Wichita and the Family- Sept 24-28, 2008

I got a little homesick, so I switched some ED shifts and spent the weekend with the fam. After my night shift, on first arrival, Mommy decided we should go to the Senior Expo and despite my sleepy stupor we toured the Exploration Place and botanical gardens. I also got to reminisce with fondue and good cooking at Casey's new pad.

Oktoberfest- Sept 20, 2008

Zincinnati, as the banner read, hosts the 2nd largest Octoberfest in the world (2nd to Germany of course). The city has deep German roots and flaunts Polka music, brats, and beer at this annual street festival downtown. Tara, Brandy, Marian, and I had a great time enjoying the food and drink.

Cincinnati Wind Storm- Sept 14, 2008

1 week after the wind storm that swept all the way across middle america from Hurricane Ike, 70,000 Cincinnatians are still without electricity. Luckily ours just went out for a day, but is has caused quite the havoc on the city.

Farmer's Market- Sept 14, 2008

Literally right outside my doorstep, I can see it from my porch, is the weekly Hyde Park Farmer's Market. A small affair, it's got scrumptious organic veggies, cheeses, breads, and other random delights. Dawn, Patty, and I decided to take advantage of our Sunday off and get some food.

Last day in Taiwan- Sept 12, 2008

I was horribly sad to be leaving Taiwan and my family, so the last day was bittersweet. I did enjoy the family-style meal at home to finish off the trip and everyone was there making it that much better. Plus, my aunt is a great cook. :)

National Cheng Kung University- Sept 9, 2008

National Cheng Kung University is the #2 university in Taiwan and is the alma mater and the place where my parents met, so it was interesting to see and imagine my parents young. Apparently it's changed quite a lot though in the last almost 40 years.

Tainan, Taiwan- Sept 9, 2008

Tainan, "City in South Taiwan," is the old capital and only a short 1h40m bullet train ride from Taipei, much shorter than the 10h train ride that my parents used to have to take to return to school after holidays. It is also a cultural epicenter of Taiwan as it houses many old temples and gates.

Eating in Taiwan- Sept 8, 2008

So my main activity this trip has been eating. For lunch we went to an amazing buffet, one of the best I've ever been to with giant oysters, seafood, and fruits amongst other specialties.

Sun Yat Sen Memorial Hall- Sept 7, 2008

We decided to get some ice cream with a view today and ended up by a idealic pond in the middle of downtown Taipei. Ends us we were also right by the Sun Yat Sen Memorial Hall which celebrates its namesake, a physician educated in the US who is thought to be the father of modern China for his role in overthrowing the Chin Dynasty.

Sun Moon Lake- Sept 5, 2008

Sun Moon Lake was also a favorite retreat for the ruling party in guomingdong Taiwan and is a close drive from Shitou so we stopped by to enjoy the view. It's a cold lake and no swimming is allowed except for once a year in the swim-across-the-lake festival in September. I definitely don't think I could make it across though it would be refreshing.

Hiking Chitou- Sept 5, 2008

Before leaving Shitou, we did some light hiking in the mountains along the skywalk and bamboo. It was good to get in some exercise and see the trees from up top.

Chitou- Sept 4, 2008

Shitou is a mountain retreat, peaceful and beaucolic. It's also where my parents went on their honeymoon so for that reason alone, I wanted to see it. We stayed at Le Midi Hotel, probably the nicest I've ever stayed at and owned by one of cousin's closest friends. Our room itself had a balcony view of the mountains and even a sitting room.

Yeliu and Danshui- Sept 3, 2008

Yeliu is a geopark with oddly-shaped rock formations created by a limestone cape constantly eroded by the sea. It's located in the north point of Taiwan and surrounded by fishing villages with delicious fresh fish in which we definitely indulged. After lunch, we stopped by the boardwalk fo Denshui which is the fresh water river mouth to the Taipei Straight.

The Grand Hotel and Longshan Temple- Sept 2, 2008

The Grand Hotel was originally built by Mrs. Chen Kai-Shek and remains as one of the most plush hotels and landmarks in Taipei sitting atop a hill overlooking the city. After browsing the hotel grounds, we headed to Longshan Temple, the most celebrated temple in the city dedicated to the Goddess of Mercy. It is a temple open to all faiths from buddhism to Christianity reflecting Taiwan's open-minded culture.

Shin Ling Night Market- Sept 1, 2008

The Night Market is an explosion of things to buy and delicious foods to eat. I don't even know what they're all called, but yummy. Of course, there were the good 'ol standbys like bubble tea as well.

The National Palace Museum- Sept 1, 2008

90% of China's cultural heritage including artwork ranging from paintings to pottery is displayed in Taiwan's most famous museum. When Chiang Kai-Chek fled China, he took with him quite a loot. All the art was painstakingly detailed including solid ivory balls with 17 balls carved within each other and sharing a common center. Even the desserts here are quite delicate and beautiful in their detail.

Taipei 101- World's Tallest Building- August 31, 2008

Taipei 101 is the world's tallest building...for now and has the world's fastest elevator. It's amazing how the engineered this bamboo-shaped structure, especially in the face of frequent earthquakes here in seismic Taiwan. I guess that's what the giant damper baby is for.

Back to the Homeland- Taiwan- Aug 30, 2008

Going back to Taiwan meant reaquainting myself with a lot of my family. Being with all of them makes me wonder what it would have been like to grow up with lots of girls my age, like more sisters. Otherwise, these are pictures of my cousin's condo and family.