heya guys!
well basically this world would be a blog of what i'll be doing in taiwan for the nxt month or so, will be leaving for taiwan on the 24th, so this world will be filled with pics and stuff of what i did every day for the nxt few wks XD

blah blah blah

hmmm lets see what did i do today XD
well went out checked out the shops and walked into this weird shop with cat meows as a music XD and all the shop sold has things thats cat related XD
saw lots of cute asian chicks again XD and saw the odd two or three americans here and there, probably tourists =p

well not much else happend today, came back early, had pizza for dinner and stayed at home atm XD hahaha oh and getting annoyed by my 4 yr old cousin who pulled out the cable connected to the pc therefore shutting down the thing =.= had to re-type my post on wretch and here etc etc but he's getting spanked by his mom atm (i can hear his cry from the room) poor kid, oh well, he asked for it XD

mmmmm sushi

well i kinda 4got to add my post wednesday so gota make a post about what happend then =p

hmmm lets see, got a haircut (no more emo hair ><) went to those sushi restuarants that u only see in anime XD man ate soooo much, gota take a pic of the sushi place the next time i go there hehe and i bought so many clothes, wanted to buy a new cellphone but only gona go the electronics store in the wknd

well thats about what i did on wednesday XD

I MADE IT!!!!!!!!

lol my flight to taiwan was such a long one =_=
almost didnt board the next flight coz our previous flight was late and such, man running from gate 1 to gate 18 in under 5 minutes is tiring XD
and after arriving at taiwan, i found out that my luggage isn't here yet coz they couldnt load it onto the plane on time, so i gota wait till tomoro for the luggage to arrive

well at least the flight wasn't so bad, so many asian chicks in the plane ^^
and after arriving at my aunts place, rested, ate, showered, we went shopping, bought so many clothes in the first hour XD oh and saw lots of cute asian chicks XD

well wanted to take pics but camera was out of power and needed the charger (which is in the luggage and hasnt arrived yet) so gota wait a bit b4 i start posting pics here as well

culture

here are some cultural taboos that taiwan shares with some asian countries. well if ur planning to visit taiwan then have a look just to be on the safe side, unless u want to make every taiwanese hate u.

* Some Taiwanese are superstitious about anything connected with dying – unlucky things should never be mentioned.

* Do not write people's names in red. This again has connotations of death. When writing someone's English name, this is not a problem, but avoid writing Chinese names in red.

* Do not whistle or ring a bell at night. This is an "invitation to ghosts".

* Do not point at cemeteries or graves. This means disrespect to the deaths.

* There are numerous taboos dictating that certain objects shouldn't be given to others, often because the word for that object sounds like another unfortunate word:
o Umbrellas, which in Mandarin sound the same as the word for "break up". Friends should therefore never give friends umbrellas. Instead, friends will euphemistically "rent" each other umbrellas for a tiny amount (NT$1, for example).
o Clocks. The phrase "to give a clock" ("song zhong"), in Mandarin, has the same sound as the word "to perform last rites." If you do give someone a clock, the recipient may give you a coin in return to dispel the curse.
o Shoes. Never ever offer shoes as a gift to old people, as it signifies sending them on their way to heaven. This is acceptable only if by mutual arrangement it is nominally sold, where the receiving party gives a small payment of about 10 TWD.
o Knives or sharp objects, as they are made for or could be used to hurt the person.

* The Taiwanese are certainly not puritanical and enjoy a drink, especially the locally brewed Taiwan Beer and Kaoliang. However, Taiwan does not have a culture of heavy drinking and is rare to see anyone drunk on the streets. While over indulging in alcohol is not a social taboo as such (and some people do so at weddings), it is considered a sign of lack of self-confidence and immaturity, and doing so certainly won't gain you any respect among Taiwanese friends.

* You are expected to remove your shoes before entering a house. You will find some slippers to be worn by visitors next to the entrance door. It is likely to be the same ritual for bathrooms and balconies where you will be expected to remove your slippers to wear a pair of plastic sandals (though it is less shocking not to use the sandals by then).

* In public places, especially in Southern Taiwan, physical contacts of any sorts should be avoided.

* As you will get along with Taiwanese people, you are very likely to receive small presents of any sorts. This will be drinks, food, little objects... These are a very convenient way to lubricate social relations for Taiwanese people, and are specially commons betweens friends in their 20s. You should reply to any such presents with something similar, but it does not need to be immediate, or specific to the person (i.e. keep it simple). As a teacher you are not expected to offer anything in return (i.e. in a classroom environment) as long as the relationship stays formal. However beware of the sometime overly generous parents who can go as far as offering presents running in the thousands of NT$ and who will then expect you to take special care of their child (understand that their expectations will be considered as fair in Taiwanese culture).

* You are not expected to tip in hotels, restaurants and taxis, though bellhops may still expect NT$50 or so for carrying your luggage.

* If you should need to use a temple's washroom, bow to any statues of deities you see on the way whether or not you believe in them. While most people will not mind you using the temple's washroom, they expect you to treat their place of worship with respect.

a bit about taiwan

Well I decided to do a bit on Taiwan for those who don't know where it is and such

Taiwan is an island in East Asia.The main island of Taiwan, also known as Formosa (from Portuguese (Ilha) Formosa, meaning "beautiful (island)"), is located in East Asia off the coast of China, southwest of the main islands of Japan but directly west of the end of Japan's Ryukyu Islands, and north-northwest of the Philippines. It is bound to the east by the Pacific Ocean, to the south by the South China Sea and the Luzon Strait, to the west by the Taiwan Strait and to the north by the East China Sea. The island is 394 kilometers (245 miles) long and 144 kilometers (89 miles) wide and consists of steep mountains covered by tropical and subtropical vegetation.

Taiwan is not usually high on the list of destinations for Western tourists. Perhaps this is because the island's international reputation has been shaped more by its IT prowess and longstanding political disputes with mainland China than its culture or tourism, and so many assume that there is very little, if anything, of interest for the casual visitor. However, despite this general perception, Taiwan actually boasts some very impressive scenic sites, and Taipei is a vibrant center of culture and entertainment. The island is also a center of Chinese pop culture with a huge and vibrant entertainment industry. Taiwanese cuisine is also highly regarded among other Asians.