I seem to have settled into a comfortable routine in Taizhong.  I get up in the morning and meditate peacefully for half an hour then head out for a coffee and Taiwan Times newspaper with Taiwanese breakfast.  They know me now, so my inability to make a sensible selection on the menu no longer matters.  The streets are quiet in the mornings, temperature around 21 degrees, cloudy with sunny periods.  Return to the hostel for some study.
There are usually other guests here - from Singapore, Korea, Japan, Malaysia, China, Hong Kong, Germany and of course Taiwan.  Makes for interesting conversations.  I have my course from 1 - 4.  There are four other students (France, Belgium, Korea and Estonia) and a variety of teachers.  Its quite intense, but we ARE learning Mandarin (slowly).
After class I go to the park with a 7/11 coffee and relax.  There's a deep feeling of peace.  I stroll through the wilderness of the world with its sunshine, wind, traffic noise and people; I'm not really strongly attracted or repelled by any of it.  There are frequent fluctuations, but the predominant reaction is a kind of benign curiosity.  Possible this is the fruit of overloading my brain with Mandarin.  The neural pathways retract, reduce mental activity, take a break.
In the evening  we have a choice of dining options.  Subway, Taoist Vegetarian, Hamburgers or a Taiwanese economic meal.  You take your pick.  My communication skills are improving, but even so I often have someone Taiwanese to interpret.  Its healthy, easy and cheap.
Last night I ventured out to the Taizhong Toastmasters, founded in 1984.  Wasn't sure if I could find it.  The address is Wenxin Road sec.2 no.598 B1.  My taxi driver looked doubtful.  After some tension, in the end we made it with time to spare and they were expecting me.  (Thank you internet)  Very friendly people (mostly Taiwanese, all speaking English) having fun working on building self confidence and improving their presentation skills.  Just like any other Toastmasters anywhere.  These are definitely the kind of people I like to meet.  So I'm hoping to join them on an excursion to Sun Moon Lake on the weekend...Like me they are interested in the challenges of crossing the cultural fault line between the Chinese and English speaking worlds.  The possibilities arise of forming new attachments.
So its probably time to move on.  Monday I head for Tainan.

I have settled into a comfortable routine in Taizhong.  Half an hour peaceful morning meditation.  Then I buy the Taipei Times and read it over coffee and breakfast at a little nearby shop where they already know me.  Useful since the ordering of food is done by selecting options in Traditional characters.
 I go back to the hostel, check email, etc and study for my afternoon lesson.  Sometimes I chat with people in the hostel: people have come through from China, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Singapore, Japan, Germany and of course Taiwan.  I have a class from 1 to 4 with four other students (from France, Belgium, Korea and Estonia) and a variety of teachers.  Its very intense, but we ARE learning Mandarin.
After class I take a cup of 7/11 coffee to the park and relax.  There are several good options for dinner; mostly I eat Taiwanese,but occasionally I have a Subway sandwich. Evenings are filled with things like email, FB, watching movies and conversation.  Sometimes I study some more.  I have a really good book - Wool by Hugh Howie.
Behind all of this there is a deep sense of peace - the busy world swirling around me.  Nothing calls to me very strongly. There's neither strong craving nor much aversion.  Its as if the Mandarin language and characters have the effect of scouring my neurons encouraging me to take a break from thought and just let it all go.  There's sunshine, wind and traffic noise.  I stroll through the wilderness of the world looking at everything around me with benign curiosity.
Yesterday I had quite an adventure - contacted the Taizhong Toastmasters founded in 1984.  Took a taxi to the meeting - Wenxin Road section 2, no.598 B1.  Had no idea what I would find or even if I'd be able to find the location.

which is probably why I am now planning to move.

 
Went to a Philippine Pentecostal church.  They were all praising the Lord enthusiastically.  They decided to baptise me.. I told them I had already been quite sufficiently baptised, but that did not deter them.  Wonderful people!  They work very hard in Taiwan in order to send money home to family in the Philippines.

It felt as if I spent a day in the Philippines.  Like a log floating down the stream I wound up in the eddy of a Pentecostal church.  It was really instructive. Got invited to a Pentecostal church by a Philippina lady and went through a longish bible sermon, prayers, singing and lots of 'A-men!' and 'Halleluiah!'  They also gave me lunch and decided I needed to be Baptised.  My assertions that I had already been quite properly baptised as an Anglican were brushed aside.  They were not about to accept 'no' for an answer.  So into the bath I went.  They're really nice people and I'm impressed with how they work so hard to send money home to their families in Philippines.  I'm strongly attracted to religious people because they have found a deeper approach to life than just selfishness and materialism.  The idea of 'making a joyful sound to the Lord' is so much better than planning to succeed in business or complaining about one's life.
Party of the joy of religion is that it can take away our most basic trauma - the fear of death.  You accept Jesus into your heart and you are rewarded with an unassailable purpose AND eternal life.  I've approached this so many times since about the age of 14.  It reminds me of the humorous quote, "I have abandoned my search for truth and am now looking for a good fantasy."  Its actually an excellent fantasy in that the individual self is given up (sacrificed) into the joy of the whole - my way of talking about being 'saved'.  In Buddhist teachings the self is found to be illusory.  The Muslim mystics assert that there is only Allah.
So...I went with the flow.  I found that the flow of emotion found in praising the Lord is quite cleansing.  There was a reduction of ego going on - I wasn't really there for myself at all, but because they wanted me to be there.  Reading the bible is an excellent activity.  Where I part company with the church (any church) is that I take the truth contained in it of a metaphorical or mythological level.  Its a teaching about the pain of separation and the joy of union.  We cannot really understand God any more than we can comprehend the Buddhist concept of emptiness.  We can only make castles of words that might point to the truth.  The bible tells slaves they should obey their masters.  It has been edited ferociously over millennia to support the power of the church.  Even so, it has wonderful magical passages.
The church I attended today performs a wonderful service for the people.  There is pain and longing in their singing.  One man told me he has not seen his family for a year because he sends money home and there's no extra for a plane trip.  The church service gives them hope and the comfort of a lively supportive community.  I won't criticise their beliefs.  Life is hard enough; I would much prefer to encourage them.  So that's what I did.

Guan Gong is very popular in Taiwan.  This image is enormous.  He sits on top of his temple looking out on the town around him - visible to all.  Inside are many people bowing down, lighting incense, making music, leaving offerings and generally giving him respect.  Originally he was a famous, invincible warrior in the story of the three kingdoms.  The period lasted during the 3rd century and was a time of horrific bloodshed.  Actually the story was written in the 14th century and can be watched in the impressive modern Chinese movie, Red Cliff.  Along with Journey to the West its one of the Chinese classic stories.
I am puzzled by Guang Gong's continued popularity as a deity.  Apparently he appeals to policemen, politicians, gangsters and anyone who is in search of power.  To me he seems very angry and unpleasant.  What a contrast to the serene and blissful images we find in Buddhist temples.  Taiwanese people generally behave very respectfully.  They're generous and orderly. Another side of them seems to come to the fore when they get on their motorbikes; they zoom around the city like fiends.
Part of my difficulty with Guan Gong is that at present I'm really not seeking anything.  The city swirls around me and I watch in astonishment - in the world, but not of the world.  As they always said on the CBC's Dead Dog Cafe - "Be brave; Be calm;  and Look for the signs."

I often feel intimidated by these small eating places with no menu. (The shoes apply to the store above)  Anyway, I was feeling hungry so I went in.  You  take a basket and put in various veggies, noodles, tofu, etc that you want to eat.  The man chops them up and gives them to his wife who makes them all into a spicy soup.  After some minimal communication regarding sitting down. and how much spice I wanted I  settled in at the back of the shop with my book.  The soup was delicious and quite filling.  When I tried to pay the man gave me a big smile and declined my payment. Probably equivalent to 3 Canadian dollars. It was very confusing.  All the staff were so friendly, but I have no idea why I got my meal for free.  I like to feel they were impressed with my minimal Mandarin but have absolutely no evidence for that.

Its like a vision quest where I glide through a fantastically varied scenario looking for signs.  Ironically, there are a thousand signs but I can't read them because they are in traditional Mandarin characters ~
 這就好比一個願景的追求，我通過驚人的多樣化環境滑翔尋找跡象。
See what I mean?
Its a passage of life rich in possibilities as if I'm in a mansion of many doorways.  Each door taken closes so many others and opens up a new world of choices.  Being impatient, I keep getting the urge to jump through one just to relieve the pressure; even if its not a particularly attractive door.  Alone in a foreign country one feels strangely vulnerable even when there are no significant dangers present.
On a website I found a language school on Penghu Island.  Easy to find on Google. Its not far away - in the straight between Taiwan and the coast of China.  I could study there very cheaply.  Its peaceful and beautiful and the weather is ideal.  Alternatively,  I could tour around the Taiwan coast on successive bus rides through extraordinary scenery.  Or I might even do both!  When I've had my vision I'll come home.

Today I found the class somewhat comprehensible as I prepared for it for hours.  I have plenty of time for introspection.  This is like a vision quest where I glide through astonishingly varied environments looking for signs.  Ironically, there are so many signs, but they're mostly in traditional Mandarin characters.

What an amazing day!  After I found the (9th floor) language school I was immediately thrown into a classroom.  The level of Mandarin was almost within my grasp, but far enough above me to be excessively challenging.  I feel as if I can handle it.....maybe.
They showed me an apartment, but it looked pretty horrible.  To get a better place I need to sign a 6 month lease.  Don't know if I want to do that and anyway, is it the best location when I don't know where (or even if) I'll be working.
Following a lead I took a train out to Longjing.  Got a hair-raising lift on a scooter to the station, then half an hour on the train out to this small town where everyone seemed quite delighted to meet me.  (Apparently they're not even put off by the unsightly injury to my nose)  Once I found the school and waded through a noisy giggle of cheerful 9 year olds it didn't take long before they had me up in front of a white board with a book in my hand trying to teach them about the points of a compass with reference to Mexico.  Interesting job opportunity,but they're looking for full time and a one year commitment with one month vacation.  Incredibly, I was actually considering it.
I met a Kindergarten teacher on the train back who entertained me immensely.  She says her students are angels come to earth.  When I agreed they do seem like angels she said, "No.  They really ARE angels." With so many angels running around I think I'm going to like Taiwan.

Peace Park - very near my hostel.  Apparently it is to remember the people who died in the 1947 massacre of civilians by police.  The hostel is very friendly and I've met many new friends from Boston, UK, Germany New York, Hong Kong and France.  This afternoon I signed onto the Youbike system.  You get a code number on your phone and its integrated with the transit card system.  With one card you can use the MTR, buses and bicycles.   I went for a lovely evening bike ride which cost me less than a Canadian dollar.
Tomorrow I'm off to Taizhong - a smaller city where the weather is warmer.  The train gets there fast as it goes up to 300km/hour.

So since this is my first photo it probably deserves some explanation.  I met Robin at the hostel.  She is native to Taipei but has lived most of her life in Boston.  She introduced me to her friend Kimberly who teaches Mandarin to foreigners.  Kimberly is also active in the Mormon church.  I found the church surprisingly huge and the people there were very friendly - lots of American young people speaking Mandarin.

The National Palace Museum has all the treasures  that were removed from the Forbidden City before the Japanese invasion.  Amazing bronzes, jade, ceramics, etc. some of it dating back as far as 3 thousand years ago.   Anyway they don't let you take photos in the museum so I photographed the exterior with two random tourists taking a selfie.

As you can see from this street scene there's really not much to indicate the presence of a hostel.  Actually the neighbourhood is really interesting.  There are so many small shops, eateries, tea shops and  people.

Day 1

My Starbucks coffee exceeded in cost both my bus ride from the airport and the taxi to find the hostel.  The taxi deposited me on a narrow side street festooned with a variety of signage none of which had any resemblance to a hostel.  So I'm standing in the road with my bags, no sleep in about 36 hours, pondering my next move.  I approached a random guy handing out leaflets.  He spoke English, was immensely helpful and phoned my host for directions.  The hostel is a bit bizarre. No sign at all.  You  punch a code for entry, go up a narrow flight of stairs; there are signs of activity inside but nobody actually present.  Still, its worth it because hotel rooms are expensive in Taipei.  Stored my bags and headed out for a walk.  Used my rudimentary Mandarin from time to time.  People look surprised, but they seem to understand what I'm trying to say.  I have this happy illusion of being among friends all the time.  The Starbucks associate took time to hook me up on line which is how I come to be writing this.