From Singapore to Shimen

Where's Shimen? Is that the first question that popped up in your head just now? Yup, uptil now, I still (sometimes) wonder where it is on Taiwan map. However, I can answer theoretically by reading the address I had 3 weeks before flying (and commuting and walking) here. Shimen is a village which belongs to Mudan Township which is part of Ping Tung county which is the most southern area of Taiwan which is a small island that does (not) belong to Republic of China.

Yup! That's the place that I've been living in the last 5 weeks.

OK, return to the date 25th of April when I sat on that very Jet Star airplane after having 2 lunches >"<. It was the first time I went to a foreign country whose language I did not speak and there was supposed to be 0 person waiting for me at the airport! Trust me, you don't know how nervous I was, sitting on the plane and wondering about things awaiting ahead!

6:30pm: the plane landed. I felt safe seeing there were signs in English >"<

7:00pm: instinctively, I took a bus towards Taoyuan HSR station. Actually there were some hiccups here. One of my Taiwanese friends had instructed me how to get to the station: get on a shuttle bus which would bring you directly to the station. Haha, I thought it should be something like in Singapore, there is an internal transportation system that brings people around the airport. However, it turned out that I needed to queue up to buy a SHUTTLE BUS ticket (twice, because at first I stood in the wrong line!). It costed NT$60 if I'm not wrong. This price somehow confirmed that the trip should not be long.

7:30pm: on a bus that had no light, I started to feel hungry despite the double lunch I had had 7 hours before. Never mind, water could fill my stomach, I supposed. But hey, what takes this bus so long to reach the station?

8:00pm: at the station, failed to find something to eat.

8:30pm: on a HSR train, order a honey cake.

9:00pm: on the same train, the lady returned saying that all cakes and hot meals are out of stock!

9:30pm: felt supper hungry and the water bottle was then empty. I wished the lady come back so that I could order anything that was available!

10:00pm: reached Zuo Ying HSR station, met Grace (an AIESECer who is in charge of receiving me), on a taxi to a farewell party (!?!)

10:30pm: had the very first alcohol drink of my life. empty stomach. Met 1st friends in Taiwan. Warm and cool! Very friendly, active and welcome! (this is why I had a good impression of Taiwanese haha)

11:00pm: took farewell photos with a new friend, Adri. She was an AIESECer who had just finished an MT here, going back to Canada to marry an AIESEC guy! (so jealous, AIESEC wedding <3)

11:30pm: on a taxi heading to Zhong Shan university where I stayed over for the night. As the name speaks for itself, the school in located ON the mountain. Grace said we could see very beautiful sunset here <3 love it! I would definitely watch it one day!

12:00 mid night: took a shower. cold water. FREEZE!

...

Next day

8:00am: Grace walked me to MRT station, asking me to sit on the train for x stations and switch to another line, sit still until the terminal, someone should be waiting for me at Gate 6.

9:00am: I did EXACTLY what she said (even though MRT system here is more complicated that the one in Singapore). Reading the local map, I was panic because there were only 4 gates here! I need to contact Grace! Almost no Chinese or Hokkien or Hakka, no telephone card. What I had were some cash and Grace's phone number. I tried the public telephone. Gosh, I inserted coins and dialed but failed 3 consecutive time! Walking to the information booth, I tried to ask the officer for help. Fortunately, I was not bad at body language. She understood that I needed her to help me make a call.

9:30am: the "mystery" was revealed, I took a train backward 2 stations. There were Gate 6 and a young lady waiting for me. Hooray! Now I'm not alone anymore! (did I say I was so lonely and helpless?)

10:00am: I was sitting on a car with a strange person. She introduced herself as Monica while the person should be Hsu xiao jie. She knew Xiao Rong while I knew Grace. Haha, I don't know why, but back then I felt safe sitting on the car, without worrying I was kidnapped or something. Lol, sometimes naive and carelessness can save you lots of unnecessary troubles!

11:00am: I saw highway, fruit gardens, wet markets, 7 Eleven stores, sea and mountains! We were heading to Ping Tung.

12:00am: I was convinced that I will be living and working on a mountain because the streets were getting narrower and quieter as we traveled. Mudan appeared with mountains and slopes and roundabouts.

12:30: We stopped by my host family to drop my luggage first.

1:00pm: On the car again, heading to my workplace. Gosh, the slopes got steeper and I could not even see a house or a car going on the reverse direction! But the views were great though! There were trees that I had not seen before. Black eagles hovered with there wings stretched out. Valleys were in fresh green. I told myself that I would better love this place soon!

And I did!

Yup, that was my journey. Every seconds passed by with much worry and nervousness. But they all were over (successfully) and I am proud that I could make it safe!

And yet, it was only the first 2 of my 53 days in Taiwan. There were much more to discover and long for!