Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head ...

Or at least that's what seems to happen each time I walk into my bathroom these days. It appears that a water pipe above my bathroom ceiling is leaking.

Gone are the days when I can pick up the phone and call a plumber. Being a foreigner in this foreign land called Taiwan has really challenged my independence. Growing up in the U.S. freedom and independence are points of pride. In school we learn how the United States fought for its freedom and independence. These are considered essentials in being a strong nation. Next, I grew up in a home where in order to function collectively, we needed to learn to function independently. Translation: we grew up having to do chores and having household responsibilities. We not only learned how to be responsible and help one another, we learned how to do things for ourselves and be independent. Finally, as a female, there are times I feel the need to prove myself as strong and independent.

And perhaps coming to Taiwan was yet another way of demonstrating independence - moving away from my family and showing what I could do "on my own". But the truth be known, moving, living, and working in Taiwan have very little to do with me doing things "on my own." It was through a friend that I came to know of the opportunity. It was through God's prompting and prayer that I felt led to come to Taiwan. It was through the support of my family that I moved here. It's through my school that I'm able to earn a living here. It's through great friends that I've made or have come to know better during the past 2 1/2 years as well as through God's sustaining, that I've been able to continue living here. And finally, it's through the assistance of those who can translate for me that I'm able to get through the chores of life.

It's quite humbling when tasks that were once simple to complete such as ordering food or a drink, buying a pair of shoes, or even getting a haircut suddenly require some amount of assistance. Granted, these are tasks that can be muddled through without help, but calling a plumber isn't one of them so now I'm at the mercy of others and the waiting begins.

Waiting for someone to help me call for a plumber.
Waiting for a day I can be home long enough for a plumber to come which probably means ...
Waiting through the week until next weekend after already
Waiting though much of this past week to see if the dripping would suddenly stop on its own.

So it could be as much as 2 weeks of waiting, getting dripped on in the bathroom, and watching my ceiling panels become more and more warped before anything gets done.

I Own Baking Soda

This weekend my roommate moved out. The events leading up to the big move all transpired quite fast. Basically what began last weekend as my roomie's search for an apartment for her boyfriend turned into them finding a place that they wanted to move into together. The grass is always greener and yes, while I know there are nicer places out there to be had, I like where I am quite well.

The movers were here bright and early on Saturday and after she was gone, the place suddenly felt quiet empty, not so much because of the things that are gone but because suddenly I'm alone. With returning from vacation recently and spending a lot of time at work, everything was happening too fast to process until after the fact.

Later in the morning when I went to the fridge and opened the door, I realized I own baking soda, and not much else. Sure, there was a pitcher of water and your basic condiments, but I've yet to grocery shop since returning from vacation nearly 2 weeks ago. Up until now the fridge had been full with my roommate's things so it at least gave the illusion that there was food in the house.

There is still a lot of cleaning to get done and some re-arranging and re-adjusting to do, but I'm somewhat looking forward to having the place to myself for a bit. I can appreciate the quiet and solitude, especially after a long day at work. However, don't be surprised to find me at home with everything that makes noise running just to feel like there's a bit more life in this place. I think I may buy a fish.