After months of (mostly not) preparing to make this move, it was finally time to go: said goodbye to those who needed saying goodbye to; gave hugs, kisses, and in some cases, belly rubs; packed up my things and got scootin’. Well first, since Matt told me we were taking the 134 to the 405 to LAX I assumed I was being kidnapped and gave up on the whole thing entirely. I guess the kidnapping comes later. Love you mom.
Sitting on the plane I flipped out my handy-dandy notebook (i.e. Southeast Asia guidebook) and felt great about all the time I had to prepare myself for the three day hangout sesh in Taipei. Little did I know Lonely Planet— along with probably everyone else on the planet but me— would argue that Taiwan isn’t in Southeast Asia and damn them, they’d be right. Sweet… so that book can go back in the bag for now. Almost immediately Andy’s voice popped into my head… “F@&K IT WE’RE DOIN’ IT LIVE!”. So Taipei… let’s do this thing.
Fourteen long hours, two naps, a couple ginger ales, dinner appropriately at 2am (I guess it’s Chinese custom), Sherlock Holmes (which was not nearly as good as Kelly made it out to be.. perhaps to be blamed at the point blank notecard screen), Dr. Parnassus’ Imaginarium…, the end of Soccernomics!, and a bunch of David-After-Dentist-like-is-this-real-life kind of moments, I got myself to Taipei.
I was greeted in the Taipei baggage claim by a unreasonably large billboard of two beagles dressed like customs agents (frowns and all) sternly warning me and all the other potential drugmules on my flight that we could count on their adorably cunning beagle snouts to sniff out all the undeclared agricultural goods we were smuggling, and that I’d better just cough the mofos up right there and then (not in that language exactly). I was so confused I had to collect photographic evidence which I intend to share with you lot in due course.
The taxi ride away from the airport gave me my first glimpse of the place. Everything looked like a Shaolin temple! So excited, I asked the driver about one of the beautifully decorated buildings… “Is that thing sacred?”, “No. Microchip factory.” Holler! Meanwhile, homeboy’s radio was blasting a strange mixture of Chinese pop-music infused with some coronet and a dude that sounded like late Elvis, and was sometimes awkwardly interrupted by news or talking or whatever I don’t know what it was. Anyway, I’m sure I heard, interspersed amidst the Chinese banter, the news lady say “Jigga Man!” and “No way Jose” a few times each. Man was I tired.
The buildings on both sides were a visual metaphor for Eastern development (at least as I understand it); tons of huge skyrise apartment buildings kept apart by big open dirt plots and sporadic grass. Now I don’t mean parks. These spaces were far too unintentional. Anyway, the mountains were gorgeous. They looked like green popcorn! It was then I realized I had my carkeys in my pocket. Not a great place for them.
I spent all day today trying to find a charger for my laptop. Slightly ironic considering the damn things ARE MADE IN TAIPEI!!!!! Uhhh….. I’m off to visit the fourth suggestion. Everyone seems to know but nobody seems to know, you know.
Much love to you.
Questions?
-Sandy
Remember what Kelly said about the "The Men Who Stare at Goats"? Something along the lines of "what was the point of that movie?".
ReplyDeleteHa! Yes John I remember that! Such is the extent of Kelly's expertise on film. I think his exact words were, "there was no reason for that film ever to be made". The same could be said, perhaps, of Van Gogh's "Starry Night"... not to begin to compare the two works...
ReplyDeleteAnyway John... I definitely miss your whit.