If you guys haven’t noticed, Tumblr is pretty dead and I have stopped posting for awhile now actually. If you want to keep up to date with me, I am still posting, but on a new blog now. Go there and check it out!
It’s really not new..but its been up and running for 2 years now 😱
There, I have Taiwan-related things for I am currently still living here (for now) and some random stuff here and there.
If you want, check me out on insta as well.
I know I haven’t written here since June yadda yadda yadda. I know its been a while and I have been MIA. Check out my other blog here in the meantime. Get up to speed.
So I am still writing on this blog, but more of my personal stuff will go here.
Anyway
It’s been an absolute STRUGGLE since I got to Taiwan. Everything I’ve been doing has been a waiting process. From traveling to Taiwan and obtaining my visa in Hong Kong: but realizing that I had the wrong one and holding off my travel plans till now, it’s been rough.
My last trip was back in August when I went to Hong Kong then to Hualian and those trips were so much fun! And that is that fun ended (well not really).
I’ve been wanting to go somewhere out of the country since then, but with troubles with my visa and learning to be a responsible adult prevented me from doing anything else if otherwise. But if you think about it, I don’t necessarily have to have this particular visa to not travel anywhere, but just in case if l don’t leave the country as often as I should, I could get in much messier situations in the long run. (Read more of info about why under My Story)
So when I got back in August, I didn’t find out till September that I had to change my visa. So I waited till October and that’s when I visited the hospital for my health check. Waited one and a half week later and received my documents. During this time, I also took new passport photos. The same day I picked up my health check, visited Counselor Affairs and applied for the Resident Visa. Waited another week and a half and picked up my passport. The same day, I went to the Immigration office and applied for the Alien Resident Card. From there, I have to wait 2 long weeks. After I receive this card, I can travel in/out of the country as I please.
So now you think is a good time to travel? Hah, think again. This time is around the same time the tuition payment is due. Can’t afford them all. Super bummed.
I hope by December I will have it all together to go somewhere. Even if it’s for a weekend, I don’t care. I just wanna get out of Taiwan for a bit.
10 days left and I thought I was ready? I have two major things to do before departure and I still haven’t even started. What am I doing? I’ve really been slacking these past few days. But let’s think about all of this for a sec. I have been in school for a good 4 years. The break is needed and the break starts now. Beyond that, I still haven’t really figured out what I will do in Taipei when I get there. For I have some spots that I will def hit up, but I need to sit down and curate a list for your girl needs to get organized. Remember that list I created? Let’s revisit it:
So as you can see, most of it is done. There’s like two with half strikethroughs for it’s in progress 😅. There are more question marks on the two for it most likely won’t happen due to money concerns ahaha. And the spinning class is gonna happen sometime this week, I hope. My good friend of mine has also given me a blog to read about a black girl in Taipei and its quite funny, yet informative. She shares her dating advice along with tips on traveling to Taipei and other needs for black women. I’ve also been reading some other blogs of people living in Taipei like Edna who shares her experience living abroad since her college graduation along with this blog sharing her personal experience studying Chinese in Taipei. So I feel like I am mentally ready?
A few weeks later, but your girl has finally graduated! I made it. School was frying my brain and I was sick and tired of the administration, the people, the faculty…beyond over it. I was ready to leave as soon as I got back Fall 2016. But beyond that fact, I grew as an individual and picked up new skills and met tons of people in the past two years of undergrad, which I will never regret. Hopefully someday curate into something big, something cool. But nevertheless, its over, and I am very hype for the next chapter: T A I W A N. Click that link to see my new blog and read more on what I am doing there.
I will still be posting here, but I will dedicate this blog more to personal stories along with other random posts I decide to write along the way.
So get ready, for another long written post of adventures to come. I have exactly 3 weeks until departure and here are some things I need to accomplish before I leave:
Anonymous asked:
It’s hard to say for no one truly knows what are the odds of getting the scholarship. It can vary from country to country for at the end of the day, you’re applying through your country’s embassy who is nominating you for the scholarship. Each embassy has a quota on how many people they accept. They don’t normally say how many (some do) but I could not answer that for you. So when you do apply, ensure that you follow the directions on your Chinese Embassy’s website and read up on the forums here for better clarification.
If you’re applying for the language program, it seems like they accept just about everyone that applies (as long as you fill out the application correctly) due to the fact that people are going to just study for Chinese. As for others like the undergrad/masters/phd, I would assume the chances are quite low due to the competition not only between the individuals in your country but many others in other countries.
For example, I heard the Chinese embassy in Nigeria is very picky and only take a small number of applicants so many people in Nigeria apply for the Confuscious scholarship instead. And I know in certain places, they require an in person interview before they accept anyone.
It varies overall, but I wish you the best for next year’s application process!
A bit random but I love phone cases. When I make those big purchases like a Jean Jacket or like an iPhone etc, I always find a way to add a personal touch to them. Whether its a patch, changing the color or simply adding accessories. When it comes to my iPhone, I am all about hooking it up with a case. I don’t care so much about adding those thick Otterbox like cases, but more like some color, some style. I hate items with big logos on it or the cliche water in the case with glitter like no no no. I like simple solid colors, but I also like adding some unique design or drawing. Something that you wouldn’t normally see in the store.
Aliexpress comes hand and hand with my aesthetic. They carry a ton of phone cases and the best part about it, it’s mostly free shipping on most orders and the cases are dirt cheap and many are quite unique with their own designs. I buy the cases varying from $2 to $5. Since they ship from China, they take awhile, but you won’t be disappointed once they arrive.
Pictured is one of my favourite cases which I’ve bought from Ali Express and to this day has gotten so many compliments. Like its simple, sleek and unique in style. Be careful with not all of the cases are made of good material, but if you want something different, yet don’t care too much about the quality of things, this is just for you.
I absolutely love going to concerts/festivals/shows. Invite me to a show and I am there. Whether I know the artist or not, I am always down to hearing something new. There’s something about going and hearing the music live in the flesh creates a different experience for myself. Taking the time to actually hear everything and jamming, vibing for a great music high. I love it. I’m a relatively new concertgoer. My first show ever was @wearephenox right after I graduated from high school in 2013 at the @echo stage. Once I went to that one, there was no turning back and I have been going to shows ever since.
Hands down, my favourite show ever to date was in Aug 2015, just a week before I did my big trip abroad. Never forget. I saw Janelle Monae and her entire crew from Wondaland. That particular summer, they came out with a collective ep called The Eephus (great EP btw). They were doing this “secret” tour across the country in 8 cities all for free. You just had to RSVP in time. Y’all, let me tell you…I never have seen such an energetic crowd and/or performance ever. And I am not just talking about the main singers, but the bandmates, the backup singers, the dances, like everyone was so in tune. You could tell the performers were doing this all for love. And the crowd was wildin’. They received the music so well. You can tell that many of us have never heard of the majority of these artists but when I walked out of there at the end of the night, I was in absolute awe. I followed all the artists soon after and streamed all of their music. And ever since then, no show I have seen since then has topped that. Not even close.
Last few days in Cali, I saw Kung Fu Kenny accompanied DRAM and YG with these lovely ladies. It was absolutely amazing and I lost my voice and it was hella dry by the end of the night but it was a great show. Would 10/10 see them again any day.
The last show I went to was back in October when I saw Goldlink and also found my new obsession, Masego. Did yall know that Masego is a radio host on one of GTA V radio stations?! Crazy but that show was amazing from beg to end. I need to see them again.
Some artists that I want to see, but hard to see due to the location includes 20syl (only plays in France), Epik High (mostly performs in Seoul and big cities in Asia), Deadmau5 (his ass never has shows in the US unless it’s in like California or Miami)
It’s been 5 months since my last one and I am having some withdrawals. Probably won’t be going to any major concerts/festivals due to my upcoming travel plans, but if anyone knows of any small shows that I should check out in the month of May in DC, let me know and let’s go.
If any of you know me very well, you know that I love to go biking. Not like hardcore mountain biking, but just the casual, commute biking (with your occasional trail bike ride here and there) and wandering biker. Been doing it for quite some time now. A lot of times, I don’t make any plans. Just hop on my bike and ride wherever my heart takes me - my escape from home. Gives me the freedom to go off on my own and discover places. Riding also serves as a mode of transportation for me. But its also a faster way to scope out a neighbourhood and just to see the sights of everything without necessarily having to walk. And in turn, I build my endurance and save money from not having to take the Metro.
First started biking on the regular towards the end of my senior year of high school. If you are thinking of biking, I recommend you do it gradually. I lived a good 45 min (by bus/train) from school so like a good hour maybe even an hour and a half by bike (if you ride slow/take your time). To start off, I took the bus halfway to Gallery Place/Chinatown and rode the other way up that big ass hill on Georgia Ave up to Shaw/Howard area (I nearly died) and I just kept doing that. After a few days, I kept challenging myself more and more with riding all the way home (not too bad of a ride) and testing out my strength with some of the steepest hills in the city during those dreadful humid months (June-Aug).
But being in school makes it tough to bike. I leave my bike at home in DC for the weather is pretty bad for a fixie during those long winter months in PA. And during those long durations of being at school, I don’t work those muscles I use while biking, and I lost the strength over time. When I come back, I have to start over again. I almost never come home so my time with my bike is limited.
One thing to note, it’s also important that one must eat before going on a ride. Our bodies burn a lot of energy while riding so it’s important to fuel it with good, lean hearty but healthy food. I can recall too many instances where I was in a rush to leave and I start riding and realize that I forgot to eat. Eating is very important. Even if its just fruit, it comes a long way. One day, I ran out to grab something real quick, forgot to eat and I fell off my biking passing out on a bench in the middle of the park. Thank God tho for whatever reason, I had a squishy banana in my bag. Never felt so recharged in my life till I had my first bite. It was the best feeling..ever. I told myself never again after that occurrence. Also, during those hot months, stay hydrated esp on those long rides. It’s essential :).
Back in November, went on a ride literally across DC going from errand to errand and I easily rode 20 miles that day. My legs felt like straight up noodles at the end of it all and I gave myself 2 days to recover before I got back on that bike.
The highlight of my biking experiences so far was in Shanghai. And the very big difference between DC and Shanghai was my timetable. I was there for almost a year so I needed to invest in a decent bike. For whatever reason, bikes are super cheap in China. The price of one can be as low as $15 (but let me tell you those bikes look like someone shitted all over it, ran over by a car, and left if in the corner to rust) but hey they work so why not? THINK AGAIN. I went ahead and got it but that bike got stolen just 2 weeks after using it. Hah. Can’t say you’ve experienced life in China till your bike gets stolen. 2nd time around, I ordered a cheap fixie from their infamous website Taobao. I went everywhere with this bike. I biked to class (5 min vs. 20 min walking), across the street to eat, around the neighbourhood and even downtown (an hour ride from 五角场站 to 南京西路站)! Shanghai as a city is super flat so biking around was a piece of cake once you overcome the fear of riding/crossing the roads of thousands of drivers driving however without putting on their signals, crossing over 3 lanes w/o an indication, and the disregard for pedestrians crossing the road. I even rode the empty and quiet streets at 3am with a friend around the university. But man, never ride long distances if the pollution is bad. I learned that the hard way when I rode downtown for the first time.
When I am at home, I typically ride at least 5 days a week averaging around 15 miles a day. Doesn’t matter if its freezing cold or hot sweating balls, I am out there, 🚴🏽♀️.
I got the scholarship! I am even more hype for my summer plans in Taiwan now.
I received the Global Ambassador Scholarship which exposes students to Taiwanese Culture and Language through cultural excursions, to home-stays, and even a language buddy. There’s still some time to apply. Applications close on March 31st so get yours in as soon as you can. This scholarship program is only eligible for US citizens. Also, if you don’t have a passport, go ahead and get one right now. Especially if you do hear the good news, you need to give yourself at least 6 to 8 weeks to get your passport in on time before departure.
In other news, I’ve also submitted my Taiwanese Huayu Enrichment Scholarship scholarship by mail. There’s still time to apply for this scholarship as well. Check out the online guidelines for details. The deadline is also March 31st and for this one, you have to mail in your documents. I am pretty sure the items have to be in their office by this date, not mailed by this date. Once you send in your items, wait a week and give them a call to make sure that they received your documents. Especially if items are coming from separate locations. They have a general info website here and if you’re applying from the US, you can learn more about the scholarship info needed here.
Good luck to everyone during this application season.
