out walking

i don't know why, but i keep waking up at 6:30 in the morning. today was pretty nice. the weather was a little bit milder than it's been this week, or maybe i'm learning the secrets of finding a/c and shade. i've started to pay attention to the way shadows fall to figure out what side of the street i should walk on and to figure out what general direction i'm facing.

today i made a trip to the ntu campus to look for more apartment flyers. i found a good one for a studio near technology building station for less than the others i've looked at. i also found out that the toilets in the language center are at the minimum bilingual.



i took a walk to the main library at ntu to see where i'll be spending most of my time in the near future. the basement has a nice air conditioned study room.




it's also five minutes walk from gongguan station and the gongguan night market. i've yet to really eat anything in the night markets here this time. i did have the stinky tofu last time i was here, but with all the rushing around, i feel like i'm entitled to a more substantial dinner than night market food.

i've also discovered a nice quiet place in the city on the ninth floor of the sogo fuxing store. there's a japanese rock garden and big windows with a view of the city. you can sit down here and eat a snack or just take off your shoes and lounge around. it's kind of a rarity finding a place like this. starbucks works, but i always feel compelled to buy something.





i've been meaning to compile a list of random observations:

1. no public trash cans. they have trash shelves when there are any places to put trash at all.

2. i saw two people on a scooter today holding, not towing, a dolly loaded with a box down a busy street.

3. middle aged women will take your seat in a food court and your place in line at the bank. i need to be more assertive.

4. fidgeting and looking up at ads on the mrt or in the stations makes you look like you just landed.

5. if you speak english, you can get ice water served to you in a large mug at starbucks. if you speak mandarin, you get ice water served to you in a tiny paper cup.

6. when on the sidewalk, don't look up with your mouth open unless you like the taste of water dripping off an a/c unit. better still, don't look up because you look like you just landed. more importantly, you should be walking in the shade under the awning.