I think one of the best experiences you can have is getting lost in a city. I had a vague idea of where I was this weekend in Tainan; however, I wasn’t quite sure how to get to the Confucius Temple or Chihkan Towers while we were wandering through the downtown area.
Whilst strolling through Tainan Park, a group of elderly bad-mitten players waved us over to have tea with them. Why not? I thought. It’s not like we had a super tight schedule. So we sat down for some conversation and Oolong tea.
Only one man spoke a bit of English, so I was able to practice my Chinese conversational skills. Although I spoke very slowly, and despite confusion on both parts, half our conversation took place in Chinese. Communicating (even horribly) in this insane language, where if you use the wrong tone the whole meaning of the word is different, for such a long period of time was a super rewarding experience. Especially in comparison to my previous time spent in Asia where I had to rely on others to interpret and translate. And hey, I couldn’t have done that bad because I successfully got directions to Chinkan Towers.
Corners of the World 