Slightly late conclusion

Well, I never finished this blog up I guess. I got home safe and sound, and spent the rest of the summer in Mississippi, listening to blues music and eating red beans and rice. But, I'm going to leave the blog up for anyone who might stumble on it and decide that they need to waste a little time. Thanks for reading.

Homeward Bound

This post is mostly for Ashley, who asked to have my last blog post titled after the Simon and Garfunkel classic. I'm definately more nervous about the flights home than I was about the flights to Taiwan. I fly domestically alone all the time, but customs and switching planes in Japan and all of that are starting to make me a little nervous. By the time this blog posts, I'll be well on my way to Memphis by way of Detroit/Japan/Taiwan. See all of you on the other side!

One foot out the door, but my other keeps askin' for more.

This isn't quite a goodbye post just yet, since I still have 13 hours before I hop into my car to the airport. I'm almost all packed (just some random toiletry stuff and carry on left to pack), I've done all my last minute shopping and saying goodbye. So, how will I spend my last night in the place where I've lived for the past two months?

For the most part, I'm going to do the things I've been doing. I'll go for delicious san bei ji (three cups chicken), eat some green tea ice cream and probably try to buy a wallet (my old one might not even make the trip home it's so worn out!). Then I'll come back, go for a last run (walk...run...jog...), and try to read a little more of my book. I'm hoping to get into bed fairly early because the car comes at 6:00 am to wisk me away.

I didn't really use this blog for reflection much, and I'm probably not going to start doing that now. There are a few reasons for that, primarily because I think reading my rambling reflections on my experience might be kind of boring for you. That last bit is kind of a lie. It's mostly because I think I'd find it boring to type all that up.

I kept a series of journals while I was here, and that's probably the one thing I'd pass on to someone else making a long term trip abroad: bring a journal and use it all the time. Take it with you everywhere. Even if you never read it again, there's something very comforting about being able to take out a pen and paper and write down what's going on. Also, you'll look REALLY brooding and mysterious sitting outside of a restaurant, fiercely writing down observations. No one needs to know you're only writing down how nervous you are about trying to order in Chinese....No one.

I'm going to let Mr. Steinbeck do some reflecting for me. Again, this is mostly because I find John Steinbeck far more interesting than I find myself. But it's also because this quote, like lots of his writing, is just so damn true.

A journey is a person in itself; no two are alike. And all plans, safeguards, policing and coercion are fruitless. We find after years of struggle that we do not take a trip; a trip takes us. - from Travels with Charley by John Steinbeck

I'm not going to waste any of your time or my time unpacking and analyzing that quote. But it took me two months in Taiwan, 6 books, countless miles on trains and ferries, a 5 week internship, a hundred pounds of white rice and one rambling blog to start to let the trip take me instead.

Well, ring the bell backwards and bury the axe

I'm the world's worst blogger, updating only at my fancy. That's mostly because the past few days have been pretty similar -- saying goodbye to some people, starting the pack up, cleaning up sections of my room as I pack things away and trying to do some last minute shopping. But, some updates:

1) Ginger and I rode to the top of Tiger's Head Mountain, which overlooks Taoyuan city. It was a stunning view at night, and the whole park was filled with couples walking around hand in hand, and families playing with their children. We also ate Thai take out up there, and there's nothing quite like Larb Gai, Beef Curry and a breezy summer night!

2) I got a tour of the Grand Hotel today, and we ate in one of the restaurants in the Hotel. We = myself and the director of the College of Education. The food was amazing, as always and the Grand Hotel is absolutely beautiful inside and out.

3) I am deeply in love with Hi-Chews, iced milk tea, lotus soup, and steamed meat buns. Also, I'm worried about my adjustment to meals that don't always include rice. How will I get full?

4) I've got my game plan for traveling to the airport from campus all squared away, and my last day at my internship is Thursday (it's currently Tuesday night here). So, everything is really coming to a close.

As a last note, my July once I get back to the states is going to be busy but absolutely wonderful. I'll be mostly in Mississippi, but will travel to South Carolina, Louisiana, Tennessee all before I finally return to South Carolina in August. I'm getting really excited to see everyone, and share all my Taiwan goodies and pictures with them!

"Never Let Go" by Tom Waits from Orphans

I will help you read those books, if you will soothe my worried looks

Amazing day here in Taiwan, to everyone just starting Wednesday, you're gonna love it.

1) I spent some time with Dr. Liu this morning over coffee, and we talked more about religious life here in Taiwan and how she compares it to what religious life seems like in the States. She's a practicing Christian (practicing for the spring softball league, badumching!) and talked a lot about her sense of being less open with her church community about her "true feelings" on issues like politics and social issues. She asked if I thought that was true in America, and I said I just didn't know enough to be sure, but I thought it was common enough in a lot of the monotheistic faiths. I absolutely love spending time chatting with Dr. Liu, and with only 11 days left in Taiwan I know I'm going to miss these morning chats so much.

2) No more presentations for me, I'm doing some work on the English website for the Education department, trying to streamline it and correct grammar and word choice. I should be really honest and say I've already had to Google some grammar assistance. I know, from being able to diagram any sentence in just a minute (no matter how complex, try me) to this. How the mighty have fallen.

3) My last roommate departs tomorrow morning at 6 am, and then it's just me until July 5th when I leave. I'll miss having others here, but it should give me time to do some sleeping, and I'll travel back into Taipei at least one more time before I head for the US of A.

4) I'm also hoping to visit a few more temples before I head out, I didn't visit nearly as many as I'd hoped to!

5) Thai food and green tea ice cream with Ginger tomorrow night, and some shopping in Taoyuan. I'm so excited, I'm going to ask very nicely to drive that scooter again!

"You and I" by Ingrid Michaelson from Be Ok

It was a slow walk in a sad rain, and nobody tried to be John Wayne

Just a fast update, I'm now 13 days from my departure and I'm starting to get more and more excited for home comforts, family, Andy and friends!

1) Things on campus are kind of shutting down now that most of the students have moved back home for the summer break. The shuttle hours all change and so do business hours so I'm trying to keep myself updated on all those changes, which is a little stressful but nothing too intense.

2) Here in Taiwan, if you ask someone where something is on campus you're almost guaranteed to be escorted to that place by the person you asked, or someone nearby. This is usually a nice perk, but sometimes it's a little embarrassing. Like today, when showing you where a store is requires the person to travel three stops away on the MRT and several blocks. I really just needed to know which MRT stop it was, but never doubt that the Taiwanese are helpful.

3) After today I will offically be done with my Maymester course requirements, and I really just enjoyed it so much. Maybe I enjoyed the paper writing and journals less than the exploring Taiwan part, but really. If you get to study abroad, do it, kids. DO IT.

4) Johnny Cash covering The Man Who Couldn't Cry. Go, find, download. Listen. Repeat. Recorded live at the Viper Room.

"Drive On" by Johnny Cash from American Recordings

It Lives!

The blog was down or locked or something. BUT I'm back! UPDATES!!

1) This past week was really busy but wonderful. I love doing the presentations for the students, and I've even gotten to help a few of them with their presentations on higher education. Mostly it's been correcting already very good English, but I've also gotten to learn about their perspectives on Taiwanese higher education. Many of the students think that Taiwanese higher education isn't rigorous enough, and that it should be more like the US system. Which leads to...

2) The more time I spend talking with Taiwanese people, the more I'm beginning to feel comfortable saying that, in general, there's a lot of "in America, this is much better." I hear that phrase so frequently, I've begun to be surprised when we talk about anything comparatively and it isn't said. I usually don't think much about it, these are highly educated professors and students I'm working with, and I usually find something else in the conversation that strikes me. But, today I thought about it more and more.

I understand that, to some extent, some things simply are more accessible in America. It should probably be pointed out that, for a Taiwanese citizen in America, I have no idea if much would truly be more accessible. But, for the most part, things are just different in America. Our education system is different, I don't know enough about either to know if it's better, and I'm not even sure how valuable that comparison would be. I get why I hear it so often, and again, I usually don't reflect on it as much. But I can speculate about where that response comes from, but I wish I had a better hold on it.

3) No Typhoon (so far at least). It was redirected by wind they said? I'm just happy to have not lost a weekend to rain!

4) I went to the Taipei Zoo today, and saw two pandas. I bought the most ridiculous purchase ever at the gift shop. I won't waste time describing, I promise photos tomorrow.

5) I ate at a bar called The Brass Monkey for dinner. It's a pub in Taiwan. Note to the Maymester class: There were only Westerners in their ads because...pretty much only Westerners go there. Loud rugby on the TV, heavy beers and delicious food. I got a Smithick's, ate bangers and mash (good) and buffalo wings with friends. It was definitely fun, and it made me miss Fenian's in Miss-a-sip more than I have in a long time. All you Jackson folks -- let's go shame our family names as soon as I get back. Or, you know, just have a beer and laugh?

6) I'm offically two weeks away from "Operation Reunited and It Feels So Reasonably Pleasant and Downright Convenient" and I have to say I'm feeling so excited for the "Dani's Welcome Wagon '09", and all the fun trips for July. I'm also starting to feel that rush of "get all the fun you can out of it, because when you leave you can't just come back over the weekend". But I'm just going to try to soak it all up, and then feel excited and happy to return home.