Kaohsiung Day 1: First glimpse

My affection for 台湾 (Taiwan) remains unabated and continues to deepen ever so steadily, thanks to a recent visit to 高雄 (Kaohsiung) and a few southern counties.

Before proceeding, I'd like to express a HUGE thank-you! to YJ, 小J, and their parents for graciously hosting me! Besides giving me my own bathroom and bedroom in their house, they treated me to a vast array of local specialties and made sure I became thoroughly familar with Kaohsiung's history, prominent landmarks, culture and people.

I arrived on a clear evening onboard a Dragonair flight from 香港 (Hong Kong). The Captain's name was "Maxmax," I noted with a guffaw. Probably only a Hong Konger would have that kind of name : ) Flight time to 高雄: one hour. A middle-aged Taiwanese gentleman sat next to me, concentrating on the latest political news and scandals. He was of the gruff but nice variety, saying little beyond a few grunts yet always helping me with my food tray and cups.

A flight attendant came by with immigration forms. I still don't know what it is about most Taiwanese girls that makes me melt everytime they speak!?! Even a wonderfully romantic, "Sir, do you need an immigration form?" was enough to render me speechless and quite incapable of an intelligent reply. I stared wistfully after she continued down the aisle. Must be something to do with resonant frequency or pitch, I think...

At KHH airport, I was aghast to see YJ, 小J _and_ their parents waiting at the arrival gate. That was my first insight into their generous hospitality, and for the subsequent few days, they ensured that I was never found wanting for anything.

Dinner was first and foremost on our agenda as we left the airport. It was only about 15 minutes from downtown 高雄. 陳叔叔 (Uncle Chen) gave an introduction to the city along the way, saying how nice it had become and proudly pointing out the solar-powered streetlamps that lit up a long section of the highway. First stop:

鱔魚面(Eel noodles), and then

牛排(Beef steak), accompanied by

炒小卷(Stir-fried squid) and finally topped off with

"冰"("Ice") which was really a cold dessert containing flour balls and jellies with different sweet fillings topped off with shaved ice in a sweet syrup. Yum!

Not forgetting how to eat 冰 the right way, of course.

And all for less than USD10! I regretted ever eating lunch and dinner on the plane but I simply could not resist finishing every single scrap.

One thing I really appreciated about 陳叔叔和陳阿姨 (Uncle and Auntie Chen) was that they treated me like a favorite nephew or younger relative and it was easy to forget that I was just their kids' friend whom they had met only once before. After dinner, we waddled over to their cousin's place just down the street for a nice chat before returning to their home. Stuffed as I was, I was already looking forward to the 蛋餅(egg pancake)，三文治(sandwich) and 豆漿(soybean milk) at the corner breakfast place.