Hiking

On Sunday, I woke up at the frightful hour of 7:30am to go "pa shan"---hiking---with my aunt, her husband and their grandson, Kai Kai (the 6-year-old boy of my "biao ge"---older male cousin on the mother's side). I really like this boy. I think he's super sweet. He likes to play with me and doesn't seem to mind that my Chinese is not the greatest. He thinks I'm funny. Basically he's perfect for me and should get married, except we're related and he's six years of age.

The four of us took the subway to Beitou, which is at the north end of Taipei and just slightly south of Danshui River, which I visited about three weeks ago with my mom. After we got off the subway, we bought some food to eat for lunch and then waited in the blazing sun for a tiny bus that would take us "shang shan," up the mountain. The tiny bus didn't arrive until after 30 minutes of waiting, making those 30 minutes THE MOST HOT 30 MINUTES OF MY LIFE. The tiny bus finally arrived and took us up the mountain to a gorgeous elementary school covered (for the most part) in delicious shade, boasting an extraordinary view of Taipei. The four of us climbed the stairs to the top floor of the school, which was vacant, it being a Sunday (and also summer). Two other families were also up there, enjoying a prime spot for eating lunch. We selected a picnic table on which to eat and as my relatives unpacked our feast, I sat, admiring the awesome view. It was almost too much to take it. Taipei 101 towered to the left, the golden Palace Hotel shimmered under the sunlight in the middle, and masses of lush, green-blue mountains embraced the city on all sides.

For about the twentieth time this trip, I gave thanks under my breath to anyone and everyone who allowed me to be on this side of the world and witness such a breathtaking view. What a gift to be able to see this incredible sight.

The four of us devoured lunch---except for little Kai Kai, who my aunt complains "chi fan tai man," eats too slow. As I took pictures with my camera that I mentioned I would email to my mom, my aunt shoveled rice into her grandson's mouth and said, "You can also tell your mom that Kai Kai eats too slow."

After lunch was done, my aunt and Kai Kai found the playground and her husband and I set off on a hike. When I heard that my aunt and Kai Kai weren't to be joining us, I suffered a minor stroke because my aunt's husband speaks literally NO ENGLISH WORDS and I can NEVER understand what he's saying because he speaks so quickly. I always need my aunt to translate what he's saying---she used to be an English teacher---or repeat what he's saying 50 times slower. I wondered what we would talk about, if we COULD talk about anything, how unbearable a hike would be if neither of us said one word, how embarrassed I would be that my Chinese is so pathetic I can't even have a simple conversation with a family member.

But to my delight, we DID talk about things. At first, our conversations were incredibly simple: I pointed at the mountains and said. "How pretty, how tall, how green," and he would answer, "Yes." But eventually we talked about a great number of things. I asked him where he was born in China, and he told me Beijing. I asked him where my aunt was born; he told me. I asked him where my mother was born (even though I already knew); he said that she was born in Taiwan. "No!" i replied. "She was born in China!" And he said, "Oh yes, you're right!" (My grandfather also forgot that my mother was born in China, and not in Taiwan.) I told him that my sister was born in China and that I hope to go someday with her and my dad. He was curious about my American family and so we talked about my American relatives for a little while. He told me that he has never been to the States, even though my aunt has gone to visit my mom, her little sister. (It's very strange to imagine my mom being a little sister to somebody.) As we hiked, he told me that he's hiked the same trail with my dad and my mom when they came to visit Taiwan. "You weren't born yet!" he said. We even talked about the animals he's seen on this trail. "Mostly birds," he said. "But I've also seen a snake. Very long and very thick." When he said that, I had a second minor stroke. I hate snakes and if I saw one that was very long and very thick I might actually pass out, making me prime snake food. Thankfully, right after he said that, we headed back to the elementary school.

The hike upwards was very steep, so on the way down I said to him, "Going back is very easy." And he laughed and said, "Kimberly, your Chinese has improved a lot!" which, coming from a relative that I've never spoken to directly before this trip, made me so happy to have come.