backtrack: fourth day in Taiwan

Thing one I have learned about Taiwan is always expect to have to do major walking at any given time. I wore my nice shoes to my first day of training and although they are comfortable on the bottom, they're still new and therefore rub on the sides of my feet. We, the students, were assigned different schools in nearby Taiwan to visit and shadow, and after just one trip though the MRT (train system) I felt like bees were stinging my feet in multiple places. I eventually took off the shoes and went barefoot, until one of the teachers at the school we visited leant his giant sandals for me to wear home. My feet are covered in healing blisters from the various pairs of shoes I've worn that I thought would work but really, really didn't. Right now the only shoes I can rely on are my running shoes and loafers, maybe my black sandals if I don't have to walk that far.


I'm in another love hotel, where they at least supply bottled water and the bathroom isn't moldy so it's a bit better. There are also movies in English on the TV, so I've been watching random ones at night.


I think I'm getting used to the heat, just a little. I'm also learning how what to wear (shorts and a loose shirt if you're going to be out in it for a while) and how to deal with it when I'm out in it. For example, if there is a shady area to walk in, walk in it. Doesn't matter if it's for ten feet, if you can stay out of the sunlight, it'll help. I think the Taiwanese use umbrellas and this "stay in the shade" technique out of a concern for their skin, but I say whatever keeps me cool is fine. Plus it makes me look less crazy if I'm doing the same thing as everyone else.


I think I got a mild indegestion yesterday from breakfast. Don't know if it was the waffles, the cream, or the honey that I ate, but about an hour afterward I felt sick, and when we (the training class) went out for lunch, I broke out in a cold sweat. I wasn't really hungry for the rest of the day, and had to take a Pepto Bismal to get rid of the stomach cramps after I tried to eat dinner.


Pepto Bismal is the best thing since everything ever. It is coming everwhere with me now.


I'm sick of the mosquitos. You can tell the teachers who've been here the longest because they can swat mosquitos or catch them out of the air like it's second nature. I've been wearing bug spray every chance I get because the second I stop, I turn into a buffet.


I don't believe I have any shadowing to do after class today, so I think I may try to do some shoe shopping tonight at the night market. (There are two markets, the day market, which is for everyday people, and the night market, which sometimes has cheaper stuff and is more populated by younger people.)


I have to get breakfast before going to class, so I'll write more later. I'm starving, and I know where I can pick up some munchies that won't make me sick!


LATER


Taipei was a much different experience today. The more I get to explore, the more I enjoy it. I had a safe breakfast from McDonald's, which isn't "safe" in terms of health but I knew my body would be okay with it.


Class was good. Through each class I have ups and downs, moments where I can't wait to teach and moments where I'm terrified. I'll just have to make sure I'm prepared for my first class on Saturday.


Lunch was epic. Taipei has a love affair with bread, and there are at least three or four bakeries that I know of within walking distance of my hotel. Bread is also surprisingly cheap and delicious here. My lunch was a giant slice of bread with herbs, garlic, cheese, and ham in it. It was incredible. I was aware food could be that great, but for some reason I'm continuously surprised to find it here, as if the West is the only place that can turn out amazing food. I also bought some raisin bread for later, which turned out to be a good call. Spare food is generally a good idea for a person who doesn't know her way around and can't make quick decisions about food in a new place where the signs aren't in her native language.


After classes, a friend of mine from the class, Lindsay (name changed) and I met up to do some window shopping around Taipei. It was a ton of fun, and it was good to be doing this with someone else. It's a lot easier to do exploring when you have company, because you feel that all the responsibility to field questions and make decisions and figure out how to get out of a jam if you're lost isn't solely on you. We walked down the street and turned a few corners, dropping by a few places selling tea and things and chatting about common interests.


One thing I love about Taiwan is the concept of the previously mentioned "night market." It's rows upon rows of shops and open stalls selling clothes, accessories, food, and various other goods. It's very "street fashion" oriented and full of young people, mostly in their teens and early twenties. There are high-quality clothes to be found here, and a wonderful variety of choices. We stopped by a shoe store, a place selling purses, and a few clothing stores, one of which was named "Kiki's" and was dubbed the love-child of Forever 21 and American Eagle.


Taiwan has a lot of highly-detailed, patterned, and stylized clothing for sale, especially in the night market. I definitely plan to do some shopping around here and in the night markets in Hsin Jhuang, just for clothes that I can wear outside among people. Fashion is a lot more valuable here, I think, because fewer people cook at home so there's more opportunity to go out, and so it makes more sense to be dressed up or express yourself through fashion more than you would in a suburb, where you might spend more time in a casual community setting or at home unless you're at work or school or having a night out with friends.


Lindsay and I stopped at a place called Vino Vino Cafe for dinner, which had  rustic Italian restaurant decor, waiters in casual diner wear, and hip-hop/r&b music playing overhead, all of which together somehow worked. The food was seafood-heavy Italian with a big tea section. Lindsay ordered a salad and I got a risotto-soup combo that came with tea, and I chose mint. For only about NT$300, it was good, and good quality. The risotto had a light tomato sauce, peppers, and italian sausage. The soup was light and creamy and had corn and carrots in it. I tried a bit of Lindsay's salad (spicy chicken with balsamic dressing) and we split my risotto since I'd already eaten my soup. We had a great discussion about our respective countries, Lindsay's experiences teaching in Africa and  Canada, world issues, and our mutual interest in Doctor Who and sci-fi/fantasy books and TV. Suffice to say we are getting along very well, and it is a good thing we'll be living and working within an hour of each other.


The other notable aspect of the cafe was that it was my first contact with a squat toilet. I'll spare you the details, but they're not as bad as one may think; just really different. (I'd have preferred if the bathroom didn't have the sour stink of vomit, but beggars can't be choosers. They can just hold their nose or breath.) There's also a concept here of not flushing toilet paper down the toilet that I'm still getting used to. I think it's for the environment or for water treatment or something, but there's usually a trashcan handy for disposal of paper instead.


After the food, Lindsay and I stopped by Wellcome, a grocery store that is in many places around Taiwan, and bought munchies for breakfast tomorrow. I bought some Quacker instant oatmeal with dried fruit and Lindsay had yogurt. There's a hot water heater in my room so I'll be able to make the oatmeal easily. It'll be simpler than trying to figure out where to eat breakfast first thing in the morning before class. I'll probably go back to the bakery for lunch tomorrow, because oh my god that was delicious and they have more stuff. I'll also have to get one of their mini tiramisus for NT$45 at some point because that's really cheap, only a little over US$1. Food around here is very cheap, but of good quality and often in vast amounts. Water and drinks are also big around here; the Vino Vino Cafe served us water in a cleaned-out wine bottle, which was awesome. It makes sense for people here to be focused on beverages because the weather sweats the water out of you so you need to re-hydrate. I'm slowly getting used to it, though, and realizing that certain habits will help me stay cool, like the afore-mentioned technique of using an umbrella to block out the sun (many people around here do it and there are lots of umbrella stores, although I have an umbrella with me) and walking in shady areas or only walking around a lot during the evening, when it cools down. The night markets get busy around then because that's when you can come outside without dying of the heat. Most people, I think, go outside during the day to get somewhere, not necessarily for leisure.


It's nearly midnight, so I need to get some sleep so I can be fresh for tomorrow. Night!