this weekend, i saw toy story 3 (in english! yaaaay!) and...if you haven't seen it yet, RUN, don't walk, to the nearest theater!! i laughed, i cried, i looked like an idiot in those 3d glasses...but it was so good. best film i've seen in awhile.

also, this wknd started the first round of the goodbyes. i said goodbye to my friend mary, one of the first friends i made in taiwan. we have wreaked a lot of havoc on taiwan together: chasing van fan, crying until we laughed, laughing until we cried, climbing on things we weren't supposed to climb on, playing charades with many a waiter, learning and performing korean dances, movie nights, hualien, kenting...man. i couldn't have made it without you mary! i'm so so happy to have met you in taiwan and shared this mad adventure with you. thanks for everything. i miss you already!!! see you on the other side!!!! :)

i was talking with a friend this wknd also about the film 'into the wild.' if you don't know, here is the basic plot: a guy goes off, by himself, to find the meaning of life and ends up deciding that happiness is only happiness if it is shared. i've been thinking about that so much lately, it really stuck with me. i came to taiwan completely alone, and i admittedly spent a lot of time alone. i did it on purpose though. i grew up in a housefull of sisters, went to uni and lived in the i-house and was, by default, always surrounded by people. i had never really been alone or done anything alone, ever. i remember the first time i ever took a trip by myself in taiwan. i was so nervous, and was depressed for most of it; i kept seeing funny stuff and wanted to turn to someone and comment on it, or i needed someone to help me carry something, or just wanted someone to talk to while sitting on the train. i did enjoy the trip, and i was proud of myself for doing it alone, but...in the end, happiness is only happiness if you have someone to share it with. however! i can say with conviction that i have learned how to be comfortable alone. before i came to taiwan, i felt uneasy and nervous and sad if i was by myself. i couldn't do anything alone, i literally did not know how. i had to have someone with me. i have spent the past year learning how to enjoy being alone. i will be happy to get back into my old habits of having roommates and my family and friends always around, but i am thankful for the time i got to spend learning how to be friends with myself. i think its something everyone should do.

side note: i will make no bones about my love for nietzsche. i was recently thumbing through one of his books in an english bookstore and found something i thought was interesting: "and if thou gaze long into an abyss, the abyss will also gaze into thee." i think this can mean many things depending on how you interpret it; it could be positive or negative, but its just something to think about. love him or hate him, nietzsche always forces you to think about things.