Taiwan Teaser: A 10-Day Adventure
We made it around the island and saw cool stuff. In memoir news, early feedback has been motivating and I have two book covers to share.
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Moments of the Week (Feb 12-18)
We throw in a holiday hike when we can. This time was the Shakadang trail, an out and back along the river cliff. After a two-hour bus ride from Hualien, we jumped straight into the hike without our usual snack pack. We over hydrated on passion fruit drinks and without a bathroom, one of us had an accident. They who shall not be named, spent the next four hours waddling and reeking.
We spent less than 24 hours in Taitung and stayed in the 2nd oldest house in town. That night felt like Silvester in Berlin with fireworks dangerously going off all around us. The highlight was watching a dad laugh hysterically as he filmed his teenage son experiment with explosives.
The trip to Kenting National Park was a 90-minute train followed by a 90-minute bus ride. Once there, it was our most relaxing stretch of the trip with late wake-up calls, afternoons at the beach, and night markets. The weather was perfect, yet Lea was the only one that went for a swim.
In Tainan, our final leg, we made up for lost eating. We will remember the cream puffs and getting boba’d out.
Thinking Out Loud
Five observations that made me pause.
Is that 5 spice again? Like Frank’s hot sauce, they put that $#!t on everything.
Do I hear an ice cream truck? Nope. It’s the garbage truck and adults come out to toss their trash when they hear the jingle.
Did he forget the keys in the moped ignition? That’s how much trust there is. At two Airbnbs, the host practically left the keys in the door for us.
Where are all the trash cans? Nowhere to be found, yet just like Japan, the streets are litter-free.
How do they do Boba? Well. Never had a bad cup, it’s a third of US prices and they are generous with the pearls. Be sure to get 50% sugar.
I’m Writing a Memoir
I sent out Advanced Reader Copies (ARCs) earlier this week to spread the word and get early feedback.
What’s good feedback?
On the receiving end, it motivates you to improve with actionable items. Thanks to Andrew M, Mike G, Danny W and Jenny B for the push.
Some exciting improvement areas to give the memoir more punch:
Adding Maricar and my backstory.
Curating the “In Their Words” anecdotes.
Adding my background and my parent’s history to better explain why there is a conflict in exploring a life beyond the American Dream.
Converting some of the bullet points to prose.
Rewriting phrases where I might alienate the reader.
Kudos to Robert H. for catching my Dumb and Dumber pop reference error. It’s not Frank and Lloyd, it’s Harry and Lloyd.
I got a nudge from Mike, Connie and Danny to try AI for my book cover. The quick iteration process helped me see what was possible and identify what I liked.
Which book cover do you like better? Is it a reflection of the content? What would you change?
On The Move
Run With Me on Strava - 63.50 mi, 2,218 ft
Do you book accommodations to accommodate your morning runs? We do.
What’s it like running in Taiwan?
People are friendly and they acknowledge you as a friend. Dogs, including strays in a pack, mind their own business. During my time I came in contact with at least 50, and I didn’t get a single bark.
Every day or two, we were in a new place to explore.
Hualien (Monday, Tuesday) Ran to the beach and made a left on the first day and a right on the second.
Taitung (Wednesday) A park was across the street and I followed a path through a reserve. The highlight was a rectangular lake for swimming.
Kenting (Thursday, Friday) Significantly warmer and more humid. Ran to the Southernmost tip of Taiwan. The next day it was drizzling and I made a loop through Kenting National Forest.
Tainan (Saturday, Sunday) Ran to the canal and along the promenade. Yuguang island was a cool shaded area where runners would complete out and backs.