Early in the morning, I took the bus to the hotel, knocked on the door, and wandered across the street to a breakfast place. We ordered enough food for my parents to sample a little of everything, and soon we were off. I needed to check in with work to take another day off, so I brought my parents to Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall. We left the MRT and entered the pavilion, with the National Theatre and National Concert Hall on either side. I could only imagine how it felt for my parents to stand somewhere they had seen in photographs just weeks earlier. We climbed the steps to see CKS’s enormous statue, glanced at the guards, walked through the gardens, and headed to the Taiwanese Handicraft shop.

I waited for the big green bus, but my companion needed to leave to teach. When the bus arrived, I asked a woman behind me in my limited Chinese, “Does this go to the…?” “Airport,” she replied. I jumped aboard and started the journey. That evening, my dad and stepmother, Cathy, were arriving in Taipei. It was rush hour, so I tried to leave plenty of time. I started waiting at around 5:45, but the bus didn’t arrive until almost 6:20. Leaving Taipei was painful; the streets were a parking lot. The bus finally reached the freeway, and by 7:00, about the time my parents were arriving, I was still 20 minutes away. I was somewhat relieved, knowing they would need to collect their …

This weekend I went to CKS Memorial Hall and saw my first Taiwanese opera. I had expected powerful singing to dominate the performance, but instead there was plenty of dancing, staged swordplay, and elaborate costumes. Although I went mainly at someone else’s urging, I genuinely enjoyed myself. If you are in Taiwan and have a chance to see an opera, don’t miss it!

My life has slowed down to a pleasant pace. Almost every day I wake up, have breakfast at home, then head to Mr. Brown’s Coffeeshop. So, why Mr. Brown’s? Because it offers free internet. Throughout the day, I read, study, and work on the web, trying to build something successful. While it should be obvious, I thoroughly enjoy technology and travel. One of the things I plan to add to my list next is an MBA, although I want to achieve this goal with a little pizzazz.

If you flip through my site, you can see that I have had the privilege of travelling around the world. Even though I don’t often experience “culture shock,” I sometimes encounter things that are genuinely unique. This was one of them. One of the first nights after I arrived in Taipei, I was doing something in my room when I heard music. I didn’t quite know what was going on, didn’t really care, and forgot about it. The next night, I heard the music again. By the fourth night, I asked my host, “What is that noise?” She just started laughing. One question I forgot to ask when I moved in was, “Where does all the rubbish go?” In this part of Taipei, there is no …

Life is full of choices. What should I wear today? What goals should I set for this week? What should I eat for breakfast? The third question is easy for me because I know how to order only a few things at the local Morning Burger. Beyond breakfast, however, there are plenty of decisions to make. Recently, I have had to make some difficult choices, and I hope they prove to be the right ones. I made a deal with myself: once my bank balance fell to a certain level, I would find a job. Although I am careful about spending, I still need to eat. I am nearing that point, so I have decided to pause my Chinese studies and earn some money.

The MRT isn’t particularly interesting. I mean, I sort of felt like a kid again the first time I rode it, much like riding a bus or an escalator for the first time. The first few trips are interesting, but eventually you just wish teleportation would be invented already. But today was different! After transferring at Taipei Main Station, I continued to the Yellow Line and headed out to Taipei County, where I live. Behold, doors! Just like the Brown Line, or Hong Kong! I always feel a little nervous when the train comes speeding through, waiting for someone to stumble or bump me toward the tracks. Well, no more fear: half-height platform doors are being installed. Yay.

Today began like any other day: with a “cuckoo, cuckoo” noise. In my normal Taipei County life, my phone alarm says, “cuckoo, cuckoo.” At home, someone occasionally wakes me by pushing me and saying, “cuckoooo, cuckooo.” Today was slightly different: there were thirty calls, and they came from real cuckoos. I slept wonderfully in Lahu, with acceptable weather and no construction noise. I was the first to leave the sleeping quarters and made my way to the main hut, where my guide was boiling water. The three of us sat and chatted over cups of coffee. Once the food arrived, I ate and returned to the trail.