December Adventures | 十二月的探險

January 19, 2023

After my busy week of ICL trips, it felt like my schedule got even more hectic! With the holidays and final exams closing in, I was very busy studying and spending time with friends. Recently, the weather has been pretty cold in Taipei, averaging about 16-17 degrees Celsius (60-62 degrees Fahrenheit). Objectively it isn’t that cold (in fact, it probably sounds balmy compared to the current weather in the Midwest), but most buildings in Taiwan don’t have heating, so it’s very difficult to warm up. Without the sun and consistently rainy weather, it’s quite chilly. Wendy hooked Hannah and me up with a bunch of warm clothes, so thankfully we’ve been ok. For the past few weeks, I’ve been wearing double layers to bed and have been able to stay pretty warm! Another way I’ve been keeping warm is to drink hot water. Taiwanese (and Chinese) people often say drinking water is good for your health, and I’ve found it to be great in the cold weather! 多喝熱水!

After a long week, I went with my friend Misato to get a foot massage and dinner. It was such a nice way to relax! First, we had a foot bath and got a shoulder massage while our feet soaked in herb-infused hot water. Then we went to a different room where we got a foot massage as well as a short head and arm massage. Afterward, we ate some herbal jelly and warm herbal chicken soup before heading to dinner. We enjoyed very tasty cocktails and shared lasagna and pizza. I was very happy to find out that the lasagna had no ricotta cheese—just how I like it! We stopped by the night market to eat some tangyuan before heading home.

In all the warm clothes

With Misato at the massage place

Post-massage soup

I ended up taking the most spontaneous trip of my time in Taiwan a couple of days after my foot massage. My friend Jacob and I went to Shanlinxi (衫林溪), in English called Sun-link sea, on a whim over the weekend. We made our plans at 1:30 am and left the next morning. First, we took the high speed rail to Taichung, then caught a bus to a town called Xitou (溪頭) and then transferred busses to Shanlinxi. It is a very forested area up in the mountains and is pretty resort-ey, but has some nice trails. After getting there, we spent the afternoon hiking. I really enjoyed getting out of the city and being in nature. I was particularly struck by the silence—Taipei is such a loud city that it’s easy to forget what quiet sounds like.

On the bus

In Xitou-Spirited Away theme

Suspension bridge in Shanlinxi

Park entrance

Late afternoon sun over the valley

A cool light

The next morning, we finished some of the other trails in the area before making our way back to Taipei. While we were waiting for the train in Taichung, we stopped at Miyahara ice cream shop to have one of their famous ice creams with pineapple cakes. It was so tasty and very refreshing! After being stuck in cloudy and cold weather in Taipei, it was nice to get outside and enjoy some warmer weather and sunlight before heading into final exams.

Fairy garden-like spot along the trail

Some fall colors-a rare sight!

Miyahara ice cream-mango and dragonfruit

CSAT asked Hannah and I to film an interview for a promotional video they’re creating for the program. We got together with two of the interns and Kevin (one of the full time staff) to film. After the interview portion, we went around the NTU campus to get some “candid” footage of our daily life as students. Although we were super busy that week, it was fun to walk around and film—it felt like we had a paparazzi following us!

I also was able to get together with my friends from Yilan one last time to do KTV. Violetta and I prepared our favorite Chinese song, the same one we sang in Hualien, 十年 (Shinian). After a really fun evening, I had to say the first of many hard goodbyes to some of my friends.

Between takes with our director

Hannah and I being candid for the camera

Last KTV with Yilan friends

Saying goodbye to the friends I’ve made here is so strange. Although I’ve only known them for a few months, they feel like old friends. The reality is, I probably won’t see many of them again. When we say goodbye, it’s hard to know what to say...have a good life? It feels as though I’ve just gotten closer with people, and now it’s time to say goodbye. While I’m excited to come home and see my family and friends, I’m sad to be leaving soon. It’s a very strange mix of emotions.

Food and boba updates coming with the next post!