The Day After

I'm home now! I had such a wonderful time on my vacation, and I look forward to many more vacations to come (to Taiwan, Japan, Peru, Italy, etc.) as the years go by. I have the travel bug and don't plan to just sit back and let life pass me by any longer. I guess what I came to appreciate more than anything else is the amazing connections with people that my job has given me over the years. I've met some of the most fabulous people from around the world who have all added so much to my own view of what the world is like and why.

Being back home means so much to me at this point. I know that there will be some stresses to deal with, as I get back into the swing of teaching and taking classes. I will miss my Taiwanese friends/family immensely. However, I look forward to seeing them again, so I did not say good bye when I left this time...only "See you next year." I was so happy to see my amazing "family" at home; to be able to hug my child (who has grown since I've been gone) was priceless. To see and hug Yessenia was wonderful in so many ways (I didn't realize just how much I would miss her while I was gone). It was also great to shake Jeff's hand and hear the words bienvenido and know that I was welcome home. Yes, the reality of my crazy of life is here, but living the vida loco is not such a bad thing when you're surrounded by such a crowd of hecklers (I mean good friends) as I am.

I wish all of my friends an amazing holiday season this year. May your lives be filled with joy and peace, even in the midst of crazy lives. I can't help but think of my parents right now and how they supported my "dreams" over the years. This vacation was dedicated to their memory from the beginning, and I bring back memories that will always remind me of the best that my parents represented.

Day 12 Morning

Well, my flight back is in a few hours. I'm looking forward to going home, but I'm ready to come back whenever the opportunity comes up. I finally understand a little bit of the mixed emotions that our students feel when they come to the U.S. to study. I haven't had a lot of contact with people back home since I've been here other than comments to my Facebook posts, which is cool too. I did my best to share the highlights of this trip, but there is so much to share that I didn't have time to post. I have so many pictures (average of 200/day--you can do the math), but it's the stories behind the pictures that are more important. I'm looking forward to spending more time reflecting on this experience and looking forward to new experiences as the years go by. Life truly is an adventure calling our name and saying, "Take me!" Who am I to tell it, "No!" I would rather give in anyway.

This is all I have to say right now. I hope you all are having a wonderful day.

Day 12 Morning x 2

I feel like I'm in the movie Snow day. I left on the 29th, and I'm getting back on the 29th. I am in the San Francisco airport, waiting for my flight, which will undoubtedly be a little late, as there is a blanket of fog covering the airport. However, it was a relatively easy flight from Tokyo. It was difficult to sleep (I may have gotten about 3-4 hours total), but it was 2 hours shorter than the trip going to Tokyo, so I'm not complaining.

Anyway, it is 10:20 am, and I have 2 1/2 hours until my plane leaves for Spokane. I would sleep except that I'm paranoid that I won't wake up for my flight. I guess I will get my sleep on the plane and on the drive back to Pullman. This is one of the consequences of traveling long distances, but I don't regret taking the trip in the slightest (tiredness and all). Again, I'm not excited to get back to work and deal with all of the stuff I didn't get done before I left, but I'm happy for the experience and look forward to doing it again next year.

I guess I'll write more later. Take Care everyone.

Day 11

Day 11:

How do you define Amazing? Phenomenal? Spectacular? Wonderful? These are all words we use to describe things in English, but they are not enough to describe this vacation. In fact, this has been more than just a vacation. It was a reunion and possibly even a spiritual journey. I felt a sense of belonging in a way and relief that I was finally in a place that I was supposed to be at the moment. These were my thoughts today, as we made our way back from the middle of Taiwan in Changhua to Taipei. I am having a very calm night now and trying NOT to think about dinner (I've eaten more on this trip than I normally eat in a month).

In this blog I'm not putting pictures because even pictures can't describe this journey. I've been on the edge of tears at many times during this trip, as I contemplated the events of May 11 and how this trip just happened to be rescheduled for a time when we give thanks for the many people who have come across our paths and for the events that shape who we are and how we perceive this world around us. We gain perspective by how life shapes our hearts and minds. Life is NOT what we make it, really. Life is a compilation of all that happens and how we respond to the people and events.

I have developed a love for the people of Taiwan and for how they truly live on a daily basis. I've seen people's artwork that shows a passion of spirit and mind. I've seen their ability to survive harrowing traffic and not really worry about it all the time. I've seen elderly people dancing in public places on the weekends and to overcome the stresses of the week rather than spending the weekend worrying about what the next week had in store. All in all, it's been truly life altering in many ways. It's like climbing to the top of a mountain to take a mental picture of the beauty that lies at the top, hidden from everyone except those who ventured to climb (or to ride in a van) to take in the precious moments.

I am not sure when I'll have time to write a Day 12 entry, so to those of you in Taiwan who might be reading this, I want to express my heartfelt thanks for all that you've done for me. For those of you in the U.S. who have ever thought it would be wonderful to take an adventure somewhere...regardless of where...I say take it and not worry about the pocket book. Give up some other things to experience the adventure...the Journey is so much more than the destination. In this case, the destination and the journey have collided in a wonderful way. Yes, there have been some adjustments in thinking that I've had to make, but it's all been worth it. My world has expanded, and I hope to continue expanding it from this day forward.

Day 10

Day 10

Again, I'm writing this entry the day after, so I hope I don't forget too much because there was a lot to remember. I had a VERY busy day, starting with getting up at 4 am to drive to a mountain. I actually slept in the car on the way up to the mountain, but the long drive was absolutely worth it. I will have to write to my friend Jane to get the name of the mountain again (Jane if you're reading this, please comment with the name somewhere), but the basic meaning is that when you go to that place you will forget your problems. I have to say that it's very true.

At the beginning of our hike, I wasn't sure if we were going to make it. The incline was about 60%, and I was worried we would have to climb up through the tea tree fields that dotted the hillside. However, there was a paved road going up the hill, which made it a little easier (although, I can see how it would have been a little slippery at times). I'm not sure how far we hiked (maybe a mile) up this hill, but when we got to the top, I was absolutely amazed. It could have been better if we had gotten there earlier when the mist was still on the pond at the top, but this is one situation where I can't describe it in words so much. It was a very spiritual experience and one I will never choose to forget.

After coming back down from the mountain, we stopped by a replica of a Japanese village. This was the obligatory tourist trap visit, and WOW, there were people everywhere. However, we got a few pictures, and I was still glad we stopped there, if for no other reason than having something different to do.

Probably the most emotional experience of the day was a visit to one of the most beautiful schools I have seen. It's an old Japanese era elementary school that is still being used today. On the weekends, they allow people to visit the school grounds and take pictures. For those of you who knew my mother, she was a devoted elementary school teacher who loved kids. I think if I were to share the pictures, her eyes would light up more from these pictures than any of the others, especially since she also had a passion for history and learning about the past. Anyway, I held back tears the whole time I was there, but it was amazing to see a part of Taiwan's history that is so amazingly beautiful and STILL is functioning today.

I don't have any pictures right now to share for my next stop, but I had the opportunity to attend a traditional Taiwanese wedding party. I was fascinated for more reasons than the fact that I was the only white guy there (an honor in and of itself to have been invited). This was the first time ever (and possibly the last) that I've crashed a wedding. I was not really prepared to deal with a 12 course meal (including appetizer and dessert). What an experience...truly an honor to have had the family come over and thank me for being there. All I have to tell them is "Kongshi" (congratulations).

After the wedding we went to Taichung, where I saw a lot more temples, a lot more people, and had a traditional Taiwanese snack (sort of like ice cream). I was pretty tired after this part of our visit and decided to pass on the night market, so we went to dinner at a Hong Kong style restaurant that was more similar to an American style restaurant (sort of) and then came back to the house to rest. Once again, it truly was an amazing experience that I will never forget, nor do I want to forget it. I hope next time others will join me on this adventure of a lifetime.

Day 9

Day 9:

I'm writing this on day 10 because the day was long, and it was late when I got around to getting on the computer. Anyway, day 9 started out pretty slow. I ate my breakfast at the hotel, which was pretty darn good compared to eating KFC for breakfast. After breakfast, Ricky showed me around a few more places before we had lunch and made our way north to Changhua to meet up with Shannon, Notti, Abi, and Jane. The drive was about 2 1/2 hours, so I slept the whole time so that I could be more rested for the long night of seeing new things and meeting new people. I was thoroughly impressed with Notti, Jane, and Tina's (Jane's sister...also a former IALC student) family. What amazing people they are.

We went to a botanical garden where we had tea and took some pictures and then went to Notti and Jane's family factory (they make egg cakes...kind of like an egg-based tortilla or a flat omelette). After meeting up at the factory, we went to dinner at a place that specializes in Lamb with a Hot Pot (a big boilling pot that you put meat and vegetables in to cook them at your table). It was such a wonderful dinner...I learned a new way to cook lamb, so I was excited...it's definitely something I can do at home...Yay!!!

After dinner we had tea at the factory then they took me to the family shrine, which is in progress right now but already very beautiful. It was amazing to get the story behind the parts of the shrine. I have gone through a LOT of shrines here, but this was the first time I was able to learn what the parts represent. It was a cool experience. I've decided I really like meeting the parents of our former students because there is always a back story behind the students' lives that we will never know until we visit them in their environment. Notti, Jane, and Tina's dad is an amazing man with a passion for what he does and says. It was a pleasure to listen to him talking to the many people around him. I had no idea what he said (until my translators let me know), but it was truly an amazing experience.

I came home to the family home exhausted but amazingly happy to have met some absolutely amazing hosts.

Day 8

Day 8

I'm writing this the morning of day 9 because I was too tired last night to write. At any rate, yesterday was a pretty amazing day...that's sounding like a broken record, I guess. I got on the Taiwan High Speed Rail at 8:50 am and was 200 miles away in Kaohsiung City by 10:23 am. That was by far the fastest ground transportation I've ever been on. Anyway, Ricky picked me up at the train station and started out right away showing me around the town.

I was impressed from the beginning with how many fewer cars there

were. Granted, it was the middle of the morning, so most people were at work. However, I could already tell that it

was a little bit more peaceful of a city, yet it's still a city. One thing I have been struck by throughout this whole trip is the

fact that even in T

aipei where there are an insane amount of people, the streets are pretty clean. They make a major effort to keep things clean around here. Ricky and I were talking about this a little bit yesterday as well. The people here take pride in their country and want to preserve it. I think that's great.

Well, yesterday we drove around the port area, and we climbed a lot of stairs (hehehe). The first stop was to a

former British consulate's residence high on a hill that has a shrine built next to it. We were unable to go inside the residence (I guess I'll have to save that for next time), so I got a few pictures of the harbor from behind the shrine before we moved on. Ricky explained to me that he had been in the Navy in his younger years, so he showed me where he worked, and

I took a picture or two there. Our next stop was the Martyr's Shrine before descending into town to eat lunch with Ricky's parents.

After lunch we went to Lotus Park where I got some really cool pictures of the dragon and tigers. I didn't feel like climbing the towers because the better pictures were down below. We walked around the lake a little bit and got some pictures of turtles sunning themselves, another shrine, etc. before we went to take a ferry to Cilin island. On the island, I got a picture of the bay and

then we hiked up to what we thought was going to be the lighthouse on the hill, but it was actually the former living quarters for the army stationed there. We walked back down the hill and up again to the lighthouse to find out that it had just closed for the day, so we walked back down the hill and meandered back to the ferry.

Ricky drove me around the city at night so I could see the many really cool buildings including an 85 story building (Taipei 101 is 89 stories) and one of the biggest malls I've ever seen (nope, didn't go into it--too much walking already). Finally we made our way to a quaint little restaurant where we waited for an hour to eat dinner, and boy did we eat...wow...I was

really stuffed. After that Ricky dropped me of at my hotel, which he had paid for. I am very impressed with this hotel. It is much nicer than the one I stayed at in Taipei, but I think it may be a little bit less (not sure since I didn't pay for it). Have I mentioned that I have some ama

zing friends?

So far, after 8 days here in Taipei, I have had absolutely no regrets about making the trip. I do realize just how confusing it must be for our students coming to the U.S. at first. My non-existent Chinese means basically that everything I hear around me is noise (and lots of it). I once in awhile hear an English phrase or conversation between two people or a group of people, and my senses become aware that people are actually communicating. Definitely before I come back here again need to learn enough Chinese to at least understand more so that I don't fee quite so lost in the conversations. That is one of my goals for the remainder of this school year and into the next is to learn some basic Chinese so that I can thank Ricky's parents more properly and so that I can say more than hello, thank you, and good bye.

Day 7

Day 7

Phew!!! Today was a busy one, but it was great, just the same. The irony is that I have fewer pictures to show for the day because

much of it was spent inside the National Palace Museum (a HUGE museum) with Yuan Chuang (Shannon's sister) and Yuan's mother where I couldn't take any pictures legally (although, I did get one with my iPhone that I will upload when I get back home...shhhhh). However, the experience wa

s amazing. I was able to see artifacts from Chinese history galore, to include wonderful pieces of Jade & Bronze, pottery from various Dynasties, A whole lot of Calligraphy, to includ

e a multimedia calligraphy room that had some really cool learning tools. I was able to buy a calendar and got a lot of brochures that I will have to read through when I get some of that elusive free time that people keep talking about once I g

o back to the states.

After the museum, we (Shannon, Yuan, and I) went to lunch at another little eatery before going over to meet Shannon to go to Taipei City Hall and Taipei 101. I was able to get a map of Taiwan and we sat for an hour to rest and have some coffee and dessert. It was a much needed break after the walking we did through the museum.

I think maybe the best part of the day, though, was getting to go to the 73rd floor of Taipei 101 (a REALLY tall building) and visit the Google Office there. I started thinking it would be

a really fun place to work for sure...maybe not my cup of tea, but fun. Anyway, I got some pictures of the city from one of the rooms, but it was a little bit dark to get any kind of panoramic pictures (Sorry Jim). I DID, however, get some cool pictures of the building lit up at night, which is pretty amazing to see. I no longer feel like I have to go to New York except maybe to compare it to Taipei.

After our adventure to the top of Taipei 101, we went to dinner at a Sushi place where we ate what I considered a lot of food...hehe...and had a great time just chatting. This was good for Shannon and Notti because Shannon's mom watched Abigail for them so they could actually enjoy the time...I think they really appreciated it.

All in all, it was another great day. My most sincere thanks go out to Shannon and her family for being such wonderful friends, hosts, and tour guides. I look forward to some day being able to return the favor.

Day 6

Day 6

Today was yet one more wonderful day in probably my best vacation ever. It wasn't the most eventful, but it was certainly a great opportunity to meet a new friend and reconnect with an old friend. Of course, I had to be a little bit productive this morning to eliminate some stress when I get back, so I read an article for a paper I have to write. However, I made a nice relaxing morning of it all and

then met my coworker's friend (and now mine) Cherry to go to a place called XeiBeiTou. This was a great little find. It's a natural hotsprings where the Japanese built a public bath house during the era when they were in control of the island. The bath house is no longer in operation because it had fallen int

o many years of neglect, but they have refurbished the bath house and made it into a wonderful place to visit and learn about this era.

Another interesting fact about XeiBeiTou is that it is the home to many different movies because of the natural beauty of the area and for other reasons. The region was at one time called the Hollywood of Taiwan

(or something like that). Anyway, I really enjoyed taking pictures in the museum and of the spring water that flows down the stream by it.

After XeiBeiTou, we went to Danshui to visit Tam Kang University (TKU) main campus where one of my former students Albee is attending graduate school This is not the campus our students from TKU come from, but it was accessible to me today via public transportation, so I went and got a mini-tour of the campus. It was very pretty, even though the weather was not so great today. Anyway, I found plenty of items to take pictures of, and it was great to see Albee again after 2 years.

For dinner, I met with another former student, Phoebe, who is the person who found my hotel options for me. We had a great dinner, and I even tried the oysters and frog. I don't normally like oysters, but these weren't bad, and frog really does taste like chicken...amazing, eh? After dinner, Phoebe drove me around town where it hit me that driving here is really a LOT different from any city in the U.S. First of all, there are very few real rules for driving...it's basically a free-for-all. Secondly, the lines don't mean ANYTHING...no one drives between the line. Third, when a police car has its lights on, it is not because they are chasing someone...maybe it's just to make their presence known...lol Fourth, those darn scooters are a bit of a nuisance...haha.

Well, that's about it for tonight...I'm really tired and plan to go to sleep very soon. I hope you all are having a wonderful Thanksgiving vacation. Regardless of who we are and what we've been through, there is a lot to be thankful for. Take the time to let your family and friends know just how much you love them. Life is short and needs to be lived with a heart full of care and concern for others and not so seriously that we forget how to have fun. I'm not a trekky (Star Trek) by any means, but a phrase from the show comes to mind..."Live long and prosper." I think the prosper part has nothing to do with money...we are rich when we have amazing friends and the opportunity to experience the world around us new every day.

Take care everyone.

David

Day 5

Day 5:

Today started out pretty slow. I ended up waking up around 4 am and couldn't sleep, so I got out of bed to see who I could chat with. I was able to get back to sleep around 5:30 or so and slept until 8, so I was good for most of the day. I walked around a little bit after breakfast (to walk off the really bad Burger King food and coke zero with very little syrup and a LOT of carbonated water) before coming back to the hotel to relax for a bit. After about 30 minutes of chatting, Daisy asked if I wanted to go for lunch, so I met her at the metro station, and we went to a cool part of town with an old historic building with an amazing design. We walked around the shopping area before coming across a cool little BBQ place where they gave you all the food you could BBQ on the grill at your table. The food was delicious and the company was fun (Thanks Daisy).

After lunch, we made our way back to the hotel for awhile before Daisy had to go to the airport. I helped her get her bags to the bus terminal (where she got a cab to the airport). I made my way back to the hotel to veg for awhile and then ended up chatting on facebook for a bit. I didn't really have any set plans for the evening, but I ended up going out with a friend who I have only been keeping up with on facebook, Irene. She took me to a different kind of BBQ place that was amazing. We then chatted at Starbucks until almost 10 before coming back to the hotel. Time really flies when you're having fun, I guess. Anyway, I found myself wishing I had more time to spend here, but I will be happy to see my kiddo and my roommates when I get back too. I feel like I am beginning to understand the mixed feelings that our students feel the first couple months at the IALC. To be able to love the experience but still miss the people back home means that we are human.

I have decided to try to make this an annual trip and bring Caleb with me on the years that I can. It may be a shorter trip after this each time, but I'm fascinated by how much there is to do and see around here and how convenient things are to get to as compared to Moscow/Pullman. I have done a lot of walking but loved every minute of it. I guess this is enough for now. I wish everyone an amazing Thanksgiving vacation.

Day 4

Day 4

Today was a really low-key, relaxing day. Definitely not boring at all. I went to Chiang Kai Shek Memorial Square today and took pictures for two hours. Yesterday was great, but it was more moving from place to place than I am used to. I definitely need to ease into the city life...hehe. Anyway, I wanted to have a day where I could just focus my attention on being creative and having fun with my camera. It was so nice to be able to hear the city noise but not be inundated by it.

I was most impressed today by just people watching. I saw some wonderfully amazing people today and had a great lunch with Notti before coming back to the

hotel to just chill and chat with friends for awhile. Tomorrow I am not sure what to expect, but I can see doing another busy day

tomorrow seeing he sights of Taipei and taking in the experience as much as possible. I don't really feel jet lagged any more, but my sleep schedule is a bit off still. I guess that's just how it will be, so I'll deal with it.e in the background and see the skyline but not really be inundated by it for a couple hours. I think I got some pretty decent photos.

I was so impressed by the architecture and the grandeur of the buildings in the square. The Concert Hall and the Theater are absolutely AMAZING buildings, and the Buddha shrine area was a great place to take panoramic (well, potentially) pictures of the Taipei skyline. I can't wait to go up into Taipei 101 in a couple days and take pictures of the city from way up. I think it would be cool, though, to go to a concert at the concert hall or see some kind of production at the theater. I may have to wait until the next trip here, but it's worth thinking about at least.

Well, not much really to share from today's adventure. I took another trek around the downtown area this evening and just enjoy the sights and sounds. I could do without some of the smells, however. The evening time is when they take out the trash, and you could definitely smell it...from many different buildings. Ewww...lol. Anyway, I guess that makes sense.

I obviously started looking like a tourist today, though. I suppose it's my white skin and WSU T-shirt (and the fact that I was wearing a short sleeve T-shirt). Everyone seems to think it's cold out there or something. I think it's just right considering what I'll be going back to on the 29th. For now I am just going to concentrate on living in the moment and enjoying every moment I can spend with new and old friends here in Taiwan.

Day 3

Day 3

Today was a day full of new experiences and definite sensory overload. I slept a few more hours last night (about 7 hours). I got up and chatted with my kiddo and roomie for a bit and then I had breakfast. After breakfast, I took a walk around the downtown area for a bit and saw the Presidential palace (yep, took a few pictures--go figure). Then I walked around more and took pictures of various

statues and other points of interest. In the course of my walk, I saw a lot more scooters (of course--haha) and what I thought was the smallest TGIFridays in the world (until I realized that the building had a really odd shape). Anyway, I had a great time just meandering for a bit to walk off my breakfast.

In the course of my walking, I met an older Chinese man at Peace Park who knew absolutely no English. I know next to no Chinese, and I was trying to figure out what he meant by his gestures. I finally figured out a few things and really appreciated this opportunity to struggle through the conversational process. I kind of figured out that he liked my camera and was asking how much it cost (unfortunately, I had to make a guess as to how much to tell him because I'm not overly familiar with th

e exchange rates). He also wanted to take my picture with my camera, which I was happy about. Anyway, he took several pictures of me in front of one of the Pagodas in Peace Park, which was cool...I like the park. Anyway, I thanked him for the pictures and went on my way.

When I got back to my hotel, I got a call from the front desk. My friend Daisy was ready to go on our outing to Longshan Temple and then to Danshui. The coolest thing about Danshui

was a little side trip to take pictures of a little Christian church on a hill. It was a cool church, but we couldn't go in because there was a wedding going on. I got a picture of the bride and groom waiting on the stairs...it was so cool. After taking some pictures of Lo

ngshan Temple, we walked around the area and went into an old Japanese era school that they are rebuilding. It was amazing, but the best part was the two story bathroom...haha...watch out if you're on the bottom floor.

After leaving Danshui, we went to Jiantan to check out the Night Market there. It was amazing to see so many people in such a cramped place. I had to learn to set aside my Western desire for personal space and just go with the flow. All in all, it was a great experience, but I was happy to sit down and chat with Daisy afterward and talk about the day and what's happening in

life. I have to admit that I was a little disappointed at the lack of range of foods at the Night Market, and I didn't find much that I was interested in buying, but I'm not sure that's what us American tourists go there for. Maybe I can't speak for everyone, but it was cool to try a range of foods today that I've never had before. I am not sure I would cook any of the foods I had today, but it's all about the experience for me right now. At any rate, it was another amazing day.

Tomorrow I plan to have a little more low-key day and just chill close to the hotel...maybe even be a good student and do some of the reading I need to do...hehe. Maybe. I guess we'll see what tomorrow holds.

Day 2 Evening

Day 2 evening

Tonight was a lot of fun. I ran out of steam by around 9:00 pm, though because I was going on only 4 hours of sleep; however, it was a lot of fun to go out to dinner with my friend Daisy from Hong Kong and several of the Tamkang students. They took me to a Japanese restaurant where we had noodle soup and fried tofu. The food was good, and the company was fun. It was raining, and everyone was concerned about being outside, so we didn't go to the night market as planned, but we were so full from dinner that it's just as well. Daisy and I will probably go to the night market tonight and make that our dinner rather than a late night snack. After all, I would like to fit in my airplane seat on the way back. :-)

It was interesting walking through the streets of the shopping district in Taipei last night and getting pictures of whatever looked interesting. I tried getting a picture of one of the cute little walk signs, but it didn't work because it was night time and the guy was moving...just a little blur. I will have to get a picture of one during the day time or try using video mode. There weren't quite as many people out as I might have expected, but it was cool using the subway, since I've never used one before even in the U.S. The trains weren't really that crowded, and it was another opportunity to reconnect with old friends in the process.

Anyway, I finally got to bed around 11 pm to shake off the remainder of the jetlag and get ready for a new day and new adventures. Not much more to say right now.

Day 2 continued

This afternoon was wonderful so far. I met with my good friend Shannon, her husband, and their 21 month old daughter Abigail. We walked through downtown Taipei and went through an amazing museum. Then we had lunch at a Japanese restaurant in the downtown shopping area that was quite good. We did a lot of walking, but I really enjoyed reconnecting with Shannon and meeting her family. Her daughter knows me as uncle David. What an honor that is...amazing! They even provided me with a temporary cell phone to use while I'm here. It's truly an honor to have such wonderful friends throughout the world. I am so thankful for the opportunity to have such an amazing job where I meet the best people and have the opportunity to be an honorary brother to so many. What a gift.

My day is far from over, of course, as other friends are taking me out to check out the night life in Taiwan in awhile. I am so excited to meet up with so many friends while here. It makes the experience that much more worth it. I hope that I can return here more than just once in a lifetime, of course. We'll see what happens as life goes on.

Day 2

Day 2 AM

I had a difficult time sleeping last night because my body thought it was supposed to be up and because I had slept a lot on the plane. I did, however, lull off to sleep somewhere around 3 am and got up around 6 at first and then finally for good at 7 am. I am doing surprisingly well, and so far this morning has been interesting. I wanted to get my bearings, so I went out for a walk around the block after waiting an extremely long time at KFC for my complimentary breakfast...interesting way to provide the free meal without actually doing the work. Not the best food in the world, but it was interesting to eat an omelette sandwich with a definite Asian taste to it. Anyway, I really enjoyed the experience of just sitting and watching the happenings on the street as I waited and waited and waited and finally got my sandwich.

I really enjoyed walking the streets of downtown New Taipei before the stores opened, getting a lot of pictures, and enjoying walking (after a long airplane flight). I'm really impressed by the mingling of old and new style buildings, and the walk signs here are absolutely wonderful (little animated guy walking). So far I haven't been able to get into any good conversations because I think I'm the only white guy walking around downtown and people seem a little apprehensive about talking

to me or even looking at me...but there is still time. I guess if I were to move here, it would benefit me greatly to learn Chinese...hehe...ya think?

Anyway, one cool thing I found in my walkabout was a lot of English language schools, most notably David's English Center, which is right around the corner from my hotel. How cool is that?

I am really impressed with the size of some of the buildings here. My brother wants a panoramic picture from one of the tall buildings, and I think I've found the one to take it from. Of course, I am definitely interested in taking in the scenery from Taipei 101 one of these days, but I need to figure my way around the area. My goal is to spend as little money as possible but get maximum enjoyment out of this trip. So far I haven't had to spend a lot of extra money, which is cool. I am fortunate to have a lot of friends here, so I'm looking forward to seeing as many as possible. Who knows, I may come back and bring the kiddo with me next time if he's not in school. Heck, even if he is in school, this would be a good experience for him.

Anyway, I will be posting links to lots of pictures on Facebook soon. I wish you all a wonderful, wonderful day/night/whatever.

The Journey Begins

So, finally the day has arrived for me to make my journey to Taiwan to visit friends. I have plenty of responsibilities at home (i.e. work, papers for classes, kid stuff, cooking for roommates, starting fires, being a taxi service, etc.); however, this trip has been in the planning stages for a couple years now. My life has been a state of preparation for this opportunity; therefore, I plan to make the best of it. On this blog, I will post selected pictures of the day along with a narrative to accompany the picture. I will spare you the mundane details of showering, brushing teeth, drinking my first cup of coffee (unless there is something special about it), etc. However, my goal is to share the experience with anyone who cares. Maybe the next time, I will find a few others to join me and make the experience even more fun.

Day 1: Getting Started

I got up very early on Thursday morning (3:15 am) and got ready to take the shuttle from my hotel to the airport. I had a nice conversation with the guys at the front desk and felt no stress. I didn't even have to wait in a long line at the airport (the wonders of modern technology, even in the Spokane, Washington). The wait to board was only about 20 minutes, and despite how small the airplane was (a little United Express plane), I had a lot of space because there was no one in the seat next to me. I slept most of the way to San Francisco and was impressed when I got to the airport, which looks more like a Mall (a huge one at that) than an airport. Now I'm sitting and waiting for another 1 1/2 hours for my flight across the ocean. I will write more later and possibly even add a picture or two.

Day 1: Tokyo Airport

The flight to Tokyo was really long, but I got some good movie watching in and caught some ZZZs in the process. The funny thing about being cooped up in a seat for that many hours, however, is that you start thinking too much. My thoughts about halfway in went to a conversation that my mother and I had on the phone a day or so before the accident in May. She was talking about talking to my uncle Harold about my trip and how his daughter really enjoyed living overseas (in Japan, I think) and how I really needed to take advantage of as much of this trip as possible. This was an emotional part of the trip because I was expected to report back to my mom the details of the trip because she tended to live the world vicariously through Jim (my brother) and me (and our families). Anyway, I had a few tears in my eyes as I realized I was actually making the trip. I also started thinking about a book I read several years ago called Kon Tiki, which is about a trip that an explorer named Thor Heyerdahl took across the ocean to the Polynesian Islands from Peru (I believe it was Peru). Flying over the vast expanse of ocean is a sobering experience, but it was very exciting at the same time.

Well, I'm now in the Tokyo airport, safe and sound. So far, the trip has gone very well, and I'm looking forward to the next stretch and the 12 days to follow. This will truly be an adventure...but hopefully it is just the beginning of several such adventures throughout the world in years to come.