The highest I've ever been

As usual, I leave things to the last minute.

On January 2, it was brought to my attention that on January 4, 2010, there would be a new tallest building in the world. Since 2004, Taipei 101's grandiosity has been at the top of the list.*

Since last March, I've been living in the shadow of Taipei 101, eating Subway at its basement food court, buying books at its bookstore, and looking at it from my balcony everyday, but I've never gone the vertical distance and looked over Taipei City from its observatory 1,285 ft. above the ground. Going to the top is something that I deemed "I'll do before I leave," which meant I didn't have to do it until I had plans to leave.

But now, practically visible over the horizon from Taipei 101 itself, Burj Dubai has crept up and is poised to take Taiwan's claim to fame right out from under it. With less than 48 hours to take advantage of the fact that I live only a train ride from the tallest building in the world, I was overcome with a sense of urgency. Must...go...up....

Unfortunately, I was alone in my principles. After a few phone calls, I realized that everyone I know has either been up it already or just doesn't care as much as I do.** That didn't stop me though, because I don't see myself traveling to United Arab Emirates to see the tallest building in the world. My desire to go up 101 was purely for ceremony and not for the view (as proven by my pictures). So alone I went, and faster than I can count to 89 in Chinese, I was on the 89th floor.

I spent a surprisingly long time in 101, despite the Perma-fog that blankets Taiwan. And although I couldn't see very far, I did see the spot on the street that I watched the New Years fireworks from! I basked in the glory of the building and stared into the mist from the Outdoor Observatory on the 91st floor until I saw a patch of blue sky and what appeared to be the sun. Then, at nearly free-falling velocity, I took the elevator back down, bought a book, ate Subway, went home and stepped out onto my balcony to look at the lame-duck tallest building in the world, one last time.

It was a good run, Taipei 101.



*Please do not bother me with your BS definition of "tallest building." I don't make the rules, I just read them and follow them.

**I was pumped to go to 101, and every phone call I made was met with negativity. My favorite was people arguing that it's not even the tallest building. Obviously Burj Dubai is taller already (and has been for a few months), but it doesn't open for business until Jan. 4, and therefore does not claim "tallest building" status yet. And whatever needles, antennas, towers, etc. that might be closer to space than 101, I'm not really concerned with. What I will go by is whatever the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitats has to say.