Midnight Sunday, June 22nd
Taoyuan Airport, Taiwan

We're still not movin'.

The itinerary clearly states that the flight was scheduled to take off at precisely 11:55pm. It's now almost ten minutes past midnight, yet we haven't even taxied out to the runway. I requested for a seat at the bulkhead when I checked in, thinking I'd have more leg room, Unfortunately, the seats on EVA Air are so narrow and small that it really doesn't make a difference where you sit. Not to worry, however, I had a Good look-around and got a couple of things figured out during the 10-hour flight. I'm gonna request a seat at the emergency exit on the way back. Those guys at the Exits got to put their legs up on the bulging lower part of the emergency exits, and they got their own little movable TV screens that came right above their fold-away dinner trays. Those of us at the bulkhead, on the other hand, had to stare at the big TV screen that showed only the weather condition and flight info the whole time. We didn't get to see any of the in-flight movies.

I passed out soon after take-off and pretty much slept the entire way through. The flight attendant woke me up to fill out the declaration card to enter Canada. With foggy eyes (from dried out contact lenses in my eyes) and a foggy brain, I managed to scribble in the correct information in the right boxes. The older Taiwanese couple (around 70 years old) sitting next to me, however, looked puzzled. I eavesdropped on their argument and found out: (1) the husband is an old soldier from Mainland China that came with the KMT government during the war, (2) he's literate but he only speaks Mandarin, (3) the wife is illiterate and she only speaks Taiwanese, and (4) this is their very first time on a plane, and at this moment they had no idea what the card was for or how to fill it out.
By the time I finished filling out the declaration card, I was wide awake. I offered the Taiwanese couple my help. While I was filling out the card for them, the wife filled me in on their family history. I got to know how many children they have and how many grandchildren each child had. I learned about the only 3 years of primary education she received during the war, and how she picked it up again and went to night school from the age of 48 to 51. When I asked her to sign on the bottom of the declaration card, she carved each stroke slowly and carefully but it still came outside of the signature box. She looked up at me apologetically and said, "I haven't practiced writing much since my first grandson was born, which was also the time I graduated from night school."

7:20pm Sunday, June 22nd
YVR Vancouver International Airport, BC Canada

I choked up and got watery-eyed as soon as I got a whiff of the carpet cleaning detergent. Not because it was pungent but because it smelled exactly the same as the one I used in my first apartment in Vancouver. In mental-association terms, it was the smell of a clean home.

As a visitor, I noticed a few refreshingly interesting things. What astonished me first was the very first living thing that greets visitors at YVR is a blue tank of jellyfish. I thought it was a bit odd when I walked by the tank of jellyfish the first time. I was about 6 steps away from the tank when I decided to turn back and get a picture of it because it seemed so out of place. It was like this totally random thing that the airport designers threw in last minute just to fill a big hole in the wall.



Generally speaking, the whole concept of the interior design was built around the First Nations art and the lush wilderness that Vancouverites take pride in. It was no surprise to see a few totem poles or wood carvings of whales. There is even a manmade stream with a few fake logs over it inside the atrium of the departure terminal, so travelers can enjoy the soothing sound of running water while they wait for their flights




The second pleasant reminder was how nice Canadians really are. When everyone was inching forward in the huge line-up at the Customs, neighboring strangers initiated and picked up conversations here and there to kill time. As soon as a handful of travelers shared their anxiety and/or fear of missing a connected flight to the next destination, people at different points of the long snake-like line offered to let those travelers cut in so they'd get to the Customs officers faster. What was so nice and refreshing was the fact that people acknowledged my existence and they looked me in the eye when they talked. Though it was a pain in the butt to be waiting in line for an hour to get out of the airport, everyone managed to remain civilized and patient. Even the Customs Officers were nice and polite.

The conversation with the Customs Officer

CO: "Good evening, Ma'am."
K: "Hi there. Busy night you've got here."
CO: "A lot of international flights all came in at once. That's why we've got a bit of a congestion here. Nah~ I wouldn't say it's particularly busier than other nights. It's…uh…"
K: "Kinda like rush-hour traffic."
CO: "Exactly, and it will disappear before you know it. Are you traveling by yourself, Ma'am?"
K: "Yes, I am."
CO: "And when was the last time you were in Canada?"
K: "3 years ago."
CO: "You're a Canadian citizen. And what took you so long to come home, Ma'am?"
K: "Cancer and a whole lot of things."
CO: "I'm sorry, Ma'am. What do you do in Taiwan besides battling cancer?"
K: "I teach."
CO: "How long are you staying this time, Ma'am?"
K: "About 18 days."
CO: "And what will you be dong while you're in Canada?"
K: "Visiting friends and simply relaxing."
CO: "Good plan. Did you by any chance purchase any alcohol or tobacco as gifts, Ma'am?"
K: "Nope. Would you like me to show you what I got?"
CO: "That won't be necessary. You have yourself a relaxing trip, Ma'am (wink)."