Greetings from Taipei!

Alright so here is my first attempt at a blog. Bear with me because I am notorious for how terribly I get along with any type of technology. I just left the US and am embarking on a crazy adventure trying to find a job teaching English here in Taipei. I quit my job, left a sick apartment, closed my bank account, canceled my cell phone, and here I am.....jobless (for now), homeless, in a country where I don't know anyone and don't speak the language. It's pretty nuts. I'm hoping to find a job before my 60 day work visa expires, and if so stay hear for about a year. I've got about 3,500 bucks with me and that's about it. Although I do have a few jars of peanut butter. Worst comes to worst, I think I can survive on that for a solid month, it worked in college afterall...

I just arrived in Taipei from a loooooooong flight out of Newark. It was 13 hours to Tokyo, then I had a two hour layover, then another 3.5 hours from Tokyo to Taipei. I don't even know what day or time it is. It was miserable, no window seat and right by the bathroom....but on the plus side I did get to watch Semi-Pro (they ran it 4 times and to be honest Will Ferrell movies do not get better each time you watch)....The first flight from the US left at 11am, so by my brilliant calculations, that makes it sometime around 7am NY time. I wasn't really nervous or anything about the flight, I think nerves will come more when I start heading out into the city....but I was really frustrated and annoyed at having to be stuck on a plane for so long...

Here in Taipei it's 8 at night. and HOT, humid as well. I put a sweatshirt on as I was leaving the plane because it was raining outside and a guy said to me "you don't need that it's too hot here". He was right....It sucked arriving so late but luckily, thanks to my sister's hotel deal hook-up (thanks a ton Caitlin, staying here makes such a difference)... I am staying my first few nights here at a four star hotel for a cheap fee of $40 a night. At the airport they even arranged to have a car pick me up and bring me here. It was pricey ($1,300 Taiwanese dollars or 40 something bucks) and I know there are cheaper buses from the airport, but I am too jetlagged and it's too late at night to end up getting lost in a strange city. Then I'm off to various hostels at a more affordable 15 dollars a night until I either find a job or am forced to leave the country.
Aight it's time for a hot shower and bed, I am so exhausted .... I'll try to keep this blog updated as often as possible and will have a more substantial post tomorrow.

all the best,
Brian