New Year, New Love

For the last four years I have celebrated the new year at Christmas Conference in Indy, surrounded by my friends having a crazy dance party and praying in the new year. The thought of not participating made me wonder if the year could actually expire without this tradition. Well, it did. Though the western new year doesn’t actually mark the changing of the years in Taiwan, it is still celebrated throughout the country for us westerners. After work, Susanne, Shyra and I got all dolled up for the Hotel One Wild party. I had spend a series of nights at the night market assembling a wild-themed outfit. We all hustled down to the posh hotel, unsure of what the night would hold. As the elevator doors opened, I saw the first glipse of the wild theme- a parrot sitting amoung the tropical trees. This was followed by a series of flashes from the evening’s photographer, who felt the need to exclaim “So Sexy!!”. I attempted to take a photo with my bird friend, but the little sucker bit me. He just went for it- and my shreek was something that I could most likely never recreate , except for a situation of pure panic and trauma. We quickly hustled into the party to find the epitome of a hotel party, including live birds, attractive bar tender, and fancy lights that made me feel as if I was on an episode of the Hills. We counted down the new year with a band and some bad western dancing, only to go to my favorite Taiching spot… Elementary School bar. A bar with the classic Asian charm of beads, sheets for curtains, school desks for tables, and a series of private tables with a ceiling of umbrellas. Let’s not forget the welcoming karokee stage where I preformed my clutch song of “I would walk 500 miles” We finished the night pretty late, only to wake up with the excitement of an impromptu trip to the southern most part of the island, Kenting. After the very speedy trip on the high speed rail and a close taxi trip we arrived in sunny Kenting. It felt like an entirely different country, with the sapphire blue skies and sandy beaches. Andy, Shyra, and I made friends with another guy in our shared hostel room, Will. We bonded after I was talking about school house rock and although Andy and Shyra were doing the “Yonker, really..” look, Will pulled up the Conjunction Junction as if he got ready to it every morning. We then preceeded to have one of the best meals I’ve ever had in my life on a café right next to the beach. Complete with my first whole fish. “You eat the head?!?” Turns out that is the best meat. But the eating didn’t stop there, the night market that lined the downtown streets of Kenting had more flavor than a Mexican quesadilla. It was packed full of games, food, and shops with a relaxed beachy feel. After Andy’s hopes and dreams were crushed multiple times by the basketball game, we decided to enjoy the beach. I had forgotten how truly unique and awe-inspiring beaches are. It’s easy because of the many postcards, beachy posters, and photographs scattered around family’s living rooms. There is nothing like being there- holey and completely there. I felt like I was looking upon a never ending abis, as the gray clouds and black sky and water all eventually melted together. There is a room in the IMA’s (Indianapolis Art Museum” 3rd floor that is my favorite in the entire museum. Partly because I’ve never seen anything like it before, so it __ embodies the description of “unique” and also because it is an experience, not just a painting. When you walk into the room, the “painting” appears to be a modern mix of gray hues, but walking closer, you can see that its infact not even a painting at all. It’s in fact a hole. A hole in the wall that looks onto a big white recatangular hole. The lights are arranged so that you want to just dive in to see how deep it goes. This moment on the beach was the same feeling.
The next morning we tackled the National Park, complete with a trek through the park, exploring the lighthouse, and a nap on the dock. I’ve noticed a continuous theme in the National Parks here. They aren’t the standard “park” that comes complete with a couple loosly marked trails and a run down bathroom. These parks are organized adventures with very clear pathways, maps, and little hidden treasures. In Kenting, we found small caves, tree “graveyards”, and a series of other small wonders that made me feel as if I was actually walking through the Canyland game.
Kenting felt like another country, and for a small island like Taiwan- that’s pretty impressive. Everyone was much more laid back, and we finished off the weekend by enjoying our upgraded room, relaxing on the beaches, and riding a packed taxi back to our normal lives in Taichung.