Asian Adventures

Thursday, July 14, 2005

I've been in Kaohsiung for a fairly substantial amount of time now. Just when I thought I was getting used to the insanity that can sometimes be this city, I found out I was wrong. The weird part is that I'm usually the only one who reacts to these weird things, foreign or Chinese. I think most people have been here so long that just about anything and everything slides right on by, without so much as a blink. For example, I was having some drinks with a friend in a bar here the other night. He's talking and talking, until I point out that the woman beside him is sharing a poutine with her Paris Hilton-esque dog. And nothing. He just looks over, acknowledges it, and continues conversation like it's common place to share fries, cheese and gravy with your rat-dog.

In more important news, I recently had the pronunciation of my NATIVE language corrected by a woman who speaks a very broken form of something she likes to call English. Yup. Not impressed.

So aside from having my English corrected, and sharing romantic meals with rodent like dogs, I'm finding myself settling quite nicely into my new Taiwanese life. I'm into such a routine these days. I get up fairly early in the morning, and if I'm disciplined enough I'll get to the gym. If not I'll have some breakfast, and then get into social recluse mode and go read* in Starbucks for 3 hours. I head to work an hour before I start teaching, plan my classes, and get on my merry way. I'm finished at 9:10, at which point I grudgingly drag my ass to the gym and vow to start going in the morning. I do this Monday-Friday, and then the weekend follows. This always includes many welcomed surprises.

Re-reading that I realize my life doesn't sound like too much fun - but trust me - it is. Maybe I'll get used to it at some point down the road, but it seems like I still see absolutely ridiculous and hilarious things on a regular basis. I like the job and everyone I've met has been great. The only big pitfall so far is that I feel like I'm constantly fighting a cold. I'm surrounded by germy kids all day, all of whom keep infecting me with their foreign viruses. My Canadian immune system just isn't ready for them.

Teaching is still great aside from the devil reincarnate, but he's on summer holidays from English school. Sweeeeet!

I will end this off by saying the following for what I'm sure is at least the 10th time:

I'M GOING TO BALI IN A WEEK!

*Notice that I said read, and not drink coffee...because what they make cannot be called coffee. It can be called shit. I miss Tim Hortons. Go Canada.

0 Comments:

Post a Comment

<< Home