HELLO MY FRIENDS,
I AM BACK FROM TAIWAN.
Man did i miss Home.
Not because Taiwan wasn't fun, no no that wasnt it,
but I was not used to the weather there this time round and fell sick for the entire trip which was a slight bummer.
Besides that,
TAIWAN WAS AMAZING.
It's my 5th or 6th time there already and perhaps it puzzles many of you guys why im always going there/not bored of the place yet so here i am to enlighten you a little ^^
My trip to Taiwan is very different from the typical tour that most of you are familiar with.
Residence
While I was there, I stayed mainly in the suburbs of Kaohsiung and Tai Nan and not the typical hotels in Taipei.
Most of the stay was in 神威天台山 (Shen Wei Tian Tai Shan) which is essentially a huge valley (if my secondary 1 geography knowledge is accurate...) .
The genre of my trip there is rather complex/ difficult for you guys to comprehend if you guys aren't in dao chang so i wont go into details but feel free to ask my in person or something, i'll be glad to explain to you (:
Basically i got to live with the locals in this hostel in Shenwei and though it isn't as luxurious as the conventional overseas trips, I really got to experience the real Taiwanese culture right down beside the farms and in the valley/mountains.
Being engulfed by nature.
And well, since I was surrounded my trees and mountains,
needless to say wi-fi was a rarity there and I got time to really rest and rejuvenate.
Being engulfed by nature is a wonderful feeling.
Every day, I fall asleep at approximately 9pm and wake up at 4-5am which would have seemed notorious in Singapore.
and it felt.... natural.
You guys probably know that I am a very spiritual person but not so big on religion.
It's a whole other topic but yeah I really believe in being Zen and nourishing my heart/mind.
Which is exactly what Taiwan allows me to do.
Being in such a calm and peaceful environment really eradicates all negativity that I brought there,
and filled me in and out with Zen-ness and just a new perspective on life.
Waking up at 4am, going for walks in the cold and breathing in fresh air right before the crack of dawn and saying my morning prayers is a really simple life that I enjoyed in Taiwan.
神威道场
at the crack of dawn
The beauty of the entire valley was a great escape from the hectic lifestyle in Singapore.
Skewing from the zenness, the environment did WONDERS TO MY SKIN.
A week ago, my face was basically breaking out like cray.
i mean 3 huge giant pimples on my cheek and a thousand irritating whiteheads on my forehead.
but most of it all has cleared up now ^_________^
Perhaps it's due to the fresh produce that I eat there or....
FRESH MINERAL MOUNTAIN WATER
Is this not amazing???
I was damn amazed when one of the locals introduced this strange looking barrel to me.
The mineral water is pumped and stored in these tanks and transferred directly into the taps in our hostel.
From which i linked...
I showered with water from the tap... which means I showered with fresh mineral mountain water...which then means...
I BATHED IN A RIVER.
#han'slogic
freaking phenomenal.
Ok besides that,
there was plenty of hiking and literally living on the edge.
hiking with ballet flats is such a stupid idea idk what was on my mind when packing.
i was clinging on to my mum for dear life while my black flats just got drenched in dust and mud.
Did i mention,
in Taiwan, you actually get to SMELL THE FLOWERS.
I have always thought that flowers don't actually smell like anything since er the parks here in Sg just smell like nothing/ fertilizers.
but oh man when i was hiking, there were wafts of sweet light floral notes in the air and they were from these little tiny flowers on trees along side the road.
flowers really can smell good.
I don't have many photos though because
a) busy trying to survive.
b) keeping my hands warm in my pockets before they freeze and fall off.
which explains the many snapchat selfies on the bus...
the only time i get to take photos #narcissismatitsbest
i love trees.
FOOD
THE FOOD IN TAIWAN IS just... AMAZING.
fyi, i had 8 course Taiwanese meals every single day.
yes 8 course meals in a valley.
FRESH VEG FOOD ON THE TABLE.
The food are kindly prepared by volunteers and really kind souls for yes, you read it right, free.
And in return visitors can choose to donate any amount of money for the meals which is used to fund the running of ShenWei.
It is a wonderful experience and something very different.
My sis and dad went to the giant kitchen and helped out to wash the dishes while I was rendered useless by my cold :(
BREAKFAST
SUSHI IS BAE.
So that's basically the bulk of my meals.
Taiwanese got their food en pointe i tell you.
EN POINTE.
There was a day when we actually traveled out into town for lunch to a restaurant which i dont actually have the name for but i've been there every time i go Taiwan and it's to die for.
what's more welcoming than christmas deco??
It's a top notch vegetarian buffet restaurant,
think fine dining and just brilliancy in a restaurant.
i'm sorry i didnt take more photos,
i was busy eating.
But oh man, I ATE A LOT.
i think it was the most that i ever ate in my life.
VEG SASHIMI
THIS IS WHAT LIFE IS ABOUT.
Vegetarian Sashimi.
Looks like sashimi, no idea if it tastes like it but man did it taste good.
it's damn amazing how the restaurant had everything that's non-veg made vegetarian.
from korean bbq, to french cuisine, to jap food to authentic taiwanese/chinese food.
AND DESSERTS.
it had everything.
Also experienced drinking some homemade fruit wine vinegar thingy that was buried in the soil for 2 years to ferment.
i think im growing more tolerant to alcohol cause the adults got a little red in the face and i was... normal.
NOODLES ON A COLD WINTER NIGHT.
Fun times with daddy.
I love travelling because it allows me to see a world that i much larger than myself,
and just well, beyond this little island.
The 7 days abroad allowed me to interact with new people from all over the globe,
and adults who gave me wise advice on life and even some Australians who owned a strawberry farm.
Travelling also made me realize how important my family is to me,
and how lovely and blessed i am to have them by my side.
It is a rarity for time with my parents, especially my dad,
but i had the chance to spend some time with there in Taiwan despite him still busying around,
and settling businesses.
And mummy's just really caring and it felt so good to be curled up beside her at night again just like when i was a kid.
The 7 days gave me a fresh new perspective in life with new goals ahead and readjusted thoughts.
Let the past be in the past and for the first time in the longest time ever,
i'm actually excited about what's in store for me in the future.
And that my friends,
i something i've really missed feeling.
I have brighter days ahead,
and it's all on my own accord.
think warm hazelnut latte on a cold cold day.
As of now,
i'm just trying to cool down in this heat.
i'm still down with a really horrible maniac cough that sounds like i'm having an asthma attack
but all will be sorted out when i go to the doctor's tomorrow morning.
The last time i had coughed this badly was two years ago and it lasted for 3 months.
yucks.
OKAY that's all for now,
ending the post with this snap chat that noone could see before I left and everyone thought their SC crashed hahaha.
you're welcome :}
fyi my sis was pushing me and we were going much faster than it appears.
santa on the way.
