Tea Time

Today, after class got out at noon, I was feeling like I still wasn't "up", so I decided to take a walk to the zoo, and from there catch my bus. It's been raining a lot in Taipei recently, and fortunately last week, I bought a brand new umbrella at 7-11. I walked down the hill through campus, and onto the road leading to the zoo.

It was good to get a little exercise and breathe. Part of the walk is lined with lots of green plants, and I was hoping they would feed me with some extra oxygen, which I apparently needed, so I took extra large breaths when I walked past them.

The street where the zoo is located was lined with bus after bus, each one parked, with some drivers outside talking in Taiwanese every few buses. "請問,為什麼今天車子那麼多?"; "Why are there so many buses?" I asked. There were like twelve luxury tour buses. He looked at me for a second and said "帶小朋友來"; "To bring all the kids," and pointed to the zoo.

As I approached the zoo, and my bus stop, I see a little girl walking next to her mother in her little plastic raincoat, talking, and I notice they walk past the public trash cans where there's a man picking through the trash. He is a short, skinny Taiwanese guy, with dark skin and a thin mustache, probably in his forties.

He is listening to the kid's words, which are of course not directed to him but at her mother, and he responds. Her mother doesn't mind, probably because they'll be far away from him in about ten seconds.

As I walk past the guy, I notice he smells terribly. I guess homeless people in Taiwan smell just like homeless people in the States (except we have a lot more back in the old U.S. of A., folks). He's got a bike with him, and there are about five full plastic bags hanging from it.

As I wait for the bus, I sometimes look in his direction. He is still picking through the trash. I wonder about him. Where does he live? Does he have any hobbies?

Everyone has a story, you know.

Then I notice he finds an almost full cup of milk tea in the trash, and he pulls out a large plastic water bottle from one of his bags. I watch as he pours intently. It looks like he is pleased, and that later, he'll have himself a relaxing tea break.

He packs the beverage in one of his bags, inspects another trash can quickly, gets on his bike, and pedals away.