Merry Christmas!
Although I'm not in the Christmas mood as I'm spending this time alone (well, with my kid, but it's still almost like being alone). It's the second year that I can't go back to Poland... When will the virus situation get better? Taiwan is currently fine, but Poland and other European countries...
I wanted to prepare a Christmas Eve dinner since I can't go back to Poland again. Then I found out that my husband's company is having their Year End Group Dinner on 12/24, for the second year in a row! And it's only for employees... Because my husband is on shift, he will be working on 12/25-26... There will be no Christmas for me this year. I feel sad and lonely, sometimes I even regret living in Taiwan. I feel like no one cares about my culture... He had plenty of days off to use, but he didn't even want to choose Christmas because there is less work on the weekend. It's disappointing. And seeing all the Christmas pictures my family and friends posted today makes me even sadder. I won't have many chances to go back to Poland next Christmas because my husband just doesn't want to go there in winter.
Lately, things haven't been going smoothly for us. For a couple of weeks, we have been looking at houses as our rental contract is ending soon. But it seems like we will be staying here for another year. We have checked many houses, but they are old and expensive... Not to mention the new houses, which we could never afford. I don't want to live in the countryside as it's inconvenient for me since I can't drive. What can I do without shops or kindergartens nearby... I'm not lazy, I could ride a bike, but if it's rainy or hot in the summer, I don't feel like doing it.
The houses we could possibly afford need a lot of renovation. Taiwanese people really don't take care of their homes. Seeing so many houses, we would most likely be asked to take off our shoes. I hate that! The houses are full of dust, and nobody cleans them whether they live there or not. Why do I have to take off my shoes to step into dust, hair, and who knows what else that covers the ground? Even one time when we viewed a house, the family still lived there, and we were asked to take off our shoes again. The house was really messy, and I don't understand why it doesn't bother them to live like this.
Anyway, we found one house that we both agreed would be okay. Then... every time my mother-in-law always needs to check everything. They came and viewed the house, but she thought it was expensive and wanted to talk with the owner herself. Days passed, and the owner didn't respond, and the house was sold out!! It's in the city, a community-style house with a small garden. She knows nothing about Tainan and doesn't understand the prices here at all. It's difficult to find an affordable house like this. I was so angry with her... They have other houses in the same area that are 2-3 million NT more expensive!!
Another time, we went to see another house. Maybe it wasn't as beautiful, but it had the basic things that we needed. Also, the size was bigger than other houses, so it didn't seem too expensive as it was close to a busy area. We both agreed that the house was okay for us. My husband checked all the documents, and everything seemed fine. He signed the agreement documents and paid the fee. The house is on a dead-end road, but there are only about 5 houses in a row, so it's pretty close to the entrance. It turned out that part of the road belongs to several people... I don't understand how a road can belong to people and not the government. Anyway, if they wanted to block the road, they could just do it, and nobody would be able to enter their homes. Luckily, we were able to cancel the contract and get our money back. That wasn't easy, as once you sign the documents, the salespeople don't let you go easily! They are not honest and just want to get rid of bad houses as fast as they can.
Currently, we are having no luck finding a new place. If we didn't have a parking lot issue here, we could keep the rental for another year. But I'm also tired of living in this small apartment. Our son is growing up but doesn't even have a proper room as we store everything in there... It looks more like a storage space than a room, but there is no other place to keep our things, cake boxes, etc. It's crazy how fast houses are selling lately. Are people really that rich...
Also, we were so desperate that we went to a temple to ask God if we could find a house soon. Usually, I don't care about religion and don't want to go to a temple or church, but I just felt annoyed with the current situation. When going to the temple, you need to prepare offerings for God, such as fruits, cookies, or drinks. The amount has to be 3, 5, 7, or 9. Not every fruit is acceptable, but I don't really know the difference. I just remember a few that we could use, such as bananas, oranges, grapes, pineapples, or sugar apples. We placed the offerings on a plate and took several incense sticks. The Mazu Temple in Shanhua has 9 incense burning places (honestly, I don't know what to call them). We visited every enshrined God in the temple and prayed. In the end, we asked God if we could find a house in the near future. Every temple has sticks with words on them, and we took one and checked the drawer to know the answer. Well, it was pretty clear, "don't move," because now is not a good time...
Also, lately I opened a bank account in Taiwan. Opening a bank account as a foreigner may not be as easy as it is for Taiwanese. It took an hour and many questions, including some like "why do you need a bank account" or "why this bank." Unlike Taiwanese people, you cannot open a bank account online. We went to Bank SinoPac (永豐銀行). They asked us to bring my passport, ARC, and health insurance card. Why do they need so many documents? They also checked my husband's ID card to confirm that I'm his wife. The bank makes you feel like a criminal just for wanting to have a bank account, haha. Unfortunately, the bank doesn't have anyone who speaks English, and the forms are mostly in Chinese, so only my husband could fill out the necessary documents and handle the process for me. The banking system in Taiwan is quite old. Also, having a joint bank account is not an option... Something that's normal in many countries is not a thing here.
There were more troubles when opening a stock account. We went there, filled in all the necessary documents, but then the troubles started. They thought that because I couldn't fully read the agreement in Chinese, I couldn't have an account to buy stocks. There is no one who speaks English either... And the government still thinks that by 2030, English could become the second official language here. Maybe in Taipei, but Tainan and other cities in the south have a long way to go in terms of improvement as I barely see places that speak English. My husband asked in another bank to learn more about opening a stock account. It turns out that not being able to speak Chinese isn't a problem. Anyway, they don't open stock accounts for foreigners because "foreigners don't stay for a long time." Oh, really?? I have been living here for over 4 years. I know it may not be a long time, but I have family here, and I'm not here just for a short period. I know people who have been living here for 10-20 years. Why treat every foreigner the same way? We are not all the same... Many people came here to teach English and went back to their countries during Covid-19, but someone who has a family will not just move out anytime they want to.
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