Tuesday's Taiwan-ism {Taiwan Grocery Store Part 2}

Several weeks ago you may remember my food post all about the unique veggies typically found in Taiwan. Today I'm finishing that mini-series with a followup post about the fruits found here in Taiwan. Sadly I will be honest and say this post is not entirely complete as the fruits available here have varied wildly with the season, but if you look back on older posts you can read more about the persimmons, jujube and wax apples that were much more common in the late summer months.

{Lychee - This is a funky little fruit! It is the size maybe of a walnut and has a hard type exterior that you can use your nail to break and easily peel off of the flesh inside. The inside resembles in both look and texture that of a naked/skinless grape with a hard seed inside. This fruit is quite sweet and in Taiwan is called a dragon eye because once peeled it closely resembles an eye with the black seed inside!}

{Dragon Fruit - Ooh, I love this stuff! The inside is that of a soft kiwi texture and is either bright pink/red like the outside or white; both with many eatable black seeds inside. The fruit is mildly sweet without much of a distinct taste, but it's super juicy and great in the hot weather!}

{Durian - Also commonly known as the stinky fruit! Never before in my life have I seen signs saying that a specific fruit isn't allowed in certain train stations or other public establishments before I met dear durian. I have yet to actually try this fresh as I've never heard anything good out this spiky fruit, but I've had flavored treats and dried pieces of the fruit and those were enough to tell me to stay away!}

{Winter Melon – Holy moly, this has to be the mother of all fruits! These suckers are GIANT! Though I’ve also never had these raw, I don’t think they are popular to eat raw but rather to cook into soups or as side dishes to other meals. In my opinion it more closely resembles the flavor of a vegetable like cucumber or squash, but it’s not bad!}

Bonus videos! Check out these short video clips below that I took inside one of my local grocery stores. 

Tuesday's Taiwan-ism {Taiwan Janitors}

As briefly mentioned previous HERE most schools in Taiwan don't employ janitors or grounds workers for their schools. Yet, most of the schools here in Taiwan are always immaculate. How is that you ask? Simple, we don't let children ever enter the school grounds! OK, ok, just kidding! The kids clean the school, and I love LOVE it!!

Twice a day (once first thing at 7:30am and then again before last period at 2:50pm) students are given 20 minutes to clean their assigned area of the school. The classes are split into smaller groups and are given their assignments that last the remainder of the school year. They are monitored somewhat while they are cleaning, but they do all the cleaning themselves: dusting, moping, sweeping, emptying trash cans, raking, scrubbing the stairways...all of it!

Some areas the children are assigned to include:

Their own classroom
Other classrooms in the school
Public bathrooms
Teacher bathrooms
School offices
Playground
Hallways
Side yards
School entrance 

Sadly in the US I feel as though many parents would complain and accuse the school of "corporal punishment" or make other extreme accusations towards the school. Here though it is looked at as part of their education. Children not only learn the "how's" of cleaning, but they also learn to have respect for their school environment and how to help out around their home. Children here know that if they make a mess of their school it will be them that has to clean it up later, thus helping to keep our campus beautiful. 

It was surely a strange sight at first, but I have come to love this idea as the year has progressed and appreciate the values that are being instilled in these young children!

Tuesday's Taiwan-ism {Dragon Boat Festival}

Sometimes I have people tell me after reading my blog that "there are tons of festivals in Taiwan". In reality though, I'm not sure they have any more major festivals than what most western countries have holidays.

Largest Holidays Celebrated in Taiwan:

(Click each link below to learn more about the holiday)

- Chinese New Year
- Lantern Festival
- Tomb Sweeping Day
- Dragon Boat Festival
- Ghost Festival
- Moon Festival
- Double Ten Day

Lucky for me out of this list of popular holidays and festivals in Taiwan there is only one on the list that I have missed to date and it's coming up on June 9th! Have no fear Taiwan...I will witness all of your holidays yet! You may have read my post earlier in the week about my training for dragon boat festival. Needless to say the boat racing is only one piece of this national holiday. Not having any idea what this holiday is about exactly, I put one of my co-workers to the test to find out for myself why we really weren't having school!

Dragon Boat festival is celebrate each year on the 5th day of the 5th month of the lunar calendar (read more about their calendar HERE) falling on June 9 in the year 2016. The story around this holiday states that there was a famous poet by the name Qu-Yuan who was loved by many. When Qu-Yuan discovered that the emperor Zhou was going to be overthrown by the Qing, Qu-Yuan couldn't handle the news and threw himself into the river. Upon hearing this news emperor Zhou sent his men out on boats (presumably shaped like dragons?) to go and retrieve Qu-Yuan's body...Is this story true; I have no idea...is this the story Taiwanese like to tell surrounding this holiday; yes!

Other fun parts of this holiday {aside from the most popular activity of the races} include eating a type of glutenous rice dumpling wrapped in bamboo leaves and filled with pork, small shrimp, nuts, or mushrooms called zhongzhi {think about a Chinese version of a small tamale but exchange everything corn for rice!} Also, children wear and are given small sachets (little bags) around their necks filled with fragrances and participate in egg standing (standing an egg on its end at 12 noon) as well as spending time with their families.

{1. Zhongzhi waiting to be sold and enjoyed 2. Desert Zhongzhi made by students at school 3. Zhongzhi for dinner after rowing practice 4. The desert Zhongzhi unwrapped; lime & green tea!}

Tuesday's Taiwanism - {Taiwanese Grocery Store}

Food! It doesn't take a rocket scientist to read my blog to know that I love am obsessed with eating and trying new foods {no shame, a girls gotta eat!} And, to make matters even worse (or better?! I guess it depends on how you look at it!) while I am traveling there is even MORE new foods for me to try...score!

While traveling to a new place I love spending time perusing a local grocery store. I feel as though you can learn so much about the culture and their eating habits and customs by seeing what they purchase and what they stock their shelves with. Needless to say, I have spent more time than I'd like to admit checking out countless grocery stores here in Taiwan as well! In the last 10 months I have truly fallen in love with Taiwanese food {except for you stinky tofu...you're a whole other ballgame buddy!} and love the opportunity to try new foods almost daily.

Today I have some pictures of one of my most recent trips to the grocery store focusing mainly on the produce section {you'll see why!} Although after nearly a year I'm in my routine now of typically purchasing my staple grocery items, it's still fun to check out the new produce and snacky isles and grab something I've never tried before to see what else Taiwan has to offer me!

What other sections of a typical Taiwanese grocery store are you interested in seeing next time, let me know!

(PS - I promise I'm not a terrible photographer! I put my hand in several of these pictures for a size comparison!)

A popular type of eggplant in Taiwan called "Chinese Eggplant". As you can see they are very long and super skinny. They taste almost identical to Western eggplants, but with less seeds. 

These mushrooms are called "Enoki Mushrooms" they are teeny and noodle like once cooked and popular in many dishes here. I suppose if I was a fan of mushrooms I'd like these tiny guys a little more!

Some type of gourd plant. I clearly have no idea what this is but had never seen one before, they were quite heavy!

"Bamboo shoots"! A staple in every Asian dish!! I used to like these, but since moving to Taiwan I love them even more!

I tried to google translate on the sign for these monsters and it wasn't much help. It appears to be a root like vegetable with a dry potato texture.

And here we have 2 vegetables...again 0 help here, but seriously, where do all these crazy vegetables come from and how are there so many different vegetables in the world!

Tuesday's Taiwan-ism {Temples of Taiwan Video}

It's no secret that I am slightly in love with the temples that are EVERYWHERE here in Taiwan! I may not have the same beliefs as the temple goers or understand their beliefs or customs, but the craftsmanship and artistry shown in each of these temples is not only beautiful but unique to each temple I stumble upon. My friends here tease me that I can't simply walk past a temple, no matter the size, but I must at least poke my head in to see what lies inside!

I've put together a quick video of a small fraction of some of the temples that I have visited over the past 10 months and hope you enjoy it as much as I do taking the pictures and exploring each of these hidden gems!

Tuesday's Taiwan-ism {Medical Expenses}

A couple weeks ago for my Tuesday Taiwan-ism I posted about the crazy low cost of living here in Taiwan {yahoo for me!} but I forgot to mention yet ANOTHER piece of the "low cost of living" here in Taiwan...healthcare.

Taiwan has a national, and mandatory, healthcare plan in place for all of its residents (citizens and legal residents alike) in which an employer and the employee each pay an agreed upon percentage of the yearly costs and the resident then has access to low cost and affordable healthcare anywhere in the county {I know this sounds great...I promise I'll share both pros and cons of this!}

Medical Expenses

General Practitioner (with all tests included) -- $150 NT -- $4.60 USD

Specialist -- $200 NT -- $6.13 USD

Dentist -- $200 NT -- $6.13 USD

Eye Doctor -- $200 NT -- $6.13 USD

Dermatologist -- $200 NT -- $6.13 USD

Emergency Room Visit -- $700 NT -- $21.45 USD

Prescriptions -- "free" -- included with doctor's fees

PROS - Affordable · Easily Accessible · Most places are no appointments necessary · free necessary prescriptions · fast service · healthcare for all residents and workers in Taiwan

CONS - Rushing patients in and out quickly · many conditions not taken very seriously · far too many pills are prescribed · at times offices are quite crowded

Tuesday's Taiwan-ism {Cram Schools}

Cram schools, also known in Chinese as Buxibans [pronounced Bu-she-ban] are EVERYWHERE in Taiwan (and from what I head in China as well). Likewise, they apparently spread throughout much of Asia but go by different names within each country.

Regardless of where they are or what you call them though, their purpose remains the same...they are school after school.

In the United States is is typical for students, if both their parents are working 1st shift, to attend sports, day care centers, babysitters, or other after school care providers until one or both of their parents are available to pick them up for the evening. Traditionally though, even families who utilize these services, have their children home between 4 and 6pm so they are able to enjoy a family meal together, work on homework, and spend the evening with their children.

In Taiwan though, when that final bell rings for children to be dismissed from school, we have quite a different site than the typical yellow school bus or mom's carpool lane that we might be used to seeing in many American schools. At 3:50 when children are dismissed from the public schools, many of the children are picked up by a teacher from their buxiban and the groups of children are led to one of the dozens of buxibans that are scattered around each town here in Taiwan to begin their second round of school for the day.

Buxibans often are based around teaching math, Chinese, or English, but especially in larger cities, a parent can find a buxiban specializing in nearly any subject under the sun. Though younger children may only stay at a buxiban until 5 or 6 in the evening {for a total of 10.5 hours of schooling a day} many high pressure parents of high schoolers have their students enrolled in 1, 2, or 3 different buxibans until 10 or 11 o'clock at night! {That's up to 16 hours of schooling a day...everyday!}...and we wonder why many of the students in Asian countries are so more advanced than many of our students!

As the students age, their time spent in the buxiban also tends to increase. In families where it is expected that the children will go to great university and become doctors and engineers, the students may also attend buxibans or other remedial classes on Saturdays and Sundays to ensure that they are focusing all of their time and energy on becoming the absolute best student they can be...and then some!

Near me two of the larger schools, having multiple branches each, are American Eagle Institute and Giraffe English School, but there are countless smaller "ma & pa" cram schools as well. This notion of a school after school is still something I try to wrap my head around here in Taiwan, but good or bad, it's here to stay in Taiwan!

Tuesday's Taiwan-ism {Cost of Living}

I wrote this post on money and Taiwan's currency several months ago for a previous Tuesday Taiwan-ism post, but wanted to touch a little more on it today.

I am asked quite often from people back home if I am getting paid to work in Taiwan {I mean I absolutely LOVE teaching, but sorry...I can't do it for a year for free!}, if I'm able to save money here, and how much things cost here. Cost of living withing different parts of the world {and let's be honest even within the same country} is always an interesting comparison topic as spending money and paying bills is something that we all do [side note: if you've managed to figure out how NOT to do this...please let me know asap!] So today I'll include a list of common things a person might buy or spend money on here in Taiwan and include the price both in NTD (New Taiwanese Dollar) and USD (United States Dollar).

**Remember, I am living in a semi-rural area about 20 minutes drive from a large city, yet still surrounded by rice fields! If I were to go more rural things would cheapen and if you went to Taipei your money wouldn't take you nearly as far, so these prices are approximates for where I live in Hsinchu**

Living Expenses

Rent (for a glorified dorm room) -- $5,000 -- $154.64

Water (monthly/varies) -- $260 -- $8.04

Electric (monthly/varies) -- $325 -- $10.05

Gas for a scooter driven moderately (monthly) -- $170 -- $5.26

Eating Expenses

Local dinner -- $40 -- $1.24

Western dinner -- $350 -- $10.82

Bubble Tea -- $35 -- $1.08

Bottle of water -- $20 -- $0.62

Liter of milk -- $90 -- $2.78

12 eggs -- $58 -- $1.79

McDonalds meal -- $100

Transportation Expenses

Train ride 20 minutes -- $18 -- $0.56

Bus ride 20 minutes -- $14 -- $0.43

Taxi ride 20 minutes -- $170 -- $5.26

What other costs of living are you interested in knowing about? Leave a comment and let me know!

Tuesday Taiwan-ism {Beauty Obsession!}

It is no secret that there are many great beauty products that come from Asia. What I was blissfully unaware of though, was the amount of beauty products that exist here that have never been on most of your radars before...I'm talking out of the ordinary beauty products, parts and pieces of your body that you never realized needed beautified and thinned, and just some downright oddball ingredients and methods of achieving these results.

I can't lie I've spent many raining evenings perusing my local beauty supply stores with my mouth hanging open in awe at the products I was seeing! And to be honest, there were some that even after looking at the how-to pictures, googling the product online, and studying myself in a mirror; I still can't understand what they are trying to achieve!

Today, I promise you, won't be my only beauty post in Taiwan, but honestly, there is too much for one simple Tuesday post. So, without further ado, today I present to you

Taiwanese Face Masks

Now I have to be transparent here for a minute, all these face masks are for sale in Taiwan, but many of them are imported from Korea or Japan as Taiwan looks to these 2 countries for much of their beauty and fashion advice {I'll keep my opinions about that to myself! lol} But honestly, you walk into a beauty supply and you can't help but glance into the several isles they have set up solely of face and body masks and wonder what you've been doing wrong all along! Though I've tried several different masks {Who's one to say no to a product claiming to give me beautiful, firm, glowing, and radiant skin?! lol} the ones I've taken pictures of below I have NOT tried, but rather am including them for some comic relief and to allow you to question your own boy...did you know that needed plumping and firming??  :)

1 of 3 face masks isles in this particular store!

If you have a preference as to what denomination of money is on your face...they have at least 5 currencies!

Tuesday's Taiwan-ism {face masks}

Guys, these things are real! I couldn't make these pictures up if I tried lol.

When I first arrived to Taiwan the use of face masks EVERYWHERE was unsettling and quite different for me, after only 8 months though I have to say it's become a part of everyday life much like many other things here!

There seem to be 3 trains of thought behind wearing a face mask:
1. I'm sick and don't want to share my germs {the most common reason}
2. There are many other sick people and I don't want to catch what they have {doctors offices and many businesses}
3. The air pollution is terrible and they don't  want to breath it in {not as bad as China's but they do share their lovely pollution with us!}

 {Where's Waldo Taiwan version...How many masks can you spot in the collage above?!}

Tuesday's Taiwan-ism {Food Challenge} part 2

Thanks for tuning back in for this weeks episode of "What Tracy Ate!" {haha a girl can dream about having her own eating themed reality show right?!?!} Last week for Tuesday's Taiwan-ism I posted HERE about the first 25 items on a list of 45 items you just HAD to eat in Taiwan,  and I wasn't doing too bad with a total of 18 of he 25 foods having been crossed off my list  thus far. Soo, needless to say, this week we are going to tackle the 2nd half of the list and see how I did on these items as well!

Remember, if you're wanting visuals to accompany your reading, click the link HERE for CNN Travel's list of 45 of the best foods in Taiwan that you CAN'T live without...and they've got a picture for each food! -- red foods mean they've been checked off my personal list!

26. Mochi - Oh Mochi how I love you! This sticky rice paste ball almost always comes with a surprise of red beans or sesame seeds inside and makes my tummy oh so happy!}

27. Lantern Soy Sauce Braised Food - Again, this isn't fair! It's a food stand specific food...I'm going to have to go on a hunt in Taipei for this guy!

28. Sun Cakes - Mmmm sun cakes! {yes we have both moon and sun cakes here!} The first time I tried one of these my school director went to Taichung for the weekend where these pastries originated and brought me back one and I was hooked. The pastry is so flaky and buttery while the inside is filled with a creamy type malted sugar...it's a must try!

29. Tube Rice Pudding - I feel like I've had things very similar to this just without the bamboo tube to stuff it in, but alas..another food to check out!

30. Taiwanese Breakfast - I mean I've lived here for 8 months...of course I've had breakfast lol. This is a pretty broad category, but I'll give their breakfasts a thumbs up a vast majority of the time!

31. Pig's Blood Cake - You may recall the first time I tried this food here that I thought I was going to get sick to my stomach. Well I'm proud {I'm not sure if that's the right word here!} to say that I've purchased many of these in markets since that day and have grown to love this snack! It's essentially a really sticky rice mixed with pigs blood and soy sauce and covered in a spicy sauce, peanut powder, and cilantro...delicious! 

32. Three Cup Chicken - Can't say I've even heard of this soup...I may have to do some asking around!

33. Tamsui Agei - This Japanese snack sounds a little iffy to me! Tofu, fish paste, and bean noodles...can't say I'v heard of this one either. 

34. Ban Tiao - I learned something new! I've just been calling these Hakka noodles, but whatever you want to call them, this fat rice noodles with meat sauce on top are quite tasty and the perfect stomach filler!

35 Hot Star Fried Chicken - Ok CNN, no more restaurants for me to go on a crazy duck hunt for!

36. Cuttlefish - Yeah cuttlefish, it's one of those foods that walking through the market if you've never seen this before you just HAVE to ask what it is! They look like a cross between a squid and an octopus and in my opinion are quite tough for seafood. I'd eat it again if  I had to, but I'm not seeking these out in my spare time either. 

37. Aiyu Jelly - tasteless gelatin ...pretty much sums this up! Taiwanese people love to put this in teas, juices, and sweet soups. Can't say weather I like it or not as it honestly has not flavor! Just a jelly texture that Taiwanese people love so much! {fun fact, they call this texture QQ and you'll see it everywere!}

38. Pidan Tofu / Century Egg - Yeah, been there, done that, no thanks! These eggs are, by my understanding, put raw in a mix of surfer and I'm not sure what else to age. They come out looking hard boiled-isk (as in you can tell the shell off and still have an egg shape). But, the white of the egg now looks like brown jello, and the yok of the egg is green...I kid you not. I tried to be optimistic, I even gave it three bites...no thanks I'm good on this one now! The white was much better than the yok which I couldn't even choke down, but I'd be fine if I never ate another one again!

39. Steamed Spring Roll - Holy moley yes! Think of a deep fried egg roll from the United States. Now don't deep fry it so it's still fresh and crunchy...now may I introduce you to spring rolls?!?! Oh, and the peanut powder inside is just the perfect final touch!

40. Spicy Hotpot - Hot pot, what would Taiwan be without you! You order your flavor (in this case spicy) and they bring you a small pot of spicy broth and place it on a burner at your table. Once the broth is boiling they bring you a plate of raw meats, veggies, tofus, and seafood items to cook in the broth. You can then eat it as a soup or over rice (how I prefer it) and everything is cooked to your liking!

41. Tiger-Striped Chicken Gua Bao - Another restaurant to hunt down! 

42. Chicken Wing Rice Roll - Although this chicken wing/rice combo sounds intriguing, I can't say I've come across this yet. 

43.  Giant Pork Balls Soup - Pork ball (of any size) is quite popular in Taiwan and I've sampled this soup both at school as well as night markets. To me it's nothing out of the ordinary, but it's nice on a cold day. 

44. Wu Pao Chun Bakery Bread - Now they've got a bakery for me to find!

45. Biandang - Bento boxes. I was in love with these guys when I moved here! For $1.50 USD I could get a box with a piece of meat 2-3 veggies and rice all just by pointing since I knew ZERO Chinese! Now these convenience boxes are just that, an easy meal, and I rarely have them anymore, but they are ok in a pinch!

List 2 total... 12/20 or 60%

GRAND TOTAL - 30/45 or 67%

Not too shabby Taiwan...not too shabby!

{What snacks would you want to try?!}

Tuesday's Taiwan-ism {Food Challenge} part 1

I'm not sure how long you've been stuck  lovingly reading my blog, but before I moved to Taiwan I posted one day about some of the foods that I was anticipating trying once I got here. (Check out the post here)  Well, I've recently been Challenged {thanks Caitlin!} to see how many of the 45 foods on the list I could eat this year... needs to say I was a little shocked at how many I've actually tried and what ones surprised me once trying them!

So here it is! CNN Travel's list of 45 of the best foods in Taiwan that you CAN'T live without...and my personal thoughts on each of these beauties! (PS, if you're wanting visuals to accompany your reading, click the link and they've got a picture for each food!) -- red foods mean they've been checked off my personal list!

1. Braised Pork Rice - This night market staple is delicious, flavorful, and crazy cheap...definitely a must try (I'm not going to lie I could eat several helpings of this dish alone!)

2. Beef Noodle - There's a shop behind my house I've been to multiple times. Not bad, but I wouldn't give it rave reviews either...just as the name implies...soup with beef and a bunch of noodles, to me it's nothing novel.

3. Oyster Omelet - I just had to give this one a try despite its slimy appearance. It's an egg omelet with some sweet potato starch added in to get it a really texture and a spoonful of oysters inside. Depending on the vendor it's topped with some sort of sauce. This wasn't TERRIBLE, but it would have been tons better without the sweet potato starch!

4. Bubble Tea - Holy moly have I had bubble tea! You can read a whole post on this sugary loaded cup of goodness here.

5. Milk Fish - I like fish, but I've never been one to go seek it out, so needless to say several of the fish items on this list remain unchecked!

6. Slack Season Danzai Noodles - This is a restaurant specific item that I haven't made it to yet.

7. Pan Fried Buns - I love a good pan fried bun here! Walking through the markets looking for food can sometimes be a daunting task, but when you find a man selling some of these, you know you're in luck!

8. Gua Bao - Well, this was a learning experience for me! I’ve had this several time now and had no idea what it was called! It’s a sandwich made from a steamed bun (super soft and fluffy) and filled with some type of flavorful pork (I think belly). Not the most filling of foods as they are rather small, but they always hit the spot!

9. Iron Egg　- I see these everywhere, but haven’t quite felt the need to try one of these bad  boys yet!

10. Pineapple Cake - Pineapple cakes what would I do without you! They are a signature item in Taiwan and one that people love to give as gift {and that I gladly accept!} For any of my Mexican family reading, the easiest way to describe these is the Taiwanese version of Barritas de piña {for those of you who have never tried either....I'm sorry for the sad world you must live in! :P }

11. Tian Bu La – molded fish paste…lordy, nothing should start with a description like that unless you work for the play dough company! We have this at lunch more than I’d necessarily like to admit. I can’t say that it’s a favorite, but I eat it.

12. Ba Wan – I haven’t had these yet, but I’ll have to look into them, they don’t look bad and I have a feeling they might be something I keep checking out at the market and hadn’t been able to put “a name to the face” yet.  

13.Fried Chicken - Ok, I know this one sounds funny, but guys, I'm pretty sure they put crack in their fried chicken here...it is beyond delicious! You can buy it at restraunts, at McDonalds, from lunch box shops, but my favorite is the street vendor chicken! There's a lady that stands outside of the school and has a fresh batch ready with sweet potato fries everyday when the kids let out, and I'm telling you it takes special restraint not to pay her a visit everyday!

14. Flaky Scallion Pancake / Green Onion Pancake - These green onion pancakes are a funky little thing but a great breakfast or late night snack. The are esentially a really thin pastery that they fluff up {I'm mesmerized watching them make them!} and mix with scallions. They are then often served with an egg and some type of spicy sause...you've got to try them!

15. Oyster Vermicelli – can’t say I have

16. Stinky Tofu - Been there, tried that...no thanks! I'm not going to lie, when Josh was here he asked what was wrong with the sewers when we were walking through the market that you could smell them above ground...I politely informed him that he wasn't smelling the sewers, but rather the stinky tofu stand next to us...enough said!

17. Sweet Potato - Thank you 7-eleven and your endless supply of freshed baked sweet potatoes...I don't know where I'd be without you!

18. Shaved Ice – This deserves a place next to the friend chicken…how they can take a block of ice and make it taste so good is beyond me! This is literally shaved ice in which they put condensed milk on top and your choice of fruit (strawberries and/or mango are highly suggested though) and your mouth is suddenly in heaven!

19. Pepper Cakes – another good friend it’s nice to have a name for! My friends tease me about these, they know if I see them that I will have to get at least one! They smell so good and are cooked over an open flame making the crust on the outside of these cakes crispy and on the edge of being burnt and the insides with beef, pork, or cheese….mmm, so good!

20. Din Tai Fung Dumplings - simply some of the best soup dumpling I have had in Taiwan...I mean, I had my birthday dinner at this place...that's saying something! ;)

21. Fish Ball Soup – This is hand and hand with the shaped fish paste…I’ve eaten it, it wasn’t terrible, but seriously, what’s with all the fish paste!

22. Ribs Stewed in Medicinal Herbs – I’ll be honest here, I’ve had some of these “medicinal herbs” they tasted like cleaning solution…I’m not sure I want to venture into a cleaning solution flavored meat.

23. Goose – quack, quack! The goose here isn’t bad, and the dark sauce they generally serve it with is wonderful. Best yet, it’s the closest looking thing to a taco that I’ve had in Taiwan! They use a really really thin dough to put the goose and sauce in and roll it up like a taco to eat…score!

24. Ding Bian Cuo – Can’t say I have, but might be worth a try!

25. Taiwanese Sausage with Sticky Rice

Current total... 18/25 I’m at a 72%. Not too bad for 7.5 months!

Check back next week for the 2nd half of this massive list!

Tuesday's Taiwan-ism {Taiwan Public Transportation}

Oh transportation options in Taiwan...what a love hate relationship we have! I can never claim that I can't get somewhere on this tiny island (the amount of time it might take to get there...well that's another story!) We truly do have about every option of public transportation that you can imagine available here!

We will start with the most common/basic and work our way out from there!

Taxi: Who doesn't love a good taxi ride?! You get to get into a car with a strange man and give him directions in the dice-est Chinese he's probably ever heard all the while patting yourself on the back knowing I couldn't have done much more than point 6 months ago lol. We have 2 types of taxis here, the typical yellow guys and then the private cars (think along the lines of Uber). Most taxis here start their meters at 100NT ($ 3.22 USD) and then add to that depending on  the distance you travel.
Convenience: 10  /  Price Point: Not so hot! (ok maybe a 4)

Train: How I love the trains in Taiwan! Where I live (maybe 8 minutes from the station) I never have to wait more than 15 or 20 minutes for the next train in either direction and more often than not they are good about being on time (although a 3 or 4 minute delay is sometimes expected!) They might not be the fastest route for traveling across the island, but within my county they can take me just about anywhere. We have both local trains (they stop at every train stop possible) and express trains (skipping the littlest of the stops and shaving off precious time) but there's almost always also a seat available! One learning experience about the trains (and other public transit systems here) is the use of 2 colors of seats to signal who can sit where. Typically the blue seats are open for anyone while the purple seats are reserved for the elderly, pregnant, or handicapped. The train can be packed with people standing and they still honor those seats, it's heartwarming to see!
Convenience: 8 /  Price Point: 8

Bus: Ugh, the buses! We've got a tough love hate relationship with each other! When the buses are on time (Tory's quote "never on time, always late!") and their stop is CLEARLY marked they work like a breeze and are as cheap as you can get. BUT, I've had buses running 30 minutes late before, others refusing to stop and pick people up, and often times the stops are only located after consulting google maps and 17 random pedestrians! In their defense though...the buses truly do run just about everywhere!
Convenience: 3  /  Price Point: 10

HSR (High Speed Rail): The HSR is a bullet train of sorts that at top speed runs about 180mph (yeah that's my top speed to!) but alas is also the most expensive method of travel in this teeny island. There is currently 1 stop per county in each of the western counties and nothing along the east coast. Three more stops were recently added in December 2015, so I'm not positive is further expansion is in their future or not. The HSR is fast, obviously, but for some (myself included) it's not always the most convenient of transportation due to its location in my county. For some price comparison here, I can get from my house to Taipei in 1 hr & 20 min on the train and pay 80NT ($2.58 USD) or take the HSR and in 37 min (plus 25 min driving to the HSR station) pay 290 NT ($9.35 USD) and really only save me 15 minutes in the long run. It's honestly a toss up for  me to preference!
Convenience: 10/5 (speed/location)  /  Price Point: 1

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Although these are the forms of public transportation available in my town...Taiwan isn't finished dazzling you yet! Throughout Taipei and other counties we also have available:

- Subway

- Cable Cars

- Ferries

- Speed Boats

- Planes

- Taxi Scooters

-U-bike (bike rental)

So take your pick...what do you think you'd want to try out here?!

Tuesday Taiwan-ism {Humidity}

I know, I know, this seems like a rather weird topic for today's post, but if you'd ever step foot on this island, you'd understand! Guys, it is humid as all get out here! I'm not just saying during the summer months when one would expect it...nope, all dang year long!

When I arrived here in August I thought it was going to be just a temporary thing, you know, it's August, it's humid, OK. It wasn't until late September and I was contemplating buying stock in the sweat-wicking tank tops I continued to purchase and wear under my outfits everyday that I knew this humidity was here to stay.

Fast forward to December & January...it's winter here {fun fact, it was in the high 30's several days and we had 2 flakes of snow one day...a first in the last 80 years and quite brutal when there's no heat in the houses!}...and it's still humid! You are freezing so you put on 20  layers of clothes...only to take them off damp at night because, you guessed it, it was too humid and you were sweaty in the cold!

Springtime is here with a vengeance now and the humidity is coming back with full force once again, we can only see what this summer brings with it!

"Fun" you only have when it's humid 364 days of the year:

1. You ALWAYS feel sticky
2. You feel the need to shower...about 5 minutes after stepping out of the shower!
3. Your papers & notebooks are always limp and damp  feeling
4. Your shower NEVER dries out
5. You start to find fuzzy mold on your clothes and shoes from the previous season
6. Photos & wall art curls the instant you hang it on the wall
7. Your jeans feel perpetually damp
8. It's a constant debate on whether it's better with the window open or closed
9. Bugs LOVE the humid climate!
10. You begin to forget what it feels like to actually feel DRY!

Tuesday's Taiwan-ism {Thailand Video}

Today's Tuesday Taiwan-ism is coming at you from a little different angle because I just finished something and I'm so darn excited to share it with you I just couldn't wait! As you know, I just got back from an amazing whirlwind adventure in Thailand & Cambodia. And  of course, if you know me at all, I took about a gazillion and 2 pictures with my beloved Nikon D40 while I was gone and with the help of my new action camera, I got some pretty great video footage while I was traveling as well!

Well, long story short, you can have the most amazing  pictures and  videos in the world, but if you don't do anything with them then they are useless. So, I put on my thinking cap and went to work creating my first ever travel movie {ok let's be honest, my first movie of any kind!} and I am so stinkin' excited with how it turned out!

So without further ado, I present to you...my Thailand Travels!

Tuesday's Taiwan-isn {Chinese New Year!}

Chinese New Year; oh  boy, where do I even start?!

Before moving to Taiwan I knew it was a holiday, I knew it took place sometime after our new year (January 1) and that it changed dates every year, and I knew there was a lot of  red and yellow stuff and maybe some dragons thrown in there...but that was about it. Holy moly though, I'm pretty sure living here was like the world's best crash course in Chinese New Year! I'm not claiming to be an expert on anything here, but I will admit I sure did ask a heck of a lot of questions about what was going on around me!

What: Chinese New Year (or Lunar New Year) is the celebration of the new year according to the lunar calendar.

When: This year's Chinese New Year took place on February 8, 2016 & we are now in the year of the monkey! {so long 2015 ram!}

Where: Chinese new year is celebrated in many of the Asian countries & territories with strong Chinese populations such as mainland China, Taiwan, Macau, & Hong Kong.

Who: Traditionally the holiday was celebrated by the Chinese people, but today it is celebrated by Chinese people and foreigners alike {who wants to turn down a great celebration!?} The week of Chinese New Year (February 8-12 this year) is officially a national holiday in Taiwan and thus schools, businesses, many stores close for the week's celebrations {along with winter vacation we had 25 days straight with no school!}

How: Here's the big one, how do they celebrate?! The short version...they eat, spend time with their families, give lucky money to the kids, dance, & have fun!

--- --- --- The LONG Version! --- --- ---

The traditional food for families to make during Chinese New Year is hot pot. Hot pot is essentially a pot full of boiling broth that people then put meats and vegetables into to cook themselves before eating (personally I think it is somewhat of a bland meal...but to each their own!). Also many oranges are given and eaten during this time as a gift of an orange is like giving the person a wish for good fortune in the new year (needless to say I have about 50 oranges in my room currently...thanks everyone!)

The children's favorite part of Chinese New Year is receiving "lucky money". Lucky money is any amount of money placed in a red envelope and  usually given to you by an older relative during the New Year. Although I'm not a child I was lucky enough to win a drawing at our staff luncheon and get myself some lucky money...happy day! 

Red envelops everywhere!

Just like we decorate for Christmas in red and green, they deck their halls in red & yellow...EVERYWHERE! Everywhere you turned (homes, stores, malls, restaurants, everywhere!) was decorated. Paper lanterns were hung from above, monkey are still scattered on every flat surface you can find (2016 is the year of the monkey) and spring couplets are hung outside of every homes entrance. Spring couplets were a new one for me. They are essentially a poem of sorts written on 3 large sheets of red paper {some are super fancy looking} and then hung on either side of the doorway with the 3rd piece on the top of the door. A 4th, and much smaller, square piece is then hung like a diamond on the center of the door generally with a single character (word) printed on it. I was given a spring couplet for my apartment, but not having a clue what it said or which one went in which spot....it never got hung up...maybe next year! 

Doorway to my apartment building

Lion dancing was also another big {and totally new for me} event for Chinese New Year. This one still needs some more research to learn about the meaning behind it, but essentially peopled would dress up as lions (I swore they looked like fuzzy dragons though haha) and parade around the streets with people beating big drums. Passerby's would pet the lion and often put money in its mouth...again not 100% sure what exactly was going on haha. 

Oh, and firecrackers, I couldn't possibly forget about those lovely things. I meant who doesn't love the sound of firecrackers going off at 10pm, 10am, and all hours in between...there is no exaggeration here!! My street is currently red from all the firecracker wrappers that are stuck to it!

Today, Monday, February 22, 14 days after Chinese New Year started is the Lantern Festival and officially the end of the Chinese New Year. I don't have high hopes for the monkeys or firecrackers to be disappearing anytime soon, but I am excited to see what the lantern festival brings my way!!

1. Holiday shop  2. Even KFC gets in on the fun! 3. 7-eleven full of New Year gifts

Tuesday's Taiwan-ism {Fruits Galore}

I love fruit, I always have. I've also thought that I get a little more adventurous with my fruits than the typical apple and banana (sometimes I grab an orange or some grapes! lol). But really! I've tried tons of different fruits in my life and I love them all!

But holy cow Taiwan, you're throwing me a curve  ball here! Not only am I finding fruits here that I have heard of but never tried, I'm being handed fruits that I just stare blankly at the giver and ask "what's this?" or "is this a fruit" & my personal favorite "how do I eat this?"

You may remember earlier in my year I talked a lot about pomelos & persimmons. At that time I thought wow, 2 new fruits for me! Haha was I wrong...it just keeps going!

Most recent introductions have included jujube fruit & another they called a wax apple or bell fruit.

Let's take a stab at some descriptions!

The Jujube Fruit was small (kiwi sized) and looked like a hard granny smith apple, bright green and shiny. It tasted like a cross between an apple & a guava and was decently juicy. It also had a pit inside, like a small peach pit, that I wasn't quite expecting. I've been told this fruit can grow bigger, like apple sized, but apparently all I've seen is baby sized!

The Wax Apple I really liked. It was a dusty red almost purple-ish color and looked just like a small upside-down Christmas bell. The skin was waxy looking (imagine that!) and super shiny! The fruit was super juicy & instead of having a seed or pit in the middle, the middle was like a more bitter cotton ball stuck inside the fruit...I'm not really sure where that came from!