Well, sorry for the delay in post. I got going on the novel I'm working and couldn't stop. (For those that know Darien... I forgot how much of a brute he could be). Things are looking up here, even if its been raining all day.
I've worked out an independent study and gotten the go ahead. I don't have all the details yet, but I did go out and buy a dictionary and three chinese books (two teen novels and a comic). So I am sooo excited for that. If my Literature Critiscims and Analysis class works out on Monday I'll be good to go for credits.
Pop Culture is an awsome class and taught in a mix of a lot English and Chinese (highly recommend for American students studying here). The professor is hilarious. I can't believe that when were discussing western comics... he randomly brought up "Boy's Love" comics (comics about same sex relationships). I was pretty stunned. We have a few translated in America and they were popular with like middle school and high school girls for a while. He told me he was just curious if I knew about it and "just so you know they're very popular here with girls too". The class (mostly girls) were in fits of giggles as we left the class. Our first presenetation has to be about a subculture and I'm thinking Steampunk. We have to connect it all to marketing, but I'm sure I'll figure it out. I think it'll be a fun class.
On to the rest of Friday. We went to Taipei 101 (the tallest building in Taiwan and one of the tallest in the world) unfortunately I forgot my camera (T_T). We had dinner at Din Tai Fung, it was a super nice restaurant (they brought a little stand for my bag so it wouldn't have to go on the floor) with like a 30min. wait to get in. Its famous for its dumplings. Well worth the wait too and they had rose tea (which was amazing). Blake and Jordan had me try a sip of Taiwanese beer and I'm glad they liked it... but it was not my thing (not big into alchohol) *sticks out tongue*. Jordan got a hold of the bill and paid for all of us (five total), talk about generous. We argued about it for a while XD.
After that we headed to Eliste, the premiere international bookstore in Taiwan that's world famous according to my roommates. I bought my books there (the only english-chinese dictionary the school bookstore had was on CD...). I bought the dictionary, a sherlock holmes teen adventeure in chinese, a fantasy novel called Fang Bloods (monster hunters in hong kong to my understanding), the first Liar Game comic and one more. The last one wasn't for translation as much as just because I couldn't pass it up. It was a bilingual version of Alice in Wonderland with HUGE illustrations! Blake bought a ton of comics and Jordan bought some pleasure reading books.
Jordan and I and the Taiwanese student with us Candance went home via the MRT. Kaitlin and Blake went to a club and sounded like they had a good time meeting new people and dancing (see their blogs for that XD). I think it really made Blake's birthday to go do that.
After I got home, my roommates were still up. I fangirled a little with Daisy about Liar Game (it has a live action show with Shota Matsuda). Its a thriller about about a girl conned into a dangerous back mailing game and a man (Shota Matsuda's character) sent to jail for conning con men ends up helping her. Then we went through my Chinese textbooks and I was translating what I could with everyone (which for the beginning chapters was a lot). I love how energetic and good natured my room mates are, its so much fun and so contagious.
Oh today we found a video/comic rental place. I think I may use it, if I need any films or comics to use at the English corner (though I still haven't seen a single American comic since I've been here no Batman, Avengers or Sandman or anything). It was pretty neat, although small there were a lot of students sitting around reading comics. They had some novels too (but no Fang Bloods).
Other than that its been a writing stories and drawing sort of day. Though its just about time to start thinking about dinner and studying....
P.S.
Heard Def Leppard
in the restuarant at breakfast
made my day!
