My last week in Taiwan has been very fun and I have fortunately been able to fit in all of the last things I wanted to do. The highlight of Monday was without a doubt our visit to a Peking-style opera show in Taipei. I have never been to an opera show, let alone a Peking opera, so this was an excellent opportunity for me. The show we watched was a rendition of the Chinese legend 西游记 (trans. Journey to the West or The Two Monkey Kings). The plot was based on the Six-Eared Macaque who copies the form of the monkey king, Sun Wu Kong, in order to go on a journey to find the golden Sutras. In doing so, he creates a lot of mischief and the two monkeys must travel to the heavens to discern the true Sun Wu Kong. The most fascinating part was the martial prowess of the actors. The performed back flips and amazing Kung Fu feats. I definitely want to go see another Peking opera sometime in the future.

The next day, we had an amazing dinner with Dr. Liu and her sister at a vegetarian buffet which, despite the lack of meat, was very delicious. Dr. Liu's sister generously paid for a large portion of our dinners. There were at least 40 different dishes at the buffet to try and each one was creative, unique, and delicious. I made sure to eat at least 3 full plates of food in order to try every single dish. My favorite thing that I ate that night were their assortment of different fried vegetables. The batter was perfectly crisp and well seasoned. I even attempted to eat the 臭豆腐 (stinky tofu), which, after three weeks in Taiwan, I still do not wholeheartedly enjoy. After dinner, I went to a karaoke box for the first time with the other students. I'm not a fan of singing, but I still had a blast hanging out with everyone and attempting to sing classics such as Never Gonna Give You Up, All Star, and Oops I Did it Again. Although it was a lot of fun, my voice was definitely strained the next day.

On Wednesday we went to Taiwan's National Palace Museum, a house for Taiwan's most precious artifacts. Of these artifacts, the most famous is the Jadeite Cabbage, a beautiful piece of jade carved into the likeness of a cabbage. The museum contained many other beautiful works of porcelain, ivory, ceramic, and several paintings. I found the most awe-inspiring art pieces to be those made of ivory, as the skill required to make many of the pieces seems unfathomable. That night, we visited 饶河夜市 (the Raohe night market) which is said to be the best night market for food in Taipei. My two favorite dishes at Raohe were a pepper beef bun which Raohe is renowned for, and a bone soup. The bun was cooked in a tandoori oven in order to give it a crispy, baked shell, and the filling was perfect. The soup was the best I've ever had, with a perfect and seemingly-simple balance of flavors. I also ate snails, fried milk, mochi, fried taro, spicy wantons, and sausage. It was without a doubt a filling night.

After I took my final exam for my class today I made sure to take a long nap to catch up on sleep. After taking a nap, I worked on packing and preparing for the closing ceremony tomorrow. After my nap, I went with some students to a famous sushi bar chain in Taipei. Despite being a chain with $1 plates of sushi, the fish was incredibly fresh and tasty. The $1 plates would easily sell for at least $6 in the US, and the quality was much better. In all, Emily and I ate a total of 30 plates of sushi. It was well worth spending a little extra on dinner in order to try all of the different varieties of sushi offered.

An interesting cultural comparison I noticed this week was at the Beijing opera. Unlike what I would expect from an Western style opera, the focus was less on the singing and more on the acrobatics. There was a musical quality to the speech of the characters and an accompanying orchestra, but there were far more scenes involving fights than there were scenes involving singing. It reminded me a great deal of Cirque du Soleil, especially with the elaborate costumes and facepaints the characters wore.

It is hard to believe that this is the final blog I will write for my study abroad in Taiwan. I have had an amazing amount of fun here and these three weeks have flown by far too fast. After my experiences here, I know that I will one day come back again to visit.

This was certainly the most tiring weekend we have had yet. We visited Hualien and Ilan, and it was a very interesting experience. On Friday we drove to the farm we were spending the night at. On the way there, we stopped at an orchid farm which sold some really magnificent flowers, all for cheap prices. We then arrived at the farm, where we took a tour of the grounds. We saw the livestock, various gardens and, best of all, the kumquat trees. We were able to pick as many as we wanted, so I accidentally ended up eating kumquats until I felt mildly nauseous. After the tour of the grounds, we had a big, shared hot pot dinner which was delicious. After dinner we were lucky to see a demonstration by a Kung Fu master and his students who lived in the area. They were all extremely talented. We also made and launched sky lanterns and, unfortunately, my lantern burned and fell to the ground.

The next day we woke up at 7:30 and had a delicious breakfast at the farm hotel. After breakfast we visited a museum detailing the history of the aboriginal Taiwanese, a whiskey distillery, drove three hours through treacherous mountain paths, and visited a beach filled with beautiful jade, marble, and granite. For dinner that night we had hot pot again and all went to bed early after since we had to wake up at 6:45.

Today, unfortunately, we didn't get to do everything we had hoped to. We visited a beautiful Buddhist compound which contained a monastery, college, and hospital, but we were unable to go inside because we had to make time for our other activities. One of those activities was a hike through Taiwan's grand canyon, which unfortunately was closed. We then visited a really cool market which, although very touristy and crowded, was in a very cool old village with a beautiful view. We were unable to go to the mines afterward, so we went back to Taipei to get some much needed rest.

An interesting cultural comparison I noticed was the differences in personal boundaries between myself and Chinese tourists at a lunch stop we went to. We finished eating at around the same time as the other tour group, so we all ended up going to the bathroom at the same time. Many of the Chinese stood uncomfortable close to all of us, and were constantly staring. While I was washing my hands at the sink, one of them spit into the sink, nearly hitting my hands. It wasn't a negative experience at all, but it was interesting to see how different cultures define personal boundaries.

Tomorrow we start our last week of class, so I'll have to start studying for my final exam. We will also go to Beijing opera which should be very interesting.

The past couple of days have been exhausting. We've been very busy with classes, homework, and touring Taiwan the past couple of days, and on top of that it's been very rainy. Despite that, I'm still having a great time in Taipei. On Tuesday we visited 龙山寺 (Longshan Temple), a beautiful Buddhist/Taoist temple in the Wanhua District in Taipei. The temple worships the goddess Mazu, the goddess of voyages. The temple, for the most part, is not the original building. The temple has been subjected to earthquakes, typhoons, and fire-bombing by the Americans in World War 2. Interestingly, the statue of the goddess Mazu survived the fire-bombing because she was made of porcelain, which doesn't burn as easily as metal and wood. Thanks to consistent repairs and maintenance the temple stays very beautiful.

After the temple, Dr. Liu took us to a famous dessert place and I ordered a stew of red beans, peanuts, and taro. It was very warm and the perfect level of sweetness, and best of all was very filling. For dinner that night, we went back to the Shilin night market to explore more of the food options there. I had many variations of buns, a sausage stuffed in a sausage, and some more Hot Star fried chicken.

On Wednesday we all traveled to 淡水大学 (Tamkang University's Tamsui Campus). The campus is very beautiful and sits on a very steep hill. When we arrived we went to the restaurant on campus to have a dinner with the Dean of International Affairs. Following lunch, we were all given a tour of Tamkang's beautiful campus, including a visit to their model ship collection. The collection was very extensive and was even housed in a building designed after a boat. After touring the campus we visited 淡水红楼 (trans.: Tamsui's Red Castle), a beautiful castle overlooking Tamsui.

Today, we were all very tired so we took it easy and relaxed at our dorms. We caught up on sleep and avoided the rainy weather outdoors.

An interesting cultural aspect to the trip was seeing how the British made architectural modifications to their structures to account for the climate in Taiwan. Because it is warm year round in Taiwan, fireplaces are completely unnecessary; however, the British found they could use fireplaces to deal with the humidity problems. There was also much more ventilation than normal in order to account for the weather in Taiwan. There were more modifications to allow for increased light, to prevent slipping on the wet stones, and to drain off the excess amount of rain Taiwan receives in the winter. By modifying their architecture, they were able to keep the European feel in order to stave off homesickness while being architecturally effective in Taiwan.

 This weekend we plan on going to Ilan and Hualian. All I know about these two places is that they are on the east coast of Taiwan, so it'll be interesting to go into this trip without any expectations whatsoever.

    Our first weekend in Taiwan was eventful, interesting, and exhausting. We drove to the southern part of Taiwan, an approximately four hour long bus ride, to visit Tainan and Kaohsiung. Our first stop in Tainan was their main night market. At this night market all of the students stuck together in a large group in order to try out and share as many dishes as possible. Of all of the dishes I tried that night, the most interesting was 皮蛋 (Century egg), a fermented egg that takes on a gelatinous brown color with a green yolk. As unappetizing as it sounds, it actually tasted fairly good. We also saw an amazingly well trained dog sitting in front of a stand wearing a costume, and it barely moved a muscle the whole time it sat there.

    The next day we visited three historical forts belonging to the Dutch in the Tainan region. The first fort, because it fell apart as time went on, was reconstructed and now looks more oriental than Dutch. The second fort we went to was no longer a structure, but actually a giant, open space with several cannons. There we saw three volunteers in traditional military garb perform a skit displaying the use of the cannons to fend off the foreign invaders. For lunch that day we walked through a market and ate at a restaurant which served a lot of local, delicious seafood. The third fort of the day had an observatory tower with a beautiful view over Tainan city. We then drove to Kaohsiung and saw historical pagodas, a beautiful lake, and a plethora of turtles.

    The next day we visited a massive Buddhist temple compound and the National Sun Yat-sen University in Kaohsiung. The temple was massive and very elaborate, which seemed very non-Buddhist to me. What I've learned about Buddhism stresses humility and a simple life, but this compound seemed like Disneyland to me. Although it brings in more interest to Buddhism, I feel it gives off the wrong message. Despite this, it was still a very impressive area with beautiful architecture. The Sun Yat-sen University was one of the most beautiful schools I've ever seen. It's nestled into a mountainside overlooking a bay and the weather is absolutely beautiful. At the end of the tour of our school we walked along the coast which was amazing.

    Later that day we went to the reception of a Taiwanese wedding, which was a really interesting cultural experience. Many things seemed identical to a Western wedding reception except for the dresses. Instead of wearing a single wedding dress, the bride had three separate dresses, including an Oriental style dress. I found it interesting that they try to Westernize the wedding experience, but they still hold on to their traditional clothing. The family of the bride and groom were all very kind to us even though we were very under-dressed and did not know the family.

    Tomorrow we plan on going to the most elaborate temple in Taipei which I am very excited for. So far we've seen many beautiful and elaborate temples, but apparently this is the most grand one of all of them. We also might go to the Raohe night market which would be very fun.   

Blog 2: Days 3-5

 The past two days in Taipei have been very exciting and culturally informative. On New Year's eve, we had our first day of classes, went to the 西门 (Ximen) district, and viewed the fireworks at Taipei 101. The classes were very interesting and are taught at a rapid pace, which is a perfect combination to being able to constantly practice speaking Chinese.  Since my first class was too difficult for me, I dropped down to a lower level.  The new difficulty is perfect for me, and I feel I will be adequately challenged.  The teachers are all very kind, knowledgeable, and quick to help answer any questions. After class we all took a trip to the 西门 (Ximen) district, which displays a very interesting mix of Japanese and Chinese culture. For dinner that night we went to a 火锅 (Chinese hot pot) restaurant which was very tasty. The most exciting part of New Year's Eve was the fireworks show at Taipei 101. It was extremely crowded, and we were still a good distance away from the tower.

On New Year's Day we didn't have any classes, so we slept in late and went to lunch at a really good dumpling restaurant. We visited the Chiang Kai Shek Memorial, which was a really beautiful and fascinating square and museum. The weather on that day was beautiful, so it felt great to walk around in the sun. Following that, we went to a really interesting museum displaying historical artifacts from up to 8000 years ago. After the museums, we went to the most famous 小笼包 (soup dumpling) restaurant in Taiwan: Din Tai Feng. They were undoubtedly the best soup dumplings, and probably one of the best meals I've ever had.

One thing I found very different from America was the crowd's reaction to the fireworks at Taipei 101. In America, people tend to cheer very loudly and are very obnoxious at fireworks shows. However, in Taipei everyone was very quiet and polite during the fireworks. Very few people cheered, and aside from a few gasps of awe, it was completely quiet. There were, unfortunately, some unpleasant people at the fireworks show; however, they were all foreigners.  Another interesting aspect of the fireworks was that everyone sat down on the street while they waited for the show to start.  This is something that could never happen in America, as people would end up pushing each other for seating room.  These were a pleasant cultural differences that made the fireworks viewing much more enjoyable.

The Ximen district was a really interesting example of a melting pot of cultures.  This district reminds me a lot of the Shibuya district in Japan.  There is a blend of Japanese, American, Chinese, and Taiwanese culture present in this area city, and several languages are displayed on bright, neon screens in every direction.  One moment you would be in front of a Japanese food store with a Taiwanese cell phone store across the street, a Chinese food stand next door, and a KFC a block away.  Towards the edge of the Ximen district I found several Taiwanese people skateboarding.  I noticed immediately that, despite being on the other side of the world, the style of skateboarding was identical to that in America.  The clothing, tricks, and equipment were all either the exact same brands or highly similar to those you would find in the United States.  It was amazing that even though there are hundreds of cultural differences between Taiwan and America, skateboarding is the exact same sport.

This weekend, we are planning on visiting the southern area of Taiwan. We plan on going to many historical sites and even plan on visiting a wedding. I am the most excited to see the wedding, as I have never been to a wedding, let alone a Taiwanese wedding. It will also be interesting to see how the southern region of Taiwan is different from the north. It should be an interesting weekend.