This will be my last post before Taiwan. Now I really need time to prepare everything for my upcoming trip and to say bye to my family and friends. I will be less online in the next days and in case you don't hear from me, please assume that I'm fine. Either I'm in the air or already walking around Taipei with my girl. Most of you will be able to track everything on Twitter and Facebook. Anyway, for my last post, I decided to do something special. I asked my girl to write about how she imagines our first meeting and what she expects and fears the most and I will write about the same topic below her part. Most of you know, that we've found each other online and chatted for many months, but we've never met in real. And after I'm safe and sound in Taiwan, we will write another post and tell you what really happened :-) I assume you won't get something like that to read any time soon, so I hope you enjoy these two posts.
EXPECTATIONS, by her:
I was asked to write about what are my expectations for the first meeting at the airport? Well, that's a good question. I don't have a lot of experience of welcoming friends at our main airport, and I only went there twice. So when I thought about it, this came to my mind:
- How to take buses there?
- Where will be the meeting point?
- What should I wear?
- Should I give him a hug first and then kisses on his cheeks like Westerners always do in the movies?
Hard questions.
I have to say, I didn't have any Western friends before I got to know him. When it came to foreign friends, I only had some from Japan and China, but I didn't need to pick up any of them at the airport. Most of the times, when I met them, was in a group along with several other friends and someone else would welcome them at the airport and bring them to a restaurant, where held a welcome party for them. But this time I have to do it all by myself. And since I'm so unexperienced, my expectations are very basic:
- I hope I don't get lost at the airport and that everything goes smoothly.
- I would like to wear long boots, a short skirt, with perfect make up and hair. I'll try my best to look hot. But I wonder, if the high heels would make me walk like a duck and I also hope that my new boots won't give me blisters.
- I'm still thinking about how to welcome him: I should give him a hug first, right? Then kisses? Friendly kisses on the cheeks or a short one on the lips? If the kiss is on the lips, ehm, that would be our first kiss (shy). OK, whatever will be, I hope I can do it well.
- My bags. I'm just not able to bring only few things anywhere I go. Even on a 2 days short trip I would bring big travel bags! Imagine me waiting for him and wearing high boots, a short skirt and with 2 bags? And he said he would only bring a backpack! I wonder who will welcome who at the airport? That would look like he's picking me up! So I hope I manage to bring fewer things with me this time.
In just few days I will meet him in real! Some of my friends ask me: "You must feel excited! Are you nervous?" I reply: "Yes! Of course." But I don't feel nervous because of him, I'm nervous, because it's my first such experience.
I'm already nervous now.
EXPECTATIONS, by me:
I must say, unlike her, I've done something like that before. Most of you know, that my ex was from Malaysia and so I was in this kind of situation few years ago. The only difference is, that I am a bit older and more experienced in travelling and meeting people, especially around some parts in Asia. It's true, I've never been to Taiwan, so the first fear that comes to my mind is the unfamiliar airport. But from the information I have, it's very modern and visitor friendly and I guess, it can't be that different from Singapore and Hong Kong. All I need to do is pass the immigration, find my luggage and spot her among all the people who wait for their sweethearts at the arrival hall. I told her, she better spot me, because while there will most likely be only few young blonde men, I'm expecting a lot young Taiwanese girls waiting for someone. And I guess I will be the one, who swings his head like a mad rooster all over the place, hehe. Maybe I should just keep my calm, walk slowly and let her find me? I shall see. Maybe I will pass by her and she'll jump on me from behind? Or maybe cover my eyes with her hands and ask: "Guess who?!" Haha.. No idea. I guess I need to pay close attention and start spotting cute girls right on [a skill I've mastered to near perfection by now, hehe]. Anyway, I think we will be fine. I will hug her when I see her, but I'm not planning beyond that, what happens happens. The more plans you have, the more likely they fail [oh, yeah, I've been there...]. I don't really worry about our first meeting, we're so close already, we'll be fine. My real worries are that I won't miss a train or the plane, that everything goes smoothly at the two immigrations and that my luggage won't be lost. I hope there's no delays, no bad food [ok, how could that be, EVA Air is Taiwanese!]. Anyway, my flight will be nearly 15h long and I really wonder, how I will be able to take that. I flew the longest from Paris to Singapore, it took me 13h and it seemed endless! And now even longer? Wow. I just hope I will be able to sleep a little, best would be 8h, but if I manage to sleep for 6, I will be happy already. It's funny, I can sleep like 10h straight in my own cozy bed, but I always have a hard time sleeping on airplanes. Of course coach is not same as my bed, but well. I still see most people dozing off easily and I'm one of the few who keeps turning their head around wondering how can everyone sleep but me. Ah, whatever.
To be honest, I have real fears, but those go beyond the flight and first meeting. Will I be able to get a job? Will I find one fast? Will I be able to perform well? It's a totally new life I'm about to start and so many things are unknown. If I was the old me, I might freak out, but the new me tries to be optimistic. I say to myself: "At least I'm trying. My worst case scenario is coming back from Asia in 2 or 3 months, because I haven't gained ground there. But even in that case I will have one of the most awesome times of my life." So there's will be no regrets. We'll see what happens. I hope I can be as bold as the tiger :-)
Au revoir!
[Related: Hello Taiwan!][Photo by MKL, 2010]
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