jumping in (feet first)

I found an apartment. It is a really nice place, furnished, that I share with another teacher. No pictures yet, because we want to spruce it up a little. It is in a big complex about fifteen minutes from downtwon Hsinchu. We're on the other side of these foothills, and the air and scenery are really beautiful. It's so quiet and serene out here. I don't see many foreigners out this way, either.

I'm starting to meet some locals. It is pretty straightforward if you want to try and learn some Chinese, because you can set up a language exchange situation, where you meet at a coffee house or wherever and do some English conversation and then practice Chinese. I posted an ad on a local web site, and had a lot of responses. It's a good way to make friends, plus it's good to meet people other than foreigners.

So, now that I've got the teaching more or less down, I'm finding new ways to entertain myself. We plan on having a party within the next few weeks to break in the apartment properly. If anyone is in Hsinchu, you're welcome to come. Life is pretty good right now.