First Impressions

Hi friends!

Two days ago I arrived save and happy in Taipei! I still suffer from jetlag but besides that everything is fine. I managed to drive by bus and taxi to my hostel and the people are very friendly - what is quite a challenge because I am tired the whole day from the jetlag and not my "real me" jet.

I had some walks through the city and I already know: I gonna like it here! Yesterday I visited the Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial (I am not going to bother you with information about sightseeing points, don't worry!) and the huge Park around. Here are the friendliest and less scared squirrels I've ever seen. They eat their nuts or flowers about 50cm next to you; so cute!

 After strolling through the park for a couple of hours I was hungry and found a tiny taiwanese restaurant offering beef noodle soup. What was even more exciting - I managed (via pointing, not via speaking) to get just noodles in soup without beef and it was very delicious; especially some cold vegetables you add and give even more flavour.
 The restaurant-owner wrote the name of the soup and the vegetables down for me in chinese characters, so now I am able to ask for it :)

I am not doing too much on one day, because my body still has to adapt to the temperature and humidity here. It is about 33°C and about 70% humidity - I have to admit: this is better than 15° and rain in Germany but moving is very exhausting because I am not used to it. There haven't been any Typhoons in august so it is very lucky that I will experience this in September. A chinese girl I met in my Hostel told me this. But the people are extremly friendly in this country so I am sure they will help me, in case I am not well prepared for a Taifun to come.

I already experienced the extreme friendliness of the taiwanese people: walking around with my camera today, an old (about 50-55 years, hard to guess for me) man approached me and asked (in English) if it is my first time in Taiwan and told me, that I took a picture from a normal market in Taipei. It was a small street with some open shops write on the sides. We talked a little and I felt warmly welcome to this country! 
So far my first impressions!

Unfortunately my laptop is suddenly broken and I am using my Tablet for writing this - not too convenient ;). I will try to add at least some picture next week through my Tablet but more will come, when my Laptop is working again (I will bring it somewhere to get it repaired next week).

Stay positive!

Yihua.

Last Preparations

Since yesterday I am very very nervous and happy and excited that my departure is already the day after tomorrow!! (Hopefully I won't sleep to long and miss my train ;))

I started packing my luggage and suddenly my suitcase looked so tiny!! I spread all my clothes I am going to take with me, my shoes, my medicals, my cosmetics and toiletries on the floor (which looked quite funny) and afterwards tried to put it into my suitcase - it didn't work at all!! I decided to let some more clothes at home but again it didn't work without causing severe damage to my stuff. What to do? Easy answer: ask mum! (Asking mum is always a very good beginning to look for a solution) And with her help I found a bigger suitcase in the cellar! Now everything fits perfectly and there is still some space left (I was very surprised!)!! The suitcase is not as convenient as mine, but I am sure, it will work.

Today I printed out all my documents I need in Taiwan. I gonna be studying at the National Taiwan University for 5 months, so everything has to be prepared properly!

Due to the reason that I can enter my room in the dormitory earliest at the 1st of September I gonna stay my first three days in Banana Hostel! I am a little bit scared that I won't be able to find it, but I got a very good description; even a video instruction in English :) 

In my first days I hope I will be able - despite the temperature change from 18°C to 30°C - to explore Taipei and go to the NTU Hospital to get the required Health Exam for the registration at the NTU. And of course find a supermarket and buy something nice to eat, my very poor Chinese skills won't be very helpful, because I just can read some simplified characters. Unfortunately in Taiwan traditional characters are used...  (I like them, because they look nicer but for a foreigner they are very very difficult to learn and especially remember.)

If everything will be fine with my room in the dormitory at 1st of September - of course I will let you know it here! - I plan travelling to the Yangmingshan National Park near Taipei and explore the east coast. Since registration day is 14th of September I am not sure if I will also have time to travel to Kaohsiung but I gonna try!


Stay positive!

Yihua.


PS: Perhaps someone is wondering why I use 'Yihua' as my blog-name and my pseudonym? It's my first name "Eva" translated into Chinese. I like it very much, especially because a Taiwanese friend of mine told me it does not sound as a translated name! :)

Think Positive!

This sentence describes my way of life perfectly!

I am very curious going to Taiwan for 5 months in already 2 days!! That's the reason why today was the right time setting up my blog!

I am going to write about my adventures in the asian culture every two weeks - hopefully something funny, sad, emotional or just some facts about my new daily life in Taiwan and back home! 

I am looking forward for comments, and I hope you enjoy reading! 

Stay positive!

Yihua.