“The Elephant Travels” is where I share stupid stories from my travel journals while living abroad. I edit out anything extremely graphic or illegal, but most of it’s intact. Just a word of caution: there’s a lot of swearing. Try not to take me too seriously. Oh, and why the “elephant” travels? Because it’s hard to travel with an elephant in the room.
Hopeless romantic or not, I think most people would like something romantically badass to happen at an iconic place. It’s like a movie: it starts with a guy traveling to the top of the Eiffel Tower and, across the crowded deck, he lays eyes on the most beautiful girl in the world.
They lock eyes, smile, and walk towards each other and the world stops while music starts playing. Soon, they fall madly in love and share a kiss. They then live happily ever after. The end.
But those things never really happen in real life, right?
On a cloudy, mid-November afternoon, I stood in the crowded lobby of the Taipei 101 waiting for one of the world’s fastest elevators to propel me over a thousand feet in the sky. But the truth was I only went to the Taipei 101 that day because I was going to the observation deck as a VIP.
A few nights before, I waited for a bus at the NTU Hospital Station when I saw a cute girl nearby and started a conversation. Her name was Mei Lin and she also spoke English and Japanese. (Not a bad combination.)
“What do you do?” I asked.
“Oh, I work at the Taipei 101,” she said.
“Oh really? That’s pretty cool. What’s that like?”
“Busy, haha! I work from 7am to 10pm everyday.”
“Every day??”
“Yeah.”
“Wow, that’s nuts. I’ve been here for two months now, but I’ve never been to the Taipei 101. Ha, I’d love to go sometime.”
“Yeah? If you ever want to go, just let me know and I can let you in for free.”
“Seriously?”
“Yeah, just call me and tell me when you’re coming.”
We exchanged numbers and, that Saturday, I took her offer and stood in line for the Taipei 101 observation deck. My new friend even left me a note at the lobby as my ticket. She scribbled a few words in Chinese on the side, which — unbeknownst to her — I could read:
Translation?
“My friend is an ABC (American-born Chinese) and only speaks English.”
Hyuck, hyuck, hyuck.
I waited in excitement, admiring the energy of the lobby, and turned to scan the line.
That’s when I saw her.
Standing next to her friend, she rose from the crowd with her gorgeous face, adorable smile, and long, dark hair. On that cool, autumn afternoon, she wore a white-and-black striped shirt that delicately hung on her body and revealed her curvaceous features. She entranced me with her curious blend of sweetness and beauty.
One way or another, I thought, I’m going to talk to her.
Minutes later, I walked into the observation deck and exploded with enjoyment. I felt like I could touch the horizon. Starring from the windows and overlooking the maze below, I gazed at the hard concrete and steel jungle of Taipei juxtaposed against with the soft, grey clouds and orange glow from the sun. Looking down, I could feel its hum, its electricity, and its magic.
I don’t know why, but scenes like these always fill me with joy and tranquility. Maybe it’s because I’m “above it all” or maybe it’s because I can reflect. Touring the open floor, I found a nice place to stand in silence for a few minutes and enjoy the swirl of activity around me.
Sure enough, she was there.
I slowly walked towards her and her friend and, with no other opener in mind, I asked them in Chinese if they could take a picture of me. They politely obliged and the conversation flowed effortlessly. It turns out they were two friends from China who studied at a local university. The name of the girl I liked was Zhi Ying and, though they both spoke English fairly well, we stuck to Mandarin.
From that moment, the three of us hung together like long-lost friends. We laughed, joked, made fools of ourselves, and explored every corner of that building together for hours.
The more we talked, however, the more Zhi Ying and I started liking each other. Then, when her friend went to the restroom, I felt my heart racing. I knew what I had to do. I asked her out and, thankfully, she never hesitated.
“Sure,” she said with a smile.
I met her the very next night at the Taipei City Hall subway station. She looked amazing, of course. We smiled and held hands as we walked with the flow of people through the beautiful buildings around Bellavita. Then, we grabbed dinner and pretty much continued where we left off.
After dinner, we walked around for a few minutes in the evening shadows of the Taipei 101 and found an empty bench. On that cool, crisp autumn night, the two of us sat there and chatted for over an hour. She told me everything.
For example, I remembered she loved taking extremely long showers. How long? Almost an hour! Hell, she had to take breaks from her shower just to reset the bathroom-light timer. I loved it. (I find quirkiness sexy and I couldn’t help but imagine joining her during one of those marathon showers.) She also said she was extremely ticklish, which of course, I had to test myself.
We shared a kiss underneath the Taipei 101 that night. She had a cherry necklace that I sampled. It seemed like the perfect way to end a first date.
“Wait,” she interrupted. “There’s something I need to tell you…”
Oh no.
“…I have a boyfriend.”
Needless to say, that was the end of our saga. (There’s nothing like being cockblocked by a guy who lives in a country that’s partially at war with the one you’re living in.) A few days later, she messaged me to apologize, but it made no difference — I understood the situation and conceded defeat. Yet despite how it ended, there’s still one comforting fact that no one could ever change:
Whenever either of us gazes up at the tallest building in Taiwan, we’ll always remember our first visit — that grey November afternoon where we met and believed in love at first sight; that magical time where we shared a few wonderful, romantic, and unforgettable hours above the beautiful city, having the time of our lives.
We’ll always remember that day when the two of us were on top of the world.
Together.
Enjoyed this article? Check out all the “Elephant Travels” articles!
My First Week In Taiwan, A Romantic Disaster
Finding Happiness By Sleeping Alongside The Homeless in Hong Kong
Clubbing in Taipiei — How I Taught Taiwan The Dougie
[…] The Taipei 101 Story My First Week In Taiwan, A Romantic Disaster Anthony Celebrates New Years In Korea, Wants Cake Clubbing in Taipiei — How I Taught Taiwan The Dougie My Last 72 Hours in South Korea — Sex and Candy […]