update

I realized that I forgot to give a little update on my current emotional and mental state.
Long story short, I'm really happy to be back in Taiwan. Life is good.
I was certainly anxious about leaving my idyllic life in Halifax, but I didn't really have to worry. My job is incredible - I am so lucky to have found such an excellent position on my first try. I have incredibly supportive supervisors, friendly Taiwanese co-workers, and really super students. Every day I'm relatively excited to go to school. I feel like I have a job that makes a difference and means something.
And in what must truly be a benevolent act of God, the weather has been moderate the last few days. It's still sunny and warm, over 30 Celsius and 80% plus humidity, but there's been an unusual cool breeze that makes the air seem fresher and the weather seem much more manageable.
The house situation is ten times better. Right now it's Friday night around midnight. Last fall, I would be sitting on the couch by myself, home alone watching a movie. Tonight, the six of us are all sitting around, listening to cds (alternating "Canadian" and "American" - East Coast music or hip hop), and chatting. It feels like the days of college dorms, only a few years beyond. And as one of my favorite quotes goes: "Wherever you are, it is your friends who make your world."