Showing posts with label kaohsiung. Show all posts
Showing posts with label kaohsiung. Show all posts

Sunday, August 7, 2011

Taiwan: Day 7

at Pier 2
So I have officially been in Taiwan or more specifically Kaohsiung for a week now and I have yet to actually post on my blog!!! In my defense it has been a CRAZY week jam packed full of activities, meetings, and traveling!



I am trying to figure out my way around Kaohsiung. I have the Metro pretty much figured out, but once it comes to navigating outside the metro station I'm pretty much SO GO ME and my awesomely horrible sense of direction!!! YAY!!!








'Dome of Light' at Formosa Station

So, to tell you where all I've been will be a bit difficult, but let me try:
  • San Min Elementary School
  • Kaohsiung Cultural Center
  • IKEA
  • Carrefour
  • National Taiwan Bank
  • Visa Center
  • Metro Station
  • Sun Yat-Sen University
  • Cultural Tour Bus (Pier 2, British Consulate from the 1800's, etc)
  • AIT Kaohsiung (American Institute in Taiwan)
  • Siziwan
  • CiJin Island
  • Youth Market Area
  • Dream Mall
  • Lotus Island
  • Dome of Light
  • Jao Dong Port
  • Some island off of that Port
So I have done quite a lot of stuff within one week! I am planning on creating my own little Black & White (痞子英雄) tour!!! I've already been to the Dome of Light and Dream Mall! I need to find all of the other cool places it was shot and take off one weekend and go reenact the show around Kaohsiung!!!



Anyway, I'm LOVING Kaohsiung! The only negatives are that the pollution is kinda insane here and the hand rails only come up to about mid-thigh on me! Other than that, the people are AMAZINGLY nice, accepting, and helpful, the city is BEAUTIFUL!!! I can't wait until I start teaching and get to interact with the kids!
Flower Rock

I'm also starting my Chinese classes in September. One thing that has been a terrible struggle for me has been my lack of Chinese skills. MANY people here speak at least a little English and help me out when I'm ordering food and whatnot, but most of the time I feel my experience is crippled by my lack of communication skills!

Speaking of food, OMG!!! I'm LOVING IT!!! Taiwanese people eat SOOOOO much carbs/bread!!! It's insane! I thought I was gonna lose weight here, but that would definitely be a miracle with how much bread and rice I eat! I hope to start figuring out some other options soon, because I really do want to lose weight so I can possibly fit into some of their clothes here! I LOVE the clothes the women wear here. The younger women are all so fashionable and well dressed! I pretty much LOVE all of their clothes!!!!






Ok, now that I've prattled on inconsequentially for a while now, I'm gonna take a shower and head to bed after I'm done watching the Live Broadcast of 'Drunken to Love You.' I hope to post more often! 

My Apartment building at KS Cultural Center

Random Fun Fact: Kaohsiung is the most polluted city in Taiwan. I have terrible allergies right now and I think it's my body reacting to the horribleness in the air and the scooters that surround us at all moments in the streets and sidewalks. 

Tuesday, July 5, 2011

26 Days til Taiwan: Connections

I got a new camera the other day!!!


I'm actually REALLY upset with it right now. It's the Samsung Wifi sh100. Which means it should be able to upload all the pics I take straight to my photobucket or Picasa as soon as I take them if I have wifi where I am taking the pics. HOWEVER!!! I can get the camera to access my Photobucket account, but it won't actually upload the pictures to photobucket, and I can't even get the camera to access my Picasa account! It's so frustrating when things don't work out the way you want!










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SKYPE

Also if you want to keep in verbal contact with me while I'm in Taiwan, I started up a Skype account! My info is:
tiffiany_45
or
tiffiany.hargis@gmail.com

Add me!!!

Of course I will also be on Facebook, Blogger, Tumblr, gchat, etc. But, you know, just one more way to keep in contact!

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So the packing situation has gotten a little out of control...
I really hope I get to spend some time organizing next week, bc next Wednesday I will be heading to Washington D.C.!!!!!!

My 'Activities Before I Leave' so-to-speak are:
  • July 6 - Apply for Resident Visa in Houston
  • Clean and detail my car completely
  • July 8 - Spend all day attempting to sale my car (hopefully at a profit)
  • July 9 - Baby Shower for my 2nd Cousin Baby Jason
  • July 13-15:  Washington D.C. Fulbright Orientation
  • July 16-18: Raeha comes to visit me! (HP-DH part 2!!!)
  • Sometime btn July 22-July 25: Kemah/Galveston Yacht trip with Mary & Gabe
  • July 29: Leave for LAX (spend 29th & 30th with Cali friends Tina, Lisa, and maybe Jess)
  • July 31: at 1am I will leave LAX in time to get to Taipei, Taiwan at 6am on August 1st
  • August 1: Then I take a short flight from Taipei to Kaohsiung to start my new life for a year
 I'm kind of busy... At least it won't give me too much time to dwell on the fact that I'm going to be living in a foreign country for a year! I need to find time to do my final packing sometime in there!!!

I'm in the home stretch!

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RANDOM FUN FACT: It is about 200 miles between Taipei and Kaohsiung (about the same btn San Antonio and Houston)! I hope to frequent the trail btn the two cities as often as possible!!!


Kaohsiung
Taipei