I am grateful for that. Many things are on my mind and a few new decisions have been made which I will share soon enough. I've learned some valuable lessons, met some great people, and am open to all the possibilites that life is throwing my way at the moment.

For now I have to say good-bye to Taiwan but I know I'll be seeing you soon.

Culture Shock for the Little White Girl

I've been here for a week now and have noticed many things that are VERY different from the states. Naturally this should be so but I thought I would touch on a few and share my thoughts.

1. The Squatter. Now some of you may know this about me but most probably don't nor do you really want to but I'm going to share anyway. Here it is, I never perfected the art of squatting and in doing so, I often find myself pissing down my leg left trying to figure out how to hide the obvious. Here in Taiwan the public toilet is first, few and far between and second, basically a whole in the ground that you are left to spread eagle over to do your business. On my first account with the squatter I almost turned around and held it but part of the experience of this trip is to force myself to step outside my comfort zone and try new things. So, I did my business and surprisingly I managed to walk away with dry legs and shoes. John can't seem to understand my disgust with the squatter toilet to which I argue, "you only have to do your business squatting half the time. You've got a 50/50 chance." Oh well, I tackled and mastered that one.

2. The Face Mask. We live in a society where no one really cares who is subjected to their germs. You have H1N1 and you are still trekking to work, sweaty, sneezy, sick and ready to share. I knew that I would see many people wearing face masks but why I thought they were wearing them is actually different. John's friend Kaivan explained to me that it's all about 'saving face' which is a knew subject on it's own that I will save for a later discussion. The mask isn't really about their fear of your germs as much as it is about them not wanting you to catch theirs. It's more of a respect thing. With that being said, some Taiwanese have designer ones. Plaid, paisley, cartoon you name it.

3. It's 80 degrees plus humidity and they wear winter jackets. So I'm walking along and noticing that many of the Taiwanese are wearing jeans, long sleeve shirts, scarves and a jacket. And then there is me. Shorts, tank top, sunglasses, and still very sweaty. This puts into perspective how hot it actually gets here in the summer time.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not exactly complaining about the above. It's more of an observation. One that I'm starting to adjust to and actually find comforting. Here are a few things that I really like here....

1. You don't tip. I know I sound cheap but it really makes life easier knowing you don't have to figure out how much to tip.

2. Street Vendors. If you're hungry and it's 11PM, you just step out your door, walk down the street and wallah! You have a plethora of vendors to choose from. Just beware of the stinky tofu. I tried it last night and it really does taste exactly like it smells....like dirty feet.

3. Scooters everywhere. I love that everyone owns a scooter or takes the train or MRT. If I lived here I'd be so excited to get a scooter. Makes me want to get rid of the red beast and get a Vespa back home but then I remember I live in Seattle. I would only be able to ride it 30 days out of the year.

4. Everyone is nice. Besides the mildly offensive comment I received on the street yesterday walking to the store, everyone is nice and they like to stare but I can't blame them. I look like a blonde curly hair freak in a sea of black hair and face masks.

5. There's an earthquake and the city doesn't shut down and it's not on every news channel on T.V. Yes, there were 2 earthquakes here yesterday. They were strong enough for me to look around the apartment and realize everything was shaking. I thought it was pretty cool actually...my mom on the other hand didn't find it as cool.

So that is it for now, I'll write more later~!

Oh the places I have seen...

Hi Everyone! I'm sorry for not posting sooner but I've been having too much fun! But this one should be a nice and long one so here goes ...

For those of you who are terrified of spiders I would suggest NOT going into the jungles of the Taiwanese mountains for there are very large and frightening 8 legged creatures all around which I had the pleasure of experiencing first hand. Meet George.


Aside from the spiders there are cuter creatures such as the mass amounts of mountain monkeys at the campgrounds we stayed at just outside of Taichung. Late Friday night John and I caught a train south of Neili, where he lives and stayed the night with Jody and Oliver, friends of his from his days in Colorado. Lovely and generous people. We stayed at there apartment Friday night and headed to the mountains Saturday afternoon. Two of their friends joined us and we hopped on our three scooters and drove 40 minutes up into the mountains to camp.

Camping in Taiwan is a unique experience. One I can't say I'd love to do again but I'm sure I will. First, the zipper on our tent was broken so John and I were eaten alive all night long. Don't be surprised if I come home with some rare disease. That mixed with the jet lag I was still experiencing made for a 'happy' Manda the next morning but I turned my frown upside down and after breakfast and coffee, I was in a better head space.

Before we headed south to Taichung on Friday, I spent the day with John's friend Kaivan. He was raised in the states but is Taiwanese, moving back here 8 years ago. I'm so happy I had the chance to hang out with him. I definitely saw stuff I wouldn't have otherwise. He took me to lunch at a very authentic Taiwanese restaurant and then we walked the street in search of cute little shops and a jade market. We came across a little tea shop and although it was closed, the owner invited us in and explained (which was translated to me by Kaivan) the process of drinking tea. It was quite the unique experience. After that, we went to a park that reminded me of Central Park in Manhattan. Kaiva plays the violin and there was a big amphitheater and he got up and played a couple songs for me. From there we headed to Taipei 101, the tallest building in the world...for now. Dubai is in the process of building the new tallest building but until it is open, Taipei 101 is still number one. Such a beautiful view.

So, after my day exploring parts of Taipei, John and I headed south to camp with the crew. The following day, on our way out we decided to go to a waterfall to swim. On the way back to Taichung, we stopped at a few places, one being a man made bat cave and the other a monastery. I was almost killed by a bat. John would say I was exaggerating but seriously, the little blood sucking flying rat came straight at my head. This tunnel was about 5 feet high and 3 feet across and pitch black. I was the 'leader' with the camera light and all of the sudden I was dodging a nose diving grey bat that I just know what aiming straight for my neck. Needless to say, I screamed and we were out of there. Fun times for sure! The Monastery was beautiful. Somewhat haunting and we were the only people there. There were a couple wild cats running around and I'm not sure what I was more interested in. The beauty of the scenery or chasing the kitties. John would say the kitties.

We got back to Neili late Sunday night and Monday morning John called in sick and we headed to Wulai, a small mountain town known for their hot springs and hiking. I'm not sure I could do it justice by trying to explain how cute it was but just think small village with street vendors and homes built into the hills. We hiked around a bit and then took the gondola up to this hotel and some kind of amusement area. Pictures should explain a little better.

Tuesday I stayed local. John took me to the local gym and I ran and swam which felt really good. I'm consuming everything that my body can't digest very well but it's so worth it. John's friend Karolese, a South African woman, invited me to Yoga night with her friends which actually turned out to just be dinner, wine drinking, and talking. It was really nice having a 'girls night' experience here and meeting some new friends. One of my goals while here was to meet people and form contacts for future travels. I'm meeting a lot of nice people. One of the girls from that night and I are hanging out tomorrow (Friday). She is from England and has only been here for 2 months. We are going to go explore a town called Danshui.

Yesterday I went two train stops north to a little town known for their ceramics and pottery called Yingge. Mom-you would have been in heaven. Who knows, maybe I got you a little something from there. There is a section called Old Town and the streets are cobblestone and it is quaint and charming.

Today I think I'm going to go one more stop past Yingge and go hiking a bit. Stay tuned...here are some pictures to keep you entertained...