On my long-awaited family trip to Taiwan I was accompanied by my twin brothers Evan and Mason, my father, my stepmother Liz, my precious baby sister Emma, and Super Typhoon Fung Wong, a powerful tropical cyclone that was laying waste to the Philippines as I was boarding my first flight and was set to hit southern Taiwan close to the minute I arrived. Perfect timing, perfect company.

We were traveling to see members of my dad’s side of the family, Aunt Vickie, Uncle Andy, and my 87-year old grandmother whom I learned to call ninai. It had been 15 years since I last saw my ninai, and I had close to no memory of it. We never visited Taiwan when I was younger, something I used to gently hold against my father, but no worries. We’re here now, stepping into a party van with a neon glowing interior and a full-blown karaoke set on our way to our Airbnb in the city. It was dark out, and the drive from Taoyuan to Taipei consisted of city lights, black raindrops decorating the windshield, and a sleeping baby – the karaoke set went untouched.

It rained just about the whole time we were there. Evan, Mason and I donned umbrellas like everyone else and walked around the district surrounding our Airbnb. We were treated beyond friendly from everyone there. We stopped at this one corner stall for breakfast on several mornings, scallion pancakes with egg and sweet soy sauce. The gentleman running the stall spoke decent English and told Evan he was more handsome than our dad. We found a charming cafe and revisited it several times. They served their pour overs with a small glass with ice, something I came to enjoy very much. We shopped for clothing and camera supplies, I got some new jeans and Mason purchased his first mirrorless camera. On it rained.

It was nice to be surrounded by people who’s ages it’s hard to tell. Everybody looked younger, healthier than other places I’ve become accustomed to. In each park around the city, like the one atop Xiangshan (Elephant Mountain), there are dedicated areas for exercise containing bars and benches upon which the elderly of Taipei express their impressive flexibility. Their was a large group of elders making pots of coffee at the summit of Xiangshan with their camp stoves. A couple hung upside down from a pair of parallel bars. Above cooed a Taiwan barbet, a rainbow-colored, Old World relative of the familiar woodpecker. It did not rain on this day.

I visited Daan park as well, a large park in the middle of the city. I walked around the ecological pond and observed birds and insects. There were moorhens and egrets, several species of bulbul, white-eyes, magpie, magpie-robins, treepie, doves, and a kingfisher. Butterflies adorned the flowers. There were many people yet it was quiet and peaceful.

We visited the natural history museum which I enjoyed very much. We visited a bustling shopping district which I enjoyed very much. We visited my family’s office, a large storage facility for some of my late-grandfather’s collections.

Vast, deep collections of East Asian artifacts - tea sets, sculpture, weaponry, jewelry, religious totems. Accumulating these rare and valuable artifacts was his life’s work, which led him to countless honors and respect as a collector (and debt, according to ninai). He published many books of his collections, one of which I have burned in my memory from when I was young. It was in the “living room” which was the room we never really spent any time in of course, on the coffee table. A book of my grandfather’s sword, knife, dagger, etc. collection. I remember drooling over the blades when I was young. Their handles and hilts were so intricately carved and jeweled, the blades reflected sharp through the pages. My brothers remembered the same.

I am already very much looking forward to returning to Taiwan. It was a real treat to spend that much time with my dad’s side of the family as we never spent much time doing so growing up. Thank you endlessly Aunt Vickie and Uncle Andy for being such wonderful hosts.

Taipei was an impressive metropolis that felt welcoming. The food was endless and all tasted amazing. The public transportation was fast and cheap. The locals were lovely. Next time however, I’m getting out of the city and into Taiwan’s eastern mountains. I wish to experience the wild areas in all their glory. I wish to witness the southern tip of the island with its reefs and wetlands, to flip leaves for bugs in the forest at night, to watch the sunrise from a mountain peak. Until then I’ll head back to Hawaii to do so here.

Taipei Typhoon

On Film