"Not a bad day overall"

was a good way to describe today. I also had a very interesting though totally unfinished conversation with Connie. Stupid time difference, but it's not so bad--otherwise we both would have been up until 5:00 AM. It raised very interesting points, which I shall mull over in The Taiwan Diaries; I'm into the second volume.

Next post will be the 69th. How can I mark such an august occasion in good taste? Especially as in that time frame I might have to cover a weekly post for the grand'rents... suggestions welcome & comments encouraged as always.

Anyway, as for today... not too much happened, but I fairly had a grand old time of it at times. Life here always has boring & sucky parts, but then there are highlights and you forget about the crap (or rather it ceases to annoy). For example, this morning I got up like a good boy, hopped the Green 2 to Wanfang, and started looking for the choir. It was raining and my shoes got thoroughly soaked, but I didn't find the group in any of the usual locations. In fact, no sign of life did flicker save for two of my classmates whom I saw.

So, I got on the subway back to Nanshijiao. Transferring at Zhongxiao Fuxing I met a teacher from my school who thought I was French Alex. Met the English club, practising for a play. Transferring at Taipei Main Station, I got a call from the music teacher (having called her and not receiving a response at Wanfang). She explained that because there was a "typhoon" (some raind but no wind) all Saturday morning activities were cancelled, but that she neglected to call me.

Thus I hit the 'net a while at home, then went with my little brother and Scott to a movie. It was in Japanese with Chinese subs, though the dialogue through lots of it was not so important to the movie. You could mostly follow it picking out key words from the subs, listening to the tones of voice and watching (except at a key point or two). Scott was bored, but I quite loved it, thought it was a beautiful movie. 'Life & human relationships can be so wonderful,' I thought, irking half my readership. But of course at the end it was sad, with a crying/smile 'life goes on' ending for those left living.

Returning home again, my host brother & I had dinner (our mother is down-island reporting), and then more computers for both of us. I had a mind-straining conversation in Chinese on MSN with a girl, and some good talking with various people online. Such as Connie. But it seems lots of people, like the Collective, were off performing their musical and not online. Got a nice invite from another girl for next Saturday afternoon (as well as one from Scott for tomorrow afternoon which I must decline).

I called my music teacher, because of course, she didn't call me this evening as she had said. She confirmed that we ARE INDEED going to Danshui tomorrow (with the choir) but warned that it would be cold. Coming from a Taiwanese person, this implies it will be hot and any jackets brought will be regretted. So I am not sure what to wear... but finally casual wear as we're not at school. Hooray for the weekend, but I brought too many clothes I can never wear. As always, I urge comments to the max.

Food for thought: What is a 'sheltered' life? What is the ideal life? Post post post. [33 minutes]