Oh No

I've become addicted to online Tetris.

Wonderful Day

Today was a great Day!

My day started at 12am, I was at the club dancing like a mad man until 3am. Oddly, my friend ran into her teacher outside the club who subsequently facilitiated out entrance into the VIP line (what what!).

My day took a brief recess from 4am to 12am. Actually, My friend's mother woke me with a phone call at 10am and upon hearing my groggy voice told me to call her back later. However, when I called her back at 12:30 she demanded my immediate presence at restaurant that was not near my dorm. She told me the directions and instructed me to get in a taxi. I threw on my clothes, slapped on my shoes and ran out the dorm and into a taxi. I arrived at the restaurant to find my Mrs. Chang and her friend anxiously waiting my arrival. They then treated me to a delicious meal of crab, tofu, fish, green beans, tofu-skin wraps, chicken, etc... The meal was a sumptuous surprise.

Next stop was Eastern Taipei where we went to many traditional shops selling Chinese medicine, dried goods and a staggering amount of birds nests! I did not consume any. It was really interesting to see and hear people discussing the uses of Chinese medicine. We browsed and shopped until the sun was setting

Next we headed to a place where I partook of a delicious chicken and rice meal!! (with some veggies on the side). There was an adorable little girl in the restaurant who kept waving at me. And then, she called me 哥哥 (brother). Then, everyone in the restaurant decided to love me lol... I was moved beyond words.

I then walked from the restaurant to the subway and headed to central taipei. I walked out of the subway and a few minutes later hopped on the back of my Taiwanese friend's motorcylce and headed to Taipei 101. I went to the top and saw an amazing view of Taipei from 93 floors up！(Until last year Taipei 101 was the tallest building in the world). I also got to ride the world's fastest elevator.

I then walked down, hopped on the back of my friends motorcycle and headed home. Being driven in Taipei at night is indescribably fun!!

Today was awesome!!

Thanks Y'all

Thank You To:

The Lady at the milk tea stand who, upon discovering that I am single, offered to introduce me to her granddaughter.

The lady at the vegetarian restaurant who gives me free fruit.

The owner of the movie theater who offered to give me a deal next time I come back.

The girl at the night market who said I'm 帥 (handsome).

Little Brown Boy

As I boarded a subway train heading for a busy shopping center in central Taipei, a little brown boy caught my attention. I (incorrectly) assumed he was African American. I immediately felt concerned because I also (incorrectly) assumed that, because there were no other African Americans on the train, the little boy was traveling alone. My assumptions were soon debunked.
Upon sitting down one seat over from the little boy, the old Taiwanese man beside me, (between the boy and me) promptly initiated conversation. He wanted me to talk to the little boy who was now bashfully smiling at me. Although, I often have an unfavorable view of children, I have to admit this little boy was unnervingly adorable. I soon discovered that the little boy's mother is 1/2 Tanzania 1/2 Taiwanese, and the father is Tanzania. The little boy was born and raised in Taiwan.

I feel sad for the boy. Being brown in Taipei is anything but simple. The inappropriate staring and pointing can become overwhelming; often leading me into day dreams about the diversity of America. I regret that the little boy will group in a society which values pale skin and is woefully ignorant of other cultures (A fact highlighted by the unconstrained reactions of shock and awe by many Taiwanese at the sight of two brown people on the subway train together). I regret that he will at times feel alone and conspicuous. Nevertheless, he seemed happy-go-luck, and, although we only exchange sparse words, he made my day!

Praise in the Club

Well, I was at the club gettin my groove on when my ears suddenly perked up at the sound of one of my favorite gospel songs. The song was "Shackles" by Mary Mary. I have absolutely no adversity to the promotion of gospel music in clubs. However, I found it particularly hilarious that I was probably the only person in the club aware of the fact that the whole dance floor was dancing to gospel!!
What what!

Are you Kobe Bryant?

At college group at church I was asked where I was from. I told them to guess. the following are the guesses in the order they were put forth:

1. Pacific Islands
2. Cuba
3. Hawaii
4. France
5. Are you Kobe Bryant? (seriously)

*Why would all these guesses come before America?
Maybe Kobe Bryant was the closest guess...

Ouch, Old Man

As I ate lunch at a Chinese food restaurant with the mother of one of my friends from back home an old man walked up and asked (in Chinese) "is the food good." Naturally, I told him (in Chinese) "it tastes good."

Surprised at my ability to speak Chinese he hit me and jumped back and said "wow!" lol...
I thought: ouch, old man