Hey folks, sorry for the lack of updates this past week. I had a blast in Seoul, and made some new friends along the way. I got my Taiwan visa taken care of, which was the main goal of the trip, so now I can stay for up to 60 days in Taiwan before needing to leave the country, but more importantly, I can now apply for a student residency visa or a work visa, whereas I could not with my visa exemption entry waiver.
The first day in Seoul I had lunch with some former coworkers from AMD, and was treated to a very good traditional Korean lunch with fish, bulgolgi, soup and all the standard side dishes. One coworker was very impressed that I tried/ate everything, and liked it all, since most of the people they host from the US only like Korean BBQ and just pick at a few other items that are ordered for them. The rest of the day was spent exploring a few palaces and walking around Seoul, before heading back to the hostel for a group dinner with the owner and some other people staying there. If anyone reading this ever goes to Seoul, I highly recommend staying at the Backpackers Inside Hostel. Afterwards, we all went out to a club, where foreigners got in for free, but locals had to pay ₩10,000 (~$9USD), so we all chipped in some money to get the owner of the hostel in. We got back pretty late, but I got in 2hrs of sleep before heading to the DMZ in the morning.
After 2hrs of sleep, one of the other hostelers and I were picked up by a bus going to the DMZ, where we got to see the 3rd tunnel that the North Koreans dug from their side to try to get to Seoul, the area overlooking the border of North/South Korea, and an area near the "Freedom bridge" where captured POW's were exchanged between the North and South. It was definitely interesting, and the South Korean soldiers take their jobs very seriously, even going so far as to ask for my camera and delete a picture that I had snuck overlooking the border (it's forbidden). After getting back to the hostel around 3pm, I took a long nap until the evening, then went out to eat with more hostelers.
On Sunday, my new friend Britt (UT Law, '08) and I went to the GS Caltex vs Pink Spiders volleyball game to watch former UT player Destinee Hooker play. I, being the diehard fan I am, brought along my UT flag to wave in the stands and show support for Destinee. I had already emailed her on facebook letting her know that I would be in the stands, and she flashed a big smile and hook'em when she saw us waving the flag. We stood out wearing burnt orange, but I'm all for spreading UT love! I must say, that was probably some of the most fun I've had at a volleyball game, and I've been to my share of games, since I was in the UT Volleyband back in the day. Crazy cheers, announcers, and dances are all to be expected should you ever watch a professional volleyball game in Korea. After the game, we met Destinee and got our pictures taken with her and my flag. The flag is now residing in the hostel, greeting travelers while they relax in the common area.
The next days weren't too eventful, just getting the visa taken care of and exploring Seoul some more, and enjoying the great food the city had to offer. I was unsuccessful in finding the koala hat, but I have people on the lookout for me. On Tuesday night, I met up with the remaining AMD folks I missed on Friday, and again, enjoyed a great meal. Some of the people also know the folks in Taiwan, which can also help with my trying to get a job with AMD Taipei. Two people that I worked with frequently had to cancel at the last minute, but passed along some gifts that I will definitely be able to use on my trip to Thailand/Vietnam. They included a laptop bag, super absorbent towel, polo shirt, and an HDMI cable. All were AMD branded, except for the HDMI cable, which I thought was random :) I always did love working with the AMD Korea team the most.
I do wish I could have stayed a few extra days in Seoul, since it snowed a good inch the night before I left, and I would have loved to see all the palaces covered topped with snow. Until next time, I suppose. I'll wrap up this entry and start up on another entry later, but first, I'm headed out to a St. Patrick's day party tonight!
Saturday, March 13, 2010
Thursday, March 4, 2010
Asia's got Seoul!
I've made it to the hostel I'm staying at in Seoul, and I've already met another Texan, who happens to have went to UT law, and knows my good buddy Ian. I flew Cathay Pacific to get here, and it was nice that even though it was under a 2hr flight, we still got a meal with wine. After landing, there was still a one hour bus ride before I reached the hostel. Once I checked in, I went to dinner with another hosteler from NYC and had a ridiculously cheap and good meal of 1500won (~$1.31USD) for 12 dumplings right around the corner:
I have a full day tomorrow, meeting up with some ex AMD coworkers, and dropping off my passport at the Taiwanese embassy for my visa, then partying the night away with some of the hostelers here.
I have a full day tomorrow, meeting up with some ex AMD coworkers, and dropping off my passport at the Taiwanese embassy for my visa, then partying the night away with some of the hostelers here.
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
Getting settled in
It doesn't feel like I've been in Taiwan only a month, but much, much longer. I've been at my place for almost a week, but I still didn't fully unpack until two nights ago. My dad helped purchase a few more things to make the place feel more like home, like a few pots and pans, silverware, and a rice cooker. I also got a foam overlay mattress that makes the bed a bit more tolerable, instead of how rock hard it is now. I'm finally getting settled in to my new place, and starting to explore my neighborhood a bit.
As far as activities are concerned, there's a night market near by with a lot street food that I'm sure I'll be eating at a frequent basis, and again, the MRT stations are not more than a 10 minute walk from my place, so the whole city is easily accessible (hint, hint, for friends to visit). I also went to an expat sports bar and met some nice folks out there, some that had just moved here like me, others who had been here for years. I even made a job contact with a Scottish fellow who runs his own high tech company, so my job skills may be of use to him. I'm still hoping that the AMD job comes through, even if I do have to wait a few weeks.
I leave for Korea on Thursday, but it looks like I'll be going solo. My friend Jason in Japan had to back out since he wasn't able to book the flight at the cheap price he was seeing, and my other friend Jason couldn't justify missing the studying time he needs for the GMAT to take an international trip to see his favorite UT volleyball player play in Korea. Thankfully I still have ex coworkers I can meet up with to show me around! With that, I'm off to bed since it's past 3am, and I have a busy day with laundry, packing for Korea, and a date with a girl I met at the expat bar. Ciao!
Oh yeah, Happy Texas Independence Day!
As far as activities are concerned, there's a night market near by with a lot street food that I'm sure I'll be eating at a frequent basis, and again, the MRT stations are not more than a 10 minute walk from my place, so the whole city is easily accessible (hint, hint, for friends to visit). I also went to an expat sports bar and met some nice folks out there, some that had just moved here like me, others who had been here for years. I even made a job contact with a Scottish fellow who runs his own high tech company, so my job skills may be of use to him. I'm still hoping that the AMD job comes through, even if I do have to wait a few weeks.
I leave for Korea on Thursday, but it looks like I'll be going solo. My friend Jason in Japan had to back out since he wasn't able to book the flight at the cheap price he was seeing, and my other friend Jason couldn't justify missing the studying time he needs for the GMAT to take an international trip to see his favorite UT volleyball player play in Korea. Thankfully I still have ex coworkers I can meet up with to show me around! With that, I'm off to bed since it's past 3am, and I have a busy day with laundry, packing for Korea, and a date with a girl I met at the expat bar. Ciao!
Oh yeah, Happy Texas Independence Day!
Thursday, February 25, 2010
It feels like my first day of college...
I've moved in to my new studio apartment, close to the center of Taipei, and am starting to get settled in. I went to a Carrefour about 6 blocks away to get household items for my apartment, where I spent around $120USD on various things, but had to delay buying certain items since it would have been to heavy to carry everything back the 6 blocks. I've gotten too reliant on cars to get groceries and household stuff, and need to relearn certain habits (ie, no large purchases without lining up transport for it).
Along with some food and silverware, I bought some cleaning supplies, since the studio was covered with soot when I moved in. No one has lived in it for about a year, and the window was slightly cracked open. On the window ledge right in front of the cracked area, was a nice thick area caked with soot from the Taipei air. From there, the entire floor, which is all tile, had a thin film that would leave prints when I walked in it. I bought a swiffer wet wipe pad to use, and it just left the dirt in streaks when I tried it. So I got down and dirty on my hands and knees and wiped the whole floor clean, then once more just to get rid of that sticky film that was leftover from the spray I used. I think my next purchase will be some throw rugs to warm up the room, as opposed to the sterile feel it has now.
In job related news, I had an informal meet and greet with two directors and the VP of AMD Taipei, and they all seemed to like me. Collectively, they all liked me, but individually, it was something different they found interesting and was enthused about my being in Taiwan and my particular skill set I could bring. Which takes a lot of pressure off me from my dad. Now comes the waiting game, as they're currently going through a re-org, and won't have positions firmed up until mid/late March. I'm in no rush, as classes won't start until June and I'm still hoping to take that trip to Thailand.
Now that I've dispensed with what's going on with me, I'm going to start posting a new segment each post called "things I notice", that has to do with trends here vs the states. Today's observation are glasses worn by the youth. It's always been a stereotype that Asians have horrible eye sight, and to some extent, that may be true. I really don't know the statistics, if there are any, but I'm the only one of my generation of cousins that doesn't wear glasses or contacts (my brother doesn't count since he got Lasik :P), and that's 13 of us. So their options are glasses or contacts, or stumble around into things all day. A lot of the youth I see wear what appear to be glasses, but turns out to be just the frames, without any lenses. A lot of these frames look like "birth control glasses", what the military issue for soldiers in boot camp. They call them BCG's because if you wear them, you'll never get laid because they're so ugly. I first noticed this with my 18yr old cousin the first week I was here. Apparently, they don't wear the lenses because their eye lash extensions are so long that they would brush against the lens. I just find it odd that they wear contacts, and still put on the lenses for the sole purpose of a fashion accessory. And that folks, is something I've noticed. Until next time, please skype/email/facebook me, as I am getting lonely sans friends :(
Along with some food and silverware, I bought some cleaning supplies, since the studio was covered with soot when I moved in. No one has lived in it for about a year, and the window was slightly cracked open. On the window ledge right in front of the cracked area, was a nice thick area caked with soot from the Taipei air. From there, the entire floor, which is all tile, had a thin film that would leave prints when I walked in it. I bought a swiffer wet wipe pad to use, and it just left the dirt in streaks when I tried it. So I got down and dirty on my hands and knees and wiped the whole floor clean, then once more just to get rid of that sticky film that was leftover from the spray I used. I think my next purchase will be some throw rugs to warm up the room, as opposed to the sterile feel it has now.
In job related news, I had an informal meet and greet with two directors and the VP of AMD Taipei, and they all seemed to like me. Collectively, they all liked me, but individually, it was something different they found interesting and was enthused about my being in Taiwan and my particular skill set I could bring. Which takes a lot of pressure off me from my dad. Now comes the waiting game, as they're currently going through a re-org, and won't have positions firmed up until mid/late March. I'm in no rush, as classes won't start until June and I'm still hoping to take that trip to Thailand.
Now that I've dispensed with what's going on with me, I'm going to start posting a new segment each post called "things I notice", that has to do with trends here vs the states. Today's observation are glasses worn by the youth. It's always been a stereotype that Asians have horrible eye sight, and to some extent, that may be true. I really don't know the statistics, if there are any, but I'm the only one of my generation of cousins that doesn't wear glasses or contacts (my brother doesn't count since he got Lasik :P), and that's 13 of us. So their options are glasses or contacts, or stumble around into things all day. A lot of the youth I see wear what appear to be glasses, but turns out to be just the frames, without any lenses. A lot of these frames look like "birth control glasses", what the military issue for soldiers in boot camp. They call them BCG's because if you wear them, you'll never get laid because they're so ugly. I first noticed this with my 18yr old cousin the first week I was here. Apparently, they don't wear the lenses because their eye lash extensions are so long that they would brush against the lens. I just find it odd that they wear contacts, and still put on the lenses for the sole purpose of a fashion accessory. And that folks, is something I've noticed. Until next time, please skype/email/facebook me, as I am getting lonely sans friends :(
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Staying put
So I've made the decision to stay in Taiwan to relearn Mandarin and get a job during the time I'll be here, as opposed to continuing on to Shanghai. I have a good support system already in place, and if I move to Shanghai, I won't have that to fall back on. As it is, I'm already getting a pretty sweet deal with housing, and I got set up with a wireless broadband card for my Macbook, so my monthly expenses are very, very low, allowing me to save most of what I already did have saved up for the travels. I move in to my new place tomorrow, which is pretty much in the heart of Taipei, about a 10-15 minute walk from the Taipei Main Station, with the rest of the city no more than a 40 minute MRT ride away. So for all my friends who wanted to visit me in Shanghai, sorry, you'll have to settle for visiting me in Taiwan.
I met a German expat that has been in Taiwan 30 years while doing laundry today, and we had a nice little chat on the shoddy state of the Taiwan Air Force and what's being done to correct it. How we got this discussion? He came here 30 years ago as part of a German military unit to train Taiwanese pilots and never left. He eventually left the military and has had odd jobs selling various mechanical hardware for use in the military. I liked this random meeting, as I've only had a few discussions in English, other than the few skype calls I've had with friends. Somehow, it felt strange, since I've been trying hard to just use Mandarin, to just bust out English. The easiest way to describe it was as if I were using a different part of my brain I hadn't used in the while.
In other news, the weather has gotten warmer, to a balmy range of 70-75 degrees. Now if only we can get rid of the humidity, it would be perfect! I'll be happy to cruise around in shorts and a tshirt in this weather, but everyone else here will still be wearing heavy coats. I guess the natives really are that afraid of the cold, since they almost never have cold water from the fridge either. All water is either room temperature or hot, which are the bane of my existence. Ok, that's a bit much, but I don't like it when I'm already warm.
I'm about to leave for dinner with my dad, his g/f, my ex coworker, and his g/f, since my dad wants to meet this "mystery ex coworker" who might be able to help me out with my job search. Dinner will be at a very well known xiao long bao (small dragon bun) restaurant. Adios!
I met a German expat that has been in Taiwan 30 years while doing laundry today, and we had a nice little chat on the shoddy state of the Taiwan Air Force and what's being done to correct it. How we got this discussion? He came here 30 years ago as part of a German military unit to train Taiwanese pilots and never left. He eventually left the military and has had odd jobs selling various mechanical hardware for use in the military. I liked this random meeting, as I've only had a few discussions in English, other than the few skype calls I've had with friends. Somehow, it felt strange, since I've been trying hard to just use Mandarin, to just bust out English. The easiest way to describe it was as if I were using a different part of my brain I hadn't used in the while.
In other news, the weather has gotten warmer, to a balmy range of 70-75 degrees. Now if only we can get rid of the humidity, it would be perfect! I'll be happy to cruise around in shorts and a tshirt in this weather, but everyone else here will still be wearing heavy coats. I guess the natives really are that afraid of the cold, since they almost never have cold water from the fridge either. All water is either room temperature or hot, which are the bane of my existence. Ok, that's a bit much, but I don't like it when I'm already warm.
I'm about to leave for dinner with my dad, his g/f, my ex coworker, and his g/f, since my dad wants to meet this "mystery ex coworker" who might be able to help me out with my job search. Dinner will be at a very well known xiao long bao (small dragon bun) restaurant. Adios!
Friday, February 19, 2010
Why won't it stop raining?
It's rained non-stop for almost 6 days now. All the planned trips to the various coasts with my aunt were all scrapped because the weather has been so crappy. Oh well, looks like I'll just have to explore on my own.
As for what's been going on, I've been trying to get my iPhone working again, but for now it's just a really expensive iPod. That's what I get for not paying attention when I'm clicking through things in iTunes. I have a few pictures I took on there to upload for your viewing pleasure, but that'll have to wait for now. Bah. It doesn't really help me either that I still can't get internet working on my Macbook at my dad's place. I've tried everything that I know, and can get an IP address, but can't connect to the internet. It's really, really annoying.
On a more positive note, I'm headed to South Korea from 3/4-3/10 to visit my friend Jason, who will be visiting from his current residence of Japan. I was planning on visiting him in Japan, but he's going to be in Seoul during the dates I looked at, so we decided to just meet there. Flying to Seoul is also much cheaper (bonus!), and I get airlines miles out of it (double bonus!). Hopefully I can also get my visa resolved over there as well. I'm also starting to plan a trip to Thailand with my effervescent friend Hoan-My, as she'll be in Vietnam visiting family. I can't wait to explore ruins and beaches :) I just hope it won't rain everyday while I'm in Thailand :P
As for what's been going on, I've been trying to get my iPhone working again, but for now it's just a really expensive iPod. That's what I get for not paying attention when I'm clicking through things in iTunes. I have a few pictures I took on there to upload for your viewing pleasure, but that'll have to wait for now. Bah. It doesn't really help me either that I still can't get internet working on my Macbook at my dad's place. I've tried everything that I know, and can get an IP address, but can't connect to the internet. It's really, really annoying.
On a more positive note, I'm headed to South Korea from 3/4-3/10 to visit my friend Jason, who will be visiting from his current residence of Japan. I was planning on visiting him in Japan, but he's going to be in Seoul during the dates I looked at, so we decided to just meet there. Flying to Seoul is also much cheaper (bonus!), and I get airlines miles out of it (double bonus!). Hopefully I can also get my visa resolved over there as well. I'm also starting to plan a trip to Thailand with my effervescent friend Hoan-My, as she'll be in Vietnam visiting family. I can't wait to explore ruins and beaches :) I just hope it won't rain everyday while I'm in Thailand :P
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Ringing in CNY with the Mom's side
I'm writing today's blog from my uncle's place in Banqiao, where I attended a family lunch and dinner with my mom's side of the family, and am staying the night to spend tomorrow going shopping with my aunt (I think?). Now, while it's only been 5 years since my last visit to Taiwan, it's my first CNY here since I was the ripe old age of 5. So that's almost 25 years of not experiencing a CNY in the homeland, and let me tell ya, it was damn fun. My mom's whole side of the family gathered to celebrate, coming from various parts of Taiwan to visit. My mom was the oldest of 7, only one of which was a boy, so that means a lot of aunts to ask if I have a girlfriend or not. I told them they shouldn't be asking if I have a girlfriend, but rather when my brother is going to have kids :) Even though I'm almost 30, I'm still considered "young" because I'm single and am still given a hongbao (red packet) I'm not going to turn it down, as it would be rude to, but it does feel awkward to still be receiving gifts at my age.
Lunch was at a restaurant that featured a karaoke set in the private room we reserved, and listening to my aunts and cousins croon out Asians hits was hilarious. My aunts doing background dancing to one of the songs was a nice touch as well. The lunch was delicious as well, and I think we had 8 or so courses, but I won't tease you with all the food pics, mainly because I didn't take any.
After lunch, we all head back to my uncle's place and were somehow able to cram 16 of us in that tiny place. Over the next few hours, we gambled to throwing dice in a cup and putting bets on what numbers would show up. Think of a poor man's version of craps. Everyone played, including the same 10 year old female cousin who told the joke, and all my aunts and most of my cousins. It. was. a riot. Fun times indeed. Eventually dinner rolled around and we all ate wherever we could find space, since obviously we can't cram 16 people around a small little table suited for 6.
And now, I'm headed to bed, as it's past 1:30am here, and I've got a full day of walking around with my aunt tomorrow. Let's hope that the rain stops so we'll actually make it out. Xin nian kuai le!
Lunch was at a restaurant that featured a karaoke set in the private room we reserved, and listening to my aunts and cousins croon out Asians hits was hilarious. My aunts doing background dancing to one of the songs was a nice touch as well. The lunch was delicious as well, and I think we had 8 or so courses, but I won't tease you with all the food pics, mainly because I didn't take any.
After lunch, we all head back to my uncle's place and were somehow able to cram 16 of us in that tiny place. Over the next few hours, we gambled to throwing dice in a cup and putting bets on what numbers would show up. Think of a poor man's version of craps. Everyone played, including the same 10 year old female cousin who told the joke, and all my aunts and most of my cousins. It. was. a riot. Fun times indeed. Eventually dinner rolled around and we all ate wherever we could find space, since obviously we can't cram 16 people around a small little table suited for 6.
And now, I'm headed to bed, as it's past 1:30am here, and I've got a full day of walking around with my aunt tomorrow. Let's hope that the rain stops so we'll actually make it out. Xin nian kuai le!
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