Taiwan was very different than I expected it to be. I guess this is just because the last time I had been there was about four years ago. And I was always with family. And, well, I was fourteen. Needless to say, this was an unforgettable experience. My first few days were spent adjusting to the thirteen-hour time difference, trying all kinds of different foods, going to department stores for air conditioning (just kidding.. a little), and walking around aimlessly with aunts and uncles. My first weekend in Kaohsiung, however, was ruined by Typhoon Morokat. The typhoon was expected to hit up North hardest, but the entire island was actually hit all at once. We spent three to four days in nonstop rain and wind. I was somewhat worried due to the loud wind hitting our 15th floor apartment, but, not until I saw the headlines days later, did I notice how serious this typhoon really was. An entire town was buried in mudslides. Countless people disappeared. I was quite lucky to have been in Koahsiung, where we weren’t hit as hard as towns just north of us. While I had planned to go to Taipei by the high-speed train, the most I accomplished that weekend was watching G.I. Joe in theaters… Quite scary making it there!
The following weekend, I made it to Taipei. I made it there a couple days later than expected (delayed, once again), because the high-speed paths were flooded. When I made it there, however, it felt completely different than Koahsiung. Taipei has the “big city” vibe that is similar to NYC. In short, I met up with some old Chinese-born Dutch friends, shopped, and went out to Luxy. Lots of dancing and fun. I met several Chinese-born international students, as well. One of which is a wonderful photography major at Parsons. I am definitely looking forward to shooting with her sometime when I hit the Big Apple! My friend Tina, Vanderbilt Alumna currently teaching in Taipei, graciously let me stay in her apartment. The next couple days, however, were, again, filled with typhoon-like rain, and I decided to go back to Kaohsiung earlier than anticipated. The two-week trip seemed much shorter due to the typhoon and traveling back and forth. Enjoy the pictures! (Sorry, didn’t take many… My camera isn’t rain[or dance]-proof!)
