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Monday, Dec 28, 2009
The time is 10 am and the sun is trying to break through the misty haze of the morning. I'll need to get outside soon to go jogging. It will be my first jog in Taiwan. But how did I get here? (Insert the LOST whooshing sound effect).
Months ago, I drove Terry and Lesly and the kids to the airport. They would be living in Taipei; I would be living in their nice large home. A fair tradeoff, I suppose. However, we usually spend NYE together, so the distance would be a problem. Nothing money couldn't solve, since they convinced me to buy a ticket to Taipei and hang out here for a spell around the New Year. Why not? I hadn't been to Asia, and it was about time I tried it out. As well, the expenses there would be cheap since room and board was covered. I went online and grabbed a round trip ticket for about $1,000 (USD, that is; in Taiwan dollars, that would be only $33--wouldn't that be nice?)
When the time came, I had my roommate drop me off at the BART station. He had volunteered to make the full drive to SFO, but I know I hate driving all the way out there when BART is built for stuff like that, so why should I make someone else do it?
One thing I noticed pretty fast was the separation anxiety from my iPhone. It wasn't a lot, but a little bit. Nowadays, it can be trying to disconnect from The Network. Mind you, it wasn't a lot; I haven't reached that point. I imagine it's sad for those who do, but nevertheless, I did notice that feeling of "I'm without my phone!"
Since it was the weekend after Christmas, the train was busy and got quite crowded before reaching the trans-bay tube. In SF, it lightened up a lot and very few were left onboard by the time we reached the airport. I had two pieces of luggage, plus my carry-on. Normally, I'd pack much lighter, but I was bringing some things for the family, and I was also going to be in one place most of the time. I could pack a little heavier for this trip. I don't always have to use the Spartan travel technique.
Boarding took some time. The line was long and moved slow. It would have been a good time for an iPhone, but mine wasn't Unlocked, and I didn't want to deal with the AT&T hassles and risks of roaming charges. It was easier just to leave it behind.
Boarding went well. I had a middle seat on the left side. A cute lady was to my left, but she did talk much. We left around 4 pm for a very long flight.
I think my longest flight before that was 10 hours. This was 14. Fourteen hours trapped in a small seat. It wasn't going to be easy. While I like the window seat for the photo opps, I think I like the aisle seats the best. Being able to get up repeatedly is a nice luxury on such a long flight.
The food was as usual. It wasn't fantastic; it wasn't bad. It's just okay, but probably a little more desirable when you're starving. For someone who loves to snack, it's a pretty big shock to eat with such pauses in between. The meals were just like the ones on Lufthansa. I think they use the same catering companies. The drinks weren't bad, but the wine seemed like it was from one of those early college parties, where there's not enough of it for all the people, so you add a pint of water to help make it last. The flight crew was nice and served liquids repeatedly.
The hours crawled by.
I've never been great at sleeping on planes. It just would not happen. I tried a few times, but no success. Thus, I read a little and watched several movies. The selections weren't bad, but I'd seen many of them already. I kept getting drowsy during the movie, but when I turned it off, I couldn't fall asleep.
As luck would have it, we had one screaming kid. He wasn't horrific since he didn't cry the entire flight, but he just never stayed quiet for long. Honestly, I wish there had been two or more screaming kids. With one, you think, "UGH! I was THIS close to having NO screaming kids. Why'd they have to be on board!?!" With more, you think, "Oh, well. Even if Screaming Kid #1 weren't there, I'd still have Screaming Kid #2."
Towards the last part of the flight, I slept for about an hour. With another meal coming, that ended quickly. I now was exhausted with a slight headache, but since nothing could be done, I didn't fret over it. When something simply can't be controlled, it's wisest to not even bother trying.
Finally, we made our descent. I was now in Taipei, Taiwan, 6,500 miles from home.
The customs line was long, but eventually, I made it through and acquired my bags. From there, I finally met Terry. He had rented a car, so that saved some time getting home. The drive through the city was nice, but hardly anything could be seen since it was almost 11pm. One thing he pointed out was these shops (I forget the name) where they sell some tobacco item (I forget the product), but they have girls in windows to attract customers. It's pretty amusing, like mannequins in the windows, only they don't model the product. In fact, I think some were doing their nails.
We reached the apartment. Lesly was waiting up. After greetings, I gave the presents, book, and my tax receipts for the past year. Just because she's in Taipei doesn't mean she can't still do my taxes. I'm lucky to have that option still available.
After some chatting, I finally got some rest. Terry figured I'd be up at 4 am, due to the time change, but back home, my sleeping pattern is anything but normal. And plus, I had been up almost 24 hours with no sleep. So when I rested, I rested well. Around 8 am, I arose, but still wouldn't have minded more sleep.
They showed me around in the morning, but then Lesly had Chinese class and Terry had work. I watched a little recorded NFL and read up on my email (I did bring the computer). Now that the sun has broken through, I can either go take photos or go jogging. I guess I'll go with the former. Jogging can be done in the pouring rain, but good photos need a little star called the Sun for assistance. Since I have that now, I'll use it wisely.
Some observations:
- Scooters are everywhere
- Some people are social; some are not. While the girl seated in 62A said almost nothing on a 14-hour flight, another random girl on the street let me know that my sweats pants were tucked under a sock during the morning breakfast walk. Go figure.
- I hate not wearing shoes indoor. I just cannot get used to that.