Taipei's Humidity and My Existential Dread: A Botanist's Ramblings
okay, so. taipei. wow. just…wow. i’m still peeling the damp off my skin, honestly. i just checked and it's clinging to everything like a lovesick gecko - eighty-three percent humidity right now. hope you like that kind of thing. i’m a botanist, right? I should be thrilled by the lushness, the sheer, overwhelming life bursting from every crack in the pavement. and I am, a little. But also? It’s making me question everything.
I came here chasing a rumor, a whisper really, about a specific type of moss growing only in the crevices of old temples. Sphagnum taiwanense, apparently. Sounds fancy, right? Turns out, it’s incredibly elusive. I’ve been wandering around for days, sweating through my field notebook, dodging scooters, and trying not to look like a complete lunatic staring intently at walls.
Speaking of scooters… the traffic here is… an experience. It’s like a beautifully choreographed chaos. I almost got flattened twice. Someone told me that if you just believe you belong, they’ll weave around you. I’m not sure that’s true, but I’m going to try it tomorrow. I’m also considering investing in a helmet with a built-in airbag. Just a thought.
I’ve been staying in this tiny guesthouse near *Ximending. It’s… charmingly cramped. The owner, a lovely woman named Mei-Ling, keeps offering me bubble tea. I’ve accepted, like, seven times now. It’s surprisingly good, even if it does make my teeth feel weird. She also keeps telling me about the night market. Apparently, it’s a sensory overload in the best possible way. I’m planning on braving it tonight. Wish me luck. I’m terrified of accidentally eating something that moves.
I overheard some tourists complaining about the lack of air conditioning in their hotel. Honestly, I’m kind of enjoying the humidity. It’s… grounding. Reminds me that I’m alive, breathing, sweating. It’s a stark contrast to the sterile, climate-controlled environments I usually work in. Plus, my hair is doing things I’ve never seen before. It’s a whole new level of botanical experimentation.
If you get bored, Taichung and Kaohsiung are just a short train ride away. I’m thinking of taking a day trip to Yangmingshan National Park tomorrow. Apparently, it’s got some incredible volcanic landscapes and, more importantly, more moss. I’m really hoping to find that Sphagnum taiwanense. It’s become a bit of an obsession, I’ll admit.
I checked Yelp and apparently, the National Palace Museum is a must-see. I’m not usually a museum person, but I’m open to suggestions. I also saw a review on TripAdvisor that said the Longshan Temple is “overwhelmingly spiritual.” I’m not sure what that means, but it sounds intriguing. https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attractions-g298711-Activities-Taipei.html
I’m starting to feel a little… disconnected. Like I’m observing life through a slightly blurry lens. Maybe it’s the humidity. Maybe it’s the bubble tea. Maybe it’s just the sheer strangeness of being in a place so different from anything I’ve ever known. I need to find that moss. I need to ground myself in something tangible, something… green. I’m also considering taking a calligraphy class. https://www.yelp.com/search?find_desc=calligraphy+classes&find_loc=Taipei,+Taiwan. It might help me process all this… feeling*.
Oh! And a local warned me about the stray cats. Apparently, they’re surprisingly territorial. Don’t make eye contact, she said. Just… don’t. Noted.
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