the taiwan diaries: chronology written: 9:46 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 13, 2004
Chronology
November 30, 2004
-Changi Airport. Singapore Airlines. 8.30 a.m. -Chiang Kai-shek International Airport. Approximately 12.30 p.m. -Yonghe, Taipei, Lane 52. -The Metro -Xi Men Ding -Jielun's Panasonic billboard -Esprit and a nice long-sleeved shirt -Yonghe, night market, and a nice pair of jeans, sized XL, hanging off my hips.
December 1, 2004
-Taipei Airport -An internal flight: OH MY GOD -Kinmen -Shamei, Kinmen -My grandparents' shophouse -7-11, less than 2 minutes away -Two bubble tea stores, easily within walking distance -Bought a cup of red pearl milk tea for S$1 and enjoyed it tremendously.
December 2, 2004
-Still at Kinmen -Was forced to wake up at 7 in the morning which did not agree with me -Amazing vermicelli/mian xian at a roadside stall in the morning which I'm sorely missing right now -Sight-seeing at places I've kind of forgotten -One of the many tunnels dug during the war with the PRC that has been opened to the public -A weird shrine dedicated to the son of Chiang Kai-shek whose name I have forgotten that included an exhibit of the bed on which he slept -The beach that is out of bounds due to the presence of landmines left over from the war -Lunch with my mom's cousin, who drove us around -Huge plates of food after huge plates of food -Liked my mom's cousin's daughter's little boy; was very cute -Qiong Lin(g), where my mom's ancestors lived, where the PRC attacked when they invaded -My mom's cousin's new house -A temple my grandad helped to construct; followed my grandma and burned joss sticks after I'd washed my hair
December 3, 2004
-Kinmen -Chen Qingbao's rally at Shamei which hardly anyone attended, due to the rain or otherwise -My dad's primary school classmate, by the way -And he did not run for mayor; it was member of parliament -And he lost -Anyway -Temple visits; about 4 -Rented a car; drove around -Rain and sight-seeing do not mix but it didn't really matter -A war memorial, dedicated to the day on which the PRC army attacked whose date I don't remember -A few art exhibitions located at places that used to be hideouts for soldiers -Spectacular view of the ocean and the anti-tanks equipment thingies erected along the shoreline of the beach -Currently do not remember other events
December 4, 2004
-Kinmen -The sun was finally out -More temple visits; about 3 -Also went to the house in which my father's grandparents stayed; closest I ever got to tracing my roots -A huge lake whose name has slipped my mind -Lots of birds, some ducks -Nice tangyuan at a restaurant in a town; walked like hell to get there -Walked a lot after returning the car -Took the bus back -Dinner at night with mom's relatives whom I didn't know existed
December 5, 2004
-Kinmen Airport -Flight to Taichung was cancelled and not replaced which pissed me off -Replacement flight to Taipei -The flight scared the shit out of me; flying fucking sucks, especially crappy internal flights -Yonghe, Taipei, Lane 52 -An hour later, my uncle came and drove us to Taichung -Two-hour drive; nearly killed me -Dinner at some Shanghainese restaurant at a huge shopping mall -Saw my aunt whom I like quite a bit -Uncle's kids are cute; two daughters -Bought "Formula 17" and "The Missing/Goodbye Dragon Inn"; DVD format; dirt cheap -Starbucks and a slice of Starbucks tiramisu for my mom's birthday -The tiramisu sucked and was tasteless -Uncle's new house -Awesome awesome awesome -But had another shitty night; woke up at 1.30 a.m. and read "Flaubert's Parrot" -The opened window led to a mosquito invasion; there were about four and it scared me
December 6, 2004
-Taichung -A historical site: a 200-year-old temple -Some street with many stores selling things -Danshui (I think) rest station; was huge and comfortable -Lunch at a Hakka restaurant -Miaoli and a small place selling various wood carvings; the museum was closed -And then, Taoyuan -Visited my big aunt whom I like quite a bit too -Had dinner at a weird cow-eating place -Did not touch the meat, of course -Interesting noodles; an acquired taste that I acquired very quickly and adored -And for the first time, my fucking dou gan and hai dai which I don't know how to say in English so what the hell -Uncle drove us back to Taipei; reached at around 8.10 p.m. -And then he drove all the way back to Taichung, all two hours of the journey
December 7, 2004
-Taipei -Zhong Xiao Dong Lu Si Duan (Zhong Xiao East Road Sector 4) -Attempted to look for Jielun's store; didn't have address, so gave up -Taipei 101 -Adjacent to Taipei 101, a mall called New York New York -Eslite bookstore in Yonghe
December 8, 2004
-Taipei Main Station
-Taipei Bus Station
-Pacific Green Bay, which is in Taipei
-Journey: an hour and a half
-Howard Hotel and HBO and "Double Bill" with Peter Gallagher which was rather dodgy
-Horrible dinner at a restaurant serving what was purportedly Western cuisine in the hotel
-Hotel lobby and Internet access for NT$60, approx. S$3; added this entry
-Took a hot shower and then fell sick with a fever
December 9, 2004
-Pacific Green Bay
-Full-fledged fever
-Juming Museum
-Bus ride
-Shandao Temple Station
-Back to Yonghe
-The doctor
-Missed the Kuomintang rally; hated my bad luck
-Watched Jielun in a charity basketball match on TV
December 10, 2004
-The Metro: Zhongxiao Dunhua station; yes, back there again
-Zhong Xiao Dong Lu Si Duan
-Xin Dong Yang: a box of biscuits for S$45
-Walked the stretch to Dunhua Nan Lu Yi Duan (Dunhua South Road Sector 1)
-Lane 161, No. 52: Omni by JFK, J for Jay Chou
-The Metro again, to Taipei Main Station
-Taipei Di Xia Jie whose English name I've forgotten, but it's a much longer and more awesome version of CityLink Mall
-A few shops selling beads and Swarvoski (sp) crystals
-Cab back to Yonghe
-Mos Burger that was three storeys tall
-Dinner with my grandparents and cousins
-Went to check out Lin De Fu's rally; some guy who ran for MP
-Left ten minutes later
-Me and my mom, to the night market in search of something that I wanted to eat whose name I don't know at all
-And great Taiwanese cake with pudding
December 11, 2004
-Election Day
-The Metro, to Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall Station
-The cab, to Jing Hua Chen, which is supposedly the biggest shopping mall in Taiwan
-Jay Chou's autograph session
-The free shuttle to Zhongxiao Fuxing station
-Back to Yonghe, and my haircut at a salon that boosted three storeys
-Dinner with my third uncle's wife and their two kids, and one of my cousins; at a shuan shuan guo restaurant or whatever; a personal steamboat
-Walked the streets again at night
-Xue Hua Bing at the night market despite the cough
December 12, 2004
-CKS International Airport
-My Taichung uncle with good taste in music whom I adore drove us
-Singapore Airlines
-Love Actually uncut on the plane
-Finished Flaubert's Parrot on the plane
-Almost died on the plane
-Changi Airport
-Almost got killed by the humidity
-Missed Taipei immediately