Killing time in Taipei

So I'm at the Taipei airport on my way to Singapore, where I will spend the next three days eating, I mean, attending the International Baccalaureate Asia-Pacific Annual Teacher Convention. And eating. I am very excited about this. I've watched Anthony Bourdain and read the Lonely Planet and I am ready for chicken rice and chili crab and banana-leaf curry. I am not sure I can eat blood-red bone marrow soup, as Anthony Bourdain did, but everything else sounds good.

Speaking of strange foods, let me describe my dinner last night in Fukuoka. There is a very popular fish restaurant near my house that I'd been wanting to try but had been intimidated by the crowds until now. Lori and I managed to get a seat at the bar, and were immediately served little bowls of teeny, wiggly, live fish! I ordered a beer to give me courage, poured soy sauce on the little buggers, watched Lori eat them first, then gave mine a go. They were quite difficult to pick up with chopsticks, and continued squirming all the way to my mouth. Delish. I'm proud to say I ate them all (about 6). Next we ordered, among other things, lobster sashimi. We saw the live lobsters on display, and the only difference between the ones in the bin and the one on the plate was that the one being served had the back half of it's shell removed and its pearly fresh meat exposed. The tentacles were still moving, and continued moving as we ate the lobster out of its shell. Pretty wild. And delicious, of course. Seriously.

Some observations about air travel between Japan and Taiwan. As the plane pulled away from the gate in Fukuoka, I looked out to see the ground crew lined up and waving until we were out of sight. I wonder if anyone on the plane waved back, and if they do this for every flight. Hmm. I watched Slumdog Millionnaire on the plane and was loving it until the big climax scene, when we landed, and the screen switched over to a health announcement from the Taiwanese government, featuring a cartoon man singing karaoke and meeting other cartoon men with various ailments, including coughing, barfing (nice animation), and diarrhea (featuring man on toilet and a little talk bubble coming from the seat that said "poo"). I guess if I had any of these problems I should see a doctor at the airport. Hmm.

I will spend the next three nights at the "Hangout @ Mt. Emily" hostel, between Little India and Chinatown. My conference is at the Furama Hotel on the riverfront. Saturday night I will fly to Phuket, Thailand, where I will spend a week lounging on the beach, kayaking in the bay, climbing on the limestone, and trekking in the jungle. I'll be meeting my old friend Masha, from the Pomona College Women's Blue and White acappella singing group. She's teaching in Bangkok and needs a vacation, too.

Coming soon: photos and video of crazy live fish/lobster dinner, plus tales/photos/video of my adventures in Singapore and Thailand. Here is a map of my plans for Thailand:

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