EventfuL Hengchun Evening

Last evening there was an eye-opening event in my town. The peopLe hoLd it annuaLLy, and itz simpLy amazing!

Known as the InternationaL VauLt CLimbing Competition (or something), teams fight to see who reaches the top of the tower first by cLimbing their assigned grease-fiLLed piLLar. The participants haiL from towns aLL over Taiwan, and itz said Hengchun has aLways done itz peopLe proud through hosting the event and winning it. The winning team bags a whopping NT600k and wiLL take home the winner's fLag at the peak of the tower. It is beLieved that the winner wiLL vie with spirits for the fLag and therefore whoever owns it wiLL have good fortune the whoLe year round. Not surprising, that the fLag has aLready been a bidding item even before this day, specuLated to fetch around NT300k. This is such a popuLar event that the town was buzzLing with crowds and media companies and even an appearance by PresidentiaL eLect, Ma Yin-jiu. I had a bLurred picture taken on my K800i as he made his way through but pictures have to wait due to connectivity probLems.

Once Ma kicked start the event, as I stood there watching the competition Like aLL other peopLe around me, it made me feeL so much Like one of them. UnknowningLy eight months have passed since I came here and everything was juz extremeLy warm to me. It may not be where I beLong, but this is where you feeL accepted Like one of theirs. PeopLe ranging from bubbLe tea seLLer to the nurses and the driving coach and cafe owner .. their hospitaLity has been fabuLous.

That evening, we bumped into our LocaL fren, Joana, and from then, the rest of the evening was hers. Joana is one we met at one of the town cafes months back. She was heLping the Lady boss that time and due to her Loudness (for taLking very LoudLy) and outgoing character, she became our fren. Not a bad catch, cLean face and Lasting Look, but ... too Loud. Anyone who wouLd Like a rare LOUD Taiwanese girL as partner can come find me.

ExactLy four fuLL months .. I guess I wiLL return back to Singapore with more than a heavy heart.