I'm still enough of a scholar at heart for a library to leave me breathless. This one, at NTU, is brand-new, enormous, trimmed in shiny wood, with English signs, study rooms, conference tables, endless study cubicles, flat-screen computers galore... and even self-checkout.
Now I know what's meant by the phrase "world-class university library."
NTU itself is more reminiscent of Stanford than Harvard, with palm trees everywhere, and buildings sprawled out over more acres than I've been able to explore yet. The street leading up to the library is essentially Palm Drive, except with taller, healthier palm trees, a rectangular less grassy version of the oval, and a different name--"Banana Avenue."
I'm actually at the library playing "hookie" from our afternoon classes (on Chinese and aerobics) in order to work on my thesis--which is due in about four days. Yesterday, I tried doing the same, but an HCAP representative tracked me down at the local Starbucks and escorted me back to Politics and Film. "Don't you want to enjoy afternoon class?" she asked, and I had no good response ("Yes, but I really want to enjoy my thesis instead," didn't really cut it.) So back I went.
Ten years later, I'm apparently a varsity student.
Anyways, I have a lot to write in this blog--as you might guess. But I should probably focus on my thesis first. This is, after all, my last academic assignment in the foreseeable future--and I can't think of a much better way to end my back-and-forth college career than at a library in Taipei.
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A couple closing notes. Yesterday night, we were hosted for dinner at a local sort-of-French restaurant by four NTU professor. Mine professed a passion for Taiwanese beer. He ordered us several bottles. I managed about five long swallows. It's--quite foamy. Perhaps due to the beer, which I don't normally drink, or the long day preceding it, I had to visit the bathroom by meal's end--and when I sat down on the toilet, it spoke to me.
"Welcome to Taipei," it said.
Then it broke out in bird song.
* * * * *
I criticized Dick Cheney on Taiwanese TV today. Standing on the steps of the legislature, I happily blinked a few times at all the cameras, then fired the first volley of my campaign for--um--tbd.
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Last night we were up till three at a karaoke lounge. I still can't sing, and I still have a blast not singing very loudly.
Thursday, March 31, 2005
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2 comments:
talking toilets... what an age we live in...
-matt from MKHS
Karaoke lounges are so enjoyable. You should have sang as loudly as possible because everyone does that whether they can sing or not. It's great stuff. I remember my dad used to sing at the top of his lungs, and if he can't hit a note, he goes an octave down. It's the funniest thing---but he really can't sing at all. XD
Taiwan sounds really nice though. Unfortunately I've only been to the airport, and haven't really visited yet.
I was kind of confused as to what you were doing in Japan and Taiwan before, but doing research on thesis makes sense. I'm kind of jealous though. I like to travel too. :P
My goal is to major in international business (I'll probably double major in another business field), and learn korean or japanese one of these days. The other choice is music/music business. Unfortunately my mom is completely against that, as most asian-americans are with a music career. She blantly said "Over my dead body---but it is your life afterall." She's so weird.
Right now I'm still pondering and deciding. I know I don't have to pick a major just now, but most colleges require that everyone audition to get into their music school. Like at NYU, which is one of the colleges I'd like to go to, they won't allow you to major at stern and at their business school at the same time. Although, they do have a seperate "music business" major at the music school. Again, mom against me majoring in a "narrow" field.
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