Showing posts with label UCLA. Show all posts

Ok. That was dumb. After typing in the title of this entry, I hit enter instead of tab and basically posted a blank entry. Ah. My stupidity never ceases to amaze me. Neither does my forgetfulness. Sigh.

The *gasp* of the title was for the fact that I nearly let today go by without updating! Well, I guess I kind of did since it's past 12 am, but, eh. It's still TODAY for me since I'm still awake. Heh. Been trying to post something everyday, if you've noticed, and have been pretty successful, until now.

Today was another trip into Brussels. More mothers gathering for lunch (Japanese food today - yum!), and I get to tag along. I get good food, so I ain't complaining. I also bought nail polish! Yes! I didn't bring any from Taiwan because I seriously had no space in my luggage, and I thought I could do without nail polish for at least three months (until I go to D.C.), but I thought wrong. I don't know. My nails just look so blank and sad without some color! Well, I only bought one - copperish bronze. Once my mom leaves, time to go buy some black. MUA. HA. HA. HA. :)

Oh. So another addition to my short legs in a long leg land - Boots! I mentioned earlier that I went out and bought a pair, but that was after looking at all these different stores with all these different boots. Why was it so hard to find a pair? Well, price was the main concern. But there was another one! All the boots were so tall (not the heels, but the leg part) that if I wore it, they'd have gone past my knees. Woe. My legs are too short! Ahhhhh. So we wandered around trying to find a pair that was decent in price and not too tall so I didn't end up unable to bend my knees. Sigh. The pair that I finally settled on was actually located in a clothing store, not even a shoe store. Hah! And it's the perfect height for me (I hope it's not meant to be an ankle boot for the people here since that would be REALLY sad for me. No, I mean REALLY REALLY sad.).

Another difference that I've noticed is that people here tend to always look impeccably dressed for class. I mean, in UCLA we had those girls who put on tons of make up and wore short skirts with Uggs, but in general we were a campus of jeans, tshirt, and a UCLA hoodie. Or even just rolling out of bed and going to class still in PJs. But not so here. My fellow program-mates are ok. Jeans and well, not tshirts because it's cold here, but some kind of long sleeved shirt. But when I'm walking to class or even just around Leuven, I can't help but notice that the girls have like, make up on and are wearing stylish clothes, etc. I feel even more ... immature or child-like here. Hah! Not to mention short. Yup. The girls here are tall already, but they also wear heeled boots, which makes them even taller!

Maybe UCLA isn't the norm and other universities in the States or even Taiwan have girls showing up to class with impeccable makeup and clothes. Yes? No? Anybody? Anybody?

Oh wow, I'm in a blogging mode. :)

Had a conversation about where home is (for those of us with parents that move around) with a friend yesterday that spurred me to be introspective. So, being unable to fall asleep last night, I laid awake thinking, "When did Taiwan become home to me?"

Before, when we were moving to a new country every 2 to 4 years with my dad, I'd always considered home to be wherever my parents were at the time. Taiwan was just a country where I was born and had only lived in for 2 years and went back to visit every once in a while. Then, my dad got sent back to Taiwan for four years, where I finished out high school and applied for college in the States. As graduation approached, I was excited, like everyone else, to be leaving Taiwan and going back to the States. But a few weeks into first quarter of freshmen year, I realized that I actually missed Taiwan. Some time during the four years I was in Taiwan, Taiwan had become what I considered to be home (at the time, I think I was missing more the people than the place, although the convenience of Taipei can''t be beat). There was no doubt as graduation from UCLA approached that I would go back to Taiwan to try my hand in the job industry. I had the option of applying for OPT and staying an extra year, but for some reason it didn't appeal to me. I just wanted to go back home.

Of course after going back, I missed LA and all my friends, but I didn't feel too foreign in Taiwan. I adapted fast to the life back there and settled into a routine. The only thing that was hard was my inability to vocalize my thoughts well in Mandarin, and that was pretty frustrating, making me want to move to somewhere that spoke English. But after a year in Taipei, I think my Mandarin has approved vastly (speaking and listening-wise anyway; writing, not so much) that maybe continuing to stay in Taiwan wouldn't be so bad.

Anyway, when I was given the opportunity to study in Belgium, I decided to go for it because I had the moving itch, and also I thought Europe would be cool. It is cool, I guess. But so far, I've been here for nearly a month, and I find myself constantly comparing to life back in Taiwan and realizing how much I miss home, once again.

Maybe I'm just being close-minded and just need to open my mind a bit to the life and people here. Or maybe I just need to adjust and get over the culture shock. Or maybe I just need school to start to keep me somewhat occupied (if there are even any classes for me to take).

However, this temporary move out to Belgium has reinforced my belief that I will one day settle down in Taipei (whenever that may be) because that be home!

... I just need to stop having this itch to move around (and then regretting it). Ugh!

Image from silentreaper.devart.