I passed through Taiwanese customs with no hindrances, which was a relief because I was still wearing my anti-Chen memorabilia. There were many airport officials and workers who gave me a smile when they noticed what I was wearing, and some even talked to me about it. I cannot wait to return to Taiwan with more time on my hands.

 passed out as soon as I boarded the airplane, but the short flight prevented me from getting much rest. Arriving back on campus, my dormitory was holding a basketball competition in the main atrium. I was able to see all of my friends, and would have been playing in the championship had I not gone to Taiwan. My team lost by two points in the semi-finals, despite being a man-down for the final few minutes. I felt very bad not being there, especially because our team clearly would have won. One of the players, a good friend of mine named Tech, is in Nike magazines for basketball. He is amazing, and fun to watch because he can entertain the crowd so easily. Fortunately, I brought him back some of the best food from Taiwan, and he was more focused on the fun I had there than the basketball game.

There were several other opportunities I missed out on at UST (my university in Hong Kong) while I was in Taiwan: a finance midterm and a massive poster of me modeling for a mentorship program that hung in the center of the atrium. For the midterm, I can do a grade replacement with my final exam, so I am not too worried. It simply means I will have to work harder later.

As for the picture, I had forgotten all about it. Several weeks ago, friends of mine at UST approached me and asked if I would pose for them. Donning a business suit and trying my best not to laugh at how ridiculous I felt, the picture actually came out very well. Little did I know I would return to UST as an (undeservedly) famous person. I cannot help but laugh because it was the second time in as many days that I have been center-stage. Life certainly is unpredictable.

Adding to the day’s excitement, I went to the Hong Kong Musical Hall that evening for a musical performance by the Shanghai Quartet. They performed several pieces by Beethoven, and because the atmosphere was so welcoming, they stayed on to play several other pieces. I heard everything from European neo-classical to Spanish concertos to traditional Chinese pieces – certainly an eclectic variety.

The performance was a great deal of fun, and as always, I met a very interesting person in the process. A Chinese mainlander studying in Hong Kong, the girl is studying to be a dentist (“Because it is secure and stable”), while her parents are working in Cuba to finance her education. Many mainlanders want to study abroad, but the costs are exorbitant by Chinese standards.

I could not resist the temptation to probe into what on earth her parents are doing in Cuba, and eventually she came around to telling me. It has something to do with conducting business because of the cheap labor (fruits and plastics, primarily), and the work is dually sponsored by the Chinese government and Chinese business. I think there is more to it, but she did not seem to know all the details either. Either way, we quickly became very good friends.

Having an American background, largely characterized by an openness and sincerity, has made it very easy to get along with people from around the world. Without pretension or falsity, people who would otherwise be very shy and secretive quickly open up and share all their experiences. I literally cannot keep up with all the people I now know.

I was not able to sleep until after 3am as there was a great deal of writing that had to be done, and I visited many friends to say hello. When I finally hit the pillow, it had been a busy 40 hours with only minimal sleep. Again, it was worth every minute.