Buff Taiwan

My auntie bought a new car for around 37 lakh (44,000USD)
but she told her husband (and others) that it cost only 21 lakh (25,000 dollars)
She bought his car, yet usually she goes by bus , taxi, or evren by walk only because her car is nicely parked in taipei.

So I guess it is a cultual thing, that we taiwanese are so cool.
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I was waiting in the glasses shop today (free of cost)
and then there was a man coming in, asking for having his glasses fixed as well as his watch.
He had such a loud strong voice, 'do you fix watch here as well? No? But I always remember you fix both watches and glasses here!'

'How old are you?' He asked.

'I'm 20'

'Well do you remember that they also fix watch here?'

I laughed and said 'Well I guss not but I am not sure'

So he started to ask 'How come you are not in school today?'
'Well, I just came back from abraod'
'Oh really? from where?'
'ummmmm Pakistan'
'Pakistan!! Do you speak the language there?'
and he became all excited, telling his son that I was from Pakistan.
He was quite positive and happy that he met me.
'So, when did you leave? after junior high?' he asked.
'Oh no, I left after my first semester in HSNU'
'and you haven't called me xue-zhang* yet?'
(*xue-zhang means the elder brother/guys who studied above your class)
I was so amazed'wow, I didn't know...'
'I am from class 31'
'and i am from 1131!'
Then he was trying to find his card and said 'do i have the honor to know you?'
It turned out he is the chief supervisor in the international airport, working for Japan Airlines.
It was a really nice experience, and he made me feel proud about Pakistan.

=)

Taipei Shock

You know living so long in pakistan has some how made me 'less civilized'
I was about to argue with officers in bangkok, when they told us each person had to pay extra airport tax (USD22 for each person)
It is funny how I now get used to raise my voice when something goes wrong.

Another funny thing is that here in taipei people don't think marraiges as such a big deal in their lives.
Yes, I forgot about that.
In Pakistan it is so easy to pick a topic like 'so how is your son? when is he getting married?' but here is a big NO. I asked my aunt, 'so your son has been dating this girl for over 6 years yah? what is his plan?'
by the way my cousin is already 28.
My aunt looked at me in confusion and said 'No way! they never thought of it this way! they are so young!'

Again let me say, people here have a different attitude towards life.
Interesting huh?

and i like this soft tissues we use in the bathroom instead of the rough toilet papers.

I ate so much today, and everyone who saw me today said that i became so pretty =)

Cookie Time

It has been another long time since I last wrote my blog.
Well well, I think many things have changed.


I don't know if we got mad at prof. O for not showing up in synergies (turned out to be agreat time) I guess it is something really small that we shouldn't even bother to get upset with (grow up!) But I guess the fact that people in general don't cross their comfort zone bothered me.

Is white lie better than telling the truth? I don't know, honestly.

I like commaman's courtesy, but I don't know if it works on anyone else.

Oh well, so it really has been a long time.


Now my head is all about LUMS, about material stuff, about how I look, about if I will be able to make friends.
I've been looking for people's expereinces in MBA on internet, just to try getting a grip for fitting in the new culture.

I have even told anut to buy me a suit.

What if I don't get to transfer? Oh well, I really don't know.

DG is in Pakistan now, landed in the morning. He'd come tomorrow.
I remember the time miss Z came, it was just the beginning of this semester.
Well, usually spring semester pass really quickly.


I'm going to bake now (for the graduates)
Ma'am Uzma liked my cookie, I'm happy =)

LUMS

Let's don't talk about how prof.O . =(

Yes we like Lums, everything was nice.
I liked how they had AC everywhere, how the campus was clean, how people don't stare at us...etc.

I'm tired. Bye

Club Thingie

So I guess Palak kinda knew santaji was coming when his message came in like ‘I won’t be free till 5.’
Murtaza was asking why earthwatch had to get approval from the advisor in every decision, isn’t it supposed to be a student environmental club?
I said yes. But this is sadly how things work here.


Palak walked me to the gate, met fancy santaji with nice glasses.

(Okay, I stopped to text for 15 minutes, yes, with my phone that doesn’t work. Now I can’t remember what I was about to say. Messages about setting up a meeting for OCTP, about wrapping the gift, about Earthwatch, about getting a certificate for participation, about M’s grumpy day, about my crappy phone, about me being purple and not yellow….etc)

Palak walked me there, met fancy santaji with nice glasses. Santaji asked palak whether he’d like to join us, and Palak said no he’s not invited. Standing outside the car, I actually didn’t have a diplomatic answer. I knew Palak would be fine with that. And I appreciated Palak for being my sister in everything, including shopping for Helen’s birthday gift. I cherish the trust, so yes, I don’t have any particular answer why I didn’t want Palak to join us. I guess I am bossy and possessive.
I said to santaji ‘You own me this! It’s okay, he’s fine with that. You don’t even know palak, he’s fine. I spend hours with him every day.’ I guess I wanted to focus on santaji, listen to him, and I don’t want to be studied by another friend.
Well, I love friends, I’m a people person. I guess Rene is right in one sense that I don’t treat santaji like how I treat palak. I wouldn’t say it’s not equally nice, it is just different.
I hope to be at ease with people from all walks of life, from all back ground. But the truth is, I think I am a serious happy person. I am practical as well as an idealist. I can act, I know how to react.
Come on, let’s face it. I am a Taiwanese girl, I grew up with books, limited TV time (and then NO TV at all), talents classes. I had always been a popular person among my peers. I have attended so many performances and competitions. I have had amazing friends for my frame of reference. So, the cindy you know, it’s me of course. But there’s also some parts of me that I am not showing.
You know, when I go back to Taiwan in the summer. I will have to ‘package’ myself in front of those Taiwanese friends too.
I love you all, but sometimes I feel when I am with santaji, I am free to be the one cindy that’s not been found in Pakistan. I get to be thinking like the way I am familiar with, I get to be a Taiwanese.

I guess there are parts of you that I don’t understand, and believe me, I’d like to understand.

Santaji asked me why Pakistan? I gave him the truest answer that I don’t think many people know. And I guess, yes, palak is right, I have decided to make santaji my friend. I am like giving him the truest side of me, and I guess I am doing that because I feel secured. And yes I do think that I am imposing myself on him. I guess I’m emotionally occupied. I don’t want that. I want to be happy.

I guess santaji really isn’t as expressive as I thought he’d be, I was a bit pissed because his messages are composed by 90% of lol and 70% of hahahahaha. I asked for happy stories, there were only few.

If I were to tell the latest happy stories, I’d say how Palak came to Mini Market and Main Market with me, or how Prof.O lent me his phone for an hour unlimited messages, or how ZeeB let me present later, or how Bilal let me take the quiz later on Tuesday. And it was real sweet that santaji asked for keeping the ‘information’ I gave him to make balancesheet.

There are things that I consider that ‘I can be’ happy (and thankful) about. Yes I’m saying it it’s more of a habit of deciding whether to be happy, since life is usually sad.
I think however I am spoiled in a way that palak is so ‘obedient and friendly’ :P


Well, I should stop writing cuz it’s getting messy and many things don’t even make sense. I am really happy that I finally got to meet santaji. I finally had a time to be myself. I finally got to hear the stories. It’s like finally finally.


And I laughed real hard today when prof, O questioned my why didn’t I have internet :P
And I really appreciate the fact that all of my friends are trying to appreciate each other. You guys are doing a better job than I am.

So my grumpy day

Monday. April 12th
Well I think it’s always when I act like a kid. I am grumpy when things don’t happen as planned, and no matter how I try to be ‘non-chalant’, I just act the total opposite way.
I worry so much in a sense that even mom says ‘why don’t you just let things happen?’
So I didn’t feel like going to MCOM class today. I am glad that palak said ‘let’s go to class’ twice or maybe 3 times today. And he has learned to be quiet when I am mad at something. He said that to Helen that ‘Don’t worry, yellow is pissed at me everyday’
I seriously need to call a ‘I’m sorry’ meeting, I really am but I just can’t help it.


I need my space. I don’t want my emotions to be messed up.

I don’t want to feel upset when someone couldn’t sneak out from his office to have coffee with me.
I don’t want to calculate how many days have passed since somebody has spend how many minutes last time we met.
It’s all so tiring.


The first thing is, yes, palak is with me daily. I should cherish people who are around me.
The second thing is, if I have so much time then why don’t I spend it on something else or someone else?

I don’t want to be grumpy. I want to be a happy yellow pirate.

So good-bye my grumpy day.


And to answer everyone’s question, no, I’m not going out with anyone until somebody finds me a hot European or Canadian. Thank you very much.


And to answer Helen’s question, I guess I just feel a lot more myself when santaji is around. You said the non-swearing you isn’t quite you, so I guess the independent strong pirate isn’t always me. I guess I like to be dependent when there is someone stronger around.



And we are having EarthWatch meeting at 4 daily! Let’s leave no regrets!
Congrats for L and S to be the new presidents!! 

Pirate as a girl

This is a blog that I wish I can type freely what I feel. But there are things that I should keep as secrets since they are not only related to me alone.(so don’t blame me if you find all my diaries …. You know.
So one thing I was asking myself today was, why would I always try to include santaji in my circle of friends? Why would I try to involve him in my work when he has nothing to do with it? For instance, I asked him to make balance sheet for our FAST business idea. (which was fun because we ran out of time and did only 16/50 slides). I could have asked palak.
And I have been sending so many ‘hey I guess I’ll see you in october’ messages (it means I won’t be able to see you before I leave for holiday) and constantly, I say constantly I have been sending ‘I miss you’ that sort of childish messages. I don’t know why. Palak told his friend in Truth and Truth and if he had to sacrifice his life for one close friend, then that person would be me. I told santaji that if I had to marry one person from FC it’d be either palak or prof.O (which I changed my mind because he is pinkie and I am #1126 on his list) since they are my friends. If I had to marry a guy in Pakistan then it would be santaji because I get a sense of security around him. But sometimes I wonder if I am trying too hard to get to know santaji and all. Obviously he doesn’t need me as much as I need him, I mean emotionally, but I guess, hey, let’s face it, it’s my problem. I think I like to rely on someone, give out my secrets, feel protected and cherished etc. And I think santaji is that sort of people (like my ex-boyfriend) who I just try way too hard to maintain a relationship.
On one side I was dreaming like a girl that what it’d be like to spend the rest of my life with any of you. I mean, it would be fun because I know you guys ADORE me especially Palak. Lalalala so it is a good thing that I have made up my mind to find an European, and now I can freely be your friend. Otherwise I could fall in love so easily I guess (somebody needs to stop me for being a cat)
That’s all I got to say. I am turning 20, I should be sensible in things I do or things I think in my head. It is a blessing to have amazing friends.

But I think I will be very jealous of my guys' wives. I guess I should be more sensible. Be strong. And still hope that we will be BFF.