Just Call Me Dai or (My New Posse Part 2)

02.23.2009 9:41 PM

Where in the World is D Today?



I am totally stoked today. Actually yesterday was when I reached maximum stokeage. Let me introduce you to Shaq (wearing glasses), Pie and Cindy. This is really my posse if that term could be applied. Posse doesn't quite fit. I would term us more as a Taiwanese version of "Friends", but better. Who is who? I couldn't tell you. But if we were to divide the parts/characters I know Cindy has dibs on the Rachel character.





They are fast becoming my closest friends here in Taiwan. I look forward to seeing them. And I will be so glad when I have a phone and can call or get called to say, "see you at Starbucks around 8." When we're together we laugh a lot and that's so important.


So why just call me Dai? That is my new Chinese name Dai Ge Chi. Dai means Darryl, Ge (pronounced guh) describes my spirit - fighting, energetic, active and Chi (pronounced more like chur) means wisdom. Each of them chose a character that they thought fit my personality. I just about made me cry when they told me that. Dangit, how cool is that?!



I have a new little brother in Timmy and some great friends that I am bonding with in a special way. I can seriously see me staying in contact with these wonderful people for many years to come.

My New Posse (Part 1 Timmy and Crew)

Where in the World is D Today?

Marveling at nice Taiwan Teens are.

A few days ago I introduced you to Timmy. He was the GREAT kid I met in Starbucks. On Saturday Timmy introduced me to some of his friends. We hung out during the day. We hung out during the day taking turns learning.

It was a good day! I'll get there names up tomorrow. Starbucks internet crashed on me while doing this and well lets say I'm frustrated right now.

These are GREAT kids.




From left to right we have Vicki, Paul, Timmy, and me. In the back is Nalin and Alan.




Standing outside a McDonalds is Me and Alan. I have to tell you here that I had my first "unusual" food experience during my time with them, more specifically while sitting next to Alan at lunch. We were sitting having some sort of noodles, I just ordered off the picture. When Alan leans over and says, "Do you know what the meat is in the middle?" I honestly had not thought about it until that point. He starts to tell me and IMMEDIATELY shush him. On this little adventure of mine, I'm taking a U.S. Military approach; Don't Ask, Don't Tell. I liked it well enough, don't spoil it. (I did ask later, when I thought I was ready, what it was. Pig lungs. With a little spicy sauce it was pretty good. There wasn't a lot of meat in it so what the big deal. I liked it just fine.





Here again we have Paul, Vicki and Timmy in front, with Nalin and me in the back. During our cultural/language exchange for the day we went shopping at Sogo's. (I have to go back and video take the clock and post it. It was, say it with me "AWESOME"!.) Sogo's is what I would call a High End Macy's or Kohls. It is 11 stories!! We got on an Elevator that had a glass view to the outside. They were so nice to stand in front of it so I didn't faint. (People who know me, know I have this thing about heights. I'm better, but 11 stories is frickin' high! So not awesome.) At Sogo's we shopped for a topper for my bed. And we went to the arcade. I played a Teiko drums game. It was cool. So no pics. Next time I promise. We also went and saw The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. I liked it OK, but the themes were too deep for us to try to discuss. That would be a tough movie many American high schoolers to discuss.



After the movie Vicki, Nalin and Paul needed to go home. So it was down to me, Timmy and Alan. We just walked around looking for a place I could rent movies and eventually ended back at Starbucks. The day had gone full circle. Timmy took great care of his new friend in me and of his old friends. I am thankful for the day with them. It was extra special. I hope that I was of some help with their English. I know I picked up a little Chinese. They all were eager to help me and gentle. Chinese is hard folks! Some of the sounds are so similar and we don't have some of these sounds in English if you've never seen a Chinese movie or had the pleasure of listening to a conversation.

Chinese is a very pretty language. The more I hear it, the more I want to learn it. And with a little help from my friends, I'm confident I will.

Starbucks in my spot!

02.11.2009 10:39p.m.

Where in the World is D Today?

Making new friends at Starbucks!

Corporate America and Globalization ain't all bad.

As I have noted I do not have internet access in my apartment. So I couldn't take it anymore. I walked in to my friendly neighborhood starbucks and purchased WiFly for the next month. It was $500 dollars, and worth every penny to get me out of the house and something to do after work. But the great thing is tonight I met some new people. All of which came up to me, sort of. It was, say it with me, AWESOME! Let me introduce them to you.

First let me introduce you to Coke, yeah you read that right. I didn't ask.

Anyway, Coke was the young man that I met when I first got here. He set up my computer to use WiFly at Starbucks. Here's how it works. You buy a card with a password on it. When you get that put in on your computer, it sends you another password to your phone. Well I don't have a phone and can't get one until I have an Alien Resident Certificate. (It's Taiwans version of a Green Card) So good ol' Coke has it sent to his cell phone. Big, Bang, Boom, I'm on and rockin' and rollin'.


While Coke is getting me set up Timmy was watching from across the way. Timmy is a high school senior. Timmy just walks right over and asks to sit down.
OF Course!! We talk and joke for a good long time. I show him my facebook and blog. Some pics I have stored and are posting as I have time at work. He wants to share too, so I let him on my laptop and he shows me his blog and lots of pics of his friends. It was pretty cool. I decide I want to get to work writing and stuff. You know I went to Starbucks so I could get on the internet. But I just love this kid and have to have a picture. Enter Kirin and her sisters.

I noticed Kirin laughing at me a couple of times as I badly mispronounce some Chinese that Timmy is trying to teach me. Hey, it's part of the new language gig! Kirin immediately comes across as having a nice, fun spirit so I have her take a picture of me and Timmy. Timmy so does NOT want to do the typical Asian peace sign thing, because it's too girly so we get our thug mugs on, sort of. I'm still working on it.
Kirin is being so sweet so I ask her to take a picture with me. Kirin is like,"I am girly" so I play along and there you have this goofy picture of me and her.

We stand talking in the middle of Starbucks for several minutes when I finally just ask to sit. So of course I meet her sisters who are with her. Kirin, wearing green, is the most fluent in speaking English, but I discovered that they all understand English very well. Claire, where pink is a Teacher and the Elder sister. And Ray, wearing red, used to be a teacher, but is now studying Art Therapy if I'm not mistaken. They all loved to laugh and joke around. It was a great time.

I got to Starbucks a little before 8 and the girls have to leave around 10:15. OK, finally I can sit and write. Nope, Starbucks close at 10:30!! What?! Everything in this town stays open just about all night, but Starbucks closes at 10:30. Go Figure.









But "My Boy" Coke, tells me there's a Mos Burger that has a WiFly connection that stay open 24hrs. just down the street. Cool! So here I am telling you all about this Great evening I had sitting at the 24hr. Mos Burger. I had a Sprite and some fries. I'm sure they have burgers but, I'm just not that hungry.

This was so not the original topic of todays blog. But this was even better. AND I have semi-instant access. Hurray for me!

Rail against Corporate greed all you want. But thanks to Starbucks and it's wisdom in hiring good - caring people like Coke, I was able to make some new friends, in a new place, when I had none.