Notes From Taiwan: The Rundown

Highlights:

- Hiking blindly across a mountain trail that lead to the Taiwanese National Hotel. Google pictures if you want to know why that's so cool. The mountains that run through Taipei are amazing, and make for phenomenal walks.

- Secluded mountain temples.

- Un-Americanized sushi. Took some getting used to, but it's quite good. Quite good.

- A plethora of coffee shops to choose from. I feel I'm not even breaking the surface of what's available.

- Bookstores with splendid selections of philosophy and science books. American bookstores really seem lackluster now.

- Fruit: Mangoes, enormous peaches, guavas . . .

Less Favorably:

- Obnoxious jackass at McDonald's. No idea what he said, but I'm about 90% sure it was derogatory.

- Hour of boredom listening to Alice and company speaking rapid, nostalgic, untranslated Mandarin.

- Ubiquitous humidity, and the sweat that accompanies it.

- The lack of A/C in far too many places . . . though that convicts me of being a rich, privileged American . . . but still.

- Excessive shyness: a disease affecting a countless many.

- Persisting allergies.

- The impression that heterogeneity is valued less here than elsewhere.

Never gets old:

- Sense of independence that comes from knowing my way around a neighborhood.

- Chopsticks.

- Adequate public transportation.

- Friendly locals.

- Better prices: cheap massages, food, cute dresses for Alice, etc.

Love to see:

- Cyclists

- Mountaintop cityscapes.

- Alice feeling at home, having light-hearted chats with her Dad.

- Informed political opinions that don't fall into partisan extremes.

Still scared of:

- Stinky tofu.

- Earthquakes.

- The sirens that make me think there's going to be an earthquake even though the aforementioned siren has nothing to do with said imaginary earthquake, which will remain imaginary.

- Grilled squid on a stick.

- The thought of ever attempting to drive a car here.

- China. Particularly the large weaponry they have aimed at me right now.

Hopes:

- To return. (Hopefully with the capacity to converse in Mandarin)