It's time for a more update-flavored update. That last post was...well, yeah. Anyway. I'll utilize the established 5-point update format, as per protocol. Oh, and I'll sprinkle in some Star Wars because OF COURSE I WILL, I'M MIKIE!
1. Culture Shock
2. Short-Term Goals
3. Long-Term Goals
4. Chicks
5. Miscellaneous
Enjoy!
1. CULTURE SHOCK
Well, duh.
The food is delicious, but I'd stab someone for some Russo's Pizza right about now. Sam Adams is hard to find in Yilan. Worse than that, I haven't found anywhere local to purchase Amiibo, and Amazon won't ship them here!
Ok, let me be serious. Culture shock is totally a thing and I'm totally dealing with it now. The biggest issue is that I still feel like a baby--I can neither speak nor read --and my enjoyment of this country will depend in no small way upon me remedying the issue. I have not been as devoted a study as I ought to have been, but that's nothing new. Learning a new language takes time. Hell, my job here is to teach children English as a second language, and that's no mean feat.
There's also the issue of being so far removed from friends and family. Now, one might look at, I don't know, my life since September 11, 2002 and think that that is a nonissue. Well, it is an issue. Sure, I left everything behind to join the military...to move to Wyoming...to earn my degree...to begin my career...and to come to Taiwan. I'm used to being alone, but that doesn't mean I don't get lonely. Even introverts need company on occasion. Also, those stretches away from New Jersey were eased by the relationships I was in. I'm not in one now, and that sucks (see previous post for more info on how much that sucks).
Of course, it's all my own damn fault.
2. SHORT-TERM GOALS
First and foremost, I need to get into a better routine so I can learn Chinese. I have been picking up a little bit, which is good, but I am nowhere near proficient. I manage to get around Yilan mostly on my own, I can purchase food at a few places (mostly convenience stores), and I even managed to go all the way to Taipei and return. Huzzah!
I'm getting a lot of work done on FNRPG. For those of you just joining us, that's the tabletop role-playing system that I'm developing from scratch. I do have a few select people I use to bounce ideas off of when talking to myself just isn't enough, but the actual design of the game's mechanics is solely my endeavor.
I have not been writing as much as I would like to, but I did just recently update M.A.I.D.S. [season 2]. I've also been itching to revisit my Restless Gaia saga, and I'm starting to come up with other story ideas to help flesh out FNRPG's base campaign setting. So, um, yay!
3. LONG-TERM GOALS
First, there's the obvious goal of completing my contract and earning my TEFL which, depending on who I talk to, is either completely useless or just mostly useless. Oh boy! It's still too early to decide if there will be a second year in Taiwan for me, but so far I really enjoy the work that I do.
Hm...Finish M.A.I.D.S. [season 2]. Get FNRPG going on Kickstarter. Learn Chinese. Lose 10 lbs. Save up some moneys. Learn to moonwalk. Beat a few more games from my back catalog. Find a way to add to my Amiibo collection. [objective restricted] Read Harry Potter. Learn more about my chosen religious path. Get laser hair removal everywhere south of my ears. Buy some new motorcycle boots. Teach in America (unless Trump gets elected). Go back to college (again).
The big one I'm focused on at the moment is getting FNRPG "up and running," as it were. I am putting a lot of eggs in that particular basket. If it's even moderately successful then it will create no end of work for me because I already have huge plans for additional products beyond the core rulebook (DLC, if you will). I've recently overhauled the skills system (which is the heart and soul of the RPG) and am halfway done revamping the magic system. Everything after that should be a simpler process, but the volume of work yet to be done is considerable.
4. CHICKS
Ugh. I was blinded by ambition and lost a really awesome chick. I went down a path she couldn't follow and, like Anakin, I lost what I was hoping to protect. Ugh, and I thought I was too old for hero worship!
I'm still mostly terrified of being in a relationship at the moment. There is one local I'm interested in, but there are many more reasons to keep that to myself than I need to list here.
Luke Skywalker is one of the few heroes I have left from my childhood that isn't tarnished in some way. I know I haven't read all of the EU material, but I do know that his fall to the Dark Side wasn't permanent. The hero stumbled, but he was redeemed.
I have stumbled in life. Boy howdy, have I ever! I would like to believe that, like Luke, I could resist the Dark Side and continue to be a force of good in the multiverse. I mean, sure, I like beer and porn, I spend too much time playing video games, and I've made some bad choices in my life...but there is good in me.
Anyway, I hope everyone enjoyed the update with its Star Wars awesomeness.
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THE ONE AND ONLY,MAC III
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