Chicken Feet

The past few days have been pretty relaxed, as Dave and I are still getting adjusted to this new environment. We've figured out the subway system, seen some different parts of the city, and have been introduced to some good eats. All this, of course, is thanks to Uncle Fred. Even though we would have came to Taiwan if Fred wasn't here, it's extremely hard to imagine how we would be coping with the language barrier without him. Aside from being our tour guide, he also helped us with our hotel accommodations and has acted as an ice breaker in the couple of schools that we went to. Dave and I are infinitely grateful to have him helping us. Although, he was the one responsible for me ingesting a chicken foot (which is not a type of food that one would look at and seriously say, "Hm, I wonder what that is...").

So far the worst thing is that sleep has been off and on for me. I've been waking up at around 4:00 or 5:00 AM, which is not a pleasant experience. I lay in darkness and silence, sometimes putting my headphones on and pray that the sleep mix I've heard a thousand times will lull me back to sleep. No such luck.

Here's a little bit of what I've seen so far:

Our lovely temporary home. Sometimes I try to talk to the receptionist in Chinese. She laughs. Free Taiwanese breakfast buffet is great.

The Mall. It's big. There's another one of these across the street.


A microcosm of the scooter population in Taipei.


7-Eleven. There might be a 7-Eleven for every scooter in Taipei (I'm actually standing outside of one while taking this picture (not a joke).).


Stores and scooters.

For more insight, entertainment, pictures, and an alternate view, check out what Dave's up to.
Also, get your vaccinations (or don't). Yellow fever is spreading through New Paltz.
Hopefully more stories and a consistent sleep cycle on the way.