The last of Taiwan nostalgia

April 12, 2006

It's official. This is my last email from Taiwan.

I have no more weird food to share, no more tips, no more Chinese to learn. I'm too sad to be witty.

Rotary gave us a farewell party tonight and it was quite the shindig. We each had to get up and give a little three-minute speech about our time here. Since my last name starts with Z, I went last. I heard everybody else talk, so I was already all worked up and emotional. I got up there and managed to get out about six sentences and cried the rest of the time. But I made everybody else cry too, so it's OK.

Afterwards, many of the Rotarians came up to me and said that I was welcome in Taiwan anytime and each of my seven host families told me that when I come back, I must tell them so they can be my host family again. I was so touched, I started crying again. I couldn't stop! It was embarrassing....it was the kind of crying where you're choking on your own tears and snot. I took several deep breaths while on stage and led the room in some Yoga breathing, but it didn't really help.

One of my host dads, Jeff, was very insistent I set up his 20-year-old daughter Moru with my 20-year-old brother Tim. He said that he knew my brother was a good person because I am a good person. How do you refuse somebody who says stuff like that? So I have to talk to Timmy about it. Timmy, don't worry too much - Jeff was pretty drunk, so maybe he'll forget... He and I kept "gambaying" each other. I think we were both pretty sad about my departure.

I know this all must sound crazy to you guys. I've written all these ridiculous emails about the weird food and what seem like crazy customs, but honestly, I loved every friggin' minute of it. And the people here are just amazing. They go so far out of their way to make you feel welcome. I've made some real friends here and it will be hard to leave them for what could possibly be a very, very long time.

But I will be back. I have it all planned out: I will save every penny and come back for a while, stay with some of my host families and then fly on down to Australia and visit people there that I haven't seen in years.

I just need a job first.

Anyway, thanks for your attention and for reading my Taiwan ramblings. And thanks for your wonderful emails. It always made me ridiculously happy to get email from home and I appreciate it. So thank you all. Despite my sadness to leave Taiwan, I am excited to see family, friends, boyfriend and home.

I will be in the good ol' USA soon. Oh say can you see me eating a whole pizza by myself.

Zai jian. (good-bye)