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.