My Travels: Taiwan

Since moving to Korea I have been lucky to be able to visit a few other countries while living here.  I haven't written about these travels so I figured now is as good of a time to do so as any other time.  When I moved to Korea it was the first time I left the USA.  I have always wanted to travel, so moving here has made it easier to travel.  So even though it's been a while since I have been here I wanted to start with my first country I visited after moving here.  What country was it, well if you should know if you read the title of the post, it is Taiwan.

I have nothing but good things to say about Taiwan.  I loved everything about the country.  I was only there for a weekend but I sure loved my short time there.  I guess it helped that I got to see my old roommate while there.  I went to Taiwan December 16, 2011 and came back to Korea December 18th.  Like I said I want' there for a very long time.

I went to Taiwan to go to my old roommate Candice's wedding.

I was so excited because on my flight over to Taiwan I got to fly on an airplane full of Hello Kitty stuff.

It was all so cute!

 I arrived in Taiwan at 11 o'clock at night and missed the last train to Candice's area of Taichung.  I was lucky and found a bus that went there and found a way to get to the train stop there so Candice's family would know where to pick me up from.  The hard part was I didn't have a phone to call her and I only had big bills.  When I got to the train station I need to call her to tell her I arrived.  There where a lot of taxi drivers wanting to take me to my friends house, the only problem was I didn't know where she lived.  One of the taxi drivers took pity on me and game me small enough change so I could call Candice.  30 minutes later her brother and sister picked me up and took me to her parents house.

That night I spent the night at Candice's parents house.  I stayed shared a room with her sister Fanny.  In the morning we got up and got ready so we could go to the reception center.  Candice and her husband had the traditional wedding on Friday so Saturday and Sunday where their receptions.  Saturday it was for her husbands family and Sunday was for her family.

When we got to the reception center I was so amazed because it was so beautiful.

First thing that they had to do was get Candice ready!

She was such a beautiful bride.
Then it was time to take pictures.  This is Candice's friend Sophie.   

My turn with Candice.

 At the wedding they had a 7 course sea food buffet.  I know most of you think that sounds amazing and you would love it.  Here's the thing, I do not like seafood at all.  I tried many things there.  I tasted the shark fin soup, I had some of the octopus and squid.  I also tried many other things I have no idea what they where.  I didn't like any of it.  

 After about 20 minutes Candice's brother Chen took mercy on me.  He went to the kitchen and requested a salad for me.  This made me so happy.

During the dinner they had a show to celebrate Candice and her husband.  It required many dress changes for Candice, but they where all beautiful.

 I have no idea what was being said because it was all in Chinese.  It was fun sitting there and being the only foreigner.  Candice and her family where all so nice to me and tried to explain what was going on.

After the reception Candice was busy getting ready for the next day and she had a lot of family to see.  I felt bad because I didn't want to be in the way.  Her friend Sophie said she would show me around.  She asked me what I wanted to see, but I planned my trip 2 weeks before I left and I didn't know I would have time to look around so I had no idea what I wanted to see.  So Sophie said she would show me around her family farm.  It was December and in Korea that meant it was freezing and nothing could grow, so it made me excited to know things where growing in Taiwan.

We hopped on her families scooter and off we went.

 She offered to let me drive, but I told he no thanks because I didn't want to end up in the hospital. She asked me why I thought that would happen and I said because it is my luck that it would happen.  She laughed because everyone drives scooters even old people and they don't get hurt.  I had fun on the back and I am glad I didn't drive.

Sophie's family farm

 I was sooo happy to see pineapple growing.

This was the first time I have ever seen dragon fruit in real life.  I was so excited to taste it.

 Look how beautiful the fruit is.  After eating it my mouth turned hot pink.

 After checking out the farm and the beautiful country side we where thirsty.  What is Taiwan famous for you ask?  Well they are know for their bubble tea.  Sophie wanted me to try some.  I am not a fan of tea, but I thought why not.  So we went and got on.

These tea shops where everywhere.  I found  tea I thought I would like and we bought it.  Taiwan is very smart.  In the USA we have lids for all of our drinks.  These lids also always fall off and then they spill everywhere.  In Taiwan all their drinks are filled and then sealed.  Then you put your straw through the top and drink.  I thought it was so smart.

After looking around the country side we still had an hour to kill before meeting up with Candice again.  We went back to Sophie's house to watch some TV.  The funniest part was we ended up watching Korean TV shows with Chinese subtitles.  I had already seen the show so I knew what was going on in the show so I could still understand what was going on.

Later that night we went to meet up with Candice again.  We met up at a night market.  I had no idea what to expect when I heard them say night market.  It was AMAZING!!  When we got there we met up with Candice, her husband, her 2 brothers, her sister Fanny and her husbands brother.  They where all so excited to show me the market and to play a game I like to call "Feed the Foreigner".

The market was crazy!  This was what it felt like to me.

 This is what it was really like.  So many people everywhere I looked.  It took 15 minutes to walk one block.  We had to hold on to each others shoulders so we wouldn't get lost.

 Look I found Mexican food!

 My favorite thing they feed me is called stinky tofu.  They said no foreigners like it, but I proved them wrong.  I really liked it.

 Food, food and more food.

Candice's brother-in-law, her brother Chen and me.

 Candice's sister Fanny.  I love Fanny, she is so awesome.

 All of us together.

 Oh I am holding watermelon juice, it was my first time drinking fresh watermelon juice, and it was amazing!!

The next day was Sunday and I was heading back to Korea today.  They where having another reception this time with Candice's family.  It was also so beautiful, but saddly I didn't get to see much because I had to get to Taipei to catch my flight to Korea.

 They gave these as favors to everyone who came to the reception.

Candice getting read for this reception.

 Candice and her family.

 Candice walking in with her dad.

To get to the airport Candice's mom wanted to make sure it was uneventful unlike how I got there so she had an airport taxi pick me up and take me straight to the airport.

I am so glad that Candice invited me to her wedding.  It was so fun to see how weddings are in another country.  The best part was seeing Candice again on one of the happiest days of her life.