Not enough time

The time's gone by awfully quickly.... Since coming to Taiwan, I've been partly busy with handling some personal business (finances, other loose ends) but also with spending time with friends before I leave the country "for good". So here's the Reader's Digest version of what I've done so far in the last 4 weeks:

- watched dragonboat races for 端午節 (hadn't ever done that in Vancouver even!);
- walked a LOT, in Taipei's basin of mugginess;
- caught up with my cousin whom I hadn't seen in some 10 years (he'd been in Japan while I was working here and just moved back to Taiwan);
- went to 九份 and 基隆 and ate ate ate with 3 girlfriends;
- went to 宜蘭 with 3 friends, to eat, stroll through a forest with "divinity trees" (some as old as 2000 years), watch the sunrise over the 望洋 mountain range, lots of mini-trails - half of the 3-day trip was in rainy weather!
- saw my friend and her hubby and newborn baby (hadn't seen her in 6 months);
- listened to a music performance (of an artist I hadn't heard of), bought his first CD on the spot and got it autographed;
- took my dad to Hong Kong and Macau (that's another post altogether);
- met with my "gifted" cousin;
- helped my brother move (earning my keep!);
- hung out at the climbing gym, and climbed climbed climbed: my friends at the climbing gym were kind enough to extend my pass for the month that I unexpectedly had to give up. I'm going to finish climbing that ceiling before I leave!
- ripped open the skin of my palm, because I just HAD to get one more climb in before gym closing....
- scootered out to Nanliao 南寮 for a stroll by the ocean;
- gone out to Longdong 龍洞 for some outdoor climbing (that's tomorrow!).

Of course there are lots of other little meetings with coworkers and friends and my brothers and sis-in-law and cousins etc.

I've given up on a few plans, like going to Beijing (I would've had free room and board if I could find a plane ticket to fit my schedule) and scuba diving lessons (for PADI/NAUI open water diving certification) seem unlikely now. Not sure if I'll be able to scooter up to Taipei either.

I have 3 weeks left in Taiwan. It still doesn't seem like enough time.... :(