Dec. 26, 2003
Chance encounters. I get to test my non existent Chinese skills.
I have landed but this is not my final destination. One more stop then I can say I am finally here. For now, it is only transition, but isn't that the name we give to everywhere we go. I still wonder how the world of SARS had effected this city. Different places, different situations. Just mine was a little better off than theirs during that time...
On the way from Terminal1 to Terminal2 on the Taipei international airport, there were two people with me on what seemed like a deserted monorail system. Since there were no attendants or cart operator, we had to fend for ourselves. At least these two were of native tongue and could navigate the signs.
Her name forget, actually, I think it's more like I don't understand. I sit here waiting for plane number two and try my attempts at my first conversation in Chinese here. She is the older lady from the monorail ride to Terminal2. She sports a Red overcoat. That is all I can remember about her. Her face comes in and out of focus, but if I ever see her again, I'm sure she we be of the familiar. For what I can tell, I would say mid 50's... Very talkative at that. We exchange information about our lives and I'm sure I keep my details to a bare minimum... but to my surprise, she is quite enjoying our conversation and begins to divulge more and more of her life.... And more to my surprise again, I find these facts very interesting, although after this flight, it is very possible I will never see her again or her 24 year old son who is a chef at the lookout restaurant in Stanley park or the 23 daughter who studies is LA. She doesn't like Vancouver. I don't blame her. Her life in Taiwan must be so much more interesting, as I can tell by the was she talks about it...
Well chance encounters. People who you meet and will never see again, but somehow you still keep them in your mind...
Just my beginning...