Today I was going to go to the library (dao tushuguan qu kan shu) but I decided to not be a nerd and instead be a little more adventurous. So I went to Taipei 101! Okay, this is hardly adventurous because a) it's basically a tourist hot spot, b) a mall and c) I've been there before. But I was in the mood to scope out the giant bookstore that is located on the top floor of the mall and maybe meander along the shops.
I took the subway there. On the way, I spotted a "waiguoren"---foreigner, like me! I knew he was American because he was talking to someone on his cell phone and his accent was (obviously) distinguishable. I was (obviously) eavesdropping and overheard him say "No, I can't make it Tuesday afternoon. As you know, I teach during those hours." So...oh. He wasn't really a "waiguoren." As a teacher, he (obviously) knows the language a lot more than I do.
Taipei 101 was really tall, duh. Blue and glassy, it towers above a smattering of upscale malls, dozens of restaurants, coffee shops and a gigantic movie theater. Last time I visited, which was three years ago, my cousin and her husband took me to the top to check out the incredible view. I didn't have any intention of going to the top today. I mostly wanted to see it again...and then hog the air conditioning for an hour or so before I headed back. So that's exactly what I did. I walked in, whipped off my sweaty hat, and took five escalators to the top of the mall, where I found the bookstore and nestled down with a collection of Tobias Wolff stories and a Taipei travel book. I read about three Tobias Wolff stories, all of which I loved. The writing is easy to read, funny, and yet unfailingly meaningful. We read "Bullet In the Brain" in my Creative Writing class sophomore year and I've never forgotten it. I read it again today and it was every bit as extraordinary as I remembered it to be.
The Taipei travel book I skimmed. I took some notes on some theaters and concert halls and tried to be discreet about it. (Aren't you not supposed to do that in bookstores?) I REALLY want to see some Taipei theater or dance. But I'll settle for a concert. Tomorrow I'll check up on some tickets via websites.
After I finished my reading, I went in search of what my body craved: pearl milk tea. I FOUND IT, BABY. After all, this IS Asia. The Taipei 101 mall has a gigantic food court in the basement, but "food court" doesn't even begin to describe the variety of foods that are down there. Milk tea, sushi, Korean BBQ, noodles, cakes, teas, seafood---even Western foods like Auntie Anne's, Dunkin' Donuts and Starbucks and a GROCERY STORE. There was a lot to choose from, but I didn't want anything except my precious "zhen zhu nai cha"---pearl milk tea. Mmm.
A month to go before I return home. Each day I spend here is exciting yet at the same time has its discouraging moments. This language is very difficult to learn, and sometimes I feel like I've learned so much already; other times I feel stuck, lost, helpless. But I suppose all it takes is practice, and I can't deny the fact that all I do is practice speaking Chinese.
See you all in a month!
As all of you know, China (and more specifically, Taiwan) is a big part of my heritage. My mother was born in China but raised in Taipei, Taiwan. (FYI, my father was born in Philadelphia but raised in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. So kind of the same.) All of my mother's immediate family still resides in Taipei: my grandparents, my aunt, my uncle, their children and their children's children. I'm going to Taipei this summer for seven full weeks (from May 28-July 15) to live with them, become familiar with their Taiwan lifestyle and finally learn to speak some Mandarin.
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