Motorycycling

Today, after group performance practice, some of us went to Gong Guan and then Le Hua Night Market when we realized all the Gong Guan was closed by eleven.  The highlight of this night market trip would be riding on the back of Lev's motorcycle!!  I was really sad when riding motorcycles didn't work out back at Penghu even though I was scared out of my wits to try it with a poor bicycle riding background.

Anyway, riding was really fun even though Lev got lost on the way for what he claims was the first time in his life.

The great part happened, however, on the way back.  We pulled up to a stop light after I had just declared myself a motorcycle riding pro when a guy on another motorcycle pulls up next to us & taps Lev on the shoulder and asks "這是你的嗎? (Is this yours?)"  Lev had just lost his phone and he was like uhhhh no BUT IT WAS MIIINE!  I was in mini-shock and was like "Wahhh 真的是我的 (It's really mine)" and after quickly handing off the phone, he rode off to the left leaving Lev & me in the darkness silenced...  YES IT WAS THAT COOL.

Also, motorcycles aren't allowed to turn left in Taiwan.  HE TURNED LEFT SO GOOD.  HAO SUAI.

I didn't even know I'd dropped my phone though I remember hearing something hit the floor and then seeing something fly back but I checked for my wristlet & in finding it in place, thought nothing of it.  Lev also heard it & thought even less of it.  But this dude ust pulled up, dropped a line, returned a phone, and drove off without a token of our gratitude.  Dude I didnt know I was missing my phone, I have the luckiest life everrrr.

I'm not supposed to blog today BUT Lev came into my room a little bit ago and brought a baby chocolate cake and I happened to be on the blog and so he said I should blog and the least I can do when people bring me food is return a blog post.

So Taiwan culture has been intensifying in the area of mosquitoes.  At last count, I had eighteen new mosquito bites today and I know I wasn't alone.  However, we got some swords made out of popcorn stalks.  I think.

The Hakka dinner we had tonight reminded me of the typical dinner I usually have when I come to Taiwan since my dad is Hakkanese.  What I had thought was typical Taiwanese food turns out to be Hakkanese food.  Fascinating.

Okay, I'm sorry I have nothing of interest to post.  But I am surprised our trip is coming up so quickly to the end.  I'm really tired and full of chocolate cake and will peace out for now.

Nostalgia

这几天我受到了 counselors 喜欢说的: feel.

There were two moments:

1st Learning a sequence of movements from a master of 詠春 (Wing Chun) was amazing. It reminded me of the days when I used to practice Taekwondo and later on Hapkido. Martial arts is really an art, it demands so much control over your own body plus the discipline. The beauty of the movements added to the physical conditioning that this kind of sport gives you makes me consider getting back in the tatami...

Interesting fact about 詠春, its popularity is growing more than ever. People are even flying to Hong Kong to learn from the masters. All due to recent movies released about Bruce Lee's master, Ip Man and Ip Man 2.

2nd As Tiffany said: "Nature always wins." Penghu has won a part of my heart. Walking for the first time between coral reef and catching sea creatures with my own bare hands is practically a miracle in our urbanized life.

Memories of my childhood flashes back... going to the beach with my family and friends... and just being mind blown on how marvelous nature is. I also feel like sharing part of a song that my friends from Shanghai and I enjoy singing:

Over the mountains and the sea,
Your river runs with love for me,
and I will open up my heart
and let the Healer set me free.
I'm happy to be in the truth,
and I will daily lift my hands:
for I will always sing of when
Your love came down.

I could sing of Your love forever.

Yeh!

p.s. - pictures coming up soon.

YAYAY CLOTHES FOUND!

Tiffany Hwang
Hedy

Aden had my cloooothes and I missed them so much and my life just got 92730424x better for the fact that my clothes have been located.  I most missed my cool new yellow robot shirt from Yilan.  However, they are now being washed and I am re-nervous that they are going to get lost again… crossing my fingers.

There’s very little to do around Tainan where we are. Headed to the Chin Men Theatre and the guy who showed us around was so kind. He gifted us little chunks of the old collapsed roof with identifying plaques attached, postcards, and a free movie. However, I don’t like seeing movies in theatre so I left to see what was around. Upon realizing that was nothing, I headed back to the hotel under the direction of a lady at the theatre. Took me like thirty minutes and a few repetitive walks up and down a few streets, but I made it hoooome.

Apparently, 珍珠 means the little baby tapioca balls in Tainan while it means the larger pearls in.. everywhere else. Unpleasant surprise of the day.

I have 92370 unanswered questions about the Chinese language. I’ve asked 2775293 random people these questions for their opinions but I’m missing something to create my own. I wonder if Taiwan will ever switch over from Traditional to Simplified Chinese, from Bopomofo to pinyin, what Taiwan’s version of Ebonics/slang entails, how people decide to switch from Mandarin to Taiwanese within conversations, whether and why the Taiwanese language is looked down upon by the further educated, and whether Taiwanese will die out as a language. I wish I understood Taiwanese.

Anyway, I AM REUNITED WITH MY CLOTHES! YEH!

原住民原动力，源自何方？

彷如胡德夫常说的：
Standing on my land (站在自己的土地)
I feel like a stranger(我像个陌生人)

这片土地的主人，像是长在土地的千年根基，却找不到立足的土凷，
这不是命运，反而是无法运作自己的生命。

来自比西里岸阿美族部落的【寶抱鼓隊】，由部落一群小孩組成的樂隊。鼓聲中，孩子的節奏流淌在血脈裡，清脆的歌聲，像無瑕的原音，在律動裡鼓動着希望。

原住民，原动力，需要为而不有的有心人，更需要自力更生...

艺的旅行之【繁华与衰颓的美丽】

遗忘是全世界的自我美丽境界。
可是，在过程中却暴露了人文的衰颓遗迹。

今天开始，长达14天，19国地区的29个迥然不同的青年，用各自的视角，走进了充满哀愁和美丽的台湾原生态文化艺术，探寻一段艺的旅行......

（"双双" 的引领，李立森和张吉安的眸录...）

Taiwan is the bomb diggity.

Long day today, but that was expected.  And I suppose to be expected from every day on this trip.  Day started earlier than I would've liked, but that seems to always be the case.  Day started out at the OCAC meeting a few important people, listening to a few speeches, watching a video, listening to Brandenburg play in the background, getting a little cashmonay as the officials made it rain, and feeling glad I skipped out on heels as other more fancypants girls suffered their journeys through storyland.  ^_^

After splitting into groups, Hedy's group started out going to long san si temple.  There, among temples, gods, prayers, info, a tour, and market food, I saw a sort of Korean boy group, which in itself is cute, but cuteness level went up 2397023 points upon realizing the boy circled looks like Russell from the Disney Pixar animation Up.  So we basically saw a movie star today.  Picture enhanced to accentuate resemblance.

Asides from being incredibly cute and adorbs, seeing the Korean group in Taiwan showed Taiwan's openness to foreigners and their welcoming attitude.  Not only seeing a foreign group but also seeing the group in a location so essential to Taiwan, both culturally and religiously, I feel is a testament to the cross-cultural acceptance and learning that the OCAC president so thoroughly emphasized in his speech today.

Later, Kevin & I had the pleasure of winning the lotto to get the massages in our group.  Hooo boy.  I should've known it'd be painful from the start.  The start being soaking my feet in what felt like boiling water.  Following the soak, I'm pretty sure the masseuses had a good time squishing, poking, prodding, and pounding the feeling out of my feet, being egged on by none other than our counselors.  Going into the massage, my greatest fear was that it would tickle.  Pain didn't really cross my mind.  Once the other kids left to look around the night market, whether out of pain from seeing our pain or boredom from not having a massage of their own, the masseuses let up and the massage was definitely much less painful.  Here is Kevin pretending it doesn't hurt, what the masseuse is doing to his head/neck.

Regardless, the massage was a fun new experience for me, much unlike the more spa-like massages I've had in the past.


Anyway, I'll either be very sore tomorrow morning or mad relaxed.

Journey begins + 2 truths and 1 lie

大家好！19 countries but one thing in common, cute Asian V sign for our official picture. That's how we kick-off this 14day Taiwanese culture immersion.

From our "core values" shared by 大哥, I especially like number 4, 交朋友。 I'm really looking forward in getting to know you guys, participants and staff. Relationships is what makes us (at least me) smile in the end of the day.

It would be cool to make this blog interactive. How about sharing some facts about you every time you blog something, so we can all get to know each other better. I'll start this game called 2 truths and 1 lie. You share 2 true facts about you and a lie, and the group will try to guess which one is a lie. Here it goes for Kevin Wei, the proud Brazilian:

1. My dad survived 1 airplane crash.
2. I survived 2 car crashes.
3. My brother survived 3 bus crashes.

Hugs!
(Btw, I like hugs. So you're welcome to get free hugs from me anytime.)

;)