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.