There used to be a saying in Hong Kong which went along the lines of "Everything in real time". It was a saying popularised by Rob, which referred often to last-minute, impromptu trips around Asia. Legend has it that Rob once did 14 trips to Taipei in a single calendar year, most of them decided "in real time", ie. On a Friday afternoon during work, deciding that he would rather not spend the weekend in Hong Kong would proceed to the airport, sometimes without an advance purchase of a flight or a hotel. With passport in hand and "figure it out". Rob left Hong Kong in 2015, and with it the saying of "everything in real time".
Fast forward September 2024, and Rob happens to be back in Hong Kong for business. It's on the Tuesday and I get a message "Taipei this weekend?" - four days notice, not quite real time, but definitely on a whim. After much deliberation, I managed to find a couple of cheap flights on points and a reasonable rate for a Taipei hotel for one evening.
Not quite the same gusto of yesteryear, but 24 hours in Taipei was really good. Plus a special guest.
