On Saturday, Mindy took us around town. We started at the local yoga studio - my request - where I soon realized that the beginners were far more advanced than me. These toilets must give them extra flexibility skills that I haven't built up yet. Then, we got manicures, pedicures, facials, and massages. I think there is some feeling of guilt on her part because we've been working like dogs. It was nice and relaxing. The girl who did my nails took a bunch of photos and made this really funky collage. I know I must be a celebrity on her Facebook wall.
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| Oh you know they wanted a group shot! |
I spent the night with Mindy's and Mindy's sister's families. We went to a really nice, local restaurant located on one of Yingee's mountains. There were beautiful city views.
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| Papaya Tree |
The chef/owner Amy is actually also the owner of the restaurant next door to my home stay. She let me watch her prepare and cook our food. (Mushrooms, bamboo, chicken parts - eek! - and fish caught fresh from the backyard pond and beaten to death in front of my very eyes).
Like every other Taiwanese feast, just when you think the last dish has been served and you can't eat another bite, another plate of food is delivered to the table and expected to be eaten. I am not a fan of the 10 course meals but I do love watching the kiddos eat with their chopsticks - it's the American in me. For dessert, a stranger from another table let me hold her 7 month old baby! :)
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| random Chinese baby love |
On Sunday, we visited a local organic farm. Like other organic farms, free range chickens ran about. I even found a goose in the hen house. Then, the lead farmer lectured the visiting group for way too long about farming practices. It's a good thing I understand Chinese; it was very interesting. I also loved the mosquitos in the bamboo forest. They gave me lots of love bites to remember them by. At least it was a good day for pictures.
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| Mama cluck + clucklings |
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| Joa-Way's feather |
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| Giant piece of bamboo root |
It's probably no surprise to you that Im envious of your visit to what looks like a beautiful organic farm. Did you mention your sister is an organic farmer? It isn't of course what I do for my livelihood (although I do work for a company that is), but we are hobby farmers at the very least. I would love to learn of their natural pest control methods. I appreciated your photo of the hanging lantern, which contains (I assume) some form of natural insecticide. Too bad the farm lecture was in Chinese, and it's too bad they didn't prepare you for your own form of pest control. Before visiting farms, or even stepping out into my own garden, I always rub my arms and legs with a natural citronella oil, keeps the love bites at bay.
ReplyDeleteI sure do hope to visit organic farms abroad someday. For now it sure is a treat to live vicariously through your photos. If you happen to get your hands on some seeds of unique varieties of Asian greens, be sure to pick some up, I love experimenting with heirloom species. Im glad you've finally be given some space for "down time", just a couple more weeks and you'll be back in the states. Enjoy! Love - AJ
I didnt think to ask for seeds! Sorry! I will keep my eyes open.. I saw a weird veggie called a snake cucumber (but in Chinese). Sponge cucumbers and cabbage are also popular.
DeleteSome real nice pictures. Any reason why the lilies in one of the final shots appear to be enclosed by a net? Is it a pen for fish? I presume the next picture is of rice. Is the bamboo root edible? Your sister would probably be fascinated to test the bottles that are supposed to repell bugs. She has problems with "Japanese beetles." I wonder if Chinese people also refer to such intruders with the same proper adjectives!
ReplyDeleteThe shot of the lady with the fish above the stove is charming. Was that a fish caught in the backyard pond?
Did you snatch the baby from a stroller? Or did a mother want to recruit a sitter? What sort of diapers do they sell in the stores?
You touch on an important issue: language. I'd be reluctant to spend a lot of time anywhere without knowing the language. The trouble is that it takes lots of time and effort to know any language well. I can't understand half the English I hear! Basic spoken Chinese (usually taught in Mandarin) be feasible, but to understand the replies in local dialect is another matter. Educated Taiwanese can certainly understand Mandarin, but how similar is the local colloquial spoken tongue? The written script is semi-universal across Chinese regions, but cannot be learned quickly. Chinese has absorbed some cognates pf Westerm words for technical subjects, but the script for borrowed words does not resemble English in the way the Spanish "medio" resembles "median" in English.
It is a field of rice - you can see the city view in the back. Not sure why there is a net in the pond. We ate some of the bamboo at lunch the same day. We eat a LOT of bamboo shoots and sometimes bamboo root.
ReplyDeleteShe has a small pond with fish in it - I presume she buys them elsewhere and fills the pond periodically.