Sun Moon Lake

Our second day of travel took us to Sun Moon Lake. Surrounded by green mountains, Sun Moon Lake is the is the largest natural lake in Taiwan. The Eastern part of the lake is round like the sun, while the Western part is shaped like a crescent moon - giving it the name "Sun Moon Lake". The lake is located in Central Taiwan. The beauty of Sun Moon Lake is found in the surrounding mountains. From the lake, tier upon tier of countless peaks can be seen rising up into the sky. The day was warm and the views spectacular, especially as sunset approached and the lake filled with multiple colors of orange and red. The lake has many trails and we took one that led us to a Pecock Farm. More pictures can be seen on my flickr account: http://flickr.com/photos/23521940@N07

Traveling to Sitou Forest

Last week my friends took Ruben and I on a fabulous trip to see some very special parts of central Taiwan. It is important to remember that Taiwan is quite small. 3 1/2 Taiwans can fit inside of Pennsylvania! So it is possible to drive around Taiwan in just one day, and with their fabulous high speed train, you could probably see the country in half a day! But there is so much to see and the weather and terrain change drastically from 12,000 foot high mountains to planes and oceans. It is a stunningly beautiful country and it is no wonder that it was given the name, Formosa (beautiful island) by a Spaniard who caught a glimpse of the isle from his ship.

Our first stop was Sitou Forest which is an experimental forest operated by the College of Bio Resources and Agriculture of the National Taiwan University. Giant trees,

such as giant cryptomerias and chamoecyparis, spruce, cedar and a pure ginko forest, green bamb
oo, winding trails, wildlife, including over 7,000 species of birds, gorgeous scenery and fresh air all abound in this ever-cool retreat. My favorite part of Sitou forest was walking the 180 meter skyway nestled among the treetops, over 7 floors above the ground. I loved looking down on the world below and feeling a part of the treetop community of birds, leaves and branches.



The landmark of Shitou Forest is the man made University Pond. It was originally created to keep logs moist, but has since become a haven to frogs. Here I am hamming it up at the crest of the bridge. You can see more photos on my Flickr site at http://flickr.com//photos/23521940@N07

Contemporary Taipei

This site provides an interesting look at contemporary Taipei and its future. Author Douglas McGray, with photographer, Michael Wolf, visit the city of Taipei searching for its future. They meet many characters along the way, eat a variety of "interesting" local foods and visit many sites. In the pages, I found a very real look at the Taipei I am experiencing. There is depth and long tentacles to the past, resulting in unique creative expression in all directions.

Check out the site below to read the story and enjoy the pics, but be patient..it takes some time to read, but is well worth the wait.

http://nytimes.com/indexes/2008/03/30/style/t/index.htm#pageName=30taipeiw 

Five Cent Driftwood House

The Five-Cent Driftwood House was designed, built and turned into a living sculpture by artist, Li-hsiang Hsieh. Her style is defined through the transformation of varied ad unique building materials into remarkable homes and restaurants is one that is filled with intrigue and magic. She does not call herself an architect and has never received any formal training, not even in art, yet since she was a child she has been putting sticks and found objects together. Building and sculpting is part of the rhythm or her life. I was so amazed by the Five-Cent Driftwood House in Taipei that the food which was beautifully prepared and presented on handmade pottery created by Hsieh, was of less importance to me. Every surface inside and outside of the structure is decorated with sculptural surfaces, artifacts, sculptures and painting. It is all handmade, on location, by Hsieh. This is one of four existing restaurants in Taiwan, all individually created by Hsieh. Please check out my flickr page at http://flickr.com/photos/23521940@N07 for more images. Check out Hsieh's site for additional information at her goals and four restaurants. http://www.five-dime.com.tw.

Green Ideas

You can see more photos of the march at my flickr account: http://flickr.com/photos/23521940@NO7
Yesterday I was invited to participate in a live performance a the the Green Party (DPP) Political rally in Taipei. There are over 127 political parties registered in Taiwan, but next weeks election has boiled down to a contest between two prominent parties. One is the current presidents' political party, known as the DDP or Democratic Progressive Party which favors permanent political independence from mainland China. The other party is the Chinese Nationalist Party, known as the Kuomintang or KMT party. The DPP is "green" and the "blue party is KMT.







My friend Lily, her cousin and her cousin's friend and I met early in the morning at the Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hall. The other participants, about 50 in all, were Taiwanese and right from the start I stuck out like a BIG American! A famous actor and designed a huge Trojan horse and a performance piece we were invited to participate in. The story we performed concerned the poor quality of products exported by China. Characters, dressed as cell phone, candy, oil, toys, food, even milk, lobster and dumplings danced and sang in a choreographed performance. On closer inspection, the poison signs and skull and crossbones painted onto their elaborate costumes became evident. Workers dressed in the blue costumes of China climbed from the Trojan horse where smoke and dirt spewed out onto the crowd. A huge replica of China's president presided over all. Suddenly the good guys (that's me!) came running out carrying huge canisters of CO2. All 20 of us herded the workers and dangerous export products away, gassing them until our canisters were empty. We then cried out about our victory and began to push the horse around the city of Taipei. Tens of thousands of people followed us, high-fiving everyone. The figures jumped along the roadways and politicians climbed aboard the horse and stood inside the huge windows waving at the crowds. A cotillion of Japanese senators also joined in. It was an amazing experience. I have gone to many peace rallies in DC, but this one topped them all.



Although I was hounded by the news media all day, the only statement I made was that I love Taiwan and that in America we have the same problem with imports from China..remember the lead painted toys at Christmastime? I honestly did not know enough to comment on anything else related to this election. Taiwan is a democracy and this exercise of freedom of speech was both real and amazing to be a part of. I will never forget the hundreds of hands I touched, the eyes that sparkled into mine and the words of gratitude I received for being a part of this important event.

Zhinan Temple

I have posted my photos on http://flickr.com/photos/23521940@N07

Please copy and paste the link into your browser to view. Then select the Zhinan Temple from my sets.

Yesterday was a beautiful day and my friends, Jessica and Steven, treated Chiu-Jhin and I to a terrific home-cooked Italian meal. They live in the San Francisco area of Taiwan. I think of it that way because of the way the buildings are built into the sides of the mountainous terrain.

After lunch we walked up along a wonderful mountain road with streams and waterfalls to the awesome mountain temple of Zhinan. Check my flicker account to see an unusual fern tree. The fern top dies at the end of the season, leaving a tall trunk that has a cool oval pattern. A new fern grows from the top of the trunk in the new season.

The temple is a beautiful example of the architectural style that combines northern, Chinese and southern Taiwanese ideas, creating a uniquely Taiwanese structure. The structure was built in 1890 and can be reached from a stairway of 1200 curved steps. The religion at this temple is Taoism. There are many registered religions in Taiwan. The most popular one is Buddhism and the second most popular is Taoism. Over 4.5 million Taiwanese follow this religion. The religion evolved from the teachings of Lao Tsu, who lived during the 6th Century BC. Taoists believe that religion is the fulfillment of divinity. Taoists use incense and food offerings for prayer and worshop. There are many Taoist temples throughout Taiwan and most of them are distinguished with a colorful, sculptured roofline. One must enter the temple on the right and exit it on the left-side. The temple's surfaces are filled with colorful and historical images that relate stories. People line up to be doused in incense from head to toes as volunteers wave large incense sticks over every person.

Just inside each entrance stands a large cauldron where people like their incense sticks, leaving them there to honor the god of the sky. When incense sticks are lit up, the person holding them bows towards the god or altar three times in quick succession. Leaving offerings such as religious paper money and various kinds of fresh and packaged foods is common. Plus there are large glass cabinets for donating bills and coins as well as for making larger donations. Zhinan Temple honors one of the eight immortals, Lu Dongbun. Folklore has it that he is jealous of young lovers, so couples who are unmarried do not go to this temple alone, for fear that he will cause them to break-up.

Surrounding the temple are many gardens and pathways through the landscaped walkways that are both traditional and totally gorgeous. The Taoist Institute of China is connected to the Zhilan Temple. I was fortunate to hear a performance of the monks. It was another one for the memory books. The views were spectacular. It was great to be in the sweet, fresh air and enjoy the peaceful gardens and fresh spring blooms.

On My Way to Work

Going to work is a visual feast. My neighborhood is filled with interesting shops. Han-Jung street has many costume stores where all manner of costumes are available. There are also many sign makers and trophy shops where finished trophies are sold. But there are other shops as well where signs are painted. That means that there are calligraphers working along my street as well. When the weather is warm, everyone seems to move out into the street, giving me a good view of what projects they are working on.


Please copy and paste the following link to view images of my walk to work on my flicker account. http://flickr.com/photos/23521940@N07/

The Lantern Festival

The Chinese Lunar Festival comes to an end each year with the Lantern Festival. I have been to several different celebrations, one up in the mountains in a lovely and historical town, called Shifen and the other at the Dr. Sun Yat Sen Memorial, just six subway stops from my apartment in Ximen. The celebrations were totally different. My friends Steven, Jessica and their beagle, Macho, and I drove up into the foggy and ancient mountains last Sunday for an experience that I will never forget. I felt as if I was inside of a Chinese Ink Painting and every turn was more beautiful than the next. In the small town, we wrote our wishes for the new year onto a huge red lantern. We did them in Chinese Calligraphy. The lantern was then fired up and lifted into the sky. It is believed that the messages are going directly to God and will surely come true. I made many special wishes, as they did, including my constant wish of Peace on Earth. The experience was very meaningful for me and as I watched many other families and friends create their lanterns, and send them flying upwards, I had the feeling that they felt the same. The faces were so alight with joy and a sense of wonder. The innocent and adorable children always steal my heart.

The celebrati

on at the SYS Memorial was glitzy and totally awesome. The talent displayed in the creation of many lanterns and 3-D animated

 structures, light art displays was simply extraordinary. Each of the displays had a theme. 

Some pictured a celebration of life in Taipei or Taiwan, and some were celebrations of the New Year, 2008 and of the Year of the Rat. The rat has great significance in the Chines culture as it is the symbol for opportunity and good prospects. The rat is thought of as a mouse and there are many 

symbols of our American favorites, Mickey and Minnie!

Both professional displays and student creations were part of the exhibition. I was ver

y impressed with the crafting of every item I saw. Generally, these lanterns are

 more like Japanese Ikari, where the structure if first created in wire. Then paper or cloth is stretched over the wire and glued in place. The light structures were equally awesome and line the boulevards.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Here are some very special Asian-style Valentine bouquets. The western tradition around Valentine's Day is becoming very popular. Candy, flowers and advertisements and sweet little Happy Valentine's Day wishes from the stations on TV are all quite common. But the most beautiful Valentine bouquet I saw is the one that was sent to me from all the way from around the world by wonderful boyfriend, Ruben. There are two dozen perfectly, in bloom, red roses. Sprinkled with the arrangement are little yellow buttercups, some graceful thready branch structures and some shiny twisty pieces. The whole thing is sitting in a vase, wrapped in green handmade paper with a big yellow ribbon. You've got style, Rube! Thanks honey for making your lonely gal very happy today! (Oh the little bun at the bottom right is a little memory of my last trip to Danshui. It is in the shape of a rat because this year is the Year of the Rat..or Mouse as they say here in Taipei!)

Welcome to My World

My everyday life in Taiwan is in many ways different from the one I lived in Carlisle. But there are some surprising similarities. Life has commonalities everywhere. In this post, I am going to introduce you to where I live and show you some pretty common place things and some very special people that make my life over here just a little bit nicer. The picture to the left shows a group of my friends standing in Ximen just outside of my apartment. We had all just come back from a lovely farewell tea for Rachael and Anthony at a modern teahouse, called, "61 Cups." Later on I will introduce my friends individually, but for right now please take in the wild and crazy environment of lights and stores. Just behind them to the right is the subway station. A far cry from the farm!

Just inside my front door, sits our doorman who, despite my best efforts at communication, tells everyone he cannot understand a word I say! There are many mailboxes. 

But I do not have a key so you can't send me anything. But inside are all of my bills. I can peek in the slot and see them all in there. I am just waiting for the electricity 

and water to be cut off. Then I will be evicted! Who is paying the rent?The picture to the right shows the stairs l

eading to my apartment. There is an elevator too, but I take the stairs as part of my daily fitness regiment. Since it is only 3 floors, it is

 pretty easy to 

accomplish.

Here is my front door. Notice that I have all of the red signs up wishing everyone a Happy New Year and Good Fortune. With these signs, I have protected my home from Nien, the monster!

Check out the unusual key! This is a common kind of a key and must be turned three times once it is inserted in the lock. The lock moves into position part way with each turn. You might also notice my grocery club card hanging on the keychain. Just like home!

T the left, you can see what I see when I walk in 

my front door..a view of my very narrow living space. The T.V. complete with HBO and Cinemax plus two other movie stations is on the left. The couch folds down into a great sleep over bed. Just behind the couch is my little office space where I am sitting right now! It looks out onto 

a very busy street filed with scooters, cars, busses, people, dogs and stores. At night I can hear all of the voices of the hawkers selling their yams and the hawkers selling their yams and special drinks. 

The view of my bedroom is on the left. I have a very large free standing closet in which to store my clothing

. The headboard on the bed opens up as a storage space. You can see some of my recent paintings decorating my bedroom.

The bathroom has a fabulously large shower. Very surprising considering the smallness of the apartment. I can actually store my umbrellas and a stool in there..and yes I have a western style toilet! The washing machine is featured in this image as well as the water heater.

The kitchen has some really unusual features. The stove has one burner. So cooking dinner has become a challenge, but it is doable! Those of you who go camping know just what I am talking about. What is really cool about this stove is that one..it is portable and two: it shuts off the second I turn it off and is not hot on the surface at all! The refrigerator has three parts. The top is a small freezer, the middle is just for things like juices and food, leftovers, etc. The bottom is a special storage area fro veggies and fruit. I open up just the section I need, preserving energy all the time. It is common to have a bag of open coffee granuals in each section to ensure a nice odor.

This has provided you with a  good picture of my apartment, but it would not be complete without SKYPE and the wonderful people I get to see there each and every day. Here are my two favorites!

Huo Guo

This blog post is dedicated to my absolute favorite meal in Taiwan, huo guo (haw gwa.) Huo guo is a type of cooking that is done in a hot pot. Is is sort of like fondue, only the food is cooked in soup, not oil. Each person has their own individual hot pot, with their own controls. Sometimes there is a single large hot pot that is shared by an entire group, but the mini hot pot restaurants have become very popular. After choosing a flavor of soup for cooking, a large platter of  beautifully cut and washed vegetables plus your choice of meats, fish or tofu are prepared for each person. You also choose between fan (rice) or mien (noodles.) The mien have to be cooked as well. Typically the platter has some enokitake mushrooms, cabbage, seasonal greens, a slice of corn on the cob, taro, onion, doufu (tofu), sweet potato, pumpkin or squash, tomato wedges, crab sticks, fish balls and sometimes a square, hard piece that is made from rice mixed with pig's blood (ugh!) But you can also oder a totally vegetarian platter that included more doufu.

Once the burner is turned on, the controls are adjusted and the cooking begins. Individual pieces of vegetables, meats (lamb, beef, chicken, stomach,) fish (oysters, shrimp) and doufu (tofu) are placed in the boiling cauldron. Combinations of things that are cooked together yield especially delicious results. Chopsticks as well as strainers and ladles are provided for cooking and eating. 

Each restaurant has a sauce bar, where you make your own personal combination of condiments and spices. My favorite has been cilantro, green onion, garlic, some brown good smelling stuff that I think is vinegar, plus soy sauce. YUM! Many other spices are available, like barbecue sauce called "sha cha sauce" (made from peanuts and ground up dried fish, similar to a stay sauce) but I am very content with my limited palette! Usually a basket of raw eggs are available to add to the soup or sauce to thicken it up. Each restaurant has some specialty items that are added to the veggie plate. A few fish balls, a couple of flower-like tofu slices and a few sausages, pickles and chunks of root. The root is placed in the soup for more flavor.

After the food is cooked, it is lifted out of the cauldron, dipped in the sauce, laid on top of the fan or mien and gobbled up. The flavor is just so excellent, fresh and delicious, everytime. I love that I know exactly what I am eating and can make choices that suit me. Rachael is sampling her vegetarian and medicinal herb huo guo.

Some restaurants specialize in other forms of huo guo, such as sour and spicy kimchee or the ultimate spicy huo guo ma la (don't try this one unless you REALLY love spicy food.) There is often a tomato base, a medicinal herb and a Japanese-style curry flavor to choose from. I have always selected the house soup, which is a default soup, unique to each restaurant and often made from carefully guarded, secret ingredients. Does that sound scary?

The hot pot, as huo guo is sometimes called, is featured in other Asian countries. In Japanese, it is call, "shabu." There are many shabu restaurants in my neighborhood that feature the spicy ma la version. It is also poular in Mongolia, only the shape of the hot pot has a cone for keeping the soup warm.

Preparing and eating huo guo, requires a great deal of time and is a perfect dining experience to share with friends and family. There is plenty of time for relaxing conversations and discussions as each person cooks and eats their meals. I have been pricing out hot pots and most are around 700 NT..about $20. Not surprisingly, Amazon carries a wide variety, plus cookbooks! You can tell, this is one eating experience I will be bringing back to the States!