Oh My Chunghwa!

I hoped a train to Chunghwa this weekend for a going away party for a girl I met in Kenting. It was my first solo train trip and I felt all independant and self-sufficient. I met Jackie and her friends (most of whom I had met in Kenting too) at the restaurant and we headed to bar for some good times. There I saw some other folks I had met in Kenting and had some great times talking with new folks. We stayed there until bar close, around 2 am, and then decided to hit a KTV (Karaoke TV) for some singin'. It was just down the road at a place called The Cave (at least that's what they had named it), that looked like a cave from the outside. It was pretty shady looking, but it was 2am, we were drunk and we wanted to sing. The "cave" theme was continued inside with the black spray-painted "designs" on the cement walls. We popped some money into the karaoke machine and dominated until they kicked us out about 6am, when they were closing. I was really surprised as we left with beers in hand to realize the sun had come up. Joey said she was convinced the cave was a time warp that suddenly delivered you to the next morning. As we stood outside trying to figure out where to go next, we decided that Stuart should go grab us some breakfast and we'd meet at Jackie's place for some white russians and more good times. About 8:30 am, I had a bit of a mishap. I was drinking, laughing and made the mistake of trying to do both at the same time. Sadly, this resulted in a semi-choking Cassie being turned into a fountain of vomit as the curdled milk and breakfast sandwich shot out of my mouth. It took everyone, including me, by surprise and after they cleaned up the living room and I cleaned myself up, we laughed some more at the suddenness of it all and came to the conclusion that I really needed to chew more given that so many chunks were completely identifiable and/or intact. We woke up around 2pm the next day and I made my way home, tired as all get out. I must not have made to big an ass of myself, because Joey and Jackie were in Taichung later that day and invited me out for dinner at La Terrase, but I had to pass.

On a super cool note, the Chinese I had learned in my lesson on Thursday night paid off when I could say "I want to go to the train station" and was understood. Later someone asked me "Where are you going?" and I both understood and was able to answer "Taichung." Of course, the man said something else next but I totally didn't understand and had to just shrug and look confused. But for one shining moment, brief though it was, I had something resembling a conversation in Chinese!