Saturday was both Chu-Wan’s mother’s and brother’s birthday. I was surprised when, first thing in the morning, her mother gave me a present. It was rather awkward as I didn’t really understand how to interpret this. The present was a very nice (and expensive) designer belt from Paris. Unfortunately, it was too big and we took it back to the Sogo Department store to exchange it for a smaller one.
What is Sogo, you say? Picture in your mind a 10-story tall Department Store. It’s huge, massive, and Japanese. It contained all sorts of cool Japanese merchandise – exactly the kind of things I had hoped to find.
First, we took the belt back. Chu-wan explained the size problem to sales clerk. She looked at us rather oddly. She put the belt around my waist, popped the buckle off the belt and cut the leather to size with a pair of scissors. Who knew? I’m sure she had a laugh with her friends over that one!
There’s a Kinokuniya book store inside Sogo and I knew I was going to have a good day, if perhaps an expensive one. There was the Ultraman Tiga & Ultraman Dyna book! (Which I bought.) There were Megaranger and other Ultraman books, but they were mostly activity books for children and didn’t interest me much. I was stunned when I saw the Ultraman paper kit. It was a 12 inch tall model of Ultraman to be assembled out of paper. Not square and blocky, but a rounded, real looking model! Incredible!
Next came the toy section. As I peered over the heads of the crowds, there on a TV screen across the floor, was Gingaman, the most recent Japanese Sentai series, playing on a video tape. Next to the screen were 12 inch soft vinyl Guyferd and Deathferd figures. On the other side was a large scale Mechagodzilla. (Somewhere in the junk area they also had the American Godzilla Travesty Toys.)
The video of Gingaman gave way to Ultraman Dyna, but I wasn’t watching. I was staring at the sea of Ultraman figures… all of them. 29 figures in all, less than $5 each at current exchange rates. As I calculated my luggage space I realized there was no chance, then my eye got pulled away by the metal Megaranger figures ($9 each), and then by the sea of Kamen Riders – all 19 of those. Tokusatsu toys as far as the eye could see.
After an hour of so, Chu-Wan dragged me out of the toy section, we left and went to Tower Records Taipei. There I found my next quest: Jackie Chan movie soundtracks! Between Tower and a dozen other CD stores we hit that day I managed to get Soundtracks to Drunken Master II, Supercop, Mr. Nice Guy, Who Am I? and Jackie Chan’s Greatest Movie hits.
For lunch we stopped at Ruby Tuesday’s, another American chain restaurant. The hostess greeted us in English by saying, “Two persons for seating?”
She seemed very relieved when Chu-wan responded in Chinese.
We were taken to our table and given menus. The menus were in English, with Chinese subtitles, as was the décor of the restaurant. I eyed the sirloin steak, but, since I was expecting a large dinner, I opted instead for the steak sandwich. Unfortunately, they didn’t have the steak sandwich.
“Damn”, I thought, “they must not have steak here, either!” So I chose again, this time selecting the cheeseburger.
No luck – no cheeseburgers.
Going back for a third try, I chose the steak pita, fully expecting it not to be available either. To my surprise, it was, and so that was my lunch.
Again the odd taste of the beef was unnerving, but combined with an awful yogurt sauce it was next to inedible. Halfway through my pita, which had the same beef as the steak sandwich would have had, I realized that it wasn’t the steak or burger they didn’t have, it was the buns! I should have gone for the plain steak instead of the sandwich!
After lunch, we passed a store called “Area 51” which was a collectible toy store featuring American and Japanese collectible toys, but it was closed that afternoon.
I wanted to hunt more in the shopping district, but it was time for her mother’s birthday dinner.
Dinner was at a hotel. We had a private room with a large circular table. Chu-Wan’s parents were there, plus Chu-wan’s three friends from the previous Sunday’s excursion, and another Mr. and Mrs. Huang and their daughter. Chu-Wan’s father’s best friend happens to have exactly the same name as her father. Chu-Wan’s brother was not there as he had to work that evening.
The conversation was a bit awkward, only Chu-Wan and I were fluent in English so the conversation tended to be in Chinese all evening. From time to time my hosts or the other guests would try to make conversation in English with me, but it was difficult – not that I couldn’t understand them, but mostly because I wasn’t sure if I could make myself understood.
My biggest surprise was that Chu-wan’s mom apparently didn’t receive presents.
I did.
The family friends, who I had never met or heard of before I walked into the room, walked up as Chu-wan and I entered, introduced themselves, and gave me a present – a very nice porcelain dragon emblem, framed, which now is hanging on the wall of my living room. Chu-wan’s friends also gave me presents. I was totally lost.
Dinner consisted of having food brought out, dish after dish and placed on a huge rotating centerpiece, people pulled items by rotating the center and picking up what they wanted. When one dish was completed, something new was brought in to replace it. This went on for over two hours.
The Chinese love to eat!
There was some pretty good food and I thoroughly enjoyed dinner. Dinner lapsed into conversation in which I would occasionally be asked to comment on my trip so far. Frankly, despite the fact that I was enjoying my trip immensely, I don’t think I gave a very compelling version of my story.
The highlight of the evening was (in my opinion) when I asked Chu-Wan to marry me, and she accepted.
I think everyone else was quite shocked. I may have stepped on some traditional toes by not asking her parents permission first.
After dinner we went to a men’s wear place and had a suit tailored for me, which I picked up Sunday on the way out of town.
Notes from the 21st Century
That night, after I went to bed, Chu-Wan’s parents had a long talk with her about marrying a foreigner.