July 1- In the morning we had lecture that was an overview on the history of Taiwan. There is a definite mixing of cultures due to the variety of countries that have claimed Taiwan as a territory. I can see how that applies today in the food, language, and religion. We then headed to a Guandu Nature Park. We saw rice patties, which I had never seen before. It was also interesting seeing how this marsh provided a place for natural water purification. It seemed like a good alternative to just water purification plants. Last stop of the day was Fort San Domingo in the Danshui area. The grounds of the Fort were really beautiful and we even saw the first tennis court of Taiwan! I've never played tennis on grass. Too bad it wasn't still working or I may have had to test it out. We went to Danshui old street for dinner which was really good. I ate some bird eggs and tofu in a red sauce. Both were fantastic. It was cool getting a look at some of the traditional items they had in the shops there. Much different from the other night markets we have gone to so far.
July 2- The major events of the day were going to the Yingge Ceramics Museum and the Sanshia Master Temple. I think the Ceramics Museum has been my favorite place so far. We were able to see the process used to bake and glaze clay. I'm still regretting not getting any souvenirs because there were a lot of beautiful pieces there with ornate designs. I will just have to rely on the two cups I made there which will hopefully hold through the firing and glazing process.
After the ceramics museum we went to see the artwork of Li Mei-Shu including the biggest piece he worked on during his life, the Sanshia Master Temple. The temple was so ornate and beautiful. Each small part has a meaning behind it. Quite amazing.
We also went frog watching, and I got to hold a tree frog! There is a big range in textures of the frogs and toads. We got to see I think about 5 different types of toads/frogs. I think we saw more snails than anything else which are apparently taking over Taiwan.
July 3- My birthday! Was pretty lazy during the day and got to wake up a little later than usual. We went to Taipei 101 for the second time. This time got to walk through a little bit more and spent most of the time at Mitsikoshi, a Japenese department store. It was huge and maybe a little more expensive than I was used to from spending so much time at night markets. At the night we got to celebrate my birthday, which was really fun! Tiring but overall a great time.
July 4- Independence day! Forgot to bring the sparklers with me and am missing the fireworks of home. Still keeping busy though. Wasn't feeling too well today but seeing the rocks at Yeliu Geology park was really amazing. The erosion is so different than something I've ever seen. It's interesting comparing this coast to the other one we went to. This area was a lot different than the Intertidal Zone. We afterwards went to the Fisheries Research Institute. Although we have seen a lot of unique fish species at the previous fishery, this was much different. I got to see how Taiwan is able to use fish as a good industry. The most interesting part was definitely seeing how fish is used in unique ways. This included even ice cream, which I'm not so sure if I would try but the lecturer made it seem like it was okay.
July 5- Today our first stop was the National Palace Museum. You could probably spend a week going through all of the parts of the museum so we were given a general overview of the Museum. I finally saw the Jade Cabbage I had been hearing about since the beginning of the program. I didn't really understand the appeal until seeing it in person. That and the pork seemed like one of the biggest draws to the museum. I enjoyed the comment from our guide who said that she believed the reason the pork piece was so popular because Taiwanese love to eat. I think I could concur with statement seeing that I've been eating every two hours since I've arrived here. Not being negative though. I'm the one getting caught by the scents coming from all the stores. The food has been amazing.
After our lunch break we headed over to the ShuenYi Aboriginal Cultural Center. The culture of the indigenous people is very different from what Taipei is today. They are much more influenced by islands around them it seems than from Chinese, Japanese, and Dutch people. I think we will see more of the indigenous culture once we head out on our trip to the more mountainous areas of Taiwan. I thought it was really interesting seeing the pots created by the indigenous people. The technique seemed much more difficult than what is used traditionally for ceramics.
We later saw Transformers and then headed to Shihlin Night Market. Finally got my first taste of stinky tofu which the spicy broth seemed to mask its taste. I would eat it again though. This market is supposedly the most famous and was the most crowded market we went to. Definitely worth the trip to see the fried chicken that was bigger than your head. Also tried some waffle sort of treats. One was in the shape of a pig. From what I've learned so far the pig is supposed to bring prosperity so hopefully it will give me good luck :). If not it still tasted pretty good. Heading out to the mountains tomorrow. Not sure how much internet service I will be getting but will keep up with days in a diary I have and then transfer it here! Tata for now.
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