The Daan Is Dead

Hello again ladies and gents. I'm making a concerted effort to try and do a better job of updating this thing from here on out. So without further ado, here is my 4th installment.

So I think at this point I'm giving up on doing posts detailing my every action and/or emotion while I'm here. Honestly I've had so many new experiences in the mere 6 days since I arrived, it would be impossible to try and organize them all into one coherent blog post. It's hard enough to organize my thoughts while I walk the streets and explore. It would probably be more appropriate, considering all that's happened, to write a memoir about the last week. Surely it would blow even that of Stephen McTowelie's out of the water (here's to the 4 and a half people who actually understood that obscure South Park reference). I could have whole chapters dedicated to the ghetto-ness of the Holo Family Hostel, the awesome location of my new place, the Shida Night Market, making friends with locals, Chiang Kai Shek Memorial Hall, etc. etc.

But instead, I'm going to focus on today and today only. And in particular, I'm going to talk about a friend of mine that I met--Mr. Daan Park.

That's my boy!

Daan Park is amazing---a true treasure in the heart of Taipei City. My roommate Piotr described Daan as "without a doubt, the best park in Taiwan", and even though I've only been here a week, I would doubt he is wrong on this one.

Daan provides the perfect mix of solitude and activity. I went there this morning to go jogging and immediately fell in love with the place (running spot in Taipei: check). The park is so spacious and long that I was able to run non-stop without ever getting bored of the beautiful scenery. I could also tell I wasn't the first one to have the idea of running there. In fact, at times the paths were pretty crowded from all the people who had come there to work out, either to jog like myself or power-walk along the dirt paths. In many ways Daan Park seems to be the exercise epicenter of Taipei. In addition to those doing simple cardio, I witnessed many people playing soccer, shooting hoops, doing Tai Chi, and playing croquet. Even the playground at the park is surrounded by little workout areas where people can do pull-ups, crunches, sit-ups, etc. (so much for joining a gym in Taipei).

Serenity..Larry Lovaglia, you'd be in heaven

But on the other hand, Daan Park is a great way to escape the hustle and bustle of city life. After my morning run, I actually came back to the park, with camera in hand, to try and capture/experience the serenity of the place (see: Facebook album "A Day In Taipei"). It was hard to imagine this was the same park in which I had run that same morning, blasting Eminem on my Ipod as I sprinted along. This visit was a far different experience--I was able to experience a different Daan Park, one replete with amazing plant life and a beautiful pond. This time, instead of noticing all those exercising and staying active, I focused on the people meditating, reading, writing (like I was), or just taking in the beauty of their surroundings. I mean Daan Park is no Walden Pond, but it definitely provides an escape nevertheless. The depth of the park allows you to take shelter from the craziness of street life and collect your thoughts. And the many trees the park has provide a respite from the Taipei heat (which has been dehydrating me like crazy so far).

It's this balance that sold me on Daan Park. I now know I can go there in the morning for an angry run (only angry because I'd put off exercising in Taiwan until just now), and still come back there later in the day, occupy a bench, and enjoy some peace, silence, and shade. It's like the exercise/activity side of Daan Park is the Yin to the peaceful/serene side's Yang. A perfect balance...A perfect day.