October Update

Hi Dear Friends!

I apologize for the delay. I understand that I am posting my October update in the middle of November. That's on me. I've had a lot of fun and exciting stuff happening lately (ex: dad visit - see previous post). Let me fill you in!

Double Ten Day Celebration

Double 10 day is also known as Taiwan's birthday, or Taiwan national day. It's a national holiday, which means we got the day off of school. Fulbright was invited to the official celebration in Taipei, and was able to send a few people from each county. I was selected randomly along with my ETA friends Emma and Nico - so the three of us were able to attend this very fun and fancy event. There were officials from many different countries represented. We spoke to people from Panama, Norway, and everywhere in-between. Our coordinator Vivi insisted that we take pictures of everything since she couldn't attend, so I have lots of photos to share. Here are some with captions to explain what's happening! It was certainly a memorable event, and I loved getting to celebrate Taiwan, a country I love, in it's capital city. Great food, entertainment, and company. Couldn't ask for anything more!

Sanxiantai Bridge (Chenggong Township)

Before coming to Taiwan I looked at lots of travel websites and blogs. There really isn't a lot out there for Taitung specific advice and recommendations, but it turns out Instagram is a great source of travel material. I had seen many pictures of this bridge called Sanxiantai (三仙台) and I was so excited when my friend Jessie suggested that we check it out. It is about an hour scooter ride away from my home, which was no problem because the drive is beautiful. The bridge was just as spectacular as I imagined, and even prettier in person.  I didn't realize that when you crossed the bridge it took you to a little island covered in a 360 degrees walkway, which also provided some spectacular views.

Guanshan and Chihshang Townships

In October some of my dear friends teaching in Guanshan, just north of Taitung City, invited me to come visit. The text that Emily sent me said, "How would you feel about riding a party bike through rice fields?" Obviously I have found some kindred spirits here in Taitung.

After hanging out in Guanshan with Emily and Ryan, we took the train to meet up with Emma in Chihshang. We rented a 4-person bike and decided to tour around Mr. Brown Avenue. This is a path through rice fields, made famous by a commercial for Mr. Brown coffee. Mr. Brown is a very popular coffee in Taiwan, so it makes sense that this scenic commercial site became a tourist hit. The four of us decided to really embrace the tourist within, and we had a lot of fun biking around. Chihshang also has some great restaurants, and we enjoyed a family-style Hakka dinner.

Here are some other memories from October. I hope your month was as fun-filled as mine! I love you and miss you all!