Hualien

喂 (hello!)

We moved onto our next lecture on TCM: therapy via herbal medicine. I have always been interested in learning more about herbal therapy but have never had an opportunity such as this! Having both the informative section of lectures each morning combine with hands on activity and practice creates such a wise learning environment: each of the forms of therapy, no matter how foreign from our country, become both tangible and fun!

After much anticipation and a minute hint of cabin fever, we finally left campus, and our host students took us to the city to spend the rest of the day shopping in markets of Taipei and surrounding areas. The amount of people, merchandise, and food that can fit down one long stretch of road is pretty incredible. We were confronted with samples of street food left and right as we took in the variety of colors and smells of the city. We learned how to count in Chinese and ask questions like “how much?” and “Can I have a discount?” My grandmother would be so proud of the display of bargaining skills our team displayed.

The following weekend was pretty stellar as well. Departing at 7am, we set off on a two-day trip to Hualien, a city famous for the greenness of its jade stone and taste of its clams and seafood on the northeastern coast of Taiwan. Our tour guide, Jessie, was so willing to share her sweet heart and culture with all of us; it was the perfect fit for our trip. Through the windows of what seemed like never-ending trains and buses, we watched the landscape change from city buildings to fields and farms in front of a breathtaking mountainous backdrop that rose as high as the rain clouds above. Jessie took us on a bus/walking tour of the most beautiful side of Taiwan we had experienced yet: the Toroko National Park. Hundreds of steps and pictures later, we checked into our hotel and for dinner, we were once again fed like royalty dishes that looked as beautiful as they were delicious. The following morning was even earlier as the day before, and we were up and eating breakfast by 6:30am. We spent the rest of the morning and early afternoon white water rafting down the Siouguluan River: 24 kilometers of winding water opening up into the Pacific Ocean at the end! We made both foes and allies after almost 4 hours of water wars and joke telling down the river. I don’t ever want to forget the mental picture of this precious little Asian woman who had the last laugh as we pulled our raft to the shore. We enjoyed another hefty dinner meal at the Li Chuan Fish Farm that night. I tried some golden clams and loved them! A much larger collection of photos has finally been uploaded to facebook so you can see bits and pieces of what we have seen, so if you are not satisfied here, go there!

I get to see my parents tomorrow! Which is exciting beyond belief! Trips like these are sometimes so difficult to portray to loved ones back home with only pictures to tell stories for you. But because my parents are spending time in Malaysia this summer for a wedding, Taiwan is just a hop and skip away. It will be interesting to direct them to a place for them to meet our group in the city tomorrow so say a little prayer!

The number of students on this trip is absolutely perfect. With only half of our trip left, I absolutely love how close our group is together and how many Taiwanese friends we have made as well. I am learning so much more than therapy methods and Chinese tradition. God’s plan in choosing each student involved with this program is just perfect, because we all bring such a unique piece of the puzzle here. This trip really would not be the same without one person on my team; I just hope we continue to make the most of our time here and our time together!

We love herbal medicine!The gates Toroko NationalPark 

 Toroko Gorge

Rice wine!

at Li Chuan Fish Farm