More to Taipei than just the Night Market

Lunch is served


This picture was taken at lunch yesterday. This was a celebratory lunch hosted by the MCU. If I had to pick a great meal thus far, this is it. The food was delicious and to top it off I got complemented for my chopstick skills. After a week here, I felt ready and compelled to try something I would never have otherwise---pig's stomach. Okay, so it was not delectable or something I would crave- but it was an experience. Growing up my parents always said, how do you know you don't like something you have never tried. Mae, Pai, I tried it ...mas nao gostei muito! ahahah

In the midst of great conversation and food, I did not realize there was a cooked chicken head on the table until someone pointed it out to me. Which makes me happy that I was not judging my food!!! It still did not make me uncomfortable, instead it made me think about a story a read in my Spanish Literature course called " La cabeza del cordero." It tells the story of a Spaniard who goes to Morocco for business and somehow finds himself at a distant relative's house for dinner, that is starting at him. He was served lamb with the head on the plate. Similar to the story, no one ate the chicken head although one of the students had wanted to. In class we had an in-depth discussion about the meaning of the head in the story.
Lucky for us yesterday, one of MCU staff member's told us one meaning. She shared with us that in the old days if you boss invited you for lunch and you were in a group and he ordered chicken you should be worried. Mainly because whoever was facing the head of chicken was being laid off. This was subtle way of dissmissing unwanted employees in a very symbolical way.




National Palace Museum


This is me in front of the National Palace Museum, as you probably guessed we were not allowed to take pictures inside! For the first time ever, I got a guided tour- well not with the guide- but the clicker and headphones. I apologize for the incorrect terminology. I was expecting to be wowed since most of the museums I have been to always charge a lot of money for it. I was disappointed with the gadget. I felt like I was a child and they were reading out loud to me what I read myself on the different items. Either way, now I know I do not like to use those and no longer should I wonder what they are like!

My favorite moment of this trip was when Rachel and I were sitting outside on the bench waiting for the students to meet us and this man walks up to us with a camera and motions something that allowed me to understand he wanted his picture taken. As a result, I got up and tried to take his camera from him. Only to realize what he wanted was a picture of RACHEL AND I with him! I felt like a supermodel, at least for a second! I am not sure if I have mentioned this before or not but we (the foreigners) seem to get a lot of attention here. The people are not afraid or embarrassed to just take pictures of us, I am not at all bothered. On the contrary, I find it very interesting and amusing that they want to photograph us. But when I stopped to think about it, I do not usually see a large number of foreigners or westerns here. So we are a novelty and like most people we are intrigued by the unknown. I am happy to comply and share their enthusiasm for the photo sessions!



KTV AKA Karaoke


As you can see from the screen I am rocking out to TLC "No scrubs!" Which reminds me of when I was younger, riding in my sister's car just cruising, we never had anywhere to go...we just liked to drive around! Miss you Pri!!!!!

For those of you who have never gone KTVing in Asia or at least in Japan and Taiwan this is a great cultural experience. I had wanted to do this when I visited Japan a couple of years ago, but it did not work out so I was thrilled to hear we would be doing it here! Once you arrive at this massive building, which looks more like a hotel. You get a ticket and you and all of your friends get endless food from a buffet area. Once you do that you hand your tray over to some really nice people who will deliver your food in your room! This service was helpful to me, seeing that I am very clumsy and we had to go down stairs to get to our designated room. The room has it own bathroom, a huge screen, 3 microphones, beautiful black couches and tables. The idea is for you to spend time with your friend while eating and watching them perform. I absolutely loved it. We stayed for at least 3 hour.

Here is a picture of the buffet.... oh yes, I had the sweet pork buns here too! These are the ones Joe makes sometimes.



This is it for now! Hope you are enjoying my trip as much as I am....