Hello from Taiwan! Sorry I haven’t been able to post anything until now. I finally got hooked up to the internet this afternoon.
By the way, thanks to those of you who posted comments on my blog already. That is really cool. So, I finally made it to Kaohsiung! I arrived at my destination around 11am Tueday (8 pm Monday Vancouver time). It was a long trip but it went very smoothly. Here is a brief lowdown of the trip: I flew out of Bellingham instead of Seattle, for $40 dollars more I got to experience the sights from a 45-seater plane, and I had the best seat at the very back of the plane. Then again, maybe it wasn’t the best seat because there was a lot of turbulence (even the flight attendant had to stay seated the whole flight).It was also nice to be able to walk around the Seattle airport for a few hours before the 14-hour flight to Taipei. The only downside of walking around the Seattle airport is that I had to lug my 50 ton (only slightly exaggerating) duffle bag around the Seattle airport. And the airport is not small! I lost track of how many “shopping malls” I passed on my way from one end to the other. Interestingly enough, I seemed to be the only one without wheels on my bag; everyone else is so wimpy. hehe. I finally found a “smartcarte” for my bag but it cost me $3! Tai gui la! (that is Chinese for “too expensive”).
The flight from Seattle to Taipei was over 14 hours. I couldn’t sleep much at all, but I sort of half slept for a few hours. As most of you probably know, I have a hard time sitting still for very long. So for most of the flight, I tossed and turned and shifted positions in my seat. No doubt I annoyed the people around me. Upon arriving at Taipei, I took a bus from the international airport to the domestic airport and then caught a flight to Kaohsiung. At last I arrived. I stepped out of the air-conditioned airport into the hot, humid, muggy, smoggy air of Kaohsiung City, ah, just the way I remembered it. After lugging my bags up to the fourth floor of the apartment where I’m staying, I took a shower and a much-needed rest.
The following day, Wednesday, I walked around the city for 6 hours. I was hoping to find a place with wireless internet service. I finally did, but my battery lasted only about ½ hour – only enough time to check my email. I was also looking for a particular hair salon, which I found at about the 5th hour – but it was closed for Chinese New Year. Ah well, it was a good walk nonetheless. Just a little hot.
I finally met with my new manager this afternoon. He is from Nashville, Tennessee. He gave me a TON of materials to read to acquaint myself with the school and it’s policies. I sure won’t be bored for the next few days.
By the way, thanks to all of you who prayed for my health. I was feeling flu-like symptoms before I left for Taiwan, but now I feel perfectly fine. God answers prayer!
