Flats and Love Hotels

When I arrived to Taiwan my school arranged for me to be picked up by a driver.  As I walked through customs and was greeted by a lovely Taiwanese man with holding a sign with my name, as you see in ever airport.  “Miss Sharp?” he asked, and I nodded and walked with him to the car.  On the way to the hotel he told me stories of how 20 years ago, things had been different for he was not driving people around in his 1990’s Mercedes, but instead the owner of a textile factory.  We went on to talk more about the history and eventually ended up in my hotel.   When we got there I couldn’t be happier to get into a bed.  I took an elevator to the 7^th floor and wandered my way around to room 707, opened the door and this is what I saw:

Yes, to the left is a coin dispenser to make the bed vibrate.  I looked at the round bed and at my reflections in the mirrors surrounding me, and then heard the faint sounds of pleasure wafting down the hallway.  Interesting, my school had put me in a love hotel! All I could do was laugh and then promptly pass out after traveling for 40 hours. 

So, many moons and... moans later, and after only 4 days of searching, I was lucky enough to find the perfect place to live.  I spent Friday and Saturday looking at apartments, and Saturday night at 8 p.m. I found the one!  I was debating at first whether to get my own place or a shared apartment.  I thought shared would help me in a new place, and help me to not feel so lonely.  My room is amazing and has a large window, there is a rooftop overlooking the entire city and the river that runs through it.  I have a kitchen and a dining room and a living room all the way up on the 9^th floor.   It’s an older place with lots of character, which was also a prerequisite.  Here is a view of my rooftop.

Now that’s more like it.  I have a home and am far from the Chang Lai Love hotel!

*** Love hotels are very popular here, because people live with their families until they are married.  Apparently, many people stay in these hotels, because they are a nice, cheap accommodation.  This is where my school places all of its teachers for the first few weeks, because it is close to the main office where training is.