歡迎到來臺北 (Welcome to Taipei)

   What shall I say? I am in Taipei, the capital city of the Republic of China. Does that sound as amazing to you as it does to me? Taipei is a huge bustling city, filled with heavy traffic, thousands of pedestrians, crowded markets, and a haze of pollution. But, through all of that there is a culture. A culture very different from mine.
   Culture: what is it? It is that which we live by: our traditions, our routines, our way of living. I am here to discover it, to hold it, to know it. Hopefully, within a year's time I will be able to achieve that goal. But as anyone knows who has travelled abroad, or even to another state, there are cultural changes that jump right in front of your face and shock you.
 
   The Republic of China is in the Tropic of Cancer. The weather is very hot and humid, ranging from 74 degrees Fahrenheit to 90 degrees. And I can tell you, I have probably put out enough sweat enough to fill a bathtub and then some. And I thought Hawai`i was hot! Air-conditioning and fans are my new best friends. But until I become accustomed to the heat, it will probably be winter by then.
   There are a bunch of little things that really strike you as "You're not in Kansas anymore" kind of feelings. The first full day I was here I decided to take a walk through the city. The buildings are all packed together tightly, each using as much space as possible. If that means expanding nearly over the entire side-walk, then it is. The awnings to the buildings are very low to the ground, and I often find myself bending down or ducking in order to avoid hitting my head every three seconds. And usually from the on-ings you can find an array of signs, bottles, or other items that are suspended. I almost walked right into one of these the other day!
   Mopeds are the thing here. Unlike in the United States, where nearly everyone has a car, here everyone has a moped or a bike. It's crazy to see dozens of people fly past you on mopeds like it's nothing; weaving in and out between cars, trucks, bicycles, and other mopeds. I find it amazing that I haven't seen or heard of an accident yet.
   The food is another thing that is amazing! But that which is quite familiar, and to my surprise, was the numerous 7-11's around the city. But they are quite different! Manapua, or 包子 (baozi), an array of teas, along with the number of tea eggs, and nearly anything and everything else you could think of that is quite popular with Asian culture can be found in these stores. However, everything is in Chinese characters, so that poses a problem to me as of yet!
   The first day though, held another surprise for me. On that random street that I was taking a walk on, I came upon a motor-bike. It wasn't a motorcycle or moped, but it was like a three-wheeler that you see old people riding around towns who collect cans. But on the back was stacked numerous bags of garbage; nearly 12 ft high! At first I just walked past, until I heard a voice from behind. I turned and it was a short old lady who was sitting on the bike. So I walked over to her, and through a series of groans and moans, I figured out that she wanted me to start her bike for her! Even though I had no clue about these kind of things, I hopped on anyways and gave it my best try. It was operated by a foot lever. Every now and again my foot would get stuck and she would quickly free my foot. But eventually I got it started! Huzzah!
   But still, with all of the amazing sights and unusual happenings, jet lag has got the best of me.
   I can tell this will be a very interesting year. And to the best of it, Taipei!