Le tired.
I need a bit of veg time.
Today was the family day big time. We went to get dumplings for lunch. Heavenly, up till the point where I had to eat about 3 more dumplings past my limit then try the congealed pigs blood at the bottom of the hot and sour soup…that was a bit ick. Still yummy dumplings though.
After this we went and got fruit and eggs. And then drove a bit out of town to visit Tina’s grandfather’s sister in the town of Yingge. Apparently the town is famous for its ceramics so we went to this touristy part and wandered around, looking in all the shops and eating all sorts of things. I bought a cheap watch and an ocarina…impulse buy, oh well. While there we ate some candied tomatoes on a stick….amazingly amazing amazing, given my deep love for tomatoes.
I feel as if sometimes all I talk about is food, but we spend a large part of each day eating or in restaurants. Most of the time I’m trying to scheme how to not eat more since I always get stuffed long before the meal is under way. This whole “snack” then appetizer tiny dishes, then main dishes that keep refilling is nice and delicious but semi-stresses me out. I haven’t been hungry in 3 days because of perpetual food. We went to a grocery today and I discovered that they have almost anything I could want in the way of American food. Doritos, Haagen-Dazs, fruit loops they have it all. But in the mean time, noodles, mystery “fungi” as Tina refers to it, and endless amounts of flavorless jellies…whats with the jelly Taiwan? Really?
Back to the house in Yingge
4 hours of sitting while Tina’s family chatted, family, extended family, all sorts of people. I let all the talking wash over me, picking small words out, trying to decide what certain phrases were that I hear over and over, and playing guessing games about what people are really talking about. Thinking that Tina and her aunt are talking about shopping or something only to have Tina ask me if the subways are clean in NY… lets me know how clueless I really am. But after 45 minutes of this I am a bit bored out of my skull, and itchy, and tired. I guess it all can’t be soaring highs.
Tomorrow: Getting Tina’s Taiwan id, and searching for jobs. Her relatives find it impossible to believe that we will be making 60,000NT a month, despite all our claims and explanations. They just don’t think people would pay that much for tutoring. We can’t wait to get our jobs and prove them wrong. Personally, I can’t wait to settle into a routine and an apartment, even though this has been great thus far.
Jennifer
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