2009

Another year has come and gone or, very nearly at any rate. Before I ring in the new year, I just wanted to stop to consider the things that have changed over the last year.


The biggest change in my life has been the fact that I am now a married man. I still can’t really believe it sometimes...it feels so, so....adult I guess. I know that may sound strange, but it sometimes feel like I am still an awkward kid, struggling to catch up to this supposed adult life I am living. Being married hasn’t really changed things with my relationship to Elisha, but it does change the way people look at you. When I was just dating Elisha (or going steady, or whatever) I can say that there were less expectations on us...no requirements to act like a married couple, such as giving up going out, or spending our time doing bathroom reno’s on the weekend. Perhaps those are just the things I thought married couples did. Anyway, I find that the same pre-conceived notions I had about married couples are now being used as weapons in judgment against me. When I tell people I’m married, their first impression usually involves me being too old to certain things. Either that or being asked if I have children or when Elisha and I will have them. Sigh. Guess a taste of my own medicine was due and I of all people should’ve expected this. It changes nothing for me...I still feel the same when I wasn’t married and love Elisha all the more. That’s what being married means to me.

Other big changes in the year have meant 2 major moves; first, deciding to move from the West coast giving up yet another apartment, sparse furniture, jobs and saying goodbye to friends. Not that we had a big life out there, but it still gets more difficult to say see ya later every time we decide to move on. When we do decide to move on, it’s usually a combination of something not working and something missing. In the case of Nanaimo, it had a lot to do with money. I was stuck in a job that was supposed to be temporary, living a life I had left behind 4 years previously, only to find myself back in it with a different backdrop. Location had little to with it...the island itself is a beautiful place and given time, I think I could’ve adjusted to all the naturalness but the life itself wasn’t what we were hoping for. I guess I just hoped that the West would be full of promise for us. If and when I do settle back in Canada, I think B.C. would be top of the list.

But things change and I would be remiss to say that I don’t thrive on change. The other big upheaval in my life over the last year was to return to Taiwan. It also hasn’t turned out exactly as planned, but you know what they say about best laid plans going to waste. I can safely say that Taiwan has held true in one regard and that it being a place to expect the unexpected. While life hasn’t worked out as hoped, it has still worked out over the last few months and I’m very happy to be back. In just a few short months, finances have improved, we’ve met some new people and are just generally enjoying life that much more. All in all, the decision to return was a sound choice and I’m looking forward to handling all the curveballs this place can throw at me in 2010.

So here’s to yet another year and looking forward to what lies ahead.

The Life and Times of Macy Grey

Throughout Asia it is impossible to walk more than 5 feet without seeing, hearing, smelling or nearly being run into by that most ubiquitous of transportation, the scooter. They come in all shapes, sizes, makes and models but they remain an affordable and simple way to get around crowded city streets. Our little scooter, Macy Grey, has recently found its way back to us. Even though I have only had her back for 4 short hours, I can already say that I really feel like my long lost child has come home at last.
Macy Grey is nothing short of a miracle.She is not so much a scooter as she is a wizened old soul, housed in her metal and plastic casing. She knows the streets of Taipei like the back of her tires and almost seems to guide her driver to his or her destination (or that could be the shaky steering column) Macy was given to us in 2006 by a friend who was leaving Taiwan. Macy had been given to our friend by a friend of hers, who had also had Macy given to her by another friend (original owner) Ms. Grey (Macy to her friends) had actually sat for about 6 months prior to our friend giving her to us. Our friend randomly decided to try to start Macy one day and she worked! When we became her owner, Macy was rough and ready...well-worn, but with a few miles to go. Or at least that's what we thought so we didn't sink any money into what seemed like a lost cause. Now, I'd like to say I took care of Macy but truth is, I didn't exactly rotate her tires and give her an oil change every 1,000km. Instead, she was pushed to her limits; speeding from light to light, slamming on the brakes, etc. Repairs were slapdash and involved a toolkit consisting of a roll or packing tape and scissors. If memory serves, the only real repair that involved a mechanic was an oil filter which likely hadn't been changed since Macy's birth.
Time rolled on and about a year after we'd come to call Macy our own, it was time for us to saddle up and move on from the beautiful isle. But, what to do with Macy? We couldn't just leave her there, shivering and rusting all alone on some lonely Taipei alley. Both of us felt we owed it to this little scooter who could (and as a matter of good karma) we passed Macy on to another friend of ours. We kept tabs on, thinking about her from time to time and all the fun we'd had racing through the streets of Taipei together.
More time passed and so did our friends' tenure in Taipei. To keep the karma flowing, she also passed Macy onto yet another friend. He had her for a short time before he too left Taiwan. Not wanting to break the karma chain, he passed it on to another friend. That friend also passed it on to yet another friend of ours, who really never took to Macy and driving in these crazy streets. So, Macy sat, waiting for someone to come and claim her.
Fast forward to august 2009; our triumphant return to Taipei and it wasn't long after that I inquired about Macy. I feared the worst for her, but turns out she was just downstairs collecting parking tickets. Our friend said Macy had been sitting once more for about 10 months and offered her to us again. At first, I was hesitant, but after a couple of months relying on public transit I gave in. So, today was the day. I got the keys and thought, what the hell? I'll see if she starts. Surprisingly, the battery still worked and Macy tried and tried to turn over, but just was too sleepy from her long rest. A quick push down the street to the local mechanic, 15 minutes and $500NT later (including helmet) Macy breathed life once again. I carefully put her through her paces and treated my thirsty girl to a new tank of gas. Tomorrow, I'm going to get a new muffler and possibly a new handbrake but shhh! Don't tell her...it's a surprise.
Here's a picture of the old girl...sure glad she's back in my life again. Here's to you Macy and the automotive adventures we'll be having.

Rounding the bend

8 more days.

That's all I have to wait before I finally, finally have substantial enough cash in hand to fully lead the life I remembered and have longed for so long here in Taipei. And I have to say that it has been a long road towards the white light at the end of the tunnel. Since I've arrived, it's been nothing but budgeting and belt-tightening...actually, it's been more like 2 years and 3 months of budgeting, as well as saying 'almost there' to myself over and over again. I finally arrive at the seemingly mythical place of 'almost there' December 10^th and it's going to feel...it's going to feel...well, actually, I kind of forget how it feels so I'll let you know. Top of the list to buy/do are some new clothes, a couple of choice dinners and of course, heading out on the town for some serious dawn til dusk debauchery.

So before I round the bend on almost there, I thought I'd share what I've done to pass the time. Wasting time, biding time, or whichever label you want to put on it, I've been doing lots of it. Lots and lots. Many times lots. The bottom line is that I feel I've done a pretty good job of entertaining myself with low to no-cost activities. I've literally read, watched, listened, downloaded, planned, organized, cleaned, emailed, photographed + learned about all I can handle at the mo'...so much so, I feel bored. To tears. I really just need an evening of drunkenness to keep my brain in check. It won't do any good if my brain gets a swelled head with all the neurons I've recovered during the last few months of financially-induced sobriety.

Things have improved over the last few months. While I still have a bit of hostility towards the job sitch, I have given in and secured gainful employment with a new school. The hours round out the sched quite nicely, and the best part is that I didn't have to give up too many hours at my old job to get the new one. I did have to give up one class, loosening my dependability on the shack of lacklustre learning, but gained an additional 2 hours at the new school instead, so a fair trade as far as I'm concerned. The differences between the two schools couldn't be more removed. L.C is, in a nutshell, disorganized, lacks materials, cohesive curriculum and staff who really care whether the school succeeds or fails. CELP is on the other end of the spectrum: hyper-organized, extensive materials to the point of obscenity and one of the most painstakingly-planned syllabi I've ever encountered. Hmm...wonder which job I'll keep when my contract is up?

Job juxtapositions aside, another new happening is the book club is finally off the ground. At last check, the Taipei Book Club has 34 members and growing day by day. We had our first official meeting on Sunday with only 9 of our members showing up, but it was still a great introduction to something which none of the members (myself included) has ever part of before. The group seems to pull people in from different walks of life and is split pretty evenly down the middle between expats and locals. This should give the meetings an interesting flavour and I'm looking forward to the next meeting already. For our first book, we decided on Blindness by Jose Saramago. Looking forward to it at any rate.

Another thing to look forward to is that Shawn is coming for viz here during CNY. We've been trying to come up with as many activities, sights and other points of interest to jam pack into his holiday. I'm working most of the time, but that's fine as we aren't planning on going anywhere except a day trip, or maybe an overnight or two here in Taiwan. We figure that this is where we live and while a sun+surf holiday to would be great, we should really show him why it is that we live here. Not too sure when his dates are yet, but he will be here for around 2 weeks or so. Leesh is off during that time, so they can do the touristy stuff around the city during the day while I'm at work, and I can show him the night-side of things.

Speaking of night, I just glanced at my clock and realized it's time for bed. I also realized that it's now only 7 more days til 'almost there.'

And only 7 more days before I remove 'almost' from my vocabulary.

 

bureaucrazy

In my seemingly never-ending quest for my ARC (Alien Resident Certificate), there have been many hoops to jump through. Well, the last hoop has nearly been jumped through so while I wait (impatiently, I might add) for my number to be called for the second time today (more on that in a minute) I thought it might be prudent to share my arduous journey which has brought me to this point. What follows is a timeline which show the steps, cost and time spent. Bear witness to my madness...

Step 1 – Sept.1/09

Time spent: Health check - 1 hour in hospital, 1 week waiting for results, 30 minutes travel time

Cost: $1500NT

Step 2 – Sept.9/09

Thought I was going to be picking up my health check, but turns out I needed to have an inoculation. I was able to get my health check, but only after a made another trip home to get some money to pay for the inoculations as I hadn't expected to pay for anything.

Time spent: 1 hour in hospital, 1 hour in transit

Cost; $500NT

Step 3 – Sept.10/09

Submit all documents to school for application

Return to school to sign papers (2^nd time)

Got another call stating I need to get a tax receipt from the last time I was here? Of course, the tax office is closed

Time spent: 1.5 hours in transit, 10 minutes at school

Cost: $200NT

Step 4 – Sept.11/09

Trip to the tax office. Return to school, drop off original receipt. Now I play the waiting game while I wait for my work permit letter.

Time spent: 45 minutes in transit

Cost: $350NT

Step 5 – Oct.5/09

Received letter from government. Took letter to immigration where I'm told that the letter doesn't state that my contract is a year, but only 6 months. I'm denied a work permit as my visitor visa will cover extensions. Call school and find out we have to start the whole process over again.

Time spent: 30 minutes transit, 30 minutes wait. 5 hours of screaming and swearing.

Cost: $250NT

Step 6 – Oct.7^th

Sent in package again, but need to get another copy of health check and tax receipt.

Time spent: 1.5 hours in transit + 1 month waiting for new permit letter

Cost: $400NT

Step 7 - Nov.15/09

Received 2^nd work permit letter from school.

Step 8 – Nov.19^th

set off to immigration office with all necessary paperwork. School sent me to the wrong place. Walked 5km to the correct office. Everything was in order except the clerk asked me for the original copy of my lease. Trip back to my apartment to grab the orig...back to immigration where I waited again in line. Finally got up to the counter only to be told I needed to complete an application form. Took another number and waited again. Handed in my documents and paid the fee.

Time spent: 3.5 hours, 2 week waiting period.

Cost: $400NT

Now for some math...

TOTAL TIME: 2 months, 2 weeks, 21 hours and 16 minutes

TOTAL COST: $3400NT

And the thing is, I still don't have the work permit yet. All of this time, money and effort for a stupid little plastic card. I pick it up Dec.3^rd...

Fingers crossed that things go smoothly.

 

 

 

the bubble

the bubble (n) - the area which encompasses an individual's life.

i realized the other day while sitting on my building's rooftop garden, that i really live in a bubble. and i can see most of the areas where i either work, shop, have friends, or generally spend time in. what makes it even more interesting is that i am pretty much smack dab in the middle of this bubble. taipei may have a lot of people, but metro taipei isn't really that big. at least, square footage-wise. my life inhabits an even smaller portion of metro taipei...minchuan to the north, guangfu to the east, zhongshan to the west and keelung to the south...these 4 roads make up the boundaries of my life in taiwan. not that's a bad thing, but it sure doesn't look like much.

within this small window exist all a man needs or wants. no shortage exists for food...among the favoured are yong kang street or shi da road...busy, but delicious areas to break bread. getting to work is easy thanks to the subway and bus system which are clean, cheap and efficient. shopping is never a problem and one of the easiest things to do just about anywhere in the bubble. i tend to be flexible about my shopping and like to spread it around...101, dunhua/fuxing for the more urbane and fashionable, gonguan + shi da for the latest in street wear. the same rules apply for activities as well...clubs, pubs, lounges, arenas, theatres, art performances, ampitheaters all survive and thrive inside my bubble.

of course, there are reasons to leave your bubble now and then, but i'm sure it's safe to say that some people seldom do. i tend not to unless i specifically have a reason to go to a certain area. for example, the department of foreign affairs is a place i have to visit about once a year for bureaucratic reasons and exists in a part of the city that i really have no need to visit, except for this once a year a trip. definitely outside the bubble. another reason might be to visit a friend or relative who lives outside your bubble, but for the most part, most of us like to stick to our own bubble.

bubble can change over time. if your job changes, you mght move or at least have a different commute to work. perhaps you meet a new friend who lives in an entirely unknown region of the city. hence, the bubble shifts to encompass this new aspect of your life. this has happened to me often (likely 'cos i move so much) but even staying put in taipei has meant a lot of bubble shifting. i've moved house 4 times, have had 6 different jobs ranging from nearly across the street to being over an hour away and have had friends who have lived near and far. all of these factors have shaped and re-shaped my bubble many times over.

funny enough, i actually decided to revist some familiar places that made up my bubble when i first arrived in taiwan. i was living in neihu, a sort of satellite city to taipei. at the time i lived there, neihu was pretty, quiet and a bit of a wasteland for things to do and see. the mrt didn't service this section of the city like it does today and things have changed. neihu seems to have sprung up over night...hotels, shopping centres, restaurants and clean, efficient public transport have replaced the neihu i remember. giant fields of grass and dirt being overturned (in preparation for what stands there today), long and lonely, temporary roads which appear to head nowhere. a lack of good places to eat, with only noodle stands lining the sidestreets and no matter where you were, there was always construction. i can remember trying to search for the bus stop, which was temporary and often moved due to construction, only to climb onboard some old, rattletrap bus that should've been de-commissioned about 10 years earlier. i'd take it through the wastelands for about 25 minutes to the closest mrt station (by closest, i mean the once-end of the blue line) to take the MRT another 20 minutes into the main station and civilization. so, my bubble was actually quite large in those early days...not to mention my first teaching job was in taipei county, in the city of xizhi, which meant a bus ride to the mrt station, transfer buses and head to xi zhi for about another 30 minutes. then, from xizhi i would take the train into the main station and then go to chinese classes for about 2 hours, then another hour trip home. life sucked. about 3 hours everyday spent in transit. that bubble was too big.

how life has changed since those days which feel very faraway now. revisting the old neighb didn't really give me the sense of nostalgia that i had expected. in its place, i felt relief and a sense of accomplishment about how far i've come from those days. how naive and uncertain i was of everything here...i feel much happier , much more settled and comfortable now than i did in those days, but at the same time everything was exciting when i was living in such a huge bubble. it likely felt that way 'cos so much could and often did go wrong. i get lost. i'd have a strange encounter. i'd see something interesting. i'd eat somewhere different. fun, but scary at times when you don't speak the language. scary and frustrating, but all part of the fun. yes, there's definitely something to be said for getting out of the bubble every now and then. maybe we just need a good reason to 'pop' our bubble once in a while.

greetings+salutations

they can be a comfort to us after a long absence, or a quick acknowledgement. they can be used at the beginning in many different ways, many times over. they can be complicated, awkward, enriching, quick and easy or even done purely as a social courtesy. they are the ways and means in which we greet each other. i would like to share some of my observations regarding human greetings which i have broken down into 4 distinct groups. some of these manoeuvers are tricky, while others appear simple but are subtle in their intricacies of emotional manipulation. whatever way you slice it, here they are...

KISSES!

It started with a kiss. harmless enough but with enough embarassment on both ends. i'm talking about the first time i ever kissed hello a friend. i was 20 and had met this friend through a mutual friend. we had all gone out together a few times and had really become fast friends. after about 4-5 social events, i kissed hello my friend. i had never tried it out before and i figured it would be a good time to do so; i'm an adult, she's an adult, this is an adult friendship...go with it! it was awkward for me to give the kiss, but i followed through. her reaction wasn't exactly rolling out the red carpet and about 10 minutes later our mutual friend came over to ask me if i had feelings for her. maybe it was the wrong time, or the wrong person. maybe it's something people only do in movies. things have changed since then. i often kiss hello my female friends and relations now. the rules of the greetings game changed as i aged, and now it's a lot more acceptable.


cheek peck - as i mentioned, i like to use this one for the majority of my female friends. quick peck on the cheek, left or right. i prefer to go in on the right cheek of the kissee. this is likely due to the fact that i am left-handed and always instinctively cut left. it also helps by committing to a side when you are faced with situations when the peck might be awkward. maybe it's a friend whose been recently upgraded to peck status. maybe it's an old friend that you haven't seen in a while, or had an argument with the last time you saw them. commit to a side and you're golden. it's safe. it's familiar.

VARIATIONS: the mmm-mm-mmm-mm-mmm - 5-7 kisses in rapid succession, usually given by aunties,or to little children.

double-peck - the french invent everything good. democracy. the camera. french wine. fashion, art and of course, the double-peck. the french always kiss hello and its a quick peck on both cheeks. as if they didn't have enough already....greedy french. and let's not even mention the french kiss, which doesn't qualify as a greeting, even for the people who created it.

lovers' hello - nothing sets the world on fire like a lovers' kiss. but, if you're saying hello in public, it's still best to keep it NC-17. picking up your significant other at a busy, public port of call such as an airport or train station is your chance to tell each other how much you've missed each other within about 5 seconds. that's right, a 5-second frencher can say much more than words can. a swirl of the tongue can mean 'i've missed you' or 'can't wait til later.' or it could be a giveaway to something you've been doing...hmmm, that's a new move...wonder where they learned it.

forehead kiss - i like to think this one is strictly reserved for children. usually used between grandparents and their grandkids.

HUGS

i've never been that awesome at hugs. for some reason, i always feel awkward about the other person hugging me. i overthink it. will they make the first move? should i? when do i make it? ok, here it comes...keep left, ok. arms around. am i hugging too enthusiastically? not enough? how long do i hang on?

and so forth. the problem isn't sex-segragated either. i have trouble with both sides, but trouble in different areas. that's because the art of the hug hello varies when applied to different situations. let me elaborate

home-boy half-hug - givin' props to your dawg and keepin' it real at the same time? you think i'm playin' y'all? nah, it fo' real and it be da homeboy  half hug. made by homeboys, exclusively for homeboys, playas and wannabes. and with the people i know, it's mostly wannabes. it goes like this...you walk up to your homie, raise your arm that you wiill use to embrace said 'homey'and bend it at the elbow. take your other arm and put it across your chest. once this is done, you are free to embrace your homey for around 3 seconds and then break. you've now greeted your dawg and still got your street cred. a relatively macho way when executed properly (and by properly, i mean by people who can pull it off) but complete disaster if not done so. this issue is compounded when white guys try to do this with their "crew." everytime i see it happen between two white guys, it's like watching clowns set fire to each other...funny and tragic.  wigga, pleeease do yo'self a favour and give it up.

half-hearted hug - saved for 'frenemies.' these are one of those greeting which you have to do, because of social etiquette, or you've known each other for years but have never really crossed that boundary between friendship and acquaintancehood, but you hug anyway. this hug is always awkward. neither party likes to be a part of what's transpiring, but both feel it necessary to complete this sadistic social execise. alright, maybe it's not that bad but the hug is pretty crummy. you keep space between you like 2 kids at a grade 8 dance and barely embrace. likely just the shoulders and then place your heads close together, but not touching as you say a drawn out "hiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii." ugh.

full-body embrace - this hug is mostly used for really close friends, family and significant others. this one covers a lot of people, but the subtlety lies in the placement of the body. for close friends, a one-armed approch, not unlike the homeboy half-hug, will do with the main difference being the arm would be place around the shoulder and neck of the person. the other arm is then free to pat on the back, or to be solidly placed on the middle of the receiver's back. this is my go-to for close male friends. it's manly, let's them know i've missed them and is quick and painless. my variation for female friends is to give a short hand rub. for family, it's both arms around the neck, but a space left between lower genital areas. for that special someone, it's arms around the neck, head against the shoulder and a privates together sort of affair. again, modesty is best so dry-humping should remain behind closed doors.

HANDSHAKES

by far the easiest way to say hello to someone when a personal touch is required. straighforward (at least for the most part) and is another effective weapon in your greetings arsenal. speaking of weapon, did you know that the handshake actually developed as a sign to show you meant no harm to the other person? the right arm of a man in medieval times was usually used as the sword arm. so, if a man wasn't armed he would extend his right arm as an olive branch of goodwill. from there, the handshake has been the most popular of greetings since. of course, there are also complex meanings woven into the handshake tapestry.

survival of the fittest - some people have handshakes like vises. they love to use them to communicate how strong they are, whether mentally or physically. others prefer a softer, weak-wristed approach to the handshake. i like to think i'm in the middle. i have a strong handshake during my initial approach, and then yield a little softer after a second. i tend to let them last at least as long as 1-2 seconds after the initial greeting. i also like to make sure my hand is dry and not too warm, tho sometimes there is no choice in the matter. i also never use my handshake unless my hand is clean and hope that others show me the same courtesy. i use the handshake to greet new people, co-workers, friends who i know but not that well, and uncles.

cool-guy handshakes - these are the worst, or at least in my books. when we're younger, it's cool to greet your friends with secret or special handshakes. once we get to high school. these handshakes take on a whole new level, becoming almost like a signature to help us stand out, or to be recognized by those around us. in university, these handshakes might evolve into a more refined angled hand-clasp, a close cousin to the normal handshake.hopefully, it eventually replaces the cool-guy handshake altogether. if guys are still employing the cool-guy handshakes and are older than 24, it's time to get over your insecurity about appearing cool and just be yourself. i have such a friend, who until recently, always greeted me by way of cool-guy handshakes. i have never, ever known how to successfully engage in this with him. or with anyone for that matter. it's like everyone learned how to perform cool-guy handshakes at school one day when i was absent. i've just never caught on. at first, i used to try but it was a complicated routine of fingers, gripping and snapping that i just couldn't grasp. he always seemed a little surprised that i couldn't pull it off, which then made me feel inadequate for some reason, like i wasn't really that cool 'cos i didn't know how. then i stopped caring and the next few times he tried, i just let him lead. still, he persisted but our meetups become more infrequent. eventually, i came to dread those first, few minutes when i would have to see him and go through this socially-painful exercise. finally, the last 2 times i have seen him he has resorted to using the garden-variety handshake making things much more manageable. hopefully, this trend will continue and as my friends age i'll never have to encounter this again.

enchante  - i have never witnessed this live before, so i'm not sure people do it. this would be the hand kiss, a sort of quirky combination of peck and a handshake. from what movies have taught me, the lady offers her hand limply, where the man takes it and says "enchante" while giving her a flash of his eyes, just before he pecks her hand then releases it. i don't know about this. i think if someone tried it out in real life, people would most certainly think it was out of place and outdated. or, it could be due for a comeback....likely not in our age of hand-sanitizer hysteria.

the shoulder grab - while not technically a handshake per se, it still falls under the category which uses the hand, so in it goes. this one is actually favoured by the chinese as the proper way for men to say hello to each other. you simply come up to your friend and start patting him on the back, or grabbing his shoulder. by grabbing, i mean griping and holding. i've used it myself when greeting people whose backs are turned and coming up on their side unexpectedly.

the salute - make use of this miltary-inspired manoever as another alternative to say hey. i like to use it to address a group of people consisting of people i know and people i don't. especially good to use if you approach a group where you they don't recognize you, even if you recognize them. it signals to them that you are part of something. i also like to use it when my name is called.

hi-5 - a classic and long favoured by people ranging in age from the very young to the middle-aged. i use this with my students to say hey, or just give them some encouragement. also use it with friends when i am trying to be sarcastic about saying congrats. many variations exist such as the hi then low, side-to-side 5, gimme ten, hi-ten, banging fists or punching it in.

MISC.

these are stand alone's which may at times have attributes from the other categories, but don't really fit in.

noggins a noddin' - this little number can be used to quickly to greet an acquaintance or close friend equally. i tend to keep it for those moments between familiar strangers...you know, people in convenience stores or gas stations, people who i recognize by sight, but don't know by name. a quick contact of eyes followed by a quick jerk of the head, maybe a hello thrown in for good measure. but that's about it. it's also good to use to greet someone across a crowded room when making rounds might not be the easiest thing to do. i've also used the nod at the beginning of an introduction to another person. someone mutual might introduce you and a quick nod, followed by a handshake, name exchange and nice to meet ya's.

guns blazing -  make a gun with your hand. you then 'shoot' the person by pointing at them. favoured mostly among male, musically-inclined friends i have.

hands up - the definitive hello. used by princes and paupers, young and old, to greet anyone you might know, by themselves or in a group. i pretty much use the salute instead of the hands up wave, but can still think of situations where it comes in handy; if i showed up late to a family dinner and everyone was already seated. or standing on a christmas parade float beteen candy tossing. variations of this greeting giant include the slight wave, royalty wave, speed wave, wingflap, and the finger wiggle.

GOODBYES

how do you say goodbye? if you're like me, you likely do it short and sweet. i prefer my goodbyes to be done inside a 5-minute window. i announce to a select few that i'm going to leave and then quickly give my hugs before leaving. some people like to have a longer window to allow for goodbyes(my wife for example)some people are good at this, while others tend to prattle on during the leaving process. however you choose to do it, all of the same greetings can be used to say goodbye as well.

there is no shortage of how we can say hello to each, or goodbye for that matter.

i think i'll stick to my faithful, rusty, quick goodbye to end off this blog.

sundays+the city

sunday is fast becoming my favourite day of the week. it's the one day where i don't have to be anywhere, do anything, or see anyone if i choose not to. best part of all, this past sunday also happened to be one of those days when you wish you could bottle it up, slap a label on it and stick it on a shelf. the sun was out, the sky was blue while the temp stayed at a favourable 31 C complete with a cool breeze. likely the nicest day weather-wise that i've got to experience in a long while.

so, we set off for some sightseeing and shopping for some items to finish off our halloween costumes. i'm swaying a little from past years by going without a sword as part of costume, but i am sick of bulky props. instead, i'm going as harvey birdman, attorney at law. easy enough costume and it is still a super-hero so i figure i don't really need the sword.

we decided to get out there by revisiting where we had left off. walked back to our old neighbourhood of gu ting and it hadn't changed all that much. still much of the old buildings, cool alleyways and flotsam and jetsam of the old neighbourhood feel that it has. from there, we got some lunch and went to xia men gong yuan, or xiamen park. just a small refuge carved out of an indescript block, but a nice respite from the busy area.
after lunch, we headed south towards gong guan an area close to national taiwan university (taida) there are lots of shops which are mostly active during the night when the market atmosphere happens. we were there during the day and couldn't find too much that we needed for our costumes. still, it was such a nice day it was hard to feel disappointed. with much of the day left, we turned left, then right in an homeward direction.

soon after we arrived home, we took a nice, luxurious nap for about an hour and a half before deciding on revisiting taipei's largest night market, shilin yehshi (shilin night market) now, it had been a while since i had set foot in the monstrous maze of a place, but i felt i was a seasoned veteran and knew i could handle the sheer amount of people on a weekend night. the crowds were bustling as the vendors displayed their wares in the centre of the alley making it even more crammed. good thing leesh and i were practiced in the shilin shuffle, as that's as fast as things move there.

while we were there, we managed to get a few things for leesh's costume and also scored some delicious street meat. ali baba's. man, for only 60NT ($2) you can have an indian kebab with masala wrapped in a roti. chicken? beef? chocolate? they have it. always the highlight of any trip to shilin.

and that was my sunday. a great day spent doing some great things that make this a great place to live.

screwed

right. so i'll start at the beginning. about two weeks ago, i had my school apply for my work permit. the process usually takes about a week, but was delayed as i had to submit proof of the last time i paid taxes. this meant taking a whole morning to visit the tax office, get the form i needed, and drop it off at the correct school branch. not a big deal in itself, but an annoying mrt ride which was time-consuming. when i got to the school, it wasn't open so i shoved everything in an envelope and went on with my day. about an hour later, i received a phone call from the school administrator saying that i needed to sign the photocopied pages of my passport and that is why she told me to come in after lunch. actually, she didn't tell me a time but i wasn't in the mood to argue and was trying to be accomodating. so, another trip back to the branch to sign the copies and then it was sent off that day.
yesterday, i got my letter from the labour board which i need to turn in for my alien resident certificate, or ARC. i didn't get the letter until my last class yesterday, so i decided today would be the perfect day to get it done. so, i bustle off to the immigration office to start the process only to discover from the clerk (after waiting for 45 minutes to be served) that i am missing a letter from my school which guarantees my working schedule. so, another cab ride to the other school branch to grab the letter, then back to immigration to try it again. i didn't have to wait too long and everything was in order EXCEPT that my contract was only for 6 months. as such, immigration won't grant me an ARC, but instead will extend my visa for 60 days at a time up to a maximum of 6 months.
i was baffled. then i was a little scared about it. then i got frustrated. and then i got angry.
i called up the school immediately and started raving on the phone to the poor girl who works the desk. she must've said sorry like a million time, but sorry's aren't solutions. she suggested calling the head teacher. i did call home (after calming myself down) and he was shocked and then angry about it as well. he said he will straighten it all out tomorrow, but i have my doubts. the immigration lady told me that i would have to reapply for a work permit with the new information, which will take yet another week or so. i got through the first time without having to show more proof of my education (transcript, letter, etc) but i sincerely doubt that this will be the case this time round. that means even more delays while i try to work through the proper channels and deal with the time change. not to mention the long-distance phone calls, admin fees and postage to have it here quickly.
in a nutshell: i hate where i work. this is not the job i was meant to have and while i have been trying to move past this, none of this would even be happening if it weren't for that fucking stupid new boss at the magazine. instead, i'm worried sick, running all over the goddamn city like a madman and spending a small fortune trying to get it all done. so far, i figure this stupid work permit has cost me around $7500NT ($300 CDN)

no wonder people work illegally in this country.

sometimes, it just doesn't pay to try and keep things on the up and up. i'm seriously considering fucking my school over at the moment and just saying they can cram it with walnuts. i mean, it's not a great school to begin with but i have been trying to do the best job over the last 6 weeks and still haven't been paid (more on that in a moment) i do realize that i am only part-time, but that doesn't suggest that i should be treated like a part-time person.

as far as payday is concerned, there is confusion there as well. i was told i would be paid on the 5th of each and every month. well, monday came and went and no pay so i called up the admin lady (complete wench) to try and get some clarification. not only was she rude, she seemed annoyed that i even bothered to ask why they haven't paid me yet. well bitch, i ain't doing this for the good of my health, nor am i teaching out of the kindness of my heart. she explained that because i am on probation, i would receive my money on the tenth. well, the tenth is a saturday and standard taiwanese-employer procedure is to make their employees wait for their money. (i don't even want to get into that right now) so, i figured i would have to wait until next monday until i realized that i work on saturday and guess what? i will be paid. end of story. if they don't give me my money, i'm just going to walk out the door at lunch. i don't really want things to end like that, but i strongly feel that i need to stand up or continue to be manipulated.

the job itself isn't so bad, but it is disorganized, dirty and has a high turnover (i think we can see why) i have worked for a lot of schools here, but have never had this many problems straight out of the gate. maybe i should abandon ship right now...i do have another 60 days on my visitor visa...ample time to find another job, but i don't really know what the consequences will be if i don't continue to work for the school. there could be a fine. there could be a denial of further work permits. there could be deportation for all i know. at any rate, i don't want to risk it so i guess i will stick with it for now....fingers crossed that things will sort themselves out by tomorrow.

and of course, yet another example of the tuesday curse. i really should just stay in bed on tuesdays.

making things happen

learn more chinese...finish design course....read more....meet new people.....save money....exercise more....quit smoking.....eat better...find a better job....start writing more....keep in touch with people more often...
these are the thoughts which swim through my consciousness on an almost daily basis. these niggling, wiggling thoughts which creep up on me when i'm riding the subway, or taking a shower. i assume most people have goals for themselves, something to dream of and aspire to. something to work toward and better yourself. but, like most people i feel full of energy and inspiration, but lack the motivation to tackle these goals, some of which feel insurmountable at times.
i've decided it's time to do something about my goals and i think i've come up with a great solution. i brainstormed for a while and came up with all the things i'd like to start doing or improve upon. after that, i broke them into 4 different groups; health, finances, career and personal growth. within these categories, i then chose main goals which are the long-term. from there, i wrote down some short-term goals for each of the main goals, and then proceeded to break down those short-term goals into smaller steps or tasks. to help organize these goals, i then created an action plan and assigned different tasks from the list to days of this month. now, i have simple tasks to complete every day. so, my thinking is that as long as i complete the daily tasks, i will be just a little bit closer to achieving my goals. not too shabby, huh?

the main reason i've decided to get real about my goals is that lately i've been feeling like a few things have been outside my control and while i'm not a control freak, i do like to do some, if not most, of the driving. this is really just my attempt to grab hold of the steering wheel of life and put the pedal to the metal metaphorically speaking.

have to say, it feels pretty good too. it also feels good to write a blog again...(one of the goals was to 'write more'...guess i've completed at least one of my tasks today)

heath check

becoming a teacher in taiwan means that you have to pass an obligatory health check. just a simple physical, some blood work and a week later...poof! you're one step closer to getting your work permit.

or at least, that's how it usually goes.

i got my health check done last week and went to pick it up this afternoon. when i arrived to pick it up, the lady behind the counter couldn't find it. she looked a few times, but still couldn't find it. then, she tells me that i have to go through all the health check process again. i tried to understand, but i just went through all of it last week and felt i shouldn't have to do it again. so, i acquiesced and began to fill out the necessary paperwork for a second time. feeling frustrated, i decided that i should check at home first to make sure i didn't take it with me and guess what? i did.

so, raced back to the hospital and showed her the paperwork but another hitch; it seems that i am on the borderline for my inocculations. of course, my limited chinese education didn't really touch on vaccinnations, so i went to another part of the hospital to find out what was going on. turns out, my rubella vaccination is breaking down and to be sure that i won't catch measles of mumps, they have decided to make me get another one. but before that can happen, i need to go and stand in another line and fill out more paperwork, which i did. then, i get a printout from upstairs to tell them which kind of test to pay for. i grab a number from the ticket machine and realize that there are 47 people in front of me and the line is moving about 1 person per minute. i sit down and start to wait, but after a few games of pacman i am bored and getting frustrated. so, i just happen to look down at my paperwork and suddenly realize i've got the wrong paperwork! i rush back upstairs and wait again to get my info printed out correctly. i get back downstairs only to realize i've missed my turn. feeling beyond frustrated, i decide to leave it til tomorrow morning instead.

i hate to come down on things, but honestly, i never should have even had to go through this at all. if i had actually gotten the job i was promised, they don't require health checks and would already have my work permit. instead, i'm stuck with teaching where there are a million hoops to jump through. while this process is usually streamlined for efficiency, it seems that i have to go through a few extras turns and twists before this can happen. not the least of which is trying to finagle a couple weeks extension from the visa police as i only have 3 weeks remaining on my visitors visa and would really rather not have to leave the country. hong kong visa runs are a nightmare and get costly quickly.

sigh. tomorrow is another day. i'll chalk it up to partially my fault and partially my former employers fault.

slipping back into the social side of things

was very busy this last weekend....now that i am working on saturdays, friday nights' out have become a fleeting memory. while this in itself isn't a bad thing, it does make social obligations a little more tricky to handle. this saturday, i was invited to a bbq, engagement party and a pool party. i thought i might have been able to do at least two of these events, but i was tired and could only make it to one. i decided to go to the engagement party and had a lot of fun, but also likely pissed off at least two other party organizers. so, sorry guys if you read this, but i felt like i needed to celebrate with two people who are starting their lives together.

i hope that this isn't going to become a trend. i hate disappointing people...especially when they give you an invitation to something they are putting on. i know how it feels to organize something, expecting certain people to be there and they can't make it. while i feel that my reasons are legitimate, i still can't shake the feeling of guilt about not attending.

have you ever been in this situation? it's not like i'm so popular, but what is the right thing to do? i went with the first invite that came my way and commited...was that wrong? i can't see any other way to do something....

guess i'll have to try and make it up to those people...hope other plans don't get in the way!

the last week or so

been busy the last few weeks...finally kicked the crap out of the parasite, so life is...whole once again. took a lot out of me and i hope i never have to go through that again.

aside from that, having a few problems finding work. i had a job all lined-up and ready to go, but found out that once i arrived the company didn't know what the hell i was talking about. it's a long story, but suffice it to say that i am not working for AMC as planned. i'm diappointed, but not dismayed...have a couple of other promising writing jobs lined up for interview, and the money is holding out so we're cool that way so i can take my time trying to find something. worse comes to worse, i could back to teaching...but i honestly don't really want to do that. i came back to taiwan in order to gain some more experience doing what i love, namely writing, or something else creative such as design/photography. teaching is great, and i enjoyed it a lot more than i thought i would but the thought of me back teaching kindergarten sends shivers down my spine. i feel like that would be a step backward for me, and the idea is to move ahead. the opportunities will present themselves....i just need to be patient.

leesh and i finally decided to head out for some fun this weekend. friends of ours from the states recently got engaged, so there was an engagement party for them at a mutual friends' house. good times and got to catch up with most of the people we haven't seen yet...awesome to see all of them, and once again it feels like nothing has changed. it's great to just slide back into our life here, and the transition has been easy-peasy, lemon squeezy. after the get together, most of the party headed out to sappho for some live music. can't remember the name of the band, but it was really upbeat rock, complete with a 5-piece band and an amazing lead singer (very dave matthews-esque)

sunday was feeling a little tired from the previous nights' petty excursions, so we headed to 101 for some kebabs and some shopping at jasons (foreign grocery store) which hasn't gotten any cheaper. also checked out page1 (bookstore) and they've got a lot of selection so will go back once we get paid to pick up some reading material.

i've also decided to start my own design training and have been working away through this course. i'm really enjoying the assignments and the theory, even if it is a little vague sometimes. i've even gone as far as to start my own portfolio. i've spent the last 2 years learning how to use photoshop and indesign, but i still need to train my brain on how to actually design. the book i'm using is great as it builds on the previous chapter and gives you mini-assignments which in turn help you to build a professional portfolio. once i've finished it, i'm going to take it a step further and enroll in some online courses that will give me some credentials once i've finished. good thing to put on a resume at any rate.

sleeping tonight should be interesting. i was just informed by our security guard that the power will be off between midnight and six a.m. when i pressed him further for details, he couldn't explain the inexplicable power cut. she's gonna be a hot time tonight, folks...the temp is still hovering around 32 each and every day and the humidity, while less, still hasn't broken for the fall season as of yet.

think i'll go and see if i can buy some battery-operated fans to give the illusion of cool.

parasitic problems

i'm still feeling sick, so today i finally decided it was time to get some help. i went to renai hospital this morning and forgot (again) how busy everything here is. there must've been 400 people in the waiting room, but thankfully the hospital has bilingual signs so it wasn't too bad. in fact, the longest wait time was when i had to pay for the visit and test (a whopping $12CDN) anyway, i had to give a stool sample and will hear back in a day or so. until then, i've limited my eating to water and bread and have doped myself up on the anti-nauseants and immodium. hope i can get to the bottom of this soon and get out there and start living again.

had a pretty good weekend (aside from frequent bathroom trips) friday night went out with gus and gav to primo, a new club that has opened up since last time. it was nice, but a little pretentious. then again, what club isn't really? stayed out with the boys until around 3 'cos i had to meet the new landlady at 10 am on saturday.

saturday was spent moving in and setting up. leesh and i went to ikea and chose some items to make it feel more like home. we've decided to stay minimalist this time around, so the place is coming together much more easily. as far as furniture is concerned, the place is fully-loaded so we needn't worry about the sofa, bed, or chairs.

went out for dinner with renate for a catchup burger at kgb. was feeling pretty crappy so not exactly the best of reunions, but we parted company with the promise of a better time the next time we meet.

all in all, week one was a mixed bag of feelings. awesome to be back but a little subdued thanks to some protozoans.

landing on our feet

the last 5 days here in taipei didn't go exactly as planned. i originally thought i would be able to get out there and find an apartment within the first few days, in order to move in before we had to give up the hotel. i also thought i'd spend my week catching up with people by doing lunch, drinks and even revisit the places i've missed terribly.

unfortunately, my body and brain were at odds with each other. i don't know if it was jetlag, the heat, or the food but suffice it to say that i needed to be in close proximity to the facilities. this is how my week went down: wake at 7, go to the bathroom. lie back in bed until leesh went to work and i would go get some breaky, followed by another bathroom trip. exhausted from the petty excursions, i would watch crap movies on star or cinemax peppered with multiple trips to the bathroom. at lunch, i would toddle off weakly to the local subway for 'safe' food just to have to visit the washroom again. then, more crap tv and naps with the ubiquitous toilet trips, followed by another sub and then blissful sleep.

sigh. not exactly the week i had planned for myself.

it wasn't a total wash however. i did manage to meet my new boss and went to my favourite pizza restaurant with a friend. plus, i did find an apartment (today) and we get to move in tomorrow! it's not that big, but conveniently located across the street from my office and a short, 3-block walk to work for leesh. i can't begin to describe how cool this place is, but will be sure to post some pics once we've moved in. the crazy part about the apartment is that i found it on craigslist. while that in itself isn't crazy, the owner of the apartment knew who i was when she called. turns out, she is the parent of one of elisha's former students. as such, she's waived the normal 2-month deposit, and given us a great discount on the normal rent.

i've forgotten just how kind taiwanese people are. they will literally grant any wish that is within their power to grant and i have to say that judy (our new landlord) has made our apartment dreams come true.

pics to follow...stay tuned.

arrivals

we've arrived! been here now two days after a grueling 26-hour day with little sleep. i think i slept a grand total of 4 hours on the plane...? not enough, anyway you slice it. the trip itself was alright, or at least as alright as three connections and long layovers can be. actually, the longest part of the flight was the least annoying as at least it felt like we were accomplishing something. one thing i've taken from this last experience is that i will always try to get my connecting flights through canada and not the u.s. i know that since post-9/11 travel and security measures have been beefed up, but i had to pretty much remove most of my clothing 3 different times while passing through o'hare. it honestly seemed like overkill to me, but i suppose terrorists on the flight would've been much more disagreeable.

once we touched down, i couldn't wait to see how much taiwan had changed over the last 2 years. we were picked up by a limo taxi the school had arranged...nothing like arriving in style! as we sped through taoyuan county not much could be seen but the heat, humidity and smell was a sweet perfume and immediately began to permeate every inch of me. breathing deeply, i thought how unreal all of this seemed.

about 40 minutes later, we arrived at our hotel (also set up and paid for by elisha's school) they simply couldn't have chosen a better spot for us. right in the da an district, a couple of blocks from work for both of us, and conveniently located near all the major amenities. but the place is much more than convenient, it is aesthetically pleasing as well as comfortable. each room is a work of art, with custom-made furniture and every little detail as interesting as could be. here a couple of pics which show how awesome this place is.

after a quick shower, i went to 7-11 to buy some long-awaited necessities...namely, a can of taiwan beer and a tea egg. after that, jumped in a taxi and headed over to gus' place to have some catch-up beers. it was fantastic seeing him after 2 years, but we picked up right we left off. we stayed a little longer than possible, eventually pouring ourselves into bed around 5 a.m.

yesterday we got our phone numbers sorted and walked around a bit, but man, was it hot! going to take a bit before i'm used to this weather again, but feels great to have so much heat again. so, spent most of the day watching t.v. and relaxing in the air cond. jetlag started to set in so finally gave up and went to bed around 8 and slept through straight til this morning. leesh had to start today but i have another week before i start. my job this week is to find an apartmen and i have put out some feelers, but may have to ask for help if i don't find anything within the next few days.

all in all, it's been an exhausting but incredible few days. taiwan hasn't really changed that much, but then again maybe it's me who hasn't really changed. i feel so comfortable here, so much at ease it's ridiculous considering i don't have a place to live, a car, family or even speak the language that well. still, i'm beyond happy that we're here and looking forward to the new challenges ahead.

it's good to be back.

the calm before the storm

only a few short days to go before we are back in taiwan once more. the reality of everything is really starting to sink in and i find myself becoming more and more protective over the time i have left. i picked up my visa today so that is pretty much the last thing to cross off the to-do list. at the same time, there are these little nagging voices in my head that if i could listen closely enough, i'm sure i would find my list a little incomplete. oh well, the voices have had their shot and for now they need to keep it down in there.
it's been a great visit here in hanover over the last 3 weeks. hard to believe that this time next week i'll be sitting in taipei, likely at work and more than likely to reconcile all that's happened in the last month. a move followed by a cross-canadian road trip, followed by a wedding reception party, followed by days and days of driving hither and thither across southwestern ontario doing more visiting, all the while trying our level best to sort out our banking, car loans, address info, plane tix, visas and contracts. on top of all that, we've been trying to squeeze in as much q.t with the family as possible. phew!
like i said, it's been a great visit but also a tiring one. really need to slip back into a routine and start living life again. we leave for taipei on friday and arrive sat night. been thinking about just heading straight out after we arrive to see some familiar faces, but we will see how that goes. one thing is for sure, i'll be having a taiwan beer and a tea egg as fast as is humanly possible after arrival. ahh...looking forward to the days ahead.

home again

been back in the old country for about a week and a half and man, what a lot we've seen so far. 9-day road trip was awesome...got to see so much and taking the time to see it was well worth it. once we were back, it was great to see everyone at our wedding reception party. everyone who organized it went to so much trouble, and even though i was against the idea in the first place, i can honestly say i glad i was convinced to change my mind.

spent the long weekend traversing across sw ontario to see some peeps and places. tried to cross all the friend visits off the list, but have a couple left to see before we go.

aside from the friend visits, we have trip planning, visas, tix and car stuff to take care of before we leave. not too mention the banking, mail, and all that other stuff which needs attending to. it just seems like it's never-ending, but we are getting there.

keep you posted as things develop.

on the road (again)

we're off! started our 9 day trek back to ontario and have spent it so far driving at a leisurely pace, seeing the sights, and soaking in all things canadian. it goes without saying, but this time around shit is a whole lot better. no grueling 10-hour driving days. no relying on the breeze to keep us cool (a/c is the most) and just a whole lot of other pluses.
update again in a couple of days and i will be sure to post some pics.

getting ready to go

been awhile again since i've updated, but the decision has been made to return to taiwan. we've both finished up work and are getting our stuff ready to go.

it's hard to believe that it's come up so fast. it seemed like we had all of this time on our hands. we just put some stuff up for sale last week and pretty much everything has sold. we'vetaken all of our treasures off the wall, stuffed the holes and packed up the goods. it just feels like it's happened all so quickly, but I think that's ok. there is so much that we already know about going there it seems fine that everything is accelerated.

so, we've got a bit to go before we leave. thinking of leaving nanaimo on wednesday, but maybe tuesday if we get everything accomplished that we want to. there are a few things around the island that i wouldn't mind doing before we leave. a trip to gabriola on tuesday might be awesome, but we will see.

also considering meeting up with a few friends along the way, but have yet to pin down plans. hopefully will iron that out over the next few days.

other than that, this officially marks my first entry from my new notebook...not that exciting, but nice to have something a little more suited to my needs at the moment. pretty much the same as before, a little slower in the memory department, but nothing that can't be upgraded.

alright,gott go but will update along the way.

sunday updates.

god how i hate working sundays. there's just something about the calibre of the sunday shopper that gets under my skin. maybe it's the bargain-hunter with multiple coupons and teased hair who checks the receipt. or possibly it's the 'dumb dad' who rarely shops on sunday but has decided that todays the day he's going to shop. dumb dad has just waited in line, with his kids for about 5-7 minutes which to a non-shopper like him is agony unless he's at c0stco and knows how much he'll save. the kids, of course, jump at the cashe 'impulse table' which is at the same height of an 6 year-old child. they have been asking him questions about this and can they please have that, to which he replies with "What?" and "Put that down." as dumb dad gets his turned and is asked how he is, he smartly replies "Great now that it's my turn." This implies slow service. Silly, you wanted to shop on sunday so you've got to expect lineups. there are all kinds of shoppers just like you. it's ok tho, you look like you've had too much sun because you have flaky forehead skin from where you've gone bald. have a nice day and have fun entertaining you shithead kids.
work is over for another two days! hurrah! hmmm. i have a questionable story of morality to share with you. i was at the supermarket tonight and i wanted to get some yogurt-covered raisins as my 'car snack'. while these are fine and dandy, there are also yogurt-covered cranberries which are shockingly more expensive. so, i sneak some into my bag of y.c.raisins which is then rung in at the much cheaper, raisin price. it's twice as nice when you dip you hand into the bag and pull out a cranberry later, it's a nice surprise.

for sale: a slightly-used life, but still got some miles to go yet! friendly, outgoing personality, sense of humour, polite - someone you'd introduce to your parents...bit of a talker with tendency to sidebar without segue....body a 'fixer-upper' for anyone interested putting in the work. life also includes mediocre job complete with low wage and crap hours. $1000 o.b.o. will also consider interesting trades.

i've decided that i need to go back to taiwan. the reasons are largely financial, with some of the blame being shifted onto professional growth and making just a tiiiiiiny bit of room for adventure. as soon as i came to this realization i really did feel a giant weight lifting off of my shoulders (as cliched as that sounds) now as i write i guess i've really never stopped thinking about how good life was while we were there, why we left, why we weren't going to go back, blah, blah, blah but i really should have just come to the conclusion of going back sooner rather than later.

the plan is to save, save, save...that also happened to be the plan before, but we opted for fun more than saving last time. this time i know that it will be different as i know awaits me here at home and it ain't pretty. it's not that i can't take life here....settling down actually sounds alright but i just can't see that happening on my current wage of $1300/month. back at our old salaries, we would be able to survive, pay all bills back home, and still save a a third of what we'd make.

overall, the improvements to life would be significant, if not downright vast....we'd be back in a city we love (albeit noisy & dirty at times) we'd be able to shop for things again (yah stuff!) we could eat excellent, cheap food and take excellent, cheap holidays as well. while there are arguments on the other side of the pro's (aren't there always?) lest we forget the retraining and improvement of chinese language skills, with the possibility of attending university to study graphic art? who knows. elisha has also considered doing her masters in education which would definitely help when she gets home.

more money, cheaper, improved lifestyle, more travel, cultural experiences around every corner, the promise of a brighter tomorrow....what can't this change do for us? considering this is the first blog i've written in this haphazardly-updated blog in a while that contains any enthusiasm whatsoever, i'd also have to say it would improve the quality of writing and pique my creativity.

the one and only thing that could darken our decision is the way we are going to finance our new life abroad. the family is planning our reception for this summer, so we expect to receive some wedding money. not really expecting anything, but it would definitely give us our start-up capital and allow us to advance these plans to this summer. the question then is how you look at the situation. the money will be given to us to spend as a couple in order to start our lives together. the traditional way of thinking assumes that the monies will be spent on household items, not international travel. some might think it rude to claim the money under the pretense of starting a life, only to abandon said "life" a few short weeks later. some may even think of asking for a refund.
then again, some may have a different outlook. the positive way of thinking about it is to remain neutral. once the money is given, the couple should be able to do whatever they want with it, irregardless of what that want is.
the last stance on the issue is also favourable but will take into consideration initial shock at hearing of how the wedding money was spent. after that first bit of surprise, understanding will take place as the person will realize that the cash was an extremely helpful tool to invest in our future (plane tickets) which we will then be able to increase that money. after that, we'll come back with the means to realize some dreams.

my new favourite swear word...'shitty bastard.'

4/20

today started off promising to be a grey, cool day but turned out pleasant enough by the afternoon. that seems to be the way the weather works where we live now. the early morning is clear, but then it clouds over in by mid-morning and then by afternoon it clears up again usually until sunset. today wasn't any different and was just a great day to hang out, plus it had the added bonus of being 4/20 which is a day to be celebrated among those who chose to use marijuana. here are some of the pics i took today while enjoying my 4/20.

the feast after it was bbq'd

the enchanted wood







and here i thought trilliums only grew
in ontario (hence the provicial flower in of ontario is the trillium...duh!) 'cept for for one little thing, this was in the
enchanted wood behind my house...alrightso it's not really enchnnted, but wouldn't thatbe something ??

this hippy-lady who lives in town. i see her everywhere driving this thing which a covered with all sorts of neat crap.

sometimes i really like living here...i mean, just look at that mountain and i live at the foot of it! pretty cool to think about.

i think this province may be slowly, slightly working its magic on me. of course, nice weather will always bring out the best of any place, but i have to say to its really nice here.

hope you had as good of a 4/20 as i did.

compromise if the lubricant on which society depends

it seems like all i ever do in life is compromise. i used to think what better place to meet someone than halfway there, but i think twice about things these days. compromise starts at an early age. the world isn't the way we'd like and unless we decide to play ball by making small sacrifices, we can't seem to get along. just ask any newborn who's figuring things out for the first time. and as you learn to talk and listen, it just gets worse.
"finish your dinner and then you can play."
"Ryan, we have to take turns and share our toys."
"Please listen while others are speaking."
but it just gets worse as we age because we start to take more responsibility for our actions. work, family and friends all have their own sets of demands on our time and energy, which forces us to compromise on the time we allot for each task. while physical factors may attribute for a lot of unseen compromising, there is no doubt about how much compromise is made by people, or rather , will vs. will. most people can get along with each other, but there are some which make it difficult due to their unwillingness to bend, or compromise on some issue.
take friendship for example, which is supposed to be all about compromise and one are wherei can honestly say compromise goes a long way. however, some friends compromise more than others. i'm experiencing that in a big way recently with certain others who have a lot of personal problems. as such, this person isn't themself and act out in petty, petty ways forcing the other friend, a.k.a me to compromise even more in the name of friendship. while i should just tell this person to f off and get a hold of themself, the compromising brain tells me to try to be understanding and empathetic.
So, why does this make me want to pull out my hair?
Because as if the above reasons weren't enough for you to believe that life is just one big compromise, there are literally hundreds of mini-compromises that we make on an unconscious level each day. each breath we take as a race is a compromise and not a very good one, i'm afraid. you see, oxygen is very toxic, corrosive element so what animals like humans have evolved on a compromised system. We need the oxygen to survive, and while that doesn't harm us outright, the energy released into the cells from the oxygen powers the mitochondria, which in turn release byproducts. These by-products, known as free radicals, eventually destroy cells which causes ageing and eventually death. But, without this compromise, we wouldn't exist.
alright, so after we come to terms with this irrevocable compromise with mother nature, let us not forget her other compromise; weather. completely a one-sided compromise. the weather couldn't care less about how you have to drive 250km that day, or that you planned to go running before work. hell, it doesn't even think to ask.
all silliness aside, even if the weather could ask i highly doubt it would compromise anyway. why would it? and who would win out? we'd still have people compromising for weather all over the place....farmers wanting alot of rain for a good growing season....followed by sun all day for the beachgoers and snow in the early morning for the skiers...nothing short of chaos so it's best that it's left to mother nature to take care of.
a few other examples of involuntary compromises include walking on the street(other people and obstructions to compromise you from walking in a straight line), going for bite to eat (choosing restaurant), interacting with strangers we meet and pretty much we leave the house using our feet. (sorry...couldn't resist the rhyming there :) )

i think what i'm hoping for is by putting this into physical form that the universe will somehow listen and make the people i'm thinking of well. again.

another 3 months and not a single post til now. yikes. seriously, where have i been? i'd like to be able to say i've filled up my time with exotic adventures abroad but in reality the only sojourns i've been on are my daily commute to work and convenience store. bleak to say the least, but i'm feeling the creative energies surging forth and thusly need an outlet for my powerful proclivities....
the problem with photoshop remains as it always does, projects. i have lots of ideas, but i don't seem to be able to focus in on them. there's wedding photo albums to go through, which will take a while to do...then i could of course re-do my blog book using indesign. i could also revisit some of the techniques i've learned over the course of the year which would help to boost creativity...and then of course, summer is coming and some one-of-a-kind tshirts would be really neat-o. decisions, decisions...seems now all i need is more time.
then there are lots of other things i feel i should be doing...the booklist is getting long again so maybe i feel like i should catch up on my list before it gets any longer. then there is the health factor, while now a non-smoker my mid-section seems to have gotten larger over the cold months which means i should start running again except i hate exercising for the point of exercising, but i also hate being fat. then i also feel like i should get back into studying chinese and starting the design course i should have started in january, but never got around to.

with all this procrastination i'm radiating, i suddenly see that it isn't such a big surprise that i haven't written anything in over 3 months.