About this blog

I am terrible at using chopsticks, no matter who shows me, and no matter how hard I try. I was born left-handed but the nuns beat me until I learned to write with my right hand, and anything requiring a lot of dexterity remains a challenge. Maybe months and months of living in Taiwan will help me get it... or I will lose lots of weight and probably will accidentally leave behind a few forks. It's all good.

Tuesday, August 31, 2010

Going back to Taiwan

I'm scheduled to fly back to Taiwan on September 8... the EVA Air flight takes off at 2 am local time and arrives at 5:45 am local time on September 9 (yes, you lose an entire day)! The flight takes almost 13 hours but the time change is 15 hours... it's actually easier on the body than traveling to the UK, I think.

I am booked into coach on this trip so I will get to try that class of food this time. (On my first trip to Taiwan, I got free upgrades to Premium Laurel (first) class on the way to Taiwan and business class on the way home; the food was excellent in every way, if somewhat odd sometimes).

This trip will be a month long, and is primarily meant to train me in the processes used by HTC, to introduce me to everyone, and to get me started on my work. I'll be returning October 9th.

I've discovered that there's an IKEA in central Taipei and I'll be headed there within the first 24 hours. On my list:
  • a non-feather pillow and duvet (the ones in the suite are all feathers, and I am allergic)
  • a cheap set of silverware, a sharp knife, and a few bowls
  • an electric fan
  • a pair of scissors (too hard to travel with, too hard to live without)
  • those unbelievably good crispy oat chocolate-dipped cookies
  • Swedish meatballs!
I can't get anything too heavy at IKEA because I have to transfer three times on the MRT (green line from Dapinglin, then red line at Guting, then change to the blue line at Taipei Main Station, then change to the orange line at Zhongxiao Fuxing, then get off finally at Nanjing E. Road and walk one block) -- it will be an adventure for sure!

I have to admit that I am considering freezing a couple quarts of spaghetti sauce and/or chili to take with me. I just can't imagine living completely without those foods for a month. Insane? Sensible? What do you think?

UTENSIL(s): None

2 comments:

  1. Julia, I didn't know that you were blessed by being born correct-handed.
    I am sorry you were forced to write with your wrong hand.
    We lefties (you still count as one) are much more fortunate that those wrong-handed folks because we are so brilliant that we have learned to do everything forwards AND backwards.

    We are more creative, yet have more depression. We are imaginative compared to the wrong-handed types, yet sometimes are imaginations become delusions.

    We are fewer in number and have to deal with being a creative, competent, imaginative, brilliant, helpful, industrious, and fashionable minority.

    "When the left side of the brain controls the right side of the body, only left-handed people are in their right mind."

    Left-On!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thanks for this nice comment. I already struggled with this once, when learning to throw pottery on a wheel... did you know that standard pottery wheels are set up for right-handed people? It's easy enough on all but the cheapest wheels to reverse the spin!

    My teacher taught me how to throw right-handed first, because that arm is definitely stronger, but after 12 weeks of throwing 10-12 hours a week and finally getting to where I could reliably pull some basic forms, we switched the wheel and I learned all over again.

    It is easier for me to center clay right-handed (requires strength) but the work I make with my left hand is prettier, a nicer shape, which makes me think that my BRAIN still has stronger ability on that side, just not my muscles.

    It can be damned difficult sometimes to be cross-trained. LOL

    ReplyDelete