It’s Just For Tobacco (Taiwan Tripper Vol.1)

How long have I been breaking the law here in a tiny asian country, thousands of miles from my homeland, openly flirting with the risk of deportation and throwing away all that i’ve built here in the last 5 years? Same reason we all do it I guess, life can suck and drain you matrix style, and sometimes we all need a lift out of our cluttered ego’s now don’t we? And me personally, I prefer getting spaced than getting drunk. It’s 2020 and by now we should all know better; the science is there, and here I am, making money in one of the few countries that still feels sane.

A little background is in order I suppose; 5 years ago I left my country South Africa in search of greener pastures, convinced that I had to leave in order to truly find myself and become the man I have always wanted to be. 

I had been a frequent partaking of the healing herb since it was first introduced to my at 17 during a high school field trip. I had become a regular smoker by 19, with the uncanny feeling like it always found me, as opposed to me ever really having to go out and looking for it. 

“you get busted; you can
either get deported, or
face jail time”

For the past five years I’ve been teaching English, and learning as much as I can from one of the oldest societies known to man: Traditional Chinese, the ones that fled the tyranny of Mao Ze Dong, and have since kept their culture in tact, on a small little island right of the coast, and have since grown their GDP exponentially, become a beacon of forward thinking in Asia and has given me a home and so many opportunities. The tiny island country of Taiwan.

A country, yes I said it China, go ahead and censor me and pull my funding, because after all, money won’t go with us into the next life? (unless if you’re a modern Taoist and you burn paper money for your relatives in the afterlife so that they can be comfortable and show off their grandkids to the rest) That while having a high standard of living, first world benefits, cheap rent, and being the first Asian country to legalize gay marriage, still is yet to break through their conservative mindset towards the sweet leaf. 

Does it stop its citizens from partaking? Not really; in the past 5 years I have always been able to find somebody with a connection.

The majority is usually imported (California they say); local growers are quick to be busted, but the strong survive, and if you just scan google maps, it’s easy to find places like the Stoner Smoke Shop, in the 3rd biggest city of Taiwan, filled with all kinds of tools and paraphernalia. Most employees will innocently smile and say it’s all for tobacco;

the police can’t stop you from doing that, but if you’re down enough, the employees can easily tell you of their experiences. The owner who I’ve met only once, a mister Stone, found his love in Canada, and since coming back, quietly advocates for education and legalization of the healing herb, and has even extended invitations to Snoop Dogg for support (we’re still waiting on that one); 

but Stone’s passion and optimism is hard to poo poo, especially since he’s able to procure some tasty vaporizers which I’ve had the the benefit of acquiring (the DaVinci Miqro), and have been able to use guilt free on the streets, and hotels rooms.

In Taiwan i’ve been able to find all kinds of colorful characters through my search for herb, Cyberpunks, rock and rollers, wannabe’s and college students trying to make an extra buck; many a story and many an adventure which can be discussed at lengths in future articles; but here are the raw facts.

First off, it’s really expensive; especially after the COVID border close-down; but I was still able to find someone with a connection to one of the few big shots able to bring in all kinds of goodies from the docks. We use messaging services which can’t be traced; we use code words, we meet in public places, and turn off our google tracking locations. Secondly, you get busted, you can either get deported, or face jail time, depending on the amount; or the cops will try and use you to get to the big wigs, since that’s all the cops are focusing on, seeing as there is very little crime to contend with here. 

The older generation know only what the news tell them, and in my experience, the musicians and young people, and of course the foreigners, are especially open to trying it, and willing as well; any of the myriad of music festivals will gain you access to the well hidden alternative scene; and scanning through the Reddit subreddit: AsiaTripper will show you, in Asia, we’re good at keeping things on the down low.

Ultimately what can I say, the reward is worth the risk;  after a tiring week of dealing with babysitting kids, I can sit back with my mates, either at home as a typhoon hits, or on top of a waterfall, hit a little pipe, and reflect on my life;

thousands of miles from what I’ve known, and feel grateful for all that has passed and is yet to come.

High as I sit now, I hope as all for better days, thinking back at choices and responses made today, at midnight; and I think…it’s good, to have moments like that, to keep us grounded and real; 

Stay lifted.

If you want to learn more about Stone and his Stoner Smoke shop then
check it out here:
https://www.stonersmokeshop.com.tw/

https://www.facebook.com/%E7%9F%B3%E9%A0%AD%E4%BA%BA
%E7%85%99%E5%85%B7-Stoner-Smoke-Shop-318719948531119

https://www.instagram.com/stonersmokeshop/

Photo credit: Stoner Smoke Shop

Eric Barbeau; Henry & Co; from Unsplash
DaVinci Miqro review:
https://www.vapecritic.com/davinci-miqro/