台湾人情 ～Taiwan Hospitality～

“タイワンイテキタヨー。”（台湾人風に）

ってコトで台北に３泊ほどいってきた。なんてったって・・・雨！降り続けて一度も太陽を見なかった。出発前に沖縄くらい暑いっと我が家の台湾研究室からのアドバイスの基、フリースもセーターもおいていったボク。東京くらいの寒さに“雨、雨、フレフレもっとフレ”・・・っとさぶかった。

そんな寒かった台湾にて心温まるストーリーが・・・

雨の中我々は世界一高いという１０１タワーへと向かった。入ってみたらそれは単にデカいショッピングモールだった。台湾にきてまで買い物、しかもフツーに買い物なんてやってらんないとダダをこね一人で傘もささずに出発。タクシーで台北を点々としていたのさぁ。そして、兵隊さんのアクロバット交代を見るためにまたまたタクシィーに乗り込んだんだ。

そのウンちゃんにドラマがあった。目的地に到着し料金を払い外にでたところ、そのウンちゃんも一緒に外に出てトランクを開けた。おっちゃんが取り出したのは・・・傘！そーなのだおっちゃんは俺が傘を持っていないことに気づいて、親切におっちゃんが予備につんでいたのをくれたんだ。しかもそのまま笑顔で消えて行った・・・あの日雨の台湾に一人の日本人の心だけは春を迎えていた。

俺はあの傘とおっちゃんを二度と忘れない・・・まぁその傘はかさばるからおいてきたんだけどねっ。

I went to Taiwan for 3 days. It was a lot of fun with my family but rained whole a lot. It was suppposed to be way hotter than Tokyo but actually got colder cuz of the rain. It was awesome that I didnt bring anything warm cuz I was told that I wouldnt need it.

However in the cold weather, my heart was warmed up.

On Sunday, we went to this tower called 101, which is supposed to be the highest in the world. Well, it was just huge shopping mall so I left by myself to do something Taiwanish. Women like to shop wherever they are. and it doesnt matter what they shop...although they could've simply bought it near their home. It's the act of shopping that's important.

Anyway, so I was riding around Taipei with taxi and got to a memorial for WWII. When I got out, it was still raining and I didnt have an umbrella. Well as I got out, the driver also got out. And then, he popped the trunk and whipped out a umbrella. With a smile, he just handed me the umbrella and drove off. He didnt care that I wont be able to give that back to him. He was foreal nice and made my day.

I'll hopefully always remember that cab driver when I think about Taiwan...although I did leave the umbrella in the hotel because it would've been too much trouble carrying it at airports.