It's the mad 6 o'clock rush in Tainan City as I sit down at one of my semi-regular eateries, a small restaurant enveloped in bamboo at the corner of Minchuan and Kangle streets. I order the usual neo rou mian - gan de (beef noodles - dry) and have a seat at a corner table. In the few minutes it takes for my big bowl of yumminess to arrive, scooters, bicycles and cars zoom in a constant stream of noise, blending together into one single hum. After 3 years in Tainan, I have of course grown accustomed to the chaotic nature of the roads here and yet, as I sit here, quietly observant, I am glad that it still amazes. I haven't lost all sense of reality just yet.
My deep bowl arrives and just as I'm about to pinch my first heap of noodles with the chopsticks, I notice a short, bing lang (beetle nut)chewing man on the road remove the cigarette from his mouth and apply it to the lit end of a group of longish sticks who in turn start to glow. Oh shit, I know exactly what is going to happen now. With somewhat ageing ninja-like reflexes, I set down my chopsticks and place my hands over my ears just as the initial KABLANGs! KABLINGs! and KAPOWs! echo and shake the fragile bamboo walls. Even muted, it is shockingly loud. Have the Chinese finally lauched thier attack? Guess again. It is merely a temple celebration, something witnessed almost daily in this, the traditional and cultural capital of Taiwan. It is a unique place where the ancient superstitions, rituals and traditions now slowly fading in mainland China continue to be practiced faithfully. The noise produced by the firecrackers are meant to either get the attention of the gods or scare them away, depending on the god and the nature of the celebration. With over 80 temples in this old city - each with varied days and times and gods to appease - the setting off of firecrackers in the middle of the street is a common occurrence. Sometimes there is no warning and, driving along minding your own business, one might suddenly run into a blasting zone.
When the mist of smoke finally dissipates, a procession of uniformed men carrying a bouncy alter swing past while the musicians blare out unmelodious music using high-pitched, unfamiliar and strange-sounding instruments. If I were a god, I can assure you that it would drive me away very quickly. And then, as the tune fades into the distance, it's suddenly over. I take a second, shell-shocked. At last, when I am sure it is safe, I remove my paws from my ears. I glance over to the owner of the restaurant. She simply shakes her bandana-wrapped head and her face, so full of stories, shows obvious disgust for the ritual she and her poor, little restaurant are subjected to so frequently. I pick up my two wooden sticks and resuming my business of eating. After unabashedly sucking up my noodles in a manner any North American child would be scolded for at the table - yet perfectly accepteable here - I take 5 minutes to watch the old , classic kung fu flick they are running on a big screen outside the temple before going off to work. Apparently, the gods enjoy a good laugh and kung fu just as much as us mortals...
Yes, I am certainly back in Taiwan. My trip to Tibet - the subject of my latest semi-yearly - is quickly becoming a vague memory already. When we came home at the end of September, after such a long time "off", it was a bit strange to be back in the modern world. Back to cell phones, hectic driving, pseudo work, social engagements, daily responsibilities etc. Back to the hecticity in the hectic city which I consider home for now. In other words, back to anything but the simple lifestyle we had been enjoying during our 6 weeks of travel in the remote region of Kham in eastern Tibet. I admit that I've been overwhelmed by the intensity compared to the relaxed pace of Tibet.
Having much too much on our plates immediately upon return, October was a blur. Things calmed down in November and I began to have the time to write things down but progress has been slow due to the sheer amount I would like to write versus what you good folks have the time to read. And here we are in December with Christmas already come and gone and New Year's celebration tomorrow! Autumn and its sublime weather whizzed by with winter coming much too early as always. Don't laugh. We may not get temperatures that dip below freezing but riding a motorcycle at 40km/h into strong headwinds in low teen, humid temperatures is pretty damn cold. On the chilliest of nights, long johns and gloves are essential. And it's important to note that in Taiwan there is no such thing as central heating; the walls are concrete and there are no carpets to keep our feet warm. Slippers are worn at all times. The air in the apartment is colder than the air outside. Flea and Michele shiver constantly. For a few days, the wind howled relentlessly. People complain about the cold much the same as they do back home.
But we got our first taste of winter back in August when the snow was just starting to cover the tops mountains outside of our tent, pegged down at roughly 4200 m, just outside Siqu town. Ahhh, Tibet. By far one of the most intriguing places I've been to, perhaps due to my immense curiosity I had for its people and geography even before departing. My already notoriously long letters would be dwarfed by the prospect of sharing the entire trip. What I will do is attach a snippet of adventure so you can at least get an idea. I will include a short piece I submitted to a local magazine (Kham Adventure) and the extended raw dog mix for all my hardcore readers (Adventures).
As it is holiday season, many of you should have the time to print it up and read it at your convenience; maybe even in front of the fire (I feel a sudden surge of envy). Wish I could be there in person with each and every one of you, glass of rum n' eggnog in hand, to further explain or better yet show you the stack of pictures to go along with it. Speaking of which, a few weekends ago, Michele had a phenomenally successful charity photo exhibition where she featured 25 of her photos from the thousand+ she took on the trip. Not only did she sell over half of them (blown up and framed), but she also managed to raise a lot of money for two separate orphanages we visited while in Tibet. I'm so proud of ma Belle Michele. Watch out, the girl's got talent oozing out of her!
As we embark upon this new year, I shan't pepper you with the usual malarky about bettering yourselves or resoluting till the yaks come home. I simply wish you all the best for the rest of your friggin lives!
Happy holidays my friends/Joyeuses fetes mes amis
oj
