Okay. So! In the past week or so we have had a lot of really beautiful weather. (Some rain too, of course, but what can you do.) So last last Friday, Emily, Becca, Wendy, and I went for a bike ride along the river near Gongguan. It was beautiful, the weather was spectacular and it was about as pleasant as a day can get. Plus, Alice had told Emily and me that renting a bike cost about $100NT, which I thought was a decent price. We get there and it turns out that for the cheapest bike it's only $30NT for two hours - and, it's student day (or something) so we get a half off discount! The whole lovely experience cost just $1US and we got an upgrade from the cheapest bikes. I took about 100 photos, mostly while riding (so dangerous). A few:
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| Here I am modeling that wind-swept hair that every girl wants |
After our bike ride we went directly to Ximending, one of my favorite spots I've been to in Taipei. We went there in the first week - it's not exactly a night market but there are stalls and lots of night life/shopping. It's always really bustling and has big ads and movie screens like times square. It's tons of fun. They also have a really well-known food stand that sells these penis-shaped cake-covered hot dogs. They are really silly and gross and I got one just because it seemed like someone needed to get one. It tasted pretty good, but it was a little too gross and I kind of regretted my decision to get it in the first place.
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| Ximending |
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| It's hard to tell in this photo, but to me one of the funniest parts of Ximending is the vendors. They are there illegally and so throughout the night the police comes through every so often and everyone selling from a stand runs - really, runs - out of the area, wheeling their stand with them. In fact, twice in the same night we tried to get something from this one guy and just as we were going to buy it he ran off! In this photo you can see the fruit stand and (if you look closely) a few more in the background as they rush to safety. I think the lady in front all the way to the left is holding out money as she was just about to buy something before the cart dashed off. |
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| And you thought the corn dogs the the republican candidates ate were provocative! |
... So that was Friday March 16.
On the 17th we went to Wulai on a CIEE-organized trip. It was another beautiful day and we saw some stunning scenery, roamed the old street there, looking at interesting trinkets, local street food, and regional alcohol. For lunch we had a few aboriginal treats from the area, including mushroom rice served within a section of bamboo, and some drink that had a character from my name in it. We ordered it not knowing what it was, thinking, "how bad could it be? it's a drink!" Surprisingly, it was pretty bad. I think it was like a fermented yogurt-based drink, or something, but apparently sour milk fruit drinks are popular here... maybe it was one of those. In any case, we didn't finish it. Wulai had a pretty waterfall that we all stared at in wonder for a while, and then we headed down to the hot springs! We opted to go in the free public ones instead of the spa-like private rooms - a questionable decision. These three little boys were very taken with us foreigners (guessing we were from Korea or Japan), which began as friendly questions, but then became splashing, spitting, and grabbing. They were just trying to be friendly but it made the whole experience less relaxing than I imagined. Anyway, some photos from Wulai!
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| Rebecca and me on the train to the waterfall |
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| Avalon and me in front of the waterfall |
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| A much cuter pair in front of the waterfall! |
After Wulai we went to the Xindian area where we did paddle boats! It was a very nice way to wind down the day.
On Monday, I went to Jingmei night market with Afore, Chris, Robert, Becca, and Ashley. Afore had been telling me that one stand at Jingmei sold her favorite stinky tofu and we should go get some. (Actually, side note - the Thursday before she and I went to a local place for stinky tofu and our weekly tutoring. It was far less stinky than last time, and I enjoyed it quite a bit. But come to think of it, it was hardly stinky at all.) Anyway. We went to Jingmei night market and got lots of tasty food and had some nice strolling through the stalls. The stinky tofu was stewed, not fried (like the last two I tried). I shared a serving with Becca and I think we both agreed that it was pretty good. This type was definitely stinkier than the one I'd had a few days before, but I think I am acquiring the taste for it. I have been warned, though, that after eating stinky tofu twice your right hand starts to smell like it, and it only gets worse with the more you eat... which is a shame, because I do intend to continue my stinky tofu explorations! Will post updates on the state of my hand-stench.
Last week was either uneventful, or else photos are the only way I remember anything happening. I definitely continued going to class, studying Chinese, learning new characters, meeting new people, the usual. I know I hung out a bit with some new Taiwanese friends and new exchange student friends, which was nice. I spent some time relaxing by the river that goes through campus with Ashley and Una, went to Gongguan for some fancy and delicious 珍珠奶茶 (boba milk tea) and street food, ventured to Muzha market with Gene (and then again later with Afore, Becca, and Avalon for some 豆花). Muzha market is an area near campus but on the other side of a bridge, so people don't go there very often. Gene and I got lunch at a little local shop, and then he showed me the market there, which was totally unlike the old streets and night markets we've been going to this whole time. It was so un-touristy - so much more dirty, grungy, and local. There were tables with raw meat defrosting in the sun, their juices collecting in a bucket on the ground. So against US health codes! But it was an interesting new place and I stopped to get an assortment of Taiwanese candies from a sweet lady who was selling them.
Anyway, on Saturday Phuab and I had to go to the Taipei Fire safety museum, as new dorm residents. It was actually kind of fun - definitely geared towards little kids, but we got to use fake fire extinguishers, experience a simulated earthquake, and try to find our way out of a smokey room.
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| sooo azn |
And on Sunday, Chris, Rebecca, and I spent the day at a temple on a mountain. Christie and Naomi (the CIEE people in charge) volunteer with/hold prominent leadership positions in an organization of Buddhist women, and we were invited to attend this inauguration-type thing. We went, and it was spectacular weather and a beautiful area and we got to explore the temple and take pictures. The vegetarian lunch that all(some?) temples provide free of charge was delicious and extremely filling. Immediately after stuffing ourselves with about 20 different outstanding vegetarian courses and dessert, we went and sat with some really friendly buddhists who jumped up to bring us peanuts, crackers, candies, truffles, peanut brittle, and tea. Everyone there was incredibly nice and friendly, and it was a really nice, peaceful day. The "ceremony" part felt a lot more like a board meeting, but whatever it was, it was all in Chinese and I spent the time picking out the occasional phrase I recognized. Anyway, it was very nice.
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| Our post-lunch tea party (picture me sitting in the empty seat in front) |
...And today the weather was perfect again - mid 70s, sunny, slight breeze. I had a group meeting for my International finance class and then after a long lunch outside napped for most of the afternoon to fight the getting-sick feeling that has been creeping into the back of my throat and nose. This whole staying-up-until-2-to-update-my-blog thing might be counterproductive.
A few notes about food:
One broad genre of dessert that is very common here that you virtually never see in the US is sweet soup. For example, the 豆花 I mentioned earlier (dou hua - literally, bean flower - I don't know if it has an English name) is served hot or cold, and has a very soft pudding-like tofu in a sweet liquid (milky or clear -I've had both). You can get all kinds of other things in it - boba, peanuts, different flavored jellies and blobs of stuff, red beans, green beans, taro balls, etc. Becca and I had it for the first time on our scavenger hunt and have been seeking it out ever since. When Afore took us, I got peanuts, boba, and something that seemed basically like oatmeal.
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| 豆花 |
Another similar concept is bo bo cha cha. This is the title dish of a restaurant very close to campus, and it may be one of my top 5 things I've eaten so far. Again, served hot or cold, this soupy thing has chunks of sweet potato, coconut, unidentified clear cubes, and maybe some other stuff. It has a prominent coconut flavor and I really can't understand why it isn't more popular in the states. Apparently it is originally a Malaysian dessert? In any case, it's the best.
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| Bo bo cha cha |
Also, that drink that I mentioned:
Ingredients include: green tea, buckwheat, barley, brown rice, black bean, jujube, corn silk, and a few things I don't understand. Crazy! And delicious!
Also, for dinner the other night I got lu wei (I don't know the characters), which, if interesting for no other reason, is sold in a bag. I see people on campus carrying around and eating from these bags all the time, but this was my first experience with one:
A couple more things: Lady Gaga is coming to Taipei in May, and everyone is going crazy. Apparently her tickets sold out (or at least, the ones under $300 US sold out) in less than 12 hours. Someone also told me that her tickets here are twice as expensive as they are in nearby Asian countries! In any case, 太貴了! I will listen to her on my iTunes in support.
Avalon told me about this brand of toothpaste (which I just recently purchased)
The characters literally mean "black people". Supposedly, black people are known for their really white teeth and so this brand's whole marketing scheme is that your teeth get as white as a black person's? Avalon said that they brought it to America under the name "darkie" but it soon changed to the more PC "darlie". :/ Is it offensive when the whole thing is saying that black people have nice teeth? Either way, it makes me uncomfortable.
Also, I know there have been tons of photos of me so far, but this one is to call special attention to how long my hair is getting! I have ringlets almost down to my eyes!
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| This photo was taken at sunset, but might as well represent the sunrise that will come if I spend any more time on this update |
love the Grand Stock Photos!
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