Scene: at an herbal shop here in Taiwan, telling the shop owner what herbs I wanted to make a formula for a friend. I was there with Annie, who translated for me the herbal shop owner's Taiwanese. (I only know Mandarin Chinese.)

Herbal Shop Owner (HSO) (looking over the list of herbs): OK. Please write down your name and number here for accounting purposes.
Me (a little hesitant): Uh, OK.
HSO (looking me over): I have a nephew who lives in Tennessee who is looking for a wife. You're speaking English with your friend here ... you're from the States, right? How old are you?
Me (shocked and unable to respond properly): Err ... I'm 28 ... and um ... well, I live in Texas, and Tennessee is rather far from Texas, sir.
HSO: But it's in the United States, and that's where he is.
Me: Well, the United States is pretty big, sir - see, if this is the U.S. (drawing a big circle in the air), then Tennessee is here, and Texas is here.
HSO: Ah ... so it's like mainland China?
Me: Yes, sort of like that, yes sir.
HSO: Well, he's looking for a girl who's tall and skinny like you.
Me: Uh, well, uh, haha, well sir, I know I'm kinda skinny, but I'm definitely not tall.
HSO: Sure you are! You're taller than I am! (He steps around the counter to stand beside me, and indeed I am taller than him by like 1 cm.) My nephew is like 10 cm taller than me. And he's a [insert profession here, I can't remember what it was]. He is having a hard time finding a girlfriend over there.
Me (just trying to think of things to say ... and just wanting my herbs so I can get out of here!): Oh well sir, um, I'm glad you think I'm worthy. (What the hell was I thinking?!)
HSO: You guys would be great together. I can give you his contact information, and you two can be friends.
Me: Oh, no thank you sir, that's okay. Well, thanks for the herbs (FINALLY!!), bye!
HSO (as we're literally running out the door, shouting after us): Hey!! He makes 400,000 a month!!!

Me (in English): Girl, I'm feeling weak. Can I get a warm drink somewhere?
Alex (also in English): Sure, um, hmm, they'll have 'em at a 7-11. But, I don't know where they are around here ...
Me (in Chinese to some random people): Excuse me, do you know if there's a 7-11 around here somewhere? (The key part of the blooper here is that I said "7-11" in Chinese as well, like pronouncing the individual numbers, "qi1 shi2 yi1")
Random people (in Chinese): What?
Me (louder, trying to pronounce more clearly, in Chinese): Is there a 7-11 around here? A 7-11? (How are they not understanding such simple Chinese?! My Chinese isn't THAT bad!!)
Random people (with totally confused looks on their faces): Hunh?
Alex (intervening): Oh, she means a Seven-Eleven (pronouncing 7-11 in English).
Random people: OHHHHHHH there's one right over there.

=====

Alex: They call them just Seven-Elevens here, or people even just call them "Seven"s. For example, "Where's the Seven?"
Me (stunned): OK. I feel stupid. There I was almost shouting "7-11" at them in Chinese like they were retards.

[ Chinese website (cuter) ] [ N. American website ]

=====

Onto my mission for today - I want to get my stuff all moved over to my uncle's place, somewhat slightly closer to the "action". My goal is to get there without fainting. Feeling much better though. Onwards with my strict Super Supau diet!

So I landed in Taiwan on Friday, participated in the obligatory drinking for Alan's bday, and then Saturday toured around some and ate whatever vegetarian street food I could lay my hands on. Come Sunday, starting bright and early (5 am-ish) I came down with sumpin' truly terrible - basically, it was a 19+ hour ordeal all day fighting unwanted and violent fluid loss. I shall leave out the gory details. I have trained my non-TCM friends in some modalities (no, not the actual act of needling - I have yet to trust any non-TCM friends with needling me), and they have been so so kind in playing nurse to my weak Americanized @$$. (Oh yes, the s*** and @$$ jokes will be going for awhile.) That's me at the right, laying face down, getting some treatment.

Today I thought I was feeling better and was going to do some sightseeing - Tina hooked me up with all these great Taipei travel tips before coming here - but I was sidetracked by light-headedness and general malaise. I *finally* went out tonight for a bit, fulfilled my wish to ride the MRT system by myself, but after running one errand, I promptly went home and, sick of my pitiful condition, asked my friends to take me to the hospital. I have been prescribed, if you can believe it, Super Supau (a type of sports drink), and no food for the next 2 days, along with some meds. Lovely.

Looks like my mission to gain lots of weight and eat stinky tofu at every turn has experienced a major setback.

Some pics are uploading here. Don't know why the comments aren't showing up. Grr. Will fix that later. I'm gonna let 'em upload, finish up tonight's dose of Super Supau, and hit the sack.

There are 3 more things on my to-do list tonight before I can hit the sack, and I can't tell what one of them is (curse my chickenscratch!). And at this point I don't care. The sandman beckons. Oh how heavy my eyelids are getting ...

Almost there. Alllllmost there!!!!!!

Thanks to everyone who helped relieve a LOT of the impending stress today.

Hey, Hello Kitty fans! (I know you're out there!) ;)


(all pics from EVA Air website)

EVA Air has a Hello Kitty jet! And they're on version 2 - not being a hardcore Kitty fan, I wasn't aware there was a version 1!



The website is only in Chinese and Japanese. So my question is: can you actually book a flight based on wanting to be aboard the Hello Kitty jet?

Just saw this blurb in English:

"The colorful special-edition EVA Airbus 330-200 sequel is painted nose-to-tail with super-sized Hello Kitty characters cast as airline crew and staff. 

"A beaming Kitty in an EVA cabin-attendant uniform welcomes passengers onboard while Daniel confidently stands next the cockpit outfitted as one of the airline’s captains, ready to whisk families on merry flights to fun-filled destinations.  The perky Tippy bear wears a chef’s hat and holds a spoon, prepared to create Evergreen Sky Catering’s gourmet treats.  Teddy and Joy as maintenance professionals ensure that the Kitty Jet is in tip-top shape.  Tim, also in a maintenance uniform, makes sure nothing has been overlooked from the right wing while Tammy as a cabin attendant exudes friendly composure from the left wing.  Fiffy, Cathy the rabbit and Rory the squirrel are all colorfully clothed as EVA ground staff, escorting passengers onboard the Kitty Jet Version 2.

(I'm trying to figure out who's who here ... so uh, who's Fiffy?)

"... The cabin interior is a fantasy land with sweet Hello Kitty paintings on the walls, and friendly flight attendants wearing Hello Kitty ribbons in their hair and Hello Kitty aprons.  The Hello Kitty fun starts at check-in and lasts until luggage is claimed just as it does on EVA’s original Kitty Jet. Passengers get pink Hello Kitty boarding passes and luggage tags.  Service onboard is accompanied by Hello Kitty accessories.  Menu choices include Hello Kitty meals with special Kitty ice cream, and passengers have access to exclusive EVA Hello Kitty duty-free shopping. "

I want to ride this jet and take pictures of EVERYTHING. :)

Any more of this last-minute shiznit and I'm gonna explode. This is ridiculous!

ARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I AM NEVER DRINKING COFFEE AT NIGHT AGAINNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

!@#$!@%!%@#$^#$^#$&!$%@#$%$%^*%(%$^#$@%#$%!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Having too much random fun with the camera. Abercrombie borrowed from Alex. Inspired by Frances. Cap from the bro (new pic, btw).



My captions would be:
"Darn it, when is that person gonna get off the toilet?! I gotta go!!"
"Plotting world domination is always better with a teddy bear."
Hmm, can't think of any others at the moment.

Make me laugh.

Afterthought: I just realized that the hoodie says "92", which was a year in which my life changed course in many ways. I moved to a new city, a new country. I abruptly went from junior high to senior high. I also went from having friends to having none, from being generally liked to being the target of jeering, from being happy-go-lucky to having daily peer pressure flung at me like dung from all directions.

It is so true, that what doesn't kill you, only serves to make you stronger. And I know many had it worse than me. And they are some of the strongest people I know.

[ / moody afterthought ]

Now make me laugh!!

While reading up on Ted Haggard today, I couldn't help but notice that he looked like SOMEBODY ...

Finally I put my finger on it. "Stiffler" from American Pie. Duh!!