Classes started back up for students today. Technically, the do not need to be here for the next three weeks but they are kind of forced to be. It’s extra study time before the real semester begins. The school gave us one day grace to get used to the school before we officially start teaching. Today they showed us our classrooms, showed us important spaces (offices, etc)., gave us our final schedule, took us to the cafeteria for lunch and sent us on our way!
Lunch was actually incredible delicious and way more western than lunches I received on the mainland. It was a serve yourself style with rice, a pork and potato in a sauce dish, a corn dish, greens, tofu and tomato soup (I still avoid tofu when I can) and bananas. It was actually incredibly delicious. Interestingly, they eat slightly differently here in that they always use a spoon in addition to their chopsticks so we can kind of scoop the food instead of having to pick it up piece by piece.
After lunch we were free to go so we headed back into Taiwan (why not? We have to make hay while the sun shines – and with the rain we have forecasted, that’s now). Our first stop was Taipei’s famed Longshan Temple. Now, this is when the day got REALLY interesting. I have been to many temples in China and Taiwan and never did I experience this. First, the place was BUZZING with people and noise and smells and food and flowers and incense and prayers. There was a huge tent in front and there were giant bouquets of flowers lining the outer walls. There were people coming out of side doors with plates and buying every kind of packaged and fresh food you can think of and putting it up as offerings. Hundreds of people were walking around with lit incense sticks as well and Jen was nervous especially seeing one man with two burn marks on his shirt. The oddest observation was watching people say a prayer then drop two red half-moon shaped wooden pieces to the ground (making a loud noise) then picking them up and doing it again. We felt utterly out of place so didn’t stay too long.
Lunch was actually incredible delicious and way more western than lunches I received on the mainland. It was a serve yourself style with rice, a pork and potato in a sauce dish, a corn dish, greens, tofu and tomato soup (I still avoid tofu when I can) and bananas. It was actually incredibly delicious. Interestingly, they eat slightly differently here in that they always use a spoon in addition to their chopsticks so we can kind of scoop the food instead of having to pick it up piece by piece.
After lunch we were free to go so we headed back into Taiwan (why not? We have to make hay while the sun shines – and with the rain we have forecasted, that’s now). Our first stop was Taipei’s famed Longshan Temple. Now, this is when the day got REALLY interesting. I have been to many temples in China and Taiwan and never did I experience this. First, the place was BUZZING with people and noise and smells and food and flowers and incense and prayers. There was a huge tent in front and there were giant bouquets of flowers lining the outer walls. There were people coming out of side doors with plates and buying every kind of packaged and fresh food you can think of and putting it up as offerings. Hundreds of people were walking around with lit incense sticks as well and Jen was nervous especially seeing one man with two burn marks on his shirt. The oddest observation was watching people say a prayer then drop two red half-moon shaped wooden pieces to the ground (making a loud noise) then picking them up and doing it again. We felt utterly out of place so didn’t stay too long.
That whole experience made us feel highly uncomfortable so we went to check out a nearby market. Turns out that it is a night market and we just got odd looks the whole time we ventured further from the subway station (maybe we were just paranoid because of the temple) so we headed back. Once outside of the subway station, we stopped to take pictures of the zodiac signs done up in the cobblestone square. A man came up to us and started explaining the destinies they represent; he was quite passionate! Turns out he was waiting for his mother to go to the temple. We asked him if the temple was always that busy and he explained that it was one of the God’s birthdays. Oooohhhhhhh! That explains it. Of course we would go to the temple on a random Monday and it be the equivalent of our Christmas!
Once we got that straightened away, we headed off to track down some famous beef noodles and mango shaved ice; both things that Taiwan is known for. I had read from two different travel blogs about a places to try. We looked for them and eventually gave up. Instead, we wandered into a souvenir shop and asked for a recommendation. He gave us a recommendation in Chinese characters and some very vague directions. Eventually we found it and to our surprise and delight it was the same beef noodles place that I had read about! We both tried the beef noodles, shared dandan noodles (noodles in peanut sauce) and I had some refreshing guava juice. Success! We were so full at the end of the meal that we passed on the mango shaved ice for another time. On the way back to the subway we had a great glimpse of Taipei 101 (something we had yet to see from anywhere but the base)!
Bellies full, we headed for home. Once back at the dorm, we stopped to fill our water bottles on the third floor as they have a clean dispenser. There were two teachers in the common room there and we got to chatting. Anita, a local English teacher, asked about our rooms and Jen told her she killed a spider the other day. “Oh, you are very brave” Anita replied. The next thing I know, Jen is up the stairs ahead of me freaking out. There was a H.U.G.E. spider in our hallway. I mean huge ; like bigger than my hand huge. I was debating stepping on when Anita and two other teachers came up. Jen and two Chinese teachers were freaking but Anita and I were able to kill it with some Raid, a broom and dustpan (after a mad chase around the bathroom and behind the stove. Maaaaan it was creepy. Turns out it was a huntsman spider, which is actually a good spider to have. It doesn’t bite us but eats mosquitos and cockroaches. That doesn’t mean I would be comfortable with it in my room!
I then prepared to bed and pulled aside my curtains to check for spiders. A big lizard (bigger than my hand) was sitting on my screen! Talk about getting lots of heebie jeebies in one night! Eeeek! Unlike Jen, I managed to sleep just fine, though and got ready for my first day of teaching!
I then prepared to bed and pulled aside my curtains to check for spiders. A big lizard (bigger than my hand) was sitting on my screen! Talk about getting lots of heebie jeebies in one night! Eeeek! Unlike Jen, I managed to sleep just fine, though and got ready for my first day of teaching!