Friday, November 16, 2012
Lost Day
THURSDAY 1 NOVEMBER 2012. Big mistake: We were so pleased to hit unrestricted internet access in Taiwan that all of us stayed up way too late catching up on our e-mail and other news. The result was a second, crushing wave of jetlag. (Stupid, stupid, STUPID!) Taiwan hosts brought us to a fantastic biennial exhibition, but we gravitated towards the Italian cafe and gelato! After dragging through the incredible museum
we passed on dinner invitations and headed back to the hotel for a major crash and burn. Big waste of time but oh-so-necessary at this point. Dinner for me was a packaged sandwich from Starbucks on the corner. Tomorrow will be a better day.
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Not sure why, but it does sound like a better day after all...Oh, wait! I think I know what it is, I read references to unrestricted internet, museum exhibitions, a nap and a sandwich! AND of course the word Starbucks too!... but I'm sure it gets even better from here... Please, go on...
ReplyDeleteP.S. I would actually call it "catch-up day" instead of "lost day" ;)
ReplyDeleteAlthough some of the folks in our group were thrilled to see Starbucks, I'm not a coffee drinker. And I honestly hate to see U.S. incursions into other cultures. That said, it was, indeed, a cathch-up or readjustment day.
ReplyDeleteDon't worry. The same happened to me in London. While everyone kept walking into every Starbucks they found on their way to any other place, I actually managed to accomplish my goal of trying a new restaurant each day I was there! (or almost each day - if you only hadn't recommended me some pretty good restaurants that I had to go to more than once...) IOW, I'm with you! BUT some people prefer to stick to the familiar, I guess...
ReplyDeleteI agree totally tht, when you are abroad, "when in Rome, do as the Romans do" i.e.adapt yourself the the local customs and food. Thisbeing said enslave yourself your computer and messages is not a good idea!
ReplyDeleteI would see the language as a barrier in Asia though... Did you always go to places as part of the group? I know most of it was conference time, before Taiwan...
ReplyDeleteAt least in small groups, at least in China. They saw it as "protecting" us. From what, I don't know (although the situation with "The Cockroach" didn't help...).
ReplyDeleteYep. I see it. I do see that as a protective measure from their point of view, without "cockroaches" involved, of course :)
ReplyDeleteI wish you could have seen the faces of our minders when Mike and I asked to go back to the hotel early the first Saturday evening. The panic was so obvious that we jumped to assure them that we were healthy and to promise that we would not die on their watch! (Little did I realize I was about to get very sick, but...)
ReplyDeleteI can only imagine!
ReplyDelete