Update

So I've been long overdue for an update on my life.  Honestly, I have been very much preoccupied by several things going on in my life.  I am getting ready to move back to the States in about three weeks so there is a ton of little things that need to be taken care of before I can get on that plane.  

I am very excited to come back home after about 9 months living here in Taiwan.  This won't be good-bye but only a brief farewell.  I've greatly appreciated the time I've spent here and I feel that I've grown a ton as a person as a result.  

I have been studying for the LSAT almost every single night that I get a chance.  My scores have been improving so that is a plus.  However, every day that I count down to go home is also one day closer to the big day of the test.  

I can't wait till the day I can go back and see my family and friends.  Life abroad really makes you appreciate the small things that make a day:  a good debate on politics, a bowl of macaroni and cheese, the sound of your best friend giving you advice, and the expectant meow of your hungry cat.  

Hope all is well with everyone!

Tax Question!

Perhaps you guys can help me out since I seem to be tangled in Taiwan's seemingly endless bureaucratic system here... but if I am an overseas Taiwanese citizen, meaning I hold a Taiwan passport but I don't have a Taiwan ID number and I have an ARC, do I still have to pay the 20% income tax that other non-citizen, non-residents have to pay?? Honestly I still haven't figured it out yet and I am sick of getting the run around when I ask about it at work. Help!

Sorry this post is so boring and probably makes no sense to the people back home! I've recently been stressing out about job prospects for when I get back to the States along with getting the LSAT blues (and trying to figure out Taiwan's tax system!) so I have been unable to post with my more upbeat personality. I will update later on my wonderful past weekend which included Mexican food, basketball, and waffles. Yes, this all happened.

Redesign?

I've been told by my lovely sister that I need to redesign my blog, perhaps I need to spruce up my font choices or my colors.  Maybe I could add a few more pictures.  Needless to say, I never knew that blogs would actually take so much work, not to mention so much html know-how.  Not that I am not up to the challenge, although I'm afraid either my work performance or my LSAT studying concentration levels might suffer the consequences.  Regardless, I'll take any suggestions and I'd like to share some pictures from this weekend.  

A group of friends from work and I went to stay in National Taiwan University's "dorm" up in Yangmingshan (a famous mountain here in Taipei).  The dorm is basically a house that you can rent for a little under 100 U.S. dollars for a night and it can sleep up to about 12 people, possibly more.  So we did some hiking and looked at pretty roses, which apparently is the THING to do right now, so it was super packed.  Apparently, in Taiwan, because the political situation can sometimes be so sensitive that the news is constantly filled with pointless things about current popular attractions in Taiwan.  Thus, leading to what was only slightly popular before being broadcast, to being a completely ridiculous circus over something only semi-cool.  

Anyway, here are a bunch of pictures of the dorm and flowers.  After a year of owning my camera,  I finally figured out how to take those artsy, albeit somewhat cliche now, flower pictures.  And by figured out, I mean someone showed me.

A rose that I found named "Oklahoma"!

Happy, dancing, singing man!

I think he's dressed in aboriginal garb.

Bee, hard at work.

When I figured out how to use my camera...

A cool waterfall that has turned the rock behind it completely white due to its sulfur content.

Cherry blossoms, I think.

Yangmingshan.

Our dorm!

The view.

LSAT Update!

Alright, so as you know, I've been preparing for the LSAT and I just took my second practice test last night. Let's just say, it did not go very well. On top of not finishing it because I took too long and it was way past my bed time, I am also pretty sure I bombed the reasoning section. This stinks because there are two reasoning sections (half of all the questions) on the actual test.

So tonight I'll have to finish the last section and then grade it! Well, hopefully when I get my new study books in, I can get better at the reasoning section with more techniques and then other than that I think I really just need to work on my timing. I want to score at least a 160, so we'll see how that goes!!

In other news, thanks to the generosity of the Taiwanese government, I was able to receive a sort of "tax refund" that the government handed out in efforts to stimulate the stagnating economy. Everyone here has been pretty appalled that as a foreigner, I was able to cash in on some of their country's money. BUT, I would like to point out that as a foreigner I pay 3 times as much in taxes as they do in the same pay scale. And if you knew how much I was making, you'd be annoyed too.

Note: That picture is the first picture that popped up on Google pictures when I searched "sad," haha. "You Don't Know Me," by Ben Folds featuring Regina Spektor.

An Introduction

I found LOVE in Taipei yesterday!


I realize that most of the people that read my blog already know who I am, but since this blog is published on the internet and therefore accessible by the public, I feel compelled to introduce myself, finally, after three months of blogging.

This actually reminds me of when I was younger and tried to keep diaries, with each new diary I would write something along the lines of, "Dear Diary, my name is Stephanie. I am 11 years old and I just got you!" But really, I'm 22 years old and I recently graduated from college with a degree in East Asian studies. What did that major do for me? Not much, hence, why I'm currently living in Taiwan and editing for living... currently anyway.

My plans are to move back to the states soon and take the LSAT so that I can go back to school again! I'm not particularly a person who loves to be in school but I have also been backlashing against the nine-to-five routine.

Besides being completely consumed with work and LSAT studying right now, here are other little tidbits of information about me. (This is sort of like that 25 Facts note that has been floating around on Facebook!) I'm a Texan with a boyfriend living in Rhode Island, a fat, orange cat named Yoshi, and an obsession with books. I say that sums it up pretty well. Haha, anyway, here's the real reason why I wanted to post: "Flightless Bird, American Mouth" by Iron and Wine.

The Island of Dr. Moreau

I finally finished the "Island of Dr. Moreau" after much procrastination as well as with reading "Twilight" in between. Let me just say, that H.G. Wells was a fantastic writer in that he is able to convey the greatest fears of humanity as reflected in a true to life nightmare. If you're looking for a short and insightful read, take your pick among many of Wells' psuedo-futuristic science fiction novels from "War of the Worlds" to "Invisible Man."

Next on my list to read is "Invisible Man," but I'll have to take a break to concentrate on studying for the LSAT, hence my new "currently reading" selection.

Also, to touch on "Twighlight," since I also recently read it; I would categorize this book as a fairly addicitive, easy to read, rated G romance novel. Basically, as a woman, the book makes you fall in love with the perfect man, Edward Cullen, except that he's not a man, he's a vampire. Hence, making it impossible for any young teenage girl who reads this book to ever find a man that will be up to this fictional character's standards. Thank you, Stephenie Meyer.

On a different note, I fell in love with several of the songs from the movie reproduction of "Twighlight," that I will post in my next several blogs to share. Enjoy!

Full Moon by Black Ghosts