Looking back on my weekend, it was a once-in-a-lifetime experience full of floating lanterns, train rides, hostels, bonding, and steak. Living through it, of course, was a bit of a different story. It was one of those adventures that was hard to live through, but a true pleasure to look back on.
We went here:
Pingxi. Just outside of Taipei. (It was a long day of traveling to get there, let me tell you. The bus left from Feng-Yuan at 7 AM. We got to Pingxi at 5. Mind you, we did stop for lunch and to check in at the hostel. But still.)
This little square mile town was the place where thousands upon thousands of people come cavorting, and light thousands upon thousands of Tangle-ish lanterns into the sky. It--was--amazing.
This, however, wasn't that awesome:
Many a time were we stuck in a throng of people, moving two feet every ten minutes, becoming way too acquainted with our neighbors and what soap they chose to use. I kept on having to remind myself that the small Asian lady pressing her chest and shoulders against my back had nothing against me personally, she just wanted to get to wherever I was going before I did. And I swear, no matter how aggressive I was, she still slipped through the crook in my arm to nestle against my stomach. Every time. One American down, I'm sure she thought, five to go. Because of course, there was a line of us.
Because there were so many people, it was hard to keep together. You may think that finding blond Americans amongst black haired Asians would be relatively simple, but--seriously--there were a lot of Asians. A few Indians. And more white people than I have seen in--well--six weeks. This whole lantern festival? Big deal.
And there were fifteen of us. Ten of us white teachers, and five of our Asian buddies. So of course, we got separated. And when we found each other, we stuck to each other, even with the hoards of people to deter us. Luckily, we had a strategy.
Micheal was a trooper, and kept that bright yellow lantern high above his 6-foot-something head the whole time we were trapped amidst the mass chaos of human beings. When it doubt, follow the beat-boxing American holding the neon yellow lantern, and his slightly taller six-foot-something, curly headed blonde cohort. (Aaron.)
So, we finally light up the lantern.
And there it went. An hour and a half worth of shuffling with no personal space, floating off into the darkness within a space of twenty seconds.
Worth it? Two days later, I can safely say it was.
Sooo cool!
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