It's been a while since I've posted because I've been running around Taiwan!
I live in a township called Xing Feng in Xing Chu county. The word "township" may conjure images of race patties, plows, and oxen. But, I assure you, Xing Feng does not fit that description; it is bustling. Think of Taipei but on a much smaller scale (and considerably dirtier). There are people everywhere selling street food, walking around, chattering to one another, and riding motorcycles.
Motorcycles are my biggest fiend. Don't worry, I've only been nearly run-over about a half a dozen times. The first day I got to Taiwan, I decided to go exploring around the apartment. I started walking around and spent about 15 minutes looking for a sidewalk. Silly me. I should have known better because there is no sidewalk. Pedestrians compete with motorbikes. Basically, the bigger the better and bigger always win. You just walk in the road and move over when cars and motorcycles drive by. Sometimes they come really close, but you get used to it after a while.
I've also gotten used to people looking at me all the time. My face, hair, and accent all scream "AMERICA." They like pointing that out. Whenever I am being introduced, the person says, "这是余惠连， 她 是外国人。” In translation, "This is Josephine. She is a foreigner." This is not a bad thing, and I've realized that I can't exactly change much. It seems like the longer I here, the more American I look. Even in Taiwan, people don't guess that I'm half-Chinese. They actually are pretty surprised when they figure it out. Also, my hair is getting lighter brown everyday (curly too), and my face is peppered with even more freckles. Because of the constant, nearly 90 percent, humidity, my hair has decided to go wild. It's super wavy and puffy. To give you an idea, I walked into the living room one day and the father says, "Wow. You never have to pay for a perm!" I don't really mind; it comes with the territory. Taiwan is exactly on the Tropic of Cancer, designating it as a tropical region. Being on the Tropic of Cancer also means that during the summer months (summer solstice), the sun will be directly overhead and Taiwan will be one of the hottest places on the planet. Naturally, I am thrilled. My hair will probably curl into ringlets out of joy.
Back to the basic barracks. Just kidding. I live in an apartment with a Taiwanese family of four. The apartment is called Huang Di, and I have about 50 locks to open before I can get into the apartment (Hint: Mom, this means I'm living in a safe place). The missionaries in Xing Feng also live in this apartment complex. There are three bedrooms in the apartment, a living area, a small kitchen, and 1.5 bathrooms. One of the daughters moved into her older's sister's room so I could have my own. They also have air conditioning, but I think we only use that when it's blistering outside (Main idea: so far, I haven't had the luxury of air conditioning. Survivable). Honestly, it's a nice and simple way to live. I like how their house isn't cluttered with so many things, and I've liked learning how they conserve their resources. For example, the father grows vegetables in his mother's garden, so the family doesn't have to buy produce.
They live about 2 miles from the school where I teach, so I can walk home (if they would let me). The first day of school, I told them that I would like to walk home everyday. Reaction? Surprised stuttering. They are convinced that I would get lost, but in reality I walk at least twice that distance when I walk around the town each day. Gotten lost yet? I don't think so. Anyways, I started walking home the first day and made it about a half a mile before I saw a school bus hurtling toward me. The bus screeched to a halt, and above all that noise I could hear the bus driver yelling, "Foreigner! Get on the bus! Cindy 老师 told me to come find you!" He was a man on a mission. I shook my head no, but that wasn't the correct answer. Three seconds later, I was pouting and sitting next to Anneke on the school bus. I call the bus driver 武 叔叔, Wu Shu Shu, meaning Uncle Wu. He really likes me, but I'm pretty sure he thinks I'm stupid. He speaks really slowly when he talks to me and sometimes employs sign language. Maybe he just figures that an American can't learn Mandarin. I haven't told him I'm half-Chinese yet because I think he would die from the shock. So, Wu Shu Shu drives me home everyday. He acts like it is his calling in life.
You are hilarious!
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