By the time my flight left Istanbul, I had already been on this pandemic adventure for more than a day. It had been about 30 hours since my previous flight took off from Johannesburg and about 35 hours since I drove away from my flat in Potchefstroom (for the last time). I was tired, somewhat hungry and in desperate need of a shower (thankfully I had a change of socks, t-shirts and boxers with me). So, I was not looking forward to another 10+ hours shoulder-to-shoulder with complete strangers in a flying bus (that’s the kind of thought that was going through my mind).
So, you can imagine how happy I was to see that the flight appeared to be less than 20% full. Then again, it wasn’t all that surprising since, without a special entry permit, it’s probably mainly citizens and holders of “Alien Resident Certificates” (ARCs), like me, who could enter the country.
This meant I could spread across 3 seats and get some sleep on the flight, but only after I’d had something to eat and watched “Shang-Chi and The Legend of The Ten Rings” (I’m a fan of the MCU films and watched “Black Widow” on the flight from Johannesburg). An ice-cold Turkish beer, with my late night meal, also helped me relax.
This might seemed like a completely random segue, but for a long time I’ve been pretty outspoken regarding matters pertaining to mental health issues (especially in academia) because I’ve had my own struggles with depression and anxiety for a while. Now, in part 1 of this adventure I mentioned that a case that was meant to be cabin luggage was taken from me just before I boarded the plane in Johannesburg and it was only later that I realised that the medication I’m on for the aforementioned conditions was in that case. But, I wasn’t too worried because I’d planned ahead and ensured that I had enough on me to get through the whole trip to Taipei. That was all fine until I got to Taipei and found out that my case (and the rest of my meds) was still in Istanbul. FFS!
I spoke to the necessary officials, gave them my name and number etc and was assured that I’d get it back by the end of the 14-day quarantine period, because for some reason they couldn’t bring it to the quarantine site. WTF!?! Anyone who’s been on any type of psychiatric meds knows that going cold turkey is a really bad idea. I explained the meds situation, additional calls were made, messages sent etc and I was told I’d have it by Saturday night (i.e. the following night).
My case eventually arrived some time on Sunday, after a number of frustrated tweets and calls etc, but that stress dominated my mind during my first 36-40 hours in quarantine. Thankfully the accommodation is pretty comfortable, albeit basic, but the food has been really good.
I’d already been introduced to Taiwanese food by the staff of the Taipei Liaison Office in Pretoria, so this was much of the same. There were a few dishes/items I probably wouldn’t have again (a matter of preference, not quality), but I’ve really enjoyed at least 4/5ths of what was provided. More specifically, we’re served 3 meals per day, plus a late night snack that even included chocolate mousse cake on one occasion. I’ve also managed to get some additional snacks etc, including some local favourites suggested by a fellow traveller in quarantine (he grew up in Taiwan).
Before closing I should mention that on my first morning in Taiwan I was in a state of disbelief that I was actually in Taiwan; disbelief that in the middle of this once-in-a-century pandemic, after one flight was cancelled and while there were limited other options available, I was actually waking up on the outskirts of Taipei.
As I’m writing this, I’ve still got another 10 days in quarantine, followed by another 7 days of so-called “self health management” where certain precautions still need to be in place, but we’re able to leave the quarantine site. I’ve booked somewhere to stay for that week and the quarantine friend I mentioned earlier has offered to show me around Taipei during that week.
I don’t actually have a solid plan for what happens after that week, after all there are still moments where I can’t believe I’m in Taiwan, but I know I’ll have to find a job at some point, but I also want to explore for a bit, at least at first. I’m also thinking of ways to build my network of contacts here (and I’m already getting some help with that, in part thanks to this article).
And to think, this was possible thanks to the Taiwan Employment Gold Card programme I hadn’t even heard about 4 months ago… (more about that next time) ?
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