I haven't posted for awhile. I've been tempted to post several times, but every time I sit down to write, I changed my mind.

Since last post, plenty of life angst happened. My New Years resolutions have all failed; which, oddly, I'm okay with. I knew they would. lol Though, on the good note, I'm eating healthier than I did last year at around the same time. I think the reason is that every time I hang with Sweeeeeechan, I am tempted to eat very salty or sweet foodstuff. However, without her around, my cravings for such evils are less. lol Though I am not blaming my weight issues on her. I put that blame squarely on the shoulders of my Auntie, whose methods of motivations tend to have an adverse impact and on my mother who convinced me that by eating meat "you can fly" (apparently that's the very opposite of the truth) and also for being a very, very good cook. Now, my goal is just to be able to exercise more.

This goal was carried out during my trip this spring break. I plotted to go to Vancouver but backed out at the last minute and ended up going to good old Chicago instead. Which, btw, was still fun. I got to see and experience things that I haven't prior, which is all good. Every time my family and I go to Chicago (cuz my family consider that prime vacation destination), we always aim to go to Chinatown and back. Of course, we did that this time too, but since it's just the teenagers and young adults going, we were able to stay longer and do more fun things. I went to Chinatown, Shedd Aquarium, Sears Tower, Navy Pier, and walked up and down magnificent mile. I also got to drive in Chicago, which of course is more stressful than driving at home. I kinda like the aggressive driving atmosphere, actually. lol During the duration of our visit, we walked a lot, but also got to use public transportation and only drove on the last day. We wasted soooo much money on a lot of pointless things but got to eat some great tasting food, so life balances itself out. lol

On a more sad topic, graduation is around the corner, but I have yet to book a job. Of course, I haven't really seriously searched which is horrid. Laziness, randomness and friends are really effective distractions, I guess.

Okay, now to the reason why I actually wanted to post. I just read a news article recently that made me sick to my stomach. It's about a Korean ex-idol who was soooo obsessed with outer beauty that she ended up harming herself beyond repair. To sum up the story, she was an attractive lady who was jealous of those she find more attractive. She hungered for perfection and decided that plastic surgery was the key. However, after not being able to get more professional work done, she decided to rely on herself. She ended up injecting her with cooking oil and became a mess. If you want to see the outcome, read the article located at asianfanatics.net: asianfanatics.net/forum/Pretty-singer-gets-hooked-on-DIY-plastic-surgery-talk640635.html or watch this youtube video (WARNING: It's gruesome): www.youtube.com/watch

After reading the article and watching that clip, I was both sad for her and society. Obsession with beauty and perfection is just not healthy. I am just glad that I am comfortable enough with myself and my image that I have never and will never ever consider such an extreme.

I haven't updated for awhile, which apparently was not detrimental for my grade for "writing for the WWW," because it was a failed project for the class as a whole. Honestly, can you really blog on command?

It's not like my life have been so boring that I have nothing to write about. In fact, a bunch of fun things happened:

I went to Chicago for a job interview. It was a three day occasion for a job that I was really interested in, not only for the job but for the set-up of it (travel, housing, etc). However, apparently I liked it more than it liked me. It was okay though, because the stay in Chicago was fun. I slept in the living room (along with a guy from California) of a Chicago-native, who took me bar-hopping the last night I was there. We went to four bars, and I had some decent cranberry juice. I also witnessed random transactions like drug-dealings, prostitution, one-night stands, and horrid karaoke-singing; all of which I was not involve with. I almost got to see a bar-fight, but security was too quick, which was a bummer.

I also attended an international thanksgiving potluck. Fun times and good company, but near the end of the night, I did something I fear I would regret. I stupidly initiated a wrestling match, which I haven't done since middle school. Maybe it was because I was sleepy and wanted to wake up. Maybe I'm just subconsciously a violent person. Whatever the reason, it was dumb. And the saddest part, I lost. I think that was the most motifying part of it, because by nature, I am a very competitive person.

Christmas was good. I got some Jack stuff ("Nightmare before Christmas"), money (which went into my shoes fund-->red stilettos that I will probably never wear), DVDs, fragrace, gift cards, and a purse. I overspent this Christmas, the bulk of the expense was on myself, once again.

New Years was okay. I babysat, because all of my friends were out of town. Got fed Red Lobster, though and did count-down. Of course, since I am who I am, it was an alcohol-free occasion.

Here is a short list of my New Years Resolution (not in any particular order):

• Make and maintain my professional and personal websites
• Lose 20lb-30lbs (sounds like a lot right? but it's kinda for a profiting, ongoing bet)
• Read 100pgs for fun every week
• Exercise 1hour per day
• Buy snacks only twice per month
• Drink pop only twice per week
• Eat out only thrice per month
• Study 2hours per school night and at least 5 hours during non-holiday weekends
• Blog at least twice a month
• Find job for semester before February
• Career search with 3 results per week
• Spend under $400 per month

In an attempt to stick w/ my resolutions, I am in the process of micromanaging my life. I also have an annual budget prepared that is broken down into monthly spending. So far, I am not achieving all my goals, but I am working at it. Hopefully, I can stick with my routine.

So, after visiting several stores (fabric, clothing, retail, specialty) yesterday, I finally found almost all the items I needed for my Halloween costume. This is probably the first time in the 20 something years of my existence that I exerted so much thought and energy in an outfit. I even did research and everything. lol So, yes, I will be wearing a black and white gothic lolita outfit (well, I might have two/three variations). Now, I just have to pick up my black skirt from home, some lace and ribbons, and a pair of shoes, put everything together, lose weight, tone-up, and decide if I want to go dramatic on make-up, then I will be all set. I will probably post up some pictures on facebook after all the parties, gatherings, and so on.

Oh, and in the spirit of halloweeny, I have a joke for all the nerdy English majors out there (I think you know who you are):

"What is the difference between a cat and a comma?"

( Answer )

edit: Opps, I forgot to cite my sources. I'm no good with these types of jokes (mine tend to be cold, cynical, controversial, or private jokes that only make the intended listener chuckle), so of course I do not own this joke. I heard it in class today and later found out that it's a really old joke (kinda like that "what's black, white and read all over" one).

So, on Sunday morning, I  was woke up by my cousin at 5am after two hours of sleep with: "I'm scared. My [...] is in jail!"
"So, what do you want me to do about it?" was my sleepy reply.
"Can you bail her out?"
"Do I have to?"
"Please..." as tears threatened to fall.

So, at 6:30 am, I found myself in front of a box-office-like window at the Polk County Jail, waiting for service from a guy who decided to ignore my presence. After fifteen minutes of me knocking on the window and exclaiming, "Hello...Hello," he finally answered my call. I was informed I had to pay $600 in cash or surety for further service and then was subsequently dismissed. After retrieving the necessary funds, I returned and had to wait another 5 minutes. He took the money  and my driver's license and said I have to wait half an hour for my receipt and some paperwork to sign. So I waited, and waited, and waited. Some time later, his shift was over, and he was replaced by some other people. So, at 8am I walked up to the window and waited some time before I was acknowledged.

I asked, "Is my paperwork almost done?"

"No. There's a shift change, so you have to wait awhile," said a lady.

"Okay, thanks," I said and returned to my seat.

Then I waited some more. At 8:45am, I returned to the window, and she ignored me while eating a donut/bagel, while drinking a cup of joe and chatting to her co-worker. So, I stood there and waited some more. Then, she finally turned to me and said, annoyed, "What do you want now?"

"I was just wondering if you know how long this will take?"

"I don't know. And if you bother me one more time, it will take all day." She yelled at me.

I returned to my seat and tried unsuccessfully not to cry. You know what I think? She should lay off on the coffee and eat a healthy breakfast before getting to work. And speaking of work, maybe she should practice the concept.

So, at 9:15 am, I finally received a receipt and a fill-in-the-blank form to sign and then told to go outside and wait another 20 minutes before my relative is released. Half an hour later, she showed up black and blue, with scrapes and blood caked all over her face.

"What happen? Did you get into a fight at a bar or something?" 

Here's the short version: She was in a car with a drunkard driver (stupid, if you ask me), leaving a bar after she had two bottles of beer. She asked to be taken home, but the guy went to a casino instead. Two cops followed them to their destination without turning on their sirens and flashing lights to pull the swerving car over. At the parking lot, the driver was arrested and my relative was told to call for a ride. She turned away and was about to call home, but thought since it was 2:00 am, she did not want to wake up family members. So, she turned back, about to inquire if the cops could take her home, but she was tackled to the ground by both male cops, faced-down. She was later informed that one of the guys informed the other that if she turned back, they would arrest her. Yet, they did not tell her that she was not allowed to turn back. In the cell, no one informed her that I had already paid for her release, they just left her wondering for hours.

So, yeah. I am quite disgusted with our legal system. Since I was not there, I don't know if everything she said was true, but even if only a portion was true, it's still disgusting. And of course, I was disgusted with my own treatment. Both the man and the lady who waited on me was quite rude and condescending. They saw me, but elected to ignore me, then when they did talk to me, they were dismissive and offensive. A process that probably only take maybe an hour, took way longer than it should. And well, that one lady made me cry.

So, during a club meeting last week, I claimed that my favorite fall activity was "getting scared." After all, it's the point of Old Hallow's Eve, is it not? Well, perhaps Wiccans, warlocks, witches, and some others would not agree with me, but I am sure many would (Hollywood, for instance). Well, apparently, I lied.

This weekend, I returned home and went to the movies with Shui-chan. We saw "Quarantine" and boy, was I scared. I climbed on top of my seat, crawl up in a ball, closed my eyes, pressed my face to the back of the seat, and covered my ears. I was that scared. During restroom breaks, I closed my eyes, and almost ran (yep, I'm that lame).

So, I was clicking around randomly, trying to change it so that my comments page looked like my journal page, and guess what happens....I lost my theme. Where's my bamboo and beautiful greens and oranges? This current theme is so unfitting for me (though it is nicely designed); it's just not my cup of tea. In fact, none of the provided theme is. Where's my custom theme? So frustrated. If only I was more technically inclined. To think that I'm taking a "writing for the www" class, and I can't figure out where my custom design went and how to get it back. Where Shui-chan when you need her. If anyone know how I could retrieve my custom design, let me know. arrggghhhhh!!! highly annoyed (but I guess you already noticed that)...

edit: So, as you can see, I have fixed my journal to look as close to the previous version as could be. Thanks to my "writing for the www" class, I was able to play around with my css options and used codes to personalize it (apparently, I learned something in that class).

I recently went to a gathering where everyone was drinking, and a friend of mine accused me of having a lot of self-control for not indulging. Honestly, would it be self-control if you don't even like the stuff?

What's so good about drinking? Some people want to forget or numb the pain. Some people want to get along with others and thinks drinking will erase the nervousness or inhibitions. Some people wants a buzz. Some people thinks it's cool. Some people want to be like everyone else. Some people just simply like the taste of alcohol.

I don't have any physical or emotional pains to numb, and my memory is bad enough w/out alcohol. I don't want to lose my caution. Reading a good book, listening to my favorite song, or watching an entertaining drama will probably make me happier than drinking. I don't think it's cool. I hold pride in my individuality. I don't like the taste of the stuff.

And my friends, that's why I don't drink.

Joking, guys. I am happy for everyone who have found his/her soulmate or potential soulmate. Last week, Heza thought I was as bitter and desperate as I pretended to be and asked me if I wanted her to set me up with someone. Honestly, ma'am, if you reading this, "Blah," I say, yes "Blah." I see others happy together and most of the time, I'm happy for them (sometimes I think they are trying too hard to click or are delusional b/c of their own desperation in trying to find "the one," but that's another story). Sometimes I feel a bit like a outsider, but I never think of myself as pathetic, and sometimes I just wish people would refrain from expressing so much pda, but that's just me being conservative. But disclaimer aside, I am curious, how do people know the other person is "the one?"

Ms. Heza suggest it's when you want to touch the other, as if you can't take your hands away (correct me if I'm wrong). Kinda like a magnet attraction, I guess.

I think Shinde would say (yes, I know, I shouldn't put words in other's mouth) it's when you are comfortable with the other, and you could laugh at the other's jokes. When both parties are interested and happy to be a couple (right?). Perhaps some commonalities, perhaps?

What do you think?

I personally think it's when your heart skip a beat when you see him/her or thought you saw him/her. When you can't stop from smiling when you two are conversing. When you get a bit jealous when you see that person acting friendly or seeming to get along with another person (more than with you). When you care enough to question what his/her aspirations (hopes and dreams) are. When you see or want a future together. When you are sad that the other is not around. When you want the other to be happy and content, no matter where he/she is in the world.

I think that's when you would know. But then again, perhaps I'm too much of a romantic.

So, I'm currently taking this "fun" class called "writing for the www." Well, it's not as "fun" as I anticipated it to be. There's a lot of busy work, yet I'm too lazy to really accomplish them all. One of our ongoing projects for this semester is maintaining an online blog that details one of our many obsessions. So, being the dork that I am, I decided that I will write about blogging.

It's not really what you think (lol). I am not going to blog about concepts and reasons for blogging, instead I am keeping track of my blogs. Yep. I will go there to report what I do here. Weird, eh? But the thing is, I have to do something here, to actually be able to do something there. Therefore, expect a lot of pointless blog entries for the rest of the semester; you know, filler stuff, like Naruto episodes (I was talking to some anime fanatics (best word I could come up with and no disrespect intended cuz I was one myself some years before) several weeks ago (during a certain someone's b-day par-tay) and well, the subject of Naruto and filler episodes came up several times in the conversation, lol).

Well, since most of my blog entries are about my pointless life, I am sure my dedicated reader(s) wouldn't mind me continuing the theme. The only difference is, now instead of it only being an implied understanding between writer and reader(s), it's out in the open, and we all know we are just wasting time writing/reading this stuff. Oh well, since you've been with me for some time now, you are welcomed to stay and waste some minutes out of your life once or twice or less or more a month, right?

By the way, I just found an onion ring on my bed. You know, one of those fried chips-like stuff. The silly thing is, I have not eaten an onion ring for at least 3 years or more (I like onions, but not fried onion rings). And to my knowledge, other than my brother, no one had entered my room today. My brother claimed he had not come into the possession of an onion ring prior, so how did it get on my bed? Have someone entered my room and placed the offensive food item on my bed or is some other more phenomenal force behind this curious occurrence? Hmmm...

So, I've been back to the states for about two weeks now, and well, life sucks. During my last week in Taiwan, I was suffering from rapid hair loss. I don't know why. I was hoping that when I get back here, it would stop, but it hasn't. I fear I might be going bald. I am consulting a doctor in a couple a days, but after looking up stuff and reading medical reports on such a condition, I don't feel very happy about this. Thank heavens, I am a collector of hats. And well, I was contemplating on different types of wigs and all. It's not so bad that I will suffer from depression or anything (I think I am stronger than that), but losing hair really sucks. As my sister said, the two things that I take most pride in is my teeth and my hair. Well, at least I still have my teeth for now (though I did have a cavity last year, which made me really sad at the time). Oh well, hopefully, it's just a temporary thing, and I don't have to take long term medication or anything.

By the way, if you haven't suspected yet, I am quite shallow. lol

I think the worst thing about this situation is that last month, I bought a bunch of cute hair accessories (hair clips and junk) that I now fear I can never use but am too selfish and materialistic to part with.

As for school, it's okay. I should do my homework, but I'm lazy and not motivated, like always. I overheard some business majors discussing their grades today, and well, I am surprised at my own GPA. I would think my grades would be worse, but it's better than many. Makes me wonder, if I'm this lazy and still getting the current result I'm getting, how lazy are those people? And, how much more slacking am I able to get away with and still graduate from this institution?

On another sad note, my laptop is going ballistic. I can't get online at all and can't open files without interruptions from weird pop-ups or a screen black out that resulted in my program being closed down. Furthermore, my task manager wouldn't stay enabled. I suspect it's b/c of a virus that I must have contracted in Taiwan, cuz well, I contracted a lot of weird viruses there. Oh well, it's in the shop, so hopefully the IT guys can figure out what's wrong. I told them I'm not attached to any of the files, so they can do as they please. Which is really sad, cuz it's the absolute truth. For some reason, my sister have more treasured files on my laptop than I do. And I don't even go back-up happy like some people I know. I was going through my laptop last night to save some of my stuff on a flash drive before I send it in, and well, I only saved some stories and my resume. It didn't even take up close to 1 gb.

The apartment I am in now is quite blah. My room is gigantic, which is probably the only good thing about the place. I have to pay energy bills (unlike last year), but my housemates are all energy leeches. Actually, I am too, but I would like to think I am more conscious about stuff like that then they are. I am afraid to see what the utilities bills will be like next month. And well, I am still unemployed. Though I have started sending out resumes and am sorta actively looking, so that's good. But well, I can't work at any food-related field (not that I was aiming to), cuz I am afraid strands of my traitorous hair will fall in someone's soup. lol

This is starting to sound like the "Series of Unfortunate Events." Sadly, I don't think I have anything happy-happy to end this entry. Oh wait, maybe one thing. My fave Chinese restaurant does deliveries now, but sadly, my two favorite dishes were taken off the menu, and I don't have my sis around to justify ordering over $15 for free deliveries. lol

Well, today is the last day of my Chinese class, which marks an ending to an episode of my life. It's likely that I will never see any of these people again. I will probably still communicate with some through emails and chats, but such interactions will become less and less over time, until our connections fade like steam. During these moments, I feel a sense of regret and sorrow. I regret not building stronger ties; I feel sad that the time together with everyone is so short.

Yet, I also feel a sense of joy and giddiness. When one journey ends, another will begin (or so the saying goes). Three more days and I'll be back to the states. Can't wait to see my family and friends and freely speak english once again.

So, today was an interesting day.

I decided that since I only have about two weeks left, I shouldn't waste my time lying around in my room, so I got my behind out of bed and went to find food. I was going to go to Shida Lu and then from there go to Guting Station and maybe go to a temple or something. But after waiting at the bus-stop for 30 minutes, I decided that it's probably better to find food nearby, b/c by the time I get to Shinda, all the restaurants might be closed. After eating, I hopped on a bus and got myself to Taipei Square. And guess what, By2 (a young idol girl-band) was doing a promotion, so I got to accomplish one of my many goals (witness a live promotion). It was kinda fun, and I was able to record their performance. Sadly, after 10 mins or so of recording, my poor camera ran out of battery and so, I had to use my stupid cellphone camera for the rest of the day (if you wanna see the recording, let me know; maybe I will even upload it on youtube; lol).

By2 were actually decent live singers, and they actually look better live than on the tube. I was contemplating on if I should buy some cds and get it signed, but the line was too long, and it was raining, and I felt kinda old and weird next to the group of youngsters and lusty boys.

After wandering around the Taipei Main Station Mall (and yes, buying stuff), I headed over to Ximending, famed for youth gatherings, and this is where the stalkers came in. You see, Ximending has a pedestrian area where stalls and shops cather to a younger audience. There's also a lot of crazy people there, apparently. I was walking around, and suddenly a blond (dyed), spikey haired dude (think super-saiyan Goku) came up to me and asked me if I had a boyfriend. I pretended not to understand by saying "I don't understand what you are saying" and tried to walked away, but he blocked my way and asked me again in English. I tried not to answer, and he asked for my number. He followed me for two whole blocks, and I finally lost him when I entered a lingerie shop (lol).

After the Goku look-a-like incident, I wandered around some more and found a movie theater. It was quite exciting, b/c I have been planning to watch "The Dark Knight" for the longest time. As I was waiting in line to buy an advanced ticket, an old guy (about my Grandpa's age) came up to me and started chatting in Chinese in super-speed as if we were friends. All I understood was "Wo xiang ni" (which means, "I miss you"). I smiled, shook my head and left him to buy my ticket (he didn't buy one, so I wonder why he was standing in line). Anyways, since the movie starts at 7:50 and it was only 6 pm, I decided to go find food, but the old guy followed me and kept talking. I finally told him I didn't understand what he was saying, and like Goku, he started to speak English (why do all the weirdos know English?) and told me that he went to the U.S, U.K., hong kong, and singapore for business, so he knows some English. Then he said he remembered me from yesterday, when I went to his store to buy clothes (what a weirdo). And since this was my first time in the Ximen area, of course it wasn't me. I told him so, and he still wouldn't leave me alone. He followed me for 15 mins, then I went into a store, hoping like Goku, he would leave, but sadness, no. He waited outside for me and then asked me if I wanted a drink and that it was his treat. I declined of course. Then he asked me for my name and where I lived. I lied of course (lol). He asked me if I was free tomorrow, and if I would come back for another walk w/ him, but I said I had things to do. Throughout the whole conversation, he kept telling me I was a good girl and that I was pretty. Pretty scary and disturbing, if you ask me. Then he asked what movie I was seeing, but I pretended I didn't hear, b/c I wouldn't want to see a movie with him (if that were his intentions). Thinking I didn't understand, he asked me when the movie starts, and I lied and said at 7. He followed me until 6:30 and didn't seem inclined to leave, so I lied and said I have to go to the station to meet some friends. He asked if I needed him to take me there, and I said I know the way and was in a hurry, so I ran (LOL). I circled around and got lost, but at least, I was able to eat (lol). I was contemplating if I should just skip the movies, but that seemed like such a waste since I already bought the ticket, so I tried to find my way back. At about 7, I finally spotted the theater, and guess what? The old guy was waiting at the entrace. Scary, eh? I went into a shop nearby and hid behind some clothes. The guy finally left at 7:15, and I was able to leave the shop. Since it was early, so I walked around that area for a bit, but I kept looking around, making sure that the two weirdos weren't around.

Initially, I was planning to go back to Ximen next weekend to see if I could spot any promotions or stars, b/c Ximending and Taipei Square are the areas where things like that would happen. But, now I think for the remainder of my trip, it's probably safer just to stay away from the Ximen area. lol

Anywayz, "The Dark Knight" is a decent movie. I read in a review that it was better than "Iron man." Personally, I don't think so. "Iron man" was totally better, but "The Dark Knight" wasn't too bad. The concept of both heroes and villians were interesting. And it also featured the notorious Edison Chen in a blink-and-you-will-miss-him hollywood debut role. lol

So, according to the Lunar Calendar, today is the 7th day of the 7th month. What does that mean? Well, it's Chinese Valentines' Day.

According to legend, today is the day when Niu Lang (the renown Cowherd) and Zhi Nu (the 7th maiden, weaver of the night sky) reunite upon the magpie bridge.

What does that have to do with me? Absolutely nothing, really. Well, actually, at 10 pm, I did go up on the rooftop, in an attempt to see the union of the two heavenly deities, only to be brought back to harsh reality. As if you could stargaze in Taipei with its massive amount of light pollution, lol.

Anyways, nothing all that interesting happened today. I loitered around the Xinyi market area and bought some snacks. Honestly, 120 yuan for six dumplings that didn't even taste good should be a felony. The meat buns was good, and it only cost 17 yuan, and it's bigger and more fulfilling than the 6 dumplings combined. Oh well, lesson learned.

For dinner, JiDou (a korean classmate who's 24 and a sophomore at Seoul University) invited me to eat at a Korean restaurant. We made plans to go b4 knowing it was Valentine's Day, but it wasn't awkward or anything b/c we got permission from his gf, who had to work at the time. It was funny though, b/c he invited me to eat dinner at 5 pm and his gf was like, "Don't you think that's way early for dinner?" He and I were both indifferent (which is hilarious, b/c we were the only two that would be eating, lol), so 5 pm was the appointed time. At 5, he asked me if I was hungry and I said, "Not really, but I could eat if you are." and his response? "I should have listened to my gf." (lol) And I think that should be the lesson to all the boyfriends and potential boyfriends out there. lol

So, we ended up walking aimlessly around Shida Lu for an hour before settling into the restaurant (he took me in random circles, so I don't know if I could find my way back in the future, lol). During that hour and the following hour, while eating, we talked about politics (I swear, I never bring it up, it's other ppl), education, occupations, food, chinese studies, and of course, the upcoming olympics (it's tomorrow folks, so turn on the tube). It was quite fun and the food was great. I don't know what I ate, b/c JiDou ordered, but it was top notched stuff (gigantic heated bowl on a plank of wood filled w/ rice, meat, eggs, random veges). I also learned that side dishes (kimchi, bean sprout, tofu, etc), soup, and drinks were free. So, for 90 yuan, I get way more than my money's worth (unlike the restaurant I went to yesterday, where for 95 yuan, I get bland tasting tea, small bowl of rice, and some egg plant w/ bits of fish (I thought I was ordering fish as the main dish, but apparently not, lol)). So yeah, if I could find my way, I will surely re-visit this place (also, it's nice that you order by marking a sheet of paper, so you don't feel foolish when you can't respond to questions spoken in hyper-speed in a language you don't fully comprehend).

Oh, also, I forgot to mention in my blog entry yesterday that I went to Huaxi Night Market near the LongShan Temple Station. It was really fun and not as congested as the Shida Night Market, with ample walking space for pedestrians. Some of the restaurants and stalls were serving snakes, turtles, and baby alligators for consumption, but I wasn't brave enough to experiment. Also, there was a guy that was advertising a drink made of fresh snake venom (?) and alcohol (?) for 100 yuan a shot, of which I videotaped, so if you wanna see, let me know. I was really tempted to try the green stuff, but I figured, less than 20 days until I get back to the states, and I already paid for my plane ticket, so I better not commit suicide in a foreign country.

Quite a few things happend to me this past week.

During the weekend, I went to the National Palace Museum w/ Lao XianSheng, his family, and Hide-san. Lao XianSheng's daughter, L Tai Tai was very acknowledgeable about Chinese art history and related plenty of interesting information.

Today, I visited Shida Lu Market and bought some cute clothes (yes, the no more shopping thing was just me spewing cr*p). Afterwards, I went to LongShan Station and visited the Fortune Telling Street. The experience was quite novel. My prior intention was just to take some snap shoots for my brother, but the receptionist convinced me to visit an English-speaking fotune teller.

Upon being seated, he informed me that there are several methods to divine my future. He could use bird feathers, turtle shells, coins, palm reading, character reading, or through my birthdate. Since my chinese was poor and his english was not outstanding, birthdate reading was the best choice. To determine the price and the outcome of the reading, I had to choose a focus topic. Of course, being a desperate schoolgirl, my topic was "Love."

Anyways, I have never spent 1000 yuan with a more amusing outcome. Here's the gory details:
Currently I am 21 (in Taiwan and many outer Asian countries, I would be 22 because the date of birth equates to 1 year old, but as not be to confusing, I will use the American age). He asked me if I have a boyfriend, and I responded truthfully,
"No."
"But you must have had one when you were 18, right?"
"Nope."
"But according to my reading, someone confessed to you when you were 18."
"..." (okay, that got my undivided interest. You see, at first I was just doing this fortune telling thing for fun, but for him to actually guess that was crazy. So yeah, I think I'm a believer. lol)
"You will have a boyfriend at 23. However, you must choice carefully, he can't over 6 years older than you."
"Can he be younger?"
"Yes, but can't be over 6 years. So, either under 6 years older or under 6 years younger. But it's most likely he will be older."
"Okay."
"You will get marry at age 29. Your relationship starts at 23, but you should wait. If you wait till you are 29 to get marry, then your marriage will be long and full of love. Wait till you are 29 to get marry." (yes, he does have a tendency to repeat himself.)
"Okay."
"Your husband will be very handsome, and he will be kind to you. There will be a lot of love in the relationship."
"Great."
"In Chinese, people's fate falls under one of the five signs, gold, wood, water, fire, and earth. Your fate falls under tou, Earth. Earth means a heart that is kind. As for your job, what do you currently do?"
"I go to school."
"You are teaching?"
"No, I'm a student."
"Good. Because, in the future, work and money nevermind (I didn't understand that at first). You don't have to worry about work. You will have a good job and don't have to worry about money. You are 21 now, and when you are 31, opportunities will keep coming. You will not have to worry about money. And children, you will have a boy and a girl. Your son will be kind to you (I assume that he will be filial). You will have a long life. You will live to 91 (in this day and age, I wonder if that really is a long life) and a long marriage."
"That's good to hear."
"Remember, you will meet your love at 23. And he will be handsome and kind. You will get marry at 29. Wait till you are 29."
"Thank you very much."
Then I paid him and took a picture and went on my way. But honestly, if that is how my future will unfold, then I am one content desperate schoolgirl, but on top of being desperate, I am quite cynical and sceptical, so I have my doubts. lol

So, in honor of my loyal fans, or lack thereof, I am updating another entry. I think this is the most frequent I have been since this journal was first established in who knows when. Anyways, if you haven't been following the previous two entries, I am still residing in Taipei, at the moment. I have about one more month, before I have to unearth the best method to get myself to the airport (I don't think the taxi goes that far out, but who knows).

Here's what's been happening since I last updated:

The typhoon is really interfering with my fun time. A by-factor of the horrid natural phenomenon is that Taipei is going to be encountering a week of rainfall and thunderstorms and other areas in Taiwan (that doesn't directly concern me) are suffering from major flooding, etc. What does this mean to lil' old me? Five things. First, on Monday, one of my many umbrellas snapped (but no worries, it's the biggest one which was giving me a headache b/c I don't know how to transport it back to the states) as I was venturing into the storm to get food, so I have to purchase a another one (a smaller one this time) to get back home. Second, I can't go to the beach this who week. Third, I can't go to the hot springs this weekend, as planned. Fourth, I'm too lazy to leave the house, period (that means I should stock up on instant noodles). And last, but surely not least, I can't do laundry. This is the most devastating for me, b/c I am quickly running out of clean clothes. You see, the thing is, the washing machine is on the roof. So turning it on during a storm could be hazardous to one's health. And after the washing is done, we rely on the sun system to dry our clothes, so this week is no good for that. Sadness

I did get to go to Taipei 101, currently the tallest building in the world, reigning at 91 stories high. The construction really is beautiful. I like the fact that it's greenish (I took plenty of pictures, so if anyone's interested, let me know). Floor B1-5F is the shopping mall (kinda lame though, not as cool as the ones in the U.S.), but they do have a book store that had english recreational reading books, so I'm content. 9-83F is the office floors, of which I was not authorize to enter. I had to pay 370 yuan to get on the world's fastest elevator (takes 37 seconds to get from 6F to 89F; what an ear-popping experience) to go the the 89F indoor observatory. Supposedly, if you pay another 100 yuan, you get to go to the outside observatory on 91F, but it was closed for maintenance (what a waste). It view was nice, but like my brother said, the airplane view is probably better, without the commercial cr*p. Oh well, I did get to see the damper babies (commercial cr*p spawns, in case you were wondering), ride the world's fastest elevator, and record myself walking on clouds (if you want to see the video, let me know).

The most exciting thing that happened to me today was finding out that for the last week, while contemplating on how to approach Lao XianSheng (my landlord) about getting online (my chinese sucks, remember) and privately attempting to crack the network key thing (I am no hacker), all I had to do was plug in the ethernet cord and I would've got on. lol I feel really dumb when he pointed it out today (but coincidentally, in class last week, I did learned that going online is "shang wanglou," I was just too chicken to use the phrase, lol).

In response to #4's request, I decided to update with details of my current situation here in Taiwan. I'm only here for another month, but unlike the beginning, it doesn't seem so tedious anymore. I guess I am currently in the "acceptance stage" of the "study abroad stages of emotions" (or something like that). Previously, I was in the "homesickness (and literal sickness) stage," but now I have adjusted and thus, feel that the time here is too short. But then again, I am short on money and am entertaining the thought of being able to work again, so I do want to return to the states in the near future. Woe is the world, that life is a contradictory. Anyways, here's what's been going on:

First experiences:
I found some restaurants that allowed me to order food by pointing only, so I can finally stop eating at the convenience store. This is good b/c I was getting sick (not literally) of sushi and sandwiches. Well, actually, to be fair, the convenience stores (some famous/abundant ones in Taipei are 7/11, OK, and Family Mart) have really decent and diverse box lunches, but I prefer resturant food for some reason. It gives you the delusion of homemade fare, I think.

I went to CKS Memorial Hall. The memorial is situated in a very nice park close to my homestead and designed to look like an ancient palace. I, playing my role as the dorky tourist, took plenty of pictures. I also bought a lot of gifts for friends and family. Sadly, now I feel some of those gifts may be a bit inappropriate, because better things had came along.

I also visiting some marketplaces, which was fun. One was near shuanglian mrt station, another was near guting (I like this one best so far) and Shida Night market. The Shida Night Market was really a novel experience. I ate at a restaurant where you line-up outside and recieve a basket to be loaded with food from a cart. Than the food gets thrown into a pot of boiling broth to be cooked. The experience was fun, but the food was so-so.

Recently, I went to Danshui, where I walked down delicious street and bought stinky tofu, fishballs, and strimp rolls (all on sticks) and some fried baby crab claws (I think, it's hard to tell). The strimp rolls were my fave, then comes the fishballs (good stuff and doesn't even smell much). I don't rec. the stinky tofu to those with a weak stomach (I think the ones in hong kong is probably better tasting, cuz they look good in tv shows) and the baby crab claws is probably most suitable w/ an ice cold beer, but I don't consume alcohol, so it's not for me. I also went to the Fishermen's wraft and got my cariature drawn of me wielding a sword. The artist was nice, but during the whole episode I keep picturing that that will be Shui-chan's future. Horrible, eh? But then again, I guess while I, who find joy in an office position, think it's horrible, Shui-chan, who loves to draw, will probably like the idea of sitting on the pier and drawing portraits of people and things and not worrying about money and material possessions. Perhaps in the future, when we become two widows (insurance, man) and all our children are old and gone, but we are not too wasted-away by old age and ailments, she will be on a pier somewhere, while I will be in my mansion near the cliff, sitting on a rocking chair, knitting scarfs for my grandchildren while watching foriegn soap operas. lol (one can dream, right?)

Another notable place I went to was the shopping central near and in the Taipei Main MRT Station. That was quite a shopping spree.

Things on the to do list:
Return to Danshui during the Autumn moon festival (wait, is it determined by lunar or solar calendar?)

Visit Taipei 101 around sunset

Visit hot springs

Musems and Parks

Palaces and temples

Fortune Teller Street


****NO MORE SHOPPING!!!!***

That's all for now.

I've been in Taiwan for about a week. The weather is horrible (extremely hot), but the people are nice and hospitable. Due to traffic congestion, it is not the prettiest, nor safest place in the world, but I like it. Pedestrians really have to be careful in the city, because U-turns and driving pass a red light is common.

I am currently staying in a room on the seventh floor in the home of Yin XianSheng (though I like to call him Lao XianSheng). The other renter is Hide-san. I hardly ever see the two, because I tend to lock myself in my room. I think it will take me about another week or two to get use to the weather and adjust enough to truly go exploring.

I have bought some souvenirs for friends and family members, but I really want to find time and energy to truly shop. Sadly, schoolwork is heavy and my mandarin is horrible. I have forgottennearly all of my characters and my response is quite delayed.

Due to my horrible chinese, I can't eat at restaurants(don't know how to read the menu), and b/c I can't find a kitchen in Lao XianSheng's place, can't really cook for myself. Therefore, for the past week, I've been relying on convenient stores' fare. Sushi and sandwiches are getting a bit tiresome, and the meat buns are not really all that grand. Oh well. Maybe life will be slightly better in a month. And hey, I'm returning to the states in two months.

Also, on the positive side, my flu have been reduce to a chronic cough, so at least I don't feel so fatigued.

Well, I officially board the plane tomorrow at 4:05 pm to Taiwan. I should be excited, but I am still recovering from a flu that is slowly, but surely killing me. I went to the doctor on Monday and she said I should recover by Wed, and now it's Saturday and I'm still dying. Since I started coughing up blood yesterday, I went again this morning and got some anti-biotics that supposedly will preserve my poor, suffering life, but we'll see what happens. Mother kept trying to convince me to stay, but it's my resolve to crawl onto the plane, if it comes to that. Wish me luck my friends and hopefully I survive this ordeal to see everyone again in August.

I have been accepted to the Mandarin Training Center in Taipei, Taiwan. Now it's final. I'm going to Taiwan from late June to late August. I'm so excited. Now I must celebrate by going to class. lol

Well, these couple of weeks have been hectic, so I decided to de-stressed by blogging (I wonder if it will work; if only I have a 10-key pad, then I could play tontie and not have to blog; thanks heza for getting me addicted).

I need a job, but I was rejected and now I don't know what to do with myself. I have all this hopes, dreams, and aspirations, but little motivation. This is not a good time of year for me. I once talk to a guy friend (Mr. H) and we were discussing about seasons (wonder why?) and he said something like this: "In early fall you get this refreshed feeling b/c you just got back from a long break and you feel like you want to do things, so you join a lot of clubs and sign up for a lot of things. You make plans and look forward to the rest of the semester. Then in winter, you don't want to do anything but sleep and eat (to build up warmth for the cold like bears?). Then in early spring, you get too tired from all the inactivity of winter to really do anything. You realized that nothing on your list is done from fall, but you can't motivate yourself to do anything about it. You get stressed out b/c you make too much commitments, but time's running out. Then comes late spring, you anticipate summer. And that's when my grades the worst. I stress out, then get excited about things that will happen and then can't concentrate on things that need to be done." (that's right, we were discussing about grades:) Anywayz, Mr. H is a really wise man. I totally understand what he was saying.

Oh well, I guess that helped. While writing that I realized I'm not the only one feeling this way about life, so I'm good for now (hopefully Mr. H doesn't stumble on this post and realized I mingled his words with ad-lib of my own. lol)