day 3_Typhoon

I'm sure you were all very concerned this morning when you woke (your time) to find no blog, thinking "well, it's only day 3 and she's already falling off the wagon"... but in fact I did NOT forget! I just fell asleep...zzzzzz

So, here I am halfway around the world, and I have somehow managed to create my own time zone. I'm stuck somewhere in the middle between my previous US time and the new Taipei time here - but I'm really not in line with either one at the moment! Bummer.

Day 3...
After waking around 3am (as usual?), I got online and had numerous chat sessions, facebook posts, emails, instant messages to catch up on. My social life these first 3 days has been exploding, because for every person who thinks "I wonder what Lizzie's doing, or I'd like to talk to Lizzie (family...)" remember that there are many more with the same idea! So after a few hours of online chatting and an ongoing staredown with the snickers laying ontop of the hotel minibar.... I broke down and had some chocolate. Technically breakfast, but maybe you could consider it my early evening snack (Texas time...)

The typhoon has arrived and although I'm told it is just wind & rain mostly, I've also been advised to stay indoors and avoid going out in the storm - as it is generally unpleasant weather to be out in, and there is often flying debris associated with such strong winds. So, like a good little Oklahoman, I opened my hotel room curtains nice & wide to be able to watch the storm! [Clearly, I had to eat the Snickers... I've been told not to go out in this storm!]

As forecasted, there is LOTS of wind & rain - I have a great view from my 12th floor hotel room and you can see the water blowing across the cityscape in big sheets of rain. Also plenty of wind, judging from the trees scattered here and there, bending over backwards. It does rattle the windows a bit, but nevermind, I'm not sleeping anyways. Apparently, Taipei typically sees 8 or 9 typhoons per season (this is the end of the season) but this year this is actually the very first one... so I brought it with me. My boss texted me to let me know that 'much running water in your first week is good feng shui'. Fabulous! I'll take it. And there is also an upcoming holiday this week... Should be a good first week!

So basically, day 3 turned out to be the most fabulous reading day I've had in a long time. I cracked open the book that I only started on the flight here and settled back into the hotel room bed in some very comfy pajamas for hours of reading - with my big picture window curtains open of course, to watch the storm. Luckily for me, I am in a nice secure room, safe & sound, so I would just take periodic breaks to observe the storm and leisurely continue with a pretty fabulous novel (thank you Jessica!).

Tomorrow is the first day of work, and if the weather is also better, I will be back on the apartment hunt!
Miss you all!