The double and triple take of the 4 year old Taiwanese boy, clinging to his mother’s hand, as I walked past him into the market reminded me of just how “other” I am in this foreign place. He had never seen anything quite like me before ! Everything is so different and I am struggling to acclimate to the food, sleep patterns and the mass of humanity that surrounds us. Graham reminds me that Taiwan is about 1 and 1/2 times the size of NH but with 23 million people… imagine that and yet we feel incredibly safe no matter where we go !
Early Thursday morning I was awakened by the shaking of the building… I later learned it was a 5.3 earthquake occurring “up-north” that made the building sway and shake. Patti and Keaton slept through it, and I was panicking as to what one does on the 12th floor… do you stay put or head to the stairs and seek solid ground? Fortunately the tremors subsided and I went back to sleep.
Western influences abound… even Kobe and LeBron adorn the stadium walls. The “Night Market” brings the unique local culture home for us… the duck necks (and heads!), chicken hearts on a stick and squid which was barely cooked seemed to be the choices of the locals. We decided to pass on dinner and head for the games and crafts.
Graham & Rachel's 19th floor apartment.
The Kaohsiung Arena - a block away.
The "Night Market"!
Squid on a stick!
Pitching for prizes!
Yummy, squid on a stick – reminds me of the live frogs and snakes I saw in the market in Suzhou. Baby Kai is beautiful!