Tag: taipei

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Taiwan Road Trip

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After China, we returned to Taipei for one day, then went off on another adventure: a road trip around Taiwan. Locals call this experience 環島.

Since we plan to move back to the US soon (more on that later), we figured this would be a good opportunity to see more of the island. We rented a car from New Taipei City and drove from east to south to west.

To be honest, I was not mentally or physically prepared to go on this trip so soon after China. China was not exactly a relaxing trip, and I was exhausted coming back. But we already had everything booked so I trudged along.

Hualien. Our first stop was Hualien, a beautiful county by the coast. Hualien is also home to Taroko National Park, which we visited back in 2024. But due to the 2024 earthquake, Taroko was ravaged and still isn’t completely open yet. For this reason, plus more recent earthquakes in the area, tourism in Hualien has plummeted, and many businesses have had to shut down. Locals aren’t sure if the county will ever recover. 😔 It’s such a shame, because Hualien is very scenic and peaceful, and still worth a visit if you’re in Taiwan.

Taitung. Next, we made the long 3-hour drive to Taitung, a city known for its nature, clean air and slow travel. The city center looks very much like a tamer version of Taipei.

We stayed at a glamping site in Taitung. Taiwanese people love nature but they also love convenience, so there are many all-inclusive glamping sites in Taiwan. These sites include real beds, a full bath, TV, wifi – some even have food delivered to your door! Now this is my kind of camping. 😎

Kenting. After a couple of nights in Taitung, we drove 2 hours to the city of Kenting. It’s located at the southern tip of Taiwan, and is the country’s closest thing to a beach town. Now that we live so far away from the beach, the boys miss it and want to head to the beach every time we get. The beaches at Kenting were nice – soft, clean sand and calm waves.

We also went to the most southern point of Taiwan, which is marked by a triangular pyramid-shaped monument. Nothing particularly special here, but just wanted to visit since we were nearby.

Since Kenting is near the ocean, there are a lot of restaurants selling sashimi for dirt cheap (i.e., about $6 for a huge plate)! It’s not the best quality of course, but too good of a deal to pass up. We ordered a plate of sashimi practically each time we ate out, and by the end of the trip I was so sick of it. 😐 Interestingly enough, Kenting is also where we had some amazing pizza.

Xiaoliuqiu. Next, we drove to the Donggang port, parked our car there overnight, and caught a ferry to a small island called Xiaoliuqiu. Xiaoliuqiu’s main attraction is sea turtles! This place has been on my travel wish-list for some time. The warm waters, rich coral reefs, and abundant food attract many sea turtles and you can see them year-round. The island is also filled with turtle merchandise: turtle-shaped treats, turtle stuffies, turtle statues, you name it.

We rented e-bikes and biked around the island to different beaches to snorkel. At our second location, Beauty Beach, we spotted SO many sea turtles! The turtles must be used to seeing people, because we got very close several times and they seemed completely unbothered. Seeing sea turtles up close in the ocean felt so magical – what a special treat!

Unfortunately, Xiaoliuqiu was also where I got a stomach bug. 😫 I suspect it might it have been the sushi we ate for dinner (which is why I still haven’t had sushi since we got back, ha!).

Kaohsiung. We got back to the Donggang port and drove about 1.5 hours to Kaohsiung, a major port city and Taiwan’s second-largest city. Kaohsiung felt very vast, with wide boulevards and high rises, but with fewer people than Taipei. Yet, it was the hardest place for me to drive because the roads were so confusing and traffic was heavy all the time. Thankfully, Kaohsiung has its own MRT and while it’s not as comprehensive as Taipei’s, we used it to get around the city and avoid driving.

We visited the Lotus Pond and Temples. It was quite a lively area – a small bazaar, people exercising nearby, fishermen along the pond, and singing voices in the background.

Before we left Kaohsiung, we visited Fo Guang Shan Buddha Museum. The place is massive. A 354′ Budda statue sits at the end of a long walkway flanked by 4 pagodas on each side. The museum contains Buddhist art and relics. The whole complex was impressive to see and exceptionally well-built.

Nantou. Nantou is a mountainous county located in the middle of Taiwan. We came here because I was interested in visiting the Xitou Nature Education Area, but I have to admit it was pretty disappointing.

We stayed in Monster Village, a Japanese monster-themed “village”. It consists of a hotel and a few shops and restaurants. On social media, it looked really cute but in reality, it was much smaller than I thought, a bit run down and deserted.

The Monster Village is located right next to the Xitou Nature Education Area. However, we didn’t enjoy that area much either. The trails were short and boring, and mostly filled with older people exercising, so it felt more like a park than a real hike. The boys quickly lost interest so we didn’t stay long.

Miaoli. Last stop on our road trip was Miaoli, a county in the northwestern part of Taiwan and a 2 hour drive from Nantou. Miaoli has a huge Hakka population and a laid-back vibe.

We stopped by the town of Dahu to pick strawberries as January/February is strawberry season in Taiwan. The strawberries were big, juicy and sweet (but expensive!). We also bought a unique variety of white strawberries called Snow Rabbit, which tasted slightly sweet and has a more delicate flavor simliar to a pear. We had a lot of fun picking strawberries.

On our last night, we stayed at another glamping site. I booked this site specifically for their cute camper vans. It’s the boys’ dream to own a camper van one day. 😂 As with most glamping sites in Taiwan, the inside of the cabin was really nice and clean.

We were surprised to find the campsite was practically a jackfruit orchard! There were jackfruit growing everywhere. The owner kindly offered us one but mentioned they weren’t quite ripe yet. Knowing how much work it takes to open a jackfruit, we didn’t want to go through the hassle for something that wasn’t sweet yet, so we passed. Still, it was so cool to see them growing in the wild for the first time!

The campsite also had a fire pit, so we stopped by the nearest grocery store to pick up ingredients for s’mores. They didn’t turn out to be what we’re used to; for instance, graham crackers were replaced with saltines, but it was still fun to relive a little slice of American culture.

That night, Baba and O were hit with the stomach bug. 🤢 We suspect it may have been the strawberries they ate (C and I didn’t have any). I don’t know if they ate too many or if the strawberries weren’t washed properly. Either way, it was a rough night with very little sleep, and we were all exhausted for the drive home the next morning.

Still, I was glad to finally be back home in Taipei. The three of us who came down with stomach bugs spent the next few days recovering. I felt completely drained, both physically and mentally. I was the sole driver on the entire trip (Baba’s license had expired and he’s better at helping me navigate anyway). I was driving anywhere from 2-3 hours every other day, and Taiwan is not an easy place to drive. This was also a packed trip; we stayed in hotels for only 1 or 2 nights. This was fine when Baba and I were in our 20s, but now we much prefer slow travel.

I was in a funk for some time afterwards, and didn’t want to do anything or go anywhere for awhile. After eating out for 5 weeks straight, I was so ready for home-cooked meals. I know this sounds a little spoiled but after weeks on the road, just being back in a normal routine felt like a luxury.

Ramblings

Familiar Faces from Home

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Before we left SF, I read a book called The Invisible String by Patrice Karst to the boys. The book’s message is no one is ever alone – no matter how far you are from your loved ones, there is always an “invisible string” that connects us.

We witnessed the invisible string firsthand this past year. In June, my sister and her family came to Taiwan (I know, this is a long overdue update 😅). They didn’t have any solid plans other than to spend time with us, so we showed them around Taipei and did what we do best: EAT!

Then, we had more visitors in December! My other sister came, followed by Baba’s cousin, and then my SIL. They all came around the same time but luckily, there was no overlap so we could spend time with each family separately.

My sister came for a weekend only but we were able to pack in a lot of eating and walking. My BIL’s 84 year old mother also came along, and I was amazed at how she was able to keep up with us the whole time!

Afterwards, Baba’s cousin arrived and we spent an evening with her and her family at Raohe Night Market. Baba, his cousin and I actually all went to the same high school (same year too!) so we’ve been friends for awhile.

Finally, my SIL came and it was just in time for NYE. Unfortunately, it was rainy and foggy that night so the fireworks weren’t as spectacular as previous years’, but they still enjoyed it. We also accompanied them to Yehliu and Jiufen, and then to the Hsu’s Noodle for a fun noodle making experience.

Except for Baba’s cousin, the rest of our family had already visited Taiwan in the past. The fact that they came again just to see us made us feel very loved. 🥰 What’s remarkable is that despite not seeing their cousins for two years, the boys connected with them right away. It was really sweet watching them spend time together. When everyone left, O cried for days. We were all feeling a bit low. That’s one part of living abroad I’ll never get used to.

I still have so many posts to catch up on. I hope I’ll find the motivation soon!

Ramblings

New School Year, New Adventures? 弟弟 Edition

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Little brother O (弟弟) started 3rd grade this year. We’re not too worried about O for a few reasons: 1) he’s been in Taiwan schools since 1st grade so he already has a solid foundation, 2) based on our experience with C, 3rd grade isn’t too stressful yet, and 3) thankfully, O was assigned a fairly relaxed teacher. He is known to organize a lot of field trips. Last week we went to a treasury/finance museum.

Homework is reasonable, on average 30-40 minutes a day. But O’s teacher has been giving more challenging homework than I remember C getting in 3rd grade — things like sentence composition and short essays. Thank goodness for ChatGPT! 😅

Starting this year, O has 3 long days of school a week, so I miss having the little guy around at home in the afternoons. For the last two years, he’d come home around noon, have lunch, finish his homework, and spend the rest of the afternoon on his hobbies. It felt so carefree. Now, on top of the longer school days, O has after-school activities everyday: Minecraft, swimming, and art — so we don’t see him until almost 6 pm on most days.

Outside of school, O practices Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, plays Minecraft, and loves to read — especially fantasy novels. He’s become hooked on the Harry Potter and Percy Jackson series! Recently, I’ve noticed his writing becoming more expressive and imaginative, so over the summer, I encouraged him to write his own book (since I have a little experience in that area 😏). He decided to write a story about overcoming the fear of trying new things, something he is still personally working through. The result is a cute story called Bowie the Brave, now available on Amazon!

We couldn’t be prouder of O. He used to be really hesitant about trying new things, but we’ve seen how much his confidence has grown. Recently, he read his book in front of his class — something that would’ve seemed unlikely not long ago. Although he was nervous at first, we’re so glad he pushed through and did it anyway. My SIL also shared his book with her school principal, who then invited O to give a presentation about his book to a group of 2nd graders in December. It will another big challenge, but O is willing to take it on!

Sometimes I miss the summer, when Baba and I could take on projects like these with the kids. During that time, the boys seemed their most creative: building fun Lego and cardboard creations, C experimenting in the kitchen, and O working on his book. We had time to slow down, to wonder and create together. Now that school is in full swing and schedules are packed with homework, there’s little time left for personal projects like these, and I can’t help but wonder if their creativity gets stifled a bit. Still, I’m grateful that Baba and I get to spend so much valuable time with them. Not every parent gets that opportunity, and I don’t take it for granted.

Ramblings

New School Year, New Adventures? 哥哥 Edition

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C and O have been back in school for over a month now, so I thought it’d be a good time to share a little recap. I’ll start with big brother C (哥哥) first.

In Taiwan, elementary students switch teachers and classmates every two years, a transition that can feel nerve-wracking for families. This year, both C and O had to change classes. Knowing this, Baba and I met with the Director of Academic Affairs to request a more “relaxed” teacher for C. Since he was already doing about 2 hours of homework in 4th grade everyday, we couldn’t imagine what it would be like for the next two years.

The Director assured us that teachers are randomly assigned (which we weren’t entirely convinced of but let go) and said we’d need to work directly with C’s teacher. In August, classroom assignments were released and C was placed with the most notoriously strict 5th-grade teacher 😆. And we knew she was strict because she mailed every family a 4-page letter outlining expectations and sent daily reminders all summer.

We reached out to the teacher share our situation. She asked if C could try completing all the homework for a month and then see if adjustments are needed. We replied that he will do the best he can within the time we allocated for him (~1 hour a day), with the condition that he wouldn’t have to stay in class during recess if he couldn’t finish (a common practice here).

I was nervous about how she’d respond. In Taiwan, homework and tests are the ultimate measures of success, and this teacher seemed stern and unyielding. But to my surprise, she’s been understanding. Even when C couldn’t finish his homework, she didn’t scold or embarrass him (though she still has to grade him fairly). Over time, C has grown to appreciate that she allows students to start homework in class, has a structured schedule, and even her humor while scolding students. I’m grateful he’s kept such a positive attitude through all these changes.

Left photo: C doing homework in class. Right photo: His nightly stack of homework books. 😯

This year has been a bit more challenging since we decided not to bring back our tutor. Combined with our limited schedule for C’s Chinese homework, it’s led to lower grades, which was something we expected. We keep reminding C that this choice is intentional: we want to prioritize his well-being and focus on what will benefit him in the long run. Of course, once we’re back in the US, homework can’t be left unfinished and grades matter more. I just hope he’s not going to think that skipping work or poor grades are acceptable… 😣

For extracurriculars, C is on the badminton team, Global Scholars Program, and an ambassador 小小外交 at school. He also had the opportunity to visit Kinmen 金門 (an outer island of Taiwan) for 3 days in September with classmates. Outside of school activities, C (and O) still practices Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, has gotten really interested in Minecraft and making Lego stop motion videos. Baba has also been working with the boys on simple engineering projects, while I’ve been focusing on reading and writing. It’s been busy in a good way!

Ramblings

Lessons Beyond School

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I know I complained about C’s homework load in my last post, but I want to acknowledge that our school offers amazing opportunities that teach valuable lessons beyond the classroom, some of which were not available to us in the U.S. (especially not in elementary school). Most opportunities are for 4th grade and up, so unfortunately O will have to wait his turn.

Little Diplomat. This year, C was selected to be a “Little Diplomat”. Occasionally, our school has visitors from other countries, and Little Diplomats are responsible for welcoming them, giving tours of the school, and presenting on different topics. C met people from Indonesia, Korea, Japan and the Kingdom of Eswatini. Being a Little Diplomat has allowed C to practice public speaking and learn how to interact with people from different cultures.

International Exchange. Early in the school year, C participated in a school trip to Penghu, one of Taiwan’s outer islands. He wrote about the experience here. Then last month, our school organized a trip to Korea for a week! Students even got to do a homestay for 1 night with a local family – how cool is that?! Hopefully C will be able to write a post about his Korean school trip sometime.

Beyond just having fun, C also learned a lot through this experience. Since he’s a native English speaker and comfortable speaking in front of others, the school often asks him to present or help translate between Taiwanese and Korean students. In the months leading up to the trip, students would also meet on a weekly basis to prepare – writing to Korean students, practicing performances, learning about Korean culture and language, etc.

Badminton Team. C has been on the badminton team since the beginning of the school year. I’ve always been a fan of kids playing sports – they learn about teamwork, get exercise, and develop grit. C absolutely loves playing badminton. And so much to his delight, his team has practices almost everyday, sometimes twice a day. Unlike the elementary school sports in the US, Taiwan school teams take practice very seriously (as with most other things 😅). Students have to run laps if they don’t do well during practices, and can get kicked off the team if they consistently perform poorly or have a bad attitude. It’s a bit harsh compared to U.S. standards but it definitely pushes the kids to work hard and take their responsibilities seriously.

Global Scholars Program. C isn’t part of this program yet, but will be applying for it. It’s a program for 5th and 6th graders that focuses on global issues – like reducing food waste – where students collaborate to develop solutions and create an action plan. They then present their action plan to other students from around the world participating in the same program.

The goal of this program aligns perfectly with what we’ve been encouraging our boys to do: identify a problem, come up with a solution, and take action. We hope this experience will help C build important skills like teamwork, communication, and leadership. To us, these skills are far more important than scoring well on a social studies exam. 😅

The programs I’ve mentioned are not available in every Taipei public school, so we really appreciate that our school has such an international and forward-thinking focus. That’s one of the great things about living on a small island like Taiwan – people are always looking outward and eager to learn from others around the world.

But it would be remiss not to mention C’s role in all of this. Despite a heavy homework load, he’s always excited to participate in activities. He definitely has a bit of FOMO – which, in his case, is a good thing – because he truly wants to make the most of every opportunity.

Ramblings

Volunteering in Taiwan

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I’ve always enjoyed volunteering. It’s a great way to spend time with the family while doing something good, often doesn’t require a huge time commitment, and you get to meet interesting people.

I already knew I wanted to volunteer in Taiwan somehow before moving here. The trouble was finding organizations that speak some English and could accommodate children. I scoped out some non-profits on social media and found two organizations: SALT Collectiv and Mary’s Doggies.

SALT was founded by a group of foreigners living in Taiwan who strive to feed the homeless (among other initiatives). When I first told the boys about SALT, they couldn’t believe there were homeless people in Taiwan. While definitely not as common as in SF, there are indeed homeless people in Taiwan! We want the boys to realize that regardless of where you are, there will always be marginalized people who need help.

At SALT events, we write encouraging notes and prepare 100 bento boxes, which we distribute to the homeless at Taipei Main Station. We’ve participated in 5 or 6 events now and surprisingly, the boys really enjoy it – even O, who normally hates being near the kitchen. 😂 The boys also donated some of their own money to SALT’s fundraiser this year. SALT events can be pretty tiring for Baba and me (they usually take 4-5 hours) but seeing the boys wanting to help others makes it worthwhile.

Mary’s Doggies is an organization that rehabilitates abandoned and abused dogs and prepares them for adoption. I’ve participated in several of their volunteer events like dog walking and socializing dogs, but most events were on school days so the boys couldn’t join. (Or when an event was on a weekend, it was too hot. Weather in Taipei is unfortunately not conducive to outdoor activities.)

But now that the weather has somewhat cooled down, I was able to sign us up for a weekend dog walking event. Many of the dogs are extremely timid, so it took some time for them to get used to us. We played with and walked 3 dogs for about an hour. Like me, C and O love dogs so this was a wonderful way for us to get our dog fix while helping to socialize them.

Other than volunteering with these organizations, Baba and I continue to volunteer at the boys’ school. Baba still volunteers as a crossing guard and this year, I’m volunteering as a “school lunch taste tester.” 😂 There is really such a thing!

Unlike the US, public schools in Taiwan take nutrition in lunches very seriously. They invite parents to taste the lunch and then fill out a form where you detail whether the food is too salty or not salty enough, too fibrous, too soft, etc. You also have to take photos of the food and upload them along with the completed form to a central system.

I find this fascinating as it’s so different than in the US. The lunches are pretty good too! The food is not unlike the simple mom-and-pop restaurants in Taipei. There’s always some kind of protein, carb, lots of vegetables, soup and fruit. Lunches aren’t free though – families have to pay $2 per meal but I’d still say it’s a good deal!

Ramblings

A Weekend in Yilan 宜蘭

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Since moving to Taiwan, we’ve heard a lot about Yilan, a county in the northeast part of the country. Apparently it’s a very popular weekend getaway for families.

Earlier this month, we finally took a trip to Yilan for a weekend. It was so easy to get there! Friday after school, we walked 15 minutes from our place to the Taipei City Hall bus station, then boarded a bus to Luodong 羅東. The buses depart every 10-15 minutes and we simply paid the fare on board with our Easy Card. Within an hour, we arrived at Luodong – easy peasy!

I decided to stay in the city of Luodong because it’s close to a few of the family farms Yilan is famous for. I booked a room at Check Inn Magi and it was a HUGE hit with the boys. It has video games, ball pit room, a large indoor slide and motorized toy cars. The boys seriously wanted to live there. 😂 The best part was that Baba and I could rest in our room while they played downstairs.

Our hotel was also close to the Luodong Night Market, which we visited on Friday night. It was a pretty big market but nothing stood out in particular, at least nothing that we tried.

On Saturday morning, we went to Zhang Mei Ama Farm 張美阿嬤農場, about a 20 minute taxi ride from Luodong. Buses don’t run very frequently in Yilan, so most people either drive, hire a driver, or take a taxi.

Zhang Mei Ama Farm is a popular petting farm located in Sanxing. Visitors can get up close and personal with animals like alpacas, capybaras, sheep, wallabies, etc. But first, we signed up for a short cooking class at the farm, where we got to make (and later eat) sweet potato and taro balls. The balls are fairly easy to make: just mash up soft taro and sweet potato with rice flour, then boil in water.

After the cooking class, we headed to the petting farm. The worker gave us a bunch of grass to feed the animals. It can be pretty overwhelming at first because the animals charged at anyone with food. The taller animals like alpacas and deer would grab the food right out of C and O’s hands, so Baba and I had to hold it with our arms held high. 😂 But aside from the animals being ravenous, they were generally very tame and seemed to be well taken care of. We all loved seeing the variety of animals here! We paid $10.75 per person for both the cooking class and farm experience, and booked our tickets here.

Nearby Zhang Mei Ama Farm are a couple of scallion farms. The one we went to is Cong Bao Bao 葱抱抱體驗農場. It was about a 30 minute walk from the farm. You could take a taxi there but since the weather was comfortable, we decided to walk.

At Cong Bao Bao, you can make scallion pancakes and/or harvest scallions. Unfortunately, the scallion fields were destroyed by Typhoon Kong-rey the weekend prior. But all was not lost! The farm also grew dragon fruit so we were able to pick those.

Interestingly, dragon fruit grows on long prickly vines. The dragon fruits at the farm had pink flesh and were wrapped in bags to prevent bugs and animals from eating them. We each got to take one home.

On our last day in Yilan, we took the local train to Jiaoxi 礁溪, another small town in Yilan famous for hot springs. Streets are literally lined with hot springs spas. We bought a day pass at Chuan Tang Spring Spa Hotel 川湯春天溫泉飯店 for about $10 per person. (On weekdays, it’s about $7 per person.)

The resort is a little dated but we still had a lot of fun because of the variety of facilities. They had different scented and colored baths; a kids’ section with water slides; scented steam rooms; fish pedicure; and even a bath with a mahjong table! 😂 We stayed here for 4 hours – definitely got our money’s worth!

The trip from Jiaoxi back to Taipei was seamless as well. As with Luodong, there is a direct bus linking Jiaoxi and Taipei. We took the bus for about an hour and the first stop was just a 5 minute walk from our apartment. Can’t get any more convenient than that!

We had a great time in Yilan. It’s family-friendly, easy to get to, and has tons of fun, affordable activities. It really makes a perfect weekend getaway.

Ramblings

A Family Affair

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This past April, my sister and BIL visited for a week, followed by my SIL who visited for two months over the summer. Then in mid-October, my other sister and BIL visited for 10 days. How lucky are we to have so many family members visit us this year?!

My sister and BIL have been to Taiwan a couple times before, so they’ve visited most of the major sites in Taipei. I had arranged a day trip to Yangmingshan 陽明山 but it was pouring rain so our driver took a detour and drove us to Tamsui 淡水 instead. We had the most delicious blueberry cream castella cake, explored the old street, and took a ferry across to Bali 八里, a small coastal town. Bali was very similar to Tamsui across the river in terms of look and feel, but less busy.

My sister and BIL’s visit also coincided with the Halloween festivities in Taipei. We took them to Yong Kong Street to trick or treat, but also to eat of course! Our “must-eat” places at Yong Kang have always been the Tian Jin Onion Pancake 天津葱抓餅 and Yong Kong Beef Noodle Soup 永康牛肉麵。 But we recently discovered Jingimoo Cafe 金鷄母, which has amazing shaved ice – in my opinion, better than the famous Smoothie House!

Because the boys still had school during their visit, we weren’t able to accompany my sister and BIL to a few places, but I’m glad they got to explore Alishan 阿里山, Jiufen 九分, Shifen 十分, and Hsu’s Noodles 許家麵線 on their own. They were lucky to have had good weather during their visits too!

We also took this time to have an early celebration for my sister’s birthday. After all, can’t say no to eating cake!

Life is really about the simple things. We had so much fun just eating (a lot!), chatting and laughing. In fact, I didn’t even take that many pictures – which is always a sign of good times!

When my sister and BIL left, we were all feeling a little down. Being apart from family is truly the hardest thing about living abroad, but the short time we do have together is even more cherished than before.

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Typhoon Days in Taiwan

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In early October, Typhoon Krathon hit Taiwan. The eye of the storm was mostly in southern Taiwan but as a precaution, the Taipei city government decided to close offices and schools for two days on October 2-3.

Naturally, the boys were ecstatic. There was still homework assigned, because well, it’s Taiwan. 😂 Coming from California, we never had snow days but now we get to experience typhoon days or 颱風日!

Except, typhoon days aren’t as fun. People are advised to stay indoors because of high winds and rain. And with two active boys, staying indoors all day can be a challenge! Restaurants are closed. Grocery stores are cleared out the day before as people prepare to shelter in place.

But Typhoon Krathon turned out to be more of your average rainstorm, at least in Taipei. By the second day of closure, most businesses reopened and many people were out and about. (Which was for the best because we were running out of food. 😂) We started to wonder if cancelling school and businesses for two days was necessary at all.

Eating lunch at the food court in Taipei 101 during the second typhoon day.

Then in early November, another typhoon – Typhoon Kong-rey – hit Taiwan and other parts of Asia. This was a super typhoon and the strongest in 30 years. Normally, typhoons in Taiwan occur during the summer months when the air is the warmest. It is rare to to have typhoons in October, and even rarer in November so you know it was going to be a wild one. Schools and businesses closed again. This time we made sure to have enough food to last a few days.

We’ve experienced a few typhoons by this point, but most of them turned out to be rather tame. Typhoon Kong-rey however, was a real beast.

The rain and high winds howled for most of the day, but thankfully stopped before bedtime. Otherwise, I don’t think we’d be able to sleep!

The morning after:

Despite the strong wind, most of the damage was just fallen trees in our area. Although this typhoon was much stronger than Typhoon Krathon in October, the boys had to go back to school the next day. Maybe the fact that midterms were coming up had something to do with it! 😅

All of the debris was cleared out within a few days. As with the earthquake earlier this year, buildings in Taipei remained intact, and we never experienced any power or internet outages. Taiwan has its fair share of natural disasters but they are impressively well prepared!

Ramblings

Summer 2024 Activities in Taiwan: Zongzi, Fencing, and Monkey King Opera

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This summer, Baba’s sister (my SIL) came to Taiwan and stayed with us for 2.5 months. Prior to her arrival, the boys excitedly came up with a list of places to take her around Taipei and beyond. This is one of the few times we get to play host. Since most of our friends and family are from the Bay Area, we never had to take anyone around until we moved here.

Luckily, my SIL was down for everything. Even though we didn’t sign the boys up for any full-time camps, they still had a busy and productive summer! This is just a snippet of the things we did, in addition to Alishan and Indonesia (which I’ll blog about next!).

Zongzi Cooking Class. We had such a fun time learning how to wrap zongzi 粽子 at CookingFun Taiwan. At the time, the Dragon Boat Festival holiday had already passed so it was just the four of us in the whole class!

Making zongzi is extremely labor intensive since each ingredient needs to be prepared separately and in advance. The process can take days. Our teacher had already prepared some ingredients for us beforehand, so we were able to make 26 zongzi’s during the 2.5 hour class and take them all home with us!

Fencing. Fencing always looked like sword fighting to me so I thought the boys would enjoy it. I found a one-day trial class and signed the boys up. The class was really fun, but it’s quite a journey from our place and I’m not sure if we want to manage another extracurricular during the weekend. But how adorable are the fencing uniforms? 😍

Monkey King Chinese Opera. The Monkey King opera is put on by Taipei Eye Performing Arts. The show was really entertaining but I’m also glad it was only an hour. 😅 While there were English subtitles displayed on the side of the stage, Chinese opera can be rather hard to follow! The pre and post show activities were so much fun. We got to dress up in traditional Chinese costumes, participated in a print-making activity, and even met the actors.

Shrimping. Believe it or not, one of Taiwan’s pastimes is indoor shrimping. You rent fishing rods for about $13 an hour, and can catch as many shrimp during that time. The first time we went, we only caught 5. This time, we caught 9! You can then grill and eat the shrimp onsite. Despite how peculiar this all is, we always get a thrill whenever we catch a shrimp. The shrimp pool we went to this time was called Fun蝦休閒釣蝦場. It was clean, had AC and the staff was kind – highly recommend!

Tainan. Baba and I already took the boys to Tainan last October, but my SIL wanted to visit the city with the boys. They went for 2 nights, which gave Baba and me some much appreciated time off! 😊

Staying Active. It’s absurdly hot and humid in Taipei during the summer, so we had to find ways to stay active indoors. We played badminton, ping pong, swam, and went to the gym at the nearby sports center. On occasion, we would join a group of visually impaired people at Sun Yat Sen for a run at night. (Ok full disclosure: I did it once and couldn’t stand the humidity but Baba, my SIL and the boys went a few times!)

Glass Blowing. It never occurred to me to try glass blowing, but I wanted to find indoor activities to avoid the heat and this popped up on a blog. Guests get to take part in the entire process, from gathering molten glass from the furnace to forming the glass with the blowpipe. It was a fun, educational experience – but didn’t come cheap! Depending on the shape you want to make, the cost can be $30-$100 per person. Initially, we weren’t sure if we wanted to do it, until we realized the same experience in SF would cost around $200! Gotta take advantage of the benefits of living in Taiwan while we can. Our glass blowing experience was done at Kun Crystal.

There were more activities we did but I don’t want this blog to get too long. We had a pretty fun and productive summer, right? Except I’m sure if you asked the boys what we did all summer, they’d say, “Nothing. We just sat at home and played with our tablets.” 😒 Why do I even bother? 😂