
This is a general update, just to let people know what’s going on, and to remind myself when I try to figure out where the time went. I’m settling into Danshui just fine. Right now, prepping for classes, and correcting homework is taking up most of my spare time. I’m told I’ll get faster. I keep trying to explore, but I’m still not used to the weather, and any exploration usually ends with me looking for something cold to drink and somewhere to hide from the heat. I’ve gone into Taipei a couple times, hung out with people from work, and mostly taken things easy.
The most exciting thing to happen was the earthquake. It was the first one I’ve been in that’s lasted long enough for me to try to think of what I should be doing. I checked the internet afterwards, and It was a 6.3, 24km down, 137 km sse of me. As far as I can tell, there was no damage at all. The strangest part was trying to figure out if I should get up and go downstairs afterwards. I thought about it for a while, but there were no alarms and no noise in the building so I went to sleep instead.
In less interesting news, last week I went Into Taipei to apply for my Alien Residence Card. Apparently I don’t have TB, or any other strange disease, and they’re going to let me stay. I’m glad. I think I like it here. I’m also going to have health insurance for the first time in three years. I can’t wait. I took the MRT into Taipei, and then a TAXI to the government office. Bureaucracy seems to be the same everywhere. I picked out a number, waited for a while, and then was told I needed more copies, and a different sized photo. Even so, it went pretty quickly. However, they were out of cards, so they’re going to mail it to me. I’m planning on worrying until it actually shows up. I took a bus back to the MRT, and the bus driver wasn’t having any of my broken Chinese. Fortunately, the world contains nice old Taiwanese men who have friends in Vancouver, and are perfectly happy to help lost American girls.