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

before sunrise // before sunset


Previously:
- - Tuesday, Aug. 29, 2017
I'm moving. - Sunday, Jul. 11, 2010
In all honesty - Tuesday, Jul. 06, 2010
What I want for my birthday... - Sunday, Jul. 04, 2010
On Roger's behalf. - Friday, Jul. 02, 2010