First Impressions

I've been here for 10 days now.  You probably think I've been around the town with my camera out, exploring and being a genuine tourist.  Although I've begun to see a lot of things, I've really just been adjusting.  I always forget how lost I feel those first few weeks as I try to find my feet in a brand new country.  Taiwan has been no exception.  So here are a few things that I noticed and have stuck with me that are unique to Taiwan, or at least, Asia.

The language - Chinese characters are everywhere.  Not only can I not understand what is being said, I have no hope of reading either.  In a way, this is relaxing.  I noticed that in Russia I tried reading everything I passed by.  Not that I could speak the language, but I always hoped that exercising my brain to translate the Cyrillic alphabet to the Latin alphabet, then sound out the word, that I would end up with something that sounded sort of like an English word I knew.  This only worked about 1 in 100 times, but none the less, if I saw Старбакс then I knew that a good frappuccino was just around the corner.  But if I see 星巴克, I really have no idea what to expect.  (Both mean Starbucks!)  It was exhausting, really.  I'm working on Chinese.  I've now perfected two words:  Hello and thank you.  Both are useful and make me seem extremely polite.  I plan to learn more words, but if you know me, then you know that two words in ten days is pretty good.

Mopeds - There are a lot around.  It's not quite as busy as I've seen in some other cities and, for the most part, they are very orderly.  I will have to pay extra attention when I begin driving, but even the driving seems relaxed and orderly.

Face masks - I hadn't thought about this prior to arriving, but Asians really like to accessorize by covering half their face with a mask.  I don't find it polluted here like I know it is in cities such as Beijing, so I'm not sure the purpose they hold other than creating a lot of sweat.

Muggy heat - It's hot and rainy here.  I actually really like the muggy heat, but I am going through more than one outfit a day and my hair has gone completely wild.

Food - My sponsor took me to a local market the first day I was here.  Later, the same day, I walked over to Carre Four with the hopes of finding something for dinner.  I realized, at that point, that meal preparation was going to be a huge challenge for me.  Now I've also visited Jason's (the international grocery store where you can find those rare, but extremely expensive items like a can of soup) and Wellman's Market (also an expat store with high prices for to die for items, but not all nice and shiny like Jason's).  Wellman's is really just a hole in the wall with dusty American canned goods. But now I know where I can go to get canned pumpkin at Thanksgiving.  Costco is a staple for every expat in the city.  I crossed several more items off my list there.  So I am left with a short list of items that I just can't find.  Mainly baking ingredients, so next I'll look online.  Honestly, I am a bit disappointed with myself.  I really like the idea of eating like the local people do but I just have no idea what to do with the ingredients and how to make them into something edible.  I guess food expectations in my mind–at least when eating inside my own house–are so ingrained into me.  I'm determined to work at it and get a few new recipes under my belt.

Temples - I hadn't given too much thought to the religion here.  It's the first time we've lived someplace that has a completely different religion than Christianity.  New Zealand had the Anglican church, Colombia the Catholic church and Russia had Orthodoxy.  They all focused on Jesus and the Bible, so the common threads made them easy, comfortable places to be.  Taiwan has a mixture of Buddhism, Taoism and Confucianism.  I really don't know what any of these religions believe.  There are temples and alters and offerings and incense.  I've been taught that idolatry is a sin, but because no one back home had an idol sitting in their family room, I was taught a TV or job was an idol because it took the place of God in one's life.  Here there are real idols and people who worship them.  I can see that I need to spend some time in my Bible and explore idolatry in a very black and white way.

Kind people - I think this is the kindest culture I have lived in.  The kind manner of the local people affects the attitude of expats as well.  Foreigners are happy to be here working.  It feels good to be in a place where people are happy.

Safety - Taiwan is safe.  The security briefing I did at the AIT was a bit of a joke.  Kids can travel on the metro and buses alone.  My neighbor has left her cell phone numerous places and it's been returned every time.  People leave their doors unlocked.  We don't think about safety and how it affects us on a daily basis, but after living in Bogota for two years and constantly concerned about muggings and petty theft, then living in Moscow where you were always looking over your shoulder- wondering if you were being followed, or wondering if someone had been in your apartment while you were away-it is a relief to be safe.

Now that I have mostly recovered from jet lag, I'm excited to be here.  Every day I feel a bit more settled.  I anticipate the next three years to hold some amazing adventures and to build some wonderful friendships.