How we met, and what happened then

Originally, I was going to write a monstrous post. It was going to talk about my trip to Hualian and then, it was going to talk about how I met Jianing. The two things are related. But then I realized it'd be easier for everyone, myself included, if I just wrote a little about how she and I met. I hope this might satisfy your curiosity.

So - from the beginning.

I came to NTU with no friends, and no idea what I was doing. I also came last thing at night, and caused plenty of trouble for myself and everyone trying to help me. The next day, my roommate and his volunteer were going to get him a phone and see the Taipei 101; they invited me along. My volunteer was busy, I had nothing else to do, I needed a phone, and they seemed nice, so I gladly accompanied them.

My roommate's (Halmer's) volunteer was extremely nice. We kept going places and doing things together. She's studying philosophy, but thinking about switching to business; she's also very intelligent and had good English. There was plenty to like about her.
After we'd gone a few places, just she and I, I decided I'd ask if she'd like to go on a date.

By e-mail.

She said no.

Since I am not one to give up, I asked her again, and said one date's all I was asking for; if it didn't go well, we could just forget it. She said, "let's be friends." I said date or nothing. She chose nothing. Heheh.

As you can imagine, I was slightly bummed. I hadn't been hanging around anyone else very much, so I didn't really have any other friends at the time. And it was my birthday.

I was kind of mopey. I didn't go out much. I was, sadly, acting like a loser. And, because I was feeling down, I thought maybe I wouldn't even sign up for any other classes, just stick to Chinese. Or more like, I hardly wanted to leave my room to go to the other classes.

Of all things, though, there was a class on Shakespeare. Taught in English. That intrigued me, so I decided I'd go.

But nothing is ever easy. The online course selector thing doesn't really tell where your classes are, except in Chinese, and then not always. So I didn't know where the class was. I wandered through several buildings, and was starting to think I wouldn't find it at all when suddenly, someone smacked me in the back and started yelling.

It was Toby. Toby is German. He was also my classmate in Chinese. He is extremely, extremely boisterous. Many people do not particularly like him. They have their reasons - for example, after being here a grand total of one month, he got in an argument with the entire school newspaper staff, because he knew better than them what relationships were like in Taiwan. Then he wrote an article about it in their paper. No one was convinced.
But at that time, I was glad to see him, because he was looking for the same class! So we wandered around together.

But it didn't help. Neither of us could find it.

And just when we were thinking of leaving, he bumped into a girl. She was looking for the same class! Fortunately, she spoke Chinese, and was able to ask where it was. The three of us were in the wrong building, it turns out.
We made our way to the right classroom, and were only about an hour late. (That girl only came that one time - she went back to America or something after that - she was just there to see a friend).


Since I was in Taiwan, and this was a class on Shakespeare, in English, I expected no one would show up.
Roughly 80 people crammed into one room proved me wrong. In fact, the Professor said there was no more room in the class for any students (the limit was 30, I think), but also said that if we would come back the next week, a few slots might possibly be open from students dropping.

The next week, I almost considered not going back. But I did. And it was indeed emptier, though not by much.

Toby sat in the front row, right next to the TA. Toby is a shameless flirt. In fact, Toby is just shameless. It is impossible to embarrass, fluster, or discourage him in any way. He is very lively, not very perceptive, does not pay attention to anything, nor is he ever serious, except when someone expresses doubt in his opinions.
I thought to myself, "no! Please, please, sit anywhere but there - sit next to anyone else!" I wasn't entirely clear why I thought that at the time, though mostly it was because I didn't want anyone getting a terrible first impression of foreigners through him. I was embarrassed, because of him, to be a foreigner.

The TA began ignoring him after just a few minutes; he didn't shut up during class, which evidently annoyed her. My opinion of the girl went up immensely. He tried a few more times to chat her up, but she seemed happy to politely blow him off.

After class, I came to the front to have the professor sign my registration sheet - I had to register manually, since I couldn't do it online, and because it was already full. He was nice enough to let me into the class. Right after that, the TA introduced herself, and asked a few questions about me. I told her all the usual stuff, then explained I was taking a Shakespeare course in Taiwan basically because I was bored and liked Shakespeare. I think I also mentioned that I liked writing and reading. We talked a little more, then she suddenly asked if I'd like to meet for coffee.

I immediately agreed.