CYCLING AROUND TAIWAN

By the children

I had been so excited about the idea of cycling around Taiwan since one month ago.  I was even sleepless at the last night before departure.  The day Hsin cried impressed me most because I knew how hard he did.  Most important, I admired him for his perseverance.  I was also so happy that I had no injuries during days of the adventure.  I had also learned a lot from it.  As a saying “unity is strength”, I have learned that sometimes I cannot complete something on my own.  I do hope there will be another chance to cycle abound somewhere else.

I will never forget the journey.  How many people have ever cycled around Taiwan?  Some people may not have chance to think about it.  We, the children at Jonah House, were so lucky to have a chance to cycle around the island.  I did not think we can make it however it was done.  We tried our best to cheer each other. It was so touching!  One day morning, uncle Yi told us once if we stopped to cheer on each other, it would be the moment of failure.  It spirited us up again!  I think it was impossible for us to make it without uncle Yi and the others of the team.  During the period at Jonah House, I have tried many things.  Thank everyone who accompanied us for this journey as well as people who supported us.  Without you, we would not finish the journey!

To cycle around Taiwan was the most unforgettable memory during the summer vacation.  It was also a very remarkable memory of team work.   I didn’t think I could make it before departure but finally we made it because I heard cheer from everyone on the way which motivated me a lot.  So I tried hard to ride all the way except some part of it.  It was very joyful on the first day of the journey. Although some people crashed, they turned to be fine soon.  The most memorable place was Ken-Ting where we stayed with foods, drinks and the beach nearby.  We visited the beach where the waves were so cool.  I didn’t know why I like Keng-Ting so much.  I may visit my favorite place if there is another chance to cycle around Taiwan again.

We departed from Sheng-Keng to Fu-Long on the first day of journey, and we arrived at the guesthouse at three in the afternoon.  It was so interesting. I saw cattle along the way.  We also had long climbing in the mountains.  So exhausted but we wouldn’t give it up!  There were televisions, computers, and cool springs in the guesthouse of B&B we had in Su-Ao.  After taking train from Su-Ao to Hua-Lien, we cycled along the northern cross-island highway to Tai-Tung.  On 24th of August, we were not home until eleven o’clock at night.  We had delicious dinner immediately when we backed home.  The bicycles were easy to ride though we were so tired then.

It was my most unforgettable memory to cycle around Taiwan.  I felt like having completed an extreme mission.  It was so good since I made it which I thought impossible for me.  In the previous month of the journey, we jogged at Sheng-Keng elementary school every night.  We spent twenty minutes for it but faster and faster then.  Day by day, we learned how to control our speed of breath so that we wouldn’t feel tired easily while long cycling.  Before the journey, me and another three partners went to worship and sought the peace symbols at a temple.  It was used to get tired on the first day of cycling. But tiresome feeling was getting disappeared day by day.  I am proud that I have completed the journey of cycling around Taiwan.

What is the most priceless treasure for me? Is it money or power? Neither. For me, it is accomplishment of something almost impossible.
I attended an activity that was almost impossible for me in summer vacation, cycling around Taiwan.  To tell the truth, I refused it in my mind immediately when I heard of it.  However, because of many expectations from the others, I participated in the activity with 105 kg weight.
There was laughter and encouragement on the way during the journey of cycling.  Because of that, I could stick it out eventually.  However, I had a relapse on my old wound so that I had to get on the van.  Terrible!  Although two partners were already on the van, it actually embarrassed me since I was the fattest one and the unpromising one of the team.  I had intended to cycle the whole journey but my old injuries kept me in the van.  The only thing I could do was resting in the van for that day.
I constrained myself from crying while facing the others.  But I cried when I said “I have to get some rest in the van but I hope…” Oh, it was embarrassing.  I did hope to do my best on it.
I had believed that I would get in the van for only once, but I was aware that I could not speed it up due to the aches on the second-to-last day of the journey.  I told the others I would be back after a quick rest but the aches got worse.  The auntie asked me if I wanted to drop out from the team and went back to Taipei.  “Come on. Why should I give it up?  It is almost a round of the island.“ I said.  However, our team leader also wanted me to rest in Taipei.  So I could only try to smile and encourage the team on the way of farewell.  I walked to the platform, trying not to tear.  Afterwards, I got on the train and found my seat.  With my headphone and sunglasses, I cried and thought：“I am so useless. Why can’t I insist?”
An idea struck me when the train door was closing：“Why not wait for them tomorrow morning and cycle with them for the last part of the journey from MuZha MRT station to Sheng-Keng?”  Next day, I warmed up and then waited for them at MuZha MRT station.  On the way home, everybody cheered me on again.  I missed their voices so much.  I cried again with happiness instead of sadness.  I wanted to tell the world how happy and moving I was because we were almost successful.
Yes, we arrived finally and I knew I had made it.  Although I didn’t ride through whole journey with the others, I participated in it, finishing one unpromising thing with decisive mind.  The lesson I have learned from the journey was “there is always unlimited possibilities.”  We should face everything but not evade it.  If I had given up in the beginning, I would never experience and think about this.  Thank all the people who accompanied us, sponsored us, and people who encouraged us on the journey as well.

To cycle around Taiwan was my childhood dream.  Now I have achieved the aspiration at Jonah House.  We were prepared since the first day of the journey.  The journey departed from Shen-Keng and we had to ride to Fu-Long on the first day.  Though there were numbers of troubles on the way, we still energized each other with encouragement.  That was our style.
The journey from Tai-Chung to Hsin-Chu impressed me most.  We were hurried on the way but the wind was getting stronger at the night.  Our feet were hit by lots of small stones.  Though it was painful, we all believed we were not going to give up except uncle Yi.  He has given up in his mind.  So we made slow progress on foot.  We reached a convenience store and had foods randomly around midnight.  After finishing our “dinner”, we fell asleep immediately in front of the store.  Then, the auntie called taxis for us.  It was the most tired experience for us.  We fell asleep as soon as we touched the beds at the hotel.  To cycle around the island brought me fulfillment during the summer vacation.

We borrowed bikes and rode back to Sheng-Keng from Guan-Du on August 10th.  We were exhausted but finally home.  After two days, we departed for the journey.  It was sunny and super hot.  We kept cycling all the way and reached a rest stop finally.  Day after day, we had finished the whole journey and cycled back to Jonah House.

“It is just cycling” I thought it easy at first when I heard of “cycling around Taiwan” since I have heard a lot from others about cycling. Nevertheless, I was so nervous before departure.
We had to prepare a lot for the trip.  I had rarely travelled with many people for so long.  There were so many blessings while we departed.  We cheered each other on and encouraged the cycling friends who we met on the way.  Whenever we reached a place to stay for night, I felt gratified.  We cycled hard day by day in the wind, sun, and rain.  Perhaps it was a test from God. For several days we cycled at night time, yet there was always cheer from each other throughout the journey.  One day, we fought strong winds for long but we still didn’t make it to the destination. The van took us to the accommodation then.  What a difficulty and we were able to cycle against the wind for long.  Actually, it was a bit difficult for me to cycle around the island.  I have learned more and grown up. I will value the experience forever.

I could not wait to have the journey.  I was so nervous that I woke up at three o’clock in the morning of departure.  I put on the cycling short which was more comfortable than I imaged.
Someone had a flat tire on the first day but no one fixed it in the guesthouse.  Once if the puncture happened again, there would be no spare tires.  Then our trip would be delayed.  I thought it was better to repair the tire so I did it.  After that, every time when we got flat tires, break, or off-chains, it seemed to become my work. I was so tired during the nights.  Eventually, I was overloaded with four-day’s working and cycling.  The ambulance came and I was sent to the Hospital.  After hospitalized with an intravenous drip, the auntie sent us to the guesthouse directly instead of rejoining the team.  However, I felt sorry for resting much earlier than the others.  I wanted to do something for them, so I refrigerated a bucket of water for them.  
At first, everyone encouraged each other with all efforts. But later on, we were too exhausted to talk.  We even didn’t sleep until three o’clock A.M. at the last night of the trip.  Everyone was physically frail including uncle Yi; he didn’t wake up until noon next day.  On the last day, we approached Jonah House around midnight and went to bed at about two o’clock A.M.
What I have learned during the journey was helping each other, especially helping those in need.  People might not repay while we were helping them, but they might help you with your difficulties next time.  Besides, I have acquired that cooperation could make things done fast even I could do it by myself.
The most important, my advantages and disadvantages were shown during the journey.  My weakness is to try to handle everything on my own. I always insist on my opinion; my advantage is being willing to help others.

It was the first time for Jonah House to cycle around Taiwan, and for me as well.  So, it was unforgettable.  In the beginning, I thought it a piece of cake but I did not expect to cycle a lot in the mountains during the journey.  Once I was sent to the hospital because of illness, but I recovered soon.  That was a special memory.  After part of the journey, we reached a beautiful place -- Keng-Ting.  I almost gave up at end of the journey.  But while reaching Taipei, I felt energetic and then I did my best to complete the journey.  I have learned a lot during the journey such as respect, team work, and ways to interact with people.  If I have another opportunity to cycle around Taiwan in the future, I will not take vehicle at all.

If the uncle had not organized to cycle around Taiwan, the idea never came into my mind.  The idea was brought up around March or April.  I had jogged for several months.  I was so excited at the night before departure.
We had McDonald for lunch at Fu-Long and I ordered another coke to go.  10 minutes later, my legs got cramped so that I spent most of time on the van all the way in the afternoon.  I have learned my lesson: carbonated drinks cause cramps. So, a lot of warm-up was done on the next day.  Luckily I had no more cramps.  In the following few days, we were all cycling in the mountains.  We tried to make progress.  Also, we cheered up each other with bickering words created by ourselves.  I had never had this kind of experience before.  When someone was too tired to ride, everybody encouraged him.  When I was tired, I lied down directly.
We reached Ken-Ting where raining heavily.  There was one day for rest in Ken-Ting.  I started to feel like homing while departing from Ken-Ting.  One day, we planned to cycle to Hsin-Chu from Tai-Chung.  However, we did not reach the destination since we were too slow due to the strong wind.  That was why we had a convenience store dinner in Miao-Li and waited for the van to pick us up.  We were exhausted so that we fell asleep while lying down.  Our bicycles were all taken apart for carry, but we fabricated them quickly on the next day.  We were super.  Perhaps we could try to have a bicycle shop!  It was going well on the way back to Taipei and the cycling journey around Taiwan ended.

At first, the uncles and aunties asked me to participate in the journey even if I did not want to go.  But I appreciated that we were united during the journey.  Moreover, I did not hear of any complain about low endurance members. We cared for each other especially when the team members crashed or injured.  Everyone took the initiative to fix broken bikes.  Nobody said：“ Fix your bicycle by yourself”.  I have experienced unity and care through this activity.  Now, I think it is a great idea to cycle around Taiwan.  I hope this kind of activity will be held again so that new comers of Jonah House can also learn unity through it.