Dr. Strangeland or: How I Learned To Stop Worrying And Love Taiwan

9.11.2001

Saturday was a good day. I had two adult classes. They weren't too bad, the first was a business class and I taught them about writing letters to get information from a company. Stuff I have no idea about, but I can fake it well. My second class was with a girl named Fenny. She is 13 and her English is better than mine. She uses words like reliquary. I had no idea what it meant but she did. I teach her writing. It has to be the hardest thing to teach someone, because the only way to get better is through practice and the way I write is just natural because I have been doing it all of my life. So it is hard as hell to tell someone what to do when you don't really know why you do it that way.

After that class I could either take the scooter (which I don't know how to drive) home or walk for 40-45 minutes. I chose to walk. It wasn't until I got to my building that I realized that the key was back at the school. I just stood in the middle of an intersection and yelled fuck at the top of my lungs. I felt like the biggest retard in the world. So I turned around and walked all of the way back to David's. It was not fun, but I guess it was good excercise. When I got back to David's Adrian was on the phone. It turns out that he had called home like three times and was kinda worried about me. because I wasn't there to answer the phone. He and Stephanie came and picked me up and we went back to the night market. It was better than the last time because their were more stalls and the CDs were there. They have CDs for 2.50 canadian. I bought the new Robbie Williams because it had the new song Eternity on it. It's a great song.

After the night market we went to a little coffe house and sat talking until 2:30 in the morning. It was really nice, but I was so tired by the end that I couldn't focus and had a hard time following the conversation. I was actually so tired that on the way home I almost fell asleep on Adrian's scooter.

When I got home I didn't seem to be tired so Adrian and I talked for a while. It turns out that I have hit the brick wall of culture shock. Friday I stayed up in bed trying to figure what the hell I am doing here. The honeymoon period is over in a big way. I am disillusioned by this place now. I guess it finaly hit home that this isn't a temporary thing. I am here for a year, good or bad. It's not like I can just up and quit. Well I can, but I would hate myself for giving up so quickly. Plus I have to be here until at least January so I can go to India with my friend Alex. The weirdest thing is that this hit me after one of my better days here. Odd.

Sunday had to be the worst day yet. Adrian, Stella and I went to a mall and walked around. It's not that I hate going to malls. I just hate it when I am tired and have no money to buy things. So basically we just walked around and did nothing all afternoon. And my tummy acted up while we were there. I hate using public washrooms, and I hate it even more when I am sick. It was not fun, but luckily it was a western toilet. I should be very thankfull for that.

That night we went back home and got pizza and set up the stereo that Adrian bought. It is so nice to finally have music in the house. I hate having a quiet house so it is nice to have music in the background.

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