Chinese Proverb: He who returns from a journey is not the same as he who left.
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My Taiwan Adventure
Saturday, January 22, 2005
Good news all,
I've arrived safely in Taiwan and after a total of 28 hours on the travelling road am at my new accommodations. The trip was long but I met a few nice folk, both Canadian and Taiwanese, that have made my trip seem like I was being watched over by a higher power. For the few short hours between the airport and the apartment I felt a little overwhelmed but I haven't yet had a solid sleep (since Monday night in Calgary actually) and I suspect I've been running on adrenyline and will crash soon. I'm trying to stay awake so that I can acclimatize to the local time, but I think a nap is definately in order.
My friend and former classmate Jeremy was kind enough to share his 3 bedroom/2 bath apartment with me while I travel, look for work, and decide where I would like to live. Everything is very well secured and you need a proximity card to get into the courtyard, building and on the elevator. There is also a security guard at the front gate and cameras. *s* Makes you wonder what we would have that people want?! The furnishings are frugal, but adequate and things in the apartment definately have the "bachelor's touch!" We're on the 8th floor with a view of the ChangHua area... the Taiwanese girl I shared some time with on the plane called it a farming area. It doesn't look anything remotely like Saskatchewan!
I'm definately still spinning and the closest approximation to North America that I can make was that it felt a little like LA as I was travelling in morning rush hour traffic. You can squint as you drive down the freeway and pretend that you're going through the rolling Hollywood hills, right up until the Chinese road sign and flourescent coloured double-deck buses obstruct your view.The humidity is high and the smog is bad, there is lots of traffic and palm trees. The sky is a dirty grey/blue colour but there hasn't been too much of an odour. Everything is covered in a dust from the chemical plant down the road and I suspect that even if all the buildings were steam cleaned they would be just as filthy the next day.
My brain is full of the images of the day. At times rice fields line the roads and at others there are manufacturing plants and everywhere there seems to be construction. There are buildings and roads and rail lines almost everywhere I've seen in a half done state. Tiny apartment buildings (only one apartment wide but 3 and four stories tall) compete with huge building complexes for space and in some areas there are what appear to be completely abandoned buildings. And this is all just from one short drive!
I've much more to write and say. Just a couple of parting thoughts:
Glad I brought warmish clothes as the apartment is concrete and facing north and with the humidity I feel like I'm walking barefoot through the slush puddles in Calgary!
Transportation is certainly cheaper here. My 2.5 hour bus ride was $250 NT - which is 10 canadian.Train fare was only $27 NT... and unless you're only travelling the downtown core that's cheaper than an LRT fare. *s*
I've arrived safely in Taiwan and after a total of 28 hours on the travelling road am at my new accommodations. The trip was long but I met a few nice folk, both Canadian and Taiwanese, that have made my trip seem like I was being watched over by a higher power. For the few short hours between the airport and the apartment I felt a little overwhelmed but I haven't yet had a solid sleep (since Monday night in Calgary actually) and I suspect I've been running on adrenyline and will crash soon. I'm trying to stay awake so that I can acclimatize to the local time, but I think a nap is definately in order.
My friend and former classmate Jeremy was kind enough to share his 3 bedroom/2 bath apartment with me while I travel, look for work, and decide where I would like to live. Everything is very well secured and you need a proximity card to get into the courtyard, building and on the elevator. There is also a security guard at the front gate and cameras. *s* Makes you wonder what we would have that people want?! The furnishings are frugal, but adequate and things in the apartment definately have the "bachelor's touch!" We're on the 8th floor with a view of the ChangHua area... the Taiwanese girl I shared some time with on the plane called it a farming area. It doesn't look anything remotely like Saskatchewan!
I'm definately still spinning and the closest approximation to North America that I can make was that it felt a little like LA as I was travelling in morning rush hour traffic. You can squint as you drive down the freeway and pretend that you're going through the rolling Hollywood hills, right up until the Chinese road sign and flourescent coloured double-deck buses obstruct your view.The humidity is high and the smog is bad, there is lots of traffic and palm trees. The sky is a dirty grey/blue colour but there hasn't been too much of an odour. Everything is covered in a dust from the chemical plant down the road and I suspect that even if all the buildings were steam cleaned they would be just as filthy the next day.
My brain is full of the images of the day. At times rice fields line the roads and at others there are manufacturing plants and everywhere there seems to be construction. There are buildings and roads and rail lines almost everywhere I've seen in a half done state. Tiny apartment buildings (only one apartment wide but 3 and four stories tall) compete with huge building complexes for space and in some areas there are what appear to be completely abandoned buildings. And this is all just from one short drive!
I've much more to write and say. Just a couple of parting thoughts:
Glad I brought warmish clothes as the apartment is concrete and facing north and with the humidity I feel like I'm walking barefoot through the slush puddles in Calgary!
Transportation is certainly cheaper here. My 2.5 hour bus ride was $250 NT - which is 10 canadian.Train fare was only $27 NT... and unless you're only travelling the downtown core that's cheaper than an LRT fare. *s*
Posted by T. Destiny in Taiwan at 11:39 AM 
