Greetings all and happy lunch time!!!

It is lunchtime- Saturday Feb 16th-

Marcus is in class so you get to hear about MY morning adventures. I have been out and about today learning as much as I can about my surroundings so that I am not relying on the kindness of others to get me back to the hotel. Perhaps not surprisingly, several people were happy to practice their English on me. The housekeeper in particular was very friendly, but that may have been because I scared her.

Lunch today was a coke, a banana and two seaweed wrapped tea eggs, which aren't bad. The flavors of the foods here are already very different. So, I got "lunch" from a little "cafe" down the street. Incidentally, lunch was 40 dollars Taiwan i.e. about $1.26. The largest part of that was the coke at $30.

I have learned the symbols which mean wheat. Allergy labels are in red at the bottom of the products. So I look for my little symbols at the bottom to know if I can eat that or not. At breakfast there were dishes called sweetened gluten. Doesn't that sound like something yummy;) It was interesting, but not something I was willing to do. I figured lunch could be more exciting, but lets start breakfast easy.

Anyway, while I was out, I also stopped in at "family mart" which ALSO had tea eggs... so not an entirely uncommon food. At the little store I got coke, which tastes really great though not quite the same as in the states. I also picked up sugar. I am perfectly fine with tea in the mornings, but I am not a tea purist and tea without sugar is not something I savor. Refined sugar is available readily, however, don't look for the fine granular stuff you have at home. Its kinda like rock sugar. Oh and forget the salt shaker, you can request salt, but it comes like sea salt and the grind it for you like pepper.

Today, I have learned that:
Ni Hao- means hello (pronounced knee how)
Bu Ke Chi means you are welcome (pronounced boo kay chee)
Xie, Xie means thank you (pronounced shay shay)
mayo wen ti means no problem or its ok (pronounced mayo when tie)

The last one was a good one to know when the maid came in and found me at the desk. She said that she was sorry several times. I had at least that phrase in my arsenal of badly spoke Mandrin to use. Never the less, tea egg now eaten and coke now drank, its time to get back out and about. Tonight, we are going to go to the Night Market and see what treasures we can find.
So, more later.