Much More Than Basketball: Okinawa and the Armed Forces Classic

One year ago, I messaged one of my best friends, David Sheppard, with a link to an ESPN press release stating the location and teams of the next Armed Forces Classic. I accompanied the link with a simple comment, "Dude, it's destiny," since we were likely going to move to Asia the next summer. Our Gonzaga Bulldogs were going to play the Pittsburgh Panthers in Okinawa, Japan on the US Marine Base Camp Smedley D. Butler, the second weekend of November, 2015. We both understood the magnitude of this event, honoring our military service members through college basketball, and how special it would be to attend. So we started planning.

Eleven months had passed and Dave and I had not only settled in nicely to our new lives in Asia, but had planned most of our trip to Okinawa with the game tickets, flights, and Airbnb secured. Our hours and hours of research and Dave working with directors in the Gonzaga alumni and athletic offices to acquire tickets had paid off. We were going to Okinawa and the Armed Forces Classic.

Eating like an Okinawan.

November 12th finally arrived and I was headed to Naha, Okinawa. Dave and I hadn't seen each other since June, so a big embrace was in order. We took the bus up to Chatan with the help of a friendly Okinawan to meet Kiichi, our Airbnb host for the weekend. Kiichi couldn't have been more welcoming. He and his apartment provided everything we needed and more. After getting settled, he drove us to a fast casual restaurant, where I had goya for the first time. The tofu was good, but the famous vegetable that supposedly plays a part in why Okinawa has the largest percentage of centurians in the world (4x greater than the next) was a little too bitter for my liking. Maybe I won't live to 100 then. We ended our first night with some Orions, the popular local beer, on the beach, and some Japanese television at the apartment.

Unwinding at Araha Beach.

The next morning we awoke to a bright, sunny day and headed out for a swim in the East China Sea, where we had refreshing water temperatures and silky, white sand. Friday was our day to explore the island with the Armed Forces Classic and post-game events being held the next day. Kiichi graciously helped us rent a car, and we were off. But not before handing us a Pat Metheny CD and the parting advice, "Just remember, left side." I couldn't believe he handed us that CD because I really enjoy his music and have seen him in concert. After I told him that, Kiichi was the one stunned and replied, "Ohh that is my dream!" What are the chances a guy on a small island in the Pacific whose apartment I'm staying at loves a jazz musician I've seen live? Crazy. The reason he said "just remember, left side..." is that Japan drives on the left side of the road, which is something I happily crossed off my bucket list. I only lost concentration a couple of times. Luckily, there were no cars coming.

250,000 names engraved in stone.

Thanks to Dave's excellent navigation, we made it to one of the southern most points on Okinawa's main island, the Peace Memorial Park and Museum. The Peace Park honors the 250,000 military members and civilians who died in the Battle of Okinawa between April and June of 1945. Each prefecture of Japan has built their own monuments to honor their home soliders along the southeast section, overlooking the ocean, which I thought was a special tribute. As we made our way through the Park, the emotions were powerful. Thinking of the bloodshed that occured on the very ground you're standing on is saddening, but it was a battle that needed to be won by the Allies to provide an advantage that was instrumental in ending the war.

We had a few minutes in between finishing our tour of Peace Memorial Park and picking up our good friend, David Hoover, at the airport, so we decided to do something that I had recalled from my research: The Japanese Navy Underground Headquarters. Making our way to Naha City and zig zagging through different neighborhoods where the streets are barely wide enough to let one car through, I didn't completely trust NaviDave. "Are you sure this is the way?" "According to Google, yes." After a few minutes, we see the sign to into the small parking area for the Underground HQ. Whew, we made it.

Inside the tunnels.

We headed inside to get our tickets and walk down over a hundred feet into a series of tunnels that Dave and I were too tall for in some places. These tunnels were stunning and preserved well for the war that went on. There was information on each of the rooms in the HQ, such as the coding room, commanding officers room, and medical wing. I imagined the final days of the battle inside the HQ, and how frantic everything would have been knowing the Allies were just days away from invading their stronghold. The Allied Forces approached the HQ in the middle of June 1945, to awaiting Japanese who fought until the very end.

Dave and I explored two profound historical sites which honor soldiers and civilians, both with an emphasis on peace and hope that this never happens again. We will remember it forever.

Our baby for the day.

American Village.

We later picked up 'Hoov' at the airport and I said, "Hoover, I'm just gonna get in on the ride side and drive here." He was confused at the joke, only to hop in the black Honda Life and realize it wasn't a joke after all. We couldn't stop laughing. We made it back to Chatan, and later took a cab to American Village, an area popular for its similarities to American culture, with lively bars, restaurants, and music. We were longing for some big burgers, so we went to a restaurant called Cantina and got a those along with a stein of Orion, of course. After dinner, we went to a Blue Seal Ice Cream shop for a few Okinawa Salt Cookie flavored cones. I knew I needed to have Blue Seal before I came to the island because not only did I hear it was delicious, but also their interesting story. Blue Seal was founded in the US, but moved to Okinawa in 1948 to supply the stationed troops with dairy products, and its popularity has grown ever since. You can find Blue Seal shops all throughout the island. Dave, Hoover, and I finished off the night at a bar reminiscing of our days at GU...a great way to prep for the Armed Forces Classic the next day.

On 4 hours of sleep, I woke up at 6:30 am to my alarm, but there was another that was more effective. I heard Zombie Nation, the Gonzaga student section anthem, from the other room. Dave couldn't have chosen a better song to get us up and at 'em. Our excitement was through the roof. Dave and I took a cab to American Village, where we boarded a bus with many more Gonzaga fans (about 15) than Pitt fans (3), exactly the way it should be.

National Anthems.

See caption above.

We had been waiting a long time for this moment. We were inside Foster Fieldhouse. The atmosphere was electric. Dave and I even made it to ESPN. I got chills during both national anthems, as I thought about what we had seen the day before and how fortunate I was to be here for this special event. The game tipped off, but you could tell five minutes in something was wrong with the court. The players were slipping constantly. The dripping sweat and increased condensation from the rain made it a dangerous court to play on. Nearing the end of halftime, looking forward to cheering on the Zags to a comeback victory, a PA announcement came on. Busy taking a video, I only heard enough to where I had to ask Dave what was said. It took Dave a second to process, and then shouted, "What!? They're cancelling the game!" I replied "No, you're kidding..." But then I looked down at the bench and could see Coach Few say to our Preseason Player of the Year Kyle Wiltjer, "It's over." Nobody could believe it. What a huge disappointment.

Post (half) game.

But the disappointment didn't stay too long. After Coach Few's epic "Nobody's Tougher Than You Marines" speech, the players and military members gathered on the court to hang out and thank one another. It was an incredible moment, and reminded us all that the Armed Forces Classic is about much more than basketball.

2015-16 All Glue Team member, Kyle Dranginis.

After we exited the gym and sent off the Zags (shoutout to Przemek, Kyle D., and Rem #ZagsTakeVegas2013), we met a current Marine and 2002 Gonzaga graduate, Mike Lupient. We had a fantastic conversation about all kinds of stuff like our lives in Asia, days at Gonzaga living on Mission and Nora, how he became a Marine, etc. He lived a similar life to many new college graduates working a professional job, but after one year said to himself, 'Hey, there's got to be more to life than this" and decided become a Marine to serve his country. He now has a beautiful family and is an avid diver in one of the best diving spots on the planet. Mike is one of those old school Zags, and we couldn't have asked for a better guy to spend time with on the base.

Zags and one tired future Zag.

Dave and I explored the base, and wound up finding an A&W/Pizza Hut for some classic American grub & a root beer and a bowling alley where we got a quick game in. After my bowling victory (Dave usually wins), we headed back for a much needed nap. What a day it had been.

We went out in American Village for a late dinner to an Italian restaurant and then to a bar called "Cheers" to end the night. We woke up the next morning to go for one last relaxing swim at the beach. Although there was one problem. We thought we would be back in time to leave to the airport a little before 10 am, but that suddenly turned into 10:30. Kiichi came in clutch once again and drove us to the airport. We were 30 minutes "early" but they still didn't let us through the gates. Dave barely made his flight at the next terminal, but Hoover and I were out of luck. We had to pay the change fee to get the flight at 9 pm back to Taipei. I had never missed a flight in my life, and I was frustrated and dissappointed that we didn't leave when we said were.

But just like the basketball game, disappointment soon turned into enjoyment. Hoover and I got to explore the city of Naha, first with a trip along its monorail to Shuri Castle. The castle was constructed in the 14th century, but much of it destroyed in World War II and rebuilt in 1992. This was the social and economic hub of the Ryuku Kingdom, the historical name for the land, for almost 500 years. (Sidenote: I highly recommend reading about the Ryuku Kingdom if you're interested in history). From the castle outlook, you can see all of Naha with the Pacific Ocean shimering in the background. Absolutely magnificent.

Shuri Castle overlooking Naha City and the Pacific Ocean.

But first, let us take a selfie.

On our way out of the castle, we ran into a few Japanese girls who wanted to take a selfie with us, so...of course we did! After a few photos, we waved goodbye to them and had to get an "arrigato gozaimasu" in, cause you know, we're 'cultured gentleman.' We took to the monorail back to Kokusai Street, the most famous street on the island, to pick up some gifts and enjoy a traditional Okinawan meal of soba noodles and rice, complete with an Orion. Hoover and I arrived at Naha International Airport two hours early and made this flight back to Taipei. One of the best weekends of my life had just concluded, spent with great friends in an unbelievably beautiful setting.


Okinawa is a gorgeous and fascinating place with its own unique culture, and I cannot wait to return. We experienced a wide range of emotions during our trip. Sadness when exploring battle grounds where many soliders and civilians perished, but then also joy, watching our favorite sports team play and meeting amazing new people. I'm extremely grateful for the freedoms I have thanks to our military service members' sacrifice. My time in Okinawa and being a part of the 2015 Armed Forces Classic made me even more proud to be a Zag and an American.

Staying Active in Taiwan

Staying active in Taipei has proved to be less of a challenge than I initially thought. Before I came over to Taiwan, I had done some research and spoken with some friends who warned me about the great food and laid back lifestyle, which would likely equate to putting on some pounds. However, using that and my Taiwanese friends' "next year Doug is going to be a little 'fluffier'" predictions as motivation, I have actually lost some weight while abroad through changes in my daily routine.

The first thing that has made a difference in staying active is living without a car. Sure, not having a car in 95% of the US isn't really practical, but not having one available makes a huge difference in how active your lifestyle is. I do miss driving my car, however, your life becomes more simplified because it's one less thing you have to worry about. It isn't until I moved abroad that I learned how little walking/cardio I was doing. Now, I am walking close to a couple miles each day between going to and from the Metro to the school where I teach. And if the MRT isn't practical or it's after the last train, you can burn a few calories by hopping on a YouBike for 5 NTD to get where you need to go ($.15 USD).

View of Taipei from National Taiwan University

Another thing I try to do is run every morning. I'm fortunate to live by universities (National Taiwan University and National Taiwan Normal University) which I can run through and on great rubber tracks, as well as Da'an Park, basically a smaller version of Manhattan's Central Park. I enjoy running in the morning, especially at these places because of all the other people you see in their own activities such as meditation and sports. Every once in a while on the morning runs, I'll stop at the reflexology footpath, something you see quite a few older Taiwanese doing. How they do it with such ease I do not know, because it's really painful. It improves your health with increased blood circulation and stress relief and supposedly shows you what parts of your body are not adequately healthy if you feel a lot pain in that specific area. When I walk on the path, the middle of my right and left feet hurt, so according to the chart I may have a small issue with my stomach and liver. We'll see how it plays out.

NTU reminds me a lot of my second favorite college campus, Stanford. 

Some of the other random things I've done to stay active are hiking and a kickboxing class with my friend Gill. Hiking in Taiwan is absolutely incredible, and can't wait to do it more often. It's really as much climbing as it is hiking, which is quite a difference from hiking in the US where most everything is a paved path you only walk on. You have to use the ropes on the trail and the exposed tree roots to pull yourself up and rappel down. We hiked about 10 KM in an area about 45 mins southwest of Taipei, called San Xia where the views from the 700 meter peak of the small towns and rest of the all green mountain side were amazing. After hiking, we got a chance to explore the old downtown of San Xia, with beautiful temples and eerie streets.

       


I also joined a soccer team back in September, and I've played in 5 games so far as goalkeeper with a 3-2 record. I haven't played keeper in about a decade, so I would say it hasn't been a bad start. Even saved a penalty. I always enjoy playing keeper because I love to be a leader at the back, and provide a solid foundation so that the team is confident moving forward and coming back in defense. Outside the field, we've got a tight knit group of guys from all over the world always looking to have a good time. Some of the activities we've done together include pool parties and Arsenal games at the pub, which can get a little crazy, and FIFA with pretty unreal competition.

Squad goals.

Maintaining a healthy lifestyle is so important in leading a fulfilling life, and I'll always strive to be doing something active and challenging myself. After a couple years, I can finally say I have defeated the COG (Gonzaga Dining Hall). It needs to stay defeated for a very long time, preferably my whole life.

Green Island: The Long Weekend

My friends Spencer, Gill, and Laura and I decided to take advantage of this past long weekend and head out to a small, surrounding island 33 KM east of Taiwan, Green Island (Lǜ dǎo). The reason for the three day weekend was Mid Autumn Festival or Moon Festival, which can be compared to Thanksgiving in the U.S: a celebration of the harvest and time for family gatherings, large meals, and of course, football.

Route this weekend. Green Island is the end of red line.

We left at midnight to drive six hours down to Taichung in Spencer's car to catch the Saturday 9:30 am ferry, missing the holiday traffic. I only got around 2-3 hours of sleep before the boat ride, and about an hour before we departed we had a delicious ham and egg sandwich for breakfast. We made our way down to the dock at 9 am for boarding, and in a few minutes were off on the 50 minute ride to Green Island. 

Five minutes into the ride, I'm thinking 'Ok, it's like a Six Flags roller coaster." 15 minutes in: 'This is some messed up roller coaster.' 20 minutes in: I'll give you three guesses...Without going into too much detail, me and that good breakfast I mentioned did not make it across the strait together. I don't remember ever being on a boat where you feel all of the topsi-turviness of the sea, and I got rocked. The lack of sleep didn't help either. The ride back was better, but let's get into the island life first. 

After getting off the boat, I still felt a little nauseous and disoriented. Luckily the first vendor we came to had some soft serve ice cream, which helped a bit, as soft serve usually does. We then found our liaison and picked up our scooters, and were off to our hostel. The narrow, winding roads along with the gorgeous mountain and ocean scenery made for an exhilarating drive. Maybe more rehabilitating in my case. But what really saved me is sleeping in the hostel for a few hours before snorkeling.

All we need is two good wheels. 

Guayin Cave and view, after snorkeling

We woke up a little late for snorkeling, but driving like it was a Scooter Grand Prix we made it to the shop just in time to get our goofy gear on and head out to sea. We had to stay in a group with our life vests on, but the coral reef and fish were spectacular, including the familiar humuhumunukunukuapua'as. When our aspiring travel agent/friend Gill asked if we could go out on our own without vests, the guide responded "ni men ru guo yao qu ri ben," or "if y'all wanna go to Japan..." The current was a little too strong. We got back on our scooters and continued east to make our first of 4 trips around the 15 KM island. 

Since it was Moon Festival, we had a special BBQ celebration planned for the evening. Green Island is known for its many deer prancing in the mountain side, so naturally that was the meat of choice. I highly encourage trying it if you haven't already (at least similar meats like elk and bison). Delicious and one of the leanest meats around. Before we left, we heard some rumors that ferries would be canceled on Monday because of a typhoon and everyone visiting would have to go back the next day. We were enjoying ourselves too much to keep that on our minds.

BBQing the deer meat, corn, etc. in the pit right at our table

The place jamming to Fetty Wap, believe it or not.

We all headed out to Daibasha Beach for some wine and gazing at the full moon after the BBQ, just as the ancient Chinese did many centuries ago in their celebrations. Strong comparison, I know. However, it was a very pure experience with only friends and wine on a tiny island's beach in the Pacific, and no distractions or worries. We had to get resourceful with the wine opening, so we found the longest and skinniest rock we could find to push the cork into the bottle. Really fancy and sophisticated, but it was some of the best wine I've ever had...if you include the setting. 

The next morning, I went for a small jog and got to explore the tide pools, which brought back good memories of camping on the California coast as a boy. When I returned, the rumors from the night before were confirmed and we did have to leave the island at 12:30. Huge disappointment. We hurried out for breakfast (*nervous emoji*) and then went around the island once more to our last stop before departing, Zhaori Hot Springs. Zhaori is one of only three saltwater hot springs in the world, so you could say it's kind of a big deal. If we didn't have to leave that day, we would have spent all day here. So serene and relaxing. 

Zhaori Hot Springs

A local cooking eggs in the boiling hot spring.

It was time to head back to the port, and get on the 12:30 ferry. I was more optimistic for the ride this time around after taking three motion sickness pills. Looking at the horizon more helped, and even though I did feel dizzy, I did not get sick! Great victory, I had deafeated the "infamous Green Island ferry." We piled into the car and headed off to stay at Spencer's place in Changhua County, near Taichung City.

Victory.

First Class to Taipei.

Spencer's parents couldn't have been more welcoming, providing us with both a big dinner that night and breakfast the next morning. It's that #TaiwaneseHospitality, friendly and accomodating to everyone. Spencer's dad even drove us to the High Speed Rail station on Monday around noon. However, after waiting in line for 30 minutes, tickets to Taipei sold out. There was no way we had time to wait in the enormous cab line to the regular train station, so we walked a half a mile to flag down one on our own. We finally get to the normal train station, waited in another long line, and found ourselves with "first class" standing room only tickets. The last standing room only tickets I had were to a Red Sox-Yankees game on the Green Monster. Needless to say, I prefer standing at Fenway Park. To top it all off, we were delayed almost three hours on the tracks because of the typhoon. It wasn't the most pleasant traveling I've done, and we were back home in Taipei six hours later, welcomed by 60 mph winds and pouring rain.

These things happen sometimes while traveling, but it's all part of the experience. We can learn from it, and next time get up a little bit earlier to get where we need to go. Even though some of the transportation was a little rough, we still had an amazing weekend on a pure, beautiful Pacific island with holiday celebrations, snorkeling, relaxing in one of the few saltwater hot springs on the planet, and making it nearly all the way around the island of Taiwan. Typhoons trying to dampen our spirits...not gonna happen...for the most part.

Taipei Night Markets and A Few Firsts

One of the most popular things to do in Taipei, and Taiwan in general, is to visit the various 'night markets.' Night markets are scattered all over Taiwan, with delicious street food and small, pop up shops for clothing and accessories. I'm currently living on the night market at Shida, and I absolutely love the energy it gives off! Stepping outside my building door to hundreds of people chatting, shopping, and eating is fantastic, and provides a vibrant aura for starting the night off. The other two markets I've been to in Taipei are Shilin and Raohe Night Markets. They are a couple of the most popular markets in the city, and at both I got to experience some firsts (and simultaneous lasts).

I'll talk a little bit about Shida first since it's my home market. The scope of Shida is limited in a way, only because other night markets are more diverse. It's mainly geared towards womens clothing and accessories, but even though it's filled with a lot of stuff I'm not interested in, it does have my favorite food in Taipei (so far at least): gua bao. A steamed bun, filled with pork belly, mustard greens, chopped peanuts and sugar, topped off with fresh cilantro. The fluffiness of the bun, texture of the pork belly, and distinct taste of the peanuts and cilantro compliment each other for near perfection. The market also has my second favorite food in Taiwan: the green onion pancake. Imagine a fried bread version of Lay's Sour Cream and Onion chips with a cooked egg underneath, folded onto bacon and a few drizzles of a thicker soy sauce. That's the green onion pancake. Hungry yet? Taiwan was recently voted as having the best food in the world by a CNN poll! I'm not sure I'm willing to go that far, but it's pretty dang good.

Gua bao: 好吃 hao chi. (delicious)

Shida Night Market

Shilin's is the largest in Taipei and the most popular, with the most foreigners going to this market. This was the first market I went to here, and it certainly lived up to expectations. I had the opportunity to try a couple of exotic foods when I asked my Taiwanese friends, "I've gotta get something a little crazy here, what should I get?" They responded with "Hmm, how about chicken feet and duck tongue?" My response: "Welp, alright, let's do it!" You have to be able to say yes to those types of things! Why not!? I wouldn't call them Taiwan delicacies, but you'll see a few people taking 'tongues for the road.' I don't think you'll be seeing me eating those again! They weren't necessarily "bad," they just didn't have any flavor and had a really strange, chewy texture.


The oldest night market in Taipei, Raohe, is my favorite so far. It's much smaller than Shilin, but more diverse considering its size. My firsts here weren't as crazy as duck tongue and chicken feet, but maybe more surprising, as I had grilled oysters right out of the shell after living in city well known for its seafood (Seattle). Love seafood, so I thought they were great. The last thing I had at the market ended up being one of the best deserts I've tasted. The dish contained ice cream, peanut brittle, and cilantro (there it is again), all wrapped up in a thin rice paddy. It might seem like an odd combination, but everything worked well together. The ice cream and peanut brittle make for a sweet touchdown, and the cilantro comes in for an extra point. Might be a little too excited for football season.

Seafood Selection

Raohe's Famous Entrance Sign

A few weekends ago, I experienced my first typhoon (or hurricane, same thing): Typhoon Soudelor. My friends and I actually decided to go out to the pub the night it hit. While we were inside, the worst of the typhoon had taken its toll and we had to dodge trees that had fallen into the road on our way back. The typhoon winds gave the 600 ton damper in Taipei 101 its largest displacement ever, with speeds of over 120 mph. Check it out on Youtube here. Walking back to the hostel in 80 mph winds was cool, but next time, I think we'll just stay home.

"Oh, look out!"

I've always tried to be open minded to new experiences and foods. I think it's important to live that way. You never want to look back and say "Man, I wish I had tried duck tongue..." Well, maybe not that extreme, but you get my point! Get out of your comfort zone and always be looking for new things to experience no matter where you are in the world!

Taipei: The Convenience Aspect

After being in Taipei for a little over month, I've been able to truly appreciate how convenient the city is. From the Easy Card to stores like Family Mart and 7-11s to the Underground Metro, almost everything here is made as convenient as possible for its residents.

The first and arguably most convenient part of Taipei is the Easy Card, which you can get at the Metro Station or at 7-11s/Family Marts. This prepaid card encompasses most aspects of daily life in Taipei because it allows you access to public transportation, the YouBike system, and other public places like the Taipei Zoo, and also can be used to purchase food and many other goods at different stores throughout the city. The first President of Taiwan, Chiang Kai Shek, wanted to do everything he could to give his people the best living experience possible, and even though the Easy Card came after his death, it was a perfect execution of that lasting vision (read that at a museum).

Last weekend, my friends and I went out to Yilan County, about an hour east of Taipei, for a day at the beach. After leaving the hostel at 11 am, slightly later than the 9 am we had planned on, we finally walked the 5 minutes to Taipei Main Station. But it turns out we didn't extra time to get where we needed to go. We easily found the ticket window for the bus to Yilan, accompanied by a fairly long line. The line subsided quickly and received our $130 NTD (about $4 USD) tickets. We waited for about 15 minutes before boarding our bus to the North East coast of Taiwan. I was stunned when I stepped on the bus and found out exactly what our tickets had gotten us: a luxury bus ride with leather, reclining seats to a city an hour away and, everyone's favorite, free wifi.

More recently, I used Taipei's YouBike system for the first time. In the city alone, they have over 150 stations with an average of 30 bikes per station ready to ride 24/7 with a tap of your Easy Card. The cost is $5 NTD per half hour (about $.15 USD), and once you're done with the bike you can return it to any YouBike station by tapping your Easy Card once more. 

I am #blessed to have the 7-11s and Family Marts and their conveniences here. You can do and find just about everything you need to in their stores. When I was at the hospital filling out all the information for my physical, I realised I had forgotten a copy of my passport. Thankfully, I had my flash drive in my backpack with a few important documents on it. I went into the Family Mart around the corner, got on to the "FamiPort," and printed out a copy of my passport for $3 NTD (About $.10 USD). So cool. They had pictures for each of the things you could do, luckily, because nothing was in English. I clicked on the picture of the printer, and then continued pressing the rest of the buttons that had borders around them. Guess and check, but I got it done. Other things that can be done at stores include: paying bills, picking up packages shipped to you, dry cleaning, and buying tickets for events and transportation.

Last, but not least, you have the Metro System (MRT) which has five different lines that run throughout the city and into most of the suburbs. It's basically a smaller version of BART, if you've been to San Francisco, but I think it's even more efficient and much less expensive. A 30 minute ride costs about $1.50 USD and on BART it would be over $7. The trains are newer in Taipei and don't run the same risk shutting down, as some BART trains have recently. They also arrive at faster intervals it seems, because I haven't had to wait more than three minutes to catch a train. Might be a little luck, too. I haven't made a mistake on any transfers...yet...but I'm sure it will happen sometime.

One convenient part of Taiwan I haven't had to the chance to take advantage of yet is the High Speed Rail (HSR). You can be in Kaohsiung in 1.5 hours, whereas it would take 5 hours by car or standard train. I'm excited to use it this upcoming weekend as I'm headed to the southern most point of Taiwan, Kenting, for a couple days of surfing and snorkeling!

In my opinion, the U.S. could learn a few things from Taiwan in public transportation and convenience in general. It's lagging significantly behind not only here, but in many other countries around the world.

Now, the only thing that's not convenient about Taipei is that there are hardly any trash cans or dumpsters anywhere! There's a large street food culture here, so it's hard to believe that the city can remain so clean. I ran into a little bit of trouble with this the other day, when I thought that I could set my garbage by another trash bag just outside the exit from my apartment. A shop owner (I'm assuming) printed out the still photo of me and taped on the bag. Won't be doing that anymore.

My bad. "Wo shi wai guo ren." (I am a foreigner).

Pull Out A Map: My First Week in Taiwan

In my previous blog post I said to be adventurous, and that’s how I was feeling when I arrived at Taipei Main Station at 12:30 am last Monday! I thought to myself, ‘I’m going to walk around and explore the area, get the lay of the land, while making my way to the hostel.’ I was brimming with confidence and didn’t think I needed to pull out a map. ‘You’ve seen it so many times, it’s only half a mile. It’ll be easy.’ Of course, I go in exactly the wrong direction. I ended up at least a mile from the hostel with my two cases of luggage dripping sweat like I’d been in a steam room for 20 minutes.

I had to flag down a taxi, and get the hostel’s neighborhood. But after the driver dropped me off, I couldn’t find the place. So I look around for 15 minutes, before I ask this guy who’s cleaning up his restaurant, “Qing wen, er shi qi (Please can I ask you, 27).” He knew I was lost, and took me straight to number 27. I was so thankful. “Xie xie ni.” So my inspiring advice on this blog post is: no matter how confident you are, just pull out a map.

Got lost here.

That was the first of a chain of events that set up a disappointing first week here in Taiwan…just kidding! That really couldn’t be further from the truth. What a week it’s been – a wide range of emotions (a little culture shock, missing friends but ecstatic to be here, etc) and unbelievable sightseeing mixed in with some amazing people and celebrations.

The people I have met so far are kind, open-minded, and always down for a good time. On Friday, we went out to Xinyi District, near Taipei 101, and then again on Saturday to a British/American style pub called On Tap to celebrate July 4^th. Our friend Spencer from Taiwan put on his best American impression and finished second in the watermelon eating competition due to some questionable officiating. Amira, a USC junior from Georgia, and I woke up at 7 am to root on the USWNT versus Germany then on Monday to win the Women’s World Cup against Japan.

July 4th at On Tap

I’ve spent a lot of time this week going out and exploring the city, visiting Taipei 101, Chiang Kai Shek Memorial Hall, Taipei Zoo, and learning the metro system (MRT). Taipei 101, from 2004-2010 the tallest building in the world and listed by CNN as one of top 25 greatest engineering achievements by mankind, makes for an incredible sight both looking up at it and down from the 89^th floor. Definitely one of the coolest places I’ve ever been to.

 

I’ve been able to pack a ton into my first week in Taiwan. It’s a weird feeling because this week has gone by slow when I look at it day by day, but overall, it feels like it’s gone by quite fast. Time “slows down” when you’re processing new information, and I’ve been seeing, tasting, smelling, hearing things I never have before. At a couple moments during the week, I wouldn’t be aware of the time, and my guesses were ahead by 2+ hours. If you’ve ever been in a different culture, you know what I’m talking about. I love learning, exploring, and meeting new people, which is more reason why I chose to move to a different country.

I am loving life in Taipei so far, except for the insane humidity, and I’m looking forward to doing much more! At the top of the list: baseball game, Yilan beach, Confucius temple, Danshui District, and Maokong Mountain.

Turlock To Taiwan

It’s been quite the journey from a small town in nearly the exact center of California to Taipei, Taiwan. 99 percent of people don’t know my hometown of Turlock, CA, so in college I had to answer “Where are you from?” with a variation of either “a small town just east of San Francisco ” or “near Modesto, California, you know, the Laci Peterson story…” The latter was a fun conversation starter. I usually continued on about how there’s nothing to do and getting stuck in the Valley, but the truth is, I’m grateful for growing up in Turlock.

Our first home was on a cul-de-sac in a quiet neighborhood, where beyond our back fence was nothing but farmland for miles. The only traffic was a quarter mile back up on Hawkeye Ave going to Dutcher Elementary School and the biggest thing you looked forward each year was going to the Stanislaus County Fair, ready to chow down on a cinnamon roll after a “thrilling” ride. You learn to appreciate little things like that. I knew everyone, and everyone knew you. It was a great community.

Life was pretty normal growing up. My sister and I traveled all around California for our soccer tournaments and gymnastics meets. We went camping every year just south of Big Sur on the California coast, and had some fun times in one of the most magnificent places in the world. We drove to Bakersfield to visit all the rest of our family every holiday and summer. 

But as life tends to do, it throws you a curveball. In 2006, my mom was diagnosed with breast cancer. My friends and my parent’s friends helped us a lot during this time, keeping us positive and supporting us with whatever we needed. Then my mom was told she was in remission in early 2007, and everyone who knew my mom was celebrating. But it came back. In early September, doctors confirmed the worst. The cancer spread too far throughout her body to save her. She passed away on September 29^th, 2007.

It all happened so quickly. I didn’t really know what to do or what to think. One of the main things that kept me going is that I knew my mom would want me to live my life to the fullest.

We also had even more support from people and from what seemed like a good portion of the city of Turlock. My mom had cast a wide net. My friends were a real foundation by being there for me whenever I needed, playing table tennis in the garage or going to In N Out at whatever hour. If my family or myself didn’t have the kind of support we did, things might have turned out differently.

I wasn’t sure what I was going to do after high school throughout most of my senior year. It was still a hard time. I knew I needed to get out of Turlock and go to college in the Northwest, a place that I fell in love with at age 10 and visited the summer prior, ‘08. I needed something smaller. A place, without consciously admitting, like Turlock. In the late spring, my family friend and I talked about her time at Gonzaga. I can remember so vividly spending that same night researching the school, and the moment I said to myself, ‘this is the place.’

In January 2010, I received my acceptance letter. Opening that big, white envelope and reading the letter to my dad was truly a special moment.

I wasn’t exactly sure I would enjoy it or be accepted in at school. However, it couldn’t have worked out better. From my first year living in Desmet to my senior year with our basketball team being ranked #1 in the country, it was the greatest three years of my life. I met my best friends and accomplished more than I ever could have thought possible. After graduation, I continued on to Seattle, where many other recent Zags settle, looking to have fun with current friends, meet new ones, and explore the area that holds strong family roots. I felt it was a successful adventure, but I wanted to branch out much further.

Now, I’m taking the biggest risk I’ve ever embarked on that takes me to a place that I have been dreaming about for a while - Asia. The risk is large, but so too is the reward. I hope that my decision to travel to Taipei is as good as my decision to attend Gonzaga and that I can find my own tight knit community like Turlock, here.

Surround yourself with people who share the same zeal for life and joy as you do, and always remain positive. I’ve made a ton of mistakes throughout my life, but in the end, I’ve always tried to honor my parents and thank them for what they’ve done for me and how they raised me.

Be courageous, adventurous, bold, and live life to the fullest. You only live twice. Or so it seems.