Tainan!!

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I am learning more and more, the best moments and memories simply do not have a photograph to remember them by. Perhaps this is what makes them so precious to us, afterall. If we have only ourselves, and our friends to remember something, does the memory then become a precious relic? Shared only, and treasured by the people present then and there? There are so many small and individual moments of time, pockets of existence, so vastly  different from one another. Yet we all experience our own perception of a thing, even in moments when we are all physically together at the same time, and place. 

There are many things I have witnessed and experienced throughout this whole trip, which I have no form of documentation to “prove” it happened. Before, I used to obsess over my identity on social platforms. So much, to the point where I would wear uncomfortable clothes that made me miserable (but looked cute in photos), starve myself, go places only to share a location in order for people to think I am cool… I can’t lie, I still care a lot about how I am perceived, and if other people like me. Yet, being here for 2 weeks in Taiwan, and not posting a single social media update, not even logging on… It’s somehow freeing. It feels like my own little secret, and only my close friends, and my mom who text me get to know my stories. It feels more genuine this way too. 

In honor of the absence of photos, here are some things that have meant the most to me in the past few days: 

• Playing volleyball, 6 in each court, under the rain with the NCKU students. The unspoken trust we put in one another on our team. The encouragement we had, clapping, yelling, whooping, and screaming, also for other players across the net. Running, and slipping, and falling on my butt in a giant puddle. Laughing so hard my cheeks hurt. Spilt bubble milk tea. Soaked shoes. Wet hair. A chest with a heart so big, and full of love, I was breathless.

• Being a passenger princess on Heather’s motorbike. (She was the first student to greet me when we met the NCKU cohort). Riding on the busy streets, with the setting sun, and feeling her hair whip me in the face. I started getting emotional because the last time I was on the back of a motorcycle was with my dad, who isn't around anymore. This moment made me feel like a kid again. 

• Sharing chinese throat candy with Hanin and Erin

• Losing my hotel key card at 6:30 in the morning, and going on a mission to find it again. (It made me talk to the 7/11 clerk again, and luckily he found it and saved it for me!)

• Hugging a shop owner on Shennong Street. (She showed me the jewelry she made, we talked about moonstones, diving, cats, thai food, and she gave me a gemstone heart to “keep me safe from men on my solo travels”)

• Killing a mosquito in its vampire act of stealing my blood. This victory gave me utmost satisfaction.

• Trying to hand gesture and ask “what is your favorite?” or “what do you like/recommend?” to a hawker stall owner, by holding up my hands to make a heart, and she went to the back and came back LITERALLY with a bag of chicken hearts.

• I also talked with another restaurant owner, and while I watched him cook, adding Guac fruit into beef broth, I asked him to make me an item that wasn’t on the menu. I almost cried eating those dumplings in the soup, because it reminded me of my grandma’s food. 

• Admiring the tattoos on people here. Their style. The accessories, and personal taste. Fashion on girls that’s so different from the Seattle norm. 

• In a shop, the owner came and gave me and Bethany and Hanin all free shirts, which was so kind of him 

• Waiting for our taxi ride, and petting a black labrador on the street. His eyes closed in relaxation, and he seemed very grateful for the head scratch and ear massage hahah

• Forgetting my Easy Card, and apologizing profusely to the bus driver. He gave me a free ride, and I left him an origami rose ◡̈

  
  

  Now, in here are many of the photos I DID take, with the memories that accompany them :)

  
  

  
  

  ⊹ ࣪ ﹏𓊝﹏𓂁﹏⊹ ࣪ ˖

  
  

  
  

Waking up early, and going for a morning walk without makeup has been my favorite way to start the day. It honestly helps me focus better in class, sitting for hours after I have movement. Walking down random streets as a way to explore the area has made me appreciate the culture and simple ways of life a lot. I loved walking by the bakery and watching birds eat crumbs from the sidewalk. I love watching vegetable deliveries to the restaurants. I love the morning motorbikes. The streets sleepy and quieter before the city awakens and the busy life fills it. 

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I am also very grateful for the location of the Academy Hotel. We are located very close to the campus, and the Main Street with all the shops and hawker stalls has been an excellent place to return to walk down every day. I enjoy passing down at various times in the day, and being able to stay here for over a week and try everything that appeals to me. There definitely wouldn't be enough time to eat everything, even living here for a year. Yet, somehow, I am learning to be satisfied with "not having it all" and it helps me feel freedom and autonomy to pick and choose things to try, and things to leave for "next time."  

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The NCKU campus itself is stunning, and rich with lush greenery and wildlife. 

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During our lunch break, Jani took us to the little garden, where I got to hold a turtle!! There are also many fish in the lake, as well as beautiful ducks, and sweet potato birds! 

This is a derpy looking sweet potato bird! In Chinese, it's called: 地瓜鳥 (dìguā niǎo). They are also sometimes called 大笨鳥 (dàbèn niǎo, meaning "big dumb bird"). This is because they stand completely still and motionless as their survival instinct is camouflage. Without the dense forest, or trees to blend into, they look kind of silly unmoving in a plain grass field haha. I learned about 30 years ago, these birds were actually considered a pretty rare, and shy forest bird in Taiwan. The urbanization, especially with built in parks around the city have provided stable, year round green grass spaces with shade for them, which, in combination with the trees, have given these birds a lot of nesting space. There are also no natural predators anymore, and they face almost no competition for earthworms (their favorite food) too! These birds are very special, because they perform an "earthworm dance" in which they vibrate their necks, which supposedly creates micro movements on the ground, stimulating rainfall, and coaxing earthworms to the surface. Because earthworms are strong, and have bristle like hairs to anchor themselves in their burrows, sometimes after snapping the worm, a sweet potato bird will play tug-of-war, until it pops completely out of the ground, and they can enjoy their delicious snack! 

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Here are also photos I took from our Indigo Dye activity, which you can read about with more detail in Public Blog post #4 :) 

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I really enjoyed our tour near the Anping fort, even if it was really hot outside and we had a long day. Our guide was very engaging, and I learned SOO much about the religion here! For example, I didn't know the the proper way to enter a Taiwanese temple is different for men and women. (Women must step inside first with their right foot because "women are always right" while men walk in left-foot-fist). I also learned that the purpose of the intense is for the smoke to help the prayer reach God. It was fun to see the prayer moon blocks called 筊杯 (jiaobei) in Mandarin. We got to throw them on the ground and see the different outcomes, which I won't spoil.  I did not taste the wall, but I would never have guessed on my own the ingredients of it are oysters, sugar, rice, and sand. 

The old street in Anping was full of color, life, food, and beauty. There were many samples in the street from vendors, I was happy to see a little pottery workshop, with kids throwing clay onto the wheels. I also saw turtles and fish (LIVING and for sale in a bucket). My group enjoyed some typical dishes from the region at a popular restaurant too!

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Additionally, the boat tour we had was quite lovely. I admired the birds in the mangroves, we got to try fishing, and I held a moonfish (before putting him back in the water). I also was delighted to spend time on the water, and see the traditional ways, which are much more sustainable than commercial fishing. 

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Here are a few photos of things that brought me extreme joy :D

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Me + Jamie on the beach! Also, I found a hermit crab! I'm glad I decided not to go to a nail salon, because I found press ons for $6, and they made me feel beautiful for the 4 hours they lasted before I got annoyed by how long they were and ripped them all off as soon as I got back to the hotel. 

A flower I found on the ground and put in my hair :)

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The Confucius temple! 

The result of our Photo Booth adventure!

꧁⎝ 𓆩༺✧༻𓆪 ⎠꧂

    We visited 10 drums, recommended by one of the students here, and it was FANTASTIC FUN. It was so magical!!! This whole village is in an old sugar factory. We wandered around the fairy garden, admired koi fish, we rode on the swing of paradise, shared soup, and a lightbulb drink, and took pictures in the Harry Potter library. I enjoyed a lot the giant slide, and it was crazy to climb up all the metal stairs, and ride for 6 seconds down the twisty tube. They definitely make sure everything is safe, and even made us wear jean sleeves, gloves, helmets, and a type of sleeping bag, to reduce friction on the slide and make it fast. I wished I could have stayed longer to ride the train, try the zipline and freewill, but unfortunately we made plans to catch the sunset at the beach, and meet with our group to work on our projects...

Here is a hungry fish.

𓆝 𓆟 𓆞 𓆝 𓆟

The drum performance was phenomenal. It was such an emotionally moving piece of performance art. I admired each moment of their arms. The synchrony. Their expressions. The lighting. Every beat rang in my chest, and it awoke my inner viking. I really was ready to go to war, listening to the gong. Afterwards, we discussed as a group the choreography, the music theory of timing variation, and the honey-like sweetness of the flutes, which united the whole show. Videos and photos really don't suffice, this was an inexplicable experience, that must be felt and had to really understand its beauty.

One of the most gorgeous sunsets I've witnessed, on the beach near Yuguang Village!

This was the time Traveling magic flower exhibit at 10 drums :) Of course, our whole group had to share the throne, because designers don't take all the glory for only 1 person.

After almost 3 weeks in Taiwan, I have officially decided I prefer Family Mart over 7/11. This is only for the fact that they have Okinawa purple sweet potatoes, which are more fun to eat than the regular colored ones. 

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