Kaohsiung, Taiwan....My future home!

 

I finally got my application done for my work permit in Taiwan.  Can you believe it!?  In five months I will be living in Kaohsiung.  The above photo is what the city looks like. I've been reading so much about Taiwanese history and culture (in the little time I have) and have even begun learning about Mandarin, the official language of Taiwan.  I don't have the time to immerse myself in learning a new language but want to have at least a few words and phrases under my belt before I get there.  Once I'm in Taiwan, I plan on taking a class to learn as much Mandarin as possible.

Mandarin is a tonal language, which means you change the tone of a syllable to change it's meaning.  There are 4 different tones (rise up, fall down etc.) so one word can mean 4 completely different things depending on what tone you use.  Sheesh!  I have some work to do.  If you want to hear some Mandarin, go to omniglot.com and check it out.

Here are some interesting facts about Kaohsiung:

There are over 1.5 million people that live in Kaohsiung, the second largest city in Taiwan and located on the southwestern corner of the island.  It's hard for me to imagine this living where I live.  Maine has only 1.3 million people in the entire state!

The Love River or Ai River, flows through Kaohsiung into Kaohsiung Harbor and includes a riverside park with a night market, outdoor cafes, and live music.

The Port of Kaohsiung, a major port for Taiwan which handles a majority of Taiwan’s imports and exports, is sometimes known as the “Harbor Capital” of Taiwan.

Kaohsiung has the famous  Liuhe Night Market, an evening market for seafood, handicrafts, clothing and more.  It's open until 2:00 or 3:00 in the morning!  Everything closes up by 1:00 a.m. here in Portland!

After the winter we have had, here's a good one:  over the course of a year, the temperature in Kaohsiung typically varies from 59°F to 90°F and is rarely below 53°F or above 93°F.

Finally, if you'd like to check out some of the food in Taiwan, go to Netflix and check out "The Raw and the Cooked".  It's a wonderful culinary journey through Taiwan.

More later!

Dragon and Tiger Pagoda's in Kaohsiung!