Garbage and Recycling and Stalkers

There’s also a very different system here for waste disposal and recycling. Both are very interesting. The garbage trucks here are much smaller and more abundant than the ones back home. Unlike the lone huge one in Peterborough. There can’t be more then one of them at the rate it takes them to everyone’s garbages. Anyway the ones here sing. Very loudly. It’s a different tune wherever you go. In my city, it’s Fur Elise. Which, you know, kind of cool when I first got here. Then it drove me dangerously close to insanity. Because there are a lot of them and sometimes you get a fugue going, which likewise is pretty cool at first, but then five minutes later when it’s still going, all you want to do is jump out the window. The first time I actually saw one of these babies, I was shocked at how small it was. Then I was scared for two reasons: one, it was way too loud up close and I was scared I’d lose my hearing and two, it wouldn’t stop and almost ran me over. They do stop though. Well, more like slow down. Then people have to bring their garbage to it if they want to get rid of it. It’s more like a bus for garbage. If you miss it, you have to wait for the next one. I also had a near death experience with one of these again when I was walking home from the MRT (Mass Rapid Transportation) and I have to walk through a labyrinth of alleys to get home. One fo the Americans decided to stalk me on my way home because we both get off at the same MRT station and I just read my play to the class and then he wanted to know where I lived. Which is kind of creepy, considering he’s from Pennsylvania. But everything turned out okay because I made a lot of confusing tuns and lost him. I guess I’ll find out tomorrow if he ever made it home. So I entered the first alley and heard a garbage truck. Whatever, it’s probably on one of the main roads. No. I was almost out when I saw the flashing lights nd it appeared out of nowhere like Jareth or the Pit of Eternal Stench, more accurately. And it cut me off and then, of course, this time it decides to stop and when I tried to go around, it started moving again and almost ran me over. The person driving it must have gone blind with the excessive noise. I eventually got away and arrived home with my life.

Recycling’s a lot more fun! Once a week, my host mom asks me to help her bring the recycling down to the basement of the apartment building where we sort it. The basement is also the underground parking lot so whenever a car comes in, red lights start flashing and sirens go. I have no idea why. I think it’s to warn anyone that might be walking around that there’s a car coming, or worse, a scooter. Because, in the words of Elf, ‘The yellow ones don’t stop.’ Well, in this case it’s the little ones that don’t stop. But the yellow ones don’t stop either. People actually cross the street if scooters are coming but no cars are because the scooters can swerve around you. And you have to watch out when you’re getting off a bus because there’s a whole 1 ½ feet of space between the bus and the sidewalk and scooters will take advantage of it. That was pretty scary the first time that happened to me.

Anyway, so it’s always fun when the alarms go off because it makes me feel like a secret agent sneaking into a top secret basement and I have to leave evidence that I was never there, someone else was and I have to sort the recycling quick, then get out of there before someone sees me. I think I creep my host mom out a bit when I started ducking around corners and inching myself along the walls. She was probably wondering what the heck she thought she was getting into when she allowed her son to go to Florida for the year. I also have to walk behind her when we walk through the market because there’s so many people and scooters and cars and trucks. It makes me feel like a duckling like I did when I used to go shopping with my real mom and sisters. And Kara, the small one’s always at the back, not the front! Oh well, I guess you only have to move back one spot because you’re taller then Chelsea now. Anyway, I felt like quacking one day, so I did. We were walking past the chickens at the time, so I don’t think my host mom noticed it was me. If she did, the thoughts going through her mind were probably something like, ‘only three months until I get to host the nice, normal Hungarian girl.’ Sure, they named a very vicious dragon after her country, but she can’t be much weirder than this crazy Canadian.

There’s also these really tiny ant-like things in my house. They’re everywhere! In my room, the kitchen, the bathroom. At first, I didn’t mind because they weren’t hurting anybody. But then I realize they bite. And the bite is about 100 times the size of their bodies and itch so bad! So now I don’t take food into my room. I thought they left with the first ‘frost’ which was last week when the temperature went below 20 degrees, but no, it’s above 20 again and they’re still here. And it’s not supposed to go below 20 again for a while.

The plans for the country fair are going okay. It’s on November 22 and every country gets their own table and NT$500 to spend. Except the Americans who get 2 tables and NT$1000 because there’s so many of them. But there’s only 4 Canadians, we’re the 4th most represented country here, Americans being first, then the French then the Germans. Then there’s 1 person from every other country. Anyway, the last time we met, it was just me and the 2 guys, both from BC, who suggested we hijack the zamboni from Taipei Arena and build an igloo out of styrofoam. Now, I’m all for that, they’d let us have the zamboni because we’re Canadian, but where would be find enough styrofoam for an igloo? And even if we did, would we stay in budget? There’s a Costco in Neihu, we’ll have to make a field trip. I have yet to see the Costco, but I guess I don’t have a membership.

Anyway, I think I’ve ranted enough. I’m just killing time until it’s late enough to go to bed. If you guys have any suggestions for the country fair, let me know! Also, the peanut butter here is really expensive and it’s too sweet, like the peanut butter in Reese’s Pieces. Yet, the label says it’s from Canada. I miss Skippy. I actually said this out loud and the Americans started laughing at me. Also, let me know if you know of anywhere in Taiwan where I can find excessive amounts of styrofoam. This could be fun!