"never leave home without Betty & Pansy"!

May May May May May... it is the month of May. Next week will mark 2 months of being in Taiwan... also the deadline for renewing the visitor visa and therefore travelling to Hong Kong. So there may be a new blog about a short Hong Kong visit.

I have decided I need to cultivate more joy and fun in my life. It's been going in a slightly negative direction, this here attitude... so now it must stop. Joy joy joy!!! We've been broke, thereby staying indoors... not participating in fun leisurely activities. The teachers tend to complain about scheduling... mostly scheduling... and so I have just been absorbing boredom and complaining. Boo-urns. NOw I say NO MORE!! ;)

Lists are fun...

Things I love about Taiwan:

• How walking to work can look like a badly dubbed ninja movie
• Squid in a basket on the sidewalk
• People of all ages socializing in the park outside our apartment door
• The roof
• Orchids flowering with ease
• $680 rent
• Scooter the cat
• Not having the daily stresses of managing many people
• The weather (even when it's raining)
• Small earthquakes that don't cause damage
• The plethora of small alleyways full of the great unknown
• Bizarre illegible food labels
• Hilarous signs
• Nice people that don't speak English
• Cheap plants
• Amazing yoga students
• Beautiful yoga studio to teach at...
• Lemon-mint frappe (dubbed "Yoga frappe") from Margeurites
• Peggy's cappucino
• Many opportunities for amazing photos
• Random temples
• Good fruit
  
• The smell of incense on the streets
• Learning Mandarin
• Having a reason for always being naked around the apartment (it's too hot)
• Travel to other Asian countries being cheap and easy (!!!)
• Finding better furniture for free
• Walking around with a stack of 100s (100NT is $3.50)
• Being in the FUTURE
• Having a reason to take YREC's Yoga History and Philosophy course
  

Things I miss from home:

• Tea (that doesn't taste like a flower's ass)
  
• Kensington market
• The smell of Nag champa
• My buddies (laughing until it hurts my insides)
• Teaching yoga at PA-Kensington (you guys rule!)
• OM parties (a.k.a. dancing until I can't move)
• Practicing at Jivamukti
• Sheena
• Seeing my Mom
• A refridgerator that works (a.k.a. food that doesn't go bad in a day)
• Mosquitoe-free living
• Biking down the streets of Toronto on a sunny day
• Ease in general
  
• Taking the deposits/going for coffee with Alison
• Going for breakfast on Saturday mornings
• Queen Video
• The ease of bleaching my hair at random
• Tattoos by Jake
• Expendable income
• Banking options
• TV options (more than 5 English-speaking channels)
• The playstation

Now I must go wash my face and get ready to teach some HOT yoga! Updates on the complaint list of my last blog ---> I have to send a letter to my home branch to continue the investigation regarding the forged cheque and getting my money back...still on my to do list.... My back is feeling much better and I am starting my yoga practice again today... Yay!! ...That's all I can remember. Oh, and Ryan's Mommy is sending a money order to pay for our new camera. She is my new hero!!

Talk to you soon. LOVE love love. -n.