Times I Got Hurt Bad in Taiwan

There is exactly a week left in my life in Taiwan.

It’s been tough both emotionally in that there are lots of memories I had with this island & its people and also physically since my foot got badly hurt a month before the farewell to my 3 year-long residence.

I would like to recollect some of the memories I had with Taiwan in a series of stories.

Because I got badly injured now, I would like to recall some of the major occasions in which I got physically injured big time.

#1 - Blood Across My Face

It was May 6, 2015.

I had been preparing for CFA Level III exam that summer. I quit the bank on February that year and had applied for the exam a year before to finish what I’ve started. (esp. considering all the money and time I had put in!!)

I was busy adjusting to my new life in an IT company and at the same time in a new country, Taiwan. So I gathered which little time I can to study, early morning and after work. And that happened.

One morning, I was studying at a desk in the corner of my room. After finishing a study, I was in a hurry to stand up and bumped my head real hard on the sharp corner of the book stand above my head. It was real hard with a “boom!” It damn hurt. I frowned my eyes and moaned in pain, covering my left forehead. I was waiting the pain to subside and ran to a bathroom to see how it was.

Then, I found something sliding across my face…it was blood! Man… what have I done!

I tried to wipe out the blood until it stops, but it never stopped for some time being. I saw the wound and it seemed like a pretty deep cut. After sending a photo of it to my doctor friend, he told me that I should go see a doctor (obviously) and better get a stitch.

Since it was almost a time to go to work, I made it to the office first without knowing how I actually made it there. I tried to focus on work but this fluid kept flowing down from the wound and it was futile to work like this. It was only two months into my Taiwan life and I never made it to a hospital, let alone with this level of wound.

Thankfully, my colleague accompanied me to a big hospital near my place.

We registered at the emergency and waited until the doctor came. It took some time until he checked me. He said, I need to shave the left part of my head in order to get a stitch! What? I have to be like a quarter bold for a month or two?! Hell no…

So on top of the uncertainty on whether to get a stitch to begin with, a precaution for the shave scared me away. I still got a chance to use my fresh-issued Taiwan Health Insurance Card and was quite impressed on how a foreigner could enjoy this wonderful welfare system.

But I was still wary on my status, considering that the fluid kept oozing out. So went to another clinic near my office, which my colleague was kind enough to accompany yet again. This doctor recommended me a stitch but at a big hospital, which ascertained me to go back to where we began…

After all this hassle of going back and forth, we got in a taxi again to the first big hospital. I still remember the kind words from my colleague that time. I was so sorry to drag her along with me for this mishap and thanked her, to which she replied, no worries. She even offered me to pay the half of the taxi fare! It was all my fault that I got hurt and became nuisance to her routine. Yet she’s so polite to share the ride fee! I think it originated from her long experience with Japan but think it was too much of kindness… but I really thanked her at heart for such gesture.

The funny thing is on our second trip, a different doctor came and had a different prescription. He said it’s real easy stitch job and no need to shave! What?! @@ Anyway, it’s a auspicious sign and I wanted an immediate operation. The nurses there prepared me for it and found where we worked at. Since the place I worked at was a pretty popular app company, they were all interested about it and asked lots of questions, all the more that I was a Korean. My colleague looked down on me as I laid down for operation and for a few seconds, felt like she was my mother. XD It was a bit embarrassing and sorry to show my wound to her but felt really thankful for her care.

Fortunately, the cut was buried under my hair so would be hidden. Thankfully, it healed real fast and now I can’t even find the scar.

I really appreciate my colleague who accompanied me to hospitals three times and showed no sign of being disgruntled. It was as if she did what she had to. Other colleagues showed great concern on my injury and recovery. I could feel the kindness of Taiwanese but at the time, I wasn’t sure it was the characteristic of Taiwanese in general or just these particular colleagues of mine.

For my side, I was worried about the injury but a bit more concerned about the money and time I had to lose in terms of opportunity cost. So to prevent this stupid incident, the first thing I did after coming back home was to tape that corner of the overhead book stand with air caps and it’s still there in my room till now.

#2 - Bike Skid on My Arm

It was June 26, 2016.

A close friend of mine who likes outdoor activities routinely ran, biked and swam. He lived near my place and we got bumped into each other several times at a local swimming pool. I always suggested him to remind me when he was about to go out for his next bike trip and he did that weekend evening.

Since I didn’t have my own bike, I rented a U-bike and met him. We pedaled to the Meiti Riverside Park. It was a good ride. Hot summer evening but with a breeze down the river. My friend got ahead of me and was leading the way. To keep the distance close, I pedaled hard to match his speed. And then the next moment, I had a cement wall on my face!

I immediately swiveled the handle to the left and managed to avoid the all-out front clash on my face. But in the process, I used my right arm to protect myself and made several skid wounds on my skin. Big on on the forearm and several small ones on the hand. It was a bad one with my skins peeled off dripping blood.

It was that I speeded up and failed to see there was a turn in the front. But my head was turned around and I wasn’t paying attention to what’s ahead. By the time I saw straight ahead, it was already too late…

Anyway, my friend was already a lot ahead so I had to quickly catch him up. He was wondering why I am not following him but kept on moving. We kept going for about half an hour until he made a stop on the bridge. By the time, I told him what had happened and he suggested me whether we should head back to get the wound treated. I told him we should finish the trip as planned and get it treated later. We finished the trip for one more hour and went to McDonald to feed ourselves first. Then, came the treatment. lol

To come to think of it now, what was I thinking. XD

But at that time, I thought my injury wasn’t anything serious. Only the next day, I found that it’s much deeper wound than I thought when my colleagues next to me reminded of its seriousness. Then, they managed to buy me an artificial skin (it was this time I first got to know about its very existence!) and other medicines to help me get treated better.

I still got a scar left for that big wound on my right forearm. Perhaps because I didn’t get it treated right away and in the proper manner in the beginning stage. But I really appreciate the interest and care they had on me for speedier recovery. It was a small gesture but it meant a lot. Thanks.

#3 - At the End of Beautiful Horizon

It was a beautiful day in Little Liuqiu.

On April 21, 2018 marked the ending of the beautiful trips and the beginning of tragedy in my Taiwan life.

I have thus far visited numerous hot tour spots in Taiwan. One of the bucket lists was to visit all the remote isles around the main island. So starting from Penghu 澎湖 (2016.08), I explored Green Island 綠島 (2017.02), Orchid Island 蘭嶼 (2017.04), Matsu 馬祖 (2017.06) and Kinmen 金門 (2018.04) as if I were completing my collections. And there was only one island left. The final piece — Little Liuqiu 小琉球.

It was a joyful journey as usual. On a sunny weekend, I took a High Speed Railway to Kaohsiung, then an hour taxi ride to Donggang harbor. There were just too many people at the ferry terminal. After less than a half hour ride, I finally stepped into the final piece of my puzzle. It was overwhelming!

At the pier, my B&B host picked me up and took me to the guesthouse. Excited to explore yet another beautiful isle of Taiwan, I immediately booked all the activities there. After a quick lunch, I scouted the nearby view points. The most famous vista, Flower Vase Rock 花瓶岩 and Beauty Cave Scenic Park 美人洞風景區. And then, I participated on a snorkeling tour around the Vase Rock and spotted not one, not two, not three but FOUR sea turtles!! How lucky I was!

Then before another tour at 3pm on marine ecology tour, I wanted to go around the isle by bike I rented. I stopped by the beaches soaking up the sun and then speeded up to my next destination. Then, it happened.

I was speeding toward a cliff. Beautiful sunshine on the sea horizon. I was mesmerized by the scenery. I was tempted to take a photo of the scene but since I was on speed, I looked back to check if I can make a stop. The next time I looked straight ahead, there was a guard rail. I quickly turned around the handle but couldn’t avoid bumping. The bike was fine but not my foot. It stuck in between the sharp cement bedrock and the bike and got sliced through to deep cut.

I couldn’t believe my sight. My foot was almost half cut and I could literally see through a bone… I barely held myself together not to pass out.

Then the rest is history. I was sent to the emergency of the local hospital for quick disinfection but the wound was just too serious to be handled here so had to be shipped back to the main island. Then after simple check up and treatment, had to be sent yet again to a bigger hospital in Kaohsiung for an operation.

I still remember the looks of people in front of the Liuqiu hospital looking at my foot, so shocked by its gruesome status. I was dripping blood all over the place.

Thankfully(?), it didn’t break my Achilles’ heel or bone but cut four of my right foot tendons. Yes, it was still a pretty deep cut.

The surgery was conducted even before I could get the full grasp of the situation. I signed a few sheets of agreement for the operation. It was my only second full-body anesthesia surgery in life. Who would have thought I would have one in Taiwan!

The last one month in Taiwan — which was to be so precious to me, which would have been the most delicately planned-out period to say a proper goodbyes to all the people and places I dearly loved — was gone. I had to be on crutch for at least a month.

Since the recovery process was such a pain, I don’t want to elaborate the details here. But it was all the more painful in that my ARC had expired only nine days after the accident so I had to move out of the country amidst the hassle. Being on a wheel chair in the airport, it wasn’t the same place. Actually everywhere wasn’t the same. Even all the cozy streets in Taipei weren’t the same. Walking 10 meters ahead on crutch was such a pain. I couldn’t do just about anything freely. The three-minute walk bus stop from home took me 20 minutes now. I became a disabled.

Through this experience, I lost lots of things. I lost what would have been the most precious last one-month in Taiwan. It’s just so unbearable to stay at my room thinking of all the “what could have been’s.” A few more night-outs with my friends having delicious dinners and drinks. A few more basketball games with my ex-colleagues. A few more trips to breathtaking places in Taiwan. Second, I spent a lot of money on medical treatments, taxis, etc.

For a few weeks after the mishap, the thought of ‘why does this happen to me at this critical point of my stay?’ lingered, even till now.

But at the same time, I gained some things. First of all, I realized the hardships of the disabled and the old who can’t move with ease like me at the moment. I always silently prayed inside for their well-being whenever I passed by them but being one like them, it was a whole different world. Now I got to understand them better. The grandpa who took almost 20 minutes to climb the stairs up to fifth floor, the ones on wheelchair who struggled to take the bus…

Second, I thank the public health system of Taiwan. Because a foreigner like me could be covered with its national health insurance, I could save a lot of money despite the money bleeding.

Last but not least, I would like to express my gratitude to all the Taiwanese people who showed kindness, care and patience to me (as was the case in the other two stories above). I remember taxi drivers opening a door for me and waited until I got on a vehicle saying,

“慢慢來(take your time), 不要急 (no need to hurry), 小心 (be careful).”

I usually never interacted with my neighbors much but found their warmth this late from a grandma who unlocked the front gate for me and waited patiently until I made my slow crutch moves up the stairs. I appreciate my employees who wrote me a heart-warming ‘get-well’ card and helped me take care of the works.

And I would like to think of this unfortunate accident not as an ominous sign but an auspicious sign. If I finished everything I wanted within the last one month of my stay before departure, then maybe I wouldn’t have a good reason to come back to Taiwan. But now that I left some undone, perhaps Taiwan wanted to make some pretexts to bring me back.

When I first saw the MV of JJ 林俊傑, I could empathize with the footages and the lyrics of the song in the MV. Because I knew how most Taiwanese are kind from their heart. But after going through all these, it was all a different dimension. All these small signs of kindness came down on me with real magnitude. Guess JJ’s song was really worth winning so many awards back in 2016! (because people could really relate to it!)

I wrote about the social issues of Taiwan in a few blogs like low salary, its lack of global competitiveness in terms of entertainment business. But, in a way, who cares whether it’s official country or it lacks competitiveness. As long as there is humanity in people helping each other out, this island would remain beautiful. And it would be worthy of an environment that retains humane values.

That’s why people here still love life in Taiwan, despite all that.

That’s why I love and will love Taiwan.