mercuriosity, posts by tag: adventures - LiveJournal (original) (raw)
Things I am going to miss about Taiwan, #432: KTV.
Four of us did KTV last night, as a sort of send-off for me. I sang "New York, New York" and "Leaving on a Jet Plane". In honor of MJ, we did "Billie Jean,", "Thriller" and "Beat It". I revealed my hopeless nerdery by singing "Dragostea din Tei" in Romanian and "Real Emotion" in Japanese, and embraced the shame by singing most of the Backstreet Boys catalog. Without having to look at the screen.
Also discovered that doing KTV with friends who are terrible singers, bless them, has a dangerous risk of making one think one can actually sing. Abandon that notion right now, one. ABANDON IT.
We sang for six hours, somehow. Perhaps not surprisingly, I collapsed into bed early this morning and woke up 11 hours later with a desperate need for water. Probably a good thing that plan to go paragliding didn't work out.
In sum: Good times!
Current Mood: hungry
30 January 2008 @ 11:51 pm
The internet guys came to my apartment on Monday. I must have subconsciously been expecting some musty, middle-aged nerd or something? Because I was a little surprised when a young, modestly cute guy knocked on my door. This only added to the embarrassment of not speaking or understanding enough Chinese to be useful and standing around like an idiot. Communication was managed, with much awkward laughter on both sides; the end result being that I finally have my very own internet connection and no longer have to rely on a patchwork solution of hundred-year-old communal computers and borrowed gadgetry. HELLO, INTERNETS. Let's never be separated again!
I'm meeting with the resident Chinese teacher tomorrow to talk about taking classes and so she can see how little I've retained from two years of college classes. I'm sort of wearily resigned to the fact that I'm going to embarrass myself, but the prospect of studying again is cheering. (Language-related shame and guilt issues to be discussed in another post, if ever.) Wish me...luck? A sudden burst of language ability and/or confidence? Cheat sheets? Whatever it takes to make it through an interview without wanting to crawl into a dark hole and never come out.
Current Mood: lethargic
28 January 2008 @ 02:23 am
I did something truly stupid the other day. I was leaving work and reached into my pocket for my keys, as usual—only they weren’t there. Confused, I started searching in my purse. Not there either. “Oh shit,” I thought. “Ohshitohshitohshit. Please tell me I didn’t leave them _actually hanging in the ignition_”—at this point already mentally preparing my “My scooter got stole!” story for everyone at work. When I turned the corner and saw that dirty, used-to-be-white chassis right where I’d left it, I started breathing again. OK, so I didn’t leave the keys in the ignition, just in the lock for the under-seat storage. Hanging right there, like a big, flashing “Please steal me!” sign. And because this is Taiwan, or maybe just because the universe looks out for idiots, it was still there when I came back some hours later. Thank you, The Universe.
*
Saturday after work I had an appointment to go to a spa for a facial—not the kind of thing I’d spend my own money on, but I had a gift certificate, a Christmas present from my boss. I drove for more than half an hour trying to find this place, following the main road until I knew I was in the right area, but once I got there none of the smaller streets had any friggin’ street signs—one thing that drives me a little bit crazy about Taiwan. Even at fairly big intersections, sometimes there won’t be any signs. Like, what, you actually want to know what road this is before you turn onto it? You mean you’re not psychic?
Frustrated, I drove further and further, until I was actually driving up into the mountains and away from recognizable civilization. At this point I figured a) that I’d definitely gone too far, and b) that I was completely going to drive my little scooter to death. I turned around and drove back through the thicket of small streets, one of which was most likely the very street I was looking for, but failed to spot anything with a name. I could have stopped to ask someone, but I was feeling more and more fed-up and less and less adventurous with every second. Did I mention that it was raining? And that I’d had hardly any sleep the night before and really wanted to be napping anyway?
I gave up. I went home. I thought about calling and asking to reschedule (and maybe for some better directions), but if it meant driving in the rain again, I wouldn’t want to bother, and if it meant paying a huge cab fare, I’d just as soon save the money. So it’s fair to say I lost that round—wasted a couple hours of my afternoon and didn’t get anything out of it except, most likely, the cold I’m now staring down.
It’s moments like this that make up my days, pretty much. A few people I’ve met here have commented on how quickly things become routine—you’re in this foreign country, supposedly having an adventure, and what do you do? Get up, go to work, eat, sleep, get up, go to work again, &c. &c. It’s absolutely true. The biggest things happening to me right now, the things I want to talk about the most, are at the personal, psychological, quite possibly TMI level. It’s kind of sobering to realize that pretty much all of my Issues have traveled across the ocean with me, and they’re not any easier to deal with here—in many cases they’re harder, compounded by and wrapped up with the issues that come with living in a foreign place and culture. It’s this I want to talk about—and talk through.
Ha. And here I thought I was going to keep people entertained with my fascinating accounts of life in Taiwan and atmospheric, postcard-worthy photos. But guess what? I still just want to talk about my Feelings.
26 November 2007 @ 07:32 pm
Hay guys,
I do promise to return to LJ when I get all settled in, but for the moment I have broken metaphorical ground over at my Taiwan blog: http://intrepidexplorer.wordpress.com.
V. quick version: I am having a blast so far. More later. XOXOXOXOXO
I have a phonology test to study for and almost an entire paper to write by tomorrow; so what am I doing? Uploading crappy photos, of course!
There aren't many, but at least they prove I was there!
--you ever notice how when you have deadlines breathing down your neck, everything on the internet becomes ONE THOUSAND TIMES more interesting? GET THEE BEHIND ME, WIKIPEDIA.
( The saga continuesCollapse )
Bottom line: I have no idea what response to expect from Penn. I'd be disappointed not to be accepted, obviously, but I'm pretty sure I'd get over it sooner rather than later, because I know, on the basis of my visit, that it wouldn't mean I'm unworthy--it's just that the odds are small to start with, the competition is incredible, and it does take a somewhat lucky combination of factors. And if I haven't found mine yet, well. Try, try again.
*crosses fingers*
28 February 2007 @ 10:59 pm
Today went pretty well considering that I stayed up too late last night and got up too late this morning, and was consequently (through combined lack of sleep and coffee) tired as fuck through my first two classes. For my lunch break I tried a place I hadn't eaten before and had a sandwich and a (good!) latte, which woke me up, plus it was a really good deal, plus it actually had places to sit and relax a little during the lunch rush, so that was cool. A+. Would buy from again.
Oh, and it totally snowed for, like, a minute while I was eating! Weird.
So, OK. I had adventures in Philadelphia! I'm a little late in recounting them, but better late than never, right? Some people I talk to in person or on the phone have heard bits and pieces, but I didn't want to bore them with the full details. That's what LJ is for!
( Two planes diverged at a snowy airport, and I-- / I took the one less traveled byCollapse )
--god, this is getting insanely long, and it's not even INTERESTING. I'm going to have to cut it here and continue in another post.
Stay tuned for Part 2, in which there are interviews and it continues to be arse-freezing cold.
Current Mood: long-winded
Current Music: mychael and jeff danna: the blood of cu chulainn