A field of tea. The tall plants aren't palms, they're betelnut trees.
What do you think is planted in this field? Pineapples!
Lanterns made by local schoolchildren
My friends take a break under a gazebo
I'm navigating through Taiwan like a pro! Here are just a few recent experiences worth mentioning:
1. The other day, someone at the train station asked me for directions and showed me piece of paper with Chinese scribbles. I'm thinking, great, of all the locals who are literate in this station, you come and ask ME. I guess I fooled her!
2. Taiwanese Specialties
I went to Nantou over the weekend with a friend of mine, who has a good friend living there. Nantou is south of Taipei, sort of in the middle of the island, a small agricultural town known for their tea and pineapple. You know you're in the boonies when there isn't a 7-11 around the corner! Anyways, us cityslickers wandered around town, got a few curious looks from the locals, and marveled at how much less things cost here compared to Taipei. We had a lot of fun eating very Taiwanese street food, such as freshly steamed buns stuffed with black sesame paste and ones filled with vegetables for breakfast, "meatballs" covered in a very thick tasty skin of starchy goo topped with sauce (my friend ate my meat filling, I ate the starchy goo), a bowl of savory white pudding, noodle soup with bamboo shoots and marinated napa cabbage, and of coarse, washed it all down with some pearl milk tea. Just realized I should have taken a picture of these delicacies, but that will only evoke more salivating. As a vegetarian, I have come to realize how invaluable it is to have a friend who is willing to eat my meat. haha.
3. Trash Pick-up in Taipei for Dummies:
All garbage must be contained in a government-issued trash bag that is light blue and has a special label on it. Trash bags are relatively expensive (approximately US$10 for 20 bags), but it also pays for the trash pick-up service, and we usually only generate 2-3 bags a week. Recycling is free and can be contained with any old bag, hence, locals LOVE to recycle. Trucks pick up 5 days a week for trash, with alternating days for certain recyclables, and stops at designated collection points. Trucks also come for a short window of time (7-8pm for our area), and you know they're coming by their flashing lights and sometimes they also play a ringtone version of Beethoven's Fur Elise. It's not unusual to see people with bags of garbage, waiting on the sidewalk for the truck to come by. In my 'hood, people come out with their kids and garbage in tow to the collection point at the local park about two blocks from my building. It's not so bad for us as we wait for the garbage to pile up and take it out once a week or so. For me, it is fun to see the cross section of life come out for this ritual, but once is enough. I'm not a fan of waiting for the trash truck, and I'm really missing being able to roll out my garbage once a week and have it picked up in front of my house. I really do miss my rolling trash can!
4. Maintenance
The doorbell rang this evening, it was our neighbors from upstairs coming to collect the monthly building management fee (HOA fees, for you Yanks). They were nice enough and explained to me that the tenants rotate managing the building, one month it is this unit, the next month another. I'm thinking, it sounds like no one person was willing to take on this responsibility, so they decided to do this ridiculous rotation to punish each unit once a year, but it seems be working. They also explained that the notice was posted downstairs and we're apparently the only unit that hasn't paid up. That figures, I have a habit of ignoring notices posted in the building, especially ones I can't read. It will be our unit's turn in another two months, and I hope to God that the building does not crumble to pieces under our stewardship simply because none of us can read Chinese very well.
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