I landed at 6:30 a.m. on Wednesday, May 27th. Fortunately, I had slept around 8 hours on the flight, so I was ready to go. I had met a girl in the Los Angeles airport who was coming to Taipei to visit her boyfriend (who was studying at the same language school where I had applied!). We didn't sit near one another on the plane, but after the flight, we met up and got our luggage together. She invited me to ride into the city with her and her boyfriend (who was coming to meet her at the airport). After I got money from the ATM machine (on my second attempt), we tried to use the payphone to call her boyfriend. Between the two of us, we tried to decipher the pictures on the phone for directions. However, after we kept getting a recorded message in Chinese, we gave up and just waited for him. Once he came, he showed me where to buy the bus ticket (there were 3 booths that looked like they all sold bus tickets, but only one was the right one). On the way, I tried not to ask too many questions about the school and Taipei, but I had so many questions! He was very nice and helpful with his answers. When we arrived at the main train station, he showed me how to buy a token for the MRT (subway); in Taipei, the fare is based on the distance traveled (there's a map for guidance). The token is plastic and you scan it to enter the station by holding it up to the pad. When you exit at your destination, you put the token into a slot. Many of the MRT stations have several exits, so it's helpful to know which one to use.
My first stop was the hostel where I had reserved a bed. I had printed directions (starting with using exit 2). After I quickly dropped off my luggage, my next stop was a bank to change my traveler's checks. A guy at the hostel suggested one nearby based on their reputation of not charging high fees for currency exchanges. He was right. I was supposed to register for Chinese classes by 11 a.m. and I arrived at the school at 10:30 a.m. - just in time! The first thing they did was check my temperature. (One thing I haven't mentioned is the number of people wearing face masks - I guess in response to the swine flu. At the hostel, they asked for my arrival flight number, in case someone from the flight is found to have been infected.) After rushing around all morning, I was hot, but because of my naturally low body temperature, I passed the temperature test. :) After registering for classes, I finally had time to find something to eat. Very exciting, but a little daunting after all the meat that I had seen in the restaurants and street vendors. However, just next to the University, I found an organic, vegetarian restaurant. They even have 2 Vita-Mix machines! I ended up eating all of my meals the first 2 days there. :)
I returned to the hostel (about a 15 minute walk from the University), took a shower, and went to the yoga studio that I had found on the internet. The yoga class felt so wonderful after the long trip! That night, back at the hostel, I started looking for an apartment. I had thought I might find something on craigslist, but people here seem to use a website called tealit.com more. It's for people coming here to teach English. I wanted to find something located between the University and the yoga studio, because I knew that I would be going to those two places very regularly. The most recent posting was exactly in that area, so I called about it and after seeing it the next morning, I moved in that afternoon! So, my second night, I was already settled into my apartment! It's a 3 bedroom apartment and the other 2 roommates are Taiwanese women my age. One works as a flight attendant for China Airlines, and the other one worked in HR, but isn't working right now. They're both very nice, and speak English well.
The other thing I did the second day was that I signed up for a local cell phone number. I was able to do it thanks to my mom, who called AT&T in the U.S. for me to get the code to unlock the phone. I had forgotten to do that, so it wouldn't work with another SIM card. A local cell phone number has been very important, as I'm asked for it often. And, per minute, it's cheaper to call the U.S. than another cell phone in Taiwan! Of course, I talk much longer to people in the U.S., so in the end it would probably become more expensive. :)
So, at the end of the first two days, I felt more organized and settled. Then, I could start looking around and enjoying myself more!
This is my room:
This is my bathroom (I'm renting the master bedroom, so the bathroom is connected). The toilet is to the right of the door. Notice the shower head in the middle...this is how many of the bathrooms were in Thailand - when you shower, everything gets wet, but there's a drain in the floor...
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