Taizhong
Friday evening after I shopped for books and make sure I had not left anything behind, I gathered at the CIEE office along with my fellow study abroad students and student ambassadors. Eventually, we all loaded up in the bus singing karaoke to Chinese and Taiwanese songs both new and old. For me it was both amusing to hear others and I found others to have a hidden talent. Let's just say that there was undiscovered talent in our bus and if Taiwan has a version of "Taiwanese Idol", I am sure I would push some of these talented people to audition because they are just out of this world when it comes to singing!CIEE and its ambassadors chose a charter bus that came with the luxury of a karoake. As you know, Asians die to sing karaoke because it is a significant part of the pop culture here in Taiwan. Singing really passed the time. When we arrived in Taizhong, I knew I had made a big mistake in not bringing a jacket because the weather was just getting worse. Luckily, I made it through the famous night market browsing just about every store and snack stand and trying any dish that appealed to my senses. That was all really but I will return to Taizhong in April for the Mazu pilgrimage. I hope that I can get more of an exposure to Taizhong and all it has to offer. And that brings me to....NEXT STOP TAINAN!
Tainan
Riding the bus for 2 hours sleeping peacefully I had hoped that the weather would drastically change to Texas style heat. Nothing could have dashed my hopes more than the fact that it just kept getting colder. Nevertheless, I decided to focus my energies on the Anping Tree House. An ancient relic of the distant past that no one would really know about or remember but it was a delight to explore the jail cell within it and scenery surrounding it. I gazed at the plants that hung from the trees like a chandelier ( I forgot what they are called really but they were a wonder). I think I was way too focused on the nature and the scenery instead of the historical facts that my tour guide was telling me about. Next we visited the ten drums where we saw a drum performance by men of various ages that drummed to the beats of nature. I admit that I was ready to go to the hotel because I was tired so I found myself falling asleep but I woke myself up! Then we had the privilege to learn some rhythms on the drums! Interesting sight.
Taoyuan
My trip to Taoyuan basically revolved around the Chiang Kai-Shek memorial park which contained his house located with nature adorned with birds, oak trees, mountains decorated with green leaves,and a beautiful river that stretches far. I enjoyed seeing the soldiers do their ritual before I was allowed to enter the premises. This house in and of itself was elaborate and ornately decorated with Chinese art. In the house there was a mosoleum and there rested Chiang Kai-Shek's body in a black colored coffin. It almost felt as though I was going to his funeral! Nevertheless, the many colored statues of Chiang Kai-Shek was a comic relief from all the seriousness of shuffling through his house. It's interesting how many Taiwanese people showed up to visit his house. I would put my numbers at around 200-300 visitors (this might be an overestimation).
That's all I really have to say about the three-day journey!
Tainan
Riding the bus for 2 hours sleeping peacefully I had hoped that the weather would drastically change to Texas style heat. Nothing could have dashed my hopes more than the fact that it just kept getting colder. Nevertheless, I decided to focus my energies on the Anping Tree House. An ancient relic of the distant past that no one would really know about or remember but it was a delight to explore the jail cell within it and scenery surrounding it. I gazed at the plants that hung from the trees like a chandelier ( I forgot what they are called really but they were a wonder). I think I was way too focused on the nature and the scenery instead of the historical facts that my tour guide was telling me about. Next we visited the ten drums where we saw a drum performance by men of various ages that drummed to the beats of nature. I admit that I was ready to go to the hotel because I was tired so I found myself falling asleep but I woke myself up! Then we had the privilege to learn some rhythms on the drums! Interesting sight.
Taoyuan
My trip to Taoyuan basically revolved around the Chiang Kai-Shek memorial park which contained his house located with nature adorned with birds, oak trees, mountains decorated with green leaves,and a beautiful river that stretches far. I enjoyed seeing the soldiers do their ritual before I was allowed to enter the premises. This house in and of itself was elaborate and ornately decorated with Chinese art. In the house there was a mosoleum and there rested Chiang Kai-Shek's body in a black colored coffin. It almost felt as though I was going to his funeral! Nevertheless, the many colored statues of Chiang Kai-Shek was a comic relief from all the seriousness of shuffling through his house. It's interesting how many Taiwanese people showed up to visit his house. I would put my numbers at around 200-300 visitors (this might be an overestimation).
That's all I really have to say about the three-day journey!
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