Nil...

It's been a while since I've posted anything so I figure an update is in order. Those of you looking for some noteworthy news or tidbits will be dissapointed. Basically the past month has amounted to work, and adjusting to the heat and rain.
The summer months (May, June especially) are called the "plum season" because the rain just falls as though the sky is falling. It rains nonstop for hours and at night it falls like the heavens are collapsing. The roofs are all metal or aluminum and the rain hitting them all night sounds like a bleitzkrieg. The heat has picked up and some days it feels like a wave of heat and moisture hits you as you walk outside. It's unbelievable at times, walking from a well air conditioned room out into the heat and humidity is like watching those crazy Russians run from the icy pools in the snow into a sauna.
I have picked up a new private with an older woman who works for a Japanese company and has Korean family. She speaks Japanese fluently, is Taiwanese so she speaks Mandarin, and speaks some Korean and decent English. It's amazing talking to her, she answers the phone at times and and will speak in Japanese to her co-workers, then Mandarin to her husband, then back to English with me. I enjoy getting to know someone older here, not to mention the extra cash, but I always leave our meetings feeling a little inadequate.
My contract is up in early September which means I've been here for nine plus months. I have begun to take into consideration my options for next year. I enjoy living here, but I do miss certain aspects of my life back at home. Right now I guess I'm weighing my options. That being said, jobs are plentiful here and in other parts of Asia. I have looked into and applied to a few different jobs here in Taipei and a couple of jobs in Tokyo as well. Tokyo is a different world than Taipei, as different as New York and Taipei, but that's the draw. The cost of living is exorbitant, but the salaries are higher and the standard of living is among the worlds best. No real inkling as to what may come, but I'm keeping my eyes and ears open and applying to what looks appealing. Basically keeping my options open. Oh yeah, empty sports prediction, after a few months of sub-par play the Yanks have turned it around, and Nostrafrancis sees a Yankee's pennant come September.
Thank you to all of you who sent birthday cards, 24 is mid-twenties, a scary thought.