Shi gua tien boo tien?

Last week was busy as always.  

We led a 3 day workshop with elementary and junior high school teachers.  We had a shorter 2 hour morning session, lunch and an afternoon local cultural activity.  The teachers were more flexible and accommodating to what we wanted to see.  It was nice b/c we stretched Monday's 8 hour workshop over a 2 day period.  Here we are:

We visited Sanxia Old Street on Tuesday and Thursday.  The street is filled with touristy shops, temples, and art shops.

The teachers took us to a DIY Indigo art shop.  The teacher showed us the plant source of indigo dye and explained the dying process in Chinese (say what?!).  Then I made some bandanas.



For some reason, they told us not to wash our hands. It took a couple days for the blue to wash away. (!?!)



While our fabrics dried, we visited a souvenir shop next door.  I was examining different wooden accessories and asked what they were used for.  The teacher who accompanied us said they were used for massage and asked me if I wanted to the store owner to show me how they work.  I thought, a free massage - why not!  I sat down, had oil poured on my neck, and the store owner proceeded to GRIND the wooden spoon-like object into my neck (WTF $^*#*#&!).  I stood up, thanked her for her time, and thought to myself: what is up with these damn Chinese?!  I looked at Claudia in a way that indicated I had just been beaten up and she said, "Valerie, it looks bad.  It's really red, like you have a big hickey on your neck."  GREAT!  Later that night, I photographed the results.  Everyone said it was normal and a good healing practice.  "Drink water and your cough will go away - you will feel better!"  After 3 days, my hickeys healed and I finished all of the medications prescribed to me by that doctor.  The result: I feel the same.

Mindy took me shoe shopping that night.  Before coming to Taiwan, we were told that teachers should not wear closed-toe shoes because it was unprofessional.  When we arrived we noticed that teachers everywhere wore sandals.  Yep!  So Mindy was convinced to help me find a pair of comfortable sandals that I could wear to work.  We found that they were either unnecessarily expensive (I only want a pair for Taiwan) or ridiculously too small for my non-Asian feet.  One street vendor was convinced he could find me a pair but we had no luck.  He had the cutest, gay/Asian (gaysian?) accent, "Oh my god! So sorry!". Props for trying my friend.  I decided to throw the government's shoe advice out the window - I'm wearing flip flops when I want, where I want.

Me and Gaysian

The next afternoon, we visited the Yingge Ceramics museum and Yingee Old Street, which has lots of ceramic pottery shops.  The teachers also treated us to a delicious and fresh mango sorbet.

 

This was my favorite. The rabbit reminds me of how I feel about Taiwan.

  

The teachers said I look like a celebrity so I bought glasses to match my fame.

This group taught me how to properly say my new favorite phrase in Chinese: shi gua, tien boo tien? (sp?)  Every country has a phrase that asks people to smile for the camera.  In America, we "Say Cheese!"  In Peru, we say "WHISKEY!"  In Taiwan, they say "Shi gua tien boo tien?" which means Is the watermelon sweet or not sweet - you respond "Tien!" or sweet (saying the word makes you smile).  I love it!

The third afternoon, we revisited Old Street in Sanxia again but this time with a new group of teacher escorts.  Somehow, I ended up with 3 and Claudia only had 1.  In other words, I had 3 women explaining things to me and encouraging me to buy souvenirs.  Keep in mind this was after a morning workshop, in extreme humidity, sweat was pouring from every pore of my body, and I have low tolerance for everything due to my hectic schedule.  I desperately had to the urge to push them out of my face and run away.  They got lucky, I did not.

That night, Mrs. Huang, Claudia's host mother showed us how to cook pumpkin casserole, soup, and this amazing eggplant side dish.  We took notes and I will try to cook this for family and friends back home but I am sure it won't taste as amazing as it did that night.

The feast - may way (delicious)!