Taiwan?

Well, after a crazy trip to China with its communism, censorship, and unhappy people, Dad and I moved on to Taiwan, where we met up with my cousin Bill and his girlfriend Crystal. Taiwan thinks it is its own country, but China doesn't really agree with that. The Chinese government likes to think it still controls Taiwan - it even calls it the Republic of China! On the customs forms, it lists Taiwan as a province. But, in actuality, China doesn't have that much actual control over Taiwan. They've only threatened to attack if Taiwan calls itself independent . . . hmmm.

Anyway, Taiwan was very different from China - we noticed the differences (and wonders of democracy and capitalism) the moment we landed! The airport experience, the traffic, the fact that some signs were actually in English, the blue sky, the people . . . just about everything there was more pleasant!

Bill and Crystal put us up in the Grand Hotel (see pictures), the most famous hotel in Taipei. It actually looks like a Chinese palace! We spent three night there, and we spent our days touring Taipei and the surrounding area. On our first day there, we visited the main tourist spots, like the National Palace Museum (where all the historical treasure from China are stored . . . the Chinese aren't too happy about that), the Chiang Kaishek Memorial (now called the Monument to Democracy because a lot of people are trying to erase him from the collective memory), and Taipei 101 (the tallest building in the world, which also has the fastest elevator in the world). On our second day there, we took a trip into the mountains to hike to a waterfall. Despite the rain, and mud, and a little lightning, it was a fun trip. Dad even got to pose with a bunch of Taiwanese lifeguards who'd just completed their training . . . I don't even know how that happened! On our third day there, we checked out the Buddhist and Confucian temples, as well as a pottery area near Bill and Crystal's home.

Then, we headed to the airport for our overnight flight to Sydney. After our flight to Auckland was delayed, we managed to get on another flight there so we'd make our connection to Christchurch. Then, when we arrived in Auckland, we found out our flight to Christchurch had actually been canceled, so we had to catch a later one. Eventually, we arrived in my fake home. It was wonderful to be back in the English-speaking, fork-using, unpopulated land of New Zealand.

Yesterday, I finished my one and only final exam (Latin)!! Today and tomorrow I'm packing and saying my goodbyes, and Sunday I head to the airport. It's cold here, and very rainy today. Somehow I managed to get a little sick - good timing, of course - but I'm trying to see as many friends as possible in the short time I have left here. Well, that's all for now. The internet in my room has already been cut off, so I'm having to use a computer in the common room. I'll post more when I get a chance. Only three more days (one of which, July 1, will be about 40 hours long) and I'll be back home!!