貓的博客

大家好… it was eventually time for the most bittersweet day of the trip, our farewell lunch. We had the morning to ourselves, and I definitely enjoyed the chance to sleep in a little later and have a slow start. I organized my luggage a bit so packing up in a few days would be easier.

After meeting up at 11am, we took the MRT as a group to our mystery lunch spot. It reminded me of our first day in Taiwan, following Peter’s tour guide flag through the crowds of people in the station. It was a strange feeling to reflect on how different I felt today compared to back then, now completely at ease with navigating the metro and the busy escalators. We rode the MRT to Taipei Main Station, weaving through the underground mall to reach the venue 葉老師 had planned for us: a vegetarian buffet! I was actually pretty excited to see what food they served here, as I figured they would get creative with ingredients and ways to prepare vegetables. The selection inside was truly massive, with plenty of sweet and savory options. I had to try their pesto pasta, which was better than the Italian restaurant we tried a few days earlier honestly. They also had these tofu bites baked inside a puff pastry dough that I’m still thinking about as I write this… it was so good! And some mango kumquat juice that I got multiple servings of. I was hoping they’d have some fun juice options and they did not disappoint!

As we finished up at the buffet and neared our goodbyes, I found myself getting suddenly very emotional… this trip meant so much to me, and I am still a bit shocked I made it happen. It was also hitting me that this would be my last college class of undergrad, and last for the foreseeable future. I really looked forward to seeing 葉老師 and Peter every day, practicing my Chinese, and seeing so many beautiful things on a daily basis. While most of my classmates will be continuing their Chinese studies with 葉老師 in the future, I would not be. When I get home, my routine will be changing significantly, and I’ll be entering a new chapter of life. Which sounds so dramatic, but hey, it’s my blog and I gotta process the emotions somehow.

I want to express how grateful I am to not only the classmates that looked out for me and included me, but the endless kindness and care shown to me by 葉老師. While I regret not being able to take more classes with you as a student, I’m really happy we got to spend this month together. I can’t imagine a better professor to lead us through this crazy program, and it was very meaningful to me that you went out of the way to make sure I was comfortable. It’s really a struggle for people like me to feel accepted in certain spaces, especially in university settings, and you gave me the confidence to go on a trip like this without feeling out of place. As both your student and hopefully now a friend, I hope you know the positive impact you have on our lives. I am forever grateful, 葉老師非常感謝 ❤️

I got to spend the afternoon shopping with some friends from the program, and I had a great time just wandering around the area with them, and hyping each other up while we tried on clothes. It might be simple, but it was a really refreshing experience for me. I’m glad I got to make so many new connections and happy memories here.

While the program is over, I did have two more days in Taipei to myself! I will hopefully be uploading some extra blog entries about those days, and uploading more pictures from the trip. Until then!

大家好！ Today was our final day of excursions, and coincidentally one of my favorites of the entire trip. We woke up bright and early to take a van to a tea farm up in the mountains, just a bit outside of Taipei. The family who runs the farm has done so for four generations, and it was an amazing experience to be welcomed into their home and taught the process of making tea. I’m very grateful for the kindness of the family and the time they took to host us! The mountain views were so gorgeous, it felt like I had walked right into a painting. The quiet surroundings and cool windy weather was also a nice escape from the Taipei heat.

The first step was picking our own tea leaves! We got to pick from green tea bushes, focusing on the leaves with buds sprouting in the center. To make the tea, it was important to pick the freshest leaves! It was actually super fun to search the field for the best sprouts and fill up our baskets, very meditative too. After gathering our tea leaves, some of us got to ride up the hill in the back of the owner’s pickup truck to our next location. Sitting in the bed was really nostalgic, I don’t think I’ve done that since I was a kid. Watching the farm dog Bingo chase us up the road was also adorable. He was really chill and sweet!

We first prepared our tea (more info in my relfection) and then worked in teams to make some taro, sweet potato, and pumpkin balls. Our team was responsible for the taro balls, and while the flour took some time to congeal, our team eventually hit a flow state and finished up first. I loved the process of this! It reminded me of making scones from scratch. They all turned out delicious too!

By the time we got back to Taipei it was around noon, and my energy was fading fast… I took a walk to get some coffee at my new favorite coffee shop in Taipei (Brown sugar latte, iced, less sugar, less ice, you know the drillll), and then window shop at some stores that caught my eye while I was looking out the van window. They had some of the most unique shirts I’ve seen on the trip and I was very tempted by them but… at this point they would’ve cost all I had left in my wallet. Next time, Taipei ╮(￣▽￣"")╭

Academic Reflection

Our reading today was about tea culture and production, perfect for our visit to the tea farm! After spending the morning with the family, I could see the correlation between their livelihood and the history presented in the article. It was noted that the 1970s marked a change in Taiwan’s relationship to tea, with an upsurge of interest in high-grade tea and local identity. Since this tea farm has been in the family for generations, I wonder if this shift inspired future generations to develop the farm into what it is today.

To prepare our tea, we first had to remove its moisture, then apply heat to stop the oxidization process. This process begins as soon as the tea leaf is plucked from the plant. After baking the leaves, we rolled it between our palms until they became tacky and shriveled. The final step is measuring 6 ounces of tea into a bowl, and pouring hot water over it. The tradition of preparing loose leaf tea in a bowl began in the Ming dynasty, after the use of compressed tea was banned. It was cool to see the tea farm using the same technique, and it was my first time ever making tea this way. The best part was, it was absolutely delicious. It was a real treat getting to taste freshly made tea and I will cherish this experience for a long time.

大家好！Today was a highly anticipated day for me… a visit to the Taipei Zoo! I didn’t want to look up too much about it beforehand, but of course, I knew we’d be seeing some pandas. Even though some zoos in the U.S. have pandas, this was my first time ever seeing any in person! They were soo cute, sleepy, and absolutely massive.

In general, I was really struck by how large many of the species I had never seen in person are. Photos don’t do the scale justice. Besides the pandas, I got to see an elephant, capybara, rhinoceros, and penguins for the first time too! I haven’t been to many big zoos before, so even the more common zoo animals were very exciting for me. It’s a bonus that I got to see them in such a cool place.

Today was an unbearably hot day, so there were some animals that were either tucked away in the shadows, or completely inside. It limited our options, but I can’t blame them, I would have done the same if I could. If anything, it motivated me to visit Taiwan again in the colder months! To combat the heat, the zoo has suspended mist machines across the park for cooling down, which I really appreciated. We didn’t have too long at the zoo before our next activity, so I decided to come back on my own in the evening (shoutout to Taipei Zoo for allowing re-entry). I was able to hang around until it closed! The only downside was I missed the red pandas… after trekking up to their enclosure I found out that they only come out at certain times due to the weather. But I did get to see the red panda themed Hi Life, which was super cute!

After the zoo, our group attended a DIY tofu class to learn how to make tofu ourselves! I had an absolute blast during the workshop, and I was surprised at how fast and easy making tofu actually is. Once you boil the soy milk and add a coagulate, all it really takes is some attention and a firm press. Not only did our tofu keep its shape by the end, I think the final texture was perfect. It was more of a semi-firm tofu. We got to enjoy the final product with some oyster sauce, and it was sooo delicious for how simple it was! To end our day, we walked down Shenkeng Old Street, a historical area full of tofu vendors of all kinds. I tried some tofu ice cream which I loved, and had my third stinky tofu meal of the trip. At this point, I’ve become the guy that helps my classmates finish their stinky tofu, haha… but there are worse positions to be in! I wonder how many bowls of stinky tofu it takes to graduate from 外國人 status.

Academic Reflection

The Taipei Zoo’s origins trace back to over 90 years ago, during the Japanese occupation of Taiwan. Since its humble beginnings as a public park, the zoo has undergone renovations to provide more space for animal conservation and educational efforts. As a visitor, I felt that the campus of the zoo was not only massive, but the exhibits seemed well-maintained and the animals looked healthy and lively even in the summer heat.

大家好！Today’s itinerary was originally meant for the day the typhoon hit, so it was rescheduled for our last free day in Taiwan. I’m personally not so sad about that, because I was really excited to see the National Palace Museum, our first stop of the day. Unfortunately, I didn’t sleep so well the night before… I’ve been getting some insomnia these last few days. But I powered through, for the jadeite cabbage. Anything for the cabbage. It was so beautiful in person!

The museum was ridiculously crowded today, likely a double whammy of the weekend crowds and the Tibetan Dragon Sutra exhibit on display. There was a whole sea of people at the entrance of the museum, with lines to see the sutra as long as a two hour wait time. Peter explained to us that the Dragon Sutra is an important Buddhist artifact, and it is believed that those who lay eyes on it will be blessed for the next seven lifetimes. Its significance certainly spoke for itself. While I couldn’t check out every exhibit I wanted to due to the large crowds, I did get to view the ceramic and painting collections, which I was very excited about. I’ll discuss the museum more in my reflection!

After the museum, we got some midday coffee and snacks at the Kitten Coffee Garden cafe, the very first cat cafe in the world! It has been in operation for 28 years, and still hosts an adorable cast of cats and dogs that live in the space. I got an iced caramel macchiato and a slice of mango passionfruit cake, both of which were suuuuper delicious! I really felt for the owners having to make orders for a group of like eighteen people, but we got to pass the time playing with cats, so I didn’t mind the wait at all. They had two young kittens that were super lively and sweet, I really enjoyed watching them bounce around the cafe.

The evening blessed me with my first earthquake, which came on very suddenly. I was in my room, calling my mom, when I felt the building start to sway and the furniture in the room shake. Then the emergency alert came through. I probably terrified by poor mom by cutting her off and saying there was an earthquake happening (~_~;)

Taipei was relatively far from the epicenter, so what we felt wasn’t too intense. I actually feel like the earthquake simulator we did about a week prior helped me feel calm during the situation, haha. Now I can truly say I’ve had the full Taiwan experience: typhoons, earthquakes, and sweltering heat!

Academic Reflection

Earlier in the program we had a reading about the National Palace Museum and its place in forming national identity, a piece I was glad I had read before attending the museum. Initially, the palace museum served to evoke feelings of mainland China, a feeling of home, within the Chinese nationals who relocated to Taiwan. The artifacts housed within were brought over from Beijing during the Chinese civil war, as a symbol of the KMT government’s “sovereignty” over China. As such, the existence of the National Palace Museum is more outwardly political than most art institutions. In line with Chinese traditions, these ancient vessels were used as a symbol of power and a statement of control. Possession of ritual vessels signaled political authority. This then puts the NPM in an interesting position in modern day Taiwan, a nation which no longer desires control over China, but autonomy.

I feel like I barely scratched the surface of my experiences in Taiwan, but I had a great time reflecting on the past month while making this video. Thank you to everyone who supported me, both my friends and family! I couldn’t have made this leap without you.

And of course, I am so grateful to 葉老師 for encouraging me, being an amazing mentor, and always answering my silly questions ahaha. 謝謝葉老師， 你讓我的這個月在台灣變得非常特別。

大家好！While this might be a bit of a strange one, my second independent excursion was a foot massage. To set the stage for you, not only are massage parlors everywhere in Taiwan, but they almost always advertise their services with a large foot shaped sign off the side of the building. Bonus points if it’s a flashy neon sign. This is because foot massages are typically the main service offered by massage therapists here, and a popular option for both locals and tourists alike. After my first few weeks here, I grew more and more curious about the hype surrounding it, so some classmates and I decided to try it out while we were in Kaohsiung. I can’t lie, after all the walking we’d been doing, it sounded like a great option. The overall experience was incredibly unique, and my research took me down a rabbit hole of cultural significance behind the practice.

Before I talk about my own experience, some cultural background is important. Foot massages as they are practiced today in Taiwan began in the 1980s, popularized by Catholic missionary Josef Eugster. While working in Taiwan, Eugster turned to massages as a treatment for his weak joints, a practice which he extended to churchgoers after he saw beneficial results to his own health. Word quickly spread about the positive effects, and so did Taiwan’s interest in foot massages. Initially inspired by Swiss theories of foot reflexology, these massages targeted several “reflex zones” located on the bottom of the foot that correspond to one’s internal organs. As such, massaging these zones is thought to heal ailments within its corresponding organ, including digestive and immune systems.

Eugster’s inspiration for the treatment wasn’t initially rooted within Chinese medicine traditions, but as with most things in Taiwan, cultures began to blend. As interest in the massage grew, Josef Eugster began to fine-tune his teachings alongside Dr. Eugene Chen, who introduced the theory of the five elements, or five viscera (heart, liver, spleen, lungs, kidneys), into the practice. The overarching idea is that by massaging one’s feet, the flow of qi is stimulated, which regulates the body once more. Foot massages are known for being slightly painful, especially for first timers, yet this stimulation is what makes an effective treatment. While the concept of foot massages have existed in China since the Han dynasty, this modern take seeks to combine ancient technique with new interpretations.

Because each zone is associated with a part of the body, massage therapists in Taiwan often assess a patient’s health based on where tension lies within their foot. It is common for them to comment on the health of one’s organs, or the quality of their sleep, all based on a person’s reflex zones. While my massage therapist didn’t make any comments about my own health, I have a feeling it’s because I’m a foreigner with poor Chinese skills. Most of our communication was simple. She did, however, easily find the areas that were the most sore, and seemed to focus on them the most.

The five viscera mentioned earlier are associated with a color, or element, within Chinese medicine. In Taiwanese reflexology, the map of the foot’s reflex zones is color-coded, a visual which is always present within spas and massage establishments. In some cases, this coded map is placed directly on the sign outside the building, acting as a visual identity for the treatment. The practice has become especially renowned within Asia, often attracting Japanese and Korean tourists.

So, that brings me to my first foot massage ever. I was honestly nervous about how I would react, as I’d heard it can be quite intense. I wanted to take in the experience with as little preconceptions as possible despite that. I had picked a spa within walking distance of the hotel, with some recommendations from 葉老師 and Peter, and a few classmates came with me. The service was very affordable! It cost $700 NTD for a 50 minute session, including 10 minutes of neck and shoulder massage, and 40 minutes of foot massage. That’s about $20 USD for a service that would surely cost triple that in the United States… on the low end. The environment was very serene and tidy, with quiet instrumental music filling the space, and my therapist was accommodating to the language barrier. They even gave us green tea to drink during the massage! We didn’t talk much, so I didn’t get to hear about what my reflex zones say about my body, but maybe next time when my Mandarin is better. I would say the entire experience was certainly worth the money regardless.

I won’t lie, there were some very uncomfortable moments during the massage, mostly because of the pressure applied. It was a sensation I had never felt before. It was hard not to tense up during the particularly painful parts, and a few times my massage therapist had to jokingly tell me to relax. She was very thorough, but despite the pain I did feel very light and comfortable afterwards. I was impressed at how accurately she pinpointed the parts of my shoulders and legs that were aching so much from travel. Overall, I enjoyed the experience and I think I powered through well enough! I wouldn’t call it relaxing in the moment, but the aftermath was very nice.

I’m really glad I got to try out a Taiwanese foot massage, I feel it was truly unlike massage experiences back home, or at least anything in my area. The overall professionalism exceeded the price in my opinion, and the days after my body hurt significantly less. For its accessibility and impact, I understand why people have come to depend on these massages as a remedy for chronic illnesses and other ailments. While it may not always be a cure, the relief it gives is undeniable. After comparing the experience with my classmates afterwards, it sounded like each of our sessions were personalized to us. While we all felt sore afterwards, it was a good feeling. If I lived in a place that had affordable massages like this, I would definitely come back on a regular basis.

(This wasn’t really a photo taking type activity, but I do have a picture of the tea they gave us!)

Source

大家好！This morning we got to meet a very special cat… Mikan the station master! I’ve mentioned him a few times already on this blog, but never his full story. Mikan was a stray kitten adopted by the Kaohsiung Metro in 2020. He’s now five years old! After passing his interview, he now serves as the station master of the Ciaotou Sugar Refinery Station and as the beloved mascot of Kaohsiung. Since he only works one day a month, there are huge crowds outside the info booth waiting to catch sight of Mikan. I could barely see him myself, and had to lift my phone above the crowd to get this photo. He seemed pretty unbothered by the attention, probably an average day for him. I am pretty jealous of his work schedule, I’d love about 29 days off every month.

(I couldn’t resist getting some merch so… welcoming my new son, raincoat Mikan, to the plushie keychain family <3)

After meeting mister Mikan, our group walked through the Sugar Refinery Factory not far from the station. This area was mostly a scenic walk, with cool art installations and beautiful plants. However, the old factory was open to walk through too! While not as fixed up as the factory that now houses Ten Drum cultural village, it was fascinating to see all the infrastructure and machinery up close. I’m honestly a sucker for that overgrown, abandoned factory look. It feels very post-apocalyptic in a way. (Always makes me think of Nier Automata, if you know you knowww)

This was our last stop in Kaohsiung, so we hustled over to the station where we would catch our High Speed Rail to Taipei! I was suuuper excited for this ride, since I’ve never been on an HSR before. Best part was I got the window seat. I wasn’t expecting the slight buzz it created in my ears as we got moving… it sort of felt like altitude pressure, but since we weren’t changing elevation at all I was a bit surprised. I guess if you’re propelling almost 200mph forward, your head is gonna feel it regardless. Which is about all I understand about physics. It was raining as we departed, so the view was super serene, just mountains, cityscapes, and rainfall for most of the ride. It was a little under two hours to Taipei, so I took the time to work on my final essay for my other online class. The atmosphere was honestly so perfect for writing. While I didn’t completely finish it on the HSR, I was able to complete it later in the hotel! (that might be why these posts aren’t quite daily right now… don’t mind me. I’m trying to catch up!!)

In the evening, Peter took us out to a late-night dinner spot for stir-fry and drinks! If I’m remembering correctly, he said this type of restaurant is called a 熱炒店 （rèchǎo diàn), and usually a gathering spot for those getting off work in the evenings to unwind. We got there around sunset, and the tables quickly started filling up after it got dark. The food was absolutely delicious, but my favorite was anything shrimp. And of course, the fried rice. The restaurant had a whole fridge of beers to choose from, and I tried the 18 days Taiwan beer at the recommendation of a classmate. Funnily enough, on our way back to the table an older Taiwanese guy pointed at the bottle and said it was the best one. And hey, as someone who is not a beer drinker back home (I love mixed drinks too much), he was not wrong.

大家好, after an upset stomach yesterday I thankfully woke up feeling a bit better! I honestly think I just ate something strange and it had to pass through me. While I was a bit sleep deprived, I was glad to join the group again. Our excursions were farther out from the city today, the first being the D-Type Dormitory of the Sixth Fuel Factory. Once operating as an oil refinery, the area was then reimagined as housing, and is now preserved as a heritage site. 葉老師 grew up in this area, alongside a childhood friend who gave us a tour and short history lesson of the area. His energy was contagious, and I felt really enthralled in what he had to say! Later on in the tour, he ran a game of Chinese bingo with us. The rules are definitely more complicated than American-style bingo, and it honestly only clicked for me halfway through, but I still had a fun time! If we had played another round, I would have been locked in. For this game, there are different pattern formations that your bingo needs to be in, rather than any straight line. In the game we played, the value of the prize correlated to six potential patterns. I managed to get a third prize pattern, and received a pack of cards!

While no one lives on the site anymore, there was still a sense of community and lots of foot traffic through the dormitory area. The old factory there is now TSMC’s newest acquisition and will aid in semiconductor production. 葉老師 mentioned that TSMC’s arrival made the housing in the surrounding area skyrocket in price, which isn’t surprising at all.

We set out to the Meinong Hakka Museum afterwards, where we got to paint our own miniature paper umbrellas! We didn’t have too much time at the museum itself, so some classmates and I spent a majority of the time painting, haha. I simply cannot rush myself if painting is involved… I’ll go in-depth about the experience in my academic reflection :)

For dinner, I walked to a bento box restaurant recommended by a classmate. Before I left, I studied the menu online and drilled how to say my order in Mandarin. I feel like such a child when I have to say “我要這個” (I want this) and point at the menu item (╥﹏╥) While it wasn’t flawless, I was able to order my bento in Mandarin! So now I can say Korean kimchi pork yaaaay 韓式泡菜豬

I ended the night by packing up for Taipei… we’ll be taking the high speed rail out of Kaohsiung tomorrow! I can’t believe the time is passing so fast.

Academic Reflection

Today’s reading is about the Hakka ethnic group, and the ways in which Hakka culture workers are keeping its traditions alive and combating a homogenous nationalism. I found the explanation of Taiwan’s linguistic policies poignant to both my time in Meinong and in Taiwan overall. Post World War II, language was treated as one’s primary marker of ethnic identity, a perspective which is still very present today. Preservation of the Hakka language is important not only culturally, but politically too, as it is what defines the Hakka in the eyes of the state. The signage at Meinong had Hakka written alongside the Mandarin passages, which is sadly a rare sight in the cities. It was cool to see how different the languages were while still holding a thread of relation.

Oil-paper umbrellas are not only important to Hakka culture, but particularly the Meinong area. Gifting one a paper umbrella is a sign of respect and well wishes. While plastic umbrellas have since taken over the industry, paper umbrellas still serve as a local icon of the Meinong Hakka community. Spaces like the museum preserve interest in the handicraft by providing workshops for visitors. For my umbrella, I wanted to paint something natural, and I decided to paint some of the hydrangeas I had seen on Alishan.

Heey everyone, 大家好！Today’s post will probably be a bit boring, as I spent the majority of the day inside under the weather :’) This morning I woke up around 7am feeling pretty nauseous, and by the time we were meant to head out for the day I still had pretty bad stomach pain that wouldn’t go away. I asked to stay in today since I was really in no shape to walk around. It was good that I stayed near the toilet, that’s all I’ll say…

Since I had a hard morning, I did end up skipping hotel breakfast. I hate to give up a free meal, but I just wasn’t feeling it. I drank lots of water and napped on and off until about noon, and by then I decided to take the time inside to catch up on class readings and some homework. I did venture out for lunch, since I didn’t want to spend the entire day in bed, and I was slowly getting my appetite back. I went to a nearby cafe with my iPad to get some food and try to catch up on the post I missed from last night (I was starting to feel bad by that point). I ended up getting an egg and ham wrap, which was light and easy while still getting some protein. It was yummy and just what I needed! The cafe had good wifi as well, so I was finally able to add photos to my past few posts here! I did some discussion posts for my Japanese Culture class as well. Before coming to Taiwan, I wasn’t super familiar with the details of its history or the Japanese occupation, so this course has unexpectedly been a great supplement to what I’m learning in the program.

The cafe didn’t have a restroom, so I did eventually go back to the hotel to rest some more in my room. Honestly, I mostly slept today… but it did genuinely help, so I’m grateful for the chance to take it easy. After sunset, I wanted to do something with my day, so I decided to take the MRT to Central Park. The station was pretty chill around this time of day, and I really enjoyed taking it in without the chaos of the weekend. I got more Mikan stamps at the Central Park exit too! Central Park had lots of cool public art on display, and it was fun to see such a bustling area of Kaohsiung lit up at night. I stopped in a bookstore, browsed for a bit, and then stopped at Liouhe Night Market on my way home since I wanted a cheap dinner. I got a chive pocket (韭菜盒子) since I didn’t want anything super heavy, and it was reallyyy amazing. A nice end to the night for sure! I’m glad to be feeling a little better and I’m excited to return to our excursions tomorrow ^_^

大家好！ We spent the majority of our day at Fo Guang Shan Monastery, the largest Buddhist monastery in Taiwan. It also houses the largest standing Buddha statue in Southeast Asia! This experience was truly unique, and felt much more intimate than the Buddhist temples we have visited so far. Before getting there, 葉老師 warned us that the mosquitoes would be pretty bad, so we should wear long sleeves if possible. The only long sleeved thing I have here with me is a raincoat, and while it was Absolutely Sweltering, I didn’t get any bites! But I was a bit miserable in the moment, haha. Today’s temperature was a rough one.

A monk greeted us at the entrance and gave us a brief tour of the main shrine, boasting three large golden Buddha images, or statues. No photography is allowed within the shrine, and while I would have loved to share photos of the intricate architecture, it was peaceful to be fully unplugged inside. There are no shoes allowed inside either, which personally helped me feel more connected to the space.

After our tour, we were set to eat lunch with the monks, but not before we learned how to do so respectfully. We were brought to a classroom and taught how to dine by one of the monastery’s international volunteers. Her instructions were great, and I understood the process in theory, but it was pretty stressful to put it into action. We had to pray to the buddha, sit for the monk’s chants, then accept our food once they concluded. Once accepting the food, you cannot change your mind and you must finish it. Because of this I wanted to be thoughtful about what food I accepted, but while I was deciding what to take in one of the servers asked if I was going to eat at all, so I was a bit flustered and accepted all of it before they took the food away. It was a bit more than I would normally eat for sure. The rice and vegetables were great, but I wasn’t a huge fan of the soup, so it was a bit difficult to finish it all… I wanted to be respectful so I powered through! I was initially expecting the experience to be more intimate? But we were seated pretty far from the monks in a large dining hall, which eased my nerves for sure. I thought the entire experience was very interesting, I can’t remember the last time I was so thoughtful about a meal. It felt a little bit like a test, since we were sort of thrown into it, if I ever do it again I think I could feel a little more at ease.

Afterwards, we got to stroll through the Fo Guang Shan Buddha Museum, located at the opposite side of the monastery’s campus. The building is absolutely massive, with 4 floors worth of Buddhist art on display. By this point of the day, the heat was really taking a toll on me, so I took it pretty easy. Regardless, here are some photos from my time there!

Academic Reflection

Today’s reading was an in-depth history of the Fo Guang Shan Monastery itself, from founder Xingyun’s acquisition of the land, to the many services they provide and the monastery’s complicated history with it’s local community. In 1997, Xingyun made the decision to shut the monastery’s gates to the public, effectively cloistering the location from the outside world. Even those practicing were discouraged from coming in and out of the monastery. Knowing the monastery’s fraught relations with the public, I am even more appreciative to have been welcomed the way we were. Today, it seems the monastery has come very far since reopening its gates, housing monks and nuns from all parts of the globe. The community felt very international, which was very cool to see.

大家好！Today was full of museums and delicious food, which is honestly my ideal state of being. We started the day off at the National Science and Technology Museum, where we got to experience an earthquake simulator! Since we already had the typhoon experience, we simply had to keep that natural disaster energy going. This was honestly very fun! We all got up on a giant raised platform that had a table in the middle. When the tremors got intense, we had to drop to the floor and hide under the table. I love an experience where it’s socially acceptable to scream, its very cathartic. I’ve never experienced a real earthquake, since I’ve never lived in a place that gets them, so now I at least have an expectation of what it’ll feel like when I do. Maybe Taiwan will treat us to a real one in our last week here… who knows! We then walked around the museum for a few hours, which was an entire six floors of exhibits. I was impressed by how interactive the entire museum was, with most exhibits having little games to play.

By noon, 葉老師 and Peter treated the whole group to lunch! Since we’ve been having lots of Chinese and Taiwanese food, they decided to take us to an Italian restaurant. I’ve seen so many of these around the island, in both northern and southern cities, so I was definitely curious to try a Taiwanese take on pasta. I got a caesar salad and pesto pasta with shrimp. To be honest… the caesar salad really tasted nothing like what I’m used to. It wasn’t bad at all! But I was really missing that tangy flavor in the dressing. It mostly tasted like cheese. I was perfectly happy to have a salad though, as back home that’s one of my staples. The pesto pasta was also delicious! It was definitely a lighter sauce, and I enjoyed that it wasn’t too heavy. For my drink I got some more winter melon lemon tea 冬瓜檸檬, my latest obsession here, and it was absolutely amazing. I did push myself to finish the whole meal, only to learn at the end we could bring leftovers home… We've been having so many all you can eat meals that I didn’t even consider that an option. No regrets though.

Academic Reflection

Time for my faaaavorite part of the day: Kaohsiung Museum of Fine Arts! We didn’t have much time allotted here initially, only an hour, which was just enough time for me to make it through one exhibit, haha. Since this was the last thing on the itinerary today, I was going to ask 葉老師 if I could stay at the museum and return home on my own, but she read my mind and offered before I could even ask. One of my classmates also wanted to stay, so we explored the other floors of the museum together! We actually didn’t know when the museum was closing, and we stayed so long a staff member walked us out for closing time… I think we were there for three hours total? We definitely milked that admission price.

My favorite exhibit was titled “Drifting Feast,” a project inspired by longing for community after quarantine in the early 2020s. Particularly, Taiwanese hospitality is evoked, and the idea of movement of bodies shaped by geopolitics. The exhibit spotlighted the many diasporic and native communities present in Taiwan, and the ways in which they form connections, even if fleeting. One work was collaborative, inviting visitors to fold a paper boat and place it atop a pile of other boats. The piece represented the many Korean families that fled to Taiwan by boat following World War II. Another detailed the South American crops that have become staples amongst Austronesian communities in Taiwan. This was because under Japanese occupation, planes dropped these seeds all over the mountains to provide an alternative food source out of concern for scarcity. Throughout my time here, I’ve seen the way Taiwan has been shaped by the many people that have called it home, whether peacefully or through force. I was struck by the many people represented in this exhibit that feel invisible in conversations surrounding Taiwan, but clearly have a deep history with it.

I’m definitely going over word count here, yet I want to highlight some LGBT works in this exhibit too. Being the first country in Asia to legalize gay marriage, Taiwan holds an important role in queer liberation. A photography series by Hsin-Yi Wang, titled “Drag in their room,” was perhaps my favorite in the whole museum. It is a series of portraits of Taiwanese drag artists, dressed in full glam, posing in their lived-in bedrooms. I found the intimacy of these works incredible and beautiful, telling us so much about the individual in a single image. Each room was vastly different, yet raw. There is something special, and to me healing, about seeing queer people living out their average lives, being seen as human beings. Safe to say, I am a big fan of Wang’s work.

大家好！Happy Monday in Kaohsiung! Today’s agenda was very light, with only one destination: Lotus Pond! This area has a huge concentration of temples within a short walking distance, sixteen in total. Today we picked three to visit. It was consistently rainy, but even in the dreary weather, the vibrant colors of these temples were striking. I had seen photos online of the Tiger and Dragon Pagodas, but I truly was not prepared for how massive they are. You enter the temple through the dragon’s mouth, and exit through the tiger. This is meant to turn bad luck into good fortunes! Inside the dragon’s body was a long, twisting corridor that was covered on all sides in meticulous sculpture. The various reliefs told stories of heaven and hell, intended to inspire those who come there to worship. Climbing to the sixth floor of the tower in wet sneakers was a bit of an ordeal, but the view at the top was absolutely worth it! You could survey the entire Lotus Pond area, the many elaborate temples, and the mountains along the horizon.

The sheer size and detail of the architecture, engravings, and paintings within the temples at Lotus Pond are amazing. Walking around the area truly made me feel tiny compared to the towering statues. The final temple we visited had a giant spire of small lit windows, most bearing a name. Our tour guide told me that when babies are born, families will write their names here for blessings, which must be renewed every year to keep the blessing alive.

Once returning from the excursions, I took a solo walk to a nearby coffee shop, which had such a friendly vibe and amazing coffee! I got to chat with the owner for a bit, since he asked me what brought me to Taiwan. We talked entirely in Mandarin, and he was very understanding about my limited vocabulary, ahaha… I still get nervous speaking Mandarin, since that social anxiety loooves to keep me in a chokehold, but I find it’s less scary with complete strangers. Probably because I’ll likely never see them again. Although, I’d love to visit this spot again and say hi!

In the afternoon, I went out for a foot massage. I've been very curious about the experience since these shops are everywhere in Taiwan! I’m saving the full story for my next independent excursion post, sooo stay tuned :) I will say, it did wonders for how sore my body has been from all the walking!

Academic Reflection

While we didn’t attend as a group, the Liouhe Night Market was suggested as an itinerary option for today, alongside a reading about Tourist Night Markets and their place in Taiwan’s tourism industry. I decided to head back over for dinner, as it’s full of delicious and affordable options. I’m grateful to be staying within walking distance, because my eyes are truly hungrier than my stomach. There’s so many foods I want to try, I’ve been picking a new stall every night. Today I had some grated seaweed takoyaki and fried mochi with chocolate and condensed milk.

大家好！Today was our first full day in Kaohsiung, and coincidentally a free day! I took the opportunity to take things a bit slow and get more familiar with the transit, especially since it was raining on and off today. Kaohsiung’s transfer station is super unique, with a huge section dedicated to local vendors selling secondhand goods, sort of like a flea market. I checked out a few vendors, but it was honestly very hectic and crowded around all the tables, so I’ll probably look around more another time.

(Photo one is a mural at the pier, featuring the station master, Mikan the cat! I’m a huge fan)

I took the MRT to the Hamasen area, since there were lots of train themed activities over there that looked interesting! I was also planning to check out the Alien Art Center, but the time passed so quickly while walking around that I decided to shelve it for another day when I’d have more time to appreciate it. I began at the Pier 2 Art Center and walked around a bookstore there while waiting to meet up with some classmates. I really want to bring home some books in traditional Chinese for reading practice, but honestly novels are a bit intimidating right now. So I settled on picking up some manga, since a lot of the series I like are really popular here in Taiwan! I got one for myself and another for my boyfriend because it looked like something he’d really enjoy. It’s a newer series that hasn’t been translated into English yet, so he asked me to read it to him, and I’m up to the challenge!

After checking out at the bookstore we met at the food stalls around the pier for lunch, walked around a bit, and then decided we wanted to get some sort of iced drink. A cafe I was really interested in was a few stops down the light rail, so we boarded the next one we saw. I was really excited to try it out! In my opinion it’s like a hybrid of the metro trains and those long accordion-like city buses. It took us directly through the Hamasen Cultural Park, so we got to see lots of cool installations and scenery along the way. Our destination, Horli Bakery, is a cafe built inside a repurposed train car. While I was excited to check it out, I feel the photos don’t do justice to the atmosphere. It was incredibly peaceful and the train windows offered an amazing view of the real trains passing through the area. And the coffeeeee. Hands down the most beautiful presentation I have ever seen, and delicious too! I tried their strawberry latte, which had preserves layered on the bottom.

By this point the rain was picking up, and we were all wanting some rest, so it was back to the hotel. I took the opportunity to do some desperately needed laundry, and catch up on class readings while I waited. For dinner we met back up at the Liouhe Night Market, where I got to try winter melon lemon tea for the first time by the recommendation of a classmate. It’s definitely a contender for my favorite tea flavor here, it’s so refreshing! I also got to finally try some of the Taiwanese fried chicken I keep seeing everywhere, which was sooo delicious. The others tried some stinky tofu for the first time, which was very amusing to watch. I initially offered to help them finish it off but… this 臭豆腐 was not as good as the one I tried in Tainan. We powered through it though.

I had a nice, relaxed time exploring Kaohsiung today, and I have a better idea of how to get around now! I already have some ideas for places I’d like to check out after class excursions. For now I cannot wait to sleep. 明天見!

大家好! Today we arrived in Kaohsiung, the hometown of 葉老師！We get to spend about a week here, and I’m very excited. While it would have been nice to explore Tainan a little more, I had a great time around the area and tried some amazing food while we were there! Honestly as we get into the last half of the program I can feel my suitcase getting heavier, ahaha… I’m glad we don’t have too many more hotel transfers. But before fully saying goodbye to Tainan, we did get to visit some temples in the morning!

Chihkan Tower was the first stop, once serving as an outpost during the Dutch occupation, then rebuilt under the Qing dynasty. Today, the fort has been turned into an outdoor museum. My favorite aspects were the stone horses which once guarded Koxinga’s tomb, and naturally, the silver coins they had on display. These were mostly eight reales from the time of Charles III and Charles IIII, all covered in chopmarks from trading ports. I’m so hyped every time I encounter these in Taiwan, today being my second time! If I had known they’d be displayed at Chihkan, I definitely would’ve made a trip there on my own time. At the top, we used jiaobei to ask Kuixing, deity of literature, questions about our academic life. I asked if I will get into my dream grad school, and he said yes! So I’m hoping Kuixing will help me when the time comes. Before leaving the area, we stopped by a beautiful temple, and I enjoyed getting to see the statue of Guanyin :)

Our last stop before leaving Tainan was Old Lin’s Department Store, a building with deep history. The structure suffered damage from U.S. bombing during the Pacific War, but is now restored and bustling today. There were lots of things that caught my eye there, but it was a littleee out of my price point, so I settled for window shopping.

Academic Reflection

Maybe a bit unconventional, but today’s reflection is about our first activity in Kaohsiung: hot pot! Since arriving in Taiwan, I’ve had hot pot about four times now, and what’s struck me about it here is the convenience, in both abundance of locations and as an affordable way to gather friends and family. Back home, hot pot is super expensive, and in my experience only reserved for special occasions. The price of feeding an entire table of people in Taiwan would be the price of one person in the States. 葉老師 explained to us today that while hot pot in Taiwan is certainly a destination for celebrations, it can also be a weekend meal for families and groups. There is certainly more of a casual culture around it.

I think the intimacy and connection that hot pot fosters is a huge part of its cultural importance here. Not only are you sharing a meal with company, but you’re cooking together, sharing ingredients, and engaging with their tastes. For example, you may really like the sauce that someone created, and ask how they made it. Today at lunch, everyone at my table got different soup bases, so we were all trying each other’s and commenting on the flavors. There is an individuality to everyone’s choices: their soup, how long they cook their food, what ingredients they prefer. This communal aspect really fosters a sense of connection and community. I completely understand why hot pot has become such a staple Taiwanese meal, as not only a delicious experience, but a fulfilling connection with loved ones.

大家好！ This is our final day in Tainan… I feel like it’s passed so quickly! The exhaustion is getting to me a little, so I’m planning an early night this time. I always stay up writing my posts, since I like to include the whole day. I’m excited to have this blog as a way to look back on my trip :) But sometimes I regret how much I like to yap…

Our first stop today was the Ten-Drum Cultural Village. I absolutely adored the rustic and artsy vibe of this area. It felt like getting lost in the forest and stumbling upon a magical place. It was raining when we arrived, so the humidity kept fogging up the lens of my camera. I think the misty look it gave the photos contributes to that dreamy, otherworldly aesthetic though! The buildings inside the village were once part of a sugar cane factory, all of which are defunct since Taiwan no longer locally produces sugar. In its new life, the village hosts traditional Taiwanese drum performances and elaborate art installations. And many, many cats! The one that greeted us at the entrance was such a sweetie, and practically melted into the ground when we pet them.. 非常可愛！

The drum show we attended was incredible, definitely my favorite part of the day. The arrangements were beautiful, and I was surprised by not only the size of the stage, but how theatrical the performance was! The drummers were spinning their sticks in the air and kicking their legs over their drums, all while the lights were synced to their movements. Many times during the performance I was thinking about how strong the drummers have to be to not only play these instruments, but do so for an entire set. I also really loved their outfits, they were sleeveless with a pointy shoulder pad and wide leg pants, they looked sooo cool. There were no photos allowed for a majority of the show, but I did snap a cool picture of the theater’s roof. Really happy we got to see this!

葉老師 and Peter treated us all to some shaved ice before we carried on with the day, and it was super refreshing and sweet. I got mango ice, and I swear the mangoes in Taiwan are the sweetest I’ve ever had. I get mango flavor every chance I can here.

Academic Reflection

The final stops today were Anping Old Fort and the Anping Tree House, both remaining in the city as living examples of Anping district’s complicated history. Tainan served as Taiwan’s capital during Dutch occupation in the 17th century, although the Anping Old Fort survives as one of the only remnants of this period. While we’ve learned that many of the “western style” buildings here in Taiwan are leftover from the Japanese occupation, I was initially curious if any of these buildings in Tainan could actually be Dutch. Peter informed me that with a few exceptions, most of the Dutch buildings were completely destroyed by the Qing dynasty. Anping Old Fort, then known as Fort Zeelandia, suffered a similar fate. The only surviving Dutch architecture is the dilapidated outer fort walls, with the rest of the fort existing as an amalgamation of rebuilding projects between the Qing, Japan, and modern Taiwanese government.

Using remaining bricks found at the site, the Japanese restored the fort not long after their acquisition of Taiwan. I was surprised to learn that the “ancient canons” at the site actually never saw any action there, and were instead moved to the fort in 1930 by the Japanese to promote it as a tourist attraction. The decision by the Japanese to revitalize the fort after three decades of using it as a dormitory is fascinating to me. It could be a coincidence, but the excavation efforts of the Anping Fort in the late 1930s would have lined up with Japan’s Shōwa era, where archaeology and cultural heritage became a massive societal interest. The latest element of the fort is an observation tower added by the Tainan City Government in 1975. I think it’s fascinating that the location reflects the many interests and eras of those who have controlled the Anping area, now standing as a record of it.

大家好！ Today we had an early start so we could eat breakfast at a different hotel, since the restaurant at ours is currently under renovation. This buffet had a ton of options, I especially loved that there were fresh fried eggs! They also had ice cream, which I had to try… since it was there. A few of us were interested in the champagne flavor since it’s so unique, but I honestly thought it tasted a little medicinal. I’ll stick with mango next time.

After breakfast, we were welcomed by the National University of Tainan for a calligraphy lesson! The campus was absolutely stunning, filled with so much foliage and beautiful stonework. I found myself daydreaming a bit about graduate school in Taiwan, haha… I don’t know how realistic it would be but mannn would it be cool. Today’s class was taught by Yeh lǎoshī from University of Tainan, the totally-official unofficial brother of our own beloved Yeh lǎoshī. It was a treat to watch someone so skilled at calligraphy demonstrate the techniques. Yeh lǎoshī made it look so fluid and easy! While I was hoping some of my background in art would help with controlling the brush, my hands were so shaky! Getting the right pressure was a challenge. Our end goal was to write on either side of some paper fans. Only having one chance to get the strokes right was a little stressful, and I definitely stumbled a bit on my final attempt, even after lots of practice. I had an amazing time though, and while I’m not completely satisfied with my fan, my classmates hyped me up which was very sweet and made me feel a bit better about the result! :’D 謝謝朋友們. The faculty at the university also kindly provided us with bento boxes for lunch, and some really cool branded bags for us to keep!

Our next stop was Tainan’s Confucius Temple. I am always amazed by the vibrant colors of the Confucian and Daoist temples, and this one was no exception. I hope my photos capture the deep reds and golds of the buildings. Since the heat was pretty intense by this point of the day, we didn’t spend too long at the temple. I’ll touch on more of what I learned in the academic reflection!

Once we got back to the hotel, I met up with my friend who had just arrived in Tainan. The hotel they’re staying at is cat themed!! There were two sweet kitties who hang out in the lobby area, we assume they run the place. 可愛的貓老闆! We then checked out the Tainan Garden Night Market, easily the largest market I’ve been to this entire trip. I got more scallion pancakes (this time with curry powder), mango flavored milk, and finally… the famous stinky tofu 臭豆腐! A strange thing about the tofu is while it smells suuuper potent when you’re walking around the market, after I had the bowl in front of me I could barely smell the stink. The flavor of the tofu is really hard for me to place, but I liked it! There was at least a faint tomato-y taste. The bowl we got had both tofu and tofu skin, and I honestly enjoyed the skin a bit more, since it soaked in the spices better than the tofu. Overall, not bad! Really happy I got to finally try it. And for everything I ordered, I was able to do so in Chinese, which felt really good :D

Academic Reflection

Between our calligraphy lesson and tour of the Confucius temple, I’d say a running theme of the day is scholarly training. Yeh lǎoshī gave us a brief history of hand fans in Chinese culture, a trend which began in the Tang dynasty. Given Tang is often seen as the golden age of arts and literature in China, I wasn’t too surprised by this. It was explained that male scholars would often use their folding fans as a demonstration of their skill and prestige, by showcasing their calligraphy on the paper. With my own experience trying calligraphy today, I definitely have respect for those who have mastered it. If I were skilled at calligraphy, I’d want to show it off too.

At the Confucius Temple, our tour guide Peter emphasized the importance of education in Confucian values, a large reason why countries with a presence of Confucianism invest heavily in teaching. After reading a bit about the temple in a brochure I grabbed, I learned that the Tainan Confucius Temple is considered Taiwan’s “first institute of learning,” built in 1665. Education was at the forefront of the temple’s construction, intended to be a place to educate young scholars in the ways of Confucian classics and calligraphy. I think this multi-purpose use of the space is fascinating, as both a place of worship and education.

大家好! Today was our first full day in Tainan, and thankfully it was a chill one after a very physically demanding past few days. I started the morning a bit later than I wanted to… the beds at this new hotel are seriously so comfy, it was such a struggle to get up. Instead of grabbing one of the breakfast boxes in the lobby, I ran over to the 7 Eleven by our hotel to grab an egg and chicken sandwich and an iced coffee. While I always love free breakfast, I was worried about having time to eat so I wanted something I could eat on the bus. From the sounds of it though, the box was all bread so I feel like I didn’t miss out too much.

Our only stop of the day was the National Museum of Taiwan History. We had an hour and a half to explore the building, but there was so much to take in I seriously could have spent an extra hour or so looking around. The main exhibit covered an incredibly wide breadth of Taiwan’s history, from the paleolithic period to the late 2010s. I was impressed by how interactive the museum was! From touchscreen displays, to life size dioramas and storefronts, and even museum staff that played character roles to immerse guests in the history. The sheer amount of preservation, storytelling, and information on display was really amazing. I can confidently say this was the coolest museum I’ve ever been to. I particularly enjoyed the focus on maps and material culture. In one area, there was an interactive display where you could pick a year to see how Taiwan was represented in maps from that era. Most of the maps originated from different countries, and it was fascinating to see the all the ways Taiwan was depicted throughout time. Both Spanish and Dutch maps drew Taiwan with squared-off edges, a very blocky shape compared to modern Taiwan. The Japanese and Qing dynasty maps were certainly closer to the mark, perhaps because the European map-makers never went to Taiwan themselves.

After the museum, we headed back to the hotel for a free half day. Some of my classmates invited me to join them for lunch, which was super fun! It can feel a little strange to insert myself into other people’s plans since I don’t have a roommate to go with, so I’m always really grateful when I can join in ^_^ We intended to go to a local noodle restaurant, but they had already closed by the time we arrived. The best thing about Taiwan is that even when your plans don’t work out, another good food option is right around the corner! We walked down the alley until we saw a restaurant with people inside, and decided to try our luck. It was super delicious and super cheap! I had some braised pork noodles that were super filling. On the way back to our rooms we picked up some boba tea, and then I spent the majority of my afternoon working on my independent excursion post (the post before this one, if you’re interested!)

Academic Reflection

Something I’ve noticed quite a few times while walking through the streets of every city we’ve visited so far are the “air shelter” signs present in certain alleys and buildings. While walking through the museum today, I learned more about Taiwan’s role in the Pacific War, and the air raids they endured from the United States as a Japanese colony at the time. Large metropolitan areas were frequent targets, with a 1943 military map marking the Taipei area in particular. It’s a sobering moment to think about the realities and history that the city infrastructure is built upon, and how recent these events truly were.

Following World War II, the United States went from bombing Taiwan, to providing aid in the form of flour and other materials. Because the flour sacks are made of pure cotton, people would repurpose them to make clothing. I had never seen these U.S. flour sacks before, but I found it striking how, for lack of a better word, chummy it was. It certainly painted a picture of a benevolent nation bestowing a gift, with large text reading “Donated by the people of the United States of America” with a drawing underneath of a handshake framed by the U.S. flag. It’s as if all the people in America were uplifting Taiwan, despite the bombs dropped on them not even two years prior by the military. This relationship feels very conditional to me, even today. Of course, I am not sure how the people of Taiwan felt about the U.S. at the time, but the nature of it just felt scummy to me. Especially having to wear this American propaganda on their bodies as clothing. Regardless, I am glad these resources were made available, and the flour sacks remain a loaded artifact of the time.