Almost home
As you can obviously tell, my internet access has been relatively non-existent so far on this trip – and rarely in English – but I’m almost home where I’ll be able to rant on all the things I learned during this trip, all the things that I’ve seen that Calgary could easily adopt to make our own lives better, and of course that little thing called the provincial election.
On the note of which, Premier Stelmach, you knew how much I was anticipating the upcoming election (okay, may be you didn’t) and you couldn’t wait until I got back into the country before calling one? Negative two points for you. Instead I’m entertaining myself with the wonderfully absurd world of Taiwan politics.
[BTW, maybe I should start keeping track of points won and lost by our politicians. I've often wished there was some formula that indicates you are doing good in your job other than a 'yea' or 'nay' from more constituency members that the other guys every four years or so. Certainly I've never had that kind of lack of scrutiny in any job I've ever had. Hmm... I'll get working on that.]
Until then, I’ll say hello to Taipei and Kaohsuing for you all and see you in a couple days when I’m back in my beloved home and native land.
China Airlines you have not broken my will yet! But Stelmach has broken Hung Pham’s
Well here we are, however many god-forsaken China Airlines survived hours later, in Taipei. (BTW, I’m pretty sure I know what Canada’s contribution to China’s development was: they gave the old Air Canada planes to China Air.) Yeah, it wasn’t the most fun 12 hours I’ve ever spent. Especially when the flight started off sitting on the Vancouver tarmac for an hour waiting for them to de-ice the plane.
So far in Taiwan the only difference I can see is that their airport’s computers are all in Chinese (I hope I remember what buttons to click in Blogger to actually make this post). But on the bright side they are free which they weren’t in Vancouver. [On that, note if anyone needs internet access and they happen to be at the international terminal in Vancouver airport I've got 35 minutes of time saved on the internet kiosk by Gate 54. Drop me a line, I'd be happy to provide you my login.]
So, there isn’t much to report on the cultural front yet. An airport is an airport is an airport I guess. The Amazing Race should’ve taught me that. But we still have one flight more to go and then we can begin the real fun part of the trip: exploring. We’ll be in Kaohsuing in a little over two hours from now. Where I look forward to having a shower.
Until then, remember what they say on China Airlines, “Sir, please sit down.” I might have lost something in the translation, but they said it enough times to so many different people it must have more cultural meaning than I have found as of yet.
I hear the rumour from Pierre Trudeau Is My Homeboy that the Alberta election may be called tomorrow (today? what time zone am I in anyway?). This would be a little surpising as they would be jumping the gun. Not that I think it really matters. The Alberta Liberals and NDP are probably as ready as they’ll ever be and I know the Alberta PC Party is ready. (Although the Calgary-Montrose debacle could not have been handled worse after Ed Stelmach’s comments last week about selecting a candidate if he has to and it might not be Hung Pham. Pham blasted back earlier today announcing he will not run.) If the election is called while I’m away, I’ll try my best to stay updated before I get back when I’ll provide you with my two cents on each Calgary riding. Election! Whoo!
Run for the hills! (Of Taiwan)
Ed Stelmach is running from the other premiers, who want to talk global warming, right after he proposes Alberta’s new “green” plan and just as election is set to kick off. This is all great stuff that I have a fair amount to say about but then I thought to myself, “nah, this is the perfect time to get the heck out of the country.”
And with that I’m off to Asia. Hopefully to find some interesting things that we as Calgarians and Albertans can learn from.
But for now I’m off to the Vancouver airport on my way to Asia. Finding all sorts of interesting (tacky) thinks a marketer has thought up to put a Canada flag/Vancouver 2010 logo/ or polar bear on.
And thus I am here paying to use the internet in the international terminal on the west coast.
I should apologise in advance to all you readers that normally enjoy the political bent this blog regularlly has. For the next fortnight it’ll probably read more as a travel journal. But I promise there will be plenty to keep you entertained.
I’ll try to blog next after I complete a 13 hour flight to Taipei, Taiwan. (If I don’t get a blood clot in my ass after it falls asleep before then!)
I’m not far into the journey yet but I hope you’ll join me. As a matter of fact I’ve already had my first cultural awakening. On the flight from Calgary to Vancouver (thank you for letting me watch The Daily Show and the State of the Union address WestJet seatback TV), as we were landing, the flight attendent asked the man in front of us to return his tray “to its full and upright postion” (or whatever they say). The man did not respond as he obviously did not understand English. So the attendent asked again. Sloooowwwer and LOUDER. I leaned over and mentioned to my traveling companion, Skyler, that, “that seemed awfully rude”. To which his response was, “ya, and just think, in 24 hours you’re going to be in the same situation.”
Too true. I’ll try to take pictures at least though.
See you in Taiwan!
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