Day 11: traveling to Taiwan

You remember in braveheart when the Irish dude says, “I told you, it’s MY island.” It’s funny but even though I’ve not spent any extended amount of time in Taiwan, I still feel like it’s my island, like I’m totally not stressed out about going there.

I hugged puo puo and she said goodbye to me at the door saying yi1 lu4 ping2 an1 a lot. I’m glad I got to see her. Jio jio and jio ma went in the car w/ me to the airport b/c they were heading somewhere else afterwards – they have a really busy social calendar I feel like.

The flight was like 1.5 hrs. real quick. Took awhile to get through immigration at the Taoyuan airport. Then got my bag and asked the info desk about the HSR (gao1 tie3) and how to get to it (30 NT for Ubus transfer #705 bus). I also had to get some NTs from the atm. And got a 500NT (55min) sim card for the Wus’ phone. Got to the Taoyuan HSR station, tic for going to Zhuoying (nearest sta to Kaohsiung) was 1130NT, leaving at 2:28p arriving at 4:06p. Went to the 7-Eleven and bought a Taiwan Beer (35NT), 2 tea leaf eggs (or are they lu3 dan4? Cha2 yie4 I think. – 8NT each), a water (17NT), and headed down to the train platform w/ about 14 mins to spare. Ate my eggs, called Wu Liang Chou (mom’s school friend), got on the train, and that’s where I’m writing from right now. I already finished my beer. =( And I’m listening to music. Oh yeah, so here’s my playlist from the other day – I’m still listening to it:

Halo – Beyonce
Cry Me a River – The Cliks (the lead singer luke I think is a trans man – good cover of this song. Like I said, I am severely lacking in the Timberlake dept, but this is a nice very diff substitute)
3 a.m – Gregory Alan Isakov (trainin like a soldier, I’ve been burnin through this sorrow, the only talking lately is a background radio… I wish I was a sailor so I could know just how to trust, maybe I could bring some grace back home to dry land for each of us. Say what you see, you say it so well… this song is amazing, and Gregory is such a nice Colorado guy).
I’m Not In Love – Olive (I’m re-falling in love with this mix CD hatton made that originally I fell in love to. it’s different now, but still so good)
Jesus, etc – Wilco (… turning your orbit around…)
Already Home – Ha-ash (w/ Brandi Carlile) – great song that I got for free as a song of the week from itunes
See You Soon – Coldplay (re-remembered this song b/c of a holiday mix cd Brenda timm made recently)
Looking Out (housing works bkstore show) – Brandi Carlile. Yes, there’s a lot of brandi and the boys’ music on here, which shouldn’t come as a surprise to many of you. She opened solo for Amy Ray for this show, but inst of doing an opener and a headliner, they just kind of did songs together, or one after another, kind of mixed it up. I wasn’t at it, but I have the bootleg. This is one of the new songs, brandi wrote it, they don’t play it too much but maybe on the full band tour this fall once the new album is out they will.
Late Morning Lullaby (album version) – Brandi Carlile
Dying Day (mt baker th) – Brandi Carlile. This song used to be called How These Days Grow Long, but maybe the band felt like that was too long? When you’re sad how I wish I could be there to make your sorrow disappear and set your troubles free. It’s not fair for me to be this far from you but I promise to be true wherever I might be.
You Belong to Me (mt. baker, w/ g.a. isakov) – Brandi Carlile and Gregory Alan Isakov.
Stay – Alison Krauss. I love her voice and this song.
Lay My Head Down – Indigo Girls
Human Nature – Michael Jackson. My fav of his even if it’s not an original mj song. What would my life be like without this song – I don’t even want to know.
Don’t I Hold You – Wheat
Sleeping In – The Postal Service (this album is awesome and I listen to it often)
Comfortable (live) – John Mayer
Knock You Down – Keri Hilson w/ Kanye West and Ne-Yo (what we gon’ have dessert or disaster, tell me now can you make it past your caspers, so we can finally fly off into nasa… I mean, kanye may be kinda douchy but he makes some good lyrics and beats).
SpottieOttieDopaliscious – Outkast (my fav outkast song… I love the horns and they lyrics… while the dj sweatin out all the problems and troubles of the day, while this fine bowlegged girl fine as all outdoors lulls lukewarm lullabies in your left ear, competing with set it off in the right… but it all blends perfectly – let the liquor tell it.)
Can I Kick It – A Tribe Called Quest (yes you can. Great song)
Dancing Machine – Michael Jackson (we’re back to the theme of me liking horns for this one – and it reminds me of that Drumline movie, too)
Don’t Stop Believing – Journey. Ok, so besides this being a tremendous song in and of itself that I don’t know anyone who doesn’t like… I also thought it was awesome that the Kanye show Tiana, Mo, and I went to up at Gwinnett, kanye at one point sits on his “rock” after his spaceship has crashed in the middle of space, and listens to this song play.
Heaven (tractor tavern show in seattle) – Fighting Machinists. I don’t really think this is a great cover by any means, but it’s kinda cool. Sounds like tim and phil are having fun.
5:00 – Brandi Carlile. And oldie.
Ain’t No Sunshine – Bill Withers
Central Reservation – Beth Orton (another from the Hatton cd)
With You – Chris Brown (yeah of course he’s a dick for beating Rihanna, but I still like his songs)
3x5 – John Mayer
Who Cares – Gnarls Barkley
Whatever You Like – T.I. (the official 2008 nationals song)
Violet Hill – Coldplay (I hate it that I haven’t been to a coldplay show ever)
Use Me – Bill Withers
Heartless – Kanye West
The New Workout Plan – Kanye West. Reminds me of Team USA 2005. Such a funny ridiculous song. And what’s most importantly…. Haha.
Roc Boys – Jay-Z (it’s the horns man… drinks is on the house.)
She Will Be Loved – Maroon 5
Every Road – Fighting Machinists (this is the cuz I’m tired and I’m broken, can I spend the rest of my life in bed song… who hasn’t felt exactly that way before?)
Faithfully – Journey (this song reminds me of Blaise and Jenny’s wedding where updog played a bunch of journey on the piano for the processional and recessional)
What Can I Say? (live KCRW) – Brandi Carlile.
If There Was No You (mt baker) – Brandi Carlile (her exercise in writing a purely sweet song… though it does go If you were my boat in the deep blue sea, I’d probably sink you down. Though I know I should thank you for carrying me, for you I would happily drown)
Strange Fire – Indigo Girls
Fall Apart Again (benaroya hall w/ seattle symphony) – Brandi Carlile
When You Come Back Down – Nickel Creek
Fake Empire – The National
Virginia May – Gregory Alan Isakov (w/ BC)
Lovers in Japan – Reign of Love – Coldplay
I Believe in Love – Indigo Girls
Brand New Colony – The Postal Service
You Make It Easy – Air
Turn your lights down low – Marley, hill
Heard em say – kanye/adam Levine
Pride and joy (festival sudoeste) – bc
Until I die (we’re growing up version) – bc
I got tired of writing commentary on it. But you get the picture.

The train ride was smooth and short – 1.5hrs. Finding mom’s high school friend was easy (Wu Liang Chou), and her son drove her there. We then however spent 2 hrs in the car circling Kaohsiung b/c he thought he knew how to get to the main stadium and went the wrong way, we got a little lost (mi2 lu4), and it turned out that wasn’t where I needed to go anyway, so we went all the way back around down to Chung Cheng stadium to meet up with Amanda. I apologized for it being so hard (ze4 me2 ma2 fan2), and they said it was ok. It was nice meeting them, and very nice of them to get me and offer to put me up if I couldn’t stay at the frisbee hotel.

Those guys had been watching fistball, but left – Dylan and Amanda stayed behind to wait for me, but at some point Dylan left b/c he didn’t want the team bus to be waiting around for them for so long. We met back up w/ him at the main station where the red and orange lines meet (hong2 shian4, zu2 shian4), then took the red line to zuoying (like where the HSR station is) and a cab to the catering center where they’ve been eating mostly. On the train, a nice woman talked to me awhile about where we’re from, and helped us get on a cab to the right hotel (which I still don’t know the name but close to the south part of the Lotus Pond) where the catering center is.

There I pretended to be Gabe (Dylan got his pass for me to use) and went in. Ate some food and hung out, hugged all my friends, then left w/ them on the bus. They have a karaoke machine on the bus, which was super entertaining. And they were all being super silly. Apparently the also have to have a guide and security w/ them anytime there’s more than 10 of them together.

Amanda and I chatted about plans for awhile, Tank came in and gave Amanda the lowdown on the stuff she missed for the linesperson meeting (she was navigating w/ me and dylan to get to the catering center) – the signals are kind of funny and I look forward to seeing them used on the field. Amanda and I went to the 7-eleven for some snacks, and there was some kind of parade w/ fireworks going down the street. I asked a guy, and managed to understand that it’s some kind of religious day, but not sure what.

I’m staying in tank’s room b/c he’s got space, which is cool. He said he got to practice w/ the team the last couple days to even up the numbers (there are only 13 of them here). The hotel is pretty basic. Apparently the other hotel where the coaches, managers, and trainers are staying is much nicer (garden hotel), but it’s weird they’re not all at the same place.