I've been doing a bit of thinking. And, I came to the conclusion that there are certain things that made Taiwan great. While, a lot of things probably contributed to their rapid rise and development and their global reputation for being a reliable country when it comes to technology, I don't think it's just a simple set of characteristics. It's the cumulative mindsets of the Taiwanese people, I suppose.

    I arrived in Taiwan two days ago, on the morning of the seventeenth. It is my first time to travel alone in another country, and it is certainly quite interesting to experience. The first remarkable thing I noticed was that Taiwan is very clean and organised. The streets barely had any litter, and it was a wonderful change from what I knew to be walking on the sidewalk. In my homeland, walking on the sidewalk exposes you to a high risk of developing lung cancer. Here in Taiwan, it is such a wonderful thing to do.

    I had the pleasure of being put up in this wonderful hotel, the Monarch Plaza in Taoyuan. And the wonderfully pleasant and conversational Lora (I realised I have no idea how to spell her name) showed me to my room on the fourteenth floor.

    Valentine's Day. And tomorrow a wedding. What I do not understand is the big fuss everyone makes over Valentine's Day. Stores raise their prices and create an artificial scarcity for goods that would be in great demand, such as toys, flowers, and candies. But does this really mean that the world recognises this day as a day when you celebrate your supposed love or lust for someone?

    Considering the culture and the circumstances, people have come to truly and sincerely believe that love can be found in receiving toys, flowers, and candies; or replacing lovers like one replaces tires for their car. Replace them until you sort of think you like what they give. Taking things is not love, that is greed.

    Love is a forgotten trait in this day and age. Love has been superseded by lust, and everyone thinks that the feelings of lust already constitutes love. And that is why people "fall out" of love often, and make breaking hearts look so easy. Because they never knew what love is.

    Love requires one to give without expecting anything in return. To forgive without expecting to be forgiven. To be patient when the other has no patience. To be kind when the other will only hurt. To remain loyal when they are not. To care when they do not. To be compassionate when they are not. To remember when they forget. To remain when they move away. That is love, and love is not easy. It never was, and it never will be.