My Taiwan Adventure

It's been over a month since I've arrived in Taiwan. I can not believe that I've managed to go this long without:

1. Running out of money.
2. Accepting a job.
3. Getting sick from the food.
4. Going crazy because of all of the above!

Interestingly enough when I think I'm okay with the food I find myself craving my home kitchen. I'm leary of the mystery meat around here and want simple food. I'm not sure exactly what I mean by simple food, but I think once I'm out of Taipei again I will be okay with local market fare.

Oh, yes. The voice - the still little voice that said "go to Hualien" well, it also said go by BUS to Hualien. I honestly tried to do that. In Keelung they said, "No, take the train." So I thought, well, maybe it will be easier if I try to leave from Taipei. So I took the short train ride in and went to the crowded bus station. In Taipei they actually laughed at me and called me crazy for wanting to take the bus, and said "Too far. Go by train."

So. Here I am in Taipei. Unwilling to go by train down to Hualien when I have potential interviews here. Call me crazy, but how do you know the little voice in your head is right? Usually my gut instincts on these things are really good. When I leave here, I'll try again to go by bus. Meanwhile, I've encountered another computer that doesn't like my Shaw acct. so can not reply to the people who want to do interviews here. *snorting* Isn't this just ducky. Maybe I should be trying harder to get to Hualien?!

I managed to find a middle of the road hotel here in Taipei that is both clean and convenient to the train station. It is about .5 km away and I can do that distance easily underground straight from the train station which allows me and my luggage to stay dry in the rain. I've done a great many miles with my luggage to date, so this convenience is certainly nice. I pulled a muscle in my upper back from toting that luggage too far recently and am very stiff and sore, so I'll stay checked into that hotel for a while.

You can get just about anywhere with the MRT and buses here. The maze of underground tunnels near the Main Station serves as a mall and tranist area between the trains, the MRT and the bus station. It also allows you to get under the very busy streets in this part of town. Convenience is the name of Taipei.

I went to the National Palace Muesum yesterday and enjoyed the trip. Admission was only 100NT ($4 Cdn.). The museum is under construction so they have included a FREE return ticket which is good any time until 2006. I was very surprised at that kind of generosity. I found the museum to be smaller than expected but maybe that was because of the construction? The displays of artwork were stunning in both their scope and varrying styles. The part of the museum that I found most interesting was the miniature displays.

They have an olive pit that has been carved into a boat complete with opening windows, doors and figures drinking tea. In addition a poem was carved into the bottom of the boat! There was also a set of ivory balls that suspended by an ivory chain. All of it carved from one piece of ivory - 17 concentric nested balls, all exaclty the same distance from each other... it's worth the visit to see!

I've included a link to the page that shows the boat and ivory balls:
http://www.npm.gov.tw/exh93/astonishing_heaven/ie/en/index.htm

Also the National Palace Museum Site:
http://www.npm.gov.tw/main/hmain_en.htm

I love tiny stuff and this is some of the most interesting tiny things I've ever seen. They had necklaces that were carved into miniature tea sets. The displays are all set up with magnifying glasses so you can actually see the tiny details that are present. Wonderfully astounding work.

Today I've been advised to go to Yanmingshan National Forest on the outskirts of town. The flowers are suppossed to blossoming. The rain is pretty intermitent today and it's 12 above so I might venture out and go see. I spotted on tree all aflower already this morning. Beautiful stuff!

((HUGS))

T. Destiny

Post a Comment