Taiwan Journal Page 4 Journal Page 1   Journal Page 2 Journal Page 3   Journal Page 4 Journal Page 5   Taiwan Page 6 "Ivan Talking to Air Canada Outside the Seven-11 in Taoyuan" (left) Last year when we were living in Taiwan, we were told at the police station that I  could extend my visa for one month longer if I paid a fine of two hundred dollars at the airport before we flew back to Canada. I was warned that if I stayed longer than this extra month I ran the risk of going to jail. Because of various circumstances that are too long to explain, we were obliged to stay one extra day. We mistakenly thought it wouldn't be a problem. As we checked in for our flight back to Canada my passport was put through the machine. The clerk looked at me gravely  while informing me that I had a fine to pay. I calmly replied that I was aware of the fine and I wanted to pay it now. She said that, because I was a day late, I was not allowed to pay at the airport. Now I must pay the fine at the police station in Taoyuan.  It was almost midnight; so clearly  this wouldn't be happening until morning.  Then she marched me  into the immigration office where men in black suits scared the liver out of me while they decided I was no threat to the country. Ivan immediately called Air Canada. Fortunately, they were able to change our tickets for a departure two days later (flights only left for Canada every second day). However, this little painting of Ivan on the telephone is one I did the next day when the folks at the police station said that they needed a fax from Air Canada confirming our new departure date. Air Canada informed Ivan that they cannot send international faxes. Ivan kicked the cement wall in pure frustration before both pleading and demanding that they break their rules because if the police station didn't get the fax then we couldn't leave the country!!

"Ivan Paying the Fine at the Post Office in Taoyuan" (right) The entire next day was spent at police station doing  paper work with little forays out to telephone Air Canada and to pay the fine at the post office. And, of course, returning with the receipt that proved we had successfully accomplished this task. At one point they said we had to go back to Hsinchu and pay it there.  It seemed that each employee had a different opinion regarding how to deal with our situation. And, along with us, there were dozens of other people  in line hoping to have their particular problems successfully resolved before the end of the day. We had to call Air Canada (as I mentioned at the beginning) but where do we call from? In desperation we ended up asking a total stranger at the Taoyuan Cultural Centre for help. She kindly took us to a public telephone and found us the correct overseas phonecard to buy. When you don't speak Chinese it is almost impossible to do certain things by yourself and we were enormously grateful for her assistance. I felt she was no less than an angel. We were the very last people in the police station that evening; that's how long it took for everything to be sorted out. And, even at the final moment, just when the last papers were to be stamped, someone came along to say that the correct process had not been followed. As proof there is a God, the woman who had seen us through much of the day put an immediate stop to the idea of starting all over again!!! When we left the police station we were positively euphoric with relief!! No jail! We had permission to leave! Hurray! All that remained to be done was to find a meal that evening that didn't feature chicken blood and then get to the airport the next day.

"Pandas Waking Up" (left) After spending the next eight months in Canada  we left for China. We were there for one month before returning to Taiwan. Just before our departure we went to the Panda Sanctuary near Chengdu. This is the  letter I wrote to Kate (my grandmother) describing the day: Dear Kate; It's 11:00am and we just returned from an adventure that started at 5:30am this morning when the alarm went off. I had only slept for about 2 and 1/2 hours so I wasn't at all raring to go...I needed convincing from Ivan that this trip was really worth doing. He said, "I think we should go. When will you ever get the chance to do drawings of pandas if you don't do it today?" True, very true..... So, by 6:30 am, in the pitch darkness and the drizzling rain, we met up with 4 other people (who were also determined to do the trip although we all looked as though we'd rather still be sleeping cozily). There at the front gates of the school compound awaited us two rogue taxis (men with cars but without cab licenses).Off we zoomed....and I didn't pick that word lightly!!! Our drivers sped along at a frightening speed, under shadowy overpasses, past ghostly apartment buildings, past the legions of gardeners who tend the flowers, trees, and shrubs along the sides of the expressways. Only the panda seekers and the gardeners are out before sunrise...oh, yeah, there was a smattering of other vehicles on the move, too....including three motorcycles travelling in tandum each with a dead pig slung across behind on the passenger's seat, driving through the rain. And, they were very large dead pigs (just so you can get a good "visual" on this!)

"Young Panda" (right) After about an hour we arrived at the gates of the panda park, sanctuary, and breeding facility. I think it's the biggest one in the world, which makes sense since pandas are native to this area. The sky showed only a hint of daylight as we bought our tickets and entered the forest. Soon Ivan and I struck out on our own and were  awed to find ourselves walking along paths with bamboo growing on each side, leaning inwards to create long covered walkways of pure wonder. We were all alone with the black shadows and glistening bamboo leaves, walking through rain and mist. This was so glorious that I already felt it was well worth getting up so early even if we didn't get to see pandas at all. We approached a clearing in which there were orange streaks in the almost darkness. I was very puzzled. What was this that I was looking at? As my eyes strained to make sense, I finally understood that I was looking  at orange carp, suspended in the waters of the pond and as still as the morning. Their bodies looked like streaking comets caught in time.  Winding paths and stone steps took us to panda enclosures. Each enclosure contained elaborate multi-leveled "tree house" platforms made from wooden poles lashed together with rope. Our first panda sighting was of a sleeping adult...all tucked in with it's forehead resting on the same surface as it's body...it looked like a giant furry egg! Then we saw others slumbering (Lord, we got there so early even the pandas were still sleeping!). I've seen pandas in photos, of course, but nothing can prepare you for seeing them in real life.

"Pandas in the Morning" (left) We went to the adolescent panda enclosure where things were livening up. We saw a panda scratching it's back vigorously on a pole while another was yawning before returning to snoozeland.  Close by a panda was intent on pushing another one off the platform, much to Ivan's horror. I thought Ivan would scale the fence and jump the moat just to save the panda  from falling. But, he needn't have worried because a third panda joined the fray and nipped the pushy panda inside the thigh!! That settled everything down right away! Really it was all in fun.  They are rollypolly, flexible, and strong all rolled into one. Suddenly, far from being alone in the park, hoards of people seemed to instantly descend upon us as we peacefully watched the young pandas. Why? Because obviously each and every one of them knew the precise minute of their scheduled feeding time. We put this together when a keeper came up with a wheelbarrow of fresh bamboo...breakfast time!!  And, when the pandas started eating we knew why they were the star attraction! Four of them sat in a row with their backs against a low wall, feet out infront, munching on bamboo like they were celery sticks. The tough ends (that weren't succulent) they just dropped on their bellies and reached over with their agile paws (are we sure they don't have thumbs?) to grab another piece. Some had one in each hand as not to waste a second. It was unbeliebably cute and endearing, with their dear little faces all in bliss. "The Hoards" were from all over the world and although the signs said the pandas needed quiet, they were mostly a yappy bunch. But, at least their interest was pandas and not bullfighting (for instance)...well, maybe the piratey Russians would like to watch bullfighting given the......

"Sisters and Brothers" (right) ...opportunity, but the majority  looked as though gentler pursuits were their cup of tea. Speaking of tea... a man from Britian (wearing a hat that was an umbrella) told me that his wife has a collection of 90 panda bears. I said, "Wow! then she must be very happy to be here today!" The pandas appear to be exceptionally good natured, innocent and full of fun. Well, they must be because for the price of a barrel of gold you can stand beside one and have your picture taken. They aren't offering that service at the Grizzly Sanctuary, are they now? We also visited the pandas nursery that you can view through a large window. A woman was cleaning the wooden crib/playpen when we were there so we only saw the tops of the two little cubs sleeping in a temporary holding box. They looked like black and white cotton balls. Before this visit to the sanctuary I didn't give pandas much thought one way or another...but, now that I've seen them in real life I think they are enchanting and I'd say to anyone that it's worth the effort to go see them if you have the chance. But, what in the world isn't worth seeing when you think about it?

"Bamboo Breakfast" (left) I'm really glad we had the chance to see the pandas waking up and moving around in the serenity of the early morning (it was like having the whole park to ourselves for some precious priceless time) before the stampeding infidels roared onto the scene! We also saw red pandas which I only vaguely remembered existed.  Red pandas are endangered mostly by lack of habitat but, also for their pelts. They are also captured for pets. I can see why you'd want to take one home. They look like a cat, fox, and bear all combined into one animal that looked like it walked out of a Dr. Suess book! They are about as big as a medium sized dog with a long body and a long striped tail. They are reddish brown with black bellies, white ears, white stripes over their eyes and two more alongside their white muzzles. I didn't get as many drawings of them as I would have wished because by the time we got to their enclosure (at 9:30 am) they were already flinging themselves into the 'Y's of trees to sleep all day. They were too high up and obscured by leaves to get more than one drawing of this peculiar sleeping habit...as floppy as the cat that Linus's sister carries around in Charlie Brown!

"Red Pandas" (right) One red panda was still snooping around the fence, close to where there was some bamboo destined for them at some point in the day. This little girl or fella clearly thought that now would be a good time.... why postpone joy and all that? No keeper was in sight so Ivan, with stealth and nonchalance, broke off a piece. Just as he was about to make the panda's dream come true, I saw a keeper coming and whispered urgently, "No! Don't do it! You'll probably go to jail if they see you!" I must have been having a premonition of what was going to happen the next day. Well, you know by the email that we arrived in Taiwan safely...but, I'll tell you, it was touch and go there for awhile as Ivan........

"Spiderweb and Red Panda" (left) .......called up a Chinese colleague on his cell so she could explain to the guards at the school that YES we are leaving legally (meaning we signed documents at the school.....

"Water Lilies" (right) ......and the school had informed  the police of our departure). Somehow the guards had not been informed of this or the one guard who knew had fallen into a coma before sharing this important news with his gateguarding comrades. One teacher had recently left "illegally", screaming his head off at the gate, "Let me out!". They eventually did release him but, he can't leave China until he signs papers with the police. God knows where he is now. Even with all our papers signed Ivan still had to yell at those poor guards (boys and girls who all looked to be about 12 years old  and have far too much responsibility). They didn't want to catch flack from their superiors and we were desperate to catch our flight that night. All this happened in a torrential rainstorm. The van Ivan had carefully arranged to pick us up did not show at all! Ivan called his colleague, Uki, and she kindly called 2 friends who had cars for hire and they came for us. Ivan's euphonium box would not fit into either of these very small cars. Ivan finally convinced one of the drivers that it wouldn't hurt his car if we put it on the roof rack. Luckily, we had brought from Canada a roll of that superduper red Tuck Tape because we certainly couldn't find rope so late at night. Ivan, the drivers, Robbie (our neighbour) passed the roll of tape back and forth, around and around, through the open windows around the box until it was secure. It wasn't hard for the drivers to sense that we were nearly having a panic attack about getting to the airport in time so they flew down the highway like bats out of hell (and got lost!). However, we arrived 15 minutes before our international departure and, thanks to more kindness shown to us this night by the airport staff, we were on the plane in time! I can't wait to call you, Kate. Love, Alanna"    (So, this ends my letter to Kate, my dear friend and grandmother) Taiwan Journal Page 4 Journal Page 1   Journal Page 2 Journal Page 3   Journal Page 4 Journal Page 5   Taiwan Page 6