My 5 step program.
Someone told me that I'm back in Taiwan and not Thailand... I have no idea what they're talking about. So here's my 5 steps for reintegrating myself back into Taiwan.
Well, the first step is denial... this wasn't too difficult while spending Sunday at my apartment. I got to relax and watch vids with my roomates. The food wasn't Thai food and I didn't get much diving in from the comfort of my sofa.
Today, I was forced into the second step, anger. My toe was pretty sore, my thumb is infected and I did something to my elbow, so off to the doctor's. I've never seen a doctor so pissed off. I still had my toe wrapped in electrical tape from where I sheared an eighth of an inch from my baby toe and some form the one next to it, it looked alright. Next, was my thumb, it was infected to beat hell, and battling with Paul last night didn't help it much. Last night was Sunday night, this means we (Paul, Nick, Theresa, Sandra and I) arrange to meet and then go for dinner. After finally assembling at 7:30, we hit the city in search of rumoured restaraunts, because all the ones we know of... suck. Paul on a 150cc Harley wannabe, nick on his 150cc scooter, Sandra (my cousin Theresa's best friend) on Theresa's 50cc gutless wonder scooter and Theresa (my cousin) and I on my 150cc Harley wannabe motorbike (I bought mine first). So, we generally cruise around lost, looking for restaraunts based on our poorly remembered directions from other people's poorly remembered directions. And, based on our leaving time, we often manage to get there as they close. So, we cruise the whole city for a long time. We often goof around and, at a red light, I gently placed my foot on Paul's back fender and gave him a good shove. This, in turn, generates great suprise as Paul finds his stationary motorbike falling over and moving forward. I instantly sense him reaching foo the kill switch on my handlebars as the light is switching to green. If he succeeds in his endeavour, Ii will be forced to restart my bike and get lost in the pack of traffic as they jump the light. My hand fiercely covering the kill switch is subdued as my infected thumb accidentaly gets smashed in the battle and my killswitch is, well... working. I start my bike and peel into the ppck of traffic that I was once in the lead of, my thum is now dripping blood and the 80km/hour wind doesn't help. Luckily, Theresa always carries a M.A.S.H. unit in her backpack, so I am the proud reciever of an "Incredibles" band-aid. It keeps the blood from dripping onto my leg and hopefully off of my khaki shorts. We finally found a "7 star" pasta place. Well, I don't know how rating scales work, but I'll stick with 5 stars from now on, it was alright, but not worth a return visit. So, yeah, I have no idea why my thumb is infected. Diving, driving in the dirty air, fighting, umm.... This doctors visit and work, forced me to remove myself from the numbness of my dwelling. I have been here for a long time and have only realized how dirty this place is twice before. The air positively stinks and when I'm on my bike, I get crap in my eyes. Why can't I stay on that little island?
Well, the third step, depression. Lunch time, I couldn't even begin to guess where a good place to eat was and now, I really miss my diving and my Thai/Indian food. I wound up at Subway for lunch and at the foreigner bar after WORK for some so-so chilli. Yes, Ii had to work today, I actually had fun, but I was limping a bit and my toe wasn't too good by the end of my 8 hours at work.
So, now for the bargaining. Ummm..... I haven't really figured this step out yet... I think it may involve working atleast till the weekend for a trip to Peng Hu. Peng Hu is an island west of Taiwan, it's kind of cool and I can snorkel there... it ain't no Koh Tao. Then I can work until my next holiday in October and go to Thailand again? I'll just keep telling myself that. EVERYONE wanted to be ANYWHERE else but work today, even my boss voiced this opinion. So, it's not just me, even though I had a great day at work.
The last step, acceptance. Good luck on this. I guess I'll have to wait for this one to come back to me. I'm trying really hard to get back to step one, it seems to be the closest option to being in Thailand.
In Taiwan, I live in a fairly happy acceptance most of the time. Often, I will want to not go to work, but that pretty much is it. I love working, I like what I do, I like my kids and all that fluff, I just don't like actually GOING to work. I kind of dread going and I can't figure out why. It's not a new thing. So, who knows, a 5 day work week is just right for me, a 5 day work week and a three day weekend seems to be perfect for me, but the math just doesn't add up very well.
Denial, anger, depression, bargaining and finally, acceptance.
So, now I don't know what to do with my spare time. I am looking for a hobby, I'm thinking of photography and pastel drawing again. I think I'm good at those. Also, Ii will move into my new apartment on the 27th, it's about the same rent as what I pay now but it's 3 bedrooms to myself and two blocks from school and it overlooks the river.
I'm still going to hit the gym on Monday and Wednesday nights and keeps my weekends for trips. Actually it feels like I don't have free time, but I never seem to do anything other than work. Yet, I am at work for no more than 40 hours a week including my prep and lunch time. Hmmm, give it some time, get my apartment settled and build the social life that is good for me. I was up at 6:30am every morning in Koh Tao and I liked it. Maybe if I am on the river, I'll go to the park in the mornings, then nap in the heat, then go to work? Who knows... but I think I have everything I need and everything I want, can't be all that bad. Now, it's time to better myself rather than my environment, maybe plunge back into the Chinese now that I will be free of living in an English enriched apartment. If everyone I talk to speaks English, how the heck am I supposed to learn Chinese, even my students speak pretty good English now, I never get to speak Chinese anymore and my current learning curve shows it (resembles a bird taking off into a window).
Well, the first step is denial... this wasn't too difficult while spending Sunday at my apartment. I got to relax and watch vids with my roomates. The food wasn't Thai food and I didn't get much diving in from the comfort of my sofa.
Today, I was forced into the second step, anger. My toe was pretty sore, my thumb is infected and I did something to my elbow, so off to the doctor's. I've never seen a doctor so pissed off. I still had my toe wrapped in electrical tape from where I sheared an eighth of an inch from my baby toe and some form the one next to it, it looked alright. Next, was my thumb, it was infected to beat hell, and battling with Paul last night didn't help it much. Last night was Sunday night, this means we (Paul, Nick, Theresa, Sandra and I) arrange to meet and then go for dinner. After finally assembling at 7:30, we hit the city in search of rumoured restaraunts, because all the ones we know of... suck. Paul on a 150cc Harley wannabe, nick on his 150cc scooter, Sandra (my cousin Theresa's best friend) on Theresa's 50cc gutless wonder scooter and Theresa (my cousin) and I on my 150cc Harley wannabe motorbike (I bought mine first). So, we generally cruise around lost, looking for restaraunts based on our poorly remembered directions from other people's poorly remembered directions. And, based on our leaving time, we often manage to get there as they close. So, we cruise the whole city for a long time. We often goof around and, at a red light, I gently placed my foot on Paul's back fender and gave him a good shove. This, in turn, generates great suprise as Paul finds his stationary motorbike falling over and moving forward. I instantly sense him reaching foo the kill switch on my handlebars as the light is switching to green. If he succeeds in his endeavour, Ii will be forced to restart my bike and get lost in the pack of traffic as they jump the light. My hand fiercely covering the kill switch is subdued as my infected thumb accidentaly gets smashed in the battle and my killswitch is, well... working. I start my bike and peel into the ppck of traffic that I was once in the lead of, my thum is now dripping blood and the 80km/hour wind doesn't help. Luckily, Theresa always carries a M.A.S.H. unit in her backpack, so I am the proud reciever of an "Incredibles" band-aid. It keeps the blood from dripping onto my leg and hopefully off of my khaki shorts. We finally found a "7 star" pasta place. Well, I don't know how rating scales work, but I'll stick with 5 stars from now on, it was alright, but not worth a return visit. So, yeah, I have no idea why my thumb is infected. Diving, driving in the dirty air, fighting, umm.... This doctors visit and work, forced me to remove myself from the numbness of my dwelling. I have been here for a long time and have only realized how dirty this place is twice before. The air positively stinks and when I'm on my bike, I get crap in my eyes. Why can't I stay on that little island?
Well, the third step, depression. Lunch time, I couldn't even begin to guess where a good place to eat was and now, I really miss my diving and my Thai/Indian food. I wound up at Subway for lunch and at the foreigner bar after WORK for some so-so chilli. Yes, Ii had to work today, I actually had fun, but I was limping a bit and my toe wasn't too good by the end of my 8 hours at work.
So, now for the bargaining. Ummm..... I haven't really figured this step out yet... I think it may involve working atleast till the weekend for a trip to Peng Hu. Peng Hu is an island west of Taiwan, it's kind of cool and I can snorkel there... it ain't no Koh Tao. Then I can work until my next holiday in October and go to Thailand again? I'll just keep telling myself that. EVERYONE wanted to be ANYWHERE else but work today, even my boss voiced this opinion. So, it's not just me, even though I had a great day at work.
The last step, acceptance. Good luck on this. I guess I'll have to wait for this one to come back to me. I'm trying really hard to get back to step one, it seems to be the closest option to being in Thailand.
In Taiwan, I live in a fairly happy acceptance most of the time. Often, I will want to not go to work, but that pretty much is it. I love working, I like what I do, I like my kids and all that fluff, I just don't like actually GOING to work. I kind of dread going and I can't figure out why. It's not a new thing. So, who knows, a 5 day work week is just right for me, a 5 day work week and a three day weekend seems to be perfect for me, but the math just doesn't add up very well.
Denial, anger, depression, bargaining and finally, acceptance.
So, now I don't know what to do with my spare time. I am looking for a hobby, I'm thinking of photography and pastel drawing again. I think I'm good at those. Also, Ii will move into my new apartment on the 27th, it's about the same rent as what I pay now but it's 3 bedrooms to myself and two blocks from school and it overlooks the river.
I'm still going to hit the gym on Monday and Wednesday nights and keeps my weekends for trips. Actually it feels like I don't have free time, but I never seem to do anything other than work. Yet, I am at work for no more than 40 hours a week including my prep and lunch time. Hmmm, give it some time, get my apartment settled and build the social life that is good for me. I was up at 6:30am every morning in Koh Tao and I liked it. Maybe if I am on the river, I'll go to the park in the mornings, then nap in the heat, then go to work? Who knows... but I think I have everything I need and everything I want, can't be all that bad. Now, it's time to better myself rather than my environment, maybe plunge back into the Chinese now that I will be free of living in an English enriched apartment. If everyone I talk to speaks English, how the heck am I supposed to learn Chinese, even my students speak pretty good English now, I never get to speak Chinese anymore and my current learning curve shows it (resembles a bird taking off into a window).
posted by Colin at 1:58 AM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home