Postcard from Taipei

This is Taipei to me. 

So, here is an image to give you a hint about how I am feeling about Taipei. 

And then the unicorn poops rainbow birthday cake!!!

Every country I visit is the most something to me. Norway: The Most Expensive. Scotland: The Most Welcoming. Japan: The Most Like a Second-Home.  South Korea: The Most Likely to Only Happen Again as a Connection and, Even Then, Only if Cheap. Really Cheap. 

Taiwan: The Conversational. 

I've been to a lot of places were people spoke English as a first or secondary language. I've never been to a place where I have had so many unique conversations with such a variety of people. Yeah, yeah. A lot of people speak Emglish. This is awesome. It makes my life easier since I did a lot of buses and mailed a box back to China with my five winter shirts (did throw that oatmeal sweater away). 

This sweater is no more. 

So. Let's talk briefly about the people I collected. There was the emotional French girl I spent the day and evening with. There was the Canadian chemical engineer working on his Phd who was rather entertaining on the train from Taipei to Fulong. There was the architect who had just.. The best stories about working as a private contractor setting up bases in Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan... There has been my host, Henry, who actually drove me around twice and reminded me so much of my Grandfather O'Brien it was uncanny. There was Sue, the daughter, who was older than me who was pretty much an American after spending ten years working in the States. And then there were dozens of superficial but still pleasant conversations with random Texans, Taiwanese folks, my hostess (English is a little difficult for her), Canadians Who Travel in Pairs, and the bored shop keeps. 

In the immortal words of that one dog from the movie Up, "I like you temporarily!"

I don't even know how to write this entry. Part of the complication arises from the fact I hit the thirty day mark while in Taipei. Thirty days of international holidaying while living abroad. That's weird. 

I love my life. Ended up coming in through the staff entrance or something so I ended up skipping the ticket gate and not paying. Oops/yay!!!!

About this picture. So, I'm In the water just kinda floating. The lifeguards don't let us go in past the waist because reasons. I dunno. Taiwan is a bit of a nanny State. I chilling with my knees tucked up and conversations are struck up by the contractor mentioned earlier. And then these sentences drop, "you got here about fifteen minutes after I did." "Your stuff is over there. Yeah. The red scarf and you dug yourself a little ditch."  

It is not a ditch. It's an Eco-friendly beach chair, Stalker. 

Meanwhile...

Taipei stuff you are supposed to do that I did: 

Went to the Royal Palace, the only thing in Taipei I didn't enjoy. Sooooo many tour groups!!!

Went to Longshan Temple.

During some sort of religious thing...

Saw The Red Building 

And the Historic Block. 

Saw the memorial hall

Caught the changing of the guards. 

Explored the 101

Ate stinky tofu at a night market

Caught the sunset at Lovers' Bridge. 

Explored the nearby geopark, Yeliou. 

Yeah. I feel like I definitely did all the stuff you are supposed to do, and you can totally do all of that in two days. But in the other days, in the hours outside the must-dos, here more than anywhere else I have been, I really talked to people. And, actually, I didn't have to do much of the talking. It was nice to just keep meeting people who, even if I didn't agree with them on a lot of things, just had a lot to say and didn't require a lot of extra effort to maintain conversation. Or, even better, when you meet someone who is totally cool with comfortable silence. 

Group of bird watchers who let me hang out with them for a bit. I got quite a schooling on Taipei's bird scene. 

Definitely feel like I vacationed here. It's nice that, now that I take longer trips, I give myself more chill time. I can top outside 7-11, grab a water, and check my Facebook or play around of TsumTsum. I can spend two days at the beach. No, these don't tend to lead to exciting adventures, but I am leaving Taipei in much better health than I entered (I was really worried I picked up Lyme disease but it was just a virus of some other nature and is gone now). 

Mmmmm, lunch. 

I love the free wifi all over the place. I love that squishy drinks are popular. I love the feel of the city, a love child between Okinawa and Mainland China. More than once I noticed I was thinking, "this! This is what I thought China would be like!" I love the fact that stuff is open late here but the transportation starts early. I love the street food available in any degree of sketchy you are comfortable. 

It was good until I got to the bones and veins. I'm a sissy. 

I love all the rules and signs. I love the MRT. Pretty much, yeah. I think I just love Taiwan. My AirBnB host hugged me, my Taiwanese grandfather, and told me to stay in touch. Maybe I'll move to Taiwan next!

Who knows? In the meantime, time to get ready for the next leg of this journey. See you in Laos!