time flies...

when you take dramamine on the airplane. Literally slept for the whole 13 hour flight, waking up twice to eat (although I swear I ate breakfast in my sleep). I am continuously amazed at my superhuman ability to sleep in the most uncomfortable places for the most ridiculous periods of time. You would think that I was fully charged upon arrival in Taipei. FALSE. I was deliriously tired and my whole body was stiff.  Luckily, Mel's grandma had arranged for a driver to pick us up, so all we had to do was pick up our luggage and make our way to the exit. It was around 11pm, and we were warmly greeted by both our driver & the climate of Taipei. It reminds me of the weather in Vegas: hot & humid even when the sun goes down. 

As we drove from the airport to Mel's grandparents' house, I was in & out of dreaming, but couldn't help but notice a couple things. 

1. drivers here are crazy! Not only did our driver intentionally run a red light, but so did the majority of other drivers around us. It's like the threat of surveillance that discourages so many American drivers from bending the traffic rules doesn't exist here. i'm not complaining though. i think America's obsession with surveillance is unhealthy and exists in direct opposition with our individual freedom. 
2. there was a fair amount of English throughout the city: on the roads, signs, advertisements, stores, etc. I know that english is common in most European countries, but wasn't expecting that much english in Asia. I'll keep an eye out to see just how prevalent English is here. Oh, and of course we passed a Starbucks :p

I knocked out pretty quickly once we got to Mel's grandparents' house, but not before enjoying some quality Chinese television. Didn't understand a word of it, but the commercials were entertainment enough. I am convinced there is a criterion that all commercials must satisfy: (1) choreographed dance number (2) overly enthusiastic high pitched voices (3) inanimate objects wearing clothes. Example: three Asian girls break out into dance while in the office, alongside two large kiwi fruits wearing socks and shoes. seeing a kiwi fruit dance does NOT make me want to go out a buy kiwi. but it DOES keep me entertained despite the language barrier.