TAIWAN...that's the plan!: Rose tinted, one armed glasses...

I've realised this for a while now, but when I first got to Taiwan, I would compare all the bad bits of Taiwan with how that's not how it's done in England. Now, I don't think it's an all together bad thing. But of course there are bound to be huge differences. But I tended to remember England through rose tinted (one armed) glasses. Yes there are many wonderful things about England, but there are many faults and cons alongside too. And this is true of every country. And once you accept that fact, only then can you start loving the good things and letting the negatives go over your head a little. This is how I feel. It's strange because before you go to another country, you know it will be different. But no amount of google searches or lonelyplanet reviews and articles, can ever truly prepare you for what lays ahead of you. And I think this is because we all perceive things differently. What one perceives as a necessity, another views as a luxury. So how can a guide book tell you how you will feel about a place. In some ways I wish had smashed the rose coloured glasses much earlier, but then I do believe it is a process to go through, which makes the good things seem 更好! (This will be a good thing to remember next time I decide to up sticks!)

We have had our fair share of rain here lately. But there are still gorgeously sunny days. I adore walking to school in the mornings, whilst it's still a bit crisp in the air. Apart from the swallow like birds I see in the morning, I haven't seen much in the way of wildlife, (I don't think rats, dead toads, cockroaches and lizards count as wildlife!) but today they all came out for me. I saw some very heron like birds wading in a pond. And then...I got super excited about this one...I spied a sunbathing turtle!

I have been a bit of a fruit lately and have been attempting to learn a little French and Spanish...Spanish because I have lots of Spanish speaking friends here, so I want to be able to inject a Spanish sentence into a conversation with them! And French...just because! Well it's most entertaining attempting even just the basics. Every time I go to say something in Spanish, I manage to spew out Chinese instead. It's like my brain is telling me that I am about to speak a foreign language and of course it must be Chinese. But it's a very good way of realising what you do know in your second language. But the most entertaining thing is when in one small, tiny sentence, you manage to use words from four different languages! My English is going to be atrocious when I get back!

My tune of the day is...Emiliana Torrini - Jungle Drum. A wonderful random, kooky song.