Taiwan

November 23, 2010

      This is my first trip to Asia. I've been nervous about this trip for weeks. Asia is going to be different from anything else I know or have experienced and I'm worried about how I'll navigate or get by. Fortunately, I'm meeting with friends soon and we can all go through this together. The flight out from Seattle was uneventful. I landed in Seattle for a brief overlay to repack and leave some things behind and upon exiting the airport thought I'd been misdirected and landed in Cleveland by mistake! It was freezing. My manager posted a picture of trees with snow outside his window at work this morning. Brrrr! Fortunately for me, where I'm heading, temps will be warm.

      The flight itself is long. I tried my best to sleep and found the inflatable head rest handy. When I was satisified should get up, we were flying over Japan. The map suggested we flew right over Hiroshima. Something about all of the history books coming to life in my mind, make the observation seem surreal. There's a moment when I contemplate how close I am flying to mainland China, to the Koreas, and the lights on the ground leave a sense of curiousity about the towns and lives below. Someday I will visit. For now, I wrestle with a breakfast of porridge and fish. Moments like that have me wonder how I will survive on the limited Luna Protein bars I have brought for just such emergencies.

      I've managed to watch only two movies on the plan, neither can I strongly recommend but they were ok. The first was Killers with Kathryn Heigle and Ashton Kutcher (oh and how can I forget, Tom Selleck). The second one I seemed to have missed the name of it but it was the guy from the 'Office' who plays an eccentric 'idiot.' He creates mousescapes using dead mice. I could have passed on that one. I hope I have the option to watch Salt on the way back because I didn't find it until too late this leg.

      I only have a short layover here in Taipei, but walking the airport followed by sitting and people watching while interneting, I can observe many differences from what I am used to. This particular group that has moved in around me is very loud, shouting across to one another and strikes a stark contrast to the 'Relaxation zone' just next to us. In the Relaxation zone there are lounge chairs that give you a massage tucked into the back of a modeled greenscape. I didn't buy the token for this luxury but every chair was used and all of the loungers looked quite content. Maybe next time.