Tag: traveling

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Travelogue: Asheville, North Carolina Pt 2

Hot as blazes

The next morning, we met up with alla Sara’s relatives for brunch.

And then hung out with them for some swimming, day drinking, and chips.

Nice buncha folks.

Forgot to take pics so here’s what I had for brekkie instead.

That night was the wedding, which was HOT.

Me: Holy cow, it’s 6PM and feels like 2PM.
Her: The sun sets later down south, Logan.
Me: I’m seeing this.

It was on the roof of the brewery from the previous entry.

Gorgeous day and view but hot as blazes.

I stayed indoors for as long as I possibly could.

I had originally brought a vested suit and dress shirt to wear but I heard someone say that shorts were allowed so I quickly pivoted.

Sara, unfortunately, could not as she was one of the bridesmaids.

I thought she looked great, though.
Poor Sara had to be in the 95+ degree sun for over an hour for the ceremony and pics.

The actual ceremony was pretty quick, which is good because everyone – myself included was melting.

I actually bought this tiny little fan that I kept on me the whole time; at least half-a-dozen people commented on that.

Him: That is genius.
Me: Yeah, I got it as soon as I heard it was an outdoor wedding in July.
Him: I should have done that.
Me: I don’t do well in the heat.

I like things that are clever and there were two rather clever ideas that the bride and groom had regarding the table seating.

The first was that the groom is a tenured librarian so there were two Dewey Decimal System drawers with actual cards on them that our assigned dinner tables.

The second had to do with how they met; they’re both avid rock concert goers and met at a concert.

So, the wedding was music themed with every table having an album (I guess they really are making a comeback) name.

Sara and I were assigned the Fleetwood Mac Rumors table.

I couldn’t wait to get in the air-conditioned main hall – and start shoveling some North Carolina BBQ down my piehole – so, as soon as the ceremony was done, off we went.

After a buncha speeches, we got to the eating, which was excellent.

Me: When do you think we can go up for seconds?
Him: I think you gotta wait until all the tables have gone already.
Me: Fiiine. (later) Do you think it’s ok to get thirds?
Someone else: Go for it, people are going for dessert.

On that note, even the cake – cupcakes, really – were music themed.

Obvs, they are Grateful Dead fans…

They seriously felt like they were meant for each other.

Her: I love weddings! I love love!
Me: (laughing) I can tell. (thinking) It’s good. Waiting for the right things in your life.
Her: It took me a really long time to figure out what I did and didn’t like. I mean, half the time I still don’t know what I like.
Me: Well, you know you like old Chinese men.
Her: (laughs) Yes, I do.

Location: back at home, eating dinner number three
Mood: still hungry
Music: I’ll tell you ’bout the time when I first met you, listen to our favorite song (Spotify)
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Travelogue: Asheville, North Carolina Pt 1

Plus a trip to the Biltmore Estate

Her: So, I was thinking. If someone wanted to rob a bank, why not give ice cream to everyone as a distraction beforehand?
Me: Maybe you should just stick to being a teacher.
Her: You don’t think it would work?

Sara had a cousin getting married in Asheville, so the plan was to head down, spend a few days in Asheville, and then head back home on Saturday night.

Unfortunately, something came up where I had to be back by Thursday afternoon, so I had to cut my trip short.

Sara was super bummed but understood.

But, lemme back up a bit to the beginning.

This time, we decided to fly so we headed out to the airport and it ended up being a super-fast 90-minute trip or so.

FAR better than the 12+ hours it took us the last time we headed down.

But not without some hiccups.

Him: Unfortunately, we don’t have a car for you.
Me: I think Avis and I differ greatly on what the word “reservation” means.
Him: (clicking on computer) Sorry but…wait, you booked a car…four months ago?
Me: Yes, although that seems have been a waste of everyone’s time.

We ended up having to wait 40 minutes for a car to show up, which was super annoying, but we were just happy to get onto the road.

Since we were all starving, we hit up a cute little southern restaurant along the way.

It was good but not great.

Her: That was disappointing – I’ve never had that much black pepper in fried chicken or mashed potatoes before.
Me: Yeah, but it’s just as well, otherwise, we’d have eaten the whole thing.

Sara needed to get shoes for the wedding and there was a Belk along the way, so she went there while her kid and I camped out at the Barnes and Noble.

It was ginormous.

Me: Whoa! I’ve not seen records for sale in decades.
Her: Really? It’s making a comeback.
Me: I truly do not understand the world.

We got to our hotel – finally – and immediately crashed.

The next day, we did what Sara was looking forward to for months – a tour of the Biltmore estate.

Her: It’s the largest private home in the world!
Me: …yay?

She enjoyed herself but the weather really drained me.

In the main picture of this post, you can tell on my face that I just wanna nap; Sara is the Energizer Bunny.

There were some cool things to see, like an indoor pool…

…bowling alley…

…plus, a cool little operator-run elevator that actually still worked…

…but I’m not sure I would have done the 2.5+ hour tour myself.

We ended up meeting up with her sister and her family for some beers near our hotel.

Me: They have a chopped cheese!
Her Son: YES!
Me: (after getting it) You know, they did a pretty good job here. And it wasn’t 20 bucks and tiny like at the ballpark.

Sara and I ended the night with drinks that she got comped because of her Hilton status.

The next day, everyone slept in and I didn’t do much at all during the day, (a) because it was hot as blazes but also (b) we were all exhausted from all the travel and activities.

I did have my first Firehouse sub, though – she got The Engineer.

Later that night, Sara had her rehearsal dinner at Highland Brewing – which is actually Asian owned!

I’m not really a beer drinker but they had kombucha and their air conditioning was on point.

After she finished up, we went to the bride and groom’s AirBnB for an informal pizza party on the top of a mountain.

Woman: Hi, my friend says that he recognizes you from YouTube.
Me: That’s cool! Why didn’t he say something himself?
Her: Oh, he didn’t want to bother you.
Me: I’m a D-level celeb, it’s never a bother.

All-in-all, it was a pretty fun night, and everyone was super chill.

I musta eaten my body weight in pizza.

But this entry’s getting super long so I’ll wrap up the trip tomorrow.

Location: back at home, melting
Mood: so. hot.
Music: I’m just trying to find my way home (Spotify)
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Three trips

Pushing us forward

By the time you read this, I’ll be flying back from a wedding in Asheville, North Carolina.

But lemme back up a bit and tell you where I’ve been lately.

The kid had his last day of school the other day.

Me: When you walk out these doors, you’re never coming back here as an elementary student again.
Him: I’ll be in middle school! (walks out the door and stops) I’ll never be here again as a student? (looks sad) I’m not ready.
Me: (gently) We never are. But that’s how life is; it pushes you forward even if you’re not ready to be.

He was pretty emotional for a bit, but then I reminded him that we had to catch a train to see his grandmother.

So, off we went.

Unfortunately, all of the tunnels were dark when we arrived.

Entering into the dark train, the conductor said that none of the tunnels had power due to an issue with Amtrak.

They were hoping to fix the issue. But at least half the car already left, like the lady above.

Me: (after 20 minutes) I think we should go.
Him: Can we wait until 3PM?
Me: Fine. (at 3PM, another 10 minutes later) I don’t think this is happening, kid. Let’s try again tonight.
Him: Just five more minutes. PLEASE?!
Me: (sighing) OK, five more. And then we go.

Literally two minutes later, the AC and lights came back on.

Him: SEE?!
Me: (laughing) I’m happy to be wrong here. We’re off to see grandma!
Him: Yay!

We arrived in NJ where I had dinner with Alison’s parents and caught up with them.

After a few hours, I took the train back.

Me: Do you have a painkiller? My jaw’s been killing me for the past few days. Can barely chew.
Him: What happened?
Me: I’m not sure. Maybe I got an ear infection?

Got home and crashed.

Sara: You should go to urgent care and get that checked out.
Me: Yeah, if I have an ear infection, the plane ride will be hell.

So, bright and early the next day, I went to urgent care.

The doc said that, while I didn’t have an infection, I did have some earwax buildup, which he irrigated out – it feels awesome if you’re never done it before.

Him: But I don’t see an infection. (thinking) Are you sure you don’t remember getting injured in your face?
Me: (thinking) Shoot, now that you mention it, I remember that I got a nasty face-crack on my face a few days ago. He was definitely trying to crack my jaw.
Him: What?! Does that happen a lot?
Me: (shrugging) More than you might expect.

By the next morning, I was ready for my flight.

Sara was going to see her family for an annual visit AND her cousin was getting married.

I’ll tell you all about it in the next entry.

Location: AVL, realizing that I’m at the wrong gate
Mood: antsy
Music: feels like summer (Spotify)
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Travelogue: Canada Pt 3 – Red nights, Second Brekkies, and Home

Guess I live here now

The next day, Sara had arranged a full day to celebrate both of our birthdays since it was kinda the midway point between both of ours.

To this end, we started off with a brunch with bottomless cocktails at the steakhouse on the ship.

She even booked the nicest table at the rear overlooking the ocean – the view was gorgeous.

The view of the water was nice too.

I may have had a bit too much to drink.

Me: I almost dropped my room key into the urinal. BUT, my lightning fast 52-year-old reflexes caught it!
Her: (rolls eyes) You’re like a week from 53. Can you imagine the conversation with the ship staff if you didn’t catch it?
Me: If I didn’t catch it, I wasn’t gonna fish it out. I’d just be, “Welp, I guess I live here now.”

We had such a good meal that we ended up going back there again for dinner where I had lamb chops, a filet, flank steak, and a ton of sides.

This is the before shot.

This was the after.

Her: I can’t believe you ate all that.
Me: OMG, that was a lot even for me.

We had to walk it off so we went around the ship checking out various events and such.

Later on that night was Virgin’s Red Night, which is their big shindig and the entire ship is in red.

Sara even got her face done by some people on the ship.

It was a pretty fun night with copious amounts of alcohol.

The next day, the weather was finally warm(ish) enough for us to kinda go out onto the balcony…

…and do some general stupid human tricks.

But it was also cold enough that we were pretty much the only people dumb enough to be outside at all.

This is us on The Net, which is essentially netting a few stories over the water – it woulda been super cool in the Caribbean.

We are freezing in the video below.

That night, we had our final dinner on the ship, which was at their Mexican restaurant…

…and Sara had ordered another meal with unlimited drinks.

Sara: (to waitress) But no mezcal.
Me: Or tequila.
Sara: Definitely not. Just put in rum instead.
Waitress: OK, not a problem!

We ate until I couldn’t move.

But Sara had one last surprise, which was a cake for the two of us.

The next morning, we got up and I had my last first brekkie of salmon and avocados…

…and my last second brekkie of an acai bowl.

After that, our trip to Bermuda Canada was done.

Me: OK, so it wasn’t a Caribbean vacation, but it was still nice and the ship was gorgeous.
Her: True. And I think it’s the best food I’ve ever had on a ship.
Me: Agreed – and we had each other, so that made it great and I had a good time.
Her: (laughing) OK.

Location: yesterday, all over Queens and Brooklyn – Woodhaven, Ozone Park, Ridgewood, Brooklyn Manor, Cypress Hills, etc.
Mood: busy, busy, bzzz, bzzz, bzzz
Music: lost within the darkness, but then I found her (Spotify)
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Travelogue: Canada Pt 2 – Brunswick, Birds, & Benedict Arnold

Not Bermuda

Thanks for alla the birthday wishes!

Now, where were we…

The next morning, after my usual brekkie of all the salmon and avocados I could acquire on the ship…

…we got up to check out Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada.

Her: Maybe it won’t be so bad.
Me: Here’s hoping.

Nope. It was pretty terrible.

Sara’s face really says it all.

This is her doing her level best to be positive on a trolley tour, which was only so interesting.

OK, maybe terrible is too strong a word for it, but it wasn’t great.

It was pretty…meh.

No fault to St. Johns, per se; life only makes sense with relativism.

After all, no one understands hunger unless they’ve been fed, no one understands wealth unless they’ve been poor, etc.

Here, we were planning on heading to beautiful and warm Bermuda and ended up going to somewhat grey and decidedly cold St. Johns.

The trolly tour of the town was about 90 minutes and not terrible but also not anything like a sunny Caribbean beach – at least we learned about what happened to Benedict Arnold after he betrayed the US.

At least it was sunny, albeit cold.

The rapids were supposed to be pretty impressive but the looming paper factory in the distance really killed the view.

I cut it outta the pic above, but you can still kinda see it.

Afterward, we went to the market there – the oldest market in all of Canada, evidently – so Sara could have her first poutine.

That, she enjoyed.

Her: Wait, so poutine is just French fries with gravy and cheese?
Me: Looks that way. (trying it) This is pretty gross and delicious.
Her: Yes.

The market was pretty nice and probably the nicest part about our visit there.

The rest of the town was pretty sparse, like this mostly empty mall which was decidedly creepy.

Me: Although I think this is the same situation back in the states.
Her: Yup. Malls are definitely dying out.

While we were there, we realized that her forever nemesis – birds – were following her.

Waiting.

When we got back to the ship, I was on a carb and cheese kick, so we promptly got a pizza.

Afterward, we went out to check out the outdoors areas of the ship; something we didn’t get a chance to check out at all previously because it was so cold and dark.

Although, it was just as cold except it was bright.

Still, it was nice to essentially have the run of the outdoor areas to ourselves.

We didn’t do much the rest of the night; she went to catch a show by herself while I went to get some reading and writing done.

I did catch part of another show myself and I may have also had a salad, a double burger…

…and an enormous foot long hot dog topped with a Reuben (pastrami, sauerkraut, and Swiss) plus a beer.

My 50s are exciting times, lemme tell ya.

Location: my place with five kids, four adults, six beers, one bottlea rum, one pizza, and 70 dumplings
Mood: grinding
Music: just been at the wrong party (Spotify)
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Travelogue: Canada Pt 1 – PJs, casinos, and molecular gastronomy

Slay the day

Our first day on the ship was pretty uneventful.

We got to our cabin – which was pretty gorgeous – and unpacked.

Even though it was closer to her birthday than mine, Sara surprised me with a bottle of champagne in the room.

Me: OMG, you’re the best!
Her: I’ve got a few more surprises for you as well.
Me: Someone’s getting lucky tonight…
Her: (laughs)

One more really annoying thing was that we were gonna save some money and just have a window insteada a balcony since it was just the two of us, but we decided that, since it was our birthdays, we’d splurge on the balcony.

Well, that was a HUGE waste of money as there was no chance we could be out on it for any meaningful amount of time as it was freezing out there.

Anywho, getting back to our first night, we went to the Korean restaurant on the ship and had a feast.

While there, we crossed under the Verrazzano Bridge, which some non-natives asked if it was the Brooklyn Bridge.

Both Sara and I had been on a significant number of ships already but I gotta say that Virgin probably had the best food either of us had ever had.

But more on that later.

We finished off the night at the nightclub there for a pajama party – where everyone was dressed in PJs.

We were pretty entertained.

As we were walking around…

Him: I know you! Where do I know you?
Sara: Do you watch a lotta YouTube?
Him: Yes?
Me: Do you watch Scenic Fights?
Him: YES! Logan!

It’s wild to meet a fan ON a cruise ship in the middle of the Atlantic.

Not a bad way to start the vacation.

The next day, woke up at six AM and couldn’t fall back asleep, so I decided to hit up the gym.

Because the only other guy there was using the upper body weights, I decided to not skip leg day and focus on that.

When I went back to the cabin Sara was awake, so I brought her a cup of coffee.

We went to get brekkie where I ate my weight in avocados and salmon.

Me: If we’re not gonna go to Bermuda, I’m gonna make back alla our money in food.
Her: Sounds reasonable.
Me: It’s the Chinese way.

After brekkie, we explored the ship for the rest of the day.

We overhead one very sweet couple talk to the staff about how unfortunate it was that we were heading to Canada because they had flown from Canada to head to NYC to sail to Bermuda.

Instead, they flew from Canada to NYC only to sail BACK to Canada, to sail back to NYC, to fly back to Cananda.

Her: They were so nice!
Me: I know! Can you imagine buying plane tickets to Miami, renting a hotel room, boarding a ship, only to sail back to NYC, sail back to Miami, just to fly back to NYC? I woulda lost my mind.

Because Sara is a sucker for a trivia games, we ended up competing in one.

Outta maybe 60 teams, we were part of the four team finalists.

We woulda been the winners but, for the question: “What was the most popular social platform of 2009?”

We choose Facebook insteada MySpace and we had to do the runoff, which had a Wayne Gretzey question as the tiebreaker – we got that question completely wrong.

That was fine, though.

We had a cocktail party to attend…

…before headed to a dinner at their experimental molecular gastronomy restaurant, The Test Kitchen, which Steel woulda loved.

The food was very Wylie Dufresne-esque – both delicious and very, very cool.

We headed back to our cabin fairly early, but Sara wanted to grab a drink.

I figured that, since I’d have to break my intermittent fasting early the next morning, it wouldn’t matter if I had an afterhours drink, so I joined her.

Her: Actually, I want to try going to casino.
Me: Well, I know little to nuthin about gambling but let’s go.

So, that’s what we did.

There were a lotta technical issues – and some personnel ones as well with an extremely rude casino worker – but the casino manager was just great and comped us two drinks, which definitely made things much better.

Me: How much did you put in?
Her: $25? We can’t get it back, so we’ll have to use it all.
Me: OK, let’s go.

She did amazingly well – we ended up making back everything she spent and then some, plus the free drinks.

Me: I don’t want you to think this is how it usually goes.
Her: Beginner’s luck!

So, in our night out on the ship, we ended up making a few bucks.

We went to get some empty carbs to celebrate.

The next day, we were gonna be in Canada.

It wasn’t a sunny beach, but maybe – in light of our time in the casino – our luck was gonna turn?

Narrator: It was not.

Location: urgent care, waiting for an x-ray machine tech to show up
Mood: back-to-the-grind
Music: I’m easy come, easy go, little high, little low (Spotify)
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We’re going where?!

Where the heck is Saint John, New Brunswick?

Her: Oh no!
Me: What?
Her: Did you read the email we got from Virgin? We’re not going to Bermuda!
Me: Wait, what?

Sara turned a milestone birthday this year and, since we both like to cruise, we decided to head to our closest tropical destination to celebrate: Bermuda.

To this end, we booked a trip on the Virgin Valient Lady between our birthdays in April.

We booked it because:

    1. it was easy since the terminal was just 15 mins from our pad and
    2. we were both so familiar with Bermuda that we knew exactly what we wanted to do.

But the first thing that changed on us was that our departure terminal changed from the Upper West Side to Brooklyn, which was annoying but not terrible.

The second change, though, threw us for a loop: Literally two days before we were ready to set sail, we got an email that said that we were heading to freezing CANADA instead of Bermuda.

Due to forecasted weather, it’s become necessary to adjust our itinerary to keep things smooth, safe, and comfortable. Instead of Bermuda, we’ll now be heading to Saint John, New Brunswick.

We know this isn’t what you originally planned, and we really appreciate your flexibility. This change will ensure we avoid rough conditions and take you somewhere a little unexpected, with its own charm, coastline, and character to explore.

Me: We’re going where?!
Her: Saint John, New Brunswick.
Me: Where the heck is Saint John, New Brunswick?
Her: I have no idea, Logan.

We were both pretty annoyed but, looking at the weather forecast, it did show that it was going to rain the entire time we were going to be in Bermuda so there wasn’t much to do but make the best of it.

Now, we had already decided to meet up with a buddy of mine, who’s the CEO of a bank here in NYC, and her sister down in Chinatown right before the trip.

Because of all the changes, we actually had time for lunch insteada just coffee so off we went with luggage in tow.

CEO: Where are you two going?
Me: Hoo-boy, that’s a story. Let’s sit down to lunch and we’ll tell you all about it.

They brought us to a Malaysian restaurant named Curry House as I’d not had that in ages and Sara’s never had it ever.

I’d not seen the two of them since before Alison got sick so were chatted nonstop and time flew by before Sara said we had to run.

With that, we headed down to the pier, where we got there with three minutes to spare for the ferry to the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal.

But…

Her: Shoot, my internet isn’t working!
Me: I’ll go buy paper tickets.
Her: Hurry!

I did, but we missed the ferry by literally 30 seconds.

And those 30 seconds cost us a $35 Uber ride to the Brooklyn pier.

But we made our departure, so we were off…to Canada.

Her: (shaking head) Canada! It’s going to be 27 degrees on Wednesday!
Me: Maybe it’ll be ok.
Her: We’ll see.

Location: back home, which we’re happy about
Mood: rested-ish
Music: Set an open course for the virgin sea cause I’ve got to be free (Spotify)
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Travelogue: Taiwan 2025, pt 4 – Grand Hotel, Shilin, and Home

And then we went home

The next day, we took the bullet train back to Taipei for our last full day in Taiwan.

The Firecracker’s kid is into trains, so we stopped off at a train museum for him first and then headed back to our hotel to crash.

Unfortunately, this was our first dud hotel outta the four we stayed at because they were doing construction on the floor above us.

Me: Welp, I guess we should go check out the Grand Hotel then.

The Grand Hotel Was the one tourist attraction that the Firecracker really wanted to see before we left, so we grabbed a car there.

She was not disappointed.

It’s the showcase hotel of Taiwan, built in 1952 to resemble a Chinese palace and meant to impress foreign dignitaries.

It certainly impressed us.

I’d actually gone to a summer program in the valley below it in my 20s but never went inside myself.

Afterward, we went to the night market that I was most looking forward to seeing, the Shilin Night Market, which is the one that I spent the most time at in my 20s.

In a stroke of good luck and coincidence, my other cousins on my mom’s side just happened to be in town with my aunt.

They’re the kids of my uncle that passed from COVID a few years back in Jersey, so it was doubly good to see everyone.

We met up with them at a bar there and my aunt gave us all red envelopes to celebrate both our being there and our getting married.

Me: That’s so generous of you, thanks so much!
Her: Of course, we’re just glad we can all be here.

We ate pretty much everything in sight.

I ended up having to use the facilities and went into the mall area where a scantily clad woman called out to me in English, “Hi, Mister – are you feeling lucky!?”

I’m fairly confident this was in reference to some carnival games she was hawking.

Firecracker: She said what?!
Me: “Hi, Mister – are you feeling lucky!?” Now the thing is, why would she say that to me in English? Like, you weren’t there, how did she know that I wasn’t Chinese-Chinese?
Her: Did you talk to her?!
Me: I’m not crazy, baby!
Her: Smart man, smart man…

Do have to say, found that interesting throughout the whole trip: People would automatically try to speak English to me, even if the kids and the Firecracker weren’t with me.

I have to think it was how I was dressed?

Never did figure that out.

In any case, after we couldn’t possibly eat anything else, we all went our separate ways; we just hit our hotel and crashed hard.

The next morning, after filling up on brekkie – we made our way to the airport.

It was actually the first time I took the new railway from Taipei to the airport.

It was great because I got to see more parts of Taipei/Taiwan that I’d not seen before.

This pic really does capture the place – so much development, all happening at once, with urbanization creeping into the mountains and natures I’m familiar with.

The trip back was much better than the trip there.

Once again, we stopped off in Korea, but this time, I remembered a lot more of it.

And the kid finally got to see a 3D billboard – something he’d been wanting to see the entire trip.

Everyone managed to fall asleep on the plane ride back.

Everyone but me that is.

Actually, I might’ve as well but I’m not completely sure. My mind gets fuzzy when I travel.

The kid just tossed a sheet over his head and called it a night – he takes after his mom and my dad and can sleep anywhere.

Once we landed in NYC, the Firecracker had to bring her kid to her ex’s, so my kid and I took a cab home.

It was an even C-note to get back to our pad from JFK, which was both surprising and also, not.

Me: Welp, it looks like we’re home. What are you in the mood for?
Him: Pizza?
Me: Done. Welcome back home, kiddo.
Him: Welcome back home, papa. That was fun. But it’s nice to be home.
Me: Yeah, kid. There’s no place like home.

Location: a holiday party, next door
Mood: brrrrrrrrrrrr
Music: my own dreams and the city won’t save me (Spotify)
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Travelogue: Taiwan 2025, pt 1

A Taipei photoshoot

Actually, the driver was even nicer than what I previously wrote in that, before he left, he stuck around to make sure we entered into our AirBnB.

All-in-all, a great way to start our trip.

The hot foods station at a 7-11. No nachos but every single one of the has a bubbling caldron of tea eggs, which are pretty good, I gotta say.

Now, I suppose there are three major things you need to know about Taiwan in general – it:

    • is a nighttime society in many ways and the reason is the same as in Spain, which is that, prior to the advent of air conditioning, it was hot as balls around here. This is something that I didn’t truly realize as a kid.
    • has the second largest concentration of convenience stores after South Korea – this video will explain why.
    • is still a very cash-based society.

These three things shaped how we and tourists in general have to interact with it.

I mean, you can even buy hard liquor at the local 7-11, but that’s neither here nor there.

Didn’t realize how much I didn’t use cash in my day-to-day until I had to use cash pretty much everywhere in Taiwan.

In any case, there was one right across the street so that was the first stop, where I picked up supplies that we needed for the week and then we all crashed.

The next morning, the kid and I woke up bright and early and got food for everyone.

Because this was the second marriage for both the Firecracker and myself, we didn’t really want a big to-do, wedding-wise, but she did want nice photos.

I’m not really one for pomp-and-circumstance but it was a completely reasonable ask so I said yes.

She found an Instagram photographer and I had my reservations, but I did like the photographs she showed me so I agreed.

After months of chatting online with him (and thinking he was a she for a solid month, initially) he showed up at our hotel in the morning with a driver and we spent our first day in Taiwan taking photos with the boys.

Honestly – and I say this after having dozens, if not hundreds of professional photos taken with the Scenic Fights guys – these were some of the best photos of myself (and her) that I’ve ever seen.

This is one of the pics he took. Now, before anyone yells “cultural appropriation,” the red qipao was my idea as it’s a traditional Chinese wedding dress.

To say I was impressed is a colossal understatement.

The other cool thing about the photoshoot was that I got a chance to see parts of Taipei that I never really got to see before.

Another one of his.

We also took the opportunity to take some family photos as well.

The kids were absolute troopers about it, so we promised them a dinner at – what we called – the Poop Restaurant which…well, I’ll let the following video explain.

Honestly, the food wasn’t bad…once you got over how it was served.

The kids were all about it and it was one of the things they were really looking forward to, so it had to be done.

The people there were actually super cool…

Waitress: You ordered two of the shaved ice?
Me: (puzzled) Yes, we have two kids.
Her: (leaning over) Just so you know, four adults generally can’t finish one of those. There’s literally no way either one of those kids will finish one of these.
Me: Oh man, thanks! So, just order the chocolate one?
Her: (nodding) Good idea.

She wasn’t kidding. We had a ton left over.

We ended the first day with a walk through the Ximen district, which was like Times Square, before we headed back.

I’ll post more tomorrow – this jetlag is no joke, and this is a pretty picture heavy post as it is.

All the crappy pics with my watermark on them are mine, all the good ones without watermarks are – of course – our killer photographer’s.

Location: the rainy UWS trying to deal with this jetlag
Mood: off-kilter
Music: Well, a nice day for a white wedding day (Spotify)
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Categories
personal

Travelogue: Korea 2025 and Taiwan 2025 (kinda)

Welcome back, Mr. Lo.

It was still dark when we left our little pad in the UWS, our bellies fulla heart attack sammies.

With my awful back, I was dreading the 16-hour trip but my buddy Ricky suggested that I get this blow-up seat cushion and god did it help; it, plus using my jacket as a lumbar pillow helped tremendously.

I’ve not slept on a plane in 44 years.

Every time I get on one, I think: This time will be it.

I took one-and-a-half pills of Ambien, one pot gummy, two OTC sleep meds and…nuthin. Was awake for the entire 16 hours it took to get Korea.

In fact, I was awake since the morning the Firecracker and I got hitched: 45.5 hours in total.

So, I was feeling dull and vicious when we arrived but that too is a story for another day.

Her: You’re not making any sense!
Me: OK, that happens after 35 hours. (turning to my son) From now on, ignore what I say and listen to her. I’m not thinking straight.

The plane ride was, thankfully, uneventful.

Whenever I travel internationally, I try to have an extended layover; this time, it was in Korea.

I’d never been.

So, after the Firecracker navigated us out – because I was completely nonfunctional – we crashed overnight in a huge hotel room in the boonies where I finally got some sleep after 45.5 hours.

Some, being the operative word here.

Just a rando set of statues we saw in the Uber coming back to the airport.

Right before I left town, I dropped my old German tutor and buddy KG Betty a line and she said she would love to meet up.

So, bright and early on Saturday morning, she picked us up outside the Seoul station and brought us to the Gyeongbokgung Palace, which the Firecracker was dying to see.

We just happened to make the changing of the guard.

The kids were only so interested.

Afterward, we went to try to get noodles at the knife-cut noodle lady’s stall at Gwangjang Market, Seoul from the Netflix series but it was – of course – closed that day.

It was still super cool, and packed for an early Saturday morning.

She brought us to a local joint where we had some authentic Korean food before she gave the Uber driver some clear directions to get us back to the airport in time to head to Taiwan to continue our journey.

But not before giving me a hug and a little gift because she knows me so well.

After the 16-hour flight from NYC to Seoul, the trip from Seoul to Taipei seemed like nuthin.

When we arrived in Taiwan, I walked out of the airport customs area in the Arrivals Hall – something I’d done a dozen times in my youth – I was just overwhelmed with emotions.

It was the smell and sight of the place that took me back to the very first time I’d arrived there as a little kid.

I had a memory – real or imagined, I’m not sure – of my grandmother and youngest uncle, rushing to give my mother a hug.

It felt real.

And there was a little part of me that kept thinking that maybe my grandmother might possibly show up, the fevered dream of sleep-deprived old man.

My son started asking me all of these inane questions and I barked at him.

Not my finest moment (I later apologized).

The Firecracker took him away and left me alone with my thoughts.

I literally stood there for the first time in 25 years and wept.

Thought of all those people I loved and lost and would never see again except in pictures and in my cloudy head.

And I have so many, from the memorable to the mundane, they all mattered to me in one way or another.

Like when my uncle brought me out a night market to have a sizzling plate of steak and the wonderment of all the game and clothes hawkers.

 

So many random memories came at me, one after another.

Everyone was quiet while we waited for our car to arrive and my son was the first to break the silence.

Papa. I’ve never seen you cry before.

It’s funny.

I cry all the time because that grief button’s always being hit.

Suppose I hid it well up until then.

It was just too much to take at that moment, I guess.

I was just slamming that goddamn button.

I couldn’t handle the cacophony in my head.

Too many old ghosts came rushing up to greet me all at once, but after a bit, I realized the car’d arrived, so we all piled in and were on our way.

The driver spoke to me in broken in English and I turned to him and all this Chinese started coming out, as if I were a fat 10-year-old kid again.

Chatted with him the whole ride to the AirBnb.

Me: (in Chinese) I’ve not been here in 25 years.
Cab driver: 25 years! Why so long?
Me: (thinking) Lots of things. Life. I don’t recognize this place anymore.
Him: (nodding) A lot’s changed in 25 years. This place was all empty 25 years ago. The city’s grown, the population’s shrunk.
Me: Shrunk? I would have thought the opposite.
Him: (shaking head) No. (laughs) People are getting married later. They don’t want to have kids.
Me: Yeah, it’s like that in a lotta places.
Him: (tells me more about Taipei and Taiwan in general, I translate for the Firecracker and the kids as best I can) Here we are, Mr. Lo. (exits the car and starts taking the luggage out) It’s NT$1650 but just give me NT$1,600.
Me: What? Why?
Him: It’s 25 years! Welcome back. (smiles, holds out his hand to shake mine) Welcome back, Mr. Lo.

Location: back in rainy NYC
Mood: crazy jetlagged
Music: Memories come rushing up to meet me now (Spotify)
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