2012.08.24 - Goodbye Formosa
It's been a good eight weeks.
Today was just preparation for going home. I packed the rest of my belongings, thanked Joanna's grandma for letting me stay in her house, made sure I had everything with me... then we went off to get some food. We went to a Japanese place, again. No complaints, though, Japanese food is my favorite kind. We ordered quite a lot, but I only took a picture of the lamb katsudon I got, because I didn't want to get my camera out with so many people eating and sharing food together.
After eating until we were full, we finally stuffed our luggage into a few cars (we had a lot of stuff after two months of staying here) and made our way to the airport. I was silent most of the time, but Joanna, Joanna's uncle, and I did make good conversation. We talked about where I stayed, where I went, and some stuff I learned (chengyu/idioms being one of them. Thanks to C4, I could hold up that conversation!)
We finally arrived. I took a few pictures of the airport (I'm sorry for the blurriness of them, we were in a rush and I didn't want to get in people's ways).
The blue lights on the sides actually change colors! All colors of the rainbow, and they are kind of like a light show.
There was an adorable EVA Air Hello Kitty collaboration. People could check in using a pink kiosk!
We went upstairs and looked around the stores before finally going through customs. A last glance at the airport... I don't know the next time I'll be back.
I picked up a bag at the duty-free shops, then we made our way to our gate... which happens to be...
The exact name of the class I was in for OCAC. Oh, fate!
Took a picture of my ticket just before boarding.
The flight back was uneventful (Joann and I mostly slept). We parted at the airport with our respective families (we see each other often, it's okay!) and went home.
Being back home was very surreal. Living in Taiwan, I always had shoes on. Yes, you are not supposed to wear your outdoors shoes inside -- people buy indoors slippers to wear. We don't typically go barefoot because the ground is (to be honest) not very clean. There can be a lot of insects, and at times, rodents (once I woke up because of the scuttling of a rat in my room in Nanshijiao. I was terrified). So, walking back home and feeling carpet on my bare feet was, for lack of a better word, freaky. Even showering at home was weird; the water pressure here is seriously strong.
In a way, I could barely believe I was home. Or maybe it was that I could barely believe that I had returned from such an adventure. Strangely enough, I felt like a stranger sleeping in my own bed. Was I supposed to be somewhere else? I knew I wasn't, but the feeling is difficult to describe. Even now, shortly after my trip, it's honestly hard to believe I spent two months in Taiwan (without being accompanied by my parents!) and am going to start my senior year in high school/sophomore year in college in a matter of days.
I am beyond thankful I got to have this experience. Living in Taiwan for two months didn't only give me the opportunity to learn Chinese; it helped me learn about me and my culture. Not only that, but being with people from all over the world (places as near as California or Illinois, or as far as France and Spain and Germany) gave me the opportunity to learn about their cultures, as well.
I don't know if there's any "correct" or "ideal" way to end this entry, and this blog. I'll let Jolin have the final word.
Jolin Tsai's "Heartbeat of Taiwan"
Thank you for accompanying me on my journey. I hope it was as fun for you to read as it was for me to write!