we're driving out of the city.  my uncle is taking us out into the country to do some fishing at his friend's pond.  it's good to get out of the bustle and craziness of the city.  maybe one day when i'm ready to settle down and ready to take things a little steadier i'll move out into the country. but i couldn't imagine it now.

we drive an hour north of kaohshiaong.  no buildings in this town are taller than four stories, it's a change from the skyscrapers and slick public transit systems.  there aren't many people on the streets, we run red lights because there are hardly any other cars.  not everything is rural though, we stop by a 7 11 to pick up some provisions, beers and snacks.

we spend the entire afternoon fishing for tilapia,  we are using whole wheat kernels as bait.  i don't catch any for the first two hours, but the beer is cold so i can't really complain.  it's still been drizzling intermittently the last few days, but the weather is good and there is no breeze.  

whenever i come back, one of the first things people ask me is whether i've got a girlfriend back in states.  i've always answered no and when they ask why, i just say that i've no need for one.  that i just don't want one.  it seems to be a bewildering circumstance to most people.  people place such importance on relationships here, as if a girlfriend will make me happier.  i just haven't hit the stage where i want to settle, to be safe, and responsible and all that. i'm just still too much of a man child. 

my dad's been wondering when i'll be getting into another relationship, he asks me if i want to meet his friend's daughters or if i want to get introduced to any girls. as if a forced awkward social situation would really make things better. he thinks my life is too crazy, i tell him maybe it's because his life is too dull.  i've just always figured that a concept as ethereal as love would just happen.  maybe not to everyone, but at least to the lucky few.  i've never believed that it is something you have to work at.  but maybe my ideals of love are a little quixotic. and maybe i'll just end up dying a bitter, lonely, old man.

after the first hour i start getting bites like nobody's business.  i would drop the line and hook a fish, drop the line and hook a fish.  it was starting to get so easy it felt a little bit like cheating.  i could've stayed out there for days. we fished until early dusk and packed up our things.  i started to clean some of the fish, but my uncle said that we could just save all that for tomorrow. we head out to a local restaurant which served japanese/taiwanese fusion food.  the restaurant cooked up some of the tilapia along with their own dishes. the weirdest dish had to be the deep fried pig intestine. my uncle brought a bottle of 18 year old glenfiddich, single malt. i can't really imagine how life could be any better. 

i met a girl out here in taiwan last week and we went out to dinner a few times. she was really into astronomy.  she asked me my sign and started telling me about the personality traits.  i've never really believed that sort of thing.  she said libras have fleeting hearts. i had only known her for less than two days and she was trying to tell me who i was as a person.  she said that libras are flip-floppers who have striking dualities.  i told her that astronomy was for bored housewives and hippies.  she said that libras hate criticism, probably due to low self-esteem and insecurity. i don't say anything because i don't know really why i decided to take this date in the first place.  

after all this time and all this running around, i think i'm just still trying to find a deeper purpose.  to make something of all this mess. and maybe i'll find it and maybe i won't.  all i know is that sometimes life is beautiful.  and if one day all things go to hell, i know that i'll sill be able to find myself a nice body of water and fish all day.