It’s hard to believe that we’ve been in Taipei for over a week. We’ve done so much, though I do regret not getting into the countryside more. If we had unlimited time, I would definitely visit a hot springs and maybe a tea plantation. The national parks also sound quite wonderful, but I am trying not to be greedy. We have already had more experiences than I can properly process. I keep thinking of things that I wish I had included in this blog. Here’s a partial list:

Classical music. The hotel plays it constantly. I will never again hear the Nutcracker without thinking of Taipei.

Buddhism. There’s a Bible in the nightstand and a text from the Society to Promote Buddhism. I started to read it last night and realized how little I know about Buddhism. It’s a little confusing because the culture is obviously commercial (shopping seems to be a favorite pastime) and sensual (eating is an art form). At the same time, people do seem serene. We haven’t seen anyone who seems to be out of sorts even though this is a challenging urban environment.

Yankees. They are on TV all the time. Each game is played and replayed. D has been in heaven. He can leave in the middle of a game knowing that he can catch the innings he missed later in the day. Sometimes he watches the games in English and sometimes in Mandarin.

Deafness. The people at Deaflympics represent the entire spectrum from those so immersed in Deaf culture that they avoid hearing people to those with cochlear implants who don’t know how to sign. The games are very inclusive and, for the most part, very supportive. There are exceptions--the men’s soccer team seems to have encountered some very poor sportsmanship in its competitors--but, for the most part, the intensity of the competition is matched by the intensity of the communication. Deaf people are clearly here to meet other deaf people.

Scooters. They are everywhere. When the lights turn red, the scooters weave among the cars and come to the front of the pack. Sometimes there are hundreds of them carrying men and women and sometimes even families. The streets are lined with parked scooters and there are mini garages with scooter sized lifts that raise the bikes to waist level so they can be serviced more easily.

Face masks. People wear them. We're not sure whether its the pollution or fear of flu. I do know that yesterday when we went to mini museum, a guard pointed a gun-like thing at my head. At first I thought he was going to wipe out my memories ala Men in Black, but he was only checking my temperature. It must have been OK becuase he let us in but it was disconcerting.