LIVING HERE
This is my twelve year old cousin Meghan. At the moment, she is probably my best friend. According to my Aunt Jannie, I’m about fourteen years old. Which still makes me older than Meghan, so I think what she’s trying to say is that I’m mature and a good role model for my younger cousin. Whenever we go out shopping, or my relatives take me to Ikea (pronounced ee-kea here) to help me buy furniture or random necessities and lug them to my apartment, Meghan spends half the time trying to find a spot to sit and listen to Katy Perry on her mom’s phone. The other half of the time she stops and looks up to point as something she describes as “oh, so cute.” This phrase seems to be a staple of Chinese females age 6-60, so let’s just take a quick look at a few things that can universally be described by Chinese girls as “so cute.”
1) Brown, a small bear with an enormous head, but small facial features that made his first appearance as a set of “stickers” available for free download on LINE. If you walk into a store and don’t see him printed on SOMETHING, you may not be in Taiwan anymore...
2) Pooh. (Never Winnie the Pooh. Always just, Pooh.)
3) Tiny animated girls riding oversized pigs.
4) Socks with any animated character. Typically AdventureTime,Line Friends,or Hello Kitty
5) I think this is a pillow.
6) Phone accessories. Large plastic ones made to resemble really any animal with ears.
7) Pringles.
8) Moustaches. This one is a decal for the back of your car. You can get big ones and small ones to represent each member of your family.
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Living In Taipei I have been living in Taipei for one month. Mostly, it’s been surreal. I wake up every morning in a studio apartment about three subway stops from the exact center of Taipei, and I can’t really even believe I’m here. Then I press snooze. Because, I mean, I haven’t changed that much. It’s really been an incredible experience and it’s all still very new. My Aunt Jannie constantly says she really envies me because I’m constantly in awe of everything I see. Things are definitely hard-- like most stuff is in Chinese, and most of it I can’t read. And people stare at me pretty much all the time. And I’ve gone the wrong way on the subway at least once a week. And I still haven’t taken out my trash because it’s confusing and hard (see next month’s issue: The Trash Truck). But, it’s also been refreshing, and rewarding, and a complete dream. I’ve eaten one million new things. And met dozens of new people. And have even taught a few kids some English.
So if you’re wondering, Have you made any real friends yet? Do you miss home? Do you still make your bed every morning? I have to say, Yes. See previous article about Meghan, my twelve year old cousin. Of course, Mom send breakfast tacos, Margaritas, and a real steak please. Duh. Thanks Admiral William H. McRaven. UT Spring 2014 graduates (who actually went to commencement), you know what I’m talking about. Until Next Month, Michal