Touchdown in Taipei

I've officially begun my trip to Taiwan, after about 17 hours in the air, and two stops - at Chicago's O'Hare International Airport and at Tokyo's Narita. Hints of our increasing globalization, or the "global village" effect, are everywhere, from the sharing of tradition, language, and food at our international airports, to the mere fact that in a span of less than 24 hours, I had visited four different countries, separated by the Pacific Ocean, each with its distinct cultures. Of course, I don't consider a layover at Narita as a visit to Japan, but it's nice to know that the country is just outside a few sets of doors.

Anyways, I'm a bit exhausted from the flight, but I'm even more confused about whether I'm tired or not. I feel that I could stay up for quite a while (well, my computer clock still says 1 p.m. - it's 1 a.m. here), though technically I should be tired? I suppose the effects of jet lag haven't sunk in yet. Perhaps I'll feel it tomorrow. 

The flights themselves were okay. A rather intense crossword (with my own crossword puzzle book) kept me busy enough, along with skimming through Rick's rants, a Taiwan travel book, and a few movies. United Airline's so called Classical Music channel was disappointing though, with essentially only famous [overplayed] pieces that ran on a loop. I think. While I heard Vivaldi's Spring and Autumn on the hour, Beethoven only came on once =(. And it was Fur Elise. Sigh. Oh, and on the topic of what to include on the Classical Music channel, Schubert's "Surprise Symphony" was definitely not a great choice for those trying to sooth themselves to sleep.

But the flight was good. And now I'm in Taipei, checked in, moving into our room, and ready for the program activities tomorrow. Assuming that jet lag won't take over.

Taipei Taoyuan International Airport