So although a little embarrassing and confusing, I was able to get my baggage, go through security and call my student coordinator via payphone pretty quickly. Then it came time to find the driver from Shih Hsin University. There was a man in a white dress shirt and pants wandering the terminal and asked me something very quickly in Chinese. Over and Over. I kept trying to tell him I didn’t understand in English and Mandarin. I offered all sorts of phrases in Chinese the name of my university, I needed help finding … “insert driver in English”…
To which he promptly said, “I’m driver!” and started rattling off his price. An older gentlemen with gray hair working the airport floor rescued me. I was starting to snappy and the guy didn’t leave me alone, the older man said some things in irritated Chinese and told me my driver would likely be on the other side of the room with sign. He was very interested in the fact that I was from Michigan and studying at Shih Hsin. I found my driver with FIRST NAME MIDDLE INITITIAL AND LAST NAME in big capital letters.
Driving through Taipei, affirmed that, yes Taipei is a big city, but did I mention HUGE! We drove like between 30 and 45 min. (like from Lapeer to Miller Road) and we were still in the same city. At first I was rather reminded of Boston, lots of tall buildings very close together. Then things got … unusual…
On one side of the highway was tall, very urban buildings and business and apartments and then to my right was rolling hills with nothing but trees for the most part. It was uncanny. Then I began noticing building scattered among the trees, some looked like shrines, others more like apartments and a restaurant? Then city side, a series of stout buildings looking like the trees were growing on them, a wall of leaves. Like some post-industrial painting.
I grew nervous after the driver turned around once and we turned what looked to be a large almost like alley way, I had read about Taipei’s lanes and this was obviously one of them. I didn’t expect the gate of Shih Hsin to be surrounding by other buildings nor did I expect after settling into my dorm to see an immense amount of crowded foliage out my window.
It was all very Daoist seeming to me. Taipei as a city is very one with itself that way. Its city and its natural surroundings intermixed with a sort of rhythm. Not at all what I pictured, I pictured something like my home school where there are corn fields and orchards and then a few streets over, rather abruptly, is the business district.
As far as my dorm, its cool, though getting that large suitcase up the stairs was interesting (no elevator). Its lucky my room is only on the second floor. I live with three other girls who I have only met one of, she helped me with my internet and I didn’t catch her name before she left. I was provided with a comforter and pillow and also a pillow case and a matching case for what I can only describe is similar to a tatami mat if not one. There are way more shelves than I have books (its so sad…) and enough closet space for my clothes and to put my carry-on (and probably my back-pack but I like it within reach).
Its hot and humid, but the summer is almost over here and we’ll get at lease down in the 70’s (normally, here’s hoping) and I’ll be a bit better off (there is a ceiling fan, but I’m sure how to get it working). I agree with the Starks of Game of Thrones, Winterfell!! But my dorm is more than enough otherwise.
I’m super excited about the plants and wildlife despite the heat. One of the other students from my home school saw a swarm of geckos on a wall yesterday. Lots of colorful flowers too.
Also the currency rate that $1 to 33. Something NT is ridiculous. Same student got a decent dinner and dessert out to eat for 40NT. Word to the Wise, “watch spending anyway, times like these is when its gets out of hand. Lots of little things equal big things…” I have to watch what I buy anyway, my luggage and carry-on were pretty close to the weight limit.
