You know what?

I’ve realized something lately…

Taipei is so freaking small that everyone is somewhat connected to each other.

As my guy joked last weekend, he can’t really dump me because everyone would know immediately.

I told him that likewise, it would be difficult for me to dump him.

You can’t believe how fast news travels in the Taipei grape-vine. Stay here long enough, and you’ll know everyone.

If not, you know someone who’s well-connected to everyone.

For example, last Sunday, I attended a friend’s farewell party at the Grand Hotel.

Peter works for the Office of the President (Yes my friends, that’s President Chen-Shui Bien himself). He’s going back to the States to take care of some familial matters.

Now, I went to a brunch earlier that day, and in the brunch, bumped into a girl named Emily. After the brunch, they headed off to watch a movie at the Core Living Mall. My friend Emily, invited her friend Daniel, who I found out is Peter’s replacement for the position!

Now, of all people, why Daniel, who is the Peter’s replacement?!

It was pretty bizarre…

I didn’t join them for the movie, but I did see him afterwards at Peter’s party. Nice guy he is, but it’s just weird bumping into him in a separate engagement.

Another case in point…

At the same party, there was a girl who repeatedly told me that I looked very familiar…

I thought she was a bit weird till a few hours later when we were seated on the same table that it dawned to us that we had bumped into each other shopping at the nearby Shida area a couple of months ago.

We finally had this moment of realization after we exchanged business cards, and saw that we worked for competing companies!

Now, nothing makes you remember a person well other than he/she works for a competing company. Works like a charm!

The funny thing was, she had met my boyfriend in a separate occasion.

That was early this year when he was still recovering from a broken long-term relationship. She remembers that he was real sad then, and they were both exchanging sob stories.

Now, this was a few months before I even met him!

Such a small world!

Later on, I found out that she was a very close girl-friend of the guy a good friend of mine had dated before…

My good friend is now dating one of this guy’s male friends.

I have also mentioned the case of my surfer friend whom I have dated very briefly, is now dating one of my friends’ friend.

Geez, sometimes it feels like Melrose Place where everyone merely switches partners…

But then again, it just makes us realize even more how closely related everyone is…

I think it’s because birds of the same feather do flock together. And you usually flock towards people with whom are very similar to you.

In my case, these are the foreigners, the expatriates and the American-born Chinese (ABCs) crowd…

As my boyfriend have said, “So that makes it hard to do anything stupid in Taipei…”

Yes, I fully agree with this.

So live life to the fullest BUT keep your noses clean!

You’ll never know who knows who!