Tuesday, Jul. 27, 2004 - 10:48 p.m.

This is not a Taiwan only complaint. This is a general complaint to the world in general. To people who live in fear and press others to live by this stupid fuck way of living. To people who cant stand others finding something that makes them happy.

As you can tell by my tone, I am more than annoyed as all hell right now.

At work today the assistant teacher that has the desk behind mine asked if I walked home from work last night. Immediately I knew what was coming. She was setting me up with this question so she could tell me it was bad for me to do this because blah blah blah. I have had this discussion so many times with people all over the fucking world it is unreal.

Nobody stops me when I'm smoking, drinking or picking up strange men in bars. Nope. People get scared for me when I tell them I FUCKING WALK PLACES!

I have walked for pleasure since I can remember and will do so until I have no feeling in my legs. I have not walked much here cause of the noise of the scooters and the lack of sidewalks, oh, and the pollution. But after trying gyms, at home pilates and monthly trips to Taipei (they have sidewalks there-so I can city walk easily)-I decided enough was enough. And after tracking the distance (6km each way) I decided that I just had to walk to and from work. No more excuses, no more procrastinating. I miss walking more than anything else from anywhere else in the world.

So when she told me today that this was dangerous for me, I cringed. But, she is a really funny, nice woman. So, I played along and said "yes" to the question. What came next I was not prepared for. I DO think its dangerous for me to walk here due to the traffic and lack of sidewalks (I spend a lot of time walking on the road). But she did not say this. She said that there are gangsters who carry watermelon knives in their scooters, and they are VERY dangerous.

I think I insulted her when I laughed. But the visual was too much for me at this point. There was so much that could be said in my defense, but I gave up. Someone who thinks that driving in Tainan is safer than walking due to the notorious watermelon men is NOT someone who would understand my logic.

Honestly! True enough, I have heard of gangsters here in Tainan. There is even a dance club that is known around all around the island for the frequent gangster fights that happen there. BUT, do I want to stop walking to and from work because a watermelon man MIGHT see me on a well-lit, heavily populated road at 10pm at night and decide to pull over, open his scooter seat and get said knife, and attack me. Sorry, I dont live in fear. Even when the fear is as big as watermelon seeds.

Final thoughts: If you dont wanna walk, dont. BUT STOP TELLING ME TO STOP WALKING. I WONT LISTEN. I would rather stop breathing. Understand? Good. Now I am going to eat my lovely dumplings and walk the rest of the way home. HA!