Return of Intern Diaries: 長榮鳳凰礁溪酒店

First hour on the job and before my brain can adjust to the Chinese language again, I am climbing on hands and knees through a crawl space in a bat and spider infested cave, bat dung glistening green like small gem stones hidden within the blackest browns of mud. It reminded me of this rock from the Studio Ghibli movie, Whisper of the Heart, the brilliant green below peaking it’s way out,struggling to reveal it’s true self. Continue reading Return of Intern Diaries: 長榮鳳凰礁溪酒店

The Intern Diaires: Dinner Plans with Japan

I live with the Yilan County’s Children’s Folklore and Folkgame Festival’s International performers in a dorm in Sanxing. ( the internet connection here is absolutely terrible, which has made blogging regularly quite difficult). Since I’ve been in Sanxing I have lived with: Armenia, Mexico, Indonesia, Thailand, Japan, Taiwan, Bolivia, India, Philippines, Russia, Hungary, Guam, Korea, Hong Kong, Turkey, Serbia, and I’ve only met one other American who has been living in Taiwan for the last 20 years (his Chinese was off the hook!), and presently I am the only American living in the dorms.

It’s a bit like being at home surrounded in diversity, and let me tell you…it’s been pretty amazing. Continue reading The Intern Diaires: Dinner Plans with Japan

lunch in luodong: 藝境空間 X 虎咖啡 “how a cafe taught me to love a broken thing”

When I first stumpled upon 藝境空間 X 虎咖啡, I thought it was an art studio of some sort…

And since I am a huge clutz in Taiwan (almost got hit by a scooter, always stumple riding my bike, and tripped on a rock the other day), I was a tad afraid to approach such a beautiful building…

Stumbling in Taiwan seems to be my calling: I stumble over my words and my own feet as a traverse this town. Continue reading lunch in luodong: 藝境空間 X 虎咖啡 “how a cafe taught me to love a broken thing”

The Intern Diaries: A little lonely in Luodong; learning to be confident alone in a foriegin land

I don’t like the word lonely.

When I was in high school, no one really talked to me, and I didn’t really try to talk to anyone — when I did I often failed to make the connection, and feeling disappointed and depressed, I would withdraw into my books — a little bit like Sophie in her gray dress wandering the streets, hiding her face, and hoping not to be seen. Continue reading The Intern Diaries: A little lonely in Luodong; learning to be confident alone in a foriegin land