A Little Bit of Chicken Fried

Hi, my name is  Tracy...and I LOVE food! Now I'm  not saying that I love food simply because I need food to eat, or I have several favorite foods...no, I'm saying I love food simply because eating is one of my favorite  past times! What could be better than thoroughly enjoying something that you have to do?!?! (disclaimer:  it is 11:00pm here and I've had a long day, please don't judge me for my corny writing and love of food at this hour!)

Now that I have my heart on the table ;) I'm sure it has become obvious one of the many reasons I was so excited to move to a foreign country for a year...a whole year of new foods! Of course I had eagerly and extensively research the Taiwanese cuisine before hopping on that god awful long plane ride, but nothing, and I mean NOTHING, could have prepared me for what the spontaneous side of me decided to do Thursday evening.

If that video wasn't quite graphic enough...I know I get the heebie jeebies just watching it over again, I'll tell you...I.ate.chicken feet. CHICKEN FEET. Like that animal that I don't even like to eat if it has bones or skin still on it and I decided to pick up one of it's boney and scaly legs and take a big ole bite out of it!

Now to be honest, this video is bite #2...there was some disbelief among the spectators that called for a second bite. But now the honestly is going to really poor out. I was dreading this. I thought they looked gross, felt even grosser, and the concept of eating an animals feet made me a little squeamish...BUT, they weren't that bad. {i said it} the chicken feet were  not that terrible. Imagine you were a dog and your owner just gave you one of those big rubber chickens to play around with...yeah that's pretty much where this poor guy's leg ranked, somewhere between part chicken and part rubber. I'm not saying that I'm going to sit down and gnaw on some chicken legs in lieu of my popcorn while I'm watching TV (I swear they told me that was common here!), but if my life depended on it...I'd take another bite!

Bathroom Woes

Yes you read that right...and you are correct in assuming that this will be a post all about my bathroom usage...ok so not so much about "usage", but possibly more about experiences.

I will start you off with a story...one of those that I'm sure the friends I have made here won't let me live down! Tory (one of the other girls from Ohio that will be teaching in Taiwan) and I were walking around the campus we are staying at this week and decided we both needed to use the restroom. We found a public women's bathroom on the campus and thought that we knew what we were doing (after all, using the bathroom isn't rocket science...or at least I didn't think so yet at this point in the story!)
Upon entering the bathroom we quickly discovered that the handicapped bathroom was the only "western" bathroom and the rest were "slightly more Asian" we can say for now. We decided we just needed to pee and weren't in the mood for an adventure so we would take turns using the handicapped stall. When it was my turn I went in the stall and did my business, reached up, and pushed the red button to flush the toilet. Just a simple side note here {THE RED BUTTON IS THE EMERGENCY CALL BUTTON!!!} needless to say, the red button did not flush the toilet, it did though have the ability to produce the most ear-splitting siren that could be heard throughout the entire campus! After waiting it out a couple of minutes (and discovering that if this were in fact an actual emergency that no one would come help you!) we decided to leave the premiss like it wasn't some "dumb American" who had set off the toilet alarm!

 Needless to say, when I have used the restroom outside of my dorm room since then, I have began to practice the art of using one of these bad boys!

I AM IN TAIWAN!!!

I made it!!!!! There was much hauling of luggage, last minute packing, checking flight schedules, and even some tears; but after 36 hours of traveling, I am in Taipei!

I left Ney, Ohio at 4AM Saturday and with the 12 hour time difference and 19 hours of airtime, I didn't land in Taiwan until almost 8PM  on Sunday!

Bedtime for me now, it's only Sunday afternoon at home, but it's almost 1AM on Monday here so it's time for me to crash!  Thanks for the prayers, support, and well wishes.....my adventure begins NOW!

Well This Looks Like Fun!

What's more fun than waking up early knowing that your daily agenda includes sorting through and packing your most {necessary} 100 lbs. of belongings?!?

Waking up to an email with reassuring me that I will have transportation home from the airport on Sunday even if my plane is delayed because of the typhoon. EXCUSE ME WHAT?!?!

Yes, I was anticipating "different" weather in Taiwan....I was not expecting a typhoon to greet me at Taiwan's doorstep though! Crossing my fingers and saying a prayer that this storm passes with little effects to my travels or to the people currently in Taiwan.

Check this guy out!

Single Digits!

I can't believe this! 9 days.... 9 days...9 days!

I am now in the single digit count down until I leave for the adventure of my lifetime and I couldn't be more excited/nervous/ready/unprepared/scared-out-of-my-mind to begin this adventure!

2 weeks ago I had my orientation and met with 3 other girls who will be going to Taiwan as well...although we are scattered throughout the country. Needless to saying talking about our fears together as well as voicing our questions to a couple people who had taught for 1+ years in Taiwan also helped to alleviate some of my fears...like will I survive?!?! :P

More exciting than that though? I got my visa in the mail today....things can't get much more real than that! I am now the proud owner of a 1 year Taiwense visa, an international drivers license, and a 1-way ticket to the other side of the world!! What's there to worry about?!

Also, it appears as if they have found an "apartment" for me! They are waiting for me to get there and approve it before I sign off on a year, but it's comforting to know I'll have a place to sleep! Lol

Before I go, I'll leave you with the top 5 things I have learned thus far about apartment hunting in Taiwan!

Things that I have learned about apartments in Taiwan (through my own personal research and hunt!):

1. Kitchens are amenities (yes you read that right!)

2. Apartments generally consist of 2 rooms; a bathroom and everything else

3. Finding an apartment under $175 USD a month is not difficult in the slightest (yay for me!)

4. A furnished apartment may mean the apartment includes both a bed and a toilet!

5. Having a window in your apartment is not mandatory!