OmniBus: Taiwan: Day 4: Freedom and Arrival

Finallyyyy...the last day of training has arrived. My awesome possum C 1-1 group conquered the demos. We wanted to go first but going mid-last wasn't too bad because groups before us didn't have ingenious ideas such as ours. It went really well...better than I expected. And for the first time, I wasn't nervous when I got up. Usually I'm all chill before but right when I'm on the spot, I breakdown. So yay for that. The best part was how we realized we didn't have candy on us to throw to the audience, so Alice ended up running down to the lobby and taking handfuls of the free but not the best tasting candy. ^^ Oh well, everything tastes better when it's free. I hope the other AID volunteers don't hate us for being cheap Asians.

Roomies! :)

Our awesome checker-upper counselor, Selina. :)

Elle, our table teacher for 三民國中.

Closing ceremony

After closing ceremony, we anxiously awaited our release. Our group had the latest train ticket so we wanted to go out to Taipei and explore the city because it was pretty sad how it seemed like we've been there for a week and never step foot past the Chientan gate. The people at the top didn't want us to leave due to safety precautions...but seriously? What did they expect us to do? We can't stay in our rooms because of extra fees...and the lobby area is dead including its WiFi. Finally they gave in and we were able to lug ourselves and our luggage out in to society! The sucky thing was that we had to heave our duffel bags to the MRT station (about a 20 minute fast-paced walk) but at least it was better than having to take ALL our suitcases (they had already shipped it to the school).

Lunch pack.

Lugging 10 lb luggage to the station.

We all had major bruises all over our shoulders...but at least this proves we put the "men" in "women"?

Waiting for the train.

Living it like a local, minus the shirts that automatically label us as noobs.

Lost...?

Found.

Eeek.

Performances.

SO MANY CAKES! Ashley's probably in lalaland.

Consumerism...sigh.

Korean food.

Katsu, Chris Choi's favorite.

Okay, I'm going to write a bit of a Debbie downer...the food I tried wasn't too great. The displays set my expectation way too high. The dining ambiance was wonderful. Everything was so new, bright, shiny, and clean...but my dish just didn't cut it. My Taiwan expert group mates told me that oyster pancakes is a famous dish so I decided to give it a shot. But man, it's nothing like those Korean vegetable pancakes...that' what I expected the texture to be like. The dough wasn't even though...it was all gooey, gelatin like...and I also found out that gelatin made out of animal bones...that definitely didn't help me enjoy the dish. I don't know...it just didn't taste like what food was suppose to taste like. :( But window shopping at all the other foods made up for it!

Fancy.

Cake tower!

任光晞!

So Ashley's hooked on Autumn's Concerto and Guang Xi (Vanness) now. :p June, Velinda, Alice, and I are such bad influences. :p

巴黎! From left to right: Nancy, Ashley, Velinda, June, Alice, me, and Elle.

Posh. If I were to design a hotel dining area...it would be like this with an aquarium! ^^

Beard Papa smells UHMAAZING in Taiwan.

Window shopping.

Massage with knife cleaver: http://www.stopgettingsick.com/templates/news_template.cfm/2916

No pictures allowed at 7-Eleven. :3 Whoops.

Nomz, papaya milk! ^^V

After window shopping for a couple hours, we had to catch our 5:00...I mean 17:00 train. :p So this was the craziest part of our adventure. We ran everywhere in the station/mall trying to find our luggage lockers and then trying to navigate through the shops to find somewhere to buy bread for dinner, and then 7-Eleven for drinks and then back tracking to our lockers before the time ran out on the timer. And after successfully beating the timer, we had to beat the clock and get to the waiting area for our train. We had like one minute to get there but luckily the train came a bit late. The most exciting part was when we were referencing to Harry Potter and Platform 9 3/4...there was ACTUALLY a sign that Platform 9 3/4. Too bad we were in such a hurry, I couldn't snap a shot of it, but I shall if I see it again. My team can witness that it is indeed a true a story!

Ticket to 牧場, 瑞穗.

Dropped bun for 30 NT$...pretty worth it. I thought it would be the codfish bread I like but turns out it was some chocolate one so I wanted to put it back...but yeah it dropped in the process. So Ashley and I, being the foodies we are, still ate it (minus the outer layer...we're not that kind of pigs...but we are pigs. :p)

Scenery.

Seaside!

Changing in public transportation. :p

Arrival in 牧場, 瑞穗.

Welcome to 牧場!

Late night market run!

Necessities.

Stray dog chilling in the market.

Our router in the ceiling...lol.

I'm glad we live where we live. It is indeed a humble abode. I did expect a lot at first because Elle kept describing it as a house...so I imagined something like Fuyumi's house in La Corda D'Oro...and I was quite scared that it'd be such a big house with long corridors and such. But turns out to be a very simple, little dormitory. But judging from Elle's reaction to the presence of a refrigerator and washing machine, it was quite luxurious. I guess this is what it means to have a lot in America. Yao also kept commenting about how lucky we are to have air conditioning...East Coast term (Nancy) "Air Con." Yeah, we are pretty lucky...usually it's expected in America...but in Taiwan you just deal with the weather. I'm really glad we're not at a hotel or something and that the school actually has provided us a place, but nothing over top, but a place that is the best of what they have for themselves. That in itself is giving so much and we get to experience, even if it's just the surface, of what they live through everyday...and what things they "lack" but can make due with out.