Unfamiliar Place

It would mark the first time I transferred schools, and it would not be the last; but the transition from Hsinchu to Taipei was, up to now, one of the most life-changing moments of my life. Stepping into the unfamiliar environment of Bethany, sensing all the new sights and sensual stimuli around me triggered a new sensation that I had not felt for a while; the anxiety, the hope of a new place. However after years of schooling in Taipei, I am now so used to it that I have trouble adjusting back to Hsinchu, and cannot wait to go back to the city.

The car pulled up in front of the school, a rather plain, brown tiled building. As I stepped out of the car and into the frontiers of Taipei city, I inhaled deeply and the overwhelming smell of diesel fuel and gasoline was enough to make me stagger. Grabbing my bookbag and waving a quick goodbye to my dad, I strode up the steps towards the school, so anxious that I was oblivious to the deafening roar of Taipei traffic. From the outside, the tainted doors and windows prevented me from seeing much inside, but as the door opened I blinked rapidly at blinding bright light ablaze in the lobby. Mobs of people swarmed beside me, calling to fellow classmates; announcements blazed through the school intercom system; cries of delight were heard from the playground door across the room. I stood there, slightly dumbfounded, and people pushed past me to get through. I inhaled onc again, and the air contained a sort of freshness. I glanced around the walls to find brightly clad posters proclaiming school events, school facilites, and artworks. My anxiety was not suppressed, though, and I felt a sudden wave of fear as I realized I did not know what to do next. I then spotted an acquaintance from the new student orientations a couple of days before. He was tall, and stood in a corner towering over other children. and hurried towards him.

The first year I never got a chance to really go around Taipei, and still was not used to the bustling city streets. However, by the second and third year, I had gotten used to my way around. The smell of motor oil and the sonorous rumbles of scooter engines no longer bothered me as much, and I understood the methods of transportation around Taipei, to an extent of course, considering I do not live there. And as the years went by, Bethany also became a second home. But, homes change; and now I am getting used to the unfamiliar enviroment of PAS back in Hsinchu.