Once again into the deep

Finneus here,

Good day to the readers, and sincere apologies for the delay.

I stand on the brink of a new adventure, spread far in front of me.. an entire year spent in the far eastern island of Taiwan, a tropical paradise inhabited by a wonderful mix of populations.. both indigenous and foreign, and mishmashed together under the auspices of the Republic of China. My understanding of how this came to be is tragically incomplete, though I have been told that this marvel of an island has been owned in (recent) sequence by first the Dutch, second the Japanese, and then most recently China (though debate-ably so).

This is all an aside however.

I arrived September 12'th on an unusually bright and humid morning, underslept and in possession of only my travelling clothes, a couple of books, and barely working knowledge of modern Mandarin only to find that there had been extraordinary mis-management of my checked baggage. As I write to you several days later, my baggage still has yet to fully turn up, though bits and pieces have found their way to me in the intervening days. This is an awful travesty, as my hygiene kit was in my travel bag, and it is an unacceptable scenario for a man to be anything other than neatly groomed and clean shaven.

One should not underestimate the power of a good shave, a trim haircut, and controlled nails. I daresay it behooves a man or lady of good standing to be aware of these things at all times as they are marks of civilized and upstanding nature.

However, undaunted, unshaven, I continue into the busy Metropolis of Taipei city. The city is a hive of crisscrossing alleyways, overhangs, and cement buildings, built over and over with the trappings of modernity lacquered over elderly bones. The humid nature of the weather makes it hard for lasting architecture as even the hardened cement seems unable to withstand the equatorial heat and water. Hundreds of tiny scooters flit like fish around larger cars, buzzing past the rolling sharks as they cruise down main roads, all whizzing past buildings either frighteningly modern or desiccated and reclaimed by jungle ivy.

It is a beautiful sight.. and the city itself is remarkably living, with trees and thick ivy seemingly built into the very fabric of every home and street. Days later I still marvel at it, I may marvel at it till my departure next year. I arrive in the city at a Hostel called the Camel's rest, and set myself about securing my room and setting my items to the dormitory. It is at this point I begin my search for a permanent home.

It is a story punctuated with hardships, though eventually I came to find my current room-mates. A motley band of scholars and adventurers. A dive instructor, who is a fine and boisterous young lady, a gentleman biologist teaching English in this country, and a Fullbright scholar who has taken it upon himself to translate modern Chinese poetry. Together we have descended upon an older apartment situated between National Taiwan University and Shida.

This currently is where I stand in my travels, waiting for classes to begin at University while scouting for adventures to have on this island, there are myriad small issues, but mostly they are inconsequential (with the exception of my damnable bag). There will be more shortly though, I promise.

Best to you all,

Finneus.

A brief introduction

Adventure... the word spins itself with the most grand and enticing feelings. It promises a rollercoaster of fear, excitement, and most importantly purpose. It brings to mind legendary heroes out of storybooks or moving pictures, of characters and historic figures such as Sherlock Holmes, Mowgli, Marco Pollo, Roosevelt, Gandhi, and Qin Shihuang. It dances with lithe strides through the dramas of Greek history and charges screaming across the plain with Genghis Khan and his Golden horde. These figures had purpose unrestrained, their hearts swam with it. Even if they didn't know it.. the very fabric of history wove in great tapestries around them, twisting and bending like some awful serpent... It is in these tangible moments of adventure that we can truly feel history defined. The most glorious and outstanding of these adventurous moments often become the stuff of myth and legend, become the things that define generations afterward. Truly, if we are able to become so outstanding through our stories and histories, then what differentiates us from gods?

Everyone feels its pull. From the lowliest desk clerk or security guard, to the high vaulted offices at the top of wall street. Everyone wants a piece of history.. In our hearts we want to know what it feels like to yell with abandon reserved for Bacchantes, plant a flag at the farthest reaches of the earth, or even ride a ship to where the waves drop off into a great nothingness supported by a few enlightened elephants. As schoolchildren we dreamed daily of such adventures, tickled and titillated by tales read both in novel and in funnybook format. The truth we eventually come across though.. is that we, as normal people, lack the grandiose means of achieving such fabulous and weird forays into the mythical world that is (often) at best fictionalized.. At this realization we find ourselves at the beginning of a path down a dangerously normal road, a road which often brings us the comforts of a good house, a working automobile, and a retirement package.... it is a pleasant road, and one that will be tread with friends and family. If the price we pay for a moderately happy life is but to soundlessly close our eyes and sleep our days away then so be it.... adventure makes the world unpredictable, a solid breakfast every day does sound enticing indeed....

....but what if?.....

What if you could have those adventures? What if you could glide across the ocean under the billowing sails of an old ship? what if you could hike into the South American desert on a llama train and excavate the history of the aztec people, what if you could rocket yourself into the depths of the farthest reaches of Asia in search of immortality itself? To trace the path of Alexander the great through Persia in an attempt to understand his plan, then ride a camel gallivanting across the dunes to where the Egyptian desert meets the sun.

A little secret... You can.

My name is Finneus Hatt, and these are the strange stories of myself and my companions. The adventures of men and women brave enough to open their eyes... and see something strange.

welcome.

-Finn