Day 2 - Saturday, April 30, 2011

Today we visited the National Palace Museum, had lunch at Taipei Central Station, visited the Jade Market, had dinner with some U of M alumnas, and went shopping at the night market where we were treated to shaved ice. I had Iced Mango and it was delicious!

National Palace Museum

Where are Ed and Sean?

National Palace Museum:

The museum includes a collection of Chinese artifacts and artwork dating back 8,000 years. Some of the famous pieces include the "Jadeite Cabbage With Insects" and the "Meat-shaped Stone". I don't remember the complete story of the Jadeite Cabbage but I believe it was a dowry gift. The white in the Bok-choy cabbage symbolizes the purity of the bride and the insects that are on the leaves (a katydid and locust) represent a blessing for many children.

We had an English speaking tour guide who went into great detail at each exhibit. It was very crowded so I wondered off occasionally to explore on my own. My favorite exhibit was the Curio Boxes. During the Qing Dynasty, it was very expensive and took a long time to ship the emperors' various pieces of jade, porcelain, and artwork so he instructed craftsmen to create miniature versions of these pieces and they were placed in curio boxes so they could be appreciated at any time. The curio boxes not only housed these miniature treasures but were themselves quite a treasure. They were designed to hold specific objects in specific compartments employing the use of drawers, sub levels, and sometimes secret compartments. The boxes were designed with great ingenuity to make use of every possible space. Most curio boxes required a special technique to open such as pulling or pushing a particular part or fitting certain pieces together so it was like a puzzle that needed to be solved in order to enjoy the treasure.

Shopping at the Jade Market:

Haggle the price by saying: tai gui le (too expensive).

Jade Market

Lunch - I think it was shrimp and squid

Dinner with U of M Alumnas

Where did all these people come from?

To give you an idea of how densely populated the cities in Taiwan are just consider these facts: The population in Taiwan is roughly 23,000,000 people compared to 9,800,000 people in Michigan but Taiwan is only 13,900 square miles compared to Michigan’s almost 97,000 square miles. But what really impacts the logistics is that 2/3 of Taiwan is basically uninhabitable due to the rugged lush hills and mountains. So the reason Taiwan seems really crowded is because it has 2.5 times more people than Michigan but it is only 1/7 the size of Michigan but only 1/3 of that can be inhabited.

Night Market in Taipei

Hsinchu

First Taste of Real Chinese Food

I love Chinese food! I could eat it everyday and never tire of it though I have quickly discovered that what I have always considered to be Chinese food is actually an Americanized version pretending to be Chinese.

The dish on the left is REAL Chinese food. It's what I ordered today at the food court at the Taipei Central Station. I know it's authentic because I have no clue what it is. It looks like succulent shrimp in chicken broth and noodles with some bok-choy added for good measure. In reality it is octopus along with other assorted seafood and vegetables that are unfamiliar. It was actually pretty good although the octopus tentacles were very chewy.

In Taiwan it is common to display a plastic version of the food that is offered. Buyer beware! It is difficult for a novice to have any way of knowing whether the dish contains seafood, pork, or chicken, whether it is spicy or bland, or whether it will have eyeballs or tentacles in it. I would suggest ordering fried rice or McDonald's unless you are adventurous or not very hungry.

Day 1 - Friday, April 29, 2011

We started the day with a brief lecture by Dr. Peng about the history and economic development of Taiwan. We then boarded a bus and headed to Taipei. The coach buses are quite decorative including curtains with tassels!

Taipei Central Station

My first impression of Taipei Central Station is that it is very clean especially considering how many people pass through it during any given day. The bathrooms however leave a little to be desired. We have quickly learned to send someone to scout the bathrooms to see if the toilets are the "regular" kind or the "squat" type. Also, Chinese do not flush toilet paper and instead throw it in the wastebasket so the bathrooms do not smell pleasant.

We stopped for lunch at Taipei Central Station and it was mind boggling trying to figure out what to order. Fortunately there were lots of pictures and displays of food but nothing looked familiar except maybe the treats at Mr. Donut.

Confucius Temple

We were given an interesting tour of the Taipei Confucius Temple. Completed in 1939, the temple is adorned with many colorful sculptures and drawings.

Confucius said, "Learning without thought is labor lost; thought without learning is perilous."

Adorning each side of the walls of the Yi Gate and made of Cochin pottery, the figurine on the left is a military general holding a flag and Qing, which forms the meaning of good luck. The general on the right holds a flag and a ball which signifies praying.

On My Way

April 27 - 28, 2011

After traveling approximately 7,600 miles in over 28 hours, 20 of which were in the air, I arrived in Taiwan at 9:30pm local time (+12 hour time difference from MI). For those of you who know my aversion to flying you can be proud of me for only freaking out once during a moment of hyper claustrophobia when I was trapped between the beverage cart in the aisle and the two love birds watching a movie next to me. How much is it to fly first class? Anyway, the first thing I was struck by was how quiet the airport was. For a minute I thought I was in Steven Kings, The Langoliers. You learn quickly that people in Taiwan are generally much more reserved and quiet than Americans. Prior to this trip I have never been abroad although I have traveled in the Caribbean, Belize, and the typical Canada and Mexico traveling. I am very excited about this adventure but realize that it will require an open mind and flexibility.

Introduction Blog:

For family and friends who are expecting a daily log of my experiences in Taiwan you will be a bit disappointed because this is a study abroad program which requires attending lectures at various businesses and universities as well as studying the culture in Taiwan. In other words I’m not a tourist on vacation. Because there are so many scheduled events it can be exhausting and I’m not acclimated to the heat and humidity but so far it has been extremely educational and most importantly it has been fun. If you want to learn the culture of another country, study abroad is the way to go!