Guys...stop loosing your phones - its getting annoying.

I have created an FTP server on a university broadband connection that hosts all of the music in my computer. The albums that I copied on my old iPod are unsorted unfortunately and they consist of roughly 3.7 gigabytes out of the 15 gigabytes in my library. They are in the "Unsorted 2" folder and they are named in 4 digits, meaning that they are labeled incomprehensibly. I will slowly fix this. Fortunately the bulk of my collection is sorted into their respective folders. And the "Unsorted 1" folder has the songs correctly named.

the server address is ftp://patek:philippe@unix97.serveftp.net

Artists whose albums I have multiple of will have their own folder.

I'm obligated to say that it is only legally permissible to stream music off here.

please note: despite how nice the school of management is, the bathrooms kind of suck.

Must I make an excuse after I have recovered after my 2 month expedition to the far side of the world?

So I trust that word has slowly gotten around that I have finally returned from my escape into the wild. So therefore I must say I have learned a fair deal. Taken from a page in my journal is this passage:

Its not that I am so deprived of money that I welcome a wage that is probably 2-3 times less than America's current standard. And its also not that I'm bursting with laughter that I'm getting paid for doing absolutely nothing, because I would beg to differ that I get a lot done during my 8.5 hour work shift. It's just that I am really happy that I can work what I would like to describe as a "virgin job" - which connotes the way that I work this month. When I say virgin job I mean it in the most non literal way possible, meaning that I don't have to worry about anything except for showing up to work, presenting myself in an acceptable way, and obviously correctly executing tasks efficiently. I don't have to worry about electric bills, plumbing mishaps, car insurance, kids, nagging wife/wives, food, and the IRS. All I have to do is wake up and go to work. Come to think of it, after 4 years of college and perhaps a couple more years of graduate studies I'll have to worry about the aforementioned things for the rest of my life. Work sure is good now.

But one of the questions that may be lingering in your minds is this: Why is an 18 year old American high school graduate working abroad, and worst of all why Asia? The cost of Asia is decidedly lower than America and other Western countries but that doesn't really help since the wages are lower and I only visit Asia once a year. If I was looking for the best solution I would stay in America and find a low pay job - which is still significantly higher pay than what I am doing now. The amount of money I make in a month won't even cover the cost of the plane ticket that got me here. So why am I doing this job? I really don't know why. The hotel management industry let alone the service industry has nothing to do with my intended career path (well it might if I plan on going for a MBA). But let me say this: I am happy.

What is the purpose of working then? I would like to rebuke this question by answering that it shows us how hard it is for us to make money. This job will change me.

I spent a month playing around from Beijing to Taiwan. And then I spent another month working an honest man's job in a five star hotel. The pay was cheap and the hours were long, but the people there were among the truest, most honest people I have ever met in my life. The hotel likes to attract handfuls of college students into some sort of co-op job opportunity. Most of the time we're just standing around waiting for something to happen. The rest of the time we're opening doors for German aviation engineers who travel in and out of the EVA maintenance facilities. There's also plenty of face time with airline crews. And when I say airline crews, I mean flight attendants.

These are the airline companies that we accommodate every night: Air Macau, Singapore Airlines, United Airlines, Thailand Airlines, Vietnam Airlines. Their significance is roughly in that order. Once you hang around the front long enough you can get a feel of the physical characteristics of each company. Airline crews typically check-in at night and hang around for a day then leave the following night or the morning after that. That being said, virtually every Asian female from between the age of 20-30 who stays in our hotel is a flight attendant.

Now, let me say that by dwelling around the front door for a month I have noticed a couple things. When Vietnam Airlines checks in at 9:00 pm they immediately raise their index finger and say, "could you call a taxi for me?"

Part 2 continues later tonight...

Flying Solo

I am another step closer to becoming a man. Just kidding, I just thought I'd bore you with another floridian comment. But seriously there are some things that can only be acquired my your self, and that being said - hold on something is going on in TaiMall.

Yeah I'm not really sure what's going on actually but that's only because I don't want to walk by the security guard and have him awkwardly nod to be. I've been nodded to too many times in my life and I'm simply getting sick of it. Except I'm still going to nod to people I don't really like or who I don't know.

So I started work at the Monarch Plaza hotel. I work about 8.5 hours a day, my regular schedule will make me wake at 6:45 a.m. and make my way towards the bus stop. In comparison to the Taipei public transportation system, let alone the bus schedule, the Taoyuan system is for lack of a better work-"shit". The buses hardly even follow the posted times and don't even have a clear way of displaying the placards so its very easily to get frustrated and board a random bus. I did that this morning. And I got lost.

That's why I have to get up earlier next time. Thankfully I have tomorrow off (Sunday). Then on Monday back to work again! I get out at 4:30, but I won't get home till 6:00 thanks to the buses.

So what do I do at the hotel? I think the best way to describe what I did yesterday is to describe it in a simple phrase: stand there and in Chinese we cal it fa guey. Imagine standing in your closet all day waiting for people to come inside and you have to open the door for them as they walk in, smile, nod your head, and then look away. Keep in mind you have to stand and not sit. Except in a hotel, people actually come to the door. Tragically it seems that I am a rare breed of employee in the Taiwan service industry. I possess the skill of bilingualism, being able to speak English and Chinese with relative proficiency. Amazingly, in the 5-6 years that it has been open, the Monarch Plaza has not yet been listed in travel websites such as expedia! or orbitz. This is where I come in. I have been blessed with the task of contacting the managers of such sites and requesting that we be listed.

I'm going to read the news now.

Picture Time

These pictures are from Beijing. And are some of the pictures that I promised of the Summer Palace and Forbidden City

He really likes the wall

There is some sort of Buddha at the top and its quite a hike to get there

Almost there

A rewarding view at the end, coupled with lots of sweat
eating popsicles on the Long Corridor, which happens to be the longest corridor in the world.

A priceless boat carved out of marble. Its not even a real boat.



Right in front of the mausoleum of Mao Zedong, aka Tiananmen Square
Forbidden City will be next.

Impressions on Taiwan

We landed in Taiwan at around 3:30 pm local time. Taiwan is one of Asia's "four dragons" aka the pride of economic Asia. The other 3 are Singapore, Japan, and China. Therefore its quite a modern country, if I may call it so.

We ate afterwards at the Zen Teppanyaki Grillto the treat of my aunt. The food was nothing short of spectacular to say the least. I'll try to elaborate tomorrow.

Grillin'

Since its late right now I'll just say that Taiwan is amazing judging by just the hotel services that we have experienced. I've been to Taiwan several times so I'm really speaking more so to Will Jesse and Ben. I'm sorry that I won't say much more than showing you how to contact us.

To reach us by phone call 011-886-33269900 which will get you to the front desk of the Monarch Plaza Hotel in Taoyuan. Ask for room number 1518 for Ben and I or 1512 for Will and Jesse.

Cheers

I'll probably write more in the morning as its getting way past my normal bed time.

-Andy