Taiwan part 1 in Adventures in paradise

Oct. 30, 2024, 5:28 a.m.
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Public

I made it to Taipei. I've been here... five days now? Yeah that sounds about right, and it's been lovely. The people have been lovely and mostly keep to themselves, despite being such a bustling city. It's still taking me a while to find my feet and try to fit in with the culture, but I am a 190cm tall white dude, so it's not easy to do.

I'm writing because there's a typhoon on it's way (Lolz, of course there is) but it's not here just yet, but I'm a bit unsure of what to expect. My state gets cyclones, but I live far enough south that I haven't experienced them, so it looks like I'm about to experience my first. I'm pretty sure they are the same thing, typhoons, cyclones and hurricanes, right? I'll probably write a few more entries while the hurricane passes, but I may not have internet, or even power, so I'm unsure. I brought a book with me and I guess will use my laptop and phone until the batteries die? Anyway, the warning is from late this afternoon until Friday morning. I wasn't really concerned to start with as the typhoon was over the Phillipines and making a trajectory toward Japan, but nope, now it's decided to change direction for a direct hit on Taiwan HA. So it was nice knowing you all. Maybe someone can print out my diary (not the sex entries) and hand them out at my funeral. I wonder how much it costs to fly my body back home? Anyway, I don't intend to die. Maybe just stock up on a few supplies. I can notice the rain getting heavier, so I think it's just off the coast. I don't think Taiwan really has enough land lass to weaken a typhoon, like Australia does. Once a cyclone makes landfall there, it just dies out. But here, it looks like it'll be full strenth the entire way through lol. At least those Chinese ships currently posing a threat in Taiwanese waters will be having a fun time with this.

I made it to the pride parade. That was pretty special to see. I actually accidentally stumbled across it, and ended up at City Hall with the massive crowds. So much colour. I think it was as big as Mardi Gras. There was a gay couple who were basically naked (wearing thongs) in front of the town hall entrance doing like an intimate dance. I thought it must have been an art piece or something. And soooo many attractive people, my God. Guys and girls. I really need to learn the Taiwanese skin-care routine. I have seen 40yo+ guys on Grindr here who look like they are 21. Like, what the? I also don't think I've seen an overweight person here. It must be their diet. Everyone rides bikes too. I even gave it a go yesterday (as there are U-bikes everywhere), which I was able to do since I got a Taiwanese sim upon arrival, and I need a Taiwan number to sign up, so that worked out well. Had I stuck with an e-sim, I wouldn't have been able to do that, so that was nice. A little bit scary as well though, as I'm not used to it, nor riding on the opposite sides of the road. Most people here ride motor scooters though. They are absolutely everywhere. No helmets needed for bikes (like at home), just the electric ones, which makes far more sense, in my opinion. Australia is just too much of a nanny country. Speaking of, my state election results are in, and there will be a new Premier upon my return. Not exactly great, but you know, we'll see how that goes. Right now, I still have another week in Taiwan. I feel like I may be stuck in the hotel room for the next few days though, but that's okay. It has a spa, which I've been making full use of, that's for sure. Like, a huge spa. I can fully stretch out in it. It's been fabulous. It'll be a shame if I lose power and can't use it while it's blowing a gale outside haha. I get buffet breakfast every morning in the basement of the hotel too. Most reviews say it's basic, and I suppose it would be too snobby rich guests, but I think it's fabulous for what it is. A decent mix of everything. I'm not used to eating stir-fried veges and pork/beef stew for breakfast though. It's a far cry from my peanut butter and honey on toast at home, but I can also have butter and jam at the buffet if I want. I'm hoping it's still open during the typhoon.

I only briefly went out today (because it's raining quite moderately at the moment), mostly to try and find a bin, but I couldn't find one! I've definitely seen a few bins out on my walks so far, but they aren't very big. I've since learned that the locals use the bins and the toilets at the MRT stations here, which are immaculately kept. The shops here sell alcohol (another thing my country is nanny about) but I haven't tried any.

As for my anxiety, well, it mostly left me alone the entire flight over. A 9-hour flight. I was glad I booked the extra leg-room. I did get singled out in the line at the airport at home though, as a staff member must have noticed my height and was going to offer me an exit-row seat. Dammit! I'd already purchased one. So that could have saved me $295. I saw her looking at a computer screen and must have noticed, so I didn't see her again haha. The girl who checked me in at the counter was lovely though, and made the start of my trip feel good. I told her it was my first overseas trip since before the pandemic. There was a few moments of turbulence on the flight, but I was very proud of my anxiety during those. I was actually wondering if I'd booked too long here (and I actually feel like I have) but with the typhoon looming, I'm kind of glad I didn't book just the one week, as that'd mean I'd be trying to fly home right in the middle of it lol. I'm definitely still doing my meditations here in the hotel room when I need to, and the spa is very relaxing.

It took me a while to try a bubble-tea. I just haven't had any confidence trying to speak Mandarin, so when I see most of the bubble tea stores with their menu's entirely not in English, I get too nervous and go without. That was until yesterday, when I stumbled across one of the gay areas of Taiwan (rainbows everywhere) and there was a bubble tea store there claiming to be Taiwan's #1, as they don't use chemical tapioca pearls, and it was quite touristy, so I ordered in English (and got a pork bao also) and... omg, you guys, I had a mouth-gasm. Like, holy hell that was nice bubble-tea. If I was staying closer to there, I'd be ordering one of those every day. Even the pork bao was nice, but that tea phoarrr. And I worked out that it only came to $14, for both. The bao alone would have been like $16-$18 at home lol.

I actually had a guy ask me to take his photo holding a sign in front of the train station. He was really cute, but he'd asked me right as I sat down to eat/drink, so I was thinking like, 'what the? Timing, dude', but anyway, he showed me how to use his phone and I took a few pics with it. I have no idea what the sign read, or if I'd totally just helped with propaganda or what (lol), but it also meant that I left my food and tea and phone where I'd been sitting to get up and take the pic for him. I half-expected my phone to be stolen when I realised I left it sitting on the bench, but everything was thankfully still there. I hadn't been distracted and scammed, although I very well could have been. Luckily Taiwan has low crime, and I think that's the only reason I got away with that. Phew. It was cute seeing gays take photos in front of the rainbow painted on the road. Some were doing poses and all. And I spent a fair bit of time in Peace Park, which was nice, and probably helped my mental health. There I saw really big ducks, a turtle and some squirrels! Australia doesn't have squirrels, so I always get excited when I see them. So I'm glad I did that bike ride and walk yesterday, as it'll be too rainy to do it over the next few. I do hope to try and make it to see some more of the country after the typhoon passes over, but yeah, there could be destruction and whatnot, so I'll just have to play it by ear. I'm good at that anyway.

I have still yet to go up Taipei 101 or go to a night market.

Here is the predicted typhoon trajectory lol