Saturday morning, Mindy, James, Joa-Way, and Mindy's mother, who I only knew as "Mama", enjoyed breakfast together. We had an Herbal Life protein shake at the restaurant next door. The restaurant owner Amy told me how she lost a lot of weight on the Herbal Life program. She flaunted a laminated before and after picture.
We picked up Claudia and were on our way to Yangmingshan National Park (http://www.ymsnp.gov.tw/HTML/ENG/INDEX.ASP). We drove on the highway and through the city. Joa-way is adorable and slept and played with plastic cups to entertain himself on the long drive.
The national park was huge and filled with restaurants. I believe this was the first national park I visited where many people actually live inside the park's borders. Our first stop was one of the restaurants for a delicious (mei-way) lunch. James went into the kitchen, ordered a variety of plates, and we shared the dishes together. He grabbed a couple of large drinks to share, including fruit beer. This is the way we eat the majority of our meals. We are also often expected to bring our own bowl and chopsticks to eat with. It's all a part of their great eco-friendly initiative to cut back on trash.
Next, we saw some of the mountains and visited the visitor's center. There, we watched the most ridiculous video that explained how some of the mountains and hot springs were formed in the area. The video in story form and was narrated by Jenny, a cello player, and a man. From time to time, they broke out in cello-playing or a group of boy scouts would sing and ask questions about the mountain. Weird. Anyway, it seems the heat beneath the surface was so great that mountains caved in.
We got back into the car and started the drive back home. We stopped at a fish market along the way and had a delicious dinner. A large fishing boat adorned with glass laterns floated nearby. Again, James ordered a variety of raw seafood, seaweed, and noodles that was cooked, served, and shared family-style.
I was also excited to find and drink natural apple soda - no chemical ingredients!
It was around 9:30 at this point and we were exhausted. Even so, we were taken to a spa for a Taiwanese massage. James and Mindy assured us that it would make us feel better - even though sleep is really what we needed. So we went.
We all started with tea, a foot soak, and a preview massage. Then everyone, James, Mindy, Claudia and myself, were taken to the another room for feet and body massages. I laid face down on a table and the massage therapist started her work. In the meantime, James and Mindy sat side by side getting foot massages chit-chatting it up about 5 feet away from my face. Cell phones rang, random children came in and laughed, and the therapists talked to each other. I was laughing for the first 5-10 minutes of the massage because I couldn't believe how ridiculously unrelaxing and distracting the whole experience was. I'm accustomed to a quiet room with relaxing music when I get a massage, not an environment similar to a food court at the mall. Mindy asked me why I was laughing and when I explained, she made the therapist close the curtain in my corner so I could relax.
The therapist proceeded with a long and painful massage. She dug her hands and elbows into my body and slapped me around a bit. After 90 minutes of awkwardness and pain, Claudia said she experienced the same minus the slapping (why does that always happen to me??). She went home with bruises. We left and got home around 1:00 am. LONG DAY.
On Sunday, we drove an hour into the city to celebrate Mindy's grandfather's 90th birthday. He has a large family and it was nice to be included in the celebration.
Desserts in Taiwan are never too sweet and are usually made with beans. During this meal, we were served these little pastries with red bean inside. I said to Claudia, "Oh look! We get to try little vaginas!". James laughed and said he understood what I said.
Afterwards, we visited the local Beitou Hot Spring Museum. This was a large bath house constructed in the center of a beautiful park. The Japanese built it during their rule and sent their VIPs there to relax. We took off our shoes and walked around. I told Mindy I dislike visiting places like that because it represented a time when the Taiwanese were mistreated in their own land.
We also walked through a park with these amazing trees.
Next on the schedule was a visit to the local library and another hot spring. Claudia and I explained that we were very tired and needed some down time. When would we have time to wash our clothes or even relax to prepare for the long week ahead? James said, "if you don't have a local tour guide to take you to places, then you won't see these great sites". I agreed but said, "if I'm too tired to see these sites, then I won't enjoy them the way I should". We went home and relaxed for the rest of the evening. They did try to take me to Mindy's mother's house at 9pm but I refused.
I know it sounds like I am complaining and that's because I am. Taiwan is a beautiful place and our hosts want to make sure we are well aware of that fact before we leave. So, they whisk us away at any opportunity they get so they can flaunt their most beautiful sites. I asked Mindy and James to stop feeling obligated to overload our schedule and to consider our heavy workload. We are teachers who are volunteering to be here during our summer vacation time. We want a meaningful but relaxing experience. Stop the madness.
To visit three or more hot springs might seem odd, but maybe your hosts consider them to be precisely a way to relax, without the language challenge that might encumber a visit to an historical site or a theater. To attend the grandfather's 90th birthday was certainly an honor. Could you understand much? Has Jo-way begun the study of any foreign language? Has he prodded VHC for any lessons?
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