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damonikelly · 16 days ago

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July 30th- Last Lunch at Kao Chi

Wednesday was a very bitter sweet day. This it because it was the very last time my classmates and I would have together in Taiwan! We all met Peter down in the lobby at 11:30, then we took a public bus to a restaurant called Kao-Chi. Ye Laoshi, we were told would meet up with us there.

When we arrived, we went straight in to our tables. There were two larger round tobles and then a smaller table of four. I filed in to one of the round tables but then Peter says that the smaller table was for those with dietary restrictions. I was hoping I wouldn’t have to move because I was worried that by switching tables I would be eating a mostly vegetarian meal. I switched anyways however, not wanting to be difficult.

But I had nothing to worry about afterall! In fact, I am glad that I was at the dietary restrictions table! Not only did I get to sit with my wonderful ex-roommate Lauren, Ryan, and the most famous person from Kaohsiung, the food was absolutely amazing!

The first dish was a beef dish with onions. It was full of flavor and a perfect way to kick off the meal, 10/10! The next dish was a tofu dish. I don’t know what it was called but I sure do regret not asking because it was the best tofu I’ve ever had. The taste was not too mild as I find most tofu is. It was also slightly crispy on the outside and nice and soft on the inside, 12/10. There was some sweet and sour chicken that had just the right tang, 10/10. They brought out beef fried rice which was very solid, as well as a cabbage dish that I didn’t eat. The last dish was a fish that was surprisingly fatty. It was pretty good but not better than the other dishes,7/10. The other table had some left over pork belly and I got to have a slice! It was very very fatty but it went very well with my rice, 8/10.

At some point there was only one last dish served and it was a white dessert with red bean. It looked different from anything I have ever seen so although I knew I wouldn’t like it, I still wanted to try it. Lauren and I split a piece and I ate. It was tough, with a similar texture to mochi. The red bean flavor was also not very strong but it was still sweet. This is surprisingly not the worst thing I’ve ever had! 3/10!

When Ye Laoshi had arrived at the restaurant during the meal, she brought a cake with her. It was to celebrate Aiden’s birthday which was the day before but it was also kind of like a farewell cake too. We sung for the birthday boy and then he cut twenty slices for everyone.

The cake was a chocolate cake with cherries on the top and cherries on the inside along with pudding. I ate the cake part and it was ok. I already knew I would not like the cherries on the inside however, so I let Ryan and Lauren have them. I wouldn’t rate this cake super low because it is just not my taste, but it still only gets a 5/10!

After we all finished our desserts, we all slowly started to get up and leave the restaurant. We took a photo outside, and then it was officially the end of the last lunch. I gave Laoshi and Peter hugs goodbye and it was honestly so sad I almost want to cry writing about it. Hopefully when I come back someday Peter and I can can grab a soda. But of course I can’t wait to see Ye Laoshi at school.

Kyra, Kadence and I had made plans to go to Ximending after lunch so we all walked toward the station together. We were also joined by Emily, Layla, and Jess. The ally we turned down after leaving the restaurant had the perfect view of Taipei 101 so we took some really nice pictures on the way.

We arrived at the station thanks to our faithful navigator, Kyra, and we took the MRT to Ximending. When we arrived we wandered a little aimlessly at first, but we eventually ducked into a store that had a great 3 for $1000 deal. I wasn’t interested in buying anything at first but then Emily picked up a really cute shirt. It was fitting for her so I wasn’t going to ask for it from her, but then she went to put it back so I took it then. Justin picked out two shirts that he liked, then we paid together and waited outside for our group to finish.

Kadence wanted to go to this place that she had been before so our new mission was to find it. When Kyra came out of the store, the four of us headed in the direction that Kadence believed the store to be in. We stopped at many accessory shops along the way but for some reason, we could not find this store! We walked all around until we needed a short break to recuperate. We stopped at this park and sat and talked a bit. Then we got up and tried again. While walking on this random street, there was a place selling blind boxes so of course I had to check it out, and what do you know, their bikini bottom buddies were $550 yuan! That’s the cheapest I have seen them yet by $100 yuan. I was scared to buy one however because the three between Justin and I meant there was a 50/50 chance I would get a duplicate, which is really not great. But Kyra said that if I bought one, she would get one and if it was one I didn’t have, then we could trade. We bought our boxes and if course I couldn’t wait to open. What do you know I got one that Justin had and Kyra got one that I had. I was devastated and I learned an extremely valuable lesson on gambling this day. To my family who reads this, please buy me bikini bottom buddies blind boxes so I won’t become a gambling addict!

I gave Kyra the duplicate buddy so now she has two! While all this was happening, Kadence had finally spotted the place we had tried so hard to find! We went inside and the stuff was really cute! Justin bought a cake thingy from nearby shop, so when we left, we all tried it. It was very eggy, but soft. Not nearly as good as the chiffon cake from 7/11, but it had room for improvement, 5/10.

We headed to the manga store Animate to get more gifts. The place was huge and lively on the inside. There was so much to see and look at but unfortunately the only thing I can remember is this really raunchy aisle full of mostly naked girls. It was really interesting to see such a thing in what I feel is such a modest cultural and everyone stopped by to stare in awe.

My hurting feet eventually got the best of me, so while Kyra and Kadence browsed, I sat outside with Justin. Soon the others came out, and it was time to call it a day, so we headed back to the hotel. When we got there, I read some webcomics and took a nap. As the sun went down, it was very pretty and it all reminded me of the program ending.

When I woke up from my nap, I did some blogging and got dressed to head out with Kyra and Kadence. We were going to Metropolitan Park! We took the MRT a ways there and it was huge and beautiful! It was expertly designed to not just look nice but to feel nice and there were many people out enjoying the night.

The first thing we did was head down the long metal rollers slide. I went first and my butt really hurt when I got to the bottom from all the friction! It was still real fun though! After walking along the bridge a bit, we headed down to the play area of the park. It had a bunch of slides, swings, and play things, and it also had a mini water park!

The three of us took our time trying everything! It was so much fun laughing and being laughed at by others watching us play! The park really solidified all of us wanting to stay in Taiwan forever.

The funnest thing at the park was the trampoline! As we made our way over to it, we saw two kids fighting and I am unashamed to say it was hilarious how far it went before their watching parents separated them!

We eventually got very tired and sweaty from playing. Kadence’s shirt was a dead give away from all of our shenanigans, my legs were slick with sweat, and the bottom of Kyra’s crocs had finally worn thin enough for a hole to appear! We shuffled back to the train station and arrived back near the hotel. We of course had to end the night off on a sweet note and I grabbed some ice cream for Justin and I. The three of us parted ways in the hotel for the last time in Taiwan! I can’t wait to hang out with my two new friends when I return to the U.S.! Back in the room, Justin and I finished our ice cream, I took a must needed shower, and we went to bed.

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damonikelly · 16 days ago

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July 29th-TSMC Museum and Half Free Day

On Tuesday, our class took the bus to Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company or TSMC. Before arriving however, Ye Laoshi had us stop at a rest stop that is really popular in Taiwan. When my classmates all got off the bus, we filed into the convenience store and started buying snacks. I got ice cream, juice, and baozi. Justin grabbed baozi and a coffee flavored bag of doritoes. We were all headed back to the bus, when Peter shows up wondering what in the world we were doing! We hadn’t even seen the good part of the rest stop which was the whole reason we had come in the first place!

We walked over to the other part, and inside, there were a bunch of restaurants! Justin and I were interested in the Hakka Village restaurant upstairs since we saw they had pork belly. We headed up and ordered a large portion of pork belly and tofu, hoping it wouldn’t take too long. We had to be back at 12:25, afterall. We sat down to wait and the pork belly hit the table at 12:01. That’s when we realized our first mistake, I forgot to order to- go! No matter, we could eat all the food in time, right? It only took a second for me to realize our second mistake: our meet up time was actually at 12:15! We only had about 9 minutes to eat everything to get back to the bus in time and the tofu wasn’t even out yet! Of course the plate of pork belly was huge and piping hot! I dug in, eating as fast as possible, and the tofu came out soon too. The pork belly was the ideal pork belly, period! 10/10. I felt really bad because I was eating so fast that Justin hardly had any! I promised that he would have the tofu to himself. We asked for to go boxes, packed up all the remaining food and rushed to the bus, making it right on time! The bus left the rest station and we finally were on our way to TSMC.

When we arrived, we filed into a small theater to watch a video about the museum we were going to view. The video was moving very fast and I had to turn my head from the screen for most of it so I wouldn’t be dizzy. I didn’t miss much though! At the end, our guide passed around headphones and radios so we could hear her well during the tour.

We started with gallery one which just showed the progression of things that used the semiconductors, from cell phone to VR headsets. In the next gallery, we got to imagine what the semiconductors could potentially do in the future! There were even some VR headsets that visitors could use. I obviously opted out however. We finally arrived at the third gallery and the end of the tour. This one was all about Morris Chang himself, and it included an interactive where you could ask him questions.

At the end of the tour, we gave our devices back and received a souvenir folder. We also had the option to answer a question on a piece of paper to receive an additional trinket. I decided to answer a question and I got a measuring tape keychain with a llama named Tony in exchange!

After exploring on our own, we headed outside to take a picture. Since this was our last day with Terry, we got to take some with him before heading back to the hotel. I also was invited to get pasta with Lauren which I definitely agreed to.

Back at the hotel, I waited a bit until it was time to go, then I met Lauren, Emily, Glenda, and Layla downstairs. We were going to Beppin Pasta so the walk was just outside!

At the restaurant the others skimmed the menu. I knew I wanted the dessert pizza again so I just got that along with the raspberry yogurt smoothie. Eventually everyone’s food came out except for mine. I tried to get the others to eat but they insisted on waiting so we all had food which was very kind of them. My dessert eventually came and we took pictures then dug in.

We talked about how much we loved Taiwan, what we were going to miss most, and what we would eat first back in the U.S.. When we finished, we paid, and then we went back to the hotel and said goodbye.

I wasn’t in the room long before Kadence invited me to eat beef noodle soup at a restaurant. I just couldn’t say no to such a great idea, so I said yes and we planned for 6:30. This gave me just enough time to visit the Taipei City Mall again and buy the pre unboxed bikini bottom buddy.

Justin and I secured our new buddy, then returned to the hotel and waited downstairs for Kadence. When she came along, we walked and chatted a bit until we arrived at the restaurant. All of us ordered the same classic beef noodle dish. I also got a black tea and a side cucumber salad. The food came out quick, and although noodle soup isn’t usually my first option , it was really good, 8/10! We chatted about school and it was nice to get to know Kadence more!

When we finished, we walked back to the hotel, chatting about pets. We even stopped by a 7/11 and Kadence treated us to some ice cream! Soon enough, we were back at the hotel, and we parted ways.

Back upstairs, I wondered if Kyra was back at the hotel, since I saw that she and a friend had went out to explore earlier. I texted her asking if she was free and wanted to go to the park, since we briefly talked about it at dinner the night before. She agreed, and when she got back, her Kadence,and I went to the park.

Our conversations started off slow at first but it gradually became more interesting as we revealed our really similar interests and hobbies. We talked about animals, crafting, costumes, shows, and more!

At some point Kadence and Kyra decided to show me the nearby teacup park! It was quaint and cozy and we talked kpop while kicking around on the exercise equipment. Eventually, the mosquitos became too ruthless to bear however, so we headed back to the previous park to chat more.

We hung around the slide area, gossiping and spilling tea, and talking about cosmetics and skin care routines. Kyra proposed that we went to Kadence’s room for face masks and so we made our way down the slides in preparation to leave. But before we could, the guy with the pet meerkats showed up! We got closer and received permission to take pictures of them. They were so cute and mischievous and a perfect mixture of shy and curious. It was hard to leave them behind but we eventually left the park for the hotel to shower and ready for bed.

When we were all done, we headed to Kadence’s room. We were too busy chatting and putting each other’s makeup on one another to notice that we forgot to do face masks! Eventually it was after one am. We were so tired from hanging out all day and we decided to call it a night! We said goodbye and went to bed.

Academic Reflection

Peter introduced our class to the Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company on our bus ride there. He told the story of Morris Chang, the company’s founder who was born in Mainland China in the 30’s. He moved to the U.S. at the young age of 18 and he attended college there at both Harvard and MIT, receiving a degree from the latter in mechanical engineering. He would later go on to receive a phD from Stanford University. Morris Chang spent 25 years of his professional career working at Texas Instruments. Feeling his time there had come to an end, he began working at another American company by the name of General Instrument Corporation. According to Peter, by the time Morris Change founded TSMC in Taiwan, he was already 56 years old, and so Peter reminds us that it is never too late to become extremely successful and wealthy!

Our Reading for last Tuesday was appropriately titled Taiwan’s Semiconductor Sustainability and Global Implications. It was all about how the entire world relies on Taiwan’s manufacturing of semiconductors and how endangered everyone would be if TSMC were to ever fall. The article goes on to talk about how China’s rocky relationship with Taiwan has threatened to cause trouble for countries abroad who need Taiwanese semiconductors, the U.S. included! Luckily, because of Taiwan’s semiconductors are crucial for all tech, China has abstained from trying to physically take over Taiwan, and Peter tells us that this phenomenon has been termed the “Silicon Shield”. The U.S., however might soon be relieved of some of its pressure from the reliance on Taiwan tech because we learned that TSMC is due to begin building a factory in Arizona! This is definitely going to mean big things for the American economy.

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damonikelly · 16 days ago

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July 28th-FREE DAY

Monday was our last free day of the program! Justin and I woke up with the plan to buy some bracelets at Dihua Old Street. I got one way before the program started and loved it, so I thought they would make great souvenirs for my family.

We took the MRT and then walked until we reached the stand. I picked out a mixture of adjustable bracelets and non adjustable bracelets in my family members’ favorite colors and each bracelet costed $300 ntd each, not bad!

I actually only wanted to come to the Old Street just for the bracelets, so after that we wandered aimlessly. We eventually grew very thirsty however, and so we stopped at a milk tea place to get something to drink. As I began attempting to order, I was thrown off because the menu had their sugar levels listed in a really confusing way. Instead of saying 100% sugar or normal sugar, it was listed less sugar, half sugar, some sugar and no sugar. Less sugar was somehow their full sugar option, and I just didn’t understand what was going on, so since “some” sounded like the highest quantity of sugar, I mistakenly chose that one. My drink wasn’t terrible but it obviously would’ve been best if I had known better and chosen less sugar. At least Justin’s drink was tasty! With that, we headed to the MRT.

Since the day was still young, Justin and I thought it wouldn’t hurt to go luggage shopping. We took the train to Taipei City Mall and began looking but we quickly realized that that wasn’t happening. As we walked, there were only claw machines and figure shops one after the other, with not a suitcase in sight!

In Justin’s peripheral, he spotted the light blue box that is the bikini bottom buddies blind box in one of the stores. We went inside to check the price and it was $700 ntd. This was the cheapest price we’ve seen them yet compared to a whopping $1200 ntd! We decided not to buy however, and we kept walking. We only got just a store or two down from the first though, when we spotted the box and stopped again. This time when we checked the price, it was $650 ntd!

At this point, we had no choice. We had to buy ourselves some bikini bottom buddies. We picked up our boxes and we to the MRT back in the direction of the hotel. Since we hadn’t had a meal yet, we decided to try out Beppin Pasta, which was right across the street from the hotel. When we walked in, the restaurant was so cozy! It had pillows in the chairs and it was decorated with bright warm colors. I decided to order the chicken pesto pasta and Justin and I ordered a dessert pizza to share. The pasta was pretty decent, 6.8/10. The dessert pizza on the other hand was amazing. It had this thin crispy crust, brown sugar syrup drizzled on top with a scoop of vanilla ice cream in the middle. On each of the six slices was a dollop of something like cream cheese that had melted into the warm crust. It was definitely a 9/10 dessert and I knew that although I likely wouldn’t return for the pasta anytime soon, the same could not be said for the pizza!

After eating, we went to the park near the hotel and sat on one of the comfy benches. We set a video so that we could film our reactions to opening our blind boxes. When I opened mine, I received the green working fish! The fish is posable and has a nice clip to attach to things. It even came with an ID card! Justin himself got the orange limp fish. Both of us were really happy with our new buddies and we sat talking about them for awhile.

At some point our classmate Landon runs into us! He is going to do some pull-ups at the park and we chat a bit before he starts his workout. I was impressed with his discipline to work out daily while in Taiwan and I lamented that whereas I could do one pull up before, with my added weight, I could probably not do any at all. Justin on the other hand believed that his number would be 3 pull ups, down from five. He got up to demonstrate and he was actually able to do 3.5 pull ups! He sure proved me wrong! It was only fair that I tested my own strength so I got up to try. When I reached the bar I knew immediately what the outcome would be. The bar was so thick that I could barely get a good grip despite testing different hand holds. I tried my hardest to pull myself up but alas, I could only do a half of one pullup! I headed back to my spot on the bench in shame and with a promise to myself to workout when I returned home.

The weather at the park was perfect. Not too hot, with a slight breeze blowing through every so often. When there were no more new dogs to look at, I grew tired and decided to take a nap. When I woke up, it felt like Justin and I had been at the park for hours!

We eventually got up to go back to the hotel. It was time to get dressed to head out to the bar with Peter, Ye Laoshi, and my classmates! At 7, we all met up downstairs and climbed onto the public bus to head to the bar. When we arrived, there were two large tables reserved for us, one for drinkers, and the other for non drinkers. I of course set at the non drinkers table alongside Ye Laoshi, Kyra, Justin, Kadence and others. Ye Laoshi suggested that we all placed an order for a plate that we liked and then we all share. We all agreed and we began ordering. I picked the garlic pork!

As we waited for the food to come, we all sat and chatted, but we were soon disturbed! The people at the drinking table had gotten their beers and were now harassing Ye Laoshi to drink! Our poor Ye Laoshi had to endure that the entire time, even when the food came out and she was mid-bite!

Many things hit the table, but my favorite dishes were the one that I ordered myself and then also the three cup mushroom dish Ye Laoshi ordered. It tasted just like general tsao’s chicken!

After everyone was done eating and drinking, we sorted out the tab and left. It was pouring raining though! No matter because of course we still had to get a picture in front of the place before we departed! After doing so, a big group headed back to the hotel behind Ye Laoshi. Kyra, Justin, and I on the other hand had already committed to getting boba after dinner. We walked there in the rain, and my knight let me use his shirt to shield my head from the rain. I ordered a black milk tea and we all three shuffled back to the appropriate bus stop.

The bus came and we climbed on. We were doing our best to navigate our first time on the public bus by ourselves, and while we ended up accidentally missing our intended bus stop by one stop, we were able to get off and walk a little bit to make it back to the hotel! We all went to our rooms and Ye Laoshi sent a message to make sure we made it back safely. I assured her that we had and then I spent some time watching cartoons and reading comics. After that I went to bed and that was the end of that day!

Excursion Reflection

My reading for my Free Day was titled Taiwan’s Specialty Markets Dihua Street and the Taipei Flower Market. In the article, it discussed the history of Dihua Old Street. Even though I had gone to the Old Street before, I really had no idea just how important it really is to all of Taiwan! On my first trip to Dihua Old Street, I simply saw the location as the perfect place to buy dried foods and medicinal herbs, and it was the first time that I had seen the Taiwanese LV bags. But Dihua is so much more that! According to the text, Dihua Old Street is “historically the oldest and most fully developed commercial street in Taiwan”! Since the 19th century, it has been a major hub for the distribution of the goods I mentioned.

Another cool and interesting fact I learned from the reading was that convenience stores such as 7/11 and Hi-Life pretty much launched from the Old Street before they spread throughout all of the island! Everyone on the trip knows that my love for 7/11 runs deep, and it is fascinating to know that without Dihua, things might be much different!

As I mentioned before, Dihua Old Street is full of places selling their teas, medicinal herbs, and dried foods. These goods are extremely important to Taiwanese culture for many reasons. For starters, they serve as a bridge between Chinese and Taiwanese culture. This is due to the fact that the Chinese mainlanders brought with them their medicine culture to Taiwan. As the mainlanders integrated and established themselves, of course the medicine culture also became a huge part of Taiwanese culture!

Also, it is not to be forgotten how medicinal herb culture promotes a very healthy Taiwan! The article mentions that to maintain health in the fall, people would go to Dihua to buy snow fungus soup with lotus seeds. This is just one of the many health remedies to be discovered in the Old Street that keep Taiwanese people nice and strong!

Another reason the goods in Dihua Old Street are important to Taiwanese culture is because they help share the culture! Since Dihua is now a hotspot from tourists everywhere, droves of people are exposed to the medicinal culture of Taiwan. Although many plants are prohibited from being brought back to their home countries, visitors can still try out and use their goods in Taiwan! Additionally, some packaged goods like pollock roe are allowed to travel, as well as the cloths and fabrics available for purchase in the Old Street. That brings me to the last main reason that Dihua Old Street’s goods is so integral to Taiwanese culture, which is that all the tourism stimulates the economy in the area!

American culture is very different from Taiwanese culture because in the U.S., there is not a huge emphasis on natural remedies for illnesses. Instead, individuals are encouraged to buy OTCs that are often advertised on TV, and pill pushing for the sake of money rather than health and recovery is not at all uncommon. The culture surrounding natural remedies is only just up and coming in the U.S. compared to Taiwan where it has always been a major part of the society’s overall health.

I chose to write about the importance of Taiwanese medicinal herb culture because although I am a Chinese major, I am also on the pre-med track and medicine is the field that I plan to pursue. Obviously, anything health related intrigues me! Additionally, my mom and I have been on a journey to become healthier using the best health foods and vitamins opposed to taking medicines, so I believe a lot can be learned from the Taiwanese who have already adopted this practice!

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damonikelly · 16 days ago

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July 27th-Alishan Train, Rainforest Hike, and Travel Back to Taipei

I’ve had a couple of pretty horrible experiences while in Taiwan, but last Sunday contended for the cake! Well at least it did in the beginning!

I woke up early at 1am to get ready to start the day. This was because our class was due to be on the bus by 2am in order to take the bus to Alishan. We would then take the train to see the sunrise!

I was determined to not be the reason our group was behind so I got dressed in something warm, grabbed my blanket and my small overnight bag, then I headed to the bus. I was on time as always, and despite the warning to be on time, a couple of people were still late… as always. Anyways, the bus started on our two hour journey up the mountain and I fell asleep as fast as possible as not to experience any motion sickness.

When I woke up, we had arrived at the Alishan train station. Despite it being around three or four in the morning, there were a lot of people milling about, also likely preparing to see the sunrise.

We went inside the station and waited for Peter to buy our tickets. When he was done, we to the train but as we approached, we saw that it was so full that people were standing up! We elected to take the next train, and although I was tired and wanted to just be on our way, I was glad that we would have a chance to have seats.

The train finally showed up after not too long, and the whole class sat down. As the train began rolling, I tried my best to fall asleep, however, the train was so bumpy! Anxious that I would lose last nights hot pot dinner, I opted to stay awake and listen to some music. Although I was feeling a little dizzy during the journey, it wasn’t too bad, and we eventually arrived at the station that we would be viewing the sunrise from.

There were so many hopeful people at the top of the mountain! There were even vendors selling hot foods to keep people warm on the chilly mountain. Our group pushed our way through the crowd until we were in the front with a good view. Although it was foggy, we all were sure that the mist would clear up, and we would see the sun coming up like we had came for.

As I waited next to Justin and Lauren, the sky began to brighten noticeably. We still remained patient and expected the clouds to part. When it was really light outside and the other people began shuffling away, there was no more denying it. The mist remained, we were cold and wet, and had gotten up early for no reason! Disappointed and frustrated we headed back to the train. Since there was no view to see, the train was full of people, and only some of our classmates were able to snag seats, not including myself.

We waited for the train to depart and as I stood, I could feel the train swaying slightly. That combined with the overwhelming scent of the exhaust had begun to make me nauseous. All of a sudden I heard a coughing and hacking noise directly behind me. When I turned around, a little girl was sitting in her own vomit, much like how I was just a month ago. Everyone fumbled around to find anything to give her, including me. The only thing I had to offer up was my spare emergency plastic bag, but I couldn’t bring myself to give it away in case I needed it to throw up in myself, and given the current situation I was creeping very close to that point! I turned around and used my blanket to cover my nose so the smell wouldn’t push me over the edge. Lauren was very good to me and spent the trip making sure I was feeling ok. Thanks so much Lauren!!!

We finally made it back to the station. Any other person would have been upset that it was raining, but I was relieved. My nausea was incredibly strong and the cold rain against my skin helped to lessen it some. I gathered my wits and we headed to a shuttle to go to a hotel for breakfast. On the way to the vehicle, however, I found out that we had a hike after breakfast and i was not happy in my condition!

The ride wasn’t long, lucky for me, but at the hotel, I spent a chunk of time in the bathroom in case I vomited. When I felt better I went to the dining hall and had toast and orange slices only. I sat at a small table with Justin facing the outside. Despite my motion sickness and potential altitude illness, I really loved the view of the tall trees, rain, and fog. It seemed like something mystical that you would only see in a AI generated image!

After breakfast we walked outside with our hotel borrowed umbrellas, and began our hike. None of us were happy campers since it was raining and slippery, not to mention the fact that many of us were running on low battery from waking up early or not sleeping at all. Me, myself was especially worried that I would start hyperventilating from the thin air and throw up. At the end of the day, however, im really glad we went on the hike. It was super nice and picturesque, and the view was something I have never seen before.

The first thing we saw on our hike were monkeys! They were all hanging out in their little area unfazed by our closeness and likely hoping we had snacks to offer. We continued on the hike, treading very lightly as not to slip down the many staircases. It was like walking through a dream with the cool air and mist touching my face and the rainy forest going as far as the eye could see.

During the hike, we got to see some interesting shaped trees as well as the largest tree in the Alishan park. We kept on trekking for awhile, losing and regaining classmates along the way.

Finally, our hike ended (or so we thought) when we arrived at a train station. Unfortunately, we found out we would have 90 minutes until the next train! At this point everyone was too tired to be upset. All we wanted to do was use the bathroom, sit down, and rest. I decided to go down a bunch of stairs with Kyra and Justin to use the bathroom and while there, we could hear what I imagined was a really nice waterfall that was mostly obscured from us by the mist.

Kyra and I went into the bathroom and quickly discovered that the lights were not working. Kyra offered to use her phone’s flash so that I could go without falling into the squatty. When I was done, I did the same for her, then the three of us went back to the stairs to rejoin our classmates.

We didn’t see them at first but we soon found them exhausted and sitting and lying down on benches in front of the waterfall. I too laid down and chatted with the Kyra and Justin until Peter appears.

Apparently he had hiked 11 minutes away to a nearby place and found that we could all catch a shuttle to the train station instead of waiting for 90 mins for the train. We got up lazily and began following Peter back into the woods.

Not all of us were present however. Ryan had gone to the bathroom and Ye Laoshi was waiting for him. She also asked Justin, Kyra, Mitchell, Rebekka, and I to wait for them. We complied and chatted together about MBTI and Mitchell’s love for Lebron until they caught up

We started walking, and apparently the main group hadn’t gone far before they stopped to wait for us because we approached them after only a couple of minutes of walking. When we reached them and didn’t immediately continue walking I was confused. I mean what was the hold up??

Mitchell then informed me that it was because Ryan and Laoshi were not even behind us anymore! I was so confused as to why when he told me that Ryan had forgotten something back at the bathroom and went back! We had already waited awhile and the bathroom was not only several minutes in the opposite direction, it was down a really huge flight of stairs! The whole situation was absolutely comical!

They eventually caught back up again and we continued our second hike through the woods. I had to stop a couple of times to catch my already shallow breath, but we eventually made it to the station! We had 20 minutes of free time so Justin, Kyra, Kadence, and I went to 7/11. There, I grabbed a meiji chocolate bar and a milk tea drink.

We met back up with our classmates and then we got the best news ever: Terry was on the way to get us! We walked to the bus and climbed on and then it was finally time to leave Alishan and head back to Taipei. When I asked Pete how long the ride was, he said that including stops, the trip would take no less than 5 hours!

Knowing the journey to be a winding one, I quickly willed myself to go to sleep because I refused to get even more sick coming down the mountain. Luckily for me, I was able to sleep nearly the entire way back to Taipei! My poor Justin on the other hand confessed when we had reached Taipei city limits that he was really nauseous himself and holding back his own vomit for a bit of the trip.

When we arrived at our old friend the FX Hotel, I took all of my souvenirs and luggage off the bus to bring to my room. Since it was only 4pm, we had 2 hours to visit the jade market before it closed for the day and rest of the week. Rebekka, Kadence, Justin and I really didn’t want to miss our last chance to visit and purchase some jade from there, so took a taxi. It was not expensive at all and it gave us a lot of time to look around for things to buy.

I was on a mission to buy the jade hair accessory I mentioned before for my birthday gift. I went straight there and luckily the guy was still in the same spot. I bought it for $3000 ntd and I am incredibly happy with this purchase! I was done shopping so I spent the rest of my time there following the others while they scrambled to buy things before six.

Justin bought himself a cool jade dragon, Rebekka was satisfied with the bracelets she wagered for, and Kadence found the perfect sized classic jade pendant. Contented, we walked to the train station and headed back to the hotel.

While in the room, I eked out my assignment that was due within the hour and then I headed to get some curry katsu dinner with Kadence and Layla. Since, Justin was still feeling pretty ill he stayed behind, opting to figure out his own dinner. As the three of us girls walked to the restaurant, we heard the loudest thunder ever! I was so terrified that I jumped behind Kadence like a scared dog!

We arrived at the restaurant soon and since I paid for Layla’s meal before, she treated me! I ordered the classic chicken katsu curry, same as the other two, and then we sat down and waited for our food. It took awhile since the place was busy but we were having fun gossiping anyways!

Our meal hit the table and I was pleasantly surprised! Along with the chicken katsu curry, there was a bowl of miso soup, a side plate of veggies, white rice, and a passion fruit drink! All of this was for around $270 ntd!

We ate the food and I really had no complaints. Everything was on point and you really get so much for the price, 10/10 will go back again!

We headed back to the hotel in a light drizzle and we of course had to detour and get dessert, so I treated everyone to some 7/11 ice cream. We ate as we walked, and when we arrived, we went our separate ways.

I was so tired from the events of the day, so I checked in with Justin to make sure he was doing fine and then it was lights out!

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damonikelly · 16 days ago

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July 26th-Travel to Alishan

Last Saturday was our last morning in Tainan, and I was sad to see the city go. Something about that college town really reminded me of home!

We checked out of the hotel and put our things on the bus. We packed light bags with spare clothes since we had an early wake up to see the sunrise the next day. The bus set off for Alishan but we didn’t go straight there!

Ye Laoshi let us know that this was the day that Mikan the Kaohsiung station cat was scheduled to be at work! We did the appropriate thing, and took a detour to go see her. When we arrived at the station, we knew that today was a good day! Everyone was crowded around the station helped desk. As we got closer we saw the cute little Mikan loafed up in her office chair, diligently working to give people some really good pictures. The station guy was kind enough to let us all through the gate to get a closer look at the cat as well as take our iconic group picture.

Thanks to a selfie stick and GC’s photographer skills, we were able to capture us all in a pic with Mikan. Satisfied, we left the station and were given a bit of free time. Most of us spent it getting pork buns at a small place nearby. I got the spicy pork bun and a cat shaped milk bao. The spicy pork bun was everything I could hope for and a 10/10! The bao was rated a bit lower at a 8/10 for lack of filling, but still really tasty!

We got back on the bus and took it all the way to Alishan, with me of course sleeping the whole way there. We arrived at the hotel and we went to our rooms to rest a bit before dinner. Justin turned on the television and I was immediately made happy! My favorite classic childhood cartoon the Pink Panther was on! It was just like I remembered and I giggled and kicked my feet in joy just like old times! When Pink Panther went off, I took a nap until it was dinner time.

Our meal was at a hotpot place and my classmates were super excited. When we arrived we were greeted by a really fancy restaurant interior with a mini pond and mist. To make the decor that much better, there were these colorful croc wearing croc shoes goofily posed. We sat down and began ordering. While Justin ordered for us both I visited the ice cream freezer. I was very happy with the flavors and I chose toffee to start with. Surprisingly however, it was not good at all!

That wasn’t the only unpleasant thing, but our orders were completely screwed up because we were confused when putting them in. I felt really bad troubling Peter to help us fix things.

Our situation was eventually somewhat sorted out and the food was actually really good! I ate everything on my plate and I even was able to help Glenda out with what she couldn’t finish to avoid the fees.

We finished eating after a long time, and everyone was stuffed to the gills. We piled back on the bus and returned to our hotel to rest for the early start the next day.

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damonikelly · 16 days ago

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July 25th- Ten Drum Cultural Village and Tainan Anping Fort

Last Friday was a jam packed day! I started off with a breakfast of pineapple, cucumber salad, pork belly, and the sweet mystery side that I have had before. After breakfast, my classmates and I got on the bus, and we headed to Ten Drum Cultural Village to see a performance.

When we arrived at the location, it was kind of like a mini amusement park. There was even a sign that pointed to the different attractions they had such as rock climbing, archery, and learning to play the drums. But we weren’t there to just kid around! We had a show to catch!

We went to the theater to take our seats and there were tons of kids already there on field trips. We didn’t have to go to the back though, because we had reserved seats in the very front! Not only that, but before their performance, we received a cute little shoutout on the screen that read welcome University of Florida.

The show eventually started up and the musicians played a variety of different drums, some light cymbals, flutes, trumpets, and gongs to make their music. The would occasionally switch instruments which was incredibly impressive how versatile each individual was. Not only that, but since the ballads that played were somewhat representative of a war, they wore a very cool outfit and they also had combat stances and did kicks and stuff. It all seemed very tiresome.

Every element of the stage made the performance exhilarating and I stared at the artists in awe. Especially when there was a flute being played, it sounded so somber ands beautiful. The performance eventually ended and we all filed out of the theater. We were able to take a group photo with the cast on the outside and they were very excited and welcoming!

After the performance we were given free time to explore the village and I knew exactly what I wanted to get into first, archery! Justin and I set off from the group and Kyra caught up and followed along! We walked around for so long looking for the archery area because we just couldn’t read the signs and we didn’t immediately think to try to use an app to translate it. Not to mention, while not paying attention my suede New Balances that are no longer being sold anymore got rust on them! That made me really sad but I tried to suppress my disappointment and focus on finding the archery area.

We found the place soon enough but when we got there, there were a bunch of kids there playing with the bow and arrows, so the instructor told us to leave and come back an hour later. We walked away excited that we would be able to play even though we are not kids and tried to find something to get into to past the time.

The first thing we did was visit an old molasses silo. We got to go inside it and it was very very hot, despite it actually not being that hot outside. We sweated our butts off and were now in desperate need of a drink. We soon stumbled upon the park’s Harry Potter-esque magic cafe and went inside. I bought the blue mermaid fizzy drink and Justin got the pink rose love potion drink. Kyra ordered the same thing as me and we all went and sat down under a fan.

Kyra is so sweet and she made sure to ask if she was third wheeling Justin and I, but we assured her that we really enjoyed her company and hanging out with her! We talked and drank and when we were less sweaty than we were before, we got up and continued exploring.

Soon enough we ran into our classmates and Ye Laoshi eating lunch, but the price made the food unappealing to my trio, so we kept on exploring. Kyra wanted to go to this fun bridge area she saw before so we followed her there. Since my ankles weren’t up for climbing the stairs and I was still bummed out about my shoes, I decided to sit on a bench while Justin and Kyra climbed up and up and up.

When they came down, it was finally time to do archery! We walked back to the area and waited in line for a bit. This time, although there were kids, there were also some adults who didn’t want to miss out on all the fun, and us three felt a lot less out of place.

We had the perfect number to work together and were instructed to pick out our arrows. Kyra had pink tips, Justin green, and I was purple. We began shooting after a brief demonstration and despite the bows light draw weight and the suction cup arrows, we had so much fun!

Our time ended soon and that also meant that it was almost time to meet up our group. When we got back to the main area, Justin, Kyra, and I got mango and Yakult smoothies. We finished them quickly and then we headed back to the bus.

Our next stop for the day is what Peter called the tree house. Before arriving he let us know that we weren’t going to see a house on top of a tree and thus left us to imagine what he meant by the word. When we arrived , Peter bought our tickets and we went in. He lead us inside this building that had been abandoned and on the inside, tree roots had completely taken over! They were covered almost the whole wall, and the ones on the ground made for perfect tripping hazards. It was actually pretty cool seeing nature reclaim a building like that! We took a picture and were given more free time to explore.

I was really hot and tired from the days events so all I wanted to do was find the souvenir shop to rest and wait for the rest of the group. Kadence was feeling the same way so her and I headed back together. When we went inside we looked at the trinkets and I bought Kadence and Kyra these embroidered pins as late birthday presents. I also bought a popsicle that was just ok but still refreshing.

Everyone eventually finished exploring the tree house, so we got back on the bus and headed to our last excursion of the day. When we arrived at our destination, we walked past a beautiful temple and some street vendors setting up shop. We soon arrived at Tainan Anping Fort. We got to see the brick wall that the Dutch first built when they operated Taiwan. Next we admired a statue of Zheng Chenggong aka Koxinga, who is credited with driving the Dutch out of Taiwan. Lastly, we took our group photo in front of the fort tower, and we headed back to the bus.

We made our way back to the hotel and Justin and I were really hungry since we had only drank beverages all day. We deliberated on what to eat in the lobby, and then we walked just around the corner to the Korean Bqq place we had been seeing. On the inside, we picked their cheapest meal option since it offered pretty much everything we wanted and we began grilling. I was really sad that the bonchon bar was lacking a lot, but that just meant more of the delicious meat! I think that itself deserves the place a 7/10!

Justin and I finished eating, and then we meandered back to the hotel with our big bellies. As soon as we got back to the room we drifted into food comas, and that was the end of our very busy day!

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damonikelly · 16 days ago

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July 24th- Confucius Temple, National Museum of Taiwan Literature, and National Museum of Taiwanese History

Last Thursday was a day full of history and our class kicked things off at the Tainan Confucius Temple. The temple was so beautiful with its red structure and it looked even more so against the green grass and the blue sky!

My classmates and I walked into the temple and explored it individually. There were rooms that held artifacts and descriptions like a museum and we walked through them slowly. At the end, we could make talismans at a table.

We left the temple and headed to our next destination which wasn’t too far. It was actually very close to the art museum that Justin, Kyra, Kadence, Layla, Lauren, and I visited just the day before! We went inside the National Museum of Taiwan Literature and started exploring on our own. There were a lot of kids there on field trips! There was not too much to see in this building in my opinion, however, I enjoyed the one room that showcased the Taiwanese cinema and TV, and I actually recognized this one actress who I’ve seen in Netflix Taiwanese dramas several times.

After wrapping up at the literature museum, it was time to visit our third and last museum of the day and Peter’s favorite museum called the National Museum of Taiwanese History! When we arrived, the museum was extremely large on the outside and even more spacious on the inside. We took the escalator and started exploring from the second floor. There, we saw dioramas demonstrating how the Taiwanese island was predicted to be first occupied by natives and descriptions talking about how immigrants from mainland China inhabited it later.

There was a huge section full of human statues all dressed up and engaging in different occupations such as fisherman, farmers, and paraders. This section demonstrated what Taiwanese society was like a long time ago. And nearby, there was another section of statues dedicated to showcasing what life in Taiwan was like under Japanese rule. This section had police officers, working women, shop owners, and tourists. It was really cool how the museum used the large space to effortlessly and effectively recreate the scenes of a historic Taiwan.

The museum had tons of things to see and descriptions to read, but the last notable things I saw were on the third floor. There was a room dedicated to game making, another dedicated to food, and a third dedicated to an artist who was sadly assassinated because of his beliefs. I skimmed through these exhibits since I was low on time, and then Justin and I met up with the others downstairs and left the museum.

Although the first half of the day was very busy, we had the second half to ourselves! I really wanted to get another bento box from that place I had before during calligraphy class, so Justin and I got the name of the restaurant from Ye Laoshi. It was a 23 minute walk and we set out almost immediately after arriving back at the hotel from the museum.

On our way we saw a couple of bakeries we were interested in, and we took a mental note of them and kept walking. We finally approached the restaurant, and it only took about five minutes to order and receive my food. I ordered the pork cutlet with a variety of veggies. We headed back in the direction we came in and this time we got to visited the bakeries we saw. The first sold custard puffs and Justin and I ordered a couple. While we waited, we ran into Ryan who was doing a bit of his own exploring!

We chatted for a bit with him, parted ways, and then received our food. I ate mine in one bite and it was not bad! 7/10! We kept walking and we quickly came up on the second bakery. From there, we got a sugar croissant, a chocolate covered pineapple bun, and a regular pineapple bun. We paid and then took them back with us to eat later.

At this point we were very near the hotel, and since Justin hadn’t gotten himself a meal yet, we visited a restaurant in the night market to get him some grub. He got a duck bento box! We finally headed back to the hotel, and we ate our food while watching soap operas! My food tasted just like it did the first time I had it, absolutely delicious!

After finishing our dinner, we shared the sugar croissant for dessert. It was crispy on the outside from the sugar and incredibly soft on the inside. Of all the baked goods we ended up buying that day, that one was my favorite! I spent the rest of the night digesting my food while reading comics and then I went to bed early!

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damonikelly · 19 days ago

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July 23rd-Calligraphy Class at NCKU and Free Day With My Classmates

Yesterday, Justin and I went downstairs to get breakfast before class started. It was not many options compared to that of the last couple of hotels, but I settled on some fruit, scallion bread, tofu, cucumber salad, and this mystery dish. Although the bread was really really bad, the other things I got worked well together and the mystery dish was pretty yummy! I got seconds, with the better tasting things and then my classmates and I all got on the bus to head out for the day.

Before we arrived at NCKU for the guest lecture, I was admittedly not very excited. The sound of it just seems like we would have been sitting and listening to someone talk. But then Peter reminded us that the lecture was really our calligraphy class! Had totally forgotten and I was immediately excited! When we got to the university, we headed straight to the calligraphy classroom. On the outside, some of the best works from previous students were proudly displayed. We took our seats, received our materials, and listened to Professor Ye talk about the history of fans and the importance of calligraphy in Taiwanese culture. Eventually, it was time for us to start the lesson and we were given packets with different phrases in various fonts. The idea was to choose the best one to write on our very own fans! We would be able to use our scrap paper to practice. I dived right in trying to do every single example. Even the easiest ones turned put to be incredibly difficult! I persisted until I eventually settled on one of the easier phrases and hard committed to putting it on my fan. Unfortunately for me, I ran out of space on my fan much earlier than expected and I really didn’t like the job I had done. I flipped the fan over to try another phrase and this one turned out much better. I signed my name in Chinese, then I headed to the front to put the finishing red seal on my fan. I wasn’t the happiest with my work and I tend to get frustrated when artsy things don’t come as easily to me as I assume, but I genuinely had a really fun time and I can’t wait to put the calligraphy set Justin bought me last Christmas to use!

To make our class day even better, lunch was included and we ate it right there in the calligraphy class room! We were having bento boxes and I chose the pork one. I was so very surprised when I opened up my food! I had a nice large fried pork cutlet on top of rice, next to three extremely delicious sides. It was so good and the most balanced meal I’ve had since the Fo Guang Shan monastery, 11/10!

After lunch, class was over for the day and we had the rest of it to explore Tainan for ourselves. The first thing Justin and I did once we got back to the hotel was go straight to the stationary store next door. I was determined to buy some white pens to use in my new notebook I got. While we were in there, we ran into Kyra, Kadence, and Layla! We all yapped and we went upstairs and oohed and awed at all the stuffs. In order to save myself from buying anything I didn’t need, I eventually made my way to checkout. I had chosen some really cheap white pens that were less than $1 USD a piece, a matching charm set to build with Kadence and Kyra, and body pillow resembling the Taiwanese 1000 yuan dollar. I was incredibly satisfied with my purchases and everything combined with Justin’s things was less than $30 USD! Of course I can’t forget to mention that Kyra gifted me my very first pack of My Little Pony Friendship is Magic trading cards!

After leaving the store, we went to the 7/11 next door to get some drinks and I introduced Layla to my favorite zero sugar added, low calorie, sparkling, grape juice. We all sat in the hotel lobby, drinking and discussing books, musicals, and Disney lore. I also opened my trading cards and I loved them! Kyra might have started my next new addiction!

Justin and I were interested in going to the Tainan Art Museum so I asked them if they wanted to join and they said yeah! We left on the thirty minute walk there and we had Lauren as an additional member! It was a super long walk but we eventually made it! We bought our discounted student tickets and began to explore.

I didn’t really have any expectations but I still didn’t leave disappointed. My favorite pieces were a gold mural with white waves crashing on black rocks, and painting Kyra pointed out with calligraphy and bodies melding together, a painting of the sacred Ghange River in India, and an exhibit full of noisy moving mix media art.

After we had all had our fill of the museum, we walked to a luggage place so that Kyra could buy a suitcase. I should have bought one too, but I was intimidated by the prices and I didn’t feel like carrying it back to hotel.

We finally made our way back to the hotel and soaked up the sights of the city. We were to have dinner on our on before getting together in Kadence’s room for some girl time. I opted for Joy Share’s again and I got the beef dumplings, pork dumplings, scallion pancake, and steamed custard buns. Justin got himself some soup and kimchi musubi for us to share.

We got back to the hotel and we scarfed everything down. It was delicious as to be expected! I showered and then I headed up to Kadence’s. A bunch of girls ate ice cream, talked about Kpop and Kadence, Kyra, and I made our charms. It was a fun night and it was exciting to spend some time with all the girls. We eventually called it a night and I went back to my room to rest up for the next day.

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