Taiwan. Arrival.

So getting to Taiwan did not go quite as smoothly as I would have liked.  First, since I didn't get to bed till after 6am!  Second, the 3 tour group friends were up for their scheduled events at like 9am so blog buddy and I got up when they were headed out to say goodbye.  Blog buddy was staying another night and so would see them again, but alas, it would be the last time for me.  Since we were up blog buddy and I decided it would be pointless to try and sleep for just 20 more minutes.  Instead she helped me do my last minute packing and then took the things I wouldn't need or want in Taiwan to help lighten my suitcases to the post office to mail them to my apartment. Which was an ordeal as I didn't know the hostel's address for a the return label.  And then blog buddy helped me get my luggage up to the platform.  From there to the airport was pretty uneventful....it was once I arrived that things went to crap again.

And 3 the biggest reason.
So I'm standing in front of the clerk checking in and she tells me that since I was only flying from Japan to Taiwan and not The United States my ticket purchase did not cover both suitcases...which was crap, since there was nothing like that mentioned when I checked to see if China Airways had free baggage....one of the reasons I end up flying with them.   I figured their ticket was more but it covered luggage unlike Delta...meaning that after luggage charges Delta would have been more.  ANYWAYS, she tells me it would be 370000yen to take the second bag...which is a little over $400...I was like SERIOUSLY!!!!!!!! I paid $508 for the flight round trip!  After a minute or so she retracts her statement and checks both my bags for free, but told me my carry on was too heavy (I had thought carry on luggage didn't have a weight limit?!  I've never had one weighed before!)  SO I had to find about 4kg in things in my carryon to move over.  I managed 1.5kg....when I told her it was my computer making my bag heavy she told me just to take it out and have it under my seat.  Apparently they just have shitty over-head bins that might fall on people!

I ran to my departure gate...since by this time it was nearly 2pm and my flight had started boarding at 1:55~yikes!  I made it just in time....and I ignorned the clerks instructions about my computer.  I mean come on! 3kg is not going to destroy the bins, and I didn't want to be stepping on my computer.  I slept almost the entire flight over.

DaTing and her boyfriend Nelson Took about an hour to arrive, he had class.  Not a big deal, I chilled in the pickup lobby and I charged my phone then pulled out my DSi....where I practiced what few Chinese words I know on My Chinese Coach. 

Since I was starving...airplane food never being fantastic...from the airport they took me out to eat.  Something I need to pay them back for.  I hadn't been able to withdrawl money out of the ATM to pay for my own dinner.  It was delicious, DaTing says I have Nelson to blame for us going to an expensive resturaunt, but I think the food was worth it.  They tell me it's a pretty famous place especially in Japan, though I have never heard of it.  Why they took me to a Japanese resturant when I am going to be eating that food for the next year I don't know, but it was soooo good!  Have I ever mentioned my absolute love of Japanese cusine?  If I haven't, note I LOVE JAPANESE FOOD!

After dinner I took a shower and watched some TV with the 2 of them, and called PNC my bank about the ATM problem.  When I opened the account the woman had told me it would work in every ATM in the world. Needless to say I had begun to panic about being in a different country without money!  She gave me a bit of attitude when I told her if getting a credit advance from a bank was my only option. It would cost me money, and I thought PNC should reimburse me should this route be neccessary.  I mean it was they who lied to me and put me in this predicament in the first place!  Must admit I got a little verbally abusive, not my best moment, but she was not helpful. 

Not long after though I started getting extremely sleepy...airplane sleep is never a substitute for the real thing! So we went to bed, Nelson because of class today, DaTing because she's always tired....and me, well I think we all know by now why I was sleepy!