After all the worry over the possibility of needing a COVID test before I left, I am back in Taiwan. It’s absurd the differences I saw even getting to O’Hare. With no crowds, I was given specific one on one attention as I struggled at the airport filling out an online quarantine form for the Taiwanese government. I filled this form out three times as a way to ensure matching and accurate information detailing any contact with COVID cases, past travels, and addresses/contact information for when I arrived in Taiwan. I was lucky enough to join up with five other fulbrighters on the Chicago flight that left at midnight. It was fun to catch up with them as I had only known one well (Chanler was in Taitung county with my last year and is now placed in Haulien the county north of mine) and the rest of the ETAs I met each briefly once or twice last year. I felt safer surrounded by them like it boosted my own thought that the decision to return, albeit difficult to make, was the right choice as few of them are actually looking for jobs in teaching for their future career path. Nevertheless, their presence calmed me as I worried about trivial things such as taking safety measures in the airport to remain COVID free and taking the right steps when we did land and make our way through customs.
The flight was uneventful with only 70 people on the entire flight and each traveler with a row to themselves. Not only did everyone seem to have brought their own bleach wipes for their seats, but the flight attendants decked out in ponchos, masks, and face shields supplied each person with another wipe as well to encourage cleanliness. After 2 movies and sleeping across the entire length of my row we made it to Taiwan. Now for the scary part, the paperwork, temperature, and figuring out how to make my phone work.
I got lucky. After failing to replace my US SIM card with my Taiwanese one (my hoarding nature had me keep and it came in handy), my friend Chanler was able to assist and my phone switched over receiving a text from the Taiwanese government thanks to the forms I filled out in Chicago. Other fulbrighters weren’t as lucky. The first step in the process of getting off the plane was to show that you had received the text from the government which allowed you to put your quarantine information and contact info in again. Without the text all you could do was stand there and hope. Chanler was in this stage for 20 minutes standing there turning her phone on and off and having the representatives help her (it came down to having an extra dash or 0, something very trivial). Corrina, an ETA from Chuanghua (a county on the west side) who is placed in Taitung this first semester, had recently bought a phone only the week before. Verizon Wireless forgot to tell her that phones only unlock after 60 days from the purchase leaving her with a phone unable to take her Taiwan SIM card and therefore unusable.
I wish I had been more of a help, but by the time I realized she was having difficulty I had already moved onto the next steps offering only solace through line messaging her. Having moved through the health checkpoints, Emma (an ETA I ran I ran a race with last year, twin, and a former rower – yeah I know I hope we can become better friends already) and I were the first ones through all of customs and sat waiting at the exit with our bags. After a long wait where we only were able to meet up with Chanler exiting we went on an adventure around the airport to buy some more phone data and then off to the taxi line.
I couldn’t believe the care we were given in the line for taxis. The taxis were specifically outfitted with pandemic amenities such as a plastic covering separating the driver and passenger, a mask requirement, and hand sanitizer spray. In line you had to fill out a form with the address you were going to, contact information, and a number given to you as you exited customs. The only remarkable thing that came out of it was that the woman heading the taxi desk complimented my Chinese characters, so there’s a plus. After my bags were gathered and sprayed completely by taxi attendants I was sprayed from head to toe with what I can only assume is a disinfectant. In the car the taxi driver didn’t even bat an eye when he double checked the address, a 6 hour drive to the opposite side of the island. I felt like apologizing, but with the plastic partition and my mask I didn’t think he’d be able to hear me.
For the next 6 hours I mostly sat in silence. At times I was able to hear some music on the radio. I watched the scenery change as we moved through urban areas, to rural fields, and at last to the ocean. We stopped twice, once for the bathroom and once for gas. The stop for the bathroom in itself was something the US would never do. After pulling over we called a specific government number to check that that location was alright and to get prior approval for me getting out of the car. My hands were sanitized again before being allowed to go into the bathroom. When I came out, I had to recall the number on the stall I used. We once again phoned the government’s number and told them the stall I used and sat there until they were told it had bene thoroughly cleaned before leaving and continuing on our way. Amanda and Kendra, two friends who are returning with me to Taitung county, said that their stalls were cleaned by people in hazmat suits so Taiwan isn’t kidding around.
Arriving at the hotel and since being at this hotel for a week already, nothing has changed. I’ve got a room next to Amanda who I was friends with last year having both been placed in Guanshan. Both of us are lucky enough to have our own balconies too so we can get some fresh air over these two weeks in quarantine. At 8am, 12pm, and 6pm my meals are delivered to the door where I can wait till the hotel staff is gone and take it in. I was prepared that the food wasn’t the best from my friend Augie who had just gotten out of quarantine a couple days before, but he didn’t use enough detail when describing it. It’s worse than just being a picky eater. The lunches incorporate weird flavor combinations with an overuse of mayonnaise and fish. I brought snacks of Cliff bars, goldfish, peanut butter, and Twizzlers to ration until Augie and Peter (two former and current Taitung ETAs) and Sean delivered food.
Hotel food consisting of fish triple decker sandwiches, fish on rice, dan bing with mayonnaise and corn and other foods I sometimes don't even know what they are -- I always try the food and I usually make a dent in the veggies and rice, but the meat/fish always leaves something to be desired
Delivered food: Mangos, coke, guava, bananas, curry, brie cheese that has since accidentally been frozen, falafel, cornbread, and bread thanks to Sean, Augie and Peter
Most days consist of watching Netflix, reading, a daily call about my temperature from the Taiwanese CDC, and when I try to be productive studying Chinese. I can’t complain much because I haven’t gotten fully bored yet. Thanks to Amanda and the constant facetimes home I haven’t starved for human interaction although I did get a call from the police. I guess other guests in the hotel aren’t as happy for a midafternoon chat on the balconies as we were. Discussing the upcoming year and orientation month we were standing on our balconies talking over the AC units in our shorts and sports bras taking in the sunlight. The unhappy guest, which I can only assume was the older woman on the other side of my room, must have called the hotel who then called the police before we were given a call. Without knowing our names or our room numbers we were only identified as the girls on the balcony. The police first called Amanda and without introducing themselves asked if she was one of the girls talking on the balcony to the tall, beautiful blond girl. Later Amanda told me she was convinced they were trying to get my number to ask me out or something before saying they were with the police and asking for us to be quieter. I was given a little more of a warning that a call would be coming thanks to Amanda’s text otherwise I think I would’ve been more worried by getting a call. The man on the line did seem to be apologetic that he even needed to call us because as he put it “he knows that the hotel is rather boring.” Since then Amanda and I have at least tried to be a little quieter when we talk outside. I’m just happy that we weren’t getting in trouble for the fact that we were talking in the first place otherwise I think I’d really go crazy.
Sean also took the time to stay a little in the same hotel, but different building when he dropped a Santa-size bag of goodies for me. Although I couldn't actually get to hug him or be close to him, his visit was something to look forward to. He ended up standing on the opposite balcony as we played charades across the courtyard. Sean attempted to play "I spy", but when you are competing against someone who spends a vast percentage of their day looking at the same landscape there is no competition.
Despite the small hiccup the only thing during quarantine that warrants an announcement is that I finally got my location and school for this year! As many of you know I was not able to return to my school from last year as the school was not categorized as a county priority. I am a little bitter about that seeing as I’m pretty confident that the school had the lowest English competency and would’ve experienced a more positive impact on competency with the help of an ETA, but alas that wasn’t an option. Through the grapevine a friend had received an unofficial list of schools that would get an ETA. The schools on the list only left Kendra and myself without our original schools to return to. We were either going to be placed in the city at Chulu junior high (a school that I ranked number 3 last year that allows you to teach English in non-English classes like computer class of woodshop) and XinXing/ Xianglan elementary school in Zhiben. I worried over which school and location I would get because of the potential repercussions from the assignment.
I was against having to live in Zhiben. It’s an area south of Taitung City by around 25 minutes and an hour and a half away from where I lived last year. All this means that it is an even farther trip to Taipei ranging anywhere from 4.5 hours to 7 hours). I was hoping that I could continue whatever filming I could in Taipei and with zhiben having only 4 trains to Taipei a day I didn’t think that would be much of an option. Being placed in Zhiben also meant living not with other Fulbright ETAs, but with college students at the local college, a truly immersive experience. Despite the draw of the almost forced immersion and the fact I had planned to return to teaching at an elementary school, the city called out to me. The housing would be better than last year with larger access to food and activities. Kendra felt the same.
Ina, our coordinator, gave us the time to make the decision. After a long pro-con list, we came together to find we both wanted to work at Chulu junior high. Without either of us really wanting to give it up we came to the agreement to flip a coin, or at least let the computer flip one for us. Calling tails was the best thing I have done recently because it got me the placement in the city.
Now with only one more week in quarantine, I will be free to begin renewing my residents’ card and hopefully buy myself a scooter before I travel to Taipei to see Sean and some friends. Come August 3rd this all starts again.
Balcony views
It's almost as if I look at the same mountains every day.
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