Friday, November 04, 2005

Homepages

what is a homepage exactly...is it just any point in cyberspace that says something about you where you try to make yourself look cooler than you are? I have this blog, admittedly no one knows about it yet. Don't know why I am keeping it a secret, writing in it makes me feel like I am either talking to myself or at the begining stages of schizophrenia..hmm I wonder. Then there is my other website that has all my life on it. This one I tell people (well, okay, I tell myself) and the other one I show people through pictures. Suppose I should link it up...how to do that though is a really good question...http://tobilynn.piczo.com I don't have the slightest idea how to link it with just a cool name that directly links it and doesn't have the website address in full. I suppose if I actually told someone about this place then there would be the realm of possibility that they coul help. Ah well, maybe one day.

Thursday, October 27, 2005

Stinky Tofu

A very famous dish here in Taiwan is stinky tofu. If you want to try some, all you have to do is follow your nose. It has the very distinctive smell of dog shit. Yes, it's true, and because I had never had it before my friend Anna decided I should try some tonight. Well, I am here to say that it tastes as bad as it smells. It was seriously one of the most disgusting things I have ever tasted and I hope to never have to taste it again. They said it didn't taste like it smelt but oh, it did. So now I have tried everything there is to try over here. After a year and a half I can finally say that I have tried stinky tofu....

Monday, October 24, 2005

Culture shock again??!!

Okay, so I have been in Taiwan for over a year and a half. You would think I would be all over the culture shock thing and fairly used to life here. I thought I was too, until today. Until I had to go to Taipei for a training. Until the train stopped in Shijhir and made everyone get off and I had no clue as to what was going on because of course, the announcements were all in Chinese. Until I was being pushed like a piece of cattle up the stairs and through the turnstile. Until there were so many people around me I almost started hyperventilating (I am very proud of myself, I remained calm) Until from that point it took me 30 minutes to find a free cab. Until it took me 1 1/2 hours to take the train to Shijhir to a point which is only a 10 minute cab ride from my house. Until it took me a grand total of 3 hours to make it to Taipei when it really only should have taken just over an hour to get from my house to my training centre. So that was my morning, getting back was just as trying, it took almost 2 hours but at least I was with my CT and so we took the bus and hung out. All this traveling has made me incredibly tired and all I want to do right now is go to sleep, but no, my life isn't that simple as I have buxiban tonight and a meeting after that. :( So I guess in some forms people are right, culture shock never really goes away. You are always faced with the possibility of encountering it again. Something to look forward to, let me tell you!

Saturday, October 22, 2005

Bathrooms suck!!

Yes, it's true, they do. Got locked in mine today so I know what a scary place they can be (yes I made it out okay, I don't keep my computer in my bathroom, as convenient as that would be). Finished my shower and went to open the door and it wouldn't open. Okay, so I turned a bit more and the doorknob came off! I tried to put it back on but it looks like it rusted way too much to make any difference. So here I am stuck. Admittedly I started to panic a little. I can't jump out my window, for one thing probably too small and for another, it wouldn't do me any good as it is really far onto plexiglass and into the abyss of my apartment with concrete walls and nothing to climb (that fell down in the typhoon) Luckily my door has a window in it and as pretty as it was, it's now a broken mess. Really my only way out! Now I have to get that point across to my landlord which I am thinking might be a little difficult as he doesn't speak any English. Hopefully he won't be too upset but seriously, I was shitting myself! Good thing I was in a bathroom I suppose but have now realized the downside to not having a roommate. Not that this experience is going to make me go out and get one. So I'm out, bathrooms are scary and I will be fixing mine before I go back in it. Good thing it's the weekend :)

Ryan Malcolm

Okay, so I have been noticing lately, more so even, that people have been taking the piss out of Ryan Malcolm. Maybe it is just that time of year after Canadian Idol when everyone reflects on years past to see where everyone is, or maybe it is because Ryan is actually doing something (He will be appearing in Snow White and the Group of Seven soon) Or still maybe people just have nothing better to do than to talk about Ryan, which would indicate in a way that he has not dropped off the face of he earth as he is still well remembered. Well, I am here to say that I am a fan, flat out. Yes I am one of those people that had a part in making Ryan our first Canadian Idol and if he was on again, I still would. He has the charisma and honour that I admire in people. Who else would make arrangements to attend his Fan Social Gathering...not just the first one but the one that was held last weekend as well, 2 years after he first won Canadian Idol. That shows how dedicated to his fans he is...I would call that being a standup guy. Period. Full Stop. This is what makes Ryan so great, he totally appreciates his fans and what they do for him. He is an amazing entertainer and those of us who see both sides of him have been lucky. We get the whole package. I guess you have to be a fan to understand this, so go for it, become a fan. Then you can get to understand that greatness that is Ryan Malcolm.

Sunday, October 16, 2005

Night out in Taipei

So I still haven't told anyone about this blog, it is my own private thought space for now I suppose. Was Cheryl's last night in Taiwan, she is convinced she is not coming back, everyone else says she will. I am not sure, I think she had a lot of unfinished business that has been resolved on this trip back. Ah well, as long as she is in Thailand for Christmas it is cool. I haven't seen her as much as I would liked but the time has been quality. We went on a pub crawl for the newbies...introduction to Taiwan bars, of course I had never been to half of them either. There were some nice places, some dives. Unfortunately we spent entirely too much time in cabs to really feel a buzz going. When we finally go to Roxy Vibe I felt totally sober but after only 3 drinks there and dancing, I guess the rest of it caught up with me. I was drunk, although the good kind where you are just having a kick-ass time. We didn't leave until 6:30...that's right, 6:30am. I am seriously tired today and won't be doing that for a really long time...I am too old! :) So today, sleeping so I am not a complete zombie tomorrow. Hopefully it will work!

Saturday, October 15, 2005

Life as I know it???

Okay, probably an incredibly dumb name however, creating this was pretty much on the fly. Maybe one day I will think of a really cool blog name and change it. If anyone who actually ever sees this thinks of any, let me know. I don't really know much about life, just what I've done and who I've seen. Don't even know where it is going! Maybe I should take the time to figure that one out. I'll go do that right now.