B0041

That’s the number of my bike at the auction. You’ve been to a Chinese street market right. So you can imagine what the heck a auction in Taiwan would be like. Very crowded. Actually, it wasn’t too loud when it came time to bid. It was quite orderly. I think it’s the city that’s selling these things. Bikes, furniture, etc. The bikes start at 300NT. I got mine for 500NT. It was one I had jotted down I was interested in it but I didn’t star it. When it came up to bid, it was glistening and gleaming. I wanted it.

It works great. It’s old but looks decent. You don’t want a new bike in this city cause it will get jacked. I want to get a bell and a basket.

Oh, a news reporter asked me how I found the auction and took my picture. The next day when I went to buy the paper but they were all sold out. I have to email the man and ask him if I made it in. I met 王大姐 (Older Sister Wang) outside the auction. She asked me if I could ride with her. She had just bought a bike too and said it had been a while since she rode a bike and would feel safer. I said sure. I didn’t know how far she was going. I didn’t have any plans for after buying a bike.

It was not a pretty day. It was drizziling. We found out it cost 100NT extra to take your bike on the MRT. We decided to bike. We had a long way to go actually. From Yuanshan station (North part of town) to Daan Forest Park (Downtown). She is a Korean teacher at a college very close to my work. She lived there for a few years. She is also a certified Taiwan tour guide.

We made it just in time for her class. Maybe it took an hour to get there, I can’t remember.

Now, I do have to pack and I’m need one more hour…

I have about 1 hour before I have to leave for the airport. I still have to pack and clean. Guess the cleaning is out. I am packing light so it’s okay. My flight isn’t till 7:25pm but, better early than rushed. I have some papers on Thailand to read. The trip is already planned thanks to Metha and very little input from me. There’s a possibility I might be able to meet up with an Aunt and Uncle in Bangkok.

In my post about Hong Kong I put-down Taipei. Actually, I like it (when the weather’s nice like today). I like the area I live in. I just went for a bike ride. Oh, I never told about my adventure last Saturday at the auction and the ride around town. Later…. A bike is the best way to explore a city. Walking is too slow when you want to see a lot and with a bike you can get places quickly. So, about liking Taipei. The other day I was walking down the street to get lunch. A taxi driver stopped at a light hailed me down. He was saying “Hey, hey!” I think he was trying to speak English. I wondered for a second whether I should see what he wanted. I went. He gave me a betel nut! He wanted me to chew it right there. I told him I hadn’t eaten yet. So, I took it, thanked him and saved it for later.

I had been wanting to chew betel nut just to see what it was like. Last night, I had a beer and chewed. Nothing spectacular but something to do when you’re lounge’n around.

Now, I just need to get this job thing down. I hope next semester I will enjoy teaching both my classes. I will be at a new branch with two new classes. I’ll miss my PM1 class but I’m optimistic.

I have much respect for all my past teachers. Teachers aren’t respected in the States like they are here. I feel bad for those classes I may have slept in. Teaching kids is not easy.

Happy Chinese New Year! 恭喜發財! I’m on…

vacation (n.)

1. A period of time devoted to pleasure, rest, or relaxation.
2. A period in which activity or work is suspended.

There aren’t enough definitions for the word. I’ll be in Thailand soon and wearing shorts because it will be a high of 90° and sunny. It should be a great trip. My friend Metha will meet me at the airport and we will start our adventures. Aright!…

I met this guy from LA when coming into customs in HK. He has lived in Taipei for 2 years. He said he likes to go to HK to getaway every now and then. I asked him.

BH: “How much is a US dollar in HK dollars?” He said…
LA: “I don’t know, I just spend money.”

Man, wish I had it like that. Today, I was at the office and all the teachers had to be there to sign some papers. We are changing banks where our checks our direct deposited to. We get a combo-card, which is an atm card and credit card in one. One of my co-workers said she has never had a credit card before and the first question she asked was…

Teacher: “How much does it cost if you overdraft?”

A legitimate question, she’s wondering about what happens when she spends over the limit. Just a little bit funny…heh.