When we moved to Taipei, Mark and I made a conscious decision to live without a car. We committed to live without a car for the two years we plan to live in Taipei so I thought after one year, it might be interesting to know how we are faring.

We still don't have a car and do not plan to own one while we live in Taipei. Taipei has a safe, clean excellent subway system and an extensive bus system. There are taxi's every where, but still it really isn't as easy as one would think.

The main difference is that you really have to think about your transportation everyday. Some places are convenient by MRT (subway) and others by bus. Some places can only be reached by taxi and for other places, you really need to walk. Most of the time, the best way is to combine one or more mass transportation methods with walking. Also, time is required.

Mark usually takes a taxi to work. There are not any viable MRT or bus lines between where we live and where he works. Fortunately, we live near his office so a cab fare is about $3 to $5 USD. This is much cheaper than driving since no where in this city is parking free. He recently purchased a folding bicycle so he will be riding his bike to work soon (next time he is in town)

Where I go is a different matter. We live in the financial district of Taipei. It is like living in Manhattan. Most of my friends and therefore most of my activities are in the suburbs. (think Long Island or Plano from Dallas) Usually I go to Tien Mu four days each week for various activities. If, for example, I have a 10:00 a.m. Bible study class, I will leave the apartment at about 8:30, or 8:40. It takes me 20 to 30 minutes to walk to the MRT station because there are stop lights. Actually, the one mile walk is very pleasant because about 1/2 of it is on an elevated, covered walkway. Then I arrive at the Blue line. I take the blue line 6 stops to the Taipei Main Station and there transfer to the Red Line. The trip on the blue line takes about 20 minutes but I usually can sit down. Then I transfer to the Red Line. There are eight stops before I get off. Four are underground and four are elevated. I really prefer the elevated portion in the winter, but it gets really hot in the cars in the summer. Again, I usually can score a seat on the way north, nice since it takes about 25 minutes. When I arrive at Zhishan Station, it is another 15 to 30 minute walk depending in my destination. I could take a taxi, from the station but since I have already consumed more than an hour, it never seems like the thing to do at that point.

Of course, when it is time to return home, I reverse the process. So commuting for me consumes at least three hours every day.

Grocery shopping is a special pleasure. There are three grocery stores within a half mile of our apartment. There is no parking associated with these stores. Whatever I purchase, goes into my backpack and I walk home with it. On days when I plan to purchase something heavy ( like milk for example) I talk my rolling backpack otherwise I must carry it. I would never consider purchasing a half gallon of milk and laundry detergent on the same day any more. The weight could easily exceed 20 pounds and that is a lot to carry for 1/2 mile. Things become even more tricky when it is raining. (which is most of the time) I only carry an umbrella when it is too warm to wear a rain jacket because you cannot wrestle with an umbrella and 20 pounds of groceries and make it home with your sense of humor intact. Also, plastic bags are surcharged in Taiwan because they aren't biodegradable. Unfortunately, paper bags tend to biodegrade before I can walk the 1/2 mile in the rain. Grocery stores do deliver with large purchases but that requires you to be home during a window of time that is too large for convenience.

There are some place besides the grocery store, that I cannot take public transportation. For example, I cannot take public transportation to the National Palace Museum or the American Club. So we do not belong to the American Club. I don't go to the Palace Museum very often. Costco is only accessible by taxi or by bicycle. You can actually get quite a bit into bike saddle bags but forget buying a case of bottled water or cokes. Then there was the time I got a flat tire about 1/2 way home and Mark carried my bike for 5 miles to our home. Sunday mornings are a treat for me because I always take a taxi to church; not always home.

Buses present a special case. Taipei has an extensive bus system. The buses are clean, cheap and travel at regular intervals. Unfortunately, all published schedules are written in Mandarin only so I can only take the bus when someone tells me what to do or when we take a tour bus to a specific location. As my Mandarin skills (character recognition) improve, we take the bus more.

We will not get a car. We walk a lot. We haven't lost any weight from all the walking, but we are in better shape. I hate most of my shoes because American shoes are not made for serious walking. When we return to the US, I plan to return to driving everywhere and I promise you, I don't care how much gas costs.

We'll see how I feel next year.

Yesterday I was on my way to a concert at the National Concert Hall, and I encountered a traffic jam. The taxi driver thought it was an accident but it was actually a demonstration or rally. We couldn't quite get to where we were going, so I got out of the taxi and walked through the rally. The people were chanting "UN for Taiwan. Peace forever." It doesn't seem to be much to ask for does it?

Taiwan was pushed out of the United Nations while it was still under martial law imposed by Chang Kai Shiek. CKS was the legal premier of the Republic of China when the communist movement started gaining strength in China. So CKS moved the Republic of China to Taiwan which had been under Japanese control and took over the country. When the United States decided to recognize the Peoples Republic of China, CKS's government felt pushed out of the UN and resigned under protest. Taiwan has had no representation in this world body since. China has fooled and bullied most countries into believing that Taiwan is a rogue, run away province of China but this isn't exactly so.

Whether you want to call Taiwan, Taiwan or Republic of China, this island nation was given by the Chinese to Japan in exchange for the Japanese promise to leave Manchuria. China didn't mind giving Taiwan away because it was a rather minor outpost that they had invaded and sort of had governed for about 400 years. It was poor and backward and the indigenous peoples didn't like being under Chinese rule. So when Stalin and Roosevelt in their division of the world had to deal with Taiwan, they just gave Taiwan back, but didn't specify to whom. The only real stipulation was that Japan couldn't regain the island as part of their country. So under CKS, the island became a nation.

In the last 20 years following CKS's death and the repeal of martial law, Taiwan has become a vibrant democracy. It has a modern economy and a fully functioning national government including a banking system, military and police, a postal system, a health care system, educational system, and departments in the government rivaling the United States,. Incidentally, Taiwan has a free press. By some measures, the press is freer than in the United States.

Taiwan in other words, does not resemble the Peoples Republic of China. These is no shared value system, no shared system of government. Currently, of the 26 million residents of Taiwan, only about 4% were born in mainland China. Many people do have Chinese blood because of the waves of immigration during the 400 years before the Japanese occupation and the wave that came with CKS. The indigenous people, according to recent genetic studies are more closely related to the Australasia peoples. These are the ocean faring peoples who moved to settle Polynesia and even Hawaii.

None of the means much to the United Nations though, so Taiwan's future is cloudy. I have trouble believing that the world would allow China to absorb Taiwan, just because they want to but that is actually the position of the Secretary General of the United Nations. The United States, who should look at their allies in the Pacific and value Taiwan more, just doesn't want the apple cart upset. It might happen anyway.

Taiwan holds their national elections in a couple of months. They will hold a referendum on whether Taiwan wants to join the UN as an independent country. The last time Taiwan was this cheeky, China tried to intimidate the Taiwanese by shelling some of the outer islands. Well it backfired and pro-independence candidates won. We'll see what happens this time.

The rally was peaceful. There was a crowd of over 1000 people, men, women and children. They were chanting and waving glow sticks and torches and marching. It was peaceful and there was a wistfulness about it that moved me to tears.

As they marched off I went into the concert hall and enjoyed the concert. The march created a more lasting memory though.

Landmarks are important. When we lived in California, our landmark was Saddleback Mountain. I could spot it from the air, flying from the east or the west and knew that we were almost home. Driving, I could only see it when I was driving inland from the coast, but we would pass through a railroad underpass and then I would see the mountain and I knew we were all but home.

Here, our landmark is the world's tallest building (occupied, finished), the Taipei 101. It is a majestic building, shaped similar to a bamboo shoot and clad in a watery blue-green reflective glass. It looms over most of the mountain that surround Taipei. It is brightly lit at night and like in California, I always feel better when I can see it because I know my day's journey is nearly over.

We cannot see the Taipei 101 from my apartment though. If we look out the windows at the front of our apartment, we can see its reflection in a building across the park. If I look out the windows on the other three sides of my apartment, I see in the other directions or other tall buildings obscure our view. From the roof of our building, the view is magnificent! Actually, we couldn't see Saddleback Mountain from our home in California either. In either case, it is there and it gives us comfort.

It is amazing though how often I lose track of the tallest building in the world. I actually know where it is but often I cannot see it. It might be obscured by clouds and rain or other buildings. Occasionally, it is obscured by a mountain. But mostly it is obscured by clutter. You know, ground clutter. I walk down the street and I see the people around me and the beetle nut spittle on the sidewalk and I hear people talking and cars and scooters and smell the restaurants and look in the window of the shops. I am so surrounded by the little things in my life that I cannot see the biggest things in my life.

The same thing often happens with what we value most in life, or say we value anyway. We get so bogged down in everyday living that we forget to connect with the people we love. There are so many things to do that going to church and expressing our faith becomes a special occasion. While it is okay to lose track of the tallest building in the world, it isn't okay to lose track of what we value most. That may be one of the best things I learned during my first year in Taipei.