Taiwan: Day one

Saturday -> May 9th 2009

Day one in Taiwan, the first full day of Taiwan. *pinches myself some more* It feels quite unreal. Though the torture that I was put through this morning might be the cause of it. Dr. Charlie had us have "extreme makeovers" at this store called Lishe. basically we took part in a popular Taiwanese activity; having a professional photo shoot in fancy clothes. I was in a pink dress. I felt like dying in a corner, sadly the dress was so big, I couldn't hide if I wanted, too! I will put up the images, when I get them, because supposedly we get a album of the photos and a CD with the images on them, it will look all professional and good. I felt sorry for the workers, they are doing amazing work and they end up with a very ugly model. It was quite funny, I was begging to be saved. I was so embarrassed. I didn't fit any of their dresses, they put me in eight different dress that didn't fit, my chest was too big, and I have no ..umm.. assets to match the chest size, so they suddenly started... umm... working on hiding this lack without saying anything and I freaked out a bit.

It was awful!!!

Though the actual photo taking was fun, but they did us in group of five in a studio or outside; so every photo shoot I had people talking to me so it was fun.

Before my group went to have our photo shoot/trying on clothes, we went to the Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall, and NTCH (National Theater and Concert Hall). It was amazing. It was so beautiful I really really wished I had a camera at that point, though you could only have limited photos. We had a very loooonnnngggg talk with a religious/charity group based in Taiwan that was having a display in the Memorial Hall, and trapped us with a tour and tea!!!! Though it was very very informative about the group, though I felt they seemed cult-ish when I was finished. a bit un-nerving.

After all that work at the Photo Shop, we hopped on the subway and then a bus, to the National Palace Museum. THAT WAS FREAKING AMAZING. Though I feel I might have been the only one who loved it. Everyone was back every early and said they got though the entire museum. I only got though two stories of the Museum and that was going fast. I met a number of Taiwanese people who wanted to talk, including one of the head attorney of Taipei County, who's son is going to Stanford University for Medicine. He was chatty...

Then we went to the Night market, THAT WAS WOW. No other way to describe it. It was amazing, it felt like millions of people were out there, and millions of products, though not much I was interested in buying. When I was wondering about, the police was coming buy and all the people who were selling products without a license disappeared with in a few seconds, and all their stuff was gone! It was amazing!!!

I AM tired, so I need sleep, sorry if my handwriting is bad, I am so tired. I can't really see straight now. 'night.

A Post about Posts and the confusion that they may be..

Ummm... where do I begin this time, I have been in Taiwan three days, and honestly I can't remember what I have posted!!!! AHHHHHH... so anyway, I have been keeping a physically journal on this trip (this is where if you are in the same building as my mum she squeels, she been trying to get me to keep one since I was two and I haven't), which I am transferring in as my blog, so if You suddenly see like seven posts after me not getting on for a week thats why. I am posting them as a group by days. Hopefully in order that I wrote them.

Taiwan... NOW the adventure begins...

OMG.. I am tired its almost one a.m. in Taiwan and I have to be up 7:30 a.m. The nearly 21 hour that in reality lost me a day and half. YAY for the I.D.L. No internet here yet (this was last night) that I could find that I didn't need a password and I don't care enough to go find the password.

*NOTE: MY PHONE is on, but on Standalone, so you will call and it will ring and ring before going to voice message: I apologize but I need the alarm clock function as we don't have one in the room.*

Its morning we are about to head out for the day.

I will say more later...

TAIWAN... the adventure begins... but first a word from our sponsor:

But first some words from the earlier ramblings of the madwoman who's words you read.

4/8/09

we are in JAPAN. Yes I said Japan and yes I know I said we are going to be in Taiwan first, and we will, but right now we are waiting on our connecting flight for two hours. Yay. For any of you insanely interest my first international purchase was some oolong tea. I have bottled oolong tea, something I think is almost unheard of in the US and most of the others have beer. I decided I was too dehydrated from the flight to have alchoholic beverages plus I wanted to be awake when we landed, I am so tired despite having slept for a good bit, and its 4:30 p.m. local time. So far the trip hasn't make the world seem bigger and badder if anything just a bit less interesting. The NRT doesn't seem much different from the Charlotte Airport save there are a lot more Asian looking people who are speaking a language I don't really comprehend. As one of my fellows said, those are our trees, or they look the same as the ones back home. And its true those Fir trees look like our Fir trees and about the same height.

TWO DAYS... Now I get nervous.

I hit the panic button, or I should say about as close to panicking that I get. I have been running around campus in my new dress shoes. Best to 'break ' them in before I go, so I am really comfy in them. I should be able to get my business cards (really basic two tone cards with my information on them) tomorrow morning from staples... I plan to do that during my lunch break. I have my geology Final on Wednesday which is a bit nerve wrecking mainly as I am still confused about what the subject matter is, I am not sure what I want/ need to get for my 'gifts' of friendship for those people I will meet on the trip. I sincerely have no clue what so ever about what to get, its general expected that you bring something that represents or unique to where you live and something that is not common in japan. And all I get is Krispy Creme Donuts, and Moravian cookies. One which would not survive the trip and the other I don't know where to buy outside of winston-salem out side of Christmas. *panics some more*

Oh, and I have my job next year, to people about work this summer. Its all quite un-nerving..

Night I need sleep and to quit freaking out.

I died yesterday, and now I am contemplating Quiche

Okay the four hour dash of my finals is over!!! *dances madly*

<.< >.> Okay that scared me too.

I am practically packed for the trip, the really hard bit is the twenty time I will repack before I leave because I am nervous as *insert your choice of noun here*.

I bought shoes yesterday, after my marketing exam, which under normal circumstances would be total unrelated and unimportant, but you see I need dress shoes. I hate buying shoes, mainly as I am picky and snobbish about shoes. I want good soles, they need to be comfy, and I need to be able to run in them. Minimum requirements for all shoes. Dress shoes have the extra requirements of actually looking nice, professional, being black in color, being both closed toe and heel (I hate to have sling backs, they come off to easy) and need some level of low heel.

AND I FOUND TWO PAIRS!!!!! that met all requirements.

One of them being a Naturalizer wedge!!!! For those (like my mother) who don't have a shoe fetish/just knows random shoe facts. Naturalizers run at their lowest 60 bucks a pair, and generally run about 80-120 range. The other is an old pair of Unionbays, back when they were not just trying to be cheap and hip, but hip and good shoes. They have amazing soles, so comfy!

Ohhh!!! Betcha some of you think, LiLi did you just spend lots of money on shoes? But I didn't I swear, after six months of searching, I found two really good pairs of shoes, for seven bucks at goodwill. Seriously, I spent six months looking for good looking business shoes, and a random bored out with Robbin-senpai, while we were going to get food, I find what I had given up on.

Wow, this really short post about, how I felt like hell, and was contemplating making a quiche but didn't have eggs, and not sure what veggies I wanted to add to the quiche, turned quite long and silly. Well, that is me for you.

A mere Five days until I leave. It still feels quite unreal.

Six days, and four exams between me and Taiwan.

yesterday was reading day, and today are two of my five exams.

I feel quite dead. Sorry this is a really really short post, but I can't think very straight at the moment, and I have to study some more, because as soon as I am done today I have to start getting ready for my two exams tomorrow one a 9 am and one at noon.

then I get at three and half day break, my last exam, then I have to get up and catch a plane to Taiwan!!! I mere Six days away!!!