The weekend is here, which means we get a break from the diplomatic, educational and academic meetings (the one we have had so far), and do some more sight seeing around Taipei. (Also, I did find out that the correct pronunciation is “Tai-Bei”).
Our first stop was the National Palace Museum, which happens to be one of the largest collections of Chinese and Taiwanese art and historical artifacts in the world since the Chinese government had a lot of museums and pieces burned in the centuries before. Being major contributor sharing chinese history, the National Palace museum in Taipei is a large attraction for Chinese tourists. Dr. Rodgers, the professor sponsoring us on the trip, pointed out that the Chinese tourists could be spotted easily because of their rude behavior. My favorite part of the museum was the large exhibit on jade, asia’s green precious stone. While waiting outside, after finishing the museum tour, we got to spend some “quality time” with the professors young son of 3, whom he brought on the trip along with his wife. 
The youngsters name is Kyle. Now Kyle, on this trip, began to play the game “Gotcha”. “Gotcha” is a variant of the game “Tag” except in “Gotcha” Kyle has a few rules:
1.) Kyle always wins.
2.) Kyle can “get you” as many times as he wants.
3.) Kyle can “get you” at any time.
4.) Even if you “get” Kyle, in reality, you missed.
These 4 fundamental rules make playing the game not only exhausting, but also no very fun; unless you’re Kyle.
All joking aside, having Professor Rodger’s family here with us is a true blessing. His wife is from Taiwan and helps us translate when needed, and they are always there to help and give advice.
After the museum we had our first traditional taiwanese meal. Some of it was not appealing, like the fish “logs” in a ginger soup with greens. Other things, like the chicken and fruit dishes were superb. It’s all kind of hit and miss. On the upside though, I am learning to use chop stick in a far greater capacity than I thought I ever would.
After lunch we made our way over to the t
owering Taipei 101. Standing 1671 ft. tall, it towers above the Taipei skyline. The inside is filled with nice shops, and the surrounding areas are newly renovated and make
up the “nice” part of town. While walking in the shopping centers leading up to the monster-building, we began to hear music, and crowds of people. The smell of food filled the air,
and there were swarms of people infesting a blocked off area. What could this spectacle be? A dog fair. A. Dog. Fair. Exhibits, clothes, food samples, competitions, dog amusement rides and all the other stuff that dog’s would never need all in one place. It was a struggle to pull away from the ridiculous, yet cute, canine carnival.
Standing in the top floor of Taipei 101 was decent at best. The building was so high, that the clouds started to obstruct the view of the ground. It was defiantly worth it though, for those few brief moments, to be able to see the lights of Taiwan for miles and miles.
I hadn’t eaten for sometime now and the asain meals the past few days had been wearing on me. So what is an american to do? Go to Chili’s of course and enjoy a cheeseburger with fries. At the restaurant area there was a older taiwanese man that approached me and asked me where I was from. I said “Texas” to which he replied “Yao Ming, Houston Rockets!”. It is awkward to know that complete strangers can come up to me and start a
conversation, without speaking my language, and still be able to make small talk. I can’t do that with just about anyone here! Ill get better though...hopefully.
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