I'm an alien, I'm a legal alien. I'm an English girl in Taiwan...

I have the week off from uni. A half term if you will. So I plan to make Abi Adventures. Today was a spiffing adventure. 

After a wonderful little lay in and leisurely getting up I went into Taizhong city. I needed to go to immigration to extend my visa. Which is way easier than imagined. I always think it's going to be really difficult and that they're gonna ask me lots of questions...but no as long as you have the right papers they just stamp you're passport and that's it. The only questions the chap asked me were why was I dressed so cute and is punk music still popular in the UK. Though I face a small quandary  My visa is extended until Feb 25th and can't be extended any further. But my flight back to the UK is March 1st. Oops! But I have a few options.

Option 1: Just pay a fine at the airport on my way home. It's about £25.

Option 2: Get it all over and done with in a few measly hours and fly to Hong Kong and back. When I land back in Taiwan I will have 90 days, taking me way past March 1st.

Option 3: Go on holiday! I have 3 weeks off of uni from the end of January, so I could easily go somewhere nearby for a week maybe...the Philippines, Korea, Japan, Thailand (all take no longer than 2 hours flight from here.)And again when I land in Taiwan 90 days visitor visa automatically. Hmmm! 

Option 4: Change to a student visa and commit to another 2 semesters. 

Option 3 is my most preferred! So one shall be having a sneaky look at cheap flights! Let's get another stamp in the passport! Hehe.

After all of that the fun Abi Adventure began. I went to a very random place for lunch. It was trying to be Western but not overly succeeding. But it was CLEAN and cheap. The staff were really cute. The girl brought me over my food and then also brought me over some little donut type things, just because. She made a smiley face with ketchup on it! How random but cute! As I was walking out an American chap walked in. It's really funny, there is a real sense of community between all the foreigners here. I guess it's just because we are all outsiders and all face the same difficulties and challenges in Taiwan, so that kinda unites us. It's not weird for stranger foreigners to just chat to each other. 

Then I went shopping. Yay! I got myself totally lost, but I had all the time in the world so I couldn't care less. Also I kinda anticipated I would probably would lose myself. Did I turn left at this 7/11...or was it that one...or that one...! They are everywhere so never try and remember where you came from by them! 

I honestly can't remember the last time I had a day where I had no time restraints, and could just do what I want whenever. I had a wonderful scoot around, amongst the buildings of Taizhong there are some beautiful parks around. And scooting when the sun is setting was gorgeous! Ah if only I could be so carefree more often! Though I have it pretty easy here as it is. I think I've had the most fun when I make my own adventures. It's great as I have no one else to rely on for speaking to shopkeepers, waiting staff, the guys at the gas station and all that jazz. I have to use my efforts of speaking Chinese, and well it's great for realizing how much you do or don't know. You kinda learn your survival Chinese pretty quick...how to order your coffee, how to ask the guy at the gas station to fill up the tank (here you don't pump the gas yourself, they have staff to do that for you...they honestly do have some very useless jobs here. Someone to pump your gas, someone to help you push the shopping trolley onto the escalator...in England we are hardcore and do it ourself!), all those things that you need to know to get by in your daily life. 

Onto the next adventure...

My song of the day is Sting - Englishman in New York. Just walking around the city today made me think of the song, it seems apt. But of course in my version I sing 'I'm an alien, I'm a legal alien. I'm an English girl in Taiwan.'

nice little park and greenery...

random kinda funky art where i had lunch.

funny little things the waitress gave me, so cute!