When I was young...

It was the country of motorcycle exhaust, humid days, and sketchy arcades (yes, just like the one from Lost In Translation!). I used to frequent Taiwan with only my brother, Brother, because my parents had to work and wanted us to spend our vacation with relatives. Every two or three summers, we would board China or Malaysia Airlines to visit our Mom's side of the family and stay with them for a few months, experiencing the life of a true Asian, surrounded by other Asians. In America, you don't really get that feeling (unless you go to UCI, of course).

Oh, how I miss the smelly tofu, boiled barbecued chicken hearts and fried pig blood sold on every street corner of the bustling city of Taipei. But that one time with the corn and chicken crepe was not a particularly pleasant experience. Can a crepe give you a migraine? I choose to block out that singular unenjoyable memory when dwelling upon my whimsical days in Taiwan.

I long to ride on the back of a small Vespa once again, the warm night air not really rippling through my hair because I'm wearing a helmet, but gently creating resistance against the hard plastic. I hold onto my cousin's waist as we zoom to the nearest night market to pick up some noodles for dinner. Open air is all around with nothing to protect us from an unfortunate skidding crash. Fortunately, Winnie knows how to handle the two-wheeled monster. Taxis and other motorcycles flank our front, back and sides at red lights. I watch scores of pedestrians cross at every intersection, the number never dying down until the early a.m.'s.

Now, I forget how many stories are in my eldest uncle's place. It was more than five but less than eight. He owned that whole building! Since I live in a crappy American economy where buying a house is near impossible unless you're stinkin' rich, I still don't understand how he affords it. I remember running up to the highest story just to see if I would feel taller. Nothing changed. The perpetual stairs eventually led my brother, cousins and I to the very top floor where we would watch Popeye in Chinese and "All's Fair at the Fair"-esque animations. There used to be a small cockroach infestation on the first floor where the minibar was, but that didn't really bother us. I remember sitting there with Brother, Lynn and Crystal. We would imitate jovial alcoholics by knocking back, one by one, cups of Super Supau, sarsaparilla and apple soda.

What I miss the most is family. I was always closer to my mom's side than my dad's, although Joseph was an exception. My mom's side has no sons. There's Angela, Winnie, Lynn, Crystal, Josephine, and now, Joyce. I recall spending New Year's in the back room of Xinmundin (my grandma's apartment) with Brother, Lynn and Crystal. We watched the live coverage of the countdown and taped ourselves experiencing the arrival of a new year. We screamed aimlessly for at least 10 seconds when 2005 hit.

I haven't been to Taiwan in four years, but it feels like a decade.