The weather was miserable all Chinese New Year - a disappointment that kept me inside without much to do for a week. However, barely a week after Chinese New Year ends, the big Lantern Festival begins. I took a train out to Ping Hsi to see it at its best and experienced Taiwanese trains at their worst. The train platforms were crowded with masses of people trying to get on already jam packed trains. We stood the whole way and what should have been an hour trip became almost a three hour experience. The train stopped continually at 'strategic' locations to wait for who knows what and those of us who were standing became a bit uncomfortable. We were all afraid to get off the train because it might leave at any minute when (oh the irony) we actually a long wait ahead anyways. It was well worth it though, because the following experience turned out to be the most impacting I have experienced since I've been in Taiwan.
Imagine descending into the humid dusk in little town. The streets are old and made of stone and the first thing that you see just at the bridge is three people getting ready to send their lantern into the sky. On it, they have written their wishes for the coming year. (On this particular one, one guy was wishing for a BMW ;)). As they send it off into the night sky, you follow it with your eye and find yourself standing mouth agape staring up. Hundreds and hundreds of lanterns are floating into the distance. Some of them are close by, others are merely red specks in the sky. It was so mind blowing and beautiful that I actually teared up.
The town is brightly lit for the occasion with lanterns hanging everywhere. You can purchase your own lantern and write your own wishes on it for 100NT (around 3 dollars). People are also setting off fireworks like crazy, some right next to each other. Others are frantically putting out the flames of lanterns that caught on fire and came crashing down. Car alarms start going off and it is a general joyful hubbub.
Zac and I purchased some fireworks of our own and set out to have our own fun. We came upon the railroad tracks that run right through the middle of town. People were sitting, lying, setting of fireworks, eating, lounging, etc. right on the tracks. When trains came along they would scatter briefly and then just move back on. We started setting off our own fireworks when we were be-friended (in the typical friendly Taiwanese way) by a group of young Taiwanese. The made friends with us immediately and set off our fireworks with us. Then, they brought out a giant lantern and handed me a black marker. "Write your wish! Write your wish!" I wanted to write something in Chinese and I couldn't think of anything except 我要钱 which translated is "I want money". Not the best wish, but hey I was under pressure.:) Everyone wrote on the lantern some wishing for promotions, to get married, or to have a nice house and car. Then, they sent into the night sky and........it promptly crashed ten seconds later. I guess my wish won't come true - that's ok though, I didn't need it that badly anyways. :)
