The Real Deal Part 2-Taiwan

Following my departure from Beijing, I returned to New York to complete my degrees and search for a means to return to China. Since only a few Western companies operated in the Middle Kingdom, I turned to the next viable option, Taiwan. In Taipei, I found English teaching jobs while I drank myself into a corner.

Upon my arrival, I stayed in a hostel until I discovered an apartment, an absolute dump. Everyone needed to start at the bottom. Three months later, I moved uptown to a flat on Zhongxiao East Road and Yanji Street. Although the place was great, we encountered a mouse issue by throwing our garbage on the balcony and closing the doors to prevent odors. That was a terrible idea.

At the end of a busy day entertaining (teaching), I ended up on the couch, sipping my daily quota and listening to music while watching the rock-paper-scissors girls on TV. I attempted to read the “Godfather” in Chinese, but it wasn’t the same. On the first day, I met a Canadian guy who gave me a silk shirt as a gift. It’s obvious why he didn’t want it.

Eventually, I grew tired of drinking alone at home and ventured out to find fellow inebriates. That’s when I first came across my friend Apache. He revealed a different aspect of Taiwan that I wouldn’t have discovered alone. Additionally, he assigned me the Chinese name Mr. Arnold Thunder and introduced me to karaoke and XO. Anything could happen when we were out on the town.

I spent time clubbing with my Nigerian friend Ramson when I wasn’t with Apache. This picture was one of those pit stops for whiskey before hitting the clubs again. We left the Christmas lights up for the entire year to preserve that feeling. Note the Camel advertisement in the background, which Apache took from the convenience store on our first encounter.

I hit it hard on Friday and Saturday nights. On Sunday, I would try to find something unusual, like bungee jumping in Wulai, a town fifty kilometers away. Two American guys established a new extreme sports company and welcomed anyone courageous enough to jump for free. I jumped off the bridge behind me (120 feet). It was an exhilarating exercise, and I was thankful I showed up still buzzed from the night before to control the fear.

Although teaching English was a profitable endeavor, it left me feeling depleted. I desired to work for a Chinese company to understand their operations. A friend connected me with a position at a Taiwanese trade company. I spent my time sending faxes to companies, hoping they would consider us as their agent. The job wasn’t great, but everyone had to start somewhere. Shortly after I began, the boss asked me to attend a sales meeting and a business dinner. I encountered an overwhelming number of “ganbeis” for the first time. After that night, I knew I needed more of that.

I traveled by bus and walked for long distances until a student provided me with a scooter. One highlight of being on the Island was zooming through Taipei’s streets on a motorbike unless it was raining (often). Then, I showed up soaked for my classes. I always refrained from riding my scooter while drinking because I knew it would make me a liability, and I despised wearing the uncomfortable helmet.