End of Chapter 1

I awoke with a sense of surprise; this day had come too soon. I should have known - days like this have a tendency to come too soon. My things were packed, and I was up ahead of the sun as planned. I was well prepared, but didn’t feel ready to take on my final day in Hualien. I like my days to be full, but this full day was one to be taken on because it would require careful reflection of my time here and many goodbyes. The reflection I can handle; it’s the goodbyes that get me.


Beating the sun is always an accomplishment, and today I did it to visit the Pacific one last time, and maybe go for a surf if the waves were game. They weren’t, but I wasn’t bothered. Opposite to its behavior in California, the sun rises over the Pacific here in Hualien. As the light came through the clouds at an angle, the water took on a golden sheen, and the hills were lit with color. I printed it in my mind, as a person does when the time to leave a place comes. The forms and shapes taken by clouds here are more varied than a woman’s shoe collection. On the short drive back through a valley, I saw they had taken my favorite form: clear, low hanging strips across the base of the mountains. I cannot show you how this looks because I intentionally didn’t take a picture. Mental pictures linger, and even allow for improvement over time, whereas photographs are snapped, filed, and forgotten. I may regret it later, but I suspect the image in your mind right now looks pretty good.

At the University, I tied loose ends, ran internet errands, and restored my workspace to its original state. Finally the uneasy wait was over, and it was time to leave for Hualien City. I delivered notes of thanks to three very different men who each made it his business to look after me and teach what he had to offer. We took part in handshakes made firmer than usual by both sides. We took our shots at mumbling semi-formal words of parting, and half-hugs were given by men who had never hugged one another. As I drove off, I laughed and was happy the goodbyes were awkward. Awkward parting is evidence of deep relationships developed over a short time. For there had not yet been enough chances and repetitions to practice these gestures on each other, yet an effort was made to make it meaningful. So a comical set of maneuvers and words was the result, and a mutual feeling was communicated, clear as day.

In the City, it came time to spend my remaining hours with the three families who decided to host me on weekends and holidays. I was treated to a great and merry dinner. Afterwards we had tea, cake, and fruit. We promised to visit each other at some indefinite time. For the couple who treated me like a son, I saw empty nest syndrome begin to set in, which I suspect was a reason they took me in to begin with. One last time I played with kids who made me their hero these past couple months, and I promised to be pen pals with a nine year old girl I’ve come to adore. I found that leaving them took nerve, since I had to accept that they’d change so much before the next time we’d meet. Perhaps they won’t be as innocent, fun, or outgoing. Perhaps I just fear that as they grow and their memories fade, the way they view me at this instant will be lost.

It is nice to depart with some fanfare, rather than waiting for the time to come then sneaking off. In Taiwan fanfare involves feasting. I felt fortunate to have so many in Hualien to feast with, and looked ahead towards a steady stream of them with relatives in Taipei. But fanfare requires planning, and then executing that plan, part of which is returning borrowed items to various people. I was amazed at all that was collected in this little life I had established: a bedroll, trashcan, surfboard, blanket, pillow, scooter, photography gear, an automobile, and more. Now all my worldly possessions are again reduced to fitting inside two bags.

For all I’ve written about the land and water, the things to do and things I’ve learned, it’s the people that made my stay. It was the time of my life, and it was the perfect time to leave. As typical for much work done at universities, my contributions were theoretical. They asked me to gather data from scientific papers written in English, and to research the possibility of Lithium extraction from DOW, which will primarily go towards supporting the up and coming movement towards electric vehicles, amongst other applications. I presented my findings, and I hope it actually goes towards some real work. But I’m hungry to put what I know into practice, and work for a rural development type water resource project. I have been assured there is no shortage of need for this at my next placement. So now I leave my mother island for Grandmother China’s deep interior, which I suspect will be an entirely different animal.