Getting on my way ~

Checked into a nice hotel in Taipei and had to get to the airport at 5:30 am because I was wait-listed for the flight to Cambodia.  I couldn't get a reservation for three days.  I woke up, felt 90% better but then started to get really uptight.  I was thinking about how expensive this hotel was going to be and how much I wanted to get my trip started.  That's when lesson 1B kicked in.  I've heard this before (mostly from quotes on Facebook and from my mother) but this morning I took it to heart.  You can't control your circumstances.  You can prepare as best you can, but then you can only control how you respond to those circumstances.  So I decided that I wouldn't worry about the wait-list.  If I made it great, if not, I could spend a few days in the Taipei airport and be like that Tom Hanks character that lives in the airport.  I had to remind myself a few times, but I went with the flow.  I had a charming young man help me get a seat, then helped me race through security and customs to just make it on the plane, and my luggage (which I hadn't seen in 24 hours) made it too! 

You can only control how you respond to your circumstances.

I checked into my apartment and homesickness in sinking in.  I know it'll be ok in a few days but it is crazy here!!!  Hot as anything and they mean it when they say don't wear sleeveless shirts.  I tried to go for a walk but too many people staring and calling out made me retreat back early - that and the roads are really not walkable.  I thought I was prepared but this is worse than Thailand!  I hope this video clip captures the atmosphere!  On to Cambodian Children's Fund tomorrow:))))

Taipei

I was waiting for my final flight when I began to get chest pains along with pain running down my arm and had to figure out what to do.  Do I get on the plane and risk a heart attack on a 3 1/2 hour flight?  Was it really no big deal.  Well by the time we were boarding I was dizzy, nauseous and short of breath.  Made the decision easy and hey I figured - Vermont is always talking about Taiwan's healthcare system, now I have a chance to see it up close and personal.  So in a wheelchair, through customs, immigration, ambulance to some hospital somewhere.  The ER was hopping.  I was totally overwhelmed and sucking back tears (fear-for my health, disappoinment- my trip of a lifetime can't be aborted now, isolation- few spoke English and I didn't even have a Taiwanese dollar to buy a bottle of water, trepidation - was the needle sterilized that was in for my IV and what injection did the nurse just give me???  

Well it was morphine.  This experience wasn't surreal enough but now I'm zonked out on morphine.  Well, here's an interesting little known fact...Taiwanese sounds like English when you are flying high.  Seriously weird.  I attracted a bit of attention being the only farang in the place.  One toothless youngish guy kept walking by me saluting.  It got to be a bit odd so I tried to close my eyes or read my book when he walked by.  He then stood by my bed talking in a low threatening voice sounding like he was casting a curse on me- so creepy.  I tried to believe he was actually a Taiwanese Shaman chanting healing prayers but that took some imagination.

I decided that this was going to be a learning experience.  That I'd take something good from this.  I tried really hard.   I learned that all staff wore face masks, which makes it really hard to tell one person from another.  I noticed that loads of people appear to be suffering from the flu and staff didn't help people too much - that was left for family.  I noticed that after ten at night the crowd changes from poor screaming babies to drunks and prostitutes.  The change in clientele was pretty interesting but didn't seem to be the lessons I was searching for.  I finally got a doctor and nurse who spoke English well.  Got the tests to determine that my pericarditis wasn't severe enough to kibosh my trip and then I got the beginning of my lesson...The doctor was amazing.  He got my hotel while the nurse called the airline.  They both helped me check out and called for a "safe" taxi and walked me out to talk to the driver and the doctor gave me his cell number in case I needed anything more.  I hugged them both and was so moved by my vulnerability and their outreach.  Creepy shaman saluted as I walked out with a big toothless grin - looking far less threatening.  As I sat back in the taxi, listening to beautiful soothing Asian music I looked back to wave to the doctor and nurse and shaman jogged next to the car, proudly saluting the whole way.  This was lesson 1A - show your vulnerability and people will touch your heart (even a slightly swollen and achy one).  Lesson 1B was to come in the morning.

Some of my ER patients.  This place was hopping!

This person was next to me.  In my drugged state I thought it looked like Yoda was in for an ear-job.  She was fine in the end so I thought it was ok to publish this.  Still can't figure out what the heck was on her heard!

....and Liftoff!  On my way to Phnom Penh to volunteer for 7 weeks with the Cambodian Children's Fund...

And God bless all my friends and family who have had to listen to me talk about this for the last few months.  Bad news guys...I'm probably going to have a lot more to talk about!  and so it began...

Had a great sendoff at Albany Airport by Sanfra, Karen and Lene - it was a wonderful way to head off for this adventure.  Landed in LAX and was met by Margot and Jeff.  I had a great visit and even got to watch Jeff in his studio compose some music.  A new first for me - for someone who can't hold a tune watching the composer at work was awesome!

Got on the plane to head to Taipei before connecting to Phnom Penh.  Hello Kitty is all the rage apparently.  I think the pilots were holding their heads in shame as they boarded the plane bedecked with the Hello Kitty logo plastered on the jet's side.

And more Kittyfied objects...

The checkin counter and a hot pink tube of e-ticket machines.  

On the plane Kity was everywhere- even the toilet paper!  Who would want their logo on toilet paper???

Ah yes - a Miss Kitty Breastfeeding station - of course.  And don't forget the luggage tags...

Kitty emergency evacuation chart and Kitty apron's for flight attendants

Kitty pillows and eating utensils.  There were more things but I was getting nauseated!