SO MUCH AWESOME

NOTES FROM TAIWAN #2

May 31st, 2008

SO MUCH AWESOME

The day began (or continued, I suppose, considering all of Friday had been spent on the plane) at approximately 6:00am. Despite the lack of sleep, excitement kept me wide-awake as I stepped off the plane. It didn't take long for me to notice something very strange about the airport I had arrived in. It was... nice. Scratch that, it was a freaking palace: smartly designed architecture, polite and helpful airport employees, and floors so clean you could eat off them (seriously). LAX is a dump to begin with, but especially compared to this mecca of beauty.

I regrouped with Craig, Ben, and Becky, and then tried using the ATM. After progressing through half a dozen screens of Chinese characters (God knows what exactly I signed up for on those screens), I watched with glee as the machine spewed out two thousand dollars. F*** yeah. I suppose I should mention that the conversion rate is NTD 30 (Taiwanese dollars) for every US $1, bringing the total mad money my ballin' ass was now carrying to just over 66 bucks. But when you are a poor man, having two thousand dollars in your hand is an exciting experience, no matter what currency it is in.

Stepping out of the cool, air-conditioned haven of the airport, I was struck by the feeling that I was now breathing steam. Taiwan is hot, to put it mildly. And Taiwan is humid, to put it even more mildly. It took all of one minute to be turned into a sweaty, gross, unattractive mess.

A taxi was hailed, and all eight of our over-sized bags were crammed into the compact car, after which we squeezed in for what would be a very "cozy" half-hour cab ride to Taipei. I think we all assumed that our cab driver would speak English, so when he didn't, a conversation of Charades was necessary in order to convey our hotel location.

The drive was uneventful, save for the fact that we were NOW IN TAIWAN. The Taiwanese drivers make LA drivers look like terrified little old ladies. Not that they are aggressive. Completely the opposite in fact. They use their horns the way horns should be used, to warn other drivers of their close proximity and other fyi's, instead of using them to issue the proverbial "F*** YOU!!!" that Americans seemed convinced they are justified in honking when someone else dares to share the road with them. They also shrug off near-misses and close-calls as if they are nothing. Our cab driver seemed almost bored as he weaved in and out traffic.

The other noticeable difference with driving in Taiwan: mopeds. They. Are. EVERYWHERE. I'm positive that they outnumber cars. And they even put the crazy car drivers to shame. Those mini crotch-rockets brush against cars and buses, often times appearing to be pin-balling through traffic rather than driving. I couldn't help but giggle a bit as we waited at our first stoplight, and during the next minute and a half (traffic lights in Taiwan are LONG), the lane next to us became crammed with dozens and dozens of mopeds. Then as the light turned green, the drivers revved their little beasts of speed as if they were at the races, and sped off through the intersection. It was seriously like watching the start of a race, except instead of cars there's motor scooters, and there are more drivers than there is road. These moped drivers have hearts of gladiators.

The first major landmark we approached was a huge, gorgeous building that looked like a temple. We would soon learn that this temple was actually a hotel. Oh. Turning my eyes to the right, I saw the massive monolith that is Taipei 101. Currently the tallest building in the world, this obelisk towers above the rest of the city, and dwarfs all buildings surrounding it. Despite the pollution and rain, it wasn't hard to spot it from across the city.

As we approached the heart of Taipei, I began to see the signs of the sprawling, developed city I had been told Taipei has grown to be. At first, I was a little put off by the look of the city. The buildings aren't particularly attractive, and the chaotic traffic initially made me think I would be spending half of my days for the next two months sitting in worse traffic jams than LA has ever seen. But as we made our way deeper into the city, it's charm began to reveal itself. The city streets and back alleys bustle with an energy unlike I've seen in any other city. The modern trappings of an upscale city, from massive banks to classy restaurants, are mere footsteps from street vendors and markets. And despite the chaotic traffic, people and vehicles made there way through the sidewalks and streets with an elegance and efficiency missing from any major American city I have ever been in. The appeal of Taipei is hard to describe with words, but it its obvious once you see it with your own eyes.

The cab pulled into a back alley that looked shady to say the least, devoid of any people, large neon signs looming overhead. We crossed our fingers, praying that the cab would go a little bit further before pulling to a stop. It finally did outside of a charming little building: the Erin Hotel, our home for the next two months.

We were at once greeted by the incredibly friendly hotel staff. Despite their limited English, and our complete lack of Mandarin, check-in in was easy. I made my way through the small hallways and door frames. Ben, the tallest of our group, looked like a giant walking through the tiny architecture. I am not a tall man, but even I felt like I needed to hunch down in order to pass through everything. I arrived at 506, my room, easy to spot because of the glowing white "Escape Sling" sign above the door (I still have no idea what that is). My hotel room was small but cozy, with the full-size bed occupying a good 80% of the room (remember this statistic, as it plays a big role in a future post), and the mysterious, metal arm of the Escape Sling lurking in the corner. Bags were quickly dropped off, and we made our way back out to the alley.

Upon second glance, our shady hotel street began to feel like home. As early morning gave way to day, people began to emerge and fill the alleys and inhabit the small shops and eateries. We wandered around for a time, stopping at a produce market where we sampled some local fruit. I had been told about the street markets prior to my arrival, but I didn't expect how charming and inviting they would be. All the vendors were incredibly friendly and charismatic, encouraging us to try their food. Ben and I grabbed some tea and shrimp chips at the 7-11 (more on those in a bit).

We made our way back to the hotel and met up with our local hosts, Pei and Jeanie, staff at the USC Taipei office, and Chris, Annie, Emily, Marissa, JS, and Oscar, students at the National Taiwan University and workers . They immediately welcomed us to Taiwan with open arms and wasted no time in cracking open a map and helping us get acquainted with our surroundings. Even though I had felt immediately welcome in the city, it was still very nice to have a group of new friends who not only spoke English but were incredibly enthusiastic about having us Americans in Taiwan.

Our first order of business was to sample some eats at the market just a block from our hotel. I will never forget the taste of the spicy chicken we tried. So. Freaking. Good. Imagine if chicken could taste like heaven. That describes it pretty well.

After a bit more wandering, we made our way to the nearest 7-11, one of 5 billion in Taipei. I'm only exaggerating slightly. There are many places in the city where you can stand at the steps of one 7-11, look across the street, and see another one. But these 7-11's are not the 7-11's that we have in America. No no no. These compact little rooms are not only air-conditioned havens that give much needed respite from the brutal Taiwan heat, but altars to convenience. You can honestly get just about anything you could ever possibly need. You could probably run a missile silo from one of them if you wanted.

Our NTU hosts helped us purchase our MRT Smart Cards, the golden ticket to Taipei's heavenly public transportation system. One can use this card for bus or subway travel, needing only to swipe it past the card reader. We immediately broke these suckers in at the bus stop. Much like the drivers of cars and mopeds, the bus drivers no how to move. It took only one embarrassing stumble across the bus floor for us Americans to learn to hold onto the hand rails for dear life.

Our trip took us to a small noodle shop, famous throughout the city for winning numerous awards for spicy noodle soup. Having no idea how to order anything, our NTU hosts helped us navigate our way through the menu. "Do you want to try something spicy?" they asked. "Sure," I replied, "I'm up for anything! That's why I'm here." I would then spend the next hour trying to hold a conversation while sweating profusely and burning off half my taste buds (food in Taiwan is delicious, but hot and spicy like not even Hell knows). Also at this noodle place, Annie presented us with our own personal chopsticks, our initiation into Taiwan life.

The next stop was that beast of a building Taipei 101. Some people say that it doesn't look that big, since the buildings surrounding it are not that large. I disagree. To me, this building is so tall that it looked like it swayed in the breeze. A modern marvel of modern ingenuity and technology, this building is an incredible sight to behold. After gawking at it for a few minutes, we purchased local SIM cards for our phones, and then made our way to Warner Village, a shopper's haven. It was here that I was giggled at by a group of Taiwanese school girls. An NTUstudent asked them why they were laughing at me, and they pointed at me, and then at a nearby television screen, upon which an advertisement for the new Indiana Jones was playing, a dapper looking Shia LeBouf, decked out in slick hair and a leather jacket, tossed and twirled a butterfly knife. I suppose there are worse-looking celebrities to be compared to.

We hopped aboard the MRT, Taipei's speedy subway system. I immediately felt out of place on this subway system. Why? It was clean. There was not a single bum harassing anyone for money. And most of all, the smell of urine was completely absent.

Since none of us USC interns had any clue how to get to our respective internships (which we were to start in less than two days), we all split up, accompanied by a few NTU students. My group made a dry run to my work, and incredibly quick and easy trip (one twenty minute bus ride). We arrived at Infine Art & Culture Exchange. A doorway opened up into a small staircase, and atop the first flight of stairs was on old door which served as the entrance to my work. It was closed, but I definitely got the sense that this company would be a humble one.

Throughout the course of these journeys, I had the pleasure of speaking with just about all the staff and students. We exchanged stories and unique things about our respective cultures. It had been a long time since I had been able to have so many good conversations about world culture. The Taiwanese are incredible in their interest and curiosity with the rest of the world. The little island has made itself a leader in the global economy because of this thirst for knowledge and desire to learn. Everyone I talked too had a great interest in knowing everything there was to know about America and the rest of the world. It was incredibly refreshing to see a culture where knowledge and open-mindedness are valued so highly.

With that necessary trip to work out of the way, we all regrouped at a small restaurant called A Common Place, where we met fifth member of the USC Taipei Global Fellows, Cyndy. My meal of choice was Clam White Sauce Noodle. Meal names that are descriptive and to the point. I like that. I didn't miss the embarassment that came in America when you had to order food with names like "Old Man Jenkins's Best" or "The Tornado" or "The Big Boy with Extra on the Side". I also had my first encounter with a squat toilet. An interesting experience, to say the least. We spent much time at the restaurant, sharing stories and laughing our asses off. It didn't take long to realize that my fellow USCinterns, and the Taipei hosts, were magical people who were going to make this trip one to remember.

The hour growing late, our big happy family made its way back to the hotel (where Kili and Helen, the final members of USC's Taipei Fellows, had arrived). We parted ways from our magical new friends, and ended the night with what has become a daily tradition: Beer in the Park. Our hotel happens to be located right next to a children's playground. So we grabbed a few cans of Taiwan Beer (the national brand), hopped up on the jungle gym, and ruminated on the day's events, and those to come.

With a drink in my tummy, several days without sleep, and a slew of new life experiences in my back pocket, I made my way up to my room and collapsed on my bed. It was mere minutes before I dozed off, a big grin on my face.

It's difficult for me to describe what my first day in Taipei, Taiwan was like. Nothing nothing really prepared me for the first time I set foot on foreign soil. Even after digesting the days events for a week, I still can't quite convey what I felt. It had taken only a day for me to feel completely at home in this new city. I had seen and experienced more new things in this one day than I have in a very long time, possibly my whole life. Taipei is incredible in that, despite the proliferation of Western culture and influence, it maintains its unique identity. For me, it is the perfect blend of East and West. It is familiar enough to avoid alienating newcomers, but new and foreign enough to offer an incredibly enriching and eye opening experience. I had fallen in love with a city. And this was just the first day.

Up next: THE GRAVY TRAIN KEEPS ON TRUCKIN'