07.21.2009 Taipei Vihara

3:00 pm. I decided to not have any plans today and it resulted in nothing. I guess I’m going to go and wander the streets for a bit until dinner time!

6:00 pm Nothing exciting out doors either. Well at least nothing I can show you. There were kids playing in a park and an old man playing chess in front of his store on the sidewalk.

I tried to bargain, I guess it is pretty easy to do. The lady was selling me a shirt for 390NT and a belt for 250NT so I made a look and grunted and pouted and before I could do the math she said 600NT. There was a necklace involved as well that was worth 150NT and so I just looked on and said, "Well..." and she changed her mind to 100NT. I wonder if I actually haggled my way I would have been able to pay even less. (Or if I stood and frowned long enough) But I guess this subtle, virtually non verbal bargaining works too. It also doesn't give away the fact that my chinese is poor.

8:00 pm. I'm flying tomorrow morning back to Japan. I sort of wish I could stay in Taiwan longer. If so, I think I'd go back to see my sis. I have begun to think in Chinese so my comprehension and speaking is becoming more and more fluid -which is useless because I'm going to Tokyo now.

I just packed my luggage, and it is full! I don't believe it. Well I kind of do, but still, I am going to place the blame on my sister. When I went to Kaoshiung to see her, I went with one bag and a lighter luggage. When I left Kaoshiung, I had two bags and a much heavier luggage. What's worse is that when I left Canada, my luggage was already on the heavy side. They had to put a Heavy tag on it. So I think when I leave Taiwan tomorrow I am going to have to pay for overweight luggage. Or get rid of the instant noodles and candy... OK. I am not going to buy anything (much) when I go to Japan. I am not going to buy anything (much) when I go to Japan. I am not going to buy anything... much... I just hope the overweight fee isn't per pound and is just an overall price like in Canada.

Oh, and for the record, the bed here is 3.5 flips. So like a 1.75 roll.

I also think I found the scuttling bug I discovered in the beginning of my week in Taipei. It's in the washroom now and I saw him crawl into the floor-hole that drains the water. Yuck. Drainage hole? Whatever it's called. I'm good as long as he doesn't end up in my bed, or in my hair.