One degree of separation in Taiwan

I decided that it would be best to start from today and work backwards on my blog, as this will probably be the only way the in between might get filled in! So, here you go~pics coming. The major issue out here in blogging, writing and sharing has been the crazy and slow and sometimes (no, most of the time) non-existent internet. And unfortunately for you, I am not willing to spend my time in countries at an internet cafe sending notes home! So, thank you for your patience and I hope you have enjoyed what I have gotten down in writing! And will try and get back on here during the crossing and fill inthe blanks!!

Taiwan!
A good evening to you from a rainy morning in Keelung Taiwan! We arrived here the night before last but were not able to get off the ship until yesterday morning. I was able to meet up with an alumnus, Lauren Mack (Spring 2003) who is living here in Taipei with her boyfriend working for About.com and teaching English. She came on board for most of the morning yesterday and then we were off to see Taipei. Of course the food here is well known to be delicious and it did not disappoint! She was able to take me through the night market during the day and we had lunch with the locals here in Keelung. Mainly a port city, the night market here is best known in all of Taiwan! Many Taiwanese were out and about today because it is a national holiday weekend-today is Children's Day and tomorrow Tombs Day~clebrating their young children and tomorrow their relatives that have passed on, bringing them offerings and the like. So we were among many wandering the streets both in Keelung and Taipei.

We then took a bus and the subway into town (about 30 minutes) and spent the day seeing the local attractions~Building 101 (the 2nd tallest building in the world), Cheng Kai Chek museum and walked around a crafts market store. We had dinner at a famous eatery, and they are so popular, they have opened up shop in the US (one in LA and Bellevue, Washington). The evening ended at Chocoholic, an amazing hot chocolate establishment where the drinks are so thick and goey that you have to eat it versus drink it with a spoon!

They then put me on the last bus back to Keelung and we said our good-byes at 10:30pm! As I went to sleep last night, I sat in amazement & greatfulness! Being able to participate with Semester At Sea has brought me so much "life" into my already amazing life and I was filled with an overwhelming sense of gratitude and connection to the world! Here I was, a 52 year young woman spending time with a 33 year young woman, talking about life and all it brings from each other's perspective and being filled up with humanity! Each in our place in the world! She loves her life here and contributes so much to global understanding through her jounalism writing of the Taiwanese culture and I get to be part of bringing others like her to places like this that I know will change their lives forever!
I also had the chance to say a quick hello to Ching Wei, who worked with Semester At Sea in the earlier years when the whole crew was primarily Chinese and Taiwanese! I was near Tymitz Square and there he was~although over 22 years had past, it was like yesterday~Spring, 1988 and Ching Wei bringing a TV and VCR to my room on the SSUniverse so we could watch VHS movies from home-clearly no internet, phones, computers~only being present on the ship and in the world! He is now a very successful businessman in Taiwan and doing well! The world is getting smaller and smaller for me as every day passes~I am only one degree of separation from ALL OF IT now! AND I stay present to the wonder of it all and mant times feel no degree of separation from all of HUMANITY! These are fleeing moments, and yet there are more and more of them every day and every moment! It leaves me with the feeling of magic and in awe!

So with that, today, I will head back into town and go to a local hot springs and perhaps get a foot massage at the local night market there and then head back to the ship to start packing and getting some work done. Tomorrow I am headed to Taroko Gorge for the entire day and into the evening, which could be one the 7 wonders of the world~I hear it is the Taiwanese version of the Grand Canyon! And then tomorrow evening we are off for our 11 day crossing to Hawaii! This will be my time to shine on the ship, as all 3 of my responsibilities all come to a head~so needless to say a busy time for me!

I am beginning to think about life at home again and getting prepared for the transition time that is all too familiar having done this 3 times before of assimilating back into life in Santa Barbara! I find that this is such an important time to stay present here as missing this important crossing of connecting and saying good-byes can destroy the whole essence of the entire voyage! So, I will sign off here for now and write about or tell stories of the crossing once I am home~plus the fact that I will be burning the candle on both ends now and earning my keep! I will try and complete my blogs in the in between, but I think I will stop promising!

I look forward to story telling and sharing, slide shows and gift giving and being with my amazing life and all of you at home soon!  Be patient with me once I get home~it will be some time before I am in touch, as getting back into my house, fetching my cat, going back to work and acclamating to sleeping in my own bed will take some time! I will definitely be in touch via email, phone and we can find a time to have coffee and share how life has been for you too while I have been on my worldly travels!

Looking forward to it AND staying present until the end!

Warmly~ro

p.s. I thought my commitment to the world quote at the bottom of my emails seemed so appropriate to include here, which I am so clear is what I am committed to for the world! Blessings!

Authentic Connections~committed to a world where peace, passion and love are present for everyone ​as they transition gracefully from one chapter of their lives to the next. 

https://www.worldlyheartcoaching.com

"Greatness is not in where we stand, but in what direction we are moving. We must sail sometimes with the wind and sometimes against it -- but sail we must and not drift, nor lie at anchor." - Oliver Wendell Holmes