35togo

Blue Meter. Hsinchu, Taiwan

I've been back in Taiwan now for about 6 days but hope to keep sharing some of the experiences I had in Prince Edward Island for a bit longer. This shot is another of the gas meters that I have the strange fascination with.

I would like to say that I am happy to return to Hsinchu but really I am not. Many foreigners feel very passionate about there experience in Taiwan, much of which is a defensive mechanism for their decision to make this place their new home. Of course a well balanced person can be happy just about anywhere. It's a huge contrast of course, in Charlottetown (and PEI in general) there were blue skies, fluffy white clouds, the smell of flowers in the city, and friendly people. You can cross the street in Charlottetown and you can be pretty much assured that a car will stop to let you cross. Pretty much the opposite is true here. I don't know when the last time I saw a clear blue sky. It takes a very strong high atmosphere wind to blow all the pollution and dust away. The smells coming up from the sewer and air pollution are enough to make you gag. Walking on the sidewalk, if you can find one, is about as safe as walking on the freeway back home.

I don't want to rant and wine (but I did). You take the good with the bad and life here is what you make of it. I should comment that there have been many positives to living here - the people who have become my friends are among the best people anywhere. If nothing else, like the people who call Taiwan their home, when you are surrounded by gray all day you appreciate whatever beautiful colour you see all the more. You notice the flowers in bloom, the green trees, and the beautiful lady walking down the street. This appreciation for the beauty that surrounds us is something that Taiwan teaches me everyday.