Daily Happenings
Tuesday- On Tuesday I started the day off with my typical 7 Eleven breakfast and Chinese class until 11:30. All of us went out for Japanese ramen for lunch which was delicious. There is a lot of authentic Japanese cuisine here because of the Japanese occupation in the past. I had a delicious pork based broth which was perfect considering the temperature was starting to drop. After lunch we headed to Longshan Temple "龍山寺." The temple itself is a hodgepodge of Buddhist and Taoist worshipping places. The temple was initially Buddhist, but as Taoist temples were shut down their statues and relics were moved to the back of Longshan. Parts of the temple were rebuilt after it was bombed in World War II by the allied forces who sought to defeat Japan. An interesting fact we learned was that one of the only things that survived the bombing was a statue of the extremely popular Chinese goddess, Mazu. The statue had survived the fire due to the fact it was made of porcelain. The old styled temple that was a beautiful juxtaposition against the modern city, it was a true oasis. A lot of older Taiwanese people "hang out" here during the day because of the nearby throw back attractions including free opera in the park. At night however, the area surrounding Longshan temple is a hotspot for the homeless and prostitutes oddly enough.
After the temple we visited an old educational museum that recreated an old part of Taipei. It reminded me of a museum I go to Connecticut where one tries to place themselves in a 19th century whaling town. However this was a late 18th/early 19th century recreation of Taipei. It included stations on children's games, local medicine, and schools. After our touring, our chaperone (who is originally from Taiwan) graciously treated us to a snack of either shaved ice or peanut porridge from a snack shop she at one point frequented in the past.
A smaller group of us then headed out to Shilin Night Market for dinner and some exploring. I ate my fair share of oddities as per usual including a pork sausage that was stuffed inside a split rice sausage. Kind of like a Taiwanese hot dog. We came back home, relaxed, and went to sleep!
Wednesday- Wednesday started with 7Eleven and class. We got let out early at 10:30 for our trip to Tamsui to visit Tamkang University's main campus. The campus we attend is a one building branch in Taipei. The campus was set right against the Taiwan strait, with the mountains as a back drop. It was an absolutely perfect location. We enjoyed our time walking around despite the rain. We even got to have lunch with the dean of International Affairs! After our tour of the campus we visited an Old Dutch fort by the name of Santo Domingo. We then grabbed a quick fish ball soup snack and headed home. The MRT trip took over 45 minutes! It was nice to see the outskirts of Taipei passing by in the window. We were all absolutely exhausted by the time we got back. I took an amazing nap with my sliding door open so I could hear the rain. For dinner, I went to an okonomiyaki restaurant. Okonomiyaki is a Japanese pancake concoction with noodles, cabbage, seafood, pork, a thin crepe like pancake, and egg. It's delicious and suited the cold and wet night well. With that much food in my belly, I fell asleep very quickly.
Thursday- Today was the lightest day we've had so far, which was a nice break. I woke up with a cold, so I needed as much rest as possible. I think the cooler temperatures (50's… boohoo. not quite the "polar vortex" back at home) played a role in that… I made sure to drink lots of hot tea for breakfast and during class to quell my suffering. For lunch a group of us headed to our favorite beef noodle soup place for lunch. 4 dollars buys you a huge bowl a handmade noodles, stewed beef, and broth. I LOVE it. I made sure to add extra chili oil today to scorch my cold.
After lunch we had a quick Chinese sachet lesson. Afterwards I slept for who knows how long, and then got Korean food with some friends. After so much spice and hot tea, my cold is slowly getting better. I'll make sure to get a good night's sleep tonight.
Cultural Comparison- People here are crazy about their dogs! In a good way of course. In the states, I call myself a dog person, but that is nothing compared to Taiwan. People here dress and groom their dogs in all sorts of funky ways. The other night I saw several dogs in raincoats! Dog groomers are on every street corner. There is an insane loyalty between a dog and its owner. Owners don't even use leashes, even in the most hectic and busy night markets. Dogs just trot along side their owners without a thought of running away. I suppose this is because so many live alone in small apartments, and need companionship. Many people don't get married here because it's so expensive to buy larger real estate.
Future Expectations- Tomorrow we are driving out to the East coast for the weekend! I am looking forward to seeing a totally different part of the country. We've been warned it'll be a lot colder however :'(. Yilan is known for its orchids, so I'll try to sneak a bulb or two past customs for my mom!
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