Tears and their reasons for leaving my eyes.

I woke up from my nap and I was wondering why Irene wasn't sleeping next to me...After a few seconds, It came to me. I am back. In my own bed, my own room that in some way or another looks new but at the same time somewhat familiar. I feel a sadness coming over me but I will try to push it away. I have to finish my studies and that is why I came back. Otherwise, coming back would probably have been one of the biggest mistakes of my life.

For more than two weeks I left you all in the dark. I wasn't writing anymore. Not because I lacked in time but because I wanted to use every minute of it to be present. There are many things that have happened during those last days. When I wrote the first words on my blog, I swore to myself that I would tell the truth and nothing but the truth but I must admit that I kept some things from you. I have been thinking a lot about these events and I think it would make a great addition to my whole adventure so eventually I will tell you all these missing parts. But this will take some time, time that I do not have right now because I need to focus on writing some more urgent stuff than this. (I say 'urgent' because 'serious' would not be exactly true since I see my writing pretty serious too. I try to tell the truth at all times and that is something serious no?

So after this message, I will work with flashbacks to be able to tell the whole story. So what you thought you had been missing on, will eventually be accessible for your eyes.

6.30 AM my alarm went off and I knew, this is it. It's for real, I am going back, see my family and my friends and finish what I started more than five years ago in Belgium and that is, choosing the subject Commercial Engineer. Something that I am still not sure of if it was the right choice, since I am interested is some many thing beyond science and economy. But then again, a degree of Commercial Engineer, I like to believe, opens many doors, doors you would never think of at the beginning of your road to that degree in your hands...

So I took a shower, rearranged some clothes and books in my luggage and left some more things for Irene (If it come to body and facial care, I think she's good now for a few months). I did not had breakfast because I wasn't hungry. I was quiet and sad and wanted to stop the time but it was quickly 7.50 AM, the time I needed to stand downstairs in the Lobby of the apartment block where I was staying to what for John (my first family) who would take me to the airport. I hugged Gabriel and Irene goodbye and promised them to be back and I am keeping that one, I know.

John asked me if I had breakfast, as he did every day after I had changed from his family to another host family (I stayed at three families but more about them later in my flashbacks). I knew he would have café latte without sugar for me because I knew him already, he was like that. The most carrying person I have ever met in my entire life. It made me so happy on that dark, rainy morning. He even took a steamed sweet potato for me because it is healthy and nice to eat in the mornings. Damn, he knew me well. It was pretty quiet in the car, we talked a bit casually but I did not want to start with memories or goodbyes because I knew my tears would appear and would not stop anymore. So I kept the conversation 'cool'.

I thought he would just drop me off at the entrance but then again I hoped he would not and I was right. He actually stayed with me until the security check! I checked in and I had overweight and this time, I wasn't lucky. The 3 kg overweight needed to be taken out so we did! John went back to his car for a plastic bag. The books in my luggage made the 3 kg so It was quickly fixed. I could finally check in. We walked to the security check and I knew this would be the last goodbye. I did not say much except 'I want a hug' and 'Byebyeee'. So I put my bags down, gave him a quick hug. As I took my bags again to stand in the waiting line, I felt tears coming but I tried to stop them by not looking back. But when I was standing still, I turned to look at John a last time, wave my hand at him and say the last 'Byebye'. After he left my tears were there, they had waited for so long. Now it was time to let them go.

I sat there alone, my tears kept on coming. I thought about all the moments and people that had moved me in some way. I felt such a pain inside my heart. Is that something cheesy to say now? Someone a long time ago said it for the first time and knew why. Because it happens, it is a true feeling. I guess the only people that can find it cheesy are the ones who have never felt it before or...have not heart ;).

When I arrived in Hong Kong, I knew this day was going to be a challenge because I needed to wait there for 10 hours before my next flight. I had entertainment enough. I took a carrier for my bags and wondered/got lost in the airport of Hong Kong. I visited many stores....twice. After I had cried, I looked so terrible. But when I am crying at an airport I always manage to look presentable afterwards. Why? Well I did get a bit of help from Chanel, Lancôme and Dior. I read some books and a magazine. I charged my cell phone. I had a chat with John, Irene, Gabriel Homie, Gabriel and Alan where I was getting emotional again. Luckily, Dior and Chanel were again waiting for me. I went to Starbucks for some coffee and cake. The time passed by and before I knew, I was on the plane to Germany. Almost home. (now I skip the part of the trip from Germany to Belgium)

8.25 AM. The arrival in Brussels. It was cold. There were Christmas trees with lights in it! People looked pale and spoke my mother language. I smelled croissants. When I went to the restroom, the cleaning lady was rude and I could throw my toilet paper IN the toilet. Yep, I was in Belgium. My mother was waiting for me at the ...departure hall because it was easier so I went there and I was happy to see her. I did not cry, I was too tired to feel another thing. I was thinking about sleep and getting used to being home again. I gave the presents I got for them, unpacked and took a nap...*see above.

Ow yes, I almost forgot.....

I. am. Totally. Taiwanated.

Unconsciously Chosen

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Animal Behaviour

There are a few things that I wanted to tell you all for a pretty long time, but to be sure I would not be saying something untrue, I decided to observed a little bit longer.

During my weeks here, I came across some animal behaviour...of all kinds. In a few seconds it will be all clear to you what I am talking about. I would like to mention first that I do not follow the chronology of my observations.

When I say 'Taxi drivers in Istanbul', 'animal behaviour' should immediately pop into your mind! Why? Because they drive too fast, incorrect, aggressive, charge you too much and toot every two seconds. (True story) In comparison to the taxi drivers in Istanbul, I must say the taxi drivers in Taiwan have less animal behaviour like described above but still... To make it easy for myself, I will tar everyone with the same brush. You are all smart enough to know that the word 'everyone' has many meanings.

First of all, driving in Taipei is a skill in itself. You have to be able to not hit the scooters, pedestrians, stray dogs, stalls at the side of the road and the other cars of course. Besides that, you need to be able to understand the traffic rules and most importantly apply them like in almost every other country. I can tell you that some Taiwanese drivers are better than others in acquiring the skill and knowledge... 

When we took a taxi home one night after partying in club LUXY, we just randomly picked one because..well they all look kind of the same and I am not the mentalist. Of course, we chose the wrong one. He was chewing the betel nut* while he was driving, was passing all cars from left, from right, then from left again, his favourite thing to do was drive over full white lines and that all at a speed that was three times the allowed. Alan (the Mexican guy) and me, we asked Ann (the Taiwanese girl) to tell him that he needed to slow down. We did not understand the conversation but we felt the tension rising inside the fusty taxi. Apparently he thought that he was driving well, like all the other taxi drivers. We decided to let him kiss our asses and changed to another taxi that was much better. I mean, taxi's enough..

*http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Areca_nut (for more information about the betel nut)

Taiwanese have their own customs and habits, that is a fact but after a few weeks here in Taiwan I realized that adapting to another culture has its limits, at least when you are only experiencing the culture for two months. It is NOT impolite to slurp, smack and burp at the table. I call it animal behaviour. Something that would take years for me to get used to because if there is something I cannot handle, it is slurping and smacking and burping :/ :/ the ceremony of terror! It is also very normal to take a whole piece of meat with bones in your mouth and to lay the bones on the table with your mouth because if there is something they try to avoid it is touching the food with your hands. I say 'lay down' but some really spit it out with sound...:/ the ceremony of terror (part II). 

There was also some animal behaviour of...well me and my friend...in the club..s. If you are going out in a club in a place you have never been before, where nobody knows you except your 3 other friends...animal behaviour is unstoppable! YOU ARE FREE! You do not care about the opinions of the locals, you just party till you drop, the sky is the limit! Dirty Dancing is nothing in comparison with what I saw these nights. I will not go into further detail on that. I prefer to keep some things between the Taipei club walls :). Oh I almost forgot: the animal behaviour of the local girls/women. What they are wearing when they go out.....unbelievable! Do you know the top that is a little longer than the normal top length but still way too short to wear it as a dress? Well, in Taiwan, some women do not get the picture. One girl was wearing that kind of "dress" where you were able to see here butt cheeks, imagine what you would see when she would rock the dance floor!

When someone tells you that you are behaving like an animal, it is most of the time not a good thing! Well, I went to the Taipei Zoo and I must say that a lot of animals do not behaving like these women in the clubs in Taipei...Their behaviour was pretty good and sometimes really funny. Ok, the slutty girls were also funny, but that  aside for a moment. I saw the whole Zoo in 5 hours, can you imagine how big it must be? I saw he famous two panda's and the big penguins. But all the animals were a-ma-zing, especially the monkeys! 

So animal behaviour, as you can see. I experienced some on my trip until now: 

sometimes it makes you mad, 

sometimes it is irritating 

but sometimes it is to be taken literally and then it is just amazing to look at, 

liberating when you behave yourself that way 

and sometimes just funny

and if there is something that really makes you laugh,

just let it out because thát is good behaviour!

XieXie amigos. <3 you!