NCCU is kinda ghetto, at least my residence is. But it's still cozy, and my roommate is quite nice =). There is around 20 exchange students, and two who are visibly asian (including me). I guess I'm surprised that so many europeans chose Taiwan because they just wanted something different. NCCU is located on this street of restaurants and food vendors. Contrary to my belief that there would be a cafeteria here, my roommate told me there isnt one and people just find lunch and dinner on that one street. So I guess there isnt much to do at NCCU except choosing restaurants to eat at. But at least I have some exchange students to help me along =). The exchange students are actually mostly Graduate students, but they are mostly only one or 2 years older than me (except for the odd 36 year old from Korea). I never knew that so many people did graduate school right after undergrad. And in Finland, people actually go straight into their Masters after high school, and its paid by the government =). I learn something new everyday.

Some funny stories I experienced with some exchange students are:
Eating at a restaurant, but only knowing the worder chicken rice and pork rice, and then picking one to order by the price. Then Eric from Netherlands (after about half finished the meal) asks " is this chicken supposed to be so cold". Apparently he ordered the chinese white cold chicken with the bones and skin, but he still said it was great food although not finishing his plate =P.

While we were eating, Tung from Finland needed to run outside because his friends just walked by the restaurant, and the slides the door open by force, later finding out its those special automatic doors where you just need to tap the plastic sensor and it will slide open.

I heard another funny story from the guys from the Netherlands. They went to eat Hotpot, and saw a plate at their table, so they decided to take it to the counter to pick up food to cook. They are greeted by someone that keeps yelling "NO NO" at them, and saying the plate they are holding is for their garbage.

kekeke...

The English classes here are quite interesting because the students do not know English very well. Even I, the quiet one in Schulich, can speak up. I think the other local students are even more shy than I am to answer questions. Yay confidence booster. But I am having a bit of trouble understanding lectures because you must concentrate to be able to make out the words the professor is using. I'm just not used to their accents.

Visiting Taichung was fun. It took 3 hours to get there by bus, but my aunt picked me up at the station, so I wasnt totally lost. My buddy was supposed to take my to the Taipei station, but she bailed because she had this meeting. So I try myself. I get on the 236 bus, and keep waiting for the screen to say TAIPEI STATION, but it never does and then I find that I am all alone on the bus. The driver is yelling something. I dont know what to reply. I go to him and say 'Taipei station', but he doesnt understand. I try again in Mandarin, and he says this bus doesnt go there because it circles back to where I got on now. Apparently there are two types of 236 buses, Yay~. So I have to get off and take the subway. I take the subway, but when I get to Taipei station, I still have to find the coach buses. Luckily I have this chinese sentence my roommate wrote me asking where that is. So I ask and walk, and see this place with lotsa coach buses, I show them the paper, and they say its not this place. So I keep walking and showing people my paper. I finally find it, it is a very small ticket booth in a small lot, and the buses jsut stop on the street to pick people up. I show the lady my paper to make sure, and she tells me to go walk back to Taipei Station. But that didnt sound right, I guess my paper didnt make sense to her. So everyone else understood and told me to go to the coach place and when I get there the same paper tells the lady to tell me to go back to where I came from. But I say I want to go to Taichung in Mandarin and she gets it. Taichung was fun, I get greeted from my Aunt by taking me to a street vendor and making me try this chicken stick in the car. Its crunchy and yummy, and I ate it all. When we get to her home, Uncle asks me, do I like to eat Chicken Butts. I say not really, I usually dont eat it. Then they start laughing. Guess what? I just ate a whole stick of them and said it tastes great. =P Who knew my aunt and uncle were such jokers.