The Year of the Dragon is Upon Us

The other day we had our fourth sunny day in the three weeks I have been here. It really sounds a lot worse than it really is, after a couple days of rain you barely notice it. This country truly is amazing and I couldn't be happier here, even with all the rain. 

The infamous, visible, damper that
'holds' the building up

On our second sunny day I woke up late, due to the long nights in Homey Hostel talking to people from around the world, and decided to travel to the second tallest building in the world, Taipei 101. This building is very unique (or I think so because I am a nerd). The building is the tallest green structure on the planet; everything is recycled, the lights are always on low until late in the evening, and they recycle everything. The building also has the only view-able 'damper.' A damper is a big ball that is held up by a lot of steel cords and pistons that make sure the building does not fall over if there is a strong wind or an earthquake.

When I got there it was in the mid-afternoon and I got my ticket and cued up. The wait was very short, about an hour. I got on the elevator and they began speaking in Mandarin for about twenty seconds, then started speaking in English; I didn't even hear the English because by the time they were done with the Chinese, we were at the top; I later found out that was the worlds fastest elevator I just went up. The top was absolutely beautiful. The city is not a big one, about half of Chicago, but very dense; it was amazing to see the density from above. After walking around a bit more I found that there is an outdoor viewing area. This was something I could not miss out on. After climbing up a stair cases I was able to look out from a roof; for being that high it was not too cold or windy. From here I began to see the sunset. I couldn't have picked a better time to go, I was able to watch the sunset behind the mountains of Taiwan; such a beautiful thing to see.

Beautiful sunset from Taipei 101

Me and my buddy Hsien

After this I had to rush over to meet with my 'buddy' from NCCU, Hsien, each student is given two buddies to help them get acquainted to the city and area. My suggestion would be (if possible) go early and get acquainted alone or with other travelers and use the buddy as a tool and a friend and you might get along a lot better. I met him across town at 台北國際藝術村 (The Taipei Artist Villiage). During this evening they had a lantern festival and live music. I was able to meet with his 'soul mate' who was really nice and we all had a really great time. Like I previously said, students are given two buddies, I have no clue who my other one is, neither does Hsien. That is how buddies can go, some are great some are not there. The area is a really great one and one to visit for sure. The town was abandoned a few years ago and was going to be torn down but some artists saw lots of history there so bought it and now have art studios all over it. Very cool place for music and art, quiet at night but great in the afternoon.

Have to wear the RedBird Shirt!

Following that day we had yet another day of sunshine! Such a change of pace. When we see sun here, we run outside. This day a group of us from the hostel decided to head to Chiang-kai Shek Memorial Hall. This was such a sight to see in the morning, as I had been there once at night. The memorial hall features a changing of the guard about every hour, very similar to the guard changing in Washington D.C. at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. The main difference is this one is much longer and a lot more 'grandiose,' I use that lightly because it is a very famous ceremony and am not trying to belittle it at all. When the guards are all in place they must stand still. When I say still, I mean not move a muscle. Some people say that blinking is a natural thing, not for these soldiers. These soldiers cannot even blink or they will lose their jobs or get punished. After about ten minutes the soldiers begin to tear from not blinking. After this we just had a bit of fun before heading for a great Taiwanese meal, which they always are.

The guard beginning to cry from not blinking his eyes

Irene, Jo Jo, Kai, and myself having fun in the sun (Chiang-kai Shek Memorial behind us)