Last Hurrah and Farewells: Goodbye Taiwan

View from the pool

 On August first we left Yilan for good. We took four suitcases and two carryons to Yuanshan MRT via bus. It was impossible for my daughter and me to transport our luggage with just 4 arms between us. One of the bus company guys (who lived in NYC for a year) taped up one carryon on top of the biggest suitcase, but it was still impossible, there's no way we'd be able to manage the MRT even though we just needed to go to the next stop.

I had to ask the fruit stand guy for scissors to separate my taped luggage and took a taxi to West Minchaun MRT exit 10. While I was waiting, I saw one of my former 9th-grade students walk past me, I called her over she took a selfie with me, such a small world!

Home Base: Taipei

My friend Alisse took a half-day away from work and met us, walked us to her apartment where we settled in our own rooms. We had a Japanese lunch and then we all went for a long, luxurious rooftop swim. She gave us a key and we made her home

Alisse, me and Z post swim

We planned on staying one night, but it felt better to stay two, Alisse insisted,  We stayed up watching the latest Avenger movie in two parts because it was so long. Z and I walked around Yuanshan MRT the next day, to the various gardens and of course, enjoyed the pool again.

The North: Tamsui/Sanzhi

My friend Sherry was only free Sundays, so early Sunday morning she and her brother picked us up at Tamsui, and we took the scenic tour back to her house. We stopped at the Fisherman's Warf, we drove around my former home when I lived in Tamsui 18 years ago, it is so much more developed, it even has its own light rail connection to Tamsui station,

Tamsui Mt from the North

Sherry's student/friend Andrea, who is also my daughter's friend came by and we went to the same river we visited eleven years earlier when we just arrived in Taiwan (Sherry and her brother picked us up from the airport then too.) Eventually, we made it back into Sherry's pool for a sunset swim. Andrea's parents invited us all back to their home for dinner and it was quite the spread, Taiwanese hospitality at his finest.

Andrea and Z

Sunset swim

On Monday morning we left with Sherry back to Tamsui station. She had to go to work at Kid's Castle where we met, and we had to get to Tainan.

The South:
Since we had more time than money, we took the bus (as opposed to the high-speed rail) from Taipei to Tainan, about a 5-hour drive. I saw a place we could get some tea and a snack near the bus stop. It was in an old wooden, hard to find Japanese teahouse, but the menu was expensive so we only ordered a matcha dessert and a peach ice dessert. Walking to find a taxi I remembered we'd be walking in front of the tax office, so popped in to check on why my refund hadn't been deposited. It comes every Agust 1st without a hitch, so I naturally was depending on that for my budget. Come to find out, they processed it late and I won't get it until September 10th.

Originally, we were going to stay at the new home of my friend/student's family. But he was busy with work and booked a hotel room for me (I paid) near my old work, in my old neighborhood. It was surreal to be back. The hotel was new and nice and across from a little park I often took little Z. She learned to ride a bike and roller skate at that park.

We invited 2 other families who we were once all old friends with, all in the same Anping neighborhood. Some of the kids were shy or had forgotten me, the older ones were so mature now. I had another parent/friend meet me to say hello, with her new baby in the backseat of her car, so a brief goodbye but long enough to gift us with some fabulous mountain tea. We had a nice dinner at our old favorite, "Forever"  said our goodbyes and then another old friend Grace came by our hotel, both of us catching up much too late.

Before check out time, we took a taxi to Tainan train station and headed south to  Kaohsiung to meet my friend Chloe during her lunch break. She and let us stay two nights, gave us a key and again we had our own rooms. The first day we met Z's old friend Maggie. Her mom was Z' swim teacher when she was little, she's also a single mom. Many a Saturday I had Maggie while her mom worked. She was and still is a joy.Her grandma dropped her off near the Fine Arts museum and we were going to explore the park, but it was too humid. Eventually, we ended up at this shopping mall/amusement park  Taroko Park, spending too much money at the arcades and virtual reality games. In fact, they only paid 1 game, I could only afford that, each kid was 500NT for an hour. They played some adventure  Indian Jones type game and it was more fun watching them. When we said our goodbyes I was feeling emotional.

Maggie and Z at the MRT

Chloe and I stayed up late, I met her boyfriend Sergio of 5 years (finally) and we watched some Netflix and sampled her Tennesee moonshine. Staying at her home was made more exciting because of her dog which is surly to strangers and an ankle nipper.

The next day we were tourists in Kaoshiung. We went to the pagodas (Dragon Tiger Tower), and the world's second most beautiful train station, In the late afternoon we met another of my former 9th-grade students and her family/friends for an hour of an escape room game. Chloe came home from work with a bag full of fresh mangosteen! Taiwan's new law came into effect the end of July, they allowed imports of mangosteen.

It was so relaxing staying at Chloe's but I had booked us two nights in Kenting and she saw us walking to catch a taxi on her lunch break. The plan was one last dive trip in Taiwan, but that was canceled by the typhoon. No water sports allowed all weekend. I didn't know what to do. We took a two-hour bus from Kaohsiung and our minsu/guesthouse (Blue Hotel) was literally across the street from the bus stop. The kind owner upgraded us to the bigger room for free. We walked to the closest beach (Nanwan) to watch the waves which were taped off. When a few rebels dodged the ropes, we did too and admired the crashing waves before heading back. While it was still daylight we rode on the go-karts, my kid nipping my tail and lapping me. I was laughing hysterically, it was so fun.

Sunset view from our balcony, night1, Blue Hotel, Kenting

The next day, unable to dive we rented an electric scooter. Our last beach out of town, the right break went out. and we waited for the owner to come and fix it for us. Then it was a slow, very windy ride around the southern tip of Taiwan. We had come to Kenting twice before and never made it here before. The scenery was stunning. It reminded me of parts of Okinawa. The lighthouse area was pretty, there were trails, crowds, we went to a few lookout points and then hit the road.

I'm not sure if it was such a bright idea to be on a light, electric scooter during the winds of a typhoon blowing past. The bike flew over a few times while parked. On the Eastern side of the southern tip the winds were more intense. The name of places literally were called "windy" so even on the best of days it blew like wild cliffs and during our stay I was driving slow and cautious. With our geeky shop helmets we joked we looked like Dumb and Dumber.

We ate near the bridge, a surfer cafe that served up egg salad sandwiches, children and dogs outnumbered the customers. Back to town wasn't far from there, but we took our time. We had wanted to go hike to a beautiful multitiered waterfall, but unsure of the typhoon didn't go. Oh well, that's how it worked out. We took another walk to the beach staying after dark, saying goodbyes to the ocean in our own way.

After check out, we took the crowded, two-hour bus to Kaohsiung, then the normal train to Taichung. Taichung train station is busy, and it seems bigger than Kaohsiung. Because my friend Binh was only free on Sunday, we headed to her anchingban (school after school) Saturday night during her last lesson of the week. We stayed one night in her and her girlfriend Kirin's apartment and the second night in her anchingban (because our bags were there.)

Taichung Botanic Gardens

On Sunday morning Binh took us to the Botanic Garden just down the road. There was a break in the rain and we walked there. In the afternoon, we went to their favorite hot springs resort about 90 minutes out of the city. Again, because of this typhoon, rain was a problem. Our phones gave us government alerts, that the area we were in was under a landslide warning. We left the hot springs earlier than planned but arrived late. On Monday morning we went to the newest Dentist that opened up shop next to their apartment building. Anticipating being without health insurance when we leave Taiwan and head back to the States, having our teeth x-rayed and cleaned was on the to-do list. For both me and Z it cost $11 USD and took 5 minutes of paperwork/waiting because we were new clients there. I'm already missing Taiwan's awesome health care system!

I'm proud of Binh's success with her anchingban. It's well run, nice energy she picks and chooses her students as much as they chose her. I admire her and Kirin being together so long, they're a great team. I hope to see them when the visit Colorado as Binh also hails from metro Denver.  Small world indeed.

Hsinchu
Our trip was nearing it's end, our life in Taiwan being wrapped with care like a present. Heading north eventually culminating in Taipei we had one last stop in Hsinchu.

I didn't plan on staying with Monica and Roger because I figured they have two boys and were busy. Fortunately, they had extra room and made time.  Her eldest son Mark and Z were old friends by now, as Monica and I go way back 17 years ago when we worked under Sherry. Mark and Z played games on the smart TV, board games, badminton. I thoroughly enjoyed her toddler. We drank too much red wine the first night and stayed up late talking into the night, talking with Roger about his work which is interesting as he travels and deals with different kinds of people.

The next day after a slow breakfast, easy morning, she showed us around her neighborhood. We strolled along the luxuriously wide sidewalks, the college,  her favorite cafe. The kids, plus Mark's classmate played hide-n-seek on these huge grounds for a good hour.

It's a nice and upcoming neighborhood, everything is new and yet development kept some relics, historical buildings from the past as well as constructing new schools in the traditional Hakka enclosed circular building style. The highest birthrate in Taiwan is in this area, as parents working at the nearby science park can afford 2-3 kids. There were fancy, alternative highschools with swimming pools and archery around the corner,  big sculptures and street art, and fun looking anchingbans with cooking and movement classes on every street.

Yoga on Monica's sunset balcony

 I think Z and I went to the best 7-11 we had ever been in Taiwan. It was all dark wood, like a Starbucks, more of a coffee shop vibe as there were more tables and chairs, a seating area with books, many English kid's books, and Japanese products we hadn't seen before.

On our third day, they were leaving in the morning for a vacation in Yilan (weird timing) and we were heading back to Taipei for our last two nights. Not in a hurry we took a slow train back to Taipei and returned to Alisse's apartment.

Our last day we hit the pool and gym, and met with old friends. My co-teacher and friend Alii met us for lunch and bubble tea. So strange to hang out with her in Taipei! Later Professor Jerome Keating, an American writer based in Taipei invited me for live music at his neighborhood pub, but I was lazy and it looked far, I made a raincheck.

The next night, my last night in Taiwan I met Jerome at his invitation at the Marco Polo Lounge near his house with top hat views of Taipei 101 as the sun set and it became happy hour. I didn't stay out late, I had to be ready for a 5am wake up the next day. As he walked me back to the MRT, he showed me his pub and then his house. His incredible house that once had many (I bet fun) parties, full of artists, intellectuals, politicians, every corner and shelf full of nicknacks of his travels with his recently deceased wife Monica. His wife's paintings were amazing, she used to have shows. She had early work that was traditional Chinese ink and they were professional. Then her own stills, so lifelike. It was a very nice evening with such a long term expat who has been in Taiwan before democracy and was there while it all has been progressing since. It made me feel my last night was a bestowment of class and wisdom.

Last night in Taiwan, with this view

I came back to Alisse's, she and Z were eating dinner,  thoroughly into their conversation (Chinese too fast for me and I can't understand). I loved watching them together, they were like old friends too.

Saying goodbye to Alisse before taking the taxi to Songshan airport

We arrived at the airport early and stood in line first. I weighed all the bags, some were overweight (23 kg was the limit for luggage).  I had time, I tried to rearrange and at check-in, Japanese Air said I could take some stuff out, put it in a bag as an extra carryon and it would be ok, free. The rest was a long slog back to D-town. Taipei to Tokyo to LAX to pick up our luggage go through immigration, customs, security again, walk to the domestic terminal and wait at our gate for the final plane home. Somehow we made it home.


Our last two weeks were like a concentrated microcosm of our past eleven years here. There's no way I could have survived being a single, working mom without kind people who offered us their friendship and help here and there.

Somehow I survived this stressful moving and leaving experience,  and again,  I could not have done this alone. All the kind people I've been blessed with from my coworkers, landlady, Z's former teachers, to friends everywhere offering us a home, a hug, some tea, a place to sleep, dinner, made our final Taiwan goodbye trip such a heartfelt sendoff. It's with loving vibes we were sent off to our new life.

Some say we'll be back, I've done it before. For sure I need to be back for a visit within 5 years to keep my APRC visa status. It's not something I want to lose, so I wonder when I'll be back for that visit?