Tea, Karoke, Museums, and Bathroom Etiquette

Here goes nothing. I should have some more free time in the next couple days, so I’ll do my best to catch up on everything I haven’t had the chance to write about. Here’s the rundown of recent events:
1. Learned about the Hakka culture and Hakka tea in Beipu.
2. Learned about and made ceramics in Yingge (my favorite Taiwanese city yet).
3. Visited the National Palace Museum
4. Visited National Taiwan Normal University
5. Explored the Taipei City Peace Memorial Park and Museum
6. Food updates!
7. Don’t Drink the water and don’t flush the toilet paper.
8. Swine Flu, Flight Food, and other Early Observations

Our group took roughly a two hour bus ride out to Beipu to learn a bit about and take our own shot at making Hakka tea. The bus ride was not my favorite thing. We know that I don’t particularly like the process of traveling and that I sometimes get car sick. Combine this with the fact that we were on a bus…and that bus was filled with people who enjoy karoke, well, it was a rough ride. I kid you not, at one point I was on a bus, to Taipei, Taiwan, in the mountains, while Americans watched video monitors of incorrectly interpreted American songs as they sang along, into a microphone, to bad background music. I’m fairly positive that it was a human rights violation. Some voices are built for torture. (I hope you’re all reading this with me in mind, understanding the look of disdain and dry sarcasm that inevitably encompasses my storytelling) Dr. Anderson’s rendition of “Let It Be” was truly the moment’s savior.
Back to the tea. Making Hakka tea was great. Hakka tea has sesame seeds, peanuts, green tea leaves, and a host of other flavors. After grinding it up, dropping in some rice for texture, and adding hot water, tea it is. It’s a bit grainy, and a mossy, milky green color. It wasn’t too bad, but not something I’d regularly choose to drink.
After Beipu, we crept back in the direction of Taipe, stopping at Yingge Old Street. Finally. Finally! Good food! Finally! We ate at this wonderful restaurant with basic and great Chinese food that I could finally get into. From fried rice, to eggs, orange drink, and exceptionally good chicken, I managed to fill myself with Chinese food for the first time since our arrival. The restaurant is located on Old Street, a palm-tree lined, cobblestone avenue. This was the Taiwan I’d been waiting for. After lunch, we explored on our own, shopping and observing. I bought my first souvenir/gift: Oolong tea. I loved this little town. It was clean, fun, and QUIET!
After shopping, we headed to a ceramic shop to glaze some mugs, explore our clay creation abilities on the wheel, and get a short background on ceramics in Taiwan. It was simple and fun, overall, a great day in Taiwan. Now, only if we could work on that heat and humidity…hmmm.

That was today; I know that leaves a few days with only picture explanation, so here’s an attempt at a short summary.
National Palace Museum: Our visit to the National Palace Museum was entirely too short, but a welcomed view into Chinese history. The collection holds much of China’s greatest artifacts, which Taiwan acquired through a strange series of political events. The museum has artifacts from over 8,000 years ago. It’s in a magnificent hillside structure on grounds checkered with gardens. The gardens in Taiwan are, by far, my favorite part so far. They’re beautiful and stress free – a real escape from the rest of Taipei City and the density of the country.
National Taiwan Normal University: We visited our second university, Taiwan’s traditional teaching college. We started out in an education research and policy center that included issues across the K-16 spectrum, a research center after my own heart. It was really interesting to compare their work with the center I work in at home and with other American research centers. The most glaring difference was not just that NTNU’s research center didn’t just make policy recommendations, but that they creatively found ways to make the national government listen. For example, the center asks legislators to chair committees and be guests at conferences so that they can get an informed, research-based understanding of Taiwanese educational issues. This would be similar to an American research center asking state senators to be guests at a conference. Our hosts told us that if this doesn’t make the policy-makers listen, they go to the media. This step will often pressure the legislator to listen. Here, the people and policy-makers seem to follow the insight and recommendations of researchers and educators, something we could probably learn something from. Of course, this is not always the case, but the partnership and possibility of it is certainly a positive.
Peace Memorial Park – It was a park in Taiwan…thus I thought it was great. The park held a museum and was a memorial to the mass murder of tens of thousands of Taiwanese people at the orders of Chiang Kai Shek. Very sad and very informative.
Random learnings:
Don’t drink the water and don’t flush the toilet paper: The water in Taiwan is not safe, we’re told, so if you’re ever here, don’t drink the tap. Also, it turns out that Taiwanese people do not flush their toilet paper. Something about different toilet paper and an infrastructure not built for it. They throw it away in a trash can next to the toilet. Obviously, none of us are very fond of this cultural norm…
Also, toilets are not the same everywhere. There are not that many traditional Western toilets here. Most of the restrooms outside of the hotel have squat toilets. They’re kind of like urinals laying on the ground, with a hole through the floor. You guessed it…you, well, squat, over them. There’s nothing to sit on. Many Taiwanese people choose these over traditional toilets if they have the opportunity. Not I, said the clown.
Swine Flu, Flight Food, and Other Early Observations:
In Japan, the Japanese government kept us on the plane 90 minutes post-landing to screen us all for swine flu. We had to fill out health forms (translated so poorly it was hilarious), and get our temperatures screened. A chunk of our group got red-dotted because someone near them was running a temp. They were told that if he tested positive swine flu, they would all be retained in quarantine in Tokyo for 10 days. Luckily, no swine flu = no quarantine. We all made it! The process was so interesting. Very movie-esque. The screeners climbed on the plane in hazmat-type suits, boots taped to the suit legs, masks, and gloves, and talked to every single person. This is how I ended up with a face mask.
Our flights were so long…over 27 hours of travel and layover time in total. They kept us happy by feeding us ALL THE TIME. Much appreciated. Now, to work on sleeping for the way home.
Observation: Taipei smells.
Observation Two: I’d starve if I had to live here. Thankfully Pizza Hut is just as delightfully delicious here as it is at home.
Observation Three: I’m an introvert, an INFJ according to Myers Briggs, the least common personality type. My “I” is a capital “I”. No, this doesn’t mean I don’t like people; I love people. It just means that I recharge by being alone and self-reflecting. Extroverts recharge by being around people. This trip and this city definitely bring out my “I” recharging qualities. It takes a bit of time alone to get ready to face Taipei again each night and day.
Even in Taiwan, I’m still hilarious. I wish I were a more humorous writer. Instead, most of my humor is through person-to-person storytelling. I always thought humor didn’t translate well, stopping with the language barrier. According to our day one Taiwan buddies, I’m hilarious. Check one for Ryan – I’m going on tour!

Well, I’m out for now. A new days brings another adventure. Sorry for the not-so-stellar writing. Taiwan makes me tired and I’m just trying to jot down my adventures.

Hope all is well at home.