Where the heck do you find mosquito lotion in December??

I leave in four days and have yet to start packing. Eeeeek!! I've been self conscious of what clothes to bring to try to fit in. Finally I came to the conclusion that it doesn't matter what I wear. Having curly hair and blue eyes will make me stick out regardless of what I'm wearing. Everyone going on the trip is white, but we are actually a very diverse group of white people. We have a few of blondes, some brunettes, two red heads, a Greek, a guy who is well over six foot, and me with curly hair. I have a feeling we will be getting a lot of stares when we are all together.

I've been Googling Taipei and I bought a couple of books about Taiwan. One of the books is specifically for some cultural differences between Taiwan and The States. I'm learning that Taipei is very Westernized, but has strong influences from China and Japan. The other book is produced by National Geographic and is about things to do in Taiwan. I'm getting very excited for the following things:

1. Excellent public transportation.
2. National Museum of History
3. Night Markets
4. Taipei Fine Arts Museum
5. National Palace Museum... and more specifically an exhibit about Italian violins.
6. Taroko Gorge

I will also be in Taipei for New Year's Eve. Last year the city blew off fireworks from the famous Taipei 101 building. Although we will be very jet lagged on December 31st, I'm looking forward to see how the people in Taipei will be celebrating New Year's Eve this year!

Zaijian!

JP