Here are some pics. As always, hover over the word "notes" for captions:
Get the flash player here: http://www.adobe.com/flashplayer
Thursday, May 6, 2010
More of the Same
Nothing really extraordinary occurred yesterday. I simply did the eating, grinding, sleeping and exploring thing.
Here are some pics. As always, hover over the word "notes" for captions:
Here are some pics. As always, hover over the word "notes" for captions:
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
Language
I won't lie. Leaving the house is kinda exhausting. It's not so much physical as I am adjusting to the weather and the humidity. It's more the mental aspect of it, knowing that leaving my house entails complicated, mentally challenging, possibly embarrassing moments when trying to execute simple tasks such as buying breakfast. Oh well, I guess the good thing is that this will become less of an issue the more I get out there and practice/learn Mandarin, right? I will say one thing for any of you would-be Asian travelers. Learning how to say "I'm sorry but I can't speak your language" in the local tongue is sure to elicit laughs and works as an ice breaker. There's your pro tip for the day. :)
And I thought my sleep schedule was getting better but yesterday (5.6.2010) was the weirdest day of sleep yet. Woke up at 6:00am, napped from 8:00pm to 9:30pm and then fell asleep again at 5:30am, Bizarre.
Anyhoo, yesterday was a great food day. I discovered the most delicious bowl of noodles. Just phenomenal. A bowl of boiled noodles with greens and a bit of pork topping infused with dried shrimps. My mouth is watering just thinking about it. In addition, I ate the best egg custard tart I have ever eaten. Perfect flaky crust. I must eat more. Once I am done here I think I am going to go out for noodles and the custard tart.
What else, what else. I took care of my medical examination. As a fully sponsored employee, I am entitled to state-run health care. It costs around 15 bucks per month and is, from most accounts, very good. The U.S. really needs to get its s*** together and provide this service. The hospital itself was sleek and modern. My brother informed me that it was recently built. Oh, and another example of random Taiwan kindness: Some random, I-just-ended-my-shift dude was flirting with a hospital receptionist but, as soon as he learned that I needed directions to the International Health office, he escorted me to my destination. It was NOT a short walk but he was super nice and we had a conversation in my signature Chinese/English dialect. Thanks a lot, random dude!
Other than that, it was a fairly average day. Morning market, morning exploration, poker/reading, afternoon exploration, more poker/reading, nap, meet with brother for night market eats, late night TV with him and then bed. Not terrible, as far as I am concerned.
Pictures...as always, hover over "notes" for captions:
And I made a few videos so you can see what it is like to ride on a scooter in Taiwan:
#1:
#2:
And I thought my sleep schedule was getting better but yesterday (5.6.2010) was the weirdest day of sleep yet. Woke up at 6:00am, napped from 8:00pm to 9:30pm and then fell asleep again at 5:30am, Bizarre.
Anyhoo, yesterday was a great food day. I discovered the most delicious bowl of noodles. Just phenomenal. A bowl of boiled noodles with greens and a bit of pork topping infused with dried shrimps. My mouth is watering just thinking about it. In addition, I ate the best egg custard tart I have ever eaten. Perfect flaky crust. I must eat more. Once I am done here I think I am going to go out for noodles and the custard tart.
What else, what else. I took care of my medical examination. As a fully sponsored employee, I am entitled to state-run health care. It costs around 15 bucks per month and is, from most accounts, very good. The U.S. really needs to get its s*** together and provide this service. The hospital itself was sleek and modern. My brother informed me that it was recently built. Oh, and another example of random Taiwan kindness: Some random, I-just-ended-my-shift dude was flirting with a hospital receptionist but, as soon as he learned that I needed directions to the International Health office, he escorted me to my destination. It was NOT a short walk but he was super nice and we had a conversation in my signature Chinese/English dialect. Thanks a lot, random dude!
Other than that, it was a fairly average day. Morning market, morning exploration, poker/reading, afternoon exploration, more poker/reading, nap, meet with brother for night market eats, late night TV with him and then bed. Not terrible, as far as I am concerned.
Pictures...as always, hover over "notes" for captions:
Get the flash player here: http://www.adobe.com/flashplayer
And I made a few videos so you can see what it is like to ride on a scooter in Taiwan:
#1:
#2:
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
Jungle Foot
5.4.10
I spent much of yesterday with really itchy feet. I asked my brother what the heck was going on and he laughed and said, "Jungle foot, man. You're in the tropics. All sorts of weird bacteria grow here." O rly? Is "jungle foot" the medical term? :P Anyhow, things seem to be better today so wish me continued luck.
I feel like I am starting to settle into a routine. Let me tell you about it:
6:00-7:00 Wake up
???- 8:30 Write blog post, reply to e-mails, play poker, surf web, read....lots of random things happens here.
8:30-10:00 Head to morning market and grab breakfast. Explore a little before it gets too hot. I bring back breakfast for my brother 'cause he sleeps in a lot.
10:00-13:30 Go home and grind, read, surf some more. I'm starting to adjust to the temperature but still find it too warm to do much outdoors.
13:30-14:00 Go grab lunch at afternoon market.
14:00-16:00 Grind some more, read, chill around the apartment.
16:00-18:00 By now, it is cool enough for me to explore the city. Yesterday, I just picked a road and walked for an hour.
18:00-18:30 Check e-mail again, read, maybe grind a bit more.
18:30-21:00 Take a nap.
21:00-21:30 Grind a bit.
21:30-3:00 Grab dinner at night market, hang out with my big brother, visit his friends, etc. Lots of young people out and about because it's not oppressively hot.
3:00 Sleep.
My sleep schedule is gradually adjusting and I can't wait for the day when I sleep a full 8 hours.
Anyhow, let's talk specifics from yesterday:
I picked yesterday's breakfast joint based on how busy it was. This strategy has not yet led me astray. I ate at the stall and had a nice conversation with two middle aged Taiwanese ladies. I have my own special blend of Mandarin/Taiwanese/English/Wild Gesticulations. It kinda sorta works and, in fact, I learned the name of the dish I was eating. I think it's "mee suah" although this is the Taiwanese name. I have no idea what the Mandarin pinyin is. This might be a good time to discuss Taiwanese. Yes, it is a language. It is also completely different from Mandarin. From what I know, it is a derivative of Hokkien. Most Taiwanese folks speak both Mandarin and Taiwanese and the further south you travel the more likely it is that you'll hear Taiwanese. Anyhow, the ladies explained to me that mee suah is a very, very common dish. Thin wheat-based noodles in a broth with pork, oysters and assorted garnish. I can't say I loved it because I like distinct, chewy noodles and these were too thin to be readily distinguishable.
Afterwards, grind grind grind. Lunch consisted of a local joint for a rice plate. A little birdie reminded me to eat veggies so I ordered three vegetable side dishes to go with the poor interpretation of lu rou fan. No fat or lusciousness, just dry ground meat. Poor. Veggies were great though.
Afterwards, more grinding and then I decided to explore the city. I headed to Wuquan Road, a semi-major thoroughfare near my brother's apartment. Pick a direction and walk. I gotta tell you, people look at me a lot. I'm already slighty paranoid about people watching me when I cross a crosswalk and it's even worse here. Heads turn. I guess I will get used to it. Now that I am gradually adjusting to the weather I will definitely be spending more time outdoors.
Went home and slept. Woke up, headed to my brother's friend's house, watched some TV and grabbed niu rou mian (niu rou= beef, mian= noodle) for dinner. Went home, ate, watched two episodes of Star Trek Voyager with my bro and then passed out. And here I am again. :)
Pictures...as always hover over the word "notes" for captions:
I spent much of yesterday with really itchy feet. I asked my brother what the heck was going on and he laughed and said, "Jungle foot, man. You're in the tropics. All sorts of weird bacteria grow here." O rly? Is "jungle foot" the medical term? :P Anyhow, things seem to be better today so wish me continued luck.
I feel like I am starting to settle into a routine. Let me tell you about it:
6:00-7:00 Wake up
???- 8:30 Write blog post, reply to e-mails, play poker, surf web, read....lots of random things happens here.
8:30-10:00 Head to morning market and grab breakfast. Explore a little before it gets too hot. I bring back breakfast for my brother 'cause he sleeps in a lot.
10:00-13:30 Go home and grind, read, surf some more. I'm starting to adjust to the temperature but still find it too warm to do much outdoors.
13:30-14:00 Go grab lunch at afternoon market.
14:00-16:00 Grind some more, read, chill around the apartment.
16:00-18:00 By now, it is cool enough for me to explore the city. Yesterday, I just picked a road and walked for an hour.
18:00-18:30 Check e-mail again, read, maybe grind a bit more.
18:30-21:00 Take a nap.
21:00-21:30 Grind a bit.
21:30-3:00 Grab dinner at night market, hang out with my big brother, visit his friends, etc. Lots of young people out and about because it's not oppressively hot.
3:00 Sleep.
My sleep schedule is gradually adjusting and I can't wait for the day when I sleep a full 8 hours.
Anyhow, let's talk specifics from yesterday:
I picked yesterday's breakfast joint based on how busy it was. This strategy has not yet led me astray. I ate at the stall and had a nice conversation with two middle aged Taiwanese ladies. I have my own special blend of Mandarin/Taiwanese/English/Wild Gesticulations. It kinda sorta works and, in fact, I learned the name of the dish I was eating. I think it's "mee suah" although this is the Taiwanese name. I have no idea what the Mandarin pinyin is. This might be a good time to discuss Taiwanese. Yes, it is a language. It is also completely different from Mandarin. From what I know, it is a derivative of Hokkien. Most Taiwanese folks speak both Mandarin and Taiwanese and the further south you travel the more likely it is that you'll hear Taiwanese. Anyhow, the ladies explained to me that mee suah is a very, very common dish. Thin wheat-based noodles in a broth with pork, oysters and assorted garnish. I can't say I loved it because I like distinct, chewy noodles and these were too thin to be readily distinguishable.
Afterwards, grind grind grind. Lunch consisted of a local joint for a rice plate. A little birdie reminded me to eat veggies so I ordered three vegetable side dishes to go with the poor interpretation of lu rou fan. No fat or lusciousness, just dry ground meat. Poor. Veggies were great though.
Afterwards, more grinding and then I decided to explore the city. I headed to Wuquan Road, a semi-major thoroughfare near my brother's apartment. Pick a direction and walk. I gotta tell you, people look at me a lot. I'm already slighty paranoid about people watching me when I cross a crosswalk and it's even worse here. Heads turn. I guess I will get used to it. Now that I am gradually adjusting to the weather I will definitely be spending more time outdoors.
Went home and slept. Woke up, headed to my brother's friend's house, watched some TV and grabbed niu rou mian (niu rou= beef, mian= noodle) for dinner. Went home, ate, watched two episodes of Star Trek Voyager with my bro and then passed out. And here I am again. :)
Pictures...as always hover over the word "notes" for captions:
Get the flash player here: http://www.adobe.com/flashplayer
Monday, May 3, 2010
Gotta Fix My Mandarin
Yesterday morning, I walked to my brother's local morning market and ate a few bowls of deliciousness. The first, noodles and fish meatballs in a white pepper flecked broth, really hit the spot. Screw breakfast cereal, this is the way to go. It is pictured below. The second, kong rou fan, is very similar to lu rou fan in that it is soy braised pork over rice but the meat is cut much bigger and you get a large wank of delicious, melt-in-your-mouth fat. Anyhow, at the second breakfast, it was evident just how much of a local curiosity I am. 4 elderly, VERY talkative Taiwanese dudes tried to engage me in conversation the entire time I was eating. I'm not complaining and, in fact, really liked it and tried to keep up as best I could. After I finished the kong rou fan, I explored the market. At every stall, I was greeted with an inquisitive smile and an offer to sell me something. Too bad I can't understand what they are saying. Taiwanese people are so nice, so friendly that they can't help but talk to you. I need to fix my Mandarin so I can respond accordingly. In addition, the morning market is amazing. Easily the best fish I have ever seen and the squid positively glows. I will dedicate a full post to the morning market in the near future.
For lunch, niu rou chao fan. Yep, beef fried rice. There wasn't much else open near here given that I went out at 3:30. Nothing too special but it was fast and filling. And about a $1.00. I also met the most adorable little girl. She walked up to me and asked, "Ni shi meiguo ren, ma?" which translates to "Are you American?" I think she was the street vendor's daughter. Sweet girl. Too bad her mom's fried rice lacked flavor. Speaking of prices, things here are kinda strange. For instance, shaving cream cost 4 bucks but nearly everything I've eaten has been around a dollar. It's kinda the opposite of what I am used to.
Back to the night market for dinner. No, not the morning market. It's kinda awesome that there is a market open only until noon, one which is open only in the afternoon and then one only open at night. We wandered around and settled on vegetarian food. I had noodle soup (tang mian) and my brother ordered some veggies and bean curd. We also went back to the arcade and I watched him get his ass handed to him at Street Fighter IV. For the curious, he was E.Honda (how appropriate) and his opponent was M. Bison.
After dinner, we headed to a store to buy my toiletries, clothes hamper etc. The kinds of things you need when setting up in a new place. It was a blast. I really like checking out the local brands and how they've taken Western brands and adapted them for local tastes. Potato chips are a great example...anyone up for seaweed flavor?
And I need to join a gym. Food is too delicious to not eat but it is too hot to run outdoors. I think I will do more exploring tomorrow. I am going to give myself a chance to gradually adjust to the humidity.
For lunch, niu rou chao fan. Yep, beef fried rice. There wasn't much else open near here given that I went out at 3:30. Nothing too special but it was fast and filling. And about a $1.00. I also met the most adorable little girl. She walked up to me and asked, "Ni shi meiguo ren, ma?" which translates to "Are you American?" I think she was the street vendor's daughter. Sweet girl. Too bad her mom's fried rice lacked flavor. Speaking of prices, things here are kinda strange. For instance, shaving cream cost 4 bucks but nearly everything I've eaten has been around a dollar. It's kinda the opposite of what I am used to.
Back to the night market for dinner. No, not the morning market. It's kinda awesome that there is a market open only until noon, one which is open only in the afternoon and then one only open at night. We wandered around and settled on vegetarian food. I had noodle soup (tang mian) and my brother ordered some veggies and bean curd. We also went back to the arcade and I watched him get his ass handed to him at Street Fighter IV. For the curious, he was E.Honda (how appropriate) and his opponent was M. Bison.
After dinner, we headed to a store to buy my toiletries, clothes hamper etc. The kinds of things you need when setting up in a new place. It was a blast. I really like checking out the local brands and how they've taken Western brands and adapted them for local tastes. Potato chips are a great example...anyone up for seaweed flavor?
And I need to join a gym. Food is too delicious to not eat but it is too hot to run outdoors. I think I will do more exploring tomorrow. I am going to give myself a chance to gradually adjust to the humidity.
Get the flash player here: http://www.adobe.com/flashplayer
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