Contact Info

The following is my contact info during my stay in Taiwan. I'm teaching at the Berhan Language Institute in Feng Yuan, Taichung.

Brett Weber
336, Ay Gwo St.
Feng Yuan, Taichung
Taiwan, R.O.C.

Phone: 011-886-4-2515-3873 (886 is the country code)

Email: brettweber@gmail.com

And there's my blog which you obviously already know about...

The phone line is not direct to my room, but rather to the school and will likely be answered by one of the secretaries. Once we know our exact teaching schedules, I will probably know the best times to reach me by phone in case you should so desire. Email is of course the easiest.

I hope to hear from you!

Arrival

"Glistening clean. Paint thinner." The first words in my journal to capture my initial impressions of Taiwan. At least the terminal we arrived at. The airport was by far the cleanest I've ever seen. The floors sparkled. The amount of cleansers needed to keep it that away definitely did not escape the senses. The airport felt small; we moved efficiently through customs, baggage claim, and with a little assitance found the bus terminal. If the 13 plus hour flight hadn't been enough, we next had to take a bus two or so hours to Taichung where we were picked up by Gerald, the director of the English school at Berhan. Another 30 minute van ride, with our bags as our seats, we reached the school in Feng Yuan. It was a little after 1 AM local time.

"Stiff but good." The description of my mattress on the room inspection forms we filled out the next day. Stiff is an understatement. I love it! It reminds me of being in Fiji, sleeping on the floor. I just need my wood pillow again! Wednesday morning, from the roof of the four-story school building, I took in my new surroundings for the first time under the light of day. Cramped, dirty buildings of cement and cinder block. Cacophonous cicadas. Oppressive heat and a mugginess you can mold. Further into town and the stores and businesses become dressed in a sea of chinese characters, rendering the entire scene utterly alien. Every corner appears the same. Every other corner offers a pugnant smell you'd rather not be offered. Bikes and pedestrians compete with scooters, motorcycles, and cars for space on the streets. My first impressions of Taiwan.

The countdown is on...

24. 24 days and I board the plane. 24 days and I begin a new chapter in my life. A short 13-hour flight later and I find myself in a new environment, a new culture, a new world.

I've got to make it through these 24 days first. It's nonstop from here. 8 days to prepare. 10 days for France. 2 days for a road trip. 1 day for training. 2 days for friends, family, and farewells.

I'm excited, anxious, overwhelmed, relaxed, eager, and pained somehow all at the same time. Teaching will be a great and challenging endeavor. Taiwan will be a rich and rewarding experience. There's a lot I expect to take away from this personally. I hope my friends and family will visit this site often. I will dutifully attempt to post often with pictures and accounts of my experiences abroad.

Well, errands call. The countdown relentlessly continues...